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How do you go about telling if a cat has dandruff? My black cat has these teeny little white flecks on her fur around the base of her tail and on her paws, but I'm not sure if it's a dry skin thing, or she's collecting a lot of dust when she sleeps under the couches. She doesn't seem overly itchy at all, so I'm curious as to what it is.
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Oct 21, 2012 18:21
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I mentioned in the Questions thread that I'm watching a kitten for a couple days. Well, to stave off KES, I present the tiny fur thing. It's small, black, generally very noisy and I think it's a girl. Currently it's napping on the cat bed I gave it. 
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Nov 6, 2012 21:28
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My cats are less than impressed with the noises coming from the bathroom. I do believe I have offended them by bringing this total stranger in. For further KES prevention I have some video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26juI43ntk8
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Nov 6, 2012 22:12
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In the past when I inquired about people not allowing cats in apartments, the usual things were listed. Litter box smell, un-neutered males spraying, carpets/doors/walls being clawed. These are concerns because people tend to be lazy, ignorant or uneducated in pet things. So when they move out, the landlord is left with an apartment that reeks of cat urine and has no salvageable carpets. Sound had also been sited as a concern, though less frequently than the cleanliness issues. If you're renting from a company, rather than an individual, it could simply be company policy that no pets are allowed in the building. In this case, you'll likely not have much luck. If this is not the case, ask about a one time pet deposit fee. My building allows cats, birds, rabbits and other small animals, for a nonrefundable fee of $250 per pet. This is so that when I move, they automatically have the money to replace damaged flooring or paint, steam clean carpets, etc. Or at least this is what they told me at the office. It's also possible that they will simply adjust your monthly rent to reflect a pet fee. Hopefully this is helpful. I'm sure many others in PI have more detailed information for you. 
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Nov 14, 2012 18:39
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I thought something looked a bit odd about the carpet at the bathroom door Upon closer inspection:  I hope you're both proud of this, you little ingrates!  This is why we can't have nice things.
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Nov 19, 2012 22:39
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Toaster Beef posted:He's super hyper, super playful and hasn't displayed any outward signs of sickness or trouble. Except I've noticed one thing: He breathes fast. Not in gasps or bursts, but at a consistent pace. Just ... faster than what I'm accustomed to seeing from a regular cat (my parents have always had cats, so I grew up with 'em). I have a cat sort of like this, though her playfulness and hyper activity only comes in occasional spurts. When I brought it up with my vet, he said it wasn't something to worry about unless there were obvious signs of distress, that some cats just draw in breath faster than others. But it's always good to ask your vet about any concerns that you have when it comes to your animals.
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Dec 14, 2012 06:14
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sloth mittens posted:I'm Toaster Beef's cat's other owner, and yeah: we're going to call the vet to ask sometime today. I counted his breathes last night (44 per minute) and took his pulse (which was well in the normal range for a cat), so hopefully all we'll need is a phone call telling us we're paranoid cat-owners, especially since he shows no signs of labored breathing or distress. Quite the handsome boy you have there. What did your vet have to say? I'm curious to know their opinion and if it's vastly different from my own vet's opinion. Hopefully you got good news about it.
