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Does anyone know how to establish to a cat that is absolutely cannot go into a certain room, and that you want nothing to do with it, but will tolerate it? I keep a lot of inverts and small reptiles, and my girlfriend is moving in with me. She is bringing along her cat, which has tried to chase some of my geckos before, one of which was killed at her place when a friends cat got in and got to it. I can't be that mad with the cats, as it is just predator/prey to them, but I do not want any of my pets getting hurt because her cat was curious. Plus, some of my pets have the venom and disposition to be able to kill the cat should they bite or sting it, so it would be in the cats best interest too. As to me just tolerating the cat? I hate cats. I had on of my hamsters killed by my sister's cat when I was little, and losing the gecko just reminded me of it. I'll put up with having it around, but I see it as a direct threat to my pets, and I don't want it near me. I plan on keeping my pets in a walk-in closet now, since I guess I won't be able to have them around the rest of my apartment, but I do want her to live with me, and it is one of the concessions I'm making. While I'm smart enough to keep the door closed, I've seen cats turn doorknobs with enough effort, and I don't want it to try that or try to sneak into the closet.
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Jun 8, 2009 12:52
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ZarathustraFollower posted:While I'm smart enough to keep the door closed, I've seen cats turn doorknobs with enough effort, and I don't want it to try that or try to sneak into the closet. Install a childlock and that should stop the cat from opening the door. Otherwise, you'll just have to be observant not to allow the cat in when you in/out of the room. You can also try an SScat in the doorway to discourage the cat: http://www.multivet.net/en/products/ssscat/index.asp
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Jun 8, 2009 13:00
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ZarathustraFollower posted:Does anyone know how to establish to a cat that is absolutely cannot go into a certain room, and that you want nothing to do with it, but will tolerate it? Keep a spray bottle of water in your room and use it if the cat goes in your room. If that alone is not successful, invest in a super soaker.
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Jun 8, 2009 13:15
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Hady posted:Keep a spray bottle of water in your room and use it if the cat goes in your room. That just means the cat will learn not to go in while someone is in there :P
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Jun 8, 2009 14:27
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If you've got some money to throw at the problem, you could get an Invisible Fence collar for the cat, and then place one of their indoor units at the doorway of the room you want to cat out of. IF stuff is kind of expensive, but definitely useful. The collar is a reciever that sends a correction to the cat if/when the cat enters the field of the transmitter (the indoor unit). The indoor units can be moved around if you need to, you can adjust the field size, and you can have multiple transmitters. I don't recommend buying IF stuff secondhand because you will find it problematic to get the stuff adjusted, buy batteries for the collar, etc. However, I believe there are a number of knockoff products available that might serve the same purpose. edit: vvvvv I'd worry about using a scat mat; couldn't the cat just jump over the mat? MoCookies fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Jun 8, 2009 |
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Jun 8, 2009 16:12
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MoCookies posted:If you've got some money to throw at the problem, you could get an Invisible Fence collar for the cat, and then place one of their indoor units at the doorway of the room you want to cat out of. Or just get a scat mat. I'm not a huge fan of shocking animals, but if it's a matter of safety, I think it's justified. Scat mats are basically clear plastic doormats that shock whatever steps on them. Most cats will only step on them twice before they get the picture. I don't know what the shock is like on invisible fences, but Scat Mats are usually effective on the lowest shock setting and I've been shocked by them many times -- it really doesn't hurt, just startles. I would try a Ssscat can before investing in a Scat Mat, as they're cheaper and frequently just as effective without anybody getting shocked. Also if you keep the door locked and just try to not let the cat get in when it's open, that will probably become the cat's favorite game ever. Cats love sneaking into places they're not supposed to be. My closet is supposed to be a cat-free zone, which means that every time I open the door the cats wait for me to get distracted, and then dart through the door.
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Jun 8, 2009 16:23
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I think I'll end up trying the Ssscat, but is there anywhere that says the exact chemicals in it? I know it says harmless and such, but harmless to mammals/large creatures is far from harmless to bugs. Thanks for the replies and help guys.
