by Nomi Berger
 
Whether their behaviors are amusing, bewitching and charming or aggressive, bothersome and cantankerous, living with cats is always adventurous, seldom boring and occasionally challenging.
 
Whatever cats do, they do it for a reason, THEIR reason, while humans come along for the ride: to watch, listen and learn. Listed below are some feline behaviors (some naughty, some nice) that may sound oh-so-familiar to you.
 
Kneading you with their paws.
When cats knead you as if you were dough, they are demonstrating their love for you (often accompanied by melting expressions, purring, even drooling), and returning instinctively to when, as kittens, they kneaded their mothers’ nipples to stimulate them into releasing the milk in order for them to suckle.
 
Slowly blinking their eyes at you.
This usually signifies a state of supreme serenity and extreme contentment. Many feline guardians will respond by slowly blinking back, assuring the cats that they are loved, safe, and secure. The happy result? More often than not, they will close their eyes completely and luxuriate in a long, soothing nap.
 
Rubbing their heads against you.
Cats have special scent glands beneath the skin on their chin that release facial pheromones (often called “happy hormones”). By rubbing against you, they are “marking” you with their scent, affectionately claiming you as theirs, while showing that they, in turn, are in a loving, peaceful and contented mood.
 
Collecting and storing small objects in a safe place.
Certain breeds are more prone to this instinctive hunting and retrieving behavior. While some indoors cats will be satisfied chasing and catching feathered cat wands, some relish gathering up their own toys, string, or small items like their owners’ jewelry, and keeping them all together in a spot all their own.
 
Preferring running water to a water bowl.
Like humans, cats prefer fresh to stagnant water, and the very motion of water streaming from a faucet appeals to their sense of hearing, sight, and possibly smell. Even the cleanest water bowl (always use stainless steel) loses oxygen and begins collecting bacteria when left standing, if only for a few hours. Smart kitties!
 
Being overly active at night.
Cats in the wild hunt at night, and inside cats who scamper about instead of sleeping haven’t been sufficiently “played out” during the day. The solution is a pre-bedtime ritual involving interactive toys such as wands, feather toys or Whirly Birds. If all else fails, a second feline companion can help yours burn off that excess energy.
 
Meowing or constantly making noise.
Some cats are natural “chatters”, but if yours is suddenly vocal, there are reasons for it, including hunger, loneliness, litter box issues, environmental changes and pain. The first step is to see your vet, and if medical problems aren’t the cause, pay close attention to each potential source of the problem and ensure it’s resolved.
 
Scratching on windows.
There are three ways to look at this. One: your cat is testing to ensure there’s a protective barrier between the world and them. Two: they’re literally trying to get closer to what they see, from caterpillars to cars. Three: they’re frustrated because that same barrier is blocking them from the many temptations outside.
 
Chattering teeth at birds.
This is another instinct from their days in the wild when chattering preceded their swift kill bite of small prey. The distinctive sound, which is often accompanied by a twitching or puffed up tail, may be caused for one of two reasons: your cat’s excitement at seeing potential prey or frustration at not being able to reach it.
 
Trying to bolt through an open door.
Once tempted by the sights, smells and sounds outside, they simply want more. To combat this, make the inside more appealing by installing cat trees, a hammock style bed near the window, leaving toys strewn about and the TV on when you’re gone. Or if possible, build a small, securely enclosed area outside your back door.
 
Pottying outside the litter box.
This behavior may mean something is amiss INSIDE the box. Perhaps your cat no longer likes the feel or smell of the litter or the type or location of the box. Perhaps your cat is ill or in pain or stressed by changes either in routine or in the environment. If your vet finds your cat healthy, address the litter box itself. Then, hopefully, once the cause is determined and the matter resolved, your cat will return to "business" as usual.
 
Sudden hissing while being petted.
You may think your cat’s enjoying every one of your pets, but a sudden hiss or even an attempt to scratch or bite you proves otherwise. Cats know their own limits, and although you assumed your stroking was a comfort, sometimes it’s an irritant. And when it is, hissing is your cat’s way of saying this particular session is over.
 
Attacking your ankles as you walk by.
This usually means a cat is bored. The solution is more stimulation in the form of cat furniture, scratching posts and climbing toys. Stuffy toys to drag about or place in a cat bed. Increased playtime with you. If this doesn’t solve the problem, another cat to wrestle, romp and run with can turn your cat’s boredom into satisfaction.
 
Biting.
Misplaced aggression can cause some cats to bite. Again, stimulation in the form of furniture and toys, playtime with you or another cat, may help. But if the problem persists, blow on your cat’s face when a bite seems imminent while saying a firm “NO!” at the same time to reinforce the training. If this too fails, consult your vet.

by Nomi Berger
 
Anyone familiar with the expression, “You are what you eat”, will understand that cats are only as healthy as the food in their bowls.
 
