How Can I Stimulate My Bored Indoor Cat?

Posted in Home Life, Play Time by

medium_2787811833Dear Nora,
We live on a busy street now and don’t feel comfortable letting our formerly-indoor/outdoor kitty outside here. She seems bored inside. What can we do to keep her stimulated indoors? -BORED IN BOSTON

Dear Bored,
I used to be outside too, before I was rescued. I like being indoors because it’s safer and my food bowl is always full– but when I first came inside I did miss chasing birds, climbing trees, and eating mice. There are a lot of things you can do to make a stimulating indoor environment for your cat. Here are a few ideas:

Toys. Have a lot of toys (of different types) located in several areas of the home. Play with your kitty with a wand toy to allow your cat to mimic a hunt. If you’re unable to play often, use toys that are battery operated or otherwise move on their own.

Food puzzles. Food puzzles are a great way to stimulate your cat– just think of all the scheming and problem-solving that will go into retrieving the food!

Bird feeders. Just because your kitty lives indoors now doesn’t mean she can’t still be stimulated by the outdoors. Set up a bird feeder outside her favorite window to perch in (perhaps with a cat tree nearby). She’ll love watching the birds and other critters.

Cat TV. If you aren’t able to have a bird feeder, or for something extra, consider Cat TV. My personal favorite is the bird channel, but my sister Pippi really likes the fish.

-NORA

How Can I Prevent My Cat From Vomiting After Meals?

Posted in Food and Water, Health and Safety, Home Life by

medium_500001687Dear Nora,
Sometimes my cat throws up after eating. Is this normal? –OMIT THE VOMIT

Dear Omit,
Frequent vomiting, from any animal, should be considered abnormal. Remember that we get our nutrients from our food, just like you. In order to absorb all of the nutrition we need to be active an healthy, we really need the food to stay in our bellies.

If there are other cats in your home, your cat may feel like she has to compete for food. This will make her scarf it down as quickly as possible and cause her to throw it up. If this seems like a possibility, try separating your cats at feeding time. It may also be that your cat simply has no self-control when it comes to food. If this is the case, try a food puzzle (I’ve heard good things about the Stimulo)– it will force her to slow down, while also adding some great mental stimulation.

If neither of these seem to be the problem, take your kitty to see the vet, since there are a lot of medical reasons that could cause regular vomiting. –Nora

What are your go-to tricks to keep your cat from eating too fast?

Share in the comments!

How Do I Stop My Kitten From Chasing My Older Cat?

Posted in Health and Safety, Home Life, Play Time by

medium_3392783260Dear Nora,
My youngest cat (who is two years old but still acts like a kitten) constantly chases my older cat. The one who is being chased is getting skinny and anxious. Why does my younger cat do this, and what can I do to provide some relief? –RUNNING ON EMPTY

Dear Running,
I do this to my older sister, Pippi, too. My intentions are good– I just want to play, hone my hunting skills, and work off all the energy I have from being a kitten. Pippi, though, doesn’t like to play with me and just hisses a lot when I chase her.

When my mom sees me chasing Pippi (or just lurking, ready to pounce), she knows it’s time to play. My favorite is when she throws my favorite toy and I get to run and find it. I could really play this game for hours. I also like it when I get to chase the red dot around (laser pointer) and when mom breaks out the wand toy, which really looks like prey and gets my hunter instincts satisfied. The more mom plays with me, the more likely I am to chill out and sleep when she’s not around the save Pippi from my mischief.

If you aren’t around to play with your cat as often, look into some battery operated cat toys that your cat can play with and chase. Make sure sure that your cat has all kinds of toys, vertical space, and scratchers to keep him stimulated and active. His instincts to chase, play, and hunt are real (and core to his catness) and simply need to be channeled to a better place. –Nora

 

How do YOU channel your cat’s wild energy into something more productive and less destructive?

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How Do I Keep My Dog Out of the Litter Box?

Posted in Home Life, Litter Box by

medium_4562936269Dear Nora,
Thanks for your advice about avoiding covered litter boxes. I’d like to provide an uncovered box for my cat, but my dog loves to snack on cat poo. Any ideas? –DOGGY BUFFET

Dear Doggy Buffet,
Even though it may seem counter-intuitive, it’s even more important to have uncovered boxes if your kitty is co-habitating with other animals. Not being able to escape the litter box is a legit concern if she sees the pup sniffing around. And, trust me, your cat eventually will find other (safer) places to do her business– maybe in the middle of the kitchen floor or in your new boots.

Instead, put the litter box in a room that doesn’t need to be accessible to the dog (laundry room, spare bedroom, bathroom, whatever) and install a hinged baby gate in the doorway. If your dog is big, you can install the gate 6 or so inches from the ground so your cat will easily be able to slip underneath. If not, install the gate closer to the ground and put something (a box, stool, piece of furniture) on each side, so your kitty can easily jump over the gate. The hinge will allow you to get into the room easily to clean the box daily, or you may be able to just step over the gate. –NORA

Have YOU found a creative way to keep your dog from snacking in the litter box? Share in the comments!