If you own or love a cat, you've likely experienced some...shall we say, "moodiness"? Cat's don't generally like change, and they can be quick to show you how they feel about it, whether that means marking your favorite rug, scratching things, attacking you or other pets in the home, or avoiding you altogether. Rest easy, because there is a way to move that couch across the room and reduce the likelihood that your kitty will protest.
Recently, my best friend moved in with her boyfriend, and that meant relocating her two cats, Loki and Charlie. Loki is a very happy-go-lucky boy, and he handled the transition like a champ.
Charlie, on the other hand, decided to hide for days. We put food and water all over the house and spread out litter boxes to make sure that she didn't have to go far from her safe places in order to have basic necessities, but we saw very little of her.
It took weeks before Charlie started to come around to hanging out with everyone again...and then came the furniture. This time, Charlie didn't disappear entirely. Instead, the kitchen and living room became her newest litter boxes. Butcher block counter? Check. Laundry basket? Check. Couch? Check, check, check.
Immediately after a Feliway plug-in was introduced, the inappropriate urination ceased, and Charlie decided that we were all cool enough to be around again. While it won't necessarily have such swift and amazing results for every cat in every situation, it is one of the easiest and safest first steps in attempting to reduce your cat's stress and keeping unwanted behaviors under control.
Comments? Questions? Reply to this post below! We would love to have your input on any and all of our posts.
Meet Feliway. At the clinic, we use a sprayable version of this product on towels to help keep your cat calm in a new and potentially stressful environment, but for home use, we recommend this plug-in refillable diffuser. Feliway mimics the natural feline facial pheromone used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure.
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Charlie, on the other hand, decided to hide for days. We put food and water all over the house and spread out litter boxes to make sure that she didn't have to go far from her safe places in order to have basic necessities, but we saw very little of her. It took weeks before Charlie started to come around to hanging out with everyone again...and then came the furniture. This time, Charlie didn't disappear entirely. Instead, the kitchen and living room became her newest litter boxes. Butcher block counter? Check. Laundry basket? Check. Couch? Check, check, check.
Immediately after a Feliway plug-in was introduced, the inappropriate urination ceased, and Charlie decided that we were all cool enough to be around again. While it won't necessarily have such swift and amazing results for every cat in every situation, it is one of the easiest and safest first steps in attempting to reduce your cat's stress and keeping unwanted behaviors under control. Comments? Questions? Reply to this post below! We would love to have your input on any and all of our posts.
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