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Fire In The Disco posted:^^^ It is in the OP... 
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Dec 12, 2009 00:33
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Reposting this from the general questions thread in hopes of getting an answer: My roommate's cat has been making hairball-hacking noises fairly frequently for the past few days. She never coughs anything up, and seems otherwise okay. What do kitty coughs sound like? What other signs would there be if she'd gotten a cold? She's indoor-only and neither of the other cats has been hacking/coughing so I don't know if it's a cold or just time to go buy her some Petromalt (? hairball laxative?).
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Dec 12, 2009 19:55
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Hi everyone. We just adopted a new kitty on Thursday, Soba, and we already have a cat, Mochi, who's just over a year old that we got back in June. I briefly looked through the thread for similar problems but then I got lazy so I apologize if this has been discussed, and if you'd rather re-direct me than type out a wall'o'words I completely understand and thanks in advance. So the pet rescue says Soba is just under 2 years. However, she's itty itty bitty and now that she's here she acts exactly like she's just under 1 year. (For example, she plays like a kitten and she mimics the other cat's behavior). So first question is, how reliable are those estimated ages at the pet shelter, if Soba was a "private referral"? Secondly, Mochi and Soba have been coming along well, but Soba insists on chasing Mochi around. I think it looks like playing but my boyfriend is worried that it's aggression. We've been doing all of the introducing-techniques-- we kept them in separate rooms the first day, have separate litter boxes, separate food bowls, let them get used to each other's scent before letting them meet behind a cracked door, etc. Mochi is okay eating with Soba, unless she thinks Soba is excited, in which case she's really pensive and anxious. She's just not at the stage yet where she's okay with being chased around or playing. We always separate them whenever we hear them chasing, and then we try re-introducing again (sometimes we put Soba in the carrier and let Mochi smell her, etc.) I mean, I think they're doing pretty well, considering they're tolerant of each other and it's only the third day. I had two cats during my childhood that took years to get to this point. Obviously, the ideal situation is that they're BFFs, because we got Soba in order to keep Mochi company because she was always meowing to go outside and kill her some delicious lizards (nomnomnom!) So anyways that's my story. I'm just all kinds of anxious as I want my loveable kitties to love each other as much as I love them! Thanks for all the advice everyone 
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Dec 12, 2009 20:02
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While it's sweet that he cares so much, it sounds to me like your boyfriend might be overreacting a bit. They need to be able to establish their pecking order in your house, and they can't do that if they're constantly separated. Furthermore, whether the youngest is under 2 or under 1, she's still young-- she's going to act like a kitten and there's little you can do about that. I would not be separating them unless their playing turns to actual fighting, as in, you see blood flying.
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Dec 12, 2009 21:44
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Does anyone have any advice or stories about adopting a stray cat? I found a stray outside last night in my driveway. It was pretty cold outside, about 20F, and I thought the little girl would be better off inside. She came up to me and getting her inside was surprisingly easy. I took her to the vet today for her first round of shots. She was negative for feline leukemia and she'll be going in to be spayed in a few days. I have her quarantined off in a spare bedroom away from my cat and dog. She hide's whenever I come into the room, but when she does come out she's very friendly and loves to be petted and cuddled. I'm hoping she will be more social with some more time. She doesn't seem to be too scared of people, she just seems really shy right now.
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Dec 12, 2009 23:24
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Triple Helix posted:Does anyone have any advice or stories about adopting a stray cat? Are you sure she's a stray? She might belong to someone on your street who didn't realise (or care) that the cat got out.
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Dec 13, 2009 01:26
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madlilnerd posted:Are you sure she's a stray? She might belong to someone on your street who didn't realise (or care) that the cat got out. We talked to our neighbors closest to us, and they don't have any cats. We live in a pretty large development but she also didn't have any collar on and she wasn't chipped, so I'm thinking that she isn't someones pet. She is also pretty underfed, so if she does 'belong' to someone, I don't think they were doing a very good job of taking care of her.
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Dec 13, 2009 02:28
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Reposting this from the general questions thread in hopes of getting an answer: If it keeps up, I'd be worried about asthma. It could just be a hairball she's having trouble with though (especially if she's prone to them). What is her posture like during the coughing? A hairball cough is usually higher off the ground, where an asthma cough is lower and the neck is stretched out more. As long as she isn't showing other signs of respiratory distress (panting, rapid breathing) or otherwise acting sick I would probably give her some hairball paste and wait a week. If it doesn't resolve I would get her checked out. In addition to asthma, lungworms and heartworms can also cause coughing in cats, as can heart failure (an uncommon presentation in cats, but it does happen).
