CATNIP
Okay, I’ll admit it. I love catnip. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an understatement, at least that’s what my mom says. I’m friggin’ addicted to the stuff! Not only does it smell good, but according to my brother Tanner, it also tastes good. Then again, Tanner loves most things edible. It just relaxes me – not that I need to relax since I sleep most of the day. Unfortunately, mom doesn’t give us cats catnip too often – she says it makes us too crazy. As far as I’m concerned, my housemate Tapas is the craziest cat when it comes to catnip – she rolls around in it until she’s practically covered in it!
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR HUMAN
Psst…I’m sneaking this article in and hope mom doesn’t see this. Why do you ask? Well heck, she thinks SHE trained ME! Oh sure, I eat when she calls me for breakfast and dinner, but that’s only because I want to eat. Now treats are another story. Mom’s a real mush you see and made the mistake of giving in to our pathetic meowing for treats, and now that we’ve got it down to a science, we get her to give us delicious treats throughout the day. So for any kitties lucky enough to read this, just follow these few simple steps:
- Look up at your mom (or dad) with big sad eyes
- Start meowing and whining (this usually does the trick) but if for some reason it doesn’t, the next steps are pretty much foolproof
- Start walking slowly towards where the treats are, do the old leg-revving routine, maintaining pathetic looking eye contact at all times. This has proven to work 99% of the time, according to official kitty studies (or my brother Tanner.)
- After you’ve eaten your treats be sure to show your gratitude with lots of kisses. Your mom (or dad) will be so touched by your affection they might even give you seconds. In any case, this should set them up for next time.
INTRODUCING A NEW KITTEN OR CAT TO YOUR OTHER CATS (HOW TO)
Hello, again cat lovers! Let me begin by making one thing perfectly clear – just because I live in a household with four other cats does NOT mean I approve of this! I mean the more cats in the household, the fewer treats I seem to get (mainly because my brother Tanner, affectionately also known as Godzilla, has no conscience when it comes to eating my treats, or Yogurt’s, Buddy’s, or Tapas for that matter. No wonder he’s 17 pounds! Okay, sorry if I went off the rails there for a minute. Let’s get down to business.
First of all, if you’re going to get another kitty, it’s great if you can get some behavioral history before adopting it. Remember, ADOPT, DON’T SHOP! See if their history says if the cat or kitten has been exposed to and gets along with other cats or dogs. Of course, cats need to get used to their new surroundings as well as other castor dogs in the house. But if you can find out more about your kitty, it will help you when it comes to helping him/her in getting acclimated to the new surroundings. This is where you humans come in.
Before you bring your new bundle of joy home, it’s important to set up a separate room with everything the new kitty needs – food, water, medication, litter box, a soft cat bed, and some cat toys should do It. This way your cat can get used to his/her surroundings in a comfortable environment where they feel safe. In my experience, most felines start to get curious about the world outside their safe room within a few days. At that point I will start putting their food right by the door and will do the same to the other cats, putting their food right outside the door to the room. That way they can get more used to each other in a safe way. You should also be visiting the new cat a few times a day. Let the cat come to you, don’t force it. With most cats or kittens I have had they seem to want to leave the room and explore in about a week. I will leave the door open a bit and supervise. It is not uncommon for the other felines to start hissing and be unhappy for a bit; but they should get used to each other, even become good friends, within a few weeks.
The best thing about adopting your cat is that the shelter or rescue group you adopt from will be there to help you with any questions you may have pertaining to that particular kitty. Plus, when you adopt, you save not only one life, but two, because you’ve made room for another kitty to be saved.
Wishing you a purrfect day!
Tamale
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