1 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: Welcome to creature, future production of I heart radio. I'm 2 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: your host of many parasites, Katie Golden. I studied psychology 3 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,120 Speaker 1: and evolutionary biology, and today on the show we're talking 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: about how to play with your cat. We're looking at 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: the evolutionary history of the house cat, their wild ancestors, 6 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: some murderous cousins, and the best way to entertain your overlords, or, 7 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: I guess, the best way to entertain your pets. Discovered 8 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: this more as we answer the age old question. Is 9 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: Kitty daydreaming about being huge and eating you? Joining me 10 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: today is cat behavioral expert Michael Delgado. Welcome. Thank you 11 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: so much, Katie. I'm so excited to talk to you 12 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: about this. I grew up with cats. I'm thinking about 13 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: getting a cat now. I've just got a cat proof 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: my apartment a little more um and something about cats 15 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: that I've always loved is how cryptic they are. Now, 16 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: I love dogs. I think that it's amazing that we've 17 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: co evolved with dogs and we have this kind of 18 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: amazing communication, but there's something so cryptic about cats and 19 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: and impish that I've always loved. So how how do you, 20 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: as a cat behavioral expert understand them because they're so mysterious. Yeah, 21 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: I mean I think that there's definitely this idea that 22 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: cats are mysterious and I think to love cats, to 23 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: work with cats, you do have to kind of accept 24 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,199 Speaker 1: that there will be a little bit of mystery. Um, 25 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: there's always going to be that weird behavior that none 26 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: of us can explain, even when we've been working with 27 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: cats for a long time. But I do think the 28 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: best way to understand cats is too interact with them 29 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: and observe them carefully and, Um, do whatever else you 30 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: can to learn about their behavior. They're like. You talked 31 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: about their evolutionary history. I worked in an animal shelter 32 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: for eight years. I of old thousands of cats during 33 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: that time, observed thousands of cats. I really just spent 34 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: a lot of time watching them, seeing how they reacted 35 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: to things in their environment. And, as you can imagine, 36 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: a shelter environment has a lot of stressors and what 37 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: really piqued my interest was that cats could be so 38 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: different in how they handled that environment. So some cats 39 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,679 Speaker 1: adjusted right away and we're like please adopt me, get 40 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: me out of here, or like just make friends with me, 41 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: and other cats are really frightened. Um, maybe even we're 42 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: so frightened that they felt the need to bite or 43 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: scratch or defend themselves. And so seeing just those, those 44 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: different responses, made me even more curious. Like I have 45 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: to understand cats. I've read a lot of books about cats. Um, 46 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: you know, it's got a PhD studying animal behavior and cognition. 47 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: Did Research with kittens and cats, Um and home environments. 48 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: So it's been a lifelong process and I think if 49 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: you think you'll ever know anything about cats, you should 50 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: just give up now, because there will always be something 51 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: that they do that surprises you. So I just accept 52 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: that there are things that I will never understand, but 53 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: at the same time it's a never ending quest to 54 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: understand them better and make them happy. That's the most 55 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: important thing, is to make your cats happy. I had 56 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: I had two cats, grand speaking to how different they 57 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:17,839 Speaker 1: can be. I had a boy cat and a girl 58 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: cat and they were the most different you could possibly get. 59 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: The girl cat was she was graceful, uh, an amazing huntress. 60 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: This was sort of like back in the days where 61 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: you didn't really think about the devastation the cat is 62 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: doing to the poor birds Um, but she was. She 63 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: she had a certain mystique about her. She loved me 64 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: and let me pet her, but she also was very independent. 65 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: The boy cat was completely different. He couldn't kill a fly, 66 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: like literally he was not able to do it. He 67 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: would try and fail. He was very skittish. There was 68 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: nothing graceful about him. He'd be afraid of his own poop, 69 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: like he'd go to the litter box, gets scared in 70 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: the middle of pooping and run out, and he was 71 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: just complete goof FIS. And so it was. I think 72 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: it was so interesting because I modeled my idea of 73 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: what cats were based on my first cat, the female cat, 74 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: that all cats are like this, and then I have 75 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: this complete Dow fist of a cat and like, Huh, okay, 76 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: that's very different, and I think that's that's so interesting, 77 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: that they all have their own personalities, and I think 78 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: it does. Are All animals like this? Like maybe we, 79 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,679 Speaker 1: just because we're in such close proximity to cats and dogs, 80 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: were better able to like sense that they all have 81 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: their own unique personalities? Or do you think it's something 82 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: that's like unique to domesticated cats? No, there's actually a 83 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: whole field of animal personality in biology that looks at. 84 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 1: You know, everything from spiders to primates and everybody in between. 85 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: So we know that. You know, all animals have what 86 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: we call personality, which is very anthropomorphic term, but you know, 87 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: some people used it's like temperament or behavioral syndromes, which 88 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: sounds like an illness, but it just means that you 89 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,119 Speaker 1: have certain consistent ways of being in different sort of circumstances. 90 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: So if you're normally fearful in one situation, you might 91 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: be expected to be more fearful than other animals in 92 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: a different situation. Right, that's like a personality trait and 93 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: you can think about you know, certainly people are the 94 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: same way. Like we know we can reasonably expect what 95 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 1: one of our friends might do if we um joke 96 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: with them or tease them. Right, and some of your 97 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: friends may you may not be able to tease because 98 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: they don't take it well, and other friends maybe you can, 99 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: you know, just endlessly, you know, just riff with them 100 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: and they go with it. So the same as true 101 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: with our pets, and I do think you touched on 102 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: a very important part, which is just we have domesticated 103 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: cats and dogs. We live with them, we spend a 104 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: lot more time with them, so we know them much better. 105 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: But at the same time you also brought up something 106 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: that I think a lot of people get stuck in, 107 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: which is they base their knowledge of cats on a 108 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: very small sample of cats, which is usually the one 109 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: or two cats they've lived with, and think that all 110 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: cats will respond to being picked up or to being 111 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: petted or to being played with in the same way. 112 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: And so it's really important to look at how cats 113 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: are individuals, get to know them, give them the kind 114 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,799 Speaker 1: of freedom to get to know you before making assumptions 115 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 1: about how they will respond to different interactions. Probably one 116 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: of the most frequent questions you get is can you 117 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: train cats? Now, I think this is because, like you 118 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: can train dogs, dogs are typically not all dogs, typically 119 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: very eager to please. We have this kind of open 120 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: line of communication, like I said, you know, we kind 121 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 1: of CO evolved with dogs, so we are really have 122 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: this kind of like amazing communication with dogs. With cats 123 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: it's a little more difficult, and so the idea of 124 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: training a cat is kind of bizarre, like we think 125 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: of sort of with cats like no, you can't, cat 126 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: is not going to be your servant. You know you're 127 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: the cat's servant. But it's I think also people are 128 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: very curious about that when they come across like a 129 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: cat behavioral expert, like well, can't we train a cat? 130 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 1: Can a cat walk on unleash, all these things that 131 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: we think that a cat would not necessarily take two yes, 132 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,559 Speaker 1: