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I want an opinion on litter boxes. I currently have 5 cats and 6 standard sized litter boxes. The dimensions are around 22"X16" and 19"X15", as I have a few different boxes. I know that the rule of thumb is one per cat plus one, but I was wondering if that applies if the boxes are bigger? I'm sure it depends on the cats involved, but do you think fewer, larger boxes would be better? worse? adequate? I just bought a large plastic cement tub from Lowes that is 26"X20" to see how it performed. They had an even larger one but it had grooves in the bottom, that I thought might be harder to clean. Anyway, what do you guys think? If I decide this box works well, how many boxes, in your opinion, could I get by with?
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Jun 20, 2011 22:05
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I didn't read this thread I'm sorry but there were five thousand posts.  My cat Rook will be one year old on July 5th. When we adopted her in November, we noticed right away that she has a really funny walk- her hind legs swing out to the sides like peg legs. She can still run and jump, but it's hard for me to tell if that looks odd or not. Anyway the cats went in last weekend for a yearly and I asked the vet about it. She said probably hip dysplasia!  At any rate, SOMETHING is definitely weird about her hips.My questions: 1) Does anybody have experience with a cat with hip dysplasia? What can I expect? 2) Is it normal to see signs of hip dysplasia in a 4 month old kitten? 3) Can I expect a definitive answer from an x-ray?
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Jun 21, 2011 00:09
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So we bought Ticker this crate in medium: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4056280&lmdn=Crate+Style At the vet today they said he's just under 30 pounds, but he's pretty lanky and doesn't look like he fits it, really if he's standing up in it. Laying down works okay, though. Still have the box/receipt – is it worth sizing up or no?
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Jun 21, 2011 02:00
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Alright. I hate dogs and dogs are gross and dogs >: ( How do you deal with a (male) dog peeing and splashing urine all over himself? Hes peeing properly, its just the gigantic splash radius. I've owned mainly small dogs and this dog pees like a fire hose, not something I'm used to. I see it mainly getting on the back of his front legs but I had him on his back today and noticed his tummy/chest above his penis is all sticky and pee-y as well. I can think of 2 options...either wiping him down after every walk or putting on a long-sleeved 'pee shirt' beforehand to catch it instead.  At least its summer time so I can hose him down often! Malalol fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Jun 21, 2011 |
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Jun 21, 2011 04:27
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Is.....is there a way to clicker train a male dog to squat when peeing? Paging a life less......
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Jun 21, 2011 05:08
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Maybe you could carry a pee-shield on a stick when you walk him.  The pee-shirt doesn't sound like a bad idea. It'd probably help prevent sunburn too, if he's sensitive to that.
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Jun 21, 2011 12:05
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Cassiope posted:Is.....is there a way to clicker train a male dog to squat when peeing? Paging a life less...... Hah. I don't think it'd be particularly easy to do unless he does it occasionally naturally. If he does, to capture it you mark it and jackpot it each time he does it "correctly". You could also try capturing proper peeing etiquette, but this doesn't so much sound like a "my dog is dumb and aims poorly" but a "flow is too heavy" issue. Do your best to change his preference for peeing on things (maybe low bushes are better than fire hydrants, for instance), but I'd probably fall back on hosing the fella off frequently.
