The Cat FAQ/Megathread: buying a second, clean broom just to use on him

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TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

I realize that in the wild cats get most of their water from prey, but is there any evidence that suggests they won't actively seek out water if they don't get enough from food?

# ¿ Jul 6, 2014 01:21

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 08:44

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Libluini posted:

If that happens, I strongly suggests taking your cat to a vet. Even tame housecats get most of their water from their food, so generally they'll only drink if dry food makes them thirsty. If they won't, something is wrong. Conversely, if they get wet food and still drink a shitload, something may be wrong with their kidneys, so again: To the vet.

It's not a problem I'm having. It's just something I've read many times on the internet, but I've never seen the science behind it. Will cats actually dehydrate themselves because they have a low thirst drive even if water is available to them?

# ¿ Jul 6, 2014 02:25

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Deteriorata posted:

That's something I think natural selection would take care of. Cats drink water pretty routinely.

That's what I would think, but there are lots of websites that say if you don't freed your cat wet food it won't get enough moisture in its diet.

# ¿ Jul 6, 2014 03:01

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Yeah, they're gonna wrestle for sure. If something gets too rough, one will let the other know (i.e. hiss). I would only be concerned if those the other kitten ignores the warnings. At that age it's unlikely for there to be any true aggression.

# ¿ Jul 6, 2014 18:12

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

CompactFanny posted:

One of my cats paws at the air trying to bury her poop. Cats.

Okay, i'm not alone. One of mine will actually dig a hole to poop in, so she knows how to move the litter, but then she will scratch the sides of the box when it comes time to bury it.

Luckily her brother will bury it for her, but only when he notices. Until then, it smells.

# ¿ Jul 7, 2014 23:11

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

What's the best spray to use on cables to prevent chewing?

# ¿ Jul 11, 2014 05:22

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Huntersoninski posted:

Sprays worked for some things with our chewer, but was never super effective with cables. These, however, have done the trick: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005V9UU1O/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_mZ9Vtb15GYNK2

Thanks. I will try this. The similar products that are "designed" for cats are really expensive.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2014 04:07

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

TheAngryDrunk posted:

Okay, i'm not alone. One of mine will actually dig a hole to poop in, so she knows how to move the litter, but then she will scratch the sides of the box when it comes time to bury it.

Luckily her brother will bury it for her, but only when he notices. Until then, it smells.

Update: The "wall-scratcher" somehow learned how to bury her waste instead of scratching the sides of the box. Maybe she watched her brother and figured out she was doing something wrong. Woot!

# ¿ Jul 18, 2014 16:33

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

At what age do kittens begin to get territorial? I have two four-month olds and they don't do ant of the usual scent-markings that cats usually do.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2014 00:22

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

aghastly posted:

eta: peeing, I mean. They'll still mark by scratching and rubbing themselves all over everything.

Yeah, they're both fixed. I meant the rubbing of their cheeks on everything. I don't expect them to pee mark.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2014 01:09

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Did they seemed stressed out? Were they acting weird other than the panting?

# ¿ Jul 31, 2014 03:39

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Charles Martel posted:

I have a silly question from a new kitten owner for the cat experts in the house that wasn't covered in the OP: How can I make our new kitten (Ruby the Wonder Twin as my fiancee affectionately calls her) more affectionate/cuddly/comfortable/etc?

As mentioned, there's not much you can do to change a cats personality. But the best thing you can do is make sure the cat is happy and all its needs are met. If this is the case, to the extent that it's in their personality to be affectionate it will be so. Even a cat that is normally affectionate will not be so if something is wrong.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2014 05:27

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

gorgeous west posted:

OK so

I know a cat in heat can be annoying, but spraying her with a water bottle sounds pretty messed up.

As for a recommendation, I'm not sure you'll like it. I think you need find out what's wrong with the cat ASAP. Try to arrange a payment plan with the Vet if you can. If the condition is something you are not able to treat, then you need to find someone who can and rehome the cat.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2014 00:27

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Lava Lamp Goddess posted:

So I just adopted two cats: Mulder and his mom Sam. lovely cell phone pic of adorable cats:

They're doing great except for one thing. Mulder was born back in May and he still nurses from Sam. So far, she has shown no resistance and hasn't kicked him off yet. Is he okay to do this? Will she eventually get annoyed enough to cut him off? She's not even a year old and he's almost as big as she is. She was spayed last Monday so I don't even know if she is producing milk still...

