I found a kitty

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > I found a kitty

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

There were cat sounds outside, I didn't think much of it at first. I forgot about it and when I happened to go outiside, I saw

the cutest scared tiny kitten.

He hissed at me when I tried to approach, so I tried feeding him something. Everybody likes honey, right? No, it's worthy of hissing. Milk's no good either.

Despite the hissing, when you get ahold of him he calms down.

I've never had a cat, so I didn't know what to do. I brought him to the humane society, and they told me some basics and gave me enough food for a few days.

A wild cat around here is probably his mother. I don't know how long he was outside alone.

It took him only a day to get off the syringe and start lapping up the milk. And he knows instinctually how to use the litterbox--no mess around the house. But he's not always affectionate. He still hisses when I start petting him, then gets used to it. When playing around, he bites. It doesn't hurt, but I try to put him off the idea.

Any advice for clueless kitty owners is appreciated. What do I need to start doing now to train him? Is there anything I can do so he grows up affectionate? I always hated mean cats, but loved nice cats. I hope he turns out nice.

I named him barley :cheers:

Update: more pictures on all pages

Mescal fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Jan 5, 2007

# ¿ Jun 15, 2006 06:14

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 05:48

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Crochet Vagina posted:

He is really cute, good for you for saving him!

New kitten owner things to do...

First, stop the milk. That'll give him some nasty poo poo and possibly make him sick. If he's still too young for solid food get him some cat formula from a pet store, cow's milk is no good.

There's a nice guide here http://alter-idem.smartmonkey.org/cats/ on what food is great to feed him.

Next, off to the vet with you. The vet can give you a better age guess than we can, and he'll also need to be checked for various diseases and such. Probably going to need some shots too.

Also do some reading around the PI (PP?) FAQ and get check some of our new kitten owner threads for more ideas. A scratching post is nice (spay and neuter but don't declaw is the rule of thumb around here) and some toys too. Indoor cats (please keep him an indoor kitty) also love to have a nice kitty tree for climbing.

As for keeping him friendly, keep up the playing and the petting. If he bites or swats set him down and ignore him for a few minutes. Eventually he'll link attacking you with affection stopping. A lot of people also suggest a yelp like a hurt kitten if the cat bites, if you do it right he'll relize he hurt you.

Good for you for taking in the little guy Robot Chicken is a dirty liar, post more pictures of that cutie. Also that's a great name.

Thanks for the info. Yeah, by 'milk' I mean the powder they gave us we add water to. I feed him about every three or four hours. The woman at the humane society guessed five weeks. I read the cat FAQ but it didn't have a whole lot of information.

He likes narrow spaces. He smells like ginger.

fileanchor and imagesocket are both not working now.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2006 07:00

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

I don't know what my living situation will be in the near future, I hope I get to keep him.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2006 15:48

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Thanks, guys. I'll have to try hard to get a some good photos of him before he gets too big. He's grown a lot in the last four days. He's really playful now, which I think he was too scared to be at first. I would never have gone out and gotten a cat, but I'm really glad this one showed up at my doorstep. :3

# ¿ Jun 16, 2006 07:59

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Girl Robot posted:

Adorable! I'm compiling super cute images for a new avatar I'm making, may Barley be a part?

How much cuteness can you fit in 125 pixels? Sure, go ahead.

# ¿ Jun 17, 2006 03:09

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Mescal fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Jun 17, 2006

# ¿ Jun 17, 2006 03:17

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Itty Bitty Kitty posted:

ohmigosh so cute! Where do you live that adowable wittle kittens just appear at your doorstep? That never happens to me.

Barley's absolutely adorable, and he'll warm up to you eventually. My kitty was a stray when my parents brought her home, and she's super-affectionate to me now -- although, it's ONLY to me, so you may want to introduce him to other people after he's gotten more comfortable. That way he'll be a sweetie to people in general, not just his mommy (or daddy, whichever you prefer to be called). But gosh he's so cute, I wouldn't care if he was the meanest little thing in the world

Your photos are awesome and look really great. Really show off the core cuteness of the kitten-baby. I'll be checking back for more!

He's stopped the hissing

And he's pretty nice to everyone, even the dog. He's been pretty tired today, but playful when awake. I yell at him when he bites, I hope he learns not to before his jaw becomes manly.

This forum is sure different from the rest of SA, huh?

