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I would have, but due to a sudden change in circumstances I've had to move back with my parents who dislike animals and the cats are basically limited to my room and the hall indoors now. I know it's a risk to allow them outdoors, but up until now they've both seemed to really enjoy it. I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced something similar or if there was anything I could do to help. Either way, I'm gonna take them both to the vet and hopefully the girl comes around.
LeafyGreens fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Aug 12, 2015 |
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Aug 12, 2015 14:22
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Octolady posted:I've finally moved somewhere quiet with a big garden so I've been introducing my indoor cats to the outdoors. Why Do you need to? E: Welp, shoulda checked the new page
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Aug 12, 2015 14:44
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Octolady posted:I would have, but due to a sudden change in circumstances I've had to move back with my parents who dislike animals and the cats are basically limited to my room and the hall indoors now. I know it's a risk to allow them outdoors, but up until now they've both seemed to really enjoy it. I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced something similar or if there was anything I could do to help. Either way, I'm gonna take them both to the vet and hopefully the girl comes around. Cats do like being outdoors. That does not make it a good idea. They are going to get hurt, sick, possibly killed, and they are going to kill a shitload of local animals.
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Aug 12, 2015 14:58
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Get yourself a couple cat harnesses and take them out for supervised walks around the garden. They will still love it, you get to spend the time bonding with them and they will be safe from harm. Be sure to have their flea and heartworm medicines up to date.
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Aug 12, 2015 15:08
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Octolady posted:I would have, but due to a sudden change in circumstances I've had to move back with my parents who dislike animals and the cats are basically limited to my room and the hall indoors now. I know it's a risk to allow them outdoors, but up until now they've both seemed to really enjoy it. I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced something similar or if there was anything I could do to help. Either way, I'm gonna take them both to the vet and hopefully the girl comes around. This is like saying you know its dangerous for your children to play with the bottles under the sink, but they enjoy it so much so you keep allowing it. A cat that goes outside even part of the day has an average lifespan between 2-4 years. A cat that in indoors-only lives 12-18. I guess it depends on how long you want your cat? Either get a harness and only let him outside on walks with you in the harness (no, going outside with you nearby isn't enough. If he is spooked once he's gone and there's nothing you can do) or, and this may sound crazy, make indoors a fun environment for him. Scheduled play time. Food puzzles. Toys. A bird feeder to watch. Shelves to climb on.
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Aug 12, 2015 15:11
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I'm not really sure if anyone was reading my post, I have a limited amount I can work with right now because I'm not in my own house anymore. They have very little space indoors here, especially as there's two of them. But to clarify, they have a small cat tree, and I play with them in the evenings when they come inside as they aren't allowed out at night. I do have harnesses since I used them while helping the cats get used to the garden, so I'll take them out with them again. I come from the UK, so general opinion tends to be "cats should be allowed outdoors", so if I seem defensive it's just a bit upsetting to be told I don't care about them, or I'm going to just let them die. Anyway, my original question was if anybody had experienced a cat suddenly turn on another cat they'd been getting on with previously and if there's anything I can do to help them. If anyone has advice, I'd be grateful. vvv That makes sense, thank you. He definitely does smell a little funky. She's not bothered by him if she's up high, at least. Hopefully the vet visit will help them out LeafyGreens fucked around with this message at 15:52 on Aug 12, 2015 |
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Aug 12, 2015 15:22
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Just falling in a pond shouldn't have them pissed off for more than an evening. My best guess would be that there was something in the pond that's making them smell wierd to each other so they don't recognise the other cat. Might also be why they're under the weather following the dip.
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Aug 12, 2015 15:30
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Dienes posted:This is like saying you know its dangerous for your children to play with the bottles under the sink, but they enjoy it so much so you keep allowing it. A cat that goes outside even part of the day has an average lifespan between 2-4 years. A cat that in indoors-only lives 12-18. I guess it depends on how long you want your cat? Got a source for this? I keep my cat inside myself because I know it's better, but that sounds like a pretty massive exaggeration or something which seriously depends on your location. Most people keep inside/outside cats here and while it is more dangerous they absolutely do not die that often.
