ajcpets

We found some of the best pet experts in metro Atlanta. Look for your answers every Monday. Today’s advice comes from Ingrid Johnson of Paws Whiskers and Claws, The Feline Hospital in Marietta. Meet all the AJCPets experts. And feel free to submit questions in the form of a comment today.

Q: We are getting new carpet, and I wondered how we can keep our cat from clawing it at the doors when they are closed?
A: When it comes to keeping cats out of a specific area of your home, the best policy is all or nothing. Cats do not understand why they can have access to certain areas of your home sometimes and not others. In fact, giving them a taste of it and then taking it away each day actually creates frustration behavior.

This means that they will usually express their frustration with the situation by scratching at, urine marking, or excessively vocalizing at the door to where they are either confined or denied access. So the best thing you can do is make the decision to either open these doors up permanently or close them permanently and start now, before you install the new carpet. You may also want to consider more pet friendly flooring, such as laminate, tile, or a dense non-tufted carpet that is not so easily shredded.
It is important to remember the reasons why cats scratch to better understand how to redirect them onto appropriate objects. Cats scratch to mark; they have scent glands in their paw pads. They also scratch to groom their nails, and to relieve stress and pent up energy/frustration.
Here are a few ideas to deter your kitty if they still insist on scratching at the door/carpet:
1). Place a scratching post on top of, or right next to where he is scratching as to give him an appropriate outlet for the behavior in the place he wants to mark. You may want to try the corrugated horizontal scratcher available at most pet stores or get a scratching post with a sisal carpeted base so he can scratch horizontally or vertically.
2). Nail Trims! Keeping your cats nails trimmed short can limit the amount of destruction they can do, learn how to do it yourself, or have a pet sitter, or your veterinarians’ office help you. Some feline-only practices offer nail trims at no charge.
3). Lay packaging tape, vinyl, linoleum etc., down over the spot to create a slick unappealing surface. Also provide something he will like to scratch on in the same area. Remember, set them up for success!

4). Double sided sticky tape, black pepper and other smell associated deterrents can work also. Feliway is a pheromone product that encourages your cat to mark with his facial scent glands rather then with his paws or his urine. In this case, the spray would be most effective and should be used daily for at least a month on the carpet and surrounding walls/door frame area. It does not stain and is not harmful to other children or pets.
5). The Sccccat device is a motion sensored can of compressed air that will simply send your cat in another direction, humanely, when he approaches the spot where you don’t want him. Other devices similar to this are available in pet supply catalogs and online, some with only an audible warning.

We’ve rounded up some of the best pet experts in metro Atlanta. Look for your answers every Monday. Today’s advice comes from Ingrid Johnson. Click here to see all the AJCpets experts. Then submit your question — or advice! — as a comment today.

Q: Hello all. I have 2 cats that grew up together and have always been fine together — Skitz and Daisy. We just recently moved from Connecticut here to Georgia and about a week or so after the settling down and everything, Daisy has gotten very aggressive for no reason. Shes loves, plays with, eats and she sleeps with me every night, wanting to cuddle. But during the day she’s a devil.

We will be playing with Skitz and a rope toy and she comes in attacks him, taking over with the toy and us. She also used to be so good when we were cutting her nails, but now I can’t even touch her — she hisses and tries to attack me. I DO NOT hold her down or anything, I just lightly take her paw LIKE ALWAYS and start to clip. She use to just sit there, now I have to put her in a towel because her nails have gotten so long and sharp, Scruffing her does nothing.
We have tried skiffin her (making a funny noise close to hissing BUT NOT to gain her attention). She looks as us like “I’m not doing anything,” and stops bugging Skitz. But recently that has stopped working all together. We have even gotten to the point we have used a water spray bottle when we are not close enough to deter her from attacking poor Skitz, (who’ I might add is SOOOO docile and starts NOTHING.) We watch them. Skitz will be sleeping, and Daisy just walks into the room attacks him and walks away.

I don’t know what to do. I feel like it was something I did, but day to day it’s normal. Daisy has HER space, a window perch, her own food dish and nippy toys, as does Skitz. The litter box is shared, but it’s funny she waits for him to come out PATIENTLY and then uses it no problem. Leaves him alone. So I don’t think its a litter box thing. That’s the only thing that she DOESN’T attack him while doing.

I don’t know what to do. I love her so much, but shes getting very aggressive. PLEASE HELP ME.
A: Change of environment is one of the most stressful experiences a cat can undergo. Cats are creatures of habit and get very attached to there surroundings. Any time that there is significant change, cats can go through a period where there may be a change in hierarchy, shifting of dominance roles, or simply frustration and stress (and they have to take it out on someone or something).

Daisy should first have a medical evaluation or in this case an aggression exam. Your vet would be looking for anything that may be making her uncomfortable, that coupled with the stress of the move is making her lash out. For example, she could have a urinary tract infection, a bad tooth that hurts, impacted anal glands, skin allergies making her hypersensitive to being touched.

