I came to this area of interest by accident - or perhaps it was an early form of Cat Karma. I started ‘homing out’ kittens as an altruistic sideline to my Cat Clinic in 1994 and to date we’ve homed out 1600 cats and kittens. Those cats plus new kittens now make up a substantial core of my practice, so much so that when we saw a very significant slump in kitten rehoming after September 11 - when the whole world seemed to stop and think about long term commitments - we were worried that cat owning had once again fallen out of favour. Cats and kittens were staying with us much longer than usual before finding a home.
I’m told there is a huge upswing in the number of marriages and pregnancies this year as people are suddenly making their important ‘life decisions’ in the aftermath. It seems to me that lots of couples are skipping the ‘kitten as kiddie tryout’ and going straight for making a baby. In the past, I could tell young couples that a kitten (or preferably two) would delay childbearing by about three years. Now it would seem that many of those couples have gone straight for the baby jackpot.
The pet cat population in Australia is in decline due to an assortment of factors. A high rate of desexing is one of the proposed mechanisms, but I think that a mismatch of supply and demand is actually a bigger factor. Where the locale has a high regard for pets in general and cats in particular, and where these are regarded as ‘family members’, then most of the cats are desexed prior to breeding. This leaves a shortage of cats in that area as ‘giveaway’ pets. For people in these areas, a trip out to a welfare agency is usually needed to find a cat. However, these agencies tend to be out of town, and do not necessarily provide a welcoming atmosphere in which to acquire a pet - in general they are too busy and overcrowded to be able to give personalised attention. Additionally staff usually have very little knowledge of the individual animals and no time to screen prospective owners. This makes many prospective owners unwilling to make the effort to acquire a cat or kitten, and so a home stays catless.
In other areas, where the local cultural ‘norm’ is to let cats roam and live unrestrained, then 20% of females have a litter before being desexed, and a fair percentage of those mother / kitten units are turned in en masse to welfare agencies because there are problems owning a reproductively active cat, and often the kittens are perceived to be a problem too. This has traditionally led to the death of the mother if not the whole litter, especially if they stay in the same area where there is a kitten overload. If the mother and kittens are moved to an area with no leftover felines, then there is a high success rate in rehoming all of the kittens and often the mother.
In the Cat Adoption Centres in vet practices there are fewer animals at any one time than at welfare agencies, and usually not the urgency associated with a death row. Also the cats are known individually by the staff who care for them consistently, and these caregivers usually have or make more time to interact with prospective owners to discover their motivations and expectations of a new feline friend. Perhaps personality testing the owners is more important than testing the cats...
It has been shown that the most significant factor in retaining a cat, is either acquiring it as a stray (so the cat picked the owner, and was then tolerated long enough for them to learn its behaviour traits), or where the new owner read a book about cats, including basic behaviour, before getting the cat, and therefore, presumably, already had an idea of what to expect from a normal cat doing its natural behaviours. Dr. Cornack’s survey of cats in a Brisbane Refuge indicated that of the 6% of cats brought back, most were returned within one day of sale - 70% returned because the new owners considered the cat an inappropriate choice, and a further 12% cited behavioural problems. In total, it would appear there is a 5% risk of resurrender if you behave like a cat and your new owners aren’t expecting that. At the Cat Clinic Adoption Centre, we have had less than 1% of cats or kittens returned within a week. We ‘recycle’ about 3 cats per year - ie kittens of ours whose owners can no longer keep them. An hour per kitten homed is a high price in a private capacity, but the long term benefit is pretty clear. Part of the success is as mentioned before - there are no unexpected pregnancies nor stinky sprayed urine from entire, sexually active cats, so there is no ‘crisis of ownership’ issues a few months down the track.
What all this is getting to is to point out the obvious - that cats and kittens (and apparently dogs, parrots, rabbits and ferrets too) are becoming very ‘significant others’ in a lot of people’s lives. I don’t know of any work which shows that cats with ‘good’ or affectionate personalities are any less likely to be turned in to welfare agencies for ‘recycling’. I can think of lots of ‘feline terrorists’ who have any amount of affection and whatever they need lavished upon them (to the cat’s disdain usually), while many other delightfully ‘purrsonable’ cats get sent on their way. However, the expectations of getting a ‘nice cat’ from a shelter situation is a common one.