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Jun 8, 2009 18:08
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One of my new kittens was sick, and not eating. The rescue organization's vet gave me some clavamox, a/d food, and told me his either his lymph nodes were swollen/enlarged, or he had a thickened bowel. That was a week and a half ago. Today, we went back in for the 3rd kitten shot, and follow up exam. He's eating very well now, and gained over a pound in the last 12 days, still has diarrhea. The vet said she wants to see him again next week. Well, I didn't actually see the vet this time, but that's what the volunteer said. I have a hard time reading what the vet wrote on the care sheet. It looks like "Still has suspect [up arrow] mesenberre lymph nodes." (I'm sure mesenberre is not the right word, but that's what it looks like to me) I'm thrilled that he responded so well to the clavamox, but this lymph node business has me worried. I'm guessing cancer would be worst case, right? Is cancer in a 14 week old kitten easier, or harder to treat than in an adult cat?
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Jun 8, 2009 19:33
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Meow Cadet posted:One of my new kittens was sick, and not eating. The rescue organization's vet gave me some clavamox, a/d food, and told me his either his lymph nodes were swollen/enlarged, or he had a thickened bowel. That was a week and a half ago. I'm glad to hear he's eating and gaining weight. My guess is it says "mesenteric" lymph nodes, which are the ones in his belly. Lymph nodes can be enlarged for any number of reasons, and I'd put cancer near the bottom of the list for a 14 week old kitten with other issues going on. Since he's still having diarrhea, it would make sense for the inflammation in his GI tract to affect his lymph nodes. Also if lymphoma were responsible for the problems he's been having, he probably would not be improving in terms of appetite and weight gain. I think cancer is pretty unlikely. If he were losing weight and had been on a dozen different meds for the diarrhea without improvement, I might be a little worried about lymphoma, but something like IBD would still be more likely. Is he still on the Clavamox or did he finish it? Clavamox is great at giving cats diarrhea, so it's also possible that he'll improve after the antibiotics are done. As a side note, it just so happens that both of my cats have had biopsies of their mesenteric lymph nodes due to various GI issues causing enlargement of the nodes, and neither has cancer.
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Jun 8, 2009 19:52
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Ah, mesenteric. Thanks, I'm sure that's what it is. He was supposed to be off the clavamox a few days ago. But the eye dropper it came with sucked balls, and I guess I mixed in too much water, so he had extra doses. I think that has much to do with his diarrhea. Now I have marquis paste, and FortiFlora to give him for the next 7 days. Hopefully it all turns out to be something minor. I'm just bracing myself since the vet had concerns about FIP initially.
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Jun 8, 2009 21:34
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My regular vet just told me that the rescue group I got my kittens from does illegal rabies vaccines. Apparently California state law says you must do it at 4 months, and the rescue group does it at 3 months instead. I'm trying to find this law for myself, but can't find much. http://www.laanimalservices.org/PDF/medical/rablaw.pdf does say that dogs must be done at 4 months, but nothing about cats. Is a rabies vaccine for cats maybe not even required at all? I was also looking for local regulations (Sacramento county) but couldn't find anything. Does anyone know what the law in CA really is? Maybe someone here knows a great all inclusive rabies info website? Edit: I finally found something. State law doesn't care about cats. My county says "Every cat over four months of age shall have a medically current vaccination with an appropriate anti-rabies vaccine approved by the United States Department of Agriculture." I think I am OK with having a rabies vaccine at 3 months, and I don't need to re-do it as the Vet Tech said. Meow Cadet fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Jun 8, 2009 |
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Jun 8, 2009 22:58
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I think the reason rabies is done at 16 weeks is because all maternal antibodies should be cleared from the system then, and maternal antibodies can interfere with the kitten's response to the vaccine. So, if the vaccine is given too early and there are still antibodies from the mother around the vaccine may not work or work as well. It may be that 12 weeks is still ok but the studies to prove efficacy have only been done for 16 weeks, or it may be that it doesn't work very well at 12 weeks. In any case, the law is the way it is for a reason so if it becomes an issue the 12 weeks vaccine may not actually hold up.
