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Good news everyone! My cat poo poo a yard of string! I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say she's probably a little sore down there, but no worse for wear.
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# ? Jan 25, 2013 02:37 |
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# ? May 16, 2024 05:30 |
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potee posted:Good news everyone! My cat poo poo a yard of string! Phew! I was honestly worried for your cat. Not that I didn't trust you to go to the vet if needed, but a yard of string in a cat. Hooray for happy endings! poo poo-coated ending I'm sure, but still happy.
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# ? Jan 25, 2013 03:12 |
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At least your cat didn't poop out half the string then go running madly around the house trying to shake it off. That was ugly. And messy.
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# ? Jan 25, 2013 03:59 |
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Pollyanna posted:For adoption applications, if I'm still deciding what cat I'm going with do I just put "undecided" for the name field? Are you... are you sure you're not supposed to put your name in that space? Seems odd they would ask for a name before selecting a cat
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# ? Jan 25, 2013 09:31 |
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KKKlean Energy posted:Are you... are you sure you're not supposed to put your name in that space? Seems odd they would ask for a name before selecting a cat
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# ? Jan 25, 2013 10:31 |
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I just got a new 55" LCD TV. Bright colors and all that, hooked up to my computer. Great stuff. Trouble is that kitten chases the mouse pointer like a crackhead going through withdrawal. This involves leaping onto the screen, clawing at it, etc. She's got plenty of toys and mainly seems interested in the screen because I am. How do I stop her obsession with chasing the mouse pointer? I "tss" at her when she attacks it, say her name angrily, etc. I'll take her off the TV stand and the second I sit down on the couch she's back on the stand (or leaps a few feet into the air from the floor onto the TV to collide with the mouse politer). That generally just ends up with momma cat running down to see what the commotion is about and watching her kitten misbehave (until she gets bored watching and leaves) with nothing else really changing. Suggestions? edit: I know the the OP would suggest something like saran wrap on the tv stand but the trouble with that is momma cat loves chewing on plastic wrap. edit2: While the stick with a feather and bell on it seems to be distracting enough to pry her away from the tv it feels like positive reinforcement for bad behavior. what I also try to do is shine a laser pointer up and down the stairs until she starts panting heavily for air after chasing it at full speed for too long, which tires her out for a little while (though unfortunately for me boosts her endurance for the next time). diadem fucked around with this message at 16:55 on Jan 25, 2013 |
# ? Jan 25, 2013 16:40 |
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I'd say keep redirecting her by using the feather toy. I know it feels like positive reinforcement, but nothing else is working and hopefully she'll get the idea that when you're computer-tving is a time she gets to play with the feather toy, and not that she has to scratch the TV first. Some other options: Depending on your TV stand size, you could get one of these: Scat Mats. They're expensive but they work, and you can use it in other locations (counters, desktops...) once she's trained off the TV stand. It's mostly just surprising, not painful, by the way. For a kitten you should keep it on low but that is plenty to deter them. Another option is a motion-sensing air can (Ssscat). I didn't like mine because I set it off all the time, but you may be able to position it such that she only gets hit by it when right up on the TV stand. Other options would be to put tinfoil up on the TV stand, which may backfire because some cats love playing with it. You can also try double sided sticky tape because they do not like that on their paws.
