Effective Strategies to Alleviate Cat Bonding Stress
Teaching Cats to Properly Handle Encounters
Understanding the Main Functions of a Cat's Pads
Shock Absorption and Noise Reduction
Cats' paw pads are primarily designed for shock absorption and noise reduction. They contain a significant amount of muscle fibers and fat, which, when the cat walks or jumps, create a thick cushion that effectively dampens sound and absorbs shock, allowing for light and agile movements. This is particularly useful during stealthy movements, as the minimal noise produced makes it harder for prey to detect the cat's presence.
Sweat and Heat Dissipation
The paw pads also serve as important heat dissipation points. They not only dissipate heat through thermal conduction but also through the sweat glands in the pads. The sweat the cat produces contains special pheromones, which can be used to mark territory. However, this can also potentially expose the cat's location, posing unknown risks.
Balance and Sensory Perception
Cats' paw pads are densely packed with nerve cells, enabling them to be highly sensitive to the slightest vibrations of the surface they are in contact with.
When a cat's paw pads get stuck with something, it not only loses its sensitive tactile sensation but also its balance. It's akin to wearing thick gloves while trying to thread a needle; the body cannot accurately control the fingers, leading to a mismatch between motor touch, vision, and brain nerves. In severe cases, it can cause motion sickness, prompting the cat to react aggressively.
How to Avoid Stress from Adhesives?
Appropriate Specialized Training
Astronauts undergo longterm training to adapt to the balance system between Earth and space, which helps mitigate motion sickness caused by a mismatch between stored experiences and the new environment.
Cats can also benefit from similar training to reduce adhesive stress. It's like swimming training, where protective measures must be taken before beginning.
Preparation: We have prepared some tape and will place the cat nearby, petting it to make it feel secure. We then wrap the tape around the cat's front paws, ensuring that our hand does not leave during this process.
Experiencing Adhesive Sensation: Allow the cat to feel the adhesive sensation while still petting it. Once you temporarily remove your hand, the cat's front paws will quickly twitch. At this point, quickly pet and soothe the cat until it stops twitching.
Focus on the Task: As long as the cat's attention is not on its claws, it will not feel anxious. You can continue to pet it for a while, during which the cat may find a solution to the problem.
Releasing the Cat: If the cat twitches again after being released, pet and soothe it once more. If the cat does not twitch aggressively and instead licks and chews at the tape, it indicates that the cat has found the correct method to remove the tape.
After several training sessions, when the cat encounters a similar situation, it will remain calm and will not drag the tape around. It will mostly use its mouth to remove the tape.
Lifestyle Reinforcement Training
Place some adhesive tape in areas of the home where you don't want the cat to climb. Sometimes, cats can be mischievous and jump onto shelves or countertops, getting stuck with tape.
For trained cats, they will not panic and break items, but for untrained cats, they may run around wildly, starting a destructive behavior. Moderate adhesive training not only helps prevent adhesive stress but also prevents cats from destroying furniture due to inexperience.