Coping with Kitty's Behavior Problems

This entry was written on Dec 04, 2008 by our Cat Guru Katherine Tapley-Milton

COPING WITH KITTY'S BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

BY

KATHERINE E. TAPLEY

As a first time cat owner, I've had to learn a lot about cat behavior. My cat, Sir Lancelot, came from the S.P.C.A. and had lived on the streets prior to me owning him. Searching the Internet for some tips, I came to an informative site ,http://www.vet.co.za/catsbeha.html, that had some good advice on cat psychology. They said, "You cannot discipline cats as you would dogs. Dogs form social hierarchies that you can take advantage of by placing yourself at the top. Cats form social groups only by necessity and the arrangement is based on respecting territory, not by respecting the 'top dog'. Many mistakes made with cats are due to thinking that they will react like dogs." I've had Sir Lancelot for a year and a half and during that time some of his bad behaviors have been: getting into plants, love bites, getting into garbage not wanting to go on the leash, smashing glass Christmas balls on the Christmas tree, trying to run out the apartment door, jumping up on the counters and tables, and trying to suffocate my boyfriend etc. Yes, he's bad but I still love him. I've discovered that I've had to baby proof my apartment and learn some tips on behavior modification for cats, which I will share so you can control your cat's nightmare behaviors.

First and foremost hitting a cat is not a good idea. Your hands should be associated with affection not corporal punishment. I've slapped Lancelot when nothing else was available and he just went on with his bad behavior. However, cats hate to be surprised, hence a water bottle or squirt gun seems to work when nothing else does. You have to squirt the cat with water as soon as the he misbehaves. Even if you wait seconds he may not know what he is being punished for. Always keep the squirt gun at the ready.

When I first go Sir Lancelot, I had a large Aloe Vera plant in the living room. Every morning I would rise to find that the earth had been pawed all over the carpet. Cats are very attracted to houseplants and many plants are poision to kitty. If the cat is chewing on the plant try spraying with Bitter Apple or Bittler Orange (made especially for plants). However, if you can't find that dusting with cayenne pepper may help. I buy Cosmic Kitty Grass for my indoor cat so he can have some legitimate greens. For digging in the soil it is recommended to put aluminum foil or gravel in the plant's soil. Putting Popsicle sticks or twigs around in the soil may curb kitty from digging as well.

"Love bites" from a cat may be kind of cute, but they can lead to more serious biting that you have to go to the hospital and get a tetanus shot for. Sir Lancelot has never broken the skin, but he can nip me quite hard at times when he gets affectionate. This may sound nutty, but I read on the Internet that when a cat bites you, you should howl like a cat in pain. Although skeptical, I tried it, and believe it or not it does work. Lancelot looked at me with a very startled look and stopped biting. One note of caution though. Don't allow other people to tease the cat or encourage biting. Some men in particular like to rub the cat's belly and get the bite reflex. If you are trying to discourage biting, then don't let other people encourage your cat to bite. Since Sir Lancelot was a cat of the streets and may have lunched out of garbage cans, I had a terrible time with him knocking them over. The only remedy was to get garbage cans with lids. Some people even have to hide the garbage cans under sinks in cupboards or weight them down with bricks. I haven't had to go that far, because the lids worked for me. Training kitty to go on the leash will not be as easy as training your dog to walk with you. However, the leash can be a safe way to let kitty go outdoors without exposing him to hazards like getting run over by a car. Bonnie Beaver, a veterinarian specializing in animal behavior says, "It could take a few days to perhaps a week to train a cat, depending on the personality of the cat and how often the owners try the lessons." Some tips for training kitty to the leash are as follows: 1. For a few days, keep the harness and leash in the cat's "toy box", so he will associate it with fun. I have a special basket for kitty's goodies like his brush and comb which he adores and I keep his leash and halter there. 2. Put kitty's halter on and after a minute give him a treat. 4. Next try the leash on and heap lavish praise on him and give another treat. 5. Take kitty in your arms with his leash and harness on and introduce him to the great outdoors and give him a treat. Repeat this until he is O.K. with it. 6.Take kitty outside and lower him down. Get down to his level and speak encouragement to him. Let him direct the route at first. The main point is don't expect the cat to walk like a dog. Cats are extremely curious and they usually walk you. I find that Sir Lancelot will gallop enthusiastically up the apartment stairs, but he doesn't like going downstairs too much. In the final analysis I think that training a cat to the leash is a battle of the wills. Cats are stubborn and you have to be persistent, however, don't frighten puss or you'll put the training process in reverse. When Sir Lancelot smashed a glass Christmas ball and had a shard of glass in this mouth I nearly had a kitty conniption. The only thing that worked was removing the balls from the bottom of the tree and keeping him away from the area with a squirt gun. Cats can develop a vocabulary of about 100 words and when my friend saw the squirt gun sitting on a table at the ready, she mentioned the object's the name and guess what? Lancelot took off like a shot. The other bad behaviors like trying to run out the apartment door and jumping up on counters I also use the squirt gun on as well. Sometimes Lancelot gets a little forgetful and I have to repeat the training by soaking him a few times. Recently, when my boyfriend was sleeping on the airbed on the living room floor he awoke to find Sir Lancelot lying across his face. I could just see the tabloid headlines reading, "Cat suffocates Finance". My friend who has 12 cats, told me that this was a blatant act of jealousy on the cat's part. She explained that just at cats can get jealous of a baby, Sir Lancelot was jealous of Dave. Well, I really have no solution to this problem. The only thing I can say is that they'll have to get used to each other.