An ever-increasing number of nutrition conscious veterinarians now strongly recommend cat owners feed their finicky and not so finicky felines canned food rather than dry food or kibble.
 
Why? Consider these three major reasons:
 
One: The water content in dry food is too low.
Cats are “designed” to get most of their water from their diet. Left in their natural habitat, where small animals are their prey, they would derive nearly 70% of their water by ingesting them. Whereas dry foods are cooked harshly (highly processed), leaving only 5 to 10% water behind, canned foods contain nearly 78% water.
 
Although cats do drink water from their water bowls, it doesn’t make up for the high water loss in their kibble. And according to several recent studies, cats fed canned food consume DOUBLE the amount of water when compared with cats being fed dry food when both sources (food bowl and water bowl) are taken into account.
 
A diet of canned food can help prevent your cat from developing serious urinary tract problems including infections, inflammation (cystitis), painful, sometimes fatal urethral blockages and chronic kidney disease, which is a leading cause of death in cats.
 
Two: The carbohydrate level in dry food is too high.
Cats do NOT need carbohydrates such as grains, potatoes and peas in their diet. The average dry food contains 35 to 50% carbohydrate calories, while a high quality canned food contains between 3 and 5%.
 
Even dry food labeled “low in carbs” is still highly processed, depleting it of water and most of its nutrients. Once again, in their natural habitat, cats would derive less than 2% of their daily caloric intake from carbohydrates. (Please note that some canned cat food labeled “low in carbs” may also contain high levels of grains, peas and potatoes).
 
A diet low in carbohydrates can help prevent your cat from becoming obese, and from developing diabetes and intestinal disease.
 
Three: Dry food is too high in plant-based, grain proteins such as corn, wheat, rice and soy. As carnivores, cats are meant to eat meat, high in the complete proteins they need to build and maintain strong bones and healthy bodies. Using “grain free” cat food doesn’t necessarily mean it’s low in carbohydrates because peas and potatoes are simply substituted for the grains.
 
Other negative issues to consider when feeding your cat dry food are allergic reactions to some of the ingredients; bacterial contamination, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea; fungal mycotoxins which are contained in grains and are extremely toxic; and insects and their feces, which can cause respiratory problems.
 
Transitioning cats from dry to wet food, like any other change, requires time and patience. Whether it takes a day, a week or a month, always ensure your cat eats ENOUGH in a single day to prevent the risk of hepatic lipidosis (a life threatening liver condition that can develop when a cat goes without food for over 24 hours).
 
Begin by establishing a fixed feeding schedule and do NOT deviate from it. Make the wet food as appealing as possible by warming it slightly to release the aroma before putting it in the bowl. If your cat is resistant at first, sprinkle some dry food on top of the wet. You can also mix them together to encourage your cat to work at getting to the dry food, while tasting more of the wet food in the process. Gradually reduce the amount of dry food each day until there’s only wet food in the bowl, and your cat’s well on the way to a healthier life.
 
For added support or advice during this period, remember that your vet is just a phone call away.

by Nomi Berger
 
For far too long, colonies of feral cats have been a blot on the landscape of far too many communities.
 
But there’s a solution that benefits both these communities and the colonies that live in them. It’s called Trap-Neuter-Return or TNR.
 
Endorsed by such august groups as Alley Cat Allies, the ASPCA, the American Humane Association, and the Humane Society of the United States, TNR is considered to be the most humane, effective and financially sustainable method of controlling the growth of free roaming cats, estimated to be in the tens of millions throughout the country.
 
TNR entails humanely trapping all of the feral cats in a specific colony, having them spayed, neutered, and medically treated if needed, then returning them to their original locations, where their community “caretakers” can continue to provide them with regular food, water and shelter. If these locations are no longer feasible, appropriate or safe, the colonies can, hopefully, be relocated to farmyard homes.
 
Kittens still young enough to be socialized and friendly adults are usually taken in by local rescue organizations, placed in foster homes for continued socialization and training, spay/neutered, micro chipped and brought up to date on all vaccines. Then they are adopted out to loving homes as well adjusted pets and companions.
 
There are many advantages to Trap-Neuter-Return. The most significant one is that, when practiced on a large scale, it greatly decreases the number of kittens and cats flooding the thousands of shelters countrywide. This, in turn, results in lower euthanasia rates and higher adoption rates for those kittens and cats already there.
 
On a community level, TNR swiftly stabilizes the size of each returned colony by eliminating new litters. In urban areas, in particular, the returned cats continue their natural control of the rodent population. The “nuisance” behaviors associated with feral cats -- the yowling and fighting that come with mating and the odor of intact males spraying to mark their territory -- are dramatically reduced. And finally, the returned colony now guards its territory, preventing intact cats from moving in and starting the cycle of overpopulation and problem behaviors all over again.   
 
To date, TNR is not just the best method of managing feral cat populations, it is the only one that works.

By Nomi Berger

A cat diagnosed with Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is still an ADOPTABLE cat.
 
