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This is Siggi. We don't know that much about her early life but she's had the best drat life that money could possibly buy and all the attention and love we could muster for the past four years. After trying everything for over 6 weeks starting with a ruptured eardrum one day and over $4500 in vet bills desperately trying to keep her eating and hydrated, we had to let her go this past Sunday after every test pointed to an inoperable nasal tumor that grew so rapidly we couldn't respond fast enough. The cost of the CT scan and surgery would have been over $7k even if operable and given she's a fairly old cat and how terrible she was at handling medication we had to opt for tapping out and putting the money toward another rescue or even paying a breeder for another ragdoll instead of trying to stress her out for weeks and months. It's bad enough letting go of a family member normally but having to put her down outside the house instead of indoors where she's comfortable was stressful. Siggi was such a well behaved, snuggly, intelligent cat we're strongly thinking of taking ragdolls primarily from now on even though we'd rescued 4 Siamese before. She never damaged anything, never woke us up for food, never had any material health issue, and was excellent at grooming even though she was literally dying. And of course she was so affectionate to us she made our prior friendly cats seem feral in comparison. We're thankful and lucky we ever had her, and I feel sorry for every cat that comes after her now. Hug your cats, folks, you never know when they'll have to cross the rainbow bridge to Valhalla  Don't Ask posted:Looking for advice on how to handle adding a new cat/kitten to a household with a cat with special dietary needs.
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May 30, 2020 04:10
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Thanks for the replies, I guess we'll feed them both on Z/D, I'll just verify with the vet that it's OK for regular cats. Enjoy a picture of Charlie from today's photoshoot: 
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May 30, 2020 16:52
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Spikes32 posted:There are cat feeders that respond to a micro chip and close when the wrong cats get too close. Could try one of those Didn't someone just post about this where one of their cats would press the other cat against the chip reader and then shove its head into the floor and steal the food?
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May 30, 2020 20:37
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This is Milly. There's nothing wrong with her she's very stupid. https://i.imgur.com/6HuD6pW.mp4 (it came back out like a trick coin on a string in a cartoon)
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May 30, 2020 21:01
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Katt posted:Didn't someone just post about this where one of their cats would press the other cat against the chip reader and then shove its head into the floor and steal the food? Depends on what kind of feeder you have and how close the other cat can get before it closes. The ones I have close when the wrong cat gets within two to three feet.
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May 30, 2020 21:33
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Spikes32 posted:Depends on what kind of feeder you have and how close the other cat can get before it closes. The ones I have close when the wrong cat gets within two to three feet. As I mentioned earlier, the Sure petcare one does do this as a optionally enabled feature that you have to call customer support about (they tell you some magical button command or something). It's not listed in the manual as if your aggressive cat is really smart they can end up performing a denial of service attack on the cat that is trying to eat their own food by locking them out.
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May 30, 2020 23:20
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Kittens exist! They're so sweet and fluffy! I mentioned before we weren't specifically looking for kittens (in fact we originally applied for their mum), and were looking forward to the cat stage, but I'd forgotten how much fun the kitten stage is. They've already started eating out of the Surefeed chip feeders (set to teaching mode wide open for now), I'll report back if there's any pinning down or DoF (denial of fud) attacks 
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May 31, 2020 08:32
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rear end in a top hat is currently mad at me. He managed to get outside on the balcony while we were out shopping and in his panic of being stuck* he got filthy and needed a bath. So I gave him one and he wasn't thrilled. *Not stuck, the door that he opened to get out there was hanging wide open and he just had to walk back inside. Dumbass cat
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May 31, 2020 20:57
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Question for people with lots of cat experience, is there a certain age at which chronic health issues usually show up? My previous cat had kidney disease for several years and nursing her through it took a huge emotional and financial toll on me as I slowly watched this kitty I loved more than anything in the world get weaker and sicker each year and had the constant fear that she might suddenly need a huge medical procedure that I couldn't afford and I would have no option but to let her die. Fortunately, she lived to the ripe old age of 20 (maybe 21?) and I only had to borrow money once at the very end but I wanted to avoid going through that again for as long as possible, so I was hoping to adopt a young cat but I also don't want a kitten because they require too much energy. I found out the cats I was thinking of adopting are already 10 years old though, am I making a mistake if I commit to it? I admire anyone who adopts older cats but I'm not a strong person and the prospect of nursing a senior kitty again in just a few years has me terrified. Am I getting way ahead of myself and 10 isn't that old or should I look for younger cats instead?
