Maleb's Cat FAQ

A cat who isn't eating is a cat who is telling you something. The question is whether you're listening quickly enough.

Loss of appetite can mean:

• stress (a change in environment, routine, or household)
• dental pain (which cats conceal so well it often goes unnoticed for months)
• an underlying illness
• or simply: they have decided, with the full authority of their personality, that this food is no longer acceptable

The last one is real and valid. It is also not the one to assume.

If your cat hasn't eaten for 24 hours or more: call your vet. This is not overcaution. Cats who stop eating are at risk of hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) which develops faster than most owners expect and is genuinely serious.

In the interim: try warming their food slightly (room temperature, not hot), or offering a different texture. Sometimes the barrier is sensory, not medical. But don't wait long to find out which.

More often than you probably are.

The schedule that actually serves your cat:

• Kittens: every 3–4 weeks until 16 weeks old, for vaccinations and developmental checks
• Adult cats: annually, for a wellness exam, even if nothing seems wrong. Especially if nothing seems wrong.
• Senior cats (7+ years): every six months. Not because they're fragile, but because their biology changes faster now, and biannual visits catch things annual visits miss.

The annual vet visit is not for the cat who is visibly unwell. It's for the cat who is quietly, imperceptibly, not quite right, before that distinction disappears.

And immediate care, not a wait-and-see: breathing difficulties, inability to urinate, collapse, or severe lethargy. These are not situations for a morning appointment.

Occasional vomiting (after eating too fast, or producing a hairball) is a normal feature of cat ownership. Unpleasant, but not alarming.

Frequent or repeated vomiting is different. If it's happening more than twice a week, contains blood, or is accompanied by weight loss: that's a conversation for your vet, not a search engine. Persistent vomiting can indicate inflammatory bowel disease, kidney issues, or other conditions that won't resolve themselves.

Common causes of occasional vomiting:

• eating too quickly (a slow-feeder bowl often solves this immediately)
• hairballs, particularly in long-haired cats
• food sensitivity
• eating something they shouldn't have

If it's happening regularly, or if your cat seems distressed or lethargic alongside it: vet, not Google. This is one of those situations where self-diagnosis is an act of misplaced optimism.

Cats are biologically wired to conceal pain. In the wild, showing weakness is an invitation. So they edit themselves. They become quieter versions of themselves, and most owners don't notice until it's been going on for weeks.

What to watch for:

• hiding more than usual
• reduced appetite, or hesitation around food
• reluctance to jump, or landing differently than they used to
• limping, or excessive grooming of one specific area
• aggression when touched in a place they previously tolerated
• changes in litter box habits
• "not quite themselves", which sounds vague and is actually the most reliable signal

One thing that surprises most people: purring is not always contentment. Cats sometimes purr to self-soothe when they are in pain or distress: it's a self-regulating behaviour, not exclusively a social one. A purring cat is not automatically a comfortable cat. Context matters.

You know your cat. If something feels off, that instinct is data. Trust it, and call your vet.

Because you have been selected.

Not adopted. Not tolerated. Selected.

Cats don't follow people out of habit or boredom or general chaos: they follow routine, safety, and what we can only describe as vibes. If your cat is trailing you from room to room like a very judgmental shadow, that's not clinginess. That's devotion with plausible deniability.

You are their:

• emotional anchor
• primary food source
• and apparently, the only one in the household worth accompanying

There is a reason cats in literature always chose the brooding one. You have been chosen. Behave accordingly.

Because your schedules are fundamentally incompatible.

You are running on: corporate burnout time. Your cat is running on: apex predator time.

Dawn and dusk are when cats are wired to hunt. You have given them a flat with no prey and a feeding schedule built around your morning commute. Something had to give.

Night meowing is almost always one of three things:

• hunger (specifically: the wrong timing of feeding)
• boredom (genuinely under-stimulated, not dramatic)
• a pattern you accidentally reinforced by responding

The fix is almost embarrassingly simple: Play → Feed → Sleep.