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Aug 12, 2015 15:49
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My theory is that that lifespan statistic counts ferals as well as domesticated cats.
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Aug 12, 2015 15:57
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Organza Quiz posted:Got a source for this? I keep my cat inside myself because I know it's better, but that sounds like a pretty massive exaggeration or something which seriously depends on your location. Most people keep inside/outside cats here and while it is more dangerous they absolutely do not die that often. Yeah, our indoor/outdoor cats have all lived past 20. Anecdotes, I know, but the only comparison I can make at the moment.
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Aug 12, 2015 16:02
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Cythereal posted:Cats do like being outdoors. That does not make it a good idea. They are going to get hurt, sick, possibly killed, and they are going to kill a shitload of local animals. They like to be outdoors because there is a shitload of local animals to kill, and tons of places to explore, like streets, fox dens, and your rear end in a top hat neighbors gun rage. E; You're quoting that stat wrong duder, it's 2 - 4 years less, not in total. Also buy a harness and walk your cat, or make one of those outdoor pens for them. Turtlicious fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Aug 12, 2015 |
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Aug 12, 2015 16:08
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Organza Quiz posted:Got a source for this? I keep my cat inside myself because I know it's better, but that sounds like a pretty massive exaggeration or something which seriously depends on your location. Most people keep inside/outside cats here and while it is more dangerous they absolutely do not die that often. I wonder how many cats just disappear and people write it off as "Must've been adopted by another family that is locking him inside." Is the Vetrinary Record a good enough source? Even if your cat doesn't die, they can still catch diseases, pick up parasites, or get horribly injured in ways that they wouldn't be if kept inside.
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Aug 12, 2015 16:19
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I don't think they got the stat wrong, Doing a fast google shows that same statistic is on web md's pet health site, and the aspca's site, among a few other general cat/vet sites. pets.webmd.com posted:...indoor cats live longer than their outdoor counterparts. Cats who are kept indoors can reach the ripe old age of 17 or more years, whereas outdoor cats live an average of just two to five years. Another reason for indoor cats’ longevity is that it’s easier for their owners to identify health problems early, before they become life threatening. The SPCA posted:The expected lifespan of an indoor-outdoor cat will depend on several factors, including the type of neighborhood you live in and sheer luck. But, on average, cats who are allowed to roam outdoors often don't live to see age five. Cats who are always kept safely confined can live to be 18 to 20 years old. So of course it does depend on your neighborhood, so I'm not surprised there are a lot of people from quieter neighborhoods having good luck with outdoor cats (heck, my childhood cats were outdoors and both lived to be over ten - one disappeared at age 13 and the other was killed by an animal at 11. wish we'd kept them in) I don't know if they're including ferals in that stat, or if the age is skewed younger by having a lot of young reckless kittens getting injured more than older cats, I don't know. The fact is the outdoors are a totally uncontrollable environment and so sending your cats out unleashed is going to be a much higher risk. A dog or wild animal in the neighborhood, a malicious neighbor leaving out poison for unwanted pet trespassers, straight up thieves who like the look of your pet, diseases carried by prey animals, and of course CARS can all take a cat from you in a hurry and you might never even find out what happened.
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Aug 12, 2015 16:23
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Just want to get some "you're not loving this up TOO bad" advice. We recently adopted Kaylee (3 yr old) and she's great by herself. Our little prince Jayne (~9-10) has been the only cat in the house for almost a year but had been living with another cat previous to that. I'd say it's been about 2 weeks this saturday since we introduced them but they still growl\hiss at each other. Kaylee spends any time we're home together out and free but under supervision so they don't try to murder each other thunderdome style. We keep her in the office at night to prevent fighting which is where she poops and has food. Are we doing ok just letting them out for portions of the day? We definitely try to get them to eat at the same time. Make sure to show both love and play with them. We've swapped rooms for a bit to let Jayne in the office. I just want my kitties to at least tolerate each other enough where we can leave doors open.  Kaylee Jayne
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Aug 12, 2015 16:35
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Irritated Goat posted:Just want to get some "you're not loving this up TOO bad" advice. Sounds like you're doing just fine. Growling and hissing is OK behavior between two cats. They are communicating and setting boundaries. As long as they are not physically fighting each other, they'll be ok. I'd say you can start letting them be in the same room when you're around. If they don't attack each other, you can probably start letting them both have free reign in the house.
