Feline Behavior

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We all know first impressions are very important.  For cats, this is especially true.  When we bring home a new cat or kitten, we hope that our resident cat will see the new cat as a wonderful new playmate.  Rather, cats often seem to approach this as, “Who is that, and why is he playing with my stuff?”  A lot of people introduce cats in a very simple way:  ‘Marge’ walks in with the new cat in her arms.  She says, “Fluffy, this is your new brother, Max.  Max, this is Fluffy.  I know you’ll be the best of friends.”  Marge then sets Max down on the floor in front of Fluffy.  Sometimes, you get lucky, and this works.  The two cats approach slowly with their ears perked up.  They sniff noses and then rub cheeks.  They’re both OK with the new change, and they’ll probably get along pretty well.  Unfortunately we can’t always rely on luck.  If, when the cats first see each other, one or both cats hiss, growl, crouch, run away, or approach in a confrontational manner, you probably want to slow down and control their interaction. 

1. A week before you bring the new cat or kitten home, plug in a Feliway Multicat pheromone diffuser. This will serve as a form of ‘aromatherapy’ for both cats and help make them more receptive to each other.
2. Set up a separate room for your new cat with his own food, water, and litter box. Try to make this an out-of-the-way room so that you don’t interrupt your resident cat’s routine.  Your new cat won’t see this as a jail cell but as more of a safe room.  He’ll have a small space to explore before tackling your whole house (and other cats).
3. When the new cat has relaxed and your resident cat no longer seems obsessed with the new smells, bring the new cat out in a large carrier. This way, then new cat knows he’s safe, and your resident cat knows the new one is controlled.  Leave the new guy in the cat carrier in the main area for no more than 15 minutes per session, and then take him back to his safe room. 
4. If you start to see signs of aggression or fear from either cat, end the session and start again the next day. Even something as simple as staring at another cat with your tail twitching can be an aggressive signal for cats.
5. Always reward both cats for calm behavior. If the cats are in the same room without staring or watching each other (curled up and ignoring each other is a great thing), give them positive reinforcement.  This can be verbal praise, petting, or a food treat.  This teaches your cats that good things happen when that other guy’s around.

Above all, Be Patient.  It may be weeks or even months before cats will coexist peacefully.  Hopefully, though, if you put some time in at the beginning, your cats will never want to be apart.

As veterinary staff, we know that very few cats love us as much as we love them. So, we have a Strategies for Success kit to help reduce the stress of your cats visit with us. Some cats benefit from medications or supplements to reduce their anxiety during veterinary visits. We can discuss all of these options with your schedule your appointment.

If you don’t leave them out at “dens” for your cats, take their carrier out a few days before your visit with us and leave them in a nice, sunny spot with a warm blanket and perhaps a few toys or tasty treats inside. If kitty won’t go in, consider removing the top and letting kitty use the bottom as a bed.

If you have two cats, please consider two carries – best friends at home are not always happy companions in the car. You may even consider separate appointments on different days for each cat.

What makes a great, safe carries? A hard-sided carrier with a top that is easy to remove so kitty can stay safe inside the bottom of the carrier for most of their visit.

We spray each room with Feliway every morning.

Your cat can feel free to investigate our exam room. 

We turn on soothing background noise (either music or white noise).

We keep the exam room stocked with special treats.

If your cat is nervous, we can do our exam in the bottom of the carries with a towel to help them feel as calm as possible.

If your cat is too stressed to be examined safely, we may recommend that we examine them with sedation.

Bring your cat in hungry so we can tempt them with tasty treats. If kitty has a favorite brand of wet food or treat, bring some along!

Spray the carrier and a covering towel with Feliway spray the morning of your appointment. This synthetic facial pheromone acts a bit like aromatherapy for cats.

If we’ve sent home a dose of sedative, give this in a tiny serving of food as written on the bottles label.

If your cat is not in the carrier when it is time to leave, place kitty in the bottom half of the carrier and calmly replace the top half.

If necessary, place the carrier on end in a small room and slip kitty in tail first – in “super kitty” pose, if you will.

Cover your carrier with a light towel to help reduce the unusual sights and smells of the journey.

Carry your cat’s carrier as if it were a fragile gift. Be sure to keep it balanced and try not to let it swing.

In the car, play soft classical music or keep it calm and quiet. Place the carrier on the floor behind the passenger seat for stability and safety.

If your cat needs to stay with us, we provide a decorated box for them.

Each box is lined with a blanket sprayed with Feliway.

We tuck the box into the back corner of their home for the day so they can feel secure but we can still see them.

We can even examine them while they stay snuggled in their box.