Well, I hope that you've learned a few pointers on cat behavior from my experiences with a tough cat off the streets. His behavior modification is always still in progress. Some days he's a model cat and other days he acts like the hounds of hell are after him, getting into one thing after another. Owning a cat is sort of like having a child around, only the "fur child" never grows up.

How does a cat show affection?

Despite the common misconception, cats are not showing affection when they rub against you with the back of their head and the rest of their body. It’s just cat instinct to mark you with their scent; they are actually claiming you as their territory.

The only time a cat is truly showing affection is when they bump you with the front part of their head, known as head bonks, a cat behavior also called "bunting". He might rub along your chin and nose, engaging in the bunting behavior that began as a kitten when he’d rub around his mother’s head seeking to nurse. Some cats get so carried away that they even drool.

The next time your cat jumps onto the bed and seems to butt you in the face with the top of his head, don’t get irritated, realize the loving compliment your kitty just paid you.

Catnip, More Than Just a Cat's Toy

This entry was written on Dec 04, 2008 by our Cat Guru Katherine Tapley-Milton

Catnip, More Than Just a Cat's Toy

by

Katherine E. Tapley

The herb catnip (nepeta cataria), also called "catmint" is much more than an amusing cat intoxicant. It has genuine medicinal properties as well. A member of the mint family, catnip was originally imported for its healing properties from Europe and Asia. It is a hardy perennial and survives the winter snow and thrives in nutrient poor, sandy soil. Catnip grows best in sunlight with good drainage, but can be grown in partial shade as well. Requiring little care, and often growing as a pungent weed, it blooms from early spring until mid-fall. Germination of catnip seeds takes about two weeks and it needs to be thinned to one plant every foot. It can grow to a height of three feet and spread fifteen inches wide. Catnip's hardiness makes it an ideal herb for those who do container gardening in apartment balconies.

In the book, "Today's Herbal Health" by Louise Tenney, it is stated that, "Catnip has been called nature's 'Alka-Seltzer'. The Indians used it for infant colic, but it also has a sedative effect on the nervous system. It is useful for many ailments: for all cases of fevers for its action in inducing sleep and in producing perspiration without increasing heat in the body. In children it is said to speedily overcome convulsions. It is also good for restlessness and colic and as a pain killer, especially for children and infants." Tenney goes on to say that if catnip is taken in a warm infusion at the first sign of a cold it may prevent the cold from developing. If one has the flu catnip will help with the aches, pains, upset stomachs, and diarrhea. This versatile herb has also been reported to help tension and anxiety and to help eliminate toxins from the body.

The active ingredient in catnip is "nepetalactone", a volatile oil similar in structure of that found in valerian root, also a sedative. The leaves and flowers are collected between June and September and dried hanging up. To make an infusion one pours a cup of boiling water onto 2 teaspoons of dried catnip (both blossoms and leaves are used) and steeps for 10-15 minutes. For the tincture take 2 to 4 mls. three times a day. Catnip seems to be a safe herb and no toxic effects occur if taken sensibly. The folklore has grown up that smoking catnip will give a high, however this is untrue. Though the plant bears some resemblance to the marajuana plant, it's effects are harmless. No known medical conditions prohibit the medicinal use of catnip and no drug interactions have been reported. In short, catnip is the cat's meow. It not only amuses kitty, but can calm the baby, ease a fevered brow, and gently lull the overwrought to sleep.

