BEHAVIOR

[From Tufts December 2011 Issue]

I have two 9-year-old Tonkinese sisters. One has always had firm stools and the other, in the last year, has had soft stools and diarrhea. They eat only Wellness Core dry food - no treats or people food.

They are strictly inside cats. I tried desperately to introduce them to canned food without success. The cat with the soft stools has a beautiful coat, clear eyes and appears very healthy. My veterinarian cant find anything wrong with her. She does not have worms.

Do you have any suggestions as to what is causing the soft stools? What tests should my veterinarian perform? Should I be worried?
Sue DeMaria

[From Tufts January 2011 Issue]

I have a wonderful 5-year-old cat rescued from Hurricane Katrina when she was a kitten. This year, she has decided to drive me crazy by going from one door to the other and meowing constantly. She is not allowed out in my apartment complex and has not really given me much trouble - until now.

Ive had her for four years and she has never acted like this. I tried walking her on a leash, but the experience was disastrous. She doesnt play with cat toys, so my veterinarian suggested that I adopt a kitten. I hesitate on this, but will wait for your reply. Ive had more than one cat at a time, so I think I know what to expect, but at 80 years old, I have some doubts! My cat is a very high strung, nervous cat; she hides when anyone comes to my house. Any help you can give me will be more than appreciated.

[From Tufts April 2011 Issue]

I have a 14-year-old Snow Leopard Bengal who was neutered at 11 months. He is a third generation and perhaps, has too much of the wild cat in him. He is extremely affectionate, bright and the leader among the pets in the house. There are five other cats, two dogs and a variety of large birds.

Tommy is extremely possessive of me. He has always sprayed occasionally, but lately, he has also sprayed on my kitchen counter and even worse - defecated on top of my stove. My kitchen is an open area and I cannot close it off from the rest of the house.

I do have a homeopathic anxiety and stress medication from my veterinarian. It works sometimes. I also had a complete blood panel performed on Tommy recently and the results indicated that he is healthy.

[From Tufts May 2011 Issue]

I adopted my cat, Flower, about 2 years ago from a shelter. She was there for six months and was 8 years old at the time. She was in good health except for having feline herpesvirus that my veterinarian treated. Flower has been receiving lysine ever since and is doing well.

Since Ive adopted her, Flower has never made any vocal sounds. I find this unusual, since my previous cats were quite vocal. She also spends her entire life upstairs and refuses to come down and socialize with my husband and me. We have no other pets and no children. She is somewhat receptive to me when I go to see her, comb her and give her affection and treats, but her acceptance is limited. After a while, she will get up and walk away, which is my cue to leave.

I would so appreciate if you could let me know if there are any other cats who are not vocal, and do you think she will ever become more social? Her breed is mixed. She is also an indoor-only cat.
Ruth Roschak

[From Tufts May 2011 Issue]

Editors note: Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, is a renowned animal behaviorist and best-selling author.

Poor Mr. P was in some state. Smokey, his neutered male cat, was spraying urine all over his beautiful home. This should not be too hard to figure out, I thought. Would that I knew what was in store.

[From Tufts March 2011 Issue]

Editors note: This article launches a new Catnip series that debunks common misconceptions about cats.
In spite of their reputation for tolerating only dry land, a surprising number of domesticated cats not only tolerate but love pawing water or swimming. Some like to play in standing water; others are fascinated by running water and prefer to drink from a faucet rather than a bowl.

When a cat rolls over on his back, exposing his tummy, it probably looks like an invitation. Most cats like having their tummies stroked - right up until the second they dont. Many owners are shocked when their cat, who had just been purring in enjoyment, is suddenly gripping their forearm with needle-sharp claws, or even sinking in teeth. This can be confusing, not to mention painful. …

Unless youre planning to breed your male cat, there are a number of extremely good reasons to have your pet neutered at some point during the first six months or so of his life. Most importantly, the procedure will prevent his contributing to the worldwide problem of feline overpopulation. Neutering will also eliminate or at least reduce the occurrence of several undesirable sex-related behaviors.

Some cats have relationship challenges resulting in inappropriate eliminations. The cats may have been introduced to each other too fast, or there might be too many cats in too small of a space with little or no vertical territory. Or maybe the cats simply dont like each other. Cats sometimes leave calling cards when they dont feel confident around other cats, or they may be leaving information about themselves for other cats to discover. Poor litter-box management can be a big contributing factor in this situation, as well.

Cats who happen to be strolling around your backyard can cause your cat to spray and urinate outside the cat box. It doesnt matter if the visitors are well cared for by the neighbors or if they are feral; their presence can upset your cat. Besides the vocalizing sometimes heard at the windows, it is usually easy to determine if outside visitors are causing your cat to have bathroom issues by the locations in which your cat is eliminating or spraying. Typically, cats who are responding to outsiders will target doors, windows, and the perimeters of the rooms nearest to the intruders.To solve this problem, the outside cats need to be convinced not to hang out in your yard. There are many kinds of deterrents commercially available that can help. Choose carefully, as some of these products can compromise an animals health while others are perfectly safe. One safe deterrent emits a sound that is undetectable to human ears, but heard by animals. Others are products that you spray on fences or sprinkle on soil. Lemon also works to an extent. There are many solutions available; just make sure that they will not hurt or poison the cats in any way. If you are purposely feeding the ferals at your house, finding a place to set up the feeding stations that is not viewable from your house may help.

Cats are graceful, sinewy and powerful creatures, and we understandably marvel at their natural athleticism. The feline physique is built of strong hindquarters and a supple spine, which allow them to effortlessly jump horizontally and vertically. Amazingly, a cat is capable of jumping up to five to seven times its own height - usually lightning fast and whisper-quiet.

Ah, serendipity! On the same day I spoke with Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a post appeared in the Facebook group, CatCentric, asking if the members allowed their cats up on counters and if it's an acceptable behavior.

As it turned out, the question drew over 265 comments within 24 hours, so clearly it's a hot topic. The comments covered a broad spectrum of opinions from "Never, Gross, Unsanitary" … to "It's their home and they do as they please que sera, sera attitude" … and all points in between.