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So, my Fiancee and I are moving cross country. Wooo! We have 4 cats. That is a lot of cat. Any tips for the trip? It's a cross country drive. My ladyfriend thinks that Benadryl might be a good option for sedation but I wanted to get more info. We'll have leashes, pet friendly hotels, large carriers, blue ice packs . . . any other tips? Just lay it on me man!
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Jul 15, 2013 08:19
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Prepare to be pissed on.
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Jul 15, 2013 08:19
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Shbobdb posted:So, my Fiancee and I are moving cross country. Wooo! We have 4 cats. That is a lot of cat. Any tips for the trip? It's a cross country drive. My ladyfriend thinks that Benadryl might be a good option for sedation but I wanted to get more info. We'll have leashes, pet friendly hotels, large carriers, blue ice packs . . . any other tips? Just lay it on me man!
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Jul 15, 2013 09:42
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duckfarts posted:Feliway. Get some. I was skeptical of its mumbo jumbo claims, but it really, really works on one of our 4 cats (conveniently the one who needs it most)
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Jul 15, 2013 15:36
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Hey guys, I don't know if any of you have experience with stray/feral cats, but I could use a bit of advice if any of you do. I have been trying to get in contact with the local TNR program, but they haven't been returning my calls. I understand that they're volunteers and just got back from a break and are therefore swamped with calls, but I would think they could respond within a week. So, stray cats. There's always been two or three around, but they've all been incredibly skittish and my family had never left food out for them because of a possum in the area. However, two weeks ago we noticed that there was a batch of four kittens, approximately three to four months old, running around the area, so we started leaving a bit of food out for them. Now we've got them, their mom, and another cat they seem friendly with showing up most mornings and in the evening, although they're still awfully people-shy. I know we've got to try getting them fixed (waiting on the TNR program to A.)actually respond to us and B.)tell us what their mandatory donation for doing so is), but are there any actions we should be taking in the mean time? My mom is terrified of attracting every stray cat for miles around and our yard becoming a hotspot for cat fights and even more kittens. She also seems concerned that leaving the food out for the kittens will somehow cause them to not bother learning how to feed themselves. I don't know; she's just being weird about this.
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Jul 15, 2013 17:02
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four lean hounds posted:My poor, dear, sweet Cave Johnson is so terrified of my visiting family that he was forced to piss on his bed rather than make the trip to his litter box. I feel awful that he is so frightened. He's holed up in our bedroom, and we made him a makeshift litter box so hopefully it won't happen again. My little guy is like this too. He's TERRIFIED of anyone who comes over and I didn't help that by freaking him out when I moved a few weeks ago. He seems to be OK in my new place when it's just me but even friends' he's been nice to in the past, he seems to be terrified of again. Sigh.
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Jul 15, 2013 20:30
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One or both of my cats (one male, one female, both fixed) has started messing outside of the litter box. They haven't had any issues with this in the year or so that I've had them. I haven't been able to figure out which it is yet, but I'm thinking it's the male, who has been more vocal than he usually is for the past week or two. He generally creates a huge amount of urine and the litter boxes have been nearly empty most times I clean them recently. My gf just found a turd on the carpet that she said appears to have blood in it. I'm going to bring them both to the vet tomorrow morning if I can get an appointment. Is there anything I should do in the meantime?
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Jul 15, 2013 21:53
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Dragyn posted:One or both of my cats (one male, one female, both fixed) has started messing outside of the litter box. They haven't had any issues with this in the year or so that I've had them. I haven't been able to figure out which it is yet, but I'm thinking it's the male, who has been more vocal than he usually is for the past week or two. For your own peace of mind in regards to urine/feces getting on your stuff, you can lock them in a bathroom for the night with their food, litterbox, etc. If you see either of the cats straining to pee, then take them to the e-vet as they could have a dangerous problem (see warning on first page of this thread). Wash every spot they've messed with an enzematic cleaner to make sure any trace smell is gone and they won't think, "Oh, this smells like a bathroom spot to me! I can use it again!" You can also purchase litter attractants to help make sure the litter box is the preferred place for voiding. Hope your little buddies are okay!
