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Crooked Booty posted:Sorry that's not very helpful, and I probably didn't say anything you didn't already know, but I noticed you. No, it was very helpful. I had a bad feeling that I would probably need to bring the cat home and see how it went. I don't like the idea of keeping the cat out of the bedroom since it's not a huge place and the whole point of me getting a cat is because I want a pet I can spend a more chill, one-on-one time with, but it's definitely an idea to kick around. I'll also see how the shelters around here about "home trials." Maybe a private rescue would be more flexible, so I'll make some calls. justFaye posted:I can't say I have much advice, but I can share our story. Our cat was labeled as a "Russian Blue mix" at the shelter, and since I can't really attest to the validity of the Russian Blueness, I will say that our friend who is quite allergic to cats has no problem with ours. Whether this is related to her claimed Russian Blue side or if it's just because she's awesome, we'll never know. Thanks for the anecdotes. The way our schedules are, my boyfriend is only over a few times a week, so hopefully it will be either enough exposure to help him adjust to my particular cat or not enough to particularly bother him.
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Aug 4, 2010 03:17
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I want another cat like the one below. He was large, very sweet and gentle and a goof. He also had the extra toes which made his already large feet huge. I'm thinking he was mostly Maine Coon but I see quite a bit of Norwegian Forest Cat there too, although I guess the two breeds are not far apart. What would you describe the coloring as? Any other guesses? .JPG) .JPG)
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Aug 4, 2010 17:51
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Canuckistan posted:I want another cat like the one below. He was large, very sweet and gentle and a goof. He also had the extra toes which made his already large feet huge. And the 'type' of cat is a DLH (domestic long hair, i.e. mutt cat). True, it may be part Maine Coon, or part Norwegian Forest or part Persian, but unless you have a pedigree they all fall under the umbrella of DLH.
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Aug 4, 2010 18:45
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Call up your local shelters and ask to see their biggest, fluffiest cat. They should have a few similar ones. Lookit dem big paws 
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Aug 4, 2010 19:07
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drat those pictures make me want a big long-haired cat. I had one growing up, although his fur got constantly matted as he got older (we'd brush him, but would get mats on the underside where he wouldn't let us brush) and that was a pain in the rear end.
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Aug 4, 2010 19:40
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Say hello to Rusty Venture Click here for the full 1308x1085 image. Sorry for the long post but I have several concerns, because basically I think I've become a cat-hypochondriac from reading PI. Rusty is a purebred Siberian that we got from a breeder. We got a purebred Siberian because they were the only cats we've found that don't bother my husbands allergies. I got him from a breeder because after quite a while of looking I was unable to find any Siberian cats in rescues near us. I would have preferred to get an adult for several reasons but they seem nearly impossible to find. We were referred to this breeder by our friends who have 2 cats from the breeder, they also have friends that have another cat from the breeder. - Age: Just under 7 months - Sex: Male - How long have you had your cat?: We got him at the end of June - Is your cat spayed or neutered?: Yes - What food do you use?: Natural Balance dry, mix of Natural Balance and Avoderm Wet - When was your last vet visit? July 13 - Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both?: Indoors. I got a harness and took him out for 2 walks but he seems to get a little freaked out when we come back in so I'm not sure if I should keep taking him out - How many pets in your household?: Just him - How many litter boxes do you have?: 2 - one filled with Kitten Attract, and a second filled with a mix of kitten attract and green tea leaves litter 1. His nose is a little misshappen. If you look at it from an overhead view instead of being flat or maybe curving outward in the middle it smooshes in in the middle. When we got him it seemed his breathing was a little wheezy so I made an initial acquaintance visit with the vet a few days after I got him. The vet listened to his breathing and heart and didn't hear anything wrong with him but said to call if he lost his energy or appetite. Rusty hasn't had problems with either but I worry because he pants like a dog quite a bit when we play, mouth open and tongue sticking out a bit. 2. While petting him yesterday I discovered a lump on one of his hind legs. He doesn't like to be pet or brushed much back there so I have a hard time getting a look at it. It's about the size of larger mosquito bite and feels kind of similar. He'll let me look through his fur for a little bit but I can't find anything abnormal looking. It doesn't seem painful when I try to look at it but he just seems more annoyed with me. I called the vet that I took him to and asked if they'd done his rabies vaccine there but they said no. They typically do the rabies vaccines between the shoulder blades. I got Rusty microchipped at the same time, and I'm pretty sure I can feel the microchip between his shoulders. Would they have done both in the same area at the same time? Should I be worried about the lump?
