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I've started to wonder if I'm tormenting my cats. They're seven months old now and the first day we adopted them my partner and I bought them a laser toy from Pets At Home. They loved it from day one. However, for the last couple of days, when we play with them they start to make an agitated "chirping" noise at the light and to eachother. It's very quick and high sounding, sometimes their voices will almost "break" while making the noise. They even seem to have a little conversation with eachother using these noises and never make them when playing with any other toy than the pointer. I've read up on a few ideas concerning chirping, some good and some not so good, and wondered what other opinions may be. I'd hate to think they are disturbed or upset by the fact they seem to have realised they'll never catch the light, and would rather retire the toy altogether (however much I'll miss making them skid along the kitchen floor) than distress them. And now, obviously, pictures. Husdon:  Click here for the full 600x803 image. Hicks:  Click here for the full 600x803 image. ...I have a terrible white balance on my phone.
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Nov 13, 2010 23:11
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| # ? May 16, 2024 10:01 |
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Chirping is usually a hunting sound, but it's not really a bad thing at all, just a cat thing. Have you ever let them "catch" the laser before on top of a treat? It helps make the game more interesting for them so they don't get bored with it.
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Nov 13, 2010 23:50
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My cat chirps at birds outside, like a cricket or something. It kind of freaked me out first time I heard it, it wasn't in the realm of noises I expected a cat to make. Dogs can go mental over pointers but cats usually don't. What you can do is land it on a treat at the end of a play session so they catch something. (In my internet opinion) beaten by Kerfuffle!
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Nov 13, 2010 23:52
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Those are some adorable cats! Seconding that you should let them "catch" something with the laser by pointing it at a treat or toy. Do you play with them using real toys too? If you don't have one, most cats go loving nuts for wand-type toys and those are even more fun than using a laser I think. Chirping is awesome. One of my cats goes "hunting" under furniture (must be spiders or something under there but I can't ever see anything when I look) and he makes cute chirping sounds too. You'd think it wouldn't be a good idea to make crazy noises when you're hunting but they do anyway.
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Nov 14, 2010 00:26
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I really like the idea of ending on a treat, as I didn't really know how to end the game in the first place. If I just flat out turn it off, they spend the next few minutes staring around the house trying to find it again (How can cats look so perplexed?!), sometimes I've ran it under a sofa and then turned it off, to show them it "escaped" but I did feel a little mean. We do have other toys, Honda, Hicks loves his wands and mice, he even has a full size foam football, but for some reason Hudson takes no interest. The only toy he'll play with is the pointer, everything else he just kinda lies there.
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Nov 14, 2010 09:24
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I know what you mean, cats are easy to confuse. My cats will chase a bug, kill it, and then keep looking for it for 5-10 minutes. 
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Nov 14, 2010 09:35
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I don't think they care so long as they got to catch something.
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Nov 14, 2010 09:48
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Kimi's chirping would actually get birds to come to the window. She was quite good at it.
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Nov 14, 2010 11:57
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I miss my cat. Got home from a 4&1/2 day vacation and can't pick up my kitty at the kennel until tomorrow after work. Meanwhile, I'm sick as hell and want my big snuggly kitty to make me feel better. I hope he won't be mad at me for leaving him. 
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Nov 15, 2010 01:15
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Just an update on Nova's stomach problems. They're finally improving! I think I tried the transition from bland to regular food too fast, for an older kitty. I'm having to keep a spoonful of pumpkin in with every meal, but things are much better than a few weeks ago. She's been doing well with some of her regular food mixed with bland. Thanks thread for letting me vent!
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Nov 15, 2010 02:32
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Why do my cats keep showing me their buttholes?
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Nov 15, 2010 02:55
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SlipkPIe posted:Why do my cats keep showing me their buttholes? rear end in the face is the highest complement to get from a kitty!
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Nov 15, 2010 03:02
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Day 3.5: Gurgi successfully used the litterbox ALL DAY, peeing AND pooping.  His stools are a little loose but I blame that on the antibiotics. I'll be calling the vet tomorrow about it anyways, but as he's an outdoor cat, I am sure his stomach flora is... interesting. And he used to eat a LOT of grass.
