How to make a quick, elevated feeding bowl stand for a megaesophagus cat
Megaesophagus cats have a dilated food-chute that means they can't swallow and push that chewed up food down into their stomach like normal animals can so they tend to puke and dribble after eating - a lot.
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Lots of stuff needs to be done for megaesophagus cats and this isn't a video about all those comprehensive care steps. What it is, is a video about one small - but vitally important - aspect of feeding care for a megaesophageal cat.
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And that, is elevating their food bowl.
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• Make some kind of ramp that can accommodate their food bowl so the cat is more on a 45 degree angle when eating.
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• I made a cardboard cut out mock-up for size reference before cutting out some scrap plywood to piece together the final, wedge-shaped, contraption for elevating the cat's food bowl.
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• After eating, figure out a distraction or technique for keeping the cat on that 45 degree angle for about 30 minutes so that the food is gravity-dripped into the stomach.
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• And, of course, if you even slightly suspect you have a meagaesophageal cat, please see your vet.
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• Thanks to Squirrel and Panther for their assistance in making this video. And RIP Gizmo, for whom I made this elevated feeder all those years ago. - you are​ fondly remembered with great love.
How to cat proof your back yard fence
Cats that roam neighborhoods generally have a life-expectancy of about 6 years as they almost always come to a sticky end. If you're lucky enough to have a back yard with a fence, cat-proofing it - to keep your cats inside the yard away from danger - can be the best of both worlds to your cat and give you peace of mind that they are both having a great time and are also safe.
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• I used 4 x 2 pressure treated lumber as the 'branches' to support the poultry wire. I've seen videos where people use pvc pipe very successfully for the same purpose.
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• Deckmate screws were a time-saver as they don't require pre-drilling pilot holes.
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• I'm pleased I used 36" poultry netting so that the netting is more than wide enough to both slip behind the beams for stapling to the fence and also having some overhang.
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• Wire cutters, an impact drill and tapcon drill bits and screws helped a lot.
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• Having your fence posts at least 6' high seems to be a rule of thumb that works well.
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• Try to get a second pair of hands to help with a project like this. It's rough trying to do it by yourself.
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• Good luck!
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• (October 2024 update: Cat proof fence suffered zero damage from Category 3 Hurricane Milton.)
How to play with your cat
Interactive play with cats is the best. 'Interactive' is here being defined as 'a human at one end of the fishing pole toy and a cat at the other end'.
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• The end of the toy is the prey. Prey never moves towards a predator. Always away. So lead the toy *away* from your cat, rather than shoving it in their face. You want your cat to get their predatory hunter energy out of their pent up system.
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• Make the prey 'hide' behind things and engage with different surfaces and objects so you're providing different noises, sounds and situations to stimulate as many senses as possible and make the 'hunt' as enjoyable and engaging as possible.
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• Try to simulate a cat's natural hunting style: ambush hunting prey that makes a mistake in trying to escape.
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• Let your cat get a few catches and move the prey at a speed and in a style that matches prey in the wild. Don't whiz the toy around at 100mph and make it impossible to catch. This should be enjoyable for your cat, not frustrating.
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• Once your cat catches the prey, it's on to round 2: 'Injured Prey'. Simulate a dying animal twitching as it tries to drag itself to a hiding place. Yes, it's macabre - but cats are both our adorable, fluffy snuggle partners and also fierce hunters who need to get their hunt on to be truly happy.
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• Give your cat a treat or meal. After all, their day revolves around a desire to Hunt > Catch > Kill > Eat > Groom > Sleep.​​​
How to give your cat medicine when you are not actually home
Sometimes your cat needs medicine at a scheduled time, but you won't be home. A common solution, that I have found works fairly well, is as follows:
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• After slightly reducing portion sizes to keep your cat slightly hungry, get a timed-release feeder.
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• Check with your vet that the particular medicine you have is ok to crush and mix (some medicines are not suited to crushing, but need to enter the stomach whole).
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• Use a medical-grade, stainless steel mortar and pestle to crush the medicine into a powder. I recommend using gloves if it is hyperthyroid medicine.
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• Keep the feeder's gel pack and tray in the freezer along with the food or treat that you're mixing the powdered medicine into. (Churu seems to be a regular winner for mixing powdered medicine into and having your cat just slurp it all up).
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• Thoroughly mix the cold, refrigerated food and medicine and set the timer. The food will come up to room temperature and, as long as your cat likes the food (again, Churu works great!) they won't even know they are gobbling down their medicine when they eat.
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Note: Let's be honest, some cats are majorly fussy and finicky eaters and won't fall for this ruse. In that case, there aren't many other options than having to get a human to pop over and pill them.​​​
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How to save money while preventing whisker smoosh and chin acne!
As both a pet sitter and cat guardian, I try as much as possible to make every aspect of my clients' kitties and my cats lives as least frustratingly irritating as possible. Even down to the type of food bowl.
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• Unfortunately, a lot of products in pet supply stores are still catering more towards human emotions (they want the sales, right?!) than the animals' actual needs and preferences. High sided food bowls usually result in cats smooshing their whiskers against the sides of the bowl. As whiskers are exquisitely sensitive we can surmise that this must be quite uncomfortable.
