We Heart Cats

Continuing on with Part 2 of the discussion, I’ve had firsthand experience as to how stray cats can be welcomed into a home. When I was in the 3rd grade, I often used to go over to visit my grandparents. They lived near a field, and said field often yielded a large variety of stray cats. However, while many of them ended up being quite friendly, the majority of them would end up hit by cars while crossing the busy street that bordered the field.

One day, my grandmother took a liking to one of the kittens that were orphaned thanks to that busy street. The kitten, a small grey tabby/Maine coon mix, was nearly starving to death. She nursed the kitten back to health, and called her Hobo.

Hobo remains in my thoughts as one of the smartest cats I’ve encountered. She knew to bring specific items, and she was very affectionate. However, whenever someone went to touch her head, she would squeal and hiss. This we initially attributed to aggressiveness, which is something that happens in all cats (although especially feral ones) that haven’t been properly socialized.

It turns out that while still a stray she had gotten into a fight, and that fight left her head vulnerable. She exacerbated it by getting into trouble again when she frequently escaped from the house (she was small, so whenever someone would leave she darted out the door). The head injury was such that it was internal and only inflamed later, so it wasn’t one of those situations where it was immediately apparent that she needed serious medical attention.

Unfortunately, despite everyone’s best efforts, Hobo died when she was just 4 years old from her head injury, which had resulted in a stroke. To this day, my grandmother gets misty-eyed thinking about it. Thus, the next time you see a friendly stray, keep in mind potential health problems, and also be aware that past history sometimes dictates the overall lifespan. In the end, all you can do is share your patience and love.

I live near a farm, that’s situated on acres of forested land. So, it only makes sense that there would be stray cats in the area. Indeed, I’ve noticed that wherever there’s an abundance of brush and forest, there’s stray cats taking refuge. A few years ago a stray gave birth to kittens behind my shed. They were all very skiddish, so I decided to just keep an eye on them so they could be weaned from their mother. One of the kittens from that litter, now an adult, was taken in by a neighbor. However, because of the need to be outside, stray cats simply cannot be content with the indoor life of a domesticated cat. Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2!

Honestly, while I think that some of the many sounds a kitty makes are pretty much obvious to discern, there are other sounds that might be harder to decode. So, I did a quick web search, and found an interesting site on why cats make the sounds that they do. You can check out the website HERE

Believe it or not, in some cases the answer is yes! I’ve observed firsthand that it can happen. I’ve had two of my three cats since I was nine years old (I’m in my twenties now). During that time I’ve had four hamsters and, as of last Friday, a guinea pig. My oldest cat Buster adopts every little guy who comes into this house - it’s really quite unique and sweet. Why it happens remains a mystery to both myself and the veterinarian, but I think it’s because of his docile nature. As for Ruby, well, she’s a female cat, and by nature they’re more dominant in the cat world. I keep any and all critters out of her way. Mozart, because he’s still a young cat and was raised alongside a Teddy Bear hamster, looks at them more as playmates than prey.

Specifically, I had a wonderful little hamster who liked to burrow in Buster’s fur. Buster would rub up against him, and protect him. Well, last Friday my hamster passed away from old age, and Buster noticeably grieved along with the rest of us.

I now have a baby guinea pig, which was welcomed by two of the three cats, as well as my little Yorkie, who lapped the guinea pig’s head. However, the guinea pig isn’t really thrilled with his big brothers and sister, and thus avoids them. However, whenever I have the guinea pig out on my lap, Mozart has to come and sit next to me. This is much the reaction of what a child will have when a new sibling is brought into the home.

So, the important thing is to give everyone equal attention. A cute e-book I found called The Secret Art of Spoiling Your Cat Rotten gives some good advice on ways you can give your cats some extra attention.

To be honest, I haven’t really given it much thought. Each cat I’ve brought into my home was already litter box trained, and that would have been the main thing I’d want to teach them. I’ve found that, try as I might to dissuade my youngest cat Mozart from jumping in the kitchen sink, he does it anyway. I read somewhere that spraying water lightly on a cat will do the trick, but Mozart LOVES water!

However, because cat are as intelligent as they are, they can, I assume, be trained. For all you kitty parents out there who have questions about the cat training process, check out Complete Cat Training for more interesting information.

Cat urine is something that all kitty parents will have to deal with. Of course, the ideal situation is as it is being neatly scooped up from the litter box. However, some cats are a bit more free with their peeing habits. So, after noting this firsthand, here are some reasons I’ve found out why:

A female un-spayed female might urniate outside of the litter box when in heat. A male will do the same thing.

