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KilGrey posted:He's about 9 months old, there abouts. We have other cats but they don't want to play with him. Our first cat is a sassy, prissy Siamese who is around 6 and she's just finally tolerating our second cat that we got about 4 years ago when he was a kitten. Because our older girl never played with him he doesn't really know how to play with another cat. He spent the first week we had the new guy just staring at him like he had no idea what the gently caress another cat was. Both our cats are inside only and we've had them since they were kittens I don't think he understood that there is a big world outside the front door. Seeing a third cat really blew his tiny little mind. Not to mention he's a big fat loving pansy and rather timid to start with.
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Jan 29, 2013 19:20
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KKKlean Energy posted:Low-fat kibble, smaller amounts of it, no treats or scraps, and a laser pen to wear him out I've had better luck with wet food than dry for weight loss.
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Jan 29, 2013 19:41
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four lean hounds posted:You could make a fake "bannister" of cardboard around the counters he's not supposed to be on? Like, six inches of cardboard taped to the lip of the counter so that if he tries to make a landing it won't support his weight and dump him off? You could easily move/remove these as you need access to the counter. I hadn't thought of something like that. I do have a load of cardboard... Ema Nymton posted:These bird spikes would probably work great... What's the worst that could happen? I might resort to getting a bag of zip ties and being creative. As for the worst thing, I don't want him knocking poo poo off my counters, opening up a container (pete is NOTORIOUS for tearing open the most untearable containers) and gorging himself on something that could kill him, or walking over a hot stove  AtomikKrab posted:My cats know not to climb on the kitchen counters... anything else is fair game. I taught them this by grabbing them up and putting them in the sink for a bath. This...this is mad genius. I'll have to wipe up after a panicked soaking cat, but you know what? Worth it. Reminds me of my sister using her floofy cat as a mop when he pawed her water over after she'd told him "no".
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Jan 29, 2013 20:31
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They got the hint.
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So I got a new kitten (6 mos. old) and I'm trying to gauge when it'll be Ok to give him free reign of the house since I have an older cat as well. So far he has been in a separate room. Once a day I've allowed the other cat to come in the room and things seem to be going really well. The first introduction resulted in a little but of hissing but she mostly just observed him and didn't swat at him or anything. Today there was no hissing or tail fluffing from her and they would go up to each other and sniff their faces. She did go around and sniff all of his stuff and then sat at his food bowl and stared at him while eating his kitten food. This seemed to bother him but he just stood by and watched without trying to stop her. I guess this was her way of showing him who's the boss? I'm going to continue keeping them separated but assuming things stay the same over the next few days do you think it would be ok to open up his living space?
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Jan 29, 2013 23:05
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Butt Soup Barnes posted:So I got a new kitten (6 mos. old) and I'm trying to gauge when it'll be Ok to give him free reign of the house since I have an older cat as well. So far he has been in a separate room. Let patience be your guide word. Do things slowly, perhaps only letting them share space for 4 hours (or however long) at first and see how things go before putting the kitten back in its limited space. If they seem to be doing well, slowly increase their interactions until they are (hopefully) friendly towards each other. And congrats on the new buddy!
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Jan 30, 2013 01:06
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Thanks for the Scat Mat recommendation. It seems to be working. Before I let my cats near it I shocked myself with it. The cats instantly saw my reaction when I closed the circuit and that the, "yeah, gently caress that. We'll take your word that it hurts" mentality kicked in. They didn't go on the thing to even let it shock them. The trouble is that it doesn't take up the whole tv stand and they have the dexterity of well.. cats... so they just avoid it. edit: quote:Q: Will the Scat Mat hurt my pet? A: No. The Scat Mat generates pulses like static electricity. I'm going to call bullshit on that. It hurt like a motherfucker, and I'm a giant compared to the kitten. I'm actually a little pensive about using it after testing what the that shock feels like (which was on low). I've had capacitors used as piratical jokes in electricity class that hurt less than that. edit2: Overprotective owner or not, i turned it off and put it away for now. edit3: Humm.. the instruction manual does specifically say not to use your fingertips... diadem fucked around with this message at 05:08 on Jan 30, 2013 |
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Jan 30, 2013 04:44
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diadem posted:Thanks for the Scat Mat recommendation. It seems to be working. I had one of these probably 12 years ago or so, so I'm not sure if the design has changed. When we first turned it on, we put it on the lowest setting and our cat went and laid on it. He wouldn't get off, but you could see his skin twitch with every little shock, but it wasn't enough to make him leave. We had to turn it on the medium setting. I don't really remember what it was like when we touched it though, but I'm sure we did.
