|
A woman in my apartment building abandoned her cat when she moved out recently. This woman had often left him outdoors for long stretches of time, and he had been hanging around my end of the building, so he was quite friendly with me. Not long before she abandoned him, I had begun wondering how often she was feeding him, or if she was feeding him at all, so I occasionally fed him some cat food. So, when this bitch left him behind when she moved out recently, I wasn't particularly surprised. I let him into my apartment and he's made himself at home, so I've pretty much adopted him. He looks to be maybe several months older than a year, maybe a year and a half, and he's neutered. He's very well behaved and chilled out and very affectionate toward me. I had no plans to acquire a pet, but we're getting along quite well, so I'm planning on keeping him. My concern is that he seems to sleep a bit more than average for a cat, and he's rather lethargic in general. He's got a laid back personality, but I'm worried that maybe he is lacking energy. He eats pretty well. I've been feeding him Purina cat chow dry food and Special Kitty wet food and he likes both. I've picked up a couple of toys for him, which he does play with a bit (he particularly likes a ball made of compressed catnip). Despite this, he doesn't play for very long, and seems to tire easily. Should I be concerned? I tried Googling about this but didn't come up with anything particularly helpful. 
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 01:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 23:31 |
|
|
Itchy posted:First time cat owner here. I adopted a seven year old male dsh from a woman off Craigslist who was moving and couldn't take him. He had been living with her in the same house since he was six months old. She described his as being "very shy" and didn't mention any health problems. I've had him for five days and he has been in hiding ever since I brought him home. If I try to hold him or pet him he trys to run and hide. He will sometimes hiss but never bites. When he walks through the house he's crouched low to the ground and moves slow with his tail tucked between his legs like he's scared. He also has greasy fur on his back with dandruff, which I think may be because he isn't cleaning himself. He does come out at night and when I'm at work to use the litter box and is eating small amounts of food. Is this normal behavior for a cat that's in a new environment or should I be concerned? We took an adult cat from the shelter about 5 months ago who has never lived with humans. After seeing her progress with us and reading about domesticating feral cats, I can say the following: When you see him, don't approach him, talk to him with calm and soothing voice. Don't stare at him directly in the eyes for too long. Let him get used to the smells around the house and sounds of your household. Don't give him 24/7 access to food. Give him meals after 4-6 hours, but always invite him loudly before handing out the food. Find a specific phrase and always use it when calling him to eat. Repeat it over and over. After a few weeks of getting used to his new home, try feeding him from your palm. Approach him very very slowly, show him the food you are offering him (it has to be something tastier than you would normally give him). Don't make sudden movements when you are feeding him from your hand, but keep talking to him softly and complimenting him. If he sees the food and seems tempted, but he isn't coming closer, move in very very slowly, a few inches at a time. Use catnip or valerian root extract a few times a week and try to play with him every time he is playful. You could try to caress him while he is in a very playful mood, but don't be frightened if he suddenly hits or bites you, or runs away terrified. There is a chance he could cheer up already in a few months. It could be a few years. There is a small chance you will never be able to touch him without him hissing and running away, which poses a problem if he has any health issues and you need to help or take him to the vet (but it isn't impossible to take care of him, just a lot harder).
