Announcing a new Boarding Option for cats with mobility issues
We have just added 6 new single floor townhouse suites created for arthritic or otherwise slow moving cats in mind. The new units are nearly 6 feet long providing a cozy place for an individual cat to "R & R " and have more room to walk along one level (instead of up and down multiple levels as in our original townhouses). The rates are the same and reservations are taken based on availability.
Be sure to get any boarding reservations in a.s.a.p. to ensure holiday availability.
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SEND US YOUR "CUTE CAT" PHOTOS & ENTER TO WIN
$200 GIFT CERTIFICATE 
Over the years, many of our clients have shared their favorite cat photos with our staff. We love that and now have a forum for them to be shared with the extended Cats Exclusive family via our new Facebook page. Enter to win by becoming a fan on our Facebook page and send us your "cute cat" photos.
Entries (up to 3) must be submitted by 3 p.m. 11/30. Drawing will be on 12/1 with winner announced on Facebook.
$200 Gift Certificate will be good toward any combination of our medical or boarding services or retail store purchases.
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HAPPY
HALLOWEEN!
"When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween."
~Author Unknown
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Dennis Wackerbarth, DVM
Founder & Medical Director
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Faythe Vaughan, DVM
Christine Wilford, DVM
Sarah Brandon, DVM
Kate Schubert, DVM
Richard Lester, DVM
Jennifer Fligiel, DVM
Lora Schuldt, DVM |
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Understanding & Avoiding
Feline Aggression
Many people have experienced stinging cat scratches or the shocking pain of a deep cat bite. Most attacks occur under circumstances that are likely to induce an aggressive response, and theoretically should be easy to avoid. When your cat is afraid, feeling vulnerable, or is in pain, acting aggressively serves as a defense mechanism. But one can become a victim in unexpected ways as well. Some cats turn on their owners or other cats in the household after observing other cats or wildlife outdoors. Redirected aggression can also be triggered by other stressful events, such as a visit to the veterinary office. In this case, the patient comes home and may attack either the owner or another cat in the home.
Play aggression is a common problem in young cats, especially those living indoors without playmates. While sometimes this behavior appears vicious, it is normal behavior for cats as they hone their predatory skills. The most disturbing form of feline aggression is intense, unprovoked attacks that occur without warning, often in cats that have been previously docile and predictable. On closer evaluation, some of these cats actually have redirected aggression or an illness causing discomfort, but a very few have "epilepticaggression". This neurological condition may require use of anti-convulsant drugs. Aggression brought on by anxiety can also be managed pharmacologically, although removal of stressful stimuli is far more effective.
To avoid feline aggression in your home:
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Protect yourself when handling your injured or stressed cat.
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Do not rely on sedatives. A cat's adrenaline response will usually over-ride the effect and use of more potent tranquilizers can endanger your cat's health.
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Be aware that a cat may stay "on edge" for many hours and sometimes days after a stressful event, making you and other cats targets for redirected aggression.
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Understand that declawing is not an effective treatment for any form of aggression.
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Do not overstimulate your cat's vulnerable areas: excessive petting over the rump or on the belly frequently elicits defensive behavior.
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Evaluate your cat's environment: block view of outside if necessary, address intercat relationship problems, treat medical disorders causing discomfort, and provide plenty of safe, comfortable beds and scratching posts for each cat in the household.
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Minimize play aggression by dedicating time to interactive play every day. Never allow (train) them to attack your hands in play.
Reminder: Cat bites can be serious, always consult with your physician.
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Check out our new
Blog and Facebook page!
We are excited to announce Cats Exclusive has officially entered the world of social media. We now have a Blog and Facebook page up and running. We encourage you to become a follower on our blog and a fan on Facebook so you can keep informed and maybe even have some fun too!
Our Blog is where you can view weekly postings created by our doctors and staff on current topics of feline health, new product updates, and items of local cat community interest and more. Becoming a follower is easy! Simply press the FOLLOW button in the right hand column of our blog and you will be instructed from there.
 Join us on this exciting medium through which the extended Cats Exclusive family can share ideas, stories about their cats, and stay updated on happenings at Cats Exclusive. We can't wait to hear from you! Be one of the first to become a fan and enter your photos in our "Cute Cat Photo Contest" going on between now and 11/30. To become a fan press the "Become A Fan" button on our page. For those of you that don't have a Facebook account, you can still view our page via the Facebook logo on our home page.
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Tips To Help A Cat's Need to Scratch
 So, why do cats scratch? First there is territory marking that goes on. As with all members of the feline species, cats have scent glands on their paws. They also use scratching as a way to stretch and to remove the dead outer layer from their claws. All of this is natural behavior. Unfortunately though, in our homes, our cats sometimes feel the need to scratch in undesirable places. Here are steps you can take to decrease your cat's undesirable scratching:
- First, get something s/he CAN scratch on! Looking at the kinds of surfaces your cat is currently scratching will help - Are they soft? Textured? Vertical? Horizontal? Where are they located? The answers will determine whether your cat would
 prefer a vertical sisal post, a horizontal cardboard scratching box or something else.
- Attract your kitty to this new tool by placing it in a favored spot, spraying some catnip mist on it and gently give praise when s/he scratches it.
- Deter your kitty from scratching furniture and other undesirable items by utitlizing products such as Soft Paws (caps for their nails), Sticky Paws (double-sided sticky pads for furniture that cats don't like to touch), and Ssscat (a motion-activated air system) that deters cats from certain area or behaviors.
Remember scratching is perfectly normal behavior for a cat - it's all about training to ensure a happy cat and intact furniture!
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Why Cats' Whiskers Twitch
Whiskers (also called vibrissae, for you Scrabble people) are ingenious structures that are deeply set into a cat's face and so sensitive they can pick up minute changes like air currents - perhaps indicating prey is just around the corner. They allow a cat to navigate at a fast pace and in low light.In addition to helping a cat stealthily hunt, whiskers indicate a cat's mood. When the whiskers are forward, a cat is exhibiting their infamous curiosity about the world around them. When they are held back, tightly to their face, they are displeased. In short, the whiskers are constantly in motion so that a cat can move in the world as quiet as a mouse and quickly broadcast their overall attitude at any given time.
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HOURS:Monday & Friday 8 am - 6 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8 am - 8 pm Saturday 8 am - 5 pm 
19203 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA 98133
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