Training an Adult Cat for a Bath

Cat’s don’t like water; that is a well known fact. However, any cat can be trained to tolerate a bath. Use this method once a day, every day, and at the end of a month, you should be able to give your kitty a full bath without too much trouble.

First, the water must be warm, because a cat’s normal temperature is higher than humans. A hot bath for a human is a normal temperature for cats. If the cat shivers, the water is too cold; if he pants, the water is too hot.

Second, choose a location that has a flat surface, so the cat will feel secure that he can stand easily. Add a towel or rubber mat to the bath surface so the cat won’t slip, creating more panic.

Third, start with just enough water to cover his feet. For the first week, just dunk his feet into the water and immediately pull him out and dry his feet. Then give him plenty of treats and special attention.
Gradually increase the depth of the water, and the amount of time you ’dunk’ him. Always give him treats and special attention after the ’bath.’

Finally, use only enough water to get him wet and rinse him; usually no deeper than his ’knees.’ This should be enough water to give him a bath, without creating the panic of trying to swim. Also, don’t leave his feet in the water unless you have to. Allowing him to stand on dry land (like the back end of a bath tub) will decrease his discomfort and make him easier to control.

A note of caution: don’t use a sprayer, this will cause panic in the cat. Instead, use a plastic cup or glass to pour the water over his body.

Plastic bowl problems

About Cat Food Dishes - You probably know that cats want you to clean their food bowls after each meal, and that you should not use dishwashing liquid, because they dislike the smell. What you might not know is that plastic bowls always retain some ’old food smell’. A cat or kitten will notice, even if you don’t. She’ll refuse to eat out of this bowl for no apparent reason. Therefore, invest in some porcelain bowls and make sure they are dishwasher safe.

When washing bowls in the dishwasher, rinse again once the washing cycle is finished for best results.

Excessive licking and grooming

Your kitty’s excessive licking and grooming can have several causes: stress, food allergies, and more. Your first step is a visit with your vet to determine whether it’s a health or behavior problem.
Many cats are allergic to corn, a main ingedient in most dried cat foods. If your vet suspects an allergy, change the cat’s food and watch for improvements in your cat’s coat and behavior. Your vet can suggest brands of food that will help the most.

If the licking is due to stress, try to remove the source, or simply manage the stress. This is particularly important in multiple cat-households. We have four, & the low man on the pecking order stopped chewing his fur when I started feeding him without the others present. I also give him ’special time’, i.e. an hour per day, when he is with me alone and gets undivided attention.

Controlling Hairballs

Hairballs are more of a problem in longhaired cats than short, but no one like to listen to a gagging cat. Hairballs are caused by too much hair in the cat’s stomach from their own grooming. Although there are many different remedies, I prefer preventative health care measures and training:

Daily brushing is my number one tip to prevent cat hairballs, especially during the warm months of the year. If you start brushing your cat during this time of the year, it is easier to train them to enjoy it. They are naturally trying to get rid of that excess undercoat, and your daily brushing will do that for them.

But if your cat’s pattern of coughing up the occasional hairball changes, take your cat to the vet to find out why.

Another suggestion to stop cat hairballs (or at least reduce them) is to feed your cat or kitten Iams or Science Diet’s Hairball Control. It has worked wonders for my longhaired cat.

Low Cost Medical Advice

Your kitty is sick or injured and needs veterinarian cat care, but your budget this month can’t afford the bill.

Call your local animal shelter/dog pound, humane society, ASPCA, or rescue organization. They have lists of low cost vets in your area, and can even help pay for vet bills in some cases.

Training an Adult Cat to be Brushed

Here’s a good cat grooming tip if your adult cat hates to be brushed, but is a necessary fact of life, especially in the warm seasons. With persistance, consistancy and patience, you can train your adult cat to be brushed.

Make it a routine, if you haven’t already, to pet/groom your cat. Every day at the same time, pet your cat or kitten for several minutes. That action alone will help remove hair and help straighten it.

When Kitty comes to you to be groomed/petted, start using an oven mitten or a cotton rag wrapped around your hand.

