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I have crappy skin, so I frequently put salicylic acid acne stuff on my face before I go to bed. I've noticed that when I do, I wake up to the cat vigorously licking my face. She doesn't wake me up like that when I don't put on the acne medicine, and she doesn't lick it off my face immediately - she waits until morning. Am I marinating myself for her? My funeral plan has always been for the cat to eat whatever parts of my body don't drip away into the mattress, but it's a little soon to start.
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May 10, 2008 20:31
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Dubious Merit posted:I have crappy skin, so I frequently put salicylic acid acne stuff on my face before I go to bed. I've noticed that when I do, I wake up to the cat vigorously licking my face. She doesn't wake me up like that when I don't put on the acne medicine, and she doesn't lick it off my face immediately - she waits until morning. When I had acne, I had a couple of cats who were the exact same way. They never got sick and thankfully I always had a nose when I woke up.
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May 10, 2008 22:04
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Dubious Merit posted:I have crappy skin, so I frequently put salicylic acid acne stuff on my face before I go to bed. I've noticed that when I do, I wake up to the cat vigorously licking my face. She doesn't wake me up like that when I don't put on the acne medicine, and she doesn't lick it off my face immediately - she waits until morning. The big question will now be: if your acne clears up, is it the cream or the cat spit?
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May 11, 2008 22:09
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I believe my cat may have a UTI, or something similar and plan to take him to the vet ASAP to address this. He has been urinating in the bathroom sinks, in both bathrooms in my house, and I know cats sometimes seek smooth surfaces when they're having a health problem. He has been prone to struvite crystals in the past, per the vet, so I'm not totally surprised. He is currently eating some combination of blue buffalo and avoderm food (canned and dry). Anyway, here is my concern: every time I go to the vet, pretty much for anything, they get really pushy with selling me prescription science diet food. They'll say that he's overweight, even if he's within the average for weight relative to his age - I just sometimes feel like they are trying to rip me off. Don't get me wrong, I understand that vets and their staff work hard, and are often not compensated in kind for the services they provide. But I feel that this vet office is an exception in terms of their practices. But whether it's the science diet food, or special gel to brush my cats' teeth, or feliway, I just get to the point of feeling uncomfortable talking to my vet. I live in a relatively rural area, where there are two vets - and the second one in town is known to have a worse reputation than mine. Sometimes I feel that they imply that if I'm not buying the prescription food, I'm basically rejecting their treatment option and causing my cat to get crystals/infections. Though I've done research on this forum and online about what food is best for my cat, I don't feel quite competent to argue with a vet. I just know that he makes a cut off selling the food, and I am not convinced that science diet has good formulations. Less than a year ago, I had an emergency with my other cat, that after doing all kinds of expensive tests, my vet referred me over to an emergency vet out of town to receive services. They were great. However, they have a special agreement with my vet that they won't take new clients from these referrals, as to not "steal" clients away. I was really disappointed about this, because I felt that even though the place was 40 minutes away, I trusted the services I received. So, I will either provide the vet with a urine sample or take Cobra in to have urine taken out of his bladder to be tested. I'll make sure he gets the treatment that he needs. But how do I deal with a vet and the vet techs that are so forceful pushing products that I don't feel like I need? It makes me question all the other information I get from them.
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May 11, 2008 23:32
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Look, the long and short of it is that while r/d or whatever they were trying to push on you for the weight are not necessary, if your cat has recurrent urinary problems you should put him on one of the prescription diets. Just as you said, you don't know better than the vet. Urinary tract problems and crystals are not something you should mess with, especially in male cats. I don't care if every single ingredient in the loving c/d or s/d is some permutation of corn husks or pig assholes, it's been proven to work in reducing urinary problems in cats who are prone to them and that is good enough for me. If you don't trust your vet, you should go to a different one. You said you would be willing to go to that other vet who yours referred you to who is 40 minutes away, so what's stopping you from finding another in that range? And what exactly is stopping you from going to the referral vet anyway? Nobody can tell you where to take your pet, and whatever bullshit agreement they have cannot restrict your personal freedom to take your pets wherever you please. If it's an emergency clinic that isn't a normal day practice that's a different story, but if they have their own clients that they see and you trusted their opinion and liked them, then just go there.
