By Robbi Hess ~ Managing Editor Pet Calendar, Crimeless Cat Executive Story Editor, Chief Cat Herder
As a cat mom I admit to carrying on conversations with my cats. Does that make me weird? That was a rhetorical question, thank you very much!
Of our four cats, three of them are extremely chatty. If I look at Oblina she will start chirping, run over to me and stare right into my eyes. Parker, our old man, will speak when spoken to, but he isn’t a big fan of talking. Calico Lucy talks, too. If you ask her a question, she will meow in response. Ickis usually only seems to want to talk at about 4 am when no one wants to have any conversation.
Have you ever wondered what your cats might want to talk with you about if they had the opportunity? Here are some of my thoughts on what they might be thinking!
Pet Calendar: Answer Your Cat’s Question Day
- What do you mean I can’t scratch the (fill in the blank) carpet, couch, your shoes, the walls? It’s natural for cats to scratch. If your cat is scratching on something you don’t want her to, then you need to replace the item you want to prevent from getting scratched to another item on which she can scratch to her heart’s content. Place scratching posts in various areas around the house. If your cat scratches the sofa, put a scratching post there and encourage her to scratch that. Invest in various types of scratching materials. Some cats like sisal, others like cardboard scratchers, while others enjoy carpet or sandpaper-feel posts. Try several until you find one your cat likes.
- Would you use a toilet that was that dirty? If your cat is avoiding the litter box there are myriad reasons, but the simplest one to address could be that it’s just too dirty. A cat box should be cleaned several times a day — one at the bare minimum. If you have more than one cat you need more than one litter box and you need to scoop more often. If the box is clean and your cat still won’t use it, check out whether it’s in a high traffic area, in an area of the house that’s too loud or dark or too difficult to get to.
- Get off the counters? Me?! Why do your cats get on the counters? If there’s food, that is one reason. Another is simply that cats like to be high up. Give your cats tall objects that are cat friendly and give them the opportunity to be high above the ground.
- I tried to warn you! Ouch! Were you just petting your cat and he decided to bite you? We’ll bet he gave you signs and signals. Was his skin twitching? Did he stop purring? Did he scratch or hiss or take a nip of you? That means he is done being petted. Respect his wishes.
- Why are you ignoring me? This question is one that can be asked during any number of situations. Are you trying to read? Are you on the computer? You’re getting dressed and put your clothes on the bed and I’m not supposed to sit on them? All of these are situations in which your cat will be convinced you are ignoring them — and why they will drape themselves across your computer or keyboard. Take the hint. Take a break. Pet your cat!
What questions would your cats ask and how would you answer?
