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Watch episode 12 of The Pawsitive Put up in Dialog on Youtube or under, pay attention by way of your favorite podcast app or under, or scroll all the way down to learn among the highlights.

Husbandry for cats

On this episode we chat about tips on how to groom your cat and tips on how to cope with mats, in addition to tips on how to trim your cat’s nails. We focus on the numerous explanation why it’s essential to not “declaw” your cat and the way it’s actually like an amputation. Scratching is a pure habits for cats and we speak concerning the form of put up to supply to maintain your cat completely satisfied.

We additionally focus on the tough subject of tips on how to give meds to your cats, together with pilling, towel-wrapping, and tips to make meds simpler. Alongside the best way we share tales about our personal cats and naturally a couple of suggestions for canines as nicely.

On the finish we chat concerning the books we’re studying. 

Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Comfortable by Zazie Todd is out there from all good bookstores.

All the books talked about within the episode can be found from my Amazon retailer.  

The Paw Undertaking: Cats’ paws want their claws https://pawproject.org/ 

BC’s 2018 ban on declawing cats was excellent news for cats, research exhibits  

What sort of scratching put up do cats choose?  

Caring for a diabetic cat will get simpler with time, research exhibits  

Methods to give your cat an insulin injection (iCatCare)  

Methods to prepare your cat to make use of an bronchial asthma inhaler  

Train any cat AeroKat (iCatCare)  

Methods to clip your cat’s claws (iCatCare) 

Two folks giving a cat a capsule (iCatCare) 

Medicating suggestions and tips (Essentially Feline)  

Consolation cats in a towel wrap (Dr. Sophia Yin)  

Recent and Fearless: Fundamental Grooming Made Straightforward (Kristi Benson)

The Books

Kristi’s advice is Purple, White and Royal Blue: A Novel by Casey McQuiston. 

Zazie recommends Unbroken: My Battle for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Ladies and Ladies by Angela Sterritt.

The books can be found from all good bookstores and the Companion Animal Psychology Amazon retailer. 

Highlights of the dialog on cat husbandry

Z: Let’s begin with speaking about how typically we brush our cats and the way we try this, as a result of one among my cats Harley completely likes to be brushed. And it took me a couple of years to find this about him as a result of he is a brief haired cat and he did not actually need brushing. My different cat Melina will not be very completely satisfied [about it], she’s going to settle for it nevertheless it’s not one thing that she notably loves. Harley simply naturally loves it, Melina would not find it irresistible. 

However Harley likes to be brushed day-after-day it seems. And he has a great inner clock so he is aware of what time it’s when it is time for him to be groomed, which was really simply now, and he’ll come and meow at me and say it is time for me to be groomed. And that meow is a barely totally different meow from when he is meowing as a result of it is time for his supper time. So he must be brushed out at this set time within the morning, that is when he expects to be brushed, and he additionally does form of want it as a result of he sheds quite a bit. Though he is short-haired he does shed quite a bit. Even when he is simply been brushed he nonetheless sheds quite a bit, and he is getting on a bit as a result of he is 14. Older cats typically want a little bit of grooming even when they did not earlier than. So for him it is day-after-day. 

For Melina, she comes and appears after I’m doing Harley and generally she’s like okay you may brush me a little bit bit and I’ve to do actually actually quick strokes with the comb, form of like you already know if a cat was licking one other cat there’d be actually quick licks. So that they should be actually quick whereas with Harley I can really do fairly an extended brush and he likes it, however for Melina it must be quick after which she’s okay. One other day she’s like no I am going away in the present day, she would not need it. So how about Apricat? As a result of Apricat is short-haired is not he? 

Okay: Sure short-haired and we do brush him however kind of when he wants it, and so I would say a couple of instances a 12 months nearly. And possibly I am taking a look at it with like a canine particular person’s lens however I see his coat seems a little bit totally different and I am like oh it is time to brush him now and I brush him. However you already know if you’re saying older cats have to be brushed extra, that’s fascinating and I am questioning if that is what they’re saying he seems like. 

You recognize if you requested me to speak about this I checked out him and I assumed, oh you already know what it is really it is in all probability time to groom him proper now, I feel his coat is trying a little bit bit like he must be brushed. However usually I feel he takes care of himself in that approach fairly you already know, his coat tends to be fairly good so when his coat begins to look not like his lovely Apricat self then I give him a brush and he is okay with it. 

However he solely likes it for a brief period of time, identical as kind of most varieties of petting he’ll solely put up with it for a little bit bit after which he is identical to “and now I am finished.” However I feel he likes it in that point he would not go away you already know till he is like okay now.

Z: And I feel most cats choose issues to be quick. It is like most cats choose solely to be petted for a short while after which they’ve had sufficient after which they’d prefer it in all probability to occur once more fairly quickly with the patting. Whereas that is the weird factor about Harley, he fairly likes it to go on for a very long time. Once we hadn’t had him for very lengthy, if we had been petting him and we stopped, from his perspective it was too quickly, he would chew us after which he would comply with us meowing like “I would like extra!”. So he is a really cuddly affectionate form of cat in that approach though he isn’t a lap cat. However I feel short-haired cats do not want it fairly often. 

