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I don't either. Also all 3 of my litter boxes are at least 6" high on 3 sides. I did find out I've been putting too much litter in, though!
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Aug 12, 2014 06:49
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My little cat has had diarrhea now for almost a week. She doesn't seem sick at all otherwise, and had had 2 hairballs coughed up recently (within the past month I think) when she had maybe had 1 in her previous 2 years of life. She maybe seemed a little down the first 2 days, though that could also just be that I was looking for other issues with her and thought she seemed off when she wasn't. Last few days she's definitely been playing like normal and has no other symptoms. Haven't changed her food. Possible she ate something she shouldn't have, but I don't know. I've held back on giving her any wet food for the last 24 hours, only leaving her dry food out. (and plenty of water is out of course) It might be improving, but it's hard to compare diarrhea and say that one looks better than another. No blood or anything in it. It seems like it was a lighter color when it first started (and runnier), so I would say it seems to be improving since it looks to be getting back to the right color and possibly a little less runny. Smells awful in my small Brooklyn apartment though. Should I not be so worried and just keep an eye on things? She's definitely herself other than the bathroom issue. Searches seemed to suggest that 2-3 weeks for acute diarrhea isn't unusual. 
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Aug 12, 2014 13:57
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Lareine posted:The cat social situation has gotten much better but one problem still remains: this kitten stinks. It's extremely jarring when you have a sweet little kitten in your lap and she makes such a terrible smell. How do I fix her farts? Kitten farts are just a thing. You're going to have to wait until she gets bigger and less farty.
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Aug 12, 2014 14:41
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Lareine posted:The cat social situation has gotten much better but one problem still remains: this kitten stinks. It's extremely jarring when you have a sweet little kitten in your lap and she makes such a terrible smell. How do I fix her farts? I never realized how gross kitten farts are. The first time she let one rip she was sitting on my bf's lap so obviously I thought it was him, even though it didn't smell like his "brand". Yesterday Tali was pooping while we happened to be right near the litter box and she let out the loudest poop fart I've ever heard an animal make, including the time my old dog was sitting on the [tiled] kitchen floor in such a way that we heard her fart so loud she jumped up. And then proceeded to sniff the spot she was sitting in. We're going to be laughing about her poop fart forever, I think. Tl;dr kittens are loving smelly.
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Aug 12, 2014 17:51
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Here's a video of my cat being a big dumb idiot on the internet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkOCq_7HSa8
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Aug 13, 2014 02:13
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Kirios posted:Here's a video of my cat being a big dumb idiot on the internet: My girl Socks does the exact same thing even not when high on catnip. The best part is when she tries to pounce on her own tail. 
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Aug 13, 2014 02:22
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That silly sound he makes when he's chasing his tail is the most adorable thing in the world.
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Aug 13, 2014 02:27
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cletus42o posted:My little cat has had diarrhea now for almost a week. She doesn't seem sick at all otherwise, and had had 2 hairballs coughed up recently (within the past month I think) when she had maybe had 1 in her previous 2 years of life. Ring your vet to see if they will test a sample of her poo without an appointment (mine does). Have a look at this video it might help you judge if she is dehydrated or not https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyJTJ0sFkmQ Also consider placing her bowls in water and boiling them for over 15min encase they have Salmonella or another bacteria on them which is making her sick. The blue bunny fucked around with this message at 10:25 on Aug 13, 2014 |
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Aug 13, 2014 10:04
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Squeak passed about a month ago. I've been kind of holding off on going used cat shopping. Mom actually wants another cat in the house. Friend of mine is fostering two that get along great, and get along well with dogs. YAY! (but oh god do they need a bath and fresh litter) They're also adults, at 3 yrs old, which means I don't have to deal with much of the rear end in a top hat kitten stage! tl;dr: How soon is too soon? I'm honestly still mourning the loss of Squeak a bit, but I miss having a fuzzybutt in my lap. The dog is just too big to be a lap dog (90 lbs), but even the dog has been moping and keeps looking for the cat in all of his usual hiding places. I think the dog misses the hourly face boxing routine anyway. ilysespieces posted:including the time my old dog was sitting on the [tiled] kitchen floor in such a way that we heard her fart so loud she jumped up. And then proceeded to sniff the spot she was sitting in. My old dog was laying up against my computer desk, sound asleep, and ripped one loud enough that *I* jumped. Dog jumped up, stared at his hindquarters, sniffed a bit, got up, and hobbled (at his age, you don't really run) out of the room as fast as possible. About 5 seconds later it hit me...
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Aug 13, 2014 10:23
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This is my rear end in a top hat, Sully. Sully is crosseyed as gently caress, and lately I'm starting to wonder how much it's actually affecting his vision.  He often has trouble keeping track of toys and even laser pointers. If I hold something above his head, he'll try to bat at it like a foot away from where it actually is.  Most recently I've noticed that sometimes when I enter the room, he completely puffs up and gets all defensive...but when he realizes it's me he'll immediately run over and ask to be pet. Do any of you have experience with cats with vision problems? Would it make sense that his weird random aggression is connected to a lack of depth perception or something? 