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# ? Jan 25, 2013 17:07 |
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Thanks a bunch! I'll keep up with the feather toy. If that doesn't work then I'll get one of those Scat Mats (which seems likely, as i can't really concentrate on work when playing with a kitten)
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# ? Jan 25, 2013 17:29 |
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I seriously have such an amazing, fantastic sweetie-pie of a cat. I know everyone says that and honestly feels that way, but I've known a fair amount of cats and have lived with more than a few at various times. While Jackie is not a perfect cat by any means, and I have often had small issues with her, she still amazes me even after almost two years of living and dealing with her, day in and day out. Y'see, earlier today there was a bit of a silly accident. Jackie was walking around on the couch and I was petting her as she did this. She happened to be near the edge and being the clumsy, giant-pawed polydactyl kitty that she is, she lost her balance and sort of started to fall off the couch. But as she did she naturally stuck her claws out to grab onto anything she could, and in the process accidentally scratched the back of my hand - not trying to dig her claws in or anything, just sticking them out as she fell and my hand happened to be there. But it serious loving hurt. Really badly. I mean, I didn't think it was so bad at first but it just wound up being shockingly painful and bad enough that I obviously treated it with neosporin and whatnot, and it reminded me just how incredibly painful cat scratches can be, and it also reminded me once more that Jackie had never really ever scratched me even once since I adopted her. But on a deeper level, it made me realize just how unbelievably gentle and considerate Jackie has been to me. She "scratches" my hand all the time when we play, and has been legitimately annoyed at me plenty of times. I mean, there are certain claws of her I never clip because she just hates the clipping process SO much, and thus I only do the ones that might get ingrown to make it as short as possible. She has 26 freaking claws! That would be a lot of clipping if I did all of them every few weeks. Most of them really are razor sharp, and as I learned today can deal extremely painful damage in the blink of an eye. And that was an accident when she wasn't even trying to attack at all! I dunno - I guess even the very concept of domestication is bizarre to me from a purely objective standpoint; the fact that I have this carnivorous predator living in my apartment with me for companionship, and she sleeps on my bed in very close proximity to me when I am at my most vulnerable and defenseless state. And she not only never harms me, she goes out of her way to make sure she never causes me harm even when she's pretending to do so during play! It's all so crazy to me, especially after knowing so many domestic cats who would scratch and bite their owners (I am including myself in some of these cases) with regularity for reasons like overstimulation or just accidents during playtime, for example. Makes me really appreciate Jackie - as I've said before, I don't know what I did to deserve such an exceptional cat.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 04:54 |
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Have you considered blogging instead?
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 04:56 |
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Have you considered blogging instead? That sounds like a fantastic idea.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 06:18 |
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Aw, I enjoy reading Kaworu's posts.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 14:48 |
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Thanks Midrena! I wouldn't make posts like that at all if people didn't tell me they enjoy them I guess I could pretend I'm on twitter with a tiny character limit, but I always thought there was still a place for the "longform" message board post.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 15:26 |
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kaworu posted:Thanks Midrena! I wouldn't make posts like that at all if people didn't tell me they enjoy them I guess I could pretend I'm on twitter with a tiny character limit, but I always thought there was still a place for the "longform" message board post. If you want to just talk about your cat feelings, this is a good place: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3201527 I'm not a PI mod so it's not up to me, but I view this thread more as a place for questions & answers and general behavior/cat care discussion.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 15:30 |
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kaworu posted:Thanks Midrena! I wouldn't make posts like that at all if people didn't tell me they enjoy them I guess I could pretend I'm on twitter with a tiny character limit, but I always thought there was still a place for the "longform" message board post. I tend to like writing and reading long, informative posts, and, in that regard, Something Awful is exceptional in the landscape of internet forums. There are many in-depth, detailed discussions on these forums that I do appreciate and from which I have learned a lot. However, when I think of topics that deserve a lengthy post, the fact that your cat accidentally scratched you isn't once of them. That is, of course, only my opinion. On the internet, that isn't exactly a valuable thing so continue to do as you will.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 16:47 |
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diadem posted:Thanks a bunch! I'll keep up with the feather toy. If that doesn't work then I'll get one of those Scat Mats (which seems likely, as i can't really concentrate on work when playing with a kitten) Update: The scat mats are on order, but for now I found the most effective method of getting her down - praise. I started by saying "down" over and over again. I tapped my left foot twice on the ground (which she did understand) and gave her praise when she got down (immediately). She's quickly associating the word with getting off furniture and receiving praise for it (via patience and repetition). Helps that the kitten's a bit of a (positive) attention whore. She seems to ignore negative reinforcement unless it's genuine (such understanding that walking outside, even if the door open, is very bad). It's not as great as her not getting on the TV stand in the first place, but at least it's working until amazon ships in the mats.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 16:50 |
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diadem posted:Update: If you see her going to jump on the TV stand, can you call her over and praise her?
