Ask Six Cats
by Bob Tarte’s kitties
Kitty comrades, are you having problems dealing with those people who think they own the place? Don’t ask just one fellow cat for advice. Ask the six cats that star in Bob Tarte’s book, Kitty Cornered. Let Frannie, Agnes, Moobie, Maynard, Tina, and Lucy bat around your question and chew on it a while. The cat who sinks its claws deepest into the subject will cough up an answer below.
Calling all cats! For live advice from Agnes– one cat to another — join us this Friday, June 15, 12:30-1PM on Twitter. Just Tweet your question #Ask6Cats @BobTarte (Agnes is borrowing Bob’s computer for this live Q&A session).
For even more wisdom from these six cats, you can check out the book Kitty Cornered, available at IndieBound independent bookstores, Powell’s, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Q: I’ve got three litter boxes in the house. I’m confused which one I’m supposed to use. – Inspector Kibble, Houston, TX
Lucy: Anytime there’s a litter box in the room where your people happen to be, use that one.
Q: Call it kitty karma. I was quite the hellion in my youth, and my people haven’t forgotten. So they’re ruling out getting me a cat friend. Lots of talk about not wanting to replace all of the wallpaper again. What would change their minds? – Lonely Tabby, Fairfax, VA
Maynard: I can answer this one in my sleep. Your people need to adopt an older cat like me. Our rambunctious days are behind us. Instead of climbing the curtains I prefer to sink into the Land of Nod with my chin on someone’s knee.
Q: Why does that person keep sitting on my computer chair? How do I chase her off so I can resume my nap? – Muffin, Perrysburg, OH
Agnes: You don’t have much cat sense, do you? Jump up onto her lap and rub against her when she tries to type. Hop down and glare at her with the high beams. Then jump up and do the rubbing thing again. Soon you’ll have her balanced on the last two inches of the seat while you get the rest of the chair.
Q: There’s a delicious potted plant in our living room, but whenever I nibble on it, the people shake a can full of marbles. I feel like Pavlov with his dog. I nibble, they rattle. It’s impossible to eat under these conditions. What should I do? – Mr. Wigglesworth, Petaluma, CA
Frannie: Run! Hide under the bed! Eek!
Q: Every night I gobble up my canned cat food treat hoping to get a second helping. No deal. How can I make them understand that one teaspoonful isn’t enough? – Snoogles, Rochester, MN
Agnes: Gobble it up? Are you out of your mind? Act desperate until they serve your treat. Sniff the dish and walk away. Don’t touch the food until hours later when the disappearance can be blamed on the dog or the baby. Soon they’ll be giving you all of the smoked salmon and Beluga caviar you can eat.
Tags: advice, Bob Tarte, cats, Kitty Cornered

Alisa says...
I love this. I read all your kitty advise and I will be passing it onto Mr. Wu our kitty.
May 31, 2012@ 7:28 PMHeidi says...
Hahaha…love it!
May 31, 2012@ 7:17 PMI think Agnes has been in touch with my cat Janie and passed along a few pointers.
LynN Kasuba says...
Im having fun reading this and trying to think up
May 31, 2012@ 6:54 PMQuestions There is so much that I want to know.
Where to start… Well, why do my people mope around
All the time, they act more like cats than we do!?
Miranda Stone says...
This is great! Love hearing more from the spectacular cats featured in “Kitty Cornered!”
May 31, 2012@ 6:32 PMMonique says...
I love this! It gives me some insight into how cats view the world!
May 31, 2012@ 6:16 PMChloe Jo says...
Dear Cats, why does my people always want to sleep at night, when I want to play?
May 31, 2012@ 6:11 PMRowan-- "Big Red" says...
Interesting tips, and here’s another question for you girls, (and boy). My human spent what seemed like hours today putting water on the floor, moving it around with something that looked kind of like my hair brush, and then she soaked up all the water with a sponge and towel. What a strange activity! I couldn’t get anywhere near my litter box, which normally sits in that spot, and I was really getting anxious. Why would a human spend time doing such a strange thing? What can I do to ensure this NEVER happens again?
May 31, 2012@ 5:53 PMCarolyn says...
Some very helpful answers here! Makes me think my guys have me pretty well trained! But I know there’s something I missed…I’ll be back
May 31, 2012@ 4:47 PMPJ, the One-Eyed Jack, and Tinkerbell says...
Good advice, friends. Although Tinkerbell prefers to just skip the litterbox altogether. Frannie – don’t be afraid, the people love you so much! Bob just wants to hug you and kiss you. We know because our human showed us your book.
May 31, 2012@ 4:18 PMIggy says...
How do I displace Zeus and Moochy who hog my person’s lap?
May 31, 2012@ 1:19 PM