You don’t own me…

During the pandemic many cats have been spending a lot more time with their human family members, due to guidelines advising a large number of office workers work from home. This could possibly mean those cats were suddenly receiving a lot more attention than they’re used to. A study performed by Nottingham Trent University reinforced what a lot of cat carers already believe; that a cat who is given the opportunity to receive interaction on their own terms is less likely to exhibit hostile behaviour. It stands to reason this would be the case; after all, when a cat approaches you for attention they’re simply establishing their own physical boundaries. (And that’s something everyone prefers, as a rule.) If you’re interested in reading more, you can follow this link:

https://ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2021/07/let-cats-decide-when-to-be-petted-to-avoid-them-becoming-hostile-and-increase-their-affection,-study-suggests

While we’re on the subject of things cats would rather we didn’t do, here’s a small list compiled by the PDSA containing five misconceptions regarding human/feline interaction and cat care:

https://pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/kittens-cats/five-things-you-do-that-your-cat-secretly-hates?fbcld=lwARO59eQvpHVwMgqxmfmFCoMc6PkmMW_lpFC6PkmMW_lpFC6sa1aphwknX40CXzLBBYf