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 17:20 |
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So it seems I am in fact getting a cat! Holly(-wood) might be coming home sometime tomorrow, I've met her before and she's pretty cool. She doesn't like other cats, so she's great for me (who is only interested in one cat). Plus, she's affectionate and not all rowdy or destructive, so I'm glad to have her around. She did scratch me once, but that was my fault (pet too close to the stomach). Now is the time where doubt sets in I can take care of a frickin' cat, but that doesn't stop me from worrying my rear end off. I've never had a cat before so I don't have the confidence or background like I would with a dog, plus I've got anxiety issues out the wazoo. I guess I shouldn't worry until I actually encounter any problems, though. Is there a particular kind of litter box I should get? There's a small alcove in the bathroom closet, about 22"x15", and I was thinking of putting a box there. I'd rather the boxes be on tile so that any messes would be easier to clean. I was looking at the Petsmart selection of boxes, and it looks like this could work well for the bathroom. The alcove is horizontal-ish in terms of pan, so the kinds that open up at the narrow end won't work well for that area. Other than that, I'm not sure where to put the boxes. And I need liner, right? Are heated beds bad? Is that mesh liner thing a worthwhile alternative to scoops? How is World's Best clumping litter? Maybe I could buy some of those plastic shelves and make an elevated bed... How would this plus a blanket work for sleeping? God, if only I was born already good at everything.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 17:43 |
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I just use a really cheap walmart litter box and it works fine. Whatever fits into the space. I don't use liners since the cats would pick at them and they'd be useless. Don't worry about heated beds or anything too complicated. Cats will sleep all over the drat place. You can get a bed if you want but there's no guarantee she'll use it so don't spend too much money on it. EDIT: Also congrats on your new pet!
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 17:51 |
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Maybe a thick blanket would work better, they're portable and easily thrown. e: thankee
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 17:52 |
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Cats does indeed sleep wherever but you could definitively look into getting a radiator bed in case you have radiators that allow for hanging stuff onto them, I got a one of these as a christmas gift and both cats looove snoozing there. Comes with the added bonus of it working as an extra platform for jumping up and down to the windowsill too! On the topic of windows I recommend keeping a water bowl up there if there's enough space btw, my kitties prefer it over those I have on the floor. Make it a heavy one to cut down risk of them accidentally toppling it over though. When it comes to litterboxes I'd say bigger is always better than smaller ones too but my space is kinda limited too and my cats are doing fine...If they love to dig or scoop violently it's probably a good idea to get one with tall ledges to cut down on sand getting everywhere. motherfish fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jan 26, 2013 |
# ? Jan 26, 2013 18:05 |
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A question about my kitten who pants after running around. We have an 8-month old kitten (Persian mix) that we adopted back in August. We noticed that she pants after running around for a long time (especially after chasing her Cat Dance toy for a while). Tongue hanging out, audible panting noises. I've heard that panting in cats is an indication of a heart problem. Is this true? I was thinking that it might be caused by the fact that she's a brachycephalic breed with a flattened face. She has no other symptoms. Only pants after an intense, exciting play session. We'll be taking her to the vet as a precaution. melon cat fucked around with this message at 00:22 on Feb 5, 2024 |
# ? Jan 26, 2013 19:23 |
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Panting is nothing to worry about in the situation you describe. Cats don't sweat, so if they get overheated (with a vigorous play-time) they'll pant to regulate their body temperature. I'd only worry if she starts panting for no apparent reason. Yeah - talk to the vet to be sure, but I think you're okay.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 19:52 |
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Pollyanna posted:worry The box my cats like best is just a big old tupperware container. A real "cat box" isn't necessarily required. I don't use liners, I spray the bottom of the box with Pam before I put the litter in. Clumps come up easy, and it's not hard to switch out the litter. quote:Are heated beds bad? I wouldn't trust an electric one. quote:Is that mesh liner thing a worthwhile alternative to scoops? Having used one, it's just ok, and you still need a scoop anyway. I wouldn't bother. quote:
This cat will sleep on anything soft, especially if it is NOT a cat bed. My cats love my chair, my papasan, and my bed. I wouldn't ever shell out a ton of money for a cat bed when a box with some blankets will be just as easy for them to ignore. edit: congrats on the cat! And don't worry if the first few days kind of suck while you get used to each other. I was in full on panic mode when Ozma first moved in.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 20:02 |
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Cat pee question! One of my guys just peed in both of my laundry baskets (while empty), and I'm wondering if I'll still be able to use them... They're hard plastic. I soaked them both with Nature's Miracle for an hour after rinsing them out, wiped them out with a paper towel, wiped them out with a bleach wipe, and then I soaked them in vinegar for a bit (after letting them air dry from the bleach wipe) to try and get any Nature's Miracle smell out (I hate the smell of it), but they just smell kind of musty now. are they sanitary to use? Is there anything else I should do?Or should I just get rid of them? (The rogue pee-er has been to the vet, and the vet said he came back clean on his tests, in case anyone was worried So, I've plugged in a feliway diffuser, and I put cat attract in his litter to dissuade him from continuing to pee outside his boxes.)
