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So as a follow up to my questions from a few days ago - Today we went to an adoption event looking for a ~6 month old female and we came home with this little dude intead: Meet Louie!   He's incredibly cuddly and has been purring nonstop (except when he's asleep) nearly from the moment we let him out to explore the bathroom he's confined to for now. He was found around 10 days ago in a car engine and he's got some gunk on his toes; we cut off some of the matted bits that weren't near the skin but he's still got a lot left, mostly between his beans. We attacked it with some dishsoap but it's still there so we'll see if the vet has any ideas. We got him an old towel that our resident cat (Charlie) slept on, and tomorrow we'll switch and let Charlie get used to the scent. The plan is to introduce them slow and keep Charlie from stressing out. He's spent ~11 years as a lone cat and it'll probably take some time to get them to be BFFs.
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Jun 6, 2020 21:26
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 09:09 |
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 A good catte
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Jun 7, 2020 17:49
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He really is, he's super loving, had no problem using the litter box straight away, and initial indications are that it's fine to leave him food out and he'll just graze throughout the day. However, I have discovered that kittens are extremely pointy. I've got tons of little pinpricks just from having him kneading on my arms, and he has very quickly discovered that he can jump out from the floor to my knee. And if he misses? No problem, just need to dig his needle sharp claws into my skin for purchase... I've started getting him used to the idea that hands and feet aren't toys by either taking away my fingers until he calms a bit or by redirecting his energy to toys. I hope that'll work, I'm afraid to think what will happen if he gets to Charlies' ~7kg size (not fat, just yuuge) and still thinks that he can play with our bits.
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Jun 7, 2020 19:35
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Don't Ask posted:He really is, he's super loving, had no problem using the litter box straight away, and initial indications are that it's fine to leave him food out and he'll just graze throughout the day. Don't go straight from claws in skin to toys, as he can learn "Ooooh, this is how I get toys!" Have a minute or two of time between withdrawing your hand and adding toy.
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Jun 7, 2020 20:06
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Don't Ask posted:So as a follow up to my questions from a few days ago - Today we went to an adoption event looking for a ~6 month old female and we came home with this little dude intead: One random idea I had was maybe to try some face soap ("cleanser") with salicyclic acid, since it is a slightly better degreaser. In the past when I've worked on my car and gotten all greased up and I didn't have any gojo, I used this + one of those soft, scrubby loofahs and its worked great. ------ Sorry if this has been addressed 1000 times but what is in these https://www.amazon.com/Temptations-...ps%2C201&sr=8-6 and why are our cats hopelessly addicted to them? We have a 22-yr-old kitty who has been in renal failure for 6+ years, and he begs for these constantly. I usually give him ulimited treats but I try to intersperse it with limited dry food and wet food when he'll eat it. Sometimes I have to mix some treats in with the wet food to con him into eating wet. But he is a skeletor kitty, so I give him food whenever he'll eat bc I want him to keep what little weight he's still got. So even tho I suspect the treats are not good for his kidneys (and/or urinary chrystals, not sure if those are related to kidney failure or sperate) for the same reason as the dried food, I give them to get him to eat But what is the deal with the treats? Are they super aromatic or something? Why are the cats obsessed?
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Jun 7, 2020 20:28
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If you figure out the answer I would like to know, we had to upgrade the container after rear end in a top hat decided he needed treats and chewed a hole in it.
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Jun 7, 2020 20:55
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I noticed my cat had a bit of a crusty ear and has been scratching at it a little more than usual. Doesn't seem like a full infection, it's not wet or smelly, so I think he might just need a good clean? What would you guys recommend for a cleaning solution, I know not to use peroxide or w/e on him.
