By Mieshelle Nagelschneider, aka The Cat Whisperer, cat behaviourist at the Cat Behavior Clinic | Illustration by Taryn Gee
“Spraying is a major reason that cats get sent to the shelters or put out on the street. My job is to end the spraying and change the storyline. Like a director in a movie, I insist on my own ending, the happily ever-after ending with the cat and the owner staying together. And I always get my ending, because spraying is surprisingly easy to remedy.”—Mieshelle Nagelschneider in The Cat Whisperer: Why Cat’s Do What They Do and How to Get Them to Do What You Want
At The Cat Behavior Clinic I’ve performed thousands of urine spray-marking behaviour consultations by phone or video Skype. Spray-marking is one of my favourite consultations because so many cat owners have been told urine marking is an unsolvable issue. On the contrary, it’s one of the easiest behaviour issues to solve. Once the reason for the behaviour is identified and then eliminated, the urine marking can stop completely—sometimes even literally overnight. It may sound too good to be true, but as long as there is no longer a reason for spray-marking to be performed, then it shouldn’t happen, ever. In the majority of cases I’ve dealt with, it’s as simple as that.
What is urine spray-marking anyway? And why does your cat stand there with tail held high and vibrating and insist on shooting urine vertically on your curtains and what might seem like any vertical surface he or she—that’s right, females can perform the behaviour too—can find? Even once neutered or spayed, cats can still urine spray-mark for territorial reasons, though fixed or unfixed, cats generally don’t urine spray mark before they are two years of age when they move into social maturity (social maturity happens between the ages of two and four years; sexual maturity at about 6 months). In my cat behaviour book, The Cat Whisperer, I’ve devoted an entire chapter to urine spray-marking, giving answers on why cats spray urine, how to stop the behaviour, and why you need to calm down already. There are several reasons cats urine-spray mark, but for this article, I’m going to discuss the number one reason.
The #1 Reason: You have outside cats. No, really, you have outside cats!
Your cat has become aware of an outside cat’s presence and feels his territory may be under threat. This is, by far, the number one reasons my client’s cats will urine spray-mark inside the home. There can be other reasons at play, but this is the main reason in the majority of the cases I work with. Your cat seeing (or smelling) outside cats can cause him to bolster up the perimeter of his home’s territory with urine. Doors leading outside, windows, walls—any location that is perimeter-based in your home—can become a prime urine marking location. In your cat’s mind, urine marking the perimeter will help deter outside cats from crossing the territorial line— “thou shall not pass”, so to speak. Yet many cat owners will tell me they have “never, ever seen an outside cat.” I tell these clients that their cat marking in the home indicates they most likely do have an outside cat (or cats, which is usually the case) visiting their property where their cat can see them. Feral cats are actively hunting between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. and often not seen by the cat owner—but are seen by their cats. Or your cat may simply see a cat all the way across the street in the neighbour’s driveway once a week and that is enough for daily urine marking.
Think you’ve tried everything? I’m pretty sure you haven’t.
Deter Outside Cats: Make your inside cat think he is the only cat in the universe. In other words, no outside cat of any sort (stray, feral, or neighbourhood cats) should be seen or smelled by your cat. This can mean a combination of two strategies—using humane outside motion sensor cat deterrents (Cat Stop and The Scarecrow by Contech are very effective) and blocking certain windows in your home so your cat cannot see outside cats where motion sensor deterrents may not reach. Many of my clients use wax paper on certain windows to block the view in cases where their cat could still see outside cats all the way across the street.
Remove Urine Odour: Use an enzymatic or neutralizing urine cleaner and discontinue using any products that contain ammonia in your home (ammonia is a constituent of urine). My favourite urine removal products are Zero Odor and Anti-Icky-Poo.
Promote Claw Marking: Give your cat an alternative way to mark territory that doesn’t involve urine. Place cat scratching posts or corrugated cardboard scratchers right in the areas where the urine marking is occurring. This will help promote claw marking which can help take the place of urine marking behaviour. Sprinkle cat nip on cat scratch areas to entice clawing behaviour.
