Hello Tyrone,
I promised to advise you further about dealing with the new puppy who will soon become a part of your household.
In my last entry to you (published on 10/3/13), we reviewed:
- Getting you used to puppy sounds and smells in advance.
- Getting your folks up to speed on what it takes to raise a puppy and how to decode cat talk.
- Paying special attention to making sure puppy understands that you are much higher up in the family hierarchy, so you will be treated with respect (and be safe).
- Moving your food and water to a place puppy cannot reach.
- Bringing the kennel that puppy will sleep in into the master bedroom now so you can get used to it; locating it in a way that still makes your favourite sleeping spot accessible and safe for you.
- Using Feliway to enhance your sense of calm.
- Putting a puppy barrier to block access to your litter box so you can use it in peace.
Showing posts with label adjusting to new things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adjusting to new things. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
Helping Nyx the Cat Who Howls Before Dawn
Dear Greyce,
I am a handsome adult black cat and have spent my life as a mostly-outdoor cat. When my purrsons moved, they left me behind and I stayed in the neighbourhood as a stray. The neighbours left food for me but it was a battle to get it because I had to invade the territory of their primarily-outdoor male, Shamus, who is orange and grumpy and thinks everything belongs to him. He always goes after me and I have battle wounds to prove it.
My folks rise around 10:00 a.m. because they work late hours. Bedtime is between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. I am okay during the day and at bedtime. When they are in bed, I curl up at their feet. Once the lights are out and things get very quiet, I get nervous and start to cry. But if they ignore me, I settle down. The problem beings in the pre-dawn hours.
At 4 a.m. I begin my opera lessons. I prepare Themselves for a concert by pacing up and down the bed, then by Herself's side of the bed, then going to the door and the hallway. I get in their faces. And I let forth my golden tones to the tune of a lament.
I will not stop until they do something. They would give me pets and calm reassurance but the minute they stopped I started to sing again. So they put me out of the bedroom and closed the door! Well Greyce, I attempt to entice them by singing at the door, starting with soft cries and building up to something truly spectacular. But since they ignore me, I settle down in about 30 minutes.
Because of their lack of music appreciation, I am banned from the bedroom until the morning.
Themselves would prefurr that 'morning' be considered as 10:00 a.m. when they usually wake. I'll admit that they did try to let me in earlier, but then Himself tried to snuggle with me and give me pets and I would cry when he stopped. He must have realized he was poor at customer services because he started to feel guilty and blamed himself - of course, as he should. The massage and snuggle service left something to be desired, if you ask me. Then Herself got worried, thinking my behaviour relates to a fear of being abandoned again.
| Nyx enjoys rest |
I am a handsome adult black cat and have spent my life as a mostly-outdoor cat. When my purrsons moved, they left me behind and I stayed in the neighbourhood as a stray. The neighbours left food for me but it was a battle to get it because I had to invade the territory of their primarily-outdoor male, Shamus, who is orange and grumpy and thinks everything belongs to him. He always goes after me and I have battle wounds to prove it.
My very new, new home is an apartment on the top floor of a two-storey
building next door to Shamus. It has a bedroom and main area; and
there is a back porch to lie out in the sun during the day. I now live with Herself and Himself and their six-month old female calico kitten called Luna. I still have my manhood but Herself says I cannot stay this way. Why I cannot is a mystery to me.
My folks rise around 10:00 a.m. because they work late hours. Bedtime is between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. I am okay during the day and at bedtime. When they are in bed, I curl up at their feet. Once the lights are out and things get very quiet, I get nervous and start to cry. But if they ignore me, I settle down. The problem beings in the pre-dawn hours.
At 4 a.m. I begin my opera lessons. I prepare Themselves for a concert by pacing up and down the bed, then by Herself's side of the bed, then going to the door and the hallway. I get in their faces. And I let forth my golden tones to the tune of a lament.