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Jul 15, 2013 22:00
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The worst thing for my wife and I has happened! One of four cats (the youngest, Max, 13 months old) has escaped out a conservatory window - and was last seen by my wife running past the entrance to the conservatory. I noticed him missing when we were to feed the cats, he was missing, but I didn't really think anything about it - he might just have been sleeping somewhere in the house (all cats are indoor cats), so I went outside for a smoke, while I Was standing there I saw out the corner of my eye, him walking across the lawn, and when I called him, he ran away. I'm quite concerned, the area we live in is a normal residential area with house, lawns - and unfortunately a trafficated road 100 meters away :-( He isn't a streetwise cat, has never been outside, has never been in contact with the other cats in the neighborhood. We left the door to the outside open, and we hope that little Max will get back in when the novelty of being outside has worn off. I don't know what to do - I'm blaming myself for not closing the window properly, and I so hope that he won't be hit by a car! Oh please let Max come home safe and soon!
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Jul 15, 2013 22:06
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So I've been in the process of switching my cats over to wet food to help them not be such chubbos. I have been gradually phasing in the wet food, adding a small bit of food each day. Currently the cats are eating about 3oz of wet food for their PM feeding and eating their normal amount of dry food for their AM feeding. They have been at this level for 3-4 days, as I want to use up the dry food. Everything has been smooth up until today. We had no issues with stool, vomiting, and the cats love the new food. Unfortunately today one of them ate and then promptly threw it all up. Got her to the bathroom (tile) and she threw up a few more times. So, what do I do here? Scale back the wet food? Split their PM feeding into two servings? Go back to a mix of dry/wet for the PM? Or is this just a small hiccup? Edit: The wet food we're transitioning to is Authority Chicken Pate Weight Management recipe. Reject fucked around with this message at 23:01 on Jul 15, 2013 |
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Jul 15, 2013 22:41
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My landlord says he needs to give a kitten away or it's going to the pound, I'm thinking about offering to take it, but I want to make sure I'm ready. I have questions, but I don't know much about the cat itself beyond, "I need to get rid of this kitten." I also have only taken care of dogs myself, but I've always loved cats. I really want to do this because I work from home and feel like it would make things less lonely. Am I being stupid for offering to take this cat? It needs to be Neutered and have all that first kitten check-up fun stuff, I am just kind of nervous because I've never really taken on this responsibility (where I'm living on my own and paying for it all myself,) before. It SEEMS like it could be awesome, and I know I would never abuse it. I read the OP and I'm just asking for more info, so I know I'm making the right choice. I was also thinking of buying those soft claw things, but is that bad for kittens? Also my grams cat used to sleep in my bed, is that an ok spot for a cat? Or should I get them a cat bed? How do I know what scratching post they'll like? E: I also have about $150 set aside for it right now, and will be adding another 200 to that number with my next paycheck E2: Is Kitty Health Insurance a "thing?" Turtlicious fucked around with this message at 22:46 on Jul 15, 2013 |
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Jul 15, 2013 22:42
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Kidney Stone posted:The worst thing for my wife and I has happened! Contact your local animal control service, and physically go to your local pound to see if they pick Max up. Put up tons of flyers and speak to your neighbors about the missing cat. Put out food and a litterbox (with some dirty litter from the one he typically uses) outside to help give him a familiar scent. Check out this site, http://www.catsinthebag.org/ for lots of info on how to get your cat back home safely. Please keep us updated, and I hope he comes back soon.
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Jul 15, 2013 23:20
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Turtlicious posted:I read the OP and I'm just asking for more info, so I know I'm making the right choice. I was also thinking of buying those soft claw things, but is that bad for kittens? Also my grams cat used to sleep in my bed, is that an ok spot for a cat? Or should I get them a cat bed? How do I know what scratching post they'll like? It sounds to me like you're worrying too much. Which is better than worrying too little, but still. Cats will sleep where they like and you can get a cat bed if you want but every cat I've ever known has had a new favourite sleeping place every few months, mostly not in places I ever thought they'd want to sleep. I don't know about soft paws and kittens but I'd say there wouldn't be much point in getting them for a kitten because you could be teaching the cat not to scratch in unwanted places instead (cover them in cling film or aluminium foil, or if you end up with a very accomodating cat just take it to its scratching post every time you see it scratching something it shouldn't). You'll know what sort of scratching post it'll like because it will either like what you give it or it won't in which case you should try something else. Some cats are fussy about various things in their lives but most cats aren't really, especially if you start them out with something as a kitten. Just try out whatever re: scratching, litter boxes, food, water and anything else and if the cat doesn't like it then worry about changing it. Also, cats make excellent working-from-home company. Just try to make sure you have something tempting for your cat to sleep in that's close enough to the computer for petting but far away enough that it's not actively impeding you. And don't worry too much if it's intimidated by you and your home for a while, it's just getting used to the new, big, unfamiliar place.
