A Special Visit to a Special Friend of Cats
Last weekend I took a 250-mile road trip from Maine to Connecticut to visit my good friend and fellow cat blogger, Robin Olson of Covered in Cat Hair. Why? Not just for spits and giggles. First of all, I wanted to visit with Robin and Sam because they’re awesome. Secondly, I wanted to meet the litter of six kittens whose antics I’ve been following on her blog and Facebook page — one of whom is named after my sweet, beloved Dahlia. (By the way, they’re almost ready for their forever homes, so go to Kitten Associates and fill out an adoption application if you’re interested!) And finally, there’s another cat who’s been in Robin’s care…
How Can An Outdoor Cat Be Happy Indoors?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: My name is Shadow, and I’m a 1-year-old male cat. My parents recently moved to an apartment in a new neighborhood. When we were at the old house, I was allowed to go outside, but the new apartment is in an area where it’s not safe for kitties, so I have to stay inside now. I’ve been meowing at the windows a lot and it’s making my parents very upset. Their apartment gets really warm, but they’re afraid to leave the windows open to cool it off. We live on the second floor and the landlord doesn’t have screens in the windows, so they’re worried that if the windows…
Why Does My Cat Knock Over Her Water Dish?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: I adopted a sweet little female kitty in the fall. She has quirky little rituals which are very cute, and … well, very quirky, especially with her food and water. After she’s done eating, or if she doesn’t want to eat when you put her food down, she will “cover it up.” She walks around tbe bowl and paws around it like she’s covering her litter. I’ve read this is a trait from the wild. Is it a habit I can break or should I just let her do this? A few times she has dragged kitchen towels out of the kitchen and also covered her food/water with them. Also, she constantly knocks over her water bowl….
Four Paws Up for “Cat Daddy”
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that a memoir by Jackson Galaxy, America’s favorite “cat daddy,” went on sale today. In Cat Daddy: What the World’s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love and Coming Clean, Jackson is brutally honest about his struggles with addiction — and his simultaneous struggles to figure out the behavior of his cat, Benny, whom he sometimes refers to as the original cat from hell. I was fortunate to get an advance review copy of the book. As soon as I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. Jackson does a lot more than tell his story: he paints a picture of life in…
My Cat Is Always Sneezing. Help!
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: My cat Mary is sneezing and sneezing. Sometimes she has a clear runny nose. The vet has treated her with three different types of antibiotics, and has even given her steroids and an allergy shot — and she’s still sneezing! She was tested for feline leukemia and FIV, and both tests were negative. I had a scope put up her nose to see if there was anything in there that was causing irritation. The vet found nothing, and Mary is still sneezing. Any ideas? ~ Sharon Siouxsie: You’ve certainly done all the right things, Sharon, and we commend you for that. This must be tremendously frustrating for you and…
In Loving Memory
Farewell, Sweet Dahlia
It took a lot of consultation between the vet and a very kind pathologist at IDEXX Labs to come to Dahlia’s diagnosis, “atypical large-cell lymphoma.” Considering that she hadn’t been responding to the steroids (which generally help cats with lymphoma) and that her lungs were still filling with fluid, and that the mass was getting larger, the vet didn’t hold out much hope. Honestly, neither did I. Dahlia hadn’t been enjoying life like she used to, she wouldn’t eat unless I helped her, and she always looked uncomfortable. I knew I was going to have to do the humane thing and say goodbye to my sweet baby girl. I had planned to take her in…
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My Cat Is Freaking Out. Is She In Heat?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: My feamle kitten won’t stop meowing and moaning, she won’t play much and constantly cleans her genitala area. I heard that this could be something to do with her looking for male cats but I am worried. If this is the case, will her being spayed resolve the situation? ~Nikki Siouxsie: Well, Nikki, cats in heat (looking for males to mate) do some pretty bizarre things, and among those are incessant meowing and moaning. Check out this video to see an Oriental cat in heat (Oriental breeds like Siamese tend to be the loudest and most raucous when they’re horny.) Thomas: Female cats in heat also tend to roll…
I Think My Vet Killed My Cat. What Do I Do?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: A young calico was roaming the neighborhood and naturally found me. She seemed to have been an indoor/outdoor cat as she would walk in the house without hesitation. She would allow heself to be petted on her terms and it seemed to me that she that could be placed in the proper home. My husband took her to our vet for test and shots. He was told it took three people to hold her enough to draw the blood and give the shots. They sent home the Advantage and said they could not apply it. She did not eat for two days and hid. She never acted normal and…
My Cat Has a Hacking Cough. Is It Hairballs?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: I am concerned about my cat. She hates being groomed. She has long hair and frequently licks herself and my other cat. I do not see any hair in her stool, but she does at times have a hacking type cough. My friend says this is due to hairballs. Do I need to take my cat to a vet? How is this treated? ~ Jack Siouxsie: Well, Jack, a lot of people find it hard to tell the difference between a cat getting ready to yack up a hairball and one that is coughing. Thomas: The biggest difference is that if the cat is working on a hairball, eventually…
Can A Cat Get Hepatic Lipidosis Twice?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: My cat had hepatic lipidosis about 8 months ago and successfully recovered. The last few days I’ve noticed that he isn’t eating very much. Last night I started force feeding him with some Hill’s a/d food I had from when he was sick. He is still eating some dry food though. My question is, can a cat that recovered from lipidosis, get it again? ~ Janet Siouxsie: Yes, a cat can get hepatic lipidosis more than once. But even if your kitty doesn’t have lipidosis this time, it’s very important that you get him to a vet right away. Any time a cat has a change in appetite, it’s…
Are There Any Cat-Safe Toilet Cleaners
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: My cats have always liked drinking from the toilet. If I close the lid, they will yell at me and be sure I don’t repeat this terrible offense. I have regular bowls around the house that I change everyday, but they hardly use them. My problem is that I want to clean the toilet with a chemical of some kind to keep it clean and germ -free, but I don’t want to use something that will get them sick. Can you help? ~ Nick Siouxsie: Honestly, I’ll never understand why some cats like drinking from the toilet! Thomas: Isn’t it gross enough that we have to clean our bottoms with our tongues? Why would…
Is Your Cat Fixed? You Could Win Cool Cat Stuff!
This contest is now closed. The entry deadline was 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. Thank you to the 147 responsible pet caretakers who commented on this post and showed their love for their feline friends! Is your cat spayed or neutered? Well, we’ve got a reward for you! In honor of World Spay Day, the Paws and Effect Gang has decreed that I should offer responsible cat caretakers the opportunity to win a wonderful prize. You may recall all the buzz about Gracey, The Tiniest Tiger, one of the gang’s favorite cat conservation advocates, and her appearance (along with celebrity cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy) at a super-special-secret pre-Oscars Red Carpet party last…