Greek castle cat turned dog lover into cat lover

Featured

Posted on by
1

Dog lover or cat lover, or both? We’d say you’re an animal lover. Meet a Greek castle cat who turned a dog lover into a cat lover.

Claude-Alexander and castle cat photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

Greece continues to be a favorite tourist destination. It’s a beautiful country with lovely beaches, dramatic mountains and charming villages. Greece is also home to western civilizations most famous achievements from the ancient world. Throughout the country are fortresses, churches and mosques, museums, archeological sites, convents and castles. In the village of Nafplio lies Akronafplia Castle, perched on a bluff.

Sign for Akronafplia Castle, Greece
Akronafplia Castle on the bluff Heading for Akronafplia Castle
photo by Steve Dunaif © 2022. photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
View of Nafplion from Akronafplia Castle photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

In October, My Kitty Care traipsed up the hill to Akronafplia Castle, where the view of the town of Nafplio spread out below. And, that’s where we saw the small, black castle cat.

The castle cat
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

Before we opened a can of cat food (which we always travel with) we noticed an empty can on the rocks.

photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

Sitting a few feet away was Claude-Alexander. He’s a dog lover and always travels with dog food and treats.
“It’s not that I don’t like cats,” he added, “I just don’t know much about them.”

Claude-Alexander watches castle cat
photo by shari smith dunaif ©2022

From his home in Germany, Claude-Alexander drove south. En route to Greece he stopped along the way to enjoy Croatia’s coastline and sometimes ventured inland to hike mountains and explore villages. He continued to Greece, enjoying the magnificent vistas and history.

While in Greece he encountered stray cats and offered them dog treats. Greece has stray cats everywhere and although they look relatively healthy, they always need another meal. Soon enough, Claude-Alexander added cans of cat food and cat treats to his charitable supplies.

The sweet castle cat endeared herself to Claude-Alexander. He pet her and smiled, she purred.

Petting castle cat photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022


He even considered adopting her and naming her Claudine or Claudette. But he had an itinerary and it didn’t include a cat.

Claude-Alexander pets castle cat
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

A week later, in an email sent to My Kitty Care, Claude-Alexander said he regretted not bringing the castle cat home. He clearly researched traveling in Europe with a cat and found the following requirements: a rabies vaccination, being microchipped and a pet passport. He also wanted advice about cats living in a small apartment, and other questions about cats — which My Kitty Care gladly addressed.

Claude-Alexander
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

We think one day, dog lover and now also cat lover Claude-Alexander, will rescue a cat making him and the lucky cat very happy.

What to do when my cat scratches furniture

Featured

Posted on by
Reply

If your cat scratches furniture, curtains or anything you DON’T want your otherwise sweet fantastic kitty cat to ruin, it’s helpful to understand why they do it. They’re not deliberately trying to piss us off, they have a reason. Read why my cat scratches furniture to help you understand your cat’s behavior.

solutions for cats scratching furniture

Get scratchings posts and pads. Lots of them. The goal is to offer your cat as many options as possible. Get different styles, textures, and sizes.

Pet store scratching pads & posts

All photos by shari smith dunaif ©2022

In nature, cats use trees to stretch and scratch, which is why it’s one of several materials used on scratching posts. Similar surfaces that have scratching appeal are sisal, hemp and carpeting.

BARK
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
SISAL
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
CARPET
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
Hemp & carpet scratching posts
HEMP
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

Your cat might prefer one material over another, and letting them sample scratching posts with different textures is how to find out what your cat likes. Maybe all of them.

photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
  • Take advantage of offering different scratching textures to your cat.
  • Place post or pad close to where your cat scratches as an alternative.
  • Your cat needs to know the scratching pads and posts are theirs.
Marnie likes her scratch pad. photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

If your cat is reluctant to use your newly purchased post/pad, sprinkle catnip on it. Watch what happens. Catnip often works to entice your cat to using the pad/post. (Although not all cats respond to catnip.)

