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Can a cat have invisible ear mites? In my youth, I did some volunteer work cleaning rescued cats, so I know what ear mites look like. However, my kitty is displaying all the behaviors of having ear mites, but I swear I can't find any evidence in her ears!!! Could they just be deep up in there? Here is what she is doing: -She scratches her ears with her hind feet excessively -She makes that 'itchy face' and shakes her head -when I rub her head, she seems to like ear scratching, and she previously didn't care for that much. (note that these behaviors are pretty recent)
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Jul 9, 2008 21:30
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| # ? May 14, 2024 01:03 |
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Dr.Khron posted:Can a cat have invisible ear mites? Probably not invisible mites, though you could make some money if it was. Could be an inner ear infection, could be something like fleas or allergies. Probably time to see a vet.
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Jul 10, 2008 01:56
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Yup, got an appointment with the vet in an hour. We'll see what she can find.
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Jul 10, 2008 12:09
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So we got dumped with my girlfriends sisters neurotic chihuahua for a few days while she and her BF takes a small vacation, it's obviously never been away from it's "mommy" before and was just now barking and whining alot, stopped barking, still walking around whining. Is there anything we can do to make it more relaxed?
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Jul 10, 2008 13:30
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I need some help with my cat. I adopted a kitten about a year ago now and have loved him to death since then, but unfortunately his new favorite thing to do is chew on wires. This leads to 2 major concerns, first and foremost is the fact that he doesn't just gnaw on wire, he eats it. In doing so he has ruined about 300 dollars worth of electronics, not to mention probably done some kind of damage to his stomach/intestines. I've tried a couple solutions suggested by my family members who all own cats which was to try wrapping the wires he goes for with electrical tape or to coat them in something he doesn't like the taste of. The coating of wires with an undesirable taste helped for about a day. Now this morning I wake up to see he decided to chew right through my mouse wire and my stereo speakers. I'm hoping that someone has a suggestion on getting him to stop or another preventative way because I'm extremely fed up with him. I can't afford to have him eat everything electronic in my house and I'd hate to give him away because he's an amazing cat but if this is a trend that won't be broken I won't have a choice. Thanks. Edit: I should mention that he doesn't eat large portions of the wire, maybe just an inch of it, still not good but its not the whole whatever feet of wire if that concerns some of you. Gilese fucked around with this message at 16:16 on Jul 11, 2008 |
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Jul 11, 2008 16:11
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Gilese posted:I'm hoping that someone has a suggestion on getting him to stop or another preventative way because I'm extremely fed up with him. I can't afford to have him eat everything electronic in my house and I'd hate to give him away because he's an amazing cat but if this is a trend that won't be broken I won't have a choice. A few questions come to mind: have you tried distracting him by giving him something more entertaining to do? May be get him a buddy? Does he have other toys? Are you feeding him enough?
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Jul 11, 2008 21:21
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I've got a cat, and a dog (more puppy than dog), and the cat's tolerating the dog. I've read up all the stuff on introducing cats and dogs and stuff, so I just have one question. Catnip covered dog. Has anyone tried this, and is this a good idea?
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Jul 14, 2008 03:48
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Hapax Legomenon posted:Catnip covered dog. Has anyone tried this, and is this a good idea? Most of the cats I've had attack the poo poo out of catnip toys, and if you put it on the rug they scratch there pretty hard. I think this sounds like a good way to get your dog torn up.
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Jul 14, 2008 13:56
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RazorBunny posted:a good way to get your dog torn up. Agreed, you should see the state of my carpet when my cats are given catnip  One of them completely loses it, and the other 4 keep well away from him for a while because if they go near him, they'll get beaten up. Similarly, I make a point of sitting on a chair with my feet tucked under me; if I dare to put them on the floor or walk anywhere, he attacks me - and that's just after him eating a bit of catnip on the floor. I shudder to think what would happen if I coated myself in it. And that's a cat who, when not on catnip, is a complete dope that I can do anything to, loves being cradled like a baby and having his tummy tickled etc.
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Jul 14, 2008 14:39
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Another question about Figaro, the stinky litter box cat. One year old, about ten pounds, gets fed half a cup of food three times every day. But he refuses to eat it normally. Instead, he uses his paw to splash food and water everywhere. I end up having to vacuum the living room regularly because the carpet is spotted with kibble. The water ends up soaking the carpet and wall, and I also have to change it several times a day because he fills it with food. His bowls are fairly small- about 4-5 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep- and they're also pretty light, so Figaro has no trouble clinking them together over and over when he decides that it's food playtime yaaaaaaay  What's wrong with my cat? Alternately, what's wrong with the way I'm handling my cat that makes him do this?