What part of May? Nursing up to 12 weeks isn't uncommon. Is the nursing tapering off at least? If it is slowing down, I wouldn't be worried.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2014 21:01

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Litter genie is pretty handy.

# ¿ Aug 11, 2014 19:31

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

toplitzin posted:

I use Worlds Best and just flush it daily.

One large bag, scooped 2x daily (since it's in the bathroom, i scoop when i wake up and before bed) will last my 2 cats 45-60 days before i have to clean/empty the box .

I thought you're not supposed to flush clumping litter.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2014 03:12

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

SynthOrange posted:

It's that monster that's spreading toxo to sea mammals! Get im!

I was thinking more about damage to his plumbing system than to sea mammals.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2014 03:51

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

toplitzin posted:

*ahem*

https://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/clearing-the-air/2014/07/is-worlds-best-cat-litter-flushable/

Ahhh...okay. Cool.

Edit: But it's true that you shouldn't do it with clay clumping litters.

TheAngryDrunk fucked around with this message at 04:42 on Aug 12, 2014

# ¿ Aug 12, 2014 04:34

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Ciaphas posted:

Brought back a two year old white/grey tiger cat, named her Hope. I knew from reading that she was gonna be spooked, but seeing her run under the bed and refuse to come out for food or water was completely heartbreaking

I hope she comes out soon.

Totally normal. Just make sure she has food and water and a litter box close by and give her time.

# ¿ Aug 16, 2014 02:14

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Ciaphas posted:

What seems odd to me is she never attempts to run away; whenever I make eye contact (I know I know but dammit I can't help it!) she starts meowing quietly and keeps eye contact herself. She usually stops when I look away. I woulda thought if she were traumatized or something she would bolt, or break eye contact herself. But then I'm no expert (obviously)!

She may not be afraid of you. She may just be afraid that she's in new territory and isn't sure if it's safe. I fostered a cat once that hid behind a bookshelf for two days. But every time I approached him he was friendly to me and would come out.

# ¿ Aug 16, 2014 23:02

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

I would only be worried if it happens regularly.

# ¿ Sep 6, 2014 23:52

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Alteisen posted:

Put Rocky to sleep today.

*snip*

Stayed for the whole thing, held him like a baby as he drifted off, a fighter till the end.

drat. I don't know if I could ever do that. Sorry for your loss.

# ¿ Sep 15, 2014 00:09

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

^^ Have you tried when he's sleeping?

# ¿ Sep 15, 2014 15:38

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

wrong thread

TheAngryDrunk fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Sep 16, 2014

# ¿ Sep 16, 2014 20:40

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Organza Quiz posted:

Tuna's apparently really bad as anything more than a small, very occasional treat because it causes some sort of vitamin deficiency, but chicken or red meat of some kind would probably work. It depends on the cat though, and I know from experience trying to convince a cat who doesn't want to eat that they should eat can be a really tiring and frustrating experience.

Cats can die without Taurine. Canned fish doesn't have taurine. It's okay to feed it as a treat every so often, but it can't be a major part of the diet.

# ¿ Sep 22, 2014 18:59

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

HelloSailorSign posted:

No, Deteriorata's right - there is no current, good, peer reviewed evidence that definitively shows that a significantly higher protein diet is better for a cat than a lower one (as long as amino acid profiles and digestibility are fine).

Uh...but that's not what was said. Here is what launched this debate:

Deteriorata posted:

Buy what your cat likes. Any commercially available cat food will meet your cat's nutritional needs. Your cat does not care how much you paid for it. Unless your cat has specific medical issues that require a special diet, it doesn't really matter.

Basically he (?) is implying all cat food is the same.

# ¿ Sep 26, 2014 23:07

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Yeah, sounds like Buster wants to play. As long as Franklin doesn't seem distressed, let 'em go.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2014 05:27

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

zgrowler2 posted:

Should I call a vet in the morning or just wait this out?

e: he is eating/drinking/peeing normally.

He's probably fine, but there's no harm in calling the vet.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2014 04:47

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Consider getting a horizontal scratching surface too.

Some cats prefer one or the other. Some use both.