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Aug 6, 2010 09:11
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I was under the impression they don't do vaccinations between the shoulder blades any more. I could be completely wrong.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine-associated_sarcoma A small lump on the vaccination site is not uncommon and nothing to worry about though, just palpitate it and keep an eye on it and see if it grows and is mobile. http://www.avma.org/vafstf/ownbroch.asp ChairmanMeow fucked around with this message at 09:37 on Aug 6, 2010 |
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Aug 6, 2010 09:31
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It may depend on what kind of vaccine they are using, although from my knowledge it is still really unusual. They usually do them on a leg due to the possibility of vaccine related sarcomas - that way they can just amputate the leg if needed. The docs at my job use Merial PureVax to hopefully prevent sarcomas. Comrade Quack, if it were me I'd take him in. It could be nothing, perhaps a fatty cyst, but if he's acting like it might be painful I'd want to get it checked out.
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Aug 6, 2010 13:20
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Comrade Quack posted:2. While petting him yesterday I discovered a lump on one of his hind legs. He doesn't like to be pet or brushed much back there so I have a hard time getting a look at it. It's about the size of larger mosquito bite and feels kind of similar. He'll let me look through his fur for a little bit but I can't find anything abnormal looking. It doesn't seem painful when I try to look at it but he just seems more annoyed with me. I called the vet that I took him to and asked if they'd done his rabies vaccine there but they said no. They typically do the rabies vaccines between the shoulder blades. I got Rusty microchipped at the same time, and I'm pretty sure I can feel the microchip between his shoulders. Would they have done both in the same area at the same time? Should I be worried about the lump? Any and all bumps in cats should be taken seriously. Compared to dogs, a lot more lumps and bumps on cats are actually serious. It definitely needs to be checked out by your new vet. I personally wouldn't wait to see if it gets bigger.
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Aug 6, 2010 14:53
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I had a 3 year old female burmese, and I acquired a 4 month old male burmese to provide a playmate. I introduced them slowly and gradually, and now they're cat piling and grooming one another! Two questions. The two cats play, but I think sometimes the older cat starts playing too rough and the young one will squeal and struggle. What should I do here? Grab the older one and squirt her with some water? I still want them to play, just not get too rough. Also, the kitten has a habit of grabbing a chew toy and just sitting with it in his mouth and growling at it. When I try to take it away, more growling and refusing to let go. Should I squirt him when he growls? It can wake people up, but I do want him to play with toys. Does this perhaps just fall under 'cats are weird.' Please enjoy a picture of the two of them. 
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Aug 7, 2010 08:09
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First off, congrats!! Pretty kitties! Don't intervene unless they are truly fighting-- e.g. you see blood and there is screaming. This is how cats determine the pecking order in the house. It is what it is, and breaking them up will just prolong that process. Personally I would leave the toy thing alone too, as it will likely resolve itself. My Luna did this as a baby but doesn't as an adult. I know of other people who would do just what you suggested until the cat stops growling with toys.
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Aug 7, 2010 12:38
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A question. My cat throws up sometimes (I think 4 times since I've had him), always right after breakfast. I am assuming it's because he eats too fast. I've heard you can make them eat slower by putting balls in their food dishes. Accordingly, I have some ping pong balls. The actual question: is it safe to superglue them in, or is there danger that my cats might be hurt by licking the dried superglue? If so, what other steps can I take? If I just leave the balls loose, I know that the result will be cat food and ping pong balls all over my kitchen. He doesn't eat all the food at once, just a lot quickly, so I don't know if feeding them less more times a day would be the solution or what.
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Aug 7, 2010 17:52
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Eggplant Wizard posted:A question. I would personally try feeding smaller, more frequent meals before messing with the ping pong balls. Or assuming you're feeding dry food, you could also try giving him half his meal in the bowl and half in one of those treat-dispensing puzzle toys.
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Aug 7, 2010 18:05
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Eggplant Wizard posted:A question. You might have luck finding a heavier ball than a ping-pong ball that is small enough to let them eat, but too large to be eaten itself or knocked out of the ball. Amazon has a few options to consider, like the portion pacer. What we use, to great effect, is a food ball instead of a bowl. The food goes in a hollow bowl, and they have to roll it around to knock the food out a few kibbles at a time. You can adjust the holes to the size/speed that works, and this way they get a little stimulation with their meal, too. The one we use is this: SlimCat Food Distributor Ball. I used to be worried about the kibble being all over the floor, but haven't seen a one yet. Sorry neither of these suggestions use what you have on hand, but they are both very safe for your cat and will slow him down.
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Aug 7, 2010 18:58
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I'd just replace the ping pong balls with some similarly sized rocks. I'd wash and boil the rocks before I put them in the food bowl.