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May 31, 2020 21:41
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I think 10 is about when cats become "old". Lots of them will live 5-10 more years without any problems, but age related issues could start showing up any minute. In your situation a younger cat (about 5 years?) might be a better fit. But ultimately you have to decide that.
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May 31, 2020 22:18
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Yeah, 10 is definitely old. Average housecat lifespan is meant to be like 12-15 as far as I'm aware, although obviously many live far longer. Cats usually start to chill out from their kitten energy properly around 2, although of course that will also depend on the cat.
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May 31, 2020 23:36
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Katt posted:Didn't someone just post about this where one of their cats would press the other cat against the chip reader and then shove its head into the floor and steal the food? Haha that was me, and if I'd had the "close if the wrong cat gets too close" then Hugo would have died of starvation - Decoy used to lie with his head pillowed on the food cover. I do feel like I need to qualify though that Decoy was suffering from acromegaly-induced polyphagia so his extreme focus and dedication to eating was not normal; and Hugo is a particularly passive sissy who didn't stand his ground at all. When I sent the Sureflap guys the video of Decoy pulling the plastic food cover off it's hinges they were totally stumped, so while it IS possible I don't think the average cat learning how to game the system is super common.
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Jun 1, 2020 02:10
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I'm considering making a DIY cat tree and am wondering if anyone that's done so has recommendations for a particular style of carpet that would work well for that. Something satisfying for her to rip into, but that she can't destroy easily.
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Jun 1, 2020 14:05
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The cat scratches everything. Walls, doors, furniture, people. If it's in our house, she'll scratch it. We've clad the more vulnerable corners and door frames in amazon boxes (we currently have a lot of them from ordering cat stuff). This works pretty well. But will our house have to look like this forever? Also, my partner wants the cat to be more cuddly. I think she's cuddly enough, he just wants to grab her and cuddle whenever he feels like it. That's not how cats work, right?
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Jun 1, 2020 14:33
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pidan posted:The cat scratches everything. Walls, doors, furniture, people. If it's in our house, she'll scratch it. Are you clipping her nails so she can scratch poo poo without doing much damage?
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Jun 1, 2020 14:46
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yellowyams posted:Question for people with lots of cat experience, is there a certain age at which chronic health issues usually show up? My previous cat had kidney disease for several years and nursing her through it took a huge emotional and financial toll on me as I slowly watched this kitty I loved more than anything in the world get weaker and sicker each year and had the constant fear that she might suddenly need a huge medical procedure that I couldn't afford and I would have no option but to let her die. Fortunately, she lived to the ripe old age of 20 (maybe 21?) and I only had to borrow money once at the very end but I wanted to avoid going through that again for as long as possible, so I was hoping to adopt a young cat but I also don't want a kitten because they require too much energy. I found out the cats I was thinking of adopting are already 10 years old though, am I making a mistake if I commit to it? I admire anyone who adopts older cats but I'm not a strong person and the prospect of nursing a senior kitty again in just a few years has me terrified. Am I getting way ahead of myself and 10 isn't that old or should I look for younger cats instead?
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Jun 1, 2020 15:22
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pidan posted:Also, my partner wants the cat to be more cuddly. I think she's cuddly enough, he just wants to grab her and cuddle whenever he feels like it. That's not how cats work, right? Generally not, no. A random individual cat might be ok with that, but as a species their "thing" is doing things when they want.
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Jun 1, 2020 15:59
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Asking in here as well because I'm not sure which thread is more appropriate: So my wife and I recently adopted two rescue cats and the smaller of the two was really skittish and found his way into a gap in our unfinished basement ceiling. This is the start of his second day up there. We've seen him a few times but so far it doesn't seem like he's come out to get food. We put water/food up in the ceiling where I last saw him so hopefully he'll at least get something, maybe. How do we get this cat that doesn't like us/know us out of the floor joists? I'm open to taking down the ceiling if it comes to that, I don't want him trapped up there.
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Jun 1, 2020 16:30
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Good Soldier Svejk posted:How do we get this cat that doesn't like us/know us out of the floor joists? I'm open to taking down the ceiling if it comes to that, I don't want him trapped up there. Close off the room if you can and put out some super stinky food. Offer alternative hiding places on the floor level so that he has somewhere else to hide once he's down.
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Jun 1, 2020 17:11
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Good Soldier Svejk posted:Asking in here as well because I'm not sure which thread is more appropriate: He won't be trapped. He'll start to come out when he feels braver. Hiding is a cat's natural inclination when it's in a new place. Give it some time. He won't starve himself to death.
