PET WORLD

By Steve Dale
Q: Ever since we moved, my 14-year-old cat has refused to use the litter
box. We have puppy training mats around the house, which she uses half the
time. My father is sick of all this and wants to get rid of the cat but I've
had her since I was 8. We have another cat who's 15 and uses the box
correctly. I know the other cat is healthy. What can we do? - G.L
A: I understand your frustration and your dad's anger, but don't relinquish your longt-time friend. After all, who's going to adopt a teenage cat who's missing the box? "You mention this cat is healthy, but how do you know that?" asks feline behavior consultant Pam Johnson-Bennett, of Nashville, TN. "Some cats can deal with change (such as moving) but many cannot. Stress can uncover underlying disease, which is more likely in older cats. Unless you've been to the vet since the move, kidney disease, diabetes, arthritis, and/or cognitive dysfunction (a sort of kitty Alzheimer's) are among the possibilities."
Johnson-Bennett, author of "Think Like A Cat" (Penguin Books, New York, NY, 2000; $16.95), adds, "For starters, add at least one more litter box. Make sure you scoop at least once daily. Placement of boxes is always important, but even more an issue for elderly cats. For instance, going downstairs to use a box may be a problem if your cat is even mildly arthritic."
One way to help a cat adjust to a new home is to shrink the space.
Temporarily, limit the cat to a single room, or only a small part of the
house. Visit the pet often and provide food, water, toys and a litter box or
two. As always, keep the boxes scrupulously clean.
Q: What are fleas? My son needs to know for school. - S.H.

A: Isn't asking me cheating? I'll bite: Fleas are insects. There are over
2,000 species of fleas. Ironically, a species called the cat flea most often infests dogs as well as cats.
Here are a few more flea facts:
-A single flea can lay up to 50 eggs daily and 2,000 eggs in a lifetime.
-A flea can suck more blood daily than a vampire bat.
-If you happen to see one flea, there may be more than 100 offspring or adults looming nearby in furniture, corners, cracks, carpeting or on your
pet.
-The average flea can jump at least a foot, equivalent to a person jumping about a half a block.
Do I get an A?
(c) 2007 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.