Are You Making These 3 Mistakes With Your Cat?

Problem cats - or cat problems - are always a result of something human-gone-wrong.
That means it is up to us to fix it so we don't have to give up on our beloved pets
and send them away like it was their fault.

But first, we must understand the three most common mistakes people make with their cats.

Mistake No. 1 - Cats don't get even. They don't plot revenge against you. If you believe they do, then you're still viewing animals from the human perspective. To build a lasting and useful bond with a pet, it helps to see things as they do, from their angle.

Mistake No.2 - Blaming the cat for not using the litter box. Cats know how to use a litter box, even if they've never seen one before. If you think you need to train your kitten to use one, it's not exactly a waste of time, but it's unnecessary. Usually the mother cat takes care of this training, but if you've acquired a kitten before she had the chance to teach this habit, all you need to do is show the little one where the box is and maybe put him or her in it the first time so they can feel the sand. They get the idea.

Still, if a cat is not using the box, there are many things you can do to keep your cat from "thinking outside the box." Read my article on the 20 most common reasons a cat won't use their box: http://www.theproblemcat.com/articles/elimination.html

Mistake No. 3 - Cats are not aloof. Well, they can be if they need to be. Usually, this
behavior is simply "cats being cautious."  If you lived with an unpredictable giant, you might walk carefully and quietly through the room with one eye out for unpleasant surprises, too.

Expecting your cat to adore you before he has good reason to do so is about building a relationship that is based on trust, not on how well you can force obedience.

Check out The Problem Cat and click the link to my book, How to Make Your Cat Adore You. Also, you may find the answers to some of your questions by just exploring the pages at the web site.

Next book is now available! Get Volume 2 here...

Thanks to our wonderful group of writers who love cats, the second volume in our series, Our Amazing Cats, is now available at these links:

https://www.createspace.com/4252359
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1484163443

Happy Birthday Holly!

Happy birthday to Holly! She's 24 this month, though we don't really know what day she was born. In fact, we're not even sure of the month. March just happens to be the month we rescued her 9 years ago and were told she was 15 at the time. So, while her birthday is arbitrary, her age is very close to correct.

She certainly shows signs of advancing age - no teeth, thin, not interested in grooming herself as carefully as she used to, doesn't smell too sweet anymore, prefers petting to playing, and she sleeps a lot. Hmmm, most of my cats do that!

But Holly is an affectionate companion who is still very interested in her meals. Her favorite fare is raw meat, especially chicken, and she gnaws on a bone for hours afterward. It gives her something to do, that's for sure. But she is still pretty spry, too, and is quite capable of jumping up onto the counters, the top of the refrigerator, and the cat tree in the living room, where she can keep an eye on everyone from her high spot.

She never had any serious lookers at the shelter and never got adopted because of her age, so we figured she would just pass on when her time came and was welcome to hang out with us. She's never been any bother at the shelter or our home and sometimes we have to look for her if she doesn't show up for breakfast. But her hearing is still very good and she will come flying when called if she can catch a whiff of her chicken.

I know cats shouldn't drink milk, but it's one of her favorite foods, so we indulge her - not every day, but often. I mean, come on...she's 24. She can have whatever she wants!

Holiday Cat Quiz

At this time of year, everyone is writing articles about keeping kids, pets and even ourselves safe during the holidays. I'm sure we all know how to do that by now, right? Since this blog is about cats, here is a little True-False quiz you can take to see how well you've been paying attention to your cat's holiday well-being:

Answer these as True or False:

1. It's OK to let your cat drink water from the Christmas tree stand.

2. Fragile ornaments should only be used near the top of the tree, if used at all.

3. Any decorations involving candles should be watched carefully and flames extinguished if you leave the room, including when you go to bed for the night.

4. Cats love tinsel, so be sure to hang it everywhere.

5. Cats never bother electrical cords, so don't worry about running as many as you want behind the furniture.

6. If the house gets crowded and full of excitement as you and your friends or family celebrate, most cats can become stressed and may escape outside, so keep them in a quieter room during parties and family gatherings.

7. If the cat does slip outside, be sure there is some ID on the collar in case of loss, theft or accident.

Check your answers here, at the bottom of the page:  theproblemcat.com/faq.html

We Finished the Book!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my new book, Our Amazing Cats. The stories are wonderful...amusing, heartwarming, fun to read. And it came in under the wire, too! Just in time for Black Friday shopping, and plenty of time for holiday gifting.

Visit the blog if you want to see more about it: OurAmazingCats.com

It's now available at Amazon.com!

Music For Pets to Relax By

Once considered laughable, playing music for our pets now has some real evidence to back up the claims that it helps them to relax. Actual studies have been done to see what effects different types of music can have on various animals. Most studies have focused on dogs and cats in shelters, where it's easier to get some data due to the numbers, but we certainly can do our own "tests" at home to see what our furry housemates like.

I discovered the value of music during my early shelter and rescue years when I had to transport many or a few animals to the veterinary office for their intake exams, spay/neuters, and medical care. Sometimes even a solitary rescue could be nerve wracking with all the howling. To drown out the noise, I turned the radio on loud just to calm myself down by listening to my favorite music to relax by - classical symphonic melodies. To my surprise (and delight), it settled the cats down, too. The dogs we picked up didn't seem to mind one way or the other, but I knew other shelters that held more dogs than we did had a problem with barking. They, too, found that music helped diminish the dogs' stress, lowering the noise level.

Currently, our cat Gus has to live alone because he has FIV, the dreaded immune disease that has no cure and can spread to the other cats. Because he's alone, he's lonely, too. He can see the other cats from time to time as they come by to "visit" with him through the screen door, but he misses being able to interact with others. I spend as much time as I can with him, at least twice a day, but he cries when I have to leave.

A couple months ago, I obtained a radio and set it up near his room, tuned to the local classical station. It has made a big difference in his mental state, allowing him to be more relaxed. He still would prefer to be out with everyone else, but he is less stressed overall, is eating normally without vomiting every day, and seems to sleep better. He loves to quietly sit by me, instead of pacing about as he did before we got the radio.

Interestingly, I have learned what kinds of music Gus likes best. As I expected, his favorites are the melodic classics, including Beethoven, Schubert and Schuman, etc., but he becomes annoyed and agitated during the evening programming if the station plays jazz. The more "jazzy" it is, the more he complains. So I just turn it off and he can enjoy the silence for a few hours.

So go ahead and play a radio, mp3 player or whatever you have, to help your pet find some inner peace. This might be most useful when you have to be gone, to help them handle separation anxiety, if that's an issue, or just to help them pass the time till you get back.

Don't Forget the Noms

Wow, I can't believe I haven't had time to keep up with this blog this year! I'll try to do better!

For now, I'd like to share a video made by my new friend, Mary B. She took me up on my pack of kitty pictures I listed on Fiverr.com and added her own creativity and made this really cute video. Take a look and leave a comment if you can. I think she did a nice job!