Litter Box Problems With My Cat...

- Q – I have had Musette for five years, and during that time traveled considerably with my job. Musette and I moved to Virginia in June 2002.  I do not travel as much, but must go hom to check on my Mother periodically in North Carolina.  Now when I travel, even though she has a pet sitter, she has started pooping on the rug once a day instead of the litter box (still pees in the litter box). Since my last weekend trip, she has started pooping on the rug once a day even when I am home (usually at night when I am asleep). Her litter is cleaned every day; she gets...

How to Stop My Cat Chewing...

- Q – My husband and I adopted a cat from a local shelter 8 months ago. For 8 months we have been trying to curb his bad behavior of chewing on cardboard boxes. He has ruined many in our basement. We have no other room in the house for the litter box, other than the basement, so we cannot keep him out of there. What can we do to stop this behavior? We have tried all of the traditional means we can think of, and my husband is really losing patience with him! Danielle, - A -  You might try spraying the boxes with a hot pepper spray or a cheap cologne/perfume. It will...

Why Does My Cat Lick?...

- Q – I adopted a domestic shorthair kitten about a year ago that had been abandoned near my sister’s house. She’s now a healthy, happy adult neutered cat, with a bit of a weight problem. We recently changed her diet to Science Diet Feline Maintenance Light, and she’s slimming down nicely already. The problem that we’re having is that in the past two months, she has started licking things around the house. Her favorite targets seem to be a fossilized clamshell, a flowerpot coated with some sort of pebbly clay-like coating, and a ceramic tile....