4
Retraining Old Habits and More Serious Problems You Thought You Had to Live With
RETRAIN WITH THE RIGHT STARTING FROM SCRATCH ATTITUDE
Whether you’re trying to correct a major problem that has your cat on her last chance or simply attempting to change a few annoying little habits, how you approach the situation is extremely important. You may be at odds with your cat by now and the two of you might have a severely damaged relationship, but you have to put aside your emotional reactions to what has occurred in the past in order to bring about a constructive and healthy solution to the problem. Instead of getting angry or disheartened because your cat has failed to do something, change your attitude to focus on helping her succeed.
As you’ve learned from the chapters you’ve read so far, my technique is based on creating an atmosphere that puts the cat in a better position to direct herself toward the desired behavior and away from the undesired one. My approach with cats is to focus on the underlying cause or need for the undesirable behavior and what they are saying through that behavior. I then create an atmosphere that meets their needs in a way that’s acceptable to both cats and humans. I concentrate on the positive steps the cats take toward the behavior I want, giving them an incentive to keep going that way. Any so-called negatives that I might incorporate don’t come directly from me. I know the cats aren’t deliberately misbehaving, and I certainly don’t want to damage the cat-human bond, so negatives are used sparingly in the form of appropriate deterrents. From a cat’s point of view, these deterrents seem to appear mysteriously rather than being directly created by a human. Anytime a deterrent is used, I balance that negative with a positive by offering the cat a better option so she soon sees that what has happened is a good thing, not a negative one, after all. I’m the only one who has to know that this was all carefully planned behavior modification. I’ve become very good at appearing innocent and nonsuspicious whenever a cat looks at me.
If the behavior problem you’re trying to resolve has been a long-term one, remain patient as you and your cat work through the behavior modification. The problem didn’t occur overnight and it won’t be corrected overnight either. When you do the proper behavior modification, you’ll have the joy of watching your cat take baby steps in the direction you want. The more you concentrate on those positive little steps, the easier the process will be for both you and your cat. It’s easy to get discouraged if, after things have been going well for a while, you experience a sudden setback, but that happens in all types of behavior correction. Humans are as guilty of that as cats, so the best thing to do is to examine what happened that created the setback, make necessary adjustments, and move on.
REBUILDING TRUST
You and your cat may not be the best of friends due to whatever behavior problem has been occurring, but you have to work on regaining her trust. Don’t just go through the motions of behavior modification without also working on reestablishing that bond. If you’ve used inappropriate correction techniques previously, there’s a good chance your relationship could use a little repair. If you’ve physically punished your cat, she may flinch when you extend your hand toward her, or she may just run away out of fear. You have to work on helping her see that your hands are not meant to inflict pain, but rather are for petting, holding, and showing affection. Use the techniques described in the previous chapter on play therapy so she can stay within her comfort zone while being near you. As you engage in more and more play sessions, she’ll start to associate you with positive experiences, not negative ones.
Even if you haven’t issued physical reprimands, your cat may still be afraid of you, or at least somewhat cautious, if you’ve chased, yelled, or squirted her with water. As a cat owner, you should be a source of security for your cat. That can start with your voice. Pay attention to the tone of your voice when you talk to your cat now that you’re trying to regain her trust. Your voice should be calm, soothing, and friendly. Even if you aren’t yet feeling the love, call your cat’s name in the most inviting tone you can. Don’t use baby talk or high-pitched tones because that’s not soothing or reassuring. Use your voice in a way that conveys softness. Regardless of the problem you’re trying to correct, you need to be a source of comfort to your cat. Her behavioral issue isn’t rooted in spitefulness or meanness and shouldn’t elicit those feelings from you.
CORRECTING THOSE LITTLE ANNOYING PROBLEMS
For most people, these are not deal breakers when it comes to life with a cat, but some cat owners find these behaviors increasingly harder to accept day after day and year after year. Some cats display these behaviors in very subtle ways, while others’ little annoying behavior quirks result in a grand-scale war between cat and human. Little annoyances may be something you thought you had to resign yourself to if you were going to live with a cat, but they are often easy to correct. As with large problems, you have to understand what the underlying cause is or why the cat feels the need to exhibit the particular behavior. You can then apply appropriate behavior modification to ease the kitty away from that behavior and toward a more beneficial one. Even if a particular little annoying habit is acceptable to you and has become a normal way of life at this point, it may not be a healthy behavior for your cat, either physically or mentally. Some little behaviors need to be modified for the cat’s sake, some need it for your sake, and some need modifying for both of you. It’s never too late to retrain unwanted behaviors into acceptable ones. Even if you can accomplish an improvement only by degrees, the retraining makes life better for everyone.
Counter hopping
Have you battled in vain for years to keep your cat off the kitchen counters? Have you given up and surrendered them to her, or do you continue to shoo and chase several times a day? I know many people who have kept spray bottles on the counter and, time and time again, grab one, aim, and squirt. All too often, the only thing that has been accomplished is that a wet cat leaps from the counter and dashes out of sight, frustrated but determined to try again later when the human isn’t around.
Perhaps having a cat on the counter didn’t bother you before but the situation changed due to the addition of a new family member who doesn’t agree with your choices or has allergies, or because you’ve moved to a new home. Perhaps the battle heats up only when there’s food present, or maybe you allow your cat on the counter when you’re alone but would prefer not to when there are dinner guests. If you’ve allowed her there under certain conditions, such as when there isn’t food present, then you’ve sent her a mixed message. The training has to be consistent; the cat is either allowed or not allowed, period. If you’d prefer that she not be allowed up there, then it’s time to do some proper retraining.
You may have tried multiple methods only to have your cat continue to leap up on your freshly cleaned counter. The problem with many of the methods used—whether it’s chasing, yelling, or even gently shooing her off—is that your smart kitty knows that all she has to do is wait until you aren’t around to get right back up there.
Since you’ll be taking a preferred area from her, you’ll need to replace it with a more acceptable option. That’s an important part of the retraining process. She hasn’t been jumping on the counter all these years simply because she enjoys being scolded. The counter has been an appealing place, or even a very needed place, and now you’re going to take that away. You have to give her something just as good or, hopefully, even better.
First, try to figure out what it is about the counter that appeals to your cat. For many cats it’s because of all the delicious food prepared there, whether it’s her own cat food in the process of being served or the roasted chicken you just took out of the oven for the family. In addition to the retraining process I’ll provide in a little bit, you’ll need to make sure she’s not having to wait too long to get her meals. If you schedule-feed, she may need the portion divided up into smaller meals fed more frequently. If she’s underweight, she may be due for a checkup by the veterinarian to make sure there isn’t an underlying medical problem. Some medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism can cause a cat to have a large appetite even though, at the same time, she is unable to keep weight on her body. If your cat is overweight, the issue may be that there isn’t enough stimulation for her and all she thinks about is her next meal. A veterinary checkup is needed so your cat can be put on an appropriate nutritional plan.
Your cat may be the picture of health, her meal schedule appropriate, and yet she still attempts to steal a chicken leg or the meat out of your sandwich before you’ve taken the first bite. Many cats just can’t resist the opportunity to check out the interesting aromas that come from the food on the counter. While you’re doing the retraining, reduce temptation as best as you can. Cover foods that must be left out on the counter as soon as possible. Don’t leave dirty dishes with leftover food on the counter or in the sink. I know I probably sound like your mother right now, reminding you to clean up, but the less temptation for your cat, the faster the retraining will progress.
Your cat may not have any interest in the food on the counter; she may simply enjoy the fact that it’s an elevated area that’s very open and overlooks a wide space. Perhaps there’s a window in the kitchen and the counter provides her with a conveniently large perch for bird watching or napping in the sun. It’s a natural part of a cat’s life to seek elevated areas and to climb, leap, and explore. Your living space may not have enough comfortable elevated areas for your cat and she may have decided that the kitchen counter was the most appealing. Maybe she just enjoys being with you and sitting on the kitchen counter while you’re preparing meals is an easy way to get close. Your cat may have decided a long time ago that the counter was a fun place to leap on and off and provided an opportunity for exploration during her day. If you’ve come to the conclusion that your cat just enjoys being up there for the sake of being up there, provide her with an acceptable alternative when you begin retraining. If you don’t have a cat tree or a couple of window perches, it might be time to do some shopping. If you’ve had a cat tree for a number of years and your cat ignores it, the problem might be the location of the tree, its height (or lack of height), or its stability. Place a sturdy tree near a window or at least in a room where you spend most of your time.
Some cats use the counter for safety purposes. This is seen more often in a multicat home, but it can also be due to a companion dog in the home or if there are children present. The counter is elevated and provides the cat with a wide visual field. If the kitchen is small and closed in, the cat may feel more protected up there in case someone suddenly comes in. If she’s fed in the kitchen and has been the victim of a surprise while distracted with her meal, she may be on the counter to see who might be coming. In a multicat situation in which there’s some tension, she may be on the counter ready to chase another cat out of the feeding area, or maybe she’s afraid she’s going to be the one chased away. Sometimes in a hostile multicat environment, a kitty may resort to urinating on the counter because she feels safer in an elevated area. Other times a cat may urine-spray against the backsplash because it’s one area of the home that no other cat has claimed. If you think your cat prefers the counter due to a safety issue, you’ll need to do some retraining work on her relationship with others in the home. If it’s a multicat issue, incorporate the behavior modification techniques described in other chapters to help everyone feel as if they have adequate personal space. Environmental modifications may need to be done to make sure the litter box is secure and the feeding station is safe. If she’s fearful of a child or a dog, work on improving those relationships (see chapter 9).
What I’ve listed above are some of the most common reasons why a cat tends to gravitate toward the kitchen counter, but I may not have hit on why your cat has chosen to be there. Do your cat detective work and, if necessary, make some environmental changes to offer her an alternative. Then begin the retraining.
The method you’re going to use will be sort of remote-controlled, but you won’t need any batteries or to point any devices at your kitty. This will be a very low-tech but highly effective version of remote control.
The reason I refer to it as remote control is because you won’t have to be present for it to work. That’s an important part of successful behavior modification when you’re using any form of deterrent. The cat must think this is a mysterious change in the object itself and not something coming from you. This protects the relationship between the two of you and allows the retraining to continue even when no one is at home.
Here are a couple of the methods I use to help clients retrain their cats. Get a plastic carpet runner that has the little nubs on the underside. Cut the runner so the pieces will fit the entire counter surface area. Place the runner nubby side up. This creates a very unappealing surface for the cat to land on or spend any amount of time on. If the runner slides on the counter, secure it at the corners with tape. Put the carpet runner on the counter every time you don’t need to use it. By cutting pieces, you can remove only some sections so the vacant area of the counters will still be protected if you’re working on part of it. Before you leave the kitchen, replace the runner. I know it’ll be inconvenient for a while, but it’s an effective way for your cat to come to the conclusion herself that the counter isn’t the fun place it used to be. You’ll remain the innocent party in all of this. After a couple of weeks, you should be able to remove the runners. I recommend that you cut a few long, thin strips to place on the edges of the counter during the last part of the retraining phase. Let the runner hang off the edge just a bit to serve as a visual reminder.
There’s an outstanding product called X-Mat that’s made specifically to keep cats off particular areas. It’s based on the same principle as the upside-down plastic carpet protector. The X-Mat has raised bumps your cat will find uncomfortable to walk or lounge on. It is hinged and folds for easy storage. The hinges enable you to drape it over a round object, such as the back of a particular chair that you don’t want your cat on. This product or the carpet protector can be used on any piece of furniture where you don’t want your cat to be. The X-Mat is available at some retail stores and online.
