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We've had our cat for almost a month now and she's only becoming nicer. She has developed a strategy where she gently puts her teeth or claws on our skin and presses down a bit, but not to the point where it actually hurts or leaves marks. It's kind of sweet, though I'm not sure if I should try to stop her from doing that, because she might bite harder when she gets bigger. On the other hand, since she can't talk she has to find some way to assert herself. After the pet store lady scolded us for free feeding the cat, we have started to actually measure how much we give her. Turns out she eats much less than what the packaging recommends. I guess as an apartment cat she's relatively sedentary, but should we try to make her eat more? Yesterday I managed to feed her a good amount of kibble by individually making a little game out of each piece, but that's not really sustainable. Today we gave her a package of wet food for the first time. It took her a while to figure out how to bite pieces off, but she ate the whole thing. Wet food smells really horrible.
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Jun 16, 2020 20:30
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I would personally ignore the pet lady, as long as your cat doesn't seem to have any food issues free feeding is fine and most cats won't overeat. However, if you are concerned about it then you can get items that make it a little more difficult to get food. I also wouldn't worry too much about the gentle biting either, but I kind of like bitey cats. As long as she is being gentle then there shouldn't be much concern and if she ever gets a little too rough then make a loud noise and pull your hand away. She'll get the idea. I've got two boys that like to get a little bitey while I'm petting them but it's all play and I can stick my face right in front of theirs or lay my head on their sides/tummies and all they will do is try to groom my hair. My girl cat only seems to put her teeth on me if I pat her butt too much instead of scratching/rubbing it. It doesn't even matter if it's the lightest patting ever either (drumming my fingers also does it), she'll still do it if it goes on long enough.
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Jun 16, 2020 20:59
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Cats communicate in several ways with each other and, yes, that includes biting. And yes, if the cat really wants to hurt you with its bites, you will know it, because you will be hurt very badly. If she's a kitten then you need to let her know when it is not acceptable and that's something kittens figure out when playing with their littermates. That means ceasing play, making loud sounds, withdrawing attention if it gets out of hand -- all the things cats will do to each other when their sociability has worn thin. Gentle gnawing/pawing is fine, as much as you are comfortable with, but anything that might leave a mark you need to respond accordingly. If you're consistent on this for detrimental behavior, she'll get the point and she'll learn that her hairless playmates need more gentle handling. Or not, because cat.
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Jun 16, 2020 21:08
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TMMadman posted:I would personally ignore the pet lady, as long as your cat doesn't seem to have any food issues free feeding is fine and most cats won't overeat. However, if you are concerned about it then you can get items that make it a little more difficult to get food. The problem with free feeding in my experience is that you start to lose track of how much your cat is actually eating, which can lead to over eating. Mel got pretty chunky from just a year of free feeding, I switched her back to two wet meals a day and she's slimmed right back down. Of course, it's always specific to a given cat. pidan posted:We've had our cat for almost a month now and she's only becoming nicer. I got Mel in 2016 and she has just in the last couple months started to jump into my lap and sleep there: prior to this if I picked her up and put her in my lap she'd immediately jump out and stare at me bug eyed like I'd committed the most horrible sin. Cats are weird.
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Jun 16, 2020 21:11
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rear end in a top hat decided a few months back that he wanted to be a lap cat but only when I'm asleep in the middle of the night. He climbs onto my chest and if that doesn't wake me up will slowly stretch a paw out and stab me in the face. I used to fight it by moving him to the floor but now I just cover myself in a thick blanket and use it as armor. Eventually he'll stop I hope but again, is cat.
