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Is there a breed of dog that would both a) be a good guard dog but b) be good with cats?
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Dec 12, 2008 03:32
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One last question...is it true about male cats wanting to pee on everything? I've heard this from some people, but I've also heard they don't do it when they're neutered. What's the truth?
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Dec 12, 2008 06:04
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zex posted:One last question...is it true about male cats wanting to pee on everything? I've heard this from some people, but I've also heard they don't do it when they're neutered. What's the truth? Intact mature cats will tend to spray (piss) on everything to mark territory. Neutering a male kitten early can greatly reduce this risk. Neutering an older male can also help reduce spraying, but there is a chance that it has become a habit, and nothing can be done.
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Dec 12, 2008 06:27
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zex posted:One last question...is it true about male cats wanting to pee on everything? I've heard this from some people, but I've also heard they don't do it when they're neutered. What's the truth? Just to add to what Meow Cadet said, females can spray too. Its not just a male thing. BUT, as stated, fixing the cat reduces this. My father and his girlfriend had 7+ cats at one time, and their house wreaks because the cats were trying to mark off their own territory, and establish new territory over the other cat's marked territory. I think this was exacerbated by the fact that his girlfriend's cats were indoor/outdoor. They didn't have their own places in the house, they had to share everything, and there was always stray cats coming around in the yard and garage. The spraying has stopped since several of the other (elderly) cats have died, but whenever a stray cat comes around my Dad starts to yell about them marking again. So the chances are higher of cats spraying when there are more than a couple cats in a household, and when they aren't altered, and/or aren't altered early, and females can spray too (much to my father's chagrin). But neither of my female cats ever sprayed, but then they were always only cats in the house and never permitted out of doors. My brother's male cat sprayed when I was growing up, he was an only cat for most of his life and I believe he was neutered from an early age- but he was a snotty, mean little rear end in a top hat too.. so I think it was more his personality than anything else ("piss on you"). Good luck, and remember... kitties explode if their pictures aren't posted on PI, and doubly so when you have people excited for you getting a kitty. So when you get your kitty, as soon as you can- please, for the sake of your kitty, please post a thread with pictures of your new buddy!
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Dec 12, 2008 07:22
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Pointy_Stick posted:Question: How does one teach a puppy to walk down stairs? I have a 4 month old Basset Hound and I have been carrying him down the 3 flights of stairs to go outside and he will hop up them but not down. It is the middle of winter here and there is usually snow on the stairs. He fell once and slid down a bunch of them so maybe he's scared. Carrying him when he weighs 40+ lbs is not going to be pleasant. Help? You should reconsider your housing situation for the sake of your dog. Going up and down stairs is REALLY bad for long-backed breeds like Dacshunds and Bassets. from the Basset Hound Club of America: quote:Growing puppies have special needs. Until they are a year old, Basset puppies should not go up and down long flights of stairs or be allowed to jump on and off elevated objects such as couches, beds or porches. The joints of this heavy-boned breed are still forming and excessive stress or strain may cause permanent injury. After a year of age, these activities, within reason, are usually not harmful to your Basset. Diocenes fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Dec 12, 2008 |
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Dec 12, 2008 17:42
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Hey, I didn't know if this had merit enough to start a new thread. I inherited a cat who has the bad habit of peeing on dirty clothes. I was out of town for a full day one time and left some dirty clothes on my bed, when I got back there was piss all over them, soaked straight down through my blankets. I washed everything except my mattress ( I just sprayed Lysol on it, it's all I had), and everything was good. A few days he just pees on my bed again. He's been peeing on there every so often now when I don't cover the mattress, even though I'm pretty sure I got the smell out of it. Question is, is there something physically wrong him? I've heard of urinary tract infections maybe or something else, or is it just a mental thing where he can still smell the last time he peed?
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Dec 14, 2008 05:47
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Yeet posted:Question is, is there something physically wrong him? Only a vet can tell that. Take him in. And get a new mattress, eww.