# ¿ Jun 17, 2006 05:29

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

BeanBandit posted:

If he bites or scratches at you, take your hand away and ignore him for a few minutes. Do this for awhile until he gets the picture.

Keep the pictures coming . What kind of camera are you using?

I can't put him down!

Rebel XT (unimportant) with 50mm lens (more important.)

# ¿ Jun 17, 2006 06:42

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

He learned to pur yesterday. In addition to knowing how to use the litterbox from the first time he was put into it, yesterday he was walking around on the floor, decided he needed to go, walked into the bathroom and used the litterbox. He's pottytrained himself.

But he won't stop biting

Edit: I'm prety much guessing about how much food he needs. He's got a big tummy now, but he's always hungry. What's the protocol here?

Mescal fucked around with this message at 21:31 on Jun 18, 2006

# ¿ Jun 18, 2006 19:23

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

He had to stay at home alone for like five hours today

IN ACTION

# ¿ Jun 21, 2006 02:23

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Bolkovr posted:

I realize you're a professional photographer, but drat you're a good photographer!

Thanks a lot! I don't consider myself a professional photographer, though. The kind of photos I make money from don't really offer much creative opportunity.

If anyone wants to look at my pictures on flickr, please do.

Just bein cute

# ¿ Jun 21, 2006 03:14

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

don't startle kitty

# ¿ Jun 23, 2006 20:27

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Wizbang posted:

When my paycheck comes in can I use this for an avatar?

Please do

I'm glad this thread got bumped, and I wish I could post some new pictures, but my camera broke :sigh:

# ¿ Jul 2, 2006 22:29

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

THANK YOU everyone for looking at and commenting on my pictures. I'm glad people have enjoyed barley.

Catnip doesn't affect him.
He won't stop biting.
The dog we're keeping for the day wants to eat him.
But my dog gets along with him just fine. She isn't territorial at all, and even lets him drink and eat from her bowl.
When should I cut his balls off?
He's getting fat. Need to feed him less.
Fixed my camera.

# ¿ Jul 4, 2006 23:16

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

effika posted:

I positively love your pictures! I'm glad to hear he and the dog are getting along-- any pictures of the two together?

SOMETHING AMAZING JUST HAPPENED. :siren:

I'll get it to you as soon as I process, until then

# ¿ Jul 6, 2006 04:23

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Even with every light in the house turned on there was just not enough, and I couldn't be more frustrated about it.

A lot of sharpening later, this is the biggest I can post it:

Katie tolerates Barley but Barley loves Katie--he crawled right up on her and under her ear. I swear I didn't set it up.

# ¿ Jul 6, 2006 05:11

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

OH MAN

# ¿ Jul 8, 2006 04:52

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

JMarie posted:

Please tell me what camera you use!

It doesn't matter.

It matters more that I'm using a 50mm f/1.8 for most and a lensbaby at for the most recent.

It matters much that Barley loves the sunlight on the floor, this light is dramatic but hard to expose right. He also doesn't mind the camera.

Beyond that is the little stuff.

He did get his shots (vet kind) by the way.

# ¿ Jul 9, 2006 08:07

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Hey, forgot to post this one.

A few minutes ago a wild cat walked by outside. It had stripes, maybe it's Barley's dad.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2006 00:30

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

deviant. posted:

FF, are you freehanding these pictures or do you have a tripod?

Also, Barley is unbelievably cute.

I'm handholding since I need to get down to the ground. I stabilize it however I can since there's not a whole lot of light. With the fifty they're wide open but with the lensbaby it's... at f/5.6 I think since otherwise the effect is too pronounced.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2006 09:05

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

effika posted:

Squee! That's so cute, even if there wasn't quite enough light for the best shot. I think it still turned out amazing.

Thanks. I think I'm going to submit it to my local paper's pet snap feature, since it's extra-cute and doesn't have any photographic merit.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2006 06:38

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Thanks everyone for your continued interest!

solipsiae posted:

Your kitten is loving awesome. To echo:

Handle him a lot while he's still very young; pick him up often (so he fears it less) and snuggle and cuddle the poo poo out of him, and in moments of respose very gently squish the pads of his feet and toes to reveal his little claws. This will make it easier to trim his nails or apply softpaws when he's an adult because he will be used to you futzing around with his paws already.