Think toddler bedtime routine, not cohabiting with a flatmate who keeps odd hours. One is manageable. The other is just coexistence without boundaries.

Cats do sleep between 12 and 16 hours a day. This is normal. This is not the concern.

The concern is when your cat is sleeping instead of living: no curiosity, no play, no interest in the window, the world, or you.

That's not a peaceful cat. That's a Victorian widow by the window, waiting for something to change.

Cats who sleep excessively without any waking engagement aren't resting: they're disengaged. And disengaged cats don't thrive. They endure.

If this is your cat: not an emergency, but a signal worth answering.

There is a whole language in the stare, and most people are illiterate in it.

Here is the translation guide:

• Slow blink → I trust you. I love you. I am at peace.
• Neutral, slightly unfocused gaze → You are interesting. I am processing.
• Unblinking, direct, evaluating → I am deciding something about you.
• Staring while you eat → That is not affection. That is strategy.

The slow blink is a gift. Return it. It is the closest thing to an "I love you" a cat will offer unprompted, and it costs nothing.

Because you are, to them, the safest thing in the room.

Kneading (that slow, rhythmic pushing of paws against a soft surface) begins in kittenhood, when it stimulates milk flow from the mother. Cats carry this behaviour into adulthood and direct it at things, and people, that make them feel that same quality of security.

If your cat kneads on you: you are their safe place. You are, in the specific emotional vocabulary of a cat, home.

It can be uncomfortable (claws, weight, timing). A blanket between you and them solves the logistical problem without disrupting what the gesture means. Keep the blanket. Keep the moment.

Because you missed every signal that came before it.

Cats do not bite out of spite or malice or a desire to destabilise the relationship. They bite because they have exhausted their other options.

The sequence, if you're watching for it:

• skin twitching
• tail flickering
• ears shifting
• head turning away

By the time teeth arrive, it's not aggression. It's punctuation on a sentence you weren't reading.

Most bites are communication. The message is: enough. The failure is almost always in the listening, not the cat.

Because they are, in their estimation, an excellent provider, and they are worried about you.

Cats who bring prey (or toy prey, or a sock with the energy of prey) to their owners are not being macabre. They are participating in what their instincts tell them is the social contract of a hunting group: the capable ones bring food to those who need it.

You are being fed. You are being taken care of. Your cat has clocked that you leave the house daily with no hunting equipment and return looking depleted, and they have drawn a reasonable conclusion.

The appropriate response is gratitude, disposal done privately, and a reminder that your cat is, on some level, more devoted to your survival than you probably deserve.

Most cats described as aggressive are not aggressive. They are overwhelmed.

They are:

• scared of something in their environment
• overstimulated from handling they didn't consent to
• in pain, which they are physiologically wired to hide

What reads as aggression is almost always a cat who has been pushed past their limit and defaulted to the only language that reliably works: stop.

If a cat is repeatedly aggressive with no apparent trigger, that's worth a vet visit. Pain is one of the most common and most overlooked reasons.

We know. It feels personal. It is not personal.

Cats seek out the safest-smelling space available to them when they are stressed, anxious, or insecure. Your bed smells like you. To a cat navigating something difficult, that is not a violation: that is a refuge.

Common causes:

• stress (a change in the home, a new person, a new animal, a rearranged room)
• litter tray issues (cleanliness, size, location, litter type)
• a health issue, particularly urinary tract problems
• genuine emotional insecurity that needs addressing

Your mattress has been appointed emotional support mattress. The solution is not discipline. It's figuring out what they're trying to survive.

Start with the unsexy basics, because they work:

• clean the tray daily (non-negotiable)
• check the litter type (some cats have very specific preferences)
• check the tray size (too small is a very common, very fixable problem: the box should be at least 1.5 times the length of your cat)
• check the location (private, low-traffic, not adjacent to their food)

If all of that is sorted and the problem continues: check for stress. Check for health. Check what has changed in their environment recently.

