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Q&A: How do I get my kitten to stop biting?

By on December 22, 2011 in Cats, Pet Q & A

Question: My kitten won’t stop biting! I have tried everything to stop it but nothing seems to work. I have tried yelling, holding her down by the scruff of her neck, ignoring her, and putting her in a different room until she calms down. When I hold her down she will stop but when I let go she begins to bite again.. and hard. When I ignore her she runs after me and bites me. Is there anything I can do to stop this behavior? She is very loving except when she gets into her biting mood. I am pretty sure she is just trying to play but it hurts!

Answer: This sounds like a classic case of play aggression. It is a normal part of a kitten’s development and can be very frustrating as you know! It sounds like you have tried some of the things we would suggest but we want to stress 2 things: Consistency and Diversion.

Your kitten may be cute and cuddly and even gentle when she plays at times but if you want to discourage biting and scratching you cannot allow her to play roughly with you at all. When she does try to be playful, you should immediately divert her attention away from you to a soft toy that is about her size. Try to have toys placed throughout the house so that one is always handy wherever you may be. Instead of yelling, try clapping loudly with your hands, sometimes a loud clap can catch them off guard and get them to stop what they are doing. We understand how frustrating this can be but this phase WILL pass. Kittens usually outgrow this phase when they approach their first birthday.

We are not sure what your situation is or if you would consider this but having a second kitten can also greatly reduce play aggression with you (and other humans in the house). One might think the problems would double, but a second kitten will actually reduce the problems you have by providing your kitten with an acceptable wrestling partner!

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Parvovirus: Some Surprising Facts

By on July 26, 2011 in Dogs, Pet Health, Pet Q & A, Pet Safety

vaccinate against parvo

PHOTO CREDIT

You probably know that Parvovirus is a serious disease that can kill dogs and puppies quickly… but did you know that there is no cure for Parvo? Veterinarians can only treat the symptoms for the course of virus, and try to keep the dog alive by preventing dehydration and loss of proteins. This is why it’s so important to keep our immunization vaccinations up to date. The only answer to Parvo is vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!

Other well-known – and little-known facts – about Parvo:

  • Parvovirus can be fatal in as little as 24 hours.
  • Parvo spreads very, very easily; your dog can pick it up during a simple walk around the neighborhood block – no direct exposure to a sick dog is necessary.
  • Dogs and puppies can contract Parvo even if they never leave their yards; even a bird or squirrel drinking from your dog’s water bowl can spread Parvo!
  • You yourself can bring Parvo home to your dog on shoes, hands and even car tires, and the virus can live for months or years outside a host body.
  • Rain can bring the virus out of the soil and when combined with fly activity, can cause an outbreak.
  • The incubation period for Parvovirus is 4-7 days from the time the dog is first exposed.
  • Typical signs of Parvovirus include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody.
  • Black and tan dogs such as Dobermans and Rottweilers seem more prone to contracting Parvovirus, and have lower recovery rates.
  • If a dog becomes infected with Parvovirus, he has about a 50-50 chance of survival.
  • Puppies are more at risk than adult dogs, and puppies who do contract and survive a Parvo infection usually remain somewhat unhealthy and weak for life.
  • Puppies actually obtain some immunity from their mother’s milk, which contains the Parvovirus antibodies that temporarily protect the pup – the problem is these same antibodies also inactivate the Parvo vaccine, which is why puppies need a special vaccination schedule and isolation from other dogs until the vaccine kicks in.

Summer is Parvo season, but sadly, Vets around the country are currently seeing especially worrying spikes in outbreaks, probably as a result of tough economic times leading to failure to vaccinate… but treatment for Parvovirus is far more costly than the vaccination! In many places, SPCAs, humane societies and animal services are offering free or low-cost vaccines to try to keep the spread of Parvo down.

You can find a general vaccination schedules for dogs and puppies, including Parvo, here.

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Q&A: How do I get my stray cat to accept a litter box?

By on September 7, 2010 in Cats, Pet Q & A

Question: I have had a stray cat for 2 years. She is 6 to 8 years old, and very stubborn – even the local vet has a tough time to examine her. I cannot get her to go in a litter box. I have tried a couple of times to get her to go in one. I even purchased a certain litter that guaranteed to attract a cat to go in it, but it failed. When I put her in the litter box thinking she would feel the sand and maybe go in it, I found her sleeping in the box. I think she thought I wanted her in it. She is a very private cat. My husband and I tried to watch her to see where she was going to put some in the box but cannot catch her in the act. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: Your feral-kitty-turned-tame problem is a tricky one. If your cat is mature and never learned to use a litter box, we understand why you are having problems. A Google search informed us that you are not the only one looking for an answer to this problem – but most replies to such questions don’t really offer suggestions for stubborn cases like yours.

