Question:
In response to your answer to D.M. in Greenwich, Conn., concerning the cat that urinates on the bed: If the cat is healthy, try feeding it every meal on the bed. It worked with my cat, Tom. I bought five cheap bowls, put one in each corner of the bed and one in the middle. I then put one-fifth of the meal in each bowl. Several years ago, I had a female cat that, for some reason, used my bathtub as a litterbox. I put a bow at each end of the tub to feed her.
This works! Cats won't mess near their food; they're very clean animals.
M.L., Winston-Salem, NC Jul 26, 2009
Answer:
You get the prize for the best tip of the week! I would advise heavy ceramic bowls that don't spill over easily. And, of course, never use plastic bowls, either for food or water, anywhere, anytime. What you have done is change the valence, or stimulus influence, of the surface of the bed on the psyche of the cats from a place to evacuate to a place to eat. Of course, whenever a cat becomes a house-soiler, a vet checkup is advisable. Many cats with urological problems will become house-soilers, even urinating (or straining and trying hard to) at their owner's feet.
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