There was a time when cats were considered the easy pet, meant for those who wanted a furry friend without all the fuss. But as the animal behaviorist Zazie Todd, PhD, explains in “What Cats Need” on page 16, the complex lives of our kitties mean we’ve got to put in the work. Throughout this issue, we go beyond the basics of food and litter boxes, explaining what cats require to thrive and live with joy: novelty from social play with owners and a rich assortment of toys; constant motivation, in the form of positive reinforcement, to help them learn; and easy access to a vet. Cats also need the sense of territory and privacy the wild endows—requiring the kind of specialized resource distribution within our homes that animal behaviorist Mikel Delgado describes in “At Home on the Range,” on page 38. Elevating the house cat’s life is made easier by advances in science, from research showing how cats track humans through buildings to new technologies for translating a cat’s meaning into the spoken word. If you want to give your kitty her best life, this issue is a start.
Inside Your Cat’s Mind
Best Life
HAPPY CATS • Your feline friend will feel most content when you can simulate the sense of the wild in your home—then play along, yourself.
Cutest Cats • The world’s most beautiful cats surely include yours: Ginger, black, or blue-gray, snuggling on your lap, sleeping on a hammock, or racing through a field, our large-eyed pets evoke the same kind of emotional stir as a human toddler.
What Cats Need • People think cats are easy pets, but that’s only true if we ignore them. Here are the basics for feline felicity.
5 Basics • Sarah Ellis, a certified feline behavioral consultant and co-author of The Trainable Cat, identified five pillars of cat care. They include the following basics, but do they go far enough?
Respect Your Cat’s Sense of Smell • Awareness of your pet’s keen ability to detect different odors in your home will guide you in protecting her sense of security.
How to Help a Cat on Overload • Your cat cuddles up to you and then, wham, she tries to strike you with her paw. Why the sudden change? She’s had enough. Here’s how to spot overstimulation and calm your feline down.
Create a Personal Space for Your Feline • A cat’s hiding place can be a cardboard box, a cozy bed or cat tree.
A Tactile Relationship? • When touching your cat, proceed with caution.
AT HOME TOGETHER • Companion cats inhabit our human space. To make them happy, give their feline nature free rein.
Signs and Signals • Five great tools for communicating with your cat.
How to Give Your Cat a Cat’s Life • Is your cat a fur baby, a paw pal or a hunter in your midst? Seeing your cat for the feline she is can multiply her happiness in your home.
Seduced by a Baby Face • That round face and plaintive meow may fool you into thinking your cat is more human than feline.
How to Nurture Your Cat’s Inner Lion • Bring the outside in for your stay-at-home cat.
At Home on the Range • You must set up your home so your cat family can thrive. In this Q&A, feline behaviorist Mikel Delgado explains how to organize resources for kitty’s best life.
Higher • Five ways to create a vertical environment for your cat at home.
Nowhere to Hide • Cats have an uncanny superpower: They can create a mental map of their beloved owner’s location, targeting their position through the sound of their voice alone.
Whiskers Away • When your cat truly trusts you, these are the tells.
SOCIAL SELVES • Cats have complex relationships with their fellow felines. From bonding to fighting to playing to purring away, here’s how they roll.
In Translation • A cat lover’s guide to meows.
What Does a Purr Mean? It...