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So PI, my Mom recently took in of 2 little siblings that were found outside in the Minnesota cold and taken in by a coworker of hers. Well, that coworker found out that she can't keep cats due to her lease and my Mom took the little ones in. She has no idea what sex they are, although one is a tortie, so there's at least one girl. The other is a little grey tuxedo, and after looking at a picture she sent me I think it's a little boy. The tortie is basically petrified right now and I don't really know what sort of advice to give her about dealing with her. I told her to just give her time, lots of visits, and quiet time, but I don't really know what else to suggest outside of that. They are going to vet and what not tomorrow and they've already eaten a lot and pooped in their box. Anyone have any other tips for helping with the shyness? For what it's worth these two will be joining a house of 2 dogs (seniors - used to cats) and a 7 year old tabby who has developed health issues recently which the vet figures is from the stress of losing her companion early last year.
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Jan 28, 2014 01:51
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| # ? May 16, 2024 11:23 |
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I have sort of a multi-layered dilemma. I live in a part of the U.S. that sees ice storms once every four or five years, if we're lucky. Our city has a habit of panicking during winter weather because people have absolutely no experience with it. Tomorrow is going to be our second ice storm in four days. The city itself is divided in two by a river, with maybe five ways to cross from one side of the city to the other. I live on one side of town, and where I work is on the other side of town. Friday, when the first ice storm hit, I just barely made it across a bridge before they shut down due to too many people getting into wrecks and not enough salt or sand or whatever it is you coat iced bridges with. Tomorrow's storm is expected to be worse, and bridges might not even start thawing until Thursday. So there's a very good chance I'm going to get trapped on one side of town or the other. (I can't skip work tomorrow, either. I am an editor for the local newspaper and am part of a huge plan to cover the storm.) I can stay with someone on the side of town I work on, but the house isn't exactly equipped to handle a cat. I mean, I could lock Toast in the bathroom at their house, but it seems like dragging him to a new place and locking him away while I'm at work would be seriously stressful for him. The house also sits on stilts, and in the past feral cats have stayed under the house during the winter, which could be even more stressful for him. Or I could leave really early tomorrow morning, leave Toast with a ton of extra toys, food and water and an extra litter box and risk not being able to get back to my apartment until Thursday morning. I'm also concerned about losing power. Basically, my city freaks the hell out whenever there's winter weather and makes things way too complicated.
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Jan 28, 2014 03:10
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We've left our cats alone for up to 24 hours with just a lot of food and water, and they've handled it just fine. Anything more than that and we get a sitter, but now and then it's not a problem. Cats are tough and resourceful. They'll get along.
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Jan 28, 2014 03:21
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You can get automatic feeders for kibble and a drinking fountain for water, too. EDIT: wait, I missed the part where it's super short notice. Just leave him plenty of food and water and he'll be fine.
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Jan 28, 2014 03:24
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Yeah we've left our cats for two days on their own, and just left a MOUNTAIN of food (they pace themselves very well), two full water bowls and a pristine litterbox full of fresh litter. I was worried they'd poop outside the box, but figured if there are some disgusting people who only scoop once a week, my cats can handle a 2 day unscooped box.
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Jan 28, 2014 06:52
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Been leaving the bathroom door closed while I'm at work, but Puddington seems to be exploring more now.
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Jan 28, 2014 09:06
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What a pretty boy. Is there anything covering your fishtank - actually, is that even a danger or is that just cartoons/kids stories all in my head? I've only owned fish and cats together when I was very young. The fish were entirely enclosed (and raised up on a big old metal frame as well), with no access from anything nearby so it was never an issue for us. Edit: That does actually look like a lid on it now I look more closely. I thought it was just a lip to the tank first because of the lighting. matryx fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Jan 28, 2014 |
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Jan 28, 2014 16:27
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matryx posted:What a pretty boy. I was thinking that too... right now Mr./Ms. Pussycat looks like a person at a nice seafood restaurant trying to decide which lobster to send to its death in a boiling pot.
