Feline Funk

Before you envy your house cat’s lounging lifestyle, consider: Constant napping could be a sign of depression. As many as 40 per cent of felines fall into funks out of sheer boredom, says Nicholas Dodman, director of the Tufts University animal-behaviour clinic. Why? Cats are safer indoors – away from cars and dogs – but the soft life can be downright dull. Signs of depression include overeating, lax grooming and sleeping at daybreak, when they should be up and hunting.

It doesn’t take a kitty shrink to cheer up your cat, just attention:

Play with your cat every day, even if he doesn’t seem interested at first. “It’s a misconception that cats are antisocial,” says Dodman. “Some need just as much attention as dogs.”

Engage predatory impulses with interactive toys such as feathers on a string or laser-mice toys.

Provide climbing towers and scratching poles to keep your cat from climbing the walls (or curtains).

Get your cat a pet to watch, like a gerbil, or put a bird feeder outside the window. Or, for the kitty who has everything, try a cat video. Pet AVision (cattv.com) offers the adventures of Larry Lizard, Freddy Fish and Betty Bird.

source : reader's digest, aug 2007

Cat Cafes for cat lovers

source : reader's digest, nov 2009

Garfield's Good-Life Guide

You never really own a cat. You can only make him happy and hope he won’t leave you for someone better, like the pizza guy. Here are some morsels of advice:

Let the cat make the first move. Don’t come to me and expect me to rejoice. I will come to you – on my own terms and in my own time. When I meet a new human, I know immediately whether he’s a cat person. If he pets me and suffocates me with hugs, yuck! It’s so over. But if he ignores me or is allergic or terrified, I find him irresistible. Unlike indiscriminate dogs, a cat likes a challenge. Always let the cat make the first move, or suffer the consequences.

Be polite. If I bring you a dead rodent, I expect thanks. If you’re not in the mood for a rodent, get in the mood. Appropriate responses: scratching behind my ear, praising me and putting the gift on some sort of pedestal or perhaps in a well-lit china cabinet.

Do I look like I need a dog? I appreciate that you’re thinking of me, but seriously, a dog? Why not just throw me in a barrel of drool and roll me in fleas? The dog that licked your face just rinsed down the litter box treats with toilet water. Yummy.

Learn the language. A faint meow when you’re petting me means “That’s nice; you may continue.” A long, drawn-out meow means “I’m hungry – feed me or I’ll poop in the bathtub.” A low, throaty meow means “My litter box is most unpleasant.” A hissing meow is “You idiot, you’re standing on my tail!”

14 to 18 hours a day of napping is normal. I’m not lazy, depressed or narcoleptic. I’m tired. You would be, too, if you had as much on your mind as I do.

source : reader's digest, nov 2009