cats can be trained. Um, it is different from training 133 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: a dog in certain ways, because what motivates a cat 134 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: is going to be a little different in many cases 135 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: and what motivates a dog. And you could argue that 136 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: during coevolution and domestication of dogs that we have selected 137 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: them for interaction, sensitivity to human gestures, sensitivity to our mood, 138 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: maybe that kind of eager to please personality that most 139 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: cats are not going to have. But at the same time, 140 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: all animals, including humans, learned in the same way. We 141 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: we call this Um operant conditioning when we're doing training, 142 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: which is just that certain behaviors lead to either desirable 143 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: or unpleasant outcomes and that determines whether an animal is 144 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: going to repeat that behavior in the future. So yes, 145 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: cats can be trained and I think the most important 146 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 1: thing to think about is, like why do you want 147 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: to train your cat? Do you want to train them 148 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: for particular things that might help you in the future, 149 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: like training them to go in a cat carrier on 150 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: their own, for training them to allow you to trim 151 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: their nails, or maybe training them to sit on a 152 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: mat quietly when you're eating your dinner rather than, you know, 153 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: climbing on the kitchen table trying to steal food from you. 154 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: You can also use training just to have fun with 155 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: your cats, so to maybe build a better relationship and 156 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: provide some mental stimulation and exercise for your cat. So 157 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: that might mean training them to do cute tricks like 158 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: high five or rollover, jump through a hoop Um, but 159 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: you can also kind of take it as far as 160 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: you want. I mean there's a cat circus in the 161 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: United States Um rock cats, and I definitely recommend checking 162 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: that show out if you have the opportunity, because you 163 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: really see these cats are having fun and they don't 164 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: always follow the script, but they can also do some 165 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: really amazing behaviors. So if you want to train your cat, 166 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: there's definitely some good resources. We recommend using positive reinforcement training, 167 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: meaning that you give your cat treats or rewards that 168 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: reinforce the Beha Vier and um they'll be more likely 169 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: to do that later and there's some really great resources online. 170 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: But I will say it's very easy to train a 171 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,319 Speaker 1: cat to sit. When you ask them to. Well, they 172 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: stay for a long time. It depends. You have to 173 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: make it worth their while. So you might have to 174 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: provide treats occasionally to keep them in one place. But 175 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: Um no, it's it's really not. The process is not different. 176 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: You just have to kind of change your expectations a 177 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: little bit about what that final behavior is going to 178 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: look like. And you know, I think the other reason 179 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: that people have this conception that cats aren't trainable is 180 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: that a lot of the things they do that allow 181 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: them to coexist with us don't require training. You don't 182 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: need to train a cat to use a litter box. 183 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: It's pretty great. If you set up a litter box 184 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: that they like, it's got a nice sandy soft substrate 185 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: in it and keep it clean and it's in a 186 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: location they like, most cats will just gravitate towards it 187 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: just automatically. You don't have to show them where it is. 188 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: They figure it out. And the same is true like 189 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: scratching right. We don't have to train them to use 190 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 1: a scratching post. It's kind of like field of dreams. 191 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,559 Speaker 1: If you build it, they will um so, give them 192 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: a good scratching post, give them several good scratching posts 193 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: and put them in areas that they want to scratch. 194 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: That's usually prominent areas in your home and they will 195 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: just use it. So in that respect I think people, 196 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: somebody think, well, they just do these things. I didn't, 197 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: I didn't have anything to do with it, whereas you know, 198 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: a lot of dogs you have to ask them go 199 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: lay in their bed or whatever. So Um so, I 200 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: think that kind of contributes to it. But the reality 201 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: is it's more of the human motivation to train and 202 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: I think that maybe cat owners are not as interested 203 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: in controlling every aspect of their cat's behavior. Maybe they 204 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: even appreciate that their cat is a little wild right. 205 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: We know they're less domesticated compared to dogs as far 206 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: as the impact we've had on changing their behavior and 207 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: their appearance. So I think some people appreciate it. So 208 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: I think you know, training, like I said, can be 209 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 1: very practical. Train them to go into their career, when 210 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: you ask train them to, let I groom them, train 211 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: them to take a pill um or you know, for 212 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: some people it is really fun to do them more, 213 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,719 Speaker 1: you know, agility, trial or more parlor tricks. I mean, 214 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: as someone who's both a cat lover and a dog lover, 215 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: I cannot choose between the two. I think I have 216 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: wonderful pets. I have always appreciated the difference in terms 217 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: of the evolutionary history of cats and dogs. Dogs have 218 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: this incredible coevolution that we've had where, you know, even 219 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: though we feel like, oh, we're the ones selectively breeding dogs, 220 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,359 Speaker 1: in a way the wolves also we're kind of self selecting. 221 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: They kind of wormed their way into our hearts by 222 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: being a little bolder, a little more gentle with cats, 223 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: I think what I appreciate about them is they didn't 224 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: really have to change all that much to fit into 225 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:44,559 Speaker 1: our society. So we kind of engaged in this partnership 226 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: with cats where it's like, well, we've got grain which 227 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: draws mice. You guys eat the mice and otherwise are 228 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 1: pretty pretty relaxed, you're not dangerous. UH, maybe we'll leave 229 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: out some fish and milk for you. Don't feed your 230 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: cat's milk, but in the past people have done that. Um, 231 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: and you know, just kind of like this interesting partnership. 232 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: They'd be on ships and eat our rats and they were, 233 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 1: you know, very, very useful to us in terms of 234 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: keeping pests and even disease at bay. And they didn't 235 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: have to change that much. They are relatively I mean 236 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: they are different. There is a little bit of domestication, 237 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: as we'll talk about in just a bit. But yeah, 238 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: with dogs, it had, they had to go through a 239 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: lot of changes to make them safe for humans, because 240 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: if you try, even if you tame a wolf, it 241 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: is still dangerous and it is not going to be 242 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: a good pet. Yeah, and the chances of being killed 243 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: by a cat are pretty small. They're much less threatening. Um, 244 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: they're cute. I mean, yes, of course, lots. There's lots 245 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: of appeal there. There's, Um, a new understanding, I think, 246 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: when it comes to cats. Keeping cats indoors is more 247 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: humane both for wildlife, all the uh, potentially endangered birds 248 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: in your area, and also for your cat. You know, 249 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: it protects them from cars, from coyotes, other predators, Um, 250 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: which you know, as I mentioned, when I was a 251 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: kid there was more of this idea that you just 252 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: let your cat outside and what happens happens. But now 253 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: I think we're for the better, changing our view of 254 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,679 Speaker 1: that that you know, we should be both protecting the 255 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: environment and our our cats well being. But I think 256 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: a lot of people worry like, well, isn't my cat 257 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 1: going to be bored being inside all the time? Is 258 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: it possible to keep a cat from being bored? Is 259 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: it possible to create a fun environment indoors? It is, absolutely, 260 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: but it requires some effort. So I think, you know, 261 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:51,079 Speaker 1: it's interesting. People do think like, oh, cats just go 262 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: outside and they amuse themselves all day. or The opposite 263 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: is people will say like, oh well, they're a lowminance pets, 264 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 1: so they can just sit inside all day with like 265 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: nothing to do, and there is quite true. So I think, 266 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: you know, we are increasingly recognizing that caring for a 267 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: cat is not just throwing some food into a bowl 268 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: and scooping the litter box every now and then, like 269 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:12,839 Speaker 1: we kind of think of those things it was essential, right, 270 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: like you've gotta feed your cat, you've gotta keep the 271 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,079 Speaker 1: litter box claim, you should take them to the vet 272 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: once a year, like and that's kind of where the 273 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: conversation ends and what we really need to be thinking 274 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: about is their emotional needs for social interaction, there needs 275 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: for activity, mental stimulation, what we sometimes refer to as enrichment, 276 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 1: and I think the only thing about the term enrichment 277 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: is that it implies that this it's like a bonus, right. 