Call the fire department!

It’s an old cliché, but like most clichés, it’s based on truth: cats easily climb up a tree but often can’t climb down. Hence we have all t...

Bite, scratch—then lick

instinct kicking in: you are stroking your cat with your hand, he seems to be enjoying it thoroughly, then suddenly he bites or scratches t...

The belly problem

belly , and he begins clawing you vigorously with his back feet. (And yes, sometimes it hurts—and bleeds.) Don’t blame the cat. Nature (m...

Surefooted as a goat—or cat

“Surefooted as a goat” is an old cliché, but “surefooted as a cat” would be just as accurate, for cats have an extraordinary sense of balanc...

... and the other side of de-

animal . Owning a declawed cat does require some extra care and caution, but most people who choose declawing claim it is more than compen...

To declaw, or not to declaw?

people who love their cats but who want to preserve their upholstery, drapes, and the like, declawing seems like the ideal solution to the ...

The itch to scratch

attention (definitely!), and scratching may just be a way of releasing built-up energy. Whatever the reason for it, scratching is one of t...