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Written by Wendy Christensen
Q: My cat loves food. He eats in the morning, evening at 5 and sometimes again at 10. Then he will wake me up in the middle of the night around 3 or 4 to eat. I am not sure what I have created but waking me up in the middle of the night has got to stop. May be this is my fault because I give in. Only reason is because if I do not he will keep crying and wining until he gets food. This is very annoying when you are trying to sleep.
He is also obsessed with running water and has made it a point to only drink running water. He also wakes me up in the middle of the night for this or will cry at random times throughout the day until he has his running water. The best part is that I have a bowl of water for him. It is never empty but he will not drink it. I have tried to ignore the cry but it is way too hard. I am not sure what to do to solve the problems.
A: You are certainly correct on one point - he keeps waking you up because he knows it works! As long as he knows he can wear you down until you get up and feed him, he'll keep doing it. This is a recipe for an overweight cat. Obesity is a very big problem for cats, and has many serious health and behavior consequences. And it's MUCH easier to prevent than to cure. Ask your veterinarian how much food your cat should be consuming per day, and then follow the vet's recommendations on food type (low fat, etc.), and portion size. Often, cats' pleas for "more food" are really pleas for "more attention" or "more active playtime."
Your cat may see these constant "wake up calls" as a good way to share special time with you. He may feel he's not getting enough interaction, so he'd creating his own opportunities.
Is there a room you can fix up as his "overnight hideaway?" (This could be a spare bedroom, bathroom, etc.) Make sure it's cat-safe. Put into the room everything he needs: litter box(es), scratching post, a small snack (very small amount of dry food), water, comfy cat bed, and a few toys. Play a radio or CD player softly to mask noises from outdoors or elsewhere, and help calm him down.
Before bedtime each night, spend some time playing with him, and then just quietly winding down with him. Conduct an interactive play session (with a fishing-pole toy like "Da Bird" or "Kitty Tease") to wear him out. Serve a few tasty, healthy treats. Then escort him to his overnight hideaway, kiss him goodnight, and close the door. Then go to bed.
Ignore any ensuing whining - and be consistent.
The running water preference is easier to fix. Get him a cat fountain. There are several brands of these ("Drinkwell," "Fresh Flow," etc.), widely available at pet supply outlets and online (www.petsmart.com, www.DrsFosterSmith.com, and many others). Small, quiet electric pumps circulate water and dispense it through a sort of "mini-waterfall" design that cats adore. Cats really do prefer running water, and for a good reason: In nature, running water is likely to be cleaner (and thus safer to drink) than stagnant water. I have a Drinkwell fountain and it's VERY popular with the cats around here.
Q: I have 3 cats 2 I have had for the last 3 yrs. and they are brother and sister and I took in another cat about 1 yr ago. Just recently I have noticed large wet spot on our bed. The only thing that strikes me as unusual is that it really doesn't smell like urine. I have even been sleeping and woke up noticing that one of the cats did it while I was in the bed. What is going on? Why doesn't it smell like urine, and what is it. Could one of the cats be upset and marking territory because of the new cat? I don't want to lock them out of my bedroom or have to find a home for them. I love my cats very much.
A: Cats with kidney problems (which can range from mild to very serious) often start drinking unusually large quantities of water, and expelling extremely large volumes of urine. Because this urine is so diluted, it can have little or no odor. Also, in my experience, a cat who urinates conspicuously, or in very obvious places (like on your bed, where you can't possibly miss it) is trying to tell you something: He's communicating his unhappiness or the fact that he's in pain and distress.
It doesn't sound like territory-marking, both because of the location and the fact that it has little or no odor. Territorial urine marks generally smell stronger than normal urine.
If you know which cat is urinating on the bed (the non-smelly urine), take that cat to the veterinarian right away. He might be seriously ill. If you can't figure out which cat is doing it, take them ALL in. Be sure to explain to the veterinarian exactly what's been going on.
Please keep in mind that I am not a veterinarian, and I'm not qualified to offer medical advice or diagnose your cats' particular problem. But, if this were my cats, I'd take them in ASAP.
Herding Cats at Home June 2005 1
Herding Cats at Home June 2005 2
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