Dr. Karen Sueda

What Cat Lovers are Asking this Week…

• Q:

  What kind of cats are the best family house pets?

  A:

  The cat that is the best family pet is one that fits in well with your family. There isn’t one cat breed or personality type that makes the best family pet since all families are different.
  
  I suggest you and your family sit down together and write down the characteristics you each looking for in a cat. Consider the following traits: appearance (long-haired vs. short-haired, specific breeds, size, and color), activity level (active, playful cat vs. lap cat), and age (kitten vs. adolescent vs. adult cat). You may find that each family member has a different “type” of cat in mind.
  
  Consider how your new cat would fit in with your family’s life-style. For example, long-haired cats are beautiful, but they tend to shed more and they need to be brushed daily so their coats don’t become matted. They may need professional grooming once in a while. If your family doesn’t have time for daily grooming sessions, a long-haired cat may not be for you. However, some owners love brushing their cats and find the daily grooming sessions to be a wonderful bonding experience. Do you have a fun and active family? If so, you may want a more playful and outgoing cat that can keep pace with you. If you tend to be more low-key, you may want a cat that is also more of a “lap cat”. Active cats that don’t have an outlet for their mental and physical energy often find ways to get themselves into trouble. Also consider the age of cat you want to get. Kittens are fun but can be a lot of work. You’ll have to “kitten-proof” the house when you first bring a young cat home. When it comes to adult cats, “what you see is what you get”.
  
  Unless you are looking for a specific breed of cat, I strongly encourage you to visit your local humane society or animal shelter. You can find cats of all ages, colors, appearances and temperaments there. Talk to the shelter staff, especially if they have adoption counselors. They know their charges well and can help play “matchmaker”. The best thing you can do is visit with several different cats and see how they interact with you. This will help you determine whether their personality matches your own. The cat that is best for your family is the one that picks YOU rather than vice versa.

  show
• Q:

  We have two six year old indoor cats that we treat like children. We are expecting our first baby in June. One of our cats is very jealous and needy. She sometimes chases and traps our other cat. She also bites me if she is upset and does not get her way. We are worried about how to adjust the cats to the new baby. Do you have any advice?

  A:

  Congratulations on the upcoming delivery! It’s wonderful that you’re thinking about how your cats will adjust to the baby’s arrival long before your bring your son or daughter home.
  
  When I counsel expectant parents, I recommend making a list of all the changes that will occur once the baby arrives. This not only includes baby items, such as the crib, stroller, bassinette, etc, but also sounds (e.g. baby crying), smells (e.g. baby powder), schedule changes (e.g. you will be staying home; midnight feedings) and new “rules” (e.g. cats not allowed in the baby’s room; cats not allowed on kitchen counters). You’ll want to get your cats used to all these things long before you bring your infant home. For example, purchase the stroller and wheel it around the house so your cats get used to it. If they seem fearful of it, play with them or give them treats and affection while another family pushes it around. If the cats won’t be allowed in the baby’s room, begin excluding them from this room several months ahead of time. Also consider purchasing a CD of baby noises and playing it to accustom your cats to the baby’s cries. Giving your cats several months to get used to the myriad of changes that will occur will decrease the stress associated with the baby’s arrival. You should also think about whether you’ll need to move your cats’ litter box(es) and food so the baby doesn’t get into them once he or she starts to crawl.
  
  Undoubtedly, you’ll have fewer opportunities to spend one-on-one time with your cats once the baby comes home. Since one of your cats tends to be needy, help her make the adjustment by finding activities that can keep her occupied. Examples include toys that encourage independent play (e.g. motorized toys, toys hung on doorframes), catnip-filled toys, puzzle toys, food-dispensing toys, cat videos, having a bird feeder outside a window, etc. Once you bring your baby home, give your cat lots of attention when the baby present and ignore her when the baby is in another room. This will help create a positive association with your infant. We want your cat to think that having the baby around is good and that life is boring when he or she is not there.
  
  Finally, this is a good time to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. You don’t want to worry about their health once you bring your baby home from the hospital. It’s also a good opportunity to ask your vet about your cat’s aggression toward you and your other cat and get a referral to a veterinary behaviorist or trainer. That way you’ll have several months to work with her so she is as happy and healthy as she can be prior to your baby’s arrival. Both of you will be far less stressed then!

  show
• Q:

  My kittens are male and female (so the owner told me) but I carried them to the pet store and they said both were female. So I need to know are there any behavioral differences in male and female cats. And if one is 1 week older than another is there a weight difference really?

  A:

  While there are behavioral differences between male and female cats, they won’t be readily apparent until your kittens are much older and have reached sexual maturity. There are some subtle differences in the way male and female kittens play that you can look for. Male kittens tend to play with objects and toys more than females. After about five months of age, male kittens may start to show sexual behavior and attempt to mount female cats and bite their scruff. These differences are not definitive however, so it’s best to establish your kitten’s sex by physical inspection of their genital region. When you lift their tail up, male kittens have a dot-line-dot appearance corresponding to their anus-scrotum-opening of their penis. Female kittens have a dot-line appearance corresponding to their anus-vulva. This can be very difficult for the average person to determine, especially when you are holding a struggling, fuzzy kitten. Therefore, I recommend visiting a veterinarian so they can help you establish your kittens’ sex. They will also talk to you about vaccines, deworming and proper kitten care to make certain that your cats live long and healthy lives. Your vet will also discuss your kittens’ weight. Kittens grow very quickly and depending on their body size and age, a kitten that is one week older than another can be significantly heavier.

  show