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Well you can add "Full blown terror and hissing and puffing up at the sound of someone blowing their nose" to the list of things shes scared of- Off to the vets tomorrow to see if theres something amiss or whether we're going to have to get her on kitty prozac or something for a few months so she doesnt jump in fear at her own farts.
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Jul 3, 2015 01:30
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Dr Christmas posted:Anyway, I am a loser who lives at my Dad's house, so options are a bit limited. He has thrown a small fit at the suggestion of putting a litter box anywhere other than the room on the basement they're in now. Since he went outside the shoe thing that it was suggested he might have taken to a second box, I don't know about the suggestion of removing it. The vet suggested Feliway, but after the non-specific threats thrown around at the discovery of today's urine, I don't think Dad would like the idea of more cat pheromones sprayed in the house. Feliway smells like nothing so if you can afford it, just buy some and plug it in. Your dad will have no idea. Do you think your dad could be convinced to let you temporarily put the litter box where the cat's peeing? It's got to be a pain in the rear end to get it out of the carpet.
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Jul 3, 2015 01:49
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Ferremit posted:Well you can add "Full blown terror and hissing and puffing up at the sound of someone blowing their nose" to the list of things shes scared of- Off to the vets tomorrow to see if theres something amiss or whether we're going to have to get her on kitty prozac or something for a few months so she doesnt jump in fear at her own farts. I adopted two cats from a shelter who got them from hoarders. They were quite afraid and hid from me for weeks in one case, months in another. They both also needed to learn that they weren't going to die if I coughed or sneezed. Took them a while. Feliway and Prozac helped the shyer one, but I've had her over two years and she's still progressing. Give her places she can feel safe, see if she responds to slow blinking, speak softly and soothingly to her, let her know she's safe and cared for, and at some point she will start to believe you. One thing I found weird with mine: she was braver a while after something unpleasant (visitors, vet trip, etc) happened. Perspective, I guess.
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Jul 3, 2015 02:01
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The cats are starting to get along better. The Kitten still really likes to hunt the older cats tail and gently caress with him but she's doing it less and less. They also seem to like to watch each other on the bathroom. We've got one of those closed off boxes with a flap because the older cat likes to hurl litter all over the place when covering his piss and poo poo. When either of them goes to the bathroom the other will often follow and just sit and stare into the box. I've got pervert cats. I had to buy a different brand of litter though and it's really annoying that I can't flush it down the toilet like the old one. FreudianSlippers fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Jul 3, 2015 |
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Jul 3, 2015 02:16
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Hawkgirl posted:Feliway smells like nothing so if you can afford it, just buy some and plug it in. Your dad will have no idea. Do you think your dad could be convinced to let you temporarily put the litter box where the cat's peeing? It's got to be a pain in the rear end to get it out of the carpet. Feliway would be a hell of a lot easier to stomach if it wasnt AU$100+ a dispenser in Australia. And as for a litter lifter? US price: US$6.85 + Postage Australian price: US$33.69 delivered. we get so shafted... $20 postage alone 
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Jul 3, 2015 03:35
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khy posted:This link needs to be in the OP of this thread and every thread that ever has anything to do with cats, because this link is the best. Awwwww... I have too many cats right now, and I've never even considered to adopt a
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Jul 3, 2015 05:18
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Dalael posted:Awwwww... Too many people don't consider it. I was guilty of this as well until Jade convinced me by being the most friendly, loving, adorable cat at the shelter. She was 3 when I picked her up!
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Jul 3, 2015 05:40
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Dr Christmas posted:I have a problem with my cat peeing in a specific corner. Are you sure that it's the male doing the outside-the-box peeing? Female could be protesting because diabetic cat pee smells weird and she hates it. If it is the male peeing outside the box, separating the boxes could help because she may be hazing/bullying him for smelling wrong. (Once had a four cat household and the one diabetic cat was picked on by the other three long before we knew she was sick. The one male we had designated himself as litterbox cop and would follow the diabetic cat to the box and chase her out before she could cover her leavings, then do a big dramatic Jacobson's huff and spend forever burying her pee. Weirdo.) Either way, I'd try moving a box--possibly even replacing the old box with one like the newer one they both prefer. I know money's tight, but getting him cleared of potential uti/bladder issues is important in solving this puzzle.