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Dec 13, 2009 04:01
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Ceridwen posted:If it keeps up, I'd be worried about asthma. It could just be a hairball she's having trouble with though (especially if she's prone to them). Hmm. I'd say it's lower, and she hasn't been prone to hairballs, but I'll watch her more carefully for the next few days and see what happens. She's 3 years old and hasn't done this before; is it usual for asthma to turn up like that? What could cause it, and what does having asthma mean for a cat?
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Dec 13, 2009 16:16
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Hmm. I'd say it's lower, and she hasn't been prone to hairballs, but I'll watch her more carefully for the next few days and see what happens. She's 3 years old and hasn't done this before; is it usual for asthma to turn up like that? What could cause it, and what does having asthma mean for a cat? Zeus' started at ~2.5 years, although with him there has been some signs earlier. It is pretty normal for it to just kind of start though, at a variety of ages. What it means depends on how severe it is and how you choose to manage it. If it is asthma, it will be a lifelong problem but it does not have to be a life-ending one if it's managed well. A lot of cats with asthma live pretty normal lives.
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Dec 13, 2009 17:10
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Firequirks posted:I'm going to quote myself from the training part of the FAQ, because the same yelping advice applies to bitey-face. He doesn't know that his love bites are too hard and you need to tell him that it hurts. nonanone posted:Sounds like they're playing/working things out. If it seems too lopsided though, you might want to keep an eye out and make sure one isn't bullying the other. Theres been a little bit more growling from Serenity. But Spot doesnt make any sounds when they are doing there thing. I'm thinking he's just trying to play to rough for her or she doesnt want to deal with his crap. I've noticed a few times that when Spot would chase her, she'd turn around or stop and he'd plop on the floor on his side and see if she'd do anything. So I'm feeling fine about it and its just them doing their thing.
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Dec 13, 2009 21:49
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 I am cat sitting for a friend of mine while she is home for the holidays and its the first night and the cat won't eat the food my friend gave me. We got this bag of food fresh from the store and its possible its different from the kibble she is used to eating. I only have this dry food in the house and its after midnight and I wouldn't want to run out and buy new food anyway. Alibi (the kitty in question) would not stop whining at me, so i finally dug out a can of tuna to shut her up. So i guess my question is this, from now on should I just be steadfast and not give in until Alibi eats the dry stuff? She nibbled at the kibble earlier tonight but then turned her nose up at it. Obviously I will chat with my friend in the morning, but its always nice to get a second, PI, opinion. Alibi is female and about a year and half old. She stayed at my house last winter, but this is her first night here for this stay.
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Dec 14, 2009 09:49
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She probably doesn't remember staying at your house and just needs some time to adjust.
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Dec 14, 2009 11:08
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Cats don't like to be moved around to a new place with new smells, and it's pretty common for them not to eat for the first day or two after a move. I know you don't want the kitty to go hungry, but be careful giving her tuna because a) tuna can contain a lot of oils and preservatives that aren't really good for cats and b) if she figures out she can sucker you into tuna by just not eating then she'll never go for the kibble.
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Dec 14, 2009 15:30
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To add to the advice you've already gotten, BlueBayou, next time, be sure to find out in advance what kind of kibble the kitty normally eats at home, so you can be sure to have that on hand. Hell, you could even ask your friend to give you kibble, since you're doing the favor of cat-sitting. edit: I see you said you and your friend got the bag new from the store, but you're not sure if it's what she normally eats. Definitely make sure in the future that it is the same food she's used to, a new environment is hard enough to adapt to, let alone new food as well.
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Dec 14, 2009 15:32
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She ended up rejecting the tuna anyway. I guess she just needs time to adjust since the dry food is, according to my friend, what Alibi normally eats. Thanks for the advice.
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Dec 14, 2009 18:36
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Triple Helix posted:We talked to our neighbors closest to us, and they don't have any cats. We live in a pretty large development but she also didn't have any collar on and she wasn't chipped, so I'm thinking that she isn't someones pet. She is also pretty underfed, so if she does 'belong' to someone, I don't think they were doing a very good job of taking care of her. Well, if she got out a long time ago she might've lost some weight from being a stray . . . Anyway, it would be good for you to put in a little more effort at finding an owner. Contact the shelters or cops or whoever handles it around there, look at Craigslist, keep an eye out for posters, etc. Can you imagine the joy of a family finding their lost cat, especially around the holidays?  Anyway, keep us updated.
