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My very timid, indoor-only cat got out on the 4th of July and still isn't home. I spotted her on Sunday in my white trash neighbor's pile of lumber, but she bounded through a hole in the fence and away. Then I think I saw her on our patio last night at like 1 AM, but she ran off again. I got flyers up, food and water in the front and back of my house and my neighbors, soiled laundry in the front and back so that she can hopefully catch a scent, and a cat trap set up in my neighbor's yard (that's probably just as likely or more likely to catch a skunk that lurks around). It all feels so futile. My two least favorite feelings in life are losing/misplacing something and helplessness, and this situation is full of both. This is so goddam frustrating.
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Jul 9, 2014 07:41
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^^^^ Apparently the solution was to post on the internet! About 12:30 she showed up at the back screen door. When I went to open the door, she took off again into the aforementioned wood pile, where the aforementioned skunk was also hanging out. Then I simply sat by the open door shaking some food, then I hid. She snuck in a few minutes later.  Is there anything I should be doing now? She's been outside for 4 days and it's been about 100 degrees every day. I set out several bowls of food and water and gave her a once over; she just seems a little dirty. But my neighbor lady is a semi-hoarder of sickly, mostly feral cats and my cat's been in her yard most the time, so I'm wondering if I should take her in to the vet?
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Jul 9, 2014 09:33
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coronaball posted:^^^^ Absolutely take her to the vet. It can't hurt, and if she is perfectly fine, you have that knowledge. If she caught anything from those neighbor cats, you caught it early and she gets whatever treatment she needs.
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Jul 9, 2014 11:08
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Goatman Sacks posted:Ok, so I have a bit of a problem with regards to cats. I just moved in with my girlfriend. I have two cats, both 4 years old. One is a male with a very playful, "dog-like" personality and is the dominant one. The other is female, and far more passive - less directly loving, more "cat-like". Both were raised among people since childhood, they're litter-mates, and are very sociable. Sometimes lady cats just take longer to reach a peace agreement with each other and they tend to fight each other more: that at least was the info given to me by the shelter when I was looking for a second cat. For some reason opposite sex pairs/pairs of boys are generally less aggressive toward each other. Does the loner cat have a "home base" or area they can go where your cat can't? Is there any way to set that up? Aside from distracting your cat when she gets aggressive and continuing the supervision, and maybe feeding the girls together but on opposite sides of the gate (so they associate food with each other) I don't know what else you can do. Maybe stuff her with treats if you catch her being nonaggressive while in the same room as the gf's cat? It may just take more time and effort. Good luck.
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Jul 9, 2014 13:17
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Oh my god my kittens are eating machines now. I found out through trial and error that they love Fancy Feast meat flavors and I give them half a can a piece twice a day + dry food and all of the wet food disappears like they're some sort of furry Hoovers or something. I'm glad they're eating after the scare we had with Lox and Bagels not eating much but I think (and the vet thinks so as well) that it was anxiety from the adoption. Lox, though, has a problem with diarrhea and we're giving him 0.5 mL of this medicine that we have to squirt into his mouth every 8 hours. He's drinking and eating but he isn't as playful as Bagels, who is an absolute monster when it comes to wrestling and play fighting. Lox doesn't really like to play because Bagels is stronger and older and heavier and just completely wrecks him every time. Bagels is learning to back off a bit when Lox starts hissing and his ears go back, but there are times where we have to physically separate the two because Bagels is relentless.
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Jul 9, 2014 15:18
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Kerfuffle posted:Call your vet and ask. Effectiveness of brands varies by area and they'll know what works. Also they don't sell it on amazon because it's medicine that requires a prescription. There are some non prescription ones that work now, but depending on the asker's situation a prescription one might be best. They vary in efficacy by geography (some fleas in some areas have grown resistant to them, as you say) and also some products cover more than others (mites, heartworm) that based on where you are and how much time your cat spends outside would affect the recommendation.