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Dec 14, 2008 06:32
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Yeet posted:pee
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Dec 14, 2008 07:25
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I've been reading a lot of threads in PI lately that talk about giving task-oriented dogs a "job" to do. What exactly do they mean? I have a 5-month old Beagle named Henry and I want to give him mental exercise in addition to physical exercise, so what kind of "jobs" can a Beagle puppy do?
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Dec 14, 2008 08:09
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Our cat Kimi is an almost 2 years old (shelter cat) siamese/mix. Lately she's been getting bored in our apartment, even though she's pretty much got some person's attention anytime she wants it, her favorite scratching board, and as many bottle rings as she can hide under the fridge. We're thinking about getting her a friend. She really likes the neighborhood strays, who she talks to through the window, (she's a strictly indoor cat) so what I'm wondering is what age cat buddy should we be looking into. I'm worried she'd be too rough on a kitten and would prefer an older cat (shelter also if possible.) Also any tips for bringing a new cat into the house smoothly would be welcome!
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Dec 14, 2008 11:27
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mistaya posted:She really likes the neighborhood strays, who she talks to through the window, (she's a strictly indoor cat) so what I'm wondering is what age cat buddy should we be looking into. Easiest introduction to an adult female is a juvenile (below 6 months) male. Or so my vet assures me  I have 4 adult males and 1 adult female, and the female is very territorial. She adores the 4 males, but hates all other cats I've tried introducing; my vet thinks that she would accept a juvenile male, should I wish to expand my household in the future If your cat is only 2 years old, then she's not so set in her ways really, and I don't suppose she would be too bothered by a kittens energy. I would hesitate to get a lively kitten friend if your cat was old, but she's not so I wouldn't worry too much! Introducing two adult cats tends to be more complicated, but again if you do that, a neutered male will probably be easiest. Females can be a bit bitchy with each other, though there's always exceptions to the rule of course. When I've introduced new kitties to my bunch, it's been very straightforward, and they've been playing and cuddling after one day. From what I hear though, that's fairly rare, and most people need to keep them in seperate rooms for a few days, swapping bedding etc. to familiarise each cat with the others smell, before short, supervised meetings.
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Dec 14, 2008 12:58
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Semper Ubi Sub Ubi posted:I've been reading a lot of threads in PI lately that talk about giving task-oriented dogs a "job" to do. What exactly do they mean? I have a 5-month old Beagle named Henry and I want to give him mental exercise in addition to physical exercise, so what kind of "jobs" can a Beagle puppy do? Since beagles are scent hounds, you could hide his food & treats around the house & let him sniff them out.
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Dec 14, 2008 14:41
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I have a 6 month old kitten, and I was wondering if it's better to have a pet sitter come visit my apartment and take care of her over winter break or to bring her with me to my house?
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Dec 14, 2008 16:52
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GoreJess posted:Since beagles are scent hounds, you could hide his food & treats around the house & let him sniff them out. 
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Dec 14, 2008 19:24
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Aerofallosov posted:I have a 6 month old kitten, and I was wondering if it's better to have a pet sitter come visit my apartment and take care of her over winter break or to bring her with me to my house? How long does the trip take, how long will you be gone, and does the kitten hate change or lack of attention more?
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Dec 14, 2008 19:46
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maplecheese posted:How long does the trip take, how long will you be gone, and does the kitten hate change or lack of attention more? About half an hour. 2-4 weeks, probably closer to 2 and she seems to get fussy when she's not around me. But if I take her with me, she'll have to stay in a smaller space.
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Dec 14, 2008 19:57
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Aerofallosov posted:About half an hour. 2-4 weeks, probably closer to 2 and she seems to get fussy when she's not around me. But if I take her with me, she'll have to stay in a smaller space. I'd probably take her along. I would only hesitate if it was a really long way, or if the kitty would have to live with other animals that they may not get on with. Cats cope just fine with small living spaces; they just climb upwards
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Dec 14, 2008 22:09
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Aerofallosov posted:About half an hour. 2-4 weeks, probably closer to 2 and she seems to get fussy when she's not around me. But if I take her with me, she'll have to stay in a smaller space. Take her with you. Small spaces don't matter as much as being lonely. Unless it's like, a bathroom. Will she at least get one room?
