Help Cats Cope with Stressful Situations
by Misty Hampton It’s not uncommon to hear that someone is using calming supplements, a safe space, or a ThunderShirt® for their dog during stressful events, such as holidays, when there are fireworks going off, or strangers coming to visit. There are lots of tools to help dogs cope with stressful situations. So, what about cats? Here, I’ll explore the use of tools like supplements, calming music, pheromone sprays, aromatherapy, and medications to help create a calming feline environment. Specialty Foods and Supplements In my experience, clients are more open… Continued
Keep Calm and Kitty On: Relaxation and Resilience Strategies for Cats
by Misty Hampton The purpose of this article is to identify techniques and tools that can be used to help cats navigate stressful situations, and to develop the resilience to cope with stressors on their own, when you aren’t there to help them. With cats, it’s considered by some “normal” for them to hide under the bed all day when there are visitors in the house but, undoubtedly, that cat is experiencing stress. And, it’s well known that chronic stress negatively impacts health and longevity. The best way we can protect… Continued
Here’s Why You Should Care About Cooperative Care for Pets
by Misty Hampton Poop happens. Sometimes, it’s messy! My longhaired cat, Linus, sometimes gets feces stuck in his fur. When this happens, he hesitates to groom his rear end. (Who could blame him?!) We needed a way to clean the feces off his bottom, and I wanted to be able to do “sanitary trims” to prevent recurring poopy messes. It needed to be a cooperative procedure because I didn’t want him to be stressed. Historically, Linus tends to respond to restraint with aggression. If stressed and afraid, he’d likely struggle… Continued
Choosing Cat Litter: Part Four – Crystals, Pellets, and Others
by Misty Hampton When setting up various cat litter preference tests for my cats, there were some top picks, and then there were some litters that were difficult to report on because my cats rarely (or never) used them. The following litter types and selections were not their favorites. Some notes about non-clumping litter: Non-clumping litter doesn’t seem designed to keep up with odor in a multi-cat household. The litter needs to be dumped out frequently and the box needs to be washed regularly. That just isn’t practical or economical… Continued
Choosing Cat Litter: Part Three – Top Picks
by Misty Hampton Combining the findings from Part One (Preference Testing) and Part Two (Comparison), here are my overall top picks, ranked based on cats’ preferences and features that are important to people. Key: Cat Preference Clumping Low Dust Low Tracking Odor Control Economical* Eco-Friendly ⭐⭐⭐(3) My cats used it more than once daily, on average Well-formed clumps Very low Very low Best Least expensive (price by volume) Best ⭐⭐✰ (2) About once per day Crumbly clumps Low Low Better Midrange Better ⭐✰✰ (1) Less than once per day Poor… Continued
Choosing Litter: Part Two – Comparison of Different Types of Cat Litter
In Part One of this series of blog posts, we explored how to set up a preference test to help determine which litter your cats prefer. Now, let’s look at features that are important to people: clumping, amount of dust, tracking, odor control, cost, and sustainability. Table 1 below summarizes my comparison of different types of cat litter, followed by more detailed descriptions of each of the features. Cat Litter Features Clumping Clumping makes it easier to remove soiled litter which, in turn, eliminates odor. It is recommended to scoop… Continued
Choosing Cat Litter: Part One – What Is a Preference Test?
Nowadays, there are many different kinds of cat litter to choose from. The purpose of this series is to compare different kinds of cat litter. This comparison will help consumers decide what kind of litter you want to try, and help you set up a preference test to determine what kind of litter your cat(s) will use. A note about litter for kittens: Nontoxic, non-clumping litter is generally recommended for kittens so that, if they ingest it, there’s no danger of their digestive tract being blocked up. Some people choose… Continued
Overstimulation in Cats
by Misty Hampton The term “overstimulation” is sometimes used among cat professionals. Like any label, it has the potential to be useful in certain contexts. Applied too broadly, it limits understanding. In this article, the author discusses how the term “overstimulation” is applied to cats and proposes a working definition of the term to promote better understanding of cats’ behavior and needs. Overstimulation can be prevented. When we recognize the signs of overstimulation, strategic interventions can lead to better interactions and improved outcomes, for both people and cats. Starting Point I was inspired to… Continued
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