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Jun 1, 2020 19:49
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Deteriorata posted:He won't be trapped. He'll start to come out when he feels braver. Hiding is a cat's natural inclination when it's in a new place. I just hope his sense of navigation/association outside of the ceiling is strong enough to make him want to come out. He's bonded with the other cat we got so we're hoping he'll find his way out for that reason alone but he didn't seem super food motivated and even though we can hear them mewing to each other from under the door it doesn't seem to have coaxed the other one out of his perch just yet. We're also not sure how talkative the hiding one is so I'm worried we might miss hearing him if he's in distress.
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Jun 1, 2020 19:59
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Fun kitten stories: "Hey kittens, here is a room filled with things for you to chase, chew, dab at, wrestle and generally enjoy. Except for these specific things (Macbook chargers, bristles on Roomba) that are forbidden. Good luck telling which is which!" The teaching method of "no, here is a toy instead" seems to be working though. For some useful content, so far I (and they) are very impressed with the Catit stuff (fountain, captive ball toys). And some possibly Europe-specific recommendations, this insert for Ikea Kallax is amazing, and these inexpensive rubberesque mats are great for putting under food bowls. Bonus pic of the kittens enjoying the Kallax box  Bobstar fucked around with this message at 09:06 on Jun 2, 2020 |
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Jun 2, 2020 09:02
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Just want to share with folks that the ceiling cat has been rescued. He somehow found his way under our bathtub and we had to cut through it to get him. There are pics/videos in the other thread, don't want to spam them since I'm sure there's a lot of crossover.
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Jun 2, 2020 22:30
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I have discovered that my cat has a preference in body wash. I've been using a pomegranate/mango variety and she won't stop sniffing and rubbing against my hands.
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Jun 3, 2020 05:47
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Hello Sailor posted:I'm considering making a DIY cat tree and am wondering if anyone that's done so has recommendations for a particular style of carpet that would work well for that. Something satisfying for her to rip into, but that she can't destroy easily. I used felt placemats because I'm a shallow bitch and wanted it to look nice, there's also sisal rope for scratching though, let me go back and find a pic. e: https://twitter.com/invisiblemonkey/status/1102265599135268865
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Jun 3, 2020 07:15
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I got a Litter Robot and I think I'm happy with it because one of my cats uses it reliably, but as far as I can tell my other cat has used it twice and that's it. I think the first cat considers it her territory, and he's been spooked before by covered litterboxes. I dunno how to fix that 
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Jun 3, 2020 07:52
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So the cat bit me, and it just barely broke the skin but didn't bleed. I didn't disinfect it right away because I basically focused on a different little scratch and forgot the bite. The internet is 50/50 for "go to the doctor immediately or you will die" and "my cats bite me daily and I never even wash it, no worries". What's the experience in this thread? I've resolved to leave it alone for the moment and see a doctor if it looks infected tomorrow. But I'm open to being more careful. It's my own little indoor kitten btw.
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Jun 3, 2020 12:39
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pidan posted:So the cat bit me, and it just barely broke the skin but didn't bleed. I didn't disinfect it right away because I basically focused on a different little scratch and forgot the bite. rear end in a top hat knows only tooth and claw and it hasn't killed me yet
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Jun 3, 2020 13:13
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You're fine. The "go to a doctor immediately" bite is a deep puncture wound bite, not a friendly kitten bite.
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Jun 3, 2020 13:15
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Cat is currently stressing me out by not eating the expensive food he's got to stop him making GBS threads blood.
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Jun 3, 2020 15:19
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pidan posted:So the cat bit me, and it just barely broke the skin but didn't bleed. I didn't disinfect it right away because I basically focused on a different little scratch and forgot the bite. I have been bitten way more times than I can count and it's no big deal...
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Jun 3, 2020 15:25
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Hawkperson posted:I got a Litter Robot and I think I'm happy with it because one of my cats uses it reliably, but as far as I can tell my other cat has used it twice and that's it. I think the first cat considers it her territory, and he's been spooked before by covered litterboxes. I dunno how to fix that How long has it been? It took my older (meeker) cat about two weeks to use it reliably. My two non-disabled cats now use it exclusively without issue. Anyone here have a cat with CH? My wife and I adopted a 2.5 year old with very mild CH (walks with a limp, struggles with coordination but is generally mobile, probably has sight issues) a few months back and she’s having issues peeing outside of her box. We suspect it’s partially due to her being more territorial than our other cats, but it might be a host of other things. Her “room” is my office and she has two boxes in here that she uses, but when we let her out in the morning she stomps out into the kitchen (where our Litter Robot for the other two cats is) and I have to follow her and guide her back to the living room or she’s liable to pop a squat and pee. We can’t tell if it’s her being territorial, or getting excited, or if the house is too big (even though it’s only 1100 square feet) and she gets confused because she can’t see too well. Another theory that I have that I haven’t really tested is that she uses the restroom in her box in the evening and then doesn’t return because she’s a flinger and gets litter on the ground and doesn’t like stepping on it to return to the litter box. Anyway, thoughts are welcome. We’re already using Feliway and clean both her boxes daily. Might have to switch to twice daily though.
