My cat CeCe is very vocal. She’s mostly vocal in the morning, although she’s been vocal late at night which can throw off my sleep! My other cat, Benny, is quiet; except when he’s purring on my lap.

Cats have a wide range of sound other than the usual meow. They hiss, growl, scream, chirp, and chatter. The most famous vocalization is the purr — it’s very soothing to the ear. Of course, some cats are on the quiet side. You hardly hear a “peep” out of them!

Cats hiss, growl (CeCe), and scream when they are frightened or aggravated. CeCe will growl at Benny when he tries to get her attention because he wants to play. CeCe usually swats Benny in the face, but Benny doesn’t get the message; it takes a few swats to the face for him to realize that CeCe wants to be left alone.

If your indoor cat makes a chirping or chattering sound followed by clicking of their teeth, they probably spotted a bird outside. A cat will chirp and or chatter when he looks at potential prey without being able to get to it. He may jump up and lunge towards the glass — watch out for this action!

When you cat is happy and content, she’ll let you know it by purring. It’s very soothing to listen to a cat purr as she sits in your lap. How a cat is able to purr is still a mystery. But, most cat experts believe purring is occurs when the muscles of the larynx contract in rapid succession.

Did you know that the Cheetah is the only large cat with a true purr?

Occasional vocalization is normal. However, if your cat is too vocal, you may want to take her to your veterinarian. There could be something wrong with her. Cats communicate through their vocals and some are more vocals than others. Take this into consideration when you adopt and rescue a cat. Make sure you find a cat that matches your personality. You’ll have a friend for life!

Rebecca

How vocal is your cat? Share your experiences.

They say that people “go wacky” around the full and new moons. Is this true for animals? I know my cat Benny has been acting up for the past couple of days. His sister CeCe has been hiding from him. Could it be he’s feeling the “pull” of the full Blue Moon that will occur on December 31, 2009? An eclipse will occur on December 31 as well. Is Benny feeling the energy of these to celestial occurrences? Whatever it is, he’s been one naughty cat!

It makes sense that cats would experience ups and downs just like humans. Why not? They get everything else humans get from allergies to deadly diseases. They are susceptible to feeling blue just like their owners. The key is to know how to handle their emotional outbursts. Don’t get upset or scold your cat. Pickup your cat and hold him for some time. If that doesn’t work, just leave him alone.

Tips and Tricks

• Spend more cuddle time with your cat.
• Separate your cats if one is “acting up” more than usual.
• Keep your cat entertained with toys; toss Mr. Fuzzy (stuffed mouse) around for some time.
• Give your mischievous cat a time out.

Cats who are bored can get into trouble. Make sure you have plenty of toys for him to play with every day. It’s a good idea to have a kitty condo or two for him to climb. Indoor cats need more exercise than outdoor cats. Perhaps Mr. Fluffy is misbehaving because he’s bored and has nothing else to do. Remedy that by providing a stimulating environment for him.

The next time your cat is having an emotional outburst, let him have his moment. Remember that saying, “…this too shall pass.” If it persists, you may want to take him to your veterinarian for an examination. If your vet doesn’t find anything wrong with your cat, ask for suggestions on keeping your cat happy and healthy. Hopefully she won’t put your cat on anti-depressants, just kidding!

Rebecca

When do your cats experience an emotional roller coaster?

Adopting and rescuing a cat from your local humane society is the best gift you can give. Some shelters have adoption rooms where you can spend time with a cat before you adopt it. This is a great idea because you get to interact with the cat and check out their personality. For those of you, who are on the quiet side, make sure you ask “how vocal is the cat?” A vocal cat may not be the best choice for you.

Cats are vocal like people. They will let you know when they are hungry or want to play. If you work at home, a cat’s vocalization may be a distraction for you. Think about this before you adopt a cat from the humane society. It would be ashame if you return the cat because she’s too vocal.

If you have trouble getting up, a vocal cat makes a great alarm clock! This can help you save money on electricity. Wouldn’t it be better to wake up to your cat’s voice instead of a blaring alarm clock buzzer? You cat may also jump on the bed and not leave until you get up. This will ensure that you get to work on time.

