Dear Gwen,
I read your letter about the woman who got a 10 month old cat that wouldn’t let her pet him. Even though you were writing about cats, I’m keeping your article for reference because it also applies to some men! Anyway, I’m going on vacation for two weeks and my cat has never been out of my house except to go to the vet. He is very dependent on me and I’m worried that he will be depressed and not eat when I am gone. When I leave, he sits by the window and waits for me. When I come home he greets me at the door and follows me everywhere. A neighbor is going to care for him while I’m gone. Is there anyway I can assure myself that he will be OK when I’m gone?
Worried
Training your cat about knocking
stuff over or pulling things down.
Dear Gwen,
If you print this letter, please don’t use my real name or I’m afraid I’ll get in trouble. My humans put me out at night and while they think I’m sleeping on the back porch I’m actually making my secret rounds. I know my owners are looking forward to reading your column so I’m sure they’ll be reading this.
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Before bringing a new pet into your heart and home, ask yourself, "Why do I want another pet?" Two pets are not necessarily just as easy or just as much work as one. Another pet will require time, energy, expense and patience. Many people who do not have enough time for one pet think that two will be better because they will keep each other company. If you think a second pet will help alleviate loneliness, boredom or behavior problems with your resident pet, think again. If you don’t have time to spend with one cat, you surely will not have time to spend with two. Many cat owners end up with two bored and misbehaving pets instead of one. Furthermore, a second pet will not necessarily provide your cat with the companionship you have in mind.
Continue reading about Introducing Your Cat or Kitten to a New Pet
What can I do to teach my cat to stop meowing so much?
Dear Gwen,
Why does my cat meow all the time? My vet says she is healthy.
Worried in Contra Costa
Dear Worried,
Dear Gwen,
My newly adopted 10 month old cat bites me and won’t let me pet him. When I try to show him affection, he just runs away. I feel disappointed because I wanted a snuggly cat. When he first arrived, I think I might have scared him by accidentally grabbing at him a little too roughly. He likes to play and will always greet me when I come home. He will rub his face against mine for a moment, but if I try to prolong it or initiate contact, he lightly bites me or runs away. Could this be his nature or do you think I ruined our relationship from the start? Can you train a cat to like being petted?
Eating plants is an exceedingly dangerous habit as many household plants are poisonous. If your cat is developing a habit of eating plants, you must separate the two until the problem is solved. Either remove the plants or confine your cat to an area with no plants. Do not delay. One good meal of the common houseplant Dieffenbachia is usually the last meal your cat will eat. Consult with your local nursery and do not keep poisonous plants in your house. There are so many non-poisonous plants to choose from, why take the risk? Even if your cat is well-trained, no cat is perfect and all it takes is one mistake for disaster to result. If your cat loves to munch on greenery, do not deny him this pleasure. Instead, provide him with his very own special Kitty Garden. There are many commercially available kitty herb gardens for this purpose. Do not assume that your cat will automatically dine in his new garden. It’s best to teach him that this salad bar is intended specifically for his consumption. Call him over to the plants. Tempt him by waggling some of the leaves in front of his nose. Make them irresistible by garnishing them with salmon, or whatever meets his fancy. When he does eat, praise him lavishly. Let him know that this is a special treat just for him. When your cat is regularly eating from his own garden without your encouragement, it is time to bring your plants back into your house and to teach your cat to stay away from them. Start with one luxurious sample that is edible. Paint the underside of the leaves with an excruciatingly hot chile oil. Then spray the top of the leaves with a perfume diluted about 1:100 with water. You don’t want your entire house to smell like perfume, you just want the plant to smell of it to your cat’s very keen sense of smell. Place the plant in the middle of the living room floor and let your cat investigate.
The most common reason a cat will not use its litter box…
Because the litter box is dirty - from the cat’s viewpoint, not yours. Cats often react to any type of stress by suddenly urinating or defecating outside the litter box. The stress may be caused by a new cat in the neighborhood; children home on vacation; too many cats in the house; your going away on vacation or a new piece of furniture. Urinary tract problems also cause cats to urinate in places other than the litter box. Any sudden change in elimination habits should be discussed with your veterinarian.
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