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 02:22
|
|
|
JustAwful posted:Soooo it's day two of my cat being home from the vet after his blockage, and he is still VERY incontinent. He's sleeping on a towel in the bathroom pissing all over himself a few times a day. He is literally soaked in urine. He's tried to use the litter box, but he just sits there and maybe dribbles a drop or two, but the majority of his peeing is when he's just sitting on the towel or counter. I mean, it's good that he's getting some pee out, but if it's still dribbling, he's probably still in pain. I'd get a second opinion because I'm kind of surprised a vet would even send home a cat that sounds like he's still partially obstructed, but of course IANAV.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 02:48
|
|
|
HelloSailorSign posted:Lymphoma is a cancer that hits the young and the old - so being young does not make one immune to cancer. Thanks for this. I guess my question would be, would the cat respond to the anti-inflammatories prescribed for inflamed bowels if it was something else? When I asked the vet he said that it would make diagnosing during the scope very hard because it would possibly have reduced some of the inflammation, making it difficult to tell what was wrong in the first place.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 05:22
|
|
|
RaoulDuke12 posted:Thanks for this. I guess my question would be, would the cat respond to the anti-inflammatories prescribed for inflamed bowels if it was something else? When I asked the vet he said that it would make diagnosing during the scope very hard because it would possibly have reduced some of the inflammation, making it difficult to tell what was wrong in the first place. Yup, it would respond. The average treatment for IBD can work for a short time in cats that have the cancer (lymphoma, small cell). The gist of IBD treatment is decreasing inflammation, and one of the common drugs used (prednisone, a steroid) decreases inflammation as well as lymphoma cancer cells (until they mutate away from steroid response). Your kitty sounds to have a bit more mild presentation from the history you've given, so they may not even reach for a steroid just yet. Certain antibiotics and prescription food may be all you need, but that's definitely up to the vet overseeing the case as they have the full history, physical exam, and diagnostic results. Treating first (with immune modulators drugs) would decrease inflammation AND lymphoma cells, so diagnostics after treating is very low yield.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 06:47
|
|
|
That's incredibly great information, thank you. I'm going to bite the bullet and pay for the scope to know for sure. If it's just IBS, so be it, at least we're sure. edit: Any thoughts on why he didn't just do the scope in the first place? Cost wise it wasn't that much more expensive, is it just because it's more invasive/requires the cat to be put to sleep? RaoulDuke12 fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Aug 24, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 06:50
|
|
|
RaoulDuke12 posted:That's incredibly great information, thank you. I'm going to bite the bullet and pay for the scope to know for sure. If it's just IBS, so be it, at least we're sure. Pretty much. You start with least invasive and work your way towards most invasive, with things requiring anesthesia falling under the latter. IBD isn't exactly all that common among cats that young (though definitely not impossible) and the hard part is that IBD is a diagnosis of exclusion - meaning you have to essentially rule everything else out and then you can call it IBD with the right biopsy. You might even repeat tests you've done in the past (bloodwork/fecal/ultrasound) to make sure nothing's revealed itself or changed. Cat diarrhea can actually be a really frustrating thing to diagnose - there are many new thoughts on cats, IBD, intestinal parasites, and other diarrhea related things coming up all the time - dog diarrhea is much simpler. In this case, biopsy (and anesthesia) aren't without risk, so that's why it's last. Not a large risk, mind you, but enough that they are last on the diagnostic list. Not knowing the exact progression of things and the test order/results I can't really know their thought process, but that's how I do it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 07:07