If you have the most hard-core counter-loving kitty on the planet, and neither the carpet runner nor the X-Mat worked, you still have one last trick up your sleeve. Take some empty soda cans and/or plastic bottles, put a few pennies in them, and line them up along the edge of the counter, in front of the carpet protector or X-Mat. If you use cans, securely tape over the openings, and for bottles, tightly twist the caps back on. With these homemade shake cans and bottles, it won’t take but a couple of times before your cat realizes this isn’t a fun place to be. Don’t use the cans or bottles in a multicat home, though, because the sound can startle an unsuspecting cat who isn’t doing anything wrong. One cat may be eating at the feeding station when another cat jumps on the counter and knocks a can or two to the floor. Sound-generating deterrents are to be used only in single-cat environments and only for cats who aren’t normally skittish or frightened. Always choose the minimally aversive method, and remember to always provide a better option, such as a cat tree or window perch.
I have heard of people doing some pretty drastic things to keep their cats off the counters, and, sadly, I have had to do consultations for cats who had developed behavior problems due to the frightening methods used. Don’t use upside-down mousetraps, don’t coat the counters with sticky gels, don’t use harsh-smelling chemicals, don’t use electronic pet alarms, and don’t use training mats that create low-voltage shocks to your cat. These types of products may create too much fear, especially if your cat is skittish or fearful to begin with. All behavior modification should be humane. Use the LIMA approach: Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive.
Door dashing
Do you have to literally squeeze out the door in the morning to prevent your cat from escaping? Whenever someone comes in or goes out the front door, can you be heard yelling from another room, “Don’t let the cat out!”? After years of forcing guests to inch sideways through the door opening, you may have had enough. Perhaps a recent scare, in which your cat actually did dart outside and was lost for a while, might have made you decide that things had to change. An outdoor cat who is now living indoors exclusively may still be a little confused about the change and might make a break for the door every chance she gets. When you’re going through the transition phase of turning an outdoor cat into an indoor one, door dashing is one of the most common problems that continues to linger on, even after the cat seems to have accepted her new living arrangements.
Door dashing is dangerous for the cat and scary for both cat and owner. Even if you do allow your cat to go outdoors, dashing through the door is just plain bad training. You don’t have time to decide if the conditions are acceptable for your cat to go outside if she just races out the door whenever she sees it open. An added twist to door dashing is when the cat has actually trained you to open the door to let her out whenever she cries, yowls, scratches at the door, paces, or even bites you to get your attention. So whether she bolts out the door whenever she can, or whether you’ve become an accomplice by opening the door in order to stop her incessant meowing, it’s time to get things under control.
The first step is to create an “official” greeting place in the room other than right inside the front door. When you’re leaving the house and returning home, don’t do your hellos and good-byes right at the door. Establish another place in the room for greetings, be it on a chair, by the window, or on her cat tree. It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s consistent. It can even be in the middle of the room, just as long as it isn’t at the door.
To get your cat accustomed to this new greeting place, make it a commonly used affection area. When you want to pet her, call her over to that spot. If she loves being groomed, brush her in that spot, but only if she loves it. This is a great clicker-training opportunity. When she responds to your call by going to that spot, click and reward. For specifics on clicker training, see chapter 3.
When you’re getting ready to leave, call your cat over to the greeting spot, give her the usual amount of affection, then offer her a piece of a treat or leave a toy there with her so you can walk away. If she runs to the door, call her back to the greeting spot. Keep your tone of voice very casual and calm. Don’t get all excited or make a big deal out of the fact that you’re leaving. You don’t want her to think you might not be coming back. If you establish a calm routine, she’ll very likely follow right along.
When you return home, don’t acknowledge your cat if she’s standing there with her nose at the door opening. Walk over to the greeting place and call her over. There you can give her the type of greeting she enjoys. No matter how hard it is to ignore your cat when you first walk through the door, you have to be consistent in your retraining. Use a verbal cue if you’d like, calmly instructing her with “Greeting place” or whatever phrase or word cue you choose. Again, if you want to clicker-train, this is another ideal time. Assign a verbal cue or hand signal to that specific place and instruct her to go there.
If your cat refuses to cooperate in any way and insists on dashing out the door whenever it’s opened, you’ll have to go to plan B. Keep a spray bottle of plain water outside the door. Stand outside and open the door just a crack. If your cat is right there, ready to escape, give her a quick squirt of water. I specifically want you to open the door just a crack because that’ll be enough for her to get a startling water spritz, but not so much that she associates this episode with your arrival. The water squirting has to be something she connects only with the door itself. After you’ve given the squirt, close the door, wait a few minutes, then open it again just a crack. If she’s there, give another quick squirt, then close the door. Do this method whenever you come home and she’s right there, but don’t go inside the house immediately after squirting her. Wait several minutes so she’ll have time to regain her composure and be ready to greet you. If you spray the water and then walk right in, she’ll know it was you, even if she didn’t see you. Cats are smart.
If you do need to resort to plan B, incorporate a positive into the retraining as well. Make sure she’s greeted warmly at the greeting place. If you come through the door and find that your cat is sitting quietly by the door and no longer making any attempt to dart through it, then come inside and completely close the door before praising her. I had one client who got so excited that her cat had learned to sit on the mat just inside the door, she started greeting and praising the cat as she was opening the door. The retraining soon deteriorated because the cat started walking toward the open door as the owner was calling her name.
The other behavior that’s often the companion to door dashing is the demanding meowing, yowling, pacing, scratching at the door, or whatever else the cat can do to get you to recognize that she wants out. Very often, this undesirable behavior actually gets rewarded by the cat owner, who can no longer stand the noise and opens the door in exasperation. While the persistent meowing or scratching noise may have stopped temporarily, opening the door guaranteed repeat performances. If you’re hiding your head behind the pages of this book because you know you’re guilty of this, it’s time for retraining.
Use distraction as a method to change your cat’s focus from the door to something more exciting and fun. When she sees that her indoor world has everything (and more) that she enjoyed about outdoor life, she’ll start to cooperate, but this method won’t work if you haven’t created a stimulating and cat-friendly environment.
Distraction must occur while the behavior is still beginning to formulate in your cat’s brain, before she actually exhibits it. For example, if she always sits at the door and meows, distract her as she’s walking to the door. Use an interactive toy or just toss an interesting little toy in her direction but away from the door. Create an interesting sound. For example, keep a Play-N-Squeak mouse handy and shake it to make that squeaking-mouse noise. Another irresistible sound for many cats is when you run your fingernails down a nearby scratching post. I kept a scratching post near the door just for that purpose when I was working with my two feral cats. They couldn’t resist scratching the post whenever they heard the sound. After they were done scratching, I continued the distraction by having an interactive toy ready to go, or by setting up a solo activity toy. An open paper bag with a toy inside or a Mylar ball whizzing by on the floor was often impossible for them to ignore. All the toys and games were set up on the opposite side of the room from the door.
Timing is important. You have to do the distraction before the actual behavior takes place, or you’ll be rewarding the very behavior you don’t want. If your cat is predictable in terms of when she typically heads toward the door, use that knowledge and be ready to distract her. The more often you successfully divert her away from the door for something positive, the better your chances of permanently breaking that behavior pattern.
Very often, the cat is crying at the door because there’s nothing to do inside and she knows all the fun stuff is outdoors. Refer to chapter 2 to evaluate whether your indoor environment could use a little improvement. Another part of creating a stimulating environment is through regular interactive play therapy sessions. If your cat wants to go outside to hunt, offer her “hunting” opportunities right inside your living room. Play therapy is covered in chapter 3.
If you missed your opportunity for distraction or your cat started meowing at the door while you were in another room, ignore her. I know it can get hard to take—it’s amazing how such a tiny animal can create such a loud sound—but you have to break the pattern. Even if you yell or chase her away, you’re acknowledging the behavior and that will reinforce it. Ignore it instead.
If you allow your cat outdoors to eliminate because she doesn’t have an indoor litter box, then you have to let her out when she meows or sits by the door. If you don’t want her to meow at the door, you’ll have to provide her with an indoor litter box (something an indoor/outdoor cat should have anyway). I hope you’ll reconsider turning her into an exclusively indoor cat, though, for her own safety.
Plant nibbling
Cats seem to enjoy doing their own version of indoor hedge trimming by chewing on many types of indoor plants. It’s actually a very dangerous activity for a cat, and in many cases can prove to be deadly. Most houseplants are toxic to cats. Some are just toxic enough to cause illness, but others can kill. It’s not only the exotic plants; most of the common plants found in just about every home are actually toxic to cats.
In the wild, cats enjoy chewing on green grass. Experts have tried to pinpoint exactly what it is about grass that’s attractive to cats. Though it has been determined that it’s not the chlorophyll, no one knows precisely what benefit the cat receives from eating grass. If a cat eats enough grass she’ll vomit, so many people seem to think this is the cat’s way of ridding herself of something unpleasant in her digestive system that is causing her illness or pain. Since cats can feel the desire to chew on some greenery, their only option is usually one of your houseplants. There are so many plants that are toxic to cats that it’s best to assume none of the plants in your home should be within your cat’s reach if she’s a chewer. For a list of poisonous plants, go to the ASPCA’s Web site at www.aspca.org.
The way to deal with a plant nibbler is to set up deterrents on the plants. Keep only plants that are safe around cats, but even so, set them up so they aren’t tempting.
There’s a bitter antichew spray that can be used on the plants to make them very unappetizing to your cat. Called Grannick’s Bitter Apple for Indoor Plants, the spray is widely available at pet supply stores and online. Place newspaper around the base of the plants to catch any overspray, so you don’t ruin your carpet or flooring. Spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves with the product. Wear disposable gloves when you’re doing this so that the hand touching and moving the leaves doesn’t get saturated with the product. Wash your hands after applying the product because you certainly don’t want to taste this stuff yourself—it’s very unpleasant.
Bitter Apple may have to be reapplied every few days, depending upon how determined a plant nibbler you have. Even after the nibbling has ceased, reapply the product periodically. Using the deterrent intermittently will help reinforce the training, just as intermittent rewards work to reinforce positive behaviors during clicker training.
Provide your little plant nibbler with an acceptable alternative to unsafe houseplants by purchasing a kitty-greens kit at your local pet supply store. With a little water and a few days’ time, you’ll have a pot of fresh grass. After the blades are long enough, put the container in a sunny spot for kitty’s munching pleasure.
You may also want to consider creating your kitty’s own personal indoor garden. If there’s a sunny spot in the house where your cat enjoys spending time, grow kitty grass there in a large, flat container so she can nibble, lounge, and play in the grass. Use rye, wheat, or oat seeds to grow an indoor garden. You can also grow a catnip plant to put in your kitty’s indoor garden. Packets of catnip seeds can be found at your local gardening center.
When you set up the indoor garden, place a couple of comfortable lounging areas there as well. If you really want to create the ultimate indoor garden, add a pet water fountain nearby.
Curtain climbing
If you thought you could never have curtains on your windows as long as you lived with a cat, you can now relax and get ready to dress those windows the way you’ve always wanted to. Cats love and need to be able to climb, but they don’t have to do it on your curtains. Once you provide your cat with a better and safer alternative, such as a cat tree or scratching post, you can create a deterrent on the curtains. Place the tree or scratching post near the curtains to serve as a reminder of where she should climb and scratch.
