The B Team's Quick Cat Guide ~ How To Tell if Your Cat Loves You

Happy Purrsday Fluffies

Welcome to

THE B TEAM'S QUICK CAT GUIDE 

As highly experienced cats in the field of training humans, facilitating the best human relationships and how to get the most out of life, we've decided to share a bite-sized series offering completely unsolicited advice to any potential cat pawrent/guardian/staff who needs it in our new Quick Cat Guide. 

We offer a highly condensed guide to all things cat, as we know mew're busy and probably have less time than mew'd like in today's hectic world. Plus we are very time sensitive as we have a lot of catnaps and meals to fit into our daily routine, and mew know if we don't get enough naps, we don't have the energy for our main snooze!

Today's Quick Cat Guide is All About:

How To Tell if Your Cat Loves You 

Do mew ever wonder if your feline pal loves mew as much as mew love them? It can be tough to tell with cats being so independent and all. But fear not, there are some signs that your cat may be showing mew love and affection. Check out these ways to tell if your cat loves mew:

 Purring: If your cat is purring when they're around mew or being petted, it's a great sign that they're happy and feel safe with mew. It's like having a little motor running next to mew, grumbling away with much content and happiness.

 

Head-butting: When your cat rubs their head against mew, it's called bunting, and it's a way for them to show affection and claim mew as their own. Parsley does this all the time, and Melvyn is catching up with him. Although Melvyn likes to bump his nose and give kisses too.

Kneading: If your cat is kneading on mew, making biscuits, or doing little paw press-ups, it means they feel comfortable and safe around mew. It's a throwback to when they were kittens nursing with their mother. Check out Parsley making biscuits below.

Licking: Cats groom each other as a bonding experience, so if your cat is licking mew, it means they trust and love mew. Smooch likes to do this a lot, and he grasps Cat Dad's arm between his paws and gives it a darn good licking.

Slow blinking/winking: When your cat gives you a slow blink, it's a sign of trust and affection. They feel relaxed and safe around mew. They can also wink at mew, either eye, and it means the same. The B Team do a lot of winking! MOL 

Bringing mew gifts: If your kitty brings mew a gift, like a mouse or bird, it means they see mew as part of their furmily and want to take care of mew. Ahhh, the P.A. says, if only in real life they brought a gift-wrapped box of chocolates, and not dead creatures! At BBHQ there have been many, many gifts including a mole on the sitting room rug, half a pigeon in the downstairs bathroom and a hare by the back door.

Following mew around, and watching mew: Cats are curious creatures, and if they're following mew from room to room, it means they enjoy your company and want to be near mew. Plus they may stalk mew, watching what mew're doing and then join mew.

Being with you while mew work, read, watch tv etc...: Whether they sit on your knee, next to mew, or on your desk, they feel safe and want to spend their time with mew, and are curious about what mew're doing. Some cats may just snooze, and others may want to participate in some way, yes we've all walked across the keyboard at a crucial point while the P.A. was typing, Fudge is really great at sitting on it! MOL The P.A. actually had an in-tray on her desk just for me, with my name on it.

Scenting mew: When your cat rubs his/her face on mew, they are essentially marking mew as theirs by rubbing their unique scent onto your clothing, skin or whatever, and mew now belong to them. 

Remember, each cat has their own unique personality and way of showing affection. So even if your cat doesn't display these behaviours exactly, they still might love mew in their own way. Keep an eye on their body language and behaviour to better understand your furry friend and build a strong bond with them.

Cats may not be as in-your-face as dogs when it comes to showing affection, but they definitely have their own special ways of expressing their love. By paying attention to the signs and cues, mew can better understand your cat and build a deeper connection with them. 

Happy cat pawrenting!

We hope mew enjoyed our bite-sized guide on How To Tell if Your Cat Loves You and if mew're looking for further information on all things feline, check out our Top Tips for Cat Pawrents page, at the top of the blog, or click here.

To catch up on the previous episodes, here are the links:

So Mew Are Thinking About Adopting A Cat

A Quick Guide To Cat Wellness

How To Crate Your Cat

How Do Cats Recognise and Remember Their Owners

Stay tuned for more episodes coming soon, and we'll be back tomorrow with another Friday Flufffers post and again on Sunday with another Travel Selfie as we visit Historical Sites around the U.K. and share them with mew.

Wing Commander Basil and The B Team

Disclaimer: We are not vets, animal medical professionals, animal doctors or have any formal qualifications in animal health. If mew are worried or concerned about anything at all, purrlease take your feline furiend to your purrsonal veterinarian or other health care provider and seek expert advice and assistance immediately.

Follow Us @BionicBasil® on Instacat

Graphics and photos created/used with paid licence www.canva.com 

The B Team's Quick Cat Guide ~ How Do Cats Recognise and Remember Their Owners?

