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TMMadman posted:Kittens that are only a couple of months old aren't really 'feral', they are just kittens. I mean sure, technically they are feral since they were born in the wild, but they really don't have that feral cat attitude because that is something that takes a long time in the wild to develop. Being feral isn't just an attitude necessarily. A lot goes on in the minds of baby animals as they are developing. They are sponges of information and absorb as much as they can about their surroundings. As they age, they become more set in their ways and the knowledge they've already accumulated so that they can be more functional and can make judgments about their environment more quickly. It's why human babies learn new languages much more quickly and naturally than adults can. If kittens aren't around humans when they are young, they grow up not recognizing humans as anything but really tall strange scary things. Feral cat advocates usually just throw out 8 weeks as an age after which it starts getting harder to socialize a kitten to humans, but there are lots of exceptions of course, and it's not impossible to overcome those instincts even after they've become set in adulthood.
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Jun 16, 2010 22:53
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TMMadman posted:Oh hey Madman! I miss you Cod4 HC buddy! I had that exact same conversation actually with my best friend who's a vet, I really wouldn't consider these kittens "feral" especially since Leon is such a big sook, he comes up for a pet now and just wants to follow me everywhere  I think if it was a "feral" thing then Deckard would surely be the same, but they all have their wee personalities, right?I was just a bit worried because the foster woman had been like "You must keep petting Deckard, even when he hisses, PERSEVERE" so I was scared that I was a terrible pet owner for giving up because he just doesn't seem to enjoy being picked up. I had him today and he gave me a warning hiss and tried to jump off which I ignored so I fully deserved it when he turned around and bit me to get away. It could be that that's just the way he is, or he's more skittish than Leon, or the foster woman's daughter grabbed him too hard/suddenly one day and freaked him out, whatever, I've decided to just let him chill and come to me when he's ready. He's playing, peeing and pooping so that's good enough for me 
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Jun 17, 2010 00:03
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Here's some general tips on handling feral kittens, if one is more outgoing it tends to make things easier in my experience. http://www.feralfelines.net/fs_SocializingKittens.htm The more you do now, the easier things will be. You can't go too fast but you do want them to know you aren't going to eat them. They will come around! with adult cats who haven't been picked up a lot they just don't really know what the gently caress, but if you get them used to it as kittens they don't mind, this is kinda true of anything like nail trims ear cleaning not clawing the sofa etc.
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Jun 17, 2010 04:26
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Yeah, don't worry, just show them love and be patient and things will go just fine. My guys were caught at around 8 weeks. One of them pretty much perpetually kept his ears flattened for a month or two he hated people so much. The first few times I met them, I felt horrible even being around them because I felt like we were torturing them with our presence. However, especially after they moved in with us, they warmed up slowly but steadily. Nowadays they regularly sleep curled up around my face, come up to me for nose kissies and do the whole sitting-in-front-of-the-computer-for-attention thing. They still aren't great around strangers and are big scaredy babies in general but that's probably more of a personality thing.
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Jun 17, 2010 05:25
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Well this isn't so much a question as just me looking for reassurance and comfort. Just yesterday I adopted a black male adult cat from the SPCA that I named Guinness, and today I took him to the vet for his first checkup. He had been sneezing and very lethargic, and didn't want to eat, so I was concerned. Turns out he had a 105F fever and was dehydrated, so I had to leave him there. He's gonna stay there until Saturday getting fluids and antibiotics. I'm pretty sure it's just a cold, but I'm still worried about him and I miss my new member of the family 
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Jun 17, 2010 05:35
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Shayl posted:Well this isn't so much a question as just me looking for reassurance and comfort. Wow, was he sick when you picked him up or did it just pop up right when you got him home? Either way, I'm sure he'll be fine, cats often pick up kitty colds and stuff like that at shelters. He'll be covering all your belongings with fur in no time.
