Some Cats Can Find Comfort in Wool Or Chenille
By Jill Bowen, Q: I am doing a science project about cats' reactions to catnip. I wanted to add in about how cats react similarly to chenille, but I can't find anything on it even though a friend of mine who has had over 50 cats in her lifetime has seen cats react like that and so does my kitten Lyra.
A: A cat's reaction to chenille is not the same as the reaction to catnip. The catnip (Nepeta cataria) reaction is due to the active ingredient (Nepetalactone) in the plant, which the cat can smell. Cats also react in the same way to another plant, Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), and there are several more plants that have strong cat appeal. The behavior cats show towards chenille and other fabrics is due to the feel of the fabric. If young kittens suck wool or chenille, it could be because they have been weaned from their mothers too early. Certain breeds of Oriental cats, such as Siamese or cats that are part Siamese, can become obsessive wool chewers. It has been suggested that this may be a reaction to stress, and such cats may be reverting to infantile behavior. Cats will purr while wool or chenille sucking and appear to go into a trance, while others will react by rubbing their heads and rolling around. It is basically a comfort behavior. Usually cats grow out of this behavior by the time they are 6 months old, however in Oriental breeds it may persist for a lifetime and be very difficult to eradicate.
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Q:Q: We have a 5-year-old cat that is very timid. When our 7-year- old great-granddaughter visits, the cat is afraid of the little girl and hides under the bed until the visitors leave. Our granddaughter has a dog and two cats, so she is used to animals. Have you any suggestions how to make our cat used to our great-granddaughter? We hate to see our cat so upset; she won't come out to eat, so we have to feed her in the bedroom.
A: Your timid cat problem is not uncommon; many cats not only dislike visitors but also especially seem to fear young children. I have two cats that tend to hide when company comes. Furthermore, the 16-year-old male refuses point-blank to have anything to do with my grandchildren although he was raised when my own children were relatively young. Your cat will only become more stressed and more timid if you try and force her to accept your great-granddaughter. The best course of action is to ignore your cat and let her decide in her own time when to join the rest of the family. Meanwhile, I would suggest that you let the cat stay in the bedroom where she feels safe, provide her with food, water and a litter box, but leave the door open so that she can come out if she wishes to. Do not let your great-granddaughter go into that bedroom, as that will only cause further stress to the cat. In time as the 7-year-old gets older and her voice is less shrill and perhaps she does not run around as much, the cat will feel less threatened and come out of hiding, I am afraid this will take some time, possibly years rather than months.
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Q:Q: We have a dog poop problem in our yard. Lately, our yard has been selected by a strange dog as its favorite toilet. We have not actually seen the dog only the droppings. The dog appears to be making its rounds at night or during the day when we are out. How can we eliminate this ?
A: My first reaction was to wonder if it really was a dog and not another animal such as a fox, raccoon or a territorial male cat, all of which would be marking their territory. You do not mention where you live, as most towns and cities have an ordinance about stray dogs and dogs roaming free. If you live in the country then the strange "poop" becomes a more difficult problem especially if it is a "wild" animal. Fresh orange peel has worked as a deterrent for cats, particularly if the droppings tend to occur in a relatively small area. Dogs, unfortunately, are not so easily deterred, nor does orange peel work if the droppings are spread over a wide area. I do not know of any substance that can be sprayed over your yard to deter passing animals from using it as a latrine. A number of remedies have been suggested and tried, but to date have met with little or no success. You could ask the animal control officer or the humane society if they could lend you a "have-a-heart trap" which, if baited correctly, should catch most strays without causing them any harm. Following a successful catch, the offending animal can either be released some distance away if wild, returned to its owner, if it is identified, with the strong suggestion that it be kept secure on their premises, or finally given to the animal control officer or humane society.
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Dr. Jill Bowen has practiced veterinary medicine in England and Texas and taught at Texas A&M. She lives with her veterinarian husband, three cats and a chocolate Labrador retriever in Blacksburg. If you have a question, please write to her in care of The Roanoke Times' New River Current, P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg, VA 24068, or send an e-mail to mjbowen@radford.edu. Jill Bowen regrets that she cannot answer readers' letters personally. All sick animals should, of course, be taken to a veterinarian.
(C) 2004 Roanoke Times & World News. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
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