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Jun 7, 2020 23:23
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Any tips on harnesses for cats? All I remember from years ago is that Y harnesses are better than H harnesses because H harnesses can damage the trachea if the cat has a major freakout. But now there seem to be tons of harnesses that aren't really the old Y or H designs at all. I ordered one of those padded jacket type things from Amazon and it turned out to be a dog harness not a cat harness, and the smaller leg holes bugged her because of the way cat skin looser than little dog skin.Infinitum posted:Anyone have any recommendations on water fountains? This was a few weeks ago, but the best cat fountain I ever had was a cheap 5 gallon glass aquarium with a cheap walmart hang on back aquarium filter. I mean, it started out as a tank for fry, but the cat sort of took it over and eventually I gave up and removed the fish and snails. Upsides: -Glass is easier to clean than plastic. -It's transparent, so you can easily see when it is dirty, unlike some plastic or stainless steel fountains. -Glass won't absorb odours like plastic can. -Glass lasts longer than plastic, a glass tank can last basically forever, though you might need to redo the silicon sealant every 20 years or so. -The activated carbon filters to keep the water tasting sweet are much cheaper for an aquarium filter than for the proprietary filters in the cat fountains. -Aquarium pumps are better than cat fountain pumps in my experience. I had a cat fountain but the pump failed after 2 years, and they didn't even sell replacement pumps you were just supposed to buy a whole new fountain. I've never had an aquarium filter pump fail in under 10 years, not even the cheapie ones from walmart, and if it did a new one is cheap and readily available. -Disassembling a cat fountain to clean out the inevitable slime coat from the innards is kinda a hassle. A small glass aquarium is dead easy to clean, assuming you are strong enough to pick it up -- the 5 gallon or smaller sizes should fit in most kitchen sinks, at least sideways. -A gallon of water is about 8 pounds, plus the weight of the glass, so no cat is tipping over even a 2 gallon aquarium. -You don't need to top it up as often as the tiny cat fountains, though eventually the filter will get noisy and remind you if you let it get down to about 60% capacity. But if you go away for the weekend or something bad happens and you're rushed to the hospital or something, at least your cats aren't going to run out of water for a good long while. Downsides: -It looked ghetto as gently caress. There are very pretty topless aquariums in the 2, 3, and 5 gallon sizes, but mine was just a bog standard 5 gallon with a black rim that had no top because the plastic lid had broken years before. -It is glass, so if you kick it or trip over it or throw rocks at it then it could crack or shatter, so you have to keep it somewhere that won't happen. Of course kicking a plastic fountain could also crack it, but a cracked plastic fountain won't leave behind shards of glass. The 5 gallon broke when I moved, so now I 'temporarily' use a 10 gallon. It's not as good. Even if it's just half full that's still almost 50 pounds, so lifting it to wash it is hassle. It doesn't fit in the kitchen sink. It's also taller than a 3 or 5 gallon aquarium, so she has to crane her neck a bit to use it. She still prefers it to a bowl though.
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Jun 9, 2020 02:50
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Wait, your cat just straight up drinks out of a 10 gallon aquarium? Seems excessive 😭
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Jun 9, 2020 03:30
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rear end in a top hat would drown so many toys in that, we basically have to stick with something like the Flower because otherwise he just fills the dish with random poo poo
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Jun 9, 2020 03:51
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Len posted:rear end in a top hat would drown so many toys in that, we basically have to stick with something like the Flower because otherwise he just fills the dish with random poo poo Are you sure he's not a raccoon
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Jun 9, 2020 03:58
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illcendiary posted:Wait, your cat just straight up drinks out of a 10 gallon aquarium? Seems excessive 😭 I know, right? It's silly. But if I give her a bowl and the aquarium she chooses the aquarium 100% of the time, even if it's a fresh clean bowl every day. Possibly just to spite the fish who could live in that aquarium if she wasn't using it. Pip is big on spite.
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Jun 9, 2020 04:31
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Luneshot posted:Are you sure he's not a raccoon He does enjoy getting into trash cans, he might be a raccoon.
