Friday, October 21, 2011

Lousy Smarch Weather

Mroooow. It's gotten very cold sruddenly and my peoples hav onry been giving us kats a short burst of warm in the murnning. So I haf to rap up in thif blanket.

IMG 3566

8 comments:

Fuzzy Tales said...

That blanket looks very comfy and cosy, though! We've had the heat on in the house for a while now (on timer), because it's typical Ontario fall cool now.

Jans Funny Farm said...

We hope you are staying warm and cozy.

The Island Cats said...

Hi guys! I saw your comment on the Cat Blogosphere. I'm sorry to hear Patches is still having peeing issues. If you are sure it's not anything medical, then it's probably a behavioral issue. If the feliway isn't helping (and honestly, you've got to use a lot of feliway to see a difference), you may want to talk to your vet about starting Patches on some anti-anxiety medication. I'm not big on medicating cats, but sometimes it's the only solution that seems to help. Also, you have to make sure you clean up where she pees really well...so she can't smell the urine and want to pee there again.

Good luck. I know how frustrating this must be for you!

Island Cats' mom

The Island Cats said...

Hi, I'm back. I thought about a couple of over-the-counter things you could try. There are calming chews for cats that have L-Thearine in them along with Colostrum. I've used a brand called Composure. The other thing you could try is Anixtane S which is similar to the calming chews but has more of the L-Thearine in them. If you google these, you'll find more information.

Good luck!

The Island Cats said...

I just thought of something else. Try plugging the feliway diffuser in your son's room or better yet, get another one and plug it in his room.

Everycat said...

Hi Kaltsas cats! Long time no hear, we saw your post on the CB about Patches so we came over. The Island Cats are right about Feliway and have made some great suggestions, you do need to use lots of Feliway. We know your son is still young, so we wondered how he plays with Patches? Sometimes, very young children try to play nicely with cats, but can be a bit rough or noisy when they don't mean to be and this causes the stress response of innapropriate peeing. Could your little boy love Patches so much that he is constantly trying to pet and play with her? For a cat this can be very stressful. Little human voices can be very shrill and upsetting to a cat's ears, cats hearing is more sensitive than a dog's. Has Patches got any 'Patches Only' areas that she can retreat to? High up, cosy and quiet places are brilliant for cats to get a bit of quiet time. Is Patches declawed? If so, and the vet has ruled our bladder problems, then it might be worth getting her paws x ray'd to check if she has any problems with internal scar tissue. Sometimes these can develop over time in declawed cats and cause peeing issues.

Try insisting that Patches gets some quiet time to herself daily. Don't wash her favourite bedding too often as her own smell will comfort her. Keep an eye on how your little boy (& his friends) play and interacts with her and also how Patches and Nemo get on too. Any disruption in the home can cause the peeing behaviour - parties, furniture being changed around, arguments, changes in house routine, visitors - all sorts of things! sometimes you just have to think like a cat to get to the root of the issue. Patches sounds as if something has really unsettled her and will need reassurance from you, so, as frustrating as it is to be mopping up pee, try not to scold her or raise your voice when you discover yet another puddle :)

Best of luck
Oliver & Gerry

Everycat said...

We just thought of something else to try.

Make sure there are enough litter trays around the house for both Nemo and Patches. There may be a bit of an issue around using the trays if Patches feels a bit threatened when she's on one. Sometimes cats can project a bit of menace to another cat without humans noticing it. Cats are masters of subtlety.

A change of litter might have caused the pee issue too, so if you've recently changed brands, maybe go back to the old one?

A general rule for house cats is to have at least one tray per cat plus one more tray. Trays should be placed in areas where there isn't any human traffic and where the cats can use it in peace. Away from doorways is a must. We wondered if placing a tray outside your little boy's room would help? Of course the trays must be kept clean and scooped every time they are used, we cats are picky!

Hope that helps :)

Oliver & Gerry

World of Animals, Inc said...

That blanket you have there looks to be very comfortable and should keep you nice warm during those cold winter days. Thanks for sharing the cute photo. Have a wonderful rest of your week and a happy upcoming new year.
World of Animals