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If your cat is not peeing, eating, or drinking, GO TO THE VET RIGHT NOW. Don't stop to ask the internet, just go. Any of these things can cause liver damage and death, and indicates a serious problem that needs to be treated immediately. Welcome to the Pet Island new kitten ownership thread. Whether you’re new to Pet Island or not, this is your one-stop-shop for information on adopting a kitten (or two; read further to learn why you should always adopt in pairs), or for advice for new kitten owners. If, after reading this thread thoroughly, you still can’t find the answer to your question, feel free to post for advice from those of us who have owned cats forever. I know there is a TON of information in here, and I know this much writing can be overwhelming. However, please search through the OP’s for the answer to your question before posting. Because there is so much info here, chances are your question’s already been addressed. Here are the rules from Gobble’s Kitten FAQ thread; they apply here as well. I’ve taken the liberty of substituting “kitten” for “puppy” and “cat” for “dog” so as to avoid confusion: GobbleDeGook posted:First some rules, Next, Cuddlebottom talks about some bad reasons to get a puppy. This advice is really really really sound for all animal adoption, so it bears repeating here. Again, I’ve substituted the correct noun for this FAQ: ”Cuddlebottom posted:Bad Reasons for Getting a Kitten BOrangeFury posted some fabulous information regarding common substances that are poisonous to dogs. I’ve included them all in here; if you know for sure and can show me proof that any of the below substances are not poisonous to cats, let me know and I will remove it from the post. BOrangeFury posted:
Alright, now that we’ve shared the cross-thread info, let’s dive into kitten goodness! Why shouldn’t I adopt just one kitten or cat? Captain Foxy posted:If you're going to get a kitten; Get two. Nonanone and Women’s Rights? give some great reasons to consider adults over kittens: nonanone posted:Adult cats are awesome! They're chill and laid back, and adult can mean as young as a year old if you still want that kitten energy. Past the kitten stage, way less work, good for people who have less time or don't have easily kitten-proofed houses, or just don't want to deal with kitten-assholeness. Women's Rights? posted:Why are older cats better than kittens? Kittens, for one, are assholes. The only reason they are so incredibly adorable is so that you don't drown them when no one is looking. Kittens do not yet know how to use their claws or have things like bite inhibition, so they will bite and scratch you and it hurts, their claws and teeth are like tiny needles against tender human flesh. Kittens are endless fountains of energy and want to play. A lot. All the time. They will attack your feet or chew on your face in the middle of the night. They will chew on every cord in the house if given the chance. They climb on absolutely everything and constantly test their boundaries. Also, I want to add, adopting a pair of bonded cats is a huge blessing for shelters. Cats who come to shelters together or who have grown attached to each other in the shelter often can’t be adopted out together. That’s horrible for the cats, who are used to being together, and it leaves the shelter with an unhappy cat that misses its friend or littermate. So, not only would you be doing the cats a favor by adopting them together, you’d also be benefitting the shelter. I found a breeder of Bengals/Rag dolls/Persians/whatever cat you adore; how can I tell if they’re reputable? First off, you need to determine why you want a particular breed. Cats are not like dogs; there are not a zillion different breeds that still fit under the species Felis catus or domestic/house cat. For the most part, there are only small differences, like head shape, between breeds. Most of what distinguishes different breeds is the coat length, texture and color. That said, the first place you should check is your local shelters and rescues. Start with the shelters, since the cats there are in desperate need of adoption, and may be euthanized if they don’t find a new home. Most rescues will keep cats indefinitely. If neither the shelters nor the rescues yield the variety of cat you’re looking for, don’t forget PetFinder! If you simply cannot live without the particular breed of cat that strikes your fancy, and you find a breeder, go ahead and post about them in this thread . There are plenty of very experienced folks here who will be able to help you determine if they’re reputable. All right, I have a couple of kittens or cats. Now what? The next section includes all sorts of advice in the training, feeding and care of your new pets. There is a lot of great information here; please take the time to read through it thoroughly. Chances are your immediate questions are covered in this section. Training ”nonanone” posted:Kittens who bite and scratch hands/feet/body parts when they're young may be cute, but when they are 10+ pounds of pure cat, you will regret it. Usually caused by removal too early from the rest of the litter, but sometimes they just don't get the hint. The best way is to yelp loudly and sharply when injured even slightly, and redirect their attention towards appropriate things like toys. Susan B. Antimony posted:"Oh, but it's so cute when he plays with that power