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Jun 9, 2020 14:46
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I'm so amazed at how incredibly great my cat is at just... rolling with the punches - dealing with poo poo. It amazes me. Right now we're living in a motel and moved out of my friend's place, and Jackie went from living in a real apartment, getting to go outside all the time, having a real full-sized litterbox, different rooms to go into and nooks and crannys to explore, and she had been there for 6 months and gotten used to it. In a second she went from that, to living in a teeny-tiny cheap motel room with me, with barely enough space for a desk, a chair, a mini-fridge, and the bathroom door to open. Wall-mounted-flatscreen - those must've been a real boon to space-strapped motel managers. There is JUST enough room for a little mini-litterbox (maybe 12x16 inches) and her food/drink bowls under the sink - which is also my temporary kitchen. Sadly, both Jackie *and* I have to more less poo poo .... peripherally to where we eat - or wash our dishes and prepare food, at any rate. But hey - this is what it's like to live on the cheap when you're in between places, and you don't have anywhere else to go. I could probably afford a marginally nicer place, but since it's already like an extra $20-$30 a night if you have a cat - if you're lucky enough to have found a pet-friendly hotel/motel - and you have to stay in this place for ~16 days, well, you don't want to totally destroy your bank account! But the badass thing is how Jackie is just totally fine with all of this. No complaints, no grumbling - she has been using her tiny litterbox *perfectly*, and eating all her food promptly and neatly, without making too much of a mess. She hasn't been scratching on the door to get out, she hasn't been complaining (which she can REALLY do when she wants). She's actually seemed really happy, which I find kinda funny. The only real difference is that it's just the two of us, and instead of Jackie getting attention from me and my prior roomie (who adored Jackie and loved to dote on her) it's just the two of us on a bed when I'm in my motel. And she LOVES it, it's almost funny. She's been super-cuddly and adorable, too - just doing ridiculously cute stuff like rubbing her cheek against *my* cheek while talk-purring, the way she does against doors or my laptop to 'claim' them. My heart practically melted.
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Jun 9, 2020 17:58
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Im pretty sure there is no problem, but Im a first time cat-slave so I might as well ask just incase. Several months ago (jan) I changed my kittens food to Blue Buffalo. She hated, refused to eat it, her daily intake of food on average went down from 7.5-9 oz to just 6 oz a day. Sometimes she would not finish a can off for 12 hours. But in the last month and half or so her appetite has increased greatly, she now gulps 3oz servings quickly, and if anything shes now quickly going to 3 cans, or 9oz a day. Theres nothing wrong here right? She just accepted her fate and now eats the food I give her and now is willing to scarf it down since she doesnt get any people food? She ate half a hasbrown once but that doesnt count.
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Jun 10, 2020 00:56
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As long as the amount of food she's eating is consistent with what's she's historically eaten, then the diagnosis is: is a cat.
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Jun 10, 2020 01:04
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I figured as much, shes been getting a little thicker, in a good way since then. I try to watch her size since it seems shes the runt of the litter, all her siblings are already 10 pound monsters fluff beasts, and shes like around 7.
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Jun 10, 2020 01:13
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CatOS is in alpha and should not have made it out to the public
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Jun 10, 2020 01:14
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Does anyone have experience with blind cats, and how their needs are different than sighted ones? There's a very cute cat at the shelter that has a lovely personality, but I want to make sure that I wouldn't be doing it a disservice by adopting it. Basically, I will sometimes have to leave it at a cat sitter for a week or two, and ideally I'd like to bring it with me once or twice a year on plane trips. I was kind of concerned that these sorts of experiences might be more stressful for it, or that it would get lonely when I was gone since I don't have another cat to keep it company. Are these things particular concerns for blind cats, or is it more just down to specific disposition? Is there anything else that I should be aware of, or consider? I've had cats in the past, some of whom had special needs, but that was more like, managing various health conditions and medication, so I don't know if that really applies. I would of course keep things placed consistently, and make sure there wasn't stuff to run into, but I wanted to see if there was other non-obvious things to think about. Honestly adopting a cat is so hard, they're all such sweet little angels.