Some cat households also experience what is called “redirected aggression.” There may be a few neighbor cats outside your window that are making Daisy frustrated and the only live target she has is Skitz. If every time she sees or experiences the outside cats (or any unpleasant stimulus) Skitz happens to be around, he becomes a target for her fear or frustration. It usually does not take long before she is beating him up with every interaction they have, as she now associates him with something she does not like.

Most behaviorists should be able to help diagnose and treat this problem, but the sooner it is addressed the more successful the outcome. It is imperative that she has a medical evaluation first, before it is assumed to be behavioral.

One of the easiest and most important things you can do is make life easier for Skitz. This means providing more than enough of their basic needs so they can avoid each other at all costs if they choose to. You said that they have no problems around the litter box — yet! You are lucky, let’s keep it that way.

Have 3 litter boxes in 3 different locations, 2 feeding stations in different areas and the same goes for water, fuzzy beds, and scratching posts. You want to create a non-competitive, non-confrontation environment. If daisy continues to “stalk” Skitz, then your behaviorists can help make other suggestions, but in the mean time do not force them to interact!

Q: I am not a cat hater! I love all animals! However, could you please tell me how to stop my neighbors cats from pooping in MY yard! I don’t want to harm the cats, but it is just not fair to me and my children to have to look out for my neighbors cat poop!
A: Your neighbor’s cat may be marking your yard for a variety of reasons and it is probably considered part of his territory, but you may want to look at where in your yard, specifically, he is going. For example, if it is your nicely tilled veggie garden, it may like the area because the soil is nice and loose and easier to dig in than hard clay. If only a specific area like this is being used, perhaps you could find a way to close it off. This would help with other woodland animals eating the fruits of your labor and help with your neighbor’s cat.
As far as deterring cats from the yard, there are a number of humane deterrents on the market that are motion activated and will beep, spray water, or spray compressed air at trespassers. If you do some research online you will be able to find a number of reasources and maybe your neighbor would be willing to help pay for them, as the cat is ultimately their responsibility.

One company that specializes in “humane animal control” for domestic and non-domestic animals is Contech, and perhaps you could find a retailer in your area. Cats also hate citrus smells and you may want to try leaving some citrus peels around the area the cat is frequenting. Garden supply stores have concoctions that are designed to deter different species with different pepper mixtures. You may want to try both black and cayenne pepper — it is not harmful to the cat, but definately unpleasant. You will have to keep the smell fresh for it to continue to be effective, re-applying after rain etc.

Another trick provided to me by professional gardener Jake Egolf of Keystone Organics, is to place chicken wire (or similar material) underneath your top layer of mulch so when the cat goes to scratch, digging will be unsuccessful and they will move on to a place with more cooperative soil. If you have a cat yourself you may want to try leaving some of your cats litterbox contents in the frequented areas and see if it acts as a deterrant, as if another cat is coming in and marking the territory now. Of course be prepared that this may backfire and encourage the need to re-mark.

Lastly, you may try speaking with your neighbor about the problem. It is possible that they have always wanted to make their cat an indoor-only kitty and do not know the best way to go about making the transition. They are more than welcome to contact me or our hospital about how to make an indoor/outdoor cat an indoor-only cat. Their kitty will likely live longer and be healthier and can still live an enriched, happy life inside.

Photo by iStockphoto.com

We’ve rounded up some of the best pet experts in metro Atlanta. Look for your answers every Monday. Today’s advice comes from Dr. Drew Weigner. Click here to see all the AJCpets experts. We cover everything from cat behavior to exotic animals.

Q: How do I keep my crazy cat from knocking over glasses of water? He is the thirstiest animal I have ever seen and constantly begs to drink out of the sink, the tub and then wants to drink your water out of your glass and will knock it over to get at it.

Also he will not use the litter box because he was attacked when he came to our family by one or more of the other cats in the household. Now he will only use the shower or tub or even the sink. How do we curb this behavior?

We have four other cats and have already tried offering him his own litter box as well as different types of litter boxes. He acts scared to death to go in them. How do we stop aggressive behavior when the cats get hungry? We have one cat who goes nuts attacking other animals and yowling when it’s close to feeding time. It’s like he’s trained us to feed him to get him to shut up and stop fighting. Our cats are nuts.

A: Some cats are truly crazy and do these things for strictly behavioral reasons. But more commonly, there is something medically wrong with these cats. A cat with a craving for water may actually be “polydipsic,” the medical term for excessive thirst. There are many causes of this including diabetes, kidney disease, and thyroid disease.

This last one can also cause an increase in appetite and sometimes aggressive behavior. Many times these cats will also not use the litterbox. It sounds like your cat needs a thorough physical exam and a complete set of laboratory tests to find out what is wrong with him. In the meantime, let him have as much water and food as he wants. If all the tests are normal, he indeed has a behavioral condition. Your veterinarian can then recommend a certified behaviorist to help him.

