Has Your Cuddle Buddy Become A Little Monster?

Why Did You Do That?

You still remember the day you brought Mr. Whiskers into your house and made it his forever home.?You showered him with kisses and love and bought everything you could to please him.?That was just three years ago.

It was great!?He’d curl up on your lap and purr while you sat reading the latest issue of Cat Fancy.?He’d rub his little face on yours to show how much he loved you, and you’d stroke his fur until dreams of sugar mice danced in his head…work with me.

Ah, the joys of owning a cat!?Life was grand!

Wait.?What’s that?? Did he stop doing those things??Does he no longer sleep with you on chilly nights??You say he stopped eating that expensive cat food you paid a small fortune for??Do you mean he won’t even come running when you open a new bag of his favorite crispy-crunchy treats??

Instead, you say, he’s peeing on the wall by the TV, no longer wants to play with your shoestrings; and he even scratched you the last time you tried to pick him up. Huh.

Sounds like you’ve got a few problems there.?Have you taken him to see Dr. Whats-his-name??And everything was OK physically??I see.??

Well, don’t give up.? I know exactly how you feel! You’re not going crazy.?I remember when I rescued my first little furball, all seemed right with the world.?You know how it is. You feel good for saving a life, knowing you made a difference.

And you did and you do!?But after a while, the kitty changes.?You know, into a horrible hell spawn of destruction!

Why, Mr. Whiskers, why?

So, what is up with Mr. Whiskers??Did someone break into your house and secretly replace your sweet, nubby bear (Hey! I’m not going to judge you!) with the beast from 20,000 fathoms??That may be what it seems like, but let’s think about this.

You’re smart.?You went to college.?You’re a respected professional; figuring out a cat can’t be that hard, right?? Right?

Well, you’re partly right…you are smart and professional, but that last bit…well…you see...

Studies show that cats have 250 million neurons compared to dogs, with 530 million. That’s some supercharged animal intelligence. And while dogs possess more "smarts," cats sit on the skilled end of the hunting spectrum, while dogs sit in the middle. So, intelligence isn't the best word. Each animal is given specially-designed intelligence that fits its needs.

And not only smarts – they’re emotional critters, too.?Cats can feel fear, happiness, sadness, curiosity, anger, grief and anxiety, to name a few.??

And, get this, they can read and even understand human facial expressions over time.??

You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!

I know this is frustrating, so let’s see if we can fix your problem because you’ve already fixed Mr. Whiskers…sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

Ain't Misbehavin'

There are many reasons why a housecat starts misbehaving.?Once you rule out the physical, such as pain, loss of eyesight or hearing, dental issues, and urinary problems - you get the point - we need to look at environmental and emotional triggers.

Did you move Mr. Whiskers’ bed into the laundry room because you had your parents over and your mom’s allergic?

Have you moved it back?? You have?? Did you wash it?? Well, did you use a liquid softener or a dryer sheet when you dried it???

You say there have been a few strays in the neighborhood, and one or two might’ve sprayed outside? You know, cats can smell outside urine through a brick wall with insulation.

And, sorry to ask, but didn’t you break up with that guy you met online, Jason??Jared??Jingle-Heimer-Smith??Whatever.?I know you’re bummed about it.?Have you been wearing your emotions on your sleeve?

Did you, maybe, rearrange the furniture…again.?No, I like it.

See, all of these could be factors in why Mr. Whiskers is acting up.?Maybe it’s one or two or maybe all combined.?Complicated little fella, isn’t he???

Let's Fix Him

You want your cuddle buddy back, and believe it or not, so does he??But you, alone, may be holding the keys to making it happen.?Sure, pet stores, the big ones here in town, for instance, or the online ones, will sell you anything and everything to solve the problem.?And some of these toys, foods and sprays have merit, but maybe Mr. Whiskers’ problem’s much simpler than you think.?

You could try building a time machine or…

Maybe you just need the right Cat Whisperer.

The Cat Whisperer

Those of us from the inner circle of trust granted to us by our feline overlords know certain things most don't. Here are a few examples:

• The cat's tail doesn't work like a dog's. Down indicates fear or caution. Held high with a curled end means curiosity is taking over; straight up is happy or content; a flicking tail means irritation.
• Whiskers are roughly the width of a normal-weight cat's body. So, if the whiskers go through the opening, they can, too (unless obese). Whiskers are also highly sensitive nerve-connected curb feelers. There are also whiskers on the face and behind the front legs. All help the cat understand their environment.
• Cats' eyes aren't as impressive as many think. Under six feet, they don't see well. They have a blind spot directly in front of their nose, so dropping treats there might cause you to think they don't like them (until they smell them). Cats see best at about 10-20 feet and have phosphorescent receptors in their eyes that cause their eyes to appear luminous at night when lights hit them. However, they're on the front of their face, giving them binocular vision and their size lets more light in than ours. So, they see better at night than a human, but best at dusk or pre-dawn.
• They hunt at these times, too, making them crepuscular, not night hunters.
• Their ears connect to their brains in such a way they can pick up and relay sounds while the cat takes a nap (deep sleep is still deep sleep). The ears rotate to allow 360 degrees of sound, and they can move independently. They hear 48Hz to 85Hz, making them the best-hearing mammal on earth!
• A cat's nose is special, too. They can smell fourteen times better than humans. So, a change in cologne is a huge deal to your feline. A dog can smell better, but a cat is best at differentiating smells.
• They can fit into small spaces because their shoulder blades float and can be pulled in to allow the cat to wind up in places you'd never imagine.

So, remember this: Your cat is a sensitive, emotional, living and breathing ball of fur and nerves. Small changes in their environment are huge! Think of it this way: Your world consists of a handful of miles in any given direction. If someone moved your school or work to the other side of your known world, that'd be upsetting. But your house is their world. A chair moved to another room is a big deal for them. So, they may act out in the only ways they know how.

And some of those ways aren't very pleasant to us.