Eventually, purchase a groomers mit. That is a specialty type of mit used to help remove fur. Once Kitty is accustomed to the groomers mit, start alternating your touch with the groomers mit, with a brush. Put the mit on one hand, and a brush in the other; alternate between the two. Once you are at this level for a few days, you should be able to groom Kitty with the brush. Slowly decrease the number of ’pets’ with the mit and increase the number of ’pets’ with the brush.

Once Kitty is tolerating the brush, I would suggest you start with the mit and then switch to the brush in Kitty’s daily routine. That will help him to feel like he is being ’loved’ and not just brushed.

The Signs and Symptoms of UI

Urinary infection is a common cat health problem for cats, especailly males due to their physiology. Although it is easily treated, it can lead to kidney failure and even death if left untreated. If you suspect UI, take your cat to a reputable vet immediately.

Some of the symptoms and signs to look for include:
Straining to urinate, discomfort while urinating, howling or crying while urinating, tinkling anywhere and everywhere (very small puddles), and discolored urine (indicating blood in the urine).

Shaving a Cat - Cat Coat Problems

Cat grooming and matting - I do not recommend shaving a long haired cat or kitten unless the vet or groomer can see a need to; such as the mats are so bad that they are causing problems for your cat.

Cats need their fur to protect their skin from the sun, and other possible dangers. Since they do not perspire, removing the hair does not help them to stay cool. On the contrary, it could make them feel hotter since the sun will reach their skin.

It is best to brush your long haired cat for several minutes every day, and do this several times a day during the warm summer months. This will allow you to catch those annoying mats when they are small enough that you can easily trim them out.

However, once the mats have formed tight enough to be next to your kitty’s skin, let a reputable-professional groomer or your vet remove the mats, since you could seriously injure your kitty if you try.

Start bathing kittens early

Here’s some bathing cats advice: You have allergies, and still want a pet. The doctor says that weekly baths will help reduce the allergens on a cat. With this in mind, it would be best to adopt a young cat or a kitten so you can train her to take a bath much eaiser than an older cat.

Start the first week you have the kitten. Once a day dunk her feet into very shallow, very warm water. Then immediately dry her feet and give her a special treat and attention. The second week, set her down in the water and let her stand in it for a few seconds, then pull her out and dry her feet always followed by the treat. Towards the end of the second week, you should be able to completely wash her.

Don’t use a sprayer at first, the splashing water will panic the cat. Use a plastic glass or mug to pour water over her body. Keep everything, water, soap, etc, out of her eyes and off her face. This will cause panic, and could irritate her eyes.

Protect the Couch!

If your cat or kitten is constantly clawing your couch or chair, this is what worked magnificently for me:

Put a carpet covered scratching post directly in front of the area of the furniture the cat loves to destroy. Rub the post down with catnip and the cats will be drawn to the scratching post instead of the couch.

Now, my cats scratch the post instead of the couch and love the occassional sprinkling of catnip.

Kitty doesn´t like to be brushed

Cat training tip - Cats naturally groom themselves and can take offense when you try to help them.

Here’s a cat grooming tip on how to get your cats or kittens comfortable with regular cat grooming - Try purchasing two identical brushes. Start brushing your cat with one of the brushes, when she reaches around and grabs that brush, let her have it. Then pick up the second brush and continue brushing. Whenever she grabs the brush you are using, just pick up the other one and continue brushing.

Eventually, your kitty will learn that you are not hurting her, and that this cat grooming actually feels good.

Stopping Fights Between Your Cats

Cat Behavior Problems - The occasional cat fight is expected in multiple cat households, because cats are territorial. However, when aggressive behavior becomes the norm, you can take steps to stop it.

These are some cat training tips I use, and a few more from Friskies cat food: Identify the aggressor and victim, then separate the cats when they can’t be supervised. Give the aggressor corrective measures, and the victim rewards.

Corrective measures can include: confinement in a less attractive space; place a collar and bell on the aggressor; squirt the aggressor with a water sprayer during agressive acts.

For the victim give rewards such as free roam of the house, plus edible and affection rewards.

Gradually increase the supervised interaction, rewarding good behavior and using corrective measures against cat agression.

Kitty picks at his favorite food, but doesn´t finish it

Cats and kittens can have several reasons for not eating: illness, they may be tired of a flavor, plus they will slow down their eating in the warm summer months.

