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Allergies & Cats

Thousands of cats become homeless each year when their families give them up due to allergies.

If you or a member of your family have allergy problems, the cause may be your cat; however, there are many things you come in contact with that could also be the source of the problem. These may include household dust and molds, feathers, cigarette smoke, pesticide spray, household cleaners etc. Therefore, don't give up your cat so quickly!Once you determine the cat is the cause and you are willing to put forth some effort to possibly relieve the problem, you both might be able to live under the same roof without severe allergy problems.
Solving the problem depends on the severity and sensitivity of the allergic individual. In the case of pet allergies, the hair isn't the cause, it is the cat's dander (dandruff) and saliva (which is transferred to the fur during grooming). However, most people are seldom allergic to just one substance.If you or a member of your family develop allergy symptoms, consult a reputable allergist. Insist on a thorough testing; scratch tests are not thought to be conclusive by many in the field. Also, take care in choosing a medical advisor who is aware of the importance of companion animals in the household and does not immediately advise "to get rid of it" as the only option.

Cat Behavior Care
Cats InsideYou cannot discipline cats as you would dogs. Dogs form social hierarchies that you can take advantage of by placing yourself at the top. Cats form social groups only by necessity and the arrangement is based on respecting territory, not by respecting the "top dog". Many mistakes made with cats are due to thinking that they will react like dogs. Do not ever hit a cat or use any sort of physical punishment. You will only teach your cat to fear you. You can train your cat not to perform inappropriate behavior by training your cat to perform other behavior alternative to or incompatible with the inappropriate behavior. Since cats hate to be surprised, you can make clapping, hissing, and other sudden noises (such as snapping, "No!") to stop unwanted behavior. We do not recommend using water as this will associate grooming with bad behavior and cause unnecessary stress in your kitty.

However, be aware that these tactics will not always work when you are not present. In addition, immediacy is key: even seconds late may render it ineffective. You must do it as soon as the cat starts the behavior. The face-push has been described by various readers. This consists of pushing the palm of your hand into the cat's face. This is best used when discouraging something like biting. Don't hit the cat, simply push its face back gently. You might want to accompany it with a "no!" Making certain behaviors impossible is another tactic. Think "childproofing": keep food in containers; keep breakable and/or dangerous objects out of reach; make sure heavy objects, e.g. bookshelves, are stable. Look for childproofing gadgets and hints and think how you can apply them to preventing cat problems. Even when the analogy isn't perfect, physically preventing problems is still a good guide. E.g., defrosting meat? Put it in the refrigerator to thawnot out on the counter. It is always best to train your cat away from undesirable behavior as soon as possible, as young as possible. You will have the most success training your cat when it is young on what is acceptable to scratch and what is not. Never tolerate it when it is "cute" since it will not always remain so.

Plants Cats are frequently fascinated with houseplants. However, you may not appreciate the attention, which can range from chewing on the plant leaves to digging or peeing in the plant soil. For chewing, try spraying Grannicks Bitter Apple (there are formulations specifically for use on plants) on the leaves. Dusting cayenne pepper on them may also help, but is not as long-lasting. You may wish to grow some grass or catnip for them as an alternative; plants do provide them with needed nutrients (the absence of which may be causing their grazing).For digging or urinating, cover the dirt with aluminium foil or gravel. You can also use Sticky Paws for Plants. If the plant needs it, add some vinegar to the soil to counteract the ammonia in the urine.

A New BabyCats can become jealous upon the arrival of a new baby. Reassure the cat that you still love it by paying it plenty of attention. In the exhaustion and turmoil of a new baby, the cat is often neglected, and this will add to its resentment. There is a myth that cats will kill babies. The superstition is that they'll "steal" the baby's breath; the latter day explanation is that they will lie on babies and suffocate them. While cats may like the baby's warmth and may curl up next to it, it will not often lie on the baby and in any case will move when the baby begins to flail its arms and legs. Most cats are trustworthy around babies after getting over any jealousy, especially if it is trained not to use people as toys; however babies should never be left unsupervised around any animal.

Spraying Some cats start spraying in the house. You will want to first rule out any medical causes, such as FUS or cystitis. Sometimes it is useful to distinguish between spraying (which winds up on walls) and urinating (which is generally on the floor). Spraying is more often a behaviour problem and urination is more often a medical problem. It is best to check with a vet first. If the problem is medical, then you will need to simply clean up the door after the problem is treated, otherwise you will need to try some of the behaviour modification outlined below (and you'll still need to clean up the door). You must remove the odor from items that the cat sprayed on to prevent the cat from using the same spot again later. The ammonia smell tells the cat that this is an elimination spot, so never use ammonia to try and "remove" the odor! You can use Expel to remove odors and Get Serious to remove stain and odor.Cats sometimes spray to mark their territory so sometimes an area for your cat that other animals cannot go to will help. Keeping the letterbox immaculate will help in other cases. Sometimes cats pick small throw rugs with non-skid backing to urinate on. This is caused by an odor from the backing that somehow tells the cat to urinate there (probably an ammonia-like smell). Cat-repellent sprays or washing the rug may help; you might just have to get rid of that rug.
ScratchingFor unwanted scratching, provide an approved scratching post or other item. Issue a firm "no! on unapproved items. You may wish to spray Bitter Apple or a Eucalyptus spray on items that they are particularly stubborn about. Praise them and give a cat treat when they use the approved scratching material. Demonstrate how to use the post by (yes) going up to it and scratching it like your cat would. They will come over to investigate your scent and then leave their own.

Pepper (black, white, or cayenne) can be applied to furniture and plants to discourage scratching. This does not deter all cats. You can also cover areas with Sticky Paws to discourage unwanted scratching. Always be sure to provide an alternative scratching item.
In general, cats will either use a post a lot or never use it. The deciding factor can be the material that the post is made out of. It has to be fairly smooth (cats usually don't like plush carpet) and shouldn't be a material that their nails get stuck in. Once that happens, they may not use the post anymore. Natural fiber rope called sisal appeals to many cats. Some cats prefer cardboard scratchers. Other cats prefer the kind of "scratching posts" that are horizontal rather than vertical.

References/Additional Articles*Cats That Hunt