|
|
|
I hope this is the right place to post this... Any recommendations on automatic cat feeders? It seems to be that by and far none are real great, but if I can find something acceptable, I'll be happy. I've got two cats, so I'll have to get two. This is mainly so that I can be away for a day or so and not worry about them (can't just leave plenty of food out because they are pigs). However, I'll probably end up using it all the time for their dry food feedings (otherwise they get canned food in the evenings). Because of this, I'm looking for one that has a storage tank that holds the food, versus one with different opening compartments. The Le Bistro seems decent enough, and relatively affordable. I realize I'd have to improvise a "paw guard" so they can't reach up and just swipe food. Does anyone have any experience with these?
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 07:09
|
|
|
Is there anything I can do for my new guy who seems to be super itchy still? I found him (stray) yesterday, took him to vet immediately and he's got a few patches where he's licked himself raw, most noticeably the backs of his two hind legs and base of his tail. He's been treated for fleas and worms and given steroid and anti inflammatory injections which seemed to be fine until tonight. He's really going to town on those areas, licking and biting over and over. Gentle discouragement is not working and he's made one patch (where flea bites are most concentrated) bleed a tiny amount and now it's a little weepy. I'm going to pick up an e collar first thing tomorrow but can I do anything for him while he's not able to itch himself? It could take weeks to clear up, do I just leave the collar on full time?! Vet told me he is between 1-4 years old and neutered. Teeth/ears are fine. He ate and drank a lot yesterday because of the steroids, eating/drinking normally today. Used litterbox once to pee so far, no issues there. He just looks/feels gross  He is the sweetest little boy though, he starts purring and kneading the ground as soon as you touch him - even in the vets office, it took a while for full assessment with him headbutting/rubbing/kneading all over everyone.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 10:24
|
|
|
Peach posted:Is there anything I can do for my new guy who seems to be super itchy still? I found him (stray) yesterday, took him to vet immediately and he's got a few patches where he's licked himself raw, most noticeably the backs of his two hind legs and base of his tail. He's been treated for fleas and worms and given steroid and anti inflammatory injections which seemed to be fine until tonight. He's really going to town on those areas, licking and biting over and over. Gentle discouragement is not working and he's made one patch (where flea bites are most concentrated) bleed a tiny amount and now it's a little weepy. I'm going to pick up an e collar first thing tomorrow but can I do anything for him while he's not able to itch himself? It could take weeks to clear up, do I just leave the collar on full time?! We have a cat with similar symptoms. Her problem turned out to be food allergies. She has to take Tetracyline (the anti-rejection immunosupressant) to stop doing it. Sometimes it is simply a neurosis. It's a huge pain to deal with (both for us and the cat) so good luck. In the meantime, you might try a Cone of Shame or other restrictive collar to keep him from getting to the sore areas.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 15:48
|
|
|
So, I have two cats. Originally, if I couldn't get pet friendly housing while I study abroad, dad was going to take care of my cats for a year (I would send vet money/food through amazon and so on). Unfortunately, my sister is a giant bonehead and got three cats then lost interest in them and gave them to my dad. My dad's now full on cats and I'm looking for foster care for a year. Are there places that do that? I don't want to give them up for the sake of being away a year. And I really want to do this Master's program...