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Jul 16, 2013 07:04
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Organza Quiz posted:It sounds to me like you're worrying too much. Which is better than worrying too little, but still. Cats will sleep where they like and you can get a cat bed if you want but every cat I've ever known has had a new favourite sleeping place every few months, mostly not in places I ever thought they'd want to sleep. I don't know about soft paws and kittens but I'd say there wouldn't be much point in getting them for a kitten because you could be teaching the cat not to scratch in unwanted places instead (cover them in cling film or aluminium foil, or if you end up with a very accomodating cat just take it to its scratching post every time you see it scratching something it shouldn't). You'll know what sort of scratching post it'll like because it will either like what you give it or it won't in which case you should try something else. I've really been fretting that I'm not thinking this through enough, so it's nice to hear from someone else that I'm ready. Thanks. E: What about Cat Health Insurance? Turtlicious fucked around with this message at 07:12 on Jul 16, 2013 |
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Jul 16, 2013 07:08
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four lean hounds posted:Contact your local animal control service, and physically go to your local pound to see if they pick Max up. Put up tons of flyers and speak to your neighbors about the missing cat. Put out food and a litterbox (with some dirty litter from the one he typically uses) outside to help give him a familiar scent. Check out this site, http://www.catsinthebag.org/ for lots of info on how to get your cat back home safely. Please keep us updated, and I hope he comes back soon. So, 6 hours after he ran away - he appered in our garden again, I woke up, looked out a window, and saw him walk around in the garden like he owned the place. I then went outside, and he calmly walked around the house and into the conservatory where he waited to be let into the house. So, to make a long story short: He's now home, safe and sound :-) It seems the the little sweet rear end in a top hat had been hiding in, and exploring our garden all the time.
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Jul 16, 2013 09:27
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I could use a bit of advice. My workplace also happens to be the private residence of a family and has a few cats living in it, one of which is currently pregnant (and very much showing; she's also definitely been looking for nest locations over the past week). Unfortunately, the family will be away for the next 4-6 weeks or so, and so it falls to my colleagues and I to supervise the situation. There will always be at least one person there every day, for about 7-8 hours, so in terms of food, water and clean boxes it should be all right. However, I'm still not totally comfortable with the arrangement. Since the cats will be alone for 16 hours a day it's likely that she'll give birth when there's no one there, and what if there are complications? Likewise, I'm a bit worried about the other cats' reactions and behavior towards the kittens after they are born. I don't know if that's something that could be an issue - maybe not. Or, what if the other cats eat up all the food we leave overnight and the pregnant one has to wait until someone's back come morning? It's just not ideal. I wonder if it wouldn't be better for me to take her in temporarily so I can Or should I just shut myself up and let her do her thing?
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Jul 16, 2013 12:47
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Turtlicious posted:I've really been fretting that I'm not thinking this through enough, so it's nice to hear from someone else that I'm ready. Thanks. It might be worth your time to get insurance for a kitten. For $15 a month per cat I've insured mine, and the money it has saved me is already more than I've spent on it. It won't cover shots, fixing, or other routine events, but if kitty swallows a string and needs surgery they'll be there. I personally use pet plan. You might want to double up insurance with a care credit card if you can, since pet insurance works by reimbursement.
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Jul 16, 2013 13:06
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I have a female cat, around 1 year old. And recently I got another one, a male adult cat (probably 4-5 years old). This male cat was a street cat who used to sneak into my house to steal the female cat food, so I started feeding him too and before I knew he was living here. Both cats are fixed. Problem is: they hate each other. Specially, the female cat hates him, she hates him with passion. He is usually calm and quiet and somewhat of a coward and mostly stays out of her way, but she attacks him. Several times a day. He is walking around, minding his business, and she attacks him. If he starts playing with something, she attacks him. Sometimes he is just sleeping and she attacks him. He never attacks her, its always her who starts. But he often strikes back, and it makes me worried (he is strong and 3 times her size). This has been going around for months now, and still no change. Is there anything I can do? Elias_Maluco fucked around with this message at 15:38 on Jul 16, 2013 |
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Jul 16, 2013 15:36
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Drythe posted:Trying to convince my landlord to allow for a pet in my apartment now that we changed management. I got this response from them and it is a little "There is a mouse problem." Worked like magic on my no-pets landlord - there really was a mouse (and rat) problem in my old building but it wouldn't be totally beyond the pale to invent one. Of course they sold the place a few weeks later to a pet-friendly owner so in the end it was all for naught. I'm looking to replace my cat's huge, ugly closed litterbox, she is a prime litter kicker and the box looks hideous in my otherwise cute (but small) guest bath. I like the look of Modkat but paying $150 for a plastic square is dumb as heck, and I'm not sure if she'd use the top-entry anyway. I did see that the Clevercat is a lot cheaper, but then I'm back into "ugly beige plastic" territory and I'd like to avoid that. Basically what I need is a compact, non-ugly covered box that's really good at containing kicked litter. I'm not averse to building something simple if I have to but my skills are rudimentary at best and most of the IkeaHacker type projects are waaay too big for the bathroom.
