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Counter conditioning

Q: I can’t get my cat to stay off the kitchen counter. If I catch her there, I yell at her to get down, and she does. But it doesn’t stop her from jumping up again at other times. 
Any suggestions?
Dee Jonas
Houston, Texas

The Reason Your Cat Can Jump So High

Why is it that a cat can easily jump five feet high, allowing her to land on countertops and other surfaces you might assume...

Your Cat’s Instinct to Scratch Versus Your Belongings

Almost 40 countries have now banned the declawing of cats except in situations where a claw is irreparably diseased or beyond repair. The United States is not among them, although we are starting to make inroads state by state. Virginia just passed a declawing ban earlier this summer, joining New York and Maryland. If cats could applaud, they would. They use their claws to scratch for myriad reasons.

Cats Who Refuse Their Medicine

Q: You mentioned in a recent issue that the American Association of Feline Practitioners had some ideas for getting a cat to take her medicine when she normally refuses it. Can you say what those strategies are?

When Two Cats Who Got Along, Don’t

You’re a two-cat or multi-cat household, and all of your felines do fine together. They don’t mind looking out the same window at the same time and even do some hanging out and playing together. Then one of them goes to the vet. Or both go, or they all spend a couple of days at a boarding facility. When the one cat or the group of cats arrives back home, you might assume there’d be relief at the routine going back to normal, but instead, things turn aggressive between the pets. There’s swatting, maybe biting and scratching. It’s as if the cats never knew each other—even if they were taken for their appointment in the same carrier! 

The Truth(s) About Cats and Water

It’s untrue that cats are universal water haters. Sure, no cat wants to be unceremoniously dumped in the sink and have water and suds poured all over him willy nilly, but felines’ reputation for being aquaphobic is belied by the facts. Consider that many people think cats can’t swim. But cats in general can swim just fine, and some breeds actually enjoy it. Among them: the Turkish Angora and the Turkish Van.

The Zoomies: Anything to Be Concerned About?

Behavioral scientists call them Frenetic Random Activity Periods, but you probably know them as the zoomies. We’ve all seen them. A cat goes from lounging languidly to tearing back and forth with no warning. It’s more common in kittens and other young cats, but many cats never grow out of the behavior completely. What drives it?

The Cat Won’t Go For Walks

Q: I read with interest last month’s article saying that it can be good environmental enrichment for a cat to be walked outside with...

Don’t Pursue Your Cat…

If you’re in the mood to pay your cat some nice attention with stroking and cooing, it might not be the right time. You have to wait till he’s in the mood. Never try to chase or otherwise pursue your pet in a bid for togetherness. It will backfire.

Things That Don’t Go Together: Your Cat and Narrow Spaces

It can be hard to find room in the house for all your cat’s stuff: scratching post, food and water bowls, toys, bed, litter boxes. Many people relegate many or all of those resources to a back hallway, a staircase landing, or a mudroom off the kitchen. It’s understandable. It keeps the items close by yet more or less out of sight. But from your cat’s point of view, narrow areas like that make unnerving choices.

A feline high from second-hand marijuana smoke?

Q: Sometimes marijuana is smoked recreationally in our home, and I am worried as our cat does not seem herself when that happens. Am I imagining it, or could there really be some effects?

3 Easy-to-Miss Signs of Feline Fear

Perhaps you already know that if your cat’s pupils have dilated even though the amount of light in the room has not lessened, it could indicate that that she is feeling anxious. Or that if she hides or tucks her tail under, she is afraid. But there are other signs of fear that are easier to miss because they don’t necessarily look like dread or discomposure. It’s important to know them so you can work to soothe your pet out of her stressed state—or at least understand that she is going through something unnerving and let her be.