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Jan 28, 2014 16:35
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My roommate has two cats, and I have two fish tanks. One fish tank is a 55G enclosed that has several chairs near it that the cats will sit on/lean on the backs up sitting up (the cutest thing ever) and watch cat TV. It's adorable. The second tank, 12G, has an open top and filter that burbles over into the tank with about 8 small fish in it on an accessible end table next to the couch. The cats watch the fish occasionally but all they're interested in is drinking the running water. Never even seen them dip their paws into that one. Just my personal experiences, I take no responsibility if your cat enacts a systemic destruction of your own tanks haha.
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Jan 28, 2014 22:20
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Yup, there's a lid. Still, I'd like to dissuade him from getting up there. There are two options I'm looking at, the SSSCat, and the Scatmat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG0ciR_k8ck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiBsNAijsZQ I've seen a lot of recommendations for the SSScat, but what about the Scatmat? It just looks to me like it's startling, but people who've used one say its actually quite painful?
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Jan 28, 2014 22:22
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Just get an SSSCat, it's more versatile for cat training and also has delightful human applications.
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Jan 28, 2014 22:34
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aghastly posted:I have sort of a multi-layered dilemma. I'm pretty sure I live in the same city as you. I'm glad the weather didn't get as bad today as it did friday. The drivers here suck.
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Jan 29, 2014 00:40
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Can I get a internet vet second opinion: my 14 year old cat was throwing up a lot (5 times in a weekend) and i brought him to my vet on Monday after he puked twice in the morning (this was the last time he threw up) They took urine, blood, and x-rays - everything was normal, no blockage or chemical imbalances. He was given subcutaneous fluids and prescribed a laxative gel in case the issue was hairballs or constipation He got really stressed out and peed on himself at the vets after the urine sample was taken, he's never had bladder control issues before and I took it as a sign of extreme stress. When he got home he wouldn't touch food. Presenting him with anything (dry food, treats, canned tuna, et al.) causes excessive drooling and avoidance (he hides in the corner of the bedroom for a few minutes before coming back out) Otherwise he seems normal, he sits on our laps and sleeps in all his usual spots. He's just gone from food-crazy to totally food-averse in one 40 minute vet visit! I told the vet about the lack of eating/eliminating and she prescribed quarter tablets of pepcid ac and some pill equivalent of whatever nutrients are in the subcutaneous fluids which i picked up and started giving him tuesday night (they haven't had any effect) We agreed that the cat might have gotten stressed out at the office visit and that he should stay home today and tomorrow to see if he regains his appetite, with a plan to bring him back on Thursday morning if he still hasn't eaten so they can get him on regular fluids and run more tests . The vet said the only thing she can think of at this point is pancreatitis but admitted it might be a stretch since he didn't have symptoms until after returning from the vet. Any thoughts? thanks. 
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Jan 29, 2014 02:37
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My cat was diagnosed with cancer, not sure where because she hasn't had an ultrasound yet. She's on medication to shrink the tumor, wherever it is, and to help decrease fluids swelling in her abdomen. She hasn't been eating a lot lately - she still eats, just not as much as she used to, so she seems to be losing a little weight. That aside she seems pretty normal aside from avoiding the hell out of me because she hates her medication, but I can't stop worrying. The vet said chemo wouldn't be worth the price and stress it would put her through when it might not even help, so we're basically already doing all we can right now. I don't know how to handle the fact that she might die in the near future when she's been here most of my life. I guess this isn't really a proper question, more a, "how do I deal with my cat being sick, and has anyone been through a similar situation to know how much more time I have". 
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Jan 29, 2014 04:36
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ToastFaceKillah posted:I'm pretty sure I live in the same city as you. I'm glad the weather didn't get as bad today as it did friday. The drivers here suck. Yeah, I was an hour and a half late to work Friday because the traffic was so bad. I just got home; it's like a drat figure skating rink out there. But I did wind up leaving a ton of food and water out for Toast this morning. The house I'm staying in tonight has no insulation, so there's a good chance my cat is warmer than me right now.
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Jan 29, 2014 05:13
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Okay, a few more cat newbie questions: It seems no matter how much I brush or pet, Pudding still keeps shedding fur. Is that normal or will he go bald if I keep going? Also his appetite is really up since he's gotten settled in. I'm feeding him 1/2 cups of grainfree kibble as per the directions on the pack for a cat his weight (3.7 kilos), 1/4 cup in the morning and another when I get home. For the last few days he's scarfed it all down as soon as its hit the dish then meows for more. I'm not starving him am I?