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Jun 21, 2011 14:18
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CompactFanny posted:I didn't read this thread I'm sorry but there were five thousand posts. Hip dysplasia? Is the cat in pain when it walks? I'd look more at cerebral hypoplasia myself - Arthur has that and has a sort of sumo wrestler walk, but he can run and jump - just not very gracefully. It seems that if the cat isn't in pain, then it probably isn't dysplasia. Maybe look at a few videos on this site to see if it could be CH: http://chcats.acmaurer.com/
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Jun 21, 2011 14:36
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I'm not sure when a thread is too long to keep alive, but if this one is anyone is more than welcome to put together a nice question OP and start a new one. As far a cats with cerebral hypoplasia, I have one, and he is amazing. He can't jump, and sometimes he just kind of falls over, and if you try to have him track something he just kind of throws his head all over the place, but he is the sweetest, derpiest cat ever (and also in no pain whatsoever). I'd also like to add that his "battle face" is AMAZING, unfortunately this must be seen in action though. Olive Bar fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Jun 21, 2011 |
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Jun 21, 2011 14:47
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Mine is a bit touched in the head, so his battle face is the same as all his faces... something of a "hurr?" expression. He gets lost in the basement a lot. vv d'oh, you're right - I keep typing it wrong Abbeh fucked around with this message at 17:19 on Jun 21, 2011 |
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Jun 21, 2011 15:18
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Olive Bar posted:As far a cats with cerebral hypoplasia, I have one, and he is amazing. He can't jump, and sometimes he just kind of falls over, and if you try to have him track something he just kind of throws his head all over the place, but he is the sweetest, derpiest cat ever (and also in no pain whatsoever). I'd also like to add that his "battle face" is AMAZING, unfortunately this must be seen in action though. It's cerebellar hypoplasia that you guys are talking about. Cerebral hypoplasia would be a much more serious event. If it's just the cat's gait and there are not tremors or other neurological signs that point to the cerebellum I would not be thinking of cerebellar hypoplasia. What's more is that a veterinarian should be able to pick up on that, so I would trust the vet over Dr. Google here. Hip dysplasia is possible, but there are other neuromuscular or musculoskeletal disorders that the vet would probably be able to rule in or out with a thorough exam when the cat is an adult.
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Jun 21, 2011 17:04
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Yeah I basically ruled out CH myself based on a lack of any other symptoms. I did doubt the dysplasia diagnosis because 1) she's so young and 2) there are no pain signs. I will probably go to the local cat-only clinic soon to have her x-rayed and examined again. Thanks for the input.
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Jun 21, 2011 18:08
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This is a really odd question, but up until now, I've only owned female dogs. Do male dogs need extra grooming or anything like that? Or are they okay at keeping themselves clean.
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Jun 21, 2011 18:19
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Do you mean their balls? Are you planning on scrubbing their balls?
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Jun 21, 2011 20:09
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Abbeh posted:Do you mean their balls? Are you planning on scrubbing their balls? Haha, no! I just recall when I worked with horses someone saying that male horses needed help keeping clean and I wasn't sure if the same was true for dogs. Now I sound like a weirdo. 
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Jun 21, 2011 20:24
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wtftastic posted:Haha, no! I just recall when I worked with horses someone saying that male horses needed help keeping clean and I wasn't sure if the same was true for dogs. Ha, I figured you had been around horses if you were asking. Dogs can get a bit of crotch gunk now and then but tend to clean it up themselves  Also if you ask a vet about your dog's penile discharge/crotch gunk they will make you repeat the question to everyone in the practice before telling you its normal.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:55
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Uugghhh I'm hoping someone can help ease my mind tonight. So one of our dogs (shep/lab mix) has those little bumps on the ridge of his cheekbones. We've noticed in the past few days the one of the bumps has gotten a little bigger and his allergies have flared up again and he has itchy face. The bump is about the size of a pea, is really fleshy and soft, and doesn't bother him at all when it's touched. He already has some seasonal allergy issues so I went ahead and made an appointment with the vet for tomorrow thinking it was something along those lines. Welp I did something dumb and googled it and now I'm terrified my dog has cancer. Someone tell me this is somewhat normal and not cancer
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Jun 22, 2011 00:05
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I have a question about my cat I hope PI can help me with. She is about a year old, my wife and I got her from a shelter in January. Just today she started using the litterbox a LOT. Like 7-8 times in an hour that I notice. I cleaned out the box so I can check next time she goes in to see what she's leaving, but it looks like small clumps of pee. Any idea why this might be happening? She is otherwise normal, normal appetite and normal assholery. edit: in the 2 minutes since I posted this she went in 3 times to pee, without much to show for it. deviating septum fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Jun 22, 2011 |
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Jun 22, 2011 00:50
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deviating septum posted:I have a question about my cat I hope PI can help me with. She is about a year old, my wife and I got her from a shelter in January. Just today she started using the litterbox a LOT. Like 7-8 times in an hour that I notice. I cleaned out the box so I can check next time she goes in to see what she's leaving, but it looks like small clumps of pee. Any idea why this might be happening? She is otherwise normal, normal appetite and normal assholery. That is not good. There may be something wrong with her urinary tract. If she can't pee, she needs to go to the e-vet.