cord/my ipod cable!" Please note, the above post also applies to your hands/other family member’s hands. If your adorable baby kitten gets used to playing with hands, and it doesn’t hurt now when she does so, guess what? In a few months, it will hurt, and you’ll have a lot harder of a time training her away from it than you will if you start early. Women's Rights? posted:Declawing alternatives: Unagi posted:I would like to recommend something for the "Alternatives to Declawing" bit: Sidenote: The most commonly recommended place on PI to get scratching posts is Armarkat. I, and many other PI cat owners, have Armarkat posts, and praise them highly. Plus, they’re at least half, if not more, the price of the less cool versions most pet stores carry. Peech posted:Some grooming stuff! Many people, myself included, find that human nail clippers are not as good for trimming cat's claws, as the claws are prone to splinter from the clippers. Unless you know exactly what you're doing and can confidentially avoid causing issues with your kitty's claws, your best bet is to get a pair of trimmers made for cats (the shape of the blades will be different from human clippers). Shebrew posted:I thought I would help contribute by linking to and explaining some of the popular cat-related items that PI goers generally recommend. Firequirks posted:I started writing this and then I had totally different categories than what I had originally wrote, whoops. I hope this is good, but please feel free, anyone, to re-combine, re-write, correct, whatever. Consider this a starting point for this section, I am by no-means an expert. I'm also not as sure about the door part in regards to penny-shaking to startle, as it seems like it might not be loud enough from behind a door, but if you're on the same side of the door then it might be associated with you. anachrodragon posted:On this note, I think this one is fairly common: wraithgar posted:This is a cousin of the same issue Spay/Neuter Chairman Meow was awesome and made a site with information on free or cheap spay/neuter clinics by state. You can find it here. Somebody fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Feb 21, 2013 |
# ¿ Jul 12, 2009 08:21 |
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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 12:04 |
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FoodFire In The Disco posted:Let's talk about food. Of course, the Pet Nutrition Megathread has a whole poo poo-ton of food options, but let's focus for a second on why so many PI regulars advocate a grain-free diet for cats. Even though it was made by Purina, who has pretty food, this chart is a good way to determine if your cat’s underweight, normal weight, or overweight, and adjust food accordingly. I like this chart because it shows the top down view, which is sometimes easier for me to use to determine the cat’s body type. DISCLAIMER: At the end of the day, you should ask your vet if you’re concerned about your cat’s weight, in either direction. I can't find a brand from the Nutrition Megathread locally, and I don't want to pay for shipping! What now? Fire In The Disco posted:Personally, I am a fan of independent pet stores. These are places like small pet supply stores, tack and feed shops, etc. There are a few reasons why I prefer these stores over big box stores like PetCo, PetsMart, etc. Ceridwen posted:As another bonus, almost all of the independent stores I've had experience with are directly involved in rescue. And they usually have ties with multiple groomers/trainers/vets etc. Where Petsmart et al. tend to direct you to their own services (which are usually not that good). d8 is our resident catnip expert. He sells wonderfully potent Montana catnip over in SA Mart if you're interested in picking some up! d8 posted:
Introducing a new cat to your other cats Eggplant Wizard posted:When you bring a new cat into your household, both it and your other cats will probably be upset. You would be too if someone thrust a roommate on you. You can minimize the stress by making the introduction gradually. Lifestyle ”Fire In The Disco” posted:
Sekhmet posted:I think the indoor/outdoor debate is kind of a personal and cultural issue, but I just wanted to link to the Ohio State University CVM's Indoor Cat Initative website, in case you want to add it to the FAQ. nonanone posted:Reasons not to let your cat out: LoreOfSerpents posted:If possible, I would like you to add something to your cat FAQ post in PI, related to keeping cats indoors because of predators. Crooked Booty posted:Collars, Tags, Microchips, Etc.: A popular variety of tags around here are Boomerang tags, because they sit flush to the collar. Not dangling down means the tag not falling into food or water, and also not getting easily caught. Susan B. Antimony posted:I'm going to start a litter box problems section here, but I can't hope to be comprehensive, so any and all of y'all please feel free to add. CrispyMini posted:Also try adding litter boxes with a litter alternative- we had a litter-protest going on that very nearly ended with getting rid of the cat, when we tried out a different litter instead. Oh joy, that immediately solved the problem!! New cat-owners should know that there are TONS of options for cat litters- clumping, non-clumping, clay, biodegradable, flushable, crystals, etc. Expensive doesn't always equal better, but you do need to have some kind of system that works well for cleaning and that you and your cat can agree on. As Susan B. Antimony mentioned above, Cat Attract litter is amazing stuff. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a case of this litter not attracting the cat to use the box. I’m sure there’s an example out there, but they’re so few and far between that they almost don’t exist. Aerofallosov posted:Cleaning up! flyboi posted:Can you put this stuff somewhere in the op? I see tons of posts recently about cats peeing where they shouldn't. Your cats’ health Crooked Booty posted:Two health problems all cat owners need to know about : Khelmar posted:Part taken from my post in the dog FAQ thread. Suggestions welcomed. I swear I read the entire zillion-word FAQ, and I can’t find the answer to my question! Though rare, this might happen from time to time. Meow Cadet sums up what to include in your post when you have a question for us. Meow Cadet posted:It can be annoying to ask for basic info over and over someone has a problem. You might think about stressing what standard to provide. Maybe something like: If you're reading this sentence, you made it! You've now finished unearthing a veritable treasure trove of information about cat care. Thanks for taking the time to read this FAQ. Don't you feel smarter already?? Oh, nearly forgot. One last piece of wisdom: aunt moneybags posted:We need to add "Cats are weird. Get over it" to the FAQ. Somebody fucked around with this message at 19:51 on May 7, 2023 |
# ¿ Jul 12, 2009 08:21 |
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JayJay posted:Great job with the thread, just in time for my new kittens arriving monday! I'm thinking about getting one of the Armarkat trees, but I can't choose! Which do you all think would be best for two cats? I was looking at http://www.armarkat.com/classic-cat-tree/classic-cat-tree-a7802/prod_29.html but it may be overkill. Thanks. I have that tree too, and my cats adore it. And the faux fur is easy to clean, like Crooked Booty said. Definitely check out their eBay store, but here's another vote for that particular tree.
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# ¿ Jul 12, 2009 16:21 |
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Most premium and ultra premium foods are good for both kittens and cats. Typically they'll say it on the bag/can. As far as dry food goes, I've always been a proponent of free feeding kittens until around a year old, because they need way more food in a day than adult cats do, and then gradually weaning them over to twice daily feedings. For wet food, the can will say how much to give the kitten, typically based on weight.
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# ¿ Jul 13, 2009 05:17 |
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Susan B. Antimony posted:I mentioned the Cat Attract litter! =p Great Job, Fire. Super awesome OP. Oh, and on the Armarkat thing--I got the premium fleece, and my cat wants to eat it. -.- YMMV. bamzilla posted:human nail clippers imo are not ok to clip cat's nails as they'll splinter them. Fixed and fixed.
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# ¿ Jul 15, 2009 03:59 |
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Beldaran posted:We found a kitten by the trash about a little less than a year ago. Ever since we got him we can't get him to stop sucking on and licking people. I know this is because he was abandoned by his mother (he was three weeks old when we found him) but its really weird to have your cat lick and suck on your guests. Also, he will only do this to human skin, not clothes or blankets, so we can't exactly spray ourselves down with bitter apple. jacido posted:Hwaa! My cat does this too. Except he's 11 weeks old and not abandoned by his mother. I am curious to see if anyone has a super awesome answer to your question as I'd like to know what the gently caress that is about as well. Unfortunately, I have never heard of a way around the suckling, unless you can redirect them to an inanimate object of some sort. Your cats might outgrow it; my kitten Luna did a lot of suckling when we got her at 5 weeks old, but doesn't do it anymore. I also have an adult cat who licks everyone, no matter what we have tried to stop him. So, you guys might be stuck with the habit. Sorry! vv
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# ¿ Jul 18, 2009 16:21 |
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HondaCivet posted:My boyfriend is planning on building a cat tree for our two new cats (well, they are kittens right now but hopefully they will make it to cathood). We've been thinking about all these super-elaborate plans with places to hide and jump around and whatnot but I'm not sure if the cats even want anything more than some elevated platforms to hang out on. In your experiences, what cat tree styles do cats enjoy the most? Would they actually use tunnels and hideaway spots or would it be a waste of time? I know this sort of depends on the cat but I was just curious as to what you guys had seen. I think it really depends on your cats. I have four, and a couple are loungers and a couple are hiders. The loungers lounge on everything loungeable, and the hiders hide in everything hideable. I'd suggest that you observe the babes for a while and figure out what they like best before building away. You'll be able to figure out pretty quickly if you need lounging spots, hiding spots or both.