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Jan 29, 2014 12:40
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SynthOrange posted:Okay, a few more cat newbie questions: For food, feed the recommended amounts, then try to make it clear "welp, that's it!"; lots of cats will constantly beg and be noisy dicks if they know they can trick you into giving them more food. You can try free feeding, but not every cat has self control.
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Jan 29, 2014 14:56
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SynthOrange posted:Yup, there's a lid. Still, I'd like to dissuade him from getting up there. There are two options I'm looking at, the SSSCat, and the Scatmat. Definitely out of those I'd opt for SSSCat. I can't imagine shocking my cats for any reason, especially as we've no way of knowing how much they feel it really. If it were my cats, I'd wrap the lid in kitchen foil as well, crinkling the top surface a lot to give texture. They *hate* walking on that stuff. Well, mine do anyway. Could also/instead affix one of those chair mats for carpets, upside down on top of the lid - with the little plastic nubs pointing up. Same principle.
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Jan 29, 2014 15:13
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Irukandji Syndrome posted:My cat was diagnosed with cancer, not sure where because she hasn't had an ultrasound yet. She's on medication to shrink the tumor, wherever it is, and to help decrease fluids swelling in her abdomen. She hasn't been eating a lot lately - she still eats, just not as much as she used to, so she seems to be losing a little weight. This is the hardest part of cat ownership. Twelve to fifteen years is about average for their lives, so it means that we'll outlive them many times over. Saying goodbye to a dear friend and companion is never easy and we all have our own ways of dealing with it. It's not something you ever get over, but you do learn to deal with it with repetition. Sorry for your kitty.  VVVVV For giving meds, I make sure I sit in the same chair in the kitchen every time. Thus they learn to hate the chair and not me, and when they are in the chair they know what is coming. Deteriorata fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Jan 29, 2014 |
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Jan 29, 2014 15:39
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Irukandji Syndrome posted:My cat was diagnosed with cancer, not sure where because she hasn't had an ultrasound yet. She's on medication to shrink the tumor, wherever it is, and to help decrease fluids swelling in her abdomen. She hasn't been eating a lot lately - she still eats, just not as much as she used to, so she seems to be losing a little weight. Unfortunately it's really unknown how much more time you have. What kind of cancer, where it is, how it responds, and what you're using to treat will change that. At this point, you know what's coming. Instead of looking at that as an end, look to the time left as a chance to spoil her rotten and enjoy her company. She doesn't know it's coming, she just knows the present. Since she hates her meds, try to do fun things in between meds so she stops avoiding you.
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Jan 29, 2014 17:11
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Thanks again for the help. In return, have a pic of Puddington. He's getting repeatedly booped on the nose by that springmouse. 
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Jan 29, 2014 21:59
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Your cat pretty much owns dude
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Jan 29, 2014 22:45
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Puddington is adorable! For giving meds, what sort are you giving? My cat is on 2 - one is a capsule, so I have to use the pill plunger, but the other is a tablet so I use the pill pocket treats. He will climb my leg for those things! So I always do the capsule first and then the tablet. As a result, he comes running when I open the drawer where his meds are. He holds still for the bad part (which only takes a few seconds), and then waits eagerly for the pill pocket treat. He gets the capsule morning and evening, and now he only gets the tablet in the morning, so I still just give him a bit of pill pocket as a treat after the evening capsule. It works for us, at least.
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Jan 29, 2014 23:25
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Thanks for your help, guys. I've never had a pet I was this close to die before. I've had family dogs die in the past, but I was pretty young. She's been around forever and she's my best friend I take comfort in the fact that she doesn't seem in any pain or discomfort, at least. As for the pill, it's some kind of meat-flavored chewable. I've tried offering it to her, putting it in her food, mashing it up in something delicious, etc and she won't have any of it. The vet told me to just put it in her mouth and close it, which has been working so far but obviously she doesn't like it. I don't know what else to try.
