Dr. Karen Sueda

What Cat Lovers are Asking this Week…

• Q:

  I have two 3 year old male neutered indoor cats and one cat likes to open my dresser drawers and pull everything out onto the floor. He usually does this during the day while I'm out and a couple of times at night while I'm home. He's actually locked his brother in behind the open drawer. I've put two 5 lb. weights in a drawer and he still manages to open it. I prefer not to install baby locks as this will just frustrate him more and bit or scratch the front of the drawer. Any suggestions would be higher appreciated as I'm getting tired up constantly putting my clothes back!

  A:

  Although he’s a troublemaker, I have to admit that I’m impressed with your cat’s strength and intelligence! His antics need to be addressed in two ways: 1) deterring him from opening your drawers and 2) providing him with a more acceptable outlet for his energy.
  
  There are several ways to deter your cat from opening the drawers. If he paws them open, place double-sided sticky tape on the edges of the drawer. He may find the “stickiness” unpleasant and be reluctant to touch them. Place upside down vinyl carpet runner (nubby side up) just in front of your dresser or on top if it, depending on whether he stands on the ground or sits on top the dresser. The plastic nubs are not pleasant to stand or sit on but won’t hurt your cat. If you don’t mind the scent, place cedar blocks or sachets of potpourri in your drawers or spray linen spray on your clothes. Cats tend to dislike strong scents. Finally, you could place a deterrent inside your drawers. Examples include a motion-activated compressed air canister that will spray him when he opens the drawer, a motion-activated alarm or ultrasonic deterrent that will make a loud sound when he opens the drawer or even a “booby trap” (e.g. Snappy Trainer?) that will jump up in the air and give him the surprise of his life. After one or two encounters with these objects, your cat will probably stop investigating what’s inside your dresser.
  
  Your cat sounds like he is very active and smart. He’s probably opening your dresser drawers and pulling your clothes out because he is bored. Therefore, we need to provide him with other fun but acceptable outlets for his energy. Since he likes opening things and rummaging around, I recommend making him a puzzle toy. Gather a few cardboard boxes of various sizes, put toys and treats in them and tape them shut. Cut a few paw-sized holes in the side and leave these out when you’re gone. Your cat will learn to stick his paws through the holes to pull out the toys and treats. Hide toys around the house for him to find. Or even consider purchasing an old child’s dresser or nightstand from a thrift store so your cat has his own set of drawers to play with when you’re gone. Fill “his” dresser with toys, treats, etc. that he can play with while you’re gone.

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• Q:

  Two cats...two litter boxes have been in MBR for a long time. Is it possible for the cats to adjust to moving the boxes to the basement? And...if so..is there a way to do it properly?

  A:

  While your cats can adjust to having their litter boxes in a new location, the basement may not be the best place for them. Litter boxes should be located in an out-of-the-way, but easily accessible location. Your cats may find the basement difficult to access, especially if they have to go down stairs or if the basement door is not always left open. If your cats are older or have arthritis, it may be painful for them to navigate the stairs. Similarly if either cat suffers from a medical condition that cause him or her to eliminate more frequently, such as diabetes or kidney disease, it may be hard for him/her to get to the litter boxes in time, especially if they spend most of the day in other parts of the house. If your basement is dark, cold or damp or if it contains “scary” appliances (e.g. washer/dryer, furnace, etc), your cats may be reluctant to go downstairs as well. If any of these conditions apply in your case, you may want to move the litter boxes to a location other than the basement.
  
  Once you figure where you want to relocate the litter boxes, place a new litter box in this location. If your cats already spend time in that area, they may automatically start to use the new litter box since it’s nearby and convenient. If they don’t frequent that area of the house, encourage them to explore the new litter box by spending time with them in this new location. For example, if you decide to have the litter boxes in the basement, play with your cats and give them attention in the basement so they get used to spending time there. Observing their behavior in the basement will also help ensure that they don’t have problems going down the stairs and nothing frightens them in this room.
  
  If they don’t use the litter box in the new location right away, don’t worry. We’ll slowly move their litter boxes from the old location to the new one. Move the old litter boxes a few feet closer to the new location every 4-5 days. This may entail temporarily having the litter boxes in inconvenient areas for short periods of time. However, you don’t want to move the boxes to the new location too quickly or the cats may decide not to use them at all. During the move, avoid placing the boxes in areas that may frighten the cats (e.g. near other pets). Depending on the distance, it may take a few weeks to move the litter boxes to their final destination. Make sure to keep the litter boxes extremely clean throughout this process. You don’t want to give your cats any excuse not to use the litter boxes during and after the move.

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• Q:

  My cat may be the laziest cat in the world how do I get her to exercise more?

  A:

  This is a great question! Exercise is just as important for cats as it is for people. Obesity is a major health problem among cats and can lead to other serious illnesses such as diabetes and arthritis. Encouraging your cat to be physically active will help prevent her from becoming overweight. Additionally, helping your cat exercise can be a fun, bonding experience for the two of you.
  
  Besides sleeping, what else does your cat like to do? If she enjoys eating, use food as a motivation to exercise and be more active. Instead of feeding her out of one bowl, divide her meal into smaller portions and place them in several bowls in scattered throughout your home. Your cat will have to walk around the house, “hunting” for her food as cats do in the wild. If she can jump or climb, place some bowls on desks or in her cat tree. Consider feeding her meals out of food-dispensing toys. I often recommend the Funkitty Twist and Treat and Eggserciser toys by Premier Pet Products to clients. You can adjust the difficulty level of these toys making them easier when your cat is first learning to get food out of them and harder when she is more experienced.
  
  If your cat likes catnip, have a “nip break” at least once a day. Catnip will bring out her “inner tiger” and will encourage her to rub, roll and play. Offer her catnip-filled toys to pounce on, bite and kick. You can hide these toys around the house and encourage her to find them or toss them for her to run after. You may find that she’s more energetic after she’s had some catnip and is more interested in other types of toys.
  
  Of course, if your cat likes toys, you’re home free. Schedule three or four, 5-10 minute play sessions throughout the day. However, before saying that your cat does not like playing, offer her several different types of toys (wand-type with feathers or fabric, electronic or remote-controlled toys, balls, rabbit-fur covered, etc) in addition to the ones mentioned above (food-dispensing and catnip-filled). Try to play with her at different times of the day or in different areas of the house as well.
  
  If your cat loves your attention and is your little shadow during certain times of the day, do a little more walking yourself so she naturally follows you. As an example, our hospital cat, Henry, is a pretty lazy (and slightly tubby!) fellow. He does, however, follow me around in the morning when I first arrive to work. To increase the amount of exercise he gets, I purposefully walk several laps around the inside of our clinic (more than I would otherwise do) so he follows me and is more active. If your cat tends to follow you in the morning or at another time of day, perhaps you can walk around the house to give her more exercise as well.

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