Tabbytudes Cat Behavior Column - August 2003

Other letters this month expressed concern over a cat's fixation on a red belt "snake," night time demands, and vomiting for attention. Quite a mix!

Cats do seem to sometimes mistake a harmless object for something scary or dangerous. They also do a wonderful imitation of being ferocious or terrified when they're simply playing. It can be difficult to tell the difference between play-fright, and a true phobia. But once the cat has thoroughly investigated an object that "spooked" him the chances are he really knows it's harmless-but enjoys the game of pretending to lambaste the red "snake" belt and has decided that's his favorite toy. Keeping the object around for supervised play (to be sure he's NOT frightened) could keep him from seeking out replacement objects to act out his "scared cat" imitation. Cats can see colors but red is not easily discerned (they don't have the necessary eye cells to see red clearly), so it's much more likely the shape and location of objects offers the desired configuration.

Cats are also masters at manipulation. They thrive on night games and are early risers, and if they figure out how to lever a beloved owner out of bed one time-they'll remember and use that same ploy again and again and again. The ploy may be meows, or dropping toys on your head, grooming (pulling!) your hair, clawing a forbidden object or making noise. Of course, we humans react promptly to stop the action and Kitty gets what she wants-your attention. That attention rewards the behavior so you have, indeed, taught her to do it. The only way to stop such night games is to totally ignore the cat and not react to what she's doing. Even yelling at her, rolling over in bed, or pushing her away rewards the behavior. So if you can't play "dead" and wait her out (and it can take weeks for her to "unlearn" the behavior!), shut the pestering cat in a room by herself for the night. For the first year or so, my cat Seren spent nights in "her" room (the laundry room) because my husband couldn't sleep with loud purrs in his ears. Consequently, she learned early on that pestering at night was pointless. Even today when she has the run of the house, she waits until a decent hour-7:30 am or so-to act like a furry alarm clock.

Stress-related upset tummies are much more common in dogs than in cats. Although this behavior may appears to be related to an owner being away from home, it's still always a good idea to get a veterinary check to be sure there's not something else going on. Perhaps when left alone, Kitty over-indulges and eats too much, too fast or not enough, and the excitement of a homecoming prompts the "urps." If this is stress- related, using Feliway and leaving soothing music on while gone might help take the edge off the problem. With dogs, it's very helpful to totally ignore Fido for the first 15-20 minutes after homecoming. That should also work with cats. It gives the pet time to calm down.

TabbyTip of the Month:

Cats who choose alternative places to eliminate require a bit of detective work to figure out the "why" before you can fix the problem. Offering at least one litter box for each cat, PLUS one additional box, often cures hit-or-miss behaviors because cats may want a different box for each function. At night, when felines are most active, one cat may "guard" the facilities and prevent the other from using the box so alternative locations may get baptized or fragrant "gifts" left for you to find in the morning. These locations-carpet, furniture, even the stove-must be completely cleaned to prevent a return to the scent of the crime. Enzyme-type products are recommended for cleaning and Pro-Klean ™ (www.iloveproklean.com/supercaturineremover.html) also gets good reviews. After cleaning, try placing the cat's food bowl on top of the spot- cats rarely want to use the bathroom where they eat. For deterring stove usage, get burner covers and cover the entire area with aluminum foil to protect the stovetop. Many cats dislike the feel of walking on foil, and the sound of urine hitting aluminum is also off-putting. Use this deterrent for several weeks until satisfied the cats have renounced the stovetop toilet.

Amy D. Shojai is a nationally known pet care specialist, and author of more than a dozen pet books, including the forthcoming "Complete Care for Your Aging Cat" and "Complete Care for Your Aging Dog." She can be reached through her website www.shojai.com