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Jul 16, 2013 16:49
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I didn't have a great place to put a litter box, and my cat flings so much litter you'd think she shits firecrackers, so I got this to resolve both problems: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005AFMJWC/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 $150 isn't cheap (I think it was on sale for like $120 when I got it), but it's actually a solidly built, decent-looking piece of furniture, and if your cat is weird like mine she'll love the privacy. The hinged top makes scooping really easy and there's even a little hook inside for the scoop. I have mine tucked in a corner with a strategically-placed air freshener on top and most people don't even notice it.
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Jul 16, 2013 17:17
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potee posted:I didn't have a great place to put a litter box, and my cat flings so much litter you'd think she shits firecrackers, so I got this to resolve both problems: quote:Keeps curious children and dogs looking for treats away from the litter pan I know what they mean but this makes me laugh.
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Jul 16, 2013 17:39
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potee posted:I didn't have a great place to put a litter box, and my cat flings so much litter you'd think she shits firecrackers, so I got this to resolve both problems: I'm eyeballing a smaller version of this but I'm looking to see it in real life so I can gauge how it would fit into my bathroom. It's a guest bath so it's pretty small but I think it might look nice with a few plants on top.
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Jul 16, 2013 17:45
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Question for those that have experience battling allergies: my co-worker's son may be looking to rehome his front-declawed tabby because of allergy issues regarding a new wife. I explained to my co-worker how cat allergies actually work and advised her on possible solutions. Now her son is ripping out all the old carpets, giving the house a through cleaning and putting in HEPA filters (room filters and a filter into the furnace system). Along with allergy medication and gradual exposure to the cat, is there anything else that I could possibly advise her son to do?
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Jul 17, 2013 00:49
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mistressminako posted:Question for those that have experience battling allergies: my co-worker's son may be looking to rehome his front-declawed tabby because of allergy issues regarding a new wife. I explained to my co-worker how cat allergies actually work and advised her on possible solutions. Now her son is ripping out all the old carpets, giving the house a through cleaning and putting in HEPA filters (room filters and a filter into the furnace system). Along with allergy medication and gradual exposure to the cat, is there anything else that I could possibly advise her son to do? Wash hands often, and regularly. Also, consider throw blankets and extra blankets for beds and such. One thing I did for the first month of having my cat was habitually cover my bed with a blanket i wouldn't sleep with so that the cat had free reign to lay on my poo poo and not kill me at night allergy wise. 3 months in and I really am probably 95% non-reactionary with her dander/fur.
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Jul 17, 2013 02:41
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demozthenes posted:I'm eyeballing a smaller version of this but I'm looking to see it in real life so I can gauge how it would fit into my bathroom. It's a guest bath so it's pretty small but I think it might look nice with a few plants on top. We got two of those for our cats recently because we were tired of seeing the litter boxes around and the cats love them. We set them up as nightstands in the guest bedroom (which in reality is the cat room...) They might be a little large for a normal guest bath though, how much space are you working with?
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Jul 17, 2013 06:09
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Shnooks posted:
I've been ordering from Wag.com recently, for several reasons. The biggest problem I found with ordering pet food online was the shipping costs, but they have free shipping on orders over $35. They also have a familyhood of different sites that you can shop from at the same time to reach that minimum. And if you use the code PETS right now you get 20% off your first order and free shipping for 3 months with no minimum, so you wouldn't even have to worry about making a $35 order. I don't know how much the free shipping perk would cost after the fact, but if you find yourself utilizing the other sites too it will probably still be a decent deal. There have also been no taxes on my orders.
