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Ask The Cat Lady!
Sally Bahner is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and has a private feline consulting practice. She is the "Dear Sally" on Tracie Hotchner’s Cat Chat Radio (www.catchatradio.com), found on Sirius, the Martha Stewart Living channel. She is a longtime editor and writer on everything feline.
Q: Dear Sally,
My husband and I adopted two cats from the SPCA a couple years ago, Alley and her son, Licorice. The little cat, Licorice is 2 years old and has been neutered. I bought an electric litter box in December, and since then Licorice has been defecating on the carpet floor in the basement. At first he was very curious about the electric litter box, but then everything went downhill.
We took him to the vet at the end of January because we noticed that his poo was tiny and hard. We found out he was constipated and that his anal glands were very impacted. The vet said that he probably developed a fear of the litter box because he was constipated and made a negative connection with the litter box because it hurt to poo. We put the electric litter box away in a closet at this point!
The vet also suggested using Feliway spray first, but Licorice just started finding new spots that were not sprayed. Next he suggested putting Licorice in a small room (hardwood floor) with a litter box. We did that for a week and at the end of the week he started using the hardwood floor to poo.
We brought Licorice back to the vet to check his anal glands and they were 30 percent still impacted. He suggested Prozac, so we put Licorice on 0.5ml of Prozac for three weeks, which didn't work, and increased it to 0.7, then 0.8ml. Next he put Licorice on Clomicalm. We give it to him at night before we go to bed because it seems he defecates while we are asleep. So far, it hasn't worked and the vet said it should work immediately.
My husband and I do not know what to do at this point. We have three litter boxes. We've placed them in spots on the carpet that Licorice uses. Nothing seems to be working.
Andrea
A: Dear Andrea,
First you should have the cat checked out by another vet ASAP. (Is Licorice peeing in the box??) This does seem to be physical – perhaps the fear caused by the electric litter box led to fear of pooping, hence the constipation and pain. And long-term constipation can lead to mega colon, which is a serious physical issue. Impacted anal glands are a whole other matter. Is he scooting?? Is he straining in the litter box?) They can be expressed (also rather nasty), and surgery can be done if it's a chronic problem.
Have they considered a stool softner? It can be as simple as some plain pumpkin mixed with canned food – more moisture is definitely needed here!
Consider having X-rays of the colon area to determine the degree of constipation.
The links below explain the behavior-constipation connection, options for stool softeners and more.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_constipation_and_megacolon.html
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=nlarchive&show=volume2no1112
The pharmaceuticals mentioned will NOT help the problem!
Good luck,
Sally
The Bunny Expert!
Susan adopted her first house rabbit 5 years ago and soon after got highly involved in rabbit rescue. She has volunteered at a local rabbit rescue group and a local animal shelter working with rabbits. She has since co-founded 3 Bunnies Rabbit Rescue Inc. Susan can surely answer all of your rabbit questions!
Q: Dear Susan,
Now that the weather is getting warmer out, is it okay to take my bunny outside on a leash?
Laura and Snuggles
A: Dear Laura and Snuggles,
This is a popular question and a good one. My answer is no, not a good idea for various reasons. Bunnies can chew through a leash quickly and escape. Bunnies are prey animals and can get so upset being tied to a leash that they can break their neck or back trying to get out of a leash. Plus there are many other outside dangers. If the rabbit gets scared outside by a prey animal, like a loose dog or wild animal, the bunny can get hurt or run away. Many lawns have pesticides on them and if bunny eats the grass, can get sick or die. Bunnies need to be supervised and protected like children from harm, so bunnies should never be left alone in an unsafe atmosphere. Hope this helps.
Susan Curtiss
Guinea Pig Expert!
Whitney Potsus has owned guinea pigs for nearly a decade. She is Vice President of The Critter Connection, Inc., a Durham-based non-profit dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned and neglected guinea pigs. You can find the rescue on the Web at www.ctguineapigrescue.org. Please direct all your Guinea Pig questions to Whitney.
Q. Dear Whitney,
I’ve been reading up on guinea pig care after getting my two boys from a shelter. One book said guinea pigs can be litter trained, or — more specifically — trained to use one spot in their cage as a bathroom area. What’s your experience been?
Thanks, Leah
A: Dear Leah,
You can, theoretically, litter train a guinea pig; people have done it with varying degrees of success (and failure). It takes a lot of time and a lot of patience, and even after all that, you may still not be successful in getting them 100% litter trained.
Some guinea pigs will, of their own volition and preference, pick one corner of their cage to use as the "primary bathroom," though you will find waste scattered, to a lesser degree, around other spots in the cage. Some will simply go wherever the urge strikes. Some might be "neat" their whole lives, then change their behavior in old age. The ones who are already neat of their own volition will be easier to litter train.
Several manufacturers make plastic corner litter trays for small animals that will fit into most cages. You’ll need to put fresh bedding in the bottom of the tray, and get things started by putting small bits of wet bedding and waste in the tray to help convey to your guinea pigs that "this is where this stuff goes." You’ll need to continue the latter pattern until your pigs have demonstrated that the desired behavior has taken hold. Keep the tray clean enough that the guinea pigs won’t be averse to using it; if it gets too dirty, their "ICK!" reaction will be obvious and they’ll stop using the tray.
If you’re litter-training free-range guinea pigs, the process is pretty much the same. You’ll use a slightly bigger litter box in an obvious location, will put bedding in it, and will need to cut a hole in at least one side so that your guinea pigs can get into and out of the litter box easily. They’ll eventually come around to using the litter box, but your home will take a bit of a beating — with wet spots and pellet droppings who-knows-where — until they do.
Don’t forget praise during the training period. Guinea pigs are not as simple or dumb as some folks believe, and positive comments (e.g., "What good piggies you are!") as you’re changing the litter tray will not be lost on them. If you need to find other strategies to encourage your pigs, check out the online owner forums on Guinea Lynx (www.guinealynx.com).
Hope this helps,
Whitney
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