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Nov 15, 2010 03:42
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raffish posted:I've read up on a few ideas concerning chirping, some good and some not so good, and wondered what other opinions may be. I'd hate to think they are disturbed or upset by the fact they seem to have realised they'll never catch the light, and would rather retire the toy altogether (however much I'll miss making them skid along the kitchen floor) than distress them. SlipkPIe posted:Why do my cats keep showing me their buttholes?
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Nov 15, 2010 04:28
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Butt in face is the grossest part of cats. 
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Nov 15, 2010 05:19
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I feel like I'm being the worrisome parent but my cat has something on her jaw that I'm wondering if I should worry about. I noticed it a few days ago; its a spot on her jaw that is missing fur and it had some scaby black stuff on it. Aside from the usual squirming when I try to touch it, it doesn't seem to be causing her pain. I tried to take a picture but as you can imagine holding a rambunctious kitten still whole trying to photograph the underside of her chin was something of a challenge. (Don't worry I gave her a few treats for being such a good girl.)  Click here for the full 431x720 image.
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Nov 15, 2010 18:30
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When my cats were kittens they'd semi-frequently get scrapes and stuff on random parts of their bodies. I assume that they were running into/falling off of things and hurting themselves because kittens are retarded. As long as it doesn't seem to be getting any worse I'd probably just leave it alone. I took one of my cats to the vet over something like that that. It was sort of circular so I was afraid that it was ringworm or something but nope, just a scrape on his retard head. :\
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Nov 15, 2010 19:03
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That makes sense and I figured that's what it was; she's in her "I'm going to see what I can get into phase" and I've seen her misjudge a jump on several occasions.
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Nov 15, 2010 19:08
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My wife and I just moved to a large loft. The upstairs bedroom has a low wall that looks out over the kitchen about 10-12 feet below. Our cat has decided that this ledge is her new favorite place: I'm worried that she's going to mess up her jump one day and end up falling into the kitchen. Is this a justifiable worry, or am I just fretting over nothing? Is there any way to safety keep her off of that ledge? I was thinking of using that Ssscat stuff, but I'm worried it will scare her off the wrong end and I'll come home to find a kitty pancaked into the kitchen tile floor. SunknLiner fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Nov 15, 2010 |
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Nov 15, 2010 21:51
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You may get contrary advice, but I would let her sit there.
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Nov 15, 2010 21:59
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There's not really anything you can do to stop her from sitting there. I had a very similar situation in the last place I lived, but three cats. None of them ever fell.
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Nov 15, 2010 22:04
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I wouldn't worry about it too much. She probably won't slip but if she does it's not a super huge fall. I'd just make sure you don't leave anything out that might be bad for her to land on like utensils, pans, plates, etc.
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Nov 15, 2010 22:12
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You could just put some aluminum foil down until it breaks them of the habit of going up there. Most cats seem to hate walking on it.
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Nov 15, 2010 22:12
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My fiance and I have two cats we recently adopted, one was only 5 weeks, Nook, (she is 3 months now) and we found her stranded in our complex, the other was from Petsmart, named Simba. Nook is cute as a button, but she will not stop trying to suckle our noses/ears/lips as we sleep. Is there anything we can do to get her to stop? Simba has a nail that somehow cracked down to the nailbed. It causes him no pain, but we want to make sure its not a symptom of something else. Is this common for cats? These are the first cats I have ever owned and I have read alot of advice, these are the two problems that I keep getting conflicting advice.
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Nov 16, 2010 06:34
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Awaken Mustakrakish posted:My fiance and I have two cats we recently adopted, one was only 5 weeks, Nook, (she is 3 months now) and we found her stranded in our complex, the other was from Petsmart, named Simba. I haven't had any experience with the suckling but from what I've read it's a comfort thing that they sometimes do when young, especially if they were taken from their mother too early. They sometimes grow out of it but not always. For now you might just want to shut her out of the bedroom at night. I wouldn't worry too much about the nail, he might've run into something and cracked it, especially if he's young and active. Just keep an eye on it.
