I've started talking my cat on regular walks for 30 mins a day. We live in an apartment (1st floor) and there's a cellar (I believe is the right term?). It's open on all sides and used for vehicle parking. Surrounding that cellar is a concrete walkway with plants on trees on two sides. This is where I walk my cat. She spends the times sniffing the back tires of bikes and just looking around. I can't take her anywhere else because there are street dogs outside the building that would attack her. A park is not an option because that would involve getting her into her carrier which is a nightmare.
There have been many problems, like her bolting at the slightest sound and practically choking herself in the leash, or randomly panicking when she feels she's too exposed or too far from safety. I think I'm working on those issues. The current one is a little strange and funny:
For the past few days she's started randomly rolling around on the ground (on the cellar floor and on the very small incline to the concrete walkway). I've read online about it and apparently that's just her having fun or marking her scent (unless I'm wrong, then feel free to tell me what's happening). It looks funny but it gets her really dirty. And I mean REALLY dirty. It's not the good kind of organic soil either. It's the dirt from all the walking and the vehicles. I'm worried that she could even get some oil or grease on her fur. So I'm uncomfortable letting her lick it off herself.
Currently I'm cleaning her with Petkin cat wipes. Today I tried to clean her with a no-rinse shampoo (though she put up a fight and is pissed off at me). But I'm worried about cleaning her everyday. 'Cause it looks like she will do this every time we're out now.
Would cleaning her like that everyday cause problems (I've heard regular baths are bad for cats because they strip off the cat's natural oils and stress them out by removing their smell)? Should I stop her from rolling around? How do I stop her? There's also the fact that she won't let me clean her paws, so they're left all dirty for her to lick (especially the paw pads). I kinda don't know what to do.
There have been many problems, like her bolting at the slightest sound and practically choking herself in the leash, or randomly panicking when she feels she's too exposed or too far from safety. I think I'm working on those issues. The current one is a little strange and funny:
For the past few days she's started randomly rolling around on the ground (on the cellar floor and on the very small incline to the concrete walkway). I've read online about it and apparently that's just her having fun or marking her scent (unless I'm wrong, then feel free to tell me what's happening). It looks funny but it gets her really dirty. And I mean REALLY dirty. It's not the good kind of organic soil either. It's the dirt from all the walking and the vehicles. I'm worried that she could even get some oil or grease on her fur. So I'm uncomfortable letting her lick it off herself.
Currently I'm cleaning her with Petkin cat wipes. Today I tried to clean her with a no-rinse shampoo (though she put up a fight and is pissed off at me). But I'm worried about cleaning her everyday. 'Cause it looks like she will do this every time we're out now.
Would cleaning her like that everyday cause problems (I've heard regular baths are bad for cats because they strip off the cat's natural oils and stress them out by removing their smell)? Should I stop her from rolling around? How do I stop her? There's also the fact that she won't let me clean her paws, so they're left all dirty for her to lick (especially the paw pads). I kinda don't know what to do.