The best advice we found came from Elizabeth Teal and Micky Niego, Companion Animal Services at ASPCA via PetFinder’s article entitled Help! He’s Not Using the Litter box – which talks about various problems, including that of stray and feral cats (see paragraph 2) who have become accustomed to outdoor “facilities” such as soil or a clump of leaves. The authors say that in some stubborn cases, “it may be necessary to start off with the substance the cat was used to (soil, sand, newspaper) and gradually make the switch by changing the proportion of old type to new type over a period of several weeks.” You may have to watch your cat when she is outdoors to see if you can see what type of environment she favors so you can “recreate” it in your litter box!

Other people say they have had success with keeping the cat in a confined space (a crate or a bathroom) until they get used to the litter box. Hmmm. We aren’t sure we like that approach. We think the one above makes more sense and would be less stressful to your cat.

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Q & A: How do I get my puppy to stop chewing on things?

By on August 11, 2010 in Dog Training, Dogs, Pet Q & A

Question: I have a Boston Terrier and she is about 3-4 months old. She is starting to chew on furniture and anything she can get ahold of. We have given her several rawhides to chew on.  How do I keep her from chewing on everything?

Answer: Chewing is a natural behavior for puppies as they go through a teething stage just like babies do.  Even after their adult teeth come in they still need to chew in order to set the permanent teeth in the jaw.  You mentioned that you have given her several rawhides to chew on.  You may want to try some other types of toys as well if she is still chewing on inappropriate things.  Some other tips include:

1.  When she is left alone in the house confine her to a crate or puppy-proof room (see next tip)

2.  Puppy-Proof your home (or at the very least the area where you confine her while you are away if not using a crate).  Remove all items she can chew on, it may be helpful to crawl around the room so you can look at it from her perspective.

3.  Make sure you give her a variety of appropriate toys to chew on so she does not get bored and also to help teach her things that are appropriate to chew on.  Refrain from giving her old shoes or other inappropriate chew toys as she will not be able to distinguish between old and new.  You want to avoid giving her mixed signals.  You will want to find toys that cannot be chewed apart or accidentally swallowed.  The Dog Guide website has a list of 8 Great and Durable Dog Toys you may want to check out.

4. Train her to not chew on inappropriate items.  To do this place a tempting (but inappropriate) object on the floor along with a toy.  When she starts to chew on the inappropriate object, quickly correct her with a firm “NO!” and point to her toy.  Once she gets the hang of this with you in the room it is time to leave the room for short intervals.  If you catch her chewing on the inappropriate object after you leave the room quickly enter the room and correct her.  NOTE: you only want to correct her when you catch her in the act, if you do so after the fact she will not associate the correction with the undesirable chewing behavior.  Training her using this method can take time so be patient and try not to get frustrated.

5. If, after working with her as in steps #1 through #4, you are still having issues with her chewing, you may want to consider contacting a professional dog trainer for assistance.  The Association of Pet Dog Trainers website has a nice tool you can use to find a trainer in your area.

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Q&A: How do I quiet a noisy cat?

By on June 29, 2010 in Cats, Pet Q & A

Question: I have a male cat who will turn 3 soon. He was a shelter cat I adopted a few years ago and I love him dearly, but there is one major issue — he cries constantly. I have taken him to the vet and he has a clean bill of health. He is well fed, but seems very anxious about food: he can never get enough. I know he can’t possibly be hungry, but he pesters me for food night and day. He has a lot of toys, but he doesn’t usually play with them and seems very bored, which also makes him cry. I would get another cat to keep him company, but the rules of my lease have a one-pet limit. I don’t know what to do to make him happy and keep him quiet. I have tried spraying him with water when he cries, but it doesn’t work. He just hides and cries from somewhere else. Do cats get anxiety disorders? If so, is there anything I can do to help calm him?

Answer: You are certainly not alone. Too much cat vocalization is one of the most common complaints of cat owners. It can be pretty difficult to understand why they are mewing, whining, or howling too much. You have concluded that it is because the cat is unhappy and that may not be the case – sometimes it is to get attention; sometimes it is because they are in pain or discomfort; sometimes they are just a breed that is known to be highly vocal, such as a Siamese. When is the cat quiet? Try to observe those conditions and compare them to the times when the cat is crying.