I will not stop until they do something. They would give me pets and calm reassurance but the minute they stopped I started to sing again. So they put me out of the bedroom and closed the door! Well Greyce, I attempt to entice them by singing at the door, starting with soft cries and building up to something truly spectacular. But since they ignore me, I settle down in about 30 minutes.
Because of their lack of music appreciation, I am banned from the bedroom until the morning.
Themselves would prefurr that 'morning' be considered as 10:00 a.m. when they usually wake. I'll admit that they did try to let me in earlier, but then Himself tried to snuggle with me and give me pets and I would cry when he stopped. He must have realized he was poor at customer services because he started to feel guilty and blamed himself - of course, as he should. The massage and snuggle service left something to be desired, if you ask me. Then Herself got worried, thinking my behaviour relates to a fear of being abandoned again.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Tyrone the Cat Prepares for A New Puppy
Dear Greyce,
I am a gorgeous male of robust stature, weighing in at about 21 pounds (9.5 kg). There is a distinctive Maine Coon touch to my features which grace my three-year-old, neutered, and declawed self. When I jump, I land on my feet with a manly thud. I have lived with the same human family since I was six weeks old: Herself, Himself, The Calm and Quiet Teen, and The Highly Affectionate Preteen who always wants to snuggle and kiss me. We live in a house that has two levels and I have the run of the place. And now, I am told, the household will be graced with the presence of a Labradoodle puppy in a matter of weeks.
I am a gorgeous male of robust stature, weighing in at about 21 pounds (9.5 kg). There is a distinctive Maine Coon touch to my features which grace my three-year-old, neutered, and declawed self. When I jump, I land on my feet with a manly thud. I have lived with the same human family since I was six weeks old: Herself, Himself, The Calm and Quiet Teen, and The Highly Affectionate Preteen who always wants to snuggle and kiss me. We live in a house that has two levels and I have the run of the place. And now, I am told, the household will be graced with the presence of a Labradoodle puppy in a matter of weeks.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Cat Adjusts to New Home: Dash's Update
Dear Greyce,
Just an update from me to let you know how things are going. I've gone from being terrified of new things (like the treadmill) and adjusting to Skeeter and being in a house instead of a cage. So many changes! And both Skeeter and I have been doing very well.
Just an update from me to let you know how things are going. I've gone from being terrified of new things (like the treadmill) and adjusting to Skeeter and being in a house instead of a cage. So many changes! And both Skeeter and I have been doing very well.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Introducing a Noisy Appliance to a Cat who is Scared of New Things
Hi Greyce,
I have another question for you. As you know I get VERY VERY anxious when I’m dealing with something new. I get VERY spooked and the effect lasts for a LONG time.
You mentioned that I need to work on becoming more resilient. I plan to take Star of Bethlehem flower remedy. What else do you advise?
Worried about this,
Dash
Dear Dash,
I want to give readers a small bit of background first: In our first written contact (which I did not share with readers), you were terrified of the treadmill. And I mean, TERRIFIED. I instructed Themselves to stop using it and cover it up. And it took you a lot of time to even go back near it and try to explore it – even though it has not been used. I’d also suggested a flower essence to help with your resilience – and I’ll get back to that later.
Principles for Introducing You to Something New
Let me review the basic principles of introducing a cat to something new, particularly a cat such as yourself who is anxious and has not been used to what would be termed “normal household items” in your world.
1. Introduce the new thing slowly.
2. Slowly means at your pace (NOT your purrsons’).
3. If the pace is too fast for you, you will show it – usually by dilated pupils, fur standing on end, pacing, cowering, trying to hide, etc. If this happens, they MUST stop; back the process up a bit and proceed even more slowly from there.
Why New Things Can Be Scary
As you know, your territory is the most essential element to your well-being. And you need to explore it, patrol it, and scent mark it on a regular basis to reassure yourself that it is in good order. Changes to territory signal to us cats, a potential change in our resource base; and the mere thought of a sudden lack of food, or water, or safety is enough to send even the most assured of us into anxiety-mode.
