The Way of Cats

Cats love feeling in control of their environment. Giving them opportunities to influence our behavior will increase their confidence and security.

Here, we see RJ taking the advantage and rolling the die in one of my Konfuse-A-Kat games.

We roll the die and do something; he rolls the die, and we do something again.

This game, called Gesture, is played with a die that displays the words rock, paper, and scissors on the various faces.

By throwing the die, and using the appropriate gesture to pet the cat, we have a petting game that will draw them in.

We are laying the foundation for blending our verbal language with our body language. By saying the names of the different gestures, we give the cat a good reason to learn them.

RJ likes the game so much he can be lured from one room to another, simply by my making the three gestures, silently, with my hands.

When I announce the game is starting, Mr. Bond will appear and join in. If Puffy is going by, he gets roped in. This is a great bonding game for multiple cats.

Giving the cats something to enjoy, together, is always a good move to promote harmony.

So make gametime something that every cat can enjoy, even if we have to choose a new toy for each cat.

Encourage the cats to be happy in each other’s presence, even if some of them do not interact much.

Make sure we have a good time, too.

That’s the recipe for a happy cat family.

Find out more about Konfuse-A-Kat.

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Is it true that it is dangerous to let cats out around Halloween? Are black cats in particular danger? Do shelters not adopt black cats around this time?

Yes.

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It’s not actively dangerous to let your cat out around Halloween. But it is a time when people will be milling around outside, carrying flashlights and talking to each other, many of them small children who are unpredictable. This can confuse the cat, make them want to hide until the commotion is over, and maybe even get frightened into a bad situation.

Are black cats in danger? If only from cars, but that is bad enough. Add extra dark to extra traffic, and it’s not a good idea for them to press their luck, or one of their nine lives.

Do shelters restrict adoptions at this time? Yes, but not for particularly nefarious reasons. People might want to decorate with a cat, and then lose interest after the holiday. Best that they reconsider their decision. Like baby bunnies at Easter, and puppies at Christmastime, holidays are not the time for a quick decision on a long commitment like adoption.

So have a good, spooky time at Halloween, but refrain from frightening the cat. Their appreciation of Halloween is somewhat different.

For more about urban myths about cats and Halloween, see this Snopes article.

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A reader writes:

I moved my 16 year old female cat’s litter box from the spare bathroom to my closet. It fits fine and we get no more water splashes from the shower and litter on the guest room floor. BUT - while she uses the box in its new location, she still uses the old bathroom floor and rug. How do I stop her from using the old bathroom as her litter box?

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Dear Reader,

She’s sixteen, which means she relies a lot on her old habits. If she gets an urgent call of nature, and heads to where she’s used to going, there might not be enough time for her to realize her mistake and doubleback to where the new box is.

And she is willing to use her new box. I’m betting she just forgets.

Help her remember by:

Leaving the bathroom door closed for now. This is an immediate signal that indicates the old place is no longer available.

Give her time to make new habits.

And if she has a pattern to when she uses the litter box, be alert at those times, and remind her by showing her where the new box is. Make it a happy time; tell her how glad we are she is using the new place, praise her for doing so, and tell her we are reminding her where it is.

How many times have we moved something, and then kept going to the old place where it was kept? Lots, I bet. The cat can go through the same thing.

If this doesn’t work, try a strong scent to drive them away. A rag sprayed with that orange cleaner works well, or peppermint scented candles, anything with that sharp scent. If it makes our eyes water, it will do worse to the cat’s nose.

Also, since cats tend to not go where they eat, put some bowls of food there, or feed her treats there. Or stack some precariously perched empty cardboard boxes or empty tin cans there, so brushing against them causes them to topple.

Making it an unpleasant place to go will remove the urge to keep going there.

Just wanted to say thanks again for your great advice. I have been feeding her there and the behavior has stopped. You are the cat whisperer!

You are welcome.

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A reader writes:

My cats won’t play unless I play with them. So, are they lazy, or what?

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Dear Readers,

These are not cats who cannot be playful. What, then, is lacking? It might be energy. It might be imagination.

A cat without interests might need a checkup to make sure their thyroid is still firing on all cylinders, especially if they are overweight. Keeping the cat on a Catkins regimen will help prevent weight and health issues which can interfere with our cats enjoying themselves. But if these are not problems that need to be addressed, we might ask ourselves what kind of cats they are.

Gamma cats are notable for such quiet interests, while Alpha cats will be downright elderly before they quiet down. Puffy, settled into middle age and passive as a beanbag chair, enjoys different windows to look out of, and batting at whatever is in the puzzle box, along with a daily stint on someone’s lap. It may not be much, but it is something. Anything less, and I would start to worry.

A kitten can play with a discarded grocery receipt for two hours. They have energy to burn. The older cat doesn’t have the same drive to keep busy physically. They should, however, be busy with something during their awake hours, and keep up their expected level of affection. A sudden drop in their usual activities, or hiding and withdrawing from social interaction, can be a sign of illness.

It could also be that they are bored. After all, there are toys that need us to activate them, and toys that encourage the cat to use their imagination. It can be as simple as putting a toy in a box, letting the cat see us do it, and let their curiosity take over.

We could talk to the cats more. Posing questions, even if we don’t expect answers, engages the cats curiosity by encouraging them to try to figure us out. Delay dinner and see if they notice or ask for it. Move their bowls to a different spot and see what they do. Cats can get in a rut, just as we do.

Maybe it’s better for both of us that we watch out for such.

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