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LIFESTYLE

POOPING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Talking of kitties, they may also use their
poop habits as a way of communicating with
us, even though we’d prefer a more polite
method. A common complaint by people
owned by cats, is that their feline poops
outside the designated litter tray. Unless the
stool is abnormal in consistency, this usually
has more to do with kitt’s state of mind, than
his physical health. A simple change of toilet
arrangements may be all that’s required to
settle his nerves.

He may be too big for his tray and consequently
ends up ‘going’ over the edge. Or he may be
stressed by the location of the tray, particularly
in a multi-cat household where he feels he may
be ambushed by another cat while attending
to his toilette, and will choose a more private
location.
Always have one litter tray available per cat in
blood in it) to a watery bloody diarrhoea, it’s as its consistency, particularly about the the home, plus one extra. Place them in quiet,
usually accompanied by vomiting and the dog quality of the diet you’ve chosen for your pet. private places away from the daily hustle and
is depressed and not eating. The lining of the High quality, animal-protein based diets are bustle. Cats are rather particular about the
entire intestine is damaged with HGE, which absorbed well by the body and, consequently, type of litter they prefer, so if your feline is
leads to rapid and severe dehydration, nausea, there is less to land on the lawn. If you’re studiously avoiding his litter tray, try changing
pain, electrolyte imbalance, shock and the spending most of your weekend disposing of the litter medium and it might well have kitty
risk of septicaemia. Time is of the essence in poop, it’s time to look at the diet you’re feeding KDSSLO\ VFULWFKLQJ DZD\ ZLWKLQ WKH FRQÀQHV RI
getting your dog to the vet and he will need to your pets. In addition to well-known super- the tray.
be admitted for life-saving treatment. HGE is premium imported pet foods, there are also
most prevalent amongst smaller breeds and high-quality locally produced options available. If your cat is pooping in strange places like your
highly anxious dogs. Ask a Twisted Whiskers nutrition advisor to shoe, your baby’s cot or your new boyfriend’s
calculate the costs per day of a couple of briefcase, it’s probably a good idea to enlist
A common cause of tummy upsets is an abrupt products - you may be pleasantly surprised at WKH KHOS RI D TXDOLÀHG SHW EHKDYLRXULVW ZKR
change of food. Whenever a dietary change is how cost-effective and affordable veterinary specialises in cat behaviour to help you decode
indicated, whether you’ve decided to change premium diets are. your moggy’s messages. Twisted Whiskers can
pet food brands, have taken on a rescue pet give you details of our recommended feline
with an unknown dietary history, or if your GARDEN DELIGHTS behavioural consultant.
vet has recommended a change of food for As utterly gross as this habit is to us, eating
medical reasons, always introduce the new food poop, or coprophagia as it’s formally termed, is DETERGENT ISN’T A DETERRENT!
JUDGXDOO\ WR DOORZ WKH SHW·V JXW IDXQD DQG ÁRUD a perfectly normal behaviour for dogs. Your dog So what if the proverbial has hit the fan and
to adapt to the new ingredients. To start with, won’t be able to keep this little habit a secret you’re left with a mess to clean up? Don’t be
split the recommended daily allowance so that from you, especially when he gets up close and tempted to use detergent and a liberal dose
it’s made up 3/4 of the previous diet to 1/4 personal for a smooch, eeeek! Many people of perfumed spray – it may appear clean to
of the new product. Feed this mixture for 2 - 3 ZRUU\ WKDW LW·V D VLJQ RI D QXWULHQW GHÀFLHQF\ a human but our pets won’t be fooled. Their
days. If your pet’s stool remains normal on this but this is seldom the case. Most often it has a superior ability to smell will detect any remnants
mix, go 50:50 and feed this mix for another 2 - 3 behavioural cause. and they will return to the same site again and
days. By this stage, your pet should be getting DJDLQ 7KH 21/< VXUH ÀUH ZD\ WR UHPRYH HYHU\
used to the new food nicely and you can taper Cats generally aren’t poop-eaters, although trace of faeces, urine, vomit or other organic
the old diet to 1/4 of the food fed for another NLWW\ SRRS LV SDUWLFXODUO\ ÁDYRXUVRPH WR material from any fabric or surface is by using
couple of days and then stop the previous diet canines, due to the high levels of proteins and D SURGXFW VSHFLÀFDOO\ IRUPXODWHG WR EUHDN
altogether. Stop the process immediately if your fats excreted. down the molecular structure of the stains and
pet shows signs of discomfort on the new brand. odours. Twisted Whiskers highly recommends
Speak to your vet or one of the helpful staff at Regardless of how normal this habit is in and stocks the Simple Solutions range, which
a Twisted Whiskers Deli for advice on a suitable canines, chances are it’s not something you includes products that can safely be used on
alternative. wish to live with, so steps need to be taken. XSKROVWHU\ ODPLQDWH ÁRRUV FDUSHWV DQG FDQ
Copronat, available from Twisted Whiskers, can even be added to washing cycles for clothing,
ALL ‘BACKED UP?’ be sprayed onto the food of the pet whose poop pet bedding and linen. By breaking down the
This can happen when a pet has either too little is being snacked on. Copronat does not affect molecules of the offending material, not only are
KHDOWK\ ÀEUH RU WRR PXFK LQGLJHVWLEOH ÀEUH LQ WKHLU the palatability of the food being eaten, but it the stains and smells removed at source, but
diet - check with your vet or Twisted Whiskers team luckily makes the pet’s poop very unpalatable. pets won’t be attracted back to the same areas
member whether the diet you’ve chosen for your Continuous use for a few months should be able again at a later stage.
fur-baby is complete and balanced and supports to create an aversion to poop eating in a foul-
gut health. mouthed canine. Who knew there was this much to say about
poop? No wonder it’s a topic we spend much of
Other possible causes of constipation may be Or you could try an old wives’ tale that, by all our time discussing in the veterinary pet-care
eating foreign objects like stones, bones, toys, accounts, works well. A small amount of raw industry. Twisted Whiskers staff are always
fabric, etc. These can all cause nasty blockages baby marrow (courgette) or pineapple, grated ready to talk poop with you, so please don’t be
which may end up having to be removed by your over the pet’s food, will undergo enzymatic embarrassed - we’ve heard it all before and
vet using enemas or even surgery. changes in the gut that makes the end product will do our best to help you get to the bottom of
super-unappetising. Or so the legend goes. You your pet’s bothersome bowel movements.
Increasing your pet’s exercise, adding some have nothing to lose by trying it - dogs enjoy
cooked pumpkin to the diet or treating with an VRPH YHJHWDEOH PDWWHU LQ WKHLU GLHW DQG ÀQG
over the counter product like Laxapet may help WKH VZHHW ÁDYRXUV SOHDVDQW WKLV ZLOO DOVR QRW
for the occasional hard stool. However, chronic affect the overall nutrient balance of their diet.
constipation results from underlying medical
conditions that will need additional treatment. And if you have a serial poop-eater on your hands,
ensure that the garden is kept clean of waste at all
GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT times and that kitty litter trays are out of reach of
The amount of poop can tell as many stories anyone who has no business near them....

Kyalami Estates • CONNECT • Issue 3 • 2019
48