Aaargh! He Peed On My Clothes Again!

 Inappropriate urination in cats can be so frustrating for guardians. Our home and belongings become soaked in urine and the smell is unbelievable. Of course our first reaction being that of upset is natural, it feels like a slight against us. But let's look at why it happens. 

Not our kitty, but she made us laugh so we shared.

First and foremost, take your little one to the vet. Trust, a visit to the vet now is a lot less expensive and painful than a visit when it gets worse. Also, crystals and urinary blockages can be fatal. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 (although that might help with the vet bill), just get to the vet. The most common reason for urination that we have experienced here is urinary crystals, urinary tract infection, and in one case, renal failure (our amazing vet was able to fix her up, thankfully!). Another issue that can arise is if the cat has been declawed (please don't do this, it's so barbaric). The pain experienced on the tips of those little toes can be further exacerbated by rough litter. For that, you'll want to try the softest litter you can find. For that we recommend ökocat litter and a perusal through the website for City the Kitty.

If you've ruled out any mechanical concerns at the vet, now it's time to look at the next culprit; behaviour. Now, a lot of people believe that cats will urinate inappropriately because of some vendetta. Let's put a stop to this right now; unlike people, animals are incapable of malice. Period. They do not plan to upset us, they do not punish us, they do not piss because they are upset they got in trouble and they want to exact revenge. Yes, we do need to anthropomorphise animals to an extent because we don't understand much about them and it keeps us attached to them, but this is a thing that can go too far. Not anthropomorphising them at all will keep us too detached, but anthropomorphising them too much makes us get a little more fussy than we ought to be. Strike a balance. ANYWAY. Let's get on to how to suss out why kitty is peeing where she shouldn't.

1. Look at where it's happening. Is it by windows and doors? Look around and see if there are neighbourhood cats hanging out in your yard or worse, marking by entrances to your home. You might have to look pretty hard for that, or even use a black light at night to determine if that's the case. If it is, use the detergent I'll leave the recipe for at the bottom of this post to eliminate the urine and set out deterrents to keep cats out of your yard. We have used coyote piss, bear piss, wolf piss, and cougar piss to keep cats off of our property with pretty good success, but you have to acquire it during hunting season and I won't lie, it stinks. You'll want to spray it around the perimeter of your yard so the smell doesn't get in the house, and I strongly recommend wearing disposable gloves when you handle it. You'll need to renew it every once in a while or if it rains. If you can't get ahold of predator piss, try a motion activated sprinkler. Place it where your mail carrier won't get hit with it of course, but you could put it close to the side of the house near the windows. We've had success with this for keeping cats out of our garden.

2. Is it where another cat has peed in your home? Think hard, you may have forgotten about the habit of a cat who used to live with you. Or maybe, a cat who lived with the people who were in your home before you moved in. You can determine this using a black light. You might need to pull the carpet up a little to see the underlay or subfloor in order to determine just how much work it will take to eliminate the hot spot. Again, there will be a recipe for what we use.

3. Has something changed in the home? Some cats can be kind of neurotic about stuff. New people, new or rearranged furniture, a new cat, sometimes even a new deodorant or scent can trigger upset in cats. (And honestly dear reader, a lot of perfumes make your author here want to misbehave too, so can you imagine having a sense of smell as acute as a cat's?) Check out any changes that have happened in the house. With us having just gone through a major worldwide event, a lot of people were home all day and now that many are returning to work, some of our animal companions will not know how to react to this. If you suspect it may be an anxiety response, we recommend trying a small shirt (we use size small and medium dog shirts, depending on the size of the cat) to help your kitty feel a little more secure. The Thunder Shirt is a well known tool for this, but sometimes people may find that cost prohibitive or heavy for their needs, so we do like to start with the simple shirt. Calming treats and CBD (please be mindful of dosage and do NOT administer THC to your cat) can be very helpful in this situation as well. Please avoid using essential oils without first looking into which ones can be safely used and how. We don't recommend following the advice of those selling the oils because a lot of the time they're misinformed and can sell you something which can cause toxicity. We have a short blurb with a link to the CVMA (click the pic on the article) article about oils. Sometimes you might have to go as far as using an anti-anxiety medication prescribed by your veterinarian.

4. This one is obvious, but is the litter box clean? Are there enough boxes? There should be 1 box per kitty plus one. So if you were like me and had 10 cats (listen, the kids moved out okay? Don't judge!) you would need at least 11 boxes. We have 13 and still sometimes have pissing incidents. If you have 2 cats, have 3 boxes, 3 cats means 4 boxes and so on. Also, does your cat like the litter? Is it too coarse? Is it perfumed? Please don't use perfumed litters, they're awful for their little lungs. 

The thing to remember is that inappropriate elimination is almost always a cat's way of telling you something is wrong in their world. Something hurts, they're confused, stressed or anxious. They aren't being malicious or bratty, your kitty still loves you. They just really need you to figure out what it is and help them solve it. Best of luck, and try to remember, scolding or punishing a cat for this doesn't teach them a lesson, it teaches them not to trust you.