I do tell people that they get the cat they deserve - that Cat Karma selects the owner for the cat, if only the cat can wait long enough for the owner to find them. We have had many charming cats and kittens waiting two or three months for their person to come and get them. However, on average, it takes 10 days to home a kitten, and a month to home an adult. The care and feeding of the cats, plus the veterinary requirements prior to homing, means that some form of selection - usually personality based - is needed to reduce the numbers of cats under shelter care at any one time. If only selection could be based on colour or some external feature alone....
Personality testing of older cats is obviously much more reliable than kitten testing as they have been through most of their ‘trauma’ stages and tend to be ‘what you see is what you get’. Additionally, cats and kittens do behave differently with different people - one kitten which wriggles and tries to get away from one person, will snuggle up to another. We used to say it didn’t matter, but now we let the kitten pick the person a bit more - the matches seem to be better bonded that way.
So what are the tools we use at the cat clinic to enhance the selection process? These are only very general - if anyone could really figure out which kid in the playground was going to be prime minister and which would be the axe murderer, then the psychologists work would be done n’est pas? and it is the same for cats. However, some guidelines are better that none.
The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has come up with a Temperament Evaluation for Shelter Cats. Its application and grading is pretty informal, but does provide a starting point. It is probably of greater use in selecting out unsuitable cats which some welfare caregivers, particularly novices, may try to inflict on an unwary new owner.
For adult cats, it is recommended the cats be in the shelter environment for 48 hours, and the test conducted at least two hours after any activity such as kennel cleaning or feeding.
The three areas evaluated are
The grading are along the lines of movies:
BCE - Best Cat Ever
G - the cat can go with anybody
PG - no small kids or well supervised kids
PG - 10 only kids over 10, no one likely to startle cat
PG - 15 basically adults, no kitty stalkers
AO - for the experienced cat owner only
X-Rated - basically feral, may be useful for mouse control but not a house cat
The only proviso that I would add, is this little curve ball - after a month in their new home, and after sizing up the owners, some cats become feline dictators. What happens is that a cat who is well-behaved while at the clinic (and presumably has most of its native responses suppressed by the rather stressful environment), will find their owner. The new owner is delighted with the cat - it uses the litter tray and tarts up to everybody at home. Then after a month, it becomes a ‘feline terrorist’ - either peeing around the house, yelling at the owners or their friends, or developing other ‘nasty habits’. I presume this is related to the concept that ‘familiarity breeds contempt’... or rather that the cat is now confident of its environment and wants everyone else to understand the new cat rules. However, with older cats it is mostly ‘what you see is what you get’. I am also concerned by the report that cats who went through quarantine of 6 months in the UK took on average 2 years to stabilise in their new homes, and that was with the same owner. In general, it left the cats fearful and uncertain. Perhaps the new Feliway nebuliser will make all these things a problem of the past! I also find, though, that people who are prepared to take on an older cat, in the same manner as those who take in a stray, are more prepared to tolerate individualistic behaviour such as pill refusal and not being a lap cat, though most draw the line at predatory aggression upon their own persons.
I heard Dr. Karen Overall talk about measuring responses to ‘lactate infusions’ to identify sniffer dogs who will ‘crack under stress’, and I wonder whether that may have an equivalent function in identifying the 5 - 10% of cats who are going to ‘crack’ and start spraying, because spraying is a very dangerous thing to do if you are a ‘marginalised cat’ - that is one of the main reasons for being rehomed (having kittens is, sadly, the other...).
Kittens are more of a challenge, because they haven’t always decided what you are ‘going to get’ from them yet anyway. Where, a couple of years ago, we only took a selection of kittens from a litter, now we tend to take the whole litter from the Cat Protection Society. This means that we sometimes get a ‘marginally good tempered’ kitten. So far we haven’t seen any ‘psychopaths’ in the 1600 felines we have homed out, but that may come. The selection criteria are basically the same as the adults (we do like to see them play and be predatory though - it is what new owners expect...).