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Jul 14, 2008 23:43
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I figure I'll post this here, since I'm sure it gets brought up all the time. We just got a new kitten, a cat my mother found outside apparently, and brought over. A very intelligent, inquisitive little cat. He's spent the whole day exploring the house or cuddling up to whoever comes by. Now, the problem is my last cat died over a year ago, after a fairly long life, and I think I forgot how to properly potty train the cat. I tried the whole 'rub their paws in the litter' thing I think you're supposed to do, but he still took a crap on the carpet today. I just wanna know if I'm doing something wrong or if I can fix what I'm doing so he doesn't do it again. Any advice?
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Jul 15, 2008 00:02
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Cow Bell posted:Any advice? Move the feces into the litter box, and put the box in the spot where he eliminated. When he goes back there to do it again, he'll see the feces and the loose substrate and should be drawn to it. If not, you can get some cat-attract litter and mix it into the regular litter until he's going in there regularly.
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Jul 15, 2008 03:32
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How long does it generally take to crate-train an adult dog? I've been working pretty hard at it for about a month, and then tonight, stupidly, I let him out of my sight and found a big ol' puddle of piss on the windowsill. I'm nearly at my wit's end here.
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Jul 15, 2008 05:17
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Guinea Pig Question: I have an 8 months old male guinea pig and he is generally pretty tame and loves to run around outside the cage. When I pet him, he always licks my hand and never ever bites ( except for one occasion when he got startled ), but when I put my hand inside his cage, he bites my fingers. Not in an angry or frightened way though, he just nibbles and then bites harder and harder as if he's trying to eat me. He NEVER does this outside of the cage, so I'm wondering if it has anything to do with him usually being fed snacks through the bars? Maybe I'm overestimating guinea pig intelligence, but I thought he would be able to recognize my finger/hand even though there are bars in the way. (sorry for the bad grammar; I'm Danish)
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Jul 15, 2008 07:55
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kwantam posted:Move the feces into the litter box, and put the box in the spot where he eliminated. When he goes back there to do it again, he'll see the feces and the loose substrate and should be drawn to it. I would try this, but, unfortunately, the spot the kitten chose was directly beneath the head board of my bed. I've kept it out of my room for the day and just let it roam around the bottom portion of the house, and it's happily used the box to it's desire. However, I let him into my room again, and he beelined right for the same spot again. I couldn't stop him so I had to clean up another mess. Now I'm just confused.
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Jul 16, 2008 09:08
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Cow Bell posted:I would try this, but, unfortunately, the spot the kitten chose was directly beneath the head board of my bed. I've kept it out of my room for the day and just let it roam around the bottom portion of the house, and it's happily used the box to it's desire. However, I let him into my room again, and he beelined right for the same spot again. I couldn't stop him so I had to clean up another mess. Now I'm just confused. Try getting a hold of some type of enzymatic cleaner (Nature's Miracle, etc) and treating the spot with that so the smell doesn't attract him. If you had cats in the house before, it might have been a favorite napping spot and still smell like the old cat so he's marking there. And maybe in the meantime at least cover the spot with newspaper so if he decides to take another dump it will make cleanup easier.
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Jul 16, 2008 19:24
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Is Tuna bad for cats? Are the big brand-name supermarket pet foods (Iams, Purina, Pedigree, etc.) really as bad as I hear they are? Has anyone ever used the Furminator? I'm tempted to get one. Have any Goons here successfully potty-trained their cats to use human toilets?
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Jul 16, 2008 20:38
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Happy Bear Suit posted:Is Tuna bad for cats? As an occasional treat, no Iams is middling quality food (not premium like it's touted), "store brands" are generally crap I haven't but there have been positive reviews of it in PI Yes, there was a thread about it here not too long ago complete with pictures. I think search is still broken though.
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Jul 16, 2008 20:48
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Happy Bear Suit posted:Has anyone ever used the Furminator? I'm tempted to get one. I freaking love my furminator! It's expensive, but if you have the Pet Perks card from Petsmart a coupon comes in the mail every now and then. Or at least that's how I got mine.  Works really well, and I tried the knockoffs which sucked. Came with free shampoo too, but I've yet to use that.
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Jul 16, 2008 20:51
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Tuna's not bad, but it's not nutritionally complete unless you get something like this that's designed as a complete food for cats. Regular tuna is ok as a little treat, but they should be mostly eating other stuff. As was said on the first page of this thread, if you want to know if a food is bad, look at the ingredients. If it's full of corn, grains, byproducts, and meat from unspecified animals, it is bad. If you have trouble finding the good foods mentioned or can't afford them, try Kirkland cat food from Costco. It's surprisingly good.
