Raining Cats & Dogs

Pet tips: Lessons in cattitude

February 13, 2013 @ 3:17 pm (Updated: 12:48 pm - 2/15/13 )

scariest cat
Here are some tips from the Seattle Humane Society on how to deal with cattitude. (AP Photo/file)
Cats are often described as independent animals who are known for walking through the eye of chaos without even twitching a whisker of concern. But even cats are susceptible to the stresses and anxieties that are all part of our faster-than fast everyday life.

No two cats are alike and they respond differently to potential stress situations, such as seeing you leave for work each morning, visiting the veterinarian, traveling or moving to a new residence. What you might consider even a very minor change could be very upsetting to your favorite feline's world.

Here are some stress and boredom relief tips:

• Make sure your cat has two 15-minute aerobic workouts - once in the morning and once in the evening. You can simply pull a toy on a string to exercise your cat while relaxing with your coffee or sitting in your favorite chair. In other words, adjust his schedule to better fit your own.

• Change your pattern of departure for work in the morning: leave from a different door, don't rattle your keys, and don't do a long, mournful "Good Bye." Make your cat a special departure plate of her favorite treats as a distraction. Leave while he is eating.

• Stimulate her mind with toys that have moving parts and challenges while you're gone. Track-balls, crinkle balls, or balls that contain a cat treat inside will require them to work at releasing the treat. Even an old gift box with some holes and a few foam balls trapped inside can be fun, inexpensive and relieve boredom.

• Leave the TV or radio on so she can hear human voices in the house. You might find he soon has his favorite weekly animal programs.

• Add a carpeted cat tree to your house decor - cats love to sit up high and watch the world go by. Or just place a chair near a busy window so your cat can watch the birds, squirrels and folks in the neighborhood.

• For single cat homes, consider getting a second cat. Most cats like company and will entertain each other during the day taking the pressure off you.

• Make your home cat-friendly. Have lots of places to curl up on blankets, with safe and warm spots to relax on.

Meet this week's Pet of the Week, a cat named Bailey. Available now for adoption at the Seattle Humane Society.

Listen to "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" on KIRO Radio every Sunday at 1 p.m. for more pet tips from the Seattle Humane Society. Learn even more with ON DEMAND episodes available anytime at KIRORadio.com.


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  • soo purletiv wrote...
    Why go to such extremes?
    February 17, 2013 8:56 pm
    "You can simply pull a toy on a string"

    My cat is more then mesmerised by just a string, minus the toy... ;-]

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }