Talk to Your Cat!

I cannot stress enough how important it is to talk to your cat and to let them know what is going on. You’re going to working in the morning, so tell your cat you’re leaving for work, you’ll be back around a certain time and, give your cat a job to do, even if it’s just to have a couple of naps while you’re out. You know your cat, what are they good at? Keeping order amongst the animals or keeping the bed warm for you until you come home? Whatever it is, your cat would like to serve a purpose in your home, and if it’s just to keep you company, that can be the “job” assigned. 

Do think about the job you are giving your cat though. I used to ask mine to “look after things” while I was out or overnight while I was asleep. Unfortunately, I had a recently burglary while I was at home watching TV downstairs and someone broke in through an upstairs window. My cat was upstairs at the time and I’m quite sure she saw the person. However, for the rest of the night and the next day she was very depressed, and I had to explain to her that it was okay and that she was not responsible. I think she felt badly because she didn’t “keep an eye on things”. Fortunately, she brightened up significantly and is now her old self again after I explained things. So do be careful on the job you assign, make it something realistic.

If you’re going to be away and someone is coming to look after the cat, please explain what is going on before the person arrives and again when you’re leaving. If someone is coming to stay, tell the cat. If you’re moving house, getting new furniture, having a baby, getting another cat, repainting a room, anything at all, please tell your cat.

All that I have mentioned above should be applied to any animal in your houehold. Keep them informed, please. You don’t have to take my word for it, there is some much information out there that you can do your own research on the subject too. Happy pet = happy household!

Kitty Language

Cats tend to communicate with each other using body language more than vocalisation, so it’s very imporant to learn how to read your cat. Learn to recognise that tail twitch that means they’re getting a little agitated and it’s time to stop rubbing their belly or scratching their ears.

Meowing is largely for communication with us humans, and we quickly learn what each one means if we listen to the different inflections and volumes. You know exactly when your kitty is hungry or wants you to open the door so’s they can come inside.

Learning body language is equally, if not more, important as many a painful scratch can be avoided. It’s also useful if you have a multi-cat household as you can learn to recognise when a disagreement might be in the offing between two cats and evasive action can be taken.

It is worth your while to pay attention and learn when your cat is afraid, apprehensive, protective, agitated, wanting to pick a fight or just ready for a cuddle.

Cats & Change

As a rule, cats do not like change. Whether it be re-arrangement of the living room furniture, a move to a new house, the addition or removal of a pet, or even a different human in the house, some cats just don’t like it and take a long time to adapt to the new scenario.

A change in the household can result in a change of behaviour in your cat. It may stop using the litterbox, it might start spraying (yes, even neutered cats, male and female, can spray), it may disappear for long periods of time or just go into hiding in a closet, any number of unwanted and unexpected behaviours may occur when a change in the household is thrust upon your cat.

In the case of a death within the household, there is frequently little or no warning whether human or animal, but it can be just as devastating for your cat as it can be for you, so be aware of the fact that your cat may be grieving. There are homeopathic remedies that can be used quite successfully to help a cat overcome the loss of a loved one, but giving your cat lots of love and respect is also very helpful.

Your cat may not appreciate your longer working hours, so having someone visit during the day or popping home for a brief visit at lunch time can help your cat settle in to the new routine. Talking to your cat, explaining what is happening (ideally ahead of time) and lots of patience can go a long way to a smooth transition. 

Getting upset at your cat will only make matters worse. The unwanted behaviour is your cat’s way of telling you that it’s not happy with the new arrangement and, with patience, most cats will settle in, but for some it is just too much to bear. So as with most things involving cats, patience, patience, patience, but don’t forget communication.

Kitten Play

You’ve got your kitten and it’s just adorable, so cute with those big ears and huge eyes. How can you possibly resist? Well, you can’t, but getting play sessions right from the start will save lots of fingers and toes down the line.

At 2 or 3 months of age, a kitten chewing on your fingers and toes is just plain cute. It’s not particularly painful, just adorable, but when kitty’s baby teeth are replaced by adult teeth, that story changes. It’s downright painful. So the rule of thumb is never allow your kitten to play with your fingers and toes, always with a safe toy.

Kittens generally will play with just about anything, but again, choose your toys carefully. Whatever you allow your kitten to play with sets it up for being an okay toy as the kitten matures and becomes an adult cat. Think about it.

There are so many cat and kitten toys available for purchase, you can make toys and exciting places for your kitten to keep itself entertained safely. A cardboard box is always a hit, with or without holes cut into it. Anything dangling is going to be very appealing to your kitten, so make sure that electrical cables are out of the way. If you don’t want your curtains shredded, tuck them out of the way for the first few months too.

Remember that lots of popular house plants are poisonous to cats, and your little kitten, just like a child, will chew on everything, especially when it’s teething, so be proactive and keep your kitten safe, happy and healthy from the moment you welcome that little darling into your home and your life.

What to Expect from Your Senior Cat

Your vet would probably define a senior cat as one over 10 years of age, but nowadays cats easily live into their late teens and even into their twenties, particularly indoor cats, so chances are that if you have a cat, you will see it become an adult, a senior and even a geriatric cat.

Like humans, as a cat ages, it will become less active and sleep more, but this does not mean that your cat must be confined to the floor and low pieces of furniture. It is very easy to put in little ramps here and there, or move a low table next to a higher chair so that the cat has access to places that have been their favourites for many years.

As your cat ages, regulation of it’s body temperature becomes less efficient. You wonder how your cat can lie in the sun for hours on end, or in front of the fire, even with that thick coat of fur, well it just wants to be warm and cozy, so leaving your cat outside in cold or wet weather is downright cruel and unkind. If you know bad weather is coming, it might be a good idea to keep the cat indoors until it has passed - this applies to any cat but particularly a senior.

Senior cats can develop dementia which, as one would expect, can include unusual and slightly bizarre behaviours. They may have trouble finding their litterbox, food and water bowls, or just wake up and not know where they are, or where the humans of the household are. Blood curdling yowling becomes a factor at any time of the day or night. Once your vet has diagnosed dementia, keep an eye out for these behaviours. They are just part of it and making exceptions for the odd miss at the litterbox is part of the package. You can both still have wonderful and meaningful times together as your cat ages.

Food can become an issue if your cat has tooth problems, perhaps even loses a few, making it difficult to eat hard foods. It’s very easy to create your own cat food too once you have a blender and the time to prepare it, ideally fresh each day, but there are so many canned options available that finding something suitable should not be a problem. I am currently hand feeding a cat thinly sliced (like matchsticks) pieces of raw chicken one piece at a time as it is all that she can manage. She still eats a lot, but needs extra time and attention in preparation and consumption. She’s happy, I’m happy.

Older cats also tend to drink less water, so making sure that there is always lots of fresh water around, and perhaps giving some wet food as well, are simple ways to help with this issue. This is when kidney problems may start to develop too, so making sure there is plenty of water available is really important.

Your senior cat may not be too interested in playing, or just in short bursts, but they will still crave your touch and attention, and many senior cats become much more loving towards their human, enjoying being in close proximity. This is when some people think of getting a kitten into the household “to brighten up their sleepy senior”. Know your cat very well before you do this. I would not do that to my senior as I know she would not appreciate it, and it would just become very distressful for her, so know your cat before you make this undertaking. It is not fair to either your senior or the kitten to go through the introductions, etc and then have to rehome the kitten at a later date because your older cat is not happy.

Enjoy these years, they are very special!