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Jun 17, 2010 06:40
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HondaCivet posted:Wow, was he sick when you picked him up or did it just pop up right when you got him home? Either way, I'm sure he'll be fine, cats often pick up kitty colds and stuff like that at shelters. He'll be covering all your belongings with fur in no time. Well he had JUST been neutered the day before; when I got him home I figured he was tired and lethargic because of the recovery of the surgery, but I already had a vet visit scheduled for today, and when I woke up this morning to feed him he hadn't moved from his bed and this evening he was still there. I knew something was wrong by then. He had also been sneezing and had some runny nose stuff and mouth spit going on so even if I hadn't had the appointment I would have taken him. The shelter said when I first visited that they'd just had an outbreak of kitty cold in the cat room, so he might have been incubating it for a while before the surgery (which may have weakened his immune system). When I first met him a few days before at the shelter he was active and friendly, climbing down from his perch to say hello and playing with string. Also, the vet I went to did his surgery, and they took his vitals then and he wasn't feverish or sniffly. He was 7.8 pounds (little guy!) when he got neutered on Monday, and was only 7.2 today, so that's not so good. Anyway, I'm really sad obviously because I want my new little guy to be at home getting used to us and his new surroundings. A visit and two day stay at the vet isn't exactly the most comfortable or stress-free thing for him, but as soon as the vet picked him up and he curled into his arms like a sick baby I knew he needed to stay. Poor little guy 
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Jun 17, 2010 07:04
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Shayl posted:Well he had JUST been neutered the day before; when I got him home I figured he was tired and lethargic because of the recovery of the surgery, but I already had a vet visit scheduled for today, and when I woke up this morning to feed him he hadn't moved from his bed and this evening he was still there. I knew something was wrong by then. He had also been sneezing and had some runny nose stuff and mouth spit going on so even if I hadn't had the appointment I would have taken him. Aww. Have you heard anything about him today yet? Keep us updated!
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Jun 17, 2010 15:31
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HondaCivet posted:Aww. Have you heard anything about him today yet? Keep us updated! Yeah I just called up the vet this morning and they said he's still on fluids, but he ate a small amount of food last night. They hadn't taken his temp yet so I don't know how his fever is doing. Gonna call again around dinner time and see how he's doing.
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Jun 17, 2010 17:49
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ChairmanMeow posted:Here's some general tips on handling feral kittens, if one is more outgoing it tends to make things easier in my experience. Thanks, I've had a look at that link and the bit about separating the kittens has me a bit worried, it makes sense as Leon is outgoing and a really bouncy cat and Deckard is staying shy and withdrawn but I don't want them to get lonely without each other as they get on really well, I don't know if it's worth trying but I know if I do it, I'll have to do it soon.
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Jun 18, 2010 10:00
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I think the handling info was good, but I personally wouldn't separate them. Cats tend to teach each other a lot. Don't sweat that.
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Jun 18, 2010 14:58
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Yeah, I wouldn't separate them either. One of my guys is more shy than the other, but he'll eventually start doing things that the more bold one does. Cats learn behaviors from each other so it's really good to keep a shy one around a friendlier one.
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Jun 18, 2010 15:43
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Phew glad to hear it, I tried it for 5 minutes but they were crying for each other through the door so I caved in and reunited them
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Jun 18, 2010 18:06
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So my new kitten has taken a liking to chasing his own tail and otherwise doing playful kitten things... while in his litter box. Is this a problem or am I just going to have to vacuum up kitty litter more often?
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Jun 20, 2010 10:44
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I'm planning to adopt a cat soon, preferably not a kitten since it will be my first cat, and there are a few things that I wanted to know. Also, adopting 2 cats, as beneficial as it sounds, simply isn't a possibility. Mostly because of the space issues, but also because I'd like to be certain that I could afford the costs of owning a cat, including emergency visits to a vet and the like. I see a lot of posts here talking about how it's much better to have 1 more litter box than cats. However, my apartment is pretty small so there is really only enough room for one litter box. Will this be a problem? I'm also going to spend the next few days cat/kitten proofing my apartment, by tidying up all my electricity and computer cables, spraying more sensitive areas with the bitter apple spray I've read about in the OP, and laying down double-sided tape in places I can't spray. Is there anything else I should do/know? I've already gone over the OP. Would an 8-12 month old kitten be over or close to being over the rear end in a top hat stage?
