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My kitten has decided she needs to clean my eyes for me every morning around 5:00. While I think it's absolutely adorable that she does this, it REALLY loving HURTS to have her rough tongue scraping the sensitive skin around my eyes. This might be a stupid question, but am I hurting her feelings by turning away when she does this? I don't want to discourage her from being affectionate, but I just can't handle the scraping. 
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Dec 2, 2008 22:47
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porkchoppie posted:My kitten has decided she needs to clean my eyes for me every morning around 5:00. While I think it's absolutely adorable that she does this, it REALLY loving HURTS to have her rough tongue scraping the sensitive skin around my eyes. I'd just redirect her, like settle her in the crook of your arm and pet her a bunch. That way you can reassure her that you love her affection, and you'll reciprocate with your own.
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Dec 2, 2008 23:26
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Since my Dremel/Peticure idea was mostly rebuffed, has anyone tried those Soft Paws nail covers? They look like they should work, but I worry about comfort level.
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Dec 3, 2008 00:20
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qlat posted:Since my Dremel/Peticure idea was mostly rebuffed, has anyone tried those Soft Paws nail covers? They look like they should work, but I worry about comfort level. I use them every month with great success and I recommend them to everyone I know. I don't know what you mean by comfort level, but they're just a little soft gel cap over the nail secured with glue; the whole point is that the cat can't even feel it. My cat fights me when I put them on but that's just because he hates having his paws touched. He's actually used to it now and just yowls in protest instead of scratching me...which is improvement, I guess. It's awesome because it effectively eliminates the risk of receiving a bloody scratch or having one of your pets injured/furniture ruined. Be forewarned though; my cat has learned to bite them off over time as the glue loosens so you'll go through many packs, but they're only something like $10-12 a pack.
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Dec 3, 2008 00:33
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I received a Greenies dental chew sample for my dog today, and as much as I'd love to give it to her, I don't think it'd be a great idea. She doesn't chew on things so much as she tries to inhale them. When she gets the thing in her mouth, she'll chew on it for a minute until she works the chew into a vertical position and tries to inhale the whole thing. Am I (or the dog, rather) just out of luck? Or is it that she's behaving normally, and I'm freaking out over nothing?
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Dec 3, 2008 01:29
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Captain Foxy posted:I use them every month with great success and I recommend them to everyone I know. I don't know what you mean by comfort level, but they're just a little soft gel cap over the nail secured with glue; the whole point is that the cat can't even feel it. My cat fights me when I put them on but that's just because he hates having his paws touched. He's actually used to it now and just yowls in protest instead of scratching me...which is improvement, I guess.
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Dec 3, 2008 02:20
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Soft Paws are awesome. If my cats were more destuctive to furniture I'd use them. Be sure to check them regularly. Cats do learn to work them off... or don't get them off. I think I might be the only person to ever have an animal with this problem, but my first cat was a little  and antisocial. My parents were keeping her while I was in the dorms and to make medicating and kindey failure treatments, and catching her in general safer we had soft paws put on her. My parents thought "well she still has hot pink nails...so she's good". Not so much. The nails keep growing, so eventually they curled back to put pressure on her pads. Cats can't shed old claw sheaths with the soft paws capping them, so if your cat does't chew them off, you still need to keep an eye out. ETA: Amazon has pretty good prices on them. Nessecitas fucked around with this message at 02:39 on Dec 3, 2008 |
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Dec 3, 2008 02:36
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So i recently got two 9 week old kittens, and there great, except that the male refuses to use the litter box. The female does fine and has no problems, but the male continually craps right next to it instead of in it. Any ideas?
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Dec 3, 2008 03:36
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Is a trip to the vet needed?? My kitty has recently begun breathing really hard. He doesn't seem uncomfortable or having any trouble being a mess and running around, but when he lies down next to me I can hear him struggling to breathe through his nose, much like I would if I had a sinus infection or cold. When I first got him, he had to be given kitty antibiotics because of a sinus problem, so is this just a common malady that he'll always have (and I should treat his problems like mine- more water, more snuggles, leavemealone) or should I bring him into a vet for a real checkup? I'm VERY cash poor, is why I ask, and while I'd do anything for my pet to be healthy and happy, I'd hate to blow a lot of money for them to just say "he has a stuffy nose." When does this become something I should worry about?
