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A few weeks ago, a friend stopped by my apartment to say hello. As we sat and talked, playing with my cat Jake, I noticed my friend was becoming congested. After she sneezed a few times, I asked if she was allergic to cats. Sure enough, she was. “It’s OK though,” she said. “Everyone has one.”
The thing is, everyone does have one. Most apartments allow you to have cats. They use litter boxes, you don’t have to walk them and, as natural loners, they don’t need as much attention as dogs. Owning a cat has almost turned into some sort of coming-of-age rite. I know people, myself included, who decided to get a cat or kitten after moving into their first apartment.
Of course, who wouldn’t want one? Cats are wonderful creatures. They are loving, intelligent and totally fascinating. Living with cats and observing how parallel their behaviors are to wild, big cats is incredible. A cat, if properly cared for, is a wonderful companion — they just need to be accurately understood.
“Inappropriate eliminating” — peeing on laundry, pooping on the rug or using the bathtub as a litter box — is one of the many reasons why cats are surrendered to shelters. Sadly, this is often a management problem, not a cat problem. Sometimes this is caused by territorial behavior — which is avoided by neutering the animal before they exhibit sexual behavior — or by a health concern such as urinary tract disease.
You must have one litter box per cat, plus one extra. Cats function off territories and scent, and this doesn’t pertain to just wild or outdoor cats. Once the importance of a cat’s territory is understood by the owner, it is much easier to understand proper litter box management. If a cat is eliminating outside the box, it’s time to think inside the box. Try a different type of litter. Try a different place for the litter box. Oh, and clean them — often.
If you need to alter an animal for it to appropriately fit into your life, choose another animal. Cats need things to scratch. I have two cats of my own, and I also have some very nice furniture. Both of my cats have their claws, and my furniture is intact. If kittens are presented with scratching posts, typically they will not go on to damage furniture. Scratching is not only a way to loosen old layers of claws, it is a way for cats to stretch and has been considered a marking behavior. Again, give them several scratching options. If they don’t use a scratching post, try something like a cardboard scratcher that lays on the floor. Declawing cats deserves an article of its own, but simply put, just don’t do it. Not only is it unnatural, it’s unnecessary.
If your cat drinks out of the toilet, constantly hides under your bed or hates your other cats, check back in a couple weeks for more discussion on common cat misunderstandings. The more you know about your cat, the closer you become to making a great friend.
Bangor Daily News