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 21:22 |
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melon cat posted:A question about my kitten who pants after running around. We have an 8-month old kitten (Persian mix) that we adopted back in August. We noticed that she pants after running around for a long time (especially after chasing her Cat Dance toy for a while). Tongue hanging out, audible panting noises. It's possible for young cats to pant with exertion, but it's not common and can also be caused by heart or lung disease. Good idea to get it checked out.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 21:35 |
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The stray/feral cat who lives outside my apartment is seriously starting to pull on my heartstrings. For a while another stray cat moved into her territory and effectively kicked her out. However, he was only there for the food and so I stopped putting out food because "my" stray was no longer showing up for her breakfast. I went away for 4 weeks and when I came back, the intruder stray was gone and mine was back; she popped up out of nowhere as I was walking up the driveway with my luggage. Lately she's taken to sitting on the external windowsill of the window my cat likes to sit in and cry pathetically while my cat sits and stares at her. She spends most of her day hanging around the yard and always sits outside the window meowing when she thinks it's breakfast time; when I come home from work she'll run from wherever she is back to her station under my windows. The thing is that while she's fine with me getting close when I'm on the other side of the window, she still retreats to safety when I'm outside and will hiss at me if I come too close, yet all the while she's meowing and crying in the most pathetic way. I feel like she'd be socializable if I had the time or space, like a garage or second bathroom, but I'll never be able to do so with this tiny studio apartment and so I just feel bad at having this lonely sad outside cat who I can't really care for beyond some food.
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# ? Jan 26, 2013 22:18 |
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Quick question, apparently the Petsmart near me is out of stock on their one (1) cat dental care bundle product but they have a million dog toothbrushes and toothpastes. I know brushes are just brushes but is there a difference between dog toothpaste and cat toothpaste?
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 00:05 |
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So my 6 month old kitten is really agressive when she plays. I've tried all the recommended ways to stop a kitten from being really bitey but none of it has worked, or it makes her even more aggressive. The worst is when there are people over and she jumps in their face and either claws or bites them without warning. We keep her nails trimmed but it still really hurts. I've heard 8 months is when kittens begin to really calm down so I am wondering if I should just wait it out until she is an adult. What I would really like to do is get another cat so she can play with it and learn not to be so aggressive. However, my cat was abandoned really young and kept away from other cats before we adopted her from the humane society so I have no idea how she will respond to living with another cat. I don't want to get another cat if it turns out she wants absolutely nothing to do with it. My friends, who have cats, have suggested having a kitty play date to see her reaction but I feel like that is a bad idea since throwing some cats together is usually frowned upon. I wanted to ask if I should just wait it out or get another cat. Should I just risk it and hope they end up doing well together? Is it possible my kitten, being as young as she is, will adjust better rather than waiting until she is older?