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Dec 16, 2012 17:59
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Shnooks posted:I work with animals all day It is possible that he does smell the other animals on you and this leads him to react. I read a book on cats and their behavior once that had a snippet about a man who was a cat rescue volunteer and the cat he adopted was very territorial and possessive of him and would go nuts when he came home from the shelter since he smelled of other animals. The behavior did stop when the man quit working at the shelter. This could be the case with your cat. Or he's just being an rear end in a top hat who wants all the attention and has energy to spare. I should note that I am not advising that you quit your job. I just happened to remember the story, thought it may be helpful to know that others have gone through similar. Canadian Bakin fucked around with this message at 05:03 on Dec 21, 2012 |
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Dec 21, 2012 04:57
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Shnooks posted:about trouble cat Does he attack mostly when he's being given attention? Others in PI have mentioned before that some cats get over stimulated easily and then act out. Perhaps this is the case. Though your mention of small children makes me wonder if he associates people with being hit and is getting defensive. Children can be cruel to animals, though many times it is without really meaning to. An example is how little kids pet dogs and cats. Tends to look more like swatting than petting until they get taught otherwise. This would be a good thing to ask your vet or an animal behaviorist about. A cat tree would be a good idea, so that he can have the feeling of being up and away from things. Cats do like to be high up. Perhaps a bed on top of a bookshelf or entertainment center would suit him, if you have either of those. If a regular cat tree is not an option, there are ones that you can hang from doors. The Goon in the Abandoned Kitten thread has one for his cats. It seems to work fairly well and appears to be sturdy as well as secure. And maybe toys that he can run around and chase? Especially ones that keep him away from your limbs. Remote control mice, laser pointers, Da Bird. You may also want to try shutting him out of your room when you want to sleep, if it is possible. At least until you get this figured out. As for the vet, give them a call. Explain your situation and concerns and ask for their advice. It's always good to get their opinion on things and a check up for kitty won't hurt. Except in the wallet. Lastly, he's a very handsome cat. Perhaps he is simply aware of his cuteness and using it to lure you into a false sense of security between attacks. And once you succumb to your wounds, he will rule the house and be king of all he surveys.
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Dec 21, 2012 22:54
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Chiming in for the Blue Naturally Fresh. This is the third litter I've tried and is by far the best. Hardly any dust and great at keeping the smell down. My cats are able to track it all over the frigging apartment, but then they have really floofy feet. This is why I own a Dyson Animal.
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Dec 28, 2012 23:36
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Can anyone offer a possible explanation as to why my boy cat follows me into my kitchen and starts to meep, rub against my legs and flop around on the floor? He shows no interest in people food or beverages, other than to demand a sniff of whatever I am serving myself, and treats are only served at the cat tree. Am I missing some message here?
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Sep 13, 2013 01:46
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Serella posted:Yeah, you can't. At least, not as long as you continue to let Lilly free feed. You'll have to put her on specific mealtimes and keep their dishes separated (maybe even locking one in another room until they're both done) to prevent fattycat from eating her food. It may take a few days to get Lilly to eat her whole bowl at mealtime, but she'll learn. Give her 30 minutes with the meal and then put the rest away. What about a Lilly access only room using a tagged collar and an RFID cat flap? I've never actually used one or seen one in use but they seem like they'd be useful for a situation like this.
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Oct 12, 2013 00:41
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baxxy posted:I'm almost certain I've seen dry food for "all stages" - I'll try to remember the brand if someone else doesn't beat me to it. It was a premium brand. Orijen makes a Cat and Kitten food. http://www.orijen.ca/blog/products/dry-cat-food/cat-kitten I free feed two cats with it and a large bag will last me somewhere around a month.
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Oct 30, 2013 22:07
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JustJeff88 posted:I worry about hydration. A pet fountain is a great option if wet food just isn't your kitty's preference. I'm a fan of the Drinkwell Platinum fountain, but there's plenty of different types to choose from. Or you can go the route of multiple bowls of water around the house in areas that your cats frequent. My in-laws do this and it works well for their cats.
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Oct 31, 2013 01:34
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Cats are assholes, I already have two. Abby has taken to using a corner of my mattress for scratching. Anybody got tips on how to stop this? I'm going to attempt to tape tinfoil to the bed, but who knows how long that will last or if it'll even work. I've already tried using a spray bottle, but that's less than effective when I'm half asleep and weighed down by Wheatley sleeping on my chest.
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Dec 31, 2013 17:38
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Deteriorata posted:about cats going outside as they please I'm curious as to whether or not your area has a cat bylaw, as well as where other people who let their cats roam live. My city does and I know several people in violation of it. I realize that there are some cats who are content to merely go sun outside on the porch for a while and then come back in, but far more of them like to wander far and wide. So, if there are bylaws in place, how do people justify it? Directly from the bylaw itself: RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE OWNER 3 (1) No owner shall allow or permit his cat to run at large. (2) No owner shall allow or permit his cat to damage public property or the property of any other person. I also don't understand the mindset from the simple perspective of all cats and dogs are pets that we love. Most people don't (at least, I hope they don't) let their dogs wander about just because the dog loves to be outside. So why do they to think it's okay for cats to do it?
