What a cat WANTS and NEEDS???

Things at my clinic have finally slowed down enough, I've been able to sit down and write a little about cats.  I often find that our feline friends get kind of ignored when it comes to what they need in terms of environment.  This includes everything from; food, litter boxes and play.  I think people often realize that dogs need play and stimulus because they do things like chew furniture and bark at you when they need more attention.  But cats on the other hand, start peeing or pooping all over the house or something as subtle as overgrooming (pulling out or chewing hair) as signs of boredom or stress.  I recently read an article on dvm360.com that was really helpful to me when talking to clients and wanted to share the finer points with you.  This is based on suggestions from Dr. Llona Rodan a  feline expert.

All of the following suggestions are aimed at providing environmental enrichment for indoor cats.  We as a veterinary community have observed that our indoor cats that lack enrichment develop a whole host of problems.  These cats often become obese, stressed and then start doing things like house soiling, furniture scratching or destruction, fighting with other cats and overgrooming.  It is also tightly linking to development of feline idiopathic cystitis or inflammation of the bladder.  So here are some simple suggestions to help make the lives of our indoor cats better and prevent problems before they occur.

Incoming:  Since cats are hunters, a bowl of food placed in front of them takes away the chance to act on natural instincts.  "The problem is we put this high-calorie, dense food into a food dish, and there are often other cats eating nearby. That's not the way cats eat in the wild", says Rodan.  "They eat about 8 to 20 small meals each day.  Lots of exercise goes into the hunting and catching of these small prey."  To encourage more interactive feeding, Rodan recommends putting the food in food puzzles, providing frequent small meals around the house or tossing kibbles to mimic hunting behavior.

They sell treat dispensing toys at most pet stores or you could make your own using empty-clean seasoning containers with holes cut into them.

Outgoing:  Litter boxes should be placed in different spots throughout the house and on each floor in a multilevel house so that a cat sitting at the top of the steps doesn't block another cat from getting to the boxes in the basement.  "Three litter boxes all in one area are really just one litter box in the cat mind," says Rodan.  This is particularly important in multicat households so there is no competition for resources. Accidents may happen if a cat doesn't feel safe stepping into a box.

I personally find that non covered boxes work well in my house, that way the cat using the box can see all around and not worry about a surprise attack when they step out.

A place of my own:  Speaking of safe, owners can make sure there are areas for cats to hang out without worry -  safe spaces, says Rodan.  A safe place allows a cat to feel protected, such as a cardboard box on its side, a cat bed with high sides or even a cat carrier.  Also include places to perch, since cats like to be on high, looking down on us mere humans, so to speak.

If there are multiple cats there need to be multiple areas for cats to be in more than one room.

The play's the thing:  "As hunters, cats need play," says Rodan.  "Play is really important to teach them to hunt."  Cats can and should play on their own, but at least some of the play should also be interactive, she says.  But not with your hands!  Wand toys and feathers are great ways to engage cats safely and bring out their pouncing prowess.
I personally love a laser light!

Common scents:  Having familiar scents throughout the house can make cats more comfortable.  That can mean feline facial pheromones (Feliway- Ceva), which mimic their own scent.
I often use Feliway in the spray form to spray cat kennels when they arrive at the clinic or when putting them back in kennels to go home. Feliway Website