Cat Talk

Those Terrible Cat Odors

How do you get rid of them?

Between us taking a 4-H roadtrip and the basement (where the litter boxes are located) flooding, our house has become cat stinking grounds this week. It's unfortunate because we have company over often and it's just unpleasant to live with, period. Do your cats "revenge pee" when you leave for a day or two as well? They seem to behave better when we get a "sitter" for them, but this time we just had someone come over to let the dogs out since we were gone for one night.

In my experience, the only thing you can do is find the source (use a blacklight detector) and treat it ASAP with an enzyme cleaner made for cats. If not, it's pretty much hopeless. Those things can SMELL up a room. You can get both of these items at a pet supply store, and the enzyme solution can be found at Target, too. I have had success with some other items (baking soda, simply washing in the machine), depending on how much urine was present, but the enzyme stuff is my favorite go-to solution.

How do you get rid of cat pee smell? Share your tips in the chat.

photo courtesy of wikipedia

Klat Categories:

Weird Cat Habits

What does your cat do?

My oldest cat, age 10, will swipe cheese from you. She LOVES cheese, especially in the form of goldfish crackers. I've never heard of a cat who likes crackers! My youngest cat, who will be two this summer, likes to open doors, go to the bathroom every time we go, and only snuggle if we're already busy doing something. My middle cat, age six, yowls to wake us up JUST to pet him and drinks his water by soaking his paw and licking it off his fur.

What the heck?

My cats seem like weirdos to me but I've read about many of these behaviors in other cats, too. Still, it's always our best guess as to why they behave this way and we may never truly understand much of what they do.

I would love to hear your crazy cat stories! Share the weirdest behaviors that your cats engage in below in the chat.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Klat Categories:

The Possum Took My Dinner

Cat's reactions are priceless

While it shouldn't be amusing to us to ever see an animal in distress (knowing what I know now about animals makes me unable to watch Homeward Bound anymore), sometimes our animal's expressions look like they had to have been made with CGI effects, they are so funny and cartoonish. This cat is a prime example.

When a racoon stole its dinner, this red ginger cat looked inside at its owner in horror. "Is this really happening!" The cat's face looks like it's animated.

In all seriousness, the owner should not have left a cat out to deal with a wild animal and should've let the cat inside instead of just sitting there taking photos. Hopefully the helpful comments of concerned people on the Internet will help illustrate how important that is.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Klat Categories:

Cat Kneading

It could be for more than one thing

Why do cats like to knead so much with their paws? Scientists have attempted to answer this question for many years and while there are many possible answers, no one knows absolutely for sure. We know it begins during kittenhood when cats knead their mothers while they feed, but why?

Cats may knead us because they see us as large, clumsy, terrible hunter parents. They also may simply knead to make something softer. Some doctors believe that cats knead you or an area of your home in order to claim it for territoriy.

Why do you think cats knead so much? Does your cat knead anything, including you? Tell us in the chat!

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Klat Categories:

Your Cat Wants to Eat You

Maybe

A study has revealed that what makes our cats separate from their predatory big cat relatives is largely only attributed to their size. Otherwise they have the same or similar instincts and want the same or similar things--such as to kill us in our sleep. They would do that, according to the study, if they weren't so much smaller than us.

From cat aggression to neurotic behavior, our cats may be driven out of their minds with the mad desire to do us in. That would explain why mine are always trying to trip me, eh? Knowing this, I'm not sure if the two that sleep with me are purring and kneading me because they're content or because they're imagining me on toast.

What do you think of these findings? Do you think your cat really wants you dead?

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Klat Categories:

Drink Wine with Your Cat Week

Why not take part?

For starters, don't go out and give your cat wine this week! That's not how this works! That's not how any of this works.

Whew. OK, now that you are ready to celebrate, grab your favorite bottle and pet your cat as you take part in National Drink Wine with Your Cat Week! Yes, this is a thing (because everything is now a thing) and there are actually cat friendly wines that are produced that you can buy so your cat can share with you.

Meow and Chandan Rose, for example, was made by Pet Winery to start this crazy week off (see? There's your origins story!). It's got catnip and other cat treats in it so you probably don't want to try it yourself.

Will you be celebrating the week in any special way? Maybe it's business as usual at your house. What do you think of the "holiday"?

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Klat Categories:

Scruffing Cats

It's not the best way to handle your pet

Lots of people "scruff" their cats to pick them up, claiming that it's what their parents would do to correct their behavior so it's okay to do it to grown cats. According to cat behavior expert Anita Kelsey, that's the wrong approach to correcting cat behavior. Not only is it a disrespectful way to treat a cat, but it can be harmful to the cat, causing pain. Cats that pick up their babies this way do so when they are babies, not fully grown adults.

The limping reflex that baby cats do when their mothers carry them isn't the same with adult cats. On adult cats, it only causes stress and fear, which are emotions that pet owners shouldn't wish on their own cats, let alone inflict upon them. Scruffing should only be used when cats are in danger and need to be moved very quickly.

Have you ever used scruffing with your cats? Would you change your tactis with this information? Share your thoughts in the chat.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Klat Categories:

Cat Plague is Hitting Australia

Luckily it can be prevented

It hasn't been as widespread in four decades, so the return of the cat plague in Australia is a terrible concern for cat owners right now. It is deadly and also known as feline parvo, and it's being seen in lots of strays in the Melbourne area. There is a simple way to prevent the plague, and it's just vaccinating your cats.

The disease is particularly ugly, causing a lot of pain and severe symptoms. Cats can become lethargic, start vomitting and having bloody, loose stools and suffer through lots of pain before suddenly dying. It's something that people should make every effort to prevent in order to keep not just their pets but other animals safe and healthy as well.

Have you heard of any other places where feline parvo is breaking out this badly? Share your news stories in the chat below.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Klat Categories:

Help Kitty Lose Weight

If she's as big as mine, she may need some help!

I live on a dead end street, but once my neighbors started to complain about my wandering cat (not to mention over-feeding her), I had to start keeping her inside. If I thought she would slim down after two out of three of her food sources were cut off, I was wrong; without the exercise outside, she's gotten so big her belly drags and has even lost the fur, leaving a bald patch! Toy mice, catnip, laser lights... the other cats love them but she could care less. So what can you do?

You can help your cat with a diet that's helping many American cats lately. It's a high-fiber, moderate protein diet meant to help the cats lose weight safely and keep it off without harmful side effects. Unfortunately there are often as many side effects for weight loss as there are for being overweight, so there is a delicate balance to strike.

Have you ever been able to help your cat lose weight? How did you do it? Share your tips in the chat.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Klat Categories: