Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
What causes a cat’s fur to stay wet after they groom themselves? The cat also has a fishy smell on her breath. (She doesn’t eat anything fishy.)
~ Emily
Siouxsie: Emily, one of the reasons our fur stays wet for a little while after we groom ourselves is because saliva is a main component of our grooming.
Thomas: Also, we cats don’t sweat, so it’s important for us to have a way to keep ourselves cool. By dampening ourselves with our saliva, the evaporation of that saliva helps to cool us down on hot days.
Dahlia: But we do want to talk a bit more about your cat’s fishy breath. Continue reading »
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
My 4-month-old kitten, Marcel, has been a real problem boy: biting, scratching, attacking, etc. I know this is kitten play, and they are trainable, but I’ve tried out all the advice I’ve read about and nothing is working.
He doesn’t mind the spray bottle. Hissing at him sometimes works but sometimes gets him more excited and agitated, making for crazier attacks. I try to stay calm and tell him “no” but it’s hard when he’s just inflicted a wound. I never play with him with my fingers, and I’ve provided many toys. Marcel was found at only a couple of weeks old, without a mother. He’s adorable, but a such a brat! Will he just grow out of it? Will neutering help? I’m tired of mopping up my own blood.
~Belle
Siouxsie: Well, Belle, it sounds like there are a couple of issues here: First, Marcel is of an age where this kind of play is normal, but he’s carrying it out a way that hurts you. Second, as an orphaned and bottle-raised kitten he never had a chance to learn “cat manners.” But we think we can help you. Continue reading »
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
We are going to have to give our beloved cats, Kala and Bansi, away because we are going to Afghanistan to work with an NGO on a humanitarian relief project. We really want to give my cats to my father-in-law, who lives in a different country, because we know he adores animals and will move heaven and earth to take care them. This is a home where pets are in charge and cosseted in the most shameful ways, and I know that if they can adapt to their new life, their living situation will be superior to the cramped life of a New York apartment cat.
The problem is that he lives in a large house with an open floor plan and an interior patio and many places that lead directly outside. There is no way to keep them locked in the house until they adapt to their surroundings unless they get locked up in a small bedroom, the only room that you can close off completely. I’m afraid that if they’re put in this room they’ll be alone and suffer and never want to stay once they’re let out. But if they’re allowed to wander free, I’m afraid they’ll run off in terror and never be seen again. How can I get my two house cats to acclimate themselves to a completely new environment, in a new country where they can wander out of the house at will?
~Alexandra
Siouxsie: First of all, Alexandra, we think it’s wonderful that you’re going to a country where there’s such great need and where you’re going to do work that has such benefit. It’s too bad you can’t take your cats with you, but we hear Afghanistan is scary for kitties! It sounds like you’re doing your best to make sure they have a wonderful home, and we think we have some tips that will help your kitties to settle in at your father-in-law’s home. Continue reading »
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
My beloved 8-year-old cat, Spinx, had closed pyometra in April of of this year. We didn’t know that; we had taken her in for a lump we found near her nipple. The vet said the lump might be breast cancer, but the pyometra was more serious. He said do the surgery for that first and then deal with the lump and that’s what we did. The surgery went well and she came home and within 2 days was back to normal.
A couple of weeks later her breathing changed and she stopped eating drinking and going to the bathroom. When we took her to the vet, he said we had to put her down because she was dying and he said she had cancer all over. Wouldn’t the vet have known that when he did the surgery for the pyometra? I’m heartbroken for the loss of my best friend. Can you give my any information about this?
~Claudia
Siouxsie: We’re terribly sorry for your loss, Claudia, and we’re sorry that your last two weeks with your beloved Spinx were so traumatic. We do have some answers that might set your heart at ease — at least as far as how your vet responded to your cat’s illnesses. Continue reading »
