Things were looking very bleak for Rainy. His elderly guardians were placed in a nursing home that wasn't companion animal friendly. Rainy, a fourteen-years-old, orange, neutered male was left in their co-op apartment. A kindly neighbor was caring for him until he went to live with his new guardians. But when they had a change of plans, Rainy's future became a giant question mark.

A young couple became interested in Rainy. But their senior cat, Lola, had some chronic health problems and although she liked cats, I felt Rainy might not be the best match. It was too much of a gamble.

Three weeks went by. Another week and it would be a month that Rainy lived alone. But a ray of hope arrived with a message from my sister Gail in Los Angeles. Justin, a veterinarian friend, who had a practice in Maine, thought he might know of a home for Rainy. A client's senior cat had passed on. This cat was an orange hunk of a cat, very similar to Rainy. The client missed her late cat, Sam, and had told Dr. Blake (Justin) that she found her heart and home so very empty with Sam gone.

"Any plans for going to Maine?" said my sister Gail on my answering machine. Suzanne would adopt Rainy if we could get him to Camden, Maine. I quickly reached Gail at her office. "Yes, I told her. I'm flying to Maine next weekend." My arrival city was Bangor, en route to North East Harbor, but Camden wasn't too far away.

Dr. Blake was able to arrange for one of his technicians to meet me and Rainy at the airport and she would drive Rainy to live with Suzanne. So I called American Airlines to reserve a space for Rainy with me in the cabin. I ordered a Sherpa Bag on Wheels to make the journey easier for the two of us. Rainy's size would weigh me down. My discomfort would make him uncomfortable. Sherpa on Wheels was the solution.

Rainy had a recent exam and so his papers were current for the airlines. The morning of the flight a car service drove me out to fetch Rainy. George, the neighbor met me in the co-op lobby and I popped Rainy in his Sherpa in which I had inserted strips of paper towels in case he had to relieve himself. George mentioned that Rainy had eaten breakfast four hours ago and used the litter box—so we were off to a fine start.

Shortly after I entered the lobby terminal, the driver appeared. "You forgot this," he said, as he handed me the pillowcase I had used to wrap around Rainy when I put him in his Sherpa. I thanked him. Slipped it into the pocket of Rainy's Sherpa and was glad I wouldn't need it again. So much for such optimism. When we finally reached security, I was told I would have to remove Rainy from his bag so it could go through x-ray and CARRY RAINY THROUGH. "But can't you check it manually, my cat will get upset, he's very heavy and he might run for cover. I was told, "Do this or no go!"

What to do? The pillow case, thank heavens for that driver. I remembered he was from Egypt and maybe that was in our favor catwise. Why not? I reached for the pillowcase, unzipped the Sherpa, talked to Rainy and wrapped him in the pillowcase. I continued to relax my body, breathed freely and told Rainy how good he was. He was an angel. A very kind security person held the lid of Rainy's Sherpa open as I slid Rainy in. As I thanked him and walked away, he yelled, "Didn't I see you on Animal Planet but your hand was in a bandage?" I smiled and told him I'd broken my thumb but it was all better.
Rainy and I both unwound as we waited for our plane. I offered him some water and turned on his cassette tape so he could relax with his personal musical security object. The plane arrived on time without incident. Now and then I talked to Rainy and stroked him in his Sherpa under my seat.

We deplaned after a smooth landing and Regina, Dr. Blake's technician was there to meet me at the gate. Regina greeted Rainy and reached in and stroked him. I gave her Rainy's important papers, toys and reminded her to have Suzanne start him off in a small room with his creature comforts. Once he was comfortable with that space, she should slowly introduce him to the rest of her house. As Regina rolled off with Rainy, I reminded her to call me if there were any questions.

Well all is well in Rainy's world. Dr. Blake phoned to say Rainy settled right in by the next evening and he's now a permanent bedtime companion for Suzanne. "Sounds like they're a great match," said Dr. Blake. "We have you to thank," I answered. Let's hope that the orphans of Katrina and Rita have some of Rainy's luck.

