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2508084 posted:Like Andrias Scheuchzeri said, you can put something out that he can get into so hes warm. Maybe a smaller little cat house under your steps since he likes going under there to get out from the cold? On that subject, Rubbermaid put up this page about outdoor cat shelters: http://www.erubbermaid.com/roughneck-homes?mid=57 
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Jan 25, 2012 13:49
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Topoisomerase posted:Where did you learn this? From the Behavior Faculty at UC Davis.
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Jan 25, 2012 15:25
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Andrias Scheuchzeri posted:On that subject, Rubbermaid put up this page about outdoor cat shelters: http://www.erubbermaid.com/roughneck-homes?mid=57 Ooh, I bet my boyfriend would help me make one of those! I couldn't put it under my stairs (there's room for a cat to squeeeeeze in, but no room for a shelter), but my backyard has lots of room! Hopefully he'll notice it/use it.
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Jan 25, 2012 15:51
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HelloSailorSign posted:From the Behavior Faculty at UC Davis. Interesting theory that is not backed by any sort of evidence at all. I'll talk to Dr. Bain about it!
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Jan 25, 2012 22:14
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I want to make one of those Roughneck Homes for my stray kitty. The climate's very mild here and she has plenty of warm hiding spaces around the apartment property but I just love the idea of her all curled up in a box outside my window. I just wish I could figure out a way to get her past the hissing/hiding stage - she doesn't run away any more but hides nearby and yowls at me when I feed her.
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Jan 25, 2012 22:47
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My dog seems to have an issue with obsessively licking his paws, the carpet, and the wall. He can be a somewhat nervous dog but I think maybe it's because he's bored? He doesn't move much from one spot unless we put a leash on him (I think maybe he's just not entirely used to being inside a house yet, but he is housetrained). I'm curious if there's any way to curb this behavior, like redirecting his attention to something else maybe and putting down some more toys for him? It's gotten to the point his skin looks kind of raw between his toes and on his arms. 
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Jan 29, 2012 19:42
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Bear Rape posted:My dog seems to have an issue with obsessively licking his paws, the carpet, and the wall. He can be a somewhat nervous dog but I think maybe it's because he's bored? He doesn't move much from one spot unless we put a leash on him (I think maybe he's just not entirely used to being inside a house yet, but he is housetrained). I don't know about the carpet and the wall, but dogs will lick their feet if they're itchy. Do you know if it's allergies?
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Jan 29, 2012 20:46
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Bear Rape posted:My dog seems to have an issue with obsessively licking his paws, the carpet, and the wall. He can be a somewhat nervous dog but I think maybe it's because he's bored? He doesn't move much from one spot unless we put a leash on him (I think maybe he's just not entirely used to being inside a house yet, but he is housetrained). Our dog obsessively likes to lick the couch arms and my husband's side of the bed. It's really gross to sit down an hour after she's done and put your arm down in cold, wet dog slobber. She otherwise leaves things alone.
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Jan 29, 2012 21:53
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Hey, so my older cat (7 years old), Lucy, seems to have developed a scat fetish. She likes to roll around on the carpet next to the litter box in my room (not in the litter box that I've seen, thankfully) as if she's rolling in catnip, and is super fascinated by the smell of Valentine's rear end. Is this normal? This started sometime this summer, after I got Valentine in late April. Do I need to be worried about Lucy being crazy or Valentine having (apparently) alluring poo poo, or is this just a "cats are weird" thing? They get along well and both seem healthy, aside from Lucy having a minor eye infection a couple months back that cleared up with antibiotics. No behavioral changes aside from Lucy running around a lot more chasing/being chased by Valentine.
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Jan 29, 2012 22:14
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Sounds like a "cats are weird" thing to me. Sully will spend a good ten minutes licking Nermal's rear end just because its a Tuesday afternoon and what else is he going to do? I've caught Tallulah just hanging out, in full catloaf mode, in the (freshly cleaned, thankfully) litter box. Cats are weird.
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Jan 29, 2012 22:27
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I'm glad to hear that! Silly cats.
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Jan 29, 2012 23:00
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Kerfuffle posted:I don't know about the carpet and the wall, but dogs will lick their feet if they're itchy. Do you know if it's allergies? I don't think he has any allergies, but I don't know for sure. He's been at it for a while persistently through two diet changes (one being to Blue Buffalo). There aren't any insects or other animals that are in the house that could cause allergies I don't think, although we sometimes walk him over pine needle beds, which weren't at the house he used to live at. Can dogs be allergic to pine maybe? He stops if I gently touch his head while he's licking, though, so it must not be too persistent if it's just an itch, but who knows. I'll be taking him to the groomer's Wednesday so I'll ask them if they notice any rashes or anything. His fur is shedding a bit too, so he might just need a really thorough grooming session. I'll post if he's still got licking issues after that.
