I'm still reading, but as I go through the sight vs sound section I am reminded of how weird my cats seem to be (especially the male). He seems to have none of these risk assessment/survival instincts at all unless we are at the vet's office. At home, whether inside or on the balcony, he simply behaves like there is no danger from anything, ever. If he hears a new sound he will likely go toward it rather than away, and if a new person comes he's the first to the door to sniff them out. I don't think I've ever seen him hide in my life.
Then again, every cat owner thinks their cat is the special one.
Having lived with a cat that had been in the streets for months before being adopted, and a different cat that had always lived indoors, I think that's the main difference in behavior regarding safety.
The one that had had experiences outdoors was more obsessed with food (to the point of eating everything fast until vomiting sometimes), scared of noises and sudden movements (going to hide in safe places), even from the people that had been living with her and caring for her for years. She was sweet and loving, but the streets never left her.
The one that had always been indoor was friendly to everybody, never super scared of noises, super curious, could regulate food properly (eating piecemeal throughout the day), etc.
There's always differences between cats' personalities, and this is a small sample, but it seemed significant and made sense given their experiences and possible past trauma.
It makes me so happy every time I think about that - how my cats have never had to know anything other than utter love and safety.
In actuality he's been through some really rough times at vet hospitals as a kitten (and that's why he reacts differently with vets), so it is an extra relief that he came out of that so well-adjusted at home.
I've personally found that the most comfortable human spaces incorporate layers of exposure as described in the article.
I also find our cats' preferences to mirror ours (even when we're not around), with the added depth of how they fit into cabinets and other small spaces.
I feel as tho our failure to architect for cats properly is more a symptom of laymen approaching architecture.
Aside: on a much larger scale, I've found commercial construction often sucks at this (except at the high end) while haphazard diy builds often naturally incorporate this.
There's a real "nerd layman" approach to architecture that is instantly visible - and they never really know why they feel uneasy in their incredibly brightly lit daylight-colored room.
But even people who seem to either study architecture/design/layout or figure it out accidentally leave the cat to its own devices - but everyone knows cats like to be in boxes, so provide various "boxes" for your cat in the design and they'll use them.
To add to the risk calculation that cats do: my cat won’t come in through the door unless she has a clear line of sight. We have to open the front door, the porch door, and step aside. She pauses before stepping in then runs inside, never walks.
Interesting observations. The design of cat flaps does seem suboptimal. I had not thought about the shape- it seems a good call that tall and thin would be better - but also the hinge at the top allows the flap to fall on the tail.
> If cats are autistic, “what cat window box would Temple Grandin design?”
There's a book called All Cats Are On The Autism Spectrum, and I was reminded of it while reading this post. (I found myself relating to the description of cat psychology.)
I'm still reading, but as I go through the sight vs sound section I am reminded of how weird my cats seem to be (especially the male). He seems to have none of these risk assessment/survival instincts at all unless we are at the vet's office. At home, whether inside or on the balcony, he simply behaves like there is no danger from anything, ever. If he hears a new sound he will likely go toward it rather than away, and if a new person comes he's the first to the door to sniff them out. I don't think I've ever seen him hide in my life.
Then again, every cat owner thinks their cat is the special one.
Having lived with a cat that had been in the streets for months before being adopted, and a different cat that had always lived indoors, I think that's the main difference in behavior regarding safety.
The one that had had experiences outdoors was more obsessed with food (to the point of eating everything fast until vomiting sometimes), scared of noises and sudden movements (going to hide in safe places), even from the people that had been living with her and caring for her for years. She was sweet and loving, but the streets never left her.
The one that had always been indoor was friendly to everybody, never super scared of noises, super curious, could regulate food properly (eating piecemeal throughout the day), etc.
There's always differences between cats' personalities, and this is a small sample, but it seemed significant and made sense given their experiences and possible past trauma.
Many housecats are like that, simply absolutely confident that their own territory is totally safe because that’s all they have ever experienced.
It makes me so happy every time I think about that - how my cats have never had to know anything other than utter love and safety.
In actuality he's been through some really rough times at vet hospitals as a kitten (and that's why he reacts differently with vets), so it is an extra relief that he came out of that so well-adjusted at home.
I've personally found that the most comfortable human spaces incorporate layers of exposure as described in the article.
I also find our cats' preferences to mirror ours (even when we're not around), with the added depth of how they fit into cabinets and other small spaces.
I feel as tho our failure to architect for cats properly is more a symptom of laymen approaching architecture.
Aside: on a much larger scale, I've found commercial construction often sucks at this (except at the high end) while haphazard diy builds often naturally incorporate this.
There's a real "nerd layman" approach to architecture that is instantly visible - and they never really know why they feel uneasy in their incredibly brightly lit daylight-colored room.
But even people who seem to either study architecture/design/layout or figure it out accidentally leave the cat to its own devices - but everyone knows cats like to be in boxes, so provide various "boxes" for your cat in the design and they'll use them.
There's a book about the sibling construction: the cat ladder. It's called "Arcatecture"[0].
0: https://brigitteschuster.com/swiss-cat-ladders
To add to the risk calculation that cats do: my cat won’t come in through the door unless she has a clear line of sight. We have to open the front door, the porch door, and step aside. She pauses before stepping in then runs inside, never walks.
Interesting observations. The design of cat flaps does seem suboptimal. I had not thought about the shape- it seems a good call that tall and thin would be better - but also the hinge at the top allows the flap to fall on the tail.
> If cats are autistic, “what cat window box would Temple Grandin design?”
There's a book called All Cats Are On The Autism Spectrum, and I was reminded of it while reading this post. (I found myself relating to the description of cat psychology.)