X-Mat is a hinged training mat with uncomfortable bumps on it that can be used to prevent your cat from climbing the curtains by placing it on the floor in front of them. You can also use the extra-large size of Sticky Paws (a double-faced tape made especially for training purposes) by taping strips of it to the bottom of the curtains, high enough to prevent your cat from reaching over them. Sticky Paws is safe for many fabrics because it doesn’t leave a residue, but if you’re unsure, do a test on an inconspicuous area or contact the manufacturer of Sticky Paws before using.
Computer crashing, cat-style
If you don’t have a keyboard drawer, you have probably experienced the many fun things your cat can do to a computer. Even if you do have a keyboard drawer, if you’ve neglected to push it in before leaving the desk, your cat may have made some editing changes to your work.
Cats love computers mainly because they love being close to us. Your cat may sit on the monitor or on the desk or even on your lap as you work away. That may be wonderful and very welcomed by you, but what your cat may do at the computer when you aren’t around isn’t so wonderful.
Your cat may innocently walk on the keys, or she may stand on the keyboard as she tries to bat at the moving cursor. Either can cause information to be lost and create a lot of extra work as you try to figure out which planet she just sent your files to.
There are a couple of low-tech solutions and one high-tech solution to this. The most basic way to control keyboard strokes from Fluffy is to invest in a keyboard drawer for your desktop computer if your desk doesn’t currently come equipped with one. There are drawers that you can install under the desk as well as portable models that sit on top of the desk. Another alternative is a keyboard cover.
Then there’s the really cool high-tech solution to kitty on the keys. Called Pawsense, it’s a software program that detects random keystrokes based on timing and combinations. The software boots up when you start your computer and runs in the background regardless of what other software you’re currently using. Your cat can get in only a couple of keystrokes before the program is alerted and prevents further input. There’s also an optional sound deterrent you can use as well to get your cat to leave the keyboard altogether. Use the sound deterrent only if your cat isn’t timid. Currently, it can be a harmonica sound or a hissing sound. I don’t recommend using the hissing sound, though, because you don’t want your cat to start worrying that there’s a hostile cat in the house. The software can be ordered from their Web site. Check the appendix for contact information.
CATWISE CLUE
If your cat jumps onto your desk when you aren’t around and rearranges papers or plays with pens, place a couple of X-Mats on your desk before you leave. Reduce temptation as well by not leaving pens and small loose objects on the desk.
Interior decorating with toilet paper
Cats aren’t the only ones who love to show off their decorating skills. Dogs and kids also possess this gene. I think it must be part of the owner initiation ritual to have at least one complete roll of toilet paper unraveled, shredded, and strewn throughout the house in the form of confetti.
You no longer have to keep the roll of toilet paper high atop a shelf in the bathroom. There are ways to keep it in its proper and more convenient location and still have it remain intact.
There are a couple of products available that prevent pets or children from unrolling the paper. TP Saver consists of a band that can be locked in place over the toilet paper roll. Toilet Paper Guard has a spring-loaded cover that keeps the roll in place. Both TP Saver and Toilet Paper Guard can be quickly installed and are easy for adults and older children to access.
Until you get those products, or if you prefer a homemade solution, there are a couple of things you can do to make it more difficult for a cat to unroll the paper. Put the paper roll on the holder so it unrolls from underneath rather than up over the top. Having a cat in the house can then end the age-old debate as to which is the proper way for toilet paper to unroll. The other modification you can make is to gently press the roll of paper before putting it on the holder so the cardboard center is no longer perfectly round. I actually used the latter method with my children during potty training to prevent them from unrolling an excessively large amount of paper.
Toilet water fascination
It isn’t a pleasant sight to walk into the bathroom and find your cat standing at the toilet with her front paws on the rim and her head near the water. As you hear the sound of lapping water, you cringe at the realization of what is occurring. Perhaps your cat also enjoys pawing at the water as she watches her rippling reflection. What fun! Then there are the cats who enjoy taking some of their toys to the toilet for a little swim.
If your cat enjoys quenching her thirst with water from the toilet, the most obvious solution, of course, would be to keep the lid closed so she doesn’t have access to it. That’s fine in theory, but how many family members will comply with that rule on a regular basis? In addition to establishing a “keep lid closed” rule, there are some ways you can help your cat find healthier and safer places to drink. The reason some cats choose the toilet water is because it’s often cooler than the water that has been sitting in their bowl. Also, believe it or not, it can taste fresher because it contains more oxygen from the flushing. The water in your cat’s water bowl may have been sitting there for days and tastes about as stale as can be. It can also be a location preference. If you have the water and food in a double dish or individual dishes that are too close together, your cat may not like food particles getting into her water.
To correct the toilet drinking problem, make sure that her current water bowl is being kept clean and that you’re changing the water daily. Even if it looks as though your cat hasn’t taken one sip from the bowl since you last changed it, replace the water every day. Wash the bowl out, make sure there are no traces of dish detergent left on it, and then fill it with fresh water. If you use a double dish for food and water, get two individual dishes and don’t place them next to each other; put them a foot or two apart. Also, look at the size and type of bowl you use. It should be appropriate for the size of your cat.
Faucet fixation
I can’t even count the times people have told me about how much their cats love to drink from either the kitchen or the bathroom faucet or simply enjoy pawing at the water. In many cases, the cats have actually trained their owners to turn on the faucet whenever they jump on the counter or meow at the sink. While it may have been cute the first few times you watched your cat lapping at the water trickling from the faucet, you might have unintentionally started a behavior pattern that you wish you hadn’t. This faucet fixation can become so bad that some cats may then refuse to drink from their bowls.
You can put an end to this behavior by creating an alternative to the faucet that’s more appropriate for your cat. There are pet water fountains available at pet supply stores and online that will provide your cat with the running water she enjoys. The fountain also keeps the water more oxygenated, which adds to the taste appeal. Diabetic cats, ones in chronic renal failure, or those who have urinary problems need to drink more water, and the pet fountain can actually be a good way to encourage that.
If your cat doesn’t take to the fountain at first and still sits by the sink, place the fountain on the counter. Then, as she starts to use it, you can move it to the location you prefer.
Be sure you keep the fountain and all its parts clean. Don’t rely on the filter to do the work for you. The fountain requires more cleaning than a regular water dish, but it’s worth it to break the faucet fixation and to encourage your cat to drink more.
Nightly noises and crack-of-dawn wake-ups
That cats are nocturnal is a common misconception. They’re crepuscular, which means they’re more active at dawn and dusk. Since much of the prey a cat would normally hunt in the wild is also more active at those times, this is a natural time for your kitty’s system to start revving up.
Much of the reason why your cat may be driving you nuts during those late-night hours when you’re trying to sleep may be that she isn’t getting enough stimulation during the day and the earlier part of the evening. Think about how our schedules tend to work versus how a cat’s does. Most of us get up in the morning, go off to work, then, when we come home, start to unwind from the day. As the evening wears on, we get more relaxed. Our cats, on the other hand, are spending most of the day napping, so when we come home, they’re ready for activity and interaction. For many cats, though, that interaction involves sitting on the cat owner’s lap or beside the cat owner while dinner is eaten, mail is read, and TV is watched. Lots of petting and affection may take place, which is wonderful for the bonding process, don’t get me wrong, but where’s the stimulation? When your system is winding down, your cat’s system is revving up. When you get into bed, your cat may hang around for a while, but at some point her normal cat energy may be too hard to hold back. Her keen senses are picking up on those interesting nightly noises or shadows. She may hear or see the insects just outside the window. It can be too much for a cat to resist.
In the past, the methods you used to try to correct the behavior may have failed because you were coming at it from the wrong angle. Locking the cat out of the room, shouting, or tossing a pillow won’t change her natural cat rhythms. All those methods succeed in doing is making your relationship with her deteriorate. There’s a much better approach.
CATWISE CAUTION 
If your cat has started vocalizing more at night, have her checked by the veterinarian just to be sure there isn’t something else going on that needs attention. If your cat’s nighttime activity or increased vocalization is not typical for her, then there might be an underlying medical problem. In an older cat, increased vocalization at night can be a sign of a medical condition, declining senses, or the start of age-related cognitive dysfunction.
Let’s start with the nighttime activity. Since the end of the day means winding down for you but revving up for your cat, you can do a little behavior modification to help reset her internal clock, so to speak. If you play with your cat during the early part of the evening, that’s wonderful; keep that up. Now, though, I want you to add an extra interactive play session right before bed. There’s a good reason for this. In the wild, there’s a behavior cycle that repeats over and over again as the cat hunts. If you follow that cycle, you’ll have better success at getting her to let you have a good night’s sleep. The cycle basically consists of four things: hunt, feast, groom, sleep. The cat goes through the physical activity of hunting her prey. After the capture, she eats her prey, and then she grooms herself. This grooming behavior is important for the cat because it removes traces of the just-eaten prey so that other prey won’t be alerted to her presence and she doesn’t put herself at risk of larger predators. When the grooming is completed and her stomach is full, she’ll be ready for a nap.
This four-part cycle can be applied to your indoor cat and here’s the way to do it. If you schedule-feed your cat, divide up her portions so you can save one last meal for just before bed. If you free-feed, take up her food in the early evening. Right before bed, engage in an interactive play session with her (hunt) so she can work off the energy. When playtime is coming to an end, wind the action down just as you do during your normal interactive play therapy sessions so she can have one final grand capture and be left relaxed. Next, offer her the last portion of her meal ( feast). If you free-feed, put the food down and top it off with some fresh food. After eating, she’ll most likely spend a little time on hygiene (groom), and then you stand a much better chance of having her curl up in bed beside you or stroll off into another room for a nap (sleep).
In order for this method to be successful, you must do the last play therapy session right before bed, not one or two hours before. I know it means you might be postponing your bedtime by fifteen to twenty minutes, but it’ll be worth it to get an uninterrupted night’s rest.
For a really active cat, or if your cat tends to rev up again a few hours later, set up some activity toys to keep her occupied while you sleep. You can have a special supply of toys that you put out only at night and strategically place them in areas that your cat frequents in the wee hours of the morning. If you have enough privacy, try leaving the curtains or blinds open just a bit on one window and place a window perch or cat tree there so your kitty can enjoy watching outdoor nighttime activity.
Now, what about those five AM wake-up calls? Have you endured the feline alarm clock for years, thinking there was nothing you could do about it? The standard feline alarm consists of your cat sitting on your chest and staring at you until you feel her eyes piercing through your closed eyelids. Of course, once you make eye contact with her, you’re as good as done. Normally, a cat sitting on your chest may not be at all uncomfortable, but when she’s in alarm mode, she’s all pointy bones that sit precisely on your most sensitive areas. She also manages to magically gain an extra ten pounds during the night.
Then again, you may have one of the vocal feline alarms that sits on the nightstand, waiting until you’ve rolled over just enough so your ear is directly facing her, and then meows and meows and meows. Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who has the deluxe model, so you get both the chest sitting and the meowing.
The first rule with a feline alarm clock is to not reinforce the behavior by getting out of bed to give her some food in order to stop the behavior. This short-term fix will cement the technique in her brain and she’ll use it again and again. Whether you get up the second she meows or wait until you just can’t tolerate it anymore, you’ll still be reinforcing the very behavior you don’t want. You must ignore her behavior. I fully recognize how difficult that’s going to be in the beginning. It may even cause her to ramp up her technique a bit ( just as children do), so be prepared.