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 01:36 |
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October Revolution posted:So my 6 month old kitten is really agressive when she plays. I've tried all the recommended ways to stop a kitten from being really bitey but none of it has worked, or it makes her even more aggressive. The worst is when there are people over and she jumps in their face and either claws or bites them without warning. We keep her nails trimmed but it still really hurts. I did not have a good experience when I introduced my two cats through a play date. At least one of the cats is going to be stressed, probably both, so it's not always going to be a great representation of how well they will get along. The humane society or a shelter should be able to recommend a cat that has experience with other cats and socializes well. A social cat should ease the transition for both cats as well. I wouldn't wait it out if you're considering it anyways. A second cat will usually be good in any case, and cats tend to bond quicker and easier when they're young. She may grow out of her aggressive playing, but another cat will help establish boundaries. HighOnBread fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Jan 27, 2013 |
# ? Jan 27, 2013 03:51 |
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HighOnBread posted:I did not have a good experience when I introduced my two cats through a play date. At least one of the cats is going to be stressed, probably both, so it's not always going to be a great representation of how well they will get along. The humane society or a shelter should be able to recommend a cat that has experience with other cats and socializes well. A social cat should ease the transition for both cats as well. Agreed. Cats aren't like dogs, they don't "playdate" well and will likely result in two pissed off, wary cats. If you want another kitten, don't wait it out, just bite the bullet and get the kitten now and once the hissy stroppy cat tantrums have died down they should be young enough to bond fairly easily. If you don't want another kitten, both of my kittens were scratchy little toerags until they hit about 8-9 months so hopefully you won't have too long to wait until she gets over this phase. Also re: aggression - when not attacking us, my two were attacking each other and chasing each other around the house at top speed - if anything, the two-kitten experience has taught them both to be better at fighting rather than less aggressive. Interestingly they also learned to fight as a team, and now when random cats come into the yard one confronts it while the other slinks around to flank.
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 04:58 |
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Okay, I am glad I didn't go with introducing my cat to other's cats. Would it be recommended getting a kitten her age or could I get away with a cat around a year old?
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 06:03 |
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Uhn posted:One of our cats has started licking his front pads pretty often, and when we checked him out we noticed he had a lot of hair loss on his inner-right leg. He went to the vet today and she told us he may have some kind of disease that's similar to allergies but i can't remember the name. We got some steroid pills to give him, and some steroid powder to put on the affected area as needed, but is there anything else we can do for him? He seems like he's hurting sometimes even with the powder. I'm dealing with something similar with one of my cats, which has been ongoing for about a year now. Long story short, my poor lacking hair-on-back-of-hind-legs kitty has been diagnosed with eosinophilic granulomas, a long word for an allergy that manifests on the skin. When it was particularly bad, it also irritated the paw-pad of the leg it was affecting and he would constantly fuss at it. My vet gave me this site to look over: http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/skin/c_ct_eosinophilic_granuloma_complex Most likely your cat could be allergic to something he's eating, with mine it might be chicken and turkey (though I can't afford the allergy tests right now, so it's a touch-and-go attempt at a restricted diet). He'd been getting Vetalog injections to help with the swelling and itchiness up until October, and it worked great until the next flare up about a month later. Or maybe the shot just suppressed the symptoms for a month? Because he's so young (about a year now, 6 months at the initial outbreak) the vet is trying to see if Prednisone pills will relieve the discomfort. It seems to be working a little --the irritation disappeared from one leg, only to flare up on the other. Yay? When his skin got a little too irritated, I was given Animax to put on the sore spots (and definitely used a cone to keep him from licking at the area any further). That helped, though it was a trial putting on the medicine and keeping him coned long enough to let the stuff work. If the powders aren't helping, maybe ask your vet about that. My cat is just super-sensitive to something (and quite possibly everything, blah) and until I can afford the allergy test, all I can do is eliminate his exposure to as many allergy-inducing things as possible and keep on treating him symptomatically. My advice for you is to check for fleas, check his diet for potential triggers, and try to keep him from licking the itchy area as much as possible. That just irritates/inflames the skin and leads to the hair loss. If the problem doesn't go away in a month or so, and you can afford it and the vet advises it etc, etc., I recommend either trying a food-elimination diet or getting the allergy tests done because I tell you from my experience, not knowing what the problem is and dealing with it month after month is terrible for you and kitty. I hope you have better luck than I do!
