The Cat Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [37]
A While many animals will eat non-food items (a habit called pica) because they develop dietary deficiencies, Sunshine is most likely chomping cords because he is bored. He needs more attention and stimulating activities to fill his day. Make sure he has toys to play with, a perch next to a window to look out of, and plenty of interaction with you.
Consider growing a pot or two of fresh grass for Sunrise to munch on indoors to satisfy his urge to nibble.
You’re right to be concerned about the risk of sparking a fire in your house or having harm come to Sunrise. Fortunately, there are some effective products designed to cat-proof electrical cords. They are also easy to install. These cord covers are available through pet supply stores and catalogs. You can also apply an aversive spray formulated for pets to these cord covers to make them taste nasty.
Making a Splash
Q I swear my cat is part raccoon! Chloe insists on putting her paws in her water bowl. Sometimes, she splashes around without taking a drink. She also makes a mess at mealtime by pawing out some of her food from the bowl and scattering it on the kitchen floor. She doesn’t always eat these spilled pieces of food, and I’m forever cleaning up her messes. Can I change her behavior?
A In spite of their reputation for tolerating only dry land, many cats are actually water lovers. Some, such as Chloe, like to play in standing water, whereas others are fascinated by running water and prefer to drink from a faucet. There are a lot of theories as well as urban legends about this behavior, but no one knows for sure. This attraction to running water may reflect an adaptive behavior from a wild past. Perhaps because running water has fewer contaminants, many wild animals prefer to drink from streams than ponds.
Chloe’s paw splashing could also be attributed to her need to test the water to make sure it is safe. The paw pad represents one of the most sensitive areas on a cat’s body. Chloe is scooping water with her paw to check for possible “dangers” in the water or to test the temperature. Cats’ long distance eyesight is superb and they see anything moving easily, but their close-up vision is somewhat weak. They rely on their noses to sample food and paws to test water. And she may be partaking in a little fun and enjoying seeing the mini-ripples her paw creates in the bowl.
Please make sure that you provide Chloe with fresh water every day, even if she makes a mess. Offer her more than one bowl in your home. If you don’t mind her perching on a bathroom sink, leave one with a few inches of water for her to play in during the day. You might consider an inexpensive automatic water dispenser that trickles water continuously. Many cats find these irresistible. These are readily available at pet supply stores and through catalogs.
Another idea is to take a one-gallon plastic jug and cut a hole about two inches from the bottom. Make the hole just a bit bigger than Chloe’s head (don’t forget to allow for her whiskers!) so that she can reach in for a drink but can’t splash too much water on the floor. If she pushes the jug around, you can attach it to a wall.
As for Chloe’s messy eating habit, first rule out any possible dental problems. Some cats with bad teeth or inflamed gums have difficulty chewing and swallowing kibble. Make sure Chloe’s teeth and gums are healthy. If she checks out okay, then let me offer some suggestions.
Your cat might be bored with the same old chow every day. You can warm up dry food to bring out a more beckoning aroma, or you can make chowtime a bit of an adventure. Like you, I had a cat who seemed to take great delight in