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HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


Daemoxx posted:

Got it, cat's not going out on the top-floor balcony unless I rig a way to keep her off that railing.

She should be fine on the stairs and stuff, right? Highest drop there is about fifteen or twenty feet, and it's all carpeted. I really don't have very much way to keep her off of those, because it's in the middle of the house and her current favorite spot to play.

Yeah, not much you can do . . . just keep an eye out for any limping or anything just in case she does slip one day.

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Fangs404
Dec 20, 2004

I time bomb.

kuddles posted:

Have you tried taking him out with just a collar and a leash? Preferably in an area where you can catch him if he gets out of it? I ask this because the three cats I've had were primarily indoor cats so they didn't adjust well to wearing a harness at all. For example, my current cat seems to tolerate a leash and only occasionally manage to wriggle out when he's overly frightened or excited by something. Meanwhile, aside from the huge undertaking of getting it on him, having a harness means he either pouts in a corner or does nothing outside other than make continuous attempts to get out of it. You might want to see if your cat for the most part can be handled that way.

HondaCivet posted:

Some people on the forums have had good success with harnesses. The favorite harness seems to be the Premier Come With Me Kitty, it's not too tough to get on and it doesn't apply pressure to the throat or neck. Some people also use walking jackets which are kinda like fabric sausage casings for their torsos. I can't remember which one goons recommended, I glanced online and they are all pretty similar-looking. Either way, make sure you try it on inside first to make sure it fits, he can't escape, isn't suffocating, etc. He may not ever get used to it but it's worth a try.

Thanks for the info guys. I'm gonna check some out this weekend. No idea how he'll react, but I wanna try.

Abbeh
May 23, 2006

When I grow up I mean to be
A Lion large and fierce to see.
(Thank you, Das Boo!)
It's fun to get the harness on!


Getting it off is a bit harder.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


Abbeh posted:

It's fun to get the harness on!


Getting it off is a bit harder.


Haha, amazing. My cats aren't that entertaining about it. They let me put it on and take it off just fine for the most part but once it's on they act like their legs can't hold up their body weight anymore. They are big babies and hate going outside apparently though so I don't know when I'll get them out again.

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer
We currently have 1 boy cat at 10 months old and are looking into another. Any recommendations on gender, and do they need seperate litter boxes? any other suggestions?

Engineer Lenk
Aug 28, 2003

Mnogo losho e!

Duckman2008 posted:

We currently have 1 boy cat at 10 months old and are looking into another. Any recommendations on gender, and do they need seperate litter boxes? any other suggestions?

Anecdotally males aren't the fussy ones- they'll get along with whoever if they're introduced gradually. The rule of thumb with litterboxes is # of cats plus one, ideally spread out a bit, that way you avoid any possibility of bullying.

I'd look for another cat around the same age, so they'll wear their energy out on each other.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


Duckman2008 posted:

We currently have 1 boy cat at 10 months old and are looking into another. Any recommendations on gender, and do they need seperate litter boxes? any other suggestions?

Matching age/energy level is probably more important than gender. Girl kitties can be more territorial but mostly only with other females so I wouldn't worry too much about getting a girl. Also make sure to introduce them properly (OP details this).

Yeah, cats + 1 for litter boxes, at least for now. You can work on cutting down the number later if they start sharing a box or not using one of them.

Other advice . . . Two cats isn't that much more work than one but make sure you keep up on the litter boxes. You'd be surprised how much stuff can come out of two cats in a day so make sure you scoop every day. And make sure they have places to go if they want to get away from each other . . . maybe have some nice beds or lounging spots in faraway rooms so they can chill out alone if they want.

Other than that, have fun and let us know how it goes!*

*Yes, that means pictures. Lots and lots.

CHRISTS FOR SALE
Jan 14, 2005

"fuck you and die"
I am about to get a Maine Coon kitten from a fostering friend of mine. I read at the beginning of this thread that I should be getting two kittens, but I really don't want to take on the responsibility of cleaning up after them. Reason being is both my studio and the kitty litter are located in the same place (basement), and having to clean up after two cats meant scooping the litter every day. Since I'm already going to be brushing the cat every day and taking care of its fur, I'm not so sure I also want ANOTHER kitten/cat that I have to maintain.

