Why Cats Scratch and What to Do About It

Kittens start early on to scratch furniture and this is one of the greatest complaints of owners. How many couches, chairs, stairs and curtains have been ruined by our furry companions? Understanding why these behaviours occur is the first step to redirecting the behaviour.

First of all, remember this is normal cat behaviour. They scratch for several reasons. One of these is to stretch. We could all learn a bit from cats regarding this! If you stretched for just a few minutes several times a day, perhaps you too would have the agility of a cat. They need to be able to catch the furniture and stretch. That’s why suede and leather are not a
popular scratching surface whereas carpet is.

Not only does scratching stretch the muscles, it also grooms the nail bed. The nail caps lift off and are often left behind. If you want to reduce the scratching, you need to help groom those nail beds by trimming the nails (ideally, weekly).

When cats scratch they are leaving a visual and scent mark behind (just like the large wild cats that scratch trees). This is why material that shreds and tears is preferred. Keep this in mind when choosing a cat scratch post.

Knowing this will help you choose cat scratch posts and where to put them. They need to be made of material that the claws will catch on to allow stretching, nail bed grooming, and shredding. Choose carpet like materials with either a horizontal or vertical texture. Expect these to get shredded. (In fact, choose ones that shred easily). They will not look pretty and are not meant to be part of your decor. They serve a purpose. If you dislike the appearance, be prepared to replace them often.

Place the cat scratch post in prominent places. Use the undesirable cat scratch behaviour as a clue to placement. Put your posts near the destructive behaviour you want to replace. Offer rewards for using the post. Make it cat friendly. Place food or treats on or near the post. Try some cat nip too.

Trim your cats nails every week to help with nail bed grooming. This doesn’t take long – perhaps 10 minutes (how long did it take you to earn the money to buy that couch?). The easiest way to do this is on a counter, the table or on your lap. Place your cat’s rear end towards your chest (head facing outwards). Lean over your cat. Use your arms to prevent sideways escapes. Lift up a paw and gently squeeze each toe to expose the nail (remember that cats have retractable nails).

Using toe nail clippers or special cat nail clippers, trim the sharp points. You can see the ‘quick’ (the pink part) very well in cats. Trim about 2-3 mm beyond the pink part. If you cut into the pink part, the nail will bleed.

To discourage the unwanted scratching, cover the area with unsatisfactory material (as far as the cat is concerned!). Try using double-sided sticky tape, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap. Bitter tasting agents can be sprayed in the area. A cat pheromone (Feliway) may discourage scratching as well.

Try motion detectors that spray a deterrent (check out SSScat). These detectors are small canisters that are set off by motion. They let out a little bleep and then spray (usually a detergent based spray).

If the above does not work, try the soft nylon cat nail covers called Soft Paws. You glue these onto the nails. The cats can still scratch but don’t do any damage. They come in really great colours too..red, blue, pink, purple, clear.

Declawing should be a last resort option if all of the above fails. It should be used on strictly indoor cats only. If you are declawing for aggression issues, be aware that cats will sometimes start to bite. If you remove one weapon, they will turn to another. Declawing involves the surgical removal of the last portion of digit. This would be the equivalent of you having your fingers amputated at the first knuckle. If it must be done, be sure to have it done at a veterinary hospital that is very proactive in pain management. It does not matter if this procedure is done with a scalpel blade or a laser surgical unit…it is painful!!

While we are on the topic of destructive behaviours, let’s make a quick mention of chewing! If your cat is doing this keep electric cords unplugged unless in use or keep them out of reach. You can also run your cords through PVC piping readily available at hardware stores. Keep plants out of reach and offer suitable alternatives such as wheat grass, or even small rawhides.

Remember, the key to managing what we perceive to be destructive behaviours is to recognize they are normal behaviours and to figure out how to redirect the behaviours to suitable outlets. Be creative!!

Kittens, Cats and Litter Boxes - Phew!

There is only one downside to owning cats…the litter box! Nobody likes litter boxes. Nobody likes to clean litter boxes. Nobody likes the odour associated with litter boxes. And even more so...nobody likes accidents outside of the litter box. (And yes, kittens are particularly stinky until they mature.)