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Jun 9, 2009 01:23
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ZarathustraFollower posted:I think I'll end up trying the Ssscat, but is there anywhere that says the exact chemicals in it? I know it says harmless and such, but harmless to mammals/large creatures is far from harmless to bugs. Amazon.com says: Completely safe for people, animals, and the environment, the scentless spray has no active chemical agent, only innocuous propellant, and is stainless, ozone friendly, and has no side effects I know reptiles and inverts are very sensitive to chemicals, but it says that it doesn't have any in it.
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Jun 9, 2009 02:17
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KilGrey posted:longass post about crates and poo poo i've been working on the separation problems for a while by not making my goings a big deal and ignoring him until he calms down, and by wearing shoes in the house and things like that. Thanks for the help though! i put the crate in my bedroom and put him in it last night. he whined and whined for about an hour but after that he went to sleep. i have a kong now as well, so hopefully that'll help him grow on the crate more. he does like laying in it when the door is opened, and i have fed him in it and such, so it's just a matter of him being used to the door being closed. KilGrey posted:What are you feeding him? What is your feeding schedule like? It could be something he's eating or perhaps even stress. Honestly, since this is a chronic problem your best bet is asking the vet. You can call and ask and get advice and they'll let you know if he needs to be seen or not. I feed him Dick Van Patten's Natural Choice dog food. granted i'm no expert on dog food brands, but i read the ingredients and it seemed like pretty high quality food. i buy my food from the Humane Society since i volunteer there and get a discount, and they mostly stock premium brands like Wellness and the like. i don't have an exact schedule per se, usually i just put the food out when i wake up, and take it away at 7PM since i work nights, and i've monitored how long it takes food to go through his system and that seems to fit my schedule best. i have looked into those pheromone machines, but i think just working the way i am will be best. he's been getting better and better, it's just taking a long time and is a slow process. i suppose i'll call the vet. he vomited again yesterday, but this time it was just brown and liquid (i think it was just his dog food, but i'm not sure) and it smelled loving awful. he's started eating again though and seems better today. if he vomits again i'll call the vet. also i'm taking out pet insurance anyway, just to be safe. thanks for all the help.
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Jun 9, 2009 03:44
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Zaiquiri posted:i suppose i'll call the vet. he vomited again yesterday, but this time it was just brown and liquid (i think it was just his dog food, but i'm not sure) and it smelled loving awful. he's started eating again though and seems better today. if he vomits again i'll call the vet. Sometimes there's a waiting period after you sign up for pet insurance before most of the benefits kick in, so be sure to ask about it when you sign up. It would suck to have your dog diagnosed with something expensive the day before your insurance will cover it.
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Jun 9, 2009 14:41
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Okay, my cat is being a horny bitch. Willow is a two-year old short hair Siamese mix of some sort. I adopted her when she was 10 weeks old. She was fixed when we got her, still having her belly shaved and stitches in. Lately though, she's been acting like she's in heat. She's being even louder than normal and wanting even more attention. She "presents" when being petted, if that makes sense. Last week when holding her, I noticed some drainage under her vulva. It was a light brown color and dried to her white fur. Her genitalia wasn't inflamed or anything. I took note of it and washed her butt. Now, Willow isn't very smart and doesn't really like to clean her rear very often, so I thought it could of been some poo remnants or something. I made a note to check on it later to see if it had returned. Well, it hadn't until today. I was brushing her out when I noticed that the drainage was back again. I washed it off much to her displeasure and noticed the inside of her vulva had a slight, dark red/brown tinge to it (like the color of a bruise) in a small area in the front and traveling up into her. My vet is closed today, so I made an early morning appointment for tomorrow. Any ideas? This is the first time in two years she's done this. Besides being annoying, she's eating, drinking, and acting fine. Like I said, she doesn't like to keep her backside very clean, so I often wash it off with a wash cloth. Could she have possibly gotten a yeast infection or something similar?