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2013 21:33
|
|
|
Day four - my cat is still locked up in the bathroom, he uses the litter box slightly more, but I've still caught him going on the floor and bathroom vanity, as well as walked into him sleeping in a pool of urine - so I'm assuming he's still pretty incontinent (no problems with feces though, he'll go in the litter for that) Last night I watched him sit in the litter for 5 minutes squatting with no results, so we took him to the emerg. vet and they said he definitely isn't blocked. Their guess is the previous vet had a very hard time with the catheter, more so than they told us, but they didn't give any definite answer on how long he'll still be incontinent. I'm probably just panicking, but I'm just worried he'll be permanently incontinent or even semi-incontinent. Feel free to tell me how ridiculous I'm being. I just can't find anyone who's had a cat this incontinent for so long after this procedure. We're getting pretty short on cash for the vet, but I'll take him to another one if someone feels this is of concern. Spagghentleman fucked around with this message at 14:41 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 14:38
|
|
|
JustAwful posted:Day four - my cat is still locked up in the bathroom, he uses the litter box slightly more, but I've still caught him going on the floor and bathroom vanity, as well as walked into him sleeping in a pool of urine - so I'm assuming he's still pretty incontinent (no problems with feces though, he'll go in the litter for that) First thing I'd do is newspaper the whole floor of the bathroom. It seems mean, but don't give him any rugs or bedding to lay on. All it will do is soak up urine while he lays in it and give him urine burns. Second thing I'd try is some Cat Attract litter or litter additive. Part of his issues may be a reluctance to get in the litter box due to associating it with pain, so the Cat Attract can make it an appealing place to pee.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 14:51
|
|
|
fspades posted:So my cat fell from a 1st story apartment window and after an hour of convincing him to get outside of the car he hid under he's back at home. He seems fine right now and walks and runs normally but how can I tell if he's hurt somewhere? A friend also said he might have trouble with peeing for a few days. Is there any truth to that?  Since it's been a day or so it'll be easy to tell if he's ok. If his movement is fine, like he's jumping, playing, moving as normal, that's good. If he fell he would have been in shock, and the way to tell if a cat is in shock is to look at their gums; if they're whiter than normal, that's a primary indicator. Also, if his eating or drinking change, take him to the vet. My girl was fine after her fall, I just kept an eye on her and checked her gums every few hours to see if the shock was improving. She's hella old and actually fell, so if your boy is young and jumped he should be fine. If he fell on concrete, though, and he's still in shock or not eating/drinking/moving absolutely perfectly, I would take him to the vet in case he hurt his hind legs or ribs.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 15:12
|
|
|
This is also still a beef for me, does anyone have experience or advice? Fruity Gordo posted:Does anyone have any advice for dealing with a geriatric cat reverting to violent kitten behaviour? My brat's 19, and she's been with me for 18 years. She's physically healthy, had her last checkup three months ago and she gets fresh meat every day. As she's aged she's mellowed out a lot, as they do, and the vet has said that some demented behaviour is fine and to be expected. It is fine, really; mostly she just meows in confusion sometimes when she can't see me, so I gently call back at her or go to where she is and give her a coo and a pat. She can still jump onto my bed and climb modest box castles. She's not physically unwell in any way, she eats, drinks and moves wonderfully for her age. Of course she snoozes at least 18 hours out of every day because she's ancient, but we do play, and I'll take her out for expeditions around the complex quite often. We've been together for 18 years and I grew up with her so I know her pain signifiers and how to tell if she's pissed off. It seriously just is dementia, and I feel bad leaving her alone for 8 hours because if she occasionally gets confused and tries to kill me while we're just sitting chilling, what's happening when I'm not home? I hate the idea of her crying alone in the flat, and if I can do something to make her wig out less then rad. E: unfortunately for both of us there's no hope of bringing another cat in to keep her company. I'm living with my mum right now and she barely tolerates me and the cat as it is. Fruity Gordo fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 17:15
|
|
|
Fruity Gordo posted:Does anyone know if there are essential oils which can calm a cat down? Have you tried feliway? It is a pheremone diffuser designed to help calm cats down but it doesn't work on all cats. I would be very careful about essential oils because some are fatally toxic to cats. Cats are missing an enzyme which breaks down certain chemicals and because of this they can't process some groups of essential oils (and the drugs based on them like aspirin.) I would highly recommend speaking to a vet before using any therapy or medicine that isn't specifically designed for cats. To me (and IANAV) it sounds like your cat is suffering from dementia, my cat acted in a very similar way in his last few years. He would sit and howl and act very confused, sometimes attacking at random. We found that there wasn't a lot that we could do to help other than try to keep things calm and consistent for him. We tried to avoid sudden movements and loud noises and restricted his access to a smaller area of the house so he got less confused and was never too far from his food or litter tray. We also stopped letting him use the catflap and only allowed him outdoors when we could supervise him because seeing/smelling other cats started to upset him a lot. I also wouldn't recommend another cat for company at this stage anyway, that's the sort of big change that she's not equipped to deal with any more. The more you can keep her environment safe and familar, the better. Sorry I haven't got any better advice.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 18:23
|
|
|
Age 10-11 Weeks Sex Male How long have you had your cat? 5 Days Is your cat spayed or neutered? Not yet What food do you use? Wet Food (First Mate Chicken) When was your last vet visit? Haven't had one yet Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Indoors How many pets in your household? Another kitten How many litter boxes do you have? One So we just adopted a pair of kittens, and they've been great so far - really outgoing and friendly, full of energy and really playful. Ones a DSH the other is a DMH and they're brothers that were abandoned (although we're not sure how long they had with their mother) The DMH has vomitted 3 times with us now and once with the foster. The food is recommended by the rescue society we used, and the foster was using the same, and we're still using the same litter etc. Other than the vomit though, he seems to be fine - still running around and playing a bunch (and fighting with his brother) - he hasn't had any litter box accidents (that we've found) and is quite talkative (especially after I stop playing with him) We do have a vet appointment for tuesday to get their first check up and all that, but I'm just wondering if I should try and get him in sooner? 
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 21:33
|
|
|
If they have been strays, they probably need worming (though the rescue should have done that, have you asked them?). If the vomit isn't bloody I wouldn't sweat it. Have a poke around in the next puke and see if there are worms being shed (if you're not squeamish that is).