The behavior modification isn’t all about ignoring her, though. It’s about creating other options that are positive and rewarding. Start by doing the same prebedtime interactive play session that was discussed earlier in this section. That late-night meal may be especially helpful in the case of a feline alarm clock. For her playtime/eating enjoyment later on, leave a few puzzle feeders out, either homemade ones or Play-N-Treat balls or the Peek-a-Prize. If you use the Play-N-Treat balls, make sure they’re out of earshot if you don’t have carpeting.
If your early riser is fed on a schedule, part of her problem may be the weekday/weekend inconsistency. If you’re up early on weekdays, she may be used to getting fed at that time and doesn’t understand why Saturday and Sunday are different, especially if you like to sleep late. A cat is a creature of habit, and predictability provides comfort for her. If her alarm-clock routines are occurring on weekends, you can use a timed food dish that opens at the precise time you set it for. Some dishes have a cooling compartment so you can feed wet food without worrying about its spoiling. Some owners who schedule-feed wet food will leave some dry food out in the bowl for free-feeding. If you do this, just make sure her overall caloric intake is appropriate for her weight, age, health, and activity level. You don’t want to solve one problem only to create a secondary problem of obesity.
Oliver Twist syndrome
A.k.a. begging. Whether your cat learned the behavior through observation of the family dog or you or another family member contributed to this behavior by feeding her from the table, it shouldn’t continue. Your cat should not be fed table scraps. They’re not nutritionally appropriate, and the actual behavior itself can end up being deadly should she be unwittingly given something poisonous to cats. Feed your cat a nutritionally balanced cat food that’s formulated for her stage of life and for any health condition she has. If you’re feeding a good-quality food, there’s no need to supplement it with food from your table. A good-quality cat food is created to provide the precise balance of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that your cat needs. If you throw that out of balance with the addition of table scraps or other goodies meant for humans, you can create health problems. Some foods, such as chocolate, can be fatal for a cat. Garlic and onions are also not safe.
Aside from the health risks, feeding your cat from the table, or while you’re in the kitchen preparing dinner, will turn her into a cat who begs. Begging, while it may be cute the first few times, gets annoying very quickly. It’s also not a pleasant behavior for your cat to display when you have guests for dinner.
Begging can also be a symptom of a dietary or medical problem. Make sure your cat is on the appropriate nutritional program. If she’s overweight or underweight, seek the advice of your veterinarian in order to get her started eating the right food. Even if your cat is the correct weight, if she isn’t satisfied with the type and amount of food you are offering, discuss the situation with your veterinarian.
In order to correct this behavior, everyone in the family has to be on the same page. It won’t do any good if there’s inconsistency in the retraining because of one family member who is a softy. The first order of business is a family meeting to make sure everyone understands the new rules.
Remember that your cat learns to repeat behaviors that you reinforce and acknowledge. Pay attention to little things you may be doing without being aware of the mixed message they’re sending. When you’re standing at the kitchen counter and your cat is sitting on the floor meowing, or maybe even pawing at your leg, are you guilty of giving her a little piece of food to quiet her? If you’ve done this, you’ve reinforced the very behavior you are trying to stop.
If you feed your cat on a schedule, portion her food so that one meal can be served at the same time as the family dinner, or just before, so her stomach won’t be empty should she wander around the dining table. If you free-feed but supplement her dry food with some wet food, offer it at or before your dinnertime. If you free-feed only and your cat begs, set up activities for her while the family is eating. If you have a toy like the Panic Mouse, you can turn that on in another room for her to play with, or maybe your cat enjoys the cat entertainment DVDs. For some cats, even a crinkly ball in a paper bag can occupy her long enough for you to eat dinner in peace.
There are very few times when I’ll tell you to keep a squirt bottle handy, but this is one of them. Keep it on the table next to you, and if your cat jumps on the table, give her a quick squirt. DO NOT squirt her for begging; squirt only if she jumps on the table or reaches up to paw at a dish or some food. For the begging, your technique will involve ignoring her. It may take days or even a week for her to get the message, but eventually she’ll see that her begging behavior isn’t getting her anywhere. The lack of reinforcement will naturally show her the behavior isn’t resulting in any kind of payoff.
CORRECTING MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS
Boredom
When your cat was a kitten, she was probably stimulated to play by just about anything in her environment. Whether it was a ray of sunshine dancing on the floor or the curtains gently moving in the breeze, your kitten was sitting on ready. Some of the behavior problems you may be experiencing with your adult cat now may be as a result of boredom. She needs stimulation in her life and she needs to exercise her talents as a hunter. Depending on her age and health, the degree to which she moves will vary, but she still needs some spark in her life. If you don’t provide her with stimulation, discovery, and fun, she may look for it in ways that aren’t acceptable to you. She may also develop behaviors that start out innocent enough and end up becoming compulsive, as you’ll learn later in this chapter. Boredom can also lead to obesity, as the only activity becomes the walk to the food bowl. Finally, boredom can lead to depression. Tackle boredom before it has a domino effect by improving your cat’s environment and customizing her playtime routine as described in chapters 2 and 3. A bored cat is a terrific candidate for clicker training. She’ll be learning how to learn, and that creates opportunities for you to shape her behavior.
CATWISE CLUE
Signs of boredom:
- Weight gain
- Change in activity level
- Destructive behavior
- Self-directed overgrooming
- Lack of grooming
- Change in sleep habits
- Change in interaction with family
If you have already modified the environment and you play with your cat on a regular basis and yet she still seems bored, consider adding a second cat to the family. This may be very beneficial if you think your cat is bored and lonely due to your long absences from home. However, adding another cat requires some finesse, so before you run out and bring home a friend for kitty, learn the proper introduction technique described in chapter 9.
Depression
Depression can be a difficult problem to notice because it creeps up rather than arriving with a bang. It’s very easy to miss those subtle signs along the way that indicate things are going downhill for your cat.
Depression can occur for many reasons. It may be due to a physical or medical trauma in a cat’s life, such as recovering from an injury or illness. It can also happen due to emotional trauma from a move to a new home or the loss of a family member. Even a change in your work schedule can create depression. The problem is that your cat may seem so stoic, you aren’t aware of what’s happening to her internally. Her behavior may change so gradually that by the time you’re aware of it, you have a major problem on your hands.
Signs of depression can include a change in appetite, lack of interest in self-grooming, change in litter box habits, hiding, increased sleeping, or a lack of interest in play. You may notice that your cat is losing weight or that her coat doesn’t seem as healthy. Perhaps your cat, who normally would meet you at the door, now prefers staying curled up on a chair or even under the bed.
The signs of depression may also indicate underlying medical conditions, so a veterinary examination is needed. Don’t assume your cat is depressed without having appropriate diagnostic tests done to rule out other potential problems.
Depression is serious, and since each cat is an individual, what triggers one cat may not be a trigger for another. This requires detective work on your part to figure out what has changed in your environment or in your life that might be negatively affecting your cat. If your cat has changed her behavior, that’s a red flag that something is probably wrong. Once you pinpoint the cause of her depression, you then have to work on helping her to overcome it.
The environmental and external changes you’ll need to make will depend on the actual cause of the depression. For example, if your cat is depressed because she has been forced to stay in a certain part of the home due to another cat in the home who chases her, then your first order of business is to improve the relationship between the two. Figure out what the underlying cause could be so you can do your best to create more security and enrichment.
The next stage involves helping your cat find that spark in life again. The spark will come from you. Use interactive play therapy to build your cat’s confidence and fire up that prey-drive. The play therapy will also help strengthen the bond between the two of you. Initially, your cat may not offer much of a response to the sessions, but don’t give up. If you get even the faintest glimmer in her eyes, then you’re making progress. If your cat responds favorably to catnip, kick-start a play session with it. Go shopping for some new toys because it may take “new prey” to get her interested.
If she starts to respond to the play therapy, do several short sessions a day. Stay within her comfort zone, so if she feels most secure doing the playtime in a certain room, don’t venture out yet. Let her set the pace of when she is ready to expand her playing field.
CATWISE REMINDER 
Work closely with your veterinarian when dealing with a depressed cat. Health and weight need to be monitored. In some cases, psychopharmacological intervention may be needed. Your veterinarian may refer you to a certified behavior expert.
The grieving cat
So many people are surprised to discover that their cats grieve when there’s a loss of a family member or companion pet. It’s important to recognize that your cat will grieve over a loss. How you interact with her and decisions you make concerning what’s best for her must take into consideration the grieving period.
When a cat loses a family member or companion pet, she has the added confusion of not knowing what happened. When we lose a family member, we’re devastated, but at least we know the person has passed away and won’t be returning. With your cat, she has no idea where her family member has gone and is completely confused over the sudden disappearance.
As if the confusion and loneliness aren’t enough, your cat also doesn’t understand why the remaining members of her family are acting so strangely. Keep in mind that your cat takes comfort in familiarity, and when you’re in mourning over a loss, your behavior changes. You may be crying, you’ll be stressed, you might not be at home as much as usual. Perhaps you’re trying to comfort your cat by doing lots of extra cuddling and showing an excessive amount of affection, or you may be so lost in your own grief that you’re unable to show your cat as much attention as she’s used to. All of this behavior, although perfectly understandable in our human world, is very unsettling for your cat. From her point of view, her entire world has just collapsed. No one is acting the way they should and someone very important in her life is no longer around.
If a companion cat was the one who passed away and that cat didn’t have a good relationship with your surviving kitty, there will still be a grieving process and lots of confusion. Because your cat doesn’t know where the other cat has gone, she’ll be unsure about whether she should risk venturing into areas that the other cat had claimed. If you have more than one surviving cat, then at some point those cats have to renegotiate the turf and adjust their social rankings. If your cat had a close relationship with the cat who passed away, then part of her grief and confusion may involve going to the places where that cat liked to sleep. She may cry for her companion or search through the house.
It doesn’t have to be a death that causes mourning. A child going off to college or moving away from home creates that same deep loss. A divorce is another situation in which the bottom may fall out of the cat’s world. In the case of a divorce, one spouse may also take one of the companion pets, which creates a double whammy of grief for the cat. It also creates an unbelievable amount of stress for the other cat, who not only loses a feline companion and a human companion but her familiar territory as well.
It’s important to recognize that your cat will grieve so you can help her through it. One thing you shouldn’t do is overdo the affection and cuddling. Don’t send the message to her that, yes, this is truly the end of the world. Provide comfort and affection, but also do your best to maintain as normal a schedule as possible. She needs the rest of her world to stay intact.
Follow the instructions in the previous section on depression. Provide regular play sessions for your cat and set out solo toys so she’ll have distractions when you aren’t at home. If you must be away from home longer than usual, perhaps there’s a neighbor or friend who can visit with the cat. Just make sure it’s someone the cat enjoys being around.
Watch your cat’s appetite because it’s not unusual for grieving cats to stop eating. While it’s certainly understandable that she wouldn’t want to eat as much as she usually does, if she stops eating for more than two days, contact your veterinarian right away. It’s extremely dangerous for a cat to go without food for longer than that. Your veterinarian may prescribe an appetite stimulant.
Take time to groom your cat because she may not be up to the task herself. If she normally enjoys being brushed, this can be a time of quiet and calm that may help to reassure her.
Use Feliway Comfort Zone in the environment to help her recognize those friendly pheromones. It may help create some calm if she thinks she has facially rubbed there recently.
One very common mistake that many cat owners make when a cat has lost a companion pet is to rush out and get another pet. The cat owners feel as if the grieving cat is lonely, and so a new companion seems to be the perfect choice. Unfortunately, this decision usually has disastrous results. Your cat needs time to grieve and will view the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar pet as an intrusion. She’ll be far too stressed to be able to handle the introduction. It’s also not fair to the newcomer to bring him in under such stressful circumstances. You’ll end up setting him up to be the victim of lots of aggression—much more than might normally occur during the introduction of a new companion pet.
The addition of another companion pet may be a wonderful idea later on, but it isn’t the healthy decision to make during the grieving process. Allow your cat adequate time to accept the loss and create a new routine for herself in the home. In cases in which the cat who passed away was a constant source of stress for the surviving cat, you may find that after the grieving process, the surviving kitty is happier and more at peace. She may now enjoy being the only cat in the home. You won’t be able to make a wise decision about that until after your cat has had time to mourn.
The fearful cat
This can range from a cat who fears a particular object to one who fears everything. There are certain things that cats generally fear, such as going to the veterinarian, but some cats have fear within their own homes, and that’s the one place they should feel safe and secure.
As a general rule, to eliminate or at least reduce fear, introduce any change into a cat’s life in the most gradual, nonthreatening way. Even if you’re pretty sure your cat won’t be frightened of something, play it safe and don’t spring it on her. Prevention is much easier than damage control.
The two general behavior modification techniques for helping a fearful cat are desensitization and counterconditioning. Desensitization involves the gradual exposure of something that the cat fears so she has time to get used to it without it overwhelming her. Counterconditioning refers to having the cat do something she wouldn’t ordinarily do in the presence of what frightens her in order to focus her attention on something positive and help her realize that the cause of her fear isn’t such a bad thing.
One thing many cats fear, and something I’m asked about quite often, is the vacuum cleaner. If you look at it from a cat’s point of view, it’s understandable why she would be frightened of it. The vacuum is extremely noisy and it moves around the house like a predator, sticking its nose under chairs and behind sofas. Some people even escalate their cats’ fears by using it to chase their kitties out of the way if they need to vacuum in certain spots. There has also been absolutely horrible advice given by some so-called experts recommending the use of a vacuum cleaner to chase the cat away from the bed when she disturbs you early in the morning. This creates a cruelly unnecessary amount of fear.
To help your cat overcome her fear of the vacuum, first get on a good schedule of doing interactive play therapy so you know which toys are irresistible to her. Once you have that established, place the vacuum in the corner of the room and then do a play session. Don’t turn the vacuum cleaner on; just let it sit silently in the corner. If your cat is fine with that, move the vacuum out a bit for your next session. Get to the point where your cat can get close to and around the vacuum without fear. If you’re using clicker training, click and reward any positive behavior throughout the desensitization and counterconditioning process. Regardless of how brief the calm and relaxed behavior is, click and reward at the precise moment. These are the baby steps of progress that’ll lead your cat in the right direction.
Now it’s time to put the vacuum in another room and turn it on. If there’s another family member at home, he or she can vacuum in the other room while you do a play therapy session with your cat. If you’re alone, just turn the vacuum cleaner on, but be sure it isn’t sitting on a surface that’ll get damaged or burned and don’t run it for too long. Keep the door to the room closed so that your cat is faintly hearing the machine but it’s not creating too much of a distraction. If the room you’re in is too close to the sound and she seems fearful, move farther away. Find her comfort zone and work within that for now. The next session can move a little closer to the room where vacuuming is going on. How gradual this phase has to be will depend on your particular cat. If her fear is intense or has been going on for a long time, be prepared to move at a snail’s pace. Ease up to where you can have the door to the room where the vacuum is running open. You may have to go farther away than you were with the door closed, but you’ll still be making progress.
The final phase involves having the cat and the vacuum in the same room while the vacuum is running. Set it in a corner again and turn it on. If it’s very loud you may have to buffer the sound by putting pillows around it. Do a play session with your cat at whatever distance she is most comfortable. If she runs from the room, that’s okay; just casually go to her and reassure her through playtime. Hopefully, you can ease your way closer to the vacuum.
In addition to play therapy, you can use food or treats as a way to help your cat get more comfortable. I often use clicker training with fearful cats so that I can mark the exact behavior I’m looking for from them. For example, if you’ve been clicker training your cat, you can click and reward when she walks calmly past the vacuum or sits on one side of the room while the vacuum is running.
The vacuum is often an over-the-top object of fear for many cats, so you may not get your cat to be comfortable enough to stay in the room while you’re doing your cleaning, but she shouldn’t run in terror and hide under the bed whenever it’s in sight. Use behavior modification to find a balance that allows your cat to remain as comfortable as possible.
Maybe your cat’s fear doesn’t involve the vacuum, but something else in the house sends her running in fear of her life. You can still use the above method to help her expand her comfort zone.
Fear of people
This is a very common fear, especially when you consider that for most of your cat’s life, the only people she comes in contact with regularly are her human family members. Throw in the occasional veterinarian visit, which strikes fear in the heart of almost every cat, and you have very little reason for her to welcome visitors to your home with open paws.
If your cat hides in fear when visitors come to the house, look at what might have been the trigger for that. Let’s start with the fact that a cat is territorial and her home is her major source of security. When guests enter the home, although they’re welcomed by you, they’re often a surprise for your cat. She may have walked into the room after hearing the doorbell and was surprised to find strangers there. The combination of the sight of unfamiliar people with their unfamiliar scents and sounds can create anything from mild concern to outright panic in a cat. This is especially the case if you don’t tend to have visitors very often, because your cat never really had a chance to learn to adjust to that way of life. Cats that were socialized well grow up to be comfortable and confident whenever people visit. For others, though, every stranger in the home is perceived as a possible threat. In your home, things might have gotten to the point at which the cat has been conditioned to hide the second she hears the doorbell.
Often, a kitty owner can inadvertently create more fear in the cat by trying too hard to show her that the guest isn’t a threat. If you’ve picked up your cat and held her up to a guest as a way to show her that the person means no harm, you’ve probably ended up with a scratch or two as your cat frantically struggled to get out of your grasp. Or maybe your cat tried to hide in your arms or defensively hissed at the visitor. Physically forcing a cat to get to know your guest only creates a greater sense of fear. The next time the doorbell rings, your cat will make sure she’s nowhere in sight. Force never works with cats, and ends up causing more of a problem for everyone.
Guests also can make the situation worse by attempting to befriend your cat too quickly. If your cat is inching her way closer in order to investigate, a guest may interpret that as a sign to interact and respond by reaching down to pet the cat or pick her up, which panics the kitty and sends her bolting from the room.
People often wonder why cats always seem to gravitate toward the one visitor in the home who is allergic to or who dislikes cats. There’s really no mystery if you think about it. That person makes no overtures toward the cat and usually doesn’t even make eye contact. From the cat’s point of view, that person immediately comes across as nonthreatening. The cat feels it’s safe to come closer and investigate the individual, much to that person’s dismay. It’s the cat lover who makes too much eye contact, reaches too quickly, or even bends down to pick the kitty up who doesn’t give the cat any time to make the determination of whether she has anything to fear.
We all want our cats to be friendly and sociable, but you have to remember that the survival instinct is very strong in animals, even in a pampered indoor setting. In the cat’s world, unfamiliar cats who don’t want to appear threatening either stay on the perimeter of the territory or enter in a way that follows official kitty protocol. The cat who barges right in, making direct eye contact, will be perceived as a threat.
For fearful cats, visitors to the home are frightening, but in many cases, their presence is limited to a few rooms. Overnight guests can be truly frightening because in addition to spending a longer amount of time in the home, they move throughout more rooms in the home. In some cases, a guest room that has been the cat’s little sanctuary ends up being off-limits to her during a guest’s stay. Imagine the extra confusion if the empty guest room was where you were keeping your cat’s litter box, forcing you to suddenly move it to another location.
Another trigger for fearful cats is the presence of visitors who do not limit themselves to just certain common areas of the home. Think of the times you’ve had a plumber, electrician, housekeeper, exterminator, carpet cleaner, or some other type of repair person into your home. Imagine how stressful that must be for a fearful cat to see a total stranger entering all the “private” areas of the home. If you’re not at home and have a neighbor or apartment superintendent let the repair person in, yikes! That can really put kitty over the edge.
Is there hope for your fearful cat who panics at the sound of the doorbell? Yes, although you have to be realistic about how sociable she’ll become. If her fear turns into total panic, you may have to be happy with simply getting her to stop trembling under the bed. She may never happily trot out to personally greet each and every visitor. The end result we want from this retraining process is to create a sense of comfort for your cat so she can decide how much closer she wants to come. You may want a cat who will sit on your guest’s lap, but you have to be realistic about the personality of your kitty, how she was socialized as a kitten, and the dynamics of your home. Taking all of that into consideration, there’s a behavior modification technique you can use to ease your kitty through this and help increase her comfort zone.
As always, the process starts with the environment itself. Make sure there are plenty of escape options for your cat so she can go where she feels most comfortable. Don’t ever close off rooms in order to keep her in an area. The first rule here is that if she wants to dive under the bed, let her.
There should be areas in the room where you host your guests that are specifically cat-friendly. It can be a cat tree, window perch, hideaway, or even a paper bag on its side with a towel inside. The more safe areas you create in that room, the greater the chance that your cat will find a safe spot there and not run to another room.
Set up the Feliway Comfort Zone diffuser to help send out some positive feline facial pheromones (see chapter 2 for information on this product). You’ll also need to have established a schedule of interactive play therapy with your cat so she’s conditioned to the fact that the sight of the toy means safety and fun. Pay attention to the specific interactive toy she likes the best because that will be important later in this process.
Now comes the actual behavior modification. This part requires an accomplice. The person you pick should be a friend or neighbor who has a calm demeanor. The accomplice should come for a visit with the understanding that this is a retraining session. Have your guest come in and stand just inside the door for a few minutes. If your cat is in the room, this gives her time to adjust to the unfamiliar sight, sound, and scent of that person. The body language and positioning of the guest also indicate that he’s not threatening because he isn’t barging right into the house. Have your clicker and treats handy so you can click and reward any calm or relaxed behavior displayed by your cat.
Instruct your guest not to make eye contact with your cat or attempt to pet her. If any interaction is to take place between your cat and your guest, you’ll give specific instructions when the time is right.
Once your guest has been with you at the front door for a few minutes, casually walk to the seating area. If your cat has long since bolted from the room, don’t worry about it. Especially during the first couple of retraining sessions, it’s totally understandable if she reacts in her usual way. So even if your cat is out of sight, spend about ten minutes chatting with your guest while seated. Remember that it’s important for both of you to keep your tones calm and casual. I don’t mean you have to whisper; in fact, whispering is definitely not what you want to do. You just don’t want to be using tones that are extreme (such as sudden, high-pitched laughter or shouts). That’s why it’s important to pick the right person for this retraining process, because your best friend, although very willing, may have too loud a voice.
After ten minutes, excuse yourself from your guest and go find your cat. Bring along an interactive toy and casually move it around. If your cat is hiding under the bed, don’t try to pull her out and don’t even dangle the toy in front of her. Instead, move the toy in a very light and low-key way just beyond the bed so she can see it. She may still be too frightened to paw at it, but any degree of interest that is sparked is that much less that she’s focusing on her fear. Use your voice by talking to her in your typical way to let her know that all is okay with her world. The message you should send through your voice and toy movements is that even though there’s a visitor in the home, there’s nothing to worry about. Cats are little emotional sponges, and they pick up on our level of anxiety, so you want to make sure you’re sending calming messages.
If your cat ventures out from under the bed, even just a little, engage in a little play session to help calm her and then offer her a treat as a reward. If you use clicker training, this is a good opportunity to click and reward when she paws at the toy. If you have used a target stick during clicker training, you can also display that for her to either nose, paw at, or reach up for. The sight of the target stick can be a calming factor for many clicker-trained cats because it puts them into training focus. Click and reward any step in the right direction to encourage her.