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Aug 7, 2010 23:17
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My vet recommends against rocks and marbles because kitties can chip teeth on them. We tried a small Kong for this and it worked well. You can also try feeding on a flat plate.
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Aug 8, 2010 01:11
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This is my cat Cesar. He and his brother (who is owned by my roomate) have been fighting a lot and it's getting out of hand (bloody), they will usually get into a fight first thing in the morning then they will take turns stalking each other around the house. They are a little over a year old. I'm not really into it, but would it be a good idea to get them both desexed? Also, what breed is Cesar? (We got them from the local vet, apparently there were four to begin with, and I don't have much past information about them)
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Aug 8, 2010 14:11
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FRAZZLED JOHNSON posted:I'm not really into it, but would it be a good idea to get them both desexed? Cesar is a Domestic Shorthair, and his coloring is called brown tabby and white.
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Aug 8, 2010 14:38
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Crooked Booty posted:Getting them neutered is definitely the first step. Without a bunch of hormones, they are likely to be less territorial and more relaxed. Also, I don't know how you can stand to live in the same house with intact male cats -- you're probably used to it by now, but their urine smells about a million times stronger when they're intact. Neutering is the best first step for fixing the fighting, and your house will no longer smell like piss.
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Aug 8, 2010 15:09
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FRAZZLED JOHNSON posted:Cesar never rubs against walls or sprays at all, (or at least I have never witnessed him do either) his brother only started doing it within the last few weeks, and we stop him when we can. There is no way we would let them ruin the house.
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Aug 8, 2010 15:45
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Do you guys think that cats lose some interest in toys as they grow up? When my dudes were kittens they'd play with their toys for pretty long periods of time but now they only seem to have much interest when they're really hyper, and even then not for very long. Nowadays they mostly just want to play with bugs or each other. Or Da Bird but who cat can resist that? Is that pretty normal or are they probably just bored with their current toys?
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Aug 8, 2010 21:08
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HondaCivet posted:Do you guys think that cats lose some interest in toys as they grow up? When my dudes were kittens they'd play with their toys for pretty long periods of time but now they only seem to have much interest when they're really hyper, and even then not for very long. Nowadays they mostly just want to play with bugs or each other. Or Da Bird but who cat can resist that? Is that pretty normal or are they probably just bored with their current toys? I think that's really common actually. I've seen older cats that aren't as interested in toys or even as interested. You might want to swap the toys around. Put some away and let them forget about them for a while, then bring them back later and they might be more excited.
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Aug 9, 2010 00:50
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My cats definitely lose interest in their toys, I wondered if it was because their toys were little mice and now they're no longer ickle kittens *sobsob* they're not as fun because they can't pick up the mice as easily by the tail and do that lie on their back and kick the hell out it thing.
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Aug 9, 2010 01:09
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I was thinking of getting a new cat and have a couple of questions. A couple years ago I moved to live with my boyfriend, who has two cats of his own. Both of them are female, around 4-5 years old and neither have been neutered yet - although he just now went down to the vet clinic to ask about cost and appointments and such (apparently they are being spayed next Tuesday). We have room for one more cat, although I wouldn't want more than three in our current apartment. I did have a sweet fluffball of a cat but she absolutely hates other cats and now lives with my sister. There's a particular cat I saw listed needing a home that I'm interested in but I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to get her. She's all white and blue eyed - so she is deaf - 4 years old, neutered, has had all her shots and has recently been looked over by a vet. The people who had her before apparently took her out for walks on a leash, which I have no problem doing. Nor do I have any problem with her being deaf and whatever I may end up needing to do for her due to that. My concern is mainly due to one of my boyfriends cats. They're like night and day. One is super sweet and loves everyone and everything, while the other is often sullen and fussy, demands a lot of attention from my boyfriend - she sometimes pees on things if she feels he isn't looking at her enough. I hope the spaying helps with that, but I also plan to get some Feliway and use it when needed as well. So, I would love to get this pretty fluffy kitty, but because she's deaf I worry about the sullen needy cat harassing her and there being an issue between the two of them. The other cat I have no worries about - she loves to snuggle anyone or thing that happens to be around. Should I expect there to be issues that would make me consider a different cat? Anyone with experiences owning or caring for a deaf cat have any useful advice to offer about the situation? I've taken care of a lot of cats, but none that were deaf. There's also a 6 year old neutered male cat I've been looking at too - would he be a better fit for the situation? Another question I have: should I even be considering another adult cat - which is my preference - or would it be better to introduce a kitten into this situation? There's several of those available as well, I would just rather get an adult. I've been around cats my whole life and kittens are great, but wear me out sometimes. I'll have an open schedule til after the New Year though, so I have time to invest to make whatever seems the best option work - which is why I was looking at getting a new cat sometime in the next month or so.