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• Shallower dishes with lower sides and that are lower profile work better. There are, occasionally, some sold in pet supply stores, but they tend to be very expensive. I prefer to go to a second-hand shop or big box store and pick up a bunch of these saucers that I then designate as cat food bowls only.
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• If your cat pulls their food out of their plate/bowl and is generally a 'messy eater', then the easiest solution I have found is just to use a washable mat underneath it. Hope this helps!
How to dismantle & clean your cat's water fountain. It's a lot easier than you think.
Running, filtered, water is usually more attractive to cats (who have a low thirst drive inherited from their (mostly) African cat ancestors) than still water in a bowl. There are no hard-and-fast rules for how often to change the water and dismantle the water fountain as it all depends on how many cats you have and how many water fountains, but err on the side of more often, rather than less often. Especially if you have a cat, like my elderly boy Kazu, who likes to use the water fountains as a paw bath!
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As a professional pet sitter, I have seen water fountains encrusted with grime, dirt and mold and with algae growing in them profusely. I still cannot understand how the human guardians can let things get this bad so my recommendation is this: look at the water fountain and ask yourself "Would *I* drink from this?"
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• All pet water fountains are variations on the same design. There is a molded housing, a filter and a pump. Don't be afraid to pull it apart. Often there is a 'lid' that the pumped up water slams into in order to be diverted into the reservoir down a ramp.
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• Absolute minimum: fully dismantle and clean it once a month.
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• Don't use detergent to clean the charcoal filters. Rub them under running hot water and fully replace them every 3 months. A new filter often needs a lot of rinsing to get rid of the charcoal dust.
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• Use your fingernail or knife to remove the pump cover then remove the flow meter controller and impeller.
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• Soak in a 50/50 cleaning vinegar/hot water solution, rinse, reassemble and you're good to go!
How to build and install a DIY access ramp for a senior, arthritic cat.
As our elderly companion cats get older, stairs and ramps often become necessary to help them get to their familiar eating areas and scent-soaked relaxing spots.
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• Every home is different. This ramp was in a small apartment and I found 6" wood was sufficient for Mugsy (RIP) to go up and down his ramp and for the humans not to be crashing into it as they walked around.
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• Where cats need to grip, I am a big fan of sticking down yoga matting that has been cut to size. I just used a general wood glue; nothing fancy.
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This cat ramp video isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, but I hope it helps get your own ideas churning about how to provide assisted access ramps for your own geriatric super-senior cats.
How to train your cat to walk on a harness and leash.
All cats are different - that's one of the reasons we love them.
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One of my rescued, special-needs seniors - Bear - let me put a harness and leash on him and he walked around the apartment building parking, landscaping and garden area as if he had been doing it his whole life.
Other cats need more time, gentle positive-reinforcement and step-by-step training. And, even then, not every cat is going to want to walk on a harness and leash, but I hope this video - which breaks up the training into incredibly small bit by bit baby steps - will help give you the best chance of encouraging your cat to enjoy safely exploring the outdoors on a harness and leash.
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If you are impatient and are looking for a magic pill, quick-fix solution that will turn your indoor cat into an adventurous hiker in a couple of minutes, then this video is not for you.
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If you understand that positive reinforcement training takes time and is best done in very small steps that always end positively, then this video is for you.
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• Each step only takes 1-2 minutes a day.
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• In the video, when I say 'do this for a couple of days', I mean 'do this for as long as it takes for your cat to get comfortable with it - maybe 1 day, maybe 2 days, maybe even 3, but probably not more than that in my experience'.
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• With a couple of minutes every day - you and your cat will have the best chance of success.
How to create cat vertical space - walkways without drilling into walls.
Probably because most cats like to climb up high to relax and perch (often to get away from dogs, toddlers and feet), vertical expansion is a core component of catification. But a lot of us rent, and drilling into the walls to put up shelves, ramps and a cat super highway just isn't an option with most landlords.
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This video shows one way in which I created vertical space without drilling into walls.
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• Buy 8 hollow cinder blocks, four 4 x 4 beams and cut them to a few inches below ceiling height.
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• Cut out sections of wood as bases for the cinder blocks. Screw each one to an upright 4 x 4 beam.
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• Slide two cinder blocks over the upright and fill in the gap with mortar or concrete.
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• Prop it to keep it level and allow to dry overnight.
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• Spackle top of cinder blocks. Then paint it and the upright beam.
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• Wrap sisal around blocks and glue carpet on top.
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• Add carpet to base to protect your floor.
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• Put the uprights into the 4 corners of your room, attach brackets and 12" cross pieces.
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• Attach brackets for access steps, cut and attach steps and glue carpet or yoga matting on top.
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How to create a vertical step-case without drilling into walls.
When building a vertical cat super highway, we want multiple on and off ramps and no dead ends where cats can get stuck and ambushed. Sometimes you have an odd spot, with no easy solution plus you cannot drill into the walls because you are renting.
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My solution was to use scrap wood for this corner to create a kind of bookshelf that was all cat steps.
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• Measure your area, sketch a rough design and cut your scrap wood to fit before screwing it together. 12" between steps is an ok rule of thumb.
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• Putting a simple, thin backing on actually increases the rigidity.
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• Amazing what a few coats of paint do to make a rough project look better.
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• Cut some carpet remnant or yoga matting to size for the steps and glue in place.
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• Put books on top overnight to provide weight while the glue dries.
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• Put some treats on the steps to encourage exploration.