Whether or not your cat has braved coming out from under the bed, after about ten minutes, go back to your guest. Your cat might come out on her own at that point and may even appear in the doorway. If she doesn’t, then ten minutes later, excuse yourself again and do the play therapy again. The first few sessions may not produce much, but the more you show your cat that all is normal in her home, the less anxious she’ll be.
If your cat does happen to make an appearance in the room where your guest is, casually greet her with your voice and go back to talking with your guest. Remind your guest not to make eye contact. Your cat may venture closer and eventually sniff at the guest’s shoes. Just keep up as if nothing earth-shattering is happening. Even if the cat jumps up next to the guest, let her do her investigation. It may take several sessions before your particular cat ever gets to that point, if at all, but it’s important to always let her set the pace of her progress. If the cat’s actions are calm and she doesn’t display any hissing, click and reward positive steps she makes toward the guest. If you find that the click-and-reward process is distracting her and it seems as if she wants to approach without any sort of interruption (even a positive one), then let her proceed while you act as if nothing is happening. Your cat will set the pace at which she’s most comfortable.
If your kitty sits in the doorway and doesn’t enter the room, or even if she enters the room but doesn’t move much, you can slide off the couch, sit on the carpet, and casually conduct a play session with her and/or click and reward steps in the right direction. You may even have to very casually move closer to where your cat is sitting. Keep the game very low-key so she can split her focus between the toy and the guest. She will be too anxious to focus totally on the toy in the beginning, so it’s important that it not make wild and fast movements initially.
If you’re clicker training, click and reward when she responds to any of your cues or reaches for the target stick. Click and reward even the smallest attempt she makes. Make sure you’re far enough away from the guest so your cat can stay within her comfort zone.
By doing the play therapy in the same room that the guest is in, your cat will be getting the message that the guest isn’t threatening and that she can start to relax. Subsequent retraining sessions with the guest present will continue the process, and you may eventually get to the point at which the cat will send a signal to the guest that it’s okay to interact. That’s when you’ll give the verbal okay to your guest to quietly extend his index finger to the cat. This is the same as nose-to-nose sniffing in the cat world. The cat will probably walk over and sniff the guest’s finger. If she wants more interaction, she will either rub against the finger or walk closer to the guest. If she doesn’t want interaction, she’ll stop sniffing, stand still, and look at the guest or just walk away. Even if she does walk away, don’t consider that a failure. The fact that your fearful cat even came that close is a huge step.
CATWISE REMINDER
Direct eye contact can be viewed as a challenge. Be sure to instruct your guest not to look directly at your cat.
If kitty never ventures into the room, end the visit after about forty-five minutes and go back to your cat in that same calm and casual manner. Do another play session or just sit there and talk to her for a few minutes, then go about your day as usual. The overall theme throughout is casual. If she finally comes out from under the bed an hour later, don’t make a big deal out of it. Just casually greet her and offer to play or pet her. Do not, under any circumstances, cuddle her in a way that reinforces her fear. Some people cuddle and comfort in a manner that tells the cat that, yes, this was a terrible experience and what a poor baby the kitty is to have had to endure it. Don’t reward your cat for displaying fearful behavior. She may pick up the message that in future similar circumstances she should exhibit this same nervous behavior again. Don’t reinforce unwanted behavior but do reinforce even the smallest positive steps.
Do these retraining sessions as often as you can so your cat gets used to the process. Start with the calmest friend. You can then gradually introduce others. Always let your cat set the pace. You may be able to get to the point at which you can hand off the interactive toy to your guest and he can continue the play therapy session with your cat. That’s the best way for your cat to see that visitors to the house can be a good thing. Your cat may get to this point quickly or not all, but don’t rush to get there.
If the guests your cat fears are overnight visitors, then you have to do a little preparation work before they come. If your cat currently sets up camp in the guest room, and especially if there’s a litter box in there, adjustments need to be made while the house is quiet, before the company arrives. If the litter box is in there, gradually move it to another location a few inches a day, so it isn’t a shocking change for your cat. Don’t just put it outside the guest room if your cat is fearful of guests, because eliminating anywhere near the source of her fear will be the last thing she wants to do. Set up the litter box in a place where she’ll feel safe and secure. The farther away you plan on having the box, the further in advance you’ll have to prepare for it. Make sure your cat is comfortable with the change well before the company arrives. Another option is to have two litter boxes, so she can have a choice as to how close to the company she feels she’s willing to be.
Make sure she has extra hideaways and areas of sanctuary while company is visiting. If she’s normally fed in the kitchen and it’s currently a very noisy place due to the company, either set up a time when she can be in the kitchen in peace for meals or feed her in another part of the house. The places where she eats, sleeps, and eliminates are the areas where she’ll need the most security.
Even though you may be extremely busy with your visitors, it’ll be important to find time for regular interactive play therapy sessions during their visit. Since play therapy helps build confidence and reduce anxiety, it’s an important part of helping her deal with this major change in her life.
When it comes to repair personnel in your home, put your cat in a safe room, away from the stranger. Since his presence is very temporary, don’t expose your cat to him. While the plumber is unclogging the kitchen sink, let her enjoy a nap on your bed with a cat entertainment DVD playing in the background, or give her a little catnip in another room.
CATWISE CLUE
No matter what it is that causes your cat to be nervous, it’s the repeated, low-intensity, gradual, nonthreatening exposure that helps her gain more confidence. Too much too soon will only magnify her fear. Gradual desensitization and counterconditioning work very well together.
Separation anxiety
You probably think of dogs suffering from separation anxiety more than cats, but cats do experience it as well, and the effects can be devastating. Separation anxiety can happen to a cat when the cat owner makes a drastic schedule change and goes from being home a lot to being away from home for long periods. I had one client who decided to end his home-based business and take a full-time job. His cat had known life only with her human companion at home practically twenty-four hours a day. Suddenly, he was gone. The cat, already one who needed to be physically close to her owner most of the time, was beside herself when she was left alone.
Symptoms of separation anxiety can include excessive vocalization, elimination outside the litter box, vomiting, change in appetite and water consumption (a typical example is that the cat doesn’t eat when the owner isn’t at home), restlessness, uncharacteristic clinging when the owner returns home, destructive behavior, and excessive self-grooming.
The treatment for separation anxiety involves creating more confidence in the cat when you’re at home and also providing activities for when you’re gone. Start by getting on a schedule of doing interactive play therapy. Although you want your cat to be affectionate and enjoy being close to you, it’s also an important part of the cat’s life to be confident and secure on her own. The play therapy helps her be “with” you without having to be physically on your lap or in your arms at all times. It also triggers the prey-drive, and that stimulates her to focus and use mental energy to plan and capture her prey. The interactive play therapy done on a regular basis keeps her active, and that helps to reduce the stress. Do an extra play session before you leave in the morning and when you come home at night. Keep your hellos and good-byes casual so she doesn’t think it’s the end of the world.
Environmental enrichment also plays a huge role in helping a cat with separation anxiety. While you’re gone, there has to be enough mental and physical stimulation for your cat so she doesn’t keep focusing on your absence. Use the ideas listed in chapter 2 to create a more interesting environment. Puzzle feeders can help keep a cat active and using her brain in a way that focuses more on accomplishing a task than falling victim to frustration and anxiety. I have several clients who feed their cats only by way of puzzle feeders during the day.
When you set up toys, choose ones that will stimulate and occupy your cat’s brain. Even something as simple as a ball inside an empty tissue box can create a fun challenge during the day.
Simple modifications such as leaving a radio on and having the lights on timers can help as well. Think of it as creating signs of life inside your home.
If your cat enjoys TV or even the cat entertainment DVDs, leave the TV on with the sleep timer so she can enjoy a little viewing while you’re gone.
Sometimes it helps just to have someone visit your cat during the day to ease separation anxiety. If your cat enjoys the company of one of your neighbors, perhaps he or she can pop over for a quick visit once a day as you ease your kitty through separation anxiety. Another option is to hire a pet sitter to visit once a day for an interactive play session. Several of my clients have hired responsible older children in the neighborhood to visit for a play session. One of my clients hired an older retired lady in the neighborhood who loved the opportunity to make a little extra money by visiting the cat. Another one of my clients found an elderly neighbor who walked every day as part of her exercise routine. She was more than willing to stop by halfway through her walk for a little cat visiting. All of the above examples were successful because my clients made sure the cats enjoyed the company of other guests and were very comfortable with interacting with the specific people involved. If you choose this option, have the person meet and interact with your cat while you’re there so you can make sure there is a positive connection. You’ll also need to show the person how your cat enjoys doing her interactive play therapy. In some cases, it may just be petting or affection that the cat enjoys from the visitor. I know that my mother’s cat loves curling up on someone’s lap, so when I cat-sit for her, I spend a little time watching TV or reading so she can have her much-loved lap time.
If the separation anxiety is so extreme that this behavior modification alone isn’t providing enough relief, talk to your veterinarian about a referral to a certified behavior expert. Medication may also need to be prescribed by your veterinarian, but that should be done only after the behavior expert has seen your cat and received the full behavioral history. That way, if medication is needed, your veterinarian will be able to make the decision on what specific prescription is best. Keep in mind that medication must be accompanied by appropriate behavior modification. Putting your cat on antianxiety medication is NOT to be used as a shortcut.
COMPULSIVE BEHAVIORS
When a cat seems conflicted between running away and engaging in a confrontation, she may start to develop behaviors that can become compulsive. Overgrooming is a common example of this, as are wool sucking and wool chewing. If the cat is routinely put in the position of being torn between escape and confrontation, her tolerance to conflict may lower. This can cause the compulsive behavior to be triggered much more quickly and by a lower degree of stress. In time, this may become the cat’s routine response to tension and anxiety. The behavior may also be exhibited even when there’s no anxiety-provoking trigger present. Compulsive behaviors often crop up as a result of ongoing exposure to stress.
Before determining that your cat is exhibiting a compulsive behavior, a precise diagnosis must be made by your veterinarian. Your cat’s general health must be evaluated and appropriate diagnostic tests need to be performed. There may be an underlying medical cause for the behavior and it’s important to rule that out before labeling the behavior as compulsive. Don’t discipline a cat who is displaying a compulsive behavior because that only adds to her stress and you risk having the behavior show up in other forms.
CATWISE CAUTION
Treating compulsive behavior is best left to a certified professional. Certain disorders that cause seizures can be misdiagnosed as compulsive behavior.
Sometimes what starts out as an innocent enough behavior can turn into a compulsive one. For example, your cat may enjoy chasing a flashlight beam, a penlight, or a laser light. In some cases, this may turn into a compulsion to go after other flickering lights and light reflections.
Tail chasing is a behavior that can become compulsive. It’s not unusual to see kittens chasing their tails in play because kittens will chase almost anything that moves, but if the tail chasing becomes habitual, your veterinarian should be seen so an evaluation can be done. With tail chasing or tail chewing you also need to first rule out causes such as back pain, tail injury, parasites, skin conditions, or anal gland problems. Injuries to tails can lead to compulsive tail chewing, especially if there’s any loss of sensation due to the injury. Tail chasing can turn into tail biting, despite any pain the cat may be inflicting upon herself by the behavior.
Although tail chasing, whether in a kitten or an adult cat, may look funny, don’t ever encourage the behavior by using the cat’s tail as a way to entice her to play. What starts out as an innocent game can develop into a problem down the road. Interrupt tail-chasing behavior as soon as you see it.
