CAT WON'T PLAY ALONE? How to Turn Your Clingy Playmate Into a More Independent Player
The lifestyle magazine for modern cats and their the heir ir companions com omp pa an niions ons on
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FALL · WINTER 2026/27
your
CAT'S MIND N!ERY I W S EV
ER IZE PR T LOV S CA NT A W
Plus:
Playtime Tips!
The Truth about T Hypoallergenic Cats Litter Box Problem-Solver
Fun Cats for
Indoor activities p66
Subtle Signs Your Cat
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SPECIAL PROMOTION
Is Your Cat Overweight? Look For These Signs: Loss of an obvious waist Shortness of breath • Difficulty grooming hard-to-reach spots • Irritability or personality changes • Slow movement • •
Another concern was that his Body Condition Score (BCS) was 8 out of 9. For most pets, a healthy BCS is a 5 out of 9. He needed to lose weight, but Max’s case presented challenges.
Walking the Tightrope “Weight loss and kidney disease can have competing nutritional priorities,” explains Dr. Laura Teeger, DVM and Veterinary Nutrition Resident at the OVC Hill’s Weight Care Clinic. Experts at the clinic needed to carefully manage his diet so he could lose weight without endangering kidney function or causing the loss of lean muscle mass.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HILL'S PET NUTRITION, INC.
Obesity Crisis
Max experienced great progress with a combination of both dry and wet therapeutic weight management food. Wet food was included to support hydration and provide more food volume. This allowed Max to slowly achieve his goal weight without compromising his renal system.
Canadian pets have a problem
50
to 60% of pets in Canada are overweight or obese, according to Canada’s Pet Wellness Report. That statistic should set off warning bells; excess weight can contribute to increased chronic health problems and may shorten a pet’s life. Cathy Ren’s 17-year-old cat Max is an example of how even a small amount of excess weight can impact your cat’s quality of life. Max was eight years old and already overweight when Cathy adopted him. As he grew older, his excess weight, combined with chronic kidney disease and osteoarthritis became an increasing health concern. His veterinarian recommended they get help from the OVC Hill’s Pet Nutrition Weight Care Program at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).
*based on human 2,000 kcal/day diet
An ounce of cheese for your cat is equal to a human eating 3.5 hamburgers, in terms of calories.
Sustainable Success Cathy managed meal portions and treats diligently. And she had the added challenge of keeping Max out of her other cat’s food. She kept up with regular weigh-ins and vet follow-ups at the Hill’s OVC Weight Care Program, and continued Max’s leash walks. Max reached his goal and a BCS of 6 out of 9 in April 2026.
The program, which includes the Weight Management Clinic, provides specialized veterinary support to help struggling pets achieve their healthy weight.
“It makes me happy to think I might have made his last few years a bit more comfortable,” she says. “I just want him to be as comfortable as he can be, for as long as he can be.”
A Little Excess Weight Can Trigger Big Health Problems
If you’re concerned about your cat’s weight, Hill’s Pet Nutrition can help. In a survey, 9 out of 10 Canadian veterinarians recommend Hill’s Pet Nutrition food.
At his first visit, Max weighed 6.09 kilograms—more than a kilo over his ideal weight. It doesn’t sound like much to us, but for a smaller cat like Max, it was causing health problems, such as increased pain from his osteoarthritis.
Visit hillspet.ca for online tools such as the L.O.V.E. Weight Test and talk to your vet for more information about Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s weight management options.
Find more tools at EndPetObesity.ca
FALL • WINTER 2026/27
VOL 15 NO 2
66 FEATURES The Hidden Psychology of Cats
Go inside the mind of your cat! Biology, intelligence, instinct, and strange behaviour explained. 38
The Consent Meter for Petting Your Cat
Because “they didn’t warn me” is almost never true. ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE SIMPSON
40
Why is My Cat Not Affectionate?
Is your cat just not that into you? Or are you mislabelling your cat as aloof? Why your cat doesn’t seem affectionate— and what it really means. BY DR. MIKEL DELGADO
54
28 THE GOODS 24
The Quest for a Hypoallergenic Cat
BY SHERI RADFORD
When Nothing Works: Solving Your Cat’s Most Stubborn Litter Box Problems
Beyond the usual fixes: a deep troubleshooting guide to why cats stop using the litter box and how to help them get back on track. BY MIESHELLE NAGELSCHNEIDER
68
36
BY SHERI RADFORD
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The Cat Gear Look Book
Your at-a-glance guide to the best gear for cats.
