 Help your cat adjust to life without you around again.
During the shutdown, our cats had to adjust to us being home and disrupting their schedules. Cats that had previously been alone all day were suddenly chiming in on conference calls. Even my brother had telemedicine appointments with a patient when all of a sudden, the patient’s cat would appear on camera! After nearly two months, many cats are happy to have us home all the time and enjoy the extra attention. How do we start the adjustment period for them so they won’t experience separation anxiety and bad behavior? Let’s start with a few easy tips to ease this transition to be as painless as possible for both of you.
While most of us are transitioning back to the working world, starting these tips now can ease the stress for our cats before behavioral problems arise. There’s nothing better than coming home to a happy and relaxed that’s excited to greet you. However, if separation anxiety OR destructive behavior occurs, consider cat daycare to help your cat control the loneliness and anxiety of missing you. Whether it is for a short time or regular basis, cat daycare can give the attention and relief that some cats need from being alone.
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 Whether a jungle cat or an adorable kitten, the fact is that cats love to scratch as much as they love to meow. As can be expected, there is always a hidden meaning in why they do what they do. In typical cat fashion, it’s often purely selfish. Since they are going to do what they want, is there a way we can help them and keep our homes from being clawed to pieces? The answer is yes and yes! So, let’s find out what we can do to keep our belongings in one piece and our cats entertained.
Why are cats so physical? Anyone who knows a cat knows that they’re very physical creatures. They hiss, scratch, run and yowl to express displeasure. But, scratching and meowing can also be signs of affection! Many of a cat’s habits come from their ancestors and their innate need to express ownership over the things in their territory. And yes, that includes you. For example, head bumps are more than a simple hello! That sweet little bump that my Maddie used to give me once she jumped on my lap was really a secret message. “Bunting” is a sure sign of their love for you and their desire to keep you to themselves. The bumps activate glands around their head (around mouth, whiskers, ears) and other places on their body (neck, tail and paws). The chemicals released are called pheromones. Pheromones are used as a type of secret communication between cats to signal that you belong to that cat. Only cats can detect and understand these messages. Just as a snowflake, each scent is unique to each cat. Cats scratching around the house is their way of marking their territory with their scents. Cool! Tell me more about why they scratch my things. Along with releasing secret scents and hidden messages, scratching does much more than you would think. The claw marks themselves are also warning signs to other cats that a fearless ferocious cat has been here and to steer clear. I guess cats need to also see to believe? Scratching is also the best way for them to relax and relieve stress or excitement. For example, notice how your cat scratches: they stretch their bodies and elongate their legs and toes. This is a natural massage to release muscle knots and tension. If you notice how your cat scratches, you can pick better toys for them. If your cat is a long horizontal stretcher & scratcher, they probably need something low to the ground almost twice the length of their body. Some cats prefer to stretch vertically, so a hanging toy might be better for them. Finally, you may notice little claws laying around the area they scratch. These ‘nail clippings’ are from the cat scratching to pull off the dead outer layer of the nail and reveal a new one. It is important for them to be able to really sink their claws into a material so they can pull off that layer easily and quickly. Claws grow back fast, usually within 10 days to 2 weeks. Some cats have trouble doing this naturally and may need their nails trimmed. Additionally, some cat owners may not want to wait for this process to happen. Therefore, every 2 weeks or so is the suggested time frame I tell customers for nail clipping. This can also be affected by age, as nail growth tends to slow the older they get. What kind of scratching toys should I get? Having had my oak moldings in my house shredded, I’ve gotten pretty well-versed with all of the options for cat scratch toys on the market. I can tell Daphne’s getting tired of her toys when every so often, I hear the sound of a chair being attacked. There are some really great simple options on the market (or do it yourself) for cat scratch pads.
The short answer: Yes! Of course! Cat posts are the most popular style and super easy to make at home. I would start with a simple cardboard or plywood frame covered in excess carpet, but there are a lot of very creative versions on the internet. If you are the DIY type, search for some styles you’ve seen and liked and start to be creative with some options! A friend of mine used a simple cardboard mailing tube over an old post and his 8 cats were delighted with a fresh tube every so often. You could even re-wrap your old scratching post in something new to get more use out of it! When buying or DIYing anything for your cat, be sure it won’t topple over and injure them. Another factor to consider when choosing a new scratching toy/pad/tower/post is sound. Cats love the sound of scratching! If this sound drives you up a wall, consider a softer material. Any of these options here are still better than your new sofa or door moldings so start off immediately once you bring a new cat home. Replacing the posts as soon as they become worn will also deter kitty from eyeing the nicer things to destroy. All of these can be purchased and tested rather inexpensively and then once decided on which is preferred, keep a small variety around the house in areas that your cat can easily find. Hopefully, you will notice your cat willingly choosing the scratchpad over the chair! Or, when in doubt, send your cat our way for a day of de-stressing at the spa.  Since cats are so self-sufficient, do they really need designated kennels? Read on to find out why cats benefit from specific care and how to pick a kennel.