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May 12, 2008 01:00
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Lioness posted:I don't care if every single ingredient in the loving c/d or s/d is some permutation of corn husks or pig assholes, it's been proven to work in reducing urinary problems in cats who are prone to them and that is good enough for me. This is helpful information for me. I haven't really reviewed vet med journals or anything to get information about prescription diets, so it's useful to know that for UTIs/urinary problems they *actually* work. That's reason enough to put my cats on it, in my view. Thanks for responding, I suppose I was mostly venting/complaining about the situation. I was previously refused at that second vet hospital I was talking about, when I called to take my cat that had been treated there. Maybe because Cobra has never been, it will be a loophole in their stupid rule. I'll ask the vet about this, but I'm sure he won't hesitate to recommend that both my cats eat it, even if only one has the urinary problems -- but is it problematic to have the other cat on the prescription food as well, even if she's never had urinary problems (but is healthy overall)?
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May 12, 2008 01:43
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testifeye posted:This is helpful information for me. I haven't really reviewed vet med journals or anything to get information about prescription diets, so it's useful to know that for UTIs/urinary problems they *actually* work. That's reason enough to put my cats on it, in my view. quote:I'll ask the vet about this, but I'm sure he won't hesitate to recommend that both my cats eat it, even if only one has the urinary problems -- but is it problematic to have the other cat on the prescription food as well, even if she's never had urinary problems (but is healthy overall)?  We feed ours in separate rooms and keep the door closed until they're finished, so we can keep the healthy one on cheaper foods.
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May 13, 2008 18:48
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Well, I didn't have to call Animal Control on my own mother, thank God. As far as I can gather, they took Don in, found out he had environmental allergies, and got him some medicine. I'm trying to convince her to bring him inside more of the time. I'm still reeling a little from the tongue-lashing she gave me when I confronted her about it last week. I'm hoping she was just stressed out, and doesn't genuinely believe the things she said - she basically told me that animals aren't important, and that she isn't responsible for pets she no longer wants, and that I can't give her a hard time about animal cruelty or morals because I'm breaking decency laws by living with someone out of wedlock and that's just as reprehensible as letting a cat suffer. Sometimes I wonder where I came from. 
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May 14, 2008 19:11
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quote:I'm still reeling a little from the tongue-lashing she gave me when I confronted her about it last week. I'm hoping she was just stressed out, and doesn't genuinely believe the things she said - she basically told me that animals aren't important, and that she isn't responsible for pets she no longer wants, and that I can't give her a hard time about animal cruelty or morals because I'm breaking decency laws by living with someone out of wedlock and that's just as reprehensible as letting a cat suffer. I think we have the same parents. Glad she got him seen about though, at least.
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May 14, 2008 22:59
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Superconductor posted:Glad she got him seen about though, at least. If she hadn't, I was tempted to pull out the trump card and quote scripture at her. Proverbs 12:10 - A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals. She's the one who claims to be a good Christian, so I figured throwing a little "God says you shouldn't let your animals suffer" at her might help. Thankfully I didn't have to have that lovely alienating conversation. This isn't how my mom really is. She's so incredibly stressed out and unhappy right now that her head's in a bad place. There was a time when, sure, they were inside/outside cats and got cheap food, but they were well-loved, got vet care, and were allowed in the house most of the time. Now she's decided she has too many responsibilities and it's very easy to ignore a sick animal, since it can't confront you about it. I'm still really upset about what my sister told me, that my stepfather basically thinks I murdered my cat, and that she was "happy" and "doing fine" and I'm an evil bitch for putting her to sleep. But whatever. I hate him anyway.
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May 15, 2008 01:32
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I have a question about my cat's claws. He seems to not be able to shed a few of them, as in he has a couple of "hang-nails". I've tried giving them gentle pulls but he pulls his paw back like it hurts. I'm just wondering if it's a nutritional thing or just the way he is. I feed him Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul dry food ( http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/cats/dry_food/adult_cat_light_formula/ ) and Wellness wet food ( http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_wellness_can_turkey_salmon.html ). Also, he's finally going to be able to go to the vet for a check up (yay I finally graduated college and got a real job!!) so I plan on asking them too. Any advice/knowledge is appreciated! I don't like it that it hurts when I trim his claws. Thanks!!
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May 15, 2008 15:51
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When is comes to feral cats, is it a general practice to cut off the top of one ear before it's released? I mean, do they do this everywhere? I'm kinda curious as they do this around my area.
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May 19, 2008 00:43
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Wedemeyer posted:When is comes to feral cats, is it a general practice to cut off the top of one ear before it's released? I mean, do they do this everywhere? I'm kinda curious as they do this around my area. Ear tipping the sterilized cats, pretty sure its practiced in a lot of places. I don't know that they're actually making headway by doing it due to the sheer number of unsterilized cats running around out there...
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May 19, 2008 00:58
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Wedemeyer posted:When is comes to feral cats, is it a general practice to cut off the top of one ear before it's released? I mean, do they do this everywhere? I'm kinda curious as they do this around my area.