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Jul 16, 2008 20:54
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thomas kingo posted:Guinea Pig Question That's probably exactly correct. I've got pigs who run screaming if I reach into the cage, but would quite literally drag my hand in and gnaw off my fingers if I stuck it through the grids. No, they really are not smart enough to recognize it as the same hand. These are animals who eat their own crap, remember. Also, your grammar is excellent. 
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Jul 16, 2008 21:17
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I'm pretty sure that cats can get mercury posioning just like humans, so tuna should be an occasional treat. - I just hung a hammock out in my backyard, and I spread a truckload of red mulch around, to prevent weed growth, and to make it look nice. Its about 6' by 10'. However, the neighborhoods cats have decided that its a giant community litter box. I stepped in cat poo poo when I got out of the hammock last night! Is there anything I can spray to keep them away from my hammock area? I don't care if they crap elsewhere on the property, just not in my little peaceful nook.
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Jul 16, 2008 21:19
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I'm thinking about getting a very small fish tank for my new condo (like, something that can fit on a bookcase), but my cat is an rear end in a top hat. Can anyone recommend a tank that won't pop open very easily and can handle having a 10 pound cat sitting on it? I'll definitely secure it wherever it ends up sitting, but Beau is a smart little guy and I don't want him popping the top open or something. Or is this a terrible idea?
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Jul 16, 2008 21:24
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Ugh, Gilbert is having issues with two dogs in my apartment complex now, yay! Gilbert is fine with 95% of dogs that he has been around, playing, wrestling, having fun. Gilbert is slightly aggressive when he plays (could I be egging this on somehow?), but never has gone out after a dog. Well he did today, the neighbor always keeps their dogs off leash and a Doberman puppy ALWAYS runs up to Gilbert, could this be causing Gilbert to go defensive and growl and jump at the other dog? It drives me nuts, beacuse 95% Gilbert is not like this. He goes to doggie daycare every now and again with zero issues. Any help would be totally appreciated.
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Jul 16, 2008 22:10
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Regnevelc posted:Ugh, Gilbert is having issues with two dogs in my apartment complex now, yay! Is Gilbert on his leash when the puppy runs up at him? A lot of dogs will be more defensive when they're on-leash, especially if there are off-leash dogs running up to them. Cambria is the exact same way. At daycare she is great with other dogs, but when she's with me on leash she can be very defensive. I don't have a solution for you....just wanted to let you know you're not alone. Honestly, the guy who lets his puppy run around off-leash is the one who has a problem.
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Jul 17, 2008 00:07
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I recently brought home a 12-week-old male Maltese who I've named Poe. Whenever I take him outside, he refuses to walk on sidewalks, streets, even stone paths. He hangs back on his leash and starts to whimper, and will do everything he can to avoid leaving the grass / pinestraw / mulch he's walking on. I know it can't be an issue with the heat, because we go on our walks around nine, when it's dark and cool. This is really puzzling me! I would love to take him for walks on sidewalks and the like! Anybody have any idea why this is, and how we can overcome it?
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Jul 17, 2008 00:14
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GoreJess posted:Is Gilbert on his leash when the puppy runs up at him? A lot of dogs will be more defensive when they're on-leash, especially if there are off-leash dogs running up to them. Cambria is the exact same way. At daycare she is great with other dogs, but when she's with me on leash she can be very defensive. Yes, Gilbert is on a leash. I figured that was the issue, but still, I end up looking like the bad guy when that happens. Although the guy did apologize today and said he should of had him on a leash. It is just this Doberman can snap Gilbert in half and that is a fear of mine. Gilbert will growl and this other dog will just shred him .
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Jul 17, 2008 00:41
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I just noticed my cat has a broken tooth. One of her canines looks almost snapped in half. She's not having trouble eating, and does not show any discomfort. Her yearly check-up is in about 2 months. Should I be overly concerned about her tooth? Or can I just mention it the next time I'm at the vet?
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Jul 18, 2008 19:40
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Meow Cadet posted:I just noticed my cat has a broken tooth. One of her canines looks almost snapped in half. She's not having trouble eating, and does not show any discomfort. Her yearly check-up is in about 2 months. Should I be overly concerned about her tooth? Or can I just mention it the next time I'm at the vet? There is a portion of the tooth that can be broken off without exposing nerves, and if she's eating fine she may not be experiencing any pain. I'd still bring it up with the vet - call their office and ask about it, and if they're concerned they may ask you to bring her in. They may want to file it or do something else if the end is jagged. If it's broken off far enough that the nerve is exposed, she may need some pain management and other dental work. Cats are really good at hiding pain. My old cat was missing all of her top teeth, including the canines (snapped off at the gum), and she still had a good appetite. She was also slowly starving to death because of diabetes, and was probably in agony, but my family had no idea. She acted pretty normally. I'm not trying to scare you into thinking your cat is suffering, I just want to point out that if she's hurting, she might not let you know.