Cats don't act out. They react. There is always a why. Your job is to find it before you find another wet patch.

Because something about it has become unacceptable to them, and they don't negotiate: they relocate.

The most common reasons a cat abandons a previously-used tray:

• it is dirty (even slightly)
• it has become too small as they've grown
• the litter has changed
• something frightened them while using it, and now it carries that memory
• a medical issue: UTIs and kidney problems frequently show up here first

Rule out health causes with a vet visit before adjusting anything else. Then evaluate the setup: is the box in a quiet, accessible spot? Large enough? Try different litter types if the medical picture is clear.

A useful test: would you use that bathroom, in its current state? If the answer is hesitation, you have your answer.

You don't stop it. You redirect it.

Scratching is not destruction. It is exercise, stress regulation, nail maintenance, and territorial communication, all at once. Asking a cat to stop scratching is like asking them to stop being a cat.

What you can do is give them something better than your sofa.

That means:

• a scratching post in the same location as whatever they're currently using
• the right material (sisal tends to win; most cats don't want carpet)
• the right height (tall enough for a full stretch)

Your furniture isn't the problem. Your setup is. Fix the setup.

Yes.

This one is not for dramatic effect. Dryers are warm, dark, and enclosed, which is to say, they are everything a cat finds irresistible. Cats will climb into them, fall asleep in them, and not be visible when you close the door.

Check before every cycle. Without exception. It takes three seconds and it matters enormously.

The ones you have to watch are:

• Lilies: the most dangerous item on this list. All parts of the plant, including the pollen. Even the water from the vase. Extremely toxic, even in small amounts.
• Aloe vera: common, popular, genuinely toxic
• Ivy: beautiful, architectural, poisonous
• Tulips and daffodils: seasonal staples that do not belong in a cat household

If you bought it because it looked elegant and required little maintenance: google it before you bring it home. The pretty ones are frequently the problem.

Your cat is not your brunch companion. They cannot share the plate.

The non-negotiables to keep away:

• chocolate: in any form, any amount
• onions and garlic: including powder form, which is often in things you wouldn't expect
• grapes and raisins: mechanism unclear, risk significant
• alcohol: obvious, but worth saying
• caffeine: coffee, tea, energy drinks
• xylitol: the sweetener in sugar-free products, gum, and some peanut butters
• cooked bones: splinter risk
• dairy: most cats are lactose intolerant; the internet has misled you on this one

The milk-and-cats image is very charming cinema. It is not nutrition.

A combination of biology and a diet the modern world hasn't quite figured out how to correct.

Cats are obligate carnivores designed to get most of their water from prey. They have a naturally low thirst drive. Dry food, which dominates most cats' diets, doesn't compensate for that. Add in a tendency not to drink from still water sources, and you have a species quietly dehydrating over years.

Kidney disease is the leading cause of death in cats, particularly males. It is not inevitable. But it requires paying attention before symptoms appear, which, given how well cats hide illness, means being proactive rather than reactive.

The aesthetic bowl is not the problem. The still water is the problem.

Cats in the wild drink from running sources: they are instinctively suspicious of still water, which can carry bacteria. This is not a quirk. It's coded in.

What actually works:

• a fountain (tap-style tends to beat daisy-style for actual use)
• multiple water sources placed away from their food bowl
• wet food, which contributes meaningfully to daily hydration
• a small amount of water added to meals

You don't need to engineer a solution. You need to understand what they'll actually use.

As a rough guide: cats need approximately 60ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day. A 4kg cat needs roughly 240ml, most of which, ideally, comes from their food rather than a bowl.

This is why wet food matters so much. A cat on an exclusively dry diet has to drink significantly more water to compensate, and most don't. They under-drink quietly and consistently, and their kidneys absorb the cost over years.