278 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: It's not a necessity. And so now we really focus 279 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: on calling Um those those provisions for cat's mental well 280 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: being in environmental necessities. So that would include ways for 281 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: them to express natural behaviors like climbing and scratching and hiding, 282 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: ways for them to express predatory behaviors. So inside our 283 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: home your cat can't catch maybe more than the occasional 284 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: fly or, you know, other insect that might crawl into 285 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: your home. They are not going to be catching birds 286 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: and mice. So we have the opportunity to give them 287 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: those outlets for predatory behavior through playtime with interactive toys. 288 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: We can appeal to all of their senses and make 289 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: sure they have things that are, you know, activate their 290 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: scent interests and that stimulate. Maybe sounds that cats like 291 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: things to watch. One of my cats really loved videos 292 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: of mice. So it's this thing about different ways to 293 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: Um incorporate activities into their daily life that allow them 294 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: to be a cat. Um You can also, I mean 295 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:37,400 Speaker 1: you mentioned this in the training part, like you can 296 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: train your cat to walk on a harness and lead 297 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: and take them out in your backyard or somewhere close 298 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: to home that's safe and relatively quiet, not going to 299 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: run into dogs or anything scary. Um, we have a 300 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: cadio at my house, so we we did make the 301 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: investment in building a pretty big cadio about a year 302 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: ago and that was a definite game changer for our cats. 303 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: They love just sitting out in the sun watching. We 304 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 1: have a bird feeder in the backyard and they can 305 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: spend a lot of time out there just watching whatever 306 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: is happening, squirrels, birds, other cats, etcetera. Um. So the 307 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 1: main thing, though, is you have to put effort into 308 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: figuring out what your cat likes, Um, what they respond to, 309 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: and trying new things, like don't do the same boring 310 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: things every day, but introduce the novelty and Um, really 311 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: think of it as again, as important as feeding them. Yeah, 312 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: I think that's so interesting because, you know, this is 313 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: something that is maybe more apparent when you own a dog, 314 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: like your dog will get bored and they will let 315 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: you know, uh, loudly and shrilly and over and over again, 316 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: whereas with the cat. I don't know that they are 317 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: as I mean some of them are. One of my 318 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: my cat binkie growing up, would definitely let me know 319 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: if he was bored. But you know, sometimes they maybe 320 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: don't show it as much. Maybe they just sort of 321 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: napple a lot more. But you know, we think that 322 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: that's normal for them to an apple the time and 323 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 1: but really, you know, they do need that mental stimulation 324 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: just you know, they need they need soup for their 325 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: soul just as much as they need soup for eating. 326 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: They don't actually, I know they don't need to. They 327 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 1: would if if we like them, but it was the 328 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:18,880 Speaker 1: right flavor. I mean, you know, it's a really important 329 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,199 Speaker 1: point because I think a lot of cats do end 330 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: up what we would consider like depressed, with John Um 331 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 1: really becoming more focused on food. So then we have 332 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: more overweight and obesity in our pet cats and probably 333 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: a lot of that is emotional overeating from boredom and stress. 334 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 1: So it is really important to Um to create a 335 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: fun environment for your cats. To me, I enjoy like 336 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,439 Speaker 1: bringing in a new cardboard box and putting some tissue 337 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: paper and I see what my cats are going to 338 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: do free television. It is, I mean it's it's fun 339 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,120 Speaker 1: for me, it's fun for them, and so I really 340 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: encourage people to kind of find the joy in making 341 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: your cat happy, kind of, like I said, of getting right. 342 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: It's all about making your cat happy. So like to 343 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: find what they love, if it's cat nip or Um, 344 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: you know, a feather wand or both. All you know, 345 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: do something different every day to training. Like there's there's 346 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: lots of ways you can add to your cat's life 347 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,360 Speaker 1: and enhance your relationship, and I think that is going 348 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 1: to be entertaining for you as well. UH, there's there's 349 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: nothing more fun than a cat in a box. I mean, 350 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: you know, we spend so much time on the Internet 351 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: looking at videos of cats. You can have that in 352 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: real life, right in front of you. Uh, we're gonna 353 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:30,439 Speaker 1: take a real quick break, but when we get back 354 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 1: we're going to delve into the past of our domesticated 355 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: cats and see how that has influenced their behavior, especially 356 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 1: when it comes to play. So we will be right back. 357 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: So we are back and I am here with Michael 358 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: Delgatto and we are talking about cats, how to play 359 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: with them, what makes some tick, and I thought we 360 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:03,640 Speaker 1: would delve into the pasted lives of cats. So cats 361 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: did not just suddenly rain down from the sky and 362 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: into our laps. They were domesticated in a similar way 363 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:14,919 Speaker 1: to dogs, but also in a way that is a 364 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: bit different, because they didn't really change all that much, 365 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: and this is what is maybe the most surprising things 366 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: about their ancestors. So the African Wildcat, Felis Libaca, is 367 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:30,399 Speaker 1: a small gray and white wild cat with dark and 368 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 1: sandy stripes, and it really looks basically like a cat. Yeah, 369 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: it is very hard to tell the difference, especially when 370 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: it's like sitting down and you look at it and 371 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,159 Speaker 1: it's like this just looks like a run of the 372 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: milk cat. It looks kind of like Um, one of 373 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: my that that cat binkie I had growing up. You know, 374 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 1: it's like it was it fit his personality, he was 375 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 1: he was something else. But yeah, they are found in 376 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: Africa and some true in western Asia and they are 377 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 1: the ancestors of modern domesticated kitties. Uh, and the start 378 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 1: of domestication. Now, correct me if anything any of this 379 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,719 Speaker 1: sounds wrong, but I think it was around ten thousand 380 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: years ago. Yeah, we don't we don't know exactly. It's 381 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: a it's always tricky to trace these back and there 382 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: were probably potentially multiple domestication events. So again, it's kind 383 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:31,159 Speaker 1: of hard to find the one definitive domestication event. Um, 384 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: there some of the evidence is something like on the 385 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:38,120 Speaker 1: island of Cyprus, there's a grave, uh, where an African 386 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 1: wildcat is buried not too far from a human. So 387 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 1: this is evidence that this was a beloved cat, a 388 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: beloved pet, and was buried with with a human, maybe 389 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 1: its own or maybe another member of the family. So 390 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 1: this idea that we had started to make this personal 391 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: emotional connection to cats, uh, you know, at at the 392 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,439 Speaker 1: very least, around nine thousand years ago. Yes, yeah, and 393 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: if we could get that time machine working right now, 394 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 