Cat psychology

An animal's “behaviour” is the product of its genetic composition, the environment in which the animal functions, and the animal's experience (i.e., what it has learned given its previous genetic × environment interaction). While this section focuses on abnormal behaviour of domestic animals, the extent to which an animal's behaviour is abnormal is defined by its deviation from “normal.” For each group of domestic animals, normal social and group behaviour is outlined and followed by a listing of the common behavioural disorders and treatment approaches. 
In behavioural medicine, diagnoses are not diseases; correlation is not causality. Behavioural conditions for which there is putative etiologic and pathophysiologic heterogeneity (multifactorial disorders) are complex  

Phenotypic (functional, phenomenologic) diagnoses are open to various mechanistic bases of all subsequent levels. Some of these more reductionistic levels can be tested using treatment (specific pharmacologic agents), but few phenotypic diagnoses can be specifically tested using behaviour modification. Most of the behavioural diagnoses for farm animals are descriptive and relatively non-specific. Behavioural diagnoses for dogs and cats have been more fully developed and are discussed in the context of the “necessary and sufficient” conditions (or criteria) for diagnosis. The use of “necessary and sufficient” conditions, using the terms as they are used in logical and mathematical applications, is a refinement over descriptive definitions. These conditions act as qualitative, and potentially quantitative, exclusion criteria, allowing for uniform and unambiguous assessment of aberrant, abnormal, and undesirable behaviours. 

A necessary condition is one that must be present for the listed diagnosis to be made. A sufficient condition is one that can stand alone to singularly identify the condition. Sufficiency is an outcome of knowledge: as more becomes known about the genetics, molecular response, neurochemistry, and neuroanatomy of any condition and its behavioural correlates (see Table: Levels of “Causality” to Consider in Behavioural Diagnosis ), a sufficient condition can be defined more succinctly and accurately. Definition of necessary and sufficient conditions is not synonymous with a compendium of signs associated with the behaviour. The number of signs present and their intensity may be a gauge for the severity of the condition, or act as a flag when there can be variable, nonoverlapping presentations of the same condition. 

Drugs that May Be Useful in the Treatment of Feline Behavioral Diagnoses

© Merck Vet Manual; http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/140100.htm

^*Most of these are unapproved uses, and caution is indicated

^†1- and 2-mg tablets scored

^‡Veterinary label for some conditions, depending on country

^§5-mg scored tablet available in Australia and Europe

Definitions

Abnormal Behaviour: 
These activities show dysfunction in action and behaviour. 

Aggression: 
Aggression can be defined in a narrow sense (attack) or in a broader sense as a specific example of agonistic behaviour. In the latter case, aggression is an appropriate or inappropriate, in-context or out-of-context, inter- or intra-specific threat, challenge, or contest that results in deference or in combat and resolution. 

Anxiety: 
Anxiety is the apprehensive anticipation of future danger or misfortune accompanied by a feeling of dysphoria (in man) or by somatic signs of tension (vigilance and scanning, autonomic hyperactivity, increased motor activity and tension). The focus of the anxiety can be internal or external. 

Conflict: 
In this motivational state, tendencies to perform more than one type of activity are simultaneously present. 

Displacement Activity: 
This type of activity is performed out-of-context, or is “displaced,” because the animal is “frustrated” in its attempt to execute another activity or otherwise occupy itself. This is considerably less specific than redirected activity (see below), which implies a substitution of behaviour “in kind” but toward another target. In cases in which displacement activity is involved, the activity may not be “in kind.” 

Dominance: 
Dominance is a concept that has been frequently misapplied. The ethological concept of dominance refers to competitive control over a resource in a limited circumstance and to the ability of a higher-ranking animal to displace a lower-ranking one from that resource. Dominance is not interchangeable with a hierarchical rank. Dominance ranks, particularly those that are linear in which a “dominant” animal is identified, are largely artefacts of experimental or manipulated situations. A “dominant” animal is not the one engaged in most fighting and combat. Most high-ranking animals seldom have to contest their right to access of a resource or control of that access. Instead, high-ranking animals are usually better identified by the character and frequency of deferential behaviours exhibited by others in their social group. 

Fear: 
This feeling of apprehension associated with the presence or proximity of an object, individual, or social situation is part of normal behaviour and can be an adaptive response. The determination of whether the fear or fearful response is abnormal or inappropriate must be determined by context. For example, fire is a useful tool, but fear of being consumed by it, if the house is on fire, is an adaptive response. If the house is not on fire, such fear would be irrational and, if it were constant or recurrent, probably maladaptive. Normal and abnormal fears are usually manifest as graded responses, with the intensity of the response proportional to the proximity (or the perception of the proximity) of the stimulus. A sudden, all-or-nothing, profound, abnormal response that results in extremely fearful behaviours (catatonia, panic) is usually called a phobia. 

Frustration: 
This motivational state arises when an animal is engaged in a sequence of behaviours that it is unable to complete because of physical or psychological obstacles in the environment. 

Phobia: 
Most fear reactions are learned and can be unlearned with gradual exposure. Phobias are defined as profound and quickly developed fear reactions that do not diminish either with gradual exposure to the object or without exposure (as fears will) over time. Phobias involve sudden, all-or-nothing, profound, abnormal responses that result in extremely fearful behaviours (catatonia, panic). An immediate, excessive anxiety response is characteristic of phobias. Phobias develop quickly, with little change in their presentation between bouts. Fears may develop more gradually and, within a bout of fearful behaviour, there may be more variation in response than would be seen in a phobic event. It has been postulated that once a phobic event has been experienced, any event associated with it or the memory of it is sufficient to generate the response. In fact, without reinforcement (eg, exposure of dogs to a shock collar), these phobias can remain at or exceed their former high level for years. In dogs, usually the genesis for such events was either extremely scary and traumatic, or the dog itself has profound internal problems with fear, and the fear itself acts as a reinforcer (unconditioned stimulus). Phobic situations are either avoided at all costs or, if unavoidable, are endured with intense anxiety or distress. 

Redirected Activity: 
These activities are directed away from the principal target and toward another, less appropriate target. This is usually best identified when the recognized activity is interrupted by the less appropriate target or by a third party. In contrast to displacement activity (see above), redirected activity appears to be a substitution “in kind” of the interrupted behaviour. 

Stereotypic Behaviours: 
These behaviours involve a repetitious, relatively unvaried sequence of movements that has no obvious purpose or function but is usually derived from contextually normal maintenance behaviours (eg, grooming, eating, walking). Inherent in the classification of dysfunction is that the behaviour interferes with normal behavioural functioning. 

Vacuum Activity: 
Such activity involves an instinctive, unconscious, or response behaviour in the absence of the stimulus that would elicit that behaviour. The activity seemingly has no apparent, contextual, useful purpose.

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