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Jul 9, 2014 16:04
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specklebang posted:If it's localized enough, chemo may be plausible. I've had cats (extended family) that develop a herpes-like condition (I'll get the name if you wish) that is non-fatal but requires very frequent cortisone shots or eating becomes too painful. Did your Vet do a biopsy or is this just his assumption? Vets are Not always correct. So, if no biopsy and your Vet is not "morally certain", I suggest a substantial Prednisone shot and see how that does. I don't know all the details--when my mom called I was a few miles away from the exit to insobriety, and she was sobbing a bunch because she felt bad about not telling me about the stuff that led to finding the cancer, but since I had just told her about anxiety issues she didn't want to exacerbate that. That said, I believe there was a biopsy done--he had knocked over some of my dad's homebrew cleaning/sanitizing stuff, and tried cleaning it off himself, so he went to the vet and got treated for that. When the treatment didn't resolve as expected they did something and that's how they found the cancer. I did get to facetime with him last night, though, courtesy of my little brother. He was way more engrossed in drinking from the faucet than paying me any attention...it was good to see him, though.
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Jul 9, 2014 16:28
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HonorableTB posted:Oh my god my kittens are eating machines now. I just got an eating-machine-kitten on Sunday and am probably going to be introducing some wet/canned food into her diet real soon. Luckily she eats the food the shelter gave us like it's her last meal and is drinking alright (ordered a running water fountain for her to try and get her to drink more, though). Now we're just dealing with sleep deprivation thanks to her thinking our butts are beds and faces are seats and toes are treats. Hopefully I can tire her out a bit tonight, my boyfriend is losing it and might sleep on the couch to try and get as best a night's sleep as he can. I wish we could get her a playmate but it's just not a possibility at this point 
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Jul 9, 2014 17:18
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Dogen posted:Also they don't sell it on amazon because it's medicine that requires a prescription. There are some non prescription ones that work now, but depending on the asker's situation a prescription one might be best. They vary in efficacy by geography (some fleas in some areas have grown resistant to them, as you say) and also some products cover more than others (mites, heartworm) that based on where you are and how much time your cat spends outside would affect the recommendation. Ohhh, I see. I didn't realize cat drugs can be prescription. I'll call the vet.
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Jul 9, 2014 17:44
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Sorry to almost double post, but I have a question and need advice. I ordered a shitton of stuff on amazon last night thanks to 2 day prime shipping, but forgot a carrier. Are there specific kinds recommended/I should avoid? When I have to take her to the vet/anywhere it's a tossup if I'm going to be in a car or using public transport, I'm leaving towards a soft carrier for some reason but I thought I'd ask you knowledgeable people. She's tiny now and I'm not sure how big she'll get, I'd like to get one I can use for a while. Thanks!
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Jul 9, 2014 17:55
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Erwin posted:Ohhh, I see. I didn't realize cat drugs can be prescription. I'll call the vet. Yeah, and Revolution is really the best one because it takes care of a lot more than just fleas.
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Jul 9, 2014 18:43
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ilysespieces posted:Sorry to almost double post, but I have a question and need advice. I ordered a shitton of stuff on amazon last night thanks to 2 day prime shipping, but forgot a carrier. Are there specific kinds recommended/I should avoid? When I have to take her to the vet/anywhere it's a tossup if I'm going to be in a car or using public transport, I'm leaving towards a soft carrier for some reason but I thought I'd ask you knowledgeable people. She's tiny now and I'm not sure how big she'll get, I'd like to get one I can use for a while. If you're using public transport, you may be better off with a hard-sided carrier for the inevitable time someone falls on you on public transport (or trips over it, etc).
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Jul 9, 2014 20:29
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Rodent Mortician posted:If you're using public transport, you may be better off with a hard-sided carrier for the inevitable time someone falls on you on public transport (or trips over it, etc). Very true, thanks. Though I was just informed that my boyfriend's sister will be our designated vet chauffeur, so it's not likely that she'll be on the subway, she'd only be traveling on the railroad where I can put her on a seat that isn't facing outwards. I'm going into the city this weekend so I'll swing by a pet store to take a look at them in person and talk to someone there about what I want.
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Jul 9, 2014 20:32
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Ahem. It is time for Fanciness. ((in other words, I'm bored at my Inlaws' house for vacation, and learned to make new-sew bowties. I just wanted to share it with someone.)) 