One of the first suggestions we would normally make would be to take him to a vet to rule out medial problems so it is good that you have done that. So now you have to look at behavioral issues.

Often, cats are good at training owners rather than the reverse. Without meaning to, the way that you are responding may have been reinforcing the negative behavior rather than discouraging it. Reinforcing negative behavior patterns only helps to ingrain those behaviors. If you have reacted to attention-getting behavior – either positively or negatively – you have been giving the cat a payoff. Some people suggest that spraying water will stop the cat’s meowing – we are not so sure about that and favor the “ignore” method, even though that isn’t easy. Don’t respond to your cat when he is crying – you must learn to ignore the meowing because if he has learned that his crying gets attention, food, water and other rewards and responses, he will keep using that behavior. It will be hard to break this pattern and it may take a very long time if the behavior pattern is established, but you should respond to him and reward him only when he is quiet.

Some additional suggestions

  • Make sure your cat has sufficient food, water and clean litter.
  • If you feed your cat only once a day, try several smaller meals instead.
  • Try varying the food to determine what your cat likes best.
  • Ensure that your cat has a cozy, safe “hiding place” – sometimes cats feel safe under a pile of blankets or in a confined space.
  • Exercise your cat each day – play games with him and give him a good runaround.
  • If the cat meows at night, try isolating him. Use earplugs so that it doesn’t drive you crazy – and so that you don’t respond.
  • Some cat owners say that Feliway has helped to calm or relax an anxious cat.

A few articles on the topic:

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Q&A: Urinating and other cat behavior problems

By on March 25, 2010 in Cats, Pet Q & A

Question:
I have a male (11) and a female (8) cats. They have shared a litter box for about 8 years, which has been in our Laundry Room for the past 5 years. They get along well most of the time. Both are fixed and declawed in their front claws. Over the last 6 months or so, one of the cats (believed to be the male cat) has occasionally urinated outside the litter box – usually in the same corner. Over the last couple of weeks, they have urinated in the middle of the laundry room where the litter box is kept – missing the box altogether. We clean the litter box about every other day. Lately, our male cat has also gotten extraordinarily aggressive with our female cat and with us. Sometimes she will instigate the terror. Very unlike them. Finally, we sleep with our bedroom door closed because our male cat likes to knock stuff off of our dressers and night stands or will walk all over us while we sleep. Over the last couple of weeks, our female cat meows in the middle of the night at our door until she is let in and then on occasion will cry more. My theory is that there is a male cat roaming around at night and she is trying to get his attention and this aggravates our male cat. How do we stop all of this madness? And what is the best way to clean up cat urine and get rid of the smell?

Answer:
So sorry to hear about your recent cat problems!

First, let’s talk about your older boy cat. We suspect he is the root of the problems, and is upsetting the routine and equanimity of the younger girl cat.

You should take your boy cat to be evaluated by a vet. At 11 years old, your cat is in his geriatric years and a lot could be going it. There are many aging-related maladies that could be affecting your cat’s behavior – see this article on senility and geriatric issues in cats.  It describes a variety of age-related maladies and behaviors that can occur, many of which track with the behaviors you describe. Sometimes these behaviors are just due to aging. Other times, they may be due to a medical condition such as such as a urinary tract infection (UTI), which is very common in older cats and can cause some of the problems you are seeing. Arthritis is another possibility. The article says “Radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease is present in 70-90% of cats over 10 years of age. Associated pain and/or dysfunction can result in reduced activity and mobility, aggression, altered interactions with the family, and/or loss of litter box training.” If your cat doesn’t feel well, he is going to be irritable and cranky, and won’t want to be bothered. It also may cause him to be more aggressive in seeking your attention because he is looking for help.

Now we aren’t vets, so we can’t say whether your cat has an underlying medical problem, but that is the first place to start. The behaviors you describe are not uncommon in older cats, and may be triggering the younger cat’s discomfort.

Some other suggestions and comments on your questions:
First, with two cats using it, the litter box should probably be cleaned every day. See our prior post on Cats Peeing in the Wrong Places.  And although we haven’t used it, many people have found Feliway helpful.

If you take care of the boy cat’s problems urinating outside the box, the girl cat may follow suit. Cats often urinate in a place that smells of urine, so thoroughly clean anywhere either cat has gone.