Watch for changes in drinking patterns more than specific volumes. A cat suddenly drinking much more than usual is worth a vet conversation: increased thirst is one of the earliest signs of kidney disease, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism.

Early signs (the ones that matter most because they're catchable):

• drinking noticeably more
• urinating more frequently
• subtle shifts in behaviour you can't quite name

Later signs (which is where most owners notice):

• weight loss
• a dull or rough coat
• reduced appetite
• lethargy

Early detection changes everything. The cat who gets diagnosed at stage one has far more time and far more options than the cat diagnosed at stage three. Routine vet checks exist for exactly this reason.

The fundamentals are not complicated. They are just easy to deprioritise because nothing is wrong yet.

• hydration: prioritise it before there is a reason to panic about it
• wet food: at least partially, if not wholly
• clean, appealing water sources: plural, and away from their food
• regular observation: you, paying attention, consistently

Prevention is the boring chapter. It's also the one that decides the ending.

Yes, with care, with the right diet, with adequate hydration, and with a vet guiding the management.

Chronic kidney disease in cats is not a death sentence. It is a condition that requires adjustment. Cats diagnosed early and managed well often have years of good quality life ahead. The prognosis is far more hopeful than most people expect when they first hear the words.

Some of it. Not most of it. And the line between the two is less obvious than it looks.

Safe in small amounts: plain cooked chicken, plain cooked fish (boneless), plain cooked turkey. No seasoning, no sauces, no onion anywhere near the preparation surface.

The things that seem fine and aren't:

• dairy: most cats are lactose intolerant; the milk-and-cats mythology has a lot to answer for
• tuna as a staple: fine occasionally, harmful as a diet; too much mercury, not enough nutritional balance
• anything from the Safety section: chocolate, onions, garlic, grapes, xylitol, alcohol, caffeine

Your cat sharing your plate isn't bonding. It's a series of small risks that accumulate quietly. Keep the human food human.

Both have a place. Neither is the complete answer on its own.

The case for wet food:

• high moisture content, which addresses the hydration problem cats have structurally (see: kidneys)
• higher protein, lower carbohydrate
• closer to what a cat's actual biology was designed for

The case for dry food:

• convenience and cost
• dental benefits (marginal, but present)
• works well as a puzzle feeder or portion-controlled meal base

The honest answer is: wet food should feature prominently in most cats' diets, particularly if they're not enthusiastic drinkers. Dry food as a complete diet asks your cat's kidneys to compensate for a hydration deficit, and they will, until they can't.

A mixed approach, or a predominantly wet diet with dry as a supplement, is where most vets and most evidence currently land.

Daily. At minimum.

The standard that actually serves your cat:

• solid waste: scooped at least once a day, ideally twice
• full litter change: weekly
• box itself: washed weekly with mild soap, not bleach, not heavily scented products; cats are chemically sensitive in ways that make strong cleaning products counterproductive

The rule of thumb for number of boxes: one per cat, plus one. So two cats requires three boxes. This is not excessive. It is the difference between a cat who uses the tray consistently and one who starts making editorial decisions about your laundry.

A cat who stops using their tray is almost always reacting to something specific. Cleanliness is the first and most common answer.

Signs you have a bored cat:

• sleeping excessively with no waking engagement
• nocturnal chaos that feels disproportionate
• attacking ankles with genuine intent
• staring into the middle distance like a protagonist in an arthouse film

Bored cats don't flourish. They find ways to survive the tedium, and most of those ways are inconvenient for you.

The minimum is 10 to 15 minutes of dedicated play per day. The better answer is twice that, split into two sessions.

The key variables are:

• short: cats hunt in bursts, not marathons
• intense: they want to actually chase, stalk, pounce
• consistent: the routine is as important as the activity

Think Succession, not a Lord of the Rings extended edition. Concentrated, high-stakes, and done before anyone loses interest.

