CAT OWNERSHIP

Q: There’s a building with an apartment available that I’d like to move into, and I’ve seen cats in some of the windows. But when I went to sign the lease it had a “no pets allowed” clause, and the fine print didn’t list any exceptions. I have held off but am figuring that since I’ve already seen cats there, bringing my own will just be a form of jaywalking and I won’t have any problems. What do you think?

If you’re in the mood to pay your cat some nice attention with stroking and cooing, it might not be the right time. You have to wait till he’s in the mood. Never try to chase or otherwise pursue your pet in a bid for togetherness. It will backfire.

It can be hard to find room in the house for all your cat’s stuff: scratching post, food and water bowls, toys, bed, litter boxes. Many people relegate many or all of those resources to a back hallway, a staircase landing, or a mudroom off the kitchen. It’s understandable. It keeps the items close by yet more or less out of sight. But from your cat’s point of view, narrow areas like that make unnerving choices.

It’s often said that the best life for a pet cat is entirely indoors because that will keep her safest. But the new 2024 Position Statement on indoor/outdoor lifestyle from the American Academy of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) makes it clear that the truth is more nuanced.

Grief shared is grief abated.