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JayJay posted:Great job with the thread, just in time for my new kittens arriving monday! I'm thinking about getting one of the Armarkat trees, but I can't choose! Which do you all think would be best for two cats? I was looking at http://www.armarkat.com/classic-cat-tree/classic-cat-tree-a7802/prod_29.html but it may be overkill. As for third parties, check ebay. You'll find them on ebay for <$20 bid, where the bulk of the cost will be shipping (or so they say). Either way, I got that tree brand new for less than $100 on ebay including shipping, and several other PI people have done the same thing. You can usually save quite a bit of money.
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# ¿ Jul 12, 2009 15:11 |
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# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 04:19 |
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MixMasterMalaria posted:Question - my cat (a 17 year old domestic shorthair) this morning has one very dilated pupil and one normal one. She seems otherwise normal, should I be worried?
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# ¿ Aug 8, 2009 16:23 |
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MixMasterMalaria posted:It it a "take her to the vet today" kind of thing or "ok to wait until monday" kind of thing? It's a rough day but obviously Hobbes' health comes first.
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# ¿ Aug 8, 2009 16:37 |
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Smoking_Dragon posted:I have a question about flying with a kitten.
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# ¿ Aug 20, 2009 14:51 |
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crtdx posted:Am I getting hosed over here or am I being unreasonable? Why is he getting FVRCP again when the Humane Society got him? Why does he need FELEUK if he is an inside cat and why does he need to be dewormed every 2-3 weeks for fucks sake? FVRCP is given in a series of usually 3 vaccines. The basic idea is that vaccines don't really work if the mother's antibodies are still protecting the kitten, and because we don't know exactly when those antibodies are going to wear off in any particular individual, the shots are given at regular intervals to kittens just to be safe. That's all pretty standard. As for FeLV, the American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends vaccinating all kittens for FeLV. If he is indoors only, he shouldn't need to get the vaccine every year, but because the FeLV vaccine is relatively safe and is suspected to be relatively long-lasting, it's a good idea to give it to all kittens just because you never know where they might end up. So just to warn you, most veterinarians are going to suggest that he still needs one more FVRCP, possibly one more FeLV, and Rabies. It seems like a lot of shots, but it's only kittens that need all these boosters. In years to come, he won't require nearly as many shots. The only things that seem iffy to me on the invoice stuff are the FeLV/FIV combo test and the million dewormings. $50 is a lot for a combo test, so $70 seems a little ridiculous. It also surprises me that the Humane Society didn't test him (or else didn't provide you with records of testing him). Did they run the combo test while you waited, or did it take a day or two to get results? I guess if they sent the test to an outside lab that could account for it being so expensive, but I don't know. I also have no idea why they think your kitten needs to be dewormed 5 times unless he's having GI issues or they actually found evidence of parasites in his stool. Considering how much money you're spending at this clinic, it would be nice if your veterinarian was answering all of your questions instead of the internet. If they're blowing you off and not explaining all the stuff they're doing to your kitten, I'd consider looking for another vet with better people skills.
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# ¿ Aug 22, 2009 17:01 |
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The Animal Fizz posted:Also, side question: Sammy has not yet been neutered (I know, I know), but I wanted to get it done when I get Charlotte spayed, which will presumably be when she's 6 months old. What are the chances Sam will knock her up before then? If they're very great, I'll have him done ASAP, but I was hoping to minimize the number of days I spent caring for infirmed kitties by getting them done the one shot. As for spaying/neutering, it's not uncommon for cats to go into heat as young as 4-5 months. Neuter him now just to be safe. Neutering really isn't a big deal at all, and he won't be "infirmed" after. Most cats are only under anesthesia for about 10 minutes (or less) and don't need more than a single dose of pain medicine. It's a really minor procedure, and honestly I don't know how you've tolerated the smell of tom cat pee for this long.
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# ¿ Aug 25, 2009 02:15 |
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Rev. Bleech_ posted:Anyway, I did have one question that I hadn't seen addressed. My biggest concern for little Meow Tse Tung is vet bills; I hate even paying for people doctors, so this is kind of a concern. The wife did, however, find out that you can get what amounts to health insurance for your pet for around $10/month. I like the idea but find it to sound a little scammmish at the same time. Is this a good thing to get, and if so are there any recommendations? Or is it even more of a hassle than human insurance? Or is it just another way to seperate fools and money? Look into it and decide for yourself, but the more I've read about pet insurance, the more I think it's a big scam, like any insurance. They're making tons of money after all. Even if your kitten is perfectly healthy, you should plan on spending $500+ in the next few months on shots and a spay. Personally I would just take the money you would be spending on pet insurance and set it aside for pet emergencies every month.
