Category: Ask Frank

In Ask Frank, Franklin discusses…..I really don’t know what Franklin is talking about.

At Cousin Jeanne’s dinner last night, she reminded me that I was supposed to bring Matthew to her about two years ago, so he could be her cat. Oops.

Matt was having relationship problems, one might say. There was an outdoor stray cat who kept coming right up to the diningroom window. Cats don’t like this, and their territorial sides come out. Matthew chose his way of marking his territory-using the dining room carpet and wall to spray urine. Yish. Since the carpet was nearly 30 years old, we replaced it, pad and all. Yet, the stray was still around, so Matthew christened the new carpet.

We bought a trap, but all we caught was a young raccoon who, after violent protest, was let go. It turns out that the declawed cat had been dumped by college students, and was on her own. Students do dothis; they are so proud of their pets, but when it comes time to leave, the pet is an inconvenience. Instead of placing an ad in the paper, they let animals go. “Well, it’s a cat, they can live perfectly well on their own.” Wrong. Traffic, coyotes, foxes, etc. all pose a risk for cats. Being declawed is a special risk.

My neighbor was feeding this cat, and said it was living in her horse trailer. I told her of our problem, and my trying to catch it. She promised to take it to her ranch over the border in Wyoming. She did, and the problem was solved.

Matthew stopped marking our home, the new carpet was a success, and I never did take him to Jeanne. She never lets me live it down. Matthew is a wonderful cat. If you are familiar with the Chinese five element theory, Matt is a wood cat-my way or the highway. Many veterinarians are afraid of him, but he doesn’t bite. He’s just really, really loud.

As we speak, I’m charging up my iPod for the ride home tomorrow. Can’t find any 98-cent movies to download, plus I don’t want to use three hours of time on Cousin Deb’s computer.

In Ask Frank, it’s nice to know that the boys miss their cat mother. Franklin discusses how cats do not appreciate change.

I’ll second that motion with a story of my cat, Pruney. Pruney was my cat for seventeen years. She went with me from high school through veterinary school. When Earl proposed marriage, I asked him if he would adopt Pruney. The rest is history. I have many stories about Pruney, but to add to Franklin’s post, here is one.

Jean and Phil went to England after vet school graduation. Dr. Jean Arnold is my dear friend who died almost a year ago. Anyway, they left their calico cat, Lucy, at our house.

I knew perfectly well that cats that do not know each other should be separated. Lucy stayed in a suite that was composed of the master bedroom, bath, and a guest room. Lucy was isolated from Pruney, so there were no problems.

After about two weeks, I thought it would be all right for Lucy to join the household. I let her out of her suite of rooms. No problems. One evening, Earl and I were in the family room watching TV. Pruney came into the room, and in the geographic center of the room, squatted and urinated all over the carpet. Message received. Lucy went back to her suite, and Pruney never did that again.

Cats indeed do not like change.

In Ask Frank, Franklin recounts another story of a wayward Carlson Husky.

Franklin discusses why medicating your cat is risky. Ask Frank your questions about cats.

Franklin lets you know how our cats’ litter boxes are managed. Remember, each cat has his own preferences. In multiple cat households, this can provide a challenge for keeping the home clean and odor-free. Use Ask Frank for your questions about feline husbandry.