1: we could go back and see the details. But yeah, exactly. All, 395 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: all of today's cats are considered ancestors of the African wildcat, 396 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 1: who still existence. Yeah, they're still around, and in terms 397 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: of looks, it's really hard to tell the difference. UH, 398 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 1: some of the subtle differences are like the wild cats 399 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,679 Speaker 1: tend to have longer legs, they're a little bit a 400 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: little taller, a little bit a little linkier. Yeah, exactly, 401 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: a little sleeker. It's a very subtle difference that it's 402 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: hard to see them tell you kind of are toll 403 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: that that's what's going on. But in terms of genetically 404 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:42,360 Speaker 1: they are very similar. In fact, they can still they 405 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: can still mate and produce viable offspring. Yeah, and that's 406 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: another reason to keep your cats indoors if you happen 407 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,679 Speaker 1: to live in regions where there are Um, some of 408 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,160 Speaker 1: these wildcats species like the Scottish wildcat, because actually feral 409 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 1: cats are interfering with Um, some of these species and 410 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: keeping them intact and can survive bowl right. So so, yeah, 411 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: it's it's a they're very closely related. There are some 412 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: changes that happened during domestication, so we know, Um, there 413 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: are some genetic signatures that changed and certain things in 414 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 1: the brain that changed, specifically regions of the brain that 415 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: have been related to reward centers and memory. So perhaps 416 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:21,400 Speaker 1: that gave cats a nudge in being able to make 417 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,119 Speaker 1: positive associations with humans because they had better memories and 418 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,919 Speaker 1: more intense reward responses. So, Hey, this humans leaving me 419 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: some some delicious food. Um, maybe I'll give them another 420 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: try tomorrow and maybe I'll get a little closer. Right. 421 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: So that might have just been enough of a nudge 422 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 1: over the past, you know, several thousand years, to the 423 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: point where now they're like sleeping on our pillow. That 424 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 1: is so interesting. I can definitely see that being behind 425 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 1: the cats kind of, uh change in their attitude towards us, 426 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: where it's like this this idea that, you know, actually, 427 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,639 Speaker 1: maybe it's worth it to stick around these weird tall 428 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: things that walk onto like. And those cats would have 429 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: been the ones that were, you know, willing to take 430 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: advantage of those resources like extra food, would have been 431 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: more successful in reproduction. So, you know, I think, Um, 432 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: you touched on kind of the the whole grains and 433 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: the mice and Um, you know what what actually was 434 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,400 Speaker 1: happening is, Um, what was called the commensal relationship, which 435 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 1: is that the cats benefited more than the humans did 436 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 1: because humans already had other species to take care of 437 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: the rodents. So there're plenty of dogs that will take 438 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: care of rodents, and also weasels. So cats were like 439 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 1: another species that can provide us pest control. But you know, 440 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,160 Speaker 1: the thinking now is that the cats benefited a little 441 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,679 Speaker 1: bit more than the humans did. But you also touched 442 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: on the fact that, you know, we haven't really imposed 443 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,479 Speaker 1: many behavioral changes on cats, certainly not like we did 444 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: with dogs, where we had dogs kind of drift into 445 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,360 Speaker 1: different categories of well, this dog is good at pointing 446 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 1: and this dog is good at guarding or this dog's 447 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: good with livestock, and with cats it's just like, okay, 448 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: they hunt. That works out for us, works out for them. 449 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: We never asked them to change that behavior and so 450 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 1: thousands of years later there's still a very efficient predator. 451 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 1: It's still very much part of their nature and instinct 452 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:09,919 Speaker 1: and we have not put any pressure on them to 453 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: become less of a hunter, even though we provide all 454 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 1: their food for them if they're living indoors with us. 455 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:17,880 Speaker 1: So it's pretty cool how we've retained that little bit 456 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: of wildness and really haven't done too much to them behaviorally. 457 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,399 Speaker 1: Now there's certainly you know, our domestic cats have a 458 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: little more social flexibility as far as tolerance of other cats, 459 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: whereas the African wildcat is a little bit more of 460 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:34,880 Speaker 1: a solitary hunter Um less likely to congregate in groups 461 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: like we see with with domestic cats. But we also 462 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: know that that congregation in domestic cats is usually highly 463 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: dependent on things like the amount of resources in the 464 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: environment and their early socialization around other cats. Yeah, like 465 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: when there's a high density of resources, cats will tolerate 466 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: each other more. Even feral populations of domesticated cats will 467 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,440 Speaker 1: sometimes form these colonies where they're tolerant of each other 468 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 1: as long as resources are concentrated in high abundance, whereas 469 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 1: you don't really see that with the African wildcats at all. No, 470 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:10,399 Speaker 1: and it's a it's a good point. If you you 471 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: know a lot of people with cats want to have 472 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: multiple cats right. So one way to increase the chance 473 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:17,919 Speaker 1: of harmony in your home is to make sure you 474 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: have lots of resources, separate feeding areas, lots of litter boxes, 475 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: lots of scratching and climbing opportunities in separate areas so 476 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: the cats can kind of choose to share or choose 477 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: to not share. Yes, I can really sympathize with that attitude. Actually, 478 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: Um and it it's it is interesting. So that those 479 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: hunting behaviors that the African wildcats have and some of 480 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 1: their other general behaviors are still exhibited by our domesticated cats, 481 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 1: the stalking and hunting, pouncing, puffing up when they're frightened 482 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: to try to appear bigger, hissing at threats, purring and mewing. 483 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 1: But the mewing has become quite a bit different, right. Yeah, 484 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: mewing is primarily an adult cats, primarily directed at humans. 485 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: So we believe that there's kind of a learned, uh, 486 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: communication style between people that may be actually unique to 487 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: that relationship even. But yet um, that's that's something that 488 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: kittens due to mom. So there's kind of this implied 489 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: like now and gets you attention, gets you caretaking. Um, 490 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:22,160 Speaker 1: and cats who have learned to live around humans seemed 491 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,440 Speaker 1: to do more of it. So they probably learned how 492 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:26,360 Speaker 1: to get our attention, get that door open and get 493 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 1: the food in the bowl, whatever they want. Yeah, they 494 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: have US wrapped around their little paw. But yeah, I mean, 495 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: you know, African wildcats don't really Mell at humans. Their 496 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 1: meals seem to be, like you said, like when their kittens, 497 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: directed at their mother or even if they're adults, in 498 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,159 Speaker 1: their mewing at something is usually something in their environment. 499 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: And we don't really have great data that I know of. 500 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe you know more, but great data on why 501 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 1: and when they mew. But it certainly is not directed 502 00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: at humans, whereas with domesticated cats. It is very much 503 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: we are the audience for their meals and there has 504 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 1: actually been researched on how we perceived the difference between 505 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: the meals of domesticated cats and African wildcats. And in 506 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: these blind hearing tests, people rate the meal of the 507 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 1: domesticated cats as sounding sweeter, nicer, more pleasant, versus the 508 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: African wildcat meal, which they are not is not quite 509 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: as appealing. So that may lead some evidence towards this 510 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 1: theory that they have tailored their meals to tug at 511 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: our heart strings. Yeah, what's even Um even taking that 512 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 1: even a step further, is that there's similar research looking 513 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,160 Speaker 1: at purring of cats. Now, they didn't compare different species, 514 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 1: but what they did look at is Um different intensities 515 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,919 Speaker 1: of hers. So a cat who was purring because they 516 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: wanted food versus just purring because they're being petted, and humans, 517 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 1: when they didn't know which pr they were listening to, 518 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: could identify that there was something