Those of you who have been following my blog know that my cat Molly has been having problems with urination–or rather, I have been having problems with Molly’s urinating on my rugs. I tried punishing her by calling her attention to the wet spot and saying, “Bad kitty, bad kitty!” I know she understood, because the behavior would stop for a while–but then it would start again.
You may remember that I took my little Molly to the vet, who suggested that Molly might be having problems adjusting to my new human friend, who she believes has stolen my affection from her. Well, it is true that she is no longer #1–that would be accurate. So what to do? The vet suggested that maybe she should go on kitty Prozac. He said, however, that the drug “might change her personality.” I can imagine that I might have a cat that would sleep all day, with a silly grin on her face. I didn’t want to go that route.
One friend suggested that I contract the services of a “cat whisperer” (the cat equivalent of a “horse whisperer”). Another said that Molly should have cat psychotherapy. Still another said that I should try to engage an “animal intuitive.” All of these solutions sounded if-fy to me, not to mention expensive.
So I decided on another approach. I decided to give Molly . . . LOVE! I reasoned that if she was feeling rejected, then telling her she was a bad kitty would just make her feel even worse. So instead my new friend and I decided to shower her with love and affection. We say things to Molly like, “Molly, you are the most beautiful cat in the world!” and “Molly, you darling kitten, I just love you so much!” We pet her as soon as she comes round, and naturally keep her food dish full and her water dish fresh. After only a few days of this LOVE treatment, Molly stopped her bad behavior and started purring most all the time we come near her.
Why didn’t I think of this earlier? Isn’t this what all living creatures want–love, I mean? No one wants to feel displaced. No one wants to be told that they are “bad.” Everyone likes to have a full food dish given to them–and fresh drinks prepared. Everyone likes to be stroked and petted by those they love. What a simple and pleasant solution! And much cheaper than Prozac.