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# ¿ Jul 26, 2009 09:42 |
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In my experience kittens like both hiding and lounging places, because it gives them more places to play. I'd build a tree that has both if it were me; as far as my cat tree goes, I have this Armarkat one, which has both hiding and lounging places, and they all get used (except the hammock on the bottom).
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# ¿ Jul 26, 2009 17:47 |
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Unagi posted:awesomeness about Sticky Paws Added to the OP. Thanks for this!
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# ¿ Jul 30, 2009 07:25 |
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Alterian posted:Has anyone used a diaper genie for scooping out their litter boxes? Is there a better cat equivalent? There is a cat equivalent that I see at Petco when I stop there, but honestly, I don't think it's worth the price of the refills. You're really just better off using grocery bags and taking the bag to the trash after scooping. If you must put it in something inside before taking a large load out, you can try a good, foot pedal metal trash can that seals well, and line that with trash bags. But honestly, I'd probably die from the smell of that after a few days, whereas taking the litter out every time I scoop is quick and less stinky.
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# ¿ Aug 2, 2009 17:28 |
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^^^ Hahaha, you sound like me.
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# ¿ Aug 2, 2009 23:25 |
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I have found that it won't. If you test an inconspicuous area first for color-fastedness, you can use Nature's Miracle to help destroy the pissy enzymes.
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# ¿ Aug 3, 2009 21:10 |
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HondaCivet posted:Sounds like their stomachs are too small for them to eat enough otherwise so I guess you are right. Is it necessary to "moisten dry food with water" like some sites say? The foster parent hasn't been doing that so far but I don't know how much of the kibble they eat. They always act like they are starving when we bring them wet food so maybe they can't handle it (either that or kittens always act like they are starving when tasty food is present). By 4 months old, the kitten shouldn't need moistened kibble. That's really something that's good for babies who haven't figured out crunchies yet. I also second free feeding until the cat's over a year old; with high quality kibble, and plenty of it available, the kitten will have the best possible building blocks to growing up huge and healthy and cuddly.
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# ¿ Aug 10, 2009 15:04 |
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For the most part, yes. Most of the premium and ultra premium brands don't even have separate formulas. On the other hand, Wellness is typically good stuff, so you're not going to be harming the babes by feeding them the Wellness kitten. But for what it's worth, Luna, who's not 6 months old and 6.5 lbs has been eating Innova EVO since she was 5 weeks old. So, if you want small cats, don't feed them EVO. :P (I'm totally kidding guys, I don't know for sure that the EVO's why she's so big already)
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# ¿ Aug 10, 2009 17:42 |
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GOD YES, start now. I've even gone so far as to play with my kittens' paws every day, exerting pressure and extending their claws, whether I'm trimming or not. This way they grow used to the way it feels young. The same holds true for grooming-- brush as often as you can now. When cats are older, some enjoy being brushed, but others don't. Brushing now will help them become more of the former.
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# ¿ Aug 11, 2009 16:41 |
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Wear him out. For the two hours leading up to bedtime, play with that baby incessantly! He still probably won't let you sleep the whole way through the night, but you'll at least have a few hours of rest before he gets up again. And once he and your older cat are getting along better, and he's not trapped in your bedroom all night (I assume you just leave your door open under most circumstances?) he'll probably do his zoomies around the house, and not just in your room.
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# ¿ Aug 14, 2009 13:50 |
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4R7 THi3F posted:Can we talk about cat litter for a minute? She's adorable! Her poop issues could very well be from the consistency of her poop rather than the litter. When a cat's diet is changed quickly, they often have a period of icky poops as their digestive system adapts to the new food. I wouldn't recommend switching back or anything (especially since Wellness is a better food than Iams), but if you want to just wait it out another week or so, her poops will probably become better formed and then she'll be less likely to get mucked up in them. Or, if you want to help her body along, try adding some plain yogurt (to help calm her digestive system) and/or some plain canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling; pumpkin helps to bind the poops together) to her Wellness wet. As for litters, I found World's Best to be useless personally. In the one litter box that has regular litter (we have one regular box and one Cat Genie) we use Tidy Cats Premium Power Blend. It's got awesome odor control.
