Does Your Cat Eat Weird Stuff?

Does your cat or kitten eat non food items, a condition called “pica”? This is not a good thing, but it is a more common problem than you may think.

This behaviour is most frequently found in kittens, particularly those of Asian breeds, such as Siamese. It is thought that it develops in kittens that have been taken away from their mother at too young an age or that have that genetic tendency, and they will continue to “suckle” on a suitable item in the absence of the mother cat - wool, a piece of clothing, towel. The behaviour will most likely continue throughout the cat’s life. 

Suckling on the item is not particularly harmful, and using a deterent or making access to interesting items difficult, takes care of that. There is no “cure” as such, but lack of access and deterents work well. Mixing about 10 drops of eucalyptus or citrus oil with water in a spray bottle and spraying the item works well to keep kitty off. Be careful not to spray kitty!

If pica (the term used for the condition) develops in your adult cat, this is more unusual and can be an indicator of a medical problem, so a trip to the vet is your first step. Once the cat gets a clean bill of health, making things inaccessible and unappealing to kitty are your lines of defense. 

If your feline is actually eating the item, this is way more dangerous and can cause serious digestive issues including blockages, so this behaviour must be nipped in the bud - get those interesting bits of clothing out of kitty’s reach. But pica is not limited to clothing, cats may start eating plastic bags (had a recent client with this issue), shower curtains, electrical cords or any number of non food items.

Outside of medical issues, the adult cat may develop pica because it is bored or lonely, so giving kitty some extra attention and play time may help solve the problem. You know your cat best…is it lonely and would a companion be helpful? Not all adult cats welcome a new member of the species to the family and are much happier as the only feline in the household.

Cat Trees

There are countless different cat trees on the market today, each supposedly better than the other, and many people will buy one because they think it’s cute or will fit into the space they have in mind or it’s the right price, without considering if the cat will use it. So many people will buy one and then grumble that kitty doesn’t like it. So here are some guidelines to keep in mind before making that purchase.

The first thing to figure out is what kind of surface does kitty like to pull his or her claws on - vertical or horizontal - some cats are very particular. And what covering turns them on - carpeting, the fabric of your sofa, a piece of wood, a shoe. These factors can also be very important to some cats.

The location of the cat tree is also important - there is no point putting it in one room when kitty spends most of it’s time in another. If kitty like to pull claws on your sofa, it would probably be best to locate the cat tree in that generaly vicinity, and if you need to move it to somewhere more convenient, do so slowly and gradually a few feet at a time.

Cats generally like to pull their claws on something sturdy, so bear that in mind when choosing your cat tree. Something that topples over will probably scare the poop out of the cat, and it will never go near the tree again.

Do not negate making your own tree. It’s not really that difficult or expensive, and that makes it easier to have something that blends with your decor. If you have more than one cat, you can incorporate the taste of each cat into the one tree - both a horizontal and a vertical surface, carpeting and heavy fabric and something solid like wood. A shelf for lolling, a box or cubby hole with a cut-out for viewing the kingdom. Get creative, it’s so worth it. And don’t forget that a bit of catnip to introduce kitty to the new tower goes a long way.

Indoor or Outdoor Cat

Whether to raise your new kitten or rescue cat as an indoor or outdoor cat is a big question. Sometimes there is no choice, you live in the city and indoors is the only option. My personal choice is indoors as it is much safer, and if you, the human, do your part in making your home cat friendly, an indoor cat can be a very happy, healthy and well adjusted cat.

If you live in a more rural location where there is less traffic, no predators running loose to attack your kitty, outdoors is fine too. Where I live, most cats are outdoor cats, but this is gradually changing. There is so much traffic nowadays, cats roam and come to grief with cars,  neighbouring dogs or other cats, people put out rat poison either to take care of a rat infestation or because they want to get rid of your cat, not to mention picking up ticks, fleas, cat mites, makes an indoor cat a very attractive option.

If you have an outdoor cat, spaying and neutering becomes even more important, you do not want your tom impregnating someone else’s cat, nor getting into fights with other toms in the neighbourhood. Similarly, you do not want to find yourself with a litter (or two) of unwanted kittens. Neutering and spaying is just part of being a responsible cat parent.

If you opt for having an indoor cat, try to make your home cat friendly with lots of things for kitty to do, places to sleep and hide. This does not need to be either expensive or ugly, get creative. Cats tends to like simple - look at their fascination with cardboard boxes. Shelves and ramps, tunnels and hideyholes are all things that appeal to cats generally. If you have a bit of outdoor space, you can even enclose a section of that for kitty using chicken wire (or something similar) to create kitty’s personal safe space outside, with access via a secure cat door. There are so many options, so many ideas, including for a tiny budget.

The Birthday Girl

This is a slightly different post today as I want to tell you about our cat…she just turned 18, so is definitely a senior, a lady of leisure.

Tilly came to us when she was about 10 weeks old, so I’d say we know each other pretty well. It has been a joy to have her in our lives, sharing in all the ups and downs of life.

