Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we deliver professional recommendation instantly from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their cat’s well being and well-being.
Whether or not you’re a brand new puppy mother or father or a seasoned cat lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions in your maximum urgent questions. From diet guidelines and preventive care to troubleshooting commonplace behavioral problems, Dr. Paola is able to be offering insights that can stay your kitty satisfied, wholesome, and pussycat tremendous. Keep tuned for professional steering on a spread of subjects that topic maximum to you and your cat, so you’ll make knowledgeable choices and give you the very best imaginable handle your hairy significant other.
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Assist! My Hepper Makes use of My Different Cats Litterbox!
“Pricey Dr. Paola
I followed two cats. They love every different so much, however Strudel will use Grey’s muddle field, after which Grey gained’t use both, so I’ve to scrub the entire field out and get started contemporary. How can I separate them for toilet time? “– Riley
Hello Riley,
It’s pretty that Strudel and Grey percentage any such robust bond, however I know the way irritating it may be when one cat’s muddle conduct disrupt the opposite’s. What you’re seeing is a commonplace factor in multi-cat families. Even if cats get alongside nicely, sharing a muddle field can create a delicate type of pageant or tension, particularly if one cat is delicate to odor cues. For Grey, the lingering odor of Strudel’s urine or feces might sign that the field is not his house, main him to keep away from each containers totally.
Offering a couple of muddle containers, preferably one in line with cat plus an additional, and putting them in separate spaces can assist scale back this pressure. Simply as we desire our personal house for private routines, cats take pleasure in having alternatives. Additionally, when cleansing the containers, the use of an enzymatic cleaner is very important. Those merchandise destroy down the natural compounds in urine and feces on the molecular degree, putting off now not simply the visual mess but additionally the odor markers that keep up a correspondence territory. Common cleaning soap or disinfectants steadily depart at the back of lines which might be undetectable to us however nonetheless significant to cats. The use of an enzymatic spray after deep cleansing is helping reset the field so it smells impartial to each cats, which is essential for encouraging constant use.
If house is restricted or the problem continues, a one-on-one session with us at PangoVet can assist decide whether or not that is strictly behavioral or if there could also be one more reason for Grey’s reluctance to make use of the muddle field. Addressing it early helps their bond and is helping stay muddle field avoidance from changing into a long-term dependancy.
Just right success!
Dr. Paola
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Assist! My Hepper Will get Hairballs!
“I always thought hairballs were a part of having cats, but have recently learned that not all cats get hairballs and that it doesn’t have to be commonplace. My cat Luna does get them. Is it just a way of life? She’s long-haired, and we do brush her, but she grooms extra after we do. Can you help? ” – Tiana
Hello Tiana,
You’re completely proper to query the concept hairballs are simply a part of having a cat. Whilst an occasional hairball can happen, particularly in long-haired cats all over seasonal dropping, it must now not be a common tournament. In a wholesome digestive device, maximum ingested hair passes thru and is eradicated within the stool. When hairballs change into common, this steadily issues to problems with motility or over the top grooming. Luna’s post-brushing grooming might building up her hair consumption, particularly if she’s feeling the wish to re-establish her odor or soothe herself in a while.
Along with day-to-day brushing, expanding her hydration could make a significant distinction. Moisture-rich diets, similar to top quality rainy or contemporary meals, beef up digestive transit and assist hair transfer during the intestine extra successfully. Encouraging her to drink extra water via providing a pussycat water fountain too can advertise gastrointestinal well being. Cats naturally have a low thirst force, so environmental methods like those are steadily vital. Some veterinary healing diets or fiber dietary supplements might also assist scale back hairball formation via bettering intestine motility. If Luna is generating hairballs greater than as soon as a month, or if there are further indicators like vomiting unrelated to hair, loss of urge for food, or constipation, additional analysis is warranted.
Highest,
– Dr. Paola
How Can I Assist My Hepper’s Nervousness All over Storms?
“Hello Dr. Paola,
My cat Dana will handiest, and I imply handiest, drink from a cup on my bedside desk. If we transfer the cup in other places, not anything. Why does she do that? And the way are we able to discover a higher spot for it? She’s slightly massive, and I’ve to stay the nightstand transparent so she doesn’t knock issues over when going for a drink. “ – Ginny
Hello Ginny,
Dana’s insistence on ingesting from a cup in your nightstand is in truth reasonably commonplace amongst cats. They steadily make a selection ingesting spots in response to a way of protection, regimen, and environmental keep watch over. That exact location most likely feels safe to her, is increased, and gives simple get right of entry to all over calm, quiet moments. Cats are very delicate to location and might keep away from water resources if the rest concerning the atmosphere feels unfamiliar or inconvenient. She might also affiliate that house along with your presence, which provides a layer of convenience.
To assist her transition to a greater spot, take a look at putting a robust field subsequent in your nightstand, preferably on the similar peak, and put her most popular cup there. As soon as she accepts that setup, you’ll progressively transfer the field a brief distance each 3 to 4 days till it reaches your required location. This sluggish alternate respects her sensitivity to environmental shifts and offers her time to regulate with out tension. Opting for a quiet space clear of meals and muddle, and maintaining the similar form of cup she already makes use of, could make the method smoother. If she resists the transfer, a water fountain within the ultimate location might upload further enchantment, since many cats are attracted to the motion and freshness of working water.
Dr. Paola
This text is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola sequence
Learn closing weeks questions right here – July 28, 2025
To find the entire checklist of previous articles right here
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