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Dec 15, 2008 01:01
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100 Years in Iraq posted:Get your hands on some Nature's Miracle or similar enzyme cleaner. It will help to kill the smell. You may not be able to smell it but the cat still can. Alright, I'll try that. I'll have to take him to the vet as soon as I go home for break. Thank you both!
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Dec 15, 2008 05:41
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exactduckwoman posted:Take her with you. Small spaces don't matter as much as being lonely. Unless it's like, a bathroom. Will she at least get one room? She will be in my bedroom, I am next to the bathroom, so I can run the faucet for her and she can possibly rove around a medium sized room. We have a dog at home, but said dog is dumb and sweet. Said dog also likes to put cats on her head. Cat hat. O_o
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Dec 15, 2008 07:05
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My cat has what looks like a white-head pimple on her chin. I've read about cat acne and that it is possible for cats to get pimples as well as the dirt looking acne but, could it be anything more serious like an insect/spider bite that I should look after? Should I take her to the vet now, or just keep an eye on it for awhile?
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Dec 15, 2008 12:52
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tofurkey posted:My cat has what looks like a white-head pimple on her chin. I've read about cat acne and that it is possible for cats to get pimples as well as the dirt looking acne but, could it be anything more serious like an insect/spider bite that I should look after? Does she get really pissed off if you try to touch it? Is she eating and drinking ok? If she isn't reacting with obvious pain and she's otherwise acting normal, I'd just keep an eye on it.
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Dec 15, 2008 14:36
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tofurkey posted:My cat has what looks like a white-head pimple on her chin. I've read about cat acne and that it is possible for cats to get pimples as well as the dirt looking acne but, could it be anything more serious like an insect/spider bite that I should look after? When in doubt, contact your vet. Even just a call to your vet to discuss whether it warrants a vet visit, what to look out for in case its not cat acne, and if there are any home remedies the vet would recommend. maplecheese is probably right though (and gives great advice) and would be what I would do as well; unless its painful or your girl stops eating or drinking, its probably something to keep an eye on. And I'm sure you know since you've read up on cat acne recently, but if you are using plastic bowls, get new ones; ceramic, glass, or stainless steel bowl ones since they aren't porus. Plastic food/water dishes harbor the bacteria that causes cat acne because its porus.
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Dec 15, 2008 15:35
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Sorry if this has been asked, but I looked and couldnt find anything. I am going home for the winter break, and am taking my kitten with me. It's about a 5 and a half hour drive, so I am just looking for tips to make this easy. I was thinking about only feeding her the night before but not in the morning to try and limit the amount she'll poop. Other than that though I can't really think of anything that I should take into consideration; help me pet goons!
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Dec 16, 2008 00:22
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Here's a recent thread on traveling with felines: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3030800
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Dec 16, 2008 00:51
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Fire In The Disco posted:Here's a recent thread on traveling with felines: Ah, don't know how I missed it, thanks!