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Dec 15, 2009 04:26
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Eggplant Wizard posted:My roommate's cat has been making hairball-hacking noises fairly frequently for the past few days. She never coughs anything up, and seems otherwise okay. What do kitty coughs sound like? What other signs would there be if she'd gotten a cold? Update! We took Samantha to the vet yesterday because my roommate was worried. They listened to her lungs and took x-rays, and apparently everything turned up normal.* We're going to keep an eye on it. She coughed some more this morning  Sort of phlegmy sounding but still low to the ground.* Except she has a "big heart" which is weird because she's kinda a grinch some times... edit: bonus cat in carrier pic. She was hiding under the blanket. 
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Dec 15, 2009 16:00
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Update! Ah, so my cat isn't the only one that thinks he can escape vet torture by hiding under the carrier substrate. Sounds good so far, good luck to Samantha and all of you.
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Dec 15, 2009 16:15
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Update! Did they say anything specific about the big heart? Big heart can mean some bad stuff...
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Dec 15, 2009 16:50
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I'm meeting with THIS KITTY on Saturday; hopefully she jives well with my allergies because god drat is that one cute cat. The rescue claims that their cat-allergic employee does very well with her and that she'd do well as an apartment cat, too. So pumped!
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Dec 15, 2009 21:06
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demozthenes posted:I'm meeting with THIS KITTY on Saturday; hopefully she jives well with my allergies because god drat is that one cute cat. The rescue claims that their cat-allergic employee does very well with her and that she'd do well as an apartment cat, too. im sorry that cat looks defective its eyes dont open No really, she looks awesome, good luck!
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Dec 15, 2009 22:01
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HondaCivet posted:im sorry that cat looks defective its eyes dont open Right? At least her eyes open in the video, I was concerned. The shelter is really nice but is apparently staffed entirely by loud old ladies who forget to return my phone calls. 
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Dec 15, 2009 22:03
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Question for you guys, we adopted a kitten a few days ago to keep our old man (older kitty) company and after a few days he is getting more use to the little poo poo but that's not the issue... The issue is that the kitten keeps eating my adult cats food and visversa, my older cat has the good stuff blue buffalo and the younger cat has iam kitten wet (not a fan but could not find a blue buffalo kitten food) my question is this can I give my kitten the blue buffalo dry and wet food or should I stick with some kind of kitten chow? Also is there really difference between the kitten and normal food? Thanks in advance.
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Dec 15, 2009 22:26
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Blue Buffalo Spa Select makes a kitten variety. Blue Buffalo Wilderness is suitable for both cats and kittens. For the most part, I don't believe cats need separate types of food. I understand that there are some breed restrictions for certain puppies and dogs, but for cats, most kitten food is really not necessary.
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Dec 15, 2009 22:30
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Fire In The Disco posted:Blue Buffalo Spa Select makes a kitten variety. Blue Buffalo Wilderness is suitable for both cats and kittens. For the most part, I don't believe cats need separate types of food. I understand that there are some breed restrictions for certain puppies and dogs, but for cats, most kitten food is really not necessary. That is great to hear, I assumed the same reading the package seems like kitten food has a bit more protein and that's about it from what I could tell. We love our new kitten but we are also trying to make time for our old guy because he is GRUMPY!! as of yesterday and this morning he is getting back to normal he keeps trying to be nice to the kitten and clean him and then the kitten thinks he is playing smacks him one and the older cat gets all pissed and we are back at ground zero till the next time he attempts to be nice to the new cat :P Madness fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Dec 15, 2009 |
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Dec 15, 2009 22:35
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Yep, kitten food is typically higher in protein-- but so is ultra premium cat food.  That's why I feel confident that you don't need a separate food if you're feeding a really good one already.
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Dec 15, 2009 22:42
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Fire In The Disco posted:Yep, kitten food is typically higher in protein-- but so is ultra premium cat food. Yeah I love blue buffalo my cat would get sick at least 3-5 times a week before I came on PI and asked for help. I changed his diet to the top brand stuff and now it's only 3-4 times a month and I think some of that is because he loves to eat paper and little to do with his fancy food :P
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Dec 15, 2009 22:49
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Seconding that kitten food isn't necessary as long as you have a good quality high-protein food at hand. I've heard that adult neutered male cats love to mother kittens, sounds like they weren't lying.