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Jun 9, 2009 17:55
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Lava Lamp Goddess posted:Okay, my cat is being a horny bitch. It's unfortunately not very uncommon for cats to be only partially spayed. Especially at low-cost or shelter clinics where the vets are expected to perform the procedure very quickly, sometimes a piece of ovarian tissue gets left in the cat. The cat can't get pregnant, but can still go into heat, and most importantly, is still at risk for reproductive type cancers. In this case, the cat has to get re-spayed. Sometimes the incision has to be larger to allow the doctor to fish out the tiny piece, but otherwise it's an easy procedure. There are other possibilities, too. Does the discharge have a strong odor to it? The color you're describing sounds a lot like anal gland secretions. Is your cat overweight? Overweight cats can have problems with butt hygiene, and if the cat is female and fat enough, they can end up with extra folds of skin back there that are very prone to irritation/infection -- the bruised looking color sounds about right for that. Weight loss is the best long-term treatment, but when that's not possible for whatever reason, some vets will actually do vulvoplasty on cats. It could also be some random sort of vaginal infection, but those are typically more common in un-spayed cats. Whatever it is, your vet will probably be able to figure it out, and it's probably fixable and not super serious. 
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Jun 9, 2009 18:14
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Crooked Booty posted:It's unfortunately not very uncommon for cats to be only partially spayed. Especially at low-cost or shelter clinics where the vets are expected to perform the procedure very quickly, sometimes a piece of ovarian tissue gets left in the cat. The cat can't get pregnant, but can still go into heat, and most importantly, is still at risk for reproductive type cancers. In this case, the cat has to get re-spayed. Sometimes the incision has to be larger to allow the doctor to fish out the tiny piece, but otherwise it's an easy procedure. There is no odor that I can detect. She's also not fat by any means. Not skinny, but just about the correct weight for a cat her size. She's just a little bit  and doesn't enjoy cleaning her butt.I'll ask my vet about the partial spay and see what she thinks. This behavior hasn't happened before in the almost two years we've had her, but who knows. Would the vet be able to check by testing hormone levels or something or do you pretty much have to do exploratory surgery to see if any ovarian tissue was left? I don't want to pay for a surgery if I don't have to. One little aside, she really is only being horny around human men. It's so crazy. She'll follow my dad around and just make a huge racket to get his attention and never leave him alone. She pretty much just ignores me and my mother most of the time unless we're sitting at the computer. We just thought she was obsessed with my dad till my brother-in-law came over and she did the exact same thing! What a weirdo.
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Jun 9, 2009 20:21
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Anyone know where i can get one of these cat neckties??? http://i.somethingawful.com/u/petey/comedygoldmine/2009a/may/cat/Antis0ciald0rk.jpg
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Jun 10, 2009 14:52
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tyane posted:Anyone know where i can get one of these cat neckties??? Edited to add a picture of a cat who lives where I work. I wonder if the fact that he's blind explains why being dressed up doesn't bother him.   Click here for the full 1280x960 image. Crooked Booty fucked around with this message at 17:11 on Jun 10, 2009 |
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Jun 10, 2009 14:57
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PETCO's Wag-a-tude line of dog apparel has a few types of neckties, most of them are small enough for a cat to wear too.
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Jun 10, 2009 16:18
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Crooked Booty posted:I have seen those at Target. You might have to wait until it's closer to Halloween, but you can definitely find them at Target.
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Jun 10, 2009 17:06
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I checked target's website and was outraged at their lack of cat apparel... I do not have a target very near my town but would be willing to go check one out. I found a tie on amazon but it looked really crappy though 
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Jun 10, 2009 17:09
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tyane posted:I checked target's website and was outraged at their lack of cat apparel... I do not have a target very near my town but would be willing to go check one out. I found a tie on amazon but it looked really crappy though FYI I went to target tonight and they had the little ties but instead of stripes they have bees on them. I don't know what they were thinking. They're in the pet section with the cat collars.