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Nov 16, 2010 07:51
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We got a kitten from a friend of ours, he's around 13 weeks old, and over the past few weeks we've been slowly introducing him to our other cat, 2 and a half years old female. They've been getting used to each other's smell, and they've been touching noses and sizing each other up. Recently they've started to play fight and wrestle, and while the internet says this is normal and part of their ritual of finding their hierarchical position etc, it's a little worrying to watch. We'd love to be able to let them run around the house together unsupervised, because the kitten is getting a little antsy being shut in one room of the house. It's quite clear that they want to see each other, but we're just so worried that they'll hurt each other. Occasionally there is hissing or growling. Should we separate them at this stage? Anybody else got any tips or things we should watch out for?
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Nov 16, 2010 14:29
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thehustler posted:It's quite clear that they want to see each other, but we're just so worried that they'll hurt each other. Occasionally there is hissing or growling. Should we separate them at this stage? Anybody else got any tips or things we should watch out for? Unless someone's bleeding, or one cat doesn't respond when the other one cries uncle (They have ways of showing one another when playing gets too rough, usually a MEEP sort of thing), you're fine. Hissing and growling is expected at the stage, and it sounds like they are doing great. You can probably even let them hang out unsupervised, if you haven't seen blood or excessive aggression (again, the one being hurt says "meep!" and the one attacking doesn't stop.).
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Nov 16, 2010 15:12
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Cats can look and sound a little crazy when they play, it's true. You'll know it when they are actually trying to kill each other though.
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Nov 16, 2010 16:33
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So I might be getting another cat. I was driving home last night and there was a terrified kitten cowering in the median. I pulled over and picked her up; she's definitely someone's cat (way too gentle to be a stray). I took her to my university's emergency vet clinic where they scanned her for a chip (no luck). They said they'd shelter her for up to 10 days while letting animal control centers in the area know when and where she had been found. If no one claims her by then I said they could call me back and I'd take her in. She's a beautiful all black cat and she looks about the same age as my cat (7 months) and I was wondering how I should plan for the event that this cat will be joining my household. Actually I may just get a second cat even if this one's owners come forward.
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Nov 16, 2010 17:47
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Yaaaay, thank you for saving her! For her owners' sake I sort of hope they come forward but it sounds like she'll have a home either way and that's what matters.  Keep us updated!
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Nov 17, 2010 00:55
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thehustler posted:We got a kitten from a friend of ours, he's around 13 weeks old, and over the past few weeks we've been slowly introducing him to our other cat, 2 and a half years old female. Has the kitten been to the vet and been tested for FIV and FeLV and all that jazz?
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Nov 17, 2010 03:11
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RheaConfused posted:Has the kitten been to the vet and been tested for FIV and FeLV and all that jazz? Well he's been thoroughly inspected and has had his jabs and whatnot, yes.
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Nov 18, 2010 17:20
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I should also add that over the past few days they seem to be getting on better They seem to be peacefully walking around together and occasionally playing and it's wonderful to see!
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Nov 18, 2010 17:21
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Won't you feel silly for worrying the first time you spot them sleeping in a kitten pile. 
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Nov 18, 2010 18:41
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I know kittens are in rear end in a top hat stage until around 2, maybe longer. But having Fry around is causing Ed to regress into rear end in a top hat stage as well! Sure, sometimes she's her old calm self, sleeping in her favorite chair (HER chair) but half the time she's jumping up in the sink, digging poo poo out of the disposal with Fry, or I look down the hall and see BOTH of them ripping wallpaper off with their mouths. Fry has been a good and bad influence on Ed. At least now she's a slim cat and plays with him - in fact she tends to initiate play more often than not, by jumping on him and smacking his head around a bit. I used to have one great cat. Then I had one great cat and one psychotic kitten. Now I'm surrounded by furry morons. At least Ed's less vocal than Fry (except at feedin' time) he runs up and down the hallway at night, howling his lungs out. Will they both calm down when he gets a bit older? Maybe? Hopefully? Thanks to them, we've lost two plates, three bowls, a few cups, all the loving cat toys I have no clue where they are, one picture frame (though all have been knocked over), a thermostat, large patches of wallpaper, a small section of rug, one dress... I'm glad they get along better and actually play a lot, but my god they make me want to rip my hair out. Any time a friend or relative stays over they say "your cats are so awesome, but I'm glad I don't have to live with them" Zoso helped us feel better by making GBS threads in five places around the house when we went out for a few minutes. Thanks, bud. vv things like picture frames, dresses, disposal, etc are cat proofed now, but when the cat can climb a door frame or wall up to the top and rip down whatever he pleases, it's a bit tough Abbeh fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Nov 18, 2010 |
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Nov 18, 2010 18:45
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They'll almost certainly calm down when the kitten gets older. Until then, maybe you need to do more catproofing?