Promote Body Rolling: Sprinkle dried catnip in the urine marked areas to create body-rolling behaviour in your cat. Cats also mark territory by body rolling in the location they wish to “mark” and this behaviour can help take the place of urine marking behaviour.
Trigger the Prey Drive: Encourage your cat to play in the area where the urine marking is occurring by maneuvering a wand toy daily in this area. This will help change the association of what your cat does in that area. Instead of having anxiety and urine marking, he is hunting and feeling confident.
Place Food Strategically: You can also feed your cat in the urine marked areas to help change the urine marking association to an eating association. Cats tend to keep eating and urine marking areas very separate.
Encourage Facial Marking: Replace the territorial behaviour of urine marking with friendly facial marking by utilizing friendly feline pheromones found at pet stores and online. The Feliway pheromone can be very effective, especially once you eliminate the outside cat threat.
Above all, please remember that urine spray-marking is a natural behaviour. Your cat isn’t bad or trying to spite you. He is responding with his natural instincts to the environmental circumstances in which he has been placed.
Need more help? To schedule a behaviour consultation with Mieshelle Nagelschneider by phone or Skype video, please visit thecatbehaviorclinic.com.
*Medical Alert: Due to painful urination, some cats will actually urinate standing up which can look like urine spray-marking. Please be sure to work with your vet to rule out urinary health or kidney issues that can cause stand-up urination due to pain or discomfort.
In December, we had to say our final farewell to Carney, who had developed a neurological issue that caused him to lose the use of his limbs.
We decided to have our vet administer in-house euthanasia, and I insisted that our young dog Hunter be there for the experience. My husband wasn’t convinced that a dog, like humans, could understand death, nor experience closure.
When the time came, it was a beautifully bittersweet moment, with Carney surrounded by Christmas trees, flickering candles, bright twinkling lights and the companionship of our cat Buddy. In the comfort of his own home, Carney was with all those he loved and passed away peacefully in the arms of his mommy.
Hunter was present, but because he was trying to steal Carney’s pumpkin-filled send-off Kong, we put him in the yard for a while. Our vet is a sweet, soft-spoken person who made Carney extremely comfortable.
While Carney indulged in his Kong, the vet administered a strong sedative that allowed for a slow sleepiness to take hold. As Carney drifted off, I was able to tell him what a good boy he was and how much he was loved.
When he was completely asleep, the vet put him under anesthesia, waited a few moments, then administered the final dose that sent Carney across the rainbow bridge.
Not every vet who offers the choice of at-home euthanasia practices this three-step process, which provided our beloved dog — and us — the experience of such a beautiful departure. Some vets put the dog out instantly before administering the final dose. In my opinion, this can rob owners of the time they need to say goodbye.
When Hunter was allowed to return, he was quite hesitant to approach Carney. He looked up to us for guidance and I told him it was okay. He began to sniff Carney and then sniffed around his muzzle.
Then he looked up at us in what I could only describe as a combination of confusion and astonishment. His eyes opened widely and he stepped backward in retreat. I went to him, kissed him and told him it was okay.
When Hunter appeared entirely comfortable, I returned him to the yard to be with my husband as the veterinary staff removed Carney to their vehicle.
While Hunter’s reaction cut me to the core, the result was that he didn’t spend time searching the house for his missing friend, as so many dogs do when they are not allowed to join the process of saying goodbye.
Some denied this closure may engage in worrisome behaviors, such as obsessive self-grooming and barking, whining, bouts of fear-aggression, loss of appetite or even depression that can last for weeks.
When preparing to send your pet over the rainbow bridge, you may want to consider at-home euthanasia by a veterinarian with whom you have a good relationship, one who practices Fear Free medicine and is accredited by AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association).