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Jun 16, 2020 21:46
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Ignore the feeding instructions, they're always insane. Figure out how many calories your cat needs based on their weight, or desired weight and activity level. The calories per cup/can should be listed on the package. Like a 10 or 11 pound adult house cat probably only needs around 250 calories a day... maybe less depending on lazyness. So 2 meals of 125ish. (for me this a 1/4c of dry food in the morning and one of the 3oz cans of wet in the evening. You can Google something like cat calorie calculator if you need some idea what they need. edit: and if you do the math and it still seems like you need to feed your cat like 6 cans of food a day to hit that calorie target you need to pick a less poo poo food that isn't just water(gravy) and filler. owls or something fucked around with this message at 22:33 on Jun 16, 2020 |
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Jun 16, 2020 21:58
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owls or something posted:Ignore the feeding instructions, they're always insane. This is how I have Artemis being such a perfectly svelte kitty. She's never been able to free feed and has always been on a proportionate diet once fully grown and her weight is perfect according to my vet. She's right around 250 a day and eats pretty much all of it.
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Jun 16, 2020 22:35
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I wanted to foster some cats during quarantine, but there was a long wait list. I realized, Wait a minute... you're an adult with good steady income. Why don't you adopt a cat like you've always wanted? So, I did! And thanks to this thread, I got a lot of great advice on what to do and what to expect with my new furball. I almost adopted one kitten, which would've been hell for both of us. Now I have this adorable two-year old who is starting to trust me more and more. Thanks, everyone!
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Jun 17, 2020 04:23
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Congratulations on your new cat! But you can't make a post like this without pictures!
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Jun 17, 2020 08:43
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Katya's getting a little fat, I think it's quarantine weight since we're at home all the time to reward her with treats.  She also does the paw-tap with nails extended to get our attention, it doesn't hurt but it's really annoying since she uses it to get us out of bed. Little brat.
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Jun 17, 2020 09:40
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No Irish Need Imply posted:I wanted to foster some cats during quarantine, but there was a long wait list. I realized, Wait a minute... you're an adult with good steady income. Why don't you adopt a cat like you've always wanted? where are the drat pictures
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Jun 17, 2020 15:16
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InvisibleMonkey posted:She also does the paw-tap with nails extended to get our attention, it doesn't hurt but it's really annoying since she uses it to get us out of bed. Little brat. Sweetheart has gotten a lot better about having claws out when she does this lately. I think us committing to ignoring her if there were claws involved helped. Or maybe just cat. 
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Jun 17, 2020 16:22
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Does anyone have any experience with these cat pouches instead of carriers? https://www.lifebibi.com/products/cat-carrier-pouch?variant=31540900724800&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping https://www.chewy.com/cat-in-bag-e-...m=%7Bkeyword%7D I'm taking my two cats to the vet in July. I only have one big front loading carrier so I'm looking to get either a top loader or something like this for the second cat.
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Jun 17, 2020 21:24
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That seems...ill-advised, unless you have a very chill cat. I have one of these backpacks and it's a nice handsfree option: 
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Jun 17, 2020 21:54
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I guess I should wrap up this adventure. Had my cat Molly put down last week. When they gave her the anaesthesia injection and I held her. She kicked me across the wrist so hard that she broke off her claws. Slicing my wrist open and nicking my radial/ulnar artery. What was supposed to be a sombre moment with candles and peace instead became an apologetic vet-nurse scrambling for bandages while I told her it was fine and tried to catch the dripping blood with the palm of my hand and dumping it in the sink so it wouldn't get on the floor (holding the wrist over the sink didn't occur to me at the time) While Molly looked on mostly bored and getting tired. I killed Molly and she called my treason. I'm not even mad. The ridiculousness of the whole situation helped me to hold the tears back. A week and a half later the triple scar is pretty nasty and looks like I tried to kill myself using a hand cultivator and I'll probably have to explain it to every other doctor I visit for the rest of my life. Some people have pet tattoos to remember them by and I have this.
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Jun 18, 2020 21:51
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Katt posted:I guess I should wrap up this adventure. Had my cat Molly put down last week. When they gave her the anaesthesia injection and I held her. She kicked me across the wrist so hard that she broke off her claws. Slicing my wrist open and nicking my radial/ulnar artery. What was supposed to be a sombre moment with candles and peace instead became an apologetic vet-nurse scrambling for bandages while I told her it was fine and tried to catch the dripping blood with the palm of my hand and dumping it in the sink so it wouldn't get on the floor (holding the wrist over the sink didn't occur to me at the time) While Molly looked on mostly bored and getting tired. That is harrowing. drat.