There is research that shows that a human child’s position in the family in relation to their siblings has a greater influence on character than the parents or genetics! Well, it turns out to be a bit the same for kittens. The normal learning unit for kittens is the queen and the kitten’s siblings. The mother teaches the kittens to cope with frustration during the weaning process, and this is a critical factor missing in the hand raising of kittens and in socialising young cats. The queen doesn’t teach the kittens about rough play, she just stops it all together when the game gets out of hand. However it is the siblings who teach each other manners, and to inhibit their scratching and biting by withdrawing their claws and stopping their teeth from going through to bone. It is called ‘fraternal inhibition’ and the rules are ‘If you bite me hard I’ll bite you back’ - like every toddler in the playground. If you watch kittens playing, there is a great deal of screaming and posturing, but very little damage actually gets done. Play turns to predatory behaviour at about 10 weeks of age, and progresses to social fighting at 14 weeks old. Reprimands and payback between kittens are via hissing, growling and use of the ‘neck bite’ - the manoeuvre by which males dominate females during mating, and one cat dominates another during internal territory disputes. This means that the new owner/s have to take the place of the mother and the siblings for the kitten to learn ‘manners’ and appropriate behaviour. Once a kitten reaches it teen years, if it has leant how to ‘rule the roost’ with unacceptably damaging behaviour, full behaviour modification will be required to undo the original learned behaviour. This can be painful, take years, and may end up with the cat being euthanased.
In terms of handling and restraint, the main difference in assessing a kitten is the ‘Boss Cat Scruffing’ - where one grabs the scruff over the shoulders firmly, then lie the kitten on its back. With this manoeuvre I am trying to replicate the ‘neck bite’. If there is no objection, then I rub its tummy quite briskly - I try to get a rise out of them. I repeat this a couple of times, with short rests in between. I also tie them in a Kitty Knot to do their nails. If at any point the kitten starts to scream and react aggressively, then we have to consider the kitten is going to be a bit dominant, or has not been taught manners in ‘cat language’. This kind of behaviour is most noticeable in 12 - 14 week old kittens, especially those from solo cat homes. I very rarely see it where two kittens are homed together, and even less commonly where there is an adult cat already in residence.
I also perform this manipulation on kittens who have been in their new homes for a month or so - when they come back for their vaccinations. It can sometimes take 10 minutes of screaming to get the kitten to submit (particularly if the kitten was a bit dominant in the first place, and then lives as a ‘solo kitten’). However, the effort pays off, as the kitten never fights as hard the next time, and usually remembers that they lost the battle each time they come, and will tolerate at least some levels of intervention without having another hissy fit. The process is very intimidating to the owners - quite a few of them burst into tears. I reassure them that it is all just a ‘toddler tantrum’, and if not addressed quickly, then the kitten will become a dictator. These ‘solo kittens’ are fine in their own homes, but we find that when they come to board with us, between the ages of 9 and 18 months, they can become unmanageable kitty witches. Most of the boys seem to outgrow it, but we still have some evil little girls... A second kitten works wonders in the early days. Or if the owners give in and let the cat outside, they become much more manageable.
I’ve coined the term ‘solo cat syndrome’ because that is the main characteristic - they have no kitty playmates, and usually have an indulgent owner. One of the worst games the owners play with the kitten is the ‘hand hunt’. Very cute when the kitten is small, not so much fun with adult teeth and intentions. There is even a toy out now to encourage use of the hand as the ‘victim’... The worst bites I’ve ever had on my hands came from an adolescent kitten, who jumped out of its cage to escape. When I grabbed it, he repeatedly chewed my hands. This is pretty unusual - most cats have a ‘guerrilla warfare’ type approach - bite and run. It turned out the male owner not only played ‘hand hunt’, he wore leather gloves and encouraged the cat to chew on the glove...
The other major factor for ‘solo cats’ is an unvarying existence. While routine is fine, and structure is excellent, ‘solitary confinement’ prevents the cat from developing a range of responses or learning to deal with novelty. A lack of boundaries and direction from the owners, combined with an unchanging environment where the cat is kept indoors, there are infrequent visitors and no kids in the family to wear out the kitten - this is the fuel for the fire of feline agoraphobia. These young cats and kittens live in units or other enclosed environments with limited choices, and have hardworking owners who are away 8 - 12 hours a day. In McHarg’s survey (1994), 31% of cat owners left their cats alone for more than 40 hours per week. In addition, the owners only have a short time at home before they go to bed during the week, and then on the weekend they play for long stretches with the kitten. The weekday / weekend contrast is very marked, and the kitten gets very frustrated trying to get attention during the week. The play becomes more intense and starts to hurt, so the owners stop playing. The kitten’s play drive is further frustrated so each play session becomes more intense. The kitten has now also learnt how to get its own way by biting, so they resist routine handling. These cats quickly become what I call ‘temperamentally inflexible’ - change is unacceptable to them and provokes an inappropriate degree of fear or aggression in response. The cat has basically become ‘agoraphobic’...