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# ¿ Sep 20, 2009 17:14 |
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spatula posted:So my kitten Dwight is getting neutered right now. I pick him up in just a couple hours.
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# ¿ Dec 17, 2009 22:17 |
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Zwille posted:- What food do you use? what she's gotten nearly all her life: about a tablespoon of turkey breast, raw, chopped, and 1 tbsp oatmeal as well as another tbsp veggies/fruit, mashed, and oil & her heart&lung medicine and some taurin paste
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# ¿ Dec 30, 2009 03:51 |
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Stew Man Chew posted:I think my cat has ear mites, she's an indoor-only kitty and we live high up in an apartment complex so she has pretty much zero contact with anything even remotely related to the outdoors. How did she pick up parasites?
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# ¿ Feb 5, 2010 14:28 |
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RheaConfused posted:It's the crazy face. Also this.
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# ¿ Feb 26, 2010 04:19 |
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pandafan posted:Hey guys, I would use rubbing alcohol. But if you're seeing a lot of dark build-up you should probably have a vet take a look in case it's mites or an ear infection, which cleaning won't fix. They can also show you how to clean ears properly.
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# ¿ Feb 26, 2010 14:35 |
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Android Thumper posted:- Age edit: it could be a mammary tumor due to the fact that your cat isn't spayed, I hope that helps Crooked Booty fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Mar 3, 2010 |
# ¿ Mar 3, 2010 02:01 |
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Teatime Prize posted:He looks underweight, and the weight loss is probably from a health problem, but there is no way to say that he's not being treated for something. As for the matting, some cats simply won't tolerate grooming. They may be neglecting him, but I've seem cats who are loved and well taken care of looking worse than he does. I don't think there's anything wrong with giving him food and hanging out with him, but I don't think it's logical to assume he's being mistreated just based on how he looks. Why don't you try chatting with them and ask what he's sick with, or how old he is? If they won't give you any information, I'd see if the RSPCA has any better luck.
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# ¿ Mar 21, 2010 04:00 |
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Serella posted:This isn't really an acceptable excuse, though. Animals can be stubborn about things like medicine or grooming, but that doesn't give anyone a license to just let their neglect their pet's well-being. If your cat won't let you brush him and it gets to the point where his fur starts to mat, you should take him to a groomer to have professionals handle it, not just let it happen because the cat is being difficult. If that's not the case with this cat, then definitely call in the RSPCA. Edit: Serella - that's what I was talking about. A lot of cats have to be sedated to be shaved. Whatever, this is totally irrelevant. Crooked Booty fucked around with this message at 18:24 on Mar 21, 2010 |
# ¿ Mar 21, 2010 15:14 |
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justFaye posted:We adopted a cat about a month and a half ago and bought one of the collars from the shelter pet store. In the last couple weeks though it's started to get really frayed, I think because she scratches it. I don't think the integrity of the collar is compromised (yet) but it sure looks ugly. Are there any collars out there that are scratch resistant or fray resistant?
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# ¿ Mar 24, 2010 13:05 |
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Teatime Prize posted:So, my semi-stray doorstop kitty has been doing well, lazing around my house and putting on a little weight from being fed, but just now I was petting him and felt a lump about the size and shape of a golf ball in his stomach area. Am I right in responding to this by taking him down to the free vet tomorrow morning, or is it some cat thing I don't know about? The only thing I'd be worried about is that he could be dealing with other medical issues that his "owners" know about and you don't. I doubt a free clinic is going to be able to do much about the lump anyway. On the bright side, if you pay a bunch to have the cat checked out and the lump removed, you could probably claim the cat as yours due to being the one who spent the money on it.
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# ¿ Mar 25, 2010 04:09 |
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RheaConfused posted:Behavior problems are a primary cause of cats being relinquished to shelters. In one study, when all factors were accounted for, overall odds of being relinquished to a shelter was almost double for declawed cats as intact cats (1.89 compared to 1.00).