I stated older cats as a result of I feel typically older cats if they’ve a little bit of arthritis or one thing it may be a bit harder for them to succeed in sure areas so possibly their pants may want grooming a bit extra, like their trousers, the again of their legs for instance. And with Harley I even brush him on the stomach however I’ve to do it when he is standing up and I form of attain spherical beneath his stomach and brush his stomach and he’ll settle for it if he is standing up. He really likes to rub his head on one thing so we’ve got a set spot and he has someplace he can rub his head whereas I am brushing him and it is simply ecstasy for him. 

I feel longer haired cats, and I’ve had longer haired cats earlier than, they want much more brushing. And I feel a Persian cat would positively want much more brushing probably day-after-day, and that form of cat, as a result of they’ve a extra squashed face and a few folds of their faces they in all probability would want wiping round their eyes identical to some canines want wiping round their eyes as nicely. 

Okay: Yeah after which you should by no means get mats in. Apricat as a result of he is a brief haired okay I do not assume so, I am attempting to assume, I do not assume he is ever had something like mats wherever. Yeah no, his hair is fairly persistently quick you already know and he does, he’s fairly straightforward to handle and he is on us quite a bit. It isn’t like you already know when you have a canine or a cat or one thing that does not prefer to be touched generally I feel mats can creep up you already know after which swiftly you are like whoa I assume I have not patted your you already know stomach or no matter for a very long time,  or behind your ears or wherever canines normally get mats. However as a result of Apricat sits on my lap for like hours a day, he would not wish to essentially be patted that entire time however he likes to kind of sit on my lap, I feel as a result of I am kind of touching him on a regular basis I’d really feel it.

Z: Yeah I feel you’d. And I assume the trousers and possibly the armpits and there are particular areas possibly behind the ears maybe as nicely the place mats are extra seemingly. Possibly they’re widespread throughout cats and canines I do not know. 

Okay: Yeah I do not know. When you’ve got an extended haired cat it you may miss mats in case you’re not cautious as a result of they will really feel fantastic if you stroke them on the floor however the mat will be beneath. 

Z: Yeah yeah, they are often fairly deep after which that may be actually uncomfortable for the cats. So one factor you are able to do about that’s really simply to form of tease the hairs aside. It takes some time and also you want a affected person cat however you may simply form of tease the mat aside. And that is typically higher than attempting to chop it, as a result of in case you lower it you are risking slicing the cat unintentionally and that is not good. And naturally if it is dangerous then you have to ask your vet to assist out. And yeah you may take them to the vet and have them shaved if crucial on the vet and then you definitely get a clear slate to start out once more. However actually it is one thing it is best to do and to start out doing if you’ve received them after they’re younger, it is a lot a lot simpler. However like canines you may train them at any age. Sorry go on.

Okay: I used to be gonna say in case you take them, identical because the canine you already know, generally folks will come as much as me and say oh I noticed that you’ve got like Jane’s grooming course, I’ve a canine that hates to be touched and has matting. And I typically suggest you speak to your vet and let’s have a look at if we are able to do a groom the place the canine is receiving kind of medical help, get all of it groomed and that offers you such as you stated a clean slate to start out practising so as to begin with out having to be like that stress of being like Oh my God my pet has a mat and it is uncomfortable for them and I would like to love work on it. You may simply be like this is a contemporary begin for me and my cat or my canine. I can begin working. I can begin doing counter conditioning and get the animal actually snug being groomed which I feel is a pleasant it is a good reward for you and your animal. 

Z: Yeah and also you’re proper concerning the particular person’s stress as nicely as a result of in case you’re pondering oh there is a mat I’ve received to cope with, you are going to wish to get on and cope with that, and on the identical time in case your goal is actually to show the cat or canine to take pleasure in being groomed really it’s important to go at their tempo, which is form of contradictory to checking out the mat. So it is a good suggestion such as you say, in case you get that finished on the vet then you may focus on doing the coaching correctly and get that finished. Yeah it makes it a lot a lot simpler. And it is so good that you’ve got these this course accessible to assist folks with that I feel it is good. 

Okay: Yeah yeah completely.

Z: Yeah. So many individuals so many individuals need assistance with that. After which nails as nicely. So your course seems at canines’ nails, the one that you’ve got accessible, however cats generally want their nails trimmed too particularly in the event that they’re indoors solely. It’s kind of totally different in the event that they’re outdoor cats as a result of they use their nails for lots of issues they in all probability climb bushes with them and so forth and so they in all probability put on them down a bit extra however how typically do you do Apricat’s nails? 