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Jun 18, 2020 22:11
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I'm sure you gave her a good long life full of love and comfort and in the end you absolutely did the right thing. It's not easy to make the decision and there will always be second guessing but please try and stop thinking that you killed her.
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Jun 18, 2020 22:33
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Yes she was the bestest kitty and had a good spoiled life. It was all okay. A complete disaster but also okay.
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Jun 18, 2020 22:37
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Painkillers can have weird effects on cats. Our cat Luke was very shy in general and terrified of the vet, but when we took him in to be put to sleep, he spent the whole waiting period exploring the room in a way he never had before -- he was on serious painkillers for his final illness, and I guess they helped with the fear, too? It was sad and weird at the time, but it makes me hope that it wasn't too scary for him to go, even though I still feel guilty that we brought him to the vet instead of scheduling a home appointment. This is such a hard process. I'm sorry your experience was especially difficult, and I hope you can come to a place of peace about it.
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Jun 18, 2020 22:43
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Sheesh, that story is something else. I'm sorry you lost Molly, she sounds like a swell cat
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Jun 19, 2020 00:20
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Safest ways to trim and/or cover the claws on 8-to-9-week-old kittens? Because I’ve got two that want to climb everything in sight, especially me and whatever I’m sitting on. I also need to ask for some advice on how to get at least one of our two adult cats to stop hating the little things, or at least be nicer to them, but I’ll save that post for tomorrow.
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Jun 19, 2020 07:26
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I. M. Gei posted:Safest ways to trim and/or cover the claws on 8-to-9-week-old kittens? Wait for nice deep kitten sleep, go smoothly and quickly using guillotine style clippers just barely enough to take the edge off As for getting along, just time and slow positive interactions
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Jun 19, 2020 08:02
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I. M. Gei posted:Safest ways to trim and/or cover the claws on 8-to-9-week-old kittens? Play with their paws while they're relaxed and sleepy as much as you possibly can so they get used to it and will let you do it, and yeah just snip off the tips. Note this probably will not stop them climbing everything but maybe it will hurt less?
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Jun 19, 2020 15:22
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Ok, so the other day I had some jazz on in the living room, and the kittens stared at the speakers a bit, not sure what to make of it. Right now I've got Flamenco playing, and their ears are going crazy! They're so perturbed by it, it's hilarious. Going to have to try other genres and see what happens.
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Jun 19, 2020 15:38
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Our kitty hasn’t had the opportunity to hear a lot of loud music yet. That will be interesting. He hasn’t noticed the TV yet either. Intros with the dog are going well, I think. They have even had some very very supervised play sessions. The kitten is really into playing but dog is still a little too big to let them just go for it. From what I am seeing, dog is being gentle but is still a complete oaf at 35 lbs to kitty’s 2. I cant wait until the day they can watch squirrels at the window together. That goal is seeming less and less of a pipe dream and more achievable by the day. I forgot how much fun a kitty is. Our little guy is an adorable little psycho.
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Jun 19, 2020 22:51
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Bobstar posted:Ok, so the other day I had some jazz on in the living room, and the kittens stared at the speakers a bit, not sure what to make of it. Holy poo poo, Xander is also a jazzcat. He's never perturbed by the music I play, but when my ex would put jazz on, he'd twist around the speakers and eventually curl up in an extremely peaceful sleep where he could hear the music best.
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Jun 20, 2020 01:53
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My almost-9-week-old kittens have started making GBS threads everywhere EXCEPT in their litter box, mostly on the floor and things sitting on the floor in a particular area of our den, and I need to put a stop to it NOW!  How the gently caress do I do that? I know I’ve asked here before about good sprays for keeping outdoor feral cats from making GBS threads in certain places, but what are some good products for keeping KITTENS from doing the same INDOORS?