Tilly (which is short for Tiger Lily) is a true lady, but she can totally look after herself in a spat. Nowadays, she rarely goes outside, and if she does it is just to lie in the sun on the deck. She spends most of her day either on “her” chair (pictured in the photo), on my desk or tucked in under the stairs.

For most of Tilly’s life we had another cat too, a neutered male named Taz (Tazmanian Devil). He was a bit of a bully, so on and off over the years, Tilly would go through stages of licking all of her fur off. Now, we realise that that was all about stress and maybe a bit of depression - since Taz crossed the rainbow bridge 2+ years ago, Tilly has been a picture of health. And long may it last.

I brush her regularly, an exercise which she just loves and I kinda like too, so her coat looks fabulous and glossy. Her breakfast is a small amount of milk with some chow on the side, and her dinner is tuna with chow on the side. This has basically been her food make-up for her entire life. Canned cat food just did not pass the taste test. Recently, when I have been preparing fresh fish, she has come snooping around, so I give her a very special treat of a few pieces, which she has eaten with great relish. For the first 17 years of her life she had zero interest in anything raw, so I was quite surprised when the raw fish seemed to be a hit - occasionally. And a bit of vanilla ice cream as a very special treat.

Grooming Kitty

We all want to have a great relationship with our cat companions, understanding their individual wants and needs, and grooming is just one of the great ways to gain your cat’s trust.

Aside from the practical benefits of less hair on the furniture, floor and your clothes, grooming is usually a very pleasurable experience for both cat and human, and I’m not talking about grooming for show purposes. 

If you have a long haired cat, chances are that you already do a bit of grooming to keep kitty’s fur in good shape - nobody wants to deal with matted fur. But grooming is beneficial for any cat, irrespective of their coat type.

Granted kitty may not be too keen at first, but once you go carefully and gently, and be very aware of kitty’s signals for when he or she has had enough, it will gradually become a pleasurable experience for all concerned.

Which brush or comb to choose? That’s a good question and there are dozens (if not hundreds) to choose from. Personally, I tend to go for simple and functional, and have always used a silicone brush on both my short haired and medium haired cats, plus a flea comb to tidy up loose strands and, of course, keep tabs on any fleas that may invade my cat’s coat. I like the silicone brush because it’s comfortable in my hand, it can be washed regularly, it’s gentle on my cats and it works really well.

So the brush or comb you use is very much about what’s suitable for the cat’s coat and what is comfortable for you to use. There’s no point buying the latest brush with all the bells and whistles but finding that it’s awkward in your hand. And yes, it’s possible that you may buy one and find it’s not suitable and have to go get something different, but it’ll be worth it in the end.

Vet Stress in Cats

Many cats (and their humans) get stressed when it’s time for a visit to the vet, and there’s a very simple solution out there that helps most of the time: Rescue Remedy. You can buy this in health stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, and maybe even in pet shops. A few (4) drops on your cat’s lips half an hour or so before you’re ready to load your cat into it’s basket/carrier should do the trick. However, cats are very smart, and they know when it’s time to go to the vet, so you might want to catch yours a little earlier as the Rescue Remedy will last for several hours. You can have a few drops too if you get overly stressed when taking your cat to the vet (or yourself to the doctor). And you can give him or her a few drops later in the evening after the vet visit too if it was a particularly unpleasant visit, just to seal the deal.

Rescue Remedy is a homeopathic remedy that has been around for many many years. It is one of the many Bach remedies that have been tried and tested by humans (and their pets) for donkeys (pardon the pun) years. It keeps very well, so don’t be phased by using just 4 drops at a time and having to throw out the rest. That won’t happen. Give it a try, your cat (and vet) will thank you.

A Safe Christmas for Kitty

Christmas and all the decorations and trimmings that go with it are more than appealing to cats, especially kittens and young adults. So with all that fun and frolic come the accompanying hazards, but a little forethought can make all the difference to keeping it a safe time for your cat or kitten.

The tree itself is a magnet - something to climb and hide out in and under, maybe even chew on some of the needles (if it is a real tree) or synthetic lookalikes if it is an artificial tree. Either way, your cat cannot help itself but to be drawn to this fun addition to the home. Putting a tree out of reach of the cat is not really an option, but weighing the base down can help stop it from toppling over when your kitten finds itself at the top of the tree. Some people do, however, go to great lengths to suspend the tree from the ceiling or surround it by a barrier such as portable fencing, having a very non traditional tree.

If, from past experience, you know that your cat likes to sample the needles, it might be better to keep the cat out the room entirely, use an alternative “tree” until he or she has outgrown the habit or get really creative with an alternative solution.

Decorations are also very appealing to cats, so try putting the breakable ones a bit higher up so that even if your cat does bat them, they won’t shatter when they high the ground, and put unbreakables on the bottom section of the tree. Make sure that the cords of the lights are out of sight wherever possible. Gift wrappings and ribbons can be hazardous too - chewed up ribbon in your cat’s gut is not a good thing.

If you are going out, it might be a good idea to make sure that kitty does not have access to the tree in your absence. The rule of thumb at Christmas - make sure that your cat does not have unsupervised time with the tree, especially if it is a kitten or young adult. A bit of vigilance can save your cat’s life.