When a new thing enters your territory, you need to have the chance to adapt to it and incorporate it. In other words, you need to make it your own. That way, it becomes a part of your normal territory rather than something to get worried about.
The thing most of us cats find most bothersome about appliances and electronic items is the noise they make. Other than the dreaded vacuum cleaner, most of these items stay in one place so we don’t have to worry about them chasing us.
Getting Used to a New Small Appliance
Suppose the new appliance is a blender. I doubt that you will be using it to make your own mouse shakes. Purrhaps you are not even allowed on the counter. However if the appliance is portable and there is a chance you will encounter it, I recommend the following:
1. Get used to the box it arrives in, before it is unpacked. First, put a spritz of Feliway spray on all four sides of the box and wait a few minutes before you encounter it. That way the Feliway will have had the chance to do its job. And when you meet that box, it will smell familiar.
2. Once you are used to the box (no longer react to it) – and this may take a short while or maybe even more than a day - they can unpack it. You can watch. That way you may even get to play in the box from which it came!
3. When ‘the thing’ comes out of the box AND IF it is safe to do so (remember Feliway is flammable), they can give it a spritz of Feliway. Again they need to give you a chance to explore it – assuming it is safe to do so (that is, that it is not something which sharp bits you could be hurt on, etc.) That is more than enough for one day thank you very much.
4. They, of course, will want to operate it. Assuming it makes a noise, I suggest they take all necessary precautions which means they have to introduce you to the noise is makes VERY SLOWLY.
There are two ways to do this: A) with the actual thing in action, and B) with a recording of the thing in action.
A) Getting Used to the Sound of the Actual Thing in Action
The first time they operate it, you need to be in another part of the house. If it is upstairs, you should be downstairs with the door closed. This will muffle the sound.
Someone should be with you to monitor your reactions. I don’t advise that purrson to hover over you like a clucking hen, all worried, or you will worry too. Instead that purrson should be in the same room as you are, either playing with you, petting you or purrhaps just reading or watching TV.
The other purrson should start the appliance BUT only for a FEW SECONDS and then stop. Your monitor can be on the lookout for any stress reaction: dilated pupils, fur standing up, cowering, attempting to hide, etc.
Assuming there is little or no reaction, they can then proceed to the next step – which is to repeat this LATER – at least one hour later. They can try this say, up to 3 times a day, with at least an hour (if not longer) in-between.
Assuming you are okay with this, then the next round (the next day or in a few days) could be to increase the length of the sound – say from 3 seconds to 5 seconds.
The idea is to repeat the sound, with a goodly interval (at least an hour) in between, and to SLOWLY increase the period of operation.
Once you are okay with the noise and they have reached the normal length of the thing’s operation, then they need to repeat the whole process with the door open (between floors) so you can hear it better. Again they start with a few seconds of sound and a long interval of rest; and slowly work up.
And if you have the courage to be on the same floor as the thing when it is operating, then they may need to repeat the process again.
B) Getting Use to a Recording of the Thing in Action
This option may be easier for your purrsons to implement IF they have a tape recorder or whatever modern piece of technology these days does the same thing. Basically they can record the sound and then play it to you.
Just like in hearing the actual thing in operation, someone should be with you to monitor your reaction (and to distract you if they can).
Start with the lowest possible volume. Stop it at the 3 second spot to begin with. Slowly work up the period of exposure – at low volume. In other words, just like with the other methods – start with 3 seconds of sound up to 3 times a day at intervals that are at least an hour apart. As you adapt, they can slowly increase the volume and the length of the interval.
The key to all of this is to take it at your pace. They must monitor your reaction. If you do not appear to be bothered, they can continue. If you are bothered, they need to go back a step and proceed more slowly.