qualitatively different about the 519 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: demanding per um. And so we, we are very sensitive 520 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: to their moods and they probably, you know, they get 521 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 1: reinforced for that kind of additional intense purr by, you know, 522 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: getting what they want again. So there's there's this really 523 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,720 Speaker 1: neat kind of interaction between humans and cats, and we've 524 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,360 Speaker 1: probably changed some of our communication styles to adapt to them. 525 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: To write, like a lot of us, when we're talking 526 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 1: to our pets, raised the tone of our voice. Um, 527 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,879 Speaker 1: we know that most companion animals respond better to that 528 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 1: kind of Kitty, kitty, or you know, Um, whatever cute 529 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:35,959 Speaker 1: voice you use when you're talking to your cats. So Um. 530 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 1: So we do it too. Yeah, maybe. Is that why, like, 531 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: I turned into a complete Du fist when I'm talking 532 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 1: to a dog or like you are okay, just like 533 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,959 Speaker 1: saying the most obvious things, like these are your paws 534 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 1: and they're like I know, I know, these are my paws. 535 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 1: You don't need to tell me that these are your 536 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:58,720 Speaker 1: little tug paws. Guilty as charged as well. Just you 537 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: can't help that. Lest we forget that the African wildcats 538 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 1: are different from our domesticated cats. Even though they typically 539 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: hunt small prey like mice, rats, you know, small reptiles, 540 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: they can take down larger prey. So they can, on occasion, like, 541 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 1: take down a baby antelope, which may sound kind of shocking, 542 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 1: but given that they're not that much bigger than a 543 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: domesticated cat. In fact, sometimes they're smaller, depending on the 544 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: breed of domesticated cat, but they are. They are a 545 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:36,479 Speaker 1: little bit more ferocious than our domesticated cats. Well, they 546 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 1: have to be, right. They don't have a food ball, 547 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: exactly exactly. So, so, even though they look very much, very, 548 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: very similar and genetically are pretty similar, it's just those 549 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: few changes, the ones that you mentioned, that have brought 550 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 1: us these, these lovely little lap cats who will pur 551 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: and sit with us, whereas if you try to do 552 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: that with an African wildcat, even if it is tamed, 553 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: they would not probably have the patience for that. Not 554 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: The best idea. No, uh, so I have a question 555 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: for you, which is, what do you think like the 556 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: play behaviors we see in our house cats reflects the 557 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: more wild behaviors of these African wild cats, these this 558 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: sort of more you know, it's almost like, it seems 559 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 1: like these softened versions of this like aggressive hunting behavior. Yeah, so, 560 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: play and hunting have a lot of the same mechanisms 561 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: and and underlying like Um basically causes. Right. So we 562 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: know that hunger is a trigger for hunting and cats. 563 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 1: We know that hunger actually makes cats play more. We 564 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 1: know that cats who are hunting are sensitive to the 565 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: size of prey and that can be also influenced by 566 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: their hunger and we see that in play with toys. 567 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: Cats use a lot of the same behaviors with toys 568 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: that they would use when they were hunting. So you 569 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: know the clutch by the clutching and the next bite 570 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: and the funny kicking, the leaping and batting the toy around. Um, 571 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: we see those behaviors when cats are hunting. So there's 572 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: so much overlap that I think we can safely assume 573 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:16,200 Speaker 1: that when cats exhibit those behaviors towards a toy, they 574 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 1: are directing hunting behavior towards a toy. We call it play. Um, 575 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: it's fun. It's probably fun for the cat to and 576 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: play kind of implies fun and Um. Yeah, it's even 577 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: when you look at kind of the definitions of play 578 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: behavior and animals, it's usually Um, a less serious version 579 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: of a normal behavior like hunting or mating or fighting. Right. 580 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 1: So play implies that there's Um, that it's often them 581 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: practicing for a more practical behavior. Um, in some cases 582 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: they may never need to use that practical behavior. Right. 583 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: Or cats, if there's spade, neuter mate. Hopefully they're not 584 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: going to fight, hopefully they're not hunting, but they still 585 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: have those instincts and so play is very much an 586 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 1: outlet for that hunting instinct. The better we do at 587 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,719 Speaker 1: replicating prey when we move toys or when we select toys, 588 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: then the more likely your cat is going to engage 589 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: in those behaviors that resemble hunting. So picking a toy 590 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: that looks like a bird, that moves like a mouse, 591 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 1: that moves like a bug. One thing I hear from 592 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: a lot of cat owners is like, oh, we have 593 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 1: toys all over the floor, he won't play with any 594 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: of them. Well, those toys are like dead mice. They're 595 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: not moving around, so you're it's kind of like I 596 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: always bring up this example because I was an only child, 597 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 1: so I spend a lot of time like playing monopoly 598 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:35,640 Speaker 1: against myself. Right. It was like when your cat has 599 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 1: to move the toy and then chase it, it's like 600 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: they're playing aboard game by them. So it's much more 601 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 1: fun for them if we move the toy. Um, maybe 602 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: they know we're moving the toy, maybe they don't, maybe 603 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: they're just getting lost in the experience and their instincts 604 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: kick in like that might be something I can eat, 605 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 1: I better chase it and try to kill it just 606 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: in case. Um, and you know, maybe at some point 607 00:32:57,280 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: if you oh, this isn't a real mouse, like I'm done. 608 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: But for many cats they'll play, especially young cats, they'll 609 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: play for a very long period of time, chasing that 610 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: bird feathered thing around or chasing that cat dancer around. 611 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 1: So really the best thing to do is kind of 612 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: focus on becoming the prey, you know, like acting like 613 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: a bird, acting like a mouse would would act, and 614 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:21,440 Speaker 1: think about how you can get those hunting behaviors out 615 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: of your cat. Right. The Butt Wiggle, the stocking, the pouncing, 616 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 1: the leaping in the air, all of those behaviors are 617 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: going to depend on your cat, their age, their health, 618 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 1: they're um what they're used to playing with. But most 619 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 1: cats you can at least get some of those hunting 620 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 1: behaviors out of if you take the time to move 621 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: the toy correctly and find toys like yeah, I I 622 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 1: feel like you can spend money on the fanciest looking toy, 623 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 1: but if you take like a piece of string, tie 624 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: it to a water paper and then pull it through 625 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:54,280 Speaker 1: like a tube of toilet paper. That's going to be 626 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: an amazing, incredible experience for your cat. Yeah, I do. 627 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 1: A lot of my cats do get board of their 628 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 1: toys pretty quickly. So we do a lot of rotation. 629 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: Even within a play session and a half hour we 630 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: might go through four or five different toys. My cats 631 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 1: have been really into green beans right now. So I 632 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:10,800 Speaker 1: say a green bean to a drag and drag it around. 633 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:12,439 Speaker 1: They love it and they tossed the green being around. 