Dear Carole Wilbourn:

My little Manx cat (approx 6-10 yrs old) is sleeping in the littler box. She has done this before and stopped but now has started up again. She was living under our neighbor's house when we adopted her. We have had her about 1 year. She is also going to the bathroom outside of the littler box. I don't know what to do. Our vet didn't have an answer for me except to say that maybe our other five cats are intimidating her. She is a really sweet little thing but my husband is at his wits end. Any ideas that you may have to help me out with these problems would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Sharon


Dear Guardian Sharon:

Your sweet little cat may be intimidated by your other cats and feels safe in her litter box. But she may also have a medical problem which causes her to urinate outside the box. If she hasn't been spayed, this would also contribute to her deviant behavior. Arrange to have the vet check out a urinalysis and a general exam would be beneficial. A scar on or alongside her abdomen should be visible if she's been spayed. You might also keep her separate from your other cats and see if her deviant behavior stops. Praise and comfort her. She may be suffering traumatic stress disorder from living on the street. Check out my site if you feel you'd like a consult or house call. Click on http://www.thecattherapist.com/consult_with_carole.htm

My husband and I have the exact same situation with an "Unloving Cat." We've had her since she was about 11 weeks old. We adopted her from a no kill shelter. How does one train an untrusting cat to trust? We both work at home and have tried to give her an enormous amount of love since day one but it seems the only time you can pet her without a growl is when she is sleeping. She showed no signs of this when she was a kitten but she did run away if you tried to pick her up or pet her. As an adult she wines when picked up and growls but will not and has never bitten either one of us or displayed any advanced aggression. What can we do? She is now 16 months old and she has been spayed. We have also recently adopted a kitten that is extremely loving.

Thank you for listening, Connie


Dear Guardian Connie:

It's not easy when you want so much to love your cat who cannot accept the love. May I say, "Please don't take it personally." Your cat's reaction is probably a result of inner residual fear. She probably had a rocky and deprived kitten- hood before you adopted her. Even though you have been so very good to her, this long and deep rooted fear causes her to react in a hostile manner. Fear can produce hostility. It acts as a self defense mechanism. When you offer her affection, it turns on her BEWARE instinct. She becomes over-stimulated and behaves aggressively. Perhaps the arrival of this affectionate kitten will change this reaction. The kitten could become a positive role model. When she sees that the kitten accepts and enjoys your affection, she may begin to relax and open up her body, mind and spirit to your offer of affection. But please include her name verbally whenever you interact with the kitten so she feels in control and connected. Otherwise she will resent the kitten. Try to engage them together in play. Some catnip should help to invigorate and then relax her. My book, THE TOTAL CAT, will give you more tips will improve your relationship. Click on to my site, www.thecattherapist.com Good luck!

Rambo is a very spry 17 years. He's the picture of health but prevention is important, particularly in his golden years. One of my recommendations was to provide filtered, bottled or distilled water because the mineral content is less and easier on the kidneys. Kidney degeneration is a very common ailment in senior cats. A diet rich in carbohydrates is also kidney-friendly. Rambo and his companion, Lucy, sleep with their guardians and make it to the bed with no problem. If Rambo's agility slows down, they can place a little bench next to their bed so Rambo has less of a jump. A vet check up every six months would help to catch any medical problems early on. Rambo and Lucy have a cozy time in their KittyWalk stroller. The stroller is particularly friendly for cats who are in their golden years and their mobility has slowed down. If you live with a senior cat (10 years and older), you can never do to much to nurture such a special cat.

Dear Carole,

I have recently purchased an automatic litter box for my two neutered male cats. My older male is very frightened of the new cat box. The younger of the two uses it all the time and loves it. But he is now urinating on my bed. He has done this before but now he does it all the time. He even pooped on my bed at my feet while I was asleep. I love my cats and treat them very well, but I'm at my wits ends. What can I do to stop this behavior? 