In either case: they don’t have to work with you on this each and every day. I assume most such appliances wouldn’t be operated on a daily basis anyway. And I don’t want you to get used to a particular time of operation and then start to expect to hear the sound at that time.
Using Flower Essences to Help
You had also mentioned the use of a flower remedy. I know you had used Rescue Remedy (also known as Five Flower Remedy) before we consulted and I’d suggested Star of Bethlehem.
I have seen many (but not all) cats who have taken such remedies become more resilient. The cat who best shows this is my friend Christmas Blessing (shown in the photo). He was terrified of many things. After over a month of taking Star of Bethlehem he became much more resilient.
Flower remedies take time to work, so don’t expect that a few drops of the stuff will suddenly give you the courage to face the noise. I had suggested the remedy largely to help you recover from the traumas you had endured in your past life, in order to help with your resilience.
In any event, let me know what appliance you need to get used to and how it goes.
And when it is to be the dreaded treadmill, let me know BEFOREHAND and I’ll tweak the plan with some specific, essential details.
Good luck,
Greyce
I have another question for you. As you know I get VERY VERY anxious when I’m dealing with something new. I get VERY spooked and the effect lasts for a LONG time.
You mentioned that I need to work on becoming more resilient. I plan to take Star of Bethlehem flower remedy. What else do you advise?
Worried about this,
Dash
Dear Dash,
I want to give readers a small bit of background first: In our first written contact (which I did not share with readers), you were terrified of the treadmill. And I mean, TERRIFIED. I instructed Themselves to stop using it and cover it up. And it took you a lot of time to even go back near it and try to explore it – even though it has not been used. I’d also suggested a flower essence to help with your resilience – and I’ll get back to that later.
Principles for Introducing You to Something New
Let me review the basic principles of introducing a cat to something new, particularly a cat such as yourself who is anxious and has not been used to what would be termed “normal household items” in your world.
1. Introduce the new thing slowly.
2. Slowly means at your pace (NOT your purrsons’).
3. If the pace is too fast for you, you will show it – usually by dilated pupils, fur standing on end, pacing, cowering, trying to hide, etc. If this happens, they MUST stop; back the process up a bit and proceed even more slowly from there.
Why New Things Can Be Scary
As you know, your territory is the most essential element to your well-being. And you need to explore it, patrol it, and scent mark it on a regular basis to reassure yourself that it is in good order. Changes to territory signal to us cats, a potential change in our resource base; and the mere thought of a sudden lack of food, or water, or safety is enough to send even the most assured of us into anxiety-mode.
When a new thing enters your territory, you need to have the chance to adapt to it and incorporate it. In other words, you need to make it your own. That way, it becomes a part of your normal territory rather than something to get worried about.
The thing most of us cats find most bothersome about appliances and electronic items is the noise they make. Other than the dreaded vacuum cleaner, most of these items stay in one place so we don’t have to worry about them chasing us.
Getting Used to a New Small Appliance
Suppose the new appliance is a blender. I doubt that you will be using it to make your own mouse shakes. Purrhaps you are not even allowed on the counter. However if the appliance is portable and there is a chance you will encounter it, I recommend the following:
1. Get used to the box it arrives in, before it is unpacked. First, put a spritz of Feliway spray on all four sides of the box and wait a few minutes before you encounter it. That way the Feliway will have had the chance to do its job. And when you meet that box, it will smell familiar.
2. Once you are used to the box (no longer react to it) – and this may take a short while or maybe even more than a day - they can unpack it. You can watch. That way you may even get to play in the box from which it came!
3. When ‘the thing’ comes out of the box AND IF it is safe to do so (remember Feliway is flammable), they can give it a spritz of Feliway. Again they need to give you a chance to explore it – assuming it is safe to do so (that is, that it is not something which sharp bits you could be hurt on, etc.) That is more than enough for one day thank you very much.
4. They, of course, will want to operate it. Assuming it makes a noise, I suggest they take all necessary precautions which means they have to introduce you to the noise is makes VERY SLOWLY.