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Aug 13, 2014 12:46
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CherryCola posted:
Cats don't like people they don't know, if he has a hard time seeing you, he's going to assume he doesn't know you. I'd try speaking as soon as you enter a room he's in so he can go based off hearing instead of sight.
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Aug 13, 2014 12:59
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Slickdrac posted:Cats don't like people they don't know, if he has a hard time seeing you, he's going to assume he doesn't know you. I'd try speaking as soon as you enter a room he's in so he can go based off hearing instead of sight. That's actually a good idea, and maybe that's why he's so good at coming when I call him. I guess he could be going by sound a lot?
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Aug 13, 2014 13:23
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CherryCola posted:That's actually a good idea, and maybe that's why he's so good at coming when I call him. I guess he could be going by sound a lot? Try toys like a stuffed mouse with a bell inside, he might have a better time with those than a silent toy like the laser pointer. Chase toys that make skittering noises work really well because they sound similar to mice, and kitty gets exercise. Tightly ball up a piece of tin foil too big to swallow but small enough for him to bite and bat around, and throw it down a non-carpeted hallway and see if he goes after it. My noticeably uncoordinated cat loves it, she will straight-up play fetch until she passes out.
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Aug 14, 2014 02:23
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I know cats are contrary creatures, but are they contrary enough to decide they don't feel like eating food that they've previously demonstrated they love for a day or more at a time when completely healthy otherwise? Our 16 year-old girl will usually eat but every now and then she'll just refuse to for a while. We try giving her different food and sometimes it helps but usually she still doesn't care. She has hyperthyroidism that's kept well under control with tablets and the first time she refused to eat for a day we brought her to the vet who did all sorts of tests on her, which all came up totally clear and healthy. She's always been skinny though and I'm worried she can't really afford to not be eating what we give her every day. Is it worth bugging the vet some more about whether they've missed something? She has been drinking and we can trick her into getting some nutrition by putting water on her wet food and letting her drink that, but it's still pretty worrying.
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Aug 14, 2014 05:07
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Organza Quiz posted:I know cats are contrary creatures, but are they contrary enough to decide they don't feel like eating food that they've previously demonstrated they love for a day or more at a time when completely healthy otherwise? Our 16 year-old girl will usually eat but every now and then she'll just refuse to for a while. We try giving her different food and sometimes it helps but usually she still doesn't care. She has hyperthyroidism that's kept well under control with tablets and the first time she refused to eat for a day we brought her to the vet who did all sorts of tests on her, which all came up totally clear and healthy. She's always been skinny though and I'm worried she can't really afford to not be eating what we give her every day. Is it worth bugging the vet some more about whether they've missed something? She has been drinking and we can trick her into getting some nutrition by putting water on her wet food and letting her drink that, but it's still pretty worrying. I've had cats go a day or two without eating for no obvious reason. It happens. As long as they're drinking they'll be OK once the appetite kicks in again. If it goes for more than three days or the cat gets lethargic or otherwise off mood, get it to a vet.
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Aug 14, 2014 05:15
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This is probably a daft question, and I feel like I know the answer already--and hell I'll bet it's been asked in here many times already--but I want to be totally sure, never having owned a pet of any sort before (except as a kid, which doesn't count as far as responsibility goes). I want to get a kitten or two for the apartment, management and fees permitting. However, I work four days a week, twelve hours a day or thereabouts, so Tuesday through Friday I wouldn't be seeing a whole hell of a lot of them except going from bed to the shower to the door, and from the door back to bed that night. Plenty of time on the weekends, of course, but... is that gonna be okay for them, or is that just gonna be pretty screwed up? (edit) While I'm here, thanks for the great information on the first page, given me some food for thought while I mull this over.
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Aug 14, 2014 06:27
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Ciaphas posted:This is probably a daft question, and I feel like I know the answer already--and hell I'll bet it's been asked in here many times already--but I want to be totally sure, never having owned a pet of any sort before (except as a kid, which doesn't count as far as responsibility goes). For most cats, that will be fine, they are pretty independent. Just give them plenty of attention time on the other days, and don't slack on those twelve hour days on the litter box, food, and water.
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Aug 14, 2014 07:55
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Ciaphas posted:I want to get a kitten or two for the apartment, management and fees permitting. However, I work four days a week, twelve hours a day or thereabouts, so Tuesday through Friday I wouldn't be seeing a whole hell of a lot of them except going from bed to the shower to the door, and from the door back to bed that night. Plenty of time on the weekends, of course, but... is that gonna be okay for them, or is that just gonna be pretty screwed up? If you're getting kittens, get two and they'll keep each other company while you're out.
