Dear Savannah . . .

(Romeo)

"I am a very handsome and loving house cat that was rescued by my Mom.  She and my brother, a very stately black cat, welcomed me with open arms and paws.  Last summer Mom brought us a new brother and he is not very nice!  He likes to jump on me and bite my neck. Even though I scream he doesn’t stop.  And sometimes he wakes us all up at 2 am with his antics—racing and yowling through the house.I know he was not treated nice at his other home, but here he is pampered with toys, treats and soft, warm beds. Please tell me what to do to get Buster to behave and get him off my back!  We just want him to stop biting us and calm down.  No one here will hurt him, even though he follows us around smelling our butts all the time." 

Super Sad in Stayton,
Romeo

(Romeo, Buster & Black)

Dear Romeo, "You know what they say—you can choose your friends, but not your family. Normally I would say Buster’s first display of behavior means he wants to be a “couple” – if you get my meaning.  But since you’re both males, it can’t be that—unless he’s confused.  Regardless, he is showing dominant behavior.  And the yowling and running around the house in the middle of the night could mean he is still trying to settle into his new environment.  He came into your family six months ago—but that’s really not a lot of time to settle down when you’re a cat—especially one that came from a dysfunctional home life. Here are a few suggestions for your mom to try. 1) She should have a spray bottle, full of water, handy at all times.  As soon as Buster jumps on your back, she should spray him in the face.  Trust me—he won’t like that and will back off.  2) An hour or so before you all go to bed, your mom should play with Buster—use feather toys, a  red laser pointer, catnip balls—anything to keep him running.  This may tire him out and he’ll want to sleep through the night.  3) Turn on Animal Planet or get him my favorite video—“March of the Penguins”—he may watch the whole thing and fall asleep.  4) One final option is to try a product called Feliway.  It is a pheromone-based diffuser that can have a calming effect on cats with behavioral problems. Good luck!"  

Savannah

• Note from Savannah’s attorney:  
Savannah is not a licensed veterinarian.  
Her advice should not be taken as a 
replacement for treatment from a 
licensed professional—if needed.

"Every cat is special in its own way."
- Sara Jane Clark

Dear Savannah . . .

"Help!  The other day I had one—just one—accident in the house, and now I might get the boot and be forced to live outside.  Honestly, the only reason it happened was because my litter box wasn’t clean.  Don’t humans know that felines are fastidious when it comes to hygiene? I don’t want to be outside.  Cars speed by our house, dogs run around the neighborhood and I might get fleas.  But what’s really freaking me out is, last week I saw the tabby next door come out from under a bush and he had a baby slug riding on his back.  Just look at my long beautiful hair—I’ll have a whole posse of slugs attached to me!  What should I do?"
Signed, (Please keep me) Slug-less in Seattle

 

Dear Slug-less, "I love living outdoors—but I’m a wildcat.  A domestic cat is always better off living indoors.  Whether you’re in the city or the country, living outside poses all sorts of potential danger:  exposure to other cats with health issues, lawn fertilizer, traffic—even raccoons!  Sure, their little masks are cute and it’s fun to watch them wash their food, but they can also carry rabies! So, I hear you loud and clear, my feline friend.  Hopefully your human will read this and reconsider.  Humans also need to know that a litter box should be cleaned at least twice a day!  And if there is more than one cat in the home, there needs to be at least one litter box per cat.  Now, if any of you other felines out there have had an accident—even though your litter box is pristine, your human needs to take you to the doctor for a checkup right away.  Sometimes “accidents” can indicate a physical problem."

Savannah

“For me, one of the pleasures of cats' company is their devotion to bodily comfort." - Sir Compton Mackenzie