If you have or had a cat 13 and older who is fabulous, and even if he or she is no longer with us, you are invited to enter IDA’s Fabulous 13 and Older Cat Contest. Just tell us what makes your elder cat a winner and a cat that cannot be forgotten in 50 words or less! Please include a photo with your entry and send it to: thecattherapist@idausa.org or to CATS ON THE COUCH CONTEST c/o IDA at 3010 Kerner Blvd, San Rafael, California 94901.

CONTEST HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH NOVEMBER 15th

1st prize: "I am my cat's guardian" short-sleeved t-shirt, IDA commuter mug, and IDA greeting cards set, and phone consult with The Cat Therapist

2nd prize: "I am my cat's guardian" short-sleeved t-shirt and an IDA commuter mug.

3rd prize: IDA license plate frame and black IDA logo lanyard.

This contest is in memory of Diana-Moon-Dust, my 18 year old cat who was very, very FABULOUS.

My cat, Orion, and I were speakers at the NYC Cat Acatemy that was overflowing with feline guardians. It was a fun-filled catmosphere.

The Cat Acatemy is now on national tour. If you’re unable to attend the Acatemy in person, you can learn to think like a cat with cat napping and my other online lessons. Score well on the aptitude test and you can get your online degree. The more you think like a cat, the better your feline relationship will be. You may need a little help from your cat. But won’t your cat be proud of your choice in higher education where the tuition is free? Click here to participate in the fun.

Find out how you can help feed homeless animals for free with a simple click.

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, scroll down the right and click “cat therapist.”.

Atticus wants to go outdoors but…

I have a wonderful cat named Atticus. We may not be the best guardians in the world, but we give him love every day and try to listen to him, and he trusts us.

We got him as a stray when he was a teenager so he was familiar with the outdoors. It’s hard to know all that he’s been through, but he’s still very skittish, though very loving and very curious.

We have a really big place, a 4,000 square foot converted warehouse, but he clearly misses the outdoors.

But outdoor cats in our neighborhood have been shredded by wild dogs. Also, we lost another great cat some years ago to FIV.

Atticus has been trying hard to slip outdoors lately, with occasional success. If it were even just a case of a life expectancy shortened by a year or two, I’d consider accommodating his preference; but I think I’ve got reason to believe he’d likely be dead while still in his prime.

So I’m wondering, is there any kind of decent leash I could get that would work for him, so I could take him for a walk? I’m perfectly happy to follow him wherever he wants to go; I just want to be able to save him from the dogs or whatever. Or would that just be even more frustrating for him?

And I’m concerned about the type of leash — I don’t want to choke him, but cats are slippery.

Another aspect is that he could just be bored. He’s fairly smart, and we used to have another cat, who died of old age. Their relations were awful. The other cat had his charms, but was basically mean and cranky. I think Atticus was in some ways relieved when the cranky cat died, and I’m concerned that Atticus had no decent role model re- inter-cat relations. But I wonder whether Atticus might be happier with a companion cat.

Thanks for any help,
Carolyn S.

Dear Guardian Carolyn,

Yes, this can be a conundrum. Your concerns regarding outdoor dangers are very real. I certainly wouldn’t allow Atticus to go outdoors alone. Why don’t you try a kitty harness that has an attached leash. But get him used to the harness indoors before you go outdoors. Another option would be the Kittywalk enclosure that you could attach to a kitty door. Atticus could spend time in the enclosure when you’re able to keep watch over him.

Atticus might do very well with a feline buddy. A cat-oriented, very playful kitten or cat who would dote on him would be a good match. You could use my Wilbourn Way of Introduction where someone unknown to Atticus would escort the newcomer in and Atticus would eventually “find” the newcomer. My book, The Total Cat, has my introduction and many other pointers. You could also refer to my archives, March 22, “05, Remi’s Farewell.”

Best of luck to you and may Atticus become rejuvenated.

Female Aggression Toward Adolescent Male

Dear Cat Therapist,

I took in a feral male kitten who was three months old. He lived in the basement until he was worm free. The alpha male and female living upstairs knew there was an intruder in the basement and had their noses out of joint. When I got the okay, I allowed short visits from both for 15 minutes. The male strutted around and the baby tagged along (the male tolerates him but does get hissy at times).