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# ¿ Aug 28, 2009 14:00 |
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Oh, my cats love playing with tin foil; your cat is not alone. Mine go out of their way to play with it, and I make balls of it to throw around for them. As for the box, you probably moved it too quickly-- it's generally recommended that you move a litter box only a foot or so a day at the most when you're transitioning it to a new area so the cat doesn't do exactly what your cat did.
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# ¿ Sep 2, 2009 13:38 |
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d8 posted:With good quality nip, just a little bit is a sufficient dose. About a teaspoonful will usually do the trick. Also, cats do not need to eat nip to get off, since they get their fun via olfactory input. d8, if you wanted to write up a little piece on what catnip is, how it works and how/when to use it, I'd be more than happy to add it to the OP.
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# ¿ Sep 5, 2009 13:19 |
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d8 posted:Sure. I'll try to get something together later tonight or tomorrow. Sweet, thanks! It's now in part two of the OP.
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# ¿ Sep 6, 2009 13:57 |
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giZm posted:One of my kittens doesn't seem to be able to meow, or maybe he simply doesn't know how. He opens his mouth when he looks at me, and it's always at a time where you'd expect him to meow, but there are no meows coming out of his mouth. He just stands there with his mouth open. And he's not a mute either, he can purr and chirp and all that, just no meows. We had a cat who didn't meow-- or rather, would air meow-- for the first year or so of his life. Then suddenly, one day, it was like something broke in him and a noise similar to the bleating of a baby goat came out. He continued to do a goat-meow for the rest of his life.
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# ¿ Sep 7, 2009 23:36 |
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Most Petsmarts, I believe, carry Blue Buffalo food. Consider that over the AvoDerm you linked, as the food you linked has corn as the second ingredient. I personally didn't like Swheat scoop. If you want something that's easily flushable, it's a great choice, but if you're planning on bagging and tossing, there are better litters out there. My husband particularly likes Tidy Cats Premium Power Blends, which we get at Target, because it doesn't produce a lot of dust (he's allergic) and it covers smells pretty well.
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# ¿ Sep 10, 2009 22:11 |
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Znorps! posted:Thanks for the recommendation. I wasn't sure what food would be best and figured that would work. If I see the Blue Buffalo stuff I'll grab that instead. I'm not locked into the flushing thing, just saw another poster mention it favorably. I'll try to find the Tidy Cats as allergies are an issue here. Cats really like vertical space, so if you're cool with them getting up on top of the fridge, cabinets, and so on and so forth, starting them in the kitchen isn't a bad idea. Cat proofing the house isn't as hard as you might think; they're gonna find stuff to get into no matter what you do, so take precautions on the usual stuff like wires, but be ready to train them to not get onto or into the poo poo you care about. I agree with Honda Civet though, a litter box on each level is preferable. Plus some cats really need more than one box to feel happy (even if they don't keep to their own boxes ).
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# ¿ Sep 10, 2009 22:52 |
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My cats seem to do ok as long as we stick to one brand and just a few flavors from that brand-- in our case, it's Merrick Ocean Breeze and Merrick New England Boil. They're both seafood based and both made by Merrick, so they have the same quality ingredients. When I was still test driving different brands, they definitely had bowel issues. Can you stick to similar-ish flavors of one brand and see if that makes a difference?
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# ¿ Sep 13, 2009 05:53 |
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What kind of food are they eating? Crappier food often causes really stinky poo poo. But, to be completely honest, kitten poo poo is sometimes paint-peeling even if they are eating good food. It's just another thing to add to the "If you weren't so cute..." list. Honestly, when my cats were kittens, I did scoop multiple times a day, basically every time they pooped. But if you can't do that, you might want to try a couple of other things. First, you might want a different litter. We like Tidy Cats Premium Power Blend here; my husband is on litter scooping duty and hates smelling anything, and he says this one works best. Second, if your box is anywhere near a window, open the window a bit. You might get a little more air movement that way and clear a bit of the scent out of the air.
