Grief is just love with nowhere to sit. A cat understands this. She is waiting for the new couch, same as you. — YNOT! A woman in a cat group I belong to sold her couch. That is the whole beginning of the story, and … Continue readingA Story of Cat Stress when the Couch left
A kitten who misses the litter box is rarely making a statement about you. She is making a statement about the box, and the box had it coming. — YNOT! A woman in a cat group I belong to took in an abandoned kitten, four … Continue readingThe Litter Box Rebellion: Why Kittens Quit the Box
A man buys a scratching post to save his furniture. A cat knows the post is a decoy and the door frame is the real estate. — YNOT! Four hundred dollars. That is what one cat owner in a group I belong to says her … Continue readingSaving Your Furniture and Your Sanity
A hiss is not a declaration of war. It is a press release: “I am frightened, I am armed, and I would like this meeting adjourned.” — YNOT! In a good home tonight, a ten-week-old kitten named Gus is sitting on one side of a … Continue readingAvoid The Hissing Phase: How to Introduce a Kitten
You do not name a cat. You propose a name, and the cat spends the rest of its life amending it. — YNOT! Three weeks ago a kind soul took in a rescued kitten, and as of this writing the kitten has no name. She … Continue readingNaming your New Kitty the Right Way
A kitten at six months is a teenager with a driver’s license, no brakes, and a legal right to be on top of your furniture. — YNOT! Somewhere tonight there is a good person standing in her living room, watching a six-month-old kitten scale her … Continue readingSurviving the Six-Month Wild Kitten Phase
The internet is a fine library and a poor veterinarian. Know which door you are knocking on. — YNOT! Three posts came into a cat owners’ group within a few days of each other, and together they make up most of what frightens new cat … Continue readingCat First-Aid: Sticky Eyes, Fleas, and Porch Strays
A kitten’s teeth are how it takes notes. The trouble starts when it takes them on you. — YNOT! “How do I get Nanaki to stop play biting and scratching? This is my first cat and he’s only 7 weeks. Or is this normal?” That … Continue readingWhy Does My Kitten Bite Me & Will It Stop?
You do not decide whether the cat sleeps in the bed. You decide whether to be awake when it happens. — YNOT! A woman in a cat owners’ group asked the most innocent question in the world, and three thousand three hundred people showed up … Continue readingShould Your Cat Sleep in Your Bed?
Every cat arrives with a pedigree. Some are written on paper. The rest are written on the cat, and it is up to you to learn to read. — YNOT! Somebody found a kitten inside a tire. Not near a tire. Not under a tire. … Continue readingWhat Kind of Cat Is This? Cat’s Coat, Color, and Voice