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Aug 14, 2014 08:55
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Ciaphas posted:This is probably a daft question, and I feel like I know the answer already--and hell I'll bet it's been asked in here many times already--but I want to be totally sure, never having owned a pet of any sort before (except as a kid, which doesn't count as far as responsibility goes). Consider older cats or at least 'teenagers' maybe. 8 to 10 week old kittens are infants, they need at least 4 small meals a day at regular intervals. They need care and attention throughout the day too. Everyone wants kittens because they're cute little babies but they are exactly that, babies. If you must have kittens, get some holidays lined up and take a few weeks off when you get them. Settle in and look after them for a couple of weeks and they'll bond better with you as well. At the end of the holiday get some timed feeders so you can leave them meals to eat during your absence.
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Aug 14, 2014 13:00
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Deteriorata posted:I've had cats go a day or two without eating for no obvious reason. It happens. As long as they're drinking they'll be OK once the appetite kicks in again. Unless your cat is obese, then I would take to a vet after one day of not eating.
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Aug 14, 2014 15:53
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The blue bunny posted:Ring your vet to see if they will test a sample of her poo without an appointment (mine does). Rang the vet and they can test a sample, so if things get gross again, I'll have to do that. 
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Aug 14, 2014 16:07
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HelloSailorSign posted:Unless your cat is obese, then I would take to a vet after one day of not eating. This is what I've always heard, and I know cats can go downhill really fast if they don't eat which is why I get worried every time she refuses to. But the first time it happened was maybe a month or so ago and I did take her in then and every test showed she's remarkably healthy for a cat her age, thyroid issue aside. So it seems a bit much to take her to the vet every time she stops eating for a while unless there are issues people can think of that would stop her eating that wouldn't be picked up by blood tests and ultrasounds. I guess I could ring up the vet and find out exactly what tests were done and if there were any that weren't.
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Aug 14, 2014 17:11
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Thanks for the thoughts on me getting cats/kittens. I suppose if four small squares for kittens is required, kittens are out for me, since I have zero chance of getting home and feeding them during the average workday. Cute little buggers, though, makes me sad that they're out.  Are 'teenage'/older cats better about sparse but larger feedings most of the time? Do they have a harder time bonding to their new owner in any sense? Side question that's only sort of about cats. Apparently apartment management wants $15/mo per cat, plus $200 non-refundable per cat, plus $100 refundable per cat. Does that seem hilariously excessive to anyone else? Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Aug 14, 2014 |
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Aug 14, 2014 20:40
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Ciaphas posted:Are 'teenage'/older cats better about sparse but larger feedings most of the time? Plus adopting adults is just way better. Ciaphas posted:Side question that's only sort of about cats. Apparently apartment management wants $15/mo per cat, plus $200 non-refundable per cat, plus $100 refundable per cat. Does that seem hilariously excessive to anyone else? Pet deposits here are close to $500 per animal and an extra $100/month, if you can even find a pet friendly place... They both seem outrageous.
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Aug 14, 2014 20:50
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One of the nice things about adopting a teenage cat is that their personalities have already stabilized, so you have a better idea of the type of cat you're getting. The cute cuddly kitten may turn out to be a friendly lap cat, but it also might turn out to be aloof or shy or a major rear end in a top hat. Teenagers also still have a lot of kitten energy and playfulness but are less likely to be destructive/try to climb the curtains/require constant supervision etc. Plus they're at that ridiculous adorable gangly stage where they look like they're all limbs. It's practically a miracle where I live to even find a rental that allows pets. Those that do charge obscene deposits or extra rent per month (I've seen $25-$30/month, probably more too.)
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Aug 14, 2014 21:00
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Ciaphas posted:Are 'teenage'/older cats better about sparse but larger feedings most of the time? Do they have a harder time bonding to their new owner in any sense? Google for 'automatic cat feeder wet food' in your region. Those things work (unless you have a bad cockroach problem I suppose) and I used them when my cats were younger so that they would open late morning then early afternoon. As Robo said, with young cats you get a much better impression of what you're getting and if they're well adjusted to humans they'll bond no problem.
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Aug 14, 2014 21:16
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Why not just get an adult cat? It'd be pretty easy to find one that suits your situation or a bonded pair if you prefer. I've had cats that I got at ~4 months, ~1 year and ~10 years, and the 10-year-old bonded just fine compared to the youngsters. Ultimately I had less time with him than I had with the other cats, but I knew what I wanted personality-wise and I got exactly what I asked for. If you decide to get an only cat because of the apartment cost, there are a ton of adult cats out there in shelters and rescues who need to be the only cat. Some cats become more like furniture than pets as they age; my only remaining cat is 14 now and he sleeps around 23 hours a day - preferentially on or beside you. Very low-maintenance, but not what everyone would want in a pet.