634 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,319 Speaker 1: I mean it's like sometimes you just have to look 635 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: in your recycling bin. Um, the main thing is just 636 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:20,279 Speaker 1: making sure it's safe for your cat to play with. 637 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: And any type of interactive toy with a string or 638 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: a wire, you want to put it away so your 639 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 1: cat can't use it when you're not supervising, because we 640 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 1: don't want anybody choking or swallowing something. But but yeah, 641 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 1: I mean, you know there's lots of things around your 642 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:36,280 Speaker 1: house like a small piece of fabric, a ball of paper, Um, 643 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,759 Speaker 1: you know, a twist tie from, you know, a package, 644 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 1: like any of those things can be turned into a 645 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 1: temporary toy. I was we were baby sitting my sister 646 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 1: in law's cat and as she found a ping pong ball, 647 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: probably from the previous tenant, because we we've we have 648 00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,279 Speaker 1: no recollection of where this ping pong ball came from 649 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:03,439 Speaker 1: and and so that that was quite an experience for her, 650 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 1: just the the amazing bounciness of it. There was actually 651 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,799 Speaker 1: so the late seventies and early eighties there was there 652 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:14,759 Speaker 1: were a lot of studies of kitten play and there 653 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 1: was actually study looking at different toys and the Ping 654 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,440 Speaker 1: Pong Ball was one of the favorites. So, yeah, I'm 655 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:24,120 Speaker 1: just I'm just so impressed that she managed to like 656 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: locate this pink this h I mean this poa was 657 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:31,239 Speaker 1: probably from the seventies to maybe this was used in 658 00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: one of those studies and she found it and made 659 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: it her own and like carried it around with her 660 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: brought it back into her bed. It's it's they will, 661 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: they'll let you know what toy they like and just 662 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:48,319 Speaker 1: defer to their wishes. I think is the lesson here. Yes, 663 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: so we're gonna take another quick break, but when we 664 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: get back we're going to talk about not an ancestor 665 00:35:55,040 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 1: of the domesticated cat but a cousin and how this murderous, 666 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 1: wild little kitty might inform us about our own cats 667 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:08,080 Speaker 1: behaviors in terms of how to keep something that just 668 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: loves to murder occupied. So we've talked about the African wildcat, 669 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: the ancestor of domesticated cats, and now we're going to 670 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:22,799 Speaker 1: talk about a cat that is related, but it is 671 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:26,640 Speaker 1: not an ancestor Um, although when you look at it 672 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: it looks like an adorable, smaller version of the domesticated cats. 673 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: It's one of my favorite wildcats, the black footed cat, 674 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 1: so cute. They are adorable, the one of the cutest wildcats, 675 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: very small and it's one of the smallest wildcats, I think. Uh, 676 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: and it is also the most murderous of the hats, 677 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:54,919 Speaker 1: although it may not be dragging down antelope, it has 678 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:59,640 Speaker 1: an amazing kill rate, like a sixty percent kill success rate, 679 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 1: which is very impressive. They're about a third of the 680 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:08,479 Speaker 1: size of a house cat, very, very cute. They're tan 681 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 1: with these dark brown spots and stripes and they like, 682 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,560 Speaker 1: you know, their name implies, they have these little black 683 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:19,399 Speaker 1: socks on their feet. But that cuteness is a little 684 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 1: bit deceptive. They are extremely ferocious. They are sometimes called 685 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:27,359 Speaker 1: ant hill tigers because they are so fierce and they 686 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 1: do not like humans. So if you think you can 687 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:32,800 Speaker 1: go up to one of these and pet them, you 688 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:36,560 Speaker 1: are not going to come away satisfied with that experience 689 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:42,320 Speaker 1: or within techt hands. Right, exactly. Yes, they are mostly nocturnal. 690 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:46,799 Speaker 1: They will walk incredible distances. So they can walk up 691 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 1: to twenty miles or thirty two kilometers a night, which is, 692 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 1: I mean like in terms of humans, that would be 693 00:37:55,280 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 1: like walking twenty five marathons a night, which is completely bonkers. Yeah, 694 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:07,320 Speaker 1: so they during all this walking, they basically slaughter everything 695 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:12,360 Speaker 1: in their bath, from insects to rodents to birds, plucked 696 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:17,279 Speaker 1: up right as they're taking off their M O is, ambush, 697 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 1: stocking and pouncing. Just like you're domesticated cat. They do 698 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 1: that Little Butt Wiggle, and that butt wiggle is not 699 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:26,879 Speaker 1: just to look adorable right before they murder something, that 700 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: is aligning their feet so that their pounds will be 701 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: really effective and precise. They can kill fifteen prey animals 702 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:39,719 Speaker 1: a night, which is which makes them probably the most 703 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: successful serial killers in the history of the world. That's 704 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,280 Speaker 1: about a kill per hour. So sometimes they love killing 705 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,680 Speaker 1: so much they will murder something that is larger than themselves, 706 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:54,239 Speaker 1: like Cape hairs, which they can't even really eat in 707 00:38:54,239 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 1: one sitting, so they'll drag them back and kind of 708 00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 1: nibble up them over many nights. But they are just 709 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 1: such enthusiastic killers. They sometimes kill and then they're like, 710 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,360 Speaker 1: I don't know what to do with this thing. But 711 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:11,520 Speaker 1: the fact that they are so active, walk that incredible 712 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:16,200 Speaker 1: amount kill so rapidly means that, uh, if we tried 713 00:39:16,239 --> 00:39:18,600 Speaker 1: to keep one of these as a pet, not only 714 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:23,000 Speaker 1: would your face be gone, but this cat would be so, 715 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:26,319 Speaker 1: so bored. They would make terrible pets. But they are 716 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:30,000 Speaker 1: sometimes kept in zoos and this presents a problem for 717 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:33,160 Speaker 1: the ethical zoo that wants to keep them for conservation 718 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:37,720 Speaker 1: but does not want to have them in basically cat prison. 719 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:41,920 Speaker 1: And so zookeepers are constantly trying to figure out ways 720 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:47,840 Speaker 1: to help keep them mentally healthy as well as physically healthy. 721 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:52,839 Speaker 1: And there was a study, uh, that researched aroma therapy 722 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 1: for black footed cats, and so they offered these smelly 723 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:02,479 Speaker 1: smells to these black footed cats, like nutmeg, cat nip 724 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: in prey smells, and they found that for the cats 725 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,720 Speaker 1: that were given this aroma therapy, they were far more 726 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:13,280 Speaker 1: active than the cats who were not given this treatment. 727 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:18,280 Speaker 1: So is this something that also works for domesticated cats? 728 00:40:19,239 --> 00:40:21,759 Speaker 1: What a fantastic study, Um, and you brought up a 729 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:24,239 Speaker 1: lot of, I mean a lot of similarities among you know, 730 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:26,080 Speaker 1: and I think when you look at all of the 731 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:29,400 Speaker 1: cat species you do see these commonalities in their predatory 732 00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 1: behavior and to survive. Our domestic cats, if they were outside, 733 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:35,239 Speaker 1: would have to kill eight to ten miles a day 734 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:39,880 Speaker 1: to survive. And studies have shown that Um, cats who 735 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:43,120 Speaker 1: were observed hunting did have about fifty kill rate. So, Um, 736 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:46,080 Speaker 1: I've heard, I've heard lower estimates. So it could be 737 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:49,839 Speaker 1: very population dependent. And cats will also hunt even though 738 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:51,759 Speaker 1: they're not hungry, or they'll hunt even though they have 739 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:55,120 Speaker 1: a mouse in their mouths, right, because really, again getting 740 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:57,680 Speaker 1: back to their instincts, if you don't know where your 741 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:00,399 Speaker 1: next meal is coming from, you've got to catch well 742 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:02,960 Speaker 1: catch cat, right. So they just will take advantage of 743 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 1: of prey that's available. And I think somebodys it's hard 744 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: for us to kind of see our cats as a 745 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:11,839 Speaker 1: as a predator. Um, if you've I had the misfortune 746 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,720 Speaker 1: of living in an apartment that had a mouse problem 747 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:16,680 Speaker 1: once and Um, you know, one of our cats was 748 00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:20,000 Speaker 1: pretty ruthless. It always kind of made me sad. I 749 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,000 Speaker 1: think rodents are adorable. I don't really want to live 750 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:24,520 Speaker 1: with them, but I do appreciate them. So it can 751 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:26,279 Speaker 1: be kind of hard to recognize that our cats are 752 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:29,760 Speaker 1: our killers. But, Um, to the question of the olfactory enrichment, 753 00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 1: I mean I love the idea and you know, we're 754 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:34,680 Speaker 1: so visual that I think we kind of get stuck 755 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 1: in like visual enrichment and forget that for cats, their 756 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:40,640 Speaker 1: sense of smell is much better than ours. They use 757 00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:42,960 Speaker 1: their smell in many different ways than we do, including 758 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:45,799 Speaker 1: to communicate with other cats. So, Um, one of the 759 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:48,680 Speaker 1: behaviors that's very similar to their ancestors is, you know, 760 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:50,960 Speaker 1: doing things like you're in, marking and rubbing and marking 761 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:53,200 Speaker 1: their territory with their claws like those are things that 762 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:55,760 Speaker 1: are very important to our cats. As far as enrichment 763 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 1: and smells that cats enjoy, every cat's different, but there 764 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:02,200 Speaker 1: are any of safe smells that you can introduce to 765 00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:05,359 Speaker 1: your cat for enrichment, like you mentioned Catnip, and there's 766 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:07,880 Speaker 1: also a plant called Matatabi Um. It's also known as 767 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:10,720 Speaker 1: Silver Vine and there's been research showing that more cats 768 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:14,560 Speaker 1: respond to silvervine than CATNIP and the response is very similar. 