# ¿ Oct 15, 2014 21:29

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

rookiethenewguy posted:

Google it

# ¿ Oct 16, 2014 22:08

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

How low can you set your thermostat in the winter when only your cats will be home?

# ¿ Oct 29, 2014 17:50

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Right, just because something hasn't been scientifically proven via double blind studies, it doesn't mean we can't use common sense about things. Feeding a cat a diet close to its natural diet makes sense.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2014 06:12

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Organza Quiz posted:

I'm actually kind of on the fence about this. I mean, common sense is often wrong about things, that's where empirical evidence comes in.

This is true, but there isn't a financial incentive to study everything. When science is silent, sometimes we have to use our judgment.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2014 15:52

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

So I got an ant infestation in a corner of my apartment and I used some Raid spray to kill them and try to kill their source. I put my cats in a separate room completely away from "ground zero" as I know that stuff is poisonous for them. What sort of precautions do I need to take in cleaning up that area before it's safe for them? Has anyone run into a similar situation? The room they are in is plenty big for them, so they can stay in there until necessary.

# ¿ Nov 9, 2014 00:20

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Do cats need to warm up before exercising/playing? Sometimes when I use DaBird with my cats, they go absolutely bonkers. Running like crazy and jumping high into the air. I know for humans going from sitting on your rear end to heavy activity like that could result in a pulled muscle. Anyone ever heard of something like that with cats?

# ¿ Nov 22, 2014 03:48

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

^^ I would think she'll be okay, but consider a petsitter next time maybe.

# ¿ Nov 26, 2014 04:26

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

toplitzin posted:

Is there any way to teach cats to bury their poo poo?
Both mine will paw at every surface nearby that ISN'T the litter they just defiled, (walls, floor, outside of litterbox, etc.) even when they're still in the box.

Its kind of horrible being gassed by your cats dropping a deuce and not burying it.

Are they kittens? I had a problem with one of mine. It was pretty annoying, but eventually she figured it out. She did the same thing you're describing and I tried to teach her by scrapping her paws in there litter, but that didn't help.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2014 03:34

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

toplitzin posted:

Nope, they're both about 3.

You might look into one of those covered litter boxes that has an air filter built in.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2014 15:50

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

ilysespieces posted:

I have this one, Tali loves it and it's super easy to clean.

Do they drink from the bowl or the stream falling?

# ¿ Dec 17, 2014 04:31

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 08:44

TheAngryDrunk: Jan 31, 2003; "I don't know why I know that; I took four years of Spanish."

Crayonskies posted:

So I have two sibling cats (note: not sure if this thread likes pictures. Does it?)
They're both from the same litter (I think that's the english word for it?) but remarkably different in looks and personality. Probably not uncommon I guess.

In the beginning after we got them they used to play without shouting and screaming and would sleep together in a docked configuration I can only compare to the ying-yang symbol. They usually helped clean eachother as well.
But after they got spayed, and for years since, they're basically enemies. Sometimes they may touch noses but most of the time one hisses at the other whenever they're close and/or look at eachother at the same time for more than a few seconds.
Only time that doesn't happen is if they're both being distracted by something (a toy, a guest, you can probably imagine.) The bed they used to sleep and cuddle in now belongs to one of them exclusively. Even being in that room is enough to make her sister feel uncomfortable. If we try placing her on the bed she just meows and jumps down immediately.

I guess this might just be pretty natural... But uh, is it? They got along so well in the beginning, we kinda imagined they'd keep getting along. They're showing signs of warming up to oneanother more and more as time passes, but I guess I'm just kinda curious: Is this a common thing to happen to siblings? Is it reasonable to expect them to actually get along well enough to take care of eachothers again?
Kind of a shame to have two wonderful cats who won't keep eachother company when nobody else is home.
(Note: on their own they are both seemingly perfectly happy with life and the love and happiness is endless etc. They seem to basically be loving everything about life... Except eachother.)

This started out sounding a lot like my cats. Two siblings, very different personalities. However, mine still get along. I wouldn't say they're inseparable or best buds, but they definitely are friends. I'm not an expert, but what you're describing sounds unusual. Although maybe their personalities and temperaments are so different that they can't be friends. I dunno.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2015 15:33

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Pet Island > The Cat FAQ/Megathread: buying a second, clean broom just to use on him

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