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Aug 9, 2010 17:01
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Does the meanie cat get along with the happy friendly cat at least? If so then there's some hope that she'd get along with a new one eventually. Also I'm really glad they're both getting spayed. It might help with some of those emotional issues, yes, although I don't think it's dramatic as it is for neutered males. I don't think the deaf kitty would be in more danger of being harassed than any other cat. Cats also have strong senses of sight and smell so she'd still have a pretty good idea of when the other cat was nearby. I haven't had a cat that was JUST deaf though so maybe someone who has would have more insight. I wouldn't get a kitten either. The kitten would probably be too playful for your current cats. As for the neutered male, again, do you know if he has a history of getting along with other cats? If the deaf kitty doesn't work out or doesn't integrate, I think a neutered male would be a good option. They do tend to integrate with females a bit better and be a bit less territorial.
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Aug 9, 2010 20:46
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My sister couldn't wait until the 21st, and we picked up her new buddy on Saturday. If you want to see Pippa, I put a bunch of pictures in my "I want to introduce you to Fry" thread. She seems sane. How unfair, I always get the crazy ones.
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Aug 9, 2010 21:50
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HondaCivet posted:Does the meanie cat get along with the happy friendly cat at least? If so then there's some hope that she'd get along with a new one eventually. Also I'm really glad they're both getting spayed. It might help with some of those emotional issues, yes, although I don't think it's dramatic as it is for neutered males. The meanie does get along with the happy kitty. There's no kitty piles and they tend to not bother with one another much, but they don't fight a lot either. I hope the spaying at least helps with the meanies fondness for peeing on things. HondaCivet posted:I don't think the deaf kitty would be in more danger of being harassed than any other cat. Cats also have strong senses of sight and smell so she'd still have a pretty good idea of when the other cat was nearby. I haven't had a cat that was JUST deaf though so maybe someone who has would have more insight. That's what I was thinking as well. Just wanted to check to see if anyone had any issues with a deaf cat being fussed at by others more than usual. HondaCivet posted:As for the neutered male, again, do you know if he has a history of getting along with other cats? If the deaf kitty doesn't work out or doesn't integrate, I think a neutered male would be a good option. They do tend to integrate with females a bit better and be a bit less territorial. It appears he's another one of those dopey get along with everything type cats, so he's pretty much good with whatever. I am kind of torn, because I know that neutered males do tend to work well with female cats. Both he and the white one are super fluffy things, which I love. Either way, I'll wait until the spaying trauma has settled down to bring one of them home. By then one or both of them could be adopted, so I'll wait and see and hope one or the other is still there when I go to snatch a kitty up.
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Aug 9, 2010 23:05
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I think that as long as you introduce them properly the deaf kitty and male would have a good chance of getting along with your other cats. You could talk to whoever is taking care of the deaf kitty and maybe get a little more history on her interactions with other cats?
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Aug 9, 2010 23:17
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Stupid new pet owner question time: one of my coworkers was 'adopted' by an apparently dumped cat about 7 weeks ago, which promptly gave birth. It is now time to give away the litter, and I volunteered to take two kittens (since I wanted a cat anyways, now's as good a time as any). Is ~8 weeks an appropriate amount of time for kittens to be separated from their mother? I live in a second story apartment, should I be worried about letting them out onto the porch unsupervised after they get older, or should I start thinking of ways to block off the lower part of the porch railing now?
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Aug 9, 2010 23:33
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Propagandalf posted:Stupid new pet owner question time: one of my coworkers was 'adopted' by an apparently dumped cat about 7 weeks ago, which promptly gave birth. It is now time to give away the litter, and I volunteered to take two kittens (since I wanted a cat anyways, now's as good a time as any). Is ~8 weeks an appropriate amount of time for kittens to be separated from their mother? I live in a second story apartment, should I be worried about letting them out onto the porch unsupervised after they get older, or should I start thinking of ways to block off the lower part of the porch railing now? 8 weeks isn't horrible but 12 is better. It isn't just about the cats being old enough to feed themselves but the extra time helps them work on their cat manners, like burying their poop, and not playing too rough. As for the porch railing I would block it off and only let them out while supervised. They will be able to get out even if you only block off the bottom and it is possible they will still try to escape even if it is a height that would injure them. Plus all of the other worries about outside cats.
