Archive for February, 2009
How We Helped Buffett Adjust to His Stairs
When our cat Buffett was about 14 years old, he became quite stiff in his back legs and was having more and more difficulty jumping up onto a bar chair and from there onto the counter where his food and water were located. We often lifted him up onto the counter, but finally decided Buffett needed a pet-stair to make things easier.
Do You Have a “Scaredy Cat”?
Cats have a reputation of being secretive, aloof creatures. While there may be some truth in this description, it’s also true that many cats are not well socialized. What we mean by this is that during their sensitive period for socialization (which research tells us is between the ages of 2-7 weeks) too many young cats are not exposed to a variety of people, unfamiliar places, and other animals, so as adults they can be calm and friendly in a variety of situations and when confronted with unfamiliar circumstances.
The Cat’s Meow
Cats communicate vocally with people quite differently than dogs do. There is no mistake that yowling, growling, hissing, and spitting occur when cats are threatening or aggressive. Cats don’t make these sounds when they want something from us or are being friendly. In contrast, dogs can bark in both friendly and threatening interactions, although the barks may sound quite different depending on the context.
The most common vocalization cats direct to people is the meow.
Can “Jealousy” Cause Spraying?
Cat elimination problems can be complicated. Consider the case of our clients Joan and Jack. Joan and Jack have four cats: Edgar, a 6 year old male, 3 females – Fluffy and Blue Eyes, both 4 years old and Jo who is 3 years old.
Six months or so ago, one or more of the cats started spraying on the kitchen counter. It spread to Jack’s office and the master bedroom. Joan has seen both Edgar and Jo urine mark by backing up against objects and spraying urine.
Bitten While He Slept!
In their relationships with people, most cats take a “live and let live” approach. Cats usually do not show aggression toward people over food, toys or space the way dogs sometimes will. While some cats may hiss, growl, bite or scratch if we try to pet them or pick them up, they generally do not go out of their way to control our behavior. A recent case of cat aggression we worked with definitely does not follow this pattern.