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Jan 30, 2014 00:36
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMDdDd4DxTg Anything that isn't meant to be a cat toy he thinks is a toy. Why wont he play with HIS toys?
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Jan 30, 2014 00:38
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SynthOrange posted:Thanks again for the help. In return, have a pic of Puddington. Firstly, he's adorable. Secondly, where did you get that post? I was thinking of trying a proper sisal rope post because my tubby tabby (glass houses) won't scratch anything else I've tried, and that would be perfect. Sisal rope base and shaft with a fun toy on it.
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Jan 30, 2014 01:23
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The Lost Dogs Home where I adopted him has a small supplies shop, picked it up cheap there for just 15 bucks. Shouldnt be too hard to find something similar though, an ebay search for scratching posts turns up tons of similar items. He does scratch up against it once in awhile where he can put his whole body weight onto scratching the pole, but since my living area is carpeted, he'll often just claw at the carpet, which works for me. As long as he leaves the furniture alone.
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Jan 30, 2014 01:35
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SynthOrange posted:The Lost Dogs Home where I adopted him has a small supplies shop, picked it up cheap there for just 15 bucks. Shouldnt be too hard to find something similar though, an ebay search for scratching posts turns up tons of similar items. He does scratch up against it once in awhile where he can put his whole body weight onto scratching the pole, but since my living area is carpeted, he'll often just claw at the carpet, which works for me. As long as he leaves the furniture alone. Sisal is definitely worth it. I managed to get a second one by winning a raffle when I went to my vet's open house.
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Jan 30, 2014 02:24
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SynthOrange posted:The Lost Dogs Home where I adopted him has a small supplies shop, picked it up cheap there for just 15 bucks. Shouldnt be too hard to find something similar though, an ebay search for scratching posts turns up tons of similar items. He does scratch up against it once in awhile where he can put his whole body weight onto scratching the pole, but since my living area is carpeted, he'll often just claw at the carpet, which works for me. As long as he leaves the furniture alone. I have that same tubey-thing for my cats, but I have it arranged in a circle with a table leg in the middle. Once they figured out how to play with it (not the smartest cats tbh) they seem to enjoy it more when it looks like the ball is trying to get away somewhere safe that they can't quite reach. Are you going to get a friend for Puddington? Two cats are almost no more effort than one. Arguably even less effort because they'll play with each other too.
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Jan 30, 2014 11:08
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No plans for it at the moment, he seems pretty happy to laze about on his own. He has really settled in now; he is all over everything!
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Jan 30, 2014 12:59
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matryx posted:I have that same tubey-thing for my cats, but I have it arranged in a circle with a table leg in the middle. Once they figured out how to play with it (not the smartest cats tbh) they seem to enjoy it more when it looks like the ball is trying to get away somewhere safe that they can't quite reach. I bought one of those for my two after I saw how much my mothers played with theirs. Mine are utterly uninterested, I call them in and start the ball rolling round/flashing but they just sit and look at it. Buffy is a smart girl but she just doesn't bother with it. She sniffed it, looked at me as if to say 'that ball's stuck in there pal' and picked up a catnip mouse to knock about instead.
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Jan 30, 2014 13:34
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Ratzap posted:I bought one of those for my two after I saw how much my mothers played with theirs. Mine are utterly uninterested, I call them in and start the ball rolling round/flashing but they just sit and look at it. Buffy is a smart girl but she just doesn't bother with it. She sniffed it, looked at me as if to say 'that ball's stuck in there pal' and picked up a catnip mouse to knock about instead. My cat was obsessed with it for about two days and then realised she'd never get the ball out and refused to play with it anymore. But I was able to get another day or so out of it by putting little balls made of scrunched up aluminium foil inside the track because she could in fact get those out if she tried. When she got bored with that I started putting little hard rolly treats inside and she'll still spend ages getting one or two of those out. She gets bored again if I do it too often but at least I'm getting a bit more use out of the thing! When did I start being proud about outsmarting my cat enough to get her to play with her toys...