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Jan 30, 2013 05:15
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SpaceAceJase posted:I'll be getting my first cat ever this week. A few weeks on, and here's some new pictures of "Link" for you all to enjoy. The missing eye hasn't slowed him down one bit.      
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Jan 30, 2013 13:27
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He looks exactly like my cat, Motor. If they are anything alike he is an awesome sweet cat/a giant rear end in a top hat. 
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Jan 30, 2013 19:19
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Hey there Pet Islanders, I have read the OP and much of the thread, but didn't see any specific advice about a situation I am about to be in. My fiance and I are looking at adopting a 3 legged cat. Does anyone here have experience with a handicapped cat? I have had a cat as a pet before (from age 1 to 20, so I grew up around them), and have no qualms about raising a cat in general, but have never encountered a 3 legged companion before and am unsure if there are any special steps I would need to take for that cat beyond regular cat ownership. The cat's front left leg was surgically removed, and is is up to date on all shots etc (a co-worker found it in a parking lot a few months ago, took it in and needs to find a permanent home for it). The vets think it is around 2 years old. We live in a 1 bedroom condo, and the cat would be a fully indoor cat. Any advice or warnings for me?
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Jan 30, 2013 20:22
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Smarms posted:Hey there Pet Islanders, Get him and post lots of pics to avoid KTS.
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Jan 30, 2013 20:39
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I'm in need of some advice, and I wasn't sure if this should go here or in the miscellaneous animal question thread. Feel free to tell me to try over there instead. Right now I live with my boyfriend, who is still a student. He's at work or at class often until 7pm, and I don't usually go to work till 5pm, which means I'm by myself for most of the day. I've been really wanting some kind of companionship while I'm alone. We live in an apartment which is not really optimal for dogs, but would be perfect for an indoor cat. We both love cats and would rather get a kitten than, say, a hamster or a fish to keep me company. The only problem is that I'm allergic to most cats. I say most because there are some cats that I can get along fine with without having a reaction, but some leave me sneezy and miserable for the rest of the night if I so much as stand near them. I'd love to be able to bring a cat home from one of the local shelters, but every time I've gone into them they just have one room where all the cats are kept, which makes it difficult to know exactly which cat is setting me off. So, I guess my question is what would be the best way to go about this? Will a shelter be able to give me prolonged one-on-one time with a cat so I can determine whether or not it would be okay to bring home? Do any of you have experience owning cats despite having allergies or an allergic partner? Should I just get a gerbil instead?
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Jan 30, 2013 21:39
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North of Gravity posted:So, I guess my question is what would be the best way to go about this? Will a shelter be able to give me prolonged one-on-one time with a cat so I can determine whether or not it would be okay to bring home? Do any of you have experience owning cats despite having allergies or an allergic partner? Should I just get a gerbil instead? Maybe you could work with a local rescue? They may be able to let you foster potential candidates for a week or two to see how the allergy thing goes? Some shelters can do this too, but not all shelters have foster programs.
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Jan 30, 2013 21:43
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Smarms posted:Hey there Pet Islanders, Had a cat born on the farm when I was a kid, only had 3 legs. Named him Tripod. He could run faster and jump higher, and beat the hell out of more dogs, than any of his littermates. They just don't notice. Only thing you ~might~ find is litterbox using issues, but I think Tripod got out of that once he got a little bigger. Also, pictures!
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Jan 30, 2013 21:55
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Smarms posted:Hey there Pet Islanders, There might be joint issues later in life because of increased use of the other foot, but really any animal can develop those kinds of things. Generally cats and dogs with a missing limb don't notice or care. Also I've read that if there is any stump left hopefully the vet grafted some extra muscle onto the end so there's a little padding between skin and bone. I say go for it.