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Jul 3, 2015 05:46
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Ferremit posted:Feliway would be a hell of a lot easier to stomach if it wasnt AU$100+ a dispenser in Australia.
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Jul 3, 2015 09:44
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Ferremit posted:Feliway would be a hell of a lot easier to stomach if it wasnt AU$100+ a dispenser in Australia. You can buy it cheaper than your price and get free postage. Try petbarn and its on sale this week. http://www.petbarn.com.au/cats/cat-health-wellbeing/stress-anxiety-treatments/feliway-refill-48ml.html The diffusers can be cheaply brought from coles and wow. You could also try a calming collar http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/sentry-calming-collar-cat-p-11718 I like the feliway spray. Spray some around areas that the cat frequents and it last for 30days. You could also look at Rescue Remedy. There is a pet version that contains no alcohol but i would double check if its safe for cats. The blue bunny fucked around with this message at 11:50 on Jul 3, 2015 |
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Jul 3, 2015 09:58
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I can vouch for the Sentry Calming Collar as helpful with Luther, who has some status/random aggro issues going on. (He's the bridge troll of doorways and high-traffic paths. gently caress YOU YOU MAY NOT PASS. PICK ME UP I LOVE YOU.) Like I've said here before, I can tell by his behavior when the collar is just past three weeks old without even checking the calendar. Feliway works on him, too, but it's pricey for the two diffusers I need to run for it to be effective in my home's layout.
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Jul 3, 2015 10:10
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The blue bunny posted:You could also look at Rescue Remedy. There is a pet version that contains no alcohol but i would double check if its safe for cats. This is homeopathic and has zero value besides lightening your wallet.
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Jul 3, 2015 12:15
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Ok got another new one. She's scared of the toaster too. Off to the vet tomorrow morning for a general checkup and a good chat about her fear problems. Another unusual one is that our boys pee will clump into a kitty rissole so hard you could kill a man with it, and hers are so crumbly you can't even scoop them properly- exactly the same litter in both boxes too. Anything to be concerned about?
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Jul 3, 2015 14:00
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Ferremit posted:Ok got another new one. No, scoop more frrquently.
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Jul 3, 2015 14:09
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duckfarts posted:No, scoop more frrquently. It doesnt seem to matter if you wait half a day after shes used the box or wait standing with scoop in hand it just doesnt clump. Water clumps fine, Isaacs pee clumps fine, hers doesnt! Bloody wierd arse cats- This is a bentonite clay litter for the record, both our cats seem to love it and not give a toss about the dust and its waaay easier to deal with than the compressed paper or wood stuff.
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Jul 3, 2015 14:46
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 Gawd, even her pee can't keep it together.
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Jul 3, 2015 16:08
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I'd definitely look into kitty Prozac. It really helped a friend's fearful, anxious cat.
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Jul 3, 2015 23:19
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Well Kitty went to the vet today, conjunctivitis is slowly getting better, gotta do another 4 days of the ointment in the eyes and that should clear up fully. Got a clean bill of health, good heart and lungs, good kidneys and liver, guts feel good and based on the improvements the Feliway is helping with and her getting her poo poo together we've decided to hold off on any drugs for the time being and see how she goes.  God drat confusing cats... 30 seconds before this she was kicking Isaacs head in for playing too rough.
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Jul 4, 2015 05:36
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Do cats get addicted to feliway sprays and the like?
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Jul 4, 2015 05:40
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We also know some folks who have a cat on kitty Prozac (or kitty Valium, I forget which), and it's taken her from "basically intolerable" to "a bit of a cranky old lady but happy and comfortable enough." They have a pharmacy custom-formulate it into a cream they can rub into her ears, which seems to work well.
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Jul 4, 2015 06:29
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EXTREME INSERTION posted:Do cats get addicted to feliway sprays and the like? Do you get addicted to Glade plug ins? I think, if anything, they acclimate and it becomes less effective over time.