If I were to just get one kitten, what kind of extra things would I need to do to maintain its psychological health?

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

CHRISTS FOR SALE posted:

I am about to get a Maine Coon kitten from a fostering friend of mine. I read at the beginning of this thread that I should be getting two kittens, but I really don't want to take on the responsibility of cleaning up after them. Reason being is both my studio and the kitty litter are located in the same place (basement), and having to clean up after two cats meant scooping the litter every day. Since I'm already going to be brushing the cat every day and taking care of its fur, I'm not so sure I also want ANOTHER kitten/cat that I have to maintain.

If I were to just get one kitten, what kind of extra things would I need to do to maintain its psychological health?


Well, bear in mind you don't have to get two Maine Coons. You could always adopt a second kitty from a shelter. A lot of short and medium haired kitties really don't require any maintenance or brushing. You will likely be cleaning the litter every day for just the one cat anyway. A lot of people have a misconception that caring for two cats is harder than caring for one, but I think a lot of people here have found it's exactly the opposite. With two, you don't have to expend so much energy trying to entertain the one cat, and they won't get as easily bored and tear up your house or keep you up all night.

That said, if you do decide to only go with one, you will need a lot of entertainment. Trees, toys, you name it. Make sure there are enough toys and places for the kitty to explore that she keeps herself entertained.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


CHRISTS FOR SALE posted:

I am about to get a Maine Coon kitten from a fostering friend of mine. I read at the beginning of this thread that I should be getting two kittens, but I really don't want to take on the responsibility of cleaning up after them. Reason being is both my studio and the kitty litter are located in the same place (basement), and having to clean up after two cats meant scooping the litter every day. Since I'm already going to be brushing the cat every day and taking care of its fur, I'm not so sure I also want ANOTHER kitten/cat that I have to maintain.

If I were to just get one kitten, what kind of extra things would I need to do to maintain its psychological health?

No matter how many cats you have, if you are living in the same room as the litter box, you'll want to scoop every day. Heck, you should do it even if you live in a mansion but slacking off would be especially painful for your situation. If you have two cats instead of one it will take like 30 more seconds I guess?

Seconding getting another kitten with low-maintenance fur. Also, make sure you are feeding high-quality food, this should reduce the amount of shedding.

CHRISTS FOR SALE
Jan 14, 2005

"fuck you and die"

Auracounts posted:

A lot of people have a misconception that caring for two cats is harder than caring for one, but I think a lot of people here have found it's exactly the opposite. With two, you don't have to expend so much energy trying to entertain the one cat, and they won't get as easily bored and tear up your house or keep you up all night.
I scooped every day when I took care of two cats. There's a cover on top of the litterbox that helps keep the smell down, but the amount that two cats produced in the box would be overwhelming if I didn't do it every day. That kind of pressure was annoying, because I knew if I missed a day or two it would just become unbearable. At the time, I was coming home very late and didn't have a lot of time at home with the cats. What I was hoping with this next kitty was a situation where I wouldn't feel as pressured to do it every day, although ideally I would still be scooping every day. But if I miss a day or two here and there, it doesn't become A PROBLEM.

Auracounts posted:

That said, if you do decide to only go with one, you will need a lot of entertainment. Trees, toys, you name it. Make sure there are enough toys and places for the kitty to explore that she keeps herself entertained.
She'll be an indoor cat, but I don't believe in declawing. I live in my house with my roommate, and my girlfriend is here like 70% of the time. With all that human interaction, do you really think she'll be bored?

I just feel like I shouldn't get another cat if I really don't want another cat...

mdtyson
Jul 21, 2008

CHRISTS FOR SALE posted:

I just feel like I shouldn't get another cat if I really don't want another cat...

I didn't want two cats. But then I went to pick up Lucy and her brother Fred looked so lonely. Turns out it was the best decision I could have made. They entertain each other constantly and I never have to worry about either one getting bored and wreaking havoc on my (lack of) furniture. Plus, Fred turned out to be way smarter and has shown Lucy to use the litter box, conserve food, and purr when she wants attention. Seriously, take a look at a local shelter. If you fall in love, great; if you still don't want one, gently caress the haters and have an only cat.