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Jun 20, 2020 17:02
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Negative reinforcement for litter training doesn't really work (it'll just make them not go to the bathroom and hold it in). What litter are you using? Dr Elsey's makes a cat attractant litter to encourage them to investigate and then poop in the box.
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Jun 20, 2020 17:28
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Seconding the Cat Attract.
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Jun 20, 2020 18:01
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Do you have enough boxes? Is the box they're closest to filled with preexisting poopy?
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Jun 20, 2020 18:18
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Buff Hardback posted:Negative reinforcement for litter training doesn't really work (it'll just make them not go to the bathroom and hold it in). Can 9-week-old kittens use Cat Attract litter safely? They’re still kinda learning that chewing on stuff is fun.
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Jun 20, 2020 22:39
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I. M. Gei posted:Can 9-week-old kittens use Cat Attract litter safely? If they're not eating kitty litter, then it should be fine
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Jun 20, 2020 22:51
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We bought some cat safe houseplants yesterday, and the cat is a bit too into it. She nibbled on the Chlorophytum until I took it away (almost ate three leaves), and kept going back to nibble on the cat grass again and again through the night. I mean, the cat grass is meant for her to gnaw on, but she seems like she's trying to go full vegetarian. Should we buy cat food with more grain filler? Or does she just gnaw plants for fun? She didn't produce a hairball or anything, so I don't think she is eating plants for medicinal purposes.
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Jun 21, 2020 07:40
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pidan posted:We bought some cat safe houseplants yesterday, and the cat is a bit too into it. She nibbled on the Chlorophytum until I took it away (almost ate three leaves), and kept going back to nibble on the cat grass again and again through the night. She's eating it because she likes eating it, cats don't have the level of awareness required to do anything other than that. I'd grab a bitter apple spray or something to convince her it tastes bad and she should leave it alone.
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Jun 21, 2020 09:40
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One of my cats ate fully half of a maidenhair fern before I found a shelf she couldn't reach(the plant died shortly after, of shock I think) and regularly licks and nibbles on the prayer plant I bought to replace it. The only plant she's shown no interest in eating is the catmint I grew from seed specifically for her. Cats gonna cat.
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Jun 21, 2020 11:11
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Here are my new houseplants, note the cat eating the Chlorophytum again. Do we have a houseplant thread? The Calathea (large plant) is allegedly hard to care for, and I'm a bit lost in general. How do I make them not fall over? How do I stop the cat from taking out soil and eating it? We only had one houseplant so far, and the cat is not allowed to go near it because it's a poisonous Spatiphyllum. pidan fucked around with this message at 15:09 on Jun 21, 2020 |
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Jun 21, 2020 12:57
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If that pic was taken during the day the calathea is doing its normal thing, they're also called prayer plants because their leaves hang during the day and stand up-right in the evening. Sometimes you can actually hear them rustling! I would try to redirect your cat to the cat-grass to get its plant-nibbling kicks, but I had to move some houseplants because Katya was loving with them for attention so ymmv. e: for the soil, I once tried covering it with aquarium pebbles which worked ok but just redirected her toddler behaviour to the leaves because she didn't really want to dig in or eat the plant.
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Jun 21, 2020 15:56
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The way to have cats not eat your houseplants is to not have houseplants cats want to eat.
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Jun 21, 2020 17:04
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I. M. Gei posted:My almost-9-week-old kittens have started making GBS threads everywhere EXCEPT in their litter box, mostly on the floor and things sitting on the floor in a particular area of our den, and I need to put a stop to it NOW! Hm, usually kittens will pick up on litterbox stuff pretty quickly (they're programmed to dig and poop in the hole.) You may want to keep them confined to a smaller area until they learn good shittin' habits. They may not remember where the box IS if they have the run of the house right now. When I was fostering the 8 week olds I would set one in the box if they looked like they were seeking a spot to wee and it'd just go nuts with the digging from there. You could potentially try leaving a poop in there so they can see/smell where it's supposed to go, too.
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Jun 21, 2020 18:03
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Spray bottle with water and a bit of lemon juice works well for teaching cats not to eat plants.
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Jun 21, 2020 21:53
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