Thank you for the positive response for my last column. As a reminder, in Matt’s Cats, I take questions from cat owners, and give them my expertise. In addition, a veterinarian will also give input. From time to time the vet will disagree with me.
This issue, the veterinarian expertise will come from Cindy Houlihan, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She is the owner of Cat Practice, a veterinary hospital for cats only. The Cat Practice was one of the first veterinarian hospitals in America reserved strictly for cats.
Stacy Olsen, a teacher at Seaholm, recently e-mailed me this question:
“My sons chase the cat around and she hisses at them. My sons, Eric and Michael, are one and four. Because she [Pickles] is scared of the kids, she hides much of the time. What do I do?”
Vet’s Answer:
“Cats truly dislike being chased. They are programmed to respond to stress and perceived danger with a fight or flight response. In this case, the kitty is fleeing, which is preferable to the fight response … It is vitally important to not chase the cat. This will allow the cat to feel safer in its environment, and hopefully with time it will begin to spend more time out with its family.”
Matt’s Answer:
Obviously, this is a problem. Pickles should not have to deal with your two sons chasing her around all the time. Here’s what you need to do; either put your kids up for adoption, or relocate them to another country. In these tough times, we need to prioritize, and cats come before people- simple enough.
James Held, a senior, has another problem:
“I have two cats. One is declawed, and one is not. The one with claws [Skinny Cow] usually picks fights with my other cat, and I worry that my cat without claws cannot defend herself from such attacks. How do I get my cats to get along?”
Vet’s Answer:
“Some kitties have conflicts with others; just as humans do. Be sure to have one litter box per cat, plus one extra in the house. Place multiple water and food dishes in the house as well. Try to have structured play times with each kitty, separately, once or twice a day for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Playing can be with a laser pointer, toys, fetching, catnip, hide and seek, even brushing or play petting. It is just important to have one on one time with each kitty … If these suggestions do not help to change this behavior, medications may be needed … One caveat to this suggestion is to have your veterinarian examine both cats to be sure one or both do not have a medical condition contributing to this unwanted behavior. When a cat is ill and hiding their illness- as they instinctually do- the other often senses something is not right and becomes anxious as a result.”
Matt’s Answer:
I’m sure you know what they’re fighting about. What you need to do is to sit down with your two cats and have a constructive talk. I’m sure that they will pay attention to you, and give any feedback. Listen to what they have to say.
If you’re really awesome, shoot me an e-mail about your cat problems.
