Dear Sinéad, Siouxsie and Thomas:
I need some advice. I have a one-year-old cat, female. She's half
Russian Blue, half whatever else, and she's amazing. The problem
I have is the following: I work a lot-- leave the house at 09:30
a.m. and come back at 22:30 [note to our American readers: Mama
says this means 10:30 p.m.]. I guess cat is asleep all that
time I'm at work. When I come home I play with her, and talk to
her and everything. But then she wakes me up at 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
every night. First she only wanted to get some cuddles and petting,
but now she bites me after she decides she's had enough, without
any warning so I can stop, then she runs away, and throws things
on the floor and makes a lot of noise. The only way to calm her
down is to close her in a separate room for a 20 min. Then, when
she comes out she comes to sleep, and if not, doesn't make such
noise. I hate to shut her in there, but I can't play with her at
3 a.m.! Please, tell me what I can do.
Regards,
Yulia
Sinéad: Yulia, it sounds to me like what you're dealing with is a bored and lonely cat.
Siouxsie: There are some things you can do to help your cat and to give yourself a decent night's sleep.
Thomas: We've all heard the stereotype of the independent, aloof cat. We cats aren't supposed to care whether humans are around or not. But really, that just isn't true! We get lonely and depressed when we spend a lot of time by ourselves...especially those of us who are Oriental or Russian Blue-type cats, who tend to be very people-oriented as a breed.
Sinéad: We do tend to sleep 16 to 18 hours a day, particularly if we've got nothing to keep us busy. But what that means is that when there IS something to do, we're wide awake and ready to play.
Siouxsie: If it's feasible for you (you can afford it, your housing situation allows it, etc.), the best solution would be to get your current cat a friend. Usually a younger cat of the opposite sex will have the best possible relationship with your current resident.
Thomas: Having another cat friend around will keep your first cat entertained while you're away. It will relieve her of loneliness and boredom, and it will help her to be less dependent on you for all of her entertainment and snuggling needs.
Sinéad: If you go this route, we recommend that you "foster" the second cat and make sure that he and your current resident will get along well. Once it looks like the relationship will work out OK, then you can adopt permanently.
Siouxsie: There are many wonderful books and online resources with information on how best to introduce a new cat into your household. If you want to know about some of these, please check out our Recommended Reading page and the Links page.
Thomas: If adopting another cat is not an option for you, then you need to find ways to keep your cat stimulated while you're away from home. You can leave a radio on (tuned to a station that plays a variety of mellow music and perhaps a talk show or two, not heavy metal or hip-hop, please) at a low volume. Leave your window blinds open so your cat can look out--especially if you have a back yard where birds or other animals might come to visit.
Sinéad: There are cat entertainment videotapes or DVDs you can buy, too. Mama's never used these, but she knows of cat boarding facilities where the cat videos are played all day.
Siouxsie: You can purchase toys your cat can play with by herself, too. These are great because they allow your cat to exercise her hunting and playing instincts (the same ones that make her bite your hands and pounce on your feet) and keep her intellectually stimulated. Examples of these include rolling treat balls, hollow spheres which you put kitty snacks into. When the cat bats the ball, treats drop out of it at random intervals.
Thomas: Any kind of toy that makes crinkly noises or seems to move "by itself" or at random patterns will stimulate your cat's mind and make her excited to "hunt" for her prey.
Sinéad: Here are some types of toys that could help keep your kitty happy. I found these items at a U.S.-based website, Drs. Foster and Smith, but most of these should be available at your local pet store. Please note that these links are provided only to give examples of such toys, and should not be taken as an endorsement of a particular retailer or product.
Siouxsie: So, here are some entertainment ideas to get you started. And we sure hope Mama's listening, because we just made our birthday gift list. Mama? Mama....
Thomas: Another thing that will help, Yulia, is if you consistently reinforce that the bed is only for mellow, low-key actitivies--no fighting, no clawing, just resting and cuddling and purring.
Sinéad: That's right. When you play with your cat, make sure you play some place other than the bedroom. And a good 20-minute play session each day after work will help your cat get out a lot of her hunting and high-energy instincts. There are some wonderful cat toys that are great for this purpose. The Cat Teaser and Da Bird come highly recommended, as do laser pointers (but don't shine that laser in kitty's eye). Of course, my favorite toy is just a good, old-fashioned long shoestring.
Siouxsie: We hope this helps, Yulia. It's hard enough having to work 13 hours a day without coming home to a cat who wants to wake you up to play all night long! Please let us know how things go; we'd love to hear back from you.
Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.