Happy Friyay Fluffies

Welcome to

The B Team's Quick Cat Guide 

As highly experienced cats in the field of training humans, facilitating the best human relationships and how to get the most out of life, we've decided to share a bite-sized series offering completely unsolicited advice to any potential cat pawrent/guardian/staff who needs it in our new Quick Cat Guide. 

We offer a highly condensed guide to all things cat, as we know mew're busy and probably have less time than mew'd like in today's hectic world. Plus we are very time sensitive as we have a lot of catnaps and meals to fit into our daily routine, and mew know if we don't get enough naps, we don't have the energy for our main snooze!

Today's Quick Cat Guide is All About:

How Do Cats Recognise and Remember Their Owners?  

Do mew ever wonder how your furry feline friend recognises mew? As a cat lover, I'm sure mew've noticed that cats are more than just adorable pets. They are highly intelligent and social animals. So, let's dive into the fascinating ways that cats recognise and remember their owners with these informative points: 

Scents: Cats have an incredible sense of smell and use it to identify familiar people and objects. Your cat can identify mew by your unique scent, which is a combination of your body odour, clothing, and any other scents mew carry with mew. Over time, your cat will become familiar with your scent and be able to recognise mew from a distance. 

Voice: Cats are very attuned to the sounds around them, and they can recognise the voices of their owners. When mew talk to your cat, your voice becomes familiar to them, and they will remember it. This is why cats will often come running when they hear their owner's voice, even if they are in another room. 

Positive association: Cats are creatures of habit and love routine. If mew have a regular routine with your cat, such as feeding them at the same time every day or playing with them in a specific way, your cat will remember this routine and associate it with mew. This positive association will help your cat remember mew and form a strong bond with mew. 

Body language: Cats are also very observant of their owner's body language. They can recognise your movements and posture, which helps them identify mew. For example, if mew always crouch down to pet your cat, they will recognise this movement and associate it with mew. 

(That's how we see the P.A. stumbling about BBHQ! MOL)

Treats and rewards: Cats also remember their owners through rewards and treats. If mew always give your cat treats or rewards for good behaviour, they will associate this positive experience with mew and remember mew. 

Visual cues: Finally, cats can recognise their owners by sight. If mew have a unique style or feature, such as a distinct hairstyle or glasses, your cat will recognise these visual cues and associate them with mew.

(This is what we say to the P.A. every morning - her hair is like Cousin It! MOL)

In summary, we cats are intelligent and social animals who form strong bonds with our owners. We use a combination of scents, voice, positive association, body language, treats, rewards, and visual cues to recognise and remember our owners. So, the next time mew interact with your furry friend, remember that they are more than just a pet, they are a smart and loyal companion who loves and remembers mew.

We hope mew enjoyed our bite-sized guide on how your cat recognises and remembers mew, and if mew're looking for further information on all things feline, check out our Top Tips for Cat Pawrents page, at the top of the blog, or click here.

To catch up on the previous episodes, here are the links:

So Mew Are Thinking About Adopting A Cat

A Quick Guide To Cat Wellness

How To Crate Your Cat

Stay tuned for more episodes coming soon, and we'll be back on Sunday with another Travel Selfie as we visit Historical Sites around the U.K. and share them with mew.

Wing Commander Basil and The B Team

Disclaimer: We are not vets, animal medical professionals, animal doctors or have any formal qualifications in animal health. If mew are worried or concerned about anything at all, purrlease take your feline furiend to your purrsonal veterinarian or other health care provider and seek expert advice and assistance immediately.

Follow Us @BionicBasil® on Instacat

Graphics and photos created/used with paid licence www.canva.com 

**GUEST POST** Is Your Cat Overeating? Here's How You Can Help! Top Tips from Closer Pets UK

Tuesday Greetings Fluffy Furiends and Cat Pawrents

Welcome to a special *sponsored guest post* at BBHQ. Today our pawesome sponsors are:

 www.closerpets.co.uk

And they are sharing some epically epic advice about how to help us cats if we get a little chubby or overweight to keep fit and trim, in today's post about:

Is Your Cat Overeating? Here's How You Can Help! 

At some point in our lives, some of us may pack a little bit of timber on, and our girth expands. I, Celestial Basil, did go through a chonky phase in 2008/2009. Mew can see me by clicking here, I called it my bulking phase, and whilst I wasn't a supurr-chubb-bub, I was a heavyweight, though I did lean down not long after that.

Amber, however, did get rather chubb'a'licious. She really packed some timber on and was like it for quite a while, although she has refused to share any evidence of her chubb-a-liciousness! MOL

Anyhoo, let's dive into the post before Amber starts getting a little hissy!

How To Stop Your Cat Overeating

Have you noticed your cat is gaining weight? Do they always seem to be side-eyeing their food bowl or meowing for more? Are they a little… ‘rounder’ than they used to be?

Our feline friends have always had a remarkably good memory when it comes to feeding time and often like to manage their own food intake. But sometimes they can overeat or gain excess weight.

Our furry companions don’t naturally eat too much, so what has changed? How can you stop your cat overeating?

