Ask the Cat Expert: Kitty Behavior Issues

After my cat goes No. 2 in the litter box, she runs around the house like a feline gone wild. Why does she get so hyped-up post-poop?

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ANSWER:

"I've seen cats with no medical issues do this, so maybe they just feel so good after relieving themselves," says feline specialist Drew Weigner of The Cat Doctor, a feline specialty hospital, in Atlanta, Ga.  

"However, there may be a medical issue that causes painful elimination and the cat runs from the litter box after defecation in an attempt to get away from the pain."

Cats with diarrhea can experience some discomfort after defecation. It's important to check the litter box and apart from examining stool consistency, check for signs of blood or mucus in the stool. Cats suffering from constipation can also be uncomfortable while defecating. Other signs of constipation include straining to defecate, vomiting, and defecating outside the litter box.

"I recently had a patient who was obviously in pain during defecation and ran from the litter box, but had no other symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, signs of blood, etc," says Weigner. "An endoscopy examination showed he had severe inflammatory bowel disease and treatment resolved his symptoms."

The bottom line: err on the side of caution and seek veterinary advice.

If we turn on Animal Planet or National Geographic, my cat gets up close to the TV and watches. Does he know there are other animals on screen?

ANSWER:

"Yes!" Says Professor Nicholas Dodman of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton, Mass.

"There’s no doubt that television has an animal audience, even if their attention span varies from a few minutes to several hours. Dogs will sit and watch those things that interest them, such as other dogs, squirrels, cats and rabbits. Similarly, cats will watch what interests them such as birds, butterflies, fish and rabbits."

Cats have also been known to watch horse-racing, tennis matches and other sports. It's the movement on the screen as well as certain on sounds that hold their attention.

You can leave the TV on when your cat is home alone or pop a feline DVD into the machine that plays on a continuous loop, such as "Cat Sitter Volumes 1, 2 and 3," available online from various online pet stores and also on Amazon.com.

My cat likes me to stand there and watch, and sometimes even pet her, while she eats. Why?

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ANSWER:

"Your cat loves you and loves your company. And I am sure you love her and enjoy being around her. Thus you have reinforced the habit of eating when you are watching and petting her," explains certified cat behaviorist Marilyn Krieger. 

"As endearing and as sweet as this is, your cat should be comfortable eating without an audience too."

Feline independence at meal times is important in case you are delayed at work or have to travel and get a pet-sitter in to take care of her in your absence. 

Sometimes for seemingly no reason at all, my cat sits by the window or backdoor and just caterwauls. There's nothing going on outside, and when we open the door, she just runs away. What's that about?

ANSWER:

Cats are great communicators and have an amazing large repertoire of sounds and vocal noises to attract the attention of humans, other cats and also to indicate their wants and needs.

Caterwauling--a sound that could be written phonetically like RRRR-YOWWW-EEOW-RRR-YOW-ORRR--is usually made by an unneutered male cat in heat and looking to get out for a night on the tiles. It’s also a sound that cats make when trying to indicate to another cat that it's trespassing. Felines are very territorial creatures.

Cats that interact a lot with people have a wider vocabulary. They are smart and know what sounds elicit certain reactions from their favorite people.

Because your cat runs away when you open the door, she may just be trying to attract your attention by saying "play with me."

Try initiating a game when she runs off. Of course, you could be setting yourself up for a game every time she calls for your attention in this manner. But that’s okay. Interacting with your cat is a great way to endorse the human-animal bond.

My cat stalks people, including my roommate, my boyfriend and friends who visit. He'll jump at them and "fake" attack. He doesn't stalk me, though. Why not? 

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ANSWER:

"This is difficult to answer without knowing how you interact with your cat, so I cannot comment on why he doesn't stalk you, but stalks and play-attacks other people,” says certified cat behaviorist Marilyn Krieger.

"Don’t let anyone in the household play with him using their hands or play stalking games," cautions Krieger. "At some point, someone may have inadvertently encouraged this behavior by playing or interacting with him when he stalked or play-attacked. So he thinks this is how to initiate play and interaction with his favorite people and will continue to do it. Your friends and roommate should give him a 'time out' at the first sign of stalking or attacks. It's easy. Just turn around and leave the room whenever the cat play attacks or stalks. Don't interact at all. Time outs are short, only about 10 to 15 seconds."

However, cats love to interact with their people and should be played with multiple times in a day. Krieger suggests investing in wand-styled toys as well as other interactive toys. Apart from a well-stocked toy box, make sure there are elevated areas for jumping on and climbing  such as a nice wall, kitty condo, or cat tree. There are lots of special cat shelves and hammocks that you can add to spice up a play area too.