Carole is available for bi-coastal house calls, speaking engagements anywhere, phone consults nationally and internationally. She also sees patients by appointment at Westside Veterinary Center in Manhattan. Her latest book is The Complete Guide To Understanding And Caring For Your Cat. Her recently released CD of spoken cat advice and soothing music is Caring For Your Cat, The Wilbourn Way.
Come back to Carole's home page monthly for cat news and Carole's most recent replies to behavior inquiries from worried cat guardians. To have this home page emailed to you after the story update, click here. You will receive this exact page by email, and it will link you to the other pages in her site, and to the rest of the IDA web site.
THE WILBOURN WAY (AKA CATS ON THE COUCH), December, '09
With this year winding down to a close, I want to thank you for your questions expressing concern in wanting to make a difference in the relationship with your cats. Let me also extend the very best of holiday greetings to all guardians and your cats on behalf of IDA.
I've decided to rename my column to reflect my way of addressing cat behavior, whereas MCATS ON THE COUCH is the title of one of my books and a previous column for Cat Fancy magazine. I am ushering in the holidays with the introduction of my NIFTY NIP catnip that makes a delicious holiday gift and includes free shipping. I have always given catnip to my feline patients, but now I want to expand the boundaries. You can refer to my Web site above for more details.
THE MESSAGE IS IN THE SUBTEXT
HOLIDAY SNOOZE
Here we have Orion taking a holiday snooze with Santa, while visions of Nifty Nip and play dates dance through his head. He may appear zonked, but in true cat fashion, he's not totally asleep. The sound of his name or a favorite plaything and Orion will be ready to rock.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE
(Orion, a former rescue, will represent cats and offer nuggets of wisdom regarding Beau, the rescued First Dog—a Portuguese Water Dog.)
FIRST DOG'S FIRST
This season marks the First Dog's first Chanukah and Christmas, as well as the First Family's first holiday in their presidential home. Orion sends his warmest greetings to Bo and family and came up with the most splendid idea to offer a calendar for the New Year, which would feature Bo in eye-catching poses. Orion would be only too happy to accompany Bo in some of these shots. The proceeds from the sales would go to shelters. This would be a "quintessential first." Go Bo!
HELP, OUR MOSIE'S FLED!
"We have a runaway cat" is the subject of an e-mail I received from a guardian in North Carolina. Mosie, the family cat, was one of a litter of four feral kittens, born to a feral mother cat, who took up residence in the family's backyard. Mosie became people friendly and moved in with the family, who had her spayed, and she lived the life of an adored companion for the past two years. A neighbor even managed to catch Mosie's mother and had her spayed. Mosie's two female littermates have continued to live in the family's yard. They were spayed, and although they are friendly with the family, they are still quite feral and prefer to live outdoors.
MOSIE FLEES
The other morning Mosie managed to dart out the door—her first outdoor excursion since she was adopted. Before she could get her bearings, her sisters chased her off the porch, around the house and way beyond, when her guardians lost sight of her. It was pouring down rain on behalf of Tropical Storm Ida. Mosie's family searched all of the backyards, but no Mosie. Between the storm, Teufel and Geistie patrolling outside her house, and being stranded in unfamiliar territory, it posed a triple trauma for Mosie. Three to four inches of rain was the forecast for the next few days.
ADVICE
I advised Mosie's family to notify the shelter and nearby veterinarians of Mosie's disappearance, and to put up signs, provide her with a stretch collar, and have her microchipped after she was found. I wished them luck in their continued search and suggested that, at some point, they could tame her outdoor sisters.