There are two ways to do this: A) with the actual thing in action, and B) with a recording of the thing in action.
A) Getting Used to the Sound of the Actual Thing in Action
The first time they operate it, you need to be in another part of the house. If it is upstairs, you should be downstairs with the door closed. This will muffle the sound.
Someone should be with you to monitor your reactions. I don’t advise that purrson to hover over you like a clucking hen, all worried, or you will worry too. Instead that purrson should be in the same room as you are, either playing with you, petting you or purrhaps just reading or watching TV.
The other purrson should start the appliance BUT only for a FEW SECONDS and then stop. Your monitor can be on the lookout for any stress reaction: dilated pupils, fur standing up, cowering, attempting to hide, etc.
Assuming there is little or no reaction, they can then proceed to the next step – which is to repeat this LATER – at least one hour later. They can try this say, up to 3 times a day, with at least an hour (if not longer) in-between.
Assuming you are okay with this, then the next round (the next day or in a few days) could be to increase the length of the sound – say from 3 seconds to 5 seconds.
The idea is to repeat the sound, with a goodly interval (at least an hour) in between, and to SLOWLY increase the period of operation.
Once you are okay with the noise and they have reached the normal length of the thing’s operation, then they need to repeat the whole process with the door open (between floors) so you can hear it better. Again they start with a few seconds of sound and a long interval of rest; and slowly work up.
And if you have the courage to be on the same floor as the thing when it is operating, then they may need to repeat the process again.
B) Getting Use to a Recording of the Thing in Action
This option may be easier for your purrsons to implement IF they have a tape recorder or whatever modern piece of technology these days does the same thing. Basically they can record the sound and then play it to you.
Just like in hearing the actual thing in operation, someone should be with you to monitor your reaction (and to distract you if they can).
Start with the lowest possible volume. Stop it at the 3 second spot to begin with. Slowly work up the period of exposure – at low volume. In other words, just like with the other methods – start with 3 seconds of sound up to 3 times a day at intervals that are at least an hour apart. As you adapt, they can slowly increase the volume and the length of the interval.
The key to all of this is to take it at your pace. They must monitor your reaction. If you do not appear to be bothered, they can continue. If you are bothered, they need to go back a step and proceed more slowly.
In either case: they don’t have to work with you on this each and every day. I assume most such appliances wouldn’t be operated on a daily basis anyway. And I don’t want you to get used to a particular time of operation and then start to expect to hear the sound at that time.
Using Flower Essences to Help
You had also mentioned the use of a flower remedy. I know you had used Rescue Remedy (also known as Five Flower Remedy) before we consulted and I’d suggested Star of Bethlehem.
Flower remedies take time to work, so don’t expect that a few drops of the stuff will suddenly give you the courage to face the noise. I had suggested the remedy largely to help you recover from the traumas you had endured in your past life, in order to help with your resilience.
In any event, let me know what appliance you need to get used to and how it goes.
And when it is to be the dreaded treadmill, let me know BEFOREHAND and I’ll tweak the plan with some specific, essential details.
Good luck,
Greyce
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Molly's Adventure - Getting Used to Her New Home
Dear Greyce, Thank you for helping me understand my situation (in your article, I've Been Kidnapped - 4/6/10). I realize that I have been re-homed and while this was done without my purrmission, it has several benefits the biggest of which is that I am away from that terrorizing toddler. I am also getting used to my feline companion, Filou, who has been most patient with me; and I'm starting to enjoy my new Herself.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Pungent Scents of Comfort. Urine Marking #3: Changes in Resources or Schedules
CHANGES IN TERRITORIAL RESOURCES
CHANGES IN TIMING (OF THE USE OF TERRITORY OR ITS RESOURCES)
Continuing with this series in Urine Marking, I'm going to deal with Territorial Threats #2 and #3, Changes in Territorial Resources and/or the Timing of Their Use(from my original blog entry - Urine Marking #1).
