Ten Things Your Cat Wants You to Know

“If only they could talk!” How many of us have made that comment in trying to decipher the wants, needs and behaviors of our well-loved cats?

While a conversation on the news of the day may not be possible between us and the cats who share our lives, it is possible to anticipate and understand your cats’ needs, with empathy and an understanding of cat behavior and nutritional needs.

If our cats could make up a list of things they’d like us to know, it might look something like this:

(1.) We Enjoy Your Company. Although some cats are aloof and prefer to interact only occasionally with their human family members, most cats enjoy (even crave) time spent with the people in their lives.  Like most of us, cats appreciate consistency, so even if you have only 15 minutes a day to play with your cat, do so everyday, preferably at the same time of the day.

(2.) Keep Our Cat Boxes Clean. Clients sometimes complain that their cats won’t use the cat box for a variety of reasons, but if the boxes aren’t kept scrupulously clean, your fastidious kitty may decide to use the carpet, bedding, or a closet floor instead.  Use a mild soap and hot water once weekly to cleanse the boxes, scoop wastes daily and make sure that the room where the cat boxes are located is fresh and clean.

(3.) Feed Us Appropriately. Our cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they developed on a meat-based diet.  Additionally, since the ancestors of our domestic cats were found in desert environments, today’s cats rarely drink much water when healthy.  Canned foods, particularly those that feature poultry or rabbit, provide the types of protein that cats have eaten for millennia and provide necessary water/moisture.  Dry food-exclusive diets lack moisture and most contain too many carbohydrates for a healthy feline lifestyle.  Observe your cat’s eating habits daily (which may be hard to do if you’re feeding a dry food in a bowl that is filled infrequently); he or she should eat well each and every day.

(4.) Take Us To Our Veterinarian. Yes, few cats scramble into the car and look forward to the visit, but the fact is that regular veterinary care is essential to maintaining a healthy and happy cat.  Because cats hide illnesses well, it’s often difficult for the cat’s human guardian to assess health problems in their feline friends.  Annual exams for younger cats, with twice-yearly (or more frequent) ones for older cats can help identify areas of concern that require treatment and attention. Remember that preventative health care is one of the best “investments” you can make in keeping your kitty well.

(5.) Know How We Show We’re Sick. Be attentive to some common ways our kitties show that they are under the weather.  Of course, vomiting and diarrhea are two clinical signs/symptoms that should prompt a call to the veterinarian, but there are other signs to look for as well.  These include: Skipping meals (all cats should eat well everyday); weight loss (often found as an easy-to-feel spine); increased water consumption (seen with kidney and thyroid disease, as well as diabetes); bad breath/halitosis; straining to urinate and defecate, with frequent trips to the cat box; and hiding.

(6.) Give Us a Place To Scratch. Scratching is normal feline behavior that allows the cat to mark territory, provides exercise, and helps with nail health.  Cats enjoy—and need (even if they are declawed)—a variety of scratching posts.  Be creative and offer a variety of surfaces (cardboard, sissal, even clean logs from the outdoors), so that your cats can be cats.

(7.) Don’t Let Us Get Bored. Our cats are intelligent, curious and active individuals and by welcoming them into our lives and homes, we have responsibilities to keep them happy and stimulated.  Having a variety of safe toys (no strings, yarn or small pieces that can be swallowed), rotating toys frequently (variety IS the spice of life) and “thinking outside the box” (using cat videos, for example, which are available at most large pet supermarkets) can help your cats avoid boredom and the 23- hours -of -sleep day routine that befalls so many cats.

(8.) Keep Us Safe. “The Great Outdoors” isn’t so great for our domestic cats.  Dangers from automobiles, other animals, infectious diseases and malicious humans are real and it’s no secret that indoor living has contributed to increased feline lifespan. However, dangers can lurk in the home as well:  Non-break-away collars, household chemicals, even cords from blinds, shades and draperies, can lead to tragedies for cats in the home.  While most cats avoid unfamiliar edible objects, all human and veterinary medications veterinary should be placed safely out of reach.

(9.) Know What Stresses Us. Like people, some cats look “cool as cucumbers” under stress, while others don’t take to change very well.  Having large numbers of visitors, bringing workers into the home and other similar events can cause enough stress in cats to trigger illnesses and behavioral problems.  If you’re anticipating a major change in the household routine, provide your kitty with a quiet place where he or she can go to “chill out” and maybe watch the proceedings from a safe perch.  To help curb anxiety, there are safe plug-ins diffusers that provide calming cat-specific pheromones that may help stressed cats as well. Spaying or neutering your cat also will decrease the stresses induced with heat cycles, roaming to find mates and fighting.

(10.) We Need You As Our Advocate. When all is said and done, it’s up to each of us to take responsibility for our cat’s health and well-being.  I often tell clients that cats “read the bubbles coming out of our heads,” meaning that when we’re happy, they’re happy; and when we’re stressed, they often are stressed as well.  Cat guardianship is rewarding and the cat-human bond a wonderful part of life.  Your cat is counting on you to make decisions that are compassionate, well-reasoned and loving for his or her continued health and well-being.