Summer Camp has Begun!

The end of the school year means a change in my job duties -- namely the beginning of HAWS Kids N Critters Day Camp.  This week we will have 73 kids coming to our camp during three sessions.  Two of the sessions are for 2 days each, Tuesday/Wednesday and also Thursday/Friday.  Typically kids attend those sessions if they aren't sure they'd enjoy our camp, or if they have other activities planned during the week.

We also have a 5 day camp that started on Monday.  The kids have had a chance to walk dogs, play with cats and rabbits, meet Voodoo the snake and do a lot of fun activities. 

One of the activities that all of the campers attending our week-long session are required to do is a little bit of volunteer work.  They spend a half an hour during the week cleaning out a few of the cat cages -- helping to scoop the litter pan, wipe down surfaces, take bedding to the laundry, and provide fresh food and water. 

Suprisingly, many of the kids are eager to help out -- something their parents would be amazed to hear since many of these same kids are reluctant to clean at home.  Some of the kids are disgusted at having to scoop poop, or wipe down messy resting places. 

One of our goals for campers is to show them that having a pet may be very rewarding and a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work, and sometimes is a bit disgusting.

We still have openings for some of the sessions this summer, if you'd like your child to experience fun with animals, while at the same time discovering their responsibility.   Check the HAWS Kids N Critters page for availability.

Pet Myths: Cats and Litterbox Problems

Many times I'll hear from both children and their parents that they had to "give up" a cat because it stopped using the litterbox. Many people believe that if a cat stops using the litterbox there really isn't anything to do about it, and so they give up on their cat.

Fortunately this just isn't true. There is a lot that can be done about a cat who stops using his litterbox - you just have to find the reason for the behavior change and make adjustments within your own home.

The first thing you should do when your cat has changes in their bathroom habits is to take your cat to the vet. Just because an animal isn't acting sick doesn't mean there isn't something medically wrong. There have been many cases of both cats and dogs who have urinary tract infections where the only symptoms is frequent accidents.

If your cat has been medically cleared then you need to consider a few other things. First of all -- cats can go for years with the same litterbox set-up and not have a problem. Then one day -- sometimes for a reason only the cat knows, they will start to not use their toilet area consistently.

Some other things to consider when trying to resolve this problem are:

Do you have enough litterboxes? Experts recommend that you have one box per cat plus an extra in different areas. Having two litterboxes side by side counts as only one box.

Is the box big enough? Many of the commercially sold litterboxes are too small for many cats. Try to get a bigger box, or purchase a large, flat storage box to use in it's place.

What kind of litter are you using? Typically cats do not like litter that is scented or has a deoderizing agent. It may smell better to us, but it could keep a cat away. Purchase several different types of litter and set them out in different boxes. The box your cat uses tells you which type of litter he prefers.

How much litter are you using? Most people have the motto that "more is better". But if there's too much litter the cat may feel that the surface under his feet are unstable and not feel comfortable in his box.

How often are you cleaning? Cats are extremely clean animals. It's recommended that a litterbox be scooped at least once a day. Cats don't want to use a dirty toilet any more than we do.

How noisy is the area where the litterbox is kept? Did something scary happen in the environment where the litterbox is kept while the cat was there? Keep litterboxes away from heavily trafficked areas, and away from appliances such as the furnace or washer/dryer. You may try moving the box to a new location.

There are other solutions for resolving a litterbox issue. For more information I can highly recommend the booklet called "The Fastitidious Feline" by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D. You can also check out the website by Cats International -- which is a wonderful resource for any feline behavior problem.