Cats

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's new expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs and she is one of less than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of nine books, more than 200 articles and has been a lobbyist on legislation concerning hazardous dogs and responsible dog ownership.

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My husband and I own a mixed-breed cat who we absolutely adore. We have had her for four years and have experienced no issues with her using the litter box until the now. For the past two weeks, she has been urinating on the carpet all over the house. She still uses the litter box for defecating. Any idea what might be going on?

When an animal who has had no problems with house training suddenly has a change in habits, the first thing I suggest is a quick trip to the vet. This may be a behavioral issue, but you want to rule out any possible medical issues. These could include urinary-tract problems or other diseases.

Once the vet says the cat has no health problems, it's time to look at possible behavioral causes. Is she scent marking or flat-out urinating, i.e. does she leave puddles of urine? Have there been any changes in the environment? Did you get new carpet, new furniture, a new pet, or change the brand of litter you're using? Changes in a cat's world can cause the cat to "mark" the new items so that everyone knows the house belongs to this kitty.

Also think about whether there is anything happening to cause the cat to be nervous or feel a need for your attention. Are you or your husband gone more than usual? Has there been a change in your schedule or focus so there is less time and affection for the cat? If so, that may be what is setting her off.

Finally, remember that cats are clean creatures. Are you cleaning the litterbox regularly? If there is waste in the litterbox, a cat may choose the bathtub or carpet rather than tiptoe around in a dirty litterbox. Now that your carpet has the scent of urine in it, it should be cleaned it with an enzyme urine removal product (from your local pet store). As long as the carpet smells like urine, unfortunately, there is a good chance the cat will continue to use it as a potty area.

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Mary R. Burch, Ph.D., is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and the Director of the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Program. Dr. Burch is the author of "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

Do you have an animal behavior question for Dr. Burch? E-mail your questions to askmary@pawnation.com.

Frosty the feline is lucky to be alive after being trapped in an industrial warehouse freezer in England where temperatures hovered at minus 24 degrees below zero. Brrr! "We think he'd been in the warehouse for at least four weeks," a warehouse employee tells the (U.K.) Daily Mail.

The black-and-white cat, thought to be about a year old, was "spotted on several occasions by staff but no-one could catch him," reports the Daily Mail. Frosty, as the warehouse employees named him, could have reasonably escaped through the main doors but the noise of the delivery trucks roaring up to the warehouse probably scared the cat away from the high traffic exit.

Finally, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) put out a humane live-capture trap for Frosty to entice him into the cage with cat treats and water. "It's incredible that Frosty survived for so long in such a harsh environment," RSPCA spokesman Steve Sellars told the Daily Mail. It is believed that the frisky feline survived by eating frozen peas and licking moisture off frozen food packets.

Frosty did not escape his icy adventure unscathed. He suffered frostbite to his ears and tail and had to have them amputated. But other than that, Frosty will be just fine. "He's a lovely cat and he's become very playful," RSCPA employee Rachel Allcock told the Daily Mail. "We're looking forward to his full recovery and getting him to his new home."

One of the warehouse workers has already volunteered to give Frosty a new, warm, place to live.

When a stray cat strutted into her life last summer, Judy Danchura of Canada could not have imagined how the orange and white tomcat she nicknamed Sumo would end up saving her life. Whether it was by accident or by design, we'll leave up to you to decide. But without question, Sumo's actions alerted Danchura to a tumor growing in her breast, enabling her to get an early diagnosis of cancer and begin treatment, reports CBC News. Here's how it happened.

Last June, according to CBC News, Danchura noticed the orange-and-white cat moseying around her backyard. She put some food out for him and went about her day. At 3 a.m., the cat came back, meowing so insistently that Danchura let the stray into her house. After making a litter box, Danchura went back to bed.

"While she and her husband slept," reports CBC News. "The cat hopped onto the bed and walked across her body. As it stepped on her breast, Danchura was struck by an unusual shot of pain."

"I sort of went, 'Oh geez, there's definitely something wrong there,'" Danchura tells CBC News. In fact, there was a lump in her breast.

She went to the doctor and learned it was a tumor, and that it was malignant. Because it had been detected early, and she began treatment immediately, Danchura's chance of survival is estimated at 95 percent, reports CBC News.

Danchura has come to regard Sumo as her four-footed angel. "I sometimes feel overwhelmed because I feel humbled," she tells CBC News. "I can't understand why this animal turned up for me." Was it a random stroke of luck that Sumo visited her home, insisting to be let in? Or was Sumo meant to tell her something?

Tell us what you think Can animals sense illness in their owners? Do you believe that Sumo's actions were just good fortune or something more?

Cats are territorial creatures and you are their most prized possession -- it only makes sense that an older cat would not want to share you. But with planning and supervision, you can help bring the kitten successfully into the pride, reducing incidents of hissing or other bad behaviors.

Felicia Smith, a retired veterinarian in central New York, counsels cat owners to keep the new pet in a "safe room."

"Depending on how young the kitten is, and where the kitten has come from, give both pets privacy for three or four days, and longer if you feel it will benefit them. If you adopt a pet that has already received a vet exam and clean bill of health, and your older cat has all his shots, introduce the scents of each to the other first."

A young kitten may require a longer sheltering from your older cat. Smith recommends "If your kitten still takes milk -- if for any reason she isn't fully weaned -- please keep her away from the older," says Smith. It is also critical to keep them apart if either could be sick. "I remember one tragic instance when a kitten carrying feline leukemia was introduced to an older pet," says Smith. "The older cat hadn't been vaccinated for the disease. Within two years, both were dead."

A rare occurrence? We hope! More commonly, passing ear mites or a mild infection between pets occurs. If your new kitten is feral, make sure a vet checks and vaccinates her and that you know it is safe before introducing her to the older cat.

Only a few months ago, before Anna and I got Pippi, I wrote about the old cat people vs. dog people debate. I called myself a cat person, despite never having owned a dog. Now, with two months of canine companionship under my belt, it's time to reevaluate that label.

When we first got Pippi, I was overwhelmed. Between her insistence on peeing and pooping wherever she wanted and her constant need of attention, I was a bit freaked out. She was as well. Still a puppy, she'd been shuttled between a breeder, a temporary guardian, a foster dad and us, all within six months. And as a dalmatian/pointer mix she had boundless energy, requiring four walks a day and was constantly taunting our kitty Nora. "I thought having a dog would be like having a cat," I told my friends at the time, "but now I see that having a cat is more like owning a pet rock, while dog ownership is more like caring for a baby."

But in the past few weeks I've found our baby to be less of a burden and more of a pleasure. We've gotten into a dog-walking routine, her house training has taken, and I've realized something that is, to me, delightful: Dogs really let you manhandle them.

I've always been a pretty hands-on, rough-and-ready guy when it comes to affection, be it wrestling my brother or aggressive cuddling with my cat. The only thing is, Nora doesn't like it when I hold her too close. Like most felines, she prefers affection on her own terms.