Youssef Elhakri
Is your cat eating your other cat’s food after you put down two separate portions? First check whether the other cat leaves freely or stops eating when approached. That difference matters before you assume bullying. The goal is to make sure each cat can comfortably eat their own food—and to notice when a change in … Read more
Your cat uses the litter box, digs, covers their waste, and walks away. But afterward, there’s a fan of litter scattered across the floor. If you notice your cat kicking litter out of the box, don’t start by trying to stop the digging. Digging before elimination and covering afterward are normal feline behaviors. Instead, find … Read more
Your new cat is in a transition room. Your resident cat approaches the closed door, stares at the gap, and hisses. Maybe the hissing begins only after the cats see each other through a barrier—or during their first supervised time in the same room. A resident cat hissing at a new cat does not automatically … Read more
You reach for your cat’s paw, bring out the nail clippers, and suddenly the paw disappears. Your cat stiffens, pulls away, or tries to leave. Keep going, and you might get a hiss, a swat, or even a bite. If you’re thinking, “My cat won’t let me trim nails,” the answer usually isn’t to hold … Read more
The carrier comes out, and your cat disappears under the bed. Or your cat walks toward it, then backs away as soon as the door moves. If you searched “cat won’t go in carrier”, the most useful first step is to separate two different problems: getting to a veterinary appointment that is happening now, and … Read more
Your cat sees another cat through the window, freezes or starts growling—and then suddenly turns on you or another cat in the house. If your cat gets aggressive after seeing another cat outside, the person or pet who gets attacked may not have been the original trigger. When a cat becomes intensely aroused by an … Read more
You find tooth marks on a leaf, or catch your cat chewing the same houseplant again. If you have a cat eating houseplants, the first question is not whether your cat is bored, trying to vomit, or missing something in their diet. The first question is simpler and more important: What plant is your cat … Read more
You notice teeth marks on a phone charger. Or you catch your cat biting the cord behind a lamp, computer, or appliance. If you have a cat chewing electrical cords, the first question is not why they are doing it. The first question is whether the cord is live, damaged, or accessible enough to create … Read more
You put your cat back on the floor, turn around, and a minute later they are on the counter again. If your cat keeps jumping on the counter, repeatedly putting them back on the floor may stop the behavior for a moment, but it does not necessarily change what makes the counter worth returning to. … Read more
You pick up your keys, put on your shoes, and head for the door. Your cat starts meowing, follows you to the exit, or begins crying as soon as the door closes. If you are thinking, “My cat cries when I leave—does that mean separation anxiety?”, the crying alone cannot answer that question. Some cats … Read more