So how do you make it as likely as possible that your cat will use the litter box? Believe it or not there is research into just this area. We know what most cats like.

First of all, size matters. Think about it! If you had to use a toddler’s training potty instead of a regular toilet would this cause stress for you? A litter box that is too small stresses cats. They want to be able to turn around, to dig and to squat. The box needs to be large enough! Ironically, the small litter boxes with covers sell the most. As humans, we want to keep the litter box small. Cats want a larger litter box. (Storage bins are a great economical alternative to commercial litter boxes.)

No odour is a must. Do not use a scented litter.

The type of litter is important. Cats like fine litter that is easy to dig in. This is why clumping litter is often preferred by cats. Using a fine litter that is about 1 ½ to 2 inches deep is the preference for most cats. If you are stuck and have a stubborn cat, you can even resort to potting soil.

No odour is a must. Do not use a scented litter. Many cats do not like the perfumes. They also don’t like stinky litter boxes so scoop as often as is necessary to ensure there is no urine or fecal odour. The frequency you have to scoop will vary with the number or boxes, cats and litter type but is often twice daily. Most litter boxes need to be washed out weekly. If you can smell the litter box after scooping, it’s time to wash it with a mild detergent.

Location, location, location. This applies to litter boxes as well as to real estate! Cats are very vulnerable when they are voiding. Make sure the site is safe and secure! Offer privacy (low traffic area). If possible, ensure there are 2 exits. Some cats will trap another cat in a litter box. If there are two exits, you will have fewer litter box accidents in the multi-cat household. This is one reason to avoid covered litter boxes if possible. Make sure they won’t be startled by loud noises (like the washing machine or dryer).

Remember, cats are fastidiously clean! If they are not using the litter box, they are communicating with you that there is an issue at hand.

Basic cat math: box number equals cat +1. You need one more box than you have cats. For example, if you have 2 cats, you should have 3 litter boxes. If you have 5 cats, you need 6 litter boxes. But here is the key point…they can’t all be in the same location! Side by side boxes will not get used simultaneously. So having side by side litter boxes is the same as having one litter box. If you have 5 cats, you need 6 litter boxes in different locations (preferably, different rooms….hope your house is big!).

Sometimes, you have to be creative. When you get a new cat, try a smorgasbord of litter box types, sizes, and litters to find out what your cat likes. I know it sounds like a hassle but it beats replacing the carpet!

What happens if after all this, your cat(s) still urinate and defecate outside of the litter box? It could be stress. It could be medical. This is where you need your vet’s help!

When your cat refuses to use the litter box and you have tried all of the above, there may be a very good reason for what is happening. Remember, cats are fastidiously clean! If they are not using the litter box, they are communicating with you that there is an issue at hand.

What might that issue be? Stress, anxiety, sexual state and territorial issues may be at stake. Or your cat may have crystals, a urinary tract infection or interstitial cystitis. Your cat could also have inflammatory bowel disease. A thorough history, physical exam and laboratory testing will be necessary to get to the answers! Starting out with good litter box habits can help you come to an answer more quickly.

So, to summarize: large box; fine litter; 1 ½ to 2 inches deep; very clean; location choices; and each location is quiet and safe. That’s not asking much, is it?

There is much less room for error in feeding cats than in feeding dogs! Don’t goof up here or you will see yourself faced with significant vet bills either in the short term or the long term. This is one area where you can have a tremendous impact on your pet’s health. Here are some answers to the most common questions about feeding kittens:

Does my kitten need to be on kitten food or can it eat my other cat’s food?

Ughh! Do not feed your kitten adult cat food. The occasional stolen kibble isn’t an issue but it needs to be on a kitten food! This is required for optimum bone development. You can cause urinary issues (crystals) from feeding a growing kitten adult cat food. Just don’t go there!

Is it okay if my cat eats my dog’s food?

The odd kibble is fine for cats to eat. Dog food should never be a major part of your cat’s diet. Cats need more added amino acids to their diet and will have significant health issues if they eat dog food (cardiomyopathy and heart failure).