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 22:41
|
|
|
Ratzap posted:If they have been strays, they probably need worming (though the rescue should have done that, have you asked them?). If the vomit isn't bloody I wouldn't sweat it. Have a poke around in the next puke and see if there are worms being shed (if you're not squeamish that is). They both received deworming pills (on july 30 + august 15th) - apparently he threw up after but I didn't ask if it was immediately after, and he may have vomited the pill up, or if it was a while after and he had a chance to get it in. I'll keep my eye out next time if he vomits before the vet - I'm not terribly concerned because he seems to be in good spirits and all that, but just thought I'd ask as it's my first time owning kittens 
Puddles fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Aug 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2013 23:04
|
|
|
JustAwful posted:Day four - my cat is still locked up in the bathroom, he uses the litter box slightly more, but I've still caught him going on the floor and bathroom vanity, as well as walked into him sleeping in a pool of urine - so I'm assuming he's still pretty incontinent (no problems with feces though, he'll go in the litter for that) If you only have one litter box available to him now, add another? Even something simple like a disposable foil pan filled with litter. As Serella mentioned litter-box avoidance because it was painful with the blockage, maybe he'll be more comfortable with a choice.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 00:00
|
|
|
My coworker and her husband rescued a pregnant dsh stray a while ago. They adopted out the kittens and are keeping one, but couldn't find a home for the mother. (They couldn't keep her because she and their current cat did not get along at all.) She and her kittens were sequestered off into a couple of rooms of their house to keep them apart from the other cat. I just finished house/cat-sitting for them, and well, mother Tess came home with me today. While she hid for a while, she's played with me, eaten, drank, used the litter box, took a nap, and she's currently exploring. I've spent basically the whole day with her, and while she's acting a little hesitant, she doesn't seem super stressed. She's a pretty quiet cat, but I've noticed that when I leave the room she starts up a racket before too long - even if I've just gone into the next room over or around the corner to the bathroom. At my coworker's, she didn't always have people around her, but she did always have at least one kitten with her. I'm guessing that being alone is just one more new and different thing, because I don't remember her doing this at all this past week. I'm worried because normally she's not going to have access to my room, but I can sleep down here tonight, that's fine. The bigger problem is that I have to work tomorrow, so I'll be gone for a little over eight hours. I've read about possibly playing the radio or TV to give the cat white noise/people talking, but does anyone know if that works? Or have any other suggestions? I'm certainly willing to try; I really don't want her to be stressing out all day tomorrow. She's estimated to be around 9 months to a year old, if that helps. Long term I may get a second cat (all the kittens were taken, unfortunately), but I'm certainly not going to add a strange cat into the mix when she's still getting used to her new environment!
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 00:36
|
|
|
My Girlfriend just told me that if I keep my cat on a flea collar that it will get jaw cancer and die. I don't think that's true, but I'd rather get a second opinion.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 05:27
|
|
|
Turtlicious posted:My Girlfriend just told me that if I keep my cat on a flea collar that it will get jaw cancer and die. I don't think that's true, but I'd rather get a second opinion. Your GF is an idiot. Everybody knows that flea collars cause cats to grow laser-shooting eyes. 
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 05:34
|
|
|
Serella posted:First thing I'd do is newspaper the whole floor of the bathroom. It seems mean, but don't give him any rugs or bedding to lay on. All it will do is soak up urine while he lays in it and give him urine burns. Dr Elsey's Cat Attract litter is great - I've only seen it at PetsMart but we used to use it exclusively (switched to the Breeze system by Tidy Cat and like that too). The Cat Attract litter doesn't smell, isn't dusty and you buy, essentially, catnip and the cats will be all over the box. Since I agree with the suggestion that he may be confusing the litterbox with pain, I'd suggest buying a new litterbox too (the ones we used with the Cat Attract had 2 parts - 2 pans and a sifter you'd place in the top pan, so when you wanted to clean it you could lift out the sifter and boom - all your chunks are right there - then when it's time to replace the litter you can use the second pan while cleaning the first up). My cat that went through the bladder stone removal had some accidents the first couple days after surgery but then the swelling went down enough that he hasn't had one since (though he did rip out 12 of the 15 staples... luckily not all at once, the little bugger). He also made it pretty clear by day 2 that he was not going to cooperate with the medication schedule. Pretty much had to ambush him with an oral syringe filled with crushed up antibiotic turned to sludge in his pain killer liquid.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 05:46
|
|
|
Turtlicious posted:My Girlfriend just told me that if I keep my cat on a flea collar that it will get jaw cancer and die. I don't think that's true, but I'd rather get a second opinion.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 09:24
|
|
|