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# ¿ Sep 13, 2009 14:59 |
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Expendable Henchman posted:My cat just pissed all over my pillow and I want to really send a message that this isn't okay. She's been getting rough and I really want it to stop. Like nonanone said, rule out medical problems first. If this is behavioral, though, you need to try to figure out what's causing the behavior. Is your cat lonely? Does she need more attention? Does she need more stimulation? Does she always go in her litter box other times? If you can figure out the root cause, you can work to correct it. In the meantime, wash your pillow itself really well with bleach, or at the very least, white vinegar in the wash water, and set it in the sun to dry. You might want to douse it with an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle. From what I remember (it's been a long time since I've needed to use it), these work best if they have a few days to sink in, in an airtight situation, so you might want to keep the pillow in an airtight container for a few days, re-dousing regularly, to let the enzymes do their thing. Use a new pillowcase. You want to make sure you've completely eradicated the scent, or she'll just smell it and think it's an okay place to go. Alternatively, get a new pillow and pillowcase.
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# ¿ Sep 13, 2009 17:49 |
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Augmented Dickey posted:Weird question, but how do cats purr? Like, what goes on inside their body that produces that noise? http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/question394.htm Basically air moving through a valve, both on inhale and exhale, making it appear like they purr constantly.
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# ¿ Sep 14, 2009 01:25 |
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even worse username posted:A question: My (relatively) new cat, now recovered from various health problems, is a long-haired hippie and I have not owned one before. He has these tufts of fur that grow out between his toes - they're a couple of centimetres long at least. When he was in at the vet, they trimmed all of them down, but they have since grown back to their former luxuriant configuration. Two of my cats have these, and I delight in tormenting them by playing with them. I'd never cut them!
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# ¿ Sep 23, 2009 20:16 |
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What food exactly are you feeding them? Since it's going to be nearly impossible to schedule feedings for them, maybe the food quality will help? In the end, though, he's going to have to stop being free-fed to lose weight. I know that doesn't seem feasible for you right now, but maybe you can work towards making it possible in the future. If he's fed in the morning and the evening, you should be able to restrict his calorie intake.
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# ¿ Sep 27, 2009 14:52 |
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Those are both pretty lovely foods, to be honest. Cruise on over to the Pet Nutrition Megathread; there are a lot of cat recommendations in the post right after the OP (the continuation of the OP), and both Science Diet and any Purina are not recommended. If you have a Petco near you, they carry a decent number of good brands, such as Wellness, Castor and Pollux, Natural Balance, and some others that I can't think of. Petsmart really only carries one decent brand, which is Blue Buffalo. Personally, I am the biggest fan of independent pet stores-- I get my own cats' food from a tack and feed store near my house. Not only are they more likely to carry good brands, but they will often be more than happy to order, and in many cases start carrying regularly, foods you ask for. I got my place to stock Innova EVO, Taste of the Wild and Merrick canned cat foods all based on my recommendations.
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# ¿ Sep 28, 2009 03:28 |
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You're going to want to take her to the vet for a checkup anyway; at that time they can let you know if she has a URI (upper respiratory infection) as many shelter cats do. As for the food, it's generally advised that kittens be allowed as much food as they want, but honestly, 2-3 cans of wet food does sound like a lot to me, unless it's those mini cans of something like Fancy Feast. What kind of wet and what kind of dry food are you feeding her? If it's not the best quality, cats generally eat less with a good quality food.
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# ¿ Sep 28, 2009 07:03 |
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Daemoxx posted:It's terrible Meow Mix poo poo actually. I plan to get some better food next time I get to the store but as she was heavily enthusiastic about the mini cans I figured I'd use those up before replacement. She's got Science Diet kitten dry food as well. Neither the Meow Mix or the Science Diet are worth anything. If you head on over to the Pet Nutrition Megathread, there are a lot of suggestions for better food. You can get Wellness, Castor and Pollux, Natural Balance, and a few other good brands at Petco. As far as I know, Blue Buffalo is the only brand PetsMart carries that's worth anything. Personally, I get my cats' food at tack and feed store near my house. Independent pet stores are great because they usually carry better food anyway, and most, if not all, are totally willing to order and carry other brands of food if you ask. I got my place to start carrying Innova EVO, Taste of the Wild and Merrick canned cat foods.
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# ¿ Sep 28, 2009 09:11 |
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OatmealRaisin posted:I have sort of a general cat question from watching my little guys have their kitten fights. Why is it cats do that butt wiggle before they pounce? Is it like a balance thing? They do it because they know we'll be all as we watch them act like a vicious jungle beast. I'm sure of it.