Is there a temperament more likely to develop ‘solo cat syndrome’ - well, we’re trying to work it out. I suspect either moderately timid or moderately bold cats will both succumb - we even have a couple of ‘tarty Burmese’ who freak out when they come boarding. After a couple of days (as long as they can’t see another cat), most of the Burmese accept their situation. The moggie ‘solo cat’ tends to remain committed to its antagonistic stance, and often worsens till it is 2 - 3 years old. Some then seem to ‘get it’ and become happy in boarding again. Some don’t and become little attack lions, defending their cage. Most of the true ‘solo cats’ can be conned (or confused) by Felifriend spray. Cats who are more ‘status freaks’ will bash you regardless of the spray. All of them do better if they are allowed out into a garden at home to become ‘free range kitties’ - with all the dangers that entails (1 in 5 kittens doesn’t make it to its first birthday, and another 1 in 5 doesn’t make it to its second birthday). There comes a point also (at about 18 months) where introducing another cat won’t help anymore, which is why we recommend unit dwellers, especially, get two kittens together. There are still no guarantees about ‘good behaviour’, but there is certainly a lot less ‘bad behaviour’.
I have been spaying and castrating kittens as young as 6 weeks old for about 7 years now. Surgically and in the post surgery phase, there are benefits from the early desexing - males and females recover very quickly. In fact they often start eating and trying to run around within half an hour of the surgery. Certainly by the next morning there are no signs of surgical distress. Studies done by the American SPCA showed that kittens neutered at 10 weeks old, as opposed to those neutered at 7 months or post oestrus grew normally. Their size was up to 10% bigger, and weight was normal, with a lower tendency to fat deposition. In addition, they tended to be more affectionate and ‘kitten-like’ than cats who are left to come under the influence of reproductive hormones.
It is very interesting to be involved with cats from ‘cradle to grave’. The nurses especially enjoy the human and animal contact, and their memory for the network of ‘foster kittens’ (which are the brothers of what, and what the kitten was like when it was with us) astounds me. This, therefore, is mainly their input. They originally wanted to keep every kitten, and the ‘difficult’ ones were a challenge. However, now that they have heard the follow up stories of unsuitability, and tried to coach people through other difficult feline relationships, they are more strict with their assessments and cat / owner matchmaking.
There is a ‘look’ that a kitten antagonistic to the human race will give you. The unacceptable kitten will squeeze itself flat back in the corner of the cage - front paw extended, ears turned back but not invisible, whiskers back, pupils semi dilated (defensive aggressive). It hisses and swats on persistent approach. The real key, though, is that it makes the other kittens in the litter upset and defensive. Karen Overall talks about ‘ask another dog to interpret dog body language’, and this would seem to work with kittens also. The ‘should be ok’ scared kitten crouches and may even extend the paw, but it hisses with its eyes shut... or just one tiny spit and then leans back to accept its fate. Many of these can become lovely kittens with a bit of ‘cuddle therapy’. If the evaluation progresses further, and a kitten over 4 months old charges the front of the cage or won’t tolerate the kitten scruff, that is the end of it. Under 4 months old, we will give it a couple of scruffings to see if it gives in.
If a kitten sits in abject fear at the back of the cage - shakes and flinches at all contact, totally avoids eye contact (humans must be careful to ‘look past’ the kitten, not at it, of course), then we consider it unlikely to make it as a close feline companion. Rather than let a cat spend 20 years under a bed, we also reject these very timid ones.
If, after a couple of days of increased contact (cuddle therapy), a kitten is still avoiding human contact, then it is unlikely that it will settle, and we pass on those too.
I mention here that some of the very outgoing kittens - the ones always at the front of the cage and demanding attention - can also be problematical. They can be a bit dictatorial in their home - rather like an overly assertive dog, I guess. So far, though, they haven’t been kitty psychopaths.
Dr. Appleby in the UK describes part of the kitten learning curve as how to cope with frustration. The idea is that the mother cat, from when the kittens are about 4 -5 weeks old, starts to prevent access to the ‘milkbar’ but keeps herself within sight and smell of the kittens, and ignores their cries. Part of this is also to make them more interested in hunting skills, rather than relying on mum as provider. It is around this time that ‘damaged’ prey animals are brought to the kittens to kill. In our ‘Adoption Centre’ situation, we leave food for ad lib consumption, as we find fewer digestive upsets if there is no ‘rush’ for set meals. Our version of teaching the kitten ‘anger management skills’ is to ignore them when they cry for attention. We allow lots of people to handle the kittens, but none of it is at the kitten’s request..... Dr. Holmes wasn’t sure whether mere humans could either understand the motivations of queens in withholding milk from the kittens, nor of equating it with ‘frustration management’, nor whether ignoring ‘attention seeking’ behaviour mimicked the mother cat’s intentions at all. However, it makes us feel better that we are doing something for the mental health of the kittens by ignoring them - as otherwise it would be very tempting to have ‘kitty brooches’ carried around all day...