Yellow Fungus in Bearded Dragons

 Yellow Fungus, which is more scientifically referred to as Chrysosporium Anamorph of Nanniziopsis vriesii (CANV), is an aggressive fungus infection. Because of it's aggressiveness, if you suspect yellow fungus in your beardie it is HIGHLY recommended to seek the advice of a veterinarian. In many cases yellow fungus can be fatal but early detection can greatly increase your odds. 

In the early stages of infection expect to see dry and crusty looking lesions on scales along with discoloration. In addition to this, these trouble spots may be retained when your beardie sheds which may also become more frequent at this stage of the disease. As the disease worsens, you will likely see some of the first affected areas turning black and beginning to essentially rot away. If the fungus starts on limbs or the tail, it is possible for these to even fall off. At this point, wounds may begin leaking a pusslike substance as well. Lastly, it is likely that your dragon at this point is lethargic, not eating (or eating very little) and possibly grumpy/aggressive. 

So where does yellow fungus come from? Essentially your dragon will only come in contact with the pathogen IF they are touched or touch something/someone that also touched the infected dragon. So once again the topic of husbandry arises. Keeping you Beardie clean with a weekly bath, housing your beardie in an appropriate size enclosure, keeping your beardie's enclosure clean, keeping only ONE bearded dragon per habitat, etc. Remember YF is a pathogen that's highly communicable between beardies so keeping multiple bearded dragons together can help spread the fungus quickly. 

If you suspect that your beardie may have yellow fungus, contact an exotics veterinarian immediately. Because it is so aggressive, it can affect internal organs as well. A veterinarian can help determine the severity of the disease and will most likely prescribe an antibiotic or antifungal. Some herpetologists will suggest a 5-10 minute betatine or chlorhexidine bath for preventative treatments.

For more information, please click on either of the photos in this article to be directed to the articles to which they are connected.

Metabolic Bone Disease

 Metabolic bone disease or MBD is caused by a lack of Calcium, Vitamin D3, and/or Phosphorus and is the weakening of the bones of your bearded dragon. Metabolic Bone Disease is perhaps the most common ailment among bearded Dragons and is also 100% preventable with good husbandry.

Signs of Metabolic Bone Disease:

• Bumps in the legs (that you can feel/see)
• Twitches, ticks, spasms, or tremors
• Bumps in the vertical columns of the back and tail
• A swollen bottom jaw
• Jerky movements

One of the earliest, common symptoms is a head bob or head tremor. 

MBD can be treated and even reversed with early detection. However, even beardies with more advanced MBD can still live long, full lives with proper care. Metabolic bone disease can be treated and prevented by using the proper multivitamin and UVB bulbs. A good calcium powder with Vitamin D3 dusted on your beardies food will give ample vitamin support and utilizing a proper UVB bulb will make sure they can metabolize the calcium. Always remember to replace your UVB bulbs as directed by the manufacturer. All UVB bulbs whether they're florescent, compact florescent, or mercury vapor will stop producing UVB long before they stop glowing and need to be replaced every 6-12 months to keep your scale baby healthy and happy.

If you suspect your bearded dragon has MBD you should always consult an exotics vet as they can do blood work and imaging to determine the severity of the disease and possible treatment.

This bearded dragon has a severe case of MBD after having been
left in the well-meaning care of her guardian's parents. They did not
know to change the UVB bulb every 6 months and it is unknown if
they were administering calcium powder with feedings.

Settling A New Cat Into Your Home

Congratulations! You've added a new feline companion to your home. Be prepared, your life is about to become so much more interesting in so many ways. Cats are wonderfully diverse creatures, with different personality traits, moods, quirks, and routines. The wonderful thing about them is that, despite popular opinion, cats can be taught. 

William and Maggie took to each other like peanut butter and jam.

So you've brought your kitty in and they're a little skittish. They're going to need some time to adjust. Wherever they were before landing in your life is what they know, and the new smells, people, and surroundings are going to put them off their game a little bit. They're going to hide for a little while (possibly a week or two!), maybe even be off their food for a day or two. That's okay, place some food and water close to their hiding spot so that they at least meet those basic needs. They're likely doing so when you're out of the house or sleeping, but it's no fun to go hours without water when you're thirsty, and cats can be stubborn. 

Audrey walked into our home like she owned it
and promptly made herself the queen,
much to the chagrin of George and Gracie. 

If they aren't the only animal in the home, they're also going to need time to adjust to the new friend as well. This can be a little scary for everyone involved because we aren't so sure if there will be fights or if they'll hit it off immediately. Chances are that there will be some vocalization, perhaps some poofing up of kitties, but it's not a guarantee that there will be fighting. Some people recommend keeping a barrier between a new cat and existing resident animals, and we agree with that to an extent. Our usual method of introduction of a healthy cat to a new home with resident animals is to allow open, supervised visitation between them, keeping a watchful eye over the interactions to ensure that they aren't violent. Hissing and growling is normal, and we recommend allowing that type of interaction, but ensure that there is an adult human close by to intercept if there is going to be a physical confrontation. Give treats (but not too many!) when you see that they are all sharing space without confrontation, and praise them all equally.