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# ¿ Apr 15, 2010 22:01 |
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Auracounts posted:but you've actually seen cats swallow twist ties?
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# ¿ Apr 24, 2010 14:39 |
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Duckman2008 posted:To update people on my epic new cat introductions, we currently have the new cat in a crate with the older one walking around. They coexist to a point, but going into hissing fits when they run into each other. If they are just hissing, they are probably going to end up getting along fine unless you traumatize them both and ruin everything. You have to give them time to adjust without a stranger hissing in their face.
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# ¿ Apr 25, 2010 14:34 |
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Parsnip posted:Sorry to bother everyone with yet another cat pee problem! It may not be that he's being chased out of the box, or that he's marking his territory. With some cats, if they're stressed, it can have an actual physiological effect on their bladder, which is uncomfortable, so they pee. It's a lot like interstitial cystitis in people -- in fact, some varieties of "kitty prozac" are used in people with intersitial cystitis. You may also want to try Cat Attract litter. For three cats, you should ideally have at least 4 litter boxes. Until you get him to the vet, I would try keeping the door to your sister's room shut.
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# ¿ May 9, 2010 05:32 |
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bango skank posted:We've got a pair of brothers that're about a year and a half old now, and I have a question regarding one: Edit: How did PI fail to reply to this post for 8 hours? Crooked Booty fucked around with this message at 14:23 on May 15, 2010 |
# ¿ May 15, 2010 14:17 |
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You may also want to see if you can find some Royal Canin "Baby Cat". It's a dry food, but the pieces are crumb-sized and tiny kittens tend to really like it. The big chain stores usually carry it.
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# ¿ Jun 10, 2010 21:51 |
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Purple_slug posted:Hey PI! I have a developing cat situation and I could use some advice!
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# ¿ Jun 15, 2010 03:30 |
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Power Dips posted:Back again!
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# ¿ Jun 23, 2010 23:50 |
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The Modern Leper posted:I guess to make it an FAQ type of question -- what resources are available for a person to find a reputable vet? I thought I remembered seeing a question like this in the first 20 pages of the thread, but it never made the op and it's been a while. AAFP members will generally be vets who have a particular interest in feline medicine and may be more up-to-date on recommended vaccine protocols, etc. Most people have good experiences with cat-only clinics, too, and it looks like there are several to choose from in Philadelphia. Reading reviews on the internet can be helpful, but some people are stupid and angry and cheap and leave horrible reviews for great vets, so take everything with a grain of salt. If you're trying to narrow it down between a couple that look good, you may want to compare their hours to your work schedule (some are open later in the evenings, some aren't open on Saturdays, etc.) -- convenience and location are definitely worth something. That VCA Cat Hospital may be great, but I wouldn't choose it based on brand name alone. Some VCA hospitals are terrible, and some are great, which is true for all corporate clinics.
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# ¿ Jun 26, 2010 17:17 |
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Casca posted:TL;DR- In any case, I'd mix some canned food with water and try to syringe feed her a little. You can also try canned tuna or some chicken/turkey baby food (just make sure there aren't any non-meat ingredients in it). If she can't keep the food down, I'd take her to the e-vet. They should at least be able to give her something for nausea or to help boost her appetite. Sounds like this kitten was very lucky your husband found her! You should probably post pics.
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# ¿ Jun 26, 2010 18:25 |
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Casca posted:After my last post I was able to find a proper syringe at Walmart and I just fed the kitten 6ml of wet kitten food mixed with formula. Is that enough? Too much? And how often should I keep giving it to her? On an optimistic note, she hasn't vomited anything I've given her yet and is now sleeping peacefully.
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# ¿ Jun 27, 2010 00:25 |
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Casca posted:She's been pooping pretty regularly one or twice a day. I don't think she's constipated, last week when she first got here they were hard and black but now they're normal kitten poops. The last time that I'm positive she went was yesterday morning and I'm certain she went on Friday afternoon also. Past that I'm not sure, she's sharing a box with my other cat and I haven't been paying a huge amount of attention. Yes, the vet should be able to prescribe something for nausea if that's the only problem. But the fact that she's vomiting when she goes in the litter box, and that the abscess is on the base of her tail, makes me wonder if those things aren't related -- i.e. she may have made herself constipated due to pain from her tail, which is now causing the vomiting -- so it may be that fixing the constipation and the pain is more appropriate than treating the nausea directly.
