Wednesday, October 21, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Cat personalities
You’re looking to adopt
a cat and wondering how to
find the right feline fit for
your household.
Horses have it. Dogs,
birds, fish and even mollusks
do, too: The “it” is personal-
ity, something that both you
and your cat will share with
each other nearly every wak-
ing moment.
But what, exactly, is
personality?
According to Sander Van
Doorn, PhD, a researcher
at the Santa Fe Institute in
New Mexico and one of the
world’s leading experts on
the evolution of personality
in animals, “Personality is a
complex of behavioral traits
that go together without
obvious reason.”
He also says that such
traits are what help to char-
acterize uniqueness among
individuals. In other words,
no two cats or humans think
and behave exactly alike.
All animals are born with
a unique set of DNA. And
it is possible to know the
genetics of purebred felines
because a lot of cat breeds
have been around long
enough that their distinguish-
ing characteristics or person-
alities are fairly constant.
For example, the Maine
coon tends to be active and
flexible while the Persian is
loving and quiet.
The environment in which
your cat was raised and now
lives also can affect personal-
ity. If a cat lived under stress-
ful conditions she might
develop fears that a feline
lounging in a lap of luxury
might not develop.
But most likely the cat
you might end up adopting
will be a mixed breed, and
she may have an unknown
social background.
So here are the three ranks
or personality types to help
you choose the type of kitty
that would fit best into your
lifestyle:
The alpha cat gets the
highest spot or certain
claimed areas. They have
deep roots in determination
and confidence.
An alpha is a wonderful
cat, but she is not for every-
one. She is the reason china
cabinets have doors and
kitchen cabinets have baby
locks. If something is opened,
unfastened or button pressed,
it was an alpha who did it.
Her boundless curiosity and
intelligence makes her who
she is; the experimenter.
The most likely ways
alphas will catch your atten-
tion will be by doing some-
thing that got your attention
the first time. She loves the
spotlight. She not only likes
to watch you doing things,
she wants to join in. Alphas
can more than handle busy
households, and most other
animals.
More than any other cat
type, alphas need to be dis-
ciplined with persuasion.
She wants to please you, but
when something interesting
moves across her sensitive
radar, she forgets. Always
full of energy, she will retain
her kitten playfulness most
of her life.
The beta cat is mellow,
takes everything in stride
and will cooperate once they
know where they rank.
A beta cat will try to
manipulate you with her
talking; but some aren’t big
talkers, so she might try the
“Lassie Move” where she
will catch your attention and
try to get you to follow her
to the object of interest. She
wants to please you, so a few
corrections is usually all it
takes for her to leave things
alone, but she has a lot of
energy and playfulness, espe-
cially as a kitten.
Betas love companion-
ship, whether it be respect-
ful dogs or properly coached
children. She is the most
likely cat to meet strangers,
especially if the guests are
sensible enough to admire
her.
If your business needs a
“greeter cat,” look for a beta.
This outgoing quality makes
her especially easy to care
for, because if the food dish
is getting low or the litter box
isn’t being kept up, you will
know about it right away.
Betas are known as “supervi-
sors.” She loves to watch you
do things.
The gamma cat is some-
what shy and hates to make
a fuss. They are low-key and
easy to get along with.
A gamma cat is sweet and
mellow. She is somewhat
shy, but once her trust is won,
she will love your attention.
She always has time for you.
The challenge of the gamma
is not immediately apparent.
You must take time for her.
Gammas are teddy bears,
so unassuming that she will
not assert herself except in
an emergency. It’s up to you,
as a responsible gamma pet
parent, to keep tabs on her,
photo by Jodi Schneider McNamee
Corduroy is a beta cat
making sure the water bowl
is fresh and the food bowl is
full.
A gamma cat must be
protected in households
with dogs or children, and
then they can get along. The
gamma cat will feel under
siege in certain stressful situ-
ations, so keep an eye out for
her.
When choosing a new cat
or kitten, try to get a type that
fits in with your existing cats.
A younger beta will love an
Alpha kitten, or another beta.
A gamma would do best with
an older beta, or another
gamma. Alphas love every-
one, but can overwhelm a
gamma, or a shy adult beta.
Top Ten Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat...
10. You’ll save money on their Halloween costumes.
9. You can always find them in the snow.
8. Holding a black cat is very slimming.
7. Black cats will match any décor.
6. A lint brush isn’t required for a black-tie affair.
5. When you love a black cat, luck is on your side.
4. Black cats are like onyx, a beautiful gem.
3. Hey, they don’t care what color you are!
2. Love knows no color.
And the number-one reason to adopt a black cat...
1. They are the least likely to be adopted.
Sponsored by. . .
FURRY FRIEND S
501 ( c )( 3 )
FOUNDATION
www.furryfriendsfoundation.org
541-549-9941
501(c)(3) nonprofi t organization
23
MARLENA, a petite beautiful green-eyed
kitty with a beautiful black coat wants
to come home with you!
Marlena is about 1-1/2 years old and
is a domestic short-hair mix.
She is a little on the shy side
but warms up quickly!
Stop by BrightSide to meet Marlena
and her other black kitty friends.
Marlena’s Animal ID #23068041
BrightSide Animal Center
1355 NE Hemlock Ave., Redmond
Open Tues. - Sat., 10 to 5
541-923-0882
www.brightsideanimals.org