Okay: I do his nails after they begin to hurt me when he sits on my lap. So he takes care of them himself generally a bit he does have a scratching put up that he likes to make use of and generally I feel that the nails get kind of worn down or they shed there, however I do hold cat nail clippers proper at my desk after which when he is sitting on my lap, it provides me a chance to trim his nails. So not as a lot as I’ve to do the canine’s nails for certain, as a result of the canines’ nails, I try to do them each week, nevertheless it finally ends up in all probability being as soon as a month simply because it is arduous to try this form of stuff however possibly as soon as each couple months I would say I’ve to do it so generally. He is excellent right here that is why my arm is doing just like the tram kind of factor. 

If he is right here and he is snug I can kind of gently seize one foot, do one nail after which pat him and he is fantastic with it. In order that’s one of many ways in which I love to do it. 

The opposite approach is I hold Churu within the closet there and and I am going to put a plate down if he wants all of his nails finished and and I would like I wish to do them shortly, I am going to simply put a little bit little bit of Churu on the plate and he’ll lick it after which I am going to lower a nail after which I am going to give him a little bit bit extra. So it is kind of prefer it’s each a distraction and a counter conditioning I feel kind of protocol. It is a little bit sloppy, do not inform Jean {Donaldson]! Nevertheless it works and he goes bananas for the style of that stuff and it takes a complete tube basically, or you already know two-thirds of the tube after which I get by all of his nails and his entire physique and he is snug and completely satisfied after which it is finished. 

In order that’s how I do it once more. I put a little bit bit on the plate to get him oriented to the plate after which I decide up his foot and I clip a nail after which I give him a little bit bit extra so I make it possible for after each nail clip he will get some treats in order that he is making that affiliation. 

Z: Yeah and I feel it is one thing folks do not typically notice they will do with cats, and even so far as canines and husbandry behaviors go we’d like extra consciousness that you should utilize meals to assist your canine take pleasure in this stuff. However for cats we’d like much more folks to know that utilizing meals is an effective technique to prepare your cat or to make use of this as distraction for one thing. And yeah these these tubes are Churu. I feel each cat appears to like them. 

Okay: Yeah they’re very helpful, very helpful. And so they’re good as a result of they’re shelf steady so I can simply have them in my workplace you already know and pull them out when it is time, and so they’re not terribly costly so throughout good things. 

And I feel I have been fortunate as a result of Apricat could be very handleable, so it is all the time been straightforward for me to select up his foot. He would not like his foot being held you already know however he would not, you already know it hasn’t taken loads of work like a few of my canines have taken loads of work. Sitka has taken loads of work to get snug having her nails trimmed. However I assume it is you already know kind of for cat house owners to appreciate if their cats are actually uncomfortable having their toes held you may speak to a behaviorist you already know or discover a good coaching plan. Is there one in Purr? I am unable to bear in mind. 

Z: Not for nails. The 2 coaching plans in Purr are one for a trick referred to as sit fairly and the opposite one is instructing your cat to go within the provider. And I solely had area for 2 coaching plans. Nevertheless it tells you numerous about tips on how to prepare your cat so it provides you all the normal ideas that folks can use.  

Okay: Yeah so I imply you possibly can you possibly can give you a coaching plan or work with a cat behaviorist on a coaching plan the place you already know so as a substitute of going proper to grabbing and holding their foot and form of like wrestling them to carry their foot after which lower their nail. You begin with one thing actually easy and that the cat’s already snug with, possibly like a agency contact to their shoulder or one thing and then you definitely give them among the deal with and over time when your cat is demonstrating that they are  snug in anticipating the treats you progress into this like larger and larger kind of nearer and nearer to the precise nail clip. However ultimately then you find yourself clipping their nails and it is all lovely and angels sing! 

Z: And yeah so that you begin with the shoulder and transfer all the way down to the paws as a result of they in all probability do not prefer it in case you simply seize them by the paw. They are not used to that so it’s important to begin with one thing they’re extra used to. After which there’s the implement as nicely. So I am certain that is what you probably did with Apricat of displaying the implements individually and getting them used to the implement. Or possibly you did not have to as a result of it did not predict something did it? 

Okay: I’d, I had to try this with Sitka, construct a separate plan. However with Apricat no, he’s simply that straightforward that he is like oh meals certain I am going to allow you to try this. You recognize even when he is kind of like within the I do not love this however I am going to tolerate it, he would not have an issue. I do not assume he is ever had an precise painful expertise having his nails finished as a result of it is fairly straightforward. As a result of nails are white you already know so it is easy sufficient. And Sitka would not match on my lap so it is form of a special state of affairs. 

Z: Yeah that’s extra of a problem but when somebody’s canine or cat have beforehand had dangerous experiences then you definitely would separate out the implement and you’d counter-condition them to seeing the Implement as nicely. 

Okay: Yeah and generally canines do not even want a nasty expertise to only discover issues scary. So you already know your canine finest or your cat finest. In the event that they discover one thing scary then you definitely’re gonna should do the coaching for it. When you’re fortunate sufficient to have an Apricat you may transfer a bit extra shortly.