It’s my belief that bringing Carney to the vet’s office for the procedure would have been too frightening for him. And Hunter and us would not have had the time to experience quality closure.
Karen Fazio is director of training and behavior at Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital and owner of The Dog Super Nanny in Monmouth County.
So you have kids and you want to get a cat. Well, there are certain cats that are better for kids than others. You want to make sure you find just the right cat for your children. Check out these great cat breeds for kids.
Not all cats have the right temperament for kids, so you want to make sure you find a cat that is playful and low maintenance. Here are the ones that are particularly suitable for children.
1. The American short hair – With its muscular body and short hair, this makes this cat the perfect one for kids. It’s a medium activity cat with a playful personality. It is an even tempered cat which can be very loyal, therefore developing deep relationships with the people in its life. These cats usually get along well with other animals and children too. They aren’t really up for hours of play, but they do like to play. And being short haired they don’t require a lot of grooming. So it’s an easy to care for cat who is playful, but not overly so. It would make a great addition to just about any family.
2. The Maine Coon – This is a very playful cat who loves the outdoors. If you have a place for an outdoor pen and a rambunctious group of children, then this is the perfect cat. These cats are hugely loyal cats as well, with big personalities. They are constantly moving, even in their sleep, and your kids might get a kick out of seeing the different positions they’ll find their cat in every morning. This is a sturdy cat which can get rather large, weighing around 12 pounds. They do require a little more grooming with their longer hair. Brushing a few times a week is needed.
3. The Persian cat – This is a low activity cat, so if you have more docile children this would make a great first pet. It’s like a big fluffy stuffed animal almost. They don’t demand a lot of attention, but when you’re ready to give it to them they love it. This cat is best kept indoors because of its very fluffy coat. This will keep it from getting dirt and debris in its coat. Persian cats require regular brushings, but other than that they are rather low maintenance.
4. The Siamese cat – Siamese cats are very loyal cats, making them great family animals. It might take them a while to warm up to the family as they can be shy, but they are great and will get the kids moving. With their short hair they require very little grooming, and are actually great if you’re concerned about allergies with your children as they are less likely to have an allergic reaction to these cats.
5. The Birman cat – This is a cross between a Persian and Siamese cat. It has a soft, long coat. These are very docile cats, so they are not a big hit with active children. But you’ll appreciate this cat’s ability to sit still for long periods of time when it comes time to grooming, because that will take a while. This is a hugely friendly breed of cat, though. It’s a great cat for low energy level children who will like to cuddle the cat.
6. The British short hair – This cat is very similar to the American short hair. Its muscular body and short hair requires little grooming that can withstand constant petting, even rough petting. This cat bonds easily with children and adults. The British short hair is full of personality and can be very playful. It’s a very friendly cat. The only drawback is the ailments these cats are prone to, including sun burn and tumors. White ones with blue eyes are prone to deafness.
7. The Tiffany cat – Also known as Chantilly, this cat has semi-long hair. It has a shiny coat with a silky feel. Personality-wise these cats are perfect. They have an even temperament. They are active, but enjoy their quiet time. They aren’t super aggressive. They play well with children, but not overly so as to wear them out. Just an all-around even keel cat.
8. The Ragdoll cat – This is a quirky breed. When lifted, it will go limp. No need to worry; this is the only time this cat will go limp. They are sturdy cats that get along well with children and dogs. You can even teach these cats a few tricks like fetch and “play dead”. This will be a huge hit with the kids. But don’t expect extremely high activity levels from this cat. If you’re looking for a cat to chase the kids around, this isn’t the cat for you. If you’re looking for a lay around trick cat, then this is the one.
9. The Abyssinian cat – This is a slender and muscular breed. It would be the perfect cat for older, energetic children. These cats like to be outside. They are playful and clown like. However, they are not good cats for young children or toddlers. These cats can get fussy if not payed attention to regularly. They don’t warm up quickly so children will need to be patient. This is a good cat to have as a kitten.
