Pelushka Persians
Bred With Love & Care
Q. My Persian cat has very watery eyes which I clean for her twice a day but the tears are always a brown colour. Is this normal, and if so, why are they brown?
Persians and other breeds with large eyes and short noses tend to have ‘eye matter’ problems. This is because the large eye openings and the small distance from the tear ducts to the nose in these cats create an area for more tearing to occur than usual. Rather than pooling into tear ducts, the tears spill over the bottom eyelids. Once the tears come into contact with air, they are "oxidized" and turn brown, staining the area below the eyes and creating a glue-like substance which needs to be cleaned daily to keep the area healthy and comfortable for the cat.
Q. Why does my kitten paw the floor after eating as though he was trying to burying something? I’ve never had a cat before so have no ideas as to what he is trying to do or maybe even tell.
The pawing and digging your kitten is doing is simply a display of instinctive behaviour and something he probably didn’t learn from his mother. Cats in the wild often bury their food remains as a form of protection so that their enemies can’t track them. What your kitten is displaying is a very positive sign that he feels comfortable and is making your home his home. Don’t worry and don’t try to stop this natural behaviour, but I would advise getting him neutered at the appropriate age as the next step may be urine marking.
Q. My cat often vomits after he has eaten. At first I thought it might be because he has eaten his food too quickly, so I started feeding him smaller portions, but he still seems to vomit on occasions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
This is quite a common problem with cats due to a flap of skin right at the entrance of the stomach. The food gets trapped and comes up when the esophagus is too full. You could try raising his food dish so that he is forced to eat in an upright position, this would help to open the flap above the stomach and allow the food to enter.
Q. Why does my cat attack me? Sometimes when my cat is on my lap and I'm stroking him, he turns and starts to bite my hands. On other occasions he will jump out and attack my feet or ankles when I walk past him. What is making him so aggressive towards me?
Your cat is not attacking you through hostility, but because he is behaving like a perfectly normal cat. Many cats nip and bite their owners when they're happy, particularly if they've a low threshold for stimulation. By watching your cat you can learn the warning signs that indicate he is becoming over stimulated. You will see his tail twitch or his bottom wiggle and may even feel his muscles tense. If you can tell he's about to bite you, stop stoking him and wait for him to calm down.
When your cat pounces at your feet and ankles, he's just displaying predatory-play behaviour. Cats have a natural instinct to attack moving objects in the wild. Indoors, your feet become the moving prey for him to ambush.
Help to discourage your cat from attacking your feet by giving him lots of other moving targets to play with. Try trailing a string across the floor, waving feather wand toys for him to paw at, or give him balls to bat around. By being vigilant and consistently discouraging his attacks you will eventually see his behaviour towards you change.
Q. How can I get my cat to accept the new person in my life?
We are assuming that you are a woman, but if you are a man, just reverse the pronouns. You have been living alone with just your cat for several years when suddenly you meet the love of your life! Naturally you want the relationship to grow and hope that eventually you will move in together and live happily ever after. Unfortunately there is one small fluffy obstacle - Tiddles has other ideas and refuses to accept the new and other love that has entered your life!
Firstly you must try to see the new situation from your cat’s point of view. Once Tiddles was the centre of your attention and affections whilst you were at home. Now he has to wait until your new love leaves of an evening before getting a pat on the head and a much shorter play session. Not only that, this new rival is larger, smells differently, has a deeper voice and has even invaded some of you cat’s favourite sleeping places! No wonder Tiddles has taken to hissing, growling, back arching and maybe even ‘tiddling’ elsewhere other than the litter tray every time Mr Perfect is around.
Having won your affections, Mr Perfect now has to win the affections of your cat and what better way to her heart than through food. You will have to take a back seat for a while and only allow Tiddles to be fed by him. Once he has put the food down, he should remain in the room but at the opposite side and avoid staring directly at Tiddles. It is also a good idea to lower his stature by sitting on a chair or even on the floor. Play is also a good way of winning her affections and a fishing pole type toy will help Mr Perfect to interact positively with Tiddles from a distance.
As scents play an important part in your cat’s social life, it is also a good idea to put some of Mr Perfects’ unwashed clothes next to or near your cats’ food dishes and usual resting/ sleeping places and also to wear his shirts or t shirts when cuddling your cat.
Never force Tiddles to come to you or Mr Perfect but rather allow her to approach you when she feels ready. Forcing her into a situation will only cause her stress and undo any progress you may have made in her acceptance of Mr Perfect.
Once Tiddles sees your new man as the provider of her favourite things to eat and a source of playful entertainment, she should begin to accept him into her life and you will all be able to live happily ever after – hopefully!!
Q. I have had my Persian for 2 years now and over the past six months he has developed a strange habit. When he has finished using his litter tray he steps out and heads for our lounge where he starts to drag his bottom across the carpet leaving a trail of poo!
I have tried to keep him away from the carpet and he has now started to do the same on the kitchen floor. Why is he doing this and is there any way I can train him not to?
It sounds like your cat could be suffering from an anal gland problem. Dragging their bottoms across surfaces is a typical sign of a cat with an anal gland infection or an impacted anal gland. Make an appointment for your cat to be seen by your vet as soon as possible in order for an inspection to be carried out of his anal glands and an ‘expression’ of the glands if necessary.
Q. Why does my cat take food out of her bowl and eat it off the floor?
This is very common behaviour with cats and there are many theories as to why they do this.
Two of the theories that seem to make the most sense are:
1) Cats find the pieces of food too large and put them outside of the bowl so that it will be easier to chew them into smaller pieces.
2) Cats’ whiskers are extremely sensitive and if they touch the side of the bowl the cat may find it uncomfortable, so will take the food out of the bowl to eat.
Q. Why does my cat have black spots on her lips and nose?
The most common answer for black spots appearing on your cats lips, nose, or even the eye margins, is that it is a condition called ‘Lentigo Simplex’, and it is not a form of cancer. In fact, it is completely harmless, just like human freckles.
Lentigo Simplex is characterized by small (1mm or less) lesions that may appear close together, discolouring a larger area. The lesions are flat, are not painful or itchy, and do not have any associated redness or any other discoloration. This condition is seen in many cats, especially cats with Red colouring and Calico cats. Most often the spots appear in middle-aged to older cats and you should expect more of them as the cat ages.
Having said that, you should never assume that any black spot on your cat is harmless, this is just the most common scenario. It is always wise to check out any new finding with your vet to rule out something serious, especially if the spots are at all raised, inflamed or causing your cat discomfort.