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Dec 3, 2008 04:17
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Need a bit of advice here. Just discovered my cat has a bit of what appears to be a shoelace protruding about 1cm from her arse. I've now found three shoelaces she's chewed the ends off so i'm not entirely sure how much is stuck up there exactly but hopefully no more than an inch. I know i'm not supposed to pull on it or anything, though I did unfortunately pull on it, albeit gently, when I was trying to wipe her arse thinking it was just poop. Should I rush her to the vet first thing or just wait and see if she manages to pass it normally? I'm wary that there's more than likely still some plastic on the end of the lace, if that IS what it is, and it may be stuck there, but I don't want to stress her out with an unnecessary vet visit if it's something she's going to pass next time she uses the litterbox.
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Dec 3, 2008 04:26
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Nessecitas posted:My parents thought "well she still has hot pink nails...so she's good". Not so much. The nails keep growing, so eventually they curled back to put pressure on her pads. Cats can't shed old claw sheaths with the soft paws capping them, so if your cat does't chew them off, you still need to keep an eye out.
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Dec 3, 2008 05:59
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OK, so my OTHER cat had a lump today. This one, I believe was a follicular cyst, based on internet research. Unfortunately, before the internet told me not to squeeze it, I squeezed it. A greyish white goo came out, about the consistency of cheese. It seemed almost like a pimple, with the puss being more congealed. Howard didn't appear to have any pain surrounding the area, but after repeated poking and prodding, he got uncomfortable. If it helps, I can give a photograph of the discharge, which I saved to bring to the vet if necessary. I guess the question is how much damage have I done by squeezing this? The internet sometimes tells me squeezing the cyst can cause a skin reaction, and sometimes it tells me it will cause a skin reaction. Should I make a vet appointment or should I wait and see how he reacts? He was playful and affectionate seconds after I stopped poking at the area.
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Dec 3, 2008 06:40
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Unagi posted:tldr: Old cat who was previously only outdoors, integrated indoors just fine, used litter boxes fine but now all of a sudden does not poop in litter boxes. But pees in them fine. You could try Cat Attract litter and see if that makes him think the litterbox is a cool place where all the cool cats like to be. sw0cb posted:So i recently got two 9 week old kittens, and there great, except that the male refuses to use the litter box. The female does fine and has no problems, but the male continually craps right next to it instead of in it. Any ideas? How big is the litterbox, and how low are the sides? Sometimes cats don't want to bother stepping into the box, or think that close to it = good enough. You might want to try a bigger litterbox that's easier to get into. Smam posted:Is a trip to the vet needed?? Close him in the bathroom with you when you shower, or just keep him in the bathroom with the shower running on hot. Warm moist air will help loosen up the gunk. Also, don't panic if he starts eating a bit less - smell is really important to cats, and they often don't eat much if they can't smell very well. If he's not eating as much as he should, try giving him some canned food, or if he already eats canned, heating it up a little bit so it gets smellier. If he gets worse, you should probably suck it up and go to the vet. Crazedscot posted:shoelace butt Trim anything that's hanging out and keep a close eye on her. If it's only a short piece, she'll probably be fine... and anything that's sticking out of an animal's butt has made it almost all of the way through already. maplecheese fucked around with this message at 08:22 on Dec 3, 2008 |
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Dec 3, 2008 07:30
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maplecheese posted:Trim anything that's hanging out and keep a close eye on her. If it's only a short piece, she'll probably be fine... and anything that's sticking out of an animal's butt has made it almost all of the way through already. I am a terrible person and sort of pulled on the protruding shoelace again, fortunately it turned out to be only 2-3cm as predicted, complete with bonus poop nugget. Eve proceeded to stare at me with disgust and contempt for half an hour afterwards then jumped up in my lap and curled up purring, so all is well I think. I'll be keeping a close eye on her anyway in case her arse falls out or something as a result of my stupidity. Crazedscot fucked around with this message at 10:17 on Dec 3, 2008 |
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Dec 3, 2008 08:19
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My friend recently adopted a 10 month to 1 year old mutt which he was told is some sort of spaniel mix. We were wondering if anyone here can try to identify what other breeds she might be. He won't have her until the weekend but he does have these two pictures:  So far I think she has a hint of Brittany in her or possibly German Spaniel. How about you guys?