If/when he starts biting just stop everything and walk away. Sometimes when cats bite it means they've had enough and they want to be alone; Barley might just be having bitey impulses but if it's really too much then he'll learn through association that biting equals human-goes-away, and if he doesn't want you to go away there's a good chance he'll stop.

Also, as a kitten, let him pig out as much as he wants. It's after he gets fixed and is pretty adult-ish that you have to worry about him getting obese.

I very much doubt catnip works on kittens (I could be wrong) since catnip mimics cat sex pheremones (their "high" is kind of a "horny"), which a kitten would not be hardwired to recognize/pick up, being unable to get all preggers quite yet.

Get more pictures of the cat and dog loving on each other when you can. That poo poo is gold. (submit the under-ear one to https://www.cuteoverload.com)

Thanks for all the advice. Wait, was I not supposed to have clipped his nails aready?

He's toning down the biting in the last couple days... I hope this trend continues because when he does it's always harder.

Hey! Barley was featured on The Cute Project. The second time was right after them being featured on my.yahoo.com, so I guess lots of people saw him.

Here you are Wizbang:

# ¿ Jul 13, 2006 03:34

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

dermalogic posted:

is there ANY chance you could do that in a wallpaper size? 1280x1024?

I love your photos, they are so detailed and well taken, puts my kitten happy snaps to shame!

RepoRebo posted:

Oh!! And can I add a request for a wallpaper-size of the one where he's reaching out and touching the light...I love that picture beyond all reason.

dpopat posted:

Do you have anything that is in higher res that I can use as a desktop picture? Preferable 1280x1024

Also, looking through your flickr portfolio I was wondering if you have these in higher resolution as well:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=76826122&size=o
and
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=76826121&size=o
and
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=168669483&size=o

By the way, that kitten is adorable.

Trying to keep hold of your photos' use is a tough thing. Mostly it would be arrogant to worry about that, but for all the attention I'm getting here I feel like it would be possible to see barley somewhere I didn't post him. I try to keep a balance between web enjoyment and minimal printability--800px or so.

But I just saw a cute kitty on a greeting card (that the photographer almost certainly wasn't paid for; I see it all over the internet) and though on nice paper it looked like it was printed from 800px.

:sigh:

screwed no matter what.

(dpopat: I don't even know if I have the originals for the smokybridge ones, there're from my old digicam.)

But I know pure-hearted goons like you only want a wallpaper and I love you for it. There's one I do want to make a wallpaper of... will post. (No internet time tomorrow though.)

# ¿ Jul 13, 2006 07:35

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

He's got this cute little knot at the end of his tail.
He runs funny. For one thing, it's REALLY LOUD--then you finally see him come around the corner and it's just this tiny striped thing. If he's being aggressive, he runs sideways! Pretty much in this position:

Freedom Foundry posted:

Once when he was hanging out on my lap on the computer, I didn't feel a warm kitten any more and wondered where he went. I kept hearing small kitten sounds, called him and looked for him a little.

The desk is hollow. He'd found a hole underneath, right above my legs, and crawled up in it.

So sometimes he does that now.

# ¿ Jul 14, 2006 05:50

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

RepoRebo posted:

Oh my god, you can see your reflection in his eyes! That is an incredible shot.

He has a knot at the end of his tail? Could you show us a picture of it?

Wow, I guess you can!

I guess I could--but you have to feel it, you can't really see it.

# ¿ Jul 14, 2006 20:01

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Crap, I didn't realize the food's almost gone. If I don't get to the store this weekend, would it be healthy to feed him tuna?

# ¿ Jul 15, 2006 23:55

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Mescal fucked around with this message at 06:11 on Jul 17, 2006

# ¿ Jul 17, 2006 06:05

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Tessa posted:

I am so in love with your kitten it's unbelievable.

You are an amazing photographer.. it's really hard for me to take photos of my cat because she's always moving... question, do you use a digital camera or a film one?

Barley's eyes are absolutely gorgeous.

Digital. But it works just the same as a standard film SLR, the problem is that digital SLRs are expensive.

John Dough posted:

That's wonderful. How did you get the cat to cooperate? Or did you follow it around all day?

I get kind of lost having fun when I'm crawling around with him, but not all day. I just wait for him to do something/interact with light and the stuff around him.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2006 02:57

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Holy crap, GOLDEN! Thank you, guys!

