Cats are amazing creatures who have been vilified for many activities including destruction of wildlife. The truth is that a cat out doors can do a lot of damage let alone a cat left to fend for itself outdoors.
Their introduction in to the Australian environment rates along side other poor import choices, but really is the cat to blame? Like everything if we take responsibility for our pets then surely we can safe guard our environment and also keep the pets we own safe. The problem comes with over population and irresponsible pet owners who feel that their cats living out doors is really not a problem, some of those same pet owners feel that their cats aren’t worthy of moving with them as well.
So sometimes we let our cats out because of issues in he house, urinating in the wrong places scratching furniture and other household inconveniences that cats can cause. What if there were ways to reduce these issues though, is it possible our cats could live inside happily and well contained.
Cats like people suffer stress and anxiety this is displayed through inappropriate elimination amongst other things. Cats that urinate frequently could well be sick and in need of Veterinary attention.
If stress is the cause of the problem then there is a lot that you can do to reduce the stress. Make sure that you have 1
litter box plus one for every cat in your care. Make sure that you don’t keep the litter box next to the food dishes, in some circumstances it may be necessary but if you have space make sure you put the food dishes away from the litter box. If you have more than one cat make sure that they are not keeping each other away from the litter boxes, you can do this by having multipul litter boxes in seperate rooms. Don’t put the litter box next to a window or door where another animal may be watching, your cat does like some privacy.
Make sure that you have some safe high places for your cat to retreat to when they are feeling stressed. a shelf overlooking the ret of the house may well suit them. Cat trees are also a great viewing platform.
For a cat that is scratching the furniture, part of what he is doing is scent marking warning others to stay away, his paws have little scent glands in them and marking his space helps him or her to feel more comfortable. Make sure that you have spaces where they can scratch.
When introducing new cats hope for neutral behaviour, it takes time to form a bond, feed them in seperate adjoining rooms, one each side of the door so they can get used to each others scent and presence. eventually leave the door open more and more.
When washing bedding etc make sure you leave at least one piece of bedding with the cats scent on it. Taking your cat somewhere, take a piece of bedding that your cats scent is on so that you can help reduce stress. If you need to wash everything, do it in cycles so that something always has your cats scent on it.
Desex your cats, no unwanted kittens no screaming and crying in the nights, and healthier happier cats.
ned help getting the best out of your cat? We are here to help email us on pawsdarwinteam@gmail.com