We are sorry to tell you that the cat urine smell is indeed a big problem. There are a variety of enzyme products that you can get in a pet store, but they can be costly and some say they only remove the smell temporarily. A thorough scrubbing with apple cider vinegar and/or baking soda are among some of the best methods we’ve heard. If you have throw rugs that cats have urinated on, your best bet may be to throw those away – the rubber backing in rugs tends to hold the smell. For permanent rugs and upholstery, steam cleaning may help. At the end of this article, we’ve included a few links to pages that offer suggestions.

As for the female crying at night … if she’s fixed, it’s doubtful that she’s calling for suitors. She may simply be thrown into confusion by the older cat’s behavior. It’s also likely she’s annoyed by the closed door. Cats hate a closed door, especially when they think something is going on the other side. After having the male cat checked out by a vet, try putting him in a room by himself at night and allowing the girl cat in with you.

Resources for dealing with cat urine odor

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Introducing new cats into a household; dealing with feline aggression

By on February 18, 2010 in Cats, Pet Q & A

We had a question from a member who has 2 resident cats and has been trying to acclimate 2 guest cats that are visiting while a family member is serving in Afghanistan. The fur has been flying and our member is looking for help in how to reduce the amount of yowling, growling, yelling, hissing and posturing. We’ve been asked about cat aggression before. Because it’s such a common issue, we thought we’d discuss it here to benefit all readers.

Typically, when introducing new cats into a household, it is best to keep them separated and gradually integrate the new cats. Even if you did this when they first came to live at your house, the process can take time and you may have to repeat the steps in the introduction process more than once.

There is a wealth of information available regarding the proper way to introduce (or re-introduce) cats to each other. Experts make the same basic points, which we’ve compiled. Some include different tactics and you may need to approach this differently than mentioned below depending on your specific situation. We’ve also included some links to a few articles to give you additional ideas and information on proper introductions, as well as how to handle aggression between cats.

Introducing (or re-introducing) New Cats:

1. Confine the new cats in a separate room with litter, food, and water. If the new cats are getting along, it is probably OK to confine them in the same room.  There should be no physical contact between your cats and the new cats during this time.  You should keep them separated for at least a few days up to a week (possibly longer depending on how they progress).

2. Try to get the cats comfortable with each other’s scents while they are separated by swapping toys or blankets with your cats and the new cats.  This will allow them to explore the other cat’s scents in a non-threatening manner.

3. The next step is to try and bring all cats together for a positive experience, such as feeding or playtime.

  • If you try the feeding approach, you will want the cats to be as far away from each other as possible while still in the same room – either in carriers or restrained with a harness and leash during the feeding. This may help them to associate the pleasure of eating with each other’s presence.  If the cats won’t eat or seem aggressive or anxious, move them farther apart. You will want to do this a few times until they are all eating and seem relaxed.
  • If you take the playtime approach, make sure you have others there to help you keep all cats occupied.  If the cats start fighting or become too anxious, separate them.  It may take several sessions like this to get them to be peaceful with each other.

4. Once the cats seem OK with each other, you can stop separating them. Do not rush this too much because if they aren’t ready, you may end up back where you started.

This process can take weeks or even months. Signs of anxiety or aggression usually indicate that the introduction (or re-introduction) is proceeding too quickly.

Make sure you reward the cats for peaceful behavior. It is also important that you do not scold the cats for being aggressive. otherwise they will bging to associate the unpleasantness of being scolded with being near each other. Make sure you give special attention to your cats as well as the new cats (but only when they are separated until they start to get along).

This can be a long and difficult process and new introductions usually go better when done slowly from the outset. It is not impossible to resolve this issue if they were introduced too quickly, but it will make things harder. You may want to ask your vet for a recommendation for a calming agent. Some available options include  artificial feline facial pheromones and flower essences.  We cannot endorse specific brands or products but information is widely available and your vet will surely be able to recommend something.

A few helpful resources
Aggression – Territorial: Introducing a new cat into the household

How to Introduce Your New Cat to the Rest of the Tribe

Aggression Between Cats in Your Household

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Pet Q&A: Neutered Male Cat Sprays in the House

By on October 21, 2009 in Cats, People & Pets, Pet Q & A

My 10-year-old neutered male cat sprays certain areas in the house: the living room curtains, the area around his food dish, which is up on a counter to prevent the dog from getting his food. He started this behavior after we got our dog. We have had the dog for a long time now, though. Is there any way to get our cat to stop this behavior. Of course, this produces an odor, and I have to keep having the curtains laundered.