THREAT #2: CHANGES IN RESOURCES
This relates to items such as furnishings including both your own (like your food bowl or litterbox) and that shared with humans (like the sofa, coffee table, and bedroom dresser). Changes can happen in any of several ways:
- the arrival of something new, like a new sofa.
- the arrangements of existing items (either to accommodate the new item or just because) - like suddenly removing your litterbox from the back hall and putting it in the bathroom; or moving the main items in the living room to give the place a new look.Of course, no cat would be so silly but this seems to be a past-time in which several humans indulge.
- renovations to your home (including overall remodelling).
- moving to a new home.
The New Item: There are many cats who accept the arrival of something new with mere curiousity. If you are a confident cat and that particular item is not seen as threatening, feel free to give it a thorough inspection, rub your cheeks against its surfaces (usually the corners) to mark it, and incorporate it into your territory. Nothing could be simpler. If you are less than confident, it is another matter altogether, for the arrival of said new items spells T-H-R-E-A-T.
If the item is large or occupies an important space, even those of you who are confident may react differently. Size is one indicator of importance and importance is always taken seriously. You may not deign to spray the new magazine rack - a simple cheek rub may do. But when the new sofa arrives, purrhaps it deserves a thorough raking with your claws, not only to distribute your scent but also to let other invaders know of your presence (through the visible marks). Now this should be met with relief by the other inhabitants of the household, for you are doing an excellent job of territorial patrol. Instead they go ballistic! And while I'm not going to discuss scratching any further in this entry (it is the subject of yet another entry for the future), let me just say that there are those humans who would much prefurr a shredded sofa to one that is soaked in urine. Of course, urine marking of a new item just signals how anxiety-provoking it is to have such a large provider of new smells dumped into your home without your consent.
The wise human would anticipate the likely reaction and purchase Feliway spray (further information at http://www.feliway.com/ ) and follow the instructions for its use. But the usual scenarios go like this:
Scenario #1: Your purrson has no clue that new furniture could set off a pee fest. The new sofa arrives. You do your job and give it a good spray on the corner that juts out, and do you get a thank you? NO! You get yelled at or smacked or punished in some way that just causes your anxiety to escalate further and so you pee again -- and maybe not just on the new sofa, but elsewhere as well. When punishment just makes matters worse, your purrson either a) calls the vet - who may recommend Feliway or anxiety medication for you - not the purrson - even though it is the purrson who is reacting hysterically about the cost of the sofa, or b) consults with a neighbour, office mate, pet shop owner or any of a number of people who may or may not provide useful advice, or c) decides that re-homing you via the nearest animal shelter would be a good thing.
Scenario #2: Your purrson finds out about Feliway after the pee fest starts. Buys it. BUT doesn't read the instructions carefully. Uses it the wrong way and then gets angry at advisors such as myself for recommending it in the first place.
Scenario #3: Your purrson buys Feliway in advance of the sofa's arrival AND reads the instructions carefully. When said item arrives, you are ushered into a quiet room in the house so that you are not underfoot for the delivery (complete with new smells, ensuing chaos as it doesn't fit through the door and all such antics) and then invited out of the quiet room after the sofa is ensconced in its new place (and the old one, if there is one, removed) and after Feliway has been applied as per the instructions. Your purrson continues to use Feliway as instructed so that you are able to incorporate this new furnishing into your territorial with minimum stress. No urine marking required.
Arrangement of New or Existing Items: You have memorized the arrangement of every item in your territory. This helps you monitor change. It also helps you navigate in the dark. And now something is amiss. And just like people who decide to put their keys in a new place yet continue searching for them in the old place, it is not unusual for you to get confused.
