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eating only apples posted:Not to say that Ferdie is particularly smart, but he's over all his puzzle toys. I love the Nina Ottosson range and the turnover toy is arriving tomorrow, but can anyone recommend other puzzle toys available in the UK? Kid loves them, and bonus, we've convinced him that his particularly expensive dry food (Catit Nuna) is actually treats. He doesn't care for treat-dispensing balls. Doesn't get it, won't bother trying. But a few moving parts on a flat tray and he'll be engaged for ages. we’re also in the U.K. and have a few puzzle toys including that one. It’s the most complicated one I’ve found so you might struggle for something that keeps him puzzled for so long. have to say I was disappointed with mine as the wheel is ridiculously stiff (like, the bigger of our two cats can move it, but it’s off-puttingly hard) and two of the raindrops are loose so they fall below the level of the board and get stuck. sounds like I got a duff one? https://www.amazon.co.uk/ALL-PAWS-Interactive-Puzzle-Feeder/dp/B08169DXJT/ https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_toys/miscellaneous/1672674 these are a lot easier and ours figured them out immediately, but they still like em Shogi fucked around with this message at 08:27 on Jul 22, 2023 |
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Jul 22, 2023 08:24
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 09:29 |
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kaom posted:Separate topic, but I bought a training clicker this weekend. Our cats blew me away and weren’t scared of it at all, which means we’re skipping right to the part where I teach them it means “you did good.” I realize training cats is less common because, well, their attention span, but that said does anyone have recommendations? I’m currently understanding maybe 30 seconds of focus is a good session, and that target training is kind of the default beginner trick (foam ball on a stick I guess?). I have no goals other than another way of communicating/engaging with them. Based on how they reacted to puzzles like “there is a treat in this toilet paper roll” I think at least one of them will enjoy it. judging by our two, cats vary a lot in terms of how long they like to train for, how quickly they learn tricks and how often they'll refuse to do them because you're not even their real dad. one of ours loves training to the point he comes and asks me if i forget, can do long sessions no bother, and picks up most stuff really easily. the other isn't that bothered and will sometimes wander off 3-4 treats in, though he has gradually learned stuff too. Albert and Mia is a good channel. I did 'follow the finger' first (equivalent of target training), then sit, come when called - this is actually really useful, especially if they're indoor-outdoor so you can yell their name into the dark and feel like a cool ranger when their eyes appear in the distance - stay, jump into carrier, then silly stuff like high five and lie down just for fun. you sometimes have to individualise things even for smart cats. eg for lie down, i had to figure out my own way to show the smarter of the two what i wanted cos he just doesn't naturally reach forward with his paws for a treat placed on the floor, and for jump into carrier (a backpack) i had to start with it flat and the front off and gradually tilt it further up each session until he felt safe to jump in the top
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Aug 30, 2023 23:48
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apparently it’s a virus protein they test for in FeLV, so perhaps both cats got the virus but May’s immune system managed to clear it in the early stages? happens with serious viruses in humans at least. but like Carebear said a confirmatory test might be good in the circumstances. you’ve had to deal with a lot, I hope this is the beginning of some better luckkaom posted:your cats are amazing for picking them up, I’m blown away by your training success. Mine have kind of figured out “come when called” at least for bedtime snuggles. It would be great to reinforce that and make it an actual thing. Maybe also make the cue something less embarrassing than standing at the top of the stairs singing my own made up cat song at them. our cats are great, and I love them even though ‘don’t poo poo on the rug’ has proved the most elusive trick for the ginge. apparently my Franciscan powers have limits. imo it helps to make the voice commands tonally distinct so let the cat song ring out. most of mine are two-note ‘songs’
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Sep 2, 2023 10:31
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hope there's a rural vet option for AL. i used to work in a poor rural area, though not in the US, and people did have the large animals vet see their cats and dogs for simple vaccinations etc en route. the thought of taking our two medium-hairs on a 3-hour car journey is grim. one of them is a carefree soul who complains a bit while the car's moving but is basically fine. the other is a farm rescue who's very wary of every human except us, and absolutely cannot tolerate being in a moving car. he gets a little worse every time he has to go. if he's doped with valerian and you play music to cover the car noise a bit he can maybe manage ten minutes before spewing his guts out of both ends and breathing in these horrible panting gasps for the rest of the trip. (if you don't do that, he shits himself literally within seconds of starting the car.) he also can't stand being bathed so you have to make his day even worse when he gets home by wrapping him in a towel with his tail and back paws sticking out to try and wash off the worst of the caked-on poo poo. he's such a classy fella generally and it makes me feel genuinely guilty seeing him stinky and miserable. the vets don't seem that bothered by it and don't think he needs a proper sedative but it worries me. i think next time i'm either gonna get a vet to visit or put him in his backpack and make the 90min walk to the vet. though might be worth trying one of those huge soft carriers with a little litter box in and seeing if that stops him getting in such a mess at least? god knows. considered finding a way to put him in with his brother as well to see if it calms him, but it could just result in two cats covered in puke and poo poo