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# ¿ Jun 27, 2010 14:11 |
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Rotten Punk posted:So my kitten (about 3 months) is puking. He did it like 2 days ago and then was fine until today when he puked up his wet kitten food maybe 20 minutes after eating it. The puke is basically just whatever he ate coming back up (he even tried to eat it again today ) and he is still using the litter box. Should I bring him to the vet or is he just eating too much or something? Of course, go to the vet if he's not acting right, loses his appetite, or doesn't improve.
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# ¿ Jun 30, 2010 02:19 |
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Is it possible you'll end up with some dead kittens if you take them in at 1-2 weeks? Absolutely. Is it possible some of the kittens will die whether you mess with them or not, living on the street with an inexperienced mother? Sure. If you take them in closer to 4 weeks, they will still be extremely easy to socialize. You just run the risk that she will move them before then. The best way to ensure she doesn't leave to start feeding her stinky canned food twice a day. She is probably desperate for some good nutrition to nurse those babies. What the feral group I worked with used to do in this situation: trap the mom in a humane trap, round up the babies, and put the whole happy family in a big dog crate (covered up) or a bathroom. Let her nurse them instead of your friend bottle feeding every two hours. That way you can make sure everyone is eating and healthy, but basically just leave them alone to avoid stressing out the mom (other than providing food, water, litter). When the babies are mobile and older, you can start socializing them by just hanging out in the bathroom, or by separating them from mom if she's in a dog crate, and taking her in to get spayed. Personally I would not take them from mom at 1-2 weeks if she is caring for them. They are better off with her until they're a little older. I would trap the whole family. Google around for a TNR group in LA because there have to be a few at least. They can probably hook you up with a loaner trap and dog crate, and may ever know where to get you some discounted vet care. edit: If you do the above, don't let the mom get loose in the apartment or it will be bad. If you put a cozy cat carrier in the dog crate or bathroom, she will probably opt to hide in it, making it easy to capture her. Also, sometimes adult cats turn out to be a lot less feral than you think once their trapped. Crooked Booty fucked around with this message at 12:53 on Jul 7, 2010 |
# ¿ Jul 7, 2010 12:48 |
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FeLV and FIV are both near-zero risks if they're not coming into contact with each other or sharing food/water bowls, but there are definitely other risks. The most common contagious things would be stuff like fleas or upper respiratory infections. A good handwashing and separate food/water/litter will prevent most other stuff. I can totally understand your friend not wanting a feral cat in her apartment, and of course her own cat's well-being should come first. I would call FixNation and any other TNR or cat rescue groups you can find and tell them the situation. Explain that she has the kittens in a bad spot, and you're really afraid she's going to move them. There may be someone who would be willing to foster the whole family. You may also be able to find someone fostering a tame mom cat with kittens around the same size who could "adopt" those babies as her own.
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# ¿ Jul 8, 2010 00:14 |
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shark farts posted:Edit: Nevermind, as far as I can tell it's likely that anything a vet would use for a flea treatment is way too harsh for kittens this young. We'd probably be able to do a better, safer job just giving them a bath using dawn soap and spraying some flea stuff around the apartment beforehand, but I don't think management would believe that we're capable of doing it ourselves. Hrmm.
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# ¿ Jul 10, 2010 14:41 |
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nef posted:I asked the nurse when booking the appointment, and was told that she'll ask the vet if he's happy to do it that way. Is there a reason he would refuse? I don't want to spoil her pretty fur but if there's a risk to her health by going in from her belly, then I'll just live with the patch for a year. Also, I'm pretty sure that the fur can grow back dark on the belly just as easily as on the side, but I'm not an expert. In my (anecdotal) experience, it seems like the fur is more likely to grow back dark when it's shaved nearer to the dark extremities than on the body/trunk. For example, shaving a spot on the leg for an IV catheter may grow back dark. Some vets (especially at low-cost places) don't place catheters for spays, but if a dark leg patch would bother you, I'd let them know. Sometimes catheters can be placed without shaving.
