cat parent corner

No matter the age of a cat, they are and will always be a "baby." That being said,

younger cats will annoy older cats with their energy level, so having a cat closer in age helps to keep the older cat from getting stressed. Personality does play a huge role though, so if you get a calmer cat that is no younger than 3 years old, as this is when their traits set in, they should be fine with a cat older than 10 years old. Just ask Maya and Jaffa, she was 11 years and he was a very calm 3 years, and they got along great from the start.

Vinnie was 6 months old when Jaffa was 5 years old, and even though Vinnie is still bouncing off of the walls, they play together.

Cats can be trained using treats, positive reinforcement, or both together. The trick is to associate the command with a visual cue or an object. For example, if you want your cat to stay when you open the door, go to the door and wait for your cat to be at a spot that is suitable, then say the word "stay" and give treats at that spot. Eventually you will only need positive reinforcement to keep the command working. They do enjoy getting a reward for doing what their cat parent praises them for, so petting them is always a good idea. Cats are also really good at training humans using purring and meows.

Imagine that your cat is walking through the environment of a video game. Many objects in the game are just background, they stay put and can't be moved, but then there are other items that you encounter and can interact with. You cat is just trying to interact with the new object in their environment, and that is what leads to smacking it repeatedly to see what it is and what it does. Speaking of video games, play the game "Stray" when your cat is around, you will both have a fun time, trust me.

Cats are actually social creatures that enjoy being around humans and other cats. The problem is that the cat prefers to choose the other cat and sadly that isn't an option most of the time. Sometimes cats will love each other from the start, sometimes it can take a while, even years, and sometimes they never get along. Even if the cats don't get along, they will tolerate each other and set territorial boundaries, only fighting if one of them breaks the rules.

Most cat parents are familiar with the sound of a cat puking. Why does this happen? Several reasons: overeating, furball, food allergy, eating grass, being overheated, stress, or a health condition. A cat's stomach is about the size of a ping-pong ball, so if they overeat, it will be coming right back up. If your cat is puking often, then please seek guidance from your local veterinarian as soon as possible. For cleaning, I personally recommend Resolve Pet Carpet Cleaner for carpet and upholstery.

Cats can be extremely picky eaters so making sure that they have proper nutrition can be difficult. If they go for it, the ideal solution is a nutritious dry food that they can graze on throughout the day, combined with a wet food once or twice a day - this combination provides vitamins, proteins, and hydration. Cats have a habit of not drinking enough water, so having a water fountain is ideal. Tip: cats don't like having their food and water near the litter box, so if you can, try to put them farther away.

One of the most interesting things is that according to Google, cats can hold grudges for over 16 hours, and in my house, I see it happen all the time. If I, the cat parent, caused an issue, then I am literally "shunned" - my cat will sit in front of me but turn their back to me, and this can go on for hours. If it was another cat that upset them, it doesn't matter what time of the day or night it happened, when the opportunity presents itself, they will dish out the consequences, which is usually a smack to the face. Surprisingly, they are fine with it, as if they know if they fluff around they will find out.

Did you know that cats can have allergies? They can even be allergic to human dander! They can symptoms like itching, rashes, licking the same spot, wheezing, sneezing, asthma, puking, or diarrhea. If you cat suffers from any of these symptoms, please consult your veterinarian. Two of my three cats have food allergies, so reading cat food labels has become second nature but the ingredients can be vague. For example, Maya is allergic to ocean fish, and I discovered Meow Mix contains it because you wouldn't stop sneezing while she ate it, even though it wasn't clearly marked on the label. Other allergies can be less clear, as Vinnie only gets extreme diarrhea about an hour or so after he eats tuna.

Cats hate eating stale dry food, even though it's dry you would think it wouldn't bother them, but it does! The hack I've found is filling breakfast cereal pouring containers with the dry food to keep it tasting fresh. A normal size cereal container holds a 3.15 pound bag of dry cat food perfectly. Since the larger size bags of cat food are usually cheaper, when I buy those I use gallon size storage bags which hold up to 3 pounds of dry cat food. By using the containers or storage bags, my cats think the food is as fresh as when I first opened the bag.