It’s that time again folks whereby we find ourselves scratching our heads over our feline companions. We all get sucked into the black hole of catty quandaries so, keep your letters and photos coming. [email protected]

Your Letters

Cats’ fascination with boxes. Apart from trying to get into a box too small for them…where does this obsession come from? 

Helen Slater

Cats are predators and it’s an instinctive behaviour for them to want to find enclosed safe spaces to pounce out from, and to hide from hunters, which is instilled in all felines. They see boxes as safe zones to observe and hide. They also like the texture of cardboard and enjoy chewing on the edges. As cats are notoriously curious they would also see a box as something to explore.

Our cat sleeps in another room to us and we keep our bedroom door closed. He is a lovely affectionate boy and has always been happy to wait until breakfast time to wake us up. However, since we moved house he has been waking us up around 06.00 –  60 minutes before his breakfast time. He comes outside the door, scratching and yowling to say good morning.

We’ve let him in before but he is always causing trouble, knocking things over.

What can we do to have a peaceful final hour of sleep and reassure him that we are okay? Thank you! 

Anonymous

Thanks for your letter. Your cat may just feel unnerved in the new space and want companionship when he awakes. A human and a cat’s inner clock are very different. Cats are crepuscular: most active at dawn and dusk. Mornings are also connected with breakfast and getting attention from you. If you want him back in his old routine there’s no other way around this but to ignore any attention-seeking behaviour so he learns there’s no reward for it. Bluetac anything down that your cat can knock over, wear ear plugs, and do not give him any attention no matter how hard he tries. The night before, give him a good play session followed by a snack, which should see him through the night. Some people set feeders with timers that open very early in the mornings, and this seems to help too. 

My daughter wants a cat but already has a guinea pig. Will the cat try to eat the guinea pig? 

Marisa Mcgreevy-Rose,
St Leonards-on-Sea

Thanks for your letter Marisa. Cats are predators and their natural instinct is to stalk and hunt potential prey, unless they have been raised alongside the different species and are used to their presence in the home. Your cat will probably not try to eat the guinea pig, but could cause serious injury or death by investigating it with protruding claws! It’s also best for the wellbeing of the guinea pig not to have the regular terror of sharing space with a predator. By all means get a cat if you wish, but keep your cat and guinea pig in separate areas of the home, and make sure your guinea pig is safe and secure at all times.

Cat of the week

Five-month-old calico cat Nova, submitted by Freya Young, age 11. Likes food, playing and sleeping on her window perch. Dislikes the hoover.


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