Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie:
I have a 10-year-old female cat, who has always been everything to me and I to her. Recently I got 3 hamsters, which she wasn't so happy about, but I was pretty sure everything would be OK between them since the hamsters are caged. About a week ago, we got a 1-month-old puppy, which the cat REALLY isn't happy about. Well, it could be worse. She hisses and growls at him a lot (a bit less by the day), and twice tried to hit him. I cut her nails and we try to slowly and gradually let her make the moves to approach him. I'm just wondering if you have any tips, and I do know these things take time.

Thank you so much in advance,
Londonmoon

Sinéad: Wow, your old kitty friend has undergone a lot of changes recently! Considering all the new additions to your family, I think she's doing pretty well with all of it.

Siouxsie: It will take a while for her to get used to the dog, especially if she hasn't had a dog in her life before.

Sinéad: Cats and dogs have very different body language, and it will take some time for them to be able to establish clear communication and boundaries.

Siouxsie: Our first suggestion is that you make sure that your lovely cat friend has safe places she can go. If she has a room where none of the other animals are allowed, she'll feel a lot better.

Sinéad: Mama says there's a thing called a baby gate, which would be perfect for keeping a bumbly puppy out of a room and letting a cat get in. The cat can jump over the gate, but the dog can't. That way, the cat can come and go as she pleases, but she's safe from the dog's advances.

Siouxsie: Mama also says that baby gates are good for keeping puppies confined in one room while they learn their doggie potty training. That way you only have to clean up dog pee and poop from one room instead of all over the place.

Sinéad: Why dogs don't understand simple, basic things like doing their business in a place where it can be covered is beyond me.

Siouxsie: Dogs! They're so unevolved!

Sinéad: That's not quite fair, Siouxsie. Once a dog understands where it's appropriate to do its business, it's pretty good about doing so. Just look at Aki . . .

Siouxsie: Can you imagine how big a litterbox a giant dog like Aki would need? Aki's almost as tall as Mama when she stands on her hind legs.

Sinéad: Back to the point . . . Londonmoon, your cat friend is probably feeling some jealousy now that she's got four new animal friends sharing your heart.

Siouxsie: Make sure you give your cat plenty of love and affection. That's even more important than having space.

Sinéad: If your cat is used to being an "only child," she's going to need to know that she's not any less important to you now that you have a puppy (and we all know that puppies are very demanding) and three hamsters to share your house.

Siouxsie: Maybe you can allow only the cat in your bedroom. That way, she can share the bed with you and she will also know that she's well within her rights to defend "her" space from canine and rodent intruders.

JaneA: The baby gate will make this possible without inconveniencing you too much. There are baby gates that have latches and hinged doors, which will make it easier for you to open and close them. This is the kind I'd recommend. Good luck, Londonmoon.

Sinéad: Now, on a different subject: We've been getting lots of letters from people with cats who are having issues with peeing and pooping in inappropriate places, like in the living room or on the bed.

Siouxsie: Of course, we've never done that.

JaneA: Ahem . . .

Siouxsie: Well, not recently, anyway!

Sinéad: Inappropriate bathroom habits are the most common behavior complaint among people who share their houses with cats.

Siouxsie: Three weeks ago, we answered a letter from Tarah, who was getting quite upset because her cat, Pandora, was pooping in the living room, in her bed, and on her clothing. Tarah had already taken Pandora to the vet--this is our first recommendation when behavior problems crop up--where she got a clean bill of health. She was worried that she'd have to get rid of Pandora because this problem was irritating her whole family.

Sinéad: We gave her some advice about what might trigger this behavior in cats, and what she might be able to do to stop the behavior.

Siouxsie: Apparently, however, our wise advice didn't produce the desired results.

Sinéad: In desperation, Tarah consulted an animal communicator. The animal communicator talked with Pandora and found out that Pandora hated her name. Pandora's animal housemates had pretty names, and she was jealous because she thought her name was ugly. When the animal communicator asked Pandora what she'd prefer to be called, Pandora said she wanted to be called Lily. She agreed that if Tarah and her human friends would call her Lily, she wouldn't poop in the wrong places anymore.

Siouxsie: It's been two weeks since this consultation, and apparently Pan--I mean Lily--hasn't pooped in the living room once!

Sinéad: It just goes to show that seemingly insignificant things can have a profound effect on a cat's behavior.

Siouxsie: I can relate to the name thing, though. Mama was going to call me Maréid at first, because it rhymed with Sinéad. Thank Bast she changed her mind! What kind of wimpy-pants name is Maréid, anyway?

JaneA: It's an Irish name, and it also happens to be the name of an Irish singer with a beautiful voice--Maréid ni Mhaonaigh of the band Altan.

Siouxsie: I still like Siouxsie better.

JaneA: I had come to that conclusion.

Sinéad: The moral of this story is, if your animal friend has a problem behavior that won't go away in spite of all your efforts at discipline or calming or cleaning, and a vet checkup reveals that there is no underlying health problem, a talk with an animal communicator can really help to solve a problem!

Siouxsie: She's not just saying that because Mama's an animal communicator, either. There are a bunch of good animal communicators in Maine and all across the country.

Sinéad: We remember our chat with Judy. We liked her!

Siouxsie: Yeah. She was cool, even though she lives with birds and doesn't even attempt to eat them.

Sinéad: Well, that's all the news for this week. If you have any questions for us, please feel free to e-mail us!

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.