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Jun 11, 2009 03:27
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aunt moneybags posted:FYI I went to target tonight and they had the little ties but instead of stripes they have bees on them. I don't know what they were thinking. They're in the pet section with the cat collars. The one I have has flowers on it.
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Jun 11, 2009 03:50
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This is the bug one from Target that I have. The striped one is cooler though.
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Jun 11, 2009 04:08
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cool thanks I will have to hit a target on the way home from work tomorrow.
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Jun 11, 2009 04:13
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Recently, there was a massive American Eskimo puppy mill that was shut down in Washington. I believe that they rescued more than 400 dogs . 90 of them were moved to a nearby Humane Society this past week. Link to story I've read about the breed online a bit, and they seem like they would be good condo\apartment dogs (with the proper exercise of course). My girlfriend is thinking about adopting one (I have my heart set on a retired greyhound). I realize that greyhounds do have a high prey drive, but I'm not too worried about it since some of them seem perfectly fine with small animals. My main question is with regards to the Eskies: What sorts of problems should we worry about if we're going to adopt one of the dogs who have been rescued from the puppy mill? One of my co-workers talked with the Humane Society people about fostering, but they ended up not doing it since they were told to basically keep the Eskie crated up and away from their other dogs. The only rationale I can think of is that the fostered dog might have some sort of contagious disease that hasn't shown up in tests yet.
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Jun 12, 2009 00:24
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I know this must be a question that gets asked a lot but my dog is scratching himself so much that he is bleeding and having patches of fur come off. I have an appointment with the vet next week but I wanted to know if there is anything I can do now and what I should expect?
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Jun 12, 2009 00:55
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It could be anything, but it's probably an allergy. It could either be seasonal, or a feed allergy. Even if a dog has been on the same food forever, he could develop a food allergy later in life. What are you feeding him? Corn is a common allergen, and common in poor quality food. Check out the food megathread while you are waiting for the vet's diagnosis. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2113296
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Jun 12, 2009 01:31
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My cat Freyja is real mean to everyone except me and my fiancee. With us she's playful and affectionate etc but soon as someone else, even friends who come over once or more during the week, she'll be curious but soon as they move to either pet her or walk by her, she's hissing and growling. I'm thinking she isn't well socialized because she's at home alone all day while we're at work. I brought up the idea of getting her a playmate but the vet said absolutely not. She's just fine by herself and not to worry. She may kill her playmate. Not exactly good news. But I still want to give it a shot, when I take my vacation this year I would like to rescue a younger cat and supervise while they get acquainted. I really think she needs company. Is this a good idea?
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Jun 12, 2009 01:39
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The fact that she is unfriendly with humans doesn't necessarily mean she wouldn't like another cat. Our cat hates other cats, but loves all people and even gets along with dogs - you never know. If you really want to do this, see if you can find a rescue that does 30-day trials, where you can easily return the new cat if they don't get along.
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Jun 12, 2009 01:45
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funmanguy posted:I know this must be a question that gets asked a lot but my dog is scratching himself so much that he is bleeding and having patches of fur come off. I have an appointment with the vet next week but I wanted to know if there is anything I can do now and what I should expect? In addition to allergies, it could be fleas. Right now we're in the middle of a flea explosion outside & there's nothing I can really do about it because we live in an apartment. So I have to comb over my dog every time she comes inside to make sure nothing hopped on while she was peeing. (This is not normal for most dogs, but she has a crazy flea allergy & one bite sends her into a leg chewing frenzy. So allowing the Frontline to do its job after a couple of hours isn't really enough.) Your vet will likely prescribe a round of steroids or give him a cortisone shot to quickly stop the itching. Then they'll work on figuring out why the itching attack started.
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Jun 12, 2009 03:10
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I'm looking for the cat ID tags that lie flat against the collar, rather than dangling, but I'm having trouble finding them. Anyone know what they're called (or even better, where to find them)?