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Jan 30, 2013 22:08
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North of Gravity posted:Should I just get a gerbil instead? I would implore you to consider rats  Even if you squirm at the thought, they might still turn out to be the best pet decision you ever made. My mum hated the idea of rats, and so did my girlfriend, but both of them soon found my rats to be incredibly lovable, intelligent and fun creatures - and they get really attached too. When they start falling asleep in your hands all curled up you'll be smitten.Not that you shouldn't explore the cat option, but for companionship you can do better than a fish or a gerbil 
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Jan 30, 2013 22:25
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North of Gravity posted:The only problem is that I'm allergic to most cats. I say most because there are some cats that I can get along fine with without having a reaction, but some leave me sneezy and miserable for the rest of the night if I so much as stand near them. I'd love to be able to bring a cat home from one of the local shelters, but every time I've gone into them they just have one room where all the cats are kept, which makes it difficult to know exactly which cat is setting me off. Isn't allergies caused by pet dander and are there certain breeds of cat who have less dander? I heard about 'hypo-allergenic' cats and want to say there is something specific you should ask for. Damned if I know what it is now. In lieu of this, go work at a shelter and volunteer for a bit.
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Jan 30, 2013 22:51
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Alpha Kenny Juan posted:Isn't allergies caused by pet dander and are there certain breeds of cat who have less dander? I heard about 'hypo-allergenic' cats and want to say there is something specific you should ask for. Damned if I know what it is now. Russian Blue cats are often "hypoallergenic" in that they don't produce one of the specific proteins that cause cat allergies, or just produce less of it. Of course, as with all genetics this is not a guarantee of the breed, plus shelters/people trying to dump their pets will often try to pass off regular ol' gray cats as Russian Blues.
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Jan 31, 2013 01:02
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Smarms posted:Hey there Pet Islanders, This cat has 3 legs:  Her story starts about the middle of page 8 of this guy's posts in the yospos cat thread. Admittedly, she is a kitten, so she may have had an easier time adjusting than a 2 year old would, but all of the 75% leg capacity cats I've met or heard of have been totally chill and good at cat things except for jumping but uh they find ways.
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Jan 31, 2013 05:25
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Admittedly, she is a kitten, so she may have had an easier time adjusting than a 2 year old would, but all of the 75% leg capacity cats I've met or heard of have been totally chill and good at cat things except for jumping but uh they find ways. My mom and my sister have had front-leg amputee tripod cats, and they both had no issues jumping on beds/tables/counters; I think a missing rear leg limits jumping more.
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Jan 31, 2013 05:43
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Engineer Lenk posted:My mom and my sister have had front-leg amputee tripod cats, and they both had no issues jumping on beds/tables/counters; I think a missing rear leg limits jumping more. This would be correct. Per EW's post above, my cat's missing her rear right leg and can generally only jump about 18" off the ground. I think a cat with a missing front leg would be a little better off - there's a lot of claws involved in jumping onto things for my cat:  She's getting more graceful with her running abilities lately and falls off of things less, though. I did have to keep a closer eye on Refurb when I got her because she kept doing things like walking down a ledge next to my stairs, having nowhere to go, and though a four-legged cat would be able to turn around, she couldn't. She'd try to turn, slip off the ledge, and hang there unable to scrabble back up with just one back leg until I went down to save her from a ~6' fall. It's not so far a fall that a normal cat would be hurt from it, but I'm not sure how she'd fare on three legs. She's getting better about learning not to do things like that now, at least. Also, you need to keep an eye on her diet and weight. Aside from the obvious of feeding the cat good food, you need to make doubly sure you're not overfeeding and that the cat doesn't become overweight at all, as that adds more strain to the three legs than it does on an average 4-legged cat. Overall, though, it's really not much more work than any other cat.
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Jan 31, 2013 15:25
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diadem posted:Thanks for the Scat Mat recommendation. It seems to be working. I meant to reply to this too. It's not that bad, man. Stand on it with bare feet. It definitely feels more powerful when you use your fingertips, but on calloused feet it's fine. It's surprising, but not worse than dry day in winter when you boop their nose and BZZZZT CRIPES. It really only takes once or twice before they'll avoid it just by sight. Move it around a bit on the TV stand so they can't be sure where it'll be when they jump up.
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Jan 31, 2013 19:43
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Hey guys, I've only done a quick look here to see if there any questions about feline asthma so bear with me. My 13 yr old kitty was diagnosed with asthma in the summer. The vet gave her a dose of steroids to see if that would take care of it but recently we've decided she needs a long term care approach. She's been prescribed Prednisolone in pill for for 3 weeks, a Fluticazone inhaler, and an Albuterol inhaler. I've been looking at the inhaler spacer online and the version my vet recommended in around $70. Does anyone have any recommendations of cheaper versions? I mean, duh, i will buy it if there isn't a better option but ughhh so expensive. Anyway, i've already shifted her litter to pellets and i've stopped using chemical sprays in the house. Any other suggestions to stop attacks? I've tried to find the causes of the attacks but no dice. Thanks!
