Cats aren’t known for panting, but they do occasionally. So why would your cat pant, is the problem serious, and what should you do about it? Why is my cat panting? There are several reasons why cats pant. Your cat may be overheated, stressed/anxiou, or both. These are problems that can be fixed easily. However, cats can also pant because of serious health issues like heartworm, respiratory infection, hypocalcemia resulting from birth or pulmonary edema resulting from heart failure. If your cat is panting frequently, or has not stopped panting for some time, take it to the vet for a full diagnosis. The guide below first looks at whether and…

Cats can be cuddly, fluffy and lovely. But they can also be annoying: pooping in your flower bed, eating your plants, or having cat fights in your garden. So how do you keep them out of there? How can you keep cats out of your flower bed? There are a few ways: if the cat is yours, keep it indoors, or encourage it elsewhere. If the cat isn’t yours, get rid of any rodents or birds in your yard, purchase a roller rail fence or an ultrasonic cat deterrent, lay down chicken wire or tin foil where you don’t want the cat to go, plant plants that cats don’t like,…

If your cats are constantly fighting, it can be a drain on your mental health; severe cat fights can also take a toll on your cats’ health too. So how do you stop them? How do you stop cats fighting? Don’t allow them to fight it out, and try to separate them with a broom. Keep them separated until they calm down. To prevent cats fighting in the future, feed them in separate areas, and give each its own private space (e.g. with its own bed). Reward them with treats if they sit together calmly, and try to reduce aggression in your cats by playing with them separately, neutering your…

Cats love to play fight, but this puts you in an awkward position as an owner. Are your cats play fighting or fighting for real, and how do you tell? How can you tell if cats are fighting or playing? Body language and vocalizations make it obvious. Cats that are really fighting will have arched backs, their fur will be standing on end, and they will have puffed up ‘bottle brush’ tails. They will hiss in anger and yelp loudly when hurt. Play fighting cats make almost no noise at all. It’s highly unlikely that two cats which are normally friendly will have a real cat fight. To break up…

Cats are known for retreating to lick their wounds after they get injured. But do cats heal their own wounds by licking them, or is this a behavior you should stop? Is it bad for cats to lick their wounds? Licking can be beneficial to small wounds, but is bad for big wounds. Licking and gentle biting clears debris away from the wound like dirt and blood. There’s also limited evidence that saliva contains beneficial hormones that assist wounds in healing. However, cats’ mouths contain bacteria, so your cat could infect its wound by licking it. It could also keep licking until a lick granuloma forms, a large patch of…

If your stubborn cat won’t use its cat flap, or your cat is afraid of its cat door, what can you do? Forcing it through will only make it mad. So how can you train a cat to use a cat flap? How do you train a cat to use a cat flap? Start by buying the right kind of flap: manually-operated, magnetic/infra-red, or microchip. Install it at the right height for your cat (belly height), ideally opening out to somewhere that’s covered or sheltered from the elements. Tape or prop the flap open so that your cat can see it leads outside/inside. If it still doesn’t want to go…

It’s not common to walk cats on a leash, but it can be done. So how do you train your cat to wear a harness and a leash? And should you at all—is it cruel? How do you train a cat to walk on a leash? It needs to wear a harness rather than a collar. There are several types of collar which offer compromises between safety and comfort; pick the best for your cat. The harness should be adjusted so that there is a finger’s width between the collar and the neck. Allow your cat to wear the harness indoors until it’s comfortable before attaching the leash. Walk your…

Cats and garden birds go together like a match made in Hell. But if your cat keeps catching birds, how do you stop it? Can you stop it? How do I stop my cat killing birds? You must prevent its instincts of hunting for pleasure, hunting for sport, and of bringing you ‘gifts’ of small dead animals. To achieve this, consider keeping your cat indoors, or fitting it with a special collar to warn birds of its presence. Some collars emit a noise that the birds can hear. Others are big, bright and colorful, so that birds can see your cat coming. The only perfect way of keeping birds safe…