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Mar 14, 2014 18:24
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I free feed my cats that exact flavor of Orijen and to my untrained eye, they have maintained a steady weight over the last couple years. Or rather, my husband's untrained eye. I have a tendency to fret that Wheatley is too skinny and losing weight, but this is due to judging him against Abby, who is a lady of substance. And I second baxxy's opinion. A very handsome cat.
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Mar 15, 2014 01:22
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Cats sleep for a good portion of the day. I've read articles that suggest they sleep for upwards to 16+ hours a day. They're happy to just snuggle up to something warm and doze while you're at work. Most often, I get home to find our two cats sleeping on our bed. Make sure your new friend has a good selection of toys, perhaps something to perch on near a window for quality cat TV. And play lots when you get home. The balcony net idea has merit. Make sure it's okay with your landlord first, though. In other news, our local SPCA and a couple rescues are hosting a free microchip clinic, open to all cat owners with no limit on number of cats. I'm taking my pair in as this is a splendid opportunity. They're strictly indoors in an apartment but I feel it's worth the peace of mind just in case they do somehow get outside. The fuzzy butts in question, because one can never show off their cats enough: 
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Apr 5, 2014 02:53
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Wheatley has developed himself a spot of cat acne. The vet has us cleaning his face on a daily basis and we caught it early enough that it's manageable and seems to be responding well. But he had one larger zit thing on his chin and when I took a look earlier, he seems to have popped it. It's not bleeding and he's not overly fussed by it, let me give him scritches and all. I'm just wondering if there's a pet friendly antiseptic balm or something that I could be using so as to prevent an infection and treat anything that might crop up in the future.
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Apr 28, 2014 01:00
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Zartans Lady Mask posted:Talk about Softpaws I put Softpaws on my cats a total of twice. Girl cat was disgruntled but suffered through it until they fell off on their own. Boy cat was a shithead and chewed all his off within a day of installment. When they work, they work really well. But if your cat is truly determined, Softpaws aren't going to stay on too long.
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Jun 12, 2014 18:38
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A liberal sprinkle of catnip on the current scratching post may create a more appealing alternative to the new couch. And on the new one, should you pick one up. Also, try some double sided tape on the couch! My husband and I have used it to keep our cats from scratching at our bed with great success. Hope it all works out for you.
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Jun 12, 2014 23:57
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Tinycat  I'm so sorry. You did good by him and he had a happy life with you with adventures in trees, playtime and love.
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Dec 4, 2015 23:53
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I've had luck finding live catnip and cat mint plants at Home Depot in their garden center. Just don't do what I did and give it to your siblings to keep for you until you had time to harvest it only for the fat ginger cat down the road to eat the entire thing in one sitting and then pass out in the pot.
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Mar 30, 2016 02:11
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I'm dealing with a serious case of poopbutt this morning that my vet's office figures is likely stress related. And trying to figure out how to deal with it. Cat in question: Wheatley, 6 year old male, neutered. Long hair. Indoor only. Eats Orijen Cat and Kitten, free fed. Whiskas Temptations for treats, five to seven biscuits as per bag, once every two-ish days. No other treats except quality cat drugs from dee eight. Access to water fountain, drinks and eats heartily. While dingle berries have been an issue in the past because long haired cat, this is far more severe. We moved apartments within the last six months and the neighbors have a cat with free access to their balcony who frequently leans around to peek onto our balcony to cheek rub the bricks and be very vocal when it sees us or our cats through the door. We've been leaving the door open (with the screen closed) for air flow, but I am not opposed to keeping it closed for Wheatley's sake. I was also considering writing a short letter to the neighbors to ask if they could possible block their cat's access to that particular corner of their balcony, and/or putting up a partition of our own. Vet visits are being booked accordingly and there will be Feliway on order by tonight. Have I missed anything, PI? Please tell me if I have. Food or treat recalls, other stress relievers, anything!
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Jun 23, 2016 18:13
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Dogfish posted:Stressed out cat Feliway diffusers are a god send in cases like this. We used one to great effect when we moved apartments and we just started using it again to help with a stressed cat on the advice of our vet. Providing your vet finds nothing else to be amiss, give the Feliway a try. Edit: Check around to see if maybe there is a stray cat in your area who has been visiting your property. Our little guy has been acting up thanks to the neighbors cat peering onto our balcony. So that's something else to look into.