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Jan 29, 2012 23:08
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Rodent Mortician posted:Our dog obsessively likes to lick the couch arms and my husband's side of the bed. It's really gross to sit down an hour after she's done and put your arm down in cold, wet dog slobber. She otherwise leaves things alone. Yeah, ours does this too. She'll stop if you say her name, it's like she just starts licking & doesn't know when to stop.
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Jan 29, 2012 23:49
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My boyfriend's cat doesn't really like me. She will only come if she hears a tin being opened, no matter where. She is obsessed with food. She pushes her way in when my cat is eating and finishes her food once she's done with her own. That's not my issue. My issue is that whenever I am in the toilet, she scratches and cries on the door until she is let in. Then once I let her in, she rubs against my legs and demands to be petted. She doesn't do this with anyone else in the house. She doesn't come near me in any other scenarios. What the hell is wrong with her?
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Jan 30, 2012 05:21
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Acquaintance was telling a story about a pit bull puppy she knew who would occasionally accidentally lock his jaws shut, and whimper because he couldn't figure out how to un-lock his own jaw. I feel like an idiot posting here to ask, but completely fabricated (unless some hosed up medical anomaly), yes?
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Jan 30, 2012 06:50
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drat Bananas posted:Acquaintance was telling a story about a pit bull puppy she knew who would occasionally accidentally lock his jaws shut, and whimper because he couldn't figure out how to un-lock his own jaw. Barring a medical issue, yes. It's a total myth that Pits have locking jaws.
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Jan 30, 2012 13:58
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TRISHY posted:My boyfriend's cat doesn't really like me. She will only come if she hears a tin being opened, no matter where. She is obsessed with food. She pushes her way in when my cat is eating and finishes her food once she's done with her own. She is a cat.
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Jan 30, 2012 16:07
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My girlfriend and I went out of town this weeekend for a day and a half to paint and fix up her place in preparation to sell it. We've done this a couple/few times recently. We put my dog up with my parents and left the cats plenty of food/water. Long story short, we got home and I found one of our cats, Mama Kitty, dead in the bathroom, lying in front of the toilet. I thought she was just sleeping at first. She was the sweetest animal I have ever had the pleasure to be around. She sat with me on the couch every night, snuggled up against my leg or on my lap. She was my girlfriend's cat, but my girlfriend jokingly referred to her "your cat". She slept between our pillows every night. Anyway, I guess my question is, is this as unusual as it seems? Mama Kitty was old, but not that old (12... maybe 13?), was not showing any signs of sickness or pain, was not losing weight, and she seemed to be eating regularly. She was her normal, happy self all last week. She did not seem to be ill prior to passing away (doesn't appear she was poisoned or ate anything she shouldn't have). From all appearances, she just laid down and died. It took us completely by surprise. If nothing else, I guess I'm relieved that I found her first and was able to blunt the shock of it all for my girlfriend. We buried her in the backyard with a few of her favorite toys. I'm not sure it's really sunk in yet for either of us.
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Jan 30, 2012 17:05
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M.C. McMic posted:My girlfriend and I went out of town this weeekend for a day and a half to paint and fix up her place in preparation to sell it. We've done this a couple/few times recently. We put my dog up with my parents and left the cats plenty of food/water. You won't be able to know exactly what happened unless you did an autopsy. Cats hide illness very well so she might have been sick, it's also possible she got into something she shouldn't have while you were away or sometime before you left. Something like string or a stray hairtie. I'm so sorry, there's no way you could have known. Leaving a cat away for a weekend really isn't a big deal at all, so don't blame yourself.
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Jan 30, 2012 18:25
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Kerfuffle posted:Oh no. I don't blame myself, and I don't think my girlfriend does either. I've told her over and over again that it was nothing she/we did. It was just so unexpected and horrible. Anyway, no autopsy... she was buried soon after she was found. She seems to have passed away quietly with little suffering, and she was an exceptionally happy/cuddly cat up to the end. It's just upsetting that it happened while we were out of town. 
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Jan 30, 2012 19:33
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GoreJess posted:Yeah, ours does this too. She'll stop if you say her name, it's like she just starts licking & doesn't know when to stop. Husker's the same, and greyhounds in general tend toward overlicking. I've heard it suggested that it's a self-soothing gesture, and since it feels good and releases endorphins, it can become sort of addictive.
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Jan 30, 2012 20:48
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drat Bananas posted:
Yeah that's a big fat "No," for all lower level pit bulls. The Jaw Locking Ability doesn't become equip-able until at least Level 25.
