Cats Top Pet Peeves

Cats hate dirty, stinky litter boxes, and may be driven to search for substitutes, whether it be a corner of the carpet or in a basket of clean laundry in the closet. Think about it: do you enjoy using one of those "portable potties" commonly found in public places? Your cat's sense of smell is 14 times stronger than yours, so a litter box that smells reasonably clean to you may outright stink to your cat's discerning olfactory senses.

This step-by-step tutorial will demonstrate conscientious litter box maintenance.

Some pills taste so vile that cats literally foam at the mouth while swallowing them (or spitting them back in your face.) It's even worse if you expect them to swallow pills dry. A 2001 study presented in a veterinary journal stated that "After 5 minutes 84% of capsules and 64% of tablets are still sitting in the esophagus." The study also brought out the spectre of esophagitis, which can be caused by the irritation of pills and capsules remaining in the esophagus for long periods of time.

A sick cat really needs his medication to be well again, or in the case of certain chronic diseases, to maintain a stable condition. Make it easier for both of you and try one or more of these different methods of administering oral medications.

Food that's spoiled not only smells bad, but it also is unhealthy for cats to eat. The length of time you can leave canned cat food before spoilage out depends on room temperature. In the summer, lacking air conditioning, I'd suggest leaving the food out no longer than 20 minutes, maximum. Likewise, in the winter, if the heater is on, or the food is in a warm kitchen, 20 minutes would apply. The absolute maximum under optimum temperature, would be around 30 minutes.

Kittens, who should be given smaller meals more frequently, probably will finish their meal well before 15 minutes. It's better to give them a tablespoon or two every three hours than to take a chance on spoiled food.

Be a hero instead of a chump, by keeping your cat's food fresh.

Whether it's the day-to-day hierarchy battles between two dominant cats, jealousy that their human is paying too much attention to another cat, or an outside intruder trying to muscle in on their territory, many cats hate competition from other cats.

• Hierarchy Disputes: The cats may find their own resolution and one cat will defer to the other, however you may have to separate them temporarily.
• Jealousy of Human's Attention to Another Cat: Will be covered in the next item.
• Outside Intruder: Fully covered in this FAQ.

My little rescued cat, Jenny, lately has to spend long hours alone in my bedroom, while we work on integration. Although she was a completely outdoor cat for the first year of her life, she's quickly becoming indoor-only. On nice days, I allow her out on our patio or our deck for short periods of time, but she is always back sleeping on the bed when I check for her. She loves my company, but becomes very lonely when I'm not with her.

Unlike some people believe, cats are not solitary animals, but they need and enjoy companionship. Witness how they will knead your legs when sitting with you, or even lick your hand.