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Jul 4, 2015 14:29
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EXTREME INSERTION posted:Do cats get addicted to feliway sprays and the like? Feliway isn't actually a drug as far as I understand it, it's an artificial version of the hormone that cats use to mark their territory. So it isn't calming them because it's directly affecting their brain chemistry, it's just giving them the sense that they are somewhere that is totally their territory and safe and secure.
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Jul 4, 2015 15:12
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So I've been contemplating it for the past few months, but I think it might be time for me to start heading to shelters and looking at potential pets. So far I've been considering 1 dog or adopting 2 kittens. I live by myself and generally work from 10am-7pm but can come home during lunch for a hour or so. I'm not sure if this is enough time at-home for a dog, but a friend told me as long as I got two kittens they should be able to take care of each other as long as I provide everything I can before work/during lunch. I live in a nice apartment, finally have enough furniture for it to be considered a home, and a bunch of extra cardboard boxes that I think I could craft some neat cat hangouts with. I'm still unsure about whether I should even do this or not, but it really sucks coming home to an empty apartment and it's quite lonely. Pros of a dog are it'll get me out walking it and bringing it to places with me, pros of cats for me would mostly be that I have somebody relying and depending on me that I can play with and love. At least that's my mindset at the moment. I've never owned a dog or cat that was just mine only, and usually it was with a parent who spoiled it and it was pretty much theirs. Any advice for my situation would be appreciated 
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Jul 4, 2015 19:03
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Ooh, I think this one is for me. Definitely kittens. The dog will go crazy with your schedule. Granted, it'll go crazy while you're away, and in your own place it won't take anyone else down with it, but it'll still go crazy, and you'll feel bad. I haven't actually owned a combination of kittens myself, but based on this thread, a kitten duo is a perfect self-servicing combination for a busy pet-owner, and with your lunch homecoming for a little food the rating of the accomodations would easily reach five-stars, according to vets I have visited over the years.
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Jul 4, 2015 19:50
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It's a long shot, but you could ask the shelters if any dog and cat pairs (that get along) have been surrendered from the same household together. Best of both worlds!
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Jul 4, 2015 20:51
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I own two cats bought nearly together as kittens, and a 10 month old dog. If you're the kind of person who likes to relax after work, definitely the two kittens. Cats are largely self sufficient and will not wilt if you are at work and then just want to vege out. The dog is doable, 10am - 7pm is the same time period as most full time workers, you just start and finish a little later. You'd need to make sure you take the dog for a walk before and after work, unless you can get it to adapt to your sleep schedule (assume you sleep later as well) and be prepared for your dog waking up at 6am like clockwork regardless. You also want to get a chill dog who can handle being alone. If you're looking at shelters I am sure they could match you with an adult dog with a temperament to match your situation. So, low effort - cats. High effort - dog. E: doh, didn't read properly, coming home at lunch will be a big help if you're able to fit a walk into it. Also supermikhail, plenty of people are able to own dogs and work full time; while some have separation anxiety issues, many just switch into standby mode and so long as you exercise them and give them buttloads of attention when you are home it's not a problem. Tamarillo fucked around with this message at 21:47 on Jul 5, 2015 |
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Jul 5, 2015 21:34
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Well thats a new standard in "What the gently caress cat?" we've reached tonight. She scared the poo poo out of herself.... With her own poo poo. As in full crouched down, hissing, yowling, puffed up attack mode scared. At a pile of poop in the litterbox. That the stupid dense fucker didnt even bury. Because she was now terrified of it. Sigh. And then for some reason she associated ME with being scared of her poop and spent the rest of the evening fleeing from me whenever she saw me. At least she doesnt go off her nut about the dog any more
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Jul 6, 2015 14:04
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I wanted to ask whether cats have a minimum distance they can tolerate between their food and their toilet. I'll have to move some furniture around, and food could end up being separated from the toilet by less than a couple meters (~14#7^ feet?), and a flimsy table... leg, I suppose, a.k.a. a vertical wooden board. I wonder if this could cause issues. I'm just figuring out how many cons there are with the arrangement I'm considering.
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Jul 6, 2015 14:10
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Ferremit posted:Well thats a new standard in "What the gently caress cat?" we've reached tonight. Hey man, I've been pretty terrified of some of my shits
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Jul 6, 2015 14:25
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Ferremit posted:Well thats a new standard in "What the gently caress cat?" we've reached tonight. Outstanding.