Why do cats need kennels and boarding facilities? This is a question I get asked pretty often since I started telling people about my business. Even now, customers stop in and ask. I have my own personal beliefs about why cats need safe and comfortable boarding facilities but I’ve also compiled some other common reasons cats may benefit from boarding. Attention, please! Many years ago, I left for a long weekend and had a friend stop by to feed my kitty, Guenivere. The friend told me that she would barely stay for 3 minutes. She stayed enough time to dump food in a bowl, open a can of wet food and refill the water. Needless to say, I never asked her to check on Gwen again. However, because of the isolation and loneliness, I came home to her losing her voice. Yes, my sweet Guenivere had meowed so much that she was hoarse and could barely speak anymore. As my vet advised, not all cats are aloof loners. Some are attention seeking and need human interaction (when they decide they want it, of course). While cats may not need to be constantly stroked or cradled, some just need to know that a human is present and that is enough to reduce any anxiety for them. My vet had advised me that anything over 4 days is really pushing the limits for loneliness to set in. Medical attention Whether your cat is diabetic or on an antibiotic, the medicine needs to be administered on a regular basis in a safe environment. It is neither fun nor easy to give a cat medicine but for the cat’s health, it must be done. Some make it easier than others, like the cats who make it nearly impossible, but having someone trained to give them medicine is a huge plus of boarding facilities. Knowing who will be administering the medication is important for the cat’s stress level, which may already be high just by not being around their owner. Medical attention can also mean post-surgery care. As with humans, postsurgical recovery can be important to avoid another surgery or health scare. I recently had a client tell me that his cat was a little Houdini after a procedure and removed the plastic cone and damaged his wound and stitches. This happened while he was at work all day and he thought that the cone would stop any risk of opening the wound. The little stinker had to go back to the vet to be re-stitched and received another round of antibiotics just in case. Cat daycare is available for these situations. If you have a very busy schedule or multiple pets, even a short term stay can help get through the rough first days. Or maybe you have to travel and are unable to postpone your trip. Having the option of a trusted cat daycare can help get kitty on the road to recovery. The human element Watching your fur baby is one of the greatest responsibilities that you may ask of someone. I’ll be the first to admit that I have asked neighbors and friends to stop by and feed and water my cat. Unfortunately, even the best neighbor in the world is likely to slack on care and attention during a quick drop-by. Having someone in my house while I’m away is not comforting to me regardless of new technology that can be set up. It is still a stranger in your house with a key to it! Additionally, even the people who want to provide your cat with more attention can misstep. One time, my cat crawled under the bed and the cat-sitter friend insisted on trying to get her. Unfortunately, she ended up being bitten by my cat, as my cat felt her personal space was being interrupted. I appreciated her wanting to play with Maddie but provoking her to hide and then bite was uncalled for. At a kennel, staff are trained to respect the cat’s desire to calm down. Keeping routine Some cats can be left a bowl of food and will eat at their pleasure and come and go. Others may binge and eat all the food at once only to become sick and make a mess. Your cat may be very adjusted to your routine at home, and having that routine disrupted while still in their home can be very confusing. Cats are intuitive creatures, and being at a boarding facility may help put them in the mindset of “I need to figure out how to adjust” rather than being stubborn. While leaving your kitty at home or asking a friend to check is no cost, sometimes there can be a price you don’t know of that your cat will pay. Trips to the boarder are not often and quickly forgotten. Some upscale boarding facilities are now offering pick up and drop off for a small fee. After some mishaps and not so great experiences asking friends or needing medication handled, I have no question that boarding is the best choice. If we can travel and stay in a nice hotel, shouldn’t your cat enjoy a nice getaway to the spa as well? They may have so much fun that they may not want to leave! While a kennel is the approach I prefer to take, you know your cat best. Take time to research and visit in person and interview us! There can be huge differences in kennels from drop off/pick up times to what type of kennel/room the cat will be in. Interview them as you are hiring them to work for you and take care of your baby. Sometimes spending more can guarantee peace of mind and a happier cat. |
AuthorWhen Cari has some free time from all the kitties, she likes to share her knowledge of all things cat in this bi-monthly blog. Enjoy the read! Archives
June 2024
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