1. Why does my cat...

Cats are often considered to be independent and able to look after themselves whereas dogs are usually perceived to need their owners. While cats are pretty good at surviving without us, they do of course have biological and ethological needs.

To enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with a cat, and to minimise the chance of a behaviour problem occurring, an understanding of these basic needs is important. With a look at a wildcat species of similar size that shares common ancestry with our domestic pet, we can perhaps better understand the origin and bases of many of these needs.

An understanding of cats' needs

Cats Protection has a single and clear vision - a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.

It may seem obvious but this vision is absolutely dependent upon a widespread understanding of the needs of cats. Sadly, cats are all too often misrepresented and misunderstood, not just by those who admit they don't like cats, but even by the media and those who work with them or keep them as pets.

This unit will help you understand feline origins and through this their basic needs and what you can do to help meet these needs.

This course will relate to policies, procedures and guidance that are all available to download on CatNav, specifically the Adoption Centre manuals and the Branch manuals.