The female usually sat at the top of the stairs and didn't go down. Then on the fourth visit, her tail puffed up and she charged down the steps and attacked the baby, turned on the alpha male and then went after me. I cage the female at night, it's a big cage (Rotweiller size) with a second level, so the baby can come out of the basement. This has been going on for six years.

For the first four years or so the female would launch herself at the baby when she saw him and several times knocked herself out against the side of the cage. Lately things have calmed down and she seems to ignore him. I've tried to let him out free but he goes back into the basement and hides. He is still mostly feral. I can pet him but can't pick him up. My female cat is very timid and very needy about petting. The baby is now 26 lbs.; he could stand to lose 2 or 3 lbs. He is a very big boy. She is 11 lbs. I would like them to tolerate each other. They both need to be separated from the alpha male at mealtimes because he will take their food. What do you think I should do?

Marianne M.

Dear Guardian Marianne:

Your female’s angst and insecurity was heightened when the feral kitten arrived. His anxiety jet propelled hers and he became her tension target.

Ways to Reduce the Tension

• To build up her ego and self-esteem, mention her name whenever you interact with the younger male. This will make her feel included and not the odd cat out.
• Credit her and your older male verbally whenever you compliment the younger male so they will feel in charge and special.
• Try to engage them in play with a swing toy while he’s still in his habitat. Some catnip might entice and relax them. The more you can get them to interact while he’s in his habitat, the more likely they will be able to tolerate each other when he’s not.
• His jaunts out of his habitat should be into a small, sunny area. The larger the space, the more anxious he will be. He’ll also be more receptive to you in a smaller area.

You’ve probably noticed that he’s more accepting of attention when he’s in his habitat. This is because he feels more secure.

I do hope these pointers will break down the barriers.

Maddy Doesn’t Like to be Petted

Dear Carole Wilbourn:

My husband and I adopted two kittens from our vet on July 25, 2007. They are brother and sister and approximately four months old now. The boy, Dallas, is a very warm and affectionate kitten. The girl, Maddy, is a frightened kitten. She constantly runs and hides when we walk by her or go to pick her up. When we are able to hold her, she is very, very, very tense and most of the time will just plop over on her side. She will, eventually, purr. At first her ears are down but eventually go up. We try to do this daily with both of us holding her for about 20 minutes each. Both kittens are healthy and are up to date with their vaccinations. They seem to be happy with their new environment and to like our home. Also, they play well together and are very active kittens. Dallas loves to be in the middle of everything.

What else can we do to help with her behavior?

Thank you,
Alisa B.

Dear Guardian Alisa:

Maddy is certainly a kitten-oriented-kitten and her brother is her antithesis. Fortunately, she has a very social role model which will help to chip away at her timidity with people. There are some ways you can interact with her to increase her people trust:

• Stroke her gently and briefly while she’s eating. You can increase the time slowly as she becomes tolerant of your touch.
• Engage them both in play while you’re sitting on the floor. Your body will be more relaxed and less of a threat to Maddy. You may be able to touch her but also touch Dallas. You need to spread the wealth and the good energy.
• You might also play with them on your bed and this might lead to her acceptance of more contact with you.
• If Dallas likes to be brushed, perhaps Maddy might be encouraged to accept a brushing.

My book, The Total Cat, has a chapter on timid and feral cats. My CD will give you information on caring for your cats and will relax Maddy. Visit my website for more details. Repetition and patience will be the key to winning Maddy over.

Amazon Continues To Look The Other Way

Why is it that Amazon continues to sell books on ANIMAL FIGHTING? Can their business be that bad?

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.

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.

You should begin to notice some changes in Reggie’s demeanor in several days. If there isn’t any improvement within two weeks, it may be best to put the kitten refuge on hiatus for several months. At that time you could start again and use these recommendations. But I do hope that Reggie unloads his animosity. “You can do it Reggie!”>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..

Feral Cats

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.

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