Males who are not neutered will mark their territory by urinating in the corner of rooms, regardless of whether or not it’s mating season.

Cats who think their litter box is too full will urinate somewhere else until the litter box is cleaned.

Stressed cats (this could be from health problems, or a change of residence) will urinate out of nervousness.

If a cat is accidentally shut in a room and has to urinate, it will find a hidden spot and urinate there.

Urination outside of the litter box also happens often in homes with a dog or multiple cats.

Websites that can help:

18 Ways To Stop Cat Urine Odor

Train Your Cat to Use a Human Toilet!

How To Get Rid Of Cat Urine & Odor From Your Home

PeeAway Pet Urine Neutralizer

How To Make Your Own Cat Urine & Odor Remover

Cats are quite a popular addition to a home, and for good reason: they are as lovable as they are intelligent! However, too many cats have ended up in a shelter because of improper adjustment to their new home. A website that I found that has a lot of information on how to deal with various cat behavior problems can be found HERE .

As a responsible kitty parent, here are some tips to make the new kitty feel more at home:

First of all, a cat should always have a companion. If the kitty parent will be home most of the time, then the cat will be fine on its own. However, for those kitty parents that have to be at work most of the day, it’s very important to have a playmate for the cat - get two cats instead of just one to keep each other company while Mom or Dad are away.

If you do plan on getting two cats contingently, make sure they’re the same age. I found this out the hard way. When I got my youngest cat Mozart two years ago, I thought he’d keep himself busy with the two older cats I have. However, since the two older cats are, in fact, so much older, they weren’t really all that interested in playing with him. Thank goodness for my little Yorkie Spunky, because he will play with him!

Of course, I ran into a bit of trouble with dominance on the part of Mozart and my oldest cat, a male named Buster. Buster, then fifteen, had ruled the roost, and now here was a young whippersnapper trying to take over his territory. The result? Many a fight. Mozart didn’t try to challenge Ruby because she’s female. Needless to say, it was quite hectic around my home for a while, trying to break up fights and making sure that poor old Buster didn’t get hurt. I consulted the veterinarian about it, and he said that it is a natural process and to let them duke it out until it really looked like one of them was going to get hurt. Nowadays, there’s still the occasional fight, but everyone’s pretty much accepted everyone else.

With my two older cats, I never had this issue. However, once Mozart arrived, I slowly began seeing little pieces of poop in places where they shouldn’t have been. Cats are supposed to be meticulously clean, so why the heck was this happening?! I turned to the internet and did a basic search. It turns out that this behavior is known as “Poop Hockey.” In fact, many cats tend to do this at least a few times. Why? Well, the answer has to do with one simple thing: the cat is bored. Cats who tire of their toys (especially young cats) will turn to their poop and bat it around just to do something different. As for what you can do to stop this behavior, play with your cat for at least a half hour everyday. Also, make sure that the litter box is cleaned once in the morning, and once at night. If the smell of cat urine (the cat is marking out of a territorial nature and/or boredom) instead of poop hockey is the problem, you can find a soluton HERE.

Cats make can make an amazing array of vocalizations. These sounds range from quiet little clicks and squeaks to the full-blown caterwaul loud enough to wake the neighbors at 2 a.m. If you are a first time cat owner and not familiar with the caterwaul, don’t worry. You will be eventually.

This vocalization is used by cats to both attract a mate and to defend territory, telling others to stay away. Unfortunately, since cats are naturally nocturnal, they often yell the caterwaul in the middle of night and awaken the household. Cats who are allowed outdoors may vocalize this call more often than strictly indoor pets, but all cats use it occasionally. Inexperienced owners sometimes confuse this sound as meaning the cat is in distress or pain.

So, is there any way to stop the caterwauling that makes you sit straight up in bed and the hair on the back of your neck rise? Spaying or neutering your pet can control the use of the sound for attracting a mate. Since the Queen cat can cycle into heat, or oestrus, every two to three weeks for up to 10 days at a time, spaying can greatly reduce the frequency of caterwauling in females as well as Toms, or males.

Don’t expect spaying or neutering to completely halt the behavior, though. It is still a natural vocalization for defending territory. If your cat spies an intruder outside or smells the scent of an unwelcomed guest, the caterwaul will pierce the air. Think of this warning call as a good sign that your cat has established your home as its territory and is engaging in natural feline behavior. You want your cat to be domesticated and friendly, but you don’t want to completely remove their instinctive cattiness that makes them so enjoyable. Your cat puts up with you singing in the shower. Just think of it as a trade-off.

cat sounds, cat vocalization, caterwaul, cat call