The worst cases are changes in the things nearest and dearest to you - food and water bowls, and litterboxes. And part of your reaction will depend on whether or not you wanted the change in the first place. Case in point: Suppose the dog was getting into your food dish on the floor. I, for one, would be appalled by dog slobber on my china! And then your purrson decides to make you a new feeding station on a low cabinet to which you can jump, and it out of the dog's way. What a wonderful change! But you may still search for your food bowl on the floor because it will take time to get used to the new location.
Ditto: Suppose your litterbox is being guarded by your pesky tortie room-mate, who looks so innocent while she sprawls in front of the entrance to the room in which the box is kept. The intimidation is enough to put you off using the box! Now if your purrson decides to add another litterbox and locate it in another spot quite a distance from the existing one, pesky tortie cannot possibly guard two places at the same time and your chance at urinating in peace is greatly increased. Another welcome change!
But suppose someone gets the bright idea that your litterbox is unsightly in the back hall and moves it to the furnace room. Chances are you will not be too keen on this idea and may continue to use the back hall regardless. After all, how can you be expected to remember where the box now is - and besides, you prefurr the back hall. The wise person would understand that important territorial changes pertaining to your purrsonal items are best moved slowly (an inch or so per day) until they arrive at the new location. That way you have the time to incorporate the change into the territorial map you keep in your head.
Now let's go on the items shared with humans. Herself gets it into her head that the sofa should go from its usual spot along the back wall, to a more central spot to demarcate the entrance to the L-shaped dining room. Frankly, what she is doing is telling you that this entrance is now even more important. So purrhaps instead of rubbing the corner of the wall with your cheeks, you feel compelled to give the sofa a scratch or a spray. The wise purrson would understand this and take preventative action (the provision of a scratching post beside the exposed corner, the use of Feliway or another, less-disturbing room arrangements).
Renovations and remodelling are just as jumped-up version of what I've already described, except often accompanied by strangers, changes in schedules, and lots of noise. If the renovations cannot be contained, then I suggest you retire to your sanctuary - your private room complete with food, water, litterbox, toys, a radio playing easy listening music at low volume, and a Feliway diffuser - until the chaos is over; daily interactive play sessions would also help lower your anxiety.
Moving to a new home. This includes a range of scenarios from moving upstairs (from living in a basement suite), changing apartments of the same or similar layout in the same building, moving from an apartment to a house (or vice versa), or relocating from the city to the country. If you are planning to move, please consult the information sheet I'll provide in an upcoming entry called On the Move (to be posted on January 22, 2010).
Before I move on to Threat #3 I want to give you a layout you can easily print off and show your purrsons, to help them understand where we cats are most likely to mark inside a home. This is part of my home: my front hall, living room, dining room and kitchen.
I've shown where the furniture is located including my own stuff. My cat trees (where I perch, rest and scratch) are in pink. My eating areas are in blue. The striped green area is the soft chair where I like to have a nap in the afternoon and early evening. Red is used to mark important security threats for cats inside homes: windows and doors to the outside. I don't know about you, but I don't trust doors and glass to keep invaders out. And the peach/buff strokes show pathways or corridors.
The * (black stars) show where I mark. And interestingly, they are largely the areas my predecessors marked in this house too which means that they make sense to us felines. Since I'm a confident cat, my marks consist largely of cheek rubs (repeated rubbing leaves a brownish streak which Herself wipes down from time to time), except for the cat trees where I have a scratch fest. You'll see that where I mark relates to parts of the house or furnishings that jut out into corridors or pathways. Not only does this help with navigation, but also it gives me a sense of comfort. I scratch near what I view to be the most permeable areas of entry (glass windows and doors) to warn other cats that I'm here. And since Herself knew I'd likely want to guard these areas well, she located the scratching posts/trees here. (Also I, like most cats, like the scratch near where I sleep, so I use the cat tree for that, too.) I don't bother with the front door (because this door is usually closed and there are no invading cats who come up to it at present): I mark the first wall the juts from it instead.