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# ¿ Oct 1, 2009 13:20 |
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exactduckwoman posted:At my house we brush around the litter boxes every day when we scoop them. It's less hassle than bringing out a vacuum, and doing it every morning makes it pretty effective in keeping the apartment from looking like one big litter desert. This is what we do, too. I have a little mini broom and dustpan by the boxes to make it easier.
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# ¿ Oct 15, 2009 18:52 |
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Just as a reminder-- if you switch him too quickly to new food, his poop is probably going to get worse before it gets better. Even though it's going to be annoying, doing a gradual change is probably best for your boy's little sensitive system.
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# ¿ Oct 17, 2009 22:48 |
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Year and a half old isn't really a kitten anymore, so I would treat the introduction like you would with an adult cat. Give a slow reintroduction a try and see how it goes. edit: To expand on my 5:30 am still-sleepy post, I have dealt with a truly bitchy cat and introduction of a kitten, just this past year. Lucy is a 5 year old orange girl, and very possessive over me. Luna came into our lives back in February or March, and it was definitely very slow going with the two ladies (I have two male cats as well and they adapted to Luna with little issue). At first they hissed and swatted each other at every opportunity. It took about a month for them to be okay being in the same room, and at least another month to tolerate being at the food dishes at the same time, etc. Now, seven or so months later, they can sleep on the same piece of furniture without getting angry at each other, though cuddling doesn't happen. Basically, I'm just trying to say, don't get discouraged if it's slow going with your girls. Fire In The Disco fucked around with this message at 14:56 on Oct 27, 2009 |
# ¿ Oct 27, 2009 13:27 |
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Eej posted:Kinda related to HondaCivet's question, my kittens are almost 7 months old but I've been free-feeding them for the past two months because I was told that kittens should be free-fed since they're growing and stupidly active. Is there a point where I should consider putting them on a more fixed feeding schedule or is free-feeding alright if they don't really seem to be turning into round formless furry blobs? Like ChairmanMeow's cats, many cats don't eat more than they need (my cats are this way too). What I would do is wait until they're over a year old, and start watching them. If they start to put on weight without growing in body length to match it, you might want to transition to set meals. If they do fine, they can probably handle being free fed. My cats are free fed dry food and get an "appetizer" of wet food in the morning, because they won't eat more than a 1/4 can each anyway.
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# ¿ Oct 29, 2009 02:52 |
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Dangbe posted:I read through the first couple pages of this post and didn't see anything about the financial responsibilities of owning a cat. I am planning on adopting a cat in the very near future and I want to know about how much money the cat will cost me a month. This is not including any of the initial investment, just litter, food, whatever else I may have to purchase on a regular basis. Also about how much is it for a vet visit? Vet visits are going to be dependent on your area. Checkups typically shouldn't run any more than $50-75, but again, YMMV. And if your cat gets sick, there's really no way for me to estimate what that will cost you. The most sensible thing to do is to have a savings account with money in it at all times, so in the sad event that your baby does get sick, you're not poo poo out of luck. As for food, litter, and toys, I would say I spend around $65 a month on food (4 cats, who go through one 15 lb bag of Taste of the Wild grain-free dry food and one case of Merrick 5.5 oz canned, grain-free wet food per month), and about $20 on litter. I buy toys on a semi-regular basis, but don't typically spend more than a few bucks on those. My cats' favorites are the kind on fishing poles (including the BEST TOY EVER MADE, Da Bird), so it's often just me replacing beat up toys that hang from the pole.
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# ¿ Nov 2, 2009 20:53 |
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Two's always better than one, especially if you can do a big favor to a shelter and adopt a pair of bonded adult cats (meaning, a pair that either already lived together at their previous home or a pair that has for whatever reason really hit it off at the shelter). Most shelters have a hard enough time adopting out adult cats singly, let alone as a pair.
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# ¿ Nov 3, 2009 16:42 |
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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 12:04 |
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Don't stress out over your work hours; yeah it sucks not to be able to spend time with them, but a pair of cats will get plenty of interaction from each other. As long as you provide them with comfy places to sleep, places to climb like cat trees, and good food, they'll be happy. And of course, love on them like nobody's business when you are home!
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# ¿ Nov 3, 2009 18:39 |