It sounds like this may have started out as a stress related problem due to the dog being introduced into his territory but has since progressed into a territorial issue (as you have had the dog for a long time now), but stress could still be a factor. With that said, if you have not done so already, you will want to also consult with a vet to rule out any medical issues such as urinary tract diseases.

If you determine that it is not medical, but a stress/territorial related issue, there are a few things you can try:

  1. When cleaning the area where he is spraying, use an enzyme based cleaner specifically formulated to clean urine. The enzymes will break down the odor causing bacteria in the cat urine to completely get rid of the smell. Remember, cats have a much more sensitive sense of smell than humans do.
  2. There are natural stress remedies for cats that you may want to look into. We cannot endorse specific brands or products but can give you some information that you can use to discuss with your vet to determine the appropriate product to use.
    1. Artificial facial pheromones
    2. Aromatherapy (lavender essential oil can have a relaxing effect)
    3. Herbal Therapies
    4. Homeopathic (flower essence)
  3. Make sure your cat has some place in the house that he can claim as his “own” where the dog cannot go.
  4. If possible, when you leave the house, separate the animals to reduce any tension.

Here are a few articles we found about Cat Spraying, Cat Stress, Facial Pheromones, and Natural Remedies for Stress in Cats. You may want to consult with your vet before trying some of the natural and herbal remedies, especially if your cat has any underlying medical conditions that you are aware of. This can be one of the most difficult problems to solve so be patient and know that there may not be one single thing that will work, you may have to try a combination of things to resolve the issue. Because of the difficulty of this problem we would like to give you as many ideas to think about as possible.

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Pet Q&A: At what age can a puppy be spayed?

By on April 29, 2009 in Dogs, People & Pets, Pet Health, Pet Q & A

Can you tell me how old a puppy has to be before I have them spayed? I always thought they had to come into their first heat before, now I am being told that was a long time ago and they want you to have them spayed before their first one. My puppy will be 5 months old when they want to do her.

According to this article from VeterinaryPartner.com it is best to spay a female dog before her first heat as it can decrease the chance of mammary infections and cancer. Your vet will be able to give you the best advice regarding the ideal age and risks associated with waiting until after the first heat.

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Pet Q&A: My cat wakes me up at night to feed him

By on December 18, 2008 in Cats, Pet Q & A

My cat wakes me up every morning around 3 am for breakfast. If I don’t feed him right away, he pulls books off shelves, knocks things off counters, meows, rattles doors, etc until I finally get up. He’s almost 20 lbs so it’s hard to ignore him. I’ve tried feeding him his dinner later, but that doesn’t seem to help. I’m used to getting a bad night’s sleep each night, but I’d really rather fix this behave but nothing seems to work. Help!

That cat behavior sounds familiar – I bet you can relate to this funny little animation by a cat owner with a similar problem!

Cats are nocturnal creatures so your cat is just being true to form. If he were an outdoor cat, this would be his hunting time. He’s a pretty smart guy, he seems to have figured out how to get his way.

Here are two things to try to satisfy his 3 am hunger: put his food out the night before – you may need to use dry or semi-dry food. Or invest in one of the automatic timed feeders and set it for 2:45 every night. If your cat is really hungry, that may solve the problem.

However, it may be that your cat is more interested in attention and response from you than the food, in which case it will be a more difficult problem to address.

Try not to let you cat sleep too much in the daytime or early evening. Make sure you leave lots of active toys for him if you are away in the daytime and be sure to have a few active play sessions when you are home. You might plan a particularly active session right before bed to try to tire him out a bit.

Train your cat to sleep in another room. Sometimes cats adjust well to a laundry room – they like the warmth and the smell – and if you put water, food, and a basket with a soft blanket, your cat will eventually get used to it. There’s no doubt you will have an adjustment period so you may need to get some earplugs until your cat settles down.

Ignore the behavior. This can be extremely difficult but if you give any reaction whatsoever, he is getting a payoff and will continue with the attention-seeking behavior and even ratchet it up. The Humane Society has this to say about attention-seeking behavior:

Some cats “talk” because they know they’ll get a reaction. People may talk back, put out some food, pick up and soothe the cat, or even pick the animal up and temporarily “lock” her in another room. All of these responses will encourage an attention-seeking cat. To discourage this behavior, simply ignore your cat when she does this, and when she is quiet, pour on the love, feed her, or give her some treats. This will teach your cat which behaviors you would like her to continue.

Additional resources

Excessive nocturnal activity in cats

Alarm clock kitties

Attention-seeking cats

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