When you adopt and rescue a cat, you get a friend for life. You may not find out that your cat is vocal until a month or two. Give the relationship a chance. Your new friend is communicating the only way she knows how. Spend as much time as you can with your cat. Working from home can be tricky because your cat will not understand that you must work instead of play with her. Be gentle, compassionate, and patient. Your cat will understand your routine sooner or later. If not, allow her to sit on your lap while you work. She can be a great motivator!

Rebecca

How vocal is your cat?

Claw covers or soft paws for cats and kittens can save your furniture. They’re like “fake nails” for cats and come in a variety of colors. Your cat may need some time to adjust to the covers. Ms. Fluffy may attempt to claw at your sofa, but she won’t do any damage to it.

Instead of declawing your cat, put claw covers on him. Many people don’t know how painful and barbaric declawing is. I was given some handouts from the AZ Humane Society that showed how a cat is declawed. It was not a pretty sight to see. They chop off the claw at the knuckle! Ouch! This is very, very painful. Just imagine how you’d feel if someone chopped off your finger right at the knuckle. I thought so…

Dr. Christianne Schelling: “Your cat’s claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw; the last bone of your cat’s claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s “toes.”

Claw covers such as Soft Claws can be purchased at pet stores such as Petco and PetSmart. Check with your local Humane Society as well. Some of them may have a store where you can purchase the claw covers. You’ll be helping out the animals because the money goes back to the Humane Society.

Make sure you test one of your cat’s claws before you put covers on each claw. My cat Benny has sensitive claws. He’s managed to take-off the majority of his Soft Claws. When I put the covers on him he yelped. I’m working with him so he ONLY scratches the kitty furniture. It takes time and patience; he’s getting there.

Cats like to scratch. Before you adopt and rescue a cat make sure you’re ready for the entire package which includes scratching at furniture. It’s a possibility that your cat will leave your furniture alone. My cat CeCe doesn’t bother with the furniture. She has her moments, but I catch her in time.

Your cat may have sensitive claws like my cat Benny. Check with your veterinarian to see if there’s something else you can do besides claw covers. You can spray your furniture or put sticky tape on it but that’s not very attractive. You could cover your furniture to protect it. Ask your veterinarian for advice on how to deter your cat from clawing at your furniture. He may need to go to cat training. Is there such a thing? Good luck!

Rebecca

What color are your claw covers?

Before you decide to adopt and rescue a cat or kitten, make sure you’re a responsible cat parent. You may want to adopt a kitten but may not have the time to spend with it. Kittens need lots of play time and attention. Maybe your job will not allow for much time to spend with the kitten. You may want to think about what it means to be a responsible cat parent.

Adopting and rescuing a kitten or cat is a huge responsibility. They are like having children. You’ll have food and medical costs, provide shelter, engage in play time, and provide lots of love and affection. Assess your life and ask yourself, “…How will this extra responsibility fit into my life?” This will help you decide whether or not you’re ready for the additional responsibility of owning a cat.

Questions to consider before you adopt and rescue

Think about these questions before you adopt and rescue a cat or kitten.

• Who will be the main caretaker?
• What is your personality?
• What is the right age of a cat for you?
• How much time do you have to spend with a kitten?
• What is your estimate of veterinarian costs?
• How much do you think it costs to provide for a cat/kitten?
• What is your living situation? Rent? Own? Roommate?
• When you travel, who will watch your cat or kitten?
• What breed of cat and personality are you looking for?
• What types of allergies do you have?

These questions will help you make the best decision for you. Being a responsible pet parent means you’ll put aside some of your interests to adopt and rescue a cat or kitten. When you adopt from a shelter there’s a good chance that the kitten or cat may develop an upper respiratory infection. You’ll be responsible for dispensing the medicine which can be tricky. Remember when you were a kid and your mom had to give you cough medicine or penicillin? The label may have stated bubble gum flavor but it really wasn’t! Try opening the mouth of cat or kitten to get the medicine in them, it’s not that easy.

Before you drive to the animal shelter to adopt and rescue a cat or kitten, make sure you’re ready for the added responsibility both financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s not fair to the cat if it doesn’t work out. Returning her to the shelter will be stressful for her and you. Avoid this situation by being ready for a pet. Do this and you’ll have a happy ending!

Rebecca

How educated are you about cats?