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Jun 21, 2010 00:13
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Rotten Punk posted:So my new kitten has taken a liking to chasing his own tail and otherwise doing playful kitten things... while in his litter box. Is this a problem or am I just going to have to vacuum up kitty litter more often? It's probably just a phase. He'll grow out of it in a month or two most likely. Don't Ask posted:I'm planning to adopt a cat soon, preferably not a kitten since it will be my first cat, and there are a few things that I wanted to know. Also, adopting 2 cats, as beneficial as it sounds, simply isn't a possibility. Mostly because of the space issues, but also because I'd like to be certain that I could afford the costs of owning a cat, including emergency visits to a vet and the like. Cat+1 is the ideal box situation. You should be fine with just one, unless you have one of those super persnickety cats. And all cats are different, but 8-12 months was the peak rear end in a top hat stage for my youngsters. A 2 year old cat is pretty much stuck in his ways and set personality wise. Younger than that and it can be a crap-shoot as to whether the cat you adopted is the same as the cat you ended up with, if you know what I mean.
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Jun 21, 2010 00:40
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Old cats are great! Get an old cat, I got one who is 12 and diabetic and he is a great mix of being chill as gently caress and running around like a crazy person. Also the shelter people will love you for it.
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Jun 21, 2010 03:11
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Definitely get a cat over 2. 4-5 would be great for you. At a year old, most cats still act like rear end in a top hat kittens and have the build of a semi-adult cat, therefore they can cause real destruction, unlike when they were tiny furballs. Check out the food megathread and find some good food around your area. One litter box will probably be fine, but be prepared to have to do all experimentation with the one box. For example, the cat might not like the litter you got, might prefer an open box over an enclosed one, might need a huge one like a Sterilite bin, etc. That's a great benefit of multiple boxes-- you can make changes more easily.
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Jun 21, 2010 04:58
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My cats have just passed a year in age and they only seem to be getting crazier, so definitely go for a cat that's at least 2 years old. Also, if you are sure that you only ever want a single cat, ask at the shelter about cats that want/need to be in an otherwise cat-free home. Some of them just don't like other cats, some have medical issues that make having other cats around a problem, but they still need homes.
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Jun 21, 2010 05:16
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HondaCivet posted:
This is excellent advice. There really is no shortage of types of cats and a good shelter should be able to match you up with the perfect one. Take your time and try to go on a weekday afternoon rather than a weekend if possible so it's not busy.
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Jun 21, 2010 06:48
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Thanks for the advice, I'll probably go ahead with the adoption sometime this week. Luckily there's a pet store practically across the street, so trying out various litter boxes shouldn't be too difficult.
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Jun 21, 2010 15:39
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Don't Ask posted:Thanks for the advice, I'll probably go ahead with the adoption sometime this week. Luckily there's a pet store practically across the street, so trying out various litter boxes shouldn't be too difficult. The best litter box is a huge Rubbermaid bin with a hole cut into the side. Maximum awesomeness is achieved if your cat likes to throw litter like he's digging to China.
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Jun 21, 2010 17:40
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HondaCivet posted:The best litter box is a huge Rubbermaid bin with a hole cut into the
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Jun 21, 2010 17:58
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Rev. Bleech_ posted:Then they have to poop in the dark. The stinky dark. Also if you take my suggestion, make sure you cut the hole into one of the larger sides, preferably either on the left or right half. If you cut it into one of the smaller sides the cat will often walk in and piss right back out the hole.
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Jun 21, 2010 18:34
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HondaCivet posted:Then they have to poop in the dark. The stinky dark. It does not need to be particularly dark or stinky if you make the hole nice and large (40-50% of the lid size). It also reduces litter tracking and lets you place litterboxes in places you otherwise couldn't. I've done both, they are both great for different situations. Hell, a big rubbermaid is still the best litterbox even when you leave it completely uncovered and don't cut any holes in it. Some of my cats seem to prefer jumping in to going through a hole.