Also, I live in a one bedroom and only have one litter box (for now). Don't get me wrong, the cats poo poo like crazy and there's definitely a funky smell at the end of the day if I'm not proactive in scooping - but it's not really that much more difficult to stay on top of.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


Yeah, if scooping the litter box once a day is a huge deal to you then I'm not sure how you're going to find the time to take care of the cat properly in the first place, especially since the cat is going to need daily brushing and brushing is much more of a task than litter scooping (especially if it's a kitten who isn't going to sit still for poo poo). Is there something about scooping the litter that is especially unpleasant to you? There are lots of options when it comes to cat pooping stations, maybe we could help you find a way to make it easier. One thing that might help: an awesome scoop. I have a Litter Lifter or Magic Scoop or whatever it's called (just google the name, you'll see it). It makes things go WAY faster and easier than using a normal cheap scoop that makes you shake and sift through every drat scoop like you're prospecting for gold.

CHRISTS FOR SALE
Jan 14, 2005

"fuck you and die"

HondaCivet posted:

Yeah, if scooping the litter box once a day is a huge deal to you then I'm not sure how you're going to find the time to take care of the cat properly in the first place, especially since the cat is going to need daily brushing and brushing is much more of a task than litter scooping (especially if it's a kitten who isn't going to sit still for poo poo). Is there something about scooping the litter that is especially unpleasant to you? There are lots of options when it comes to cat pooping stations, maybe we could help you find a way to make it easier. One thing that might help: an awesome scoop. I have a Litter Lifter or Magic Scoop or whatever it's called (just google the name, you'll see it). It makes things go WAY faster and easier than using a normal cheap scoop that makes you shake and sift through every drat scoop like you're prospecting for gold.
It's not really a huge deal, there were simply some days that I came home very late and regardless of what I was feeling, I was gonna have to clean out litter. When it's just that which I have to deal with, I don't mind. But when it's that PLUS another cat PLUS brushing the Maine Coon, I just don't feel like I'll have the time to properly take care of the other cat. Perhaps I'll get another kitten in the future...

I currently use a slotted spoon to scoop. It does not work very well but it gets the job done. That Litter Lifter thing looks really cool. Can I also use it as an afro pick?

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

CHRISTS FOR SALE posted:

I scooped every day when I took care of two cats. There's a cover on top of the litterbox that helps keep the smell down, but the amount that two cats produced in the box would be overwhelming if I didn't do it every day. That kind of pressure was annoying, because I knew if I missed a day or two it would just become unbearable. At the time, I was coming home very late and didn't have a lot of time at home with the cats. What I was hoping with this next kitty was a situation where I wouldn't feel as pressured to do it every day, although ideally I would still be scooping every day. But if I miss a day or two here and there, it doesn't become A PROBLEM.

She'll be an indoor cat, but I don't believe in declawing. I live in my house with my roommate, and my girlfriend is here like 70% of the time. With all that human interaction, do you really think she'll be bored?

I just feel like I shouldn't get another cat if I really don't want another cat...


I meant an indoor cat tree, not trees outside. ;) A pedestal or cat tree with a post they can scratch (so they don't tear up your furniture).

With the litter, I've just taken to having several boxes. It takes some of the pressure off, because though we try to scoop every day, we admittedly forget sometimes.

I have a couple of the boxes like the ones HondaCivet mentioned. Those things are awesome. You lift the top part to sift and it has two boxes underneath to make transferring the clean litter between boxes easy and fast. I also have a couple regular, plain boxes (I have 4 cats).

You said that before, the smell was unbearable if you didn't scoop constantly - do you recall what you were feeding them? Sometimes super stinky litter comes with feeding them low quality food. Like I said, I've got four cats, but honestly, the only time the litter really stinks is when I've been lazy enough to let the litter go more than a couple days without scooping. They get fed very high quality food, though, so they really don't stink too badly (even when it's "fresher"). Do you remember what kind of litter you used? I've been using Tidy Cats multiple cats odor control or something like that, and it seems to work well to keep down the smell and clump up nicely for easy cleaning.