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Oct 5, 2023 12:50
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good shout actually, haven't tried that and it's worth a shot. there's a particular smell to adrenaline rush terror shits whatever kind of mammal you are so it's definitely not just motion sickness
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Oct 5, 2023 16:23
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thought i'd pay for my horrid posts with some pics of differential cat tree usage and snuggling interrupted by a sneeze. the ginge is the chill bro who got found in a wheelie bin and the dark tabby posts in the cspam car haters thread   
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Oct 5, 2023 17:15
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call me the cat cos I just discovered my boring/frustrated crossbreed heritage the furminator makes me a bit wary cos it’s a cutting brush so you have to be careful not to overdo it. i know you’re not meant to use it on cats with thinner coats like orientals so it might be worth checking with someone who does cat and dog grooming as a job or smth
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Oct 7, 2023 15:18
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our bin ginger is a fancy lad and will only consistently use the tray if it’s scent release clumping. needs the scent of rose petals or fresh cotton to accompany his every piss. non-clumping just means he starts leaving surprise turds in exciting places. figuring this out was a process of elimination (har har). final straw was the ‘cyclone of piss’ incident. he was in the bathroom guarding my partner, who was engaged in the v dangerous task of taking a dump. the cat tunnel was being quarantined in the tub due to a previous incident and was kinda sloped diagonally upwards. cat decides to leap into the tunnel and is positioned with his head at the foot of the slope and his rear end at the top. Perfect time to empty one’s bladder right? so as the piss flows downhill he realises there’s no exit plan and backflips out of the tunnel in a blaze of ammonia. pets enrich your life so much don’t they
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Nov 28, 2023 14:02
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yeah both of ours sometimes do this as well, and enjoy getting ruffled up and petted while they're up scratching re: clicker training a negative - i haven't had to teach our cats 'no' because for some reason the older one has always considered the kitchen counter a no-go area, and taught his younger brother not to go up there by slapping or biting him when he tried. but this fella's clicker strats generally worked really well for me, and he has one for teaching them 'no': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kStdUi2ebo
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Jan 13, 2024 16:00
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GlyphGryph posted:How the hell do you actually teach a cat to "stay"? get them to sit, say 'stay' while doing a repeatable hand signal, then click+treat them for doing nothing no, really. the first session or two you just have to reward nothing while they're sat still. then try taking one step back after the signal and command then rewarding. keep getting further away, then try turning away for a moment, etc etc. it's not actually too tough. one of mine loves training but after about a year decided he will no longer do any of his tricks (except sometimes come when called) unless i have treats in my pocket, which has reduced my ability to feel like a cool fantasy ranger. at least the ginger hasn't worked that one out yet
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Feb 3, 2024 20:32
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one thing to avoid by the way is doing the obvious 'stop' palm signal for stay if that looks very similar to what you do for high five/gimme your paw. will just confuse them their near vision generally isn't the best either so if you're stood close to them it needs to be a very clear signal/movement that isn't too similar to any other one
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Feb 4, 2024 11:10
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 09:29 |
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Heard a bit of commotion and looked outside to see this (excuse found-footage night photo quality from my potato phone): The dark tabby is a farm cat rescue and usually kills any rats that get into the garden without any messing about. This time he brought it into the house alive and tried to let the ginger re-catch it as a teaching exercise:  Result: -discovered our mystery bin ginger hasn't got a bad bone in his body and won't hurt a rat even if it's cowering in terror right next to him; -had to clean up a bunch of rat poo poo; -rat is sat in a flower pot in my front yard
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Mar 13, 2024 00:05
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