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Jun 21, 2010 19:35
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Yep, we do the big uncovered version. I know cats smell better than people do, and if the smell of the covered box bothered me (and it did), I can only imagine what it smelled like to them.
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Jun 21, 2010 21:34
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HondaCivet posted:Maximum awesomeness is achieved if your cat likes to throw litter like he's digging to China. He literally spends a solid minute before and after adjusting the litter in the box to his approval. I've never had a cat that was so finicky about litter before. And he puts so much fervor into it. e:If he hears or sees another cat in the box, he will sprint to the box to adjust it.
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Jun 22, 2010 18:48
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McKracken posted:He literally spends a solid minute before and after adjusting the litter in the box to his approval. I've never had a cat that was so finicky about litter before. And he puts so much fervor into it. Haha, does he flatten it all out again or something? Or just make sure all the poos and peeballs are adequately covered? My cats aren't too weird about the litter box. They always use it right before they are going to get fed, like literally as I'm filling their bowls . . . making room I guess? Oh, and I'm glad I cut a hole in the side of the litter bin because one of them likes to stick his head and shoulders out while using the litter box, it looks hilarious.
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Jun 22, 2010 19:29
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I've never taken care of a cat in my life but my roommate's kitten loving loves chewing on cables and she encourages him to do it. What can I do to prevent this? I read through the OP but short of telling what not to do I have no idea what I can do about this.
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Jun 23, 2010 05:24
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Liquid Penguins posted:I've never taken care of a cat in my life but my roommate's kitten loving loves chewing on cables and she encourages him to do it. What can I do to prevent this? I read through the OP but short of telling what not to do I have no idea what I can do about this. Um why would someone encourage a cat to ruin their electronics and very possibly electrocute itself? Amazing cat caretaking there. The first thing you should try doing is eliminating access to the cables. See if you can try hanging them up, or putting them in some sort of cover or protector. Maybe just rearranging the furniture would be enough. If you can't do that, there are sprays available that are supposed to smell and taste like poo poo to cats. They don't always work but they are pretty widely available and aren't usually super expensive so they might be worth a try. I'd do this as a last resort because the stuff is apparently kinda gross if you get it on your hands or anything so the cables would be kinda off-limits for touching until you cleaned them off again.
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Jun 23, 2010 05:36
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Bundle up what cords you can with zip ties or pipe cleaners, thick cords are not as much fun as thin cords. You can wrap some in cheap tin foil temporarily, if you don't want to splurge on 'real' cord coverings. Your roommate is an idiot if she encourage this behavior. It's expensive and dangerous.
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Jun 23, 2010 05:40
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Back again! So I've just registered my kittens with the vets and will take them in on friday for the vaccs and a full check up etc. They now offer 'outdoor' and 'indoor' cat vaccs where the indoor one doesn't include the leukaemia jag, should I get it just in case? As my cats will be staying as indoor cats, I don't really have to get that one for them as well but I just have this fear of "ohmygod what if they get out and get bitten by another cat and they get it and I could've prevented it for a measly extra 20 quid" I think I just answered my own question there actually but thoughts?
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Jun 23, 2010 13:38
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Power Dips posted:Back again! Here rabies vac isn't required, and our cat is fully indoors, but we went ahead and got it for the "what if she gets out and gets bitten" factor. I think it's best to just go ahead and get it if for nothing else but peace of mind. And then you are prepared and the cat won't suffer for it.
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Jun 23, 2010 18:12
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Power Dips posted:Back again!