As far as interaction, I think it's more that sometimes they want to play with their own kind. A lot of people have also experienced minor problems with kittens who never learned the appropriate amount of pressure when play biting or play scratching, because they didn't have another cat to teach them how much was too much (they tend to learn appropriate behaviors via play fighting).

I mean, if you are dead set on not wanting a second cat, then I wouldn't push you to do it - wouldn't want you to resent the kitties or regret your decision based on peer pressure. It's kind of a trade off, really, because having more than one might require a tad more scooping and such, but an only cat comes with its own set of issues.

If you KNOW that more than one is not for you, then I would just suggest you make sure there are a variety of different toys around. I say different because they all have their own preferences. One of mine loves the big mice you can stuff with catnip (he leaves them in the loving food bowl all the time - why the hell does he DO that, the little weirdo). Another one loves my hair ties and milk jug rings. Some of them love feather toys. Get a few different kinds until you figure out what kitty likes. Definitely invest 5 bucks in a laser pointer - godsend, those things are. If you can afford to, get any kind of cat tree with a scratching post, even if it's a small, one tiered one. Depending on the setup of your place, and whether kitty has access to windowsills and such, they make these pedestals you can attach to the windowsills to give kitties somewhere to sit and birdwatch.

Gah, this got long. o.O

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

CHRISTS FOR SALE posted:

It's not really a huge deal, there were simply some days that I came home very late and regardless of what I was feeling, I was gonna have to clean out litter. When it's just that which I have to deal with, I don't mind. But when it's that PLUS another cat PLUS brushing the Maine Coon, I just don't feel like I'll have the time to properly take care of the other cat. Perhaps I'll get another kitten in the future...

I currently use a slotted spoon to scoop. It does not work very well but it gets the job done. That Litter Lifter thing looks really cool. Can I also use it as an afro pick?


I just looked up the litter lifter - that's different than what I though Honda was referring to. I use regular sifter scoops for my regular boxes. I have a couple boxes that are similar to this one though:

http://www.amazon.com/Van-Ness-Fram...IN%3DB0002ASCO4

I wouldn't recommend sifting liners, though. My cats just tear the poo poo out of those things and they become useless. Remember, too, that you can get a larger litterbox - they come in lots of sizes. You can also get two boxes (if you have room in your place?).

You know what might be a good idea? Go to the pet store and just browse. There are SO many great tools out there for pet care, most of which I'd have never known about if I hadn't just spent some times checking them out. Like, with brushing - you can probably get a brush that cuts down on the time you have to spend on grooming, while also really effectively getting at the fur in her undercoat (just as an example).

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:
The big advantage of the second cat is that it will help to socialize your young cat. It's good for them to have someone of their own kind to play with.

Abbeh
May 23, 2006

When I grow up I mean to be
A Lion large and fierce to see.
(Thank you, Das Boo!)

Auracounts posted:

I just looked up the litter lifter - that's different than what I though Honda was referring to. I use regular sifter scoops for my regular boxes. I have a couple boxes that are similar to this one though:

http://www.amazon.com/Van-Ness-Fram...IN%3DB0002ASCO4

Oh that lifter thing can go to hell. You need to use clumping litter for it to work, but that stuff turns into cement in the holes and it never gets fully cleaned. Nothing's grosser than soaking a dirty litter box in your own tub :gonk:

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

Abbeh posted:

Oh that lifter thing can go to hell. You need to use clumping litter for it to work, but that stuff turns into cement in the holes and it never gets fully cleaned. Nothing's grosser than soaking a dirty litter box in your own tub :gonk:


Ahahaha. I know exactly what you're talking about and yes, that's definitely a downfall of the sifter litter trays. I usually just bump out the clumps with my scooper, though, to keep the holes clear of the cement. We do wash the trays out every so often, but I just take them outside (if you have that option) and stick a hose on 'em.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


RheaConfused posted:

The big advantage of the second cat is that it will help to socialize your young cat. It's good for them to have someone of their own kind to play with.

Yeah . . . Especially since he's just a kitten. Socializing any baby animal while it's young is important, not doing it right can cause problems later.