Not the plastic clutter. Not the crinkle ball gathering dust in the corner.

The best toys share one quality: they move unpredictably.

What that looks like in practice:

• wand toys that you actually operate (not ones left on the floor)
• toys that mimic prey movement: stop, dart, pause, flee
• puzzle feeders that make them work for the reward

Your cat wants a hunt. Give them a hunt. Everything else is set dressing.

You already have everything you need.

• a shoelace trailed slowly under a blanket
• a cardboard box left open on the floor
• a paper bag (handles removed)
• hide and seek, which cats will absolutely participate in
• your hands moving under a duvet at irregular intervals

Enrichment is not a budget line. It's attention, applied with creativity. The most expensive toy in the world loses to a focused ten minutes of genuine play.

Yes. More than outdoor cats.

When a cat lives exclusively indoors, you have removed their ecosystem: the birds, the territory, the unpredictability, the physical challenge of navigating the world. In exchange, you have provided safety and warmth and love, which matters enormously. But it doesn't replace what was taken.

You are now the ecosystem. Act accordingly.

Chaos, primarily.

Also: biting with genuine enthusiasm, no concept of personal boundaries, zoomies at 3am with the energy of someone who has just received very good news, and a complete absence of object permanence regarding your possessions.

Your job in this stage: teach, play, survive.

It is temporary. It is also the period in which everything they will be is being formed. Take it seriously even when it is ridiculous.

Stability. Preference. Personality.

Adult cats are themselves in a way kittens aren't yet: they have opinions about furniture, routines, people, and affection, and they express those opinions with remarkable consistency.

Your job now: maintain, enrich, and respect what they've become.

This is the long season. The relationship you've built shows here.

Slower mornings. More deliberate movement. A quality of stillness that is different from boredom: it's something closer to presence.

Senior cats may develop health issues. They will almost certainly sleep more. They may need adjustments to their environment, their diet, and their routine.

Your job: comfort, monitor, and adapt without mourning in advance.

They are still themselves. Be with them while they are.

Yes. This is normal and expected.

What is not normal: no play at all. A senior cat who never engages, never shows curiosity, never responds to movement: that's worth attention.

Less play is biology. Zero play is a signal. Keep stimulation alive, scaled to what they can actually manage, for as long as they're here.

Senior cats (broadly from 12 onwards) need the same things they've always needed, adjusted for a body that is moving through the world a little differently now.

Practical changes worth making:

• access: low-sided litter boxes (joints matter now), ramps or steps to favourite sleeping spots, food and water at a height that doesn't strain the neck
• warmth: senior cats thermoregulate less efficiently; a warm sleeping spot is not a luxury
• vet visits: every six months, not annually. The gap between a manageable condition and an advanced one narrows considerably at this age.
• observation: weight loss, increased thirst, changes in mobility or behaviour. These are the things to watch for and act on quickly

Senior care is not about managing decline. It's about maintaining quality, and catching the things early that, caught late, define how the story goes.

Because something has changed, and it requires attention rather than patience.

Night vocalisation in senior cats is not quirk or drama. It is almost always a signal with a specific cause:

• cognitive dysfunction syndrome: the feline equivalent of dementia; confusion, disorientation, and vocalisation, particularly after dark when visual cues disappear
• hyperthyroidism: extremely common in older cats, and one of the more treatable causes of behavioural change
• high blood pressure: often secondary to kidney or thyroid disease, and worth ruling out
• hearing loss: cats who can't hear themselves regulate volume differently
• pain, which senior cats, like all cats, will conceal impressively until they can't

Start with your vet. Rule out the medical causes first, because most of them are manageable once identified.

In the meantime: night-lights help with spatial confusion, pheromone diffusers can reduce anxiety, and maintaining a consistent routine gives them something legible to orient around.

The yowling is not manipulation. It is a senior animal navigating a world that has become, somehow, less certain. Meet it with the same patience they've given you.