10. The Manx Cat – This is the cat without a tail. There is however a short stub. This is a friendly cat who looks like he’s ready to pounce. It’s a very playful cat as well, almost like a dog. It likes to bury and dig like a dog. These are very loyal cats which should be kept indoors.
Basically when choosing a cat for your children, just remember to keep in mind each child’s age and personality. Match your child’s personality with your cat’s personality.
Few things fill our hearts with joy like pets, but there is a flipside to this – we worry about the furry members of our family just as much as we do our own children.
There are certain things that should always be taking into consideration when animals share a house, and this guide will discuss how you can ensure your home is devoid of danger.
General Guidance
If you’re bringing a pet into your home, or moving to a new family dwelling, you’ll need to ensure that no ill fortune will befall them. Here is some generic advice on how you can keep every member of your family safe, whether they stand on two legs or four.
American Humane are dedicated to the safety of animals, and they have some great advice on how to keep inquisitive animals – including puppies and kittens – from getting themselves into trouble in the home.
Family Handyman is a blog that’s packed with hints and tips for keeping a home safe for animals.
Petful have bags of advice on keeping a home safe for a new, non-human arrival.
OVO Energy is a UK-based electrical supplier, but the advice they on keeping pets safe from electrical hazards in the home is truly universal.
The American Red Cross provides essential information on how to help your pets if there’s a fire in your home. PETA, meanwhile, offer guidance to how you can keep your pet safe during a natural disaster.
General advice is great, but sometimes you need to be a little more specific. Let’s take a tour through each room you’ll typically find in a family home, and shine a light on what may be useful for keeping the vulnerable members of our family safe.
Living Rooms and Bedrooms
A living room is usually where an entire family gathers to pass an evening – and as an increasing number of families include at least one non-human member, that includes pets. The bedroom, meanwhile, is where a great many pampered pets spend their evenings snoozing alongside them. As a result, it’s important to ensure that these spaces are safe for any animals
The average living room will host a TV, a stereo, a video game console, and other electrical appliances besides. That’s a whole lot of cables potentially lying around. If you have dogs, cats, rabbits or small animals, you should ensure that no animals can chew through these wires. Blogger PetsLady has some suggestions on how to hide cables from your four-legged family members, and Apartment Therapy also shares some more general advice on this topic.
First Tank Guide offers invaluable advice for anybody lucky enough to have a fish tank in their living room.
You may love your array of indoor plants, but your pet may take a shine to them too – animals explore the world with their mouths, after all. Houseplants Expert has a list of houseplants that are potentially toxic to your pets if they decide to chew on the leaves.
If you have any breakable heirlooms, you can be sure that a cat will find a way of breaking them. PetCareRx offers advice on cat-proofing anything delicate and valuable within your home.
When the holidays arrive, your living room is likely to become a winter wonderland filled with festive trinkets and ornaments – all of which will be very tempting for an animal to investigate.
Your dog may well be cowering in your living room or bed on nights like the 4th of July, when anxiety-inducing fireworks fill the air. British TV personality and canine behavior specialist Victoria Stillwell has advice on combatting the panic that will follow.
Open windows can be something of a risk for pets; whether that’s cats that attempt to leap from a great height, or birds that look to make their escape. If you must keep them open, look into some kind of shield to keep your pets safe.
Kitchens
We may not spend quite as much time in our kitchens as other rooms in the house, but given half the chance a free-roaming pet would spend all day such surroundings. The smells alone are enough to hold the intrigue of any cat or dog!
Always keep food out of reach of animals, and do what you can to mask any scents by using Tupperware or cling film, and ensure that cabinets that house cleaning supplies are very firmly closed.
Trashcans can be irresistible to dogs in particular thanks to the smell of food within, and if a canine gets their face into a bin all kinds of trouble could follow as they swallow bones and rotten food. PetMD provides advice on how to pet-proof a garbage vessel.