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Dec 16, 2009 06:18
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So I've been gradually getting my cats used to the idea of wearing ID. They seem to have an aversion to the outdoors (they actually run away from the sliding door when I come in the apartment), but I just want to be safe. I've gotten both of them used to wearing collars, which was an episode in itself, and I'm going to have tags made soon. My question is about microchipping. I want to get it done, but the chip the vet recommended costs $15/month. I have a friend with two chipped dogs, one costs nothing and one is closer to $15/year. Can someone point me in the direction of a reasonably priced microchip?
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Dec 16, 2009 11:40
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Ceridwen posted:Did they say anything specific about the big heart? Big heart can mean some bad stuff... I know No, they didn't mention anything specific as far as I know. At least they know it's there now.demozthenes posted:I'm meeting with THIS KITTY on Saturday; hopefully she jives well with my allergies because god drat is that one cute cat. The rescue claims that their cat-allergic employee does very well with her and that she'd do well as an apartment cat, too. Good luck dude!
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Dec 16, 2009 15:51
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OatmealRaisin posted:So I've been gradually getting my cats used to the idea of wearing ID. They seem to have an aversion to the outdoors (they actually run away from the sliding door when I come in the apartment), but I just want to be safe. I've gotten both of them used to wearing collars, which was an episode in itself, and I'm going to have tags made soon. Is this a US thing? I haven't heard of microchipping being a recurring cost. My microchipping was a one-time cost for a national company that houses the data in Calgary, I think. Where do you live?
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Dec 16, 2009 18:31
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Firequirks posted:Is this a US thing? I haven't heard of microchipping being a recurring cost. My microchipping was a one-time cost for a national company that houses the data in Calgary, I think. Where do you live? A local shelter gave me a "free" Avid microchip (with adoption) but it requires an $18 fee each time I want to change the info (in case you move, get a new phone #), and the chip was initially implanted with the shelter's contact info on it, not mine. I have heard of other chip brands that require a yearly fee. A monthly fee sounds ridiculous, I think you misheard, or your vet misspoke. I think you ought to find out what the preferred chip for your local animal shelters are. They have universal scanners now, but sometimes they just say "has chip" or "has no chip." If you have the brand that your pound uses, I'd like to think you have a better chance of retrieval in case your pet gets lost and turned in.
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Dec 16, 2009 19:12
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One of my cats has a 24PetWatch chip and the other has a HomeAgain chip. Both were chipped by the shelters I got them from. HomeAgain has a yearly fee of around $18 while 24PetWatch has no fees. After my first free year with HomeAgain I transferred my registration to 24PetWatch (which was free). I believe both use the same frequency. I still get emails and junk mail from HomeAgain asking for renewal money, which is very annoying.
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Dec 16, 2009 20:44
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OatmealRaisin posted:I've gotten both of them used to wearing collars, which was an episode in itself, and I'm going to have tags made soon. If you haven't had the tags made yet, I highly recommend https://www.collartags.com. They don't make noise or anything so cats don't find them nearly as annoying. The tags really do not come off, the engraving is great, the shipping is free, and they come in about 3-4 days.
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Dec 17, 2009 00:16
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Recently my two cats have been enamoured with a piece of thin chain - its their only and favourite toy.  They have never really shown interest in toys but they love this piece of chain. any tips on getting them interested in less... metal toys? They are outdoor cats so we always assumed they had enough fun with the garden as an explanation for them being uninterested in anything else.
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Dec 17, 2009 20:25
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Fearian posted:Recently my two cats have been enamoured with a piece of thin chain - its their only and favourite toy. If it makes a rattle noise while they bat it around, maybe dingle balls would be worth a try. Alternately, 
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Dec 17, 2009 20:31
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are ALWAYS the solution.
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Dec 17, 2009 21:00
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So my kitten Dwight is getting neutered right now. I pick him up in just a couple hours. The post-op instructions say "No running, jumping, playing or strenuous activity for 7 – 10 days." How the gently caress am I supposed to manage that? Kittens are insane. Will he just be sore for a while and relax on his own? I'm afraid he's going to rip his stitches open as soon as I take him home and the painkillers wear off. I'll ask when I pick him up, but any insight from you guys would be great
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Dec 17, 2009 21:31
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spatula posted:So my kitten Dwight is getting neutered right now. I pick him up in just a couple hours.
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Dec 17, 2009 22:17
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