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Jun 22, 2011 00:59
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deviating septum posted:I have a question about my cat I hope PI can help me with. She is about a year old, my wife and I got her from a shelter in January. Just today she started using the litterbox a LOT. Like 7-8 times in an hour that I notice. I cleaned out the box so I can check next time she goes in to see what she's leaving, but it looks like small clumps of pee. Any idea why this might be happening? She is otherwise normal, normal appetite and normal assholery. Go to the vet ASAP. Like, emergency vet if you have to. It sounds like the cat has a urinary infection or is blocked, and that can get dangerous and fatal really fast.
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Jun 22, 2011 01:00
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Braki posted:That is not good. There may be something wrong with her urinary tract. If she can't pee, she needs to go to the e-vet. I was checking some web pages and everything from a UTI to a blockage to diabetes to cancer could be a cause. I wasn't sure if I should go to the E-vet or wait until morning though. E-vet it is?
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Jun 22, 2011 01:01
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deviating septum posted:I was checking some web pages and everything from a UTI to a blockage to diabetes to cancer could be a cause. I wasn't sure if I should go to the E-vet or wait until morning though. E-vet it is? If you're really uncertain, you can call the e-vet and describe the symptoms and let them make a recommendation, but I'm pretty sure they're going to say to bring her in. If she's gone from relatively normal to suddenly peeing very often, and is now at the point where she's straining to pee and nothing's coming out, I would not think that it's diabetes or cancer, as those tend to be more gradual (disclaimer: I am not a vet yet).
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Jun 22, 2011 01:05
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Yes. It can be fatal.
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Jun 22, 2011 01:06
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Braki posted:If you're really uncertain, you can call the e-vet and describe the symptoms and let them make a recommendation, but I'm pretty sure they're going to say to bring her in. If she's gone from relatively normal to suddenly peeing very often, and is now at the point where she's straining to pee and nothing's coming out, I would not think that it's diabetes or cancer, as those tend to be more gradual (disclaimer: I am not a vet yet). Thanks for all the quick replies, everyone. I just got off the phone with the E-vet and she told me it can wait until morning. The cat in question is female, and blockages are apparently less common. She is not showing signs of being in pain, and is chillin on the couch right now having a nap. The E-vet also suggested that if I ever had a UTI myself (nope) I would know that you feel the need to urinate constantly even if your bladder is empty, which would explain the lack of urine in the box. I am going to keep a close eye on her for the rest of the evening and if I see the smallest change in her behaviour otherwise I am going to take her in. Man I love PI
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Jun 22, 2011 01:10
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Abbeh posted:Yes. It can be fatal. E-vet now. Even if she's not blocked, she's in extraordinary pain.
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Jun 22, 2011 01:10
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The emergency vet has already been consulted, and they said it could wait (based on the fact that it is very uncommon for female cats to become blocked). Edit: This thread has some information on the more common urinary tract issues in cats. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3416234 Dr. Chaco fucked around with this message at 02:28 on Jun 22, 2011 |
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Jun 22, 2011 02:26
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Fiyero strongly dislikes the slicker brush. I strip him out every week, but is there another, less-scratchy brush that'd be good for a puppy/teenager brittany coat? Should I just pick up a furminator, or is there another brush that's better suited? All of our grooming gear is cocker spaniel oriented.
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Jun 22, 2011 02:38
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deviating septum posted:The E-vet also suggested that if I ever had a UTI myself (nope) I would know that you feel the need to urinate constantly even if your bladder is empty, which would explain the lack of urine in the box. Actually, when I had one it was a constant horrible burning feeling and every time I had to pee, I pissed blood while feeling like someone was repeatedly stabbing me in the gut. I hope your cat isn't feeling even a fraction of that kind of pain right now, since it sounds like she isn't getting to the vet tonight.
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Jun 22, 2011 02:43
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Abbeh posted:Actually, when I had one it was a constant horrible burning feeling and every time I had to pee, I pissed blood while feeling like someone was repeatedly stabbing me in the gut. I hope your cat isn't feeling even a fraction of that kind of pain right now, since it sounds like she isn't getting to the vet tonight. Way to lay on the guilt. The e-vet says it doesn't need to be seen tonight, why is this an issue for people? As for the UTI talk, that is pretty rare in one year old cats. Just like being blocked is really rare in female cats. All good evidence for why you shouldn't care what people on the internet say it might be/probably is.
