Understanding our pets’ individual needs can help to make them happier.
| Photo: New Africa/Shutterstock |
By Zazie Todd, PhD
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On Monday, my cat Melina had an important specialist vet appointment. Some of you will know that she has been having chemotherapy for the past year. It’s meant daily meds at home and regular bloodwork and vet appointments. And the good news is that she is doing great thanks to our wonderful veterinary team.
But what I want to tell you is that after she was home, Melina was very, very chatty. “Meow, meow,” she kept saying. It felt like she had come home from a hard day (which she had) and badly needed to tell me all about it. As if she had a lot to get off her chest.
“Meow, meow!”
“I know… I’m sorry…”
She is the only cat I’ve had who I feel is telling me about her day like this. Obviously, previous cats have meowed at me, often (and sometimes loudly and in the middle of the night…). It’s the quality of the conversation with Melina that is so special.
Of course, every cat is an individual, and so is every dog. It’s something to take into account when caring for our pet: how to manage the needs of the species and their individual needs too.
Every pet is an individual
Near the beginning of my book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy, I write,
“Everyone who loves cats knows that every cat has their own individual personality and preferences.”
Dogs, too, have their own personalities. In Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, I illustrated this by writing about my two dogs Ghost and Bodger (who are sadly no longer in this world):
“Individual differences were apparent with Ghost and Bodger. While Ghost was calm, sometimes aloof with other people, Bodger is desperate to become their friend. Having learned that sitting is required before he is patted, he secretly waits for just the right moment to leap up and lick the unsuspecting person on the face. And while Ghost is always so happy to meet other dogs, Bodger is choosy about who is allowed in his space.”
The funny thing about these two dogs is that people responded to them very differently. Some people thought Bodger, the Australian Shepherd, was very cute and sweet (which he was), and found Ghost’s size somewhat terrifying. Others thought Ghost was beautiful and special and found Bodger uninteresting compared to Ghost with his wolf-like appearance (he was a Siberian Husky/Alaskan Malamute cross). People on the street only ever stopped to say hello to one of the dogs, not both.
Of course, we don’t need reminding that every person is unique, as we already know that. But it is something we need to bear in mind for our pets, because in the past we (as a society) didn’t give companion animals much credit. Fortunately it’s something we have become more aware of now that we recognize pets as sentient beings.
With time and close observation we can learn what our pets prefer. Some love to meet people while others don’t; some are very active while others prefer to have plenty of time to laze around; and so on. It’s up to us to find out what our pets like and try to give them opportunities to do the things that they love.
When a pet first comes to live with us, we don’t yet know what they, as an individual, prefer. It takes time to observe and find out what they like best. But, just as with a pet we’ve had for a long time already, it’s always a good idea to start with the basics.
We need to meet species-specific needs
These days, we know that dogs and cats are sentient beings. And we know that good welfare includes not just preventing cruelty, but also providing plenty of positive experiences. So this is where to start, and then we can tailor those experiences for the individual who lives with us.
The theme of both Wag and Purr is that in order to make our pets happy we need to meet their needs, including making sure that they have plenty of opportunities to engage in species-specific behaviours. For both species, that includes plenty of playtime (even if some of the specifics look different for dogs and cats).
Many behaviour issues result because (at least in part) we aren’t providing everything the pet needs. This is why exercise and enrichment is often an important part of the approach to resolving behaviour issues (and is sometimes the whole solution). And once we are meeting those needs, it means that those behaviour issues are less likely to arise.
In turn, of course, this is also good for us. We often hear scientists talk about One Health, One Welfare, and this is just one example of how what’s good for pets is also good for their humans. So pay attention to your pet and see what you can learn about them, and enjoy those moments when you see your pet is happy.
Recently, I’ve gained a lot of new followers who may not have heard me talk about these topics before, so I’ll be returning to this theme of what makes pets happy over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, there’s a lot to unpack here, so if you’d like to know more about how to make your pet even happier, check out my books Wag, Purr, or (if your dog is fearful), Bark!.
When you think about your own dog(s) and cat(s), what do you especially love about them as an individual? Do they have many personal quirks?
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