Purrballs FAQ's

• Put shelves under window sills with something cushy so that he can look out to the great outdoors and fantasize a little :-).
• A bird feeder outside viewable from a window inside is always entertaining for cats.
• Grass grown indoors in pots is good for their health (you can buy this at a seed and feed store or other).
• Make sure everyone in your house knows to close the doors behind them.
• When your cat asks to go out, always say NO and distract him by playing with him, giving him attention or sometimes a treat.
• Have lots of toys around the house.
• Ensure he has comfy hiding spots when he wants to be left alone.
• Have a scratching post or cat condo.

• Be very patient around her and give her quiet time, a new cat will be wary if there's too much activity around or it's too loud in the home.
• Make sure she has various hiding spots for when she wants to be alone and quiet, and don't approach her in her spots at first.
• Start a playing ritual with her on a daily basis, maybe one of you can do this with her at a specific time of day - find out what she likes to play with (cats love routine and they respond to care and love).
• Make sure her litter boxes are out of the way.
• Make sure she has access to fresh water bowls out of the way.
• Place shelves under window ledges to allow her to view the great outdoors.
• Don't stare at a cat, it's a form of aggression to them. However, you can look at at length by winking slowly, by closing your eyes slowly, like what they do when they are relaxed.
• Speak in a soft tone to her.
• Have toys scattered around the house.
• At first when you do get her to purr, end the 'mush session' before she does (i.e. before she stops purring), this can make her think of asking you for more attention on her own.
• Basically try to be patient and give her lots of space and love, maybe she is very shy but she will more likely come around eventually, once she trusts you will not hurt her.
• Possibly consider getting a second cat, they get lonely without interaction.

• To remove dead surface layers from their claws.
• To leave a visual marker of their presence.
• To stretch their front legs and upper body.
• It feels good to them and it's instinctual.
• Sometimes cats may also scratch to help relieve anxiety (marking their territory increases in times of stress).

Unfortunately, stopping your cat's scratching behaviour in bad places is tricky. Declawing being the alternative though, it's definitely worth a very hard try! Here are some tips:

• Put catnip on the scratching post, and praise him when he uses it.
• When using the water bottle, don't say anything and hide the fact that you are spraying him - otherwise he may figure out that he only gets sprayed when you're around.
• Get scratching posts and place them near your cat's favourite scratching area, near the sofa, near the bed etc. Some kittens and cats love cardboard-type scratching posts too.
• Whenever he scratches something bad and you are there to see it, say a loud NO with a look of disapproval as soon as it happens. Or use the water bottle. Don't scold 5 minutes after the fact - it's useless - they have a short attention span and will be confused.
• Make sure that any everyone in your household in your house does these things too.
• Clip his claws regularly.
• Once your cat stops the bad behaviour, place the posts where you want them. When you move the posts, get your cat involved in a cheerful way, showing him where you're moving it, maybe give him a treat.

• Read the excellent article by Susan Little, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Feline Practice) - A Practical Approach to Feline Houseloiling
• You can try putting the food where the cat soils for a while, cats dislike that scent where they eat and may stop going there.
• Clean all spots he voided on. You can get a number of professional products meant specifically for urine stains at a vet's or pet shop. Use a black light for spots that you can't see.
• Clean and disinfect all loose rugs, clothing, toys etc. that your cat voided on (with very hot water).
• Clean and disinfect litter box(es). Soak in bathtub and brush. Ensure the boxes are then washed with a regular soap (dish soap) and rinsed well to get rid of all the harsh disinfectant odours.
• Get a second and third litter box if you only have one. The rule is one box per cat + an extra one. They can be territorial when it comes to litter boxes.
• Position the litter boxes in quiet places, where there's no traffic, out of the way, convenient for the cats. They like their privacy. Try to place them near or where the cat soils the most.
• Fill litter boxes with a different type of litter (they usually prefer a loose, fine-textured sand-like clumping litter, some dislike the scented ones). The litter boxes should not be deep and should not have a lid or under-litter liner. When you move the boxes, involve the cats, cheerfully tell them what you're doing (I know it sounds crazy but it's best).
• Ensure the litter boxes are scooped on a daily basis and cleaned thoroughly with hot water and replaced with fresh litter weekly.
• After you see the cat urinating in the litter box, you can praise him, kiss him, treat, say 'good', whatever he likes!
• Play games with him and pay more attention to him than usual - sometimes soiling is a cry for attention (do the same for his sister of course so that she doesn't get jealous).
• Don't punish your cat when you see another soiled area once in a while unless you catch him in the act - a loud NO usually does the trick. Clean the spot again and eventually, he should stop doing it. Placing furniture or objects over the cleaned spots often helps.
• You can also purchase a sssCAT, a cat repellent device, to prevent the cat from going in a specific area.

It sounds like a lot of work but it could be well worth it. Once the problem is rectified, another advantage is that you will be able to notice if ever one of your cat is not urinating due to possible medical problems.

Otherwise, a few litter boxes placed in quiet areas of the house will do. Simply show the cat where the litter boxes are.

• FUR-L is an organization point for transporting cats in need of rescue and rehoming across the country. "FUR" is an acronym for "Feline Underground Railroad".
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• FELINE-L is a general purpose mailing list for cat owners. This is a high volume list.
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