Question:

Please remind people to be patient when taming stray cats. We''ve trained several stray cats, and in some cases it took us six months, but we finally earned their trust. They are now spayed/neutered and strictly indoor cats. They love their safe and comfortable environment. After being outdoors during very cold winters, they now love watching the snow fall while they''re warm and cozy.For all the animals you have helped and will help in the future, thank you very much.

L.S., Niagara Falls, NY Mar 12, 2006

Answer:

Thank you very much for your kind words and for being a Good Samaritan toward homeless cats.I wish more people who care would do more to help animals. Those who do not care would open their minds and hearts to animals in need -- in their neighborhoods and in the world, where there is so much animal cruelty and suffering. This world would be a better place for all of us if we could rid our own kind of ignorance, selfish indifference and denial. And every community should have a well-funded and operated animal shelter.KEEPING THEIR TAILSThere may be good news coming for dogs across the water. Calling the docking of dogs'' tails for cosmetic purposes "painful, unnecessary and unethical," the British Veterinary Association, along with the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is moving to have this practice outlawed in the United Kingdom. For more info, go to www.bva.co.uk.

Question:

I have a tortoiseshell/calico cat who is 3 years old. She has a problem when I, the mother of the family, am gone from the house: She gets very violent when I return home.Recently, I went on a trip to Florida. When I returned she growled, hissed and tried to attack me. Sometimes when I go to see where she is she starts getting nasty. But she can be a very loving cat, too. This behavior is baffling to us and we wonder if you could provide some possible causes and/or solutions.

K.K., Niagara Falls, NY Jul 03, 2005

Answer:

Sudden and unprovoked aggression in cats is not an uncommon event, with people being threatened, scratched and bitten by normally friendly cats. I have received many letters on this problem. Sometimes the person attacked is wearing a new perfume or smells of another cat, or else there is another cat outside that is upsetting the family cat.Since there could be a clinical basis for your cat''s change in temperament, have her examined by your veterinarian; have her checked especially for hyperthyroidism, which can make cats more irritable and aggressive.If there is nothing wrong with her physically, dispensing the cat pheromone Feliway (available from your veterinarian) may help. Or try anointing your cat with a dab of the same cologne or perfume you use under her chin and at the base of her tail.

Question:

I have a longhaired male cat who''s almost two years old. For about 9 months he has been "scooting." He was checked for worms and is OK. He also had his anal glands removed, but that didn''t stop it. What else could be causing him to do this, and what do I do to help him?.

C.S., Niagara Falls, NY May 02, 2004

Answer:

Since your cat has no problem with worms or his anal glands, check and see if he''s getting litter from his litter box stuck on his rear-end. Also, check his stools (which your vet should have done); he may have a sore anus because of chronic constipation, and there could be blood in his stools -- a telltale sign of rectal damage and irritation.He might also have irritable bowel syndrome, which should be considered if his stools are often loose and he''s losing weight and vitality. Cats suffering from urethral or bladder irritation due to infection or calculi ("stones") may also scoot, so this possible problem should be checked out, too.