The treatment for tail chasing, after the veterinarian has ruled out any underlying physiological cause, is to reduce the cat’s exposure to stress and eliminate or modify the provoking triggers. That means you have to try to identify the trigger. It might be a companion cat or a child or perhaps tension in your home between family members. Is there a neighborhood cat outside who literally sends your cat into a tailspin? Did the cat suffer an emotional or physical trauma recently? If you can’t identify the cause of the stress, you still need to create an environment that’s as stress-free as possible for your cat.
Use environmental enrichment techniques and plenty of play therapy. Distract your cat with positive things that lower her stress level and redirect her away from the compulsive behavior. In some cases, this can’t be done without the help of psychopharmacology, so seek your veterinarian’s advice. You may also need a referral to a certified behavior expert.
Psychogenic alopecia
This is a compulsive behavior in which the cat overgrooms, usually to the point of creating bald patches. Grooming, within normal limits, is a cat’s typical response to stress or indecision, but taken to the extreme, a cat may develop a grooming habit that she can’t control. Some cats become more aggressive in their overgrooming and actually bite and chew at themselves. Because overgrooming can also have an underlying medical condition, it’s important to have your cat checked by the veterinarian. For example, a common sign of hyperthyroidism is overgrooming. Grooming to the extreme can also be caused by skin conditions, allergies, or parasites.
With overgrooming, the areas of the body affected are places the cat can reach, such as the flanks, legs, tail, and abdomen. Because of the barbs on the tongue, persistent licking of an area creates bald spots and possibly lesions.
As with the previous section on tail chasing, you must find the cause of the cat’s anxiety and create an environment with lower stress triggers. Create diversions for your cat and other confidence-building activities as described throughout this book. Simply putting an Elizabethan collar on the cat won’t solve the problem because you haven’t dealt with the source of the stress.
Very often with psychogenic alopecia, psychopharmacological intervention is needed in addition to behavior modification. If you’re unable to identify what might be creating so much anxiety for your cat, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a behavior expert.
Compulsive licking
A cat may engage in compulsive licking that is not self-directed. She may lick a companion pet or an object. Some cats engage in compulsive plastic licking, which may progress to ingestion of the plastic—something that’s extremely dangerous.
If you suspect compulsive licking, consult your veterinarian immediately so that possible underlying medical causes can be ruled out before you attempt to tackle this from a behavioral standpoint.
The treatment, as in the previous sections, centers around identifying the stressors and cues. Careful evaluation of the environment must be done to create more secure surroundings. Use confidence-building play therapy on a regular basis, as well as for distraction if you think the cat is about to engage in the behavior. Use puzzle feeders and set up solo activity toys to keep your cat’s mind occupied when she is alone.
Psychoactive medication may be needed as an adjunct to behavior modification. Consult your veterinarian for a referral to a certified behavior expert.
Wool sucking, chewing, and pica behavior
This is the repetitive sucking of fabric, and although it’s referred to as wool sucking, the target can be whatever a particular cat prefers—cotton, synthetic, and so forth. The most common targets are sweaters and blankets, but some cats may suck on carpet or even plastic bags.
Wool sucking seems to be a holdover behavior from nursing and is usually first seen before the cat reaches adulthood. Many things may trigger wool sucking, including early or abrupt weaning, lack of environmental stimulation, or separation anxiety. There may also be a genetic factor to wool sucking since it’s more commonly seen in Oriental breeds.
Wool sucking can sometimes transition into pica behavior (eating nonfood objects). It’s not uncommon for people to find holes in sweaters, socks, or blankets when the sucking escalates into chewing.
If you have a chronic wool sucker, use the same methods previously described to increase environmental stimulation and keep your cat’s mind active and confident. If you have a young cat who has started wool sucking, divert her attention to a toy or start petting her under the chin to disengage her from the object in a positive way. Since prevention is your best tool, if you see your cat starting to get into a position that indicates she’s about to wool-suck, or if she’s eyeing an object that looks like a potential target, redirect her toward a toy. With many wool suckers, as they develop more confidence and find other forms of stimulation and comfort, the behavior becomes less frequent.
CATWISE REMINDER
When treating a wool sucker, don’t underestimate the influence of your cat’s surroundings. Identify possible environmental stressors so you can do your best to decrease or eliminate them.
Once again, create a more stimulating environment to keep your cat’s mind active. Engage in regularly scheduled interactive play therapy and set up solo activities for her to enjoy. Scatter puzzle feeders around so she gets the opportunity for hunting and discovery. If she doesn’t take to puzzle feeders even after you’ve shown her how they work, then place small bowls of dry food in several locations for her to discover. Any degree of hunting for food will help keep her mind engaged.
With pica behavior, you may have to take some other measures in addition to the ones mentioned above. First, make sure there isn’t an underlying medical cause for the need to chew on the fabric. If your cat is chewing on hard nonfabric objects, you have the added risk of injury to her teeth. Have your veterinarian do a thorough workup to make sure there isn’t a nutritional deficiency or other underlying cause.
Even though wool chewing isn’t diagnosed officially as a need for increased fiber, it seems to help in many cases, along with behavior modification. Consult your veterinarian before making any nutritional changes, but often adding a little canned pumpkin to wet food helps. Pumpkin is high in fiber, cats don’t mind the taste, and it’s easy to mix into wet food. Ask your veterinarian how much to add based on your specific cat’s size and health, but generally about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon is a good start. You don’t want to add too much too quickly because a large increase in fiber can have some very unpleasant intestinal repercussions. After your cat gets used to the initial amount, you can then increase or decrease based on your veterinarian’s recommendations.
CATWISE CLUE
Chewing on wool and other fabrics may have a genetic connection for some cats. The behavior is seen most often in Siamese and Burmese cats.
If you feed your cat only wet food, sometimes leaving some dry food out as well may help. If you already feed dry food, talk to your veterinarian about possibly switching to a higher-fiber formula. If you feed on a schedule and are feeding only twice a day, increase the number of meals (not the size of the total portion) so that she gets several small meals a day. You can use a timed food dispenser if you aren’t at home to feed. Set up a couple to go off at various intervals so your cat can enjoy the correct portion of her food at the times you specify. Puzzle feeders can be used as well.
Whether your cat is wool sucking or chewing, keep temptation out of sight as much as possible. If you know she goes for blankets, tuck them tightly around the bed and then cover with a comforter that’s not appealing to her appetite, or remove the blankets during the day. If the room isn’t one she cares to be in during the day, close it off. Don’t leave socks and sweaters around where she can get to them. I had a client who accidentally left her dresser drawer slightly open because she was in a hurry to get to work. When she returned at night, she found that her cat had spent quite a bit of time munching away. Almost every sock in her drawer contained holes.
You can also set up a few deterrents during the retraining process if your cat consistently targets specific objects. If she’s a sock chewer, take a couple of socks, coat them with a bitter antichew product, and leave them around for your cat to find. If you use this method, make sure it’s in combination with environmental enrichment and interactive play therapy. Remember, whenever you do anything negative, make sure you offer a positive alternative. Also, if you don’t combine the use of a deterrent with appropriate behavior modification, your little wool chewer may just move on to another fabric.
For many wool chewers and pica kitties, the opportunity to munch on safe, edible kitty greens aids in solving the problem as well. You can find kitty greens in any pet supply store.
CATWISE REMINDERS
- Deter with a bitter antichew product.
- Distract your cat when she looks as if she’s about to engage in the behavior.
- Increase confidence through play therapy and environmental enrichment.
- Reduce stress and create maximum security where your cat eats, sleeps, eliminates, and plays.
- Modify your cat’s diet as directed by your veterinarian.
- Provide safe edibles such as kitty greens.
Feline hyperesthesia
I included this under “Compulsive Behaviors,” but not all cases can be labeled as compulsive or anxiety-driven. Physiological or neurological problems may also result in this syndrome. Feline hyperesthesia is still a mysterious syndrome to experts.
This is also referred to as rolling skin disease. With this condition, the cat becomes extremely sensitive to sensory input. Sounds, touch, sight—anything can trigger it. Hyperesthesia commonly presents as excessive overgrooming accompanied by seemingly unprovoked aggression. In the extreme, it can even lead to seizures.
Symptoms can include skin twitching, pupil dilation, excessive grooming that can often appear self-aggressive, and excessive vocalization. The cat may also suddenly seem frightened for no reason at all and bolt from the room. She may also become afraid of her own tail. Restlessness and pacing are also common symptoms.
The cat usually experiences an extreme sensitivity to touch and may suddenly exhibit aggression when stroked or petted. Stroking down the back seems to be the most common touch trigger.
After an episode, the cat usually looks as if she’s confused and often seeks out the cat owner’s attention for comfort. This makes it confusing for the cat owner as well because there’s often reluctance at that point to physically touch the cat for fear of setting off another aggressive episode.
Some Common Triggers of Hyperesthesia
- Loud noises
- Petting the cat along the back
- Early or abrupt weaning
- Being placed in a new home
- Addition of a new pet or person in the home
- Separation from the human family
- Ongoing stress in the environment
Treatment for hyperesthesia requires the elimination or reduction of anxiety-provoking triggers, if possible. It needs to be diagnosed by your veterinarian to make sure there isn’t another underlying cause for the excessive grooming and aggressive behavior. Pharmacological intervention is also usually needed for the cat. The environment is key in dealing with hyperesthesia, so you have to carefully reexamine what might be going on in your household. Everyone in the family needs to be on the same page to avoid setting off triggers, whether it’s a teenager being more aware of not playing loud music, or the family needing to backtrack and help the cat make a more secure adjustment to the new home, or having to separate hostile companion cats in order to do a less stressful reintroduction. Be alert to your cat’s body language so you can see whether she’s heading toward overstimulation.
Hyperesthesia is scary for everyone in the family, and the accompanying aggression can be dangerous. Don’t try to diagnose and treat this yourself. After an accurate diagnosis, your veterinarian will guide you as to what is needed specifically, and may also refer you to a veterinary behaviorist. Your cat hasn’t gone crazy, and she doesn’t need to be isolated from the family, but the family does need to be educated on how to work on this safely.
MEDICATING A CAT WHO DOESN’T WANT TO BE MEDICATED
How many times has your veterinarian given you a prescription medication to give to your cat and you’ve either laughed at the notion or felt your stomach jump into your throat at the thought of trying to get a pill into the Jaws of Death.
Many times a veterinarian will prescribe an antianxiety medication for a cat with an aggression problem, but it doesn’t get administered because the cat owners are terrified to stick their fingers anywhere near their crocodile in cat’s clothing.
Part of the problem you may be having in medicating your cat is that your technique may be too forceful. Your body language beforehand may also be alerting the cat that something bad is about to happen.
Know your options
When your cat is prescribed medication, you may have a choice of what form to get it in. Some medication can be prescribed in either pill or liquid form. If you know from previous experience that your cat handles one better than the other, ask your veterinarian if there are prescription options.
Some liquid medications can be flavored. If you have young children, you’re probably familiar with this benefit. Popular cat flavorings include chicken, beef, and malt. Ask your veterinarian about this option. Some veterinarians have the ability to do this in their clinics and many pharmacists can do it. Certain medications can be reformulated into liquids, gels, or chewable forms and flavored. This is done by a compounding pharmacist. Not all medications can be reformulated, but if a particular prescription can be, it may make it more palatable for your cat.