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Jul 9, 2014 21:40
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ilysespieces posted:Very true, thanks. I have both a hard and soft cases for public transport. The soft one for shots and nothing major vet visits and the hard ones for emergencies. Vets love the soft bag because the zips allow for a full side view access of my cat.
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Jul 9, 2014 21:56
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The blue bunny posted:I have both a hard and soft cases for public transport. The soft one for shots and nothing major vet visits and the hard ones for emergencies. Awesome, thanks. I was leaning towards soft because of easy storage and the side zips, glad to hear they actually come in handy. I'll probably get both eventually, but we just got her and right now all I've got is the cardboard one she came home in, so I need something more substantial asap.
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Jul 9, 2014 22:28
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Hummingbirds posted:Yeah, and Revolution is really the best one because it takes care of a lot more than just fleas. So does advantage multi. That's why it's a toss up of which works better in the area and who has a better promo running.
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Jul 9, 2014 23:29
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Huntersoninski posted:Does the loner cat have a "home base" or area they can go where your cat can't? Is there any way to set that up? Aside from distracting your cat when she gets aggressive and continuing the supervision, and maybe feeding the girls together but on opposite sides of the gate (so they associate food with each other) I don't know what else you can do. She's not nearly as athletic as my cats, so there's no place she can go that they can't. Right now, though, under the bed seems to be the place she hides from them, since the confined areas lead to more direct clawing of my cats. Do cats respond properly to that kid of positive reinforcement?
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Jul 10, 2014 00:07
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It's kind of a gamble, but I'd say positive reinforcement is going to work a lot better on a cat than negative reinforcement. You don't want either cat feeling attacked by you and the other cat - they'll just feel ganged up on. The risk is, if this is a dominance thing, you giving one of the cats treats around the other may make the other step up her game more. I expect it varies from cat to cat. I don't doubt they'll reach some form of agreement or truce eventually. The only thing you want to do for sure is distract them from bad fights and try to prevent them hurting each other. Wish I could offer better help, but the only angry cat introductions I've seen in person sorted themselves out after a few months.
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Jul 10, 2014 00:20
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I have a question! I have a cat, Sir David Cattenborough, who I am thinking of transitioning to be an inside-outside cat (and will get him and my other cat vaccinated for feline leukemia and what have you.) Borough was a feral cat for the 10 months he existed before I adopted him 4 months ago. If possible I would like him to not totally revert and abandon me as that will make my other cat sad. If I get a cat-flap, what are the dangers of Borough running away and never coming back? Why am I transitioning him? Well, I got another cat. I know I shouldn't have. But now I have three cats and 550 square feet. And Borough is an rear end in a top hat, even for a cat. I am trying to rehome Borough, but once I explain his cable-chewing, people avoiding, cat-raping qualities, nobody seems to want to take him in! And the little bastard has grown on me so I don't like the idea of giving him to a shelter and never seeing him again.
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Jul 10, 2014 01:06
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ilysespieces posted:Very true, thanks. Buy a soft carrier new, pick up a hard carrier off of craigslist for cheap. Hard carriers are way easier to clean, so I'd use that the first few times until you know your cat doesn't pee in it.
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Jul 10, 2014 01:13
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Xibanya posted:I have a question! I have a cat, Sir David Cattenborough, who I am thinking of transitioning to be an inside-outside cat (and will get him and my other cat vaccinated for feline leukemia and what have you.) Borough was a feral cat for the 10 months he existed before I adopted him 4 months ago. If possible I would like him to not totally revert and abandon me as that will make my other cat sad. If I get a cat-flap, what are the dangers of Borough running away and never coming back? It depends on the cat. If he's actually bonded to you and you treat him well, he'll come back for affection. He'll come back for the free food, regardless, if he can't get a better deal elsewhere. The danger of a cat flap is that it works both ways and thus serves as an entry point for other cats (or other critters) to get into your house (and eat the food you have out for your own cats). It may not be the best solution. A cat door to the garage so the he has access to a safe refuge may be better. Our cats have learned to get our attention and lead us to the door when they want out, then scratch at the door when they want back in. One cat essentially lives in the garage all summer, then starts coming in at night when it starts getting cold.
