Dear Angora Landers...
Got a cat behavioral question? Ask Angora Landers!
Litter Bits
DEAR ANGORA LANDERS: The Dog keeps getting in my litter box. I cover things up all neat and tidy and here he comes right behind me to dig it all up. And I think he’s EATING it!
--MISS KITTY
DEAR MISS KITTY: Amazingly, those dogs find our recycled food bits tasty. ICK! Eating it is apparently not an entirely dangerous habit, but eating the stuff we cover it with is. Maybe we can ask Dear Labby to remind her constituents of the dangers of eating litter.
--ANGORA LANDERS
Thanks for the reminder, Angora. Now hear this all of my canine constituents – clumping clay litter is BAD stuff to eat, and the stuff that’s in it isn’t good for you either. I know it smells delicious, but that litter will sit in your gut and soak up all the water it can from your insides. Depending on how much you’ve ingested, you could end up with a small clay boulder in your tummy. Plus the stress and strain it adds to your urinating mechanisms can cause you double trouble. So, use those big doe eyes to garner real delicious goodies from your family, don’t steal stuff from the litter box. If it’s really difficult for you, maybe your family will help you out by putting the box behind a teeny tiny cat-sized door, or covering it with a lid. Thanks for listening!
--LABIGAIL VON BONES
The Christmas Tree
DEAR ANGORA LANDERS: You wouldn’t believe what’s going on at my house! My people are doing all kinds of crazy stuff they don’t usually do, but the craziest is this one – they’ve brought a TREE INSIDE. AND…they put toys all over it! There’s shiny string and little blinking things and birds and pom poms. Do you think they put that there for me?!
--JOY, EAGER TO EXPLORE
DEAR JOY: Sorry to burst your bubble, Joy, but that tree is actually for the people. They’ll probably do that once a year in the winter. They call it a Christmas tree, but it sure looks like an outside tree whenever I see one. All the toys on the tree are actually for the people to look at. And if you’re smart, you’ll steer clear of those toys. Some of my friends have had to have surgery to remove the shiny strings from their stomachs; and the blinking things – DON’T bite those. The good thing is toys do appear around the time the tree shows up, but they’ll probably be wrapped in paper and put under the tree. Or maybe you’ll be extra lucky and get one of those tree-sized things with shelves and boxes you really can climb on. Take my word for it, the toys ON the tree aren’t worth it, nor is the water in the bowl that holds the tree. Wait for the toys your people will give you, they’ll be even more fun.
--ANGORA LANDERS
'Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the Mews'
DEAR ANGORA LANDERS: How do you tell a person you need to see a doctor? This is killing me. I’m afraid to go to the bathroom because it hurts so much. Then, when I have to go, I have to really, really go. I can’t even make it to the litter box a lot of the time. The people in the house get so crazy when it happens, I have to run and hide. I try to tell them, but I don’t know how to make the words. How can I fix this? I’ve snuggled on their laps for years, and ever since this started they don’t want me around.
--PRISCILLA, CROSSING MY LEGS
DEAR PRISCILLA: I’m so sorry you are hurting. This language barrier is difficult, I know. People have a hard time understanding what we need sometimes. You might try spelling out the letters “DR.” with your little mousies, or scratching “Ouch” in the carpet near your litter box. Urinalysis is even harder to spell, but that’s really what they need to know. In the meantime, I’ll try to get the word out wherever I can. Hopefully, your people are trying to find a solution also, and they’ll read this column and figure out what to do. Let me know how it goes.
--ANGORA LANDERS
ANGORA LANDERS is the 'Cat's Meow' of the Richmond SPCA’s Behavior Helpline Specialists. Labby will answer questions she has received through Behavior Helpline email as well as those she intuits from her canine and feline friends. Click here to submit your own question about your pet’s behavior, or call 643-SPCA.
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