769 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 1: So you get the rolling, the rubbing, the licking. Some 770 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 1: cats get a little excited, some cats get a little mellows. 771 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:21,840 Speaker 1: So you kind of have to learn, you know, what 772 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 1: your cat does when they're under the influence of CATNIP 773 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: or Silvervine. But those are very fun enrichment. So now 774 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: there's a lot more toys that have silver vine. A 775 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 1: lot of cats respond well to honeysuckle Valerian root, so 776 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:38,160 Speaker 1: those are considered generally safe. And then there's some other 777 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,040 Speaker 1: things like I mean I occasionally like to bring a 778 00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:42,040 Speaker 1: leaf into the house and just let my cats kind 779 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:44,399 Speaker 1: of sniff it and play with it. There's food things 780 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:46,840 Speaker 1: that are safe for your cat to smell or play with, 781 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:49,399 Speaker 1: like the Green Bean. One of my cats really loves 782 00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:52,040 Speaker 1: to play with potatoes. So you know, I do think 783 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:56,720 Speaker 1: that one of the key environmental considerations is your cat's 784 00:42:56,719 --> 00:42:59,080 Speaker 1: sense of smell. So not just things they want to 785 00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 1: smell or enter interact with, but also smells they may 786 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:07,240 Speaker 1: not like. So things like incense or like plug INS 787 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:10,080 Speaker 1: that are meant to deodorize. A lot of those smells 788 00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:12,759 Speaker 1: are very intense, they're artificial and that can be very 789 00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:16,439 Speaker 1: stressful to our cats because it covers the smells they're 790 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:19,239 Speaker 1: interested in, which is the smells they deposit when they're 791 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:21,560 Speaker 1: scratching something or rubbing on it. And so we're trying 792 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 1: to like often it's trying to cover the litter box smell. Right, 793 00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:27,920 Speaker 1: the best way to keep your litter box smelling fresh 794 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:31,560 Speaker 1: is to scoop it and clean it regularly rather than, Um, 795 00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:35,080 Speaker 1: let it get very dirty and just put a deodorizer nearby, 796 00:43:35,239 --> 00:43:37,719 Speaker 1: hoping that that will mask the smell. There have been 797 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:42,720 Speaker 1: advances into litter box technology, like there are these bins 798 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:45,560 Speaker 1: now that you can get that kind of like seal 799 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:49,640 Speaker 1: so like you can scoop the litter box and instead 800 00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 1: of because, you know, I think one of the thing 801 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 1: the litter genie. It's like a diaper genie that like exactly, 802 00:43:56,080 --> 00:43:57,840 Speaker 1: and so you can just like scoop it dump it 803 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:00,200 Speaker 1: right in there, so you're not constantly having to take 804 00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:02,840 Speaker 1: it the trash out, you know, twice a day. But 805 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:05,279 Speaker 1: then it's seals so you can't smell it and then 806 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:07,120 Speaker 1: when it gets full, you just take the whole thing out, 807 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 1: which is uh, you know, since I haven't had a 808 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:13,160 Speaker 1: cat and like, you know, ten years. It's like wow, 809 00:44:13,200 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 1: this is an amazing there have been amazing advancements in 810 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:19,759 Speaker 1: little technologies. So you do not uh, you do not 811 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:23,640 Speaker 1: need to use UH, like for breeze to cover the 812 00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:25,799 Speaker 1: cat smell. You can just and it's also that's better 813 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:27,759 Speaker 1: for the cat too, because they like a clean litter box. 814 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:30,160 Speaker 1: They don't want to they don't want to step on 815 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:35,839 Speaker 1: their own poopy, anymore than you want to smell their poopies. Exactly. Yeah. So, so, yeah, 816 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:38,759 Speaker 1: I always encourage people to try different smells. You know, 817 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:41,560 Speaker 1: beacept both ones that are kind of designed for cats 818 00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:44,480 Speaker 1: and things that, you know, usually natural things that you 819 00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:45,840 Speaker 1: can bring in from the outside. I mean, I know 820 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:47,600 Speaker 1: when I go outside I come in, my cats always 821 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:51,920 Speaker 1: want to smell my shoes. Oh my cat. Yeah, my cat, mittens, 822 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:56,080 Speaker 1: the female one, who was all elegance that would disappear 823 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:58,520 Speaker 1: when there was a pair of shoes. She would shove 824 00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:02,239 Speaker 1: her face inside this too and just half deeply, and 825 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:07,000 Speaker 1: it's she loved nothing more than the shoe smell. Yeah. So, so, 826 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:08,840 Speaker 1: you know, a lot of times cats will let you 827 00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:10,520 Speaker 1: know the smells that interest them. But, you know, I'll 828 00:45:10,560 --> 00:45:13,600 Speaker 1: let my cats smell my cup of tea and maybe 829 00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:16,560 Speaker 1: let them smell my food. You know, they're they're pretty 830 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:19,080 Speaker 1: well behaved. So and I'm a vegetarian, so there's nothing 831 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:20,680 Speaker 1: that they want to eat, but sometimes they just want 832 00:45:20,680 --> 00:45:23,680 Speaker 1: to kind of check out China. So Um. So yeah, 833 00:45:23,719 --> 00:45:25,160 Speaker 1: they do have this incredible sense of smell. And the 834 00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:26,920 Speaker 1: other thing too, like about pray smells, which is a 835 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:30,640 Speaker 1: really interesting question. Um, I know that my cats love 836 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:33,440 Speaker 1: the real rabbit for toys, which it kind of like 837 00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:35,560 Speaker 1: breaks my heart a little bit, but it's they respond 838 00:45:35,560 --> 00:45:39,000 Speaker 1: differently than any other kind of foe for toys. So Um, 839 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:41,759 Speaker 1: there are places online where you can get like ethically 840 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:46,160 Speaker 1: firmed rabbit for so Dr Kristen vitally did a study 841 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:50,239 Speaker 1: looking at cat's interest in different activities and one of 842 00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:54,320 Speaker 1: them was, I think I used Gerbil scent as one choice, 843 00:45:54,520 --> 00:45:57,800 Speaker 1: and then they could either sniff the Gerbil scent or 844 00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:01,160 Speaker 1: play with the toy or interact with the human and 845 00:46:01,239 --> 00:46:03,720 Speaker 1: overall they did prefer the human interactions over the Gerbal 846 00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:06,440 Speaker 1: sent Um, if I'm remembering correctly. But and yeah, I 847 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:10,440 Speaker 1: don't know where people get Gerbal cent. Just rub a 848 00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:13,960 Speaker 1: Gerbil against a cotton ball. I don't really recommend you know, 849 00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:16,840 Speaker 1: keeping small animals in your home if you have cats, 850 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:19,359 Speaker 1: because it can be stressful for the res to live 851 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:21,759 Speaker 1: with a Predator in the same house. So, but maybe 852 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:23,600 Speaker 1: you have a friend with a pet rat or a 853 00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:26,799 Speaker 1: pet JERBIL. Get some cotton. Can you rub your rat 854 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:29,600 Speaker 1: just for a minute? It's like, I just need to 855 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:32,080 Speaker 1: see to borrow your rat and rub it just for 856 00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:35,759 Speaker 1: a minute. You Tube so Um. So, yeah, I mean 857 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:38,960 Speaker 1: I think people can get creative, stick to non toxic, 858 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:41,759 Speaker 1: safe things and, like I said, there's there's things we 859 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:44,280 Speaker 1: know that most cats like, that silver buy and Catinet, 860 00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:47,719 Speaker 1: Valerian and honeysuckle. So those are those are all available 861 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:50,320 Speaker 1: in products for cats. And I should mention, because I 862 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:53,239 Speaker 1: do say Roman therapy, but Roman therapy for cats is 863 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:56,800 Speaker 1: going to be very different from humans. They're actually certain 864 00:46:56,920 --> 00:47:00,000 Speaker 1: like like, if you're thinking, you know, giving essential oils 865 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:03,800 Speaker 1: to your cat, do not, because they're actually essential oils 866 00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:06,880 Speaker 1: that are quite toxic to cats. Right, Yep. So I 867 00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:09,320 Speaker 1: just want to be careful getting too and then you 868 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:11,760 Speaker 1: know on a lot of those oils are the smell 869 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:14,759 Speaker 1: is very strong and if it's strong to us, Um, 870 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:16,560 Speaker 1: then it's strong to them. I'm one of those people 871 00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:18,520 Speaker 1: that doesn't like heavy scents. So I get a headache. 872 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:20,239 Speaker 1: I feel that. Yeah, you know when I walk into 873 00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:23,200 Speaker 1: like a cloud of incense. So I am probably more sensitive. 