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Dec 3, 2008 09:18
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Authentic Jams and Jellies posted:I received a Greenies dental chew sample for my dog today, and as much as I'd love to give it to her, I don't think it'd be a great idea. She doesn't chew on things so much as she tries to inhale them. When she gets the thing in her mouth, she'll chew on it for a minute until she works the chew into a vertical position and tries to inhale the whole thing. Am I (or the dog, rather) just out of luck? Or is it that she's behaving normally, and I'm freaking out over nothing? Sorry, Greenies are not the treat for you. They really need to be chewed up, not swallowed whole. Some dogs will not be able to digest them if not chewed properly, leading to fun intestinal blockages!
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Dec 3, 2008 14:03
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Sataren posted:
Are Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers at all common in your area? That's what she kinda looks like to me, or some mix.
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Dec 3, 2008 17:13
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I have a silly neutering question a friend of mine from work bought a lovely pet store boxer about a year ago and still hasn't got him neutered. This is mostly due to him being an idiot, which I have lectured him about repeatedly. When he first got the puppy I told him if anything ever happened and he had to get rid of the that I would take him in and foster him and find him a forever home so he wouldn't have to go to the pound, of course this happened. So he has to give up the dog I have offered to pay to neuter the dog at least because he is thinking about giving it to a different friend, which pisses me off but is a whole different story. Would it be better to get the dog neutered now while he's still with his owner, or to wait until I have him? Obviously if he gives the dog to someone else then he'll get neutered before he goes. I'm just afraid that neutering and environment change all in a short time will upset him, right now he's VERY VERY VERY anti social and skittish. I went over to see the friend a few days ago when this all came up, and he didn't even sniff me just cowered behind my friend. After about 2 hours of just sitting on the ground and avoiding eye contact with the dog he slowly came over and sniffed then allowed me to pet under his chin only. He seems kind of hand shy, but I have an extremely hard time believing he was hit in my friends care. Which is my second question how will neutering affect a already insecure dog? I know that with other dogs it can help with aggression, marking, and being territorial but in this case I was wondering if anyone had any insight. Last question does anyone have a list of good questions for searching for a forever for this guy? I'd like to try on craigslist, but I'm a little wary of it. TL;DR How will neutering affect a shy, insecure dog? and Give me advice for finding him a good forever home.
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Dec 3, 2008 17:36
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qlat posted:If the sheath is glued to the tip of the claw, shouldn't the claw just grow out from the pad? Or do their claws not work like human nails? The pads on a cat are similar to a human finger pad, the part they get finger prints from. So it's like your finger nail curled around to poke you in the fleshiest part of your finger. Our nails don't have so much curvature to them though, so that never happens to us.
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Dec 3, 2008 19:40
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My friend adopted this little girl last weekend. She's about 10 weeks. Any ideas on what breeds she might be?  Oh, and if you can't tell from the picture, her eyes are green.
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Dec 3, 2008 21:11
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ThirstyGirl posted:My friend adopted this little girl last weekend. She's about 10 weeks. Any ideas on what breeds she might be? Those brown eyemarks are trademarks of the Rottweiler breed. That and her coloring says Rott/Lab? mix to me.
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Dec 3, 2008 21:14
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ThirstyGirl posted:My friend adopted this little girl last weekend. She's about 10 weeks. Any ideas on what breeds she might be? Definitely rot, maybe lab or possible gsd in there?