I cloned this one into a desktop as requested. (The other one's harder.)

# ¿ Jul 19, 2006 02:45

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Black Griffon posted:

4.91 now.

I love this thread.

Edit: And man, how do you get to take pictures of so many cute girls?

4.94 now

And I didn't even vote! (I would feel dirty.) I can't tell you guys enough how much I appreciate the encouragement. Posting in CC gets you helpful feedback, but not encouraging feedback. Critique is healthiest, of course, but this feels good.
:shobon:

boudicca posted:

I have the original version as my desktop at work, and a ton of people have expressed their adoration.

You're not using it stretched to an arbitrary aspect ratio are you

Mescal fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Jul 21, 2006

# ¿ Jul 21, 2006 06:50

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

snookieofaegis posted:

Barley makes my cats look even more like goofballs.

How is Barley doing? I know that he was making the transition into being an indoor cat pretty good, but he's been growing a lot (big stretchy kitty) and I was wondering if any other problems have come up ... 'cause I have to know

No problems. He's stupid sometimes and gets under five towels in the recent heat wave.

In other news he played with a balloon yesterday and it was cute. Right now he is playing with a sock and it is cute. He doesn't bite at strangers for some reason and I could have named him How to be Popular at Parties, vol I.

I think I forgot to post this when it happened--once I was leaving the house and saw a big fat striped barley-looking cat waiting, looking at the door. I went to get my camera, but he was gone.

He just started biting too much and I had to put him in time-out. I can't find the spray bottle.

I'm going to have to put more of my photographic energy into some other stuff, but I'll try to post pictures of Barley regularly. I'm going to start using a big reflector so as to make kitty not so high-contrast.

Let me say again how much I enjoy everyone's comments!

EDIT here is an okay picture

Mescal fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Jul 23, 2006

# ¿ Jul 23, 2006 20:03

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Tessa posted:

i'm glad everything's going well with him! such a cutie, and growing fast i see

I forgot to write what's the point of that picture. Whenever you put your hand near him, he just falls right over onto his side or back like that. (this makes him hard to pick up.) I guess he's inviting belly scratches, but that's way too intense for him and he bites your hand. If instead you play with his front paws, he 'runs' against your hand with his hind legs. It seems like he's trying to get away, but he also comes up to me and runs against me on purpose.

Waffleimages, imagesocket, and random-m are all not working for me right now. What should I use?

# ¿ Jul 24, 2006 07:10

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

snookieofaegis posted:

my boyfriend says that when he's kicking you with the hind legs, Barley's trying to dis-embowl you. Imagine if your hand was a mouse - his little legs and claws would tear it to pieces. I know that my cats have done that to several cloth mice

but that's not where my intestines go

# ¿ Jul 24, 2006 20:45

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Got one of him playing with the balloon

# ¿ Jul 25, 2006 02:25

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

A small story not about my cat.

As I mentioned before, my old dog Katie has been nothing but graceful about the whole situation. No jealousy, lets Barley sleep in her spot and even drink from her bowl. Sometimes Barley gets bitey with her, and she just walks away and never even barks back.

A nice dog, right?

Except once recently she found and apparently mutilated a very small rabbit. She brought it to the porch for us. What a suprise, since she's never been known to do such a thing.

Then last week she found a hurt bird, then would not leave us alone about it. She wanted us to take care of it or something. Since we weren't with her when she found the rabbit, we'd assumed she hurt it. But we were there when she found the bird. Now we think she found it, already hurt, and brought it to us for healing.

# ¿ Jul 25, 2006 22:40

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

Got him with the balloon again

# ¿ Jul 26, 2006 01:05

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

jflan17 posted:

If you don't submit that to a greeting card company, you're insane.

hmm...

# ¿ Jul 28, 2006 04:30

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

WHY DOES HE HUNGER FOR MY FLESH :mawg:

He's started making this weird alien trilling sound before biting me. Punishment by squirt bottle only makes him angry.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2006 00:29

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

This is what he does too much

Mescal fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Aug 1, 2006

# ¿ Aug 1, 2006 00:06

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 05:48

Mescal: Jul 23, 2005

He's calming down

There's still biting, but he's nice more of the time. More licking, less teeth. He seems happy and healthy and I'll post another picture tonight.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2006 02:21

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