There’s also another option that may be available to you that could make medicating your cat much easier. Certain oral medications can be reformulated into a transdermal form. With this method, the medication is absorbed through the skin. The way you medicate your cat transdermally is to rub the prescribed medication amount onto the skin at the inside of the ear tip. The medication will be in a paste or gel form and you’ll need to cover your finger with a finger cot or wear a disposable rubber glove. This is to ensure that the cat gets all of the prescribed amount and that none is absorbed into your own skin.
Some transdermal medication is administered in patch form, such as with the pain medication fentanyl. This works well because the pain medication can be absorbed slowly over time. For a skin-patch administration, your veterinarian will shave a section of fur in order to place the patch directly against the skin on an area of the body where the cat cannot lick or chew it off.
Pilling
Let’s start with what not to do. A common mistake cat owners make is to try to sneak the pill into some food in the hope that the cat will gobble everything down without realizing he has been medicated. I wish it were that easy, but unfortunately it isn’t. Your cat has an incredible sense of smell and can usually detect that there’s something foreign in his food. Even if he doesn’t detect the scent of the pill, he’ll detect the bitter taste once he takes his first bite. If he doesn’t continue eating, that means he won’t get the entire prescribed amount needed. It can also cause him to start to reject his food even if it doesn’t contain any meds.
Crushing pills and mixing them into food is also not a good idea. In addition to the reasons above, some pills have a coating on them to ensure they’ll get through the stomach acid and into the intestines for proper absorption. The coating can also prevent the cat from tasting the bitterness of the pill.
If you have a cat who eats first and analyzes later, then you might be one of the lucky ones who can hide a pill in food. If that’s the case, do not put it in his regular food because even if he accepts it now, he may catch on later and start to reject that brand of food. Use something special like a bit of cream cheese that’s been blended with chicken or sardines.
There’s a terrific product available called Pill Pockets, and for many of my clients it has made pilling a cat a much easier event. The product is available as a meat-or salmon-based treat that has a pocket for concealing the pill that can be pinched closed. I have seen a number of cats who wouldn’t normally be fooled into eating food that contains a pill willingly eat a Pill Pocket. The product is available at many pet supply stores, veterinarian clinics, and online. Before using Pill Pockets, find out from your veterinarian whether the pill can be given with food, as some medications need to be administered between meals.
If your cat bites and you’re afraid to have your fingers close to his mouth, the Pill Pockets may be the safest way for you to pill your cat. Another option is to use a pill gun. This is a plastic syringe device that grasps the pill on one end and has a plunger on the other.
If you have to pill your cat manually, there are a couple of techniques to know about before trying to force a pill into the mouth of an animal who is fighting you every step of the way.
If you feel more comfortable with your cat elevated, put him on a table for pilling. Place the palm of your hand over the cat’s head and gently tilt his head up. Don’t tilt it too much, because it’ll make it difficult for him to swallow. Next, apply gentle pressure with your thumb on one side of his mouth and your index or middle finger on the other side. The position of your thumb and finger should be behind your cat’s canine teeth (the fang teeth) and that’s where you’ll apply gentle pressure. With your other hand, hold the pill between your thumb and index finger. Still with me? Now, with one of the other fingers of the hand that’s holding the pill, gently pry the lower jaw open and drop the pill on the back of the tongue. Don’t try to shoot the pill all the way down the throat. You just want it to go on the back of the tongue. If you try to overshoot, you risk having your cat inhale the pill. Stop tilting your cat’s head back now so he can swallow. Don’t force his mouth closed because he won’t be able to swallow the pill. You can gently hold his mouth (not clamped shut) and massage the pill down his throat. If his tongue comes out to lick his nose, that’s a good sign that the pill has gone where it was supposed to go.
Have a small bowl of water on hand because you need to make sure the pill doesn’t stay lodged in the esophagus where it could cause irritation. Humans don’t swallow pills without water and animals shouldn’t either. If your cat doesn’t want to drink water and the veterinarian says the pill can be given at mealtime, offer your cat some wet food after being medicated. If he doesn’t want cat food and he happens to like yogurt, offer a few drops of that to help ensure the pill gets a smooth ride down to the stomach.
Some cat owners find it easier to pill their cats by coating the pill with butter to help it slide down the throat. This method can make it a little difficult to release from your fingers, though, so don’t use too much if you decide to try this. Another trick is to get some Nutri-Cal, which is a vitamin supplement paste for cats, and use that for enticement and coating the pill. The technique I use is to first offer a little Nutri-Cal to the cat (no pill). I then pill the cat with the pill that I’ve coated with the Nutri-Cal and follow up with another drop of plain Nutri-Cal. If your cat likes the taste of the Nutri-Cal, it can make the whole procedure a little more pleasant. As with the butter, though, the paste can make the pill harder to release from your fingers, so don’t use too much. When you do use a pill that you’ve coated, you have to slide it off your finger onto the cat’s tongue rather than attempt to pop it into his mouth. Nutri-Cal is available at many pet supply stores, through veterinarians, and online.
Whatever method you use to pill your cat, your demeanor is important. Be relaxed, casual, and quick in order to send a calm message to your cat. If you’re tense and nervous or attempt to be forceful, you’ll turn this into an experience he definitely won’t want to repeat. Don’t allow yourself to get frustrated or angry or you’ll set up yourself and your cat for this to be a nightmare every time in the future.
You can also use the pilling procedure as a training opportunity for future medication needs. Have your clicker handy (if you have an assistant with you, that person can be in charge of the clicker) and click when the cat takes the pill. Remember to immediately reward him with a bit of wet food. Only do the clicker training if the veterinarian says the pill can be given during mealtime.
If you think you’re going to have a hard time pilling your cat, use the clicker training to ease him into it in stages. If you need to get him used to having your hand over his head and/or prying open his mouth, click and reward when he stays still as you place your hand over his head. Once he’s comfortable with that, you’ll now wait to click and reward when you use your other hand to open his mouth. He’s now learning there are two parts to this behavior. Once the behavior is learned, you’ll be ready to pop the pill into his mouth, click, and reward.
If putting your cat on the table to pill him doesn’t work for you, there’s an alternate position to try. Kneel on the floor, sit back on your heels, and open your legs wide enough to form a V. Place your cat between your legs but have him face away from you so he’ll have nowhere to go if he tries to back away from the pill. Then place your hands in the positions previously described in order to administer the pill.
CATWISE CLUE
If you use the V pilling position, wear jeans, or at least don’t wear shorts, to prevent any injuries to your lap if the cat struggles and scratches.
After the procedure, engage your cat in a little play session if he wants, so you can end the whole thing on a positive note.
Be sure to wash your hands after handling the pill because if it has a strong smell, you don’t want your cat to detect it on your fingers when you go to pet him later.
Alternate Method for Desperate Cat Owners
If your cat is very aggressive and you’re in danger of being seriously scratched, wrap him in a towel for the medication procedure. Use a large enough towel so you can securely wrap it around his body, leaving only his head and neck exposed. Lay him down to wrap him so you can wrap the towel tightly enough. If the towel is just draped over him, he’ll be able to squirm out from under it easily. Offer him a reward afterward and/or engage in a little interactive play session so you can leave the experience on a positive note.
Administering liquid medication
If the liquid medication can be flavored, that might make it much easier for your cat to accept.
The position to use is either to put your cat on a table or to use the V position previously described.
Liquid medication is best administered with a plastic dropper or plastic syringe that usually comes with your prescription. If not, you can ask your veterinarian for a few extra or get some at your local pharmacy. Don’t use a glass dropper because it could break if your cat bites down on it. Don’t administer liquid medication with a spoon either, because it’s just about impossible to do without spilling some on the cat’s fur or on you. If the medicine is very sticky, then you’ll really have a mess if it ends up all over the cat’s face and neck. That will also only add to your cat’s stress level. The syringe or plastic dropper is the safest way to guarantee that all of the prescribed amount of medication will end up in the cat’s mouth.
There’s a space in the cat’s mouth between the cheek and the molars that’s referred to as the cheek pouch. It is the easiest place to dispense the liquid. This way, you don’t have to pry open the cat’s mouth; just slip the syringe into the cheek pouch and administer the liquid. Do this in small amounts to allow your cat time to swallow. If you try to do too much at once, your cat is at risk of inhaling the medication. Too much medication at once may also result in his spitting out most or all of it.
In addition to the syringe or dropper of medicine, have a damp cloth nearby so you can quickly and easily wipe your cat’s fur if some is spilled.
As with the previous section on pilling, your demeanor is a huge factor in your success. Be calm, quick, and casual, and show your cat that this procedure will be over before he even knows what happened.
Applying ointment or cream
For me, the easiest way to do this is as an extension of petting and affection. Have your ointment or cream ready and sit in a chair with the cat on your lap. If he doesn’t like to be on your lap, sit next to him. You can also use the other positions of placing your cat on a table or in the V position. Pet him in the spots he enjoys the most and then quickly and casually apply the prescription to the affected area. Once that’s done, go back to petting him where he enjoys it. If the prescription has a strong odor, have a damp cloth nearby so you can wipe your hand before continuing to pet your cat. If he doesn’t want to be petted, engage in a little interactive play therapy session so he stays distracted for a while. This will give the medication extra time to get absorbed into the skin.
Eye medication
This can be a tricky procedure for a cat owner even if the cat is being very cooperative. You have to be extremely careful when you’re applying medication to the eye area. If your cat is difficult to handle, enlist the help of an assistant if possible so one person can hold the cat while the other person medicates. You can also use the towel-wrapping technique if your cat becomes very agitated during medicating. If the towel method doesn’t work for you, there are cat medicating sacks available at pet supply stores and online, but honestly, I find a thick towel to be easier and less stressful than trying to get the sack around the cat and then get it Velcroed, snapped, or zippered up. Still, the sack is an option that may work better for you.
Place your cat on a table or on your lap, or use the V position. Tilt his head up slightly and hold it with one hand. If you’re administering ointment, rest the hand holding the tube gently against your cat’s cheek so you don’t end up poking him in the eye in case he suddenly jerks forward or back. Very gently pull the lower lid down just enough so you can place a small strip of ointment there. You don’t have to place the ointment on the eye itself because it’ll spread as soon as the cat blinks. Don’t touch the applicator itself to the eye or eyelid and do not close the cat’s eyelid and try to rub his eye. The ointment will spread on its own and you don’t want to cause irritation.
If the medication is in liquid form, you’ll use the same positioning technique and then drop the prescribed amount into your cat’s eye without touching the applicator to the eye itself. Allow the cat to blink on his own and don’t attempt to rub his eye.
Ear medication
If your cat’s ear needs medicating, it’s probably very sensitive, so be very gentle. Place the cat on a table or your lap, or use the V position. Wrap him in a towel if you think he’ll put up a fight.
Hold the ear at the base or at the midway point. Don’t hold the ear tip because you risk pulling the ear up too much and that’ll be painful for the cat.
Most ear medications come with a long applicator tip, which is designed to fit right down into the ear canal. Don’t force it down there. Instead, gently insert it into the ear and squeeze out the prescribed amount. If the ear isn’t irritated, you can gently massage the base to help spread the medication. If the ear is sensitive, as is the case with ear mites (which make the ear irritated), don’t massage.
Immediately after administering the medication, hold your cat’s head gently to prevent him from shaking it in an effort to get the ointment out of his ears. In many cases, the cat feels much relief when the soothing medication is in the ears, but it does feel funny and often causes an immediate head-shake.
After the medication has been administered, your cat may walk around with his ears in a T position for a while, or he may use his paw to groom the ear area. To help distract him, offer a portion of his meal, a treat, or engage in an interactive play session.