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Jun 12, 2009 05:12
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I posted this in TFR, but I recently adopted a cocker from the Humane Society (yayyy!) and I've been having lots of problems with running into other nasty dogs that are a) not on leashes and b) aggressive. (for the record my dog is always always always on his leash outdoors. Always.)Arm waving and screaming worked up til tonight when my dog was actively attacked. I'm thinking pepper spray. Thoughts?
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Jun 12, 2009 05:23
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mumblingscrapwaver posted:I'm looking for the cat ID tags that lie flat against the collar, rather than dangling, but I'm having trouble finding them. Anyone know what they're called (or even better, where to find them)? http://www.boomerangtags.com/page.php?c=collartags&k=h
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Jun 12, 2009 06:05
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ImTheWiener posted:I posted this in TFR, but I recently adopted a cocker from the Humane Society (yayyy!) and I've been having lots of problems with running into other nasty dogs that are a) not on leashes and b) aggressive. (for the record my dog is always always always on his leash outdoors. Always.)Arm waving and screaming worked up til tonight when my dog was actively attacked. I'm thinking pepper spray. Thoughts? Yah I carry Pepper spray and a good stick and an extra leash wile walking dogs. Some times it is a little windy to be using pepper spray. I don't want to spray myself trying to protect my dog so the stick comes in handy. And the extra leash is if I can loop it around the other dog and tie it to something so I can get away and get my dog to safety then hunt down the owner of the dog and
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Jun 12, 2009 06:06
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Funkysauce posted:My cat Freyja is real mean to everyone except me and my fiancee. With us she's playful and affectionate etc but soon as someone else, even friends who come over once or more during the week, she'll be curious but soon as they move to either pet her or walk by her, she's hissing and growling. I'm thinking she isn't well socialized because she's at home alone all day while we're at work. I brought up the idea of getting her a playmate but the vet said absolutely not. She's just fine by herself and not to worry. She may kill her playmate. ...what? I have no idea why the hell a vet would say that. Your cat not being well socialized with people doesn't mean she'll not like a buddy and it certainly doesn't mean she'll kill her playmate. I'd probably go to a new vet if they told me that. My cat hates anyone not me or my boyfriend but wuvs the kitten we got a year ago. It took a bit for her to get used to him but now they play all day and flop down in cat piles of cuteness. Just make sure you take introductions correctly and slow. If you are unsure how to do this, many here have awesome suggestions. When you go to the rescue tell them you need a really laid back and chill cat as your current one is a bit more high strung. Start getting used to the idea of what normal playing is, normal 'sorting out the pecking order' and what is actually a fight because all three look remarkably similar. ImTheWiener posted:I posted this in TFR, but I recently adopted a cocker from the Humane Society (yayyy!) and I've been having lots of problems with running into other nasty dogs that are a) not on leashes and b) aggressive. (for the record my dog is always always always on his leash outdoors. Always.)Arm waving and screaming worked up til tonight when my dog was actively attacked. I'm thinking pepper spray. Thoughts? Petco has a 'doggy pepper spray' of sorts that works really well too. I use it or my whompin' stick when I go out for walks with my dog. Air horns can also work.
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Jun 12, 2009 08:13
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I made it through half of this thread so I'm apologizing upfront if my lazy butt is repeating a question. Can someone explain the difference between the various dog collars out there? My family adopted a schnauzer/poodle mix. She's a tiny thing and was weighed at 17lbs two days ago. She has a standard collar currently, but I don't like how loose it needs to be so it's comfortable for her. My parents were considering getting a harness but I wouldn't think that would be something you leave on a dog 24/7. From the research I've done martingale collars seems to be the best bet, but some suggestions from the PI crew are always appreciated. Edit: clarity chortlemoose fucked around with this message at 20:49 on Jun 12, 2009 |
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Jun 12, 2009 20:47
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astryea posted:I made it through half of this thread so I'm apologizing upfront if my lazy butt is repeating a question.
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Jun 12, 2009 20:51
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