UrbanAnimal

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Dear UrbanAnimal,

My dear old cat Oscar died a few months ago and I'm ready to adopt another feline buddy. Oscar was sweet, gentle and playful but not particularly smart. I'd like to find another sweet cat with a higher level of intelligence. Any tips?

Gayle M.

Dear Gayle,

This is a difficult question but I think I can offer some tidbits that might help in your selection process.

If you're planning to get a cat from an animal shelter or rescue group, the cat's caregivers have spent time with their feline charges and will have assessed each cat's personality. If you're looking to buy purebred, the breeder can tell you about inherent traits and which kittens exhibit breed standard behaviour. Just like people and other animals, a kitten's temperament is a combination of genetics and environment. Genes are entirely dependent on ancestry, of course, but environment is generally controlled by us humans. Healthy, happy and stimulating environments make for healthy, happy and stimulated animals.

Do gender and colouring offer any clues?

Many people believe that red male tabbies are the most affectionate. There isn't any scientific proof to substantiate this but it seems to be a common observation amongst cat owners. If you're able to spend some time with adoptive cats or kittens, there are a few things to watch for.

Cats that purr and bump their heads against people and other animals are often considered affectionate and sociable. Ditto for cats that jump onto your lap. The cat who craves serious body contact will climb to your shoulder and nuzzle your neck, armpit or hair.

Some cats show their maternal sides at a young age.

These are the cats and kittens, male or female, that groom and fuss over the others in a very mother-like way. Many people believe these mommy-types are similarly caring and compassionate toward humans.

As far as intelligence is concerned ... it's a very subjective subject.

Humans tend to use human intelligence markers that may be applied to dogs but rarely to cats. For instance, a dog can most likely be trained to find his way out of a maze by using a tasty dog treat as a reward. But if you put a cat into a maze, he'll most likely sniff the floor then sit down and start washing. Is this a smart dog and a stupid cat?

As animal behaviourists note, cats and dogs view their worlds in entirely different ways. While the dog sees the treat as motivation for quick compliance, the cat sees it as too much work and just another example of human folly. It's not a matter of IQ but rather a different way of looking at things.

If you begin training when a cat is still young, you can teach him to do things such as retrieving a toy, jumping through a hoop, giving a handshake or, for the true over-achiever, using a toilet instead of a litter box. Training a cat requires patience, timing, consistency, repetition and motivation.

When kitty does something you like, praise immediately: "Smart cat! Do that again!" and offer a treat, play or scratch under the chin to teach kitty that good things happen when he does that particular thing.

I know of a woman who taught her cat to ring a bell when she wants to be let outside or inside the house. She's hung a little bell on each side of the doorway just above the cat's head and taught the cat by touching the bell with its paw then allowing it immediately through the door. I have a hunch that bell will become the owner's worst nightmare when kitty wants to hunt field mice at 2 a.m. but it illustrates that a cat is trainable provided the reward is exactly what the cat wants.

Yes, just like any other animal ... or human.

E-mail jacque-newman@rogers.com with a question, comment or suggestion.