Have you ever wondered about some of the quirky things that your cats do? Well, most of them are quite normal to their behavior. Below are some of the most common behavioral "problems", what they mean and how to "solve"them, and also some health tips. Q. What does it mean when my cat races around the house for no apparent reason? A. Your cat is acting on it's natural instinct to run through an open field, chasing prey. She is merely having fun and practicing for the day when she might get the chance to actually do so. Q. My cat constantly digs her claws into my furniture and carpets, ruining them. What can I do to stop her? A. This is a very important part of a cat's personal grooming. She is helping herself to shed dead claw sheathes. Try giving her her own piece of carpet or a scratching post to use. Keep her claws trimmed (be careful not to cut the "quick"-the tiny pink vein in the claw).I do not recommend having your cat declawed beause they cut off the entire first knuckle of the toe in order to do this. Q. My cat sometimes refuses to use her litterbox, instead using the carpet,furniture or some other inappropriate place. Help! A. Cats are extremely clean animals, some more so than others. It is very important to keep the box clean and free of feces and odor. If you have more than one cat you may even need to have more than one box! Q. My cat sheds constantly. I am always picking up cat hair. Why? A. Indoor cats shed quite a bit more than cats who spend time outside. This is due to the warmer and drier air found in the house. Brush your cat often to remove loose hairs-most cats love to be brushed! This will also help prevent your cat from developing hairballs in her stomach. Q. My cat is such a finicky eater! What can I do to get her to eat a wider variety of food? A. Cats' eating habits often start when they are kittens. People get worried when their kitten seems to refuse a certain food for fear it will starve and replace the food with a new one. Actually kittens are like human babies and will sometimes refuse to eat simply because they are not hungry! I have found that if I feed my cats at regular hours they will eat just about anthing I offer them, although maybe not right away. Offer a different food each day for variety. United Cats-Cat Stories Cats -Indoor Cats RagaMuffins by Sweetheart Rags Cattery This page last updated on August 28. 2000