How long should my kitten be on a growth or developmental diet?

Your kitten should be eating a growth diet until it reaches 80% of its anticipated adult weight. That is usually around 8 to 9 months of age. Older recommendations ranged from 6 to 12 months. Switching them at 6 months is pushing it. Waiting until 12 months to transition kittens to an adult diet can increase the likeliness of obesity.

Should I feed dry, canned or both? If I feed both, should I mix them together?

Feed both! Cats are not dogs. Feed both! (Yes, I said that twice…on purpose!) Kittens develop texture preferences very early on. They need to get accustomed to both dry and wet food from an early age. If you don’t do this, and they need a very particular prescription diet when they get older, they may not accept the diet. If you can get good quality diets with different shapes and canned food with different textures, go for it! It will make your life easier later on!

Canned food improves urinary tract health in cats. They can make very strong concentrated urine. This is a mechanism that allows the cat family to occupy very dry climates. But strong concentrated urine over a long period of time can have detrimental effects on the bladder. Canned food helps increase water intake thereby reducing the likelihood this will happen.

You can mix the dry & canned together if you like but that can be a waste of money! Canned food does not last! So leave dry food out all day & night and top it up when needed. Offer canned food every morning & night (but only as much as the cats will eat). After about an hour, throw the remainder out.

How much should I feed? Should I just leave the bowl full or give measured feedings?

Measured feedings is the way to go. Obesity occurs in about 60% of the cats we see. Another 20% are chunky. This is especially true for indoor cats. Start with the recommendations on the bag and then weigh your cat on a regular basis. (No excuses, there are lots of mid-sized scales available. Most healthy cats will average around 10-12 lbs.) Your vet can help you learn how to determine your cat’s body condition score as an additional tool to weight control.

Feed at set times (usually twice a day). Cats have an amazing internal clock and they will tell you when you are late! And cats, like people, do best with a steady routine.

My cat is always at the food bowl. How do I get him/her to eat less?

Cats are like people. They eat out of boredom or due to stress just as much as we do. Start by putting the food bowls in a low traffic room. Laundry rooms are popular for this. If the food is in a high traffic area, then the cats will stop for a nibble every time they pass even though they are not ‘hungry’. Think of it like the ‘chips on the coffee table’ syndrome. I bet you are surprised how fast those disappear but if you had to get up and get some from the cupboard each time, you would eat half the amount.

Put the food bowls up. Make it a bit of work to get the food. Then they’re eating because they want the food and they’re hungry. Don’t forget to make their environment interesting with cat scratch posts & lots of toys. Ever notice how much less you eat if you are busy and having fun?

Keep the stress levels low too. Cats will stress eat so make sure they have a nice safe quiet spot to rest. Feed canned food. It contains at least 70% water. Not only is that good for the bladder, it’s good for appetite control.

Cat food seems so expensive. Can I feed the cheaper foods?

If by expensive you mean high quality and by cheaper you mean low quality...the answer is no! You might be able to get away with this if you have a female cat, but don’t try it with male cats. The most common complication of feeding poorer quality cat foods is the formation of crystals. These are painful! Imagine having to urinate out sharp pointy needles? Now imagine your urethra getting plugged and not being able to urinate at all! Not only is this potentially lethal, it can be expensive to treat. So if you’d rather pay your vet than a pet food manufacturer…by all means feed cheap food.

Be careful!!!! Marketing is powerful and many of these new expensive foods (often marked with catch phrases like ‘natural’ or better yet ‘holistic’) are just as likely to cause crystals in the urine. Ask your vet for recommendations. It’s next to impossible to sort through the pet foods in the store on your own.

I don’t want to buy my food at the vets because they are so expensive. Vets must be making a fortune off those foods. Why do they do that?

Well, actually, they are neither that expensive or profitable. There is substantially less mark up on the veterinary side of food than on the retail side. The foods sold to veterinarians are the top line foods. The companies that sell to the vets want the food to go with vet nutritional counseling. This way, there are fewer complications with the food. These foods also have much more research behind them. They will save you money by reducing (not eliminating) health problems.

