by Nomi Berger
 
Coprophagia is the act of eating and ingesting feces. Although far more common in dogs, it does appear occasionally in cats. There are times when eating feces is part of normal feline behavior. A new mother will often eat the feces of her newborn kittens as part of her daily grooming routine, while her kittens may copy her in an effort to learn new behaviors. Cats may also eat their own feces as a way of keeping their personal areas clean.
 
Oftentimes, however, coprophagia is the result of an underlying medical condition that can lead to an extreme increase in appetite. In order to satisfy this extreme hunger, cats will eat anything available to them, including their feces. The most common medical conditions are parasites, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, anemia, vitamin deficiency, malnutrition, thyroid disease and neurological disease.
 
If your kitty is eating her own feces, your vet will have to determine whether it’s medical or behavioral in nature. A full blood profile will be conducted, including a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. If her coprophagia IS the result of an underlying medical condition, it often stops once treatment begins, with follow up visits recommended during the first few months.
 
If it’s the result of a behavioral problem, provide your vet with a thorough history of your cat’s general health, diet, appetite, handling practices, recent activities and environment, and then take steps to remedy the situation.
 
The simplest way to prevent your cat from eating her feces is to eliminate her access to it by scooping her litter box several times a day. It can also be useful to change the location of the box, moving it to an area that affords her more privacy when she uses it.
 
A fixed routine of vigorous play and exercise can help distract her from engaging in coprophagia. Exercise aids in reducing anxiety and stress, and when a cat’s had enough stimulation to keep her active and tire her out, she’ll be less attracted to eating non-food items. But if your cat isn’t used to being exercised regularly, keep your initial play sessions short (begin with only a few minutes) and slowly work up to longer sessions as she becomes more accustomed to it.
 
Ensure that your cat is not only eating the required amount of food for her age and weight each day, but that she’s receiving all of the essential minerals and vitamins she needs. If not, have your vet recommend the best nutritional supplements to keep her diet the best balanced diet paws-ible.

by Nomi Berger
 
Does YOUR cat like being lifted up and held? Does she remain in your arms long enough for it to count as a cuddle? Or does she squirm and wriggle and do all she can to escape your embrace?
 
According to some veterinary behaviorists, not all cats are created equal – in terms of cuddling. Whereas some cats view cuddles as cozy cushions of comfort, others see them as stifling sources of suffocation.
 
Most cats enjoy being up high because it affords them a purr-fect ”cat’s eye” view of the world below. But they usually prefer to paw their way to their favorite perch on their own. From a feline perspective, there’s a difference between leaping up onto a kitchen counter, a window ledge or a bookcase and being scooped up from the ground and held by a human. After all, despite their small size, cats ARE descended from large cat royalty, namely the lion, king of beasts, and should be treated with the proper deference and respect.
 
Some cats equate being picked up and held as a form of restraint even if it’s meant as a demonstration of affection. They might have had negative experiences with actually being physically restrained for such procedures as receiving vaccinations, having their temperature taken or having their nails trimmed. Sometimes all it takes is a single mildly negative experience for cats, especially sensitive ones, to be wary of being restrained from then on.
 
In fact, cats may interpret their owners’ well-intentioned efforts to hold them as an actual attack. They may perceive being restrained as a sign that they’re now trapped, that something bad is going to happen to them or that they’re about to be killed or eaten. It’s essential to remember that while cats are predators to smaller prey, they themselves are prey to larger predators.
 
Coupled with this is the fact that being held isn’t a normal form of interaction among cats themselves. They don’t pick each other up and cuddle. Instead, they express their affection by approaching fellow felines politely, then sniffing, licking and rubbing one another.
 
Some cat breeds LOVE being cuddled, such as Ragdolls and Ragamuffins, who are famous for flopping back comfortably when held by their adoring humans. But because each cat is an individual, not all of these so-called cuddly cats enjoy being cuddled.
 
Truly caring pet parents are extremely sensitive to their cherished cats’ preference. By forcing affection on their finicky felines, they run the risk of their kitties becoming increasingly more reluctant to interact with them on any level or even worse, becoming aggressive.
 
From reading your own cat’s signals, then, what kind of cat is she: snuggler or squirmer?

by Nomi Berger
 
Due to the increased availability of both medical and recreational marijuana, as well as its use in foods, pills, oils and tinctures, marijuana is more accessible than ever before. It’s also stronger because new hybrids and cultivation techniques have resulted in plants with significantly more THC (Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound) than in decades past.
 
It therefore poses an even greater threat to one’s cherished cat since THC and other cannabinoids affect the central nervous system, causing disruption of normal movement and behavior. The most common ways for cats to be exposed to marijuana is by inhaling its smoke or by ingesting the dried marijuana itself. Because of the cumulative effects of inhaling this smoke, cat owners who use marijuana, whether medical or recreational, should never smoke anywhere near their cats, particularly ones with asthma or any other lung diseases.
 
In some cases, cats may nibble on the leaves and/or buds of homegrown marijuana plants. Unthinking owners may also feed their cats cookies, brownies or candies infused with marijuana, posing a double threat to their health because anything containing chocolate or the artificial sweetener, xylitol, can lead to a double dose of toxicity.
 
As with all products, plants and medications dangerous for pet consumption, cat owners using marijuana in any form should store it somewhere out of reach of curious noses and even more curious paws – in a tall shelf, cabinet or drawer with a child-proof lock. The use of a thick glass container with a twist-off lid provides additional security because even if kitty does discover it, the lid’s impossible to pry open.
 
The most common side effects of marijuana intoxication are dilated pupils, lack of coordination (falling over or walking “drunkenly”), sedation or lethargy, vomiting, urinary incontinence, and slow heart and respiratory rates. However, about 25 percent of those who have ingested THC become stimulated instead, with agitation, excessive vocalization and high heart rates being possible side effects. After ingestion, cats can become affected in minutes to hours, and signs can last for hours.
 
If you suspect your cat has ingested marijuana and is unable to walk or cannot be roused, contact your vet immediately. Know too that veterinarians are NOT required to contact the police, even in states where marijuana is illegal. What’s of utmost importance is getting your cat prompt medical assistance.
 
Treatment for marijuana intoxication can include confinement in a kennel to prevent injury, intravenous fluids to keep her blood pressure normal and medications to lower her heart rate. Cats most severely affected may also benefit from intravenous lipid emulsions to help decrease the amount of cannabinoids circulating through their system.
 
The takeaway from this -- keep a watchful eye on your cat if there’s marijuana around.