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Jul 18, 2008 20:03
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I have a question! I've just been reading the local Gumtree (like Craigslist) and the pet section is, as expected, a travesty. One ad got me curious though. It described how someone wanted a cheap long haired cat for a couple they knew. It had to be long haired, apparently, because the wife is "allergic to all short haired animals". This is bullshit, right? I thought allergies didn't come from hair anyway? I certainly hoped noone decided to give the person a long haired cat on the cheap, it was a horrible post.
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Jul 19, 2008 00:32
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Fluzz posted:I have a question! I've just been reading the local Gumtree (like Craigslist) and the pet section is, as expected, a travesty. One ad got me curious though. It described how someone wanted a cheap long haired cat for a couple they knew. It had to be long haired, apparently, because the wife is "allergic to all short haired animals". This is bullshit, right? I thought allergies didn't come from hair anyway? Yes it is bullshit.
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Jul 19, 2008 03:34
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This is going to sound terribly stupid, but... Are there any fish or invertebrates that can actually be kept in a fish bowl? I know that goldfish can't, obviously, and if I recall correctly, neither can bettas. I have a large fish bowl (not sure how big, but it's larger than your average "goldfish bowl") that I originally bought just to put a plant in, but I've been wondering if I could actually house some sort of fish in it. I'm sure I've seen shrimp in a glass vase or bowl somewhere here before. Oh, and just to clarify, I realize small aquariums are cheap and that I'd probably have to buy things like a filtration or heating system.
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Jul 20, 2008 02:54
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That spot that causes any dog to start kicking/itching...what is it? Why is it in different places in every dog?
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Jul 20, 2008 17:21
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My cat has taken to eating strawberries and watermelon. She begs, goes after it when I'm eating it, and even rips into the garbage to get to it. I've finally just been letting her lick the plate after I'm done eating watermelon, which is wet so she gets a little taste, and maybe have a piece of strawberry, but the desperate desire for fruit is weird. Is she not getting something in her diet that she's going after this? Is letting her have a little bit of fruit bad? Is my cat just insane?
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Jul 20, 2008 21:06
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I have two dogs that we picked up from a shelter about a year and a half ago. We know they are part Cairn Terrier (or at least thats what the shelter told us), but we have no clue on the other; they are siblings, though they look pretty different. I noticed that one of them (the male) can not perk his ears up. He can slide them a bit forward/backward, but thats it. His sister meanwhile can do the normal dog ear stuff, raising them up and whatnot. I was wondering what the reason for this was. Is something in his ears broken? Is it maybe a breed thing, and he got the crappy ear genes and his sister didn't? I don't think its anything to worry about as he responds to sounds just as well if not better than his sister, but its a curiosity that's been bugging me for a while.
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Jul 21, 2008 00:55
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redheadgeek posted:My cat has taken to eating strawberries and watermelon. She begs, goes after it when I'm eating it, and even rips into the garbage to get to it. She probably just likes it.
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Jul 21, 2008 01:05
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I realize this is something of a vague question, but can someone give me a good idea/breakdown of the costs of having a cat? Month-to-month costs as well as "startup" costs, if it's not too much trouble. I want a kitty! 
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Jul 21, 2008 07:48
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I know it's been a while since I posted regarding the kitten deciding to use my carpet as a toilet, but he did it again the other night so I guess it warrants another post. 100 Years in Iraq suggested something like Nature's Miracle, I'm just wondering if there's something easier to get/a household item that'll yield the same results? I hate locking the cat out.
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Jul 21, 2008 09:51
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Doc Faustus posted:I realize this is something of a vague question, but can someone give me a good idea/breakdown of the costs of having a cat? Month-to-month costs as well as "startup" costs, if it's not too much trouble. Startup costs for me was around 100 dollars in supplies because I had nothing. I bought a litter scoop, litter tray, litter, breakaway collar, cat brush, food, some toys, a cardboard scratcher, food and water dishes (ceramic or metal not plastic), some treats (can get a free sample of feline greenies off their site!) and a small garbage can for what I scoop out of the litterbox. There was also the adoption fee, and a couple weeks after adopting I took him in to the vet for a general checkup. The checkup was like 35 bucks, adoption fee was 50 I think. Month to month, with one older cat who doesn't eat very much (only like 1/3 cup of premium food a day) I'd say I go through about half of a 16 pound container of litter, and one 6.6 pound bag of food per month. That works out to around 20 bucks/month.
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Jul 21, 2008 11:59
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| # ? May 14, 2024 01:03 |
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Kela posted:That spot that causes any dog to start kicking/itching...what is it? Why is it in different places in every dog? It's just an itchy spot. It moves because the same spot isn't always going to be itchy for you either.
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Jul 21, 2008 13:27
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