Your Cat — November 2017

http://www.yourcat.co.uk 41

CAT CARECAT CARE

Q

For the past two years our two

cats have been indoor cats.

However, we recently moved

and they now love going outside. One

of them has now started hissing and

attacking the other, and I’m not sure

why. He just changed overnight after

about two months of going out with no

problems. Do you have any advice?

Candice Warner, via email.

CELIA ANSWERS:

A

It may be that this is redirected

aggression — for example, if your

cat was frightened by

a neighbouring moggy and turned on

his companion — just like having a bad

day at work, and then taking out your

anger on your partner. Or perhaps

the unaccustomed stress of the big

outdoors tipped a poor relationship into

a bad one. Another possibility is that

one cat is suffering from illness or pain

leading to irritability, so check this too.

You can’t make them be friends, as

cats don’t kiss and make up like humans

do, but you can help them avoid each

other as much as possible so that they

can live in harmony. Give them separate

feeding locations, sleeping places and

water bowls, and at least three litter

trays in different locations (even if they

are sometimes toileting outside).

If they compete for your attention,

timeshare yourself. For instance, have

one in your bedroom at night and let the

other spend the evening with you. Instal

a pheromone product, such as Feliway

Friends, where both cats spend most of

their time. A pet behaviour counsellor

will help you uncover what is going on

better than any advice at a distance. —

BEHAVIOUR

Q

My six-year-old female spayed

moggy is struggling to deal

with my five-month-old male

neutered mini lop rabbit. Bunny will soon

be introduced to a spayed female mate,

which should help to make him happier,

and hopefully less inclined to chase

the cat, feel jealous of her, or irritate

her when she’s trying to eat. In the

meantime, what else can I do?

Jennifer Carroll, via Facebook.

KIM ANSWERS:

A

I am sorry to hear of your

problems. Introducing the rabbit

to a carefully selected mate

should help, but I also advise offering

him as many environmental enrichment

opportunities as possible. For example,

provide him with a ‘digging box’

containing straw; branches for gnawing;

paper bags containing special treats, and

so on. Adding these simple measures to

your rabbit’s environment should give

him another focus to engage his time,

rather than terrorising your little cat.

Provide plenty of high-up resting

areas so that she can escape the rabbit’s

unwanted advances and feel safe and

secure. In addition, your rabbit won’t be

able to reach her.

You say the rabbit irritates her when

she is trying to eat, so consider the

location of your cat’s

feeding station, and

move it out of reach

of the rabbit. You

could feed your

cat on a high-up

surface to allow

her to eat in peace,

and to provide her

with some respite

from the unwelcome

bunny advances. —

Why have they

started fighting?

GENERAL CARE

Bunny battles

Introduce

new animals

carefully,

whatever the

species.

HOLISTIC

Herbal help

for itchy skin

Q

Our cat, Blue, is very old

(18) and suffers from very

itchy skin. Is there a herbal

treatment that might help, as we

want to avoid drugs?

Your Cat reader, via email.

HOLLY ANSWERS:

A

That’s a great age! You can try

adding some chickweed and

calendula to his food, as these

herbs can have a natural cleansing

and anti-inflammatory action.

Always check with your

vet before adding

herbs to your

cat’s food, as

they will know

whether it is safe for

your individual cat, given

his current health and

medical history. You can

also regularly add some

omega 3 fatty acids, such

as oily fish, to your cat’s diet

to help improve his coat and

reduce itching. —

The outside

world can cause

additional stress.

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Calendula has a natural

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Top tip!

If you have more

than one pet, make

sure that they all

have their

own space.

40-45 YC Cat Care CS(am)SW.indd 41 29/09/2017 12:16