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May 19, 2008 02:25
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Sometimes they'll clip the ear, or take a circle out of it (hole punch style), sometimes they'll tattoo the ear, it's pretty common from what I hear.
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May 19, 2008 20:12
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Right, good to know! I was wondering if this was a widespread practice or not. I've never heard of tattooing the ear before.
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May 20, 2008 02:19
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Is there a non-crappy method of purchasing a betta fish? Wal-Mart treats them like crap, and Petsmart/Petco aren't much better. Breeders seem to be rare, and I don't want to ship. And I doubt there are many rescues or shelters that take in fish, haha. Do specifically aquarium stores sell them? Do they suck too?
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May 21, 2008 23:57
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I just got a new kitten (5-6 weeks-ish, not sure...mom abandoned it) and she(?) licks me constantly. Is this a sign of affection or due to her being left by mom? Also, I've read that you shouldn't let your kitten bat/bite at your hands like a toy because then they will always associate them with toys and that could be a problem with clipping nails, etc. Is there any truth in this? Sorry, i haven't had a kitten for about 11 years - I don't remember barely anything.
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May 23, 2008 02:26
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Today I got my first dog! Hooray! Approximately how long does it take for a dog to recognize its name? My fluffy little baby is 8 weeks old, and she's a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever.
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May 24, 2008 00:02
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I have a cat question for a change ... I live in a duplex with my landlord, but we share the basement because that's where the laundry machines are. The landlord has a cat that has a horrid reputation. It bit his cleaning lady and she had a pretty bad infection in her leg. Anyway tonight when I was doing laundry, the cat was in the basement. I didn't see it because it was behind some boxes, but when I walked by he pounced on my leg and bit me. Lucky for me he didn't break the skin. After that he sort of backed off but he had his back arched and his tail was lashing and he was hissing. I said "be nice Buddy" in a soothing voice and backed up slowly but he kept growling and coming forward. So I just backed up to the staircase and went back upstairs. I'm going back down in a bit to get my laundry so I hope he's nicer then. But is there anything I can do to make him stop being such a little poo poo? I don't want to be his friend, I just want him to tolerate my presence without attacking me. He's been in the basement before but normally I see him first and put off laundry for another time. It would be nice if I could do laundry without him dictating my schedule. I've asked the landlord to keep him somewhere else but he's in the basement periodically anyway.
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May 24, 2008 02:59
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Hey there folks. Got a quick and easy question for ya. I've got a little Brussels Griffon, 2 years old, and I've just moved into an apartment. He's slowly adjusting, but my summer classes start next week and he'll have to be home alone for 4 hours or so a day. I know this is dorky but I'm worried that he'll miss me a lot and get super lonely as he's very, very attached to me. He's got toys at the house but he doesn't seem to enjoy playing with them very much, and buying another dog isn't an option at the moment. I know it's probably silly to ask this, but is there any way I can make it easier for him to adjust to me not being there or will he be okay?
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May 24, 2008 04:08
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Jack Van Burace posted:Hey there folks. Got a quick and easy question for ya. I've got a little Brussels Griffon, 2 years old, and I've just moved into an apartment. He's slowly adjusting, but my summer classes start next week and he'll have to be home alone for 4 hours or so a day. I know this is dorky but I'm worried that he'll miss me a lot and get super lonely as he's very, very attached to me. He's got toys at the house but he doesn't seem to enjoy playing with them very much, and buying another dog isn't an option at the moment. I know it's probably silly to ask this, but is there any way I can make it easier for him to adjust to me not being there or will he be okay? Maybe leave a shirt or something of yours that you've worn in his sleeping area so he can smell you while you're gone. I would think it would be comforting.
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May 24, 2008 05:15
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TheGreatFezini posted:I have a cat question for a change ... The basement belongs to buddy. You will have to buy some febreeze for your clothes so you don't stink at work. Does he seem like you scared him? or like he might want to play? Has anyone made your landlord aware of the fact that Buddy is a bastard? In all seriousness it's not fair to the other tennants. Playing with him 15 minutes at a time twice a day helps with kitty aggression but it's not your cat so it's kind of an odd situation. Best bet is to arm yourself with a squirt bottle when you do your wash and spray him. He will start avoiding you.