I’ve been blogging about my new cat CeCe whom I rescued from the Arizona Humane Society on August 9. I’ve been slowly introducing her to my cat Benny and he’s responding in a manner that has surprised me. He likes to tackle CeCe from the front like a wrestler from the WWF or WWE! New cat introductions can be a bit tricky.

CeCe was quarantined for over a week because she developed an upper respiratory infection. I was told by my veterinarian to take the new cat introductions slow. I was advised to try the “crate” technique; I didn’t do this because I was not about to go out and buy a crate. The alternative was to introduce Benny & CeCe in small time intervals each day. This was an experience.

Tips and Tricks

• Have someone else bring in the new cat. Ignoring the new cat will put the resident cat at ease. You give your cat the impression that it wasn’t your idea to bring another cat into the home.
• Keep the new cat away from your cat for at least two weeks. Even if the new cat was only at a shelter for five days or less they still can develop an upper respiratory infection.
• Make sure the new cat has its own feeding dishes and litter box. This way your cat will not be susceptible to an upper respiratory infection.
• Shower your cat with love and attention. There’s no reason to stop doting on your cat because of a new cat. And, it will show your cat that he/she still has primary status with you.
• Make sure the cats are spayed or neutered. Cats coming from the Humane Society will be spayed or neutered. Most shelters will offer the service for a low cost.
• Allow your new cat and resident cat to get to know each other under supervised play time. If their play gets to rough (fur is flying) separate them and try again in a few hours or the next day.

Benny is getting used to CeCe, although he doesn’t always show it. He was used to being the “King of the Apartment.” Now he must share me with this other cat who took a lot of my attention because she was sick. Yes, new cat introductions are just like introducing a 3-year old child to its new brother or sister.

I would like for Benny and CeCe to share a bathroom. Right now CeCe’s food and water is in my bedroom and her litter box is in my bathroom. Benny is known to use the litter box as well. It’s not fun having kitty litter all over the floor, especially when you step out of the shower and step on it. Yuck!

It’s interesting all of the “myths” that surround new cat introductions like male cats are more affectionate and accepting and a cat of one sex is more accepting of a cat of the opposite sex. These people obviously haven’t met Benny. He’s affectionate and growing tolerant of CeCe, but he’s still getting used to her in his own way on his own time.

I may not have done the new cat introductions the “right” way, but at least Benny and CeCe are getting used to each other. It may take another month or two before the claws, hissing, and spitting stop. Until then I’ll keep my chin up and pray that these two learn to get along. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Rebecca

What advice do you have on introducing a new cat into the household?

I recently adopted a female tabby cat from the Arizona Humane Society. Before I adopted CeCe, I inquired as to whether it was better to have two males or a male and a female. I wanted to find a cat that was compatible with my cat Benny. I was told it didn’t matter. I’m beginning to think it does because Benny has become aggressive towards CeCe which has surprised me. He’s really a big teddy bear but for some reason he’s been acting up.

I introduced the cats slowly. In fact, CeCe developed an upper respiratory infection even though she was only at the Arizona Humane Society for four days. I kept her separated from Benny for over one week. As she got better, my vet said it would be all right for her to be around Benny. He was ok at first, but then all holy hell broke loose.

Benny was an only cat, and I recently found out that it may be better to have a one cat household. I was taken aback by this because most people have two or more cats. Plus, I’ve read on the internet that it’s best to have two cats so they don’t get lonely. Is this another myth about cats? I was told at the Arizona Humane Society that cats are territorial. If they’re territorial, how could you have two cats?

If you want to adopt a cat, you may consider getting two from the same litter. This way you’ll have a brother and brother or a brother and sister. Your life will be much easier versus going and adopting a cat from a Humane Society and praying to God that they get along.

Unfortunately, adopting a cat isn’t like adopting a dog. The Humane Society allows you to bring your current dog with you to see if he/she will be compatible with a dog you’d like to adopt. They won’t allow you to bring your current cat because they are territorial and it may be too stressful for them. I’m not sure I agree with this. Then again, there is the upper respiratory infection to consider. But, dogs at a Humane Society are known for getting “kettle cough.” Go figure!

If you’re considering getting a cat, you may want to get two from the same litter. It may be easier than getting one cat and then deciding further down the road to adopt another one. When introducing a new cat, be patient. It will take time. It’s just like bringing a new born baby home to meet its older brother or sister. Things may not go smoothly at first, but eventually it will get better!

Rebecca