Q: I have a quite petite cat (under 7 pounds) who is less than a year old. She is a stray and unfortunately got pregnant before I could get her spayed. She now has a litter of five kittens, which after three are very tiny and two of the five have yet to open their eyes. She is trying to be a good mother, but with the kittens as small as they are, is there anything I can do to assist other than bottle feeding?

A: Congratulations on your new kittens! This is an exciting time for all seven of you. While most mothers know instinctively how to care for their kittens, sometimes they need assistance especially if it’s their first time. There are three things you can do to help. One is to prevent hypothermia (low body temperature) by keeping them as warm as possible without overheating them. When kittens are this tiny, they take on the temperature of their surroundings (like reptiles) and require an outside source of heat.

This usually comes from snuggling with their mother so if she is keeping them close, they’ll stay warm enough. If not, keep a hot water bottle in the bed with them. Don’t use a heating pad — it gets too hot.The second and third measures are to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and dehydration. Both of these are prevented by frequent feeding, either by nursing the mother or by frequent bottle feeding. If the mom is producing a normal amount of milk, they’ll get enough from her. If she’s not, your vet may be able to give her an injection of oxytocin to increase her milk production.

In the meantime, frequent feedings of kitten milk replacer (not cow’s milk) will provide the kittens with enough nutrition and fluid to avoid both hypoglycemia and hypothermia. Incidentally, while the mother is nursing, her need for food will increase dramatically.

Make sure to feed her a good quality kitten food, as much as she wants, and give her plenty of water. Once she weans the kittens at 6-8 weeks of age, she will go right back into heat so unless you want more kittens, have your vet spay her as soon as she’s done nursing.

Q: My cat Lili is 18 and has a hyper thyroid. When she was a year or two, she started pooping in inappropriate places. It started just after I had company for the weekend who slept in my second bedroom. It was the first time anyone used that room after I got her. She still peed in the box, though, so I could deal with the poop problem (doesn’t smell forever). But now Lili is peeing on anything left on the floor — the dog’s bed, clothes I’ve just taken off for a shower, rugs.

I’ve gone through gallons of Nature’s Miracle and put additional coats of sealer on the pine floors to hide the smell. None of that helped so I’ve taken up all the rugs. Last week she peed on the sofa. The vet gave her antibiotics just in case there is an infection. She’s too frail to test. But I don’t think that’s it. Any other suggestions or help you can offer?

A: Urinating outside the litterbox is a very common problem. Called “inappropriate urination” by veterinarians, common sense says there are only two possible causes: behavioral issues and medical problems.

Particularly in older cats, medical causes are the usual culprit. Fortunately, distinguishing between the two is quite easy: have your veterinarian perform a urinalysis, an easy, low stress, low cost test that can be run in the office while you wait. If the urinalysis is normal, it’s a behavioral issue.

If the urinalysis is not normal, it’s likely a medical problem.Possible medical causes include urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney stones, and kidney disease. It’s often thought that if a short course of antibiotics doesn’t clear it up, it must not be an infection. But recurrent infections may become resistant to common antibiotics and some infections require longer-term antibiotics.

However, if a urinary tract infection is present it will be very obvious on a urinalysis.If prior treatment was ineffective, culturing the urine will determine which bacteria is present and, more importantly, which antibiotic will resolve the infection. On the other hand, if the urinalysis is normal a medical cause is unlikely and behavioral issues must be considered. Besides the usual suspects (territorial, stress, or aversion problems), there are other considerations in older cats.

Some older cats with decreased mobility have trouble getting into typical litterboxes. It may help to use a litterbox with very short sides. They may also have trouble finding the litterbox, due to decrease in sight or smell, and sometimes due to senility (called “cognitive dysfunction”). These causes warrant a thorough examination by your veterinarian, but it often helps to keep a litterbox in their room. Finally, in Lili’s particular case, ask your veterinarian to test her thyroid and kidneys, both of which can cause inappropriate urination if abnormal.

Thyroid disease will progress over time but is easy to control by adjusting her medication. Many cats with thyroid disease also have kidney disease. Although Lili is a geriatric cat, proper care will ensure a long and comfortable life and save you lots of gallons of floor sealer and odor remover!

For more about Dr. Drew Weigner, click here. Cat photo by iStockphoto.com. If you have a question, submit it as a comment. Or, share your advice for these AJCpets members.

About our AJCpets Expert: Dr. Drew Weigner

Dr. Drew Weigner is the medical director of The Cat Doctor, Atlanta’s only feline specialty hospital. Dr. Weigner is a board-certified feline specialist and past president of the Academy of Feline Medicine. For more info, visit www.thecatdoctoratlanta.com or call 404-257-0048.

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