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Feb 1, 2013 06:42
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Which inhaler is it? I use the Aerokat for my kitty and it works really well. It has a little flap so you can count their breaths which I find pretty useful. I haven't really found many inhalers that are much cheaper than $70 though. If you're living in a dry area, it may be helpful to get a humidifier. Otherwise it sounds like you made great steps.
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Feb 1, 2013 06:48
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yah it's the aerokat. is it the same as a normal pediatric spacer? I was thinking of just buying that and then the feline mask attachment.
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Feb 1, 2013 06:50
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Unfortunately I'm not really familiar with pediatric spacers so I can't really help you there. You'd probably have to call the company to find out if the cat masks fit on those.
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Feb 1, 2013 07:55
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Here's a bit of an update -- I went to the local animal rescue today, and they let me play with a few of the cats to see how I'd react. I was in the cat room for about 20 minutes and still haven't started sneezing. I guess it's been a while since I've been around cats, but I'm pretty astonished that I didn't have a reaction. At one point I knelt down on the floor, and this tabby climbed into my lap and just wanted to be petted and loved on the whole time I was there. I think I'm in love.  The lady at the shelter said that he was a stray, so they didn't know how old he was, but he's clearly an adult and has been vaccinated and neutered.I'm going to talk it over with my boyfriend tonight, but the rough plan is to go get cat supplies tomorrow morning and then visit the shelter in the afternoon. His main worry is whether the cat will ruin the furniture -- we have a big leather couch that he doesn't want damaged. We're probably going to end up having to buy a cover for it or get rid of it entirely. Do any of you have words of wisdom for keeping your furniture intact? If we do end up going through with this, I'll be sure to post pictures!
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Feb 1, 2013 19:38
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North of Gravity posted:At one point I knelt down on the floor, and this tabby climbed into my lap and just wanted to be petted and loved on the whole time I was there. I think I'm in love. This is pretty much how my newcat adopted me. Congratulations on being found by your new cat.
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Feb 1, 2013 19:53
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North of Gravity posted:I'm going to talk it over with my boyfriend tonight, but the rough plan is to go get cat supplies tomorrow morning and then visit the shelter in the afternoon. His main worry is whether the cat will ruin the furniture -- we have a big leather couch that he doesn't want damaged. We're probably going to end up having to buy a cover for it or get rid of it entirely. Do any of you have words of wisdom for keeping your furniture intact? Scratching will happen. The key is giving them a place for them to scratch like a scratching post. If you don't do that, they will choose a place for you and more often than not they will choose something you won't like. If they need to be coaxed, give them treats or praise or skritches if they scratch the right thing. And congrats on the new cat.
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Feb 1, 2013 20:37
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Give the guy a couple scratching posts and a soft place to climb and sit. He'll probably leave the weird-feeling leather alone if he has enough other, better stuff to tear up. My cats don't even like sitting on the leather couch. It may not be a problem.
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Feb 1, 2013 20:46
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I think my catte is broken. What's going on with this cuddle-beast? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRYy0uSGL-M
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Feb 1, 2013 21:11
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toplitzin posted:I think my catte is broken. What's going on with this cuddle-beast? I don't know if you're being serious or not but just in case, that is a purr. A very very very happy purr. Some cats' purrs are just trillier than others.
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Feb 1, 2013 21:47
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toplitzin posted:I think my catte is broken. What's going on with this cuddle-beast? Funny accent, but as far as I can tell her Shyriiwook is grammatically sound.
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Feb 1, 2013 21:48
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toplitzin posted:I think my catte is broken. What's going on with this cuddle-beast? The related videos are on to something, you need to make this a 10 hour loop and market it as a sleep sound video.
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Feb 1, 2013 22:01
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toplitzin posted:I think my catte is broken. What's going on with this cuddle-beast? That is either: -a very happy purring cat. -a nearby ufo preparing to land. -pick up your drat cell, it's ringing. Alternatively, make that your ringtone.
