How can I stop my cat drinking from puddles?

Dear Feline Agony Aunts Daphne & Lizzie,

No matter how clean I keep my cat's water bowl or how often I refresh the water she'll still go straight outside and drink from a puddle after it has rained. I don't want her drinking dirty water, how can I stop her?

Regards
P

Dear P,

Your cat obviously likes drinking from puddles so the only way to stop her would be by removing the opportunity and as she obviously has access to the great outdoors that's only going to happen if you prevent her from going outside. We think having been used to going outside she'd find that quite stressful so let's look at ways to make the water you give her more attractive. If she's not thirsty when she goes out she might not be interested in that puddle! 

Have you considered why she might like puddle water?

We're wondering if you've ever turned the tap on in your house and had a whiff of chlorine like swimming pool water, it does happen sometimes and us cats don't like the smell or taste of chemicals like that. You could try filtering the water that you give to your cat, that might make it more appealing to her.

 Also you mention cleaning your cat's water bowl, which of course you should do to keep it fresh and bacteria free. But, what are you using to clean it? Some washing up liquids are quite scented and may be leaving a nasty, to cats, residue on the bowl. You have to remember that our feline sense of smell is very much stronger than your human one and that we dislike some of the smells you find pleasant. Please make sure to rinse the bowl thoroughly after washing it. 

You could also make water more available to your cat by having several water bowls around your home rather than just the one.

We hope this helps, a puddle of fresh rainwater isn't going to hurt her but do make sure that it isn't contaminated. Puddles near cars may contain antifreeze or fuel & oil residue so be sure to prevent her drinking from those. Also if roads have been gritted during freezing conditions you should prevent her from drinking from the puddles during a thaw as they may contain rock salt which is poisonous to felines.

Hope this helps you P

Daphne and Lizzie
The Feline Agony Aunts 

How can I stop my cat from eating my houseplants?

Dear Feline Agony Aunts Daphne and Lizzie,

Help how can I stop my cat from eating my newly acquired house plants?

Regards
G

Dear G,

We cats like to eat plants, some of them taste good and some of them do us good. We're carnivores so we don't want plants for dinner but we do like to have a little munch on them now and then and if they're in our house, well obviously, we think they're for us.

First you need to make sure that the plants you have in the house are not poisonous to cats, lots are. Here's a list of some (but not all) of the common  plants toxic to cats:

• Amaryllis (Amaryllis sp.)
• Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
• Azaleas and Rhododendrons (Rhododendron sp.)
• Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
• Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum sp.)
• Cyclamen (Cyclamen sp.)
• English Ivy (Hedera helix)
• Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe sp.)
• Lilies (Lilium sp.)
• Marijuana (Cannabis sativa)
• Oleander (Nerium oleander)
• Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.)
• Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
• Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)
• Spanish thyme (Coleus ampoinicus)
• Tulip and Narcissus bulbs (Tulipa and Narcissus sp.)
• Yew (Taxus sp.)

If you have any of these it's best to get rid of them, give them to someone who doesn't have a cat, as the risk of having a poisonous plant in your home just isn't worth your cat's life. 

One way of stopping us felines from eating your favourite house plants is to give us some plants of our own, plants that we find particularly attractive.

We do rather like the herbs parsley and thyme, both readily available from supermarkets, and of course we're very fond of catnip and valerian. Though if we eat too much valerian it might make us sleepy. And we like to nibble on grass, lot's of pet shops sell special  mix of grass seeds, often packaged with attractive planters, for cat owners to grown their own grass indoors for their feline friends. 

My cat is old and I'm worried it might be lonely should I get a kitten to keep it company?

Dear Feline Agony Aunts Daphne and Lizzie,

My 14 year old cat is slowing down and my husband has suggested that a new kitten might give Mr Tibbs a new lease of life. What do you think? Should we get a kitten to keep Mr Tibbs company?

Kind regards
K

Dear K,

14 in cat years is the equivalent to a human in their seventies, so, Mr Tibbs is very elderly, he wouldn't be physically able to play with a kitten for long even if he wanted to and he probably won't want to!

Old cats really, really don't like change and introducing a new kitten to the household would be an enormous change, not fair on either of them really. Mr Tibbs won't want to be bothered by a kitten and the kitten won't understand why Mr Tibbs doesn't want to play.

Getting a kitten isn't going to give MrTibbs a new lease of life, in fact it might make him unhappy. So no we don't advise getting a kitten to keep your elderly cat company, let him live out the rest of his days in peace and tranquility.

Hope this helps you K
Daphne and Lizzie
The Feline Agony Aunts 

Why does my cat bite me when I stroke her tummy?

Dear Feline Agony Aunts Daphne and Lizzie,

My cat often rolls over onto her back as if she wants me to rub her tummy but then when I do she sometimes bites me. How can I stop her biting me?

Regards
M.

Dear M,

When your cat rolls onto her back and shows you her tummy she is greeting you BUT she is NOT inviting you to rub her tummy. Cat tummy's are sensitive areas and not all of us like them being stroked, if your cat is biting you when you stroke her tummy it's because she does not want you to stroke her there. So the way to stop her biting you is for you to stop rubbing her tummy and just be pleased that she has said "Hello" in a friendly way. 

Hope this helps you M

Daphne and Lizzie
The Feline Agony Aunts