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Jun 22, 2011 03:27
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Oh jeez, I should know so much better, it is cerebellar and not cerebral, my bad. Grooming question: Fatty is getting up there a bit and has always been extremely lazy and is having some grooming issues, what is a good brush for cats that will help with matting issues?
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Jun 22, 2011 06:16
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What are some dog breeds that smell the least and do not shed? Poodles are out of the question.
aksuur fucked around with this message at 07:53 on Jun 22, 2011 |
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Jun 22, 2011 07:49
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Here is a seven foot friend showing up at my feet at the gun range last month: Any clue what kind it is?This is what I immediately wanted to shoot him with, but I did not ofcourse. I just stepped back until he moseyed on down the trail  
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Jun 22, 2011 08:27
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Why is my dog scratching constantly? He's coming up on 4 months and has scratched since I got him about two months ago, through two different kinds of food [Castor and Pollux puppy food, and Authority puppy food.]Once or twice an hour he'll stop what he's doing and nibble on his butt/back legs/tail area for 15-20 seconds. I figured it was standard dog/puppy behavior until the trainer asked about it in his puppy class. As for what we've ruled out: He doesn't have fleas and has been dewormed recently. Once or twice an hour he'll stop what he's doing and chew on his butt/back legs/tail area. The vet did mention he had some dandruff when he went in for his last shot, and told us to use a moisturizing puppy shampoo on him, but that hasn't made any difference. He does go back in to the vet in a few days for a booster shot, and I will be bringing it up then, but if anyone's had experience with itchy dogs I could use some advice. We do also have cats, so I'm almost wondering if he could be allergic to them.
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Jun 22, 2011 08:46
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Did you pay attention to what was in the food? With food allergies (which this could be) it's less the brand than what's in them--e.g. chicken, corn, chicken fat, fish oil, whatever. The vet will have more to say (and maybe it's not even a food issue) but if you can check out the food ingredients before you go it'll be useful information to go in with.
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Jun 22, 2011 10:44
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Chaco posted:Way to lay on the guilt. The e-vet says it doesn't need to be seen tonight, why is this an issue for people? I wasn't trying to lay on the guilt, but suggesting that your vet was making light of a really painful situation. You don't just have to pee all the time, you have to pee knives all the time and it sucks.
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Jun 22, 2011 13:42
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Olive Bar posted:Oh jeez, I should know so much better, it is cerebellar and not cerebral, my bad. Furminators and similar brushes work well in my experience. Anything that has those really fine combs that get out a lot of fur. Also, putting him on a weight loss regimen (I assume Fatty is self-descriptive?) would help him groom himself.
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Jun 22, 2011 14:18
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Abbeh posted:I wasn't trying to lay on the guilt, but suggesting that your vet was making light of a really painful situation. You don't just have to pee all the time, you have to pee knives all the time and it sucks. Exactly. The cat wasn't going to die, but it was definitely in a lot of pain.
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Jun 22, 2011 15:21
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WouldDesk posted:Here is a seven foot friend showing up at my feet at the gun range last month: I think that's a bullsnake, assuming you're in the Central US/Texas. She's keeping the gun range free of rats and gophers and things so good for you for letting it go on its merry.
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Jun 22, 2011 15:33
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Instant Jellyfish posted:I think that's a bullsnake, assuming you're in the Central US/Texas. She's keeping the gun range free of rats and gophers and things so good for you for letting it go on its merry. That seems to be the consensus, bull snake. I am in Oklahoma so it seems to be the one. I let him go, just startled me having him be so interested in my purty legs
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Jun 22, 2011 15:44
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| # ? May 21, 2024 16:48 |
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WereJace posted:Fiyero strongly dislikes the slicker brush. I strip him out every week, but is there another, less-scratchy brush that'd be good for a puppy/teenager brittany coat? Should I just pick up a furminator, or is there another brush that's better suited? All of our grooming gear is cocker spaniel oriented. No, no --don't furminate--it cuts the coat, which you won't want. Do you have a nice pin brush with a soft rubber cushion? Or a greyhound comb? Even a bristle brush on the jacket would work, but probably snarl the furnishings. And I'm an expert because I have groomed precisely two Brittany's in my lifetime! I use a sheddin' blade on Radar, and he likes it, as do the cats, but YMMV. It's a big blade with handles, like a sweat scraper for horses. I only use it on the non-knobby bits, but Fiyero might hate it less than a slicker.
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Jun 22, 2011 16:40
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