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Dec 16, 2008 00:54
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Seventeen-Five posted:Sorry if this has been asked, but I looked and couldnt find anything. I am going home for the winter break, and am taking my kitten with me. It's about a 5 and a half hour drive, so I am just looking for tips to make this easy. I was thinking about only feeding her the night before but not in the morning to try and limit the amount she'll poop. Other than that though I can't really think of anything that I should take into consideration; help me pet goons! On Sunday I took my 3 year old cat on a 6 hour drive with me. I just pulled over about every 2 hours and let her out (in the car) to stretch and have a little water. Amazingly, even though I was prepared with extra towels and cat-cleaning wipes, she didn't use the bathroom in her carrier at all. I did not give her the evening food and (accidentally) left very little water in her bowl the night before and she was fine. Now adjusting to my parents' house with 3 puppies is not going well. She's in my room with the door shut, but she very rarely comes out from under the bed, which is weird because she's such a cuddlebug. She's only eaten about half of her normal food intake, but is drinking and using the litterbox normally. My mom keeps yelling at me that I am not spending enough time with her, but I am in here every night from like 8pm til 9 or 10 am and honestly that's almost more time than she gets with me when we're at home... I think my mom is just used to dogs. I am, however, going on a little trip for about 3 days to visit my old friends from undergrad, so my dad will be feeding her. Mom says that this is a horrible idea and she is going to be SO UPSET and is all around making me feel lovely. SO I guess my questions are, should I get some smelly wet food to get her to eat more, and is my mom being a bitch when she says "SHE IS YOUR CHILD AND YOU ARE BEING A BAD MOM!!"?
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Dec 17, 2008 05:15
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aunt moneybags posted:SO I guess my questions are, should I get some smelly wet food to get her to eat more, and is my mom being a bitch when she says "SHE IS YOUR CHILD AND YOU ARE BEING A BAD MOM!!"? Something extra tasty might help coax her out, but as long as she's still eating regularly, even if it's a reduced amount, she shouldn't be in danger. I think your mom is just used to dogs. Think about what it takes to dogsit versus what it takes to catsit. With dogs, you probably want someone coming over to let the dog out three times a day, with at least one of those times being a good walk. They're going to need to be fed, played with, brushed if they have a high-maintenance coat, bathed if they get into something on their walks... A catsitter just needs to drop by once day, or maybe every other day if they're busy, to check the food, water, and litterbox, and make sure the cat isn't having any major medical crises. A really excellent catsitter will pet the cat or dangle a mousie on a string for a little bit while they watch your tv. The animals just have different needs. If you can get your mom to realize that, awesome. If not... well, try not to feel too bad.
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Dec 17, 2008 14:12
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aunt moneybags posted:Now adjusting to my parents' house with 3 puppies is not going well. She's in my room with the door shut, but she very rarely comes out from under the bed, which is weird because she's such a cuddlebug. It has only been a couple of days. Give her a little more time. So long as she's eating and drinking and /sometimes/ coming out from under the bed, you're probably good. She might adjust quicker if you were around as a familiar smell/face, but she'll be okay while you're on your trip. You're not ruining her life and you're not a bad cat parent.
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Dec 17, 2008 14:33
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I have a DSH neutered male cat, of approximately 8 or 9 years - he was a rescue so I'm not sure. Lately I have noticed some black spots on his chin. They look like warts or acne maybe? I've heard cats can get acne but don't know much about it. They don't seem to hurt him - I've tried getting a better look at them but he is hard to handle in any way other than normal petting. He's suspicious of me handling his face or feet, and he's really strong. Should I get them looked at or not worry?
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Dec 17, 2008 19:10
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Xoobee posted:I have a DSH neutered male cat, of approximately 8 or 9 years - he was a rescue so I'm not sure. Lately I have noticed some black spots on his chin. They look like warts or acne maybe? I've heard cats can get acne but don't know much about it. Probably just cat acne. My cats had it for a while, and I was told plastic food/water dishes can aggravate it, so I switched them to metal/ceramic dishes, and cleaned their chins for a week or two with a bottle of antiseptic stuff from my vet, and it cleared right up.
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Dec 17, 2008 19:26
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Yep, like Helanna said, probably just cat acne. If you don't have the time or money to go out and get new bowls right now, try using some of your own plates and bowls - we use a small ceramic saucer for our cat's food, and we used to use a cereal bowl for her water. Just remember to wash them often to be sure they stay clean. You can also wipe the cat's chin (gently!) with a warm washcloth.
