Cats can be retrained to stay off counters
DENVER — These reader questions were answered by experts at the Convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association at the Colorado Convention Center in July.
Q: My cats are lovely and perfect, except they’ve started jumping on the countertops. I’ve told family and friends that I won’t tolerate this behavior, but the cats aren’t listening. I’ve tried the water bottle treatment (spraying the cats). I heard double-stick tape would discourage them, but they didn’t care. Is it too late to stop them now? Clearly, I must not be as smart as my cats. — S.T., Anderson, S.C.
A: You’re not alone, most of us are well trained by our cats.
It’s not too late to retrain your cats, though, says Sydney-based veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kersti Seksel. “Forget about punishment. It hasn’t worked and it’s not going to work.”
It’s important to discourage your cats from jumping on the
Several reasons for litter box issue
counter. No one in the house should ever leave food on the counters. If double-stick tape doesn’t help, try a manufactured product called Sticky Paws, or a spray can equipped with a battery-operated motion detector.
It’s more important to provide lots of places for your cats to climb.
“Cats think and live with vertical space in mind, and we don’t,” Seksel says. “Be creative. Offer a cubbyhole in a bookshelf, maybe even another countertop you can give up to the cats, window ledges, cat trees, whatever you think of.” There are even shelves manufactured for cat climbing.
Q: We have two adult feral rescue cats. Our problem began when we moved seven months ago. We kept both cats in the bedroom for a few days. The female had no problem adjusting, but the male began leaving excrement on the carpet. Eventually he began to use the litter box, but recently we found another “present” outside the box. We clean the litter boxes at least once daily, and have added a third box. Any advice? — E.A., Las Vegas
A: Congratulations on saving a pair of cats.
Feline veterinarian Dr. Marcus Brown, president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, says, “the problem may be medical, anxiety-based, a litter box issue or combination.”
Some cats adjust to change better than others. And just as in people, stress and anxiety can unmask disease.
“See your veterinarian to rule out kidney disease, constipation, or even arthritis (it may be a challenge to step into the box, particularly if your cat is overweight),” says Brown of Arlington, Va.
If the male is defecating next to the box, he might be saying, “This location for the litter box works,” but there’s something offensive about the box itself, the litter, or the cat is having difficulty stepping inside.
A third box made perfect sense, but they should not be side-by-side-byside, Brown says.
Take a picture of the male cat’s droppings with your smartphone. What they look like may not matter to you, and certainly not to your cat, but the information could help your veterinarian make a diagnosis.
Q: I saw your YouTube videos about fleas and ticks, and they were very good. My Australian shepherd had fleas, so he’s on a medication to prevent them. The problem is, he’s getting ticks. He picks them up each time I take him outside to exercise. I don’t want to overdo the chemicals I give my dog. Is there a product for tick protection only? — L.T., cyberspace
A: Dr. Richard Goldstein of New York is very concerned about the proliferation of tick diseases in dogs.
Scalibor is a tick collar that has no chemicals. Another choice is the Preventic collar, Goldstein says. Still, he strongly suggests speaking with your veterinarian about the right choice for your dog, which depends on your lifestyle, the composition of your household (do you have children or cats?), the age of your dog and where you live.
There are also advantages to zapping fleas, ticks (and perhaps heartworm) all with one product.
What you should not do is go to a big box store and randomly pick an overthe-counter product, Goldstein says.
“Your guess is just that, and so much of what’s available over the counter just doesn’t work that great — and may not be safe in some instances — even if the packaging has terms like ‘all natural.’ ” Steve Dale welcomes questions/comments from readers. Although he can’t answer all of them individually, he’ll answer those of general interest in his column Send email to petworld@stevedale.tv. Include your name, city and state.