duckfarts posted:No, but I'd recommend against flea collars because to my knowledge, they kinda suck and may irritate your pet's neck for nothing. Seconding this. They don't work, and they don't have a safety release. Just use a topical instead.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 14:14
|
|
|
I need a bit of advice, we are bringing a kitten home tomorrow to live with us and our existing cat. I have read the post about introductions and how we have to be mega patient, not rushing the two cats and keeping them segregated. The thing is, he was attacked and practically had his throat torn by 3 Jack Russells. I am reluctant to leave him on his own once he arrives as he has already burst his stitches at the vets and had to have subsequent staples. My question is, where should we isolate the new kitten? We have a bathroom we can use, a spare bedroom (with a crate), or our bedroom. The bathroom is looking like a good option, the crate in the spare bedroom is also a good option, our bedroom is seperate by a door but our existing cat is very needy and pulls up the carpets when he can't come up the stairs to our room. We tried countless times by putting plastic down to guard the carpet but he just ripped it up. I don't want kitten in our room being terrorised if Arthur has free reign of the house and scares him while he is in a crate. Should we keep the kitten in the crate in our bedroom? Will it need interaction from us or should we let him get used to his new surroundings on his own? Does he need to stay in the room with us for company and for us to keep an eye on him? Will he be fine in a crate or in the bathroom? How much of this should be new kitten adapting to Arthur's (existing cat) routine? Should Arthur have the rule of the house and new cat fit in with him, or should we allow Arthur to have an area, new cat have an area and a neutral first meet zone? I know there is a lengthy post about this but I'm just after a bit of reassurance on the part that wasn't covered. If I have missed the answer in previous posts please point me in the right direction after telling me to pull my head out of my rear end. Thanks Blinks fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Aug 26, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 20:08
|
|
|
Blinks posted:I need a bit of advice, we are bringing a kitten home tomorrow to live with us and our existing cat. I have read the post about introductions and how we have to be mega patient, not rushing the two cats and keeping them segregated. The thing is, he was attacked and practically had his throat torn by 3 Jack Russells. I am reluctant to leave him on his own once he arrives as he has already burst his stitches at the vets and had to have subsequent staples. The "Introducing a new cat to your other cats" info on the first page of this thread would be your best bet for more info, and you can Google it for advice from the ASPCA and such. If it were my house, I'd go with the new kitten in the bathroom because A) There will be an initial freak out period of "omg new place", and less space is better for this. B) Kittens will poo poo on everything you love if you give them a chance. Putting the kitten in a place that is mostly tiled/easily cleaned may help you greatly during the transition period. Give Arthur the run of the house, and let him sniff at the bathroom door. Trade bedding between the cats to get them used to each other's scent, and take your time. Good luck, and I hope the kitten's wounds finally heal!
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 21:58
|
|
|
Can anyone recommend to me a good crunchy treat for my two kittens? They are ferals to whom I am trying to give a good home, both female and about 12-14 weeks old. They were just spayed, chipped, and given the basic vaccinations this past Friday. I would really like to keep them on a grain-free diet if possible. I give them Wellness No-Grain Core Kitten, both wet and dry, several times a day in small portions and they love Blue Buffalo soft treats which are the perfect size for their tiny kitten mouths. They also get a bit of plain, broiled chicken as a special treat on the weekends. For dental purposes, though, I would like to get them something really crunchy. They love Greenies and those lovely Purina treats in the hourglass-shaped blue plastic bottle, but both of those are nothing but corn, soy, and other things that cats are probably best off not eating. I got some hard treats with wheat grass and no grain at Petco the other day, but they won't touch them. It's probably not a big deal from a tartar control perspective since they eat dry food every day, but I'd still appreciate suggestions.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 23:25
|
|
|
JustJeff88 posted:Can anyone recommend to me a good crunchy treat for my two kittens? They are ferals to whom I am trying to give a good home, both female and about 12-14 weeks old. They were just spayed, chipped, and given the basic vaccinations this past Friday. The nutritional content of treats is probably not that important. They're treats, not their regular diet. Think of it as ice cream or a Twinkie. You eat them because you like them, not because of the nutrition.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2013 23:43
|
|
|
Deteriorata posted:The nutritional content of treats is probably not that important. They're treats, not their regular diet. Think of it as ice cream or a Twinkie. You eat them because you like them, not because of the nutrition. Seconding this. It's such a small part of their diet, it hardly matters unless they actually have food sensitivities. I buy whatever cat treats are on sale and toss them to both the dog and the cat.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 02:50
|
|
|