This article discusses everything you need to know about overeating in cats. It will also provide some actionable tips to ensure your cat has a purrrfect life!

Royalty-free image. Image credit - https://unsplash.com/@kat_von_wood

Why is your cat overeating?

Cats don’t naturally overeat. Sure, rustle a bag of their favourite treats and they’ll appear in a (furry) flash.

But they seem to view meals differently – they seem to know exactly when enough is enough and generally have the willpower to stop there.

Until they don’t.

There are a few reasons why a cat might overeat. They include:

Stress

Our feline friends are incredibly sensitive and the smallest thing can stress them out.

Some cats lose their appetite altogether. Some will go the other way and will eat more because it’s familiar and comforting (we’ve all been there!).

Change in environment

Changing anything, from moving house to simply switching the wallpaper next to their food bowl, can cause pets to overeat. Anything out of the ordinary can cause a change in cat behaviour.

Boredom

Boredom affects everyone in different ways. One way for anyone to alleviate boredom is to eat something, just for something to do.

Cats do it, and – hands up! – their humans do it.

Medical issues

Medical issues such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes or certain medications can disrupt a cat’s appetite, so they eat too much.

But if your cat is overeating without an obvious cause, it may be worth looking into with your vet.

How to stop your cat from overeating

The good news is you can generally stop your cat from overeating using some simple tips.

As you’re providing the willpower on behalf of your kitty, there’s every reason that one or more of these tips could stop your cat overeating for good!

Food choice: Choose a high-quality cat food lower in calories

Cats are known for being picky eaters. Quality is everything – especially if you feed them ‘complete’ cat food with everything in it.

Meals made from better quality ingredients and fewer filler ingredients will not only taste better, but will also provide more nutrition from better quality sources. Win-win!

Stop free feeding: Switch to a regular feeding schedule

Cats are creatures of leisure, and some therefore love being able to eat graze whenever they like. Others prefer set mealtimes and a regular routine.

If you currently free feed your cat and let them lunch whenever they wish, try them on set mealtimes. This allows you to control their portions and monitor them.

If you’re not around during the day, use an automatic cat feeder. Divide the portions before you leave home, set the timer and the feeder will take care of the rest.

Some automatic cat feeders are designed specifically for wet food, so if your cat prefers wet to dry, you can still use this method to monitor their food intake.

If you have multiple cats, a microchip cat feeder might be the perfect solution. This ensures that only the cat with the correct microchip can access the food. It’s also a great method for cats who require weight management or medication at set times.

Minimise stress: Give them a life they understand

Minimising stress is essential for everyone – four legs or two. As cats are so susceptible to worry, we need to minimise it as much as possible.

Keep environmental changes modest, try to maintain a routine, introduce them to any changes you make so they understand it’s not a threat and provide somewhere safe and warm for them to hide or sleep.

Create a routine: Comfort in predictability

Have you noticed how cats like to sleep at the same time, wake at the same time, eat and drink at the same time and sit on your lap at the same time (usually during that important Teams call!)?

They’re creatures of habit. The comfort of routines and knowing exactly what will happen and when makes them feel comfortable. Work with that.

The routine can include when you/they wake up, your morning routine, mealtimes, when you play, when you have lap time and everything your cat does on an average day.

Water: Fresh, clean water at all times

Anything you can do to encourage your cat to drink more is a good thing. They’re incredibly smart, but sometimes even they miss the obvious.

The lack of water can lead to medical complications, which can add stress and can result in an overeating cat.

Nobody wants that, so make sure there is always fresh water around. If your cat turns their nose up at a water bowl, try a cat water fountain instead. That’s sure to work!

Make time for fun and exercise: Who doesn’t love to play?

Making time for fun and exercise will destress you as much as your feline companion.

You’ll both benefit from playing, chasing, hiding or watching your friend destroy their latest toy or hunt a feather on a string.

Play is one of the joys of having a cat in the family and taking time out each day to play is good for everyone.

Plus, it helps your little loved one burn off those excess calories and get back into a condition you’ll all be happy with!

Stop your cat overeating

In many ways, our cats are like us. They like routine, they like as much predictability in their life as they can manage and they like to minimise stress as much as possible.

Also, like their humans, cats can turn to food if they aren’t happy.

It’s our job as pet parents to ensure our cats have the healthiest life possible. The good news is that by following our top tips, your cat’s overeating should be a thing of the past!

Many thanks to Closer Pets UK for sharing this totally terrific post with us today, and do check out their furbulous website, as they have some pawsitively pawesome products!

And if mew need to refer back to any of the info, we'll be putting a purrmanent link on our Tops Tips for Cat Pawrents page, on the top menu.

We'll be back tomorrow with the Midweek News, so do join us then, and get ready to see Melvyn strutting his stuff on the BBHQ catwalk.

In the meantime...

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 

BBHQ Disclosure:

*sponsored guest post*

 Please be advised that we did receive remuneration for sharing this post with mew today.

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another post! 

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com