58
Catify Your Life
Cat-tastic finds to thrill both you and your cat.
AI is Helping Find Lost Cats
When they had given up hope, AI reunited them with their lost pets.
Must-Have Cat Furniture
Modern cat trees, perches, and scratchers that belong in Architectural Digest.
Is there really such a thing as a hypoallergenic cat? Experts weigh in on the holy grail of felines: a cat that doesn’t cause allergies.
60
24
72
Healthy Paws
Solutions for everything from cat acne to joint care.
PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JE JEVGENIJA/SHUTTERSTOCK; EZIO GUTZEMBERG/BIGSTOCK; PET JOJO
28
Skechers - F/P (Page 3) - Full Run
24 New Species of Wild Cat Discovered
48
Bolivia’s Yungas Cloud Forest is home to the first new wild cat species identified in more than a century
The Strange Tooth Problem That Affects Many Cats
52
It’s not a cavity—and your cat may be hiding how painful it is
28 CAT LIFE
12
22
We’ve got six months of incredible giveaways— from custom pet portraits to designer cat beds— plus, winners every two weeks. See what’s up for grabs on page 22!
REGULAR FEATURES 6 8 10 12 20 79
Editor’s Letter Contributors Stuff We Love The Scoop Photo Contest Marketplace
We’re Giving it Away!
64
A Decade of Cats & Coffee
At 50, Sandra Cagan traded her property-development career for a cat café.
66
38
Why Won’t My Cat Play Alone? How to Help Your Cat Become a More Independent Player
How to encourage independent play without taking the fun out of playtime!
COVER CAT This issue's adorable cover cat Mango, a Russian Blue, was photographed by Shaina Fishman, an awardwinning commercial animal photographer specializing in cats and dogs.
BY AMANDA CARON
74
Connie’s Book Club
Editor-in-Chief Connie Wilson’s selection of new, must-read books for cat lovers. 76
Tiny Cat Stories
Cat love in short form: miniature, reader-submitted cat stories of no more than 100 words. 80
One Last Cat. Because You Can Never Have Too Many
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PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PET JOJO; ANURAK PONGPATIMET/SHUTTERSTOCK; ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE SIMPSON; YAV_OLHA/SHUTTERSTOCK
BODY & SOUL
EDITOR'S LETTER
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Circle Only use blue and/or white. For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.
CONNIE WILSON WITH DAO DAO, PHOTO TANYA KING
OUR READERS WRITE
I
couldn’t be more pleased to share our fall/winter issue of Modern Cat with you! There are so many fun, informative features to help you live a better life with your cat. Inside, you’ll find articles that explore cat behaviour, wellness, cat culture, the coolest cat products, and so much more.
We Have the Cutest Readers
Lady Grey just finished the latest @modern_cat_mag. Time to read the back issues while waiting for the next one! —@ felinemisadventures
Cats have a unique way of seeing and interacting with the world, one that is very different from our own. In The Hidden Psychology of Cats (p 28), we explore feline intelligence, instinct, emotion, and the strange things they do. You’ll never look at your cat the same way. Many of us have less-than-cuddly cats, so Dr. Mikel Delgado—an animal-behaviour scientist and cat expert at Feline Minds—explains what your cat’s “aloof” behaviour actually means, and the surprising ways cats show love. Does your clingy cat refuse to play alone? Discover how to encourage independent play for a more fulfilled cat with expert tips from cat behaviourist Amanda Caron. As always, we tackle real-life cat problems. In this issue, “Cat Whisperer” Mieshelle Nagelschneider takes on litter box refusal, sharing the tips she routinely finds success with. Turn to page p 60 for why cats stop using the litter box—and what really gets them back on track. And that’s not all. Can you really find a cat that won’t trigger allergies? We spill the truth about hypoallergenic cats. Is your cat’s body language saying, “don’t pet me?” Learn the subtle signals your cat gives in a fun illustrated “consent meter” for petting cats.
Fan Mail
Really enjoying this month's issue. Thank you @modern_cat_mag. —@tonyandrocky
From tips for creating a richer, more stimulating life for your cat to must-have toys and furniture both you and your cat will love, this issue was designed to inspire and delight. We hope you enjoy it as much as we loved putting it together. Thank you for being a part of our amazing community of cat lovers. With love,
Connie Wilson, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
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New Fan
Riku with her new favourite magazine! —@rikuandtoru