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Jul 10, 2014 01:15
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A cat that once had its home outside may revert. My sister had a cat she rescued from a shelter, which rescued her from the streets. After having lived with my sister for about two years, Marmie got out one day. It was over three months before they got her back. They'd see her in the neighborhood and she'd look at them with wide, terrified eyes as if they were strangers and dart away before they could get close. They would call and leave out food, but she acted like she'd never been in a home before. They thought they'd never get her back. In the end my sister managed to coax the cat to take a treat from the opposite side of a chain link fence, reached her hand through and scruffed kitty before she had a chance to run away. the cat clawed and bit at her arm while my brother-in-law raced over the fence to grab her up and take her in. Once in, cat's feral/domestic switch was re-flipped and she went about business like totally normal, sat on my sister's lap like nothing was wrong, enjoyed the company of their other cat like she'd never been away (though it freaked the gently caress out of the other cat for sure). My point is I wouldn't risk it if it was my cat, and would probably just shell out for some nice cat shelves or a nice big cat tree to give him more vertical space.
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Jul 10, 2014 01:16
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Engineer Lenk posted:Buy a soft carrier new, pick up a hard carrier off of craigslist for cheap. Hard carriers are way easier to clean, so I'd use that the first few times until you know your cat doesn't pee in it. That's the perfect idea, we're in a huge city so finding a used one/traveling to get it isn't a big deal. Thanks. Kitty things, we let her out of the bedroom for a supervised excursion and I think we've tired her out enough where she isn't jumping off the walls [and our heads] the entire night. Still can't wait to get the rest of the toys I ordered tomorrow (and the bitter spray, though she's kind of given up on cords for now, thankfully). She also is fascinated by the Swiffer, followed me around the entire apartment as I cleaned.
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Jul 10, 2014 02:32
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Xibanya posted:I have a question! I have a cat, Sir David Cattenborough, who I am thinking of transitioning to be an inside-outside cat (and will get him and my other cat vaccinated for feline leukemia and what have you.) Borough was a feral cat for the 10 months he existed before I adopted him 4 months ago. If possible I would like him to not totally revert and abandon me as that will make my other cat sad. If I get a cat-flap, what are the dangers of Borough running away and never coming back? Don't they make cat flaps that are only triggered by an RFID tag on the collar?
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Jul 10, 2014 05:48
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Are there canned or dry food that help with dental stuff? My 8 year old has periodontal disease, he's going for his 2nd clean up tomorrow and possible removal of some teeth, in the meantime I'd like to know how I can alter his diet to ensure he doesn't have anymore issues.
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Jul 10, 2014 06:04
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Dry food can really only help teeth if cats actively chew it, this includes dental food. My cat got 4 molars taken out last christmas and since he just takes individual kibble pieces and swallows them. If you want to actively prevent dental problems-it sucks but, you'll have brush his teeth. This is a lot easier to do if your cat is food motivated since you can slowly condition it to be a "good thing".
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Jul 10, 2014 11:08
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Alteisen posted:Are there canned or dry food that help with dental stuff? My 8 year old has periodontal disease, he's going for his 2nd clean up tomorrow and possible removal of some teeth, in the meantime I'd like to know how I can alter his diet to ensure he doesn't have anymore issues. Try raw chicken necks. I have to cut them up a little bit for my old lady cat but she loves them and as far as I'm aware the chewing helps keep their teeth clean. Just make sure they're not cooked. Of course, my younger cat is a spoiled brat and has no interest in eating them but it's worth trying at least. And there are ways of trying to convince the cat that it is actually delicious food that they should be eating too.
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Jul 10, 2014 12:00
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I give my cats raw chicken necks a few times a week as well. You can buy them in bulk from butchers and even in supermarkets. I freeze them in smaller portions so I can defrost them as needed rather than having to deal with 2kgs of chicken necks. They really work their teeth chewing them to bits. If your cat does have teeth trouble and it's causing pain, then they might not want to chew into chicken necks. They're a purely preventative measure.