I found a single, dried up turd under my bed, which has about a foot of space between the floor and the boxspring. Is she making GBS threads merrily under my bed or has she just tired of her cat toys and decided to bat the ol poo log around? Note: I clean her litter once a day, she's 2 1/2 and spayed, I've had her since this past February. Edit to add: I use Feline Pine clumping, which I admittedly don't like and plan on switching out after this box is done anyway.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 03:03
|
|
|
My cat is driving me crazy. I've only had her for about 2 months. She's around a year old, and not spayed yet. I moved into a new apartment a month ago. She was fine with it for two or so weeks, and then, boom. She went crazy. She now meows and yowls around the clock, all day, everyday. I'll pet her, and she'll stop, then pretty soon, she'll start again. I'll play with her. Some thing. I don't think she's in heat. She's been in heat around me before. Is she nervous? What should I do. Augh. Help.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 03:38
|
|
|
Blinks posted:Questions about introducing cats. Isolate the kitten in whatever room you don't mind spending time inside and which won't be too hard to clean up potentially. You absolutely should keep him company whenever you can, even if he's terrified and just wants to hide for a while you can still just exist in the room with him and get him used to your presence without pushing him to interact. Don't keep him in a crate because the idea is to get your other cat used to the presence of a new cat without even having to see the new cat for a while. When you want to introduce them face to face then the crate might be a good idea.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 04:42
|
|
|
Thanks guys, I checked the first page for info on introducing the cats an got loads of ideas and steps to follow but wasn't sure of the specifics. We plan to give the kitten a couple of day to settle into the bathroom (oh yeah, wipe clean) and then start letting them roam in each others areas. Also we took a blanket with kittens scent on it home from the vets to aid transition and Arthur wigged out. I think partly due to vet smell, partly due to "who the gently caress let that new cat stank into my house". Thanks for the advice, kitten (who I think we may call Benjamin or Duncan) may have only ever lived in the vets but has been using a litter tray when he has been in his pen. Hopefully making GBS threads everywhere will be avoided. Again, thanks to both of you for your replies.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 07:24
|
|
|
JustJeff88 posted:Can anyone recommend to me a good crunchy treat for my two kittens? They are ferals to whom I am trying to give a good home, both female and about 12-14 weeks old. They were just spayed, chipped, and given the basic vaccinations this past Friday. I feed my 6 month old cat grain free only treats as well. I know other treats wont hurt her, but it's there and it's about the same price these days, so why not. As for my kitten, she LOVES two brands from pet smarts. For moist/chewy treat she likes the buddy biscuit brand, cheddar & turkey or tuna flavor. And then for crunchy she likes the science diet crunchy creations, as well as any liver flavored treats, I found beef freeze dried liver and she loves it. My little lion brand is also great and all of the above are grain free. For no petsmart, you can get the buddy biscuit treats on amazon and maybe the others as well.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 14:09
|
|
|
Meet Benjamin Cat  He is settling in fine and he hasn't poo poo on the floor yet. He is really affectionate, so much so a lump of scab fell off while he was rubbing against me. He can't stretch his neck properly, due to the scar/stitches/staples, to clean himself so he has dingleberrys. Gross. Also, unlike Arthur, he lets me do this...  Introductions are going well, Arthur has already sniffed at the bathroom door when Benjamin was meowing behind it, and he was totally chilled about it. Thanks again.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 16:23
|
|
|
^ You can help out with the dingleberries with a warm, wet paper towel. Also, make sure that you are manhandling that kitten! Touch them paws, poke out them claws, rub his lips and belly and everywhere else. The more comfortable with human touch a kitten becomes, the better off you'll both be. Oh, and my friends fed their kitten in its crate, so now it equates the crate with "YAY FOOD TIMEZ!", which is really wonderful when you need to haul a cat to the vet. I wasn't able to try this with my cats, but it might be worth a shot with you!
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 16:31
|
|
|
So the cat I posted about earlier is doing fine and he's settled in but I'm kind of worried he's getting to attached to me. He seldom leaves my bedroom or wherever I'm at (and is constantly nearby, he can't be comfy unless I'm sitting near the bed or this lil box he sleeps in), if I walk away from him sometimes he gets up on his hind legs and tries to grab my leg, or he chases me and tackles my leg (no claws used). He's constantly moonwalking in front of me while meowing (and bumping into things) and when I wake up it's pretty frequent to find him in my arms curled up. Thing is cuddly as all hell but worried as today when he did his "no don't go" grab he started using his claws to try to hold me in place. (I shook him off by distracting him with a laser pointer) This is uh, normal right?
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 18:06
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 23:31 |
|
|
ThisIsACoolGuy posted:So the cat I posted about earlier is doing fine and he's settled in but I'm kind of worried he's getting to attached to me. Diagnosis: your cat is being a cat. Some do get very attached to certain people.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2013 18:23
|
|