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Jan 30, 2014 13:41
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Ratzap posted:I bought one of those for my two after I saw how much my mothers played with theirs. Mine are utterly uninterested, I call them in and start the ball rolling round/flashing but they just sit and look at it. Buffy is a smart girl but she just doesn't bother with it. She sniffed it, looked at me as if to say 'that ball's stuck in there pal' and picked up a catnip mouse to knock about instead. That's like my cat and lasers. I mean at most I can get her to half-heartedly chase it as if she's thinking "alright, I know you want me to follow this red dot around, so I'll just walk after it."
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Jan 30, 2014 13:42
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My cats only care about their trackball when I sprinkle catnip on the scratching pad in the center. Then suddenly it's the most fascinating toy in the world. Pizza Brother will smack the ball then run away as if it would chase him, then eventually start wrapping his paws around the ball to try to pull it out. Ozma will lay with her paws resting on it and lazily tap the ball so it keeps rolling around the loop. Try drugs
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Jan 30, 2014 14:18
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Ratzap posted:I bought one of those for my two after I saw how much my mothers played with theirs. Mine are utterly uninterested, I call them in and start the ball rolling round/flashing but they just sit and look at it. Buffy is a smart girl but she just doesn't bother with it. She sniffed it, looked at me as if to say 'that ball's stuck in there pal' and picked up a catnip mouse to knock about instead. I used to feed mine just after they had started playing with it back in the day. Not intentionally, just coincidence really as they have set mealtimes. Could just be positive reinforcement. Iron Crowned posted:That's like my cat and lasers. I mean at most I can get her to half-heartedly chase it as if she's thinking "alright, I know you want me to follow this red dot around, so I'll just walk after it." Edit: This is the best cat.
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Jan 30, 2014 14:23
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My cat's favorite toy is literally a piece of fabric with the ends attached by velcro. None of the fancier, more expensive toys I've tried compare. I even accidentally taught him how to play fetch with it, and it's part of our evening ritual.
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Jan 30, 2014 16:30
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Two weeks in the life of my housemate's cat: - Can open every door in the house and will do so if you try to shut him in a different room to you. He managed to open my bedroom door despite me stacking 20kg of random poo poo in front of it - Opened the cupboard where his food pouches are kept and ate 10 of them through the foil - Found his toys no matter where they were hidden (so I could get some loving sleep) - Drinks out of the toilet - Follows me everywhere, to the toilet, into the shower, around the house - Got bored and went to live with the neighbours for a while, looked extremely sheepish when retrieved - Went on a rampage, jumped in his water bowl then behind the fridge, electrocuted then subsequently pissed himself - Tried to gently caress my dressing gown despite being desexed - Shredded all of the big pom poms on one of my scarves - Got trapped inside and shat on Nigella Lawson's face on the cover of a magazine - Climbed up on my bed while I was in it and stared at me intently while pissing on the duvet
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Jan 30, 2014 17:30
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aghastly posted:My cat's favorite toy is literally a piece of fabric with the ends attached by velcro. None of the fancier, more expensive toys I've tried compare. I have a toy that's basically a piece of wire with a bee or something at the end but then the bee fell off and the cats still love playing with the wire. They like other toys but they go CRAZY for the wire. I have no idea why  edit: when I say wire, I mean a thin stiff metal wire not some sort of string or whatever
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Jan 30, 2014 18:03
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My cat has always hated toys in the 14 years I've had her, and then I take her to a new vet that sends us home with a free toy and she's suddenly a kitten again. It's basically one of those brightly colored craft pompom things with little felt legs glued to it in the vague shape of a spider. She goes. Completely. Bananas. I think it's because it doesn't make noise. She's very timid and most store bought cat toys rattle or jingle or crackle. I never woulda thought! I need to go to Hobby Lobby and pick up a big bag of pompoms. (only the big ones so she doesn't eat them of course  )
Damn Bananas fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Jan 30, 2014 |
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Jan 30, 2014 18:59
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| # ? May 16, 2024 11:23 |
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So I have been looking to get a savannah cat for a while and I think I am ready to find dive into it. When researching the descriptions of the different types of generation it typically seems very open ended. Is there a noticeable difference in an F4-F6 as in the personality or size? Is it worth the money difference between the three?
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Jan 30, 2014 21:37
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