Cats and Bodily Fluids

In a multi-cat household it seems that no matter where you look one of your cats has leaked some sort of feline bodily fluid.

Nine cats reside in my home. They’re all rescues, of course, and run a gamut of ailments from digestive disorders to hyperthyroidism, respiratory problems to anxiety and stress. Some of them are long-hair but all seem to shed with equally relentless capacity. As a consequence, I swear I spend half my life cleaning up spit, snot, hairballs, pee and poop. And if I don’t stay on top of things, there’s the risk that my house will smell like a feline latrine. So, let’s address some of these problems and ways in which to deal with them.

The litter box. Perhaps the most essential tool for the indoor cat owner; just dumping in any old litter and placing the box any old where is rarely good enough. To this day I still have not found the ideal cat litter for me or my pets. Yes, your cat can be as finicky about her litter as she is about her food.

The scented litters can be overpowering and some of my cats don’t like them. I also happen to be highly allergic to them, which makes me wonder what damage they might do to my furry “kids”. Plain clay gets smelly quickly and requires dumping the whole mess rather than just scooping. Then there’s the issue of dust (like I don’t have enough cleaning already) and tracking (it’s a pain getting into bed with bits of kitty litter stuck on the bottom of your feet). I’ve finally settled on a mix of scoopable pine (looks like sawdust) and clay granules (Ultra Precious Cat). There are no perfumes, dyes or chemicals; almost no dust; tracking is not quite as bad as lot of other litters and it does sweep up easily. Cost may be a little higher than some well-known brands but I find this combination lasts longer. To control odor, there is no substitute for frequent scooping, which I do at least twice a day.

As for the litter box. The rule of thumb seems to be one box per cat. But I don’t use those expensive pet store boxes. I go to Walmart and for seven or eight bucks I buy 30 gallon storage containers, cut an opening in one side and spread them around the house. In some areas I use the lid and disguise the box behind plants and room dividers but, because not all cats like to do their business in a completely enclosed space, in places like the laundry room and garage I leave the lid off. Adequate, clean litter boxes are the best way to prevent…….

Inappropriate peeing.

I’ve had my problems with this on and off. In fact every time my husband and I go away our insecure little Ollie expresses his anxiety by marking around the house. So I am never without a supply of Ultimate Pet Odor Out or Anti Icky Poo. For me these are the best odor eliminators on the market and are absolutely necessary as they destroy the bacteria that cause odor. They may seem expensive but do actually last a long time. Check on amazon.com; I usually find the best prices there. Cleaning alone, even with bleach, will not work. After the odor eliminator has done its job, try cleaning with a solution of white vinegar or lemon juice.

Note: If you have a consistent problem with your pet urinating in the home, take her to the doctor. The problem may be an infection. And chronic behavioral problems can sometimes be controlled with homeopathic remedies.

Hairballs. Most spit-ups are hairball related and the best way to deal with this is prevention. Not that you’ll ever have a hairball-free house but there are are things you can do. Daily brushing helps. Most of my cats love this. For those that don’t, one of those grooming gloves works instead. Try a hairball food as well but be careful. My cat, Ms Taz, absolutely craves the stuff and if I don’t control the amount she eats we then have to deal with….

Loose stool. I first became aware of Taz’s overindulgence when it looked as if there had been an explosion in the litter box. It was ghastly! But scrubbing the box is a lot easier than cleaning bed linen or cat beds where the loose stuff sticks to your pet’s butt and then gets wiped on every spot they sit. The Icky Poo works here as well before washing. Taz also happens to be long-haired, so I regularly trim her rear end for easier cleaning, if necessary.

Snot a problem. A couple of my kitties have slight allergy issues. Of course, usually they sneeze when they’re on my lap gazing into my face but, thankfully, it’s generally just mucus.

The thing here is, if you’re going to have house pets, you’re going to have dirt. I long ago adjusted to the fact that my home will never look like anything featured in Good Housekeeping. The beds, the sofa, the chairs, all have covers over them that I can wash when necessary or whisk off in a hurry if someone comes to call.

“It’s really the cat’s house – we just pay the mortgage.” ~ Unknown.

Are You Poisoning Your Cat?

Ditto loves to drink from the toilet. He’ll hear that flush and just come running. When he does, we flush a second time to be sure the water is clean and let him have at it. Be assured, though, that we use absolutely no chemicals in the toilet. I clean with vinegar and good old fashioned elbow grease.

Drinking from the toilet is not something I recommend for pet owners. (For Ditto, in a household of nine cats it’s his special “thing”). I do recommend, no… insist, that cat owners make every effort to poison-proof their homes, starting with the toilet. Don’t use those things you hang over the bowl or drop in the tank. Even if you usually put the seat down on your toilet someone only needs to forget once and it could be curtains for your cat. If you feel you have to use harsh cleaners then flush several times after cleaning to be sure there’s no residue.

Feline curiosity is legendary and that extends to tasting all sorts of tempting, but potentially lethal, plants, foods, chemicals, human prescriptions, cleaning products and on and on. A friend of mine lost his cat when she got into a closet and chewed on the mothballs. What make this worse is that I’ve actually heard mothballs recommended as a deterrent to cats. Well, yeah, I’d say killing the cat is definitely a way of deterring it! Keep your cat away from mothballs, people!

In some ways cats are like babies. Their mouths house primary sensory organs and putting things in their mouths allows them to explore taste and texture. So in addition to removing dangerous substances from the home, offer alternatives to keep kitty occupied. Start with a sound diet so your pet doesn’t have to search for food. Get cat grass as an alternative to your exotic plants. You’ll find it at most pet stores for a healthy price or buy seeds and grow your own. You can get a free sample of seeds here.  Even if your feline is the outdoors type, she’ll appreciate the fresh young stalks. Live catnip is also great and can be found at most major pet stores (again, for a hefty price). I found it for less on ebay – just search for “live fresh catnip”.

And use toys and other diversions so your cat won’t have to go looking for something to do.  That can be a recipe for disaster.

For lists (and they’re long) of substances that are poisonous to cats take a look at these pages:

http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/a-poison-safe-home.html

If your pet is poisoned….

The obvious thing is to get to a vet as quickly as possible. Cats, of course, don’t conveniently get sick during your vet’s operating hours, so make a copy of this informationfrom the ASPCA. Post it on your refrigerator where everyone in the house will know where to find it. Highlight the poison control number –(888) 426-4435. Program the number into your cell phone and the speed dial of your home phone. Sometimes, seconds can count.

“There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast” ~ Unknown