JustAnswer PixelPaws and Effect

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I have two cats in a 1 bedroom apartment. They are both very attached to me and HATE being on the other side of a closed door. The younger one has recently come down with some sort of eye condition that the vet can’t figure out the cause of as there are no signs of injury/trauma and cat is not displaying signs if illness other than a very unhappy eye. The vet suggested keeping the cats apart until we know what is going on. I have younger sick cat in the bedroom with all necessities and older well cat in the rest of the apt. Problem is, no matter what side of the bedroom door I’m on somebody furry is extremely upset and won’t stop crying/pawing at the door. HELP! I’m not getting any sleep and I’m afraid my neighbors will complain of the noise! How can I keep them separated and calm regardless of what side of the door I’m on?

~ Kelly

Orange tabby cat peeking out from under a bench

Peeking cat, (CC-BY) by Flickr user shira gal

Siouxsie: Even in the best of times, most cats hate being on the wrong side of the door.

Thomas: But which side is the wrong side?

Bella: The wrong side is whichever side of the door we’re on, silly-head! You’re 12 years old; you should know that by now!

Siouxsie: Bella, be nice!

Bella: You’re a silly-head, too! Hey, where are you going? *chase, chase, tackle*

Siouxsie: *hiss* Cut that out!

Thomas: Come on, Siouxsie, lighten up. And Bella, you be nice to her. She’s old.

Siouxsie: *hiss* to you too, stripey-pants.

Thomas: Okay, everybody, let’s just take some time to answer poor Kelly’s question.

Siouxsie: *grumble* I suppose. … Anyhow, Kelly, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, it is tough to have to separate cats, especially if you’re doing so because one is sick or injured.

large wire dog crateThomas: But we do have a suggestion for you. Have you considered getting a large wire dog crate, something like the one just to the left, and setting that up for your sick kitty?

Bella: There’s enough room inside one of these crates for you to place a small litterbox, some bedding and food and water dishes.

Siouxsie: Mama borrowed a dog crate like this for Kissy’s recovery from her leg amputation. Unfortunately, Kissy never got a chance to use it.

Thomas: *sniffle* And Kissy had finally started trying to be my friend …

Bella: There, there, Thomas.

Siouxsie: You can keep the crate wherever you are, so your sick kitty will always be near you.

Thomas: And your well kitty won’t be blocked out of your bedroom!

Bella: This could be a great solution for you to keep both of your cats happy.

Siouxsie: We understand that your vet might have asked you to separate your cats because your sick kitty’s condition might be contagious, and although the crate won’t stop germs from circulating around, it will keep the two of them from getting too close.

Thomas: It’ll also help keep them from wrestling, so the younger kitten’s eye won’t be further injured.

Bella: I don’t want to go in any big, silly dog crate!

Siouxsie: If you keep bothering me, I’ll make sure you have to!

Thomas: Siouxsie, be nice.

Bella: Yeah!

Siouxsie: Humph! Anyway, Kelly, you might also want to invest in a couple of Feliway diffusers. The synthetic “happy cat” pheromone does wonders to help everykitty calm down, and it’s good for any stressful situation.

Thomas: We recommend you use one in your bedroom and one in your living room.

Bella: Mama used Feliway in our new apartment when we first got here, and we settled in pretty quickly even though another cat lived here before us. Good luck, and please let us know how things work out.