Dear Dr. Fox:
My boyfriend and I adopted a 11 / 2-year-old cat. She’s our princess, and we try to make her as comfortable as possible, because she’s alone all day in our one-bedroom apartment.
We bought her shelving to perch on, two scratching posts (one vertical, one horizontal), numerous toys, cat grass and a water fountain. She’s a loving, friendly, healthy cat. One thing, though, is unsettling: We can’t seem to redirect her scratching.
We put double-sided tape on the couch and mattress, and she doesn’t scratch there now. However, she doesn’t appear to use her scratching posts, either. I know scratching is necessary for cats to mark their territory and stretch.
What can I do to teach her that she is allowed to scratch appropriate items to her heart’s desire, but not other things?
V.S., the District
DF: Cats generally avoid using scratch posts that are not secure. A post or board that wobbles when they are reaching up and clawing can spook them. Some posts are simply too short for the cats to enjoy a full stretch before they start clawing. Providing a good, solid scratch post is the first step.
Rubbing dried catnip into the material on the post might make it more attractive to your cat. Be sure the material is not cheap, looped carpeting that snares the cat’s claws. Most cats seem to like a short-cut pile or sisal woven twine or even a sturdy log with natural bark. Our two cats enjoy the sturdy, veterinarian-designed PurrFect Post, available at www.
purrfectpost.com.
Some cats are “copycats,” so get down on your knees in front of your cat and claw the post with your fingers. Then place her front paws against the post and alternately move them up and down so that she gets the idea. Several repetitions of this should do the trick. Keep a squirt gun filled with water to spritz her when you catch her clawing things she shouldn’t.
Geriatric care needed
Dear Dr. Fox:
Our 17-year-old Maltese is failing. He has limited vision and hearing, and his hind legs and hips are weak.
We feed him your home recipe, but lately he can’t seem to keep it down, and his stools are loose. We took him to a vet, who suggested a bitter-tasting medicine to stop the nausea. We’re hesitant to give him any more drugs. A previous drug for incontinence made him very sick.
We know he is probably in or near his last days. We want him to be comfortable. He has very few teeth left, so food choices are limited.
J.P., Alexandria
DF: Phenylpropanolamine, the commonly prescribed medicine for incontinence, can make some dogs restless and cause palpitations and panting. If your dog is on this, I would stop the medication and get him used to wearing a disposable baby diaper or doggy pad. Put a larger pad where he lies down.
My 17-year-old dog has had episodes of gastric upset and nausea. She responds well to a day of boiled white rice water (essentially “mini-fasting”) and then two to three days of boiled white rice with a bit of cottage cheese or scrambled egg and Gerber baby food (turkey, chicken or beef). She is then given her regular food, and she regains her normal appetite and vitality.
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