Companion Animal Behavior

(canine and feline)

- Many animals are euthanized or rehomed because of behavior issues

- Most owners report that their animals have behavior problems (spectrum in what is a problem to different people)

Why do we care about animal behavior?

first

Behavior is often the ___________ clinical sign of a medical disease

- Genetic predisposition

- Early experience (socialization, human interactions)

- Traumatic events

- Environment where they live

What factors can shape behavior?

genetic

There are some _____________ based differences in temperment between cat breeds and their breed can affect how learning occurs

Pedigree

______________ cat are more likely to present with problem behaviors

- Confident and Inquisitive

- Timid and Nervous

- A Combination

What kinds of personality types can cats display?

father

Personality in cats has been found to be determined by genetic information from the ____________

oxytocin

The number of _________________ receptors has been linked in dogs and cats to irritability

- Feline Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionare (Fe-BARQ)

- Canine-BARQ

What is the questionares designed to look for patterns in animal behavior through their genetics and with certain breeds?

Agouti

What cat coat color is more associated with increased cat aggression?

Red

What cat coat color is associated with increased prey interest and fear-related aggression towards unfamiliar people?

Piebald

What cat coat color is associated with decreased stranger-directed aggression and vocalization?

Lilac

What cat coat color is associated with increase in playfulness, attention seeking, and separation-related behavior?

Tortioseshell

What cat coat color is associated with increased cat aggression and prey interest but decrease in aggression to dogs?

Persian

What cat breed is associated with decreased activity/playfulness, predatory behavior, and prey interest?

Bengals

What cat breed is most likely to urine mark?

Abyssinians

What cat breed is associated with increased sociability (with people) and cat aggression?

Birmans

What cat breed is associated with fear-related aggression (familiar people) and house-soiling?

Maine Coons

What cat breed is associated with owner-directed aggression and prey interest?

Tonkinese

What cat breed is associated with playfulness, sociability with people, vocalization, attention seeking behavior, and separation related anxiety?

shorter

Cats were domesticated more recently so they have a ____________ period for socialization

wild

To determine normal species specific behavior, you have to look at the closest ____________ ancestor

nutritional

Cats are naturally territorial, independent hunters and have special _______________ requirements

female, antagonistic

Cat's social system is _____________ based and they tend to be _________________ toward other cats

Can be both!

Are cats a predator or prey species?

- Urine marking

- Scratching

- Aggression

What are normal cat behaviors that can be undesirable to humans?

- Previous site use

- Surface preference

- Surface aversion

- Access to preferred elimination sites

What are factors that can influence cat elimination habits?

Bigger

_______________ litter boxes are usually better

- Sharpen their nails

- Mark territory (pheromones from pads)

What are the two main purposes for scratching in cats (NORMAL BEHAVIOR)?

visible

Cats will choose a _________________ area to scratch (windows, sleeping areas) and are attracted to new things in the environment

- Wood

- Sisal rope

- Rough fabric

What are the most preferred mediums for cat scratching?

queen

Predatory behavior in cats is dependen on the _____________location and the preferred prey

Crepuscular (dusk and dawn)

What times of day are cats active (hunting time)?

10-20

Cats are designed to eat ______________ small meals throughout the day and night = need a constant protein source

decreases

Feeding ________________ consumption and time spent hunting, but not the behavior itself = will stop eating to kill (preferred)

12

Dogs that are fearful by _________ weeks are likely to be fearful as adults = sooner intervention is preferred

serotonin

Low __________________ levels in dogs have been associated with human directed aggression

Oxytocin

______________ receptors in dogs have been associated with an animal's ability to social bond

groups

Dogs live in social __________, not packs (a family unit for wolves)

linear

The hierarchy of dog social groups is not _____________ = more complex and fluid

rare

There are a lot of ritualized behaviors between both dogs and wolves so aggression in both is ______________ (usually do to anxiety or fear)

- Chewing

- Mouthing

- Jumping

- Digging

- Barking

What are normal canine behaviors?

learning

Restricting the early environment of dogs restricts their __________________

increased

Early removal of puppies from the litter can resultin in ________________ reactivity and anxiety = increased stress hormone, decreased serotonin

Disease

__________________ (esp. those that require hospitalization) in the first 4 months can result in increased reactivity, fear-related aggression, aggression towards familar people (touch, husbandry care)

3-14 weeks

What is the socialization period for dogs?

2-7 weeks

What is the socialization period for cats?

positive

During socialization, dogs should have _______________ experiences with different people, places, and things in controlled interactions (not forced) = Quality over quantity)

before

Cats should be handled _____________ 9 weeks to increase their liklihood of approaching humans and willingness to be handled increases = Decreases after 14 weeks

Bottle-fed

______________ kittens are at a high risk of developing nervousness aggression, and reduced ability to cope with changes in their environment and can develop over attachment to the owner

oral

Bottle fed kittens can develop ____________ stereotypical behaviors = sucking on themselves, others

frustration

If an animals needs are not being met by the environment, they can develop motivation conflict and displacement behaviros and ______________

- Compulsive behaviors

- Elimination disorders

- Escape and avoidance

- Aggression

What kind of behaviors can develop in animals that cannot cope with their environment?

traumatic

Like classical conditioning, animals can develope anxiety and fear in a particular situation/environment due to one ___________ event (CPTSD)

cumulative

Stress can be result of one event or multiple = termed ______________ stress (stacking of multiple triggers until a reaction threshold is reached)

SAM axis = adrenal medulla releases adrenaline/noradrenaline (sympathetic NS)

What is the fast reponse of the body to a stressor?