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Jan 30, 2012 21:20
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See, that's why rats are better, jaw lockdown at level 5. Psh, your baby eater has nothing on my herd of angry rats.
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Feb 1, 2012 00:07
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Would it be okay to take my dog on an hour car ride after getting neutered? I need to go to my parents house.
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Feb 1, 2012 19:37
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Drumstick posted:Would it be okay to take my dog on an hour car ride after getting neutered? I need to go to my parents house. It should be fine as he'll have been awake for a while at that point, but you can run it by your vet when you drop him off to be certain. Just make sure he pees and poops before getting in the car and be aware he might barf from the drugs, so throw down a towel and bring some extras.
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Feb 1, 2012 20:29
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Argh. I'm at my wit's end tonight. So, I've got two cats who are (theoretically) from the same litter. They're both 9 months old this month. They went to the same foster, etc. My boy cat, Patrick, has been driving me nuts by peeing outside the litter box. The boxes are cleaned twice daily, and litter is fully replaced weekly. We haven't changed styles of box, or brands of litter recently. One is huge, two are smaller, all are uncovered. There are three in total in my house, they are 5' away from food and water locations. He'll use the box sometime but pees outside it seemingly at random. It's always on soft things. (A paper bag he had been playing with, a plastic bag that had fallen off the counter, a cardboard box from costco) We've got a cat bed that only Isobel really uses but tonight he peed on that, so it's been covered with Nature's Miracle and is currently drying. Yes, we've been to a vet. He had full bloodwork and multiple urine samples taken (glucose came back high the first time.) They didn't find anything. So, what else can I do? Anywhere you would start? What sort of things can trigger this? What the hell can I do to stop it?
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Feb 4, 2012 07:53
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Have you tried changing the litter you use? Cat Attract is highly rated for this kind of issue.
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Feb 4, 2012 11:36
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Ok so this is something I've always wondered. I often see pictures of pet cats together with pet rodents and they are just chilling being friends - how the hell do people do this? If I tried introducing anything smaller than a rabbit (even then I'd be wary) to either of my cats they would kill the gently caress out of it within seconds. I get it that some cats aren't as killy as others but how do you even go about introducing them to each other without risking a gruesome demise for the rodent?
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Feb 4, 2012 13:56
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Immortal Wombat posted:Ok so this is something I've always wondered. In my (pretty limited) experience you just hold the rodent (while standing) and let the cat look. If she's pretty disinterested, you let her sniff (you need a pretty friendly rodent through this process btw). You just have to gauge your cat's interest level through the whole process. If she's super interested, it may be a good idea to either abandon the idea or try again when she's calm. I wouldn't let an outdoor cat interact with my rodents, though. I think cats who have been able to practice their hunting instincts won't be making many domestic friendships, unlike the fat chill indoor ones who wouldn't know a gerbil if it crawled all over their fat asses (personal experience).
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Feb 4, 2012 15:42
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Aelia posted:Argh. This is good to read for some ideas. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html But I fought this for a while with one of my cats. I'm pretty sure it started because he disliked the corn litters we were using. He would pee right outside the litter room. It took a little while to get it fixed, but he's pretty perfect now. He did somewhat recently pee in an empty flat box that had water in it that still had the plastic pushed down in it. We ended up changing out the small area of carpet that he would pee on and switched to Cat Attract litter. After over a year of him being good, we switched to Dr. Elsey regular formula because it is cheaper but still a way awesome litter, and after another year on that he's been fine (except that one little weird episode). I'd try to keep bags and other things he likes to pee in put up too. I know some cats don't like their food that close to their boxes either, so you might try moving that. And there are other ideas in that link like maybe the boxes are in locations that has something scarey for the cat, like a loud furnace the kicks on near the box, etc. Anyway, good luck getting it figured out. It was a bit of a battle, but we eventually got him back on track.
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Feb 4, 2012 18:10
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hhgtrillian posted:This is good to read for some ideas. Yeah, last night I moved their closest food/water station into the kitchen, and I went nuts and cleaned the heck out of their litter boxes. There's not a speck of used litter at this point, and I'm gonna do my best to keep it that way. I also picked up everything that might be "tempting" for him to pee on, including bags, towels, and other soft things. So far boxes seem safe, so I'm leaving their "fortress of catitude" out, but if even one of those gets soiled, it's going, too. I'm probably gonna see if I can get some cat attract additive. And anyway, he seems like he's acting a bit off, so if it lasts more than the morning, and my boyfriend notices it too, he may be going back to the vet to see if he's got something else going on. (I swear, this cat. I love him to death but first he had to go in for eye goop for ocular herpes, and then because he was peeing out of the box to make sure there was no UTI or crystals or anything else, and then again because that urine sample showed elevated glucose and... we've only had him since November. *sigh*)
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Feb 4, 2012 19:26
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drat Bananas posted:In my (pretty limited) experience you just hold the rodent (while standing) and let the cat look. If she's pretty disinterested, you let her sniff (you need a pretty friendly rodent through this process btw). You just have to gauge your cat's interest level through the whole process. If she's super interested, it may be a good idea to either abandon the idea or try again when she's calm. Isn't it also easier when the cat is introduced to potential rodent friends when they're still very young kittens? I seem to recall something about kittens growing up with small furry creatures making it easier for them to bond and become friends. I'm sure others will chime in if I am, in fact, talking out of my rear end.