Synthbuttrange fucked around with this message at 12:39 on Jul 10, 2014 |
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Jul 10, 2014 12:35
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Embarrassing question: My little guy is 14 years old and really arthritic. You can hear him coming now because he creaks, and his back legs are noticeably bowed. It hasn't kept him from doing anything other than jumping onto heights he was able to reach in his youth. This includes the bed--instead he just sits at the bottom and meows until either me or my fiancee give him a lift. He doesn't like the pet stairs we got for him; he wants to be carried. Which is fine. What's...less fine...is that when he uses his box, he can't get his legs out of the way, and he'll come out of the box with litter caked all over one of his 2 back legs, stuck in his fur and stuff. Then I have to clean him up and it's very unpleasant for both of us. Anything I can do to alleviate this? Get his back legs shaved? A litter for arthritic cats? A special box? Or do I just have a toilet kitty now?
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Jul 10, 2014 15:41
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FairGame posted:Embarrassing question: Have you talked to your vet about getting him meds for his arthritis? I would do that first, he has to be uncomfortable at the very east.
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Jul 10, 2014 19:04
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Bad Mitten posted:Have you talked to your vet about getting him meds for his arthritis? I would do that first, he has to be uncomfortable at the very east. Of course. He takes a supplement in his food. I don't think it's helping. But the rest of the options are absurd. I'm not stressing him out and bringing him to the vet once a week so he can get his paws lasered.
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Jul 10, 2014 21:23
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Kerfuffle posted:Dry food can really only help teeth if cats actively chew it, this includes dental food. My cat got 4 molars taken out last christmas and since he just takes individual kibble pieces and swallows them. If you want to actively prevent dental problems-it sucks but, you'll have brush his teeth. This is a lot easier to do if your cat is food motivated since you can slowly condition it to be a "good thing". Seems this is the best solution right now. How often should I brush?
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Jul 10, 2014 22:05
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I've always read you should do it a couple times a week.
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Jul 10, 2014 22:14
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The wife and I adopted a kitten to keep our salty farm rescue cat company.  She's pretty fuckin' adorable.
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Jul 11, 2014 05:19
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What's the best spray to use on cables to prevent chewing?
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Jul 11, 2014 05:22
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TheAngryDrunk posted:What's the best spray to use on cables to prevent chewing? I just got that bitter apple spray, I'm going to try it this weekend and can give a trip report, along with others recommendations.
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Jul 11, 2014 05:27
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FairGame posted:Embarrassing question: Shaving - yes Maybe a gigantic litter-box. Some litters purportedly stick less. I use World's Best Cat Litter but that is for asthma (no dust) and being corn, easy to see and clean.
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Jul 11, 2014 05:30
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Alteisen posted:Seems this is the best solution right now. Every day. If you're not gonna do it at the very very least every 2-3 days, then don't do it because it's worthless if you do it less than that.
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Jul 11, 2014 08:01
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Question that is probably asked all the time but I can't locate one of those times in the thread, ugh..... I have a 12yo that adopted us about 4-5 years ago after she ran away from her previous insane owners about 1.5 miles from our house. (Seriously, they kept her locked up in a drat laundry room most of the time, wtf. After she was 'reunited' with them after a short stay with us, she ran away from them again about 4 months later and came back to us. By that time we learned how crazy her previous parents were, and said screw it, they know where we live, they can check in and see if she came around. Never did, so we considered ourselves her official parents, as chosen by her). Due to her above treatment she's always been a little skittish, (though has become a true cuddlebug and loves to sleep pressed up against you now). We felt bad because we moved in with a relative for almost 2 years, and they had three cats. Needless to say, there were constant power-plays in the house, of which our "Little Grey" was never the winner. We thought she'd be thrilled when we finally got back into our own place again, (about 4 months ago), but I'm not so sure now. She spends soooo much time walking around meowing, even howling sometimes. She particularly loves to do so when we're trying to sleep. We make sure to give her plenty of attention when home, and have also started treating her to a little bit of wet food right before bedtime in an attempt to fill her belly and help her sleep. (Which she loves, and works....for about an hour). Our next step is to pick up some of those plug in diffusers and see if those help her. But if they don't work...... tldr - Is it possible that even though she was constantly harrased for two years by the other cats, she was actually used to the 'attention', and is just lonely, thus trying to pack in as much attention as she can when we're not at work? Blatant pic of meower-mcmeowerson - 
Madbullogna fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Jul 11, 2014 |
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Jul 11, 2014 13:12
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