Carole is available for bi-coastal house calls, international phone consults and her current book is THE TOTAL CAT (Quill). She also sees appointments at Westside Veterinary Center in Manhattan. Subscribe to Carole's free newsletter on her website by clicking onto www.thecattherapist.com/wilbourn_way.htm

My column will appear online the second week of every month.
If you have a question guardians, please send an email to Carole. Scroll down to see my column. I can't answer every email I receive, so please check the archives. Your answer may be already there.

All the very best to you and your cats. Now is an ideal time to realize all the fun and companionship that our cats provide. January will be the start of our next contest to celebrate our cats. Look for the announcement in my next column.

Dear Carole,

I am desperate to get help for my 15-year-old kitty, C.J. I have a call into my vet, but am trying all avenues to get a solution. C.J. used to weigh18 pounds and in the past 3 years has gone to 5.2 pounds. He gets regular Depomedrol and Winstrol injections for his appetite and extreme diarrhea. He loves to sit perched on an old cardboard scratcher he has had for years. It was becoming very worn so I bought 2 new ones, which came LOADED with loose catnip. Since he got these he has torn the fur and skin off his back and hip. I have been putting Neosporin on the hip (the first injury) and he didn't bother it anymore. The one on his back he keeps tearing at and has loose skin hanging from it and it's a bloody open wound. The only other thing that has changed is I discovered he loves deli-sliced turkey and has gotten rid of the diarrhea and gained weight since eating it.

My question is, have you ever seen this type of behavior? Could the catnip have caused it? I've been online searching for answer for hours and had no luck. Currently I have a dog sweater on him so he can't bother the sore but he can't wear a sweater all the time. He had been doing well while wearing it yesterday and all night last night and I tried him without it today and he went back to licking and pulling the wound. I am a nervous wreck and feeling ill my self from this. Please, please, can you help him?

Many thanks, Diane 

Dear Guardian Diane:

Sounds like C.J.'s plucking is a result of the loss of his favorite object and maybe he has a catnip allergy. The latter isn't common but it could be a factor. By now, you've dispensed with the new scratchers. You can provide him with a piece of scratchy carpet or cardboard box to scratch on. Some omega fatty acid supplements added to his food will help. Make sure the deli turkey doesn't have any supplements that could trigger allergies.

Psychogenic dermatitis does seem to be the appropriate classification for his behavior. Don't dispense with his t-shirt. You might try rubbing some of the Aloe plant into his wounds. Please tell him he's healing and you are too. The better you feel, the better C.J. will feel.

Hello Carole Wilbourn,

I have a 14 year old spayed female cat. She is an indoor/outdoor cat who spends only daytimes outside. Six days ago, I let her outside like any other day, but she never returned. This is extremely unusual behavior for her since she is untrusting of anyone else, and bravely defends her tiny territory of our front yard. She doesn't roam, in fact, I've never even seen her cross the street. There are no predators in our area, and she was perfectly healthy before she disappeared. I've heard from several people whose cat disappeared for weeks to months at a time and then mysteriously returned. I'm hoping this will be the case for my cat. I've looked on the internet and read books to find out what causes these mysterious "walk-abouts" (I like to call them), and I haven't had any luck with my research. Is this a natural phenomenon or caused primarily by injuries or illness? As the cat therapist, I was hoping you could shed some light on where these cats go, what causes this behavior, or any other information you might have that could help me. 

Thank you so much!

Wendy
Redlands, CA

Dear Guardian Wendy, 

I sincerely hope this is a WALK-ABOUT and your cat has returned by now. Hopefully, she wore some type of identification. If she hasn't returned, I would post signs in the neighborhood and at vet offices. Do offer a reward as an inducement to return her to you. Contact various shelters and Pet Finders. Sometimes a cat can get locked in someone's garage or basement. Also, it may be that she was lured or chased away by another animal or sudden sound. I do hope she's returned safe and sound. You might walk through the neighborhood calling her name.

TESTIMONIALS

Thank you for sending along your testimonials. It lets other guardians know that their cat questions can be solved and lets me know that my column is helping cats to leave the couch.

Fabulous Felines

Don't miss out. You owe it to your cat/s. Scan photos to thecattherapist@idausa.org

Click on to Fabulous Felines and you'll see why this is a Feline Must!

Testimonials

Cat guardians, There is a new addition to CATS ON THE COUCH. Click on to TESTIMONIALS and read all about Winston and his rescue.

If you have a question guardians, please send an email to Carole. Scroll down to see my column. I can't answer every email I receive, so please check the archives. Your answer may be already there.

Stroll With Your Cats

There's a perfect and fun way to safely enjoy the outdoors with your cats. Click on to thecattherapist.com and then to Kittywalk

Cat Talk

CAT TALK is now available. Find out what your cat is TRYING TO TELL YOU. So guardians, click on to the Cat Store.

Carole's Newsletter - "The Wilbourn Way"

The Wilbourn Way Newsletter is Carole's free email newsletter, which brings you Carole's personal view on cat culture monthly..

Molly Of Myers Keswick Is Rescued

"Oh come on Molly you can do it," said cat therapist Carole Wilbourn. 

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Cat therapist Carole Wilbourn used the sounds of whales on tape and catnip to try and lure Molly out Wednesday. CBS

Feral Cats

Saturday, September 9, in San Francisco, the third annual National Feral Cat Summit will take place. You don't want to miss the only conference in the U.S. devoted exclusively to feral cats. Click on to neighborhoodcats.org for details.

Feral Cats

Each day we strive to give our cats the very best care. Helping feral cats is a valuable and wonderful way to extend social response to Neighborhood Cats can be your source of assistance.

You may even be the guardian of a feral cat—so you're aware of the beauty they possess. My late cat, Ziggy-Star-Dust was a feral kitten and the cure for my anxious, reformed attack cat, Sunny-Blue. After Sunny passed-on, Star-Dust took on many of his Sunny's traits—particularly, Sunny's Siamese cry. He was nine years old at the time but lived until seventeen. He taught me so many things, including patience and loyalty.

There is a chapter on feral cats in my book, THE TOTAL CAT, click on to my site, thecattherapist.com, for more info. You can also refer to the archives for my column, click on to Archives at top of page. There are articles from 11/04, 1/05, 11/15/05.

Let us all be socially responsible for feral cats on behalf of our own cats.

Remember, please add a picture of your cat along with your cat questions.

» CAROLE'S NEWSLETTER--THE WILBOURN WAY"