If a bin is enticing, just imagine how tempting it must be to try to gain access to a fridge! Thankfully, the blog me has a guide to keeping your snooping pets away from your leftovers and fresh produce.
Most kitchens will be home to a wide variety of cleaning supplies, many of which will be lethal to animals. Eartheasy has compiled a list of the chemicals found in most houses that would cause problems for pets, and suggests alternatives that will be altogether less harmful.
Leaf & Paw and The Honest Kitchen both warn of any common kitchen herbs that could harm an animal, while Cookware looks into general safety for animals in this room – including pet birds, which often call a family kitchen home.
Bathrooms
A bathroom is potentially the most lethal room in the house for any curious pet. Razors, medications and cleaning products should all be elevated away from the reach of an animal, and even toothpaste is lethal to dogs due to the toxic presence of fluoride within it. This doesn’t even begin to cover some animal’s tendency to drink out of the toilet!
It’s best to keep a bathroom door closed as much as possible, as prevention is always better than cure. The truth is, there isn’t a great deal that can done to make a bathroom pet-safe other than keeping critters out of the area, and placing everything that could do them harm as far from their reach as possible. Also follow the instructions laid out for kitchen safety where applicable, such as those connected to cleaning supplies.
Pet Safety in the Garden
Of course, pets also love to spend time in the great outdoors – it’s frankly a little mean to expect them to stay inside all day, every day. Even our own back yards are not entirely devoid of dangers, but with a little forethought your animals will be perfectly safe.
It can get pretty hot in your yard during the summer. The American Kennel Club offers advice on how to spot the symptoms of dehydration in dogs, while Adventure Cats offers the same advice for feline family members.
A variety of different plants are poisonous to cats and dogs – check with the ever-reputable PetMD for a complete list, and ensure that you remove such growths from your garden. You could also investigate a similar list from the ASPCA, and make sure that you follow the tips laid out by social network Care2.
Anybody that keeps rabbits may want to let them roam free in their yard. The House of Animals investigates whether this is actually safe and advisable.
If you live in particular areas of the country, you may need to worry about predators invading your garden and harming your pet. Barkley and Paws shares some insight on how you can protect your pets.
If you’re looking for advice on pet-friendly pest control in the yard, this article from Scientific American has you covered.
PetHub have advice on preventing something that none of us like to imagine – the theft of our treasured pets. This article from the Huffington Post also covers this subject in detail.
Do you want to correct the biting habit of your cat? While learning to stop kittens from biting, be patient with her. The cat is biting for a reason. Try to understand the reason and handle her carefully. There are wrong ways and right ways to stop kittens from biting.
You must ignore her if she is angry and frustrated. Don’t shout at her. Balance your behavior with her as you might handle your kid. For me, I take care of my Kitty just like my baby, the most important member of my family.
Tips to Stop Kittens From Biting
1. React calmly to your cat
Never shout or hit your cat. Losing your temper with your cat will terrify her and she will become nervous and confused.
Treat your furry feline nicely.
Never punish your cat. This causes suffering without discovering the actual reason.
She always expects a pleasant response from you.
2. Separate yourself from the cat when she bites you.
Don’t touch the cat and hold your hands away.
Stand up slowly and remove her from your lap.
Let her calm down.
Don’t start cuddling or petting her as she can get confused.
When my cat used to bite and scratch, I walked away from her. In this way, a clear message goes to her that I did not like it.
3. Give your cat some space to walk away
Give her some space so that she can calm down.
If you do not give her the space to walk away, she may attack you. And why is that? She is thinking that you are trapping her.
Don’t feed your cat till twenty minutes after her biting and scratching incident. She may take it as an award.
Show her silently that you are not happy with her.
4. Encourage your cat to change her behavior
It is the nature of the cat to always react positively to positive enforcement. Therefore, you must reward her appropriate behavior.
Ignore and withdraw yourself from her negative behavior.