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Dec 3, 2008 22:58
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Just adopted a new kitten from the local humane society, and discovered today that she's most likely got a tapeworm. She sees the vet in a couple of hours. Is this something I should let the humane society know about? I'm certainly not looking for any compensation or anything, and they do deworming and flea treatments on all their animals, but I don't know if this is something they'll need to keep an eye out for in the rest of the kitties. And yes, I'll post pictures later :P
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Dec 3, 2008 23:28
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GoreJess posted:Sorry, Greenies are not the treat for you. They really need to be chewed up, not swallowed whole. Some dogs will not be able to digest them if not chewed properly, leading to fun intestinal blockages! It's no big deal, really. I saw the sample (probably on PI) and figured I'd give it a shot, but Noel just really doesn't have any drive to chew. At all. It's kind of weird, actually. She's a Pyr, if that helps explain it at all. The problem may be that I haven't come across anything big enough for her to chew on, but in the months that I've had her, she hasn't displayed any kind of destructive behavior in response to having nothing to chew. She hasn't really displayed any kind of destructive behavior at all.
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Dec 3, 2008 23:49
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I'm not sure if this classifies as a problem, but my cat is like, really, attached to me. She mews loudly at me when I get home, and if I'm gone for even 20 minutes she seems to be utterly thrilled to see me again when come back. Is this just a personality/temperament thing, or does she want something? I was led to believe that most cats are more independent than she is (She's 10 months old if that helps).
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Dec 4, 2008 00:40
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ExplodingChef posted:Just adopted a new kitten from the local humane society, and discovered today that she's most likely got a tapeworm. She sees the vet in a couple of hours. Is this something I should let the humane society know about? I'm certainly not looking for any compensation or anything, and they do deworming and flea treatments on all their animals, but I don't know if this is something they'll need to keep an eye out for in the rest of the kitties. I know that when we brought our kitty to the vet after we adopted from the humane society, we gave them a little form that they filled out and faxed back to the humane society. It had all the information about how his tests came back and all that good stuff. I'm sure it is for that reason, but I don't know if every humane society does that. Also, if your kitty has issues that require medication (well, SOME issues that require medication), the humane society will reimburse you as long as those issues are realized within the first 14 days of having the kitty. Unfortunately for us, Hermes came down with feline rhinotrachitis about 2 1/2 weeks after we adopted him, so he wasn't covered.
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Dec 4, 2008 00:59
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ExplodingChef posted:Just adopted a new kitten from the local humane society, and discovered today that she's most likely got a tapeworm. She sees the vet in a couple of hours. Is this something I should let the humane society know about? I'm certainly not looking for any compensation or anything, and they do deworming and flea treatments on all their animals, but I don't know if this is something they'll need to keep an eye out for in the rest of the kitties. Tapeworms can be pretty common and it only takes one pill to get rid of it for your kitty. I think it cost me $9. You can give them a call but it's probably not something they are going to text all the cats there for but would treat if they notice signs of it. I don't know, someone more knowledgeable in shelter work than me will probably know better. It wouldn't hurt to give them a call though. v:)v
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Dec 4, 2008 02:01
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Sataren posted:I'm thinking Australian Shepherd x Lab. It probably depends a lot on where you're located, and what breeds the local lovely owners are attracted to; in my area, we get mostly pit, lab, and herding breed mixes. ThirstyGirl posted:A Dobie or Rottie mix would be my guess. Depends on how beefy she ends up being, but I'd be crossing my fingers for Doberman. They're awesome dogs. Diocenes fucked around with this message at 03:30 on Dec 4, 2008 |
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Dec 4, 2008 03:27
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About 3 weeks ago, we adopted a dog from pound--named him Barry. He was under-weight, stinky, throwing up, coughing, and not passing solid stool. Regardless of these things, some of which i was unaware, the guy is a total sweetheart. I will make a thread about him and his younger brother Dwight later, when i have photos on hand. Today he is doing a lot better, and is generally holding his food down with the help of antacids, has solid stool, is gaining weight, and his cough is on the way out. All of this makes me very happy. The problem i have is his separation anxiety. We kennel our 2 dogs for a few hours while no one is home. Dwight, who we have had since he was a pup, has no problem with this. Barry cries and cries. Not only this, but he will destroy his kennel to get out. He trashed the locking mechanism, so I had to improvise a new one. When he could not get out of the front he started to chew a hole in the side of the kennel, and probably ingested a bit of plastic in the process. He also paws at the gate so much that just recently i noticed one of his nails seems to have broken and is obviously sore. Plain and simple his separation anxiety isnt just a few sad yelps--it is injuring him. I would like any help and advice on this problem as possible. I love the guy to death, and i just want to see him finally healthy.