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Jul 7, 2015 01:11
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Tinycat update. He's been to the vet. Apparently, there's nothing terribly wrong with him so far (besides his size). He's "ballooned" to 200 grams. Also, apparently, he's an anime:  He never blinks, which is... vaguely disconcerting, to have these huge eyes follow you around. (He's, in general, kind of slow - to see him yawn is a rarity.) Hence my question - should I water his eyes for him (with saline solution?) , or just leave him be?
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Jul 7, 2015 07:39
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There's a monster in the room with him so he's keeping his eyes open and not blinking. (it's you)
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Jul 7, 2015 08:00
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meristem posted:Tinycat update. I'm not a vet, but he should have nictating membranes/clear "third eyelids" that means he doesn't technically need to blink. I'd talk to your vet about it if you're concerned, though?
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Jul 7, 2015 08:12
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meristem posted:Tinycat update. I'd phone the vet and ask. I'm guessing he'll be fine without them, but it really depends on how long he doesn't blink for; cats don't need to blink nearly as often as people, but you need to make sure he can actually close his eyelids in the first place.
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Jul 7, 2015 08:13
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Thanks all, again! It's not particularly that I'm concerned - it's more that I don't know whether to be concerned, given that I'm a casual pet owner at best (and so never had to attend to an, I guess, a 'special needs' kitten?). In Rumsfeld's immortal words, there are bound to be unknown unknowns, and I'm trying to correct for that by asking stupid questions. He can close his eyes, because he does that when he sleeps. He just never does it when he's awake, and we're in a heat wave right now, so I feel *my* eyes dry out after a time. I've already had to clean out the goop once or twice - I'm just generally unaware what's needed.
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Jul 7, 2015 10:21
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Seems to be a theme here about cats and poop recently? My cat Hanako (12-ish, spayed female, only cat) has become a serial carpet pooper, especially loving the spare room in the apartment. She has two litter boxes, one in the pantry and the other in the laundry closet in the bathroom. Her food spot is also in the pantry so maybe I need to move that? But that's also the box she uses more often. Her gifts were pretty hard nuggets, and she poopscooted a couple times, so I took her to the vet who said to give her more wet can food. Instead of cleaning nuggets I was cleaning puddles of poo goo for a week, so I cut back on the wet food again. There's a plug conveniently by her problem area (which I've cleaned with resolve, febreeze, and two different nature's miracle products) so possibly putting a feliway diffuser there would help? I'm already using cat attract litter. I've posted here about my mom's devil before, Lucky, so I guess I'll update about him too. He still bites everything. Mom has a habit of stopping giving his prozac when she thinks he's "doing better" which leads to her having to bandage her arms up in a few days when he goes nuts. They're moving at the end of the month so might have to do some things to calm him the gently caress down at the new living place. At least he's pretty chill about getting crated and going for car rides.
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Jul 7, 2015 13:29
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Isaac found the da bird last night, removed it from the drawer and murdered it. Good thing we bought a spare. And an anchor to zip tie to his tail.
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Jul 7, 2015 15:37
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Please congratulate our cat for getting all of her urine in the litterbox and none outside the litterbox for the first time in months. We are proud of our confused furry roommate who doesn't pay rent. (Moved the litterbox, changed the litter type)
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Jul 7, 2015 18:39
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JohnnyCanuck posted:Please congratulate our cat for getting all of her urine in the litterbox and none outside the litterbox for the first time in months. We are proud of our confused furry roommate who doesn't pay rent. Congratulations on having a house where cat pee is finally in the right place! The makers of Natures Miracle will no doubt miss your patronage. Unrelated: my idiot savant cat, who struggles with most life decisions and often appears to forget what he is doing, has worked out how to open the cat door when it's set to "cats can come in but can't go out". He makes a hell of a noise doing so, and now we've had to set the cat door to "no one comes or goes". He spent 10min slamming it at 3am this morning before giving up.
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Jul 7, 2015 21:29
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meristem posted:Tinycat update. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consult a vet concerning questions for this special little guy!
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Jul 7, 2015 21:59
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