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 06:37 |
Huntersoninski posted:This cat will sleep on anything soft, especially if it is NOT a cat bed. My cats love my chair, my papasan, and my bed. I wouldn't ever shell out a ton of money for a cat bed when a box with some blankets will be just as easy for them to ignore. You left out the most attractive of cat sleeping locations: a basket of clean laundry still warm from the drier. My cat isn't even really a huge fan of jumping into boxes and she makes an exception for the chance to get in on the laundry wagon. Sometimes though I will do a load of athletic stuff (so no drier sheet and synthetic fabric) and she ends up running away with various shirts and socks stuck to her.
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 07:19 |
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Pollyanna posted:shitbox questions Those mesh liners are trash, just scoop it, or dump it if it's gotten too nasty. World's Best is widely regarded as in fact the best. Make sure you scoop daily, period, and if you want an easier way, look into getting an Omega Paw or a clone of it.
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 11:47 |
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I apologize if this conversation has come up before but I'm almost at my wits end with one of my cats. He's seventh months old and from 5 AM on every morning he will constantly meow infront of my bedroom door over and over and over. I've tried ignoring him but he keeps getting louder and will literally do this for HOURS at a time until I finally get up and let him in. How can I stop him from doing this behavior...I'm getting very little sleep over here! Edit: The cats have plenty of food water and their litter box is clean. I make sure to do this every single night BECAUSE of the excessive meowing early in the morning and it still does not help. Kirios fucked around with this message at 15:23 on Jan 27, 2013 |
# ? Jan 27, 2013 15:20 |
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October Revolution posted:Okay, I am glad I didn't go with introducing my cat to other's cats. That might be fine...Ozma was around a year when we brought in 6-month-old Pizza B, but she was also there first. I'm told introducing a slightly younger cat makes the existing cat feel less threatened (but kittens can be threatening for even grown up cats, out of fear that a pissed off momma cat is not far off)
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 15:38 |
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October Revolution posted:Okay, I am glad I didn't go with introducing my cat to other's cats. Probably doesn't matter. If you go for an older cat, make sure you get one that is known to do well with others.
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 16:01 |
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Kirios posted:I apologize if this conversation has come up before but I'm almost at my wits end with one of my cats. He's seventh months old and from 5 AM on every morning he will constantly meow infront of my bedroom door over and over and over. I've tried ignoring him but he keeps getting louder and will literally do this for HOURS at a time until I finally get up and let him in. How can I stop him from doing this behavior...I'm getting very little sleep over here! Tire his rear end out with some major playtime before going to sleep? vv
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 16:08 |
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# ? May 16, 2024 05:30 |
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Kirios posted:I apologize if this conversation has come up before but I'm almost at my wits end with one of my cats. He's seventh months old and from 5 AM on every morning he will constantly meow infront of my bedroom door over and over and over. I've tried ignoring him but he keeps getting louder and will literally do this for HOURS at a time until I finally get up and let him in. How can I stop him from doing this behavior...I'm getting very little sleep over here! You know this is sort of... typical rear end in a top hat adolescent cat behavior, I am sorry to say. Maybe even just plain typical - with a 7-month old cat I know folks who would consider you lucky to get to sleep undisturbed till 5AM. I mean, basically this cat just likes you and thinks you should be awake and is extremely forceful and stubborn about. And that is what I would stress, in a way (even though I have problems comprehending this fully myself sometimes) that your cat is not doing this to torture you or bother you or annoy you but because he wants attention and loves you. Now, there are things you can try and use, like a scat mat in front of the bedroom door to keep him from at least standing there constantly, or similar products. And those may work, and you may want to look into solutions you can purchase like that because some are designed specifically with your problem in mind. There's also some sort of solution involving a vacuum cleaner. But in the greater sense you should take some solace in the fact that your cat may very well grow out of this behavior in a matter of months. An adolescent cat can be a real terror.
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# ? Jan 27, 2013 16:10 |