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Jul 2, 2016 18:27
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Khizan posted:Where's a good place to get that? They're so expensive around here. Dogfish, you could try calling any of your local rescues to see if they do TNR or street rescues for older cats. And be sure to still take kitty to the vet as the stray might not be the cause of your current problems. Good luck figuring everything out! Canadian Bakin fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Jul 3, 2016 |
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Jul 3, 2016 00:23
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asiperi posted:I know this thread is always in favor of "more cats," so here goes. When we got our cats they were 9 months old. Still kitten-ish but grown up enough that their personalities were pretty much set. In the five or so years that we've had them about the only big change is that Abby stopped being a ghost cat and actually started seeking us out for cuddles/"talking" more and learned to beg for treats. Wheatley was a noisy lovebug from day one and has only grown more so. So you could ask around at your shelters for cats roughly 8 months to a year, see who's available. Find out if you can meet the kitties and spend some time interacting with them.
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Jul 11, 2016 02:08
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Feliway diffuser. Double sided tape for your couch. Check to see if any of the neighbors have pets that roam or make noise that he might be picking up on. Get Da Bird and give that kitty something to chase! Those are the pretty standard ideas. Last but not least, a vet visit to see if maybe Gabe isn't feeling so well. Hope you figure it out.
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Aug 11, 2016 16:15
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Pollyanna posted:What do people do for mitigating cat hair getting everywhere? My bed sheets always end up caked in fur since my cat hangs out there a lot, same for his pillows and blankets. I don't want to have to wash my bed sheets more than every two weeks, and lint rollers only do so much. I have a slicker brush, but that doesn't seem as effective at getting rid of hair than at getting rid of mats. Am I gonna be wiping down my sheets all the time now? Rubber gloves, like you would use for washing dishes. I got the trick from a video on Cole and Marmalade's YT channel. Tried it out and it works like a hot drat. Just put the glove on and rub your hand firmly over the area with the cat fur. Tada!
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Jan 6, 2017 03:47
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I need some recommendations for good cat self enrichment toys. Like the kind that kitty can play with on their own when we're not around, if that's even a thing. We've noticed lately that Wheatley seems to be lacking enrichment in his life, judging by the amount of "woe is me" meowing he makes at us when we're home from work. Abby doesn't give a hoot unless the laser pointer is out, but Wheatley will sit on his favorite toy until one of us picks it up to play. But we can't do that when we're at work and I think that's leading to some pretty intense boredom for him. Anything the thread can recommend would be great. I've looked at the mouse under the blanket toy already and will probably pick one up soon. I was also thinking about food puzzles, though he's not as food motivated as his sister.
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Jul 28, 2017 17:25
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duckfarts posted:a second cat I mean, I'd have a dozen cats if I thought I could get away with it! Sadly, two is the limit for us since we live in an apartment. There's just not enough room for three and the litter boxes that would require.\ But I'll keep looking for ideas. Maybe some DIY home build toys.
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Aug 1, 2017 02:36
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Willie Tomg posted:My little sweetheart fluff golem munchkin lovebug burmilla Claudius loves everything and everyone, but particularly loves meal times, and eats so drat fast she pukes it up five minutes later. I got my treat fiend cat one of these so she would made savor the treats instead of scarf them all down in 10 seconds. Fits most kibbles. Edit: Beaten on the link.
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Mar 17, 2018 22:22
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(why did you stop scritches to play with the camera, human??)
(ooooof, those were some good scritches, human.)
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Robot Mil, looks like you should be able to get Hills Science Diet from amazon.ca to at least tide you over until you can see a vet. There's several other brands to choose from though I can't speak to how great they are. Do you know anyone in the area you're moving to? Maybe they could stop into a vet and pick up some of your preferred food to have ready for your arrival.
