Pet care: A better cat — with an asterisk
PJ's aggression started at about the same time he began rubbing his ears. Jenny and Phil also reported that some evenings he would suddenly bolt from the room and burrow into blankets in the closet. An ear exam revealed mites, outdoor video showed coyotes and bobcats near the yard and, worst of all, there were no indoor rats for sport hunting.
Ear pain is commonly overlooked in kitties. Prescription Bravecto quickly decimated PJ's ear mite population. To reduce his fear of the much bigger predators lurking outside, I advised his people to install a motion-activated sprinkler to disperse the unwelcome vagrants. Despite those nagging stressors, Jenny and Phil still had a cat who needed to perch high, ready to strike and maim. We all knew that if they allowed him outside to hunt, he just wouldn't survive long.
Indoor simulations of the wild life made it possible for PJ to succeed. A floor-to-ceiling cat tree, located against a window in each of a couple of rooms, with birdhouses and feeders suction-cupped to the outside of the glass allowed PJ to slather and chatter as he enjoyed an almost complete savage experience. I also directed Jenny and Phil to the Pet Behavior Topics page of my website (drjeffnichol.com) for a full list of environmental enrichments.
Evenings, when Jenny arrived home from work, coincided with PJ's internal clock for reacting to the sudden movements of helpless wounded creatures that were his natural menu items. I told her and Phil to tie a 3-to-4-foot length of twine to one of their ankles. A couple of feathers glued to the free end of these strings made an irresistible, erratically flopping intermittent trigger. Every time either of them stood up and walked around the house was an opportunity for the cat they loved to harmlessly pounce with murderous intent. No longer associating a human, Jenny in particular, with hostility, PJ became her trusted cuddle bunny.
We never assume a perfect, enduring outcome. I urged Jenny to carry a personal safety alarm just in case she recognized that low, quiet, ready-to-pounce posture of PJ's. Satisfying his feline needs would be essential, but his nefarious behavior could reemerge. So far, so good.
• For help with behavior problems, you can sign up for a Zoom group conference at drjeffnichol.com.
Dr. Jeff Nichol is a residency-trained veterinary behaviorist in Albuquerque. He provides consultations by Zoom group and individually/in-person. Sign up for his weekly blog or post questions at drjeffnichol.com or by mail to 4000 Montgomery NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109.