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Dec 17, 2008 19:43
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Xoobee posted:I have a DSH neutered male cat, of approximately 8 or 9 years - he was a rescue so I'm not sure. Lately I have noticed some black spots on his chin. They look like warts or acne maybe? I've heard cats can get acne but don't know much about it. A few years ago we got one of those nifty cat watering fountains to replace the cats' water dish. Well the cats loved it, but my older cat developed a horrible case of chin acne due to the plastic. Despite cleaning it regularly, it developed into these large painful pustules, that would burst upon washing. It was really loving gross. I think it took about three vet visits and a few different types of medicated soap before it finally cleared up. The vet said it was one of the worst plastic reactions he'd seen. So yeah, that was the most expensive watering dish ever, cost several hundred dollars in vet visits. We wound up giving it to a friend whos cat didn't have plastic issues, and we're not exposing this cat to plastic dishes ever again--which is a real bummer because he really liked the water fountain. 
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Dec 17, 2008 20:38
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We want a sliding glass door pet door insert (something like this http://www.fancypaws.com/idpaincatdo.html), but don't want to pay the $150+ price tag. Anyone know of a cheaper resource or DIY plans? It would just go to our balcony, so no fancy locks needed. We're just getting tired of playing doorman to the cat every 20 minutes.
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Dec 18, 2008 04:32
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I don't know where to post this, and I didn't want to start a new thread. My 4 year old cat Schrodinger just died today. Suddenly, out of the blue. He had a heart murmur. Goodbye Big Fat Kitty, I'll miss you forever.
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Dec 18, 2008 04:34
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anachrodragon posted:A few years ago we got one of those nifty cat watering fountains to replace the cats' water dish. Well the cats loved it, but my older cat developed a horrible case of chin acne due to the plastic. Despite cleaning it regularly, it developed into these large painful pustules, that would burst upon washing. It was really loving gross. I think it took about three vet visits and a few different types of medicated soap before it finally cleared up. The vet said it was one of the worst plastic reactions he'd seen. Romeo doesn't have plastic dishes, he has metal ones in a little stand thingy to keep the bugs out as I live in a basement apartment and there are a lot of bugs in the summer... Also I clean his dishes frequently so I don't think that's it. I shall probably call and ask the vet.
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Dec 18, 2008 17:38
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GlobalHero06 fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Feb 16, 2009 |
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Dec 19, 2008 15:49
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Try the substitution method. Get some other treat or toy she really likes, and then when you go to take away the first, offer her the second. Do this any time she's got something she might be guarding. After a bit she'll get used to the concept that if you take something away from her it's not necessarily a bad thing. You might also want to use a command in there like "leave it" or "give" so she'll also surrender something to you, which is good when she finds a dead rat or garbage you don't want her eating. It might be that you startled her, or she just really liked the bone and didn't want to give it up. She might have had to fight over toys or treats in the shelter or at her previous home and it's made her possessive.
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Dec 19, 2008 17:00
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G0d0t posted:I don't know where to post this, and I didn't want to start a new thread. I'm very sorry to hear that.
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Dec 19, 2008 21:26
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New question. I have a hamster, male, born at the beginning of this year. So he's just slightly under a year old. Syrian I think, not one of the little dwarf guys. I've had hamsters before and I could handle them pretty much - but this is my first anti-social hamster. If I have to move him, I trap him in a small box or something and lift him out. Usually I clean the cage while he's in his pod, clean the pod while he's in the cage and shut it off. I really can't touch him more than brushing a finger on his back. So last night, when I'm cleaning his cage, he goes into the cage, so I shut the pod off, clean out the pod. When I go to put it back I have to reach in to reattach it. Hamster freaks out, does a wild little dance and ends up UPSIDE DOWN on his back, between a toy and the cage wall, like a helpless turtle. Helpful me reaches in, moves the toy, turns over the hamster, who freaks out yet again and boings around a bit. WTF?? Was he just afraid or did I break my hamster? He seems fine now, bumbling around as usual...eating drinking etc. Help?
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Dec 20, 2008 01:04
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