I guess the thing that bothers me is that there ARE lots of cats out there that really do hate other cats and want to live by themselves. They aren't all cute Maine Coon kittens but they still need homes nonetheless. I'm sure your fostering friend could help you find one. Kittens are cute and all but he'll be an adult really soon anyway, why not get an adult now that would be perfect for you?

ChairmanMeow
Mar 1, 2008

Fire up the grill everyone eats tonight!
Lipstick Apathy

Abbeh posted:

Oh that lifter thing can go to hell. You need to use clumping litter for it to work, but that stuff turns into cement in the holes and it never gets fully cleaned. Nothing's grosser than soaking a dirty litter box in your own tub :gonk:

Indeed! I gave one of those a try and it was crap. More on topic of this situation my friend got a wonderful adult cat who was adopted out on the stipulation that she be the only animal in the house. She is an amazing low maintenance cat and they love each other to death.

Seeing Eye Duck
Mar 30, 2008

"I may not be able to see all the bullshit going on in here! But he can!"
I adopted my cat from a litter at eight weeks, and she was the runt. She got adopted by my ex-girlfriend, but that relationship ended. I decided to keep her because, my girlfriend was absolutely insane, and where she lives now doesn't allow pets (Didn't stop her from trying to call the Police on me trying to get it back). I got everything the ASPCA required for new kittens, and she is such an awesome cat. She took to the litter box with no problem and never had a problem with going anywhere in the house. She's about 9 months now, and shes starting to get a little restless, but Ive banded all my wires together with velcro, and shes starting to chill out a lot. Figured I'd chime in and say I wish I read this thread before my kitten was adopted, but that I've learned a lot. Thanks again.

Picture for cuteness:



:3:

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

Seeing Eye Duck posted:

I adopted my cat from a litter at eight weeks, and she was the runt. She got adopted by my ex-girlfriend, but that relationship ended. I decided to keep her because, my girlfriend was absolutely insane, and where she lives now doesn't allow pets (Didn't stop her from trying to call the Police on me trying to get it back). I got everything the ASPCA required for new kittens, and she is such an awesome cat. She took to the litter box with no problem and never had a problem with going anywhere in the house. She's about 9 months now, and shes starting to get a little restless, but Ive banded all my wires together with velcro, and shes starting to chill out a lot. Figured I'd chime in and say I wish I read this thread before my kitten was adopted, but that I've learned a lot. Thanks again.

Picture for cuteness:



:3:


:3:

Her ears are so adorably oversized.

Also, she looks like she's ready to pounce and kill you. :)

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

HondaCivet posted:

Matching age/energy level is probably more important than gender. Girl kitties can be more territorial but mostly only with other females so I wouldn't worry too much about getting a girl. Also make sure to introduce them properly (OP details this).

Yeah, cats + 1 for litter boxes, at least for now. You can work on cutting down the number later if they start sharing a box or not using one of them.

Other advice . . . Two cats isn't that much more work than one but make sure you keep up on the litter boxes. You'd be surprised how much stuff can come out of two cats in a day so make sure you scoop every day. And make sure they have places to go if they want to get away from each other . . . maybe have some nice beds or lounging spots in faraway rooms so they can chill out alone if they want.

Other than that, have fun and let us know how it goes!*

*Yes, that means pictures. Lots and lots.


Will do. Do pics go here or in the pet pics thread only?

Also, what really encouraged us was that while on vacation we left our current cat (Spooky) with our friends, who have 2 cats and 2 dogs. Not only did he quickly tolerate the dogs, but by the time we came back he was playing with the one cat and they were grooming each other.

Also, for the record, twist ties are the best cheapest cat toy ever.

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

Duckman2008 posted:

Also, for the record, twist ties are the best cheapest cat toy ever.


Those and milk jug rings, I swear by them.

I don't even know how Athena finds half the twist ties she presents to me. I swear to god, I thought I was throwing them away, but she manages to find new ones constantly.

McKracken
Jun 17, 2005

Lets go for a run!

Duckman2008 posted:

Also, for the record, twist ties are the best cheapest cat toy ever.