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Jul 17, 2013 07:51
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demozthenes posted:
This page has a lot of the IKEA hacks but it also has a lot of other ideas for hiding litter boxes, like using a wine crate. Just keep your eyes open for anything that you cut a hole into that also has easy access to clean the box, like cheap floor cabinets, storage chests, etc. Walmart would be a good place to check for cheapo items that you don't mind cutting a hole into the side of, like these items: Floor Cabinet - $45 White Telephone Stand - $75 White Floor Cabinet - $42
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Jul 17, 2013 08:13
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Dragyn posted:One or both of my cats (one male, one female, both fixed) has started messing outside of the litter box. They haven't had any issues with this in the year or so that I've had them. I haven't been able to figure out which it is yet, but I'm thinking it's the male, who has been more vocal than he usually is for the past week or two. Just to follow up on this: My gf brought both of them to the vet today. He diagnosed them both with colitis and allergies. Also, the female has (yet another) ear infection. So special diets and antibiotics all around for a while. I feed them Indigo Moon Gold dry food regularly. We know that she's a torti (with a bad attitude), but we aren't sure what he is. He's super friendly, and I'm not even sure that he's aware he has claws for defense. Stitch (the boy)  Kevin (Kevin's a girl) 
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Jul 17, 2013 17:12
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So over the last year my roommate's cat, a 14 year old inbred Fire Point has pissed in my room as far as I know, 8 times. Every time it's on an object. Once a shirt, an envelope, four times on a bag, no distinction between paper or plastic, once on a scrap of paper, and once on a paycheck. Which I guess counts as paper. She did it once right in front of me. My question is why? Why my room? Why on objects, and how in the hell do I get her to stop? We've also adopted a semi-feral Maine Coon. Huge loving cat. He sleeps inside when he wants to and is outside the rest of the time. She bats at him whenever she can and he just ignores it. Kilo147 fucked around with this message at 22:46 on Jul 17, 2013 |
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Jul 17, 2013 22:43
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7thBatallion posted:So over the last year my roommate's cat, a 14 year old inbred Fire Point has pissed in my room as far as I know, 8 times. Every time it's on an object. Once a shirt, an envelope, four times on a bag, no distinction between paper or plastic, once on a scrap of paper, and once on a paycheck. Which I guess counts as paper. She did it once right in front of me.
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Jul 18, 2013 05:00
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duckfarts posted:I'd go over the basics first: How often is her litterbox cleaned? Has she been checked for pee crystals(UTD? I forget what the acronym is)? Litter box is cleaned every other day, been checked for UTDs, Nada. And it's always my room, never anywhere else.
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Jul 18, 2013 06:14
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7thBatallion posted:My question is why? Why my room? Why on objects, and how in the hell do I get her to stop? Who knows why. Clean the litterbox more, use Cat Attract litter, clean every surface in your room that has been peed on with an enzymatic cleaner, and get all paper/plastic/cloth off the floor, preferably put away in a drawer or closed container.
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Jul 18, 2013 06:56
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Ew, every other day? That might be why. My cats start avoiding the litterbox if we leave it longer than 24 hours. Get your roommate to start scooping at least once a day.
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Jul 18, 2013 07:03
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Tamarillo posted:Ew, every other day? That might be why. My cats start avoiding the litterbox if we leave it longer than 24 hours. Get your roommate to start scooping at least once a day. Past that, you could try Feliway, or even an additional litterbox in your room(provide better alternatives to your paystub, even if it deserves to be pissed on).
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Jul 18, 2013 07:36
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duckfarts posted:
Seconding the additional litterbox. The general rule I've always heard is number of cats + one for litterboxes.
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Jul 18, 2013 07:45
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 Why does my garbage animal sit like this every time I do laundry
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Jul 18, 2013 10:59
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Right. So two catboxes. That doesn't explain why most room and never anywhere else. Or why on specific objects.
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Jul 18, 2013 11:04
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7thBatallion posted:Right. So two catboxes. That doesn't explain why most room and never anywhere else. Or why on specific objects.
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Jul 18, 2013 12:11
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It's been 100+ degrees with 56% humidity all week here, and will continue to be so until tomorrow night at the earliest, and I don't have a/c. My cat has been ok so far by chilling out near a box fan, and having plenty of ice water, but I feel bad.  My room mate found a recipe for cat popsicles involving blending a can of tuna and unsweetened, plain yogurt, freezing the mixture, and serving about half a dixie cup full. Is yogurt ok for cats? Are there any other frozen cat treats I can make for her? I've been brushing her as much as she'll let me to get rid of excess hair too. Bonus vines of my cat: First day of the heatwave, after playing with da bird. I have since hidden da bird and we're just playing with stuffed toys near the box fans for now, I was glib about it but that panting freaked me out. She doesn't seem to mind the new playtime arrangement.
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Jul 18, 2013 14:29
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Since I have to give both cats antibiotics now, any tips for getting a cat to take medicine? Right now I'm pinning the cat and pushing at the side of it's teeth to get them to open their mouths, so my girlfriend can squirt in the liquid. I end up wearing more of it then the cat swallows and my hands are shredded, despite wearing work gloves.
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Jul 18, 2013 15:24
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