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Jun 3, 2020 16:45
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Oh Maple. You won't be able to do that once we turn on the sensor!
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Jun 3, 2020 18:23
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Bobstar posted:Oh Maple. You won't be able to do that once we turn on the sensor! They sell a back guard shield thing to prevent that (since that's how some cats figure out how to cheat and steal from a bowl they aren't registered for when another cat is using it). 
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Jun 3, 2020 19:11
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illcendiary posted:How long has it been? It took my older (meeker) cat about two weeks to use it reliably. My two non-disabled cats now use it exclusively without issue. It's been about a month, I haven't gotten rid of the litterbox that the robot is replacing though. I think that's my next step. (There are still two additional non-robot litterboxes in the house, so if he is feeling too intimidated to use the robot he still has options.)
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Jun 3, 2020 20:52
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We got a kitten. He is a little young, but since we had to search for him in woods and three different barns, we took him when we caught him. He is super sweet, eats solid food like a champ and even uses the litter box. We have had him for about a week and I think he is about 7 weeks (eyes changing to green from blue.) First available vet appointment is next week. After he is vetted, I would like to ramp up my efforts to intro him to our dog. Dog is a beagle/pug/boston abomination. She has been OK with cats at the dog sitter's, but the littleness of kitten seems to have triggered some prey drive. She whines for the kitten and shakes. We have not been letting them meet much, some looking across the room, but I have been doing some of the rub kitty with blanket, let dog sniff and let kitty sniff the dog's blanket type preliminary things. Rest assured, the cat will have safe places no matter how introductions go for up to forever if needed. Our house is functionally split in half by baby gates the dog can't get through, and the cat will always have the one half of the house, plus basement as his space if the dog never does warm up to him. Right now kitty lives in the basement through three closed doors from anywhere dog can go. I have read a hundred articles about introductions and we are going to take it uber slow. I read one the other day with the kitten in a carrier and letting a leashed dog sniff the cat through the bars. I am hesitant to do this, in case it scares the cat away from the carrier forever. Any insight on that? Any other introduction tips? I mean, I kind of want to eat him up too, so I get it, but I don't want the kitty eaten. (I talked to the vet about his slight eye discharge and we are keeping an extra eye on that as well) 
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Jun 3, 2020 23:32
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I feel like this is more of a dog thread question than a cat thread question. The kitten will be fine meeting a new friend, but the idea of trying to introduce a dog to a creature it views as prey sounds like a bad idea to me - I'm not that knowledgeable about dogs though!
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Jun 4, 2020 01:40
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Fair enough. I know a lot more about dogs than cats so I’m more worried about the kitty. If my dog needs more training or to be locked away, I understand how to do that more that what NOT to do for the kitten’s sake, if that makes sense E: I forgot to mention when the dog is on a walk or outside rolling in dirt, we have been letting kitty explore the upstairs with no dog interruptions so he will be comfortable in the whole house. I will ask the dog thread for help for sure though! HungryMedusa fucked around with this message at 02:00 on Jun 4, 2020 |
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Jun 4, 2020 01:43
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taqueso posted:dropping a recommendation for etsy store 'space kitty express' they sell mixes if you want to cover all the bases Thanks for this rec - I got Sweetheart a kick stick with silvervine and she went apeshit for it. It was hilarious.
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Jun 4, 2020 04:56
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Augh. In the year since I've adopted my now ~2-year-old kitty, she's been remarkably vomit-free. Until tonight. Loud, panicked meowing, followed by the typical pre-vomiting sounds, and, whilst she was running around, vomiting everywhere. Have applied three or four rounds of Simple Solution Stain & Odor Remover and the spots on the carpet have lightened, but are definitely not gone... No proximate cause. I hadn't left anything out that she might have nibbled on, just gave her dinner and what little she ate came right back up ten minutes later. The cat I had growing up was a bit of a barfer without it ever being a problem, but is there anything I should be aware of medical-wise beyond what's in the OP? Fine to wait and see if there's recurrence? Recommendations for stain removal?
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Jun 4, 2020 05:25
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