Can Cats Spread Bed Bugs?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: Can cats carry bed bugs, and if they can, how do you get rid of them on the cat? The place where I’m staying has bed bugs and I have three cats. ~ Jammie Siouxsie: Well, Jammie, bed bugs sure are a drag, and they’re the just about single biggest pain-in-the-tail pest of modern life in the U.S. But the good news is that no, your cats will not carry or spread bed bugs. Thomas: Bed bugs generally don’t live on their hosts. They hide in cracks and crevices and come out at night to feed. Once they’ve eaten their fill, they hop off again and go about their nasty business…
Why Is My Cat Scared of Her Toys?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: My cat is approximately 5 years old. I adopted her from the ASPCA over a year ago. She seems to be afraid of her toys — the ones with little stuffed animals or feathers hanging from sticks — and runs away when I try to play with her. She prefers to pounce on my arm and grip it, play biting it. How can I make sure she is getting enough stimulation and exercise without sacrificing my arm? ~ Maureen Siouxsie: This is an odd situation, Maureen, but we think we can help. We cats do love to play, but there’s a right way and a not-so-right way to play…
Please Help Us Win A Readers’ Choice Award
We’re going to take a break from our usual advice-dispensing ways today because we want to ask for your help. About.com is currently accepting nominations for its Readers’ Choice Awards, and we’d really, really like to get one. Through Feb. 15, About.com is seeking nominations for hundreds of award categories, and we want to be a finalist for the Best Website About Cats. The more nominations we get, the better our chances of being selected by About.com’s cat experts to be one of the five finalists. April 2012 will mark the ninth anniversary of Paws and Effect. That’s right, nine years of answering letters from readers every single week. We’re delighted that we’re starting to…
Should I Trim My Cat’s Burned Whiskers?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: Last night I found my 18-year-old cat, Pinky-Boy in front of our space heater, and his whiskers and “eyebrows” are now severely burnt from standing that close. He’s going blind, so maybe he just didn’t realize where he was. I know the space heater seems like a safety hazard, but we have three other cats, and nothing like this has ever happened before. But yes, the heater is now out of reach from Pinky. Anyways, back to my question: can I cut off the burnt edges of his whiskers? I know that whiskers are very sensitive, but because they are so burnt, could the ends be cut? Thank you so much! ~…
Why Are My Male Cats Mounting Each Other?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: I have two male cats. They are brothers but from different litters and this started when they were younger (well on my male cat’s part anyway). My male cat is always trying to “hump” my sister’s male cat. I thought it was because he wasn’t getting to go outside as much as he wanted and so I allowed him to stay out as long as he wanted and hoped that it would help but he does even more so now. I mean he is literally (or so it seems) trying to mate with the male cat. I know that having him fixed might help a little bit but I…
More Than Meets The Camera: An Interview with Jackson Galaxy
We’re so very excited! Yesterday we got to interview the awesome Jackson Galaxy, star of the Animal Planet series My Cat From Hell, whose second season premieres Saturday, January 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. Ooh, that’s four days from now! Our tails are twitching with anticipation! But there’s a lot more to Jackson than his TV show. He’s a musician, author, entrepreneur, and a passionate advocate for stray and feral cats. Check out our conversation with America’s favorite cat counselor. The Paws and Effect Gang: How did you get into working with cats? Jackson Galaxy: It was kind of accidental. I started working at the shelter because I was working as a musician…
My Cat Is Borderline Diabetic. What Do I Do?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: I have a 7-year old Siamese mix cat who came to my house as a starving kitten. She was terified of humans, but hunger won out, and after many weeks she allowed me to pet her. I brought her inside where she has stayed since then. She only likes dry food, except for tidbits of chicken which I give her for good behavior. She was drinking lots of water and peeing massive amounts, so I took her to the vet about two weeks ago and had a metabolic panel done. It turns out she is borderline diabetic, and the vet put her on Hill’s Prescription diet m/d for weight…