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Jun 23, 2010 23:50
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I'm starting to hit my patience limit here. I came home today and made the mistake of listening to music as I walked in the door, prompting my roommate's kitten to attack my ear. He also chewed through the laces on one of my shoes. He has been scratching and biting me all loving afternoon and now I can't sleep because he keeps trying to loudly gently caress up anything he can get his claws on. This can't be normal. I wanted to talk to my roommate about her finding a discipline solution as it is her kitten but she has been gone all day and is currently passed out drunk. He has plenty of food and water and way more toys than he could play with. I'm really at a loss for what to do here. I'm going to get her to do something about this as soon as possible but I'm pretty sure she is as clueless about cats as I am.
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Jun 24, 2010 08:38
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Well, I am now the proud owner of one (1) black cat, male, called Charlie. So far, the only thing he's done since I got him home was crawl under my bed. I put a bowl of water near him, cause he was panting on the ride home. I suppose he'll get over the "oh poo poo where am I" period soon? He doesn't seem to want to drink yet. Exclusive Charlie update!!!: He came out from under the bed and explored a bit. He's really affectionate and kept coming back to me to get pets. He also started purring while wandering around. However, when he saw me carrying a broom he freaked the gently caress out (  ) and ran back under the bed, where he's chilling now.
Don't Ask fucked around with this message at 11:19 on Jun 24, 2010 |
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Jun 24, 2010 10:36
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Liquid Penguins posted:I'm starting to hit my patience limit here. I came home today and made the mistake of listening to music as I walked in the door, prompting my roommate's kitten to attack my ear. He also chewed through the laces on one of my shoes. He has been scratching and biting me all loving afternoon and now I can't sleep because he keeps trying to loudly gently caress up anything he can get his claws on. This can't be normal. I wanted to talk to my roommate about her finding a discipline solution as it is her kitten but she has been gone all day and is currently passed out drunk. It sounds like the major point to make is that the kitten is too small and destructive to let it wander around free. It should be contained in a bathroom for a while unless being supervised. ESPECIALLY if it is doing things like chewing through shoelaces, if it eats something like that it will die or need surgery. It also sounds like it needs a friend. This kitten's attitude is the reason we always recommend getting 2 kittens and not 1. It needs someone to take out all this aggressiveness on, and someone to play with when she isn't around. If she doesn't get a second one, based on how this one is acting already there is a good change it will just grow up to be an rear end in a top hat.
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Jun 24, 2010 12:45
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I know that you're just trying to help and that there probably is an overwhelming amount of reasons to support that idea, but after not sleeping all night because the cat kept making noise, knocking poo poo over, and trying to bite and scratch me the last thing I want to say right now is "hey, let's get another cat!"
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Jun 24, 2010 15:33
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HondaCivet posted:Haha, does he flatten it all out again or something? Or just make sure all the poos and peeballs are adequately covered? He is meticulous in making sure he has cleared a proper area to do his business, and then he uses the resulting pile of litter to cover everything quite adequately. It's just the amount of time he puts into it...it's like if 3 grains of litter are out of place he isn't comfortable taking a crap. Don't Ask posted:Well, I am now the proud owner of one (1) black cat, male, called Charlie. I have a Charlie too  . Under the bed seems to be the de facto hiding spot for most cats. I imagine it has something to do with being able to see from all directions and feeling safe in a confined space. My cats freak out every time I bring out my foam roller, which isn't very much like a broom but of vaguely similar shape. I'm not sure what it is about sort of long cylindrical objects.
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Jun 24, 2010 15:51
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Liquid Penguins posted:I know that you're just trying to help and that there probably is an overwhelming amount of reasons to support that idea, but after not sleeping all night because the cat kept making noise, knocking poo poo over, and trying to bite and scratch me the last thing I want to say right now is "hey, let's get another cat!" I know it's hard to hear this advice with your current mood, but look at it this way: Your roommate doesn't have the boundless energy necessary to completely exhaust the kitten, and neither do you. Guess who does? Another similarly hyper kitten. You don't necessarily have to get a very young one; most 1 year old cats still have a very high energy level. But it is seriously the best way to get all that crazy energy out of a kitten when you can't play with them 24/7.
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Jun 24, 2010 16:52
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