Kitty Corner

Keep your feline fine: Kerrie McKeon, Bideawee's Feline Behavior Coordinator shows you how!



Let's Talk Litter!

Cats, by nature, are very clean animals. Any indiscriminate house soiling indicates a very stressed cat who needs your immediate help. The three main causes of litter box problems are medical problems, for which you should contact your veterinarian, territorial or emotional issues, for which you should contact a cat behavior specialist, and issues with the litter box or litter. The following are some guidelines and rules of thumb for litter box selection and maintenance that may help "curb" any issues:

  • Your cat's litter should be scooped at least once a day.
  • Your cat's litter box must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water and dried at least once a week.
  • If you're experiencing odor issues with your cat's litter box, having a plastic liner may be part of the problem. Cat's tend to claw at them when they are covering their discharge, which can cause tears and allow urine to seep underneath the liner.
  • Size does matter! Some cats like lots of space to "do their business."
  • Keep everything simple. The more complicated the box and its contents are, the more rejection is likely.
  • You'll want to have two scoops on hand, one for sifting and one for shoveling.
  • Don't try to stir wet litter together with new litter-this does not fool the cat one bit! And remember that when he enters the box, he wants his feet to touch dry litter.
  • Covered boxes are designed for humans. Not every cat will accept one.
  • Cats normally urinate in the corners of the box, so be sure that these have plenty of litter.
  • Location, location, location! Do yourself a favor and don't store your litter box on a carpet. Your cat won't necessarily differentiate between this carpet and others!
  • Find the type of litter your cat will use and stick with it! If you must switch litters, always do so gradually and be prepared to return to your former brand if your cat won't accept the new one.
  • A useful rule of thumb: have one litter box per cat in your household.




    • About Kerrie McKeon, Feline Behavior Coordinator

    Kerrie McKeon grew up in New Haven, CT with two loves: performing and cats. The former love (performing) took "center stage" early on and Kerrie graduated from Penn State with a degree in Theater Arts, then moved to Chicago, where she spent eight years working in theater. Eventually, the East Coast called her back and she came to New York, where the latter love (cats), a love that had never waned, inspired her to make a drastic career change and join the team at Bideawee.

    Kerrie began her career at Bideawee in the Manhattan Adoption Center as an Associate and immediately impressed everyone—two-legged and four-legged alike - with her natural ability to communicate both with the cats and with potential adopters. Kerrie quickly became the star of the Adoption Center, embodying Bideawee's mission of getting to know each one of our animals and each and every one of our adopters so that we can make the best possible match.

    In the past few years, as Feline Behavior Specialist, Kerrie has spearheaded initiatives to better the lives of our feline residents, such as requiring toys in every cage and encouraging the construction of even more cageless living space for the cats. She regularly holds educational workshops for the public and for staff at all three Bideawee locations in order to improve our understanding and our relationships with our feline friends. As a member of Bideawee's Case Management Team, Kerrie also has a direct impact on the cats living with us, constantly making adjustments and improvements to better the lives each and every one of them.



    MORE KITTY CORNER COLUMNS FROM KERRIE:
    Getting Kitty Ready for Baby
    Moving With Your Cat
    How to Get Some Sleep If You Have a Noisy Cat
    Playtime for Seniors! Older Cats Are Frisky Too!
    Ideas for Inexpensive, Homemade Cat Toys


    DO-IT-YOURSELF CAT TOY

    The mystery of where missing socks end up may not ever be solved, but there is finally something you can do with that lonely, remaining sock that has lost its mate to the abyss of the laundry room: turn it into a homemade cat toy! You'll save money and your cat will love you for it.

    Sew Velcro strips into the sock opening so it can be closed up and easily reopened. Next, fill the sock with batting, scrap fabric, or dried catnip, and seal shut. In no time, your kitty will have a new favorite plaything!

    Your cat's playtime can be even more exciting when you attach the sock toy to a length of yarn and pull it along the floor. Thanks to the Velcro, when the catnip loses it potency, refills are easy!



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