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# ¿ Jul 15, 2010 20:30 |
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Sumadartson posted:Two questions though: She is eating the kitten food because it is delicious. Not a dominance thing. Kitten food is usually just a little higher in protein and fat than adult food, so unless she's a huge fatty, it won't hurt her to snack on some kitten food.
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# ¿ Jul 24, 2010 11:50 |
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Opera Bitch posted:I have a question about the number of sires and dames a cat breeder should have. My cat is 13 years old and while she is still virile and healthy, the fact is that eventually she will pass away. My husband, who is allergic to cats, said he would consider getting a Sphynx cat after she passes as long as he can spend extended time around a few to see how much of a reaction he has: if it is low we may get one. After looking at several catteries online, I noticed many of them have several males and females they use to breed. I have also found one that only has one pair of parents. I just worry that having so many cats to breed screams "mill" despite what their descriptions say, and wonder how breeders can take care of five to twelve adult cats at a time. Also be aware that many people are allergic to a protein in cat saliva, not dander, and that hairless breeds can actually be more allergenic to some of these people.
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# ¿ Jul 24, 2010 17:02 |
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Don't Ask posted:My cat just barfed up some... stuff. I would just keep an eye on him for now. He may have just eaten too many treats too fast. You probably don't need to worry unless he starts acting weird, can't keep his food down later, or doesn't want to eat.
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# ¿ Jul 25, 2010 16:26 |
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Carebear posted:Thanks, moron, but clearly this wasn't the case judging from the calm manner I was typing in, and the fact this is a FAQ thread. I realize that PI posters love jumping on the rear end in a top hat bandwagon, but common sense should dictate when this is appropriate. It sounds like your friend's cat had no chance.
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# ¿ Jul 30, 2010 12:59 |
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Laserface posted:Hey guys, Meet Lemmy and Burton (from left to right), my new kittens! Burman/persian cross. Second -- If they're 14 weeks and haven't been to the vet since before 10 weeks, they really need to go ASAP. Kittens need several rounds of vaccines spaced apart by a few weeks, so they are probably overdue. Some vets will neuter them at the size they are now, but most will prefer to wait until they're closer to 4-6 months. Third -- Yep, kittens are eating machines. Unless they're starting to get really fat, I wouldn't worry about it. When they're closer to 6 months old, you may want to start dividing up their dry food into 2-3 measured meals per day instead of leaving it out all the time. As for indoors/outdoors, your cats are much safer living indoors only and will never know they're missing out on anything if you man up and learn to scoop a litter box. ToxicFrog posted:So tiny!
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# ¿ Aug 1, 2010 15:05 |
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# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 04:19 |
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Knockknees posted:-One is, is it normal for an old cat to be lethargic and not eat much? His activity level is pretty much sleep all day, getting off the armchair every couple of hours to sniff the corners of the house and then lay down to sleep again. He usually harasses us a few times during the night as well. He never finishes the dry food we put out for him each day, but he is definitely going over and munching it and eating it throughout the day and drinking from his water as well. Maybe he doesn't need much? Maybe he misses his owner and old apartment? As for the grooming, I've never personally seen that. Cats that are fat or have arthritis sometimes get greasy/matted in the areas that are hard/painful to reach, but if he's always done that, who knows. Maybe he's put together funny and has a hard time turning one direction. Adam Bowen posted:cats peeing I would put them both in a bathroom or closet with a litter box and nothing soft that they might want to pee on. Scoop the box at least twice a day, and don't let them out unless they're supervised. If they will use the box while confined, I would gradually increase the area they have access to. Basically retrain them to use the litter. You are going to need to soak the hell out of your mattress and couch (and anywhere your old cat peed) with Nature's Miracle if you want to salvage them. If you can smell any faint urine odor on the furniture, it reeks to them, and they're going to keep peeing on it. Get Cat Attract litter. The ideal number of litter boxes is number of cats +1, so three boxes spread out in your apartment. I really doubt the pee pads will attract the cats to pee there, but really you should just get a plastic mattress cover. It may help contain any odor in there, too, but soak the Mattress in Nature's Miracle and let it air out before you cover it. (And by soak, I mean you will probably need several gallons of Nature's Miracle to cover everything they've peed on -- not just a little squirt bottle.)
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# ¿ Aug 3, 2010 23:01 |