During this time of isolation many of our pets are delighted to have us at home with them all the time. More attention and having fun "helping" us work from home and home school the children.
However for some of our feline friends it can be a stressful time and for some of us, annoying if they ask us for more attention.
Following are some useful tips to help get us through this unusual period.
- Try and keep to the same feeding routine if possible. It can be very easy to start giving our cat more food to distract them from "helping" us while we work or home school the children.
- Make sure there are places in the house where you cat can hide/rest if they don't want to be sociable. Having lots of people and children in the home for longer hours can be stressful for more shy cats. It is important to let your children only play with the cat if they ask for attention.
- If your cat does want to have some play time then it could be fun to teach them some simple tricks! There are many easy to follow videos on You Tube on how to train your cat, you can also enlist the help of your children to keep them occupied too!
- Keep those cardboard inner tubes from toilet rolls! Glue them together into a pyramid shape and place dry food or treats in them for your cat to try to get out.
- If you have chosen to keep your cat indoors at this time remember to have enough litter trays in the home. There should be one per cat plus one and place them in different areas around the house and away from their food.
- If you cat is showing any signs of stress for example grooming more or spraying around the home please call the surgery for advice. One of our nurses will be able to give you advice over the phone.
- Another stress related problem can be cystitis. This can potentially be a serious problem, especially in male cats. If you are worried that your cat is struggling to pass urine/going to the tray more often then please contact the surgery. One of our vets will be able to call you back to discuss any problems with you.
- International Cat Care also has lots of helpful advice available https://icatcare.org/
