We have what you could call "hit and miss" behavior regarding our cat and the litter box. Sometimes she goes in the box but leaves her mess outside it. And sometimes she doesn't seem to like the litter (we buy what's on sale). Ideas?

– Via email

If you want your cat to use her litter box, ask her opinion first. If your cat isn't happy, you won't be happy, either.

Start with the filler. Let your cat choose from a litter "buffet." Buy at least four different types of litter. Choose at least one that is the clumping kind – the No. 1 choice of most cats. If your clumping option is scented, offer an unscented clumping one, too. We may love scented products, but cats generally don't. Fill each box with at least 2 inches of litter, and see which litter she prefers. Donate the rejected brands to a local shelter or rescue group.

I'm also guessing the litter box may be too small. Your cat's litter box should be 1 1/2 to two times as long as your cat's length from nose to tail. That gives her enough space to turn around in the box and dig. If you can't find a box at the pet store that's an appropriate size, a plastic sweater box or an underbed storage box makes a great cat box.

Don't bother with box liners: Scrub the box with a solution of bleach and water regularly, rinse well and allow to air dry. It's always handy to have two boxes, so while one's air-drying, the other is available. Better yet, have three: Two fresh and available for use and another on standby. Some cats are so particular about their boxes that they'll use one for urine and the other for feces. (I actually own one such cat myself!)

– Gina Spadafori

The buzz

• Most cats have five toes on their front paws, but only four of them hit the ground. The fifth toe is called a dewclaw and is found on the inside of the front paw. The dewclaw is the feline equivalent of our thumb, and it's used for grasping prey and climbing trees. A normal feline back paw, by the way, has four toes that are all called into service when walking. Any number of toes over the norm (usually an extra one or two, but occasionally as many as three or four) makes a cat polydactyl, which means "many fingers." Polydactylism is a dominant genetic trait, which means just one polydactyl parent is enough to make a litter of polydactyl kittens. These cats are also called "Hemingway cats," after the ones kept by Ernest Hemingway.

• Dogs that bite children often have no priors, according to Veterinary Economics magazine, which reported on research from the journal Injury Prevention. In a study of 100 dog bites from 103 dogs presented at a behavior clinic over a four-year period, 20 percent of the dogs had never bitten anyone, and of those that had, 33 percent had never bitten a child before. Researchers think anxiety or pain may play a part in uncharacteristic aggression. Three-quarters of the biters exhibited anxiety when separated from their owners or when exposed to loud noises, such as thunderstorms or fireworks. Half of the biting dogs had medical conditions such as skin or bone growths, eye or liver problems, kidney disease, hormonal conditions or infection.

• Cats may be the No. 1 pet in the United States in terms of popularity, but dogs rule at the veterinary office. According to the American Veterinary Medical Assoc., dogs average 2.6 veterinary visits per year, while cats top out at 1.7.

– Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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