Regardless of what retailers might tell you, the majority of vets want to see your pet remain healthy. Preventive care & preventive medicine is the goal of the majority of veterinarians.

Should Cats Be Kept Strictly Indoors?

This is one of the questions that creates enormous controversy and people usually sit squarely in one or the other camp. Both sides of the debate have some very good points. Let’s look at some of the arguments on each side of the fence. And then let’s see if we can find a happy compromise.

Indoor only cats live longer than outdoor cats.

Indoor cats have an average life span of 15-17 years. Cats that are both indoor and outdoor have an average life span of 5-7 years.

There are several reasons for this. If cats are strictly indoor, they are less likely to be exposed too infectious illness or to common hazards (predators, cars, falls). Their owners are also more likely to notice if the cats are not eating, drinking, urinating or defecating and will get them to the vet sooner.

If you want your cat to be an indoor/outdoor cat, choose a quiet cat friendly neighbourhood and check on them frequently. Get them indoors after dark when the predators come out. A busy street with a cat hating neighbour on the edge of a farm that coyotes frequent is not a good location to have an indoor/outdoor cat.

Outdoor cats are happier.

Most of the time, the above statement is true. Some cats will prefer to stay inside and will shy away from any exposure to outside. But most cats like it outside. Think about yourself – would you be happier if you were always in your house and never left those walls, or would you be happier experiencing weather, smells and sounds associated with the outside.

If you are going to keep your cat indoor, you must compensate for the imprisonment. You need to sacrifice your perfect decor for some cat scratch posts and towers and an abundance of toys. You need to provide the intellectual stimulation a highly intelligent creature requires. Check out “The Indoor Cat Initiative” on line. The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine have put together an excellent site loaded with information for the indoor cat.

Neighbours hate someone else’s cat using their gardens as litter boxes.

Okay, that one is a no brainer! So what can you do to lessen the likelihood that your cats will use the neighbour’s yard? For starters, provide a nice cat friendly litter area in your yard. Fluffy, loamy soil or a sand patch works great. Rake it clean often. No, it won’t prevent your
cats from going over to the neighbours but it will happen less frequently. And yes, you will have more of the neighbourhood cats in your yard. It’s not a big deal! Just rake out the poop so it’s a cat friendly area!

And…keep your cats on a routine parasite control program so your neighbours don’t complain about that!

If we didn’t have cats that go outside, we would be overrun by vermin.

This is absolutely true! We live in a farming community. What could possibly be a better place for mice, voles, moles and rats to live? Without outdoor hunters the population would be uncontrolled. Cats are much safer than pesticides.

Indoor cats are more likely to develop hyperthyroidism.

Well, the verdict is still out on that one! Regardless, we do recommend an area with an indoor UV light. After we installed one for our hospital cat we noticed her personality improve. We can often find her ‘sunbathing’ under her light.

Indoor cats are more likely to be fat.

Yes, that is true. After all, if you are running for your life, you’re getting more exercise! Outdoor cats are less bored. Outdoor cats don’t have food in front of them at all times.

Indoor cats must get adequate exercise through play and climbing. Owners need to more actively interact with their indoor cats. And they need to restrict the food.

So is there a compromise?

There’s always a compromise if you can be creative! It is possible to build an indoor/outdoor cat run and get the best of both worlds. We have had clients bring photos of some amazing runs! The cats have pet doors so they can go outside whenever they want. The runs are usually the size of a standard room and have netting or wire on all sides and on top. Some of the runs encircle actual trees allowing the cats to climb at least part way up the tree. There are runways and perches along the sides. Cat runs need areas for the cats to ‘hide’. Some creative clients have turned these into beautiful gardens with garden chairs so the human companions can visit with the cats and at the same time not feel they are sacrificing their yards for their cat’s enjoyment.

These types of runs are not possible for all clients. Ultimately, you need to make a choice. Regardless of which choice you make, you need to understand the risks and your obligation to mitigate those risks as much as possible.