Once you have ruled out disease, you can move on to the other reasons for picky eating.

When your pet nibbles, but then leaves most of a favorite wet food to spoil, stop giving him wet food for a few days. Be sure to leave plenty of dry food out. If you have a routine established for feeding him, just add more dry food to his bowl to keep the routine.

Next, use the wet food as a treat and give it to him only once or twice a week. If he eats the dry food, and doesn’t beg for the wet, you know he is getting enough to eat.

Then when the weather cools down-and he starts eating more, you can start giving him more wet food, if you choose to start it again.

Clean the Cat Too

Your doctor has given you the information on how to live with allergies, and one of the recommendations is to bathe your pets at least once a week.
According to our members, the medical field has determined that humans have a hyper-sensitivity to the proteins in feline saliva. When a cat or kitten cleans itself, the proteins in the saliva remain on the cat’s coat. When the saliva dries, the proteins flake off and cause the allergy symptoms.

Bathing your cat or kitten once a week will help remove these and other allergens. There are several products on the market to help remove the allergens from your pet’s coat. Check with any pet store or your vet for recommendations.

Premium Cat Food Lessens Allergens

Feeding your cat or kitten high quality cat food, such as Kal Kan Optimum, Iams and Science Diet Hairball Formula, all brands with Brown Rice, can actually lessen one of the allgergens all cats produce.

The extra nutrition in these good cat foods will increase the quality of your kitty’s coat and skin, thus decreasing the dander they produce.

Steps to Grooming a Persian Cat

Step by Step cat grooming methods for a long haired or Persian cat or kitten:

1. Use the wide toothed or a comb with alternating long/short teeth to comb the coat backward from the way it lies. For heavy thick coats, you may need to do this in small parts. Make certain you comb all the way to the undercoat to loosen and straighten and knots or tangles. Always use extra care when grooming the belly and rear sensitive areas.

2. Use a baby powder or unscented talcum powder next, to help the brushes ease through the fur by separating each hair. Sprinkle the powder onto the cat's coat and work in with your fingers. Never use a heavily scented powder as this could irritate your cat's sensitive nose, and/or cause allergic reactions.

3. Brush the coat well using first the wire side of the combination brush. Be gentle as the wire bristles can break delicate hair. Use short strokes that move out from the body in a fluffing motion.

4. Then use the bristle brush to lay the fur back to its natural lie.

5. Use the toothbrush to groom the facial area.

6. The slicker brush can be omitted, if desired. It is used mainly on the tail and back end to add the extra fluffiness for shows.

Paraphrased from: The Complete Cat Book, by Paddy Cutts

Cleaning cats teeth

Here’s a cat grooming tip that will make a big difference in your cat or kitten’s oral health. The key to getting your cat to tolerate having his teeth brushed is to do it in small steps over time and to be patient and encouraging. Try to brush several times a week with a child’s toothbrush or a fingertip brush and a toothpaste designed for pets.

Regular cleanings under anesthesia by your vet is important to address problems at the root line. Left unchecked, plaque buildup on teeth can ultimately cause infections that can lead to tooth loss, make eating painful, and puts your cats internal organs under pressure, therefore causing illness and premature aging.

Ear Mite Symptoms

The general symptoms of ear mites include:
Scratching behind the ear and inside the ear; A dark brown wax inside the ear; Plus other signs that are not visible without the special equipment a vet uses.

Ear mites are highly infectious little pests that feed on the lining of the ear canals. Because of their highly contagious nature, ear mites are especially common in shelter cats and kittens.

A quick trip to the vet can quickly determine if it is ear mites or something else, and to get the right medication for your kitty. Ear mites can be difficult to get rid of, so be persistent, and use the vet’s medication recommendation, and not the pet store variety.

Cat Health Care Good News: The means of controlling ear mites have greatly improved in the past few years.

Finishing bathing long hair cats

More on bathing long hair cats - Here’s a cat grooming and matting tip for your longhaired cat: After the bath, longhaired cats benefit from an additional brush out and a blow dryer on a no-heat setting.

Canned Cat Foods to Use and Avoid

You can try ’fish’ flavored canned cat foods, since the fish flavors have a very distinctive smell that cats will recognize. Don’t feed your cat or kitten straight tuna that is meant for humans, since a steady diet of this will deplete their bodies of vitamin E. You can feed your cat the tuna flavored cat foods occasionally because they are supplemented with additional vitamin E to prevent this, but it might be best to avoid tuna altogether.

