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BEHAVIOR

Dear Doctor – Our experts offer strategies to address urinating outside the litter box

[From Tufts November 2011 Issue]

Frustrated by cats litter box avoidance

My indoor neutered male 3-year-old domestic short haired cat was diagnosed with cystitis last October after I found him urinating outside his litter box. He was placed on Clavamox for 10 days and the crystals and blood in urine disappeared. He was fine until recently when he started to urinate again outside the litter box.

There are no other cats in the house. I live alone and have changed nothing in the household routine. My veterinarian is also at a loss for his behavior. Because there were a few crystals showing in his urine recently, she deemed it unnecessary to prescribe antibiotics again. I did ask her to issue the Clavamox again for 10 days. She also prescribed seven doses of prednisolone (5 milligrams.). Her technician suggested replacing the towel under the litter box with a puppy pad, which might work better because it is softer.

Dear Doctor – Our experts offer strategies to address hair pulling in cats

[From Tufts November 2011 Issue]

Last fall, we first noticed that our 7-year-old female cats underside/nipple area was bright pink. During her annual examination, our veterinarian mentioned that our cat had licked herself bald there and on hind legs.

This cat is very mellow and laid back. Her only issue seems to be jealously/territorial issues with the other female cat of the house. A friend had suggested allergy testing. Im concerned about the cost of allergy testing. What should we do?

S. Konkel

Dear Doctor – Our experts address how to win back a traumatized cats...

[From Tufts December 2011 Issue]

Our 10-year-old domestic shorthair Stormy, who has been a loving companion and highly affectionate since we adopted her as a stray when she was 6 months old, recently had a bad cough and was sneezing perpetually. Our veterinarian diagnosed it as a cold. He gave us some antibiotics, which my husband administered faithfully twice a day.

Dear Doctor – Our experts address persistent diarrhea in cats

[From Tufts December 2011 Issue]

I have two 9-year-old Tonkinese sisters. One has always had firm stools and the other, in the last year, has had soft stools and diarrhea. They eat only Wellness Core dry food - no treats or people food.

They are strictly inside cats. I tried desperately to introduce them to canned food without success. The cat with the soft stools has a beautiful coat, clear eyes and appears very healthy. My veterinarian cant find anything wrong with her. She does not have worms.

Do you have any suggestions as to what is causing the soft stools? What tests should my veterinarian perform? Should I be worried?
Sue DeMaria

Dear Doctor – Our experts address litter box avoidance in cats

[From Tufts January 2011 Issue]

I have a wonderful 5-year-old cat rescued from Hurricane Katrina when she was a kitten. This year, she has decided to drive me crazy by going from one door to the other and meowing constantly. She is not allowed out in my apartment complex and has not really given me much trouble - until now.

Ive had her for four years and she has never acted like this. I tried walking her on a leash, but the experience was disastrous. She doesnt play with cat toys, so my veterinarian suggested that I adopt a kitten. I hesitate on this, but will wait for your reply. Ive had more than one cat at a time, so I think I know what to expect, but at 80 years old, I have some doubts! My cat is a very high strung, nervous cat; she hides when anyone comes to my house. Any help you can give me will be more than appreciated.

Dear Doctor – Our experts offer solutions for inappropriate marking in cats

[From Tufts April 2011 Issue]

I have a 14-year-old Snow Leopard Bengal who was neutered at 11 months. He is a third generation and perhaps, has too much of the wild cat in him. He is extremely affectionate, bright and the leader among the pets in the house. There are five other cats, two dogs and a variety of large birds.

Tommy is extremely possessive of me. He has always sprayed occasionally, but lately, he has also sprayed on my kitchen counter and even worse - defecated on top of my stove. My kitchen is an open area and I cannot close it off from the rest of the house.

I do have a homeopathic anxiety and stress medication from my veterinarian. It works sometimes. I also had a complete blood panel performed on Tommy recently and the results indicated that he is healthy.

Dear Doctor – Our experts address feline shyness

[From Tufts May 2011 Issue]

I adopted my cat, Flower, about 2 years ago from a shelter. She was there for six months and was 8 years old at the time. She was in good health except for having feline herpesvirus that my veterinarian treated. Flower has been receiving lysine ever since and is doing well.

Since Ive adopted her, Flower has never made any vocal sounds. I find this unusual, since my previous cats were quite vocal. She also spends her entire life upstairs and refuses to come down and socialize with my husband and me. We have no other pets and no children. She is somewhat receptive to me when I go to see her, comb her and give her affection and treats, but her acceptance is limited. After a while, she will get up and walk away, which is my cue to leave.

I would so appreciate if you could let me know if there are any other cats who are not vocal, and do you think she will ever become more social? Her breed is mixed. She is also an indoor-only cat.
Ruth Roschak

Dr. Dodmans Casebook: Cause of a Male Cats Persistent Urine Marking.

[From Tufts May 2011 Issue]

Editors note: Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, is a renowned animal behaviorist and best-selling author.

Poor Mr. P was in some state. Smokey, his neutered male cat, was spraying urine all over his beautiful home. This should not be too hard to figure out, I thought. Would that I knew what was in store.

Myth Buster: Cats and Water

[From Tufts March 2011 Issue]

Editors note: This article launches a new Catnip series that debunks common misconceptions about cats.
In spite of their reputation for tolerating only dry land, a surprising number of domesticated cats not only tolerate but love pawing water or swimming. Some like to play in standing water; others are fascinated by running water and prefer to drink from a faucet rather than a bowl.

(Managing Cat Aggression Ebook Tip#1) – What is Petting Aggression?

When a cat rolls over on his back, exposing his tummy, it probably looks like an invitation. Most cats like having their tummies stroked - right up until the second they dont. Many owners are shocked when their cat, who had just been purring in enjoyment, is suddenly gripping their forearm with needle-sharp claws, or even sinking in teeth. This can be confusing, not to mention painful. …

Sexual Aggression in Cats

Unless youre planning to breed your male cat, there are a number of extremely good reasons to have your pet neutered at some point during the first six months or so of his life. Most importantly, the procedure will prevent his contributing to the worldwide problem of feline overpopulation. Neutering will also eliminate or at least reduce the occurrence of several undesirable sex-related behaviors.

Cats with Bathroom Issues – The Multiple-Cat Factor

Some cats have relationship challenges resulting in inappropriate eliminations. The cats may have been introduced to each other too fast, or there might be too many cats in too small of a space with little or no vertical territory. Or maybe the cats simply dont like each other. Cats sometimes leave calling cards when they dont feel confident around other cats, or they may be leaving information about themselves for other cats to discover. Poor litter-box management can be a big contributing factor in this situation, as well.