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Dec 4, 2008 15:59
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Johnny Eskimo posted:I would like any help and advice on this problem as possible. I love the guy to death, and i just want to see him finally healthy. (1)How much exercise is he getting? (2)Have you tried to ease him into it? Noctone fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Dec 4, 2008 |
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Dec 4, 2008 17:12
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Johnny Eskimo posted:About 3 weeks ago, we adopted a dog from pound--named him Barry. He was under-weight, stinky, throwing up, coughing, and not passing solid stool. Regardless of these things, some of which i was unaware, the guy is a total sweetheart. I will make a thread about him and his younger brother Dwight later, when i have photos on hand. Today he is doing a lot better, and is generally holding his food down with the help of antacids, has solid stool, is gaining weight, and his cough is on the way out. All of this makes me very happy. The problem i have is his separation anxiety. Some dogs have really been burned by improper kenneling in the past, so much so that they can't bear it later in life and it just stresses them the gently caress out. Barry has probably been a victim of lovely ownership. I think he's too upset by the idea of being in a kennel to actual get any of the positive effects of kenneling; obviously the crate is not keeping him safe or giving him a sense of security. Does he show severe separation anxiety if he's otherwise contained in a smallish area? You might be able to just use a bathroom or mudroom instead, though there's definitely risk of serious destruction of your home. If he's small enough, a sturdy exercise pen with a top might be a good solution as well. I'd still keep the crate around the house, because he might eventually realize that you're not just going to shove him in there and leave him forever. You might be able to ease him into it once he's been with you longer.
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Dec 4, 2008 18:59
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Noctone posted:I'm sure more experienced people will jump in, but two questions pop into my head immediately: 2) He will happily lay in his kennel with the door open or closed so long as we are within his sights. Once he is alone, no matter the room, he cries and claws and does everything in his power to be free of the kennel. We are going to switch to an all metal kennel, but i still think he will injure himself regardless because of how distraught he gets. I havent tried to exercise him before i go to work, so Im starting to give that a try. But so far he still cries just as hard when hes alone.
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Dec 4, 2008 19:16
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Authentic Jams and Jellies posted:It's no big deal, really. I saw the sample (probably on PI) and figured I'd give it a shot, but Noel just really doesn't have any drive to chew. At all. It's kind of weird, actually. She's a Pyr, if that helps explain it at all. The problem may be that I haven't come across anything big enough for her to chew on, but in the months that I've had her, she hasn't displayed any kind of destructive behavior in response to having nothing to chew. She hasn't really displayed any kind of destructive behavior at all. My Pyr's the same way. He loves a good barking session and is really mouthy when we get him riled up enough to actually play (once every few weeks or so) but has never cared about any chew toy or anything that we could possibly give him, and never had any desire to chew on table legs or shoes or anything at all. He toyed with chewing on a rawhide for a little bit, but gave up on it once he realized it was not as easy to crunch up and eat as a pig ear and hasn't touched it since. However, he does know what to do with a Greenie as long as it is the jumbo kind, but he's strong enough to chew it up and eat it before he decides it's more effort than it's worth (like the rawhide). I have a feeling he'd swallow any smaller ones whole, too.