In addition to being a good source of nutrition on its own, canned cat food can be used as a supplement to dry cat foods, increasing it palatability and water content. Many owners simply feed their cats both.

Good and Bad Table Scraps

Here’s a good cat food nutrition tip - Table scraps should be used as treats, not the main course in your kitty’s diet. I recommend no more than a Tablespoon of scraps at a time.

Suggested scraps are: Meats without bones, cooked vegetables, cooked grains, and brown rice.

TABLE SCRAPS YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE YOUR KITTY: Corn is very difficult for our pets to digest. Chocolate has chemicals that are toxic to almost all pets.
Sweets are not good for our kitties, since their systems are not desgined to process the sugars as easily as human bodies.

Bones, cooked or raw, are a definite NO-NO.
There is a movement to feed pets raw uncooked meat-bones included, but my vet tech lost a puppy from a perferated colon when he couldn’t properly chew and digest a bone. My parents lost a Siamese when she choked on a pork chop bone.

It is safer to not let your cat or kitten have bones, unless they are ground to a fine mush or powder.

Getting Kitty into the Pet Carrier

Cat Travel - It’s time to travel to the vet to update shots, or for altering, or -oh no!- an injury or illness. Now you have the daunting task of getting your cat or kitten into the cat carrier.

Place the Carrier, with the door propped open, on the bed, or someplace where the cat feels comfortable. Hide the carrier under a blanket or towel. Now, turn him around backwards so he can’t see the Carrier and gently place him inside and close the door.

If your cat is too big to easily and gently put him inside the carrier, have someone hold him still while petting and talking to him. Then you slide the pet carrier up and around him from behind, while your friend keeps his head busy with love and affection.

Kids and Kitty feeding & bedtime

An easy way of teaching your children discipline and responsibilty is to work with them at bedtime to check your cat or kittens food and water bowls, and sand box. By establishing a routine each and every night, the children unwind for bed, while your pets get the routine that they naturally crave.

Food Temperature

You may be tempted to heat your kittys leftover food in the microwave, but I don’t recommend this.
My research says that cats should eat food that is room temperature. Any food that is too warm or too cold can cause intestinal troubles for your cat.
However, leaving a whole can of food out of the refrigerator will cause it to spoil if your room temperature is above 65F or so.

If you have a ’cold’ window, you can store the open can of food on the window sill with a tight fitting cover. This will at least keep the food cold enough to prevent spoilage, but allow the food to heat up faster.

I heat a small amount of water (up to boiling) and then stir a couple of spoonfulls into the cold food. This will bring the temperature of the cold food up to something more satisfactory for your cat, without getting the food too hot.

Note: You don’t want to add too much water, or your cat or kitten won’t care for the food.

Use Pet Foods, Not Human Foods

About New Born Kitten Care - Don’t make the mistake of trying to feed kittens any type of Human infant cereal. Most human infant cereals are ’grain’ based, and in the wild, Kittens are weaned on raw meat (ie, the mothers will bring fresh kills back to the nest for the kittens.) So, kittens really don’t quite know what to do with that mush that smells all wrong. NO, I don’t suggest you try feeding the kittens raw meat, my point is that cats are carnivores and their food should be meat based, not grain based. So do feed your kittens healthy cat food instead.

Caring for Pregnant Cats

To make sure your cat has a safe pregnancy and a healthy birth, take your cat to see your vet - he or she may suggest basic blood work to establish baseline readings and to spot any potential health problems.

Follow your vets recommendations for prenatal care and don’t give your cat any extra medications, vitamins, or any other pills without discussing them with your vet first.

Your cat will become restless about two weeks before giving birth and will look for a safe place to have her kittens. She should be confined at this time to the house and be provided with a box for birthing. It might be better to confine her to a single room, maybe your bedroom, so you can keep a close watch on her.

Make sure she delivers where you have easy access to them later on, because it’s important for them to be as well socialized as possible.

Hairless Furniture for Company

Try investing in covers for your fabric furniture pieces. I use my handmade quilts and crocheted blankets to cover my furniture (and to show off my work.) This way, I catch most of the loose cat or kitten hair of daily living, and pull the blankets off when company comes.

Hairless furniture, in an instant.

I wash these and my Kitties’ ’special blankets’ whenever I do the rest of the bedding.