Set your carrier in the middle of the room with the door open and let your cat have some quiet time.

If you have other cats at home, consider separating the cats for the rest of the day. Some cats can become stressed when a housemate smells or acts differently after a veterinary visit.

When evaluating the condition of your cat’s litter box area, the goal is to look at this area through your cat’s eyes.

How often do I clean the litter boxes?

General Cleaning Guidelines:

1. Scoop each box once to twice every day.
2. Completely empty the boxes every 2-4 weeks. Clean the boxes with warm, soapy water (no bleach or ammonia-based cleaners) and fill the boxes with new litter.
3. Buy new litter boxes once a year.

Where is your cat’s litter box area?

     Is it located by your cat’s eating and sleeping areas? (Most cats prefer to have their boxes in a separate area.)

Are the boxes easily accessible at all times?

(Be sure the boxes are on the floor and not in an area that can accidentally be closed off by a closed door or a housemate cat that guards the doorway to the stairs or the laundry room.)

Are there any loud and/or unexpected noises around the area that could scare my cat and  make him or her reluctant to go back?

     (Even something as simple as the sound of tennis shoes in a dryer can be frightening to a  timid cat.)

Is the litter box automated?

     (The sound and feel of these boxes can scare cats, and we often fail to clean these boxes as often as we should.)

How many litter box areas do I have?

     (We recommend as many litter box areas as you have cats, plus one.)

     Remember that, to a cat, five litter boxes lined up next to one another look like one elimination area.  Provide options in more than one area, even if they are only across the room from one another.

Do I have a litter box area on every level of my house?

What do my litter boxes look like?

     Do they have high sides?

     (Make sure your box is large enough to keep the litter at 2-3 inches high at all times and keep the cat from kicking it out of the box.)

Are the boxes easy to get into?

     (For young kittens or older, arthritic cats, you can cut a hole in the side of the box for the cats to use as a door.)

Are my litter boxes covered?

     (Nearly all cats prefer uncovered litter boxes.)

Are my boxes wide enough for my cat to climb into and turn around comfortably?

     (A large under-bed storage bin can make a great litter box.)

What kind of litter do I have in the boxes?

     (Most cats prefer soft, sand-like, unscented litter, and most cats hate liners)

What have I done to try to make the litter box area smell better to people?

     (Many scented litters and litter additives are designed for people and are too strongly scented for our cats.)

Do you have any brothers?  I have two.  There is a peculiar shade of dingy grey that only exists in the bathroom of a college guy.  Every surface of the bathroom seems to be grey, and it’s hard to even enter that room.  Cats, like people, have a tolerance range.  Some cats are “college boy” cats.  The litter box is the place to eliminate.  It can be dark and smelly and down in the corner of the basement, but that’s the bathroom.  (If we have one of these cats, we’re lucky.)  Now, if you will, imagine Martha Stewart in that college boy bathroom.  Some cats are “Martha Stewart” cats.  This is a cat who scratches and scratches and sniffs and turns and scratches and turns and theneliminates in the litter box.  She requires a clean litter box.  Here’s the challenge.  There’s no way to know whether you’re getting a college boy or a Martha Stewart cat.  If you find urine spots next to the box, this suggests that your cat wants to use the litter box but just can’t bring herself to go in.  Does your cat perch on the edge of the litter box, eliminate, swipe once, then bolt?  If it smells bad to us, then it smells really bad to them.

Here are some tips:

 *Cats have an excellent sense of smell.  We recommend scooping the litter box at least once a day.

     *Don’t use plastic liners.  For some reason, a lot of cats don’t like them.

     *Try to stay away from scented or perfumed litters.  Many of them are scented to make us happy and are too strong for cats.

     *It sounds crazy, but many cats prefer to put stool in one box and urine in another.  We recommend as many litter boxes as you have cats, plus one.

     *Covered litter boxes keep the smell inside.  Cats often prefer uncovered litter boxes.

     *Make sure your litter box is big enough for your cat.  A big cat who is in the box may accidentally spray out of the box.  Rubbermaid totes and under-the-bed storage containers make great litter boxes.

     *Try to keep the litter at least 2-3 inches deep at all times.

     *Completely empty, clean the litter boxes (no bleach or ammonia products), and replace with new litter every two weeks.

     *Buy new litter boxes once a year.

     *Finally, cats are often traditionalists.  Newfangled litters may seem cool to us, but a lot of cats prefer soft, granular (dirt-like) litter.

As always, the best ‘treatment’ is actually prevention.  If we can give all our cats the perfect bathroom, everybody gets a clean house!