CAT FAQS
As a cat owner you probably know all about these facts, but some of them were new to me when I got my first two, so just in case:
- On average a cat spends about two thirds of its life sleeping
- Cleanliness is very important to cats. A third of a cat's life is spent grooming and often they
won't use a litter tray that has been used by another cat so ideally each cat needs its own
litter tray
- Cats generally don't take kindly to having to share space or their slave with another cat
- Cats prefer a life without change. They like things to stay where they are and can become stressed if their routine or parts of their world are disturbed
- A cat's whiskers are designed to help cats gauge the width of an opening or gap. Their eyes,
though large, can't focus well on things close up so they use their whiskers to feel
- When a cat is young familiarise it with the grooming brush. A good way to bond while
preventing matting too. Hector hates it as his fur gets matted and it pulls on his skin. But
Sheba and Cleo love the rubber Cat Kong which I bought at Maxteds in Deal High Street
- Cats like to you to play with them. Cat toys can get expensive...I have loads of them but it is
an old box with holes cut in the sides that is Cleo's favourite. She cannot resist jumping into
a box or climbing into an empty shopping bag
- Cats like to chew plants. Some are poisonous to cats like lilies. The pollen stamens
should be snipped off. Get some cat grass and plant it in a pot
- Cats are attracted to the sweet taste of antifreeze so be alert to older vehicles which may
be leaking this poison
- Some cats will spray or urinate around the house if they become distressed by something
going on. It could be another cat encroaching on their territory or even someone in the
house who unnerves them. Cleo has always been a scaredy cat so I need to watch her
- Purring is not always a sign of a happy cat, although usually it is. Cats often purr
to comfort themselves, like a reassuring humming
- If a cat becomes stressed a Feliway pheromone plug-in or drops in their water can help
- Relaxed cats leave happy scent messages around their territory and slave by rubbing their glands on the sides of their faces on furniture and you
- Many cats prefer to drink from a moving water source like a tap so if you want to
discourage that habit buy a water fountain. Hector loves the Cat Mate as does Sheba, but
he does still sometimes sit by the tap waiting - for old times sake!
- If your cat is microchipped - and it is a very good idea to do this - it might be an idea to fit a cat flap that only lets your cat in. The company where I got mine told me it recognises the chips of up to 33 cats... That should be enough...
- When a kitten is around 5-6 months old is the time to have them spayed. Sheba began
howling horribly at that age so it was off to the vet with both of them right away, after which
I had to teach them how to use the cat flap for their first outdoor adventures (pics of this in
the gallery). Homing lots of kittens is not always easy and cat sanctuaries are full of
unwanted ones
- A shut door is a signal to investigate what is on the other side. Carpets can suffer as a
result of efforts to get in. I just leave all the doors open!!
- Cats are lactose intolerant so should not be fed our milk or cream
- When you move house Vets suggest keeping cats indoors for a couple of weeks so they can
become very at ease with the new home and then do short accompanied visits into the
garden to make sure they become familiar with the new territory and can find their way
home (to the new one, that is!!). I have heard of cats returning to their old homes
- Sod's Law No 1: even if you have a scratch post in every room this does not mean the
carpet and furniture won't be used as well. I suggest getting arm rest covers!
- Sod's Law No 2: if any of your friends say they don't like cats or are allergic to them, then
it is certain that their lap will be the first port of call