Virgo will regularly beat the living crap out of oven mitts or pot holders. He carries them in his mouth, flings them down the hall and chases them. He's been wearing down the same one for about 7 months now so I might need to buy a new one eventually.

He's also got a thing for flip flops...

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:
Auracounts and Duckman: If your cat eats a twist tie it will be hell on earth for you. Milk rings too, but this happens less often. Please don't let your cats play with these. I promise, I just had to watch a cat have surgery last week. It happens like clockwork once or twice a month that a cat comes in about to die because of eating things like this or these things exactly.

Especially twist ties, the metal will puncture intestines real easy and quick like.

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

RheaConfused posted:

Auracounts and Duckman: If your cat eats a twist tie it will be hell on earth for you. Milk rings too, but this happens less often. Please don't let your cats play with these. I promise, I just had to watch a cat have surgery last week. It happens like clockwork once or twice a month that a cat comes in about to die because of eating things like this or these things exactly.

Especially twist ties, the metal will puncture intestines real easy and quick like.


I knew this could be an issue with string, but you've actually seen cats swallow twist ties? I only have the one who plays with them, and she doesn't chew on them, so much as want to fetch them. And with the milk rings, have you ever seen them in tact (and swallowed)? I always toss them if they break, but when they are in whole ring form, I never thought there was any danger.

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

RheaConfused posted:

Auracounts and Duckman: If your cat eats a twist tie it will be hell on earth for you. Milk rings too, but this happens less often. Please don't let your cats play with these. I promise, I just had to watch a cat have surgery last week. It happens like clockwork once or twice a month that a cat comes in about to die because of eating things like this or these things exactly.

Especially twist ties, the metal will puncture intestines real easy and quick like.

My cat hasn't yet tried to eat one, but I'll remove them based on this.

Crooked Booty
Apr 2, 2009
arrr

Auracounts posted:

but you've actually seen cats swallow twist ties?
Yep, my cat eats both. Twist ties have been banished from my apartment. To be honest though, he eats everything. :downs:

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:
Absolutely. I wouldn't have said it if the case was otherwise. Why do I care what your cats play with?

Also: tinsel, halloween fake spider web, bottle caps, those caps at the end of door stops, hair ties hair ties HAIR TIES, the plastic covers that come on frozen dinners, buttons, nuts (the metal kind)... I could go on.

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

RheaConfused posted:

Absolutely. I wouldn't have said it if the case was otherwise. Why do I care what your cats play with?

Also: tinsel, halloween fake spider web, bottle caps, those caps at the end of door stops, hair ties hair ties HAIR TIES, the plastic covers that come on frozen dinners, buttons, nuts (the metal kind)... I could go on.


Wow, well, thanks for the info. I'll make sure I take them away from her now when she finds them. I honestly never considered those a danger, as the cats don't really make any attempts to eat or chew that type of object. She just likes to fetch it, like a stick. I've seen her bring me the tear off plastic top of a brand new cheese pack for the same reason. Hair ties surprise me as well, if only because mine are very thick and hard to break, but I don't let them play with those anyway, because frankly, I need those.

Tinsel, fake webs, and other super stringy type materials I understand, but I guess I believed the other objects were too difficult to ingest.

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:
Hair ties are really the bane of my existence at work. I am being truly serious when I say that I have a cat come in at least once a week on suspicion of having eaten them, and we do enterotomies at least once a month on cats that are blocked with them. They usually aren't even broken, a cat just loves to play with them, gets obsessed, and then will eat like 3 or 4 or 10 at a time. We have (clients) a cat named Major and one named Colby that have had this same surgery 4 times to remove the hair ties.

Auracounts
Sep 21, 2006

RheaConfused posted:

Hair ties are really the bane of my existence at work. I am being truly serious when I say that I have a cat come in at least once a week on suspicion of having eaten them, and we do enterotomies at least once a month on cats that are blocked with them. They usually aren't even broken, a cat just loves to play with them, gets obsessed, and then will eat like 3 or 4 or 10 at a time. We have (clients) a cat named Major and one named Colby that have had this same surgery 4 times to remove the hair ties.


Jesus. Good to know. I already take care to keep them stashed away, but every once in a while, Athena finds them, or maybe I forget to fully close the drawer and she gets in there. I'll keep an eye out for this.