If there are times when there won't be an adult human present to supervise, or if the companion animals are having a hard time adjusting, then you'll want to do the following;

1. Set up a room with a door for the new cat. Include food, water, toys, litter, and other sources of stimulation for the kitty. You'll also want to set something up for you to be able to spend time comfortably in there as well, because kitty is also going to have to get to know you as well.
2. Put a blanket where kitty is likely to sleep. Also put a similar blanket where your existing companion animals sleep. You're going to swap these back and forth between animals every 2 days for a while, to get them used to the scent of the other.
3. Feed all companion animals close to the door of the room. Not immediately at the door, but close enough that they can sense each other but know that there is that safety of a barrier and some space.
4. Go in and spend time with the new companion animal. Be it homework, or just doomscrolling (because let's be honest, nobody "surfs the net" anymore, we all doomscroll social media now), your quiet presence in the room will help settle your new friend. Bonus if kitty comes up for snuggles, because you'll be leaving the room smelling like the new kitty, and you can go immediately to your established companion and show some affection while smelling like the new kid.
5. Swap the aforementioned blankets between the animals to help them associate the smell of the new companion with sleep. Swap them every 2 or 3 days to help move things along.
6. Eventually, you'll want to start encouraging face-to-face time with the animals in the home. Do so slowly, heeding all of the warnings from prior to this list. Eventually, you'll be able to just let everyone free roam in the home without worrying.

We have also found that Feliway plug in diffusers help immensely, as well as Royal Canin Calm food (available through your vet). There are some "homeopathic remedies" out there for cats, but few of them have actually proven to us to be effective and many of them are quite fragrant. We use LucyLoo #hashtags essential oil blend in our main foster home because it's safe, non-offensive, and actually seems to help our animals when they decide to go all West Side Story on us. It's available exclusively through Hashbrowns Homestead Supplies in Red Deer, Alberta. Please refer to our post about cats and essential oils before going ahead and using oils with cats in the home.

Other methods we have found help the process are;

• brush the new kitty, and without removing the hair from the brush, brush your existing companion animals with the same brush to transfer scents between them
• put one of your dirty shirts in with the new kitty
• stuffies that can be swapped between the animals
• spending time around your new kitty without fussing if the cat is somewhat skittish toward you. If you go into their space and just spend time being there without being a force, they will become curious and come see you for affection. BUT...
• some cats respond to what we call "forcible affection". That's something you will want to ask the foster family about. This is exactly what it sounds like; scooping kitty up and snuggling them whether they are game or not. Again, ask the foster family about this and if you or they aren't sure, err on the side of respectful distance instead

Again, every cat is different, and they can either waltz in like they already own the place or they will take a few weeks to get settled enough to snuggle. You absolutely need to practice patience. It doesn't matter if the 6 cats you had before settled in like nothing, this 7th bebby might be the challenge who ends up being worth it. 

That said, some cats are just not meant to live with other animals. We had a lovely little girl named Harlow who had her umpteenth litter of kittens while in our care (she was on the street prior to that) and after her babies were weaned, she wanted nothing to do with any other cat. No matter what we did, she just was not interested in having any other animal friends so she had to go live with a lovely lady who has no other companion animals. She is thriving there and is treated like the queen she is.

Miss Harlow was not having any of this "friends" business.
We know that some kitties just don't want to do it, so we 
respect that and placed her so she will be the only cat.

What are other ways you have helped new kitties settle in to your home? 

Essential Oils and Cats

 

If you're leery of clicking through, what it boils down to is this;

Many essential oils are toxic to cats, don't put essential oils of any kind directly on a cat, and be very mindful of how much and how often you diffuse oils around cats. Some can be toxic even in small amounts, so it is absolutely essential (hah!) that you do research first before you diffuse any oils around them. Please use actual veterinary sites, not natural news sites or homeopathic sites. While there can be some validity to alternative medicines, when it comes to oil toxicity, we have firsthand experience with it and it is terrifying. Seeing your beloved companion stumble around because she got some lavender oil on her is heart breaking and terrifying. 

Quirky & Odd Art Collection

 This is our Quirky & Odd Collection on Society6. Any art you purchase through these links benefits not only us, but also an independent artist! If you have any suggestions for this collection, message us!

Also available as a canvas print, a sticker, a clock, and coasters.

Animals Collection

  This is our Animals Collection on Society6. Any art you purchase through these links benefits not only us, but also an independent artist! If you have any suggestions for this collection, message us!

Also available as a travel mug, pillow cases,  and many other fun items like shower curtains!

Check out the pillow, leggings, and coffee mug!

But, like, it also comes as a clock. It could be Cat Ears o'clock, or Bok Bok o'clock. It comes on more stuff too, but nothing will top Bok Bok o'clock.

This is our favourite iteration of this octopus, but it is also available as an art print, a travel mug, and many other items.