Encourage your purrson to make a layout of your home and figure out the corridors and items that jut out. That could help him or her figure out where to put furniture or, at the very least, areas that might be vulnerable should your anxiety rise -- areas that are prime for scratching posts or cat trees or Feliway, for example.
Before I move on to Threat #3 I want to give you a layout you can easily print off and show your purrsons, to help them understand where we cats are most likely to mark inside a home. This is part of my home: my front hall, living room, dining room and kitchen.
The * (black stars) show where I mark. And interestingly, they are largely the areas my predecessors marked in this house too which means that they make sense to us felines. Since I'm a confident cat, my marks consist largely of cheek rubs (repeated rubbing leaves a brownish streak which Herself wipes down from time to time), except for the cat trees where I have a scratch fest. You'll see that where I mark relates to parts of the house or furnishings that jut out into corridors or pathways. Not only does this help with navigation, but also it gives me a sense of comfort. I scratch near what I view to be the most permeable areas of entry (glass windows and doors) to warn other cats that I'm here. And since Herself knew I'd likely want to guard these areas well, she located the scratching posts/trees here. (Also I, like most cats, like the scratch near where I sleep, so I use the cat tree for that, too.) I don't bother with the front door (because this door is usually closed and there are no invading cats who come up to it at present): I mark the first wall the juts from it instead.
Encourage your purrson to make a layout of your home and figure out the corridors and items that jut out. That could help him or her figure out where to put furniture or, at the very least, areas that might be vulnerable should your anxiety rise -- areas that are prime for scratching posts or cat trees or Feliway, for example.
THREAT #3: TIMING CHANGES
This next set of changes simply refers to the schedule by which resources are used. Two kinds of examples come to mind, one involving other cats and the other, humans.
You may take the sun in your backyard in the early afternoon, just after the sun it at its highest in the sky and until the children in your family arrive home. This may be part of your daily routine. All of a sudden a new cat arrives in the neighbourhood. "What a wonderful sunning spot," he thinks to himself and proceeds to use it. No respect for the fact that it is yours. Obviously your work is cut out for you. Using your elaborate social signalling patterns the two of you will have to work out an agreeable schedule (or one of you will run the other off). And in the process, you may feel the need to ensure that said invader doesn't contemplate entering your home; a pungent reminder sprayed on the patio door might just do the trick.
That is why I'm such an advocate of cat enclosures and cat fences for those of us to take our doses of Vitamin D outdoors. That is also why some of us have to enlist out purrsons to use measures to discourage roaming cats from using our resources. (see my entry of January 17, 2010, The Invading Stranger - The Cat Outside) for tips on dealing with this.
Changes in Humans Schedules: You have an established pattern of use that incorporates all human activity. Some humans even remark that we are at the front door when they arrive home. Or that they find us seated at the window, awaiting our arrival. Does that mean that we hang around there all day? Of course not! It just means that we have a schedule of territorial use that includes the schedules of the others in our world, as well.
The purrson who regularly returns between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. and suddenly stays out until 10:00 p.m. is cause for anxiety. Even more anxiety-provoking if those changes are erratic. And if those changes in schedule also affect our feeding times, then anxiety can sky rocket. Free feeding or the provision of a timed feeder which provides you with meals at set times regardless of the presence of your human, can go a long way to alleviating your anxiety.
Next up in the series, I'll deal with changes in the relationships you have with other felines in your household - a prime motivator of pee fests. But that's for another day.
The purrson who regularly returns between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. and suddenly stays out until 10:00 p.m. is cause for anxiety. Even more anxiety-provoking if those changes are erratic. And if those changes in schedule also affect our feeding times, then anxiety can sky rocket. Free feeding or the provision of a timed feeder which provides you with meals at set times regardless of the presence of your human, can go a long way to alleviating your anxiety.
Next up in the series, I'll deal with changes in the relationships you have with other felines in your household - a prime motivator of pee fests. But that's for another day.
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