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Feb 4, 2012 22:45
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My cat has been sneezing and snorting - not constantly, but reliably - for well over three weeks now. I took him to the vet after the first week and everything checked out fine. He gave me some paste to give him twice a day and told me to see him again if it gets worse. Well, it hasn't gotten worse, he has no other symptoms. He's still eating fine and pretty active, and his eyes and gums look normal. But he hasn't gotten better either. Can a cat have allergies and what are the common culprits? I've already tried a different type of cat litter that isn't clay based which hasn't done anything, unless he's allergic to both kinds. He also said it might be HPV, but does it usually hang around this long?
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Feb 5, 2012 03:03
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This is pretty important: Puppy Bowl 8 tomorrow. Is someone making a thread in PI, or will it show up in TFF? There is a new ref this year, does anyone know how and why this could have been allowed? Also, pigs?
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Feb 5, 2012 06:34
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Random Nonsense has had some Puppy Bowl VIII talk already. Not just pigs, but hamsters. Hamsters in the blimp. And a cockatiel will be live tweeting. Why don't my in-laws get Animal Planet? 
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Feb 5, 2012 06:53
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I picked up a stray kitten a few months back, and have been adamant about not getting her fixed, since all my past experiences with this barbaric procedure have left me with some severely shellshocked cats with mad ptsd and trust issues. She's an indoor cat, so it shouldn't even be an issue, but her incessant moaning and whining and blocking my path is beginning to take its toll on me. I seriously need advice on a noninvasive procedure to end this. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Feb 5, 2012 12:09
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Neo Otacon posted:I picked up a stray kitten a few months back, and have been adamant about not getting her fixed, since all my past experiences with this barbaric procedure have left me with some severely shellshocked cats with mad ptsd and trust issues. Get her fixed?  I've never heard of a cat being "shellshocked" from a spay. What the gently caress kind of butcher did you send your cat to that they're traumatized by a procedure they're supposed to be under anesthesia for?Just take her in. If you don't let her get fixed, she WILL get out and she WILL get knocked up. Cats in heat are fast and clever about escaping and seriously determined to get all filled up with babies.  Unless you want to play this game multiple times a year for the next 15-20 years, there's no other option.
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Feb 5, 2012 14:41
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Neo Otacon posted:I picked up a stray kitten a few months back, and have been adamant about not getting her fixed, since all my past experiences with this barbaric procedure have left me with some severely shellshocked cats with mad ptsd and trust issues. Took my cat in to get fixed. Dropped her off at 7:30 am. Picked her up at 4:30. Laughed at my post-anesthesia dopey cat for approximately 2 hours. By 7:00, she was basically back to 95% normal, and by 24 hours later she was exactly the same as she was pre-spay. Other than, you know, no ability to reproduce. I have repeated this many times with many cats, both male and female. In 31 years, and having fixed probably 20-30 cats (farm kid, but we fixed any strays that stuck around so we didn't have 10100101020302 kittens every year) I have NEVER had one either die from the procedure or have a personality change. Ever. Period.
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Feb 5, 2012 16:40
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Neo Otacon posted:I picked up a stray kitten a few months back, and have been adamant about not getting her fixed, since all my past experiences with this barbaric procedure have left me with some severely shellshocked cats with mad ptsd and trust issues. There IS no "noninvasive procedure" to end her behavior. It's what in-heat cats DO. And, short of getting her spayed, there is nothing that's going to stop that behavior. So either get used to it (and the litters she is going to have because a cat in heat is DETERMINED to get laid) or be kind to her and yourself and get her to the Vet, pronto.
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Feb 5, 2012 16:42
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Siochain posted:I have NEVER had one either die from the procedure or have a personality change. Ever. Period. Same here. Or rather, I have had two cats have a personality change. Both were feral cats who got really friendly after the procedure for some reason. And yeah, there's no other solution and not much is more miserable than living with a cat in heat. Personally, I always feel bad for intact cats who aren't allowed to breed (not that random cats should be allowed to). I'm pretty sure they're some of the horniest animals alive and it's got to be frustrating for them.
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Feb 5, 2012 17:02
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