ArcaMax

Q: We adopted an adult cat from the shelter two years ago. She is a wonderful and sweet kitty. She used to sleep in bed with us but would run downstairs right as we fell asleep and would meow until my husband would carry her back up like a baby. Now she wants to sleep downstairs but often meows at around 3 a.m. Why is she doing this? Even if we bring her up she often won't stay. -- Cindy Gutierrez, Chicago, IL

A: Assuming the vet has examined her and assures you that there are no physical problems wrong with her, then I would just attribute this to "bored kitty syndrome." Your average housecat sleeps most of the day and many of them will invent games like this to wake us up at night in order to entertain them.

As with most cats you need to reward the behavior you want and ignore what you do not want. The only way to ignore a meowing kitty at night is to sleep with the door closed until she learns for herself that her nighttime antics are not going to wake you up to interact with her.

Q: My African Grey Parrot is 12 years old and I noticed that he does not want me to pet him anymore. I got him when he was only 4 weeks old. I could cuddle him and kiss him and he always liked me better than other members of my family. However, now he will put his head down for me to scratch it but if I try to pet him he will back away and if I keep trying then he will bite me. Is there any way to make him love me again like he used to? -- Mary Thorne, Allentown, PA

A: Well none of us can go back in time no matter and our relationships change as the years go on. First of all, he still loves you, he just does not want your hands on his body and feathers. The fact that he bows his head down to you to be scratched proves he still loves you. The back of a bird's head is the most vulnerable spot and he would not expose that part of himself to you unless he trusted you.

He is telling you politely that I am now an adult bird and I no longer feel comfortable with your hand on my body. When you push the issue he gets upset at the fact that you are not respecting his feelings and that is when the bite comes.

If you insist on trying to pet him then I would suggest you stop trying for a few weeks; when everything is cool again you can try to see if his feelings have changed. However, if they have not then please do not take it personally as it is not a reflection of his feelings toward you.

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(Marc Morrone has kept almost every kind of animal as a pet for the last half-century and he is happy to share his knowledge with others. Although he cannot answer every question, he will publish many of those that have a general interest. You can contact him at petxperts2@aol.com; please include your name, city and state.)

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