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Aug 9, 2010 23:44
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Propagandalf posted:Stupid new pet owner question time: one of my coworkers was 'adopted' by an apparently dumped cat about 7 weeks ago, which promptly gave birth. It is now time to give away the litter, and I volunteered to take two kittens (since I wanted a cat anyways, now's as good a time as any). Is ~8 weeks an appropriate amount of time for kittens to be separated from their mother? I live in a second story apartment, should I be worried about letting them out onto the porch unsupervised after they get older, or should I start thinking of ways to block off the lower part of the porch railing now? 8 weeks would be doable if it's an emergency or something but 12 weeks would be a lot better. Can you convince your coworker to keep them for another few weeks? Yes, you should be worried about that. They could hurt themselves if they fell from that height. Even if they didn't get hurt they could still escape and you'd have a hard time coming after them since you can't jump off a balcony like they can. Sealing off the lower part of the railing wouldn't really be enough since cats can jump really high. My cats regularly jump to the top of our fridge and I kind of doubt your railing is as high as that. Supervised visits might be OK but they could still escape at the drop of a hat.
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Aug 9, 2010 23:44
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I wouldn't even bother letting them out on the balcony. They'll be fine without it. And I agree that 12 weeks is better. The most ideal would be that the babies are weaned before getting separated from mama.
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Aug 9, 2010 23:53
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Cool. The porch is my only real concern for cat-proofing. I'm not too worried about it, I just don't want to come home to find I forgot to secure the door and find out the hard way that I have a cat with no sense of vertigo. How do I know when they're weaned? She said they're eating solid food, burying their poops and moving around just fine, and momma isn't producing much milk anymore. Any other signs? The age is only a guess, the cat gave birth at an unknown time, they've only known about the kittens for 8 weeks now. Edit: She's guessing they were born only few days before they were discovered. To quote "They were reeeeeally little when we found them". Propagandalf fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Aug 10, 2010 |
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Aug 10, 2010 00:45
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Propagandalf posted:Cool. The porch is my only real concern for cat-proofing. I'm not too worried about it, I just don't want to come home to find I forgot to secure the door and find out the hard way that I have a cat with no sense of vertigo. How tiny is "reeeeally tiny"? Their eyes usually open around 8 days old, to give you an idea. Also (indoor, healthy, well-fed) kittens typically weigh around a pound per month of age.
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Aug 10, 2010 01:02
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Crooked Booty posted:How tiny is "reeeeally tiny"? Their eyes usually open around 8 days old, to give you an idea. Also (indoor, healthy, well-fed) kittens typically weigh around a pound per month of age. I'd have to ask about the eyes. I think she mentioned it, but I want to double check before I put e-words in anyone's mouth.
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Aug 10, 2010 01:10
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Abbeh posted:My sister couldn't wait until the 21st, and we picked up her new buddy on Saturday. If you want to see Pippa, I put a bunch of pictures in my "I want to introduce you to Fry" thread. M...Menush?! Noooooo! RIP ancient kitty. Riff Raff: Deaf cats are awesome! You can hoover them! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvWGnXkcaKI
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Aug 10, 2010 10:53
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Does anybody know of a good hairball medicine available in the UK? Thanks in advance.
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Aug 10, 2010 17:20
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I'm super worried about my cat. Lately, she's been having coughing fits and with her age, I'm concerned. I'm also still worried about the scabby sores she keeps getting around her tail and neck area (occasionally her chin, too). She's had the skin problem for around 6-7 years now and everytime the vet tells my parents there is nothing to worry about. On top of all this, she's getting kind of fat to boot. - Age: 16 years - Sex: Female - How long have you had your cat?: Since around 1994 - Is your cat spayed or neutered?: Yes - What food do you use?: Purina Cat Chow For All Cats - When was your last vet visit? August 10th, last year - Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both?: Indoors. Used to be outdoors but as she got older, we decided to start keeping her in. - How many pets in your household?: Two at the moment. Another cat. - How many litter boxes do you have?: One for each cat.
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Aug 10, 2010 19:12
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ETPC posted:I'm super worried about my cat. Lately, she's been having coughing fits and with her age, I'm concerned. I'm also still worried about the scabby sores she keeps getting around her tail and neck area (occasionally her chin, too). She's had the skin problem for around 6-7 years now and everytime the vet tells my parents there is nothing to worry about. On top of all this, she's getting kind of fat to boot. Coughing can be a lot of things, some of which are pretty serious. She needs to see a good vet.
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Aug 10, 2010 19:17
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Will do, thanks for the speedy reply! Hopefully we can find a better vet.
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Aug 10, 2010 19:38
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