Give her a catnip mouse to bite. Appreciate her for biting the toy.
In this way, she can differentiate between right and wrong practice.
If the cat is suffering from loss of weight, vomiting and thirsty take her to vet.
Short tempered, yowling and biting cat are the reasons to worry about her health.
When she recovers from her illness, she will not bite.
I have taken all these precautions to correct the bad habit of biting in my cat. I recommend you follow all these steps. If you are not getting results, consult a vet.
For more information on stopping kittens from biting, please contact us.
This article originally appeared on http://rascalandrocco.com/stop-kittens-biting/amp/
If you’re like many pet owners, you’ve witnessed the terror that summer storms can strike in your pet. “Thunder phobia” most commonly develops in pets between ages two and four, according to animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell. This fear can manifest as a variety of challenging behaviors—hiding, whining, scratching, slobbering, or tearing down door frames in a state of panic—and it can get worse with age.
What’s important to remember is that pets suffering from thunderstorm fear are not misbehaving, says animal behaviorist Lindsay Wood of the Boulder Valley Humane Society. They’re displaying symptoms of anxiety.
Vets and animal specialists aren’t certain exactly what part of a storm causes pets the most discomfort – the noise, the flashing lights, or something else entirely. Some pets may be worriers in general and panic at any change, while others may be overly sensitive to sound, according to CJ Bentley of the Michigan Humane Society. Pets also possess special sensitivities that make storms even more terrifying: pets can sense the change in air pressure, and may hear low-frequency rumblings that humans can’t detect. Some vets also believe pets experience shocks from the buildup of static electricity that accompanies thunderstorms.
To help your pet cope with stormy weather, Cynthia Bolte , who works on the animal behavior team at Purina, offers the following tips:
If there are windows in the room, close the blinds or curtains, or cover the windows so the pet can’t see outside.
Provide a safe indoor area, like a crate. A plastic crate is preferable, but if you have a wire crate, you can cover it with a sheet to create the feeling of a haven. Leave the door open so the pet does not feel trapped.
Play calming music to drown out the thunder claps.
Stay with the pet.
Try to distract your pet with treats and familiar games.
If your pet seems most upset by sound, you can try desensitization. Download thunderstorm sounds and practice by playing them quietly to your pet, and give the pet treats or play a fun game with him while the sound is on. Gradually, over weeks, increase the volume. Stop the play or treats when the sounds are turned off. The goal is to help your pet relate the sound of thunderstorms with happy times.
Use calming massage to reassure the pet.
There are a few products that might help your pet relax as well.
Tight jackets such as the Thundershirt provide a sensation of pressure, which can alleviate pets’ anxiety. (Swaddling a baby operates on the same principle.) You can also make a DIY version by buying a small T-shirt and putting the pet’s front legs through the armholes of the shirt. The shirt should fit snugly around your pet’s torso.
Visual filters such as the Thundercap reduce visual stimulation and can be soothing to pets.
In severe cases, your veterinarian may recommend a low dose of an anti-anxiety medication.
Your veterinarian is the best person to talk to when it comes to helping your pet cope with storms. He or she will be best equipped to pinpoint exactly which stimulus is troubling your pet.
Most importantly, practice positive reinforcement with your pet. Do not scold or punish her for her displays of anxiety, but remember that her behavior is not about disobedience, but about high levels of fear. And that old saw about not comforting your pet because it “reinforces” the fear? Not true at all. Do anything you can to help your pet feel better; teaching her new, pleasant associations is the best way to reduce fearful behavior.
We hope these tips help you and your pet weather the season’s storms.
How to stop your cat from urine spraying/marking
Helping your pet across rainbow bridge
So you have kids and you want to get a cat. Well, there are certain cats that are better for kids than others. You want to make sure you find just the right cat for your children. Check out these great cat breeds for kids.
Keeping your pets safe in your home
How to Stop Your Cat From Biting
Calming your Pet During a Thunderstorm