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May 24, 2008 06:24
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ChairmanMeow posted:Does he seem like you scared him? or like he might want to play? Has anyone made your landlord aware of the fact that Buddy is a bastard? In all seriousness it's not fair to the other tennants. Playing with him 15 minutes at a time twice a day helps with kitty aggression but it's not your cat so it's kind of an odd situation. I don't know much about cats but he certainly didn't seem playful. He really looked kind of like those cat cut-outs people stick in their windows on Halloween - hissing face, back arched really high, tail all poofed out. I guess he was either very scared or very pissed off. I might have scared him - I was just carrying some clothes from the washer to the dryer and when I walked by some boxes he pounced on me from behind them. I suppose I would be willing to play with him but I'm not sure if he would play. Every time I've seen him in the basement he's like that - if I make eye contact he poofs his fur and hisses. Even if I just open the door and look at him, or come down the steps and look at him. The only time he's nice to me is if I see him looking out the window, he'll meow. I don't know much about Buddy. According to his mom, the landlord got Buddy as a kitten and Buddy has always been bad. I'm not sure if I believe that, but he's certainly bad now. The landlord knows Buddy is a bastard as far as I know, and I'm the only other tenant. Unfortunately he's not a very good landlord, and there are other problems that he's not addressed either so I don't see him really doing much here. Sometimes he gets completely smashed and either leave his door open so Buddy gets out and goes into the basement, or he may kick Buddy out, I'm not sure exactly which it is. I guess I will try the spray bottle route. I remember reading somewhere that vinegar is a very effective cat repellent. What is the appropriate dilution?
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May 24, 2008 06:41
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I'm not sure. try just water first. Cats don't like getting wet and often after getting wet they will respond to even the threat of the bottle (or super soaker) without even having to hit them with it. Your right though he doesn't seem to want to play. I'll find out the dilution for you if the water doesn't work, but you have to not get the vinegar in his eyes from what I understand. It is totally humane though. Canned air works also, but I imagine you want more distance. Maybe one of the other posters has more experience with cat attacks? ChairmanMeow fucked around with this message at 07:53 on May 24, 2008 |
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May 24, 2008 07:40
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GirlScout - It's pretty much true. You don't want cats thinking your hands are toys or you constantly have to be on the lookout for a sneak attack. Trying to even pet them can become a challenge. That said, you can use your hands to do a little playing, but you have to really keep it minimized and yelp/cry whenever they poke you with their claws (at all) or teeth (too hard). Fezini - The dilution for vinegar water is pretty weak. Basically just under where you can smell it. (I usually wait until I can barely smell it and have had no adverse reactions.)
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May 24, 2008 12:53
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girlscoutdropout posted:Maybe leave a shirt or something of yours that you've worn in his sleeping area so he can smell you while you're gone. I would think it would be comforting. Thank you for the advice, I'll try that. I'm as attached to him as he is to me, so I'll be missing him quite a bit for the few hours I'm away each day!
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May 24, 2008 22:34
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Jack Van Burace posted:Hey there folks. Got a quick and easy question for ya. I've got a little Brussels Griffon, 2 years old, and I've just moved into an apartment. He's slowly adjusting, but my summer classes start next week and he'll have to be home alone for 4 hours or so a day. I know this is dorky but I'm worried that he'll miss me a lot and get super lonely as he's very, very attached to me. He's got toys at the house but he doesn't seem to enjoy playing with them very much, and buying another dog isn't an option at the moment. I know it's probably silly to ask this, but is there any way I can make it easier for him to adjust to me not being there or will he be okay? He'll adjust to the new schedule, but it would definitely help if you took him for a nice run before you crate him for the day. Four hours isn't very long, so you can let yourself off the hook and not feel guilty about it.  He might enjoy going to doggy daycare a day or two a week if he's the social type.
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May 24, 2008 22:45
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Has anyone used Petzlife to clean their pet's teeth? http://www.petzlife.com/index.html The before- and after- pictures are impressive, but I'm incredibly gullible and impressionable. I worry that the stuff might eat away at the enamel, as well as the tartar.
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May 24, 2008 23:11
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My Cat has a funny habit of lying on her back when we come down in the morning and kicking herself (or scratching i guess) on the chin with her back legs. Does anyone elses cat have this funny habit? Im generally just wondering why shes doing it. Said kitty is a ragdoll, if that makes any difference.
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May 24, 2008 23:27
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pogoman posted:Has anyone used Petzlife to clean their pet's teeth? I would be very interested in this if it's ferret safe. One of ours has really nasty teeth, but can't be safely put under due to cardiomyopathy. We brush, and that helps, but it's pretty bad.
