Happy Cat – Great Cat Info

Introduction I have never known a cat that was not upset by the sound of fireworks, thunder, or similar loud noises. I have also never met a kitty that liked to go to the veterinarian. These are situations that cause anxiety in almost all cats. If we can help them deal with this upset, that would be a good thing to do. And there are some cats that feel stressed almost every day because of such things as conflict with other pets, or memories of an abusive former home, or recollections of life in a shelter or in the woods. Nothing we try to do for them will work all the time for all cats, but there are things that have worked for others, so let me share some of those with you. Play Music for Your Kitty I have always thought that our cats were positively affected by music, and we would often play some classical music when our kitties seemed to be upset about something. A study carried out by researchers at the prestigious University of Wisconsin-Madison, and published in the scientific journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, indicated that "cats showed a significant preference for and interest in species-appropriate music." Another study, this one at the prestigious Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, and subsequently published in the scientific Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, offers: "....We conclude that cat-specific music may benefit cats by decreasing the stress levels and increasing the quality of care in veterinary clinical settings. ...." David Teie, a musician with the National Symphony Orchestra, and Charles Snowden, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the aforementioned University of Wisconsin-Madison, worked together to create sounds intended to soothe the minds of animals. Mr Teie then produced an album of those sounds he titled Music for Cats. Mr. Teie's music is available on CD or download. You can find more information and play samples of his music at his website musicforcats Plug In a Pheromone Diffuser Pheromones are organic chemicals given off by animals and are intended to create a certain behavioral response in other animals of the same species. Some pheromones are believed to have a calming effect. The Feliway company developed synthetic pheromones that are distributed into the air of a home by means of a diffuser that plugs into a wall electrical receptacle. This is a product in very wide usage, with a lot of testimonials and anecdotal reports of it doing a good job of creating a calming effect on cats. This product is designed to cover an area up to 700 square feet. To give you an idea as to how big a room that would be, a space 24' X 30' is 720 square feet. We tried using the diffuser on a much bigger area and I observed minimal effect. That was my fault for not following the manufacturers recommendations. I do believe that scientifically chosen pheromones, whether they be synthetic or natural, can have a calming effect on animals. Feliway Optimum Diffuser. Visit the Feliway website for more information. Serve Some Catnip It has been my experience that after a few minutes of throwing a kitty party with the catnip, our cats would then just take it easy for a while. There are some things to know about catnip such as how to serve it, how long the effect lasts, what are alternatives to catnip. etc. My blog post How Will Catnip Affect My Cat will explain all this for you. Create a Cat-Friendly Environment in Your Home Cats are very much motivated by instinct, and being able follow those instincts seems to make their lives happier and more contented. There are things you can add to their life that will enable them to act upon those instinctual urges , and I list some of them here, with links to my blog posts that provide more information on the subject: 1. A cat tree to climb on Cats love to climb, so giving them a cat tree can provide an outlet for that instinct with the possible added bonus of keeping them off the counters and bookcases. How to Choose a Cat Tree 2. Toys to play with Cats must act out their hunter instinct, and toys will enable them to do that. How to Choose Cat Toys 3. A litter box they like The right litter box is so important to a cat. 7 Tips to Choose a Litter Box 4. Some other things too You will find more great information on how to choose stuff that your cat will love you for when you visit my blog post How to Make Your Cat Happy Are "Calming Chews" Okay for Cats? There are several cat calming formulations on the market that put the ingredients into what is referred to as a "chew". I do not see anything wrong with this basic concept as long as the "chew" is of a size that can be safely swallowed by your cat. The reason I say this is because the structure of a cat's jaw and teeth do not give it the capability to chew food the way we humans do. Dry cat food, also referred to as kibble, consists of hard pellets. When a cat eats this kind of food, many of the pellets do not get chewed and are swallowed whole. If you have a "calming chew" that is noticeably larger than a typical cat food pellet, then the kitty that tries to swallow that "chew" whole runs the risk of getting it lodged in their throat and choking. If you feed your kitty a "chew" that you think is bigger than it ought to be, consider cutting it into smaller pieces or crushing it and sprinkling it on some canned food. To learn more about cat chewing challenges, look in on my blog post How Do Cats Chew Food?