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Dec 5, 2008 04:47
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I've recently moved my roborovski hamsters to my bedroom, because it is a bit warmer in this room and it has been very cold recently. I've just noticed today though that they are up at times they aren't usually. My bedroom doesn't get any natural light and I was wondering if this was confusing them? Usually in the living room they would have a normal light during the day, dark at night pattern. If it is confusing them, is it ok or should I move them back to where they were?
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Dec 5, 2008 16:38
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wprltndmcofjne posted:What are some "consequences" of having a cat? There's a stray that's been living in my neighborhood (I'm certain she doesn't belong to anybody) since around august/september and I want to take her in (I live in Michigan and it's starting to get really cold) but have never had a cat before. I'm keeping the cat and dog on different floors for now (they haven't really met yet but the windchill is in the single digits and it's been snowing constantly for over a day now and I felt bad for the cat) and the cat's been in the house for about half an hour and is afraid to come out from under my bed. It's like she doesn't even remember me. Is she just afraid because this is a totally new environment for her, and should I just let her chill out for a while, or does something seem amiss here? She's been trying to follow me inside for months now, I'm just confused. =|
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Dec 5, 2008 18:39
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wprltndmcofjne posted:I'm keeping the cat and dog on different floors for now (they haven't really met yet but the windchill is in the single digits and it's been snowing constantly for over a day now and I felt bad for the cat) and the cat's been in the house for about half an hour and is afraid to come out from under my bed. It's like she doesn't even remember me. Is she just afraid because this is a totally new environment for her, and should I just let her chill out for a while, or does something seem amiss here? She's been trying to follow me inside for months now, I'm just confused. =| Many cats will hide for days under the bed when in a new environment. Some, even if you just re-arrange the furniture get all freaked out for a day or two. How long has the cat been inside your home? If it's only been a week or so, I wouldn't worry. If it's been months, well, then you have a problem.
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Dec 5, 2008 19:34
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Meow Cadet posted:Many cats will hide for days under the bed when in a new environment. Some, even if you just re-arrange the furniture get all freaked out for a day or two. How long has the cat been inside your home? If it's only been a week or so, I wouldn't worry. If it's been months, well, then you have a problem. At the time I posted she had only been inside for about half an hour. It freaked me out that she was hiding, like I had just taken her hostage or something. It's been a few hours now and she's still under the bed but she's asleep. I left some water out for her and there was a little bit of black hair floating in the dish so I know she must have come out at some point. I situated a litterbox nearby so hopefully she'll use it if she needs to, and I'm going to put some food out for her soon. I'm not worried anymore, she's just under a lot of stress. Thank you everybody who answered my questions. =)
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Dec 5, 2008 23:50
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I just adopted a dog and he is doing something I've never seen before. When I'm brushing him or petting him and get near his lower back he starts rubbing against me and trying to rub his butt on my leg. I'm assuming it's just a personal quirk, as nothing seems wrong with him. He was a little "humpy" but he's stopped that. He doesn't think I'm like trying to mount him right? And I'm not like inadvertently turning him on?
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Dec 6, 2008 22:15
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Korunka posted:I just adopted a dog and he is doing something I've never seen before. When I'm brushing him or petting him and get near his lower back he starts rubbing against me and trying to rub his butt on my leg. I'm assuming it's just a personal quirk, as nothing seems wrong with him. He was a little "humpy" but he's stopped that. He doesn't think I'm like trying to mount him right? And I'm not like inadvertently turning him on? Sounds more like he may have worms or fleas. Does he also scoot on the carpet? Scratch a lot?
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Dec 6, 2008 22:36
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Larva posted:Sounds more like he may have worms or fleas. Does he also scoot on the carpet? Scratch a lot? Nope. I haven't seen anything to suggest he would have worms or fleas. I just got him from the shelter Thursday. He was lasted dewormed with Panacur Nov 28.
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Dec 6, 2008 22:45
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