Basic Veterinary Care for the Kitten - When to Go See the Vet

We have introduced you to kitten behaviour and the need for appropriate play spaces. We have talked about scratching. We’ve discussed the all important and frustrating litter box issue. We have reviewed information you need to know about feeding your growing cat. We have talked about the pros and cons of indoor versus indoor/outdoor cats. What else do you need to know about kitten care? As with most pets, the first year is the most involved and complicated with respect to care. Then you get to rest easy until they become seniors!

New Pet Health Exams:

As soon as you receive your new kitten, have a veterinarian perform a health check. Simple issues like fleas, ear mites, and ringworm can escalate into larger issues, especially if you have other pets at home.

Vaccinations:

Many people assume their indoor cats do not need vaccinations. Yes, your kitten is at a lower risk of picking up infectious disease. But can you guarantee you will not track something back into your home? Are you absolutely positive that your cat will remain indoors? Vaccines protect against potentially fatal infectious illness. What risks are you willing to take? We will review the risk for your pet and provide advice on which vaccines your kitten should have. Risk factors also vary by areas.

Cats that go outside, are being boarded at kennels, or are in contact with other cats that go outside need to be vaccinated. When do you start vaccinating? Most initial vaccines are given around 8 weeks of age for cats. They can be given earlier to high risk cats. Kittens need at least 2 vaccines 3-4 weeks apart.

Flea Control:

Which cat needs to be on flea control? Any cat that goes outside or lives with other pets that go outdoors should have a flea prevention product on board. Cats are harder to control than dogs and do wander more. They are much more likely to pick up fleas. Other pets in the household can bring in fleas as well.

Does that mean that indoor cats do not need flea prevention? Not necessarily. In fact, you can bring in flea eggs and larvae on your clothes if you have been in contact with a pet that has fleas or if you have been in a home that has fleas. Warehouse carpets and furniture are another source of infection. Some warehouses keep cats to control mice and rats but may not treat those cats with a flea preventive. Those warehouse cats become flea breeding centres. Flea infestations are easier to prevent than correct.

Deworming:

By deworming we mean control of intestinal parasites. How often do you need to treat your pet with an anti-parasitical product? Again, it depends. One answer does not fit all. All kittens should receive an absolute minimum of two dewormings. Cats that go outside need more frequent deworming. Cats that hunt need a broader spectrum dewormer than
cats that just use the back yard for a litter box and then come back in. Most cats that venture outside should be dewormed at least every 3-4 months. Strictly indoor cats can probably get by with a deworming every 6 months.

If you have young children (less than 5 years of age) or any immune-compromised individuals in your home you must deworm more frequently. Want more information on people & parasites? Check out the Companion Animal Parasite Council recommendations at www.PetsandParasites.org. It is a very enlightening site! And the recommendations are independent of any pharmaceutical company. The council is made up of veterinarians, human physicians, and parasitologists. It’s definitely worth a read!

Spaying and Neutering:

All cats should be spayed and neutered by 6 months of age. Most people understand this! Population control problems are huge with cats. And an in-heat cat can drive an owner to the brink of psychoses. And who wants to smell the urine of a spraying Tom Cat?

Routine Physical Examinations:

Your cat should have ongoing physical exams at least every year. The greatest health issues for cats are obesity and dental problems. Dental issues can be very painful. How can you tell your cat is in pain? You usually can’t! They hide their pain. As your cat gets older, you may want to seek physical exams every 6 months. And you will want to start blood and urine tests too. Why do you need to be so proactive with your pet? Because cats hide illness until they are very ill! Many of the aging illnesses can be detected early on and when we do that we can start to treat and delay progression of illness. In the long run, this is less expensive than crisis intervention!

One very important point that should not be forgotten: trust yourself. If your gut feeling is that your pet is not feeling well, get it checked out. It is better to be cautious than regret not acting on a hunch. Many times I have seen owners come in feeling guilty about being overly protective only to find their cat has a fever or some other disease. Your cat cannot talk. It
cannot tell you how it is feeling. Be his/her advocate!