To remove the hair from the couch covers, you will need to run them through the dryer. Most of the hair will not come out in the washer.

When to start weaning

You will probably never see a mother cat who refuses to wean her kittens starting when they are 4 to 5 weeks old. Mother Nature always tells them when to start weaning... however, you might have experience with other odd quirks in First Time Mothers, so the timing can vary between cats.

And as always, when in doubt, ask your vet. They can offer other ideas and helpful hints on this.

Poisonous House plants

Be cautious when choosing houseplants for your home, if you have kitties or children.
The Berries on Mistletoe are poisonous to cats and humans. Other dangerous plants to cats include: diffenbachia, poinsettia, english ivy, crocus, and others.

For a more complete list of dangerous plants, the symptoms they cause in pets, and what to do when a pet ingests one, check the Links page for the ASPCA link or the University of Illinois link.

If you have skin allergies....

You want to pet you kitty, but you break out everytime you touch her.

One easy way of petting your cat or kitten without touching her is by wearing gloves. You could even try a grooming mit available at pet stores or online through supply stores.

And with all allergies, be sure to check with your own medical doctor to confirm what is causing the allergy and the best means of combatting the symptoms.

Neutering Your Male Cat

Although it is preferable to have your male cat neutered at about their 6th or 7th month of life, it is not too late to have your adult male cat altered. Behaviors like fighting, urine spraying and roaming will be dramatically reduced, although some retraining for behavior problems such as urine spraying may prove necessary. Neutering must be done only by a veterinarian, and requires general anesthesia. Post-op care involves monitoring, keeping the incisions clean and dry, and keeping your male cat inside. The incisions heal within three to five days. Check with your vet for more details.

My Cat is Sneezing

Cats and kittens suffer from upper respiratory ailments just as humans; allergies, colds, infections are just some of them. However, cats do not recover from them as easily as humans; they need a vet’s assistance to recover completely.

If they don’t see a vet, and get the proper medications, they will be sickly for a long time, possibly for the rest of their life.

You should take your cat to the vet for feline medicines to treat upper respiratory ailments. Some human medicines are poisonous to cats, and all of them are toxic in the high dosages for humans.

If you budget is strained, contact your local animal shelter/pound, ASPCA, humane society or rescue organization. They will have a list of low cost vets in your area, and in some cases, the non-profit organizations can help you pay for the vet bills.

Cats in heat conclusion - Spaying and Neutering

Male cats do not go into heat. They respond to the hormonal changes in a female cat’s body.
Males have a mating call, too, which will continue until another male cat has fought and defeated him, or until he impregnates the female cat.
If males are not neutered, they will develop behaviors that are perfectly normal, but undesirable in pets.
Male cats will mark their territory with urine, also known as spraying if they are not altered at 6 months old. This includes the bushes, tress, the front door-inside and outside, furniture, and carpets. Deficating is also a means of marking his territory (leaving solid waste outside of the litter box.)
Males become more agressive and less affectionate if they are not altered at 6 months old.
Trust me, it is easier, safer, and much more pleasant to have your male cat neutered at 6 months old.

How to choose a breed

If you find that you want the predictability and unique characteristics of a purebred cat (and are prepared to pay the high price for one), then your next step is to decide upon the cat breeds that are just right for you.

How to learn about the different breeds? I suggest that you look at popular cat magazines or search online, and attend a few cat shows in order to familiarize yourself with the cat breeds that interest you.

Cat magazines offer breeder advertisements, but these publications do not screen breeders, so it’s best to be careful. If he’s a reputatble breeder, he’s likely to belong to a regional or national breed club and should be able to give you a referral to a breeder in your area.

Cat shows are an ideal place to see the finest examples of a particular pedigree, including some not commonly seen. It is also a good place for meeting qualified breeders, who may have just the kitty you desire. Most exhibitors are willing to answer questions (unless they are getting ready to show their cat), so ask for business cards and write down phone numbers along with notes about your conversation so you can remember later what was discussed regarding their cats or kittens.

Qualtiy vs. Price - Premium Cat Food

How much can you afford to spend on food for your kitty is your decision. In all my years with cats, I have seen what quality food can do for them. Large, established pet food companies have a large investment in maintaining the quality of their products, so you can trust them to give your cat or kitten the vitamins and minerals they need.