874 00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:24,840 Speaker 1: But other people, you know, it's like they've got the 875 00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:28,640 Speaker 1: air fresheners everywhere. And I was like, yeah, I sneeze constant, 876 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:30,280 Speaker 1: like when I go to a mall and walk past 877 00:47:30,360 --> 00:47:34,080 Speaker 1: like the perfume counter, it's just I can't, I can't 878 00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:39,240 Speaker 1: function I start sneezing perfume. And there have been studies 879 00:47:39,239 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: showing that, UM, some felid species. I know, like I 880 00:47:42,480 --> 00:47:47,680 Speaker 1: think it's lions or baby tigers. Love Obsession, Calvin fully, yeah, 881 00:47:48,400 --> 00:47:50,799 Speaker 1: and I think it's probably just how did they find 882 00:47:50,800 --> 00:47:56,040 Speaker 1: that out? Someone definitely around right like started getting hit 883 00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:58,960 Speaker 1: on by a lion. Yeah, I need to, I need to, 884 00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:01,400 Speaker 1: like that's been a factoid sitting in my brain for 885 00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:02,960 Speaker 1: a long time that I probably need to go like 886 00:48:03,120 --> 00:48:05,000 Speaker 1: do a little more Debo die. But I know that 887 00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:08,040 Speaker 1: there was a study looking at different olfactory responses and 888 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:11,000 Speaker 1: cats and I'm pretty sure they used m comm claim 889 00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:14,440 Speaker 1: ob sessions. So amazing. Yeah, so your cat might like 890 00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:16,200 Speaker 1: your perfume, but that doesn't mean you want to spray 891 00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:18,080 Speaker 1: it all over them right, like. No, you know a 892 00:48:18,160 --> 00:48:21,080 Speaker 1: little damn, do you like? Their sense of smells much 893 00:48:21,120 --> 00:48:23,200 Speaker 1: better than ours, so you don't have to feel like, oh, 894 00:48:23,200 --> 00:48:25,719 Speaker 1: it has to be this like really powerful scent for 895 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:31,640 Speaker 1: them to have Um. Yeah, no, they are quite sensitive. Well, 896 00:48:32,239 --> 00:48:35,360 Speaker 1: I feel like I have learned much more about cats 897 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,680 Speaker 1: talking to you. I uh, like I said, I'm thinking 898 00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:41,239 Speaker 1: about getting a cat. I gotta make sure the apartment 899 00:48:41,360 --> 00:48:44,239 Speaker 1: is safe. Uh. If you have any tips on how 900 00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:48,360 Speaker 1: to make try to keep cats from scratching furniture, that 901 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:53,719 Speaker 1: would be much appreciated, I assume. I assume leaving out 902 00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:58,919 Speaker 1: lots of scratching posts, maybe putting some uh, material over 903 00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:00,720 Speaker 1: the catch that they're not going to want to scratch, 904 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:03,600 Speaker 1: but other than that, I don't really know what. Lots 905 00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:05,799 Speaker 1: of lots of treats when they use the scratching post. 906 00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:08,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I'd say the big thing is is having 907 00:49:08,239 --> 00:49:10,400 Speaker 1: a few choices of scratching, like some cats like to 908 00:49:10,440 --> 00:49:13,960 Speaker 1: scratch vertically, like upright, and other cats like to scratch horizonly, 909 00:49:14,080 --> 00:49:16,360 Speaker 1: like those, you know, cardboard pads or whatever, and so 910 00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:20,280 Speaker 1: giving them some choices, making sure they're prominent and giving 911 00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:24,000 Speaker 1: them lots of treats when they do scratch appropriately and then, yeah, 912 00:49:24,160 --> 00:49:26,719 Speaker 1: usually if they are still trying to scratch the furniture, 913 00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:29,720 Speaker 1: you can like put a sheet over it temporarily until 914 00:49:29,719 --> 00:49:31,719 Speaker 1: they are directed towards the things you want them to 915 00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:35,120 Speaker 1: be scratching. Keep their nails trimmed. Um. So that's where 916 00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:37,319 Speaker 1: the training can come and hand me, Um, you know, 917 00:49:37,360 --> 00:49:40,400 Speaker 1: positive re enforcement training and again, lots of treats, um 918 00:49:40,480 --> 00:49:44,440 Speaker 1: patients and Um, you know, to be honest, like we 919 00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:46,200 Speaker 1: have a lot of scratching posts and cat trees in 920 00:49:46,239 --> 00:49:48,399 Speaker 1: my house. Um, we got a new couch. The cats 921 00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:50,239 Speaker 1: do not touch the catch. They're not interested. They like 922 00:49:50,320 --> 00:49:53,320 Speaker 1: it's not even like they have so many other better 923 00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:55,480 Speaker 1: options that I don't even think they see it as 924 00:49:55,520 --> 00:49:59,239 Speaker 1: something to scratch. So Um, you know, I think that 925 00:50:00,080 --> 00:50:02,440 Speaker 1: if you again, if you provide them with something that 926 00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:05,719 Speaker 1: they like and give them rewards for for using it, 927 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:08,360 Speaker 1: then a lot of times they're just like not really interested. 928 00:50:08,920 --> 00:50:11,000 Speaker 1: Maybe I'll get a Gerbil and rub it against a 929 00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:17,200 Speaker 1: scratching post. So before we go, there's a game I 930 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:19,560 Speaker 1: always play at the end of the podcast, which is 931 00:50:19,600 --> 00:50:24,359 Speaker 1: gives who's squawking. It's the mystery animal sound game. So 932 00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:27,759 Speaker 1: every week I play a mystery animal sound and you 933 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:30,120 Speaker 1: the listener and you the guest, if you'd like to 934 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:33,279 Speaker 1: try to guess who is squawking, it doesn't have to 935 00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:36,120 Speaker 1: be a bird, it could be any animal. It can 936 00:50:36,160 --> 00:50:39,680 Speaker 1: be incredibly difficult. I always like to preface it by 937 00:50:39,719 --> 00:50:42,760 Speaker 1: saying that I would lose this game most of the time, 938 00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:48,320 Speaker 1: so there is no pressure to get this right. Um. So, uh, 939 00:50:48,360 --> 00:50:51,000 Speaker 1: this one, especially now, this is I think this is 940 00:50:51,080 --> 00:50:53,520 Speaker 1: unfair to you because this one I gave a very 941 00:50:53,560 --> 00:50:57,480 Speaker 1: specific hint that is based on reading an article, because 942 00:50:57,480 --> 00:50:59,879 Speaker 1: otherwise there's no way you're going to get it. I'll 943 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:01,520 Speaker 1: still play it for you and if you want to 944 00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:04,200 Speaker 1: take a stab in the dark, uh, you can give 945 00:51:04,239 --> 00:51:09,680 Speaker 1: it a shot. I'm definitely curious. So last week's tent 946 00:51:10,040 --> 00:51:13,319 Speaker 1: was it's actually good that these guys have an inflated 947 00:51:13,400 --> 00:51:17,360 Speaker 1: sense of pride, and if you read Ferris Jaber's article 948 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:21,239 Speaker 1: how beauty is making scientists rethink evolution, you're sure to 949 00:51:21,320 --> 00:51:24,640 Speaker 1: find the answer. So I'm realizing now as I'm reading this, 950 00:51:24,640 --> 00:51:27,680 Speaker 1: this is extremely unfair to you, but you know it'll 951 00:51:27,719 --> 00:51:42,760 Speaker 1: be a challenge. I'm game. I'm not afraid to lose. Alright, so, Michael, 952 00:51:42,880 --> 00:51:46,719 Speaker 1: do you have any guesses? I love the sound. I 953 00:51:46,760 --> 00:51:48,880 Speaker 1: have no idea. I'm just gonna go with the frog. 954 00:51:49,719 --> 00:51:53,520 Speaker 1: You are correct that it is a frog, so nailed it. 955 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:57,600 Speaker 1: I'll tell you the specific kind of frog now. Uh. 956 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:01,280 Speaker 1: This is the male Tungara Frog, which is a little 957 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:05,919 Speaker 1: semi terrestrial frog whose calls are highly attractive to both 958 00:52:06,040 --> 00:52:09,320 Speaker 1: females of their own species as well as to frog 959 00:52:09,440 --> 00:52:13,400 Speaker 1: eating bats. So this is, uh, an example of an 960 00:52:13,400 --> 00:52:18,399 Speaker 1: evolutionary trade off. So, even though it does put them 961 00:52:18,440 --> 00:52:21,319 Speaker 1: a little more in danger exposes them to predation, the 962 00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:25,880 Speaker 1: females love it so much that that sexual selection outweighs 963 00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:31,080 Speaker 1: the danger of predation, and so this is a wonderful 964 00:52:31,239 --> 00:52:34,560 Speaker 1: example of how sexual selection in nature can be so 965 00:52:34,640 --> 00:52:38,400 Speaker 1: powerful it can cause males to do very dumb things 966 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:42,400 Speaker 1: that are dangerous. I love it, but that's amazing. You 967 00:52:42,440 --> 00:52:47,120 Speaker 1: guess correctly. I am super impressed. You should definitely check 968 00:52:47,120 --> 00:52:49,400 Speaker 1: out videos of these guys. All include a link in 969 00:52:49,440 --> 00:52:52,680 Speaker 1: the show notes. But they have these large inflatable throat 970 00:52:52,719 --> 00:52:55,319 Speaker 1: sacks and it's really funny to watch because if you've 971 00:52:55,320 --> 00:52:58,120 Speaker 1: ever like kind of with like a limp balloon, like 972 00:52:58,239 --> 00:53:00,560 Speaker 1: pushed air from one side of the own out to 973 00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:02,600 Speaker 1: the other. That's kind of what they look like, because 974 00:53:02,640 --> 00:53:05,480 Speaker 1: they fill their their bodies up with air and then 975 00:53:05,520 --> 00:53:07,799 Speaker 1: push it into their throat sacks and then kind of 976 00:53:07,800 --> 00:53:10,960 Speaker 1: back and forth, and it's it's very cute and funny, 977 00:53:11,080 --> 00:53:17,319 Speaker 1: these male animals. Congratulations to Joey P, who wrote in 978 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:20,799 Speaker 1: and guessed correctly. Remember, if you have a guess, you 979 00:53:20,840 --> 00:53:23,240 Speaker 1: can write to me at creature feature pod at Gmail 980 00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:30,440 Speaker 1: Dot Com. So onto this week's mystery animal sound. Ah, 981 00:53:30,680 --> 00:53:35,640 Speaker 1: the hint is there's nothing deadly or sinful about this cutie. 982 00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:46,520 Speaker 1: Ah Ah. Well, so I'm gonna be honest. I didn't 983 00:53:46,520 --> 00:53:48,920 Speaker 1: know that this is what these sounded like until I 984 00:53:48,960 --> 00:53:52,880 Speaker 1: looked looked it up online. Do you have any guesses, 985 00:53:53,160 --> 00:53:58,800 Speaker 1: and I don't blame you if you don't. Um, I'm 986 00:53:58,840 --> 00:54:03,600 Speaker 1: I guess a wild guest would be a monkey. Interesting guests. Well, 987 00:54:03,640 --> 00:54:05,440 Speaker 1: I'm going to have to leave you on a cliffhanger 988 00:54:05,560 --> 00:54:09,080 Speaker 1: because the answer to this question is going to be 989 00:54:09,200 --> 00:54:14,000 Speaker 1: revealed on next week's episode of creature feature, but you 990 00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:17,240 Speaker 1: can rest on your laurels for guessing that. That uh, 991 00:54:17,440 --> 00:54:21,080 Speaker 1: the previous sound as a frog. Very cool, Michael. Thank 992 00:54:21,120 --> 00:54:23,880 Speaker 1: you so much for joining me and answering all my 993 00:54:24,000 --> 00:54:27,279 Speaker 1: questions about cats. I hope everyone out there who has 994 00:54:27,320 --> 00:54:29,359 Speaker 1: a cat or who wants a cat learned a little 995 00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:31,879 Speaker 1: bit about how to please your cat, how to make 996 00:54:31,920 --> 00:54:35,719 Speaker 1: your cat happy. The most important question to answer. Where 997 00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:40,040 Speaker 1: can people find more stuff from you? Yeah, I have 998 00:54:40,120 --> 00:54:43,080 Speaker 1: a blog, which is what your cat wants, dot com, 999 00:54:43,360 --> 00:54:45,879 Speaker 1: so that's you can get in touch with me there. 1000 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:49,160 Speaker 1: I've got, you know, contact bomb. I've got lots of articles, 1001 00:54:49,239 --> 00:54:52,200 Speaker 1: most of reviewing scientific papers about cats and translating that 1002 00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:55,720 Speaker 1: science so that people can better understand how research applies 1003 00:54:55,760 --> 00:54:59,439 Speaker 1: to their own little tiger in their bed Um. So 1004 00:55:00,040 --> 00:55:02,360 Speaker 1: really enjoy science communications. So that's a good way to 1005 00:55:02,400 --> 00:55:03,880 Speaker 1: by name. Thank you so much for having me. I 1006 00:55:03,920 --> 00:55:05,960 Speaker 1: had a lot of fun. Absolutely. Thank you so much 1007 00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:08,600 Speaker 1: for coming on. And if you're enjoying the show and 1008 00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:11,440 Speaker 1: you want to leave a rating or review, that would 1009 00:55:11,440 --> 00:55:14,920 Speaker 1: make this cat happy. You can't see, but I'm pointing 1010 00:55:14,960 --> 00:55:18,560 Speaker 1: to myself. Uh It. Maybe it'd make your cat happy 1011 00:55:18,640 --> 00:55:20,960 Speaker 1: as well, because it'd be like wow, yeah, it's great 1012 00:55:21,000 --> 00:55:24,440 Speaker 1: of you that you left those reviews. UH, most likely 1013 00:55:24,480 --> 00:55:27,400 Speaker 1: your cat doesn't care whether I get roots, but it 1014 00:55:27,480 --> 00:55:31,160 Speaker 1: helps me out, so I appreciate that and thanks so 1015 00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:33,919 Speaker 1: much to the space classics for their Super Awesome Song 1016 00:55:34,080 --> 00:55:37,800 Speaker 1: EXO Lumina creature. Features of production of I heart radio. 1017 00:55:37,960 --> 00:55:40,920 Speaker 1: For more podcasts like the one you just heard, visit 1018 00:55:40,960 --> 00:55:43,520 Speaker 1: the I heart radio APP apple podcasts or hey, guess what, 1019 00:55:44,040 --> 00:55:46,640 Speaker 1: if you listen to your favorite shows, I don't judge you. 1020 00:55:46,640 --> 00:55:48,880 Speaker 1: Your cat judges you a little bit, but me, I 1021 00:55:48,960 --> 00:55:50,960 Speaker 1: don't see you next Wednesday.