FIVE COMMON MISTAKES

As a behaviour consultant and cat sitter, I have been going into cat owners’ homes for 20 years and have noticed that several basic feline welfare mistakes tend to crop up repeatedly. It is not that cat owners don’t care about their cats rather they don’t take the time to view their homes from a cat’s perspective.

Litter trays are the area where many cat owners make mistakes. Usually, this involves cleanliness. Whenever I ask a cat owner how often he or she scoops out the litter tray the answer is almost always daily. Yet, when I go into the home I find litter trays that have not been scooped for several days. Occasionally I find litter boxes that are in truly appalling conditions.

Cats are extremely clean creatures. They do not like to step into dirty litter trays any more than we want to use an unflushed toilet. Indeed, some cats are so fastidious that they won’t step into anything but a freshly scooped litter tray, and some cats prefer to have one litter tray for urine and another for stool. If the litter tray is dirty the cat will likely find somewhere else in the home to eliminate. It is always best to be proactive where the litter tray is concerned.

Another common mistake cat owners make with litter trays is not locating them in cat-friendly areas. Litter trays are tucked away in basements, laundry rooms, closets, and bathrooms. This isn’t necessarily bad, unless the litter tray in the basement is so out of sight that it rarely gets cleaned, or the litter tray in the laundry room is near loud appliances that may frighten a cat. No one wants a litter tray right in the middle of their living room, and it is indeed best not to locate the litter tray in highly trafficked areas, but one key factor that is high on a cat’s list while eliminating is being able to see escape routes while in the litter tray. In nature, cats are vulnerable to predators when eliminating so being able to see escape routes is a hardwired survival mechanism. 

Not having enough litter trays is another common mistake. The general rule of thumb is one tray per cat plus one. So, if you have one cat you should have two litter trays and those two litter trays should not be placed right next to each other or in the same general area. If you have three cats you should ideally have four litter trays, and again these should be located in different areas of the home.

Another litter tray mistake I often see is litter trays that are too small for normal-sized adult cats. Cats prefer the litter tray to be 1.5 times the length of their body (from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail). 

Food and water issues are another area where I see repeated mistakes. Humans tend to think that cats prefer their food and water dishes next to each other because that is what we would want. Cats do not like to eat near their water source. Again, this is a hard-wired survival mechanism. Cats do not wish to foul their water source with their food or attract predators to their water.  Cats prefer to separate their eating, drinking, toileting, and sleeping areas.

Cats like to have clean food and water dishes. I have had clients tell me I don’t have to bother cleaning the food dish after each meal. No one wants to eat from a dirty dish. Cats possess 200 million scent receptors compared to humans’ meagre 5 million. Foul odours in the food dish can even cause some cats to become anorexic and this can lead to serious medical problems.

Dry food left out at all times. Dry food is not species-appropriate food for cats. It is too low in protein, too high in carbs and far too low in moisture. Dry food left out all day will go stale and in humid climates can become rancid. If you must feed your cat dry food feed small amounts (as a treat) and make the cat ‘hunt’ for the food by using a treat ball or food puzzle. This is a far more natural way for a cat to eat dry food. In nature, cats will eat multiple small meals each day AFTER having spent energy hunting that meal down.

Many cats lack daily interactive play. Cats need to stalk, pounce, run and leap and cat owners can provide for these needs by playing with their cats with interactive ‘wand’ type toys daily. Several scheduled 10-15-minute play sessions will make a world of difference in the mental and physical well-being of your cat. I see many behaviour problems that are solved in part by implementing routine play sessions. Play alleviates stress and anxiety and helps build confidence. Interactive play is therapy for cats!

Lack of vertical space. Just as cats need to play they also need to jump and climb. Cats can jump 5 times their height. Getting up high helps cats feel safer and more in control of their environment. Adding vertical space in the form of cat trees and climbing shelves adds valuable territory for your cat and can help alleviate tensions in multi-cat households.
​
Lack of veterinary care. All cats should be examined by a veterinarian (but not necessarily vaccinated) once a year. Even if your cat seems perfectly healthy an annual trip to the vet is important. Cats are masters at hiding illness and can hide serious illnesses and disease processes until it is too late to affect treatment. As cats age they should be examined more frequently so that problems can be picked up and treated before they reach crisis point. There are many reasons why caring cat owners don’t take their cats in for annual exams the most common being that it is such an unpleasant experience for both cat and owner and causes much stress. Most larger cities and towns have veterinarians who provide house calls.