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Nov 18, 2010 19:38
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I've just noticed my cat doing something I haven't seen any cat I know do before so I thought I'd come here! You guys know cats. When Abby was first let outside (she goes out supervised, only in the day and she stays in the backyard), she dug a mysterious hole about 2 inches deep in the dirt. I've never witnessed her doing anything with it except for redigging it. Now, I usually take a book out there so she's probably been doing this since she made the hole, I've just not personally seen it. Today I did - Abby laid down on her back, put her head in the hole and then proceeded to wiggle around like she's part compass, part epileptic (360, still on her back!).  It was the weirdest thing, I thought she was burying herself to begin with which would've been odd but this was odder! I have noticed that she usually comes in covered with dirt so I chalked it up to her love of the random dirt piles in our yard. Why this, Abby, why!Is this just a "cats are weird" thing or is there a logical reason she's doing it? Next time she does it, I'll see if I can film it.
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Nov 19, 2010 07:14
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inky101 posted:I've just noticed my cat doing something I haven't seen any cat I know do before so I thought I'd come here! You guys know cats.
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Nov 19, 2010 07:42
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So a few weeks ago our local shelter had a no-fee weekend and my mom picked up a fluffy orange kitten and a slightly older black cat that had been at the shelter for almost five months, so add to the household Raziel and Night Fury. I don't know how old Raz is, but he sleeps with me, and I've noticed at night he'll half wake up and start licking. His tail, feet, me, the giant catfish pillow he sleeps on...and then he'll go back to sleep, half wake again, repeat cycle. He isn't drooling but I don't get why he even licks the drat wall and curtains sometimes.
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Nov 20, 2010 10:30
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Cowslips Warren posted:I don't know how old Raz is, but he sleeps with me, and I've noticed at night he'll half wake up and start licking. His tail, feet, me, the giant catfish pillow he sleeps on...and then he'll go back to sleep, half wake again, repeat cycle. He isn't drooling but I don't get why he even licks the drat wall and curtains sometimes. Mine does this too, usually while purring. Also she drapes herself around my head at night and sucks on my hair, and the first time I woke up to SHHLLP SHHLLP in my ear was an experience. My cat is mental. Also, my family is getting downright snarky, and I don't know why. I'm used to parrots and sugar gliders and herps and various rescue exotics, a cat seems too easy. Everything you need is right there in the stores, you don't have to order HPW from Australia or anything! So after a few weeks of testing I have the food thing figured out, she loves the salmon BG dry food and gets small amounts of wet food through the day (prefers the Newman's Own chicken/salmon, mixed with assorted other healthy wet foods because she stops eating if you feed her the same thing more than a couple times in a row). And she likes fresh cooked lamb and chicken and turkey with homemade gravy for treats. And I took her to the groomer to get a bath and her nails clipped, ears cleaned, butthair trimmed, so on, and we brush her daily and I use Allerpet on her once a week because I'm allergic. The kitten seems to think she's died and gone to heaven, but people are starting to call and send me emails about how I'm really going overboard for a freaking shelter muttcat. Have I lost my mind? Obligatory pic of kitty becoming beautiful:  Click here for the full 596x800 image. spitcloth fucked around with this message at 21:08 on Nov 20, 2010 |
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Nov 20, 2010 21:03
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