I have learnt a great deal about normal, healthy cats through both boarding them and homing them out. I think we have only scraped the surface of the cat’s mental and emotional capacities, and they do appear very much to be in control of us. In this materialistic world, through cats I get a glimpse of two concepts - Cat Karma, where the right cat will find you if give them half a chance, and the Bhutan king’s principle of contributing to Gross National Happiness - each cat or kitten we home out, increases the level of happiness in the community, and that has greater value than anything on Wall Street.
In conclusion - two things are still major puzzles for me
Thank you for your patience and attendance.
May I thank Mr. Fred May (and Webster) for the cartoons, most of the Behaviourists here for their advice and cooperation, and all the cats who’ve taken the time to train me.
Howe LM ‘Short term Results and Complications of Prepubertal Gonadectomy in Dogs and Cats’ JAVMA Vol 211 #1 pp 57-62 1/7/97
Patronek GK et al ‘Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats to An Animal Shelter’ JAVMA Vol 209 #3 pp 572 - 581
McHarg, M., Baldock, C., Headey, B. and Robinson, A. (1995). National People and Pets Survey.
Reark Research Pty. Ltd. (1994). ‘The Metropolitan Domestic Cat’. Petcare Information and Advisory Service, Melbourne.
CORRECTIONS TO PRINTED NOTES:
One in 5 (five) kittens does not make it to its first birthday, and another 1 in 5 (five) does not make it to its second birthday (not 1 in 3 (three)).Antagonistic kitten ‘look’ is defensive aggressive (not passive aggressive) by Leyhausen’s ‘facial grid’
The weaning process (witholding the ‘milk bar’) starts at 4 weeks old (not 7 weeks old)
CAT’S DETAILS Date of Evaluation: 1st_______2nd______ Breed:___________________
Age:________________ Sex: ______ ID chip:______________________________
Reason for rehoming:___________________________________________________
Other comments:_______________________________________________________
Evaluations should be done after the cat or kitten has been in the shelter system for at least 48 hours (or once it is ‘destressed’ enough to eat). The evaluation may done again, after a longer period of adjustment for the cat or kitten. Stop the evaluation if there is any risk of damage to cat or person. In the evaluation the following are assessed:
| A) 1st | 2nd | Front of the cage |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Rear of the cage |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Resting in the litter box |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Hunkering down in the litter box |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Hiding under bedding |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Relaxed (sprawled out, on side or back, legs dangling etc) |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Alert (sitting upright, tail wrapped around body) |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Reserved (sphinx position, tail wrapped around body) |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Fearful (flattened body, pupils dilated, hissing) |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Aggressive (charging front of cage, low pitched growls) |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Approaches front of cage in friendly manner |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Stays in place |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Retreats to back of cage |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Crouches down in back of cage |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Charges front of cage |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Walks to bars and rubs on hands or door and nibbles |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Walks up to bars and rubs on hands or door |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Stays at rear of cage but lies down or rolls and rubs cage |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Retreats to rear of cage and remains watchful, dilated pupils |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Charges front of cage |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Approaches and head bumps finger |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Approaches, no contact |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Neither approaches nor retreats |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Retreats |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Crouches down in back of cage |
| F) 1st | 2nd | Charges front of cage (stop evaluation here if this happens) |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Offers face for petting, allows, enjoys |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Does not offer head for petting but does allow |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Offers face for petting, allows for short time then bites or swats |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Retreats to back of cage, avoids interaction but does not swat |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Does not allow petting, hisses, swats or bites |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Offers top of head for petting, allows, enjoys |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Does not offer head for petting but does allow |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Offers top of head for petting, allows for short time then bites or swats |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Retreats to back of cage, avoids interaction but does not swat |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Does not allow petting, hisses, swats or bites |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Offers body for petting, allows, enjoys |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Does not offer body for petting but does allow |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Offers body for petting, allows for short time then bites or swats |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Retreats to back of cage, avoids interaction but does not swat |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Does not allow petting, hisses, swats or bites |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Cat accepts stroking, rising up to meet the hand |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Cat moves away but remains interested |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Cat moves away and crouches at back of cage |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Cat objects by warning with an inhibited bite |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Cat bites hard (stop evaluation here if this happens) |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Cat accepts scruffing, crouching or relaxing into restraint. |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Cat tenses neck muscles but does not try to escape or bite, ears may flick |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Cat tenses neck muscles, flattens ears but will eventually allow scruffing |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Cat avoids hand, rolls away with flattened ears, may swat or bite |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Cat becomes completely defensive, hisses and swats |
| F) 1st | 2nd | Cat charges front of cage (stop the evaluation here if this happens) |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Settles into handler’s body, may purr |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Tries to climb onto shoulder but does not try to get away |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Stiffens but allows carrying |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Struggles at first but then settles |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Squirms and struggles the entire time of restraint |
| F) 1st | 2nd | Does not allow restraint, hisses, swats or bites |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Approaches handler |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Stays on surface but does not seek human contact |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Huddles on surface, nervous purr or shed, sweaty paws |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Tries to escape |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Becomes aggressive |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Accepts all handling |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Has a sensitive area (note area) |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Accepts handling for a time then resists (note time) |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Huddles, passively resists, has nervous purr, shedding, sweaty pads |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Fights all handling |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Kitten goes limp, accepts being rolled onto back, stomach rub, may purr |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Kitten goes limp, starts to kick when belly is rubbed, may yowl |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Kitten stiffens on scruffing, kicks immediately belly is rubbed, tries to claw hand |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Kitten stiffens, resents being rolled onto back, may start to scream and fight |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Kitten goes into extensor spasm, won’t allow hand near belly, screams and kicks as soon as raised off the table |
| F) 1st | 2nd | Kitten stiffens, tries to wrap around hand, screams, may urinate and defaecate |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Cat is interested in toy, bats it around at a leisurely pace |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Cat is very interested, bats toy around, stalks and pounces |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Cat is over stimulated, doesn’t takes eyes off toy, pounces, kicks toy |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Cat has no interest in toy |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Cat is scared, retreats to back of cage |
| A) 1st | 2nd | Cat is interested in toy, bats it around at a leisurely pace |
| B) 1st | 2nd | Cat is very interested, bats toy around, stalks and pounces |
| C) 1st | 2nd | Cat is over stimulated, doesn’t takes eyes off toy, pounces, kicks toy |
| D) 1st | 2nd | Cat has no interest in toy |
| E) 1st | 2nd | Cat is scared, retreats to back of cage |
If the cat has not responded well to testing the first time, spend time handling the cat in less stressful surroundings and at meal times if possible. Retest and look for improvement. Deterioration may only indicate the cat is not adapted to shelter environments.
Notes_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluator: 1st_________________ 2nd__________________
GRADING CAT SCORES
Description of ratings
BCE - (Best Cat Ever) - really a hairy human, very high tolerance of change in environment and people
G - anybody can own this cat. Happy with people, children, can tolerate stress.
PG - is affectionate after gets over initial contact. Happy with adults and most children. Needs supervision
with small children, may hide under stress.PG 10 - a bit timid in noisy surroundings, may hide with visitors. Affectionate with people in own house, tolerates some stress.
PG 15 - Not happy with sudden change, tolerates stress only moderately.
PG 18 - timid, not very adaptable, will probably be affectionate with one person only. Does not tolerate
stress very well, hides.Adult Only - will probably bond only with one person. Does not tolerate stress well, may become aggressive if stressed (eg boarding or with other cats around).
X-Rated - does not like people, becomes aggressive with slightest stress. For experienced cat owners only.
Minimum scores for a grading (16 total for kitten, 15 total for cat)
BCE -minimum 9 A’s and 5 B’s on 1st and 2nd evaluations. No behavioural problems for rehoming (eg spraying)
G - minimum 6 A’s, especially in 2) Sociability scores
maximum 5 C’s and 1 D’s, (only B’s or better in 3) Ease of Handling)PG - only B’s or better in 3) Ease of Handling
maximum 5 D’s overallPG 10 - minimum 5 C’s or better in 3) Ease of Handling
maximum 4 E’s in 1) Response to Environment and 4) Arousal, no F’sPG 18 - minimum 5 D’s or better in 3) Ease of Handling
maximum 5 E’s overallAdult Only - mainly D’s and E’s but no F’s
X-Rated - E’s and any F’s or if not possible to handle for evaluation