What, then, is FeLV?
 
FeLV is a virus that weakens a cat’s immune system, predisposing it to certain infections, severe anemia, and potentially leading to cancer. Most at risk are kittens born to FeLV positive mothers, cats under the age of one, cats living with an infected cat, and cats bitten by an infected cat if they’re allowed outside.
 
Although it is NOT transmittable to humans, dogs or other non-feline pets, before adopting a FeLV positive cat, ensure that you and your vet are “on the same page”. Whereas some vets warn against it, others are fully sympathetic and supportive of the idea. And these vets will be your best allies.
 
Of utmost importance, when adopting a FeLV positive cat, is to always keep that cat indoors -- whether as your only cat or with other FeLV positive cats. Immediate spaying will prevent a female from giving birth to infected kittens. Some cats can even fight off the virus and become immune to it. Others can be healthy carriers that never get sick themselves but can still infect others.   
 
While the disease CAN be managed, even going into remission, flare-ups are always a possibility. Most FeLV positive cats are likely to live a shorter life than other cats, and 85% of persistently infected felines will die within three years of diagnosis.
 
However, regular vet check-ups and good preventive health care can keep your cat feeling well for some time and protect it from secondary infections. Twice-yearly physical exams, lab tests and parasite control can both prevent complications and identify problems quickly. While there may be no cure for the virus itself, secondary infections can be treated promptly if and when they occur.
 
To help your FeLV positive cat live as healthily and normally as possible:
 
Feed your cat a balanced diet (no raw meat, eggs or non-pasteurized dairy products that can harbor bacteria and parasites and lead to infection), using only the highest quality food to provide your cat with all required and essential nutrients. Some vets also recommend adding daily doses of vitamins and antioxidants.
 
Remove all uneaten wet food within a half-hour to prevent the potential growth of harmful bacteria.
 
Ensure that your cat has easy access to a continuous supply of FRESH water.
 
Keep your cat’s purr-sonal “belongings” scrupulously clean, including food and water bowls, litter boxes and cat beds, blankets, towels and toys.
 
Because your cat may require more warmth than other cats, ensure that a comfy cozy place, equipped with a cat bed and blankets, is always nearby.
 
Maintain as stress free an environment as you can. Be alert to whatever frightens or agitates your cat, and if possible, eliminate it. Ask your family members and any visitors to speak in low voices when inside your home.
 
Check regularly for parasites, including fleas, ticks, ear mites and worms. Treat the offender promptly, but if there’s more than one culprit, treat each separately to avoid overtaxing your cat’s already delicate system.
 
Ask your vet for a list of physical and emotional changes vis-a-vis progression of the disease, and contact him/her immediately if you notice any of these changes in your cat.
 
And so, despite the fact that a FeLV positive cat may not use up all of its fabled nine lives, living a loved, pampered and protected one may be just what the vet ordered.

By Nomi Berger

A cat diagnosed with the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is still an ADOPTABLE cat.
 
What, then, is FIV?
 
FIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus. It is in the same family as feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS in people. It is a slow virus that attacks the immune system over a period of years, making the cat more susceptible to secondary infections and cancers.
 
There may be no cure for the virus itself, but it is NOT a death sentence. Most FIV positive cats can live long and happy lives provided they are both protected from and treated promptly for any secondary infections they may contract. Some even live their entire lives without ever coming down with the actual illness.
 
Although it is NOT transmittable to humans, dogs or other non-feline pets, the virus can ONLY be transmitted between cats through deep bite wounds. Sometimes an infected mother can pass the virus to her offspring during birth. Others most at risk for infection are intact outdoors cats and those allowed outside who fight with feral cats.
 
Of utmost importance, when adopting a FIV positive cat, is to always keep that cat indoors and spay or neuter them immediately.
 
Before adopting a FIV positive cat, ensure that you and your vet are “on the same page”. While some vets advise against keeping FIV positive cats in a home with FIV negative cats, the risk of transmission is minimal if the cats DO NOT fight viciously. They can sleep together, groom each other, share food and water bowls, toys, and litter boxes.
 
To help your FIV positive cat live as healthily and normally as possible:
 
Feed your cat a balanced diet (no raw meat, eggs or non-pasteurized dairy products that can harbor bacteria and parasites and lead to infection), using only the highest quality food to provide your cat with all required and essential nutrients.
 
Remove all uneaten wet food within a half-hour to prevent the potential growth of harmful bacteria.
 
Ensure that your cat has easy access to a continuous supply of FRESH water.
 
Take your cat to the vet at least twice a year for a wellness checkup, blood count and urine analysis. And like any cat, yours should receive routine vaccinations against rabies and feline distemper.

Watch for changes, even seemingly minor ones, in your cat’s health or behavior, and report them promptly to your vet.  
 
And so, despite the fact that a FIV positive cat may not use up all of its fabled nine lives, living a loved, pampered and protected one may be just what the vet ordered.