What is YOUR CAT’S Personality Type? From Bossy Bella to SpontaneousSimba – Experts Reveal the FIVE Different Types

Keep calm and purr on. Your cat is an expert at picking up your vibes, so try to stay cool, calm and collected, and hopefully your cat will do the same.

BOSSY BELLA

Bossy Bella’s always tend to be very assertive personalities and easy to spot as the ‘controlling influence’ in many multi-cat households, using their forceful presence and sometimes intimidating behaviour to get what they want when they want it.

These cats are masters in the art of manipulation, and can effortlessly wrap you around their little paws.

TIPS

First impressions matter. When introducing new members of your pet family, use the “two-door method” to gradually let them get to know each other, slowly removing the barriers until they can get acquainted.

Share the love – but perhaps with each cat individually or with groups while your Bossy Bella is asleep or secure and alone in a different room – as this will avoid provoking competition, disruption and repercussion from your Bossy Bella. You may have a favourite, but they don’t need to know that unless it’s them!

Food, the great motivator. You’d be surprised how quickly your cat can straighten up and fly right when dinnertime comes into question – and internal data from Natusan found that 32 per cent of cat parents said their feline friend demands to be served immediately at dinner time. If you have more than one cat, provide separate feeding areas and bowls to prevent your Bossy Bella from monopolising the bowls and stealing the food or preventing access to the others.

Consider a permanent “fix”. Neutering or spaying your cat can help to control the hormones responsible for some undesirable behaviours. If needed, a specialist veterinary behaviourist can help you live in harmony with your cat.

Live with it. Cats, while fairly resilient and adaptable, can be set in their ways. If they’ve been “top cat” for too long, you may just have to deal with the fact that you’re seen more as a servant than a parent, in which case you should just be grateful to have such a merciful ruler.

SPONTANEOUS SIMBA

According to Natusan’s research, 22% of British cat parents live with a Spontaneous Simba.

These cats are the most impulsive, and tend to have a lot of energy, which sometimes is released all at once.

Whilst all cats go through a “scatty” phase as kittens, some cats stay “young-at-heart” and keep their youthful exuberance. Particularly, it seems, in the middle of the night…

TIPS

Tire them out with frequent short sessions of interactive play and activity during the day as this will help them rest and sleep at night.

If your Spontaneous Simba is an indoor cat, consider acclimatising them to wearing a secure harness and walking on a leash to take for daily walks in different places, to help boost physical exercise and stimulation – whilst tiring them out by bedtime.

Never “scold” your cat. Shouting at a Spontaneous Simba will likely raise their levels of anxiety and increase any erratic behaviour as a result. Plus, it isn’t very nice and rarely works with cats, instead, try positive reinforcement for good behaviour.

Make a routine. Scheduling feeding and playtime at the same time of day can help to instill a sense of routine that can help keep your cat calm.

Read your cat’s body language. Try to identify the things that set your cat off, or how they behave in the lead up to the “zoomies”. This can help single out any triggers that are causing the nervous energy.

Synchronise your activity cycles. Some cats are more nocturnal than others and prefer to run around your home in the small hours. Try to keep them entertained and wake throughout the day to change their body-clock. If all else fails you could always join them on the night shift, after all, compromise works both ways.