The best brands, that more vets and breeders prefer are: Iams, Eukanuba, & Science Diet. If these are out of your price range, then Kal Kan and Purina are good alternatives. However, if you feed your cat healthy cat food, the fewer visits to the vet you’ll have to make because of cat health problems.

Dry cat foods

Cats are nibblers, they like to ’graze’ at any given time of the day or night. The easiest way to do this is keep a bowl of dry/crunchy food (also called kibble) out all the time. It comes in a bag or box and is less expensive than canned or semi-moist cat foods, and gives you the most options for feeding your cat or kitten. You can leave dry food out and it won’t go bad.

Nowadays, they have a variety of dry cat food dispensers that will keep the crunchy bowl full without having to fill it every day. A never empty bowl of pet food creates a very content cat.

Keeping kittys favorite crunchy pet foods out will also keep them from begging so much at mealtimes, because they won’t be as hungry.

Dry cat food also helps reduce tartar buildup on your pets teeth.

Tools You Need for Longhaired Cats

Here is a cat grooming tip for your long haired cat: Owners of longhaired cats will attest to the absolute necessity of grooming your long hair cat daily. The dreaded mats are more than unsightly, they are a nuisance and difficult to remove-some requiring a trip to the vet with anesthesia and minor surgery.

There are 5 different types of cat grooming supplies suggested for long haired cats: wide toothed comb, wire brush and bristle brush combination, metal comb with both long and short teeth, slicker brush, and a toothbrush. Each tool has its own step and all are used in the grooming of a longhaired cat.

Recommended by Paddy Cutts in ’The Complete Cat Book’

How Much Cat Food

Cat Nutrition Needs - Personally, I leave food dispenser full of dry food out all the time for my cats. They are instinctually grazers, nibble through out the day, so I just let them eat as much as they want.

Unlike humans, 95% of the cats in the world have natural instincts that prevent them from overeating to obesity. And of those cats who are obese, there is generally a good explanation such as a physical disorder or illness that is causing the overeating.

As long as your cat has well defined body areas, I wouldn’t worry about his/her weight. When your cat or kitten is standing and you run both hands down his body from his neck to his tail, you should be able to easily feel the contours of his shoulds, ribs, stomach, and rear haunches.

If your kitty is shaped more like a barrel and you can’t feel any of these features, then he is probably obese and you should consult your vet for the best treatments and nutrition requirements. An overweight cat is prone to health problems, including diabetes, joint, tendon and ligament problems, breathing problems, and even skin problems if they cannot groom themselves properly.

Cats In Heat - Spaying and Neutering Cats

Cats do not necessarily have a period, like a human female, then have a time where they won’t be fertile.
Cats are not like other animals that have a particular season when they breed. Once a cat reaches puberty, she will go into, and stay in heat until she is bred or surgically sterlized (altered, neutered, fixed, spayed).

In rare cases, feral cats may have an infertile time during extreme cold that could last for several months.

Dry versus Wet Cat Foods

About Cat Food Nutrition - Feeding is critical in the long term care of any animal. What types of cat foods should you feed your cats? Dry cat foods are best for cats, because it will help clean their teeth and prevent the teeth from decaying in their later years. And you can leave dry cat food out without fear of it spoiling.

However, there are cats and kittens who will not touch dry cat food. For those fussy eaters, feed them small amounts of wet cat food once a day at the same time every day. Keep dry food out for them also, and eventually they will get hungry and try the dry food.

Canned cat food is more expensive, and once you open it, it lasts about a half hour before your cat decides it is no longer fresh enough! Canned cat food can be great for nursing ill or older cats.

My recommendation would be a basic diet of dry cat food, with small amounts of canned cat food for variety and interest.

Find a Top Notch Vet for Declawing

Declawing of Cats - I can’t lie: there is a lot of negative press detailing the horrors of declawing your cat. I know that some of that press stems from bad experiences with less than qualified persons performing the surgery. Some of the bad press is from animal rights activists. Regardless of your political views on this topic, you should make certain you have an experienced and reputable vet.

You don’t accept second best with your own health or the health of your children; don’t settle for second best with the quality of your vet. Ask your vet about her experience level; how many times has he performed this operation; what is her success rate; has he had any failures; what is his/her personal opinions about the operation. Ask neighbors, friends, and local breeders who they use for their vet.

The most important step in declawing your pet, is to make certain you have a good vet.