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Jun 11, 2020 02:52
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RIP ZEEZ
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Head level things to smack into. While most furniture wont cause a problem anything cat-head height thats pointy or sticks out is bad. This is obviously very rare to find but you never know what with individual house holds. My friends only real problem with their blind cat was an exercise bike and its pedals, sometimes the poor fluffer would walk into those or get frustrated by these things that dissipated and then showed up again. Also steps for couches/beds. While a blind cat can easily jump up on a couch or a bed, depending on their personality they would rather climb up and rip the poo poo out of the upholsetry.
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Jun 11, 2020 03:32
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Why does this thread generate more threats against the president that any other? I am going to shut PI down.
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Jun 11, 2020 05:30
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Oh no please don't mr vvtax
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Jun 11, 2020 06:14
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Lovvtax posted:Why does this thread generate more threats against the president that any other? I am going to shut PI down. my "ITT we post threats against the president" thread is a failure 
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Jun 11, 2020 15:16
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Hi all! My wife and I will be getting our first cat soon. We both work from home and had cats growing up so we know what we’re doing a little bit. I read the first page but what I didn’t see is a nice “what stuff you do need in your house on day one” list. So far we have: - Automatic litter box (are these any good?) - litter - toothbrush/toothpaste - a scratcher pole and some toys - food - brush Anything else I need to add? Any recommendations? We will be trying to adopt a young cat, not a kitten.
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Jun 13, 2020 21:22
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Enzymatic cleaner for oopsies Paper towels for vomit Cat nail clippers a cat bed or box, or blankets the cat can call their own treats
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Jun 13, 2020 21:52
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A second cat to play with
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Jun 13, 2020 22:53
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^^^^ This. I really regret not getting a pair when I got my cat now that I've been around lots of cats. They are much happier in pairs.
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Jun 13, 2020 23:01
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IMO for a single cat, I'd just say scoop the drat box. Multiple cats, sure it starts to make sense, but there's only so much poop they can make in a day.
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Jun 14, 2020 01:06
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Get a normal litterbox to at least start out the new cat on.
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Jun 14, 2020 02:41
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Cat carrier for the vet. I almost forgot one and had to scramble to get one in time for my kitty’s appointment in this time of corona.
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Jun 14, 2020 02:53
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Harness and leash. Its easier to get them used to it at a young age, much like clipping and toothbrushing.
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Jun 14, 2020 03:56
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mcmagic posted:^^^^ It really depends on the cat. I've got 3 cats that were all from the same litter and have lived together since they were 6 months old (altho Oscar took 2 extra months to catch, so he was 8 months old when i brought him into the house) and they basically just tolerate each other even though they are closing in on 10 years. They will sleep within a few feet of each other but I never see them cuddle or anything. I'm pretty sure they'd all be fine being alone, although I bet LT would like a better buddy because he likes to get groomed.
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Jun 15, 2020 22:16
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Another question in the saga of (~11 year old house cat) Charlie and (new ~2.5 month old kitten) Louie - who is probably Louise since the vet thinks she's female: After keeping Louie in a closed and separate room, we've started letting her out during the day to explore most of the apartment and burn off some energy. While she was still separated we let her sleep on an old towel which we later moved to Charlie's usual spot, which he sniffed with interest and then proceeded to sleep on it. However, they aren't getting along at all. Louie shows friendly interest in Charlie, but whenever she gets too close he hisses and spits at her, sometimes even yowling/growling, and a couple of times when she got too close and surprised him he swatted at her. This has been going on for a couple of days. Initially Charlie didn't even want to walk around when he knew she was near, but now he's at least able to eat and drink with her in the room. He doesn't try to close the distance and attack her, and a few times he even slowly tried to get near her for a sniff before hissing. His body language isn't very indicative of aggression or fear: Ears are up and forward, whiskers are neutral, his fur and tail aren't puffed out, and he isn't cringing/crouching. He also has spaces and rooms he can retreat to without Louie being able to follow him, but he mostly stays in his regular perch all day. We try to ensure that they don't have any close encounters, and whenever she's near Charlie and he's acting calm we make sure to praise him and encourage him. We don't want them to imprint negatively on each other and we're considering moving Louie back to her separate room, but that will be hard on her since she's getting used to running around in the living room all day. Is this "normal" behavior? What can we do to help Charlie calm down and accept her? Enjoy beans: 
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Jun 15, 2020 23:02
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Don't Ask posted:Another question in the saga of (~11 year old house cat) Charlie and (new ~2.5 month old kitten) Louie - who is probably Louise since the vet thinks she's female: More time and Feliway Multicat if you're really concerned.
