Housecat Housecall

Okay, I admit it. We cats aren’t always easy to figure out. But come on, we have a reputation for being independent thinkers. You should know that going into it.

Still, a lot of people aren’t prepared for the, um, eccentricities of the feline species. As a result, the human staff doesn’t know how to deal with issues that arise and lots of times, my misunderstood compadres end up looking for a new home. Sigh.

So helping humans understand cats is high on my priority list. Anything that can keep kittehs from being abandoned due to (often times) resolvable issues is a win in my book.

That’s why I totally heart Animal Planet’s Housecat Housecall. The series (sponsored by Purina Cat Chow) is a reality-based cat TV show that helps cat staff learn how to better understand their genius feline companions.

The show, which airs on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. E/P, with encores on Sundays at 8:00 a.m. E/P on Animal Planet, is hosted by popular TV personality and Australian veterinarian Dr. Katrina Warren. Each week, Dr. Katrina visits cat-managed homes, observes the cats in their natural environments and recommends actionable solutions to the staff to help them ultimately live more connected lives with their cats. This season features a diverse group of cat lovers including Carrie Ann Inaba, one of the judges from Dancing with the Stars.

I had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Katrina about some of the common issues (ahem, misunderstandings!) between cats and their staff. Some of the biggest things she told me that humans struggle with are:

Scratching furniture – I don’t do this (someone declawed me before I came to my forever home. Can you believe that?) but the PUGMAN sure does. Dr. Katrina says to “redirect” the scratching by offering an alternative to the things you don’t want scratched.

Cat relations in multi-cat households – Oh, hullo! Is it any surprise this is an issue? Believe me, I was not happy when Pug came to live with us but over time we became BFFs. Dr. Katrina says it’s important to give each cat his own resources – food, litterbox, bed, etc. I totally agree with this.

Meowing – So, I guess meowing too much bothers some humans. Heh, heh, why do you think meowmeowmeowmeow works so well as a wake up tactic? But Dr. Katrina told me that excessive meowing may indicate the cat wants attention and that the staff needs to set aside time to play with and entertain the resident cats. YES! I like this chick!

Good stuff. And there is plenty more on the show. So be sure to tune in! And kittehs, please tell me if you staff starts to get a clue!