Cat behavior & training

Bruxism in cats describes grinding teeth, and may also include chattering of teeth in some cases.

Head shaking in cats refers to turning the head rapidly from side to side, often in response to irritation or pain in the ears.

Restlessness and agitation in cats are common, but hard to define symptoms. Restlessness and agitation are often a normal part of feline behavior.

False pregnancy is a common and normal part of the reproductive cycle of intact female cats. False pregnancy is characterized by hormonal and physiologic changes consistent with pregnancy, even though the cat is not pregnant.

Fatty liver disease (FLD) describes accumulation of fat in the liver. In cases of FLD, fat is released from stores in the body in response to a prolonged period of fasting.

Narcolepsy in cats is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness and cataplexy. Cataplexy is sudden collapse with complete loss of muscle tone which may be spontaneous or triggered by emotional stimuli, such as food. 

Regurgitation is the act of involuntarily expelling swallowed food from the esophagus out of the mouth. It can be identified by the tubular shape of the ejected matter as well as the passivity of the process. 

Pica is a behavioral symptom where cats compulsively eat non-food items. It is an uncommon symptom in cats. This abnormal behavior can indicate an underlying medical issue such as infection or nutritional deficiency, or may be due to stress.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) is a chronic, progressive disease in senior cats characterized by a loss of cognitive performance, also called senility or dementia. Symptoms include disorientation, anxiety, changes to social interaction, changes to the sleep-wake cycle, and urinating or defecating outside of the litter box.

Persistent heat is a rare symptom in cats where the hormonal regulation of the reproductive cycle is disrupted, causing the cat to be in estrus (heat) for an abnormally prolonged period. 

Cat tongues have backward-facing barbs to assist with pushing food towards their throats. As they groom, they constantly ingest small amounts of loose hair. When ingested hair develops into a mass within the GI tract it is referred to as a hairball or trichobezoar.

Scooting is a behavior where the pet sits, lifts its rear legs into the air and uses its front legs to drag the anal area across the floor. This is a normal behavior in response to itchiness, but becomes a medical concern if it is excessive or accompanied by other symptoms, especially around the perineal area.

Bowel incontinence in cats is involuntary passage of feces, and appears to happen without awareness. This symptom is not to be confused with straining to defecate or inappropriate defecating/house soiling.

Noise aversion is a phobia triggered by loud sounds, and is a common condition in dogs. In cats, it is poorly understood and its incidence is unknown.

Anxiety disorders in cats describe symptoms where cats experience a negative behavioral response to environmental stress which is disproportionate to the risk.

Head tilt refers to an abnormal posture of the head, where the head is tilted to one side with one ear lower than the other.

Head pressing in cats is a behavior where the cat presses its head against a wall or other inanimate object for a prolonged period without obvious awareness of its surroundings.

Separation anxiety is a complex and rare behavioral condition that affects cats when they are separated from their owners.

Dietary indiscretion occurs when a cat eats non-food items or food outside of its typical diet.

Reverse sneezing in cats is an involuntary reflex involving rapid, forceful inhalation of air. As with normal sneezes, reverse sneezes are the body’s mechanism for clearing an irritant out of the area near the soft palate.

Undescended testicle(s), or cryptorchidism, is a failure of one (unilateral) or both (bilateral) of a cat’s testicles to properly settle into the scrotum during development.

Pacing and circling is uncommonly observed in cats, though occasional pacing and circling are normal behaviors.