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Aug 14, 2014 22:02
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Engineer Lenk posted:If you decide to get an only cat because of the apartment cost, there are a ton of adult cats out there in shelters and rescues who need to be the only cat. This is what I'm doing. When my apartment lease comes up for renewal and I can remove the no pets clause, I intend to get an adult cat from a shelter who needs to be an only cat.
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Aug 14, 2014 22:07
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I just moved with my elderly cat. Is there anything I should be worried about health-wise? He's used the litterbox once in two days (after previously being able to go into a small area outside to use the potty), and he'll only eat wet food.
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Aug 14, 2014 22:21
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Engineer Lenk posted:If you decide to get an only cat because of the apartment cost, there are a ton of adult cats out there in shelters and rescues who need to be the only cat.  Wouldn't want the poor animal to be bored while I'm at work 12hr/day 4 days a week, too.Guess I'll go to a shelter tomorrow and look around, at least. Not really sure what I specifically want in a pet cat, though, besides rather amorphously wanting a companion during the long dark teatimes of the soul (read: most weekends lately), so that'll be a bit of a challenge for me. Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Aug 14, 2014 |
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Aug 14, 2014 22:59
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I adopted a 13 year old cat who is the most incredibly friendly, talkative cat I've ever met, and she's in love with me. She stays as close to me as possible without being annoying, and she's lazy enough that she's very low maintenance. So do that.
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Aug 14, 2014 23:03
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Ciaphas posted:
Excessive but not uncommon. Most places around here range from $300 non-refundable fee per pet to $100 fee and $50/month additional rent per pet. The very cheapest I found was just a $100 fee, non refundable, with no addition to rent.
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Aug 14, 2014 23:05
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Ciaphas posted:I actually would prefer just one cat anyway, I just took the advice in the OP a little heavily The older they are, the more likely that'll just be time to sleep. Cats are generally crepuscular, so they're most active at dawn and dusk anyway.
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Aug 14, 2014 23:21
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Another thing I just thought of. I have to sleep with a CPAP machine/mask; is a cat near my bed likely to think of the hose as a cool toy? I'm guessing so.
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Aug 15, 2014 01:21
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Ciaphas posted:Side question that's only sort of about cats. Apparently apartment management wants $15/mo per cat, plus $200 non-refundable per cat, plus $100 refundable per cat. Does that seem hilariously excessive to anyone else? My apartment does a one-time $100 refundable deposit per cat and no monthly fee.
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Aug 15, 2014 01:23
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Ciaphas posted:Another thing I just thought of. I have to sleep with a CPAP machine/mask; is a cat near my bed likely to think of the hose as a cool toy? I'm guessing so. It varies from cat to cat but some really like wires/cables, especially if they get moved around.
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Aug 15, 2014 01:36
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Cats have a random assortment of bad habits. One of mine can't be trusted with plastic bags, one can't be trusted with lampshades, one eats toilet paper, and one likes to smack the door and make a horrible drum noise. Who knows what your kitty will think of hoses! In general though I am a big fan of No Kitties in the Room at Night rule, so worst case scenario, you can just boot 'em out.
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Aug 15, 2014 02:18
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Robo Kitty posted:One of the nice things about adopting a teenage cat is that their personalities have already stabilized, so you have a better idea of the type of cat you're getting. The cute cuddly kitten may turn out to be a friendly lap cat, but it also might turn out to be aloof or shy or a major rear end in a top hat. Teenagers also still have a lot of kitten energy and playfulness but are less likely to be destructive/try to climb the curtains/require constant supervision etc. Plus they're at that ridiculous adorable gangly stage where they look like they're all limbs. Other pros include that they come pretty much 100% toilet-trained and they're young enough that you can still teach them stuff (e.g. to sit, where not to climb). Teenagers > kittens for sure.
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Aug 15, 2014 02:35
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:Who knows what your kitty will think of hoses! In general though I am a big fan of No Kitties in the Room at Night rule, so worst case scenario, you can just boot 'em out. I think about doing this sometimes, but then I wouldn't consistently find toy mice in the sheets that our cats bring to us in the middle of the night. My oldest cat is an rear end in a top hat at night, though. I call him the powder keg. He loves to sleep smack between me and my fiancé, but as soon as either of us move, he goes off and starts growling and slapping us. He definitely isn't allowed on the bed unless we're still awake.
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Aug 15, 2014 02:56
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I wish Tali could sleep with us, but she's only a good kitty for like 3 hours, then it's step on heads-jump on the bolster-gently caress with the windows time and she gets kicked out. She's allowed in the bed with us for naps if we take any over the weekend, she usually sleeps until the alarm goes off, but during the work week she gets to do her own thing in the living room and kitchen.
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Aug 15, 2014 03:02
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