Tyrone the Cat Gets More Advice on Living with a Puppy

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.

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.

What Good is Feliway? Suzi's Series 6

Dear Greyce, You said you would tell me why Feliway isn’t working in our household. You will recall that Herself bought a diffuser and installed it in our living room. While it has stopped us from scratching the sofa, it hasn’t made a difference in Sissi’s or Jack’s attacks on me. Why isn’t it working?

May I Present? A Dog!

Dear Greyce, Rumour has is that I'm getting a growler. No, it's not a new cat toy. It's a dog! Now, I don't dislike dogs but I really don't know much about them. What do you advise? Worried About Woofing

Figgy's Funk -- Getting Over The Loss of a Dog

Dear Greyce, I am Figaro -- a four-year old, black female who lives indoors but goes outside. I deal with my household on my own terms; I have never been affectionate with most of its members -- two adults and their three children (ranging in age from 16 to 20) along with a rabbit and two rats. However I did have a soft spot for our Bull Terrier whom I'd known since I was a kitten. We developed a strong, mutual understanding; and although I was never as demonstrative as that rambunctious and cheerful dog, we loved each other. In the face of her demands for repeated attention, I would respond if and when I pleased. 

If I got locked out of the house at night, my beloved companion would bark until the purrsons would let me inside. When I'd stroll through the door, I'd show my respect for her efforts on my behalf by rubbing against her to mark her -- in acknowledgement of her higher rank in the household.

She died four months ago. Needless to say, I miss her terribly -- as does the rest of the family.

Since her death, my behaviour has changed. Depending on whom you talk to, there are slightly different pictures of what has happened, so I will try to stick to the facts as much as possible: 1) I used to sleep on one of the kid's beds. Now I sleep under the bed. And some believe I sleep more than I used to. 2)Apparently I look 'lost', as if I don't know family members. Some say I growl and hiss at them without provocation (hissing just like I do if someone interrupts me when I'm chattering at the birds outside or chasing other cats away from the yard). Others suggest that I just startle easily. 3) I am not interested in playing. But I am still eating well. And I will sit by the dining table when the family is eating there, in the hope of getting a human food treat.

I like to have control over my purrsonal space. So I have never liked to be touched by humans unless I approach them for the occasional stroke; then I purr. I haven't purred in a long time.

My humans are concerned about these changes and wonder what they could do to help me feel better. And they'd like to get another Bull Terrier and wonder if it would be okay to have a puppy join the household at this time. Would a puppy help me feel better?

Yours, Figaro (but you may call me, Figgy)