Another technique is this: if you see your cat scratching your sofa, for example, gently pick them up and carry them to a scratching pad/post. Never yell at your cat, you’ll only upset and confuse them. They are, after all, doing what’s natural to them. This shouldn’t need to be said —NEVER hit your cat, unless you want them terrified and possibly never trust you again. Instead, after you bring your cat to their scratching pad/post, place them or their paws on it and with a soothing tone, pet them and tell them yes my most loved kitty, here it is okay to scratch. Maybe this sounds silly, and although cats can’t be trained in the manner dogs can, my kitty care believes cats can be guided. Suddenly, your cat is happily scratching away on their pad/post. Take this opportunity to reinforce and reward your cat with their favorite treat. Cats understand that good behavior gets them good stuff.

Scratching post & hemp door hanger awaits Marnie

Remember, your cat isn’t deliberately disobeying you or trying to be bad, they’re just drawn to places which appeal to them because of their instinctive need to scratch, groom and stretch. It’s our job to provide them with alternatives that work for them and protect our furniture. You don’t have to get rid of your cat to eliminate the scratching problem, you just need to understand why your cat scratches, and make the effort to provide solutions that work for you and your cat.

my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

Why does my cat scratch furniture?

Featured

Posted on by
2

For some people, my cat scratches furniture is why they bring or return their cat to a shelter. But are there other options?
Yes, if you’re willing to try different suggestions until you and your cat(s) find what works.

why cats like to scratch

In the natural world, wild cats instinctively scratch just like our cats we live with, because for all cats it’s equivalent to a manicure. By scratching (known as stropping) they shed the outer husk of their claws for the new claw beneath. It’s also how they keep their claws filed and clean. Plus they get a great full body stretch.

Cat using scratch post to stretch
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2018

Another reason cats scratch is as a means of claiming territory. If your house is their territory, it’s their house too and they mark it. That includes your favorite sofa or upholstered chair, cause it’s yours and by scratching, it becomes your cat’s. Consider it a gesture of trust: you’ve created an environment which enables your cat to feel secure enough to want to stake out your house and furniture as their turf.

Marnie on her sofa
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

Okay, we like our cats to feel safe. So how do we save our furniture?

  • Make your furniture unappealing to your cat
  • Provide alternate scratching options
  • Use scratching surfaces that attracts your cat
  • Guide their behavior towards where you want them to scratch

Cats supposedly are repelled by citrus, which is why there are several products on the market specifically for this purpose. You can find these products at pet stores/online.

Or try tape. Tape? You must use sticky double-sided tape and place it where your cat scratches. Some people may suggest aluminum foil or plastic covering and although effective, it’s also quite ugly. Instead, double-sided sticky tape is much less intrusive.

Peeling off covering of two-sided tape
(Example from one company)
photo shari smith dunaif © 2022

My kitty care can attest to this particular option. A chair our beloved (and missed) Toby had declared as his had begun to show the ravages of his scratching, from the top of the armrest to the floor. We used the double-sided tape and he stopped. After a few years the tape peeled off, but Toby had accepted that area as a NO SCRATCH zone. It did remain, however, as his throne.

Double-sided tape on corner of sofa
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022

my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

Next: what to do if your cat scratches furniture

What a group of cats is called

Featured

Posted on by
Reply

A group of 3 or more cats is called a “clowder.” Where did that come from?

According to Wiktionary, clowder was noted as being used in the English language in 1801. But it’s origin is much older. It began with the Old English word, clott (contemporary spelling: clot). Clott became clutter during the Middle English (1100-1500) period, which began because of the Norman Conquest in 1066. By 1167, Oxford University was founded and Cambridge followed in 1209. Both these institutions increased literacy and an expansion of the English language. Clutter became clowder, although currently, it’s not in common use.

Photo by shari smith dunaif © 2019

These are also acceptable references to a group of 3 or more cats:
Cluster of cats
Clutter of cats
Destruction of cats
Dout of cats
Glaring of cats
Nuisance of cats
Pounce of cats — my kitty care favorite

To My Kitty Care, whether it’s one, two or a clowder of cats, we love them.