Feline Behaviour and Psychology - Diploma - CPD

As well as being an enjoyable course, this is designed to be a serious introduction to the fascinating subject of feline behaviour. Obviously the subject matter is huge and it would be impossible to cover it all in a course of this size, however more advanced courses are planned.

Course Modules

• The effects of biology on behaviour
• Learning and behaviour
• One trial learning
• Do cats think?
• Non verbal communication
• Anthropomorphism
• The critical periods
• Feline Instincts
• What is a behaviourist?

• Reproduction: Asexual and Sexual
• Sexual maturity in cats
• The anatomy of reproduction in the queen
• The behaviour of the queen
• The anatomy of reproduction in the tom
• The behaviour of the tom
• Courtship and mating
• Artificial Insemination
• The Pregnancy
• Birth and problems during the birth
• After the birth
• Problems occurring after the birth

• The first few hours of the kitten's life
• Physical development of the kitten
• Behavioural development of the kitten
• Genetic and environmental influences
• The learning skills including grooming and social learning
• Weaning
• Socialisation
• Classical and Operant Conditioning
• Positive and negative reinforcement
• Natural selection theory
• Innate and learned behaviours

• Development Psychology of the adult cat
• Nature and Nurture debate
• Evolution of the cat
• The feline sense of sight
• The feline sense of smell
• The feline sense of taste
• The feline sense of hearing
• The feline sense of touch
• Maturity: Sexual, Physical and Psychological
• The cat as a social animal
• Cat's vocal communication
• Multi-modal communication
• The elderly cat

• What is normal feline behaviour
• Innate behaviours
• Unwanted behaviour
• Redirected behaviours
• Stereotyptical behaviours
• Learned helplessness
• Feline psychogenic alopecia
• Feline hyperesthesia
• Feline responses to situations
• The social world of the cat
• Marking territory
• The difference between marking and spraying and inappropriate elimination
• Learned Aggression
• Attacking behaviour
• Fear Aggression
• Behavioural changes in the elderly cat
• Why might a cat learn unwanted behaviour
• How cats learn

• The effects of early environment on a kitten
• Toilet training
• Playing
• Stress in cats
• Minimising stress
• Introducing other animals
• Introducing children
• Cats and dogs
• Training cats
• How cats learn
• Behaviour shaping
• Clicker training
• An example of clicker training cats
• Punishment