Reesee


Dear Guardian Reesee:

Doesn't sound like this new box is a hit with your two cats.
Before we have a total disaster, it would be best to return to their traditional litter box. I would also schedule your younger cat for a vet check-up to make sure there isn't an underlying physical problem. Make sure their diet is well balanced and my book, THE TOTAL CAT (http://www.thecattherapist.com/cat_store.htm), will give you information on relationships and rivalry. Remember to keep their box clean and praise your cats when they make a deposit. Not every cat can adapt to the E-Age!

Dear Carole Wilbourn:

We adopted a very kind, gentle female cat who was pregnant at the time. We let her have the kittens and after eight weeks we adopted out the kittens, but kept the mother and one kitten. After another two weeks, we took the mama cat to the vet to have her spayed. When we reunited the mama and baby, they happily reclaimed each other. But now Mama is very nervous and won't let the kitten out of her sight. They are constant companions. The kitten still nurses occasionally, but the mother cat simply cannot calm down. She paces a lot and meows. She's so very jumpy. Could this behavior have been caused by her surgery? It's been over a month that she was spayed. She just won't calm down. What do you make of it? 

David


Dear Guardian David:

Poor mama cat! She sounds like such a dear—so loving and sweet. It usually takes a month or so for a female's hormones to level off after an ovario-hysterectomy. So this could possibly be contributing to her spooked behavior. But I think she's probably having a delayed reaction to her traumatic past. Between her abandonment, pregnancy, separation from her kittens and the stress of a veterinary hospital, she is now affected by post-traumatic-stress disorder or residual angst. 

1) To ease her discomfort, reassure her with praise and gentle stroking (when she's receptive). 

2) A sprinkling of catnip might help her to relax her body. 

3) You might add 1/4 teaspoon of brewers yeast to her food once or twice daily. It's high in the B vitamins and helps to relieve stress. 

4) Place her basket in a sunny spot. Heat is a great pacifier for nervous cats. 

5) If her behavior doesn't improve, speak with her vet. I'm so glad you chose to keep one of her kittens. Mama would be totally despondent if you hadn't.

Dear Carole,

We have a question about our cat. My fiancé found her when she was a kitten. She's never been extremely friendly, but she didn't previously mind being picked up or petted, and would come on the bed with us. Then we had to move to Europe for a year and left her with friends. We got back a few months ago, and initially she seemed pretty normal. Then six weeks later we got a little kitten. Ever since we got the kitten, she has stopped walking between our legs, following us, or hanging out on our bed. She just goes outside most of the time, but the weirdest thing is: When we pick her up, which is easy, she doesn't resist or run away, she just growls and occasionally hisses, constantly while she's being petted. We hold her carefully. We pet her very carefully, just a little on the head and back, but she won't stop growling. Yet she makes no attempt to get away. The people with whom she stayed with while we were in Europe also had two cats and were crazy about her. She was normal when we got her back. Why has her behavior changed so drastically towards us, now that we have a new kitten? She growls and chases him away, but when he's nowhere to be seen, she still growls and hisses while we hold and pet her as though the kitty was standing next to us. Thank you in advance for any advice you could share with us!

Claire and Rob


Dear Guardians Claire and Rob:

Your cat feels betrayed with the adoption of this new kitten. She was ok with previous companion animals because they weren't YOURS. There's a difference. You're her people, her guardians. They were just filling in.

Yes, she wants your attention but she also is upset and resentful of the kitten. You need to shower her with attention. Mention her name whenever and wherever you interact with the kitten. This mention will make her feel connected and in charge. Tell her you're doing things for the kitten on her behalf. Refer to my book, THE TOTAL CAT for more tips, (click on to http://www.thecattherapist.com/cat_store.htm) Also, refer to my archives, 6/28/05 New Kitten Threat. Court her and convince her that she's Number One!

For help, refer to the archives because I can't answer every email in my
column. For MORE INFO, ask the cat therapist or email Carole at
thecattherapist@idausa.org

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