HPA axis = adrenal cortex (hypothalamus, pituitary) releases cortisol

What is the slow response of the body to a stressor?

percieve

It is important to remember that since animals ____________ the world differently, we should consider their view of stressors

motivations

Opposing _____________ result in conflict and conflict behaviors (ex. want to interact but still may be fearful, conflict urination)

- Inconsistant interactions with humans

- Positive punishment techniques

What might lead to a higher chance of developing a approach/withdraw motivational conflict in an animal?

stop

Frustration results from preventing or attemping to _______ a behavior (social isolation, basic needs not met, inconsistent rules and punishments)

- Separation-related disorder

- Aggression

- Leash reactivity

- Overgrooming in cats

What are potential effects of frustration in animals?

anxiety

Frustration does not always equal _________________

- Genetics

- Learning experiences

- Medical conditions, Pain

- Punishment based training

What are potential causes of impulsivity?

Hyperarousal

_______________ and poor communication skills can easily lead to frustration and impulsive behavior (leash reactivity, aggression to other dogs)

Punishment

_________________ makes hyperarousal worse and they must be taught how to settle down and decompress (more excercise is not the answer)

eyes, ears, mouth, body position, tails

What do animals use to "speak" or communicate their emotions?

increasing

Growling and hissing are distance _______________ behaviors

non-confrontational

Cats are _________________and prefer to hide, urine mark or scratch

Learned Helplessness

What may cats use as a coping mechanism where they freeze?

Pheromones

___________________ play a big role in communication (esp. cats)

intervention

Body language and choices are clues and early recognition allows for early _______________

punished

Growling is a normal behavior and should never be ________________ (gives information = want the warning before biting)

Green = relaxed face, eyes

What "color" is this dog showing?

Yellow = whale eyes, tense face

What "color" is this dog showing?

Red = showing teeth, visibly upset

What "color" is this dog showing?

- House-soiling

- Aggression towards familiar cats

- Aggression towards unfamilar cats

- Aggression towards unfamilar people

- Aggression towards familiar people

- Aggression towards other animals

- Redirected aggression

- Nuisance behaviors

What are some common abnormal behaviors in cats?

- Aggression towards unfamiliar people

- Aggression towards familiar people

- Aggression towards other dogs

- Aggresion towards other animals

- Separated-related behaviors

- Generalized anxiety

- House-soiling

- Compulsive behaviors

- Unruly and Nuisance behaviors

What are some common abnormal behaviors in dogs?

- Explore medical causes

- Evaluate the behavior history

- Medications?

- Comprehensive treatment plan

What are the steps in diagnosing behavior problems?

triggers

When getting a behavioral history, you need to be specific and avoid labels while identifying their ________________

- Nutrition

- Physical environment

- Health

- Behavior interactions

- Mental state/experiences

What are the 5 domains accessed when looking at an animals overall welfare?

- Provide a safe place

- Provide multiple and separated key environmental resources: food, water, toileting areas, scratching areas, play areas, resting or sleeping areas

- Provide opportunity for play and predatory behavior

- Provide positive, consistent and predictable human-cat social interaction

- Provide an environment that respects the importance of the cat's sense of smell

What are the 5 pillars or needs of a healthy cat?

C - Choice/Control: Provide the cat with choice and control during the interaction

A - Attention: Pay attention to the cat's behavior and body language

T - Think/Touch: Consider where the cat is being touched

What does C.A.T. stand for when considering how to approach a cat?

well-trained

Even the most __________________ dog can have emotional issues (fear, anxiety, frustration)

emotion

Most aggression is motivated by _______________ (normal: environmental, defensive, resource guarding; abnormal: medical conditions, low serotonin)

predatory

True _______________ behavior is not considered aggression (different pathways in the brain)

medication

Emotional issues need behavior modification (NOT training) and often needs _______________

- Management (safety, avoid triggers, tools0

- Communication (Body langual, positive reinforcement training)

- Behavior modification (control antecedents, reinforce alternative behaviors)

- Medications

What are the 4 parts of a comprehensive treatment plan?

tried

You need to assess what the client has _____________ and how = ask for demos & train the client or talk to trainer(timing, reinforcement, body language, pet response)

- Habituation

- Sensitization

What are the 2 forms of non-associative learning?

- Classical/counter conditioning

- Operant Conditioning

What are the 2 forms of associative learning?

Habituation

______________ is a decrease in responsiveness (acclimation not desensitization) and can be reversed

Sensitization

__________________ is an increase in responsiveness (be careful not to flood! = can't escape, overwhelmed by vet hospital)

visceral

Classical and counter conditioning deals with how emotions are formed/changed, resulting in _______________ responses (usually not conscious, ex. Pavlov's dogs drooling when they hear the bell)

Operant

_____________ conditioning allows the teaching of new behaviors through trial and error learning

- Positive Reinforcement

- Negative Reinforcement

- Positive Punishment

- Negative Punishment

What are the 4 contingencies that shape behavior?

Positive Reinforcement

What contingency do you add something and the behavior happens again (ex. treating after sit)?

Negative Reinforcement

What contingency do you substract something and the behavior happens again?

Positive Punishment

What contingency do you add something and the behavior does NOT happen again?

Negative Punishment

What contingency do you subtract something and the behavior