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Jun 11, 2018 01:02
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One of our cats keeps getting acne on his chin so we're looking into ways to mitigate this. I've already started swapping the food bowl weekly, which will probably move to twice a week now. They are currently hand thrown pottery so maybe that's an issue? But what I'm really hoping is that the thread has a recommendation for water fountains that can be run through the dishwasher but won't break the bank if I need to purchase a couple of them. We do wash the current fountain regularly but it's a pain the rear end involving a long soak with a deliming solution due to hard water, and it can't go in the dishwasher.
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Jun 18, 2019 00:35
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FelicityGS posted:You need to wash the food bowls every day, every two days max. That is the most likely vector for chin acne. Yay more dishes.  I'll switch them to something smoother than pottery too. At least he's cute?
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Jun 18, 2019 01:03
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Yeah, I'll see what I can find to swap them over to, but it'll be plates in the meantime and both of the little butts have a vet appointment this month so maybe we can get some help there too. Thanks for the advice! And before I forget, here's the cat tax: 
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Jun 18, 2019 01:24
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Thanks so much, folks! Glass plates will be purchased ASAP and I've got two fountains on order from Amazon. Wheatley and Abby thank you for helping to improve their quality of life by getting their butlers to spend money on them, yet again! 
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Jun 18, 2019 05:57
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Just wanted to say thanks again to the folks who recommended daily food dish swaps and the stainless steel fountains! We had our vet visit today for vaccine updates and a general health check. Vet says all is well, they are in good health other than Wheatley's chin. We have antibiotics now for that and he said that what the thread suggested was exactly what he was going to recommend! We've been advised to consider transitioning them onto a senior food soon as they turn 9 this fall but since they seem to be doing quite well on their current food there is no rush. They were amazingly well behaved for the vet and the nurses just loved them. Cat tax:  
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Jun 28, 2019 06:32
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Hey cat thread, First off, cat tax.    I've got an issue that's driving my husband and I nuts. Cats in question(littermates): Wheatley - orange and white, neutered male, 9yrs old Abby - black, neutered female, 9yrs old We moved back in August from an apartment to a house, older with a decent sized fenced in yard. But of course, there's neighborhood cats and fences are a suggestion to them. Our cats have seen a few of them through the patio doors and have mostly reacted with curiosity, and a tiny bit of slapping the glass. So we're not sure if the issue is related to this or not. About three weeks ago, seemingly out of the blue, Abby and Wheatley got into a brief tussle that ended with Abby yowling like she was wounded, trying to hide under a kitchen chair, hissing and spitting if Wheatley got within four feet of her. The whole shebang. We kept an eye on them, and when it happened again we promptly separated them to different floors of the house and I got Abby a vet appointment ASAP. Vet says she's fine, no sign of illness or bodily injury. We hung up a sheet blocking the view out of the patio doors until we had them replaced(unrelated to cat issues, just homeowner poo poo). We also bought Feliway diffusers and set them up in the main floor and basement. So we kept them separated for another couple of days after the vet and then tried a reintroduction. Things seemed to be going fine until this week. She's back to hissing and spitting, arched back, scuttling out of the way while puffing herself up if Wheatley looks at her wrong. And yet, ten days ago they were cuddling with me on the couch.  Wheatley's always been a bit of a dumbass and not always been great with respecting Abby's boundaries so he'd get a whap in the face from time to time, but these are cats who grew up together and we expected the odd slap fight now and then. They used to groom each other fairly constantly, snuggle on the couch, all those good things. What the hell gives? I'm seriously at my wits end over this. I don't want to have to segregate my cats for the rest of their lives.
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Dec 24, 2021 23:50
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Does anybody have advice for helping a cat adjust to, or hopefully recover from, idiopathic vestibular syndrome? Our male cat, Wheatley, developed it a couple weeks ago, really freaked us out. We got him into the vet where he got a check up and a steroid shot to help with some ear inflammation that the vet thought might be the cause. He was doing fairly well until three days ago and now all his symptoms seem to be coming back. Google tells me that this normally take a couple weeks to resolve and we've now seen three vets who all say they can't really find anything wrong with him short of us going to a neuropathic specialist. We've confined both cats to the main floor of the house and we're trying to encourage Wheatley to stay off the furniture. But my little man just wants to do cat stuff and he's getting very confused when he tries and then falls rear end over heels in the process. I just want my little buddy to be okay 
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Apr 25, 2024 20:59
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