EVERYDAY CAT CARE

Boxes, paper grocery bags, a shelf in a linen closet…if it’s a tight fit, your cat will like squeezing herself into it. The sense of security derived by felines in a close space is so strong that cats who are given a box when they arrive at a shelter calm down by day 2, according to a study conducted by researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. It takes a full week to calm down for newly arrived cats who are not given boxes.
The boxes don’t just provide a sense of security. They also help a cat keep warm; felines like indoor temperatures higher than we do, as we said on page 1. And they like having their abdominal organs covered by curling up into a ball. It makes them feel safer from injury.

Q: Sometimes a mouse ends up in our basement, and the chase is on! When our cat finally catches up with it, she kills it. But instead of trying to eat it, she brings it upstairs and lays it right in front of me. What’s her point? Is she trying to show me what a skilled hunter she is? Or is she simply sharing her excitement about getting to exercise her predatory drive?
Bridgette Manes
Essex, Connecticut

If your cat has been trying to urinate more frequently and straining in the process yet does not test positive for any disease that could lead to such symptoms, she may have what some veterinarians have historically referred to as feline idiopathic cystitis. It’s an illness diagnosed by veterinarians when they can find no other cause for the problem, which may also include leaving streams or puddles of urine outside the litter box and perhaps even urine tainted by blood.

You’re petting your cat and notice that he’s drooling along with fluttering his eyelids. Or he starts drooling while kneading you. Is something wrong?

If you’re a cat in a windowless shelter, watching prey like birds or rodents scramble across a screen might be a good distraction. Research has indicated that cats in such situations enjoy having their boredom broken up with videos of varmints, fish, and the like. Older cats who can’t move around nimbly or who have failing eyesight might also benefit from apps or videos that showcase other animals.

If you have a short-haired cat, brushing once a week will generally do the trick. Try using a metal comb, and work in the direction your cat’s hair grows. Another option for short-haired cats, especially when it comes to removing dead fur: a rubber brush.

You love your cat and let him get up close even though having him around makes your eyes water, your nose run, or your throat scratchy. You’re not alone. About 10 percent of the U.S. population has a pet allergy, with twice as many people allergic to cats as to dogs, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. With an estimated 47 million cat-owning households in the U.S., that’s a lot of discomfort endured in the name of feline love.

We’ve all seen it—cats rubbing their cheeks or chins along furniture legs or your own face or other part of your body. What’s it about?
It’s called bunting, and it has several possible reasons, all related to the fact that cats have scent glands around their faces—their ears and neck as well as their cheeks and chins. In other words, when a cat engages in bunting, it leaves an odor.

Q: We live in an area that has very hard water. Would it be better to give our cats distilled water instead of tap water? Our two felines are 1½-year-old healthy females.
Roberta Mure
Mayville, New York

Q: I’ve noticed that in readying herself to pounce on something, my cat lifts her rump and then wiggles it. What’s that about?
Ivy Zaccheus
Carlisle, Mssachusetts

As a rule, we are against putting your cat in a costume to mark a holiday. She has no idea what a holiday signifies. And she may be so unnerved by being put in fabric that she will freeze in place, not knowing how to move about. That said, some mellow cats don’t mind having clothing on them. Although they don’t get it, you can dress up your pet for a photo op without upsetting them.

Flea- and tick-borne diseases are on the rise throughout the country, according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council. And they are causing more cases of Lyme disease and other serious illnesses, not just in us but also in our pets. “That includes cats who never go outside,” says Tufts Veterinary dermatologist Ramón Almela, DVM. “When you or your dog comes in from outdoors, they can jump off and grab a ride on your feline friend.”