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Feb 1, 2013 22:25
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So my recently adopted 6 month old kitten has a heart murmur.  I took him to the vet today for his first checkup and the Doctor said he had a heart murmur. I'm not sure what grade it is since I didn't know anything about them until I came home and did some research, but it was pretty disheartening news. The vet I took him to wasn't my normal vet since the SCPA contract stated I had to take him to an approved vet for a wellness exam within a week of adopting. So I'll be taking him to my actual vet to get more info on it/a second opinion. The vet today was really pushing for me to do ~$1,000 worth of tests on him which was quite shocking. I'm finding a lot of varying information about heart murmurs in kittens, but apparently some kittens will grow out of them? Does anybody have any idea at what point a kitten would no longer likely grow out of one? He's 6 months old. I really hope it's nothing serious, I've only had him for a week and he is the sweetest little kitten, I mean just look at him 
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Feb 1, 2013 23:51
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Butt Soup Barnes posted:So my recently adopted 6 month old kitten has a heart murmur. Cats and heart disease are not as straight-forward as dogs. Some cats have murmurs but no actual heart disease, and some cats have or will develop heart disease but don't have a murmur. Louder murmurs are more suggestive of a serious issue, but a quiet murmur can go either way. Chest x-rays can sometimes be useful, but again, cats can have normal heart size and shape on x-rays and still have disease (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, one of the heart diseases cats get, causes the walls of the heart to get thick, but the overall size isn't enlarged until late in the course of the disease). An echocardiogram, where ultrasound is used to look at the different chambers and walls and valves of the heart, it the best way to decide if a murmur is caused by something abnormal or if it's nothing to worry about. This usually needs to be done by a specialist, with a nice ultrasound machine, so that's probably the pricey part of the diagnostic plan. If an animal is going to "grow out of" a murmur, this generally happens by 16 weeks. This type of murmur isn't uncommon in puppies.
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Feb 2, 2013 00:22
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Dr. Chaco posted:Cats and heart disease are not as straight-forward as dogs. Some cats have murmurs but no actual heart disease, and some cats have or will develop heart disease but don't have a murmur. Louder murmurs are more suggestive of a serious issue, but a quiet murmur can go either way. Chest x-rays can sometimes be useful, but again, cats can have normal heart size and shape on x-rays and still have disease (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, one of the heart diseases cats get, causes the walls of the heart to get thick, but the overall size isn't enlarged until late in the course of the disease). An echocardiogram, where ultrasound is used to look at the different chambers and walls and valves of the heart, it the best way to decide if a murmur is caused by something abnormal or if it's nothing to worry about. This usually needs to be done by a specialist, with a nice ultrasound machine, so that's probably the pricey part of the diagnostic plan. Oh wow, thanks for all the information. Assuming it's a low grade (I or II) murmur, would you recommend just keeping an eye on it at regular checkups or should I go ahead and get the ECG regardless?
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Feb 2, 2013 01:02
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Butt Soup Barnes posted:Oh wow, thanks for all the information. ECG is usually used more for rhythm abnormalities, but it can show some information about specific parts of the heart being enlarged. The echo I mention is different--ELECTROcardiogram vs ECHOcardiogram. Some of the decision to have the tests done should depend on how you will use that information. If the tests say your cat has heart disease and he will die in X months, or he may develop heart failure in X years, or he's perfectly fine, will that change how you manage his condition? Do you want to know, or would you rather live in blissful ignorance until the day he shows signs of heart disease, knowing that may never happen? If the cat needed lifelong daily medication to slow or prevent progression of disease, is that something you would be willing to do, or would you opt for a shorter, non-medicated lifespan? Some people don't want an exact diagnosis for something they can't or don't want to do anything about, and that's perfectly fine. Waiting may also be an option, to see if the murmur is consistent (is it always present at appointments?) or if it's progressive at all (is it the same volume?), depending on how loud it is now. These are the types of issues you should discuss with your vet, if they also recommend a cardiac work-up. Actually, these are the types of issues you should discuss whenever a significant diagnostic or treatment decision is on the table--what will you do with that information, if you decide to get it?
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Feb 2, 2013 01:33
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Zoe had a mild heart murmur when I got her at 4months old. She grew out of it by around 9 months. She's 10 years old now and totally fine. If your kitten has a mild one, you could probably just wait and get it checked out again in a few months.
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Feb 2, 2013 02:11
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