I guess I;ll just have to hit up the store and find similar objects for her to play with. She's not big on the mice and other stuffed type objects; she likes the stick-like objects better. I'm sure they have something to accommodate her tastes at the pet store though.

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer
Just got the new cat from the shelter and brought him home. 3 month old Tuxedo.

Our current cat (spooky, 10 months) is mostly fine, but the new cat is not liking Spooky. Currently the new cat in the living room, Spooky locked in the one bedroom.

Ideas? Just takes time?

Also, the cat is very people friendly, and a lap cat, which is perfect for me.

Duckman2008 fucked around with this message at 17:49 on Apr 24, 2010

Slate Slabrock
Sep 12, 2009
Grimey Drawer
I don't really have a question, but I'm a nervous wreck: I can't find my cat. She's usually a complete attention whore and up my rear end first thing in the morning for breakfast. I think she might have gotten out when the dog had me up at 0430 and I wasn't paying attention (she likes to eat grass, and outside grass is better than the kitty grass we have inside, right?). She's not coming when I open a can of food, she's not responding to her name, I can't find her. Chloe's around 16 years old, I've had her for 13 of those and she's an all four declaw (came that way. And for really hosed up, declawed but NOT SPAYED. She was pregnant when she went to the shelter). It was so cold last night.

I don't know what to do, I want my best friend back. Tore up the house, wandered the neighborhood calling her, I've called the local shelter.

Chloe eyeballing the red-eared slider we were fostering (that cured me of any desire to have a turtle):

Click here for the full 456x604 image.


I'm going to move boxes in our basement. Maybe she's hiding?

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:

Duckman2008 posted:

Just got the new cat from the shelter and brought him home. 3 month old Tuxedo.

Our current cat (spooky, 10 months) is mostly fine, but the new cat is not liking Spooky. Currently the new cat in the living room, Spooky locked in the one bedroom.

Ideas? Just takes time?

Also, the cat is very people friendly, and a lap cat, which is perfect for me.

Read the second post in the FAQ. There's great advice about introducing A second cat.

Dienes
Nov 4, 2009

dee
doot doot dee
doot doot doot
doot doot dee
dee doot doot
doot doot dee
dee doot doot


College Slice

Slate Slabrock posted:

I don't really have a question, but I'm a nervous wreck: I can't find my cat. She's usually a complete attention whore and up my rear end first thing in the morning for breakfast. I think she might have gotten out when the dog had me up at 0430 and I wasn't paying attention (she likes to eat grass, and outside grass is better than the kitty grass we have inside, right?). She's not coming when I open a can of food, she's not responding to her name, I can't find her. Chloe's around 16 years old, I've had her for 13 of those and she's an all four declaw (came that way. And for really hosed up, declawed but NOT SPAYED. She was pregnant when she went to the shelter). It was so cold last night.

I don't know what to do, I want my best friend back. Tore up the house, wandered the neighborhood calling her, I've called the local shelter.

Chloe eyeballing the red-eared slider we were fostering (that cured me of any desire to have a turtle):

Click here for the full 456x604 image.


I'm going to move boxes in our basement. Maybe she's hiding?

Put some of your dirty clothes on your doorstep to help her smell her way back if she's not used to being outside. Its a scary situation, good luck getting her back.

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

RheaConfused posted:

Read the second post in the FAQ. There's great advice about introducing A second cat.

Yeah, currently doing the door part of that. They actually coincide ok walking freely around the house, but its all hisses if they run into each other.

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Slate Slabrock
Sep 12, 2009
Grimey Drawer

Dienes posted:

Put some of your dirty clothes on your doorstep to help her smell her way back if she's not used to being outside. Its a scary situation, good luck getting her back.

She's back! I stuck yesterday's jeans on the porch and then followed Kilgrey's advice in the "New Cat Missing" thread and stuck some Friskies in the microwave, not five minutes after I put everything outside she was at the back door crying. She's dirty and cold, but not wet, I think she was in the neighbor's crawlspace this whole time.

Thank you all so much. I was a weepy mess all day (nothing like breaking down in tears in the cat food aisle of the grocery store).

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