BEHAVIOR

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.

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.

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?

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.