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May 25, 2008 00:54
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My cat's litter box smells horrible. Now, I've lived my whole life taking care of cats, and litter boxes don't phase me anymore. But my latest cat- it's just awful. I'm used to a litter box that smells like cat poop, not chemicals. I can't breathe through my nose because the smell will knock me on my rear end. It's so strong that if I don't have an open window nearby or my mouth covered, I can feel it burn the back of my throat. I've never smelled a bottle of ammonia, but I'm going to guess that this smell is somewhat similar to that. So, my question is basically this: is there something wrong with my cat? Or are there just differences from cat to cat in the scent (and potency, I guess) of their wastes? I know that ammonia and urea are closely tied, but I've just never owned a cat with such painfully smelly litter. Alternately, could the litter that I use be affecting this in any way? I'm currently using Tidy Cats Scoop for multiple cats. Any advice would be fantastic. Cleaning his litter box is an ordeal.
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May 25, 2008 01:27
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Authentic Jams and Jellies posted:Stink litter. This could be one or two things.. Hes got an infection in there somewhere, your not changing his box enough ( i assume you are ) so i go and say his litter isnt absorbing. Sounds like to me, you need a trip to the vet .Ive had this once with cheapo litter, after i changed it went away but yeh it is pretty unbearable.
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May 25, 2008 01:56
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Authentic Jams and Jellies posted:ew litterbox gross What are you feeding him, and how old is he? Crummy food can cause nasty poop, and some cats are more sensitive to it than others... and kittens can produce some seriously foul odors. Also, does it seem to be the pee or the poop that's causing the smell?
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May 25, 2008 02:13
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pioneermax posted:This could be one or two things.. Hes got an infection in there somewhere, your not changing his box enough ( i assume you are ) so i go and say his litter isnt absorbing. maplecheese posted:What are you feeding him, and how old is he? Crummy food can cause nasty poop, and some cats are more sensitive to it than others... and kittens can produce some seriously foul odors. Figaro is 11 months old and is fed Solid Gold dry food. Box gets cleaned daily. New litter is now on my shopping list, but would you recommend a vet trip anyway?
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May 25, 2008 04:44
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I just started a small herb garden on the balcony a few days ago. I bought a cheap Ikea shelf and wrapped some garden netting around it to keep my cat away from the plant pots. Little did I know that while thinking about keeping my cat away from the plants, I should have been thinking about keeping plant pests away. Some ants have already discovered my plants, and have started making their way into the apartment from the balcony. I figure it won't be long before they're everywhere. Any suggestions for pet-safe pesticides / ant bait / etc? If it matters for which products are available, I'm in Canada.
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May 25, 2008 06:30
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Authentic Jams and Jellies posted:Figaro is 11 months old and is fed Solid Gold dry food. Box gets cleaned daily. New litter is now on my shopping list, but would you recommend a vet trip anyway? If the poop is runny or otherwise weird, yeah. If it's otherwise normal AND it's not bothering you that much, it can probably wait until the next checkup.
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May 25, 2008 07:33
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Any tips for brushing cats? My long haired cat Spencer seems to hate it. His reaction is combat mode where he attacks the brush either until I stop or until he squirms away and runs off. The only brush he tolerates for a short lengths of time has really soft bristles, and basically does nothing on tangles. He is starting to get mats around his hindquarters, and cutting them out is even more difficult than brushing him is. He is generally a real sweetheart, loves being petted and tolerates baths better than any of my other cats. Should I just shave around his back legs? Or maybe it would be safer to have the vet do it? clyemne fucked around with this message at 07:43 on May 25, 2008 |
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May 25, 2008 07:41
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Firequirks posted:Any suggestions for pet-safe pesticides / ant bait / etc? If it matters for which products are available, I'm in Canada. If you want 100% pet safe (assuming you don't have pet scorpions or spiders or anything) go with diatomaceous earth. It won't poison nests or anything like that, but it'll slice up their horrible little exoskeletons and they'll dehydrate. It's not great to breathe, but you and your cat would be ok even if you ate a whole bunch. I got "DIO Bug & Slug Killer," made by Green Earth, in the garden section at Rona. Big white bottle, blue and yellow label, blue pointy top. If that doesn't work, or you want to bring the big guns out immediately, packages will usually tell you if they're pet safe or not.
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May 25, 2008 07:42
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roy harder posted:Today I got my first dog! Hooray! Approximately how long does it take for a dog to recognize its name? My fluffy little baby is 8 weeks old, and she's a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever. My lab learned her name pretty fast. I said her name (Cersei) a lot while I petted her, and I tried to always say it in the same way. And whenever I asked her to do something (come or sit or OWWW quit it, at first) I'd say her name too. Cute baby! Are you going to duck hunt with her?
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May 25, 2008 07:46
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