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Jun 15, 2020 23:08
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Sounds totally normal to me. I'd probably just let them be together full time at that point, although Louie/Louise is still really young so you'd want to keep an eye on their interactions to ensure they don't get out of hand. Noises and a swat or two are fine, but I'd intervene if there were any more aggressive actions from Charlie like biting around the front of the neck (nape is ok) or if he won't let Lou escape from an encounter or be alone.
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Jun 15, 2020 23:15
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Sigh. My cat Betty. Alternatively known as Butts, or "Why are you doing that?" She's a lot. I'm going to start with the cat-tax, hopefully to entice you to read my post:  I would consider Betty a very anxious cat. It seems to be getting worse with time. She is 7 years old, I've had her since she was a kitten (however the youngest they are allowed to spayed is). When she was younger (first three years or so) she was wary of visitors but not confrontational or anything. She would meow and move away if other people tried to pet her. If they continued, she would swat and hiss. The vet would have to sedate her in order to really do, anything. In the last few years I've noticed her get more and more territorial(?) with visitors. Lots of really loud meowing, swatting if the visitor got too close (could be just walking by her), putting herself between me and the person, etc. It's gotten to the point that if I know someone is coming over, I lock her up in the spare bedroom. I bought a house that we moved into about two months ago. Since then, she has been cranked up to 11. This isn't our first move, after handing all previous moves fine, so I don't think it's that. I notice it's worse when any of the windows are open. I have noticed a cat or two outside, so I wonder if she can smell them and it's freaking her out? She's starting to get 'territorial' with me and I hate it. Swatting at me when I'm trying to get something she's near, sometimes coming over and biting me for no reason... Anyway, what can I do? Will it get better? I've tried Feliway in the past which had no effect.
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Jun 16, 2020 00:24
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Is she aggressive with you all the time or only when she spots the other cats? If that's the case then you've got redirected aggression. You might be seeing that regardless if there are many more occurrences of unfamiliar cats near your house as compared with your prior homes. It happens even with well-tempered cats, but yours sounds like it's seriously disturbing her. You may need to talk to your vet about behavioral specialists or anti-anxiety medication.
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Jun 16, 2020 01:06
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Yeah, definitely talk to a vet. Anti-anxiety medication for cats sounds weird but can be effective; some of our friends had a pretty nasty cat whose behavior did a 180 when they put her onto feline-dosed Valium, which has improved her behavior and made her a lot happier overall.
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Jun 16, 2020 06:17
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spinst posted:Sigh. My cat Betty. Alternatively known as Butts, or "Why are you doing that?" Seconding a check in with your vet, and you would likely need some anti anxiety meds for Betty. My cat Raiden went through something similar. He started off friendly with people but became more shy over time, then went from being ok being picked up to hating it (he will still hop on a lap if it's on his own terms). He was fine while I was living alone but when I moved in with my girlfriend he didn't take it well. He wasn't a very destructive cat but wrecked some door siding in our condo. I got him to the vet and he's on meds now. He's much more chill, and not as destructive. He still meows when hes bored and/or wants attention but cats gonna cat. Biggest change I noticed was that he used to completely freak when I vacuumed and hide under my dresser. Now he will even be in the same room as the vacuum as long as he's at a higher vantage point and just sort of watch it. I haven't had a chance to see him around new people because of covid so no idea how he will do with that. But he's getting along with my girlfriend, even if she has no idea how to interact with cats!
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Jun 16, 2020 07:06
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 09:09 |
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Buff Hardback posted:but there's only so much poop they can make in a day. it's an astonishing amount
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Jun 16, 2020 16:53
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