Dear Dr. Fox:
My two cats are about 11 / 2. For the past several months, I have been trying to toilet train them.
The female gets the picture and happily hops up on the toilet to do her business. I cannot move her to the next step, however, because the male refuses to do so, even though he jumps up on a closed toilet seat and can climb six-foot fences.
Although I relented and put down his old litter box with a scant layer of litter, he took to using the bathroom floor. The other night, he urinated on my bed, while I was asleep! Then the next night, he sneaked in and did the same thing.
How to solve this twofold problem?
A.B.S., the District
DF: Although most cats are highly intelligent and amenable to training, I would not endorse teaching them to jump up onto the toilet seat, even if purportedly modified for feline evacuation.
Cats need to dig before they evacuate and then cover with suitable litter material. This natural process and sequence involves being on the ground, rather than jumping up and balancing on a toilet seat.
The physical and psychological stress on your male cat could well have led to his house soiling and marking your bed. It could also have brought on an attack of cystitis, a common reaction to stress in cats. I advise a veterinary checkup and a return to the more natural litter-box cat toilet.
dietary change
Dear Dr. Fox:
I have a 12-year-old cat, Lizzie. Her vomiting occurs intermittently, and she can go weeks without an episode. Then they occur several times within a couple of days.
Mostly an indoor cat, she does occasionally go outside, and I have seen her eat grass. At those times, I can be sure she will throw up. She has also had some urinary-tract infections during the past 18 months.
I am more concerned with the urinary-tract infections than with the occasional vomiting. What is the best diet I can offer?
B.B., West Palm Beach, Fla.
DF: A corn- and grain-free (no wheat, rice, etc.) diet might solve your cat’s problems. Evo and Wellness dry cat foods are corn- and grain-free.
Many cats are allergic to corn, and this can cause vomiting and cystitis. Most of the corn and soy (especially in dog foods) have been genetically modified, as are many human foods and beverages. Food ingredients from genetically modified corn and soybean are being increasingly recognized as potentially harmful to people and animals alike.
bladder stones
Dear Dr. Fox:
My two Cavalier King Charles spaniels are 10. The female has been prone to bladder infections at times and treated. Recently, the male was diagnosed and treated for a bladder infection. The vet found that my dog also has bladder stones and suggested surgery to remove them.
I was unaware of the bladder infection, as I attributed his frequent urination to the medication he takes for his heart condition. Because of his age and heart condition, I am hesitant to let him undergo anesthesia and surgery.
Both dogs eat Beneful Healthy Weight, so I doubt that is the cause. I am guilty of feeding them table food but would like to seek an alternative to surgery, short of changing their whole diet.
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