May 18, 2006
New Pages:
Urine Odor Control Process gives you specific instructions to removing cat odors in your home. These are generalized instructions for many situations, but they are the way you want to go.Odor Control Preparations has been updated with new products and reviews of some of those products.
There are some specific ways to determine why your cat is urinating outside the box, too. It is part of the Advice series, so not in the expected place.
Cat Odor Control
Over this past month, I've received several emails about cats urinating outside their boxes, and on the floor. Some of the behaviors are easily explained, some we are still working on. However, all cause odor that is difficult to get rid of. I got tired of typing the same instructions into every email, so I finally put up a page with those instructions spelled out for a general situation. Of course, there will be situations where those instructions don't quite work, but they can be adapted.I had been telling folks to get "PureAyre" and then I didn't have it on the odor control preparations page - it was buried somewhere else. So, I put it on that page, removed the "feliway" products and other items that didn't specifically address this issue. If you are looking for the repellents, they are now on their own page.
Litterbox Training
When you get a new cat, you have no idea if the cat will use the litterbox or wants to do his business out of doors. Start by putting a litterbox down and watch your cat. See if he uses it right away. If not, place your cat in the box and see what he does. He should start digging almost immediately. This is partly to see what this thing is, and partly to see if there is the scent of another cat about.If your cat goes outside the box, you have another thing happening, altogether. You will need to soak up as much urine as possible with paper toweling and bury the toweling in the litterbox. If solids are the problem, pick them up and put them in the box. Be sure to deodorize the out of litterbox spots thoroughly in both cases. Your cat should use the litterbox the next time he feels the need to eliminate.
Once your cat is comfortable with the litterbox and has been indoors for several days, you can let him outside to explore the yard. Watch to be sure he doesn't leave the yard, and never call to him if he's across the street. You never know if calling him home will cause him to cross the street when a car is coming. That would be tragic, and we don't want that!
New! A story for you from my emails
I've had requests for personal stories in CatLover Magazine. I will comb through my emails for an appropriate story to share with you each month.A Real Incident from May 4, 2006
St. George, UT, USA
A stray cat came into the house in the middle of the night. The owners had left a door open because of unseasonably warm weather. This particular house was home to two well-adjusted cats, ages 8 and 2.
This stray cat caused the elder cat to think that the younger one was a threat. Whether it was because he dreamed it, or the stray was the same type cat as the younger, we don't know. We just knew that the elder cat was now attacking the younger cat, causing the younger cat to act out. She became timid and stopped using the litterbox. He started marking all over the house.
What was worse was that the stray came back several times that night. The stray may have been a female looking for a home for her kittens or a cat that was abandoned by some unfeeling and cruel person. It left after a couple of days, but left a real mark in the household!
The owner had to re-introduce the younger cat to the elder cat as if she were new to the household. Things are a little better, but the younger cat was totally traumatized by this event. The process of healing could take a while.
Never leave your windows and doors open at night so that a cat could come in who doesn't live there. If you have a cat-door cut into a door or wall, block it at night. Your cat should feel safe in his or her own home. Use screens and shutters. If a cat can come in, so can a burglar, so be careful!
Last issue, we started a discussion of Feral Cats and their needs and care. If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please post a note and let me know your thoughts. I will email you to ask permission to include anything you write before posting it to the website.
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May Deals page is here.
The plans for the cat enclosure are still available, but now they will cost you $5 for copying and mailing. You can request your copy and include your PayPal billing address along with the mailing address to which they will be sent.
Folks, I want to answer your questions in this Newsletter! Please write with your questions or suggestions for topics.
Spread the word about For the Love of Cats dot com, forward this link to your friends. Your best bet is to copy and paste this paragraph in an email to your friends.
Morgen