Have your questions answered by our resident feline expert. Maverick C. has been a spoiled tabby cat for the last decade (don’t ask how old that is in cat years – he won’t tell). If you want insight into the mind of your pet, don’t ask a human, ask a cat.
I am 11 years old and love cats sooo much. But at my house we have a problem. We have a cat called Bluey, and when you open a cupboard or leave one open he goes inside. We tried shutting him in there for a minute but it didn't work. What will?
From cat fan,
Toni Bates
AC: The Answer Cat loves to hear from his young fans. Bluey, like all cats, is just curious and wants to know what is inside the forbidden cabinet of mystery. Imagine if you saw people going inside a closet but you were never allowed to look inside. Make sure you close the cabinets and be careful not to lock Bluey inside by accident. To keep him from going inside, take an empty soda can and put a few coins in it. Keep it near the cupboard and shake it a little whenever Bluey tries to get inside.
Schmoocher@yech.com
AC: It’s unlikely that you would catch anything from your cat but does your cat want to be kissed on the mouth? Maybe your cat skeeves people germs. It’s okay to love your cat, but, please, don’t love your cat.
I recently purchased a cat from the RSPCA. I think the cat is a Somali. On the cat’s Identichip document it says breed DSLH. What does that stand for?
ron.morrison1@blueyonder.co.uk
AC: It sounds like a general category for Domestic Short/Long Haired cats. Thank you for supporting the RSPCA and enjoy your new kitty.
How can I keep my cat off the kitchen table and counters when I'm not home? CatsRule@yahoo.com
AC: You can't. The best you can hope for is that your cat will respect you enough not to jump on the table and counters while you are in the room and will give you the courtesy of jumping down and looking guilty when you catch her in the act.
My mother cat growls at her kittens. I try to tell her not to but then she
starts to growl at me. Why does she do that?
izzy15cat@i-love-cats.com
My veterinarian has put my cat on a special diet food and my cat is on a hunger strike. How can I get her to eat this new food?
Gandhi@freedom.org
AC: Cats detest change (especially when it concerns their diet) and will voice their objection by refusing to eat. If you must change your cat's food, do so gradually. Begin by mixing a small amount of the new food with the cat's regular food. Then increase the amount of new food while decreasing the amount of old food in small increments until your cat consents to eat the new food. This way, your cat will think it was her idea to change foods.
As a result of his international following, The Answer Cat is constantly stalked by papparazzi.
Last month (Column 4) Mhendricks asked why their cat would drag clothes into the bathroom and leave them by his food and water dishes. The Answer Cat suggested that Mhendricks move his cat’s dining area to a more suitable room of the house.
Well, Mhendricks reports that he has moved the cat’s bowls to a lovely corner in the dining room yet the peculiar behavior persists. The Answer Cat agreed to conduct an in-depth case study to assist Mhendricks and his five year old Russian Blue, Romonav.
Romonav has been dragging clothes from the couch and the floor into the bathroom for as long as his owner can remember. The Answer Cat can only surmise that (1) this is a game Romonav devised to entertain himself as a kitten or (2) Romonav is helping his owner tidy up the house.
Although it will be difficult to break Romonav of this harmless habit, The Answer Cat suggests (1) closing the bathroom door and/or (2) not leaving clothes on the couch or the floor.
Answer Cat would like to take this opportunity to remind all our readers how difficult it is to break a cat of behavior patterns learned in kittenhood. Don’t allow your kitten to do anything you wouldn’t allow him to do as an adult cat. House cats are perpetual kittens and their behavior won’t mature as they age.
In another follow up report The Answer Cat is pleased to report that Sluggo (Column 2) has his own web page up at http://www.i-love-cats.com/meow/mrraow13/
home/Pages/Sluggo.html. So please visit Sluggo and tell him Maverick sent you.
If we use your question in this space, Maverick will send you an Answer Cat art print, specially autographed to you!
See what you and your feline half may have missed!
