Redirected Aggression

Do your cats like to watch animals in the yard? Are they glued to the windows when you hear rustling outside? Do they ever seem just a little too excited? Sometimes our indoor cats can get a bit worried about outdoor cats. Especially in households with multiple cats, one kitty decides that five (or four or two) cats in the house are more than enough.

Spraying is the most common problem for a territorial cat. (Remember, if your cat eliminates outside the box, your first call should be to the veterinarian to rule out a health problem.) A cat who is marking will almost always spray on a vertical surface. If you find or smell urine around your door or under a window, this is often an attempt by your cat to say “This is mine. Stay OUT!”

An overly excited cat may also unexpectedly turn on the nearest victim, usually his beloved housemate, and savagely attack her. This is known as redirected aggression, and seems to result from a frustration at being unable to reach the intruder. If your cats have an episode like this, separate them by throwing a towel over each cat and moving the aggressor to a dark room. BE CAREFUL when you do this. The aggressor cat is overly stimulated and may violently attack anyone, including you. When your cat has calmed down, slowly reintroduce him or her to the house. Because of the unexpected nature of such an episode, some cats need to be reintroduced as if they were strangers. The aggressor cat needs to realize that this is his lifetime companion, and the victim needs to see that she’s not about to be attacked again.

Although redirected aggression is an extreme example of feline ‘neighborhood watch’ stress, some cats just find the whole thing too exciting. How can we distract and calm the overexcited cat? First of all, restrict access to the windows. Heavy drapes can deter window climbing, and the nature channel can provide a calmer alternative. Most episodes seem to happen around dawn or at dusk when lots of critters are prowling about. Scheduling some feeding or play sessions around these times will provide safer activities for your cats. If you want to let your cats enjoy window time with less risk of property damage, consider giving them a cat tree with a nice scratching post next to the window. Scratching is a marking behavior for cats and this can be a much more acceptable outlet for that instinct than spraying. Finally, consider Feliway.  Feliway mimics the facial pheromones of cats and is designed to reduce the stress level of the cats in a room. When used with the environmental tips above, Feliway can help make your cats enjoy window watching as a calming, casual sport.

The Great Orange Hunter

My first cat was a beautiful big orange tabby named Gideon.  He was a very talkative cat, and he would greet me each evening with the full mewing story of his day.  (I still miss that.)  One night, I was awakened by this strange ululating cry.  I shot out of bed and found Gideon crouched excitedly in the middle of the living room with his paws hiding something.  When I finally coaxed him into reluctantly moving his paws, something tiny and grey shot across the living room and into the bathroom.  Realizing it was a mouse, I grabbed a plastic bowl and lid to try to catch it.  After a session of squeaking and jumping back (the mouse was twitchy, too), I finally caught it and took it down the three flights of stairs from my apartment to release it outside.  Then, a very disappointed Gideon and I went back to bed.

At the time, this simply made me look at my sweet boy a little differently now that I saw him as the great orange hunter.  Now that I’m a veterinary technician, this episode always reminds me of the reasons we recommend year-round parasite prevention for all our patients, even indoor-only cats like Gideon.  Apparently, outdoor critters can even get into third-floor apartments.  What Gideon saw as a fabulous toy looks to me like a vector (carrier agent) for fleas, tapeworms, and intestinal parasites.  Now that the weather is getting colder, our basements are looking more inviting to all of nature’s tiny furry inhabitants.  I love to see them outside, but I’m going to make sure I protect my furry family members from anything they might be bringing into my home.

Kelley Wagner, C.V.T.

Maude's Tip of the Day

Maude, our ‘pleasingly’ plump older cat, found an interesting tidbit to share with us today:

 “A recent study showed that playing with cats 10 to 15 minutes three times a day helped cats lose 1% of their body weight in one month without restricting their food intake.”

       Veterinary Medicine magazine, October 2011

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!



Meet Junior

One of our clients just introduced a wonderful kitten named Junior into her household.  Her three adult cats have been very tolerant, and Junior has settled in to the family nicely.  He is still a kitten though, so he has a lot of energy.  If you’re introducing a new kitten into your household, here are some ideas to help give those older feline ‘siblings’ an occasional break.  As we’ve discussed, scheduling play sessions can give him a reliable outlet for his energy.  If you schedule play sessions for him, he can anticipate future fun instead of having to create his own entertainment at the expense of his housemates. 

Foraging toys filled with bits of food are also very popular with kittens.  These can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them.  For instance, if you have an empty egg carton, poke a few strategic holes in the top and fill the carton with dry food.  (You don’t even have to invest in special treats.  Kitty’s dry food will be more exciting because he had to work for it!)  If you want to search on-line, you can find foraging toys such as treat balls or treat dispensers for as little as five dollars.  Always remember the simple things such as rotating toys to keep them fresh and fun.  Use your imagination to stimulate kitty’s imagination.

Kelley Wagner, C.V.T.

The Power Of The Cat

"Superstitious beliefs persist that cats, and especially black ones, can bring both good and bad fortune- a belief that is often based on geography and ownership.  As Moncrif, the first naturalist to rehabilitate the cat, wrote in his History of Cats (1727): 'the color black works very well against cats in unsophisticated minds; it heightenst he fire in their eyes, which is enough to make people believe they are witches at the very least.'  Black cats were said to be in league with the devil and as a result were often sacraficed.  Later, teh unfortunate black cat became a portent of good luck in Britian when it crossed your path; this was based upon the idea that evil had passed you by unharmed.  In North America this is reversed on the basis that the black cat is an evil spirit: its ere presence is dangerous."

As you prepare for this Halloween, keep in mind the power of the cat!

Excerpt from The Encyclopedia of the Cat by Bruce Fogle, DVM

Prepare for Pet Safety

Since, it is cold and blustery outside today, I think it's time to talk safety.  Several general precautions should always be taken to ensure that your pet doesn't get into something dangerous.  This goes for both dogs and cats.  Make sure all your pesticides and rodenticides are kept locked up in cupboards high off the ground.  Also, be sure to keep all vehicle fluids, especially antifreeze, locked up and high off the floor.  These products can taste flavorful to animals and can cause irreversible organ damage leading ultimately to death.

In preparation for the winter months, it is important to be as familiar with your pet's ability to tolerate cold weather.  Cats that are kept inside are safe from the elements and the risks of being hit by a car, attacked by a dog, caught in the fan belt of a car, Feline AIDS, Feline Leukemia, target practice and antifreeze poisoning. Dogs who spend a great deal of time outside should have dry, wind-proof shelter out of the elements with fresh, clean water provided at all times.  Precautions should also be taken to ensure warmth.  dogs with short hair and a non-weatherproof hair coat should not be left outside for long periods of time during our harsher winter months.  They may be at risk for frostbite and other health problems.  This is especially true for our geriatric pets.

For those pets that spend most of their time inside, please make sure all electric cords are safely hidden.  Keep holiday decorations out of reach and medications locked up, and all human foods put away.  Winter is the time when we see the most life-threatening illnesses.  Please take the time to ensure that your pet will have a happy and SAFE winter.  Stay warm today and try not to blow away!!

Stephanie Severson, CVT