NO MOSIE
Their next e-mail thanked me for my search recommendations, but there was no word of their Mosie. Ida's chilling rain and winds was not on their side. But the following day brought their next e-mail:
MOSIE RESPONDS
"Just a quick note to let you know we found Mosie this morning. We went out through the neighborhood on our usual round of calling her name. For the first time in four days, we heard a faint meow. There she was in the crawl space under the next-door neighbor's house, where she was born 2.5 years ago. She crept out after 10 minutes of coaxing and sweet-talking. She is now back in our house, comfortable and roaming around, as though she was never gone for 72 hours. She's a little thinner but otherwise seems unaffected by her big adventure. Mosie is due for her annual exam this month, so we will have her microchipped at the same time, just in case she gets curious again. Her sisters were microchipped when we had them spayed. By the way, we've started to tame them, and now whenever we go out the door, we are careful to make sure Mosie is not under foot. Once again, many thanks for your interest and concern. – Carolyn"
MY CAT GOES INTO HIDING ON WEEKENDS
Hi Carole,
I have a neutered, male black and white cat who stays under the couch all day on the weekends. I don't know why he does this. At night I hear him crying in the hallway. What should I do?
Thanks,
Joan
Hi Guardian Joan,
It may be that your cat is sound sensitive and there is more area noise on the weekends.
If you realize this is so, here are some ways in which you can make him more comfortable:
- You can use a white noise machine to diffuse the street and interior noise.
- Pick a cozy, out-of-the-way spot where you can place a basket for him to hang out in. Acquaint him with the basket before the weekend. Offer some catnip or brush him, and he’ll form a happy association with the basket.
- When you have company, tell him that he's safe; you’re safe so that he's reassured by tone of voice and body language.
- Include him verbally when interacting with your company.
- If your phone rings more on the weekends, you can repeatedly ring your landline using your cell phone, so he becomes used to the noise invasion. Talk to him softly while the phone rings, and this will desensitize his fear.
My CD will help to relax him. See the top of this page for more information. You may discover that there are other weekend occurrences that add to his angst that you can change or modify.
MY CAT'S SLEEPING IN HER LITTER BOX
Dear Carole,
I'm worried about my cat. She has recently had some problems with some scabs on her back and is on medication. Her appetite is good, but she is now sleeping in her litter box. Is there something wrong with her?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Rachel
Hi Guardian Rachel,
A cat will frequently sleep in his or her litter box when uncomfortable, anxious, or ill.
This is a common occurrence with hospitalized cats. Rachel, you can put a basket near her litter box and make it comfy and cozy. She may decide to use it. Stroke her, and tell her she's okay. Get in touch with your veterinarian for additional advice. Here's to a speedy recovery for your cat.
POOPS BESIDE THE LITTER BOX
Hi Carole,
My cat, Zeus, sometimes poops outside of his litter box or on the rug in another room. A clean box has not deterred him. Could there be something wrong with him physically, or is he trying to tell me something else?
Thanks,
Melanie
Hi Guardian Melanie,
Zeus's behavior may be linked to his diet. He could be constipated or it may be that his anal glands are full, in which case I would recommend a vet visit. His incidents could also be anxiety-related. There may be something that upsets him, and he avoids his box to signal his discomfort. Melanie, have there been any new additions or changes to your home, work, or social schedule? Have there been any emotional issues in the past several months? Zeus may be reacting to a current or even long-gone situation. If so, give him extra attention: more private time, an additional scratching post, and whatever else you feel will please him. He may need a behavioral consult. Now's the time to solve this problem for the New Year.
You can now follow Carole on Twitter.
QUESTIONS TO CAROLE
Please consult with your veterinarian first to make certain that your animal companion's problem is not due to any medical condition.
If you have a question for Carole, you can email her at thecattherapist@idausa.org. We're sorry that Carole won’t be able to answer all questions, but the answers to many questions can be found in her IDA archives.
Oscar the Cat Predicts Death
Oscar is the feline resident at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island who seems to have predicted the deaths of 25 of the residents. In case after case, when he has curled up next to someone, it usually means they have less than four hours of life left. I was interviewed about Oscar by NBC-TV. Read all about Oscar on their site. To watch my video, click here.
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