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Aug 12, 2015 16:40
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Puppy Galaxy posted:Sounds like you're doing just fine. Growling and hissing is OK behavior between two cats. They are communicating and setting boundaries. As long as they are not physically fighting each other, they'll be ok. Also, cats are by nature assholes and will occasionally swat each other for fun or because they're feeling particularly dickish that day. This goes double for a younger cat with an older cat. People, do not let your cats outdoors. In addition to all the bad things that can happen to them, outdoor cats do horrible things to local wildlife populations. They will kill for fun, and kill often.
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Aug 12, 2015 16:42
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Cythereal posted:Also, cats are by nature assholes and will occasionally swat each other for fun or because they're feeling particularly dickish that day. This goes double for a younger cat with an older cat. Jayne wants to go outside a lot. Granted, he has 0 idea what to do when he makes it out there but yeah, no outdoor stuff for him. Jayne must be thinking  I'm outside! I'm free! I'll.......just stand here and now I'm back inside. drat.
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Aug 12, 2015 16:47
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Huntersoninski posted:I don't think they got the stat wrong, Doing a fast google shows that same statistic is on web md's pet health site, and the aspca's site, among a few other general cat/vet sites. I guess that explains why America seems so obsessed with keeping cats inside compared to here. It's almost unheard of to have indoor-only cats here, which is terrible because they kill the wildlife but people don't care about that as much as they do their pets dying, and if they were dying that often more people would keep them in. Of course, we have extremely low population density and no predators, but I didn't realise quite how stark a difference that must make.
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Aug 12, 2015 17:10
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So this is probably going to sound stupid, crazy, or both. After several repeated problems with urination outside the litterbox, blood in the urine, etc. we've decided upon feline idiopathic cystitis as the problem. Vet could detect no stones and no infection. These lack of findings together with the symptoms and periodic nature of the problem were the reasons for this diagnosis. This most recent flare-up, my wife suggested something. So we looked at the vet records instead of relying on my memory and found this out: the cat's bladder flare ups coincide precisely with my wife's menstrual cycle. I've heard that dogs will respond to human menstruation but I've never heard of anything like this. My wife recently stopped taking birth control as well so there are hormonal differences that weren't there for the last 7 years we've had the cat. The cat isn't acting any differently towards either of us, just this urinary tract problem. So a) is there a chance this is more than a crazy coincidence and b) if it is, would a Feliway diffuser do anything to help?
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Aug 12, 2015 17:24
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I found a few thin, black and sharp things in my cats head today that I think are dead whiskers? Was just 3 in the area of her whiskers, all shorter than an inch with white tips. I pulled them out with tweezers slowly and she seemed to like or not care that they were gone. Didn't resist to pulling on them at all. Indoor cat so I don't think it's a quill.
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Aug 12, 2015 22:24
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The only difference I've ever found when it comes to telling people the benefits of indoor vs outdoor cat is people witnessing how rarely my cats need to go to the vet. Nothing I have ever said made any difference
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Aug 13, 2015 11:48
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goodness posted:I found a few thin, black and sharp things in my cats head today that I think are dead whiskers? Was just 3 in the area of her whiskers, all shorter than an inch with white tips. I pulled them out with tweezers slowly and she seemed to like or not care that they were gone. Didn't resist to pulling on them at all. Indoor cat so I don't think it's a quill. Those might have been fresh whiskers, whiskers do fall out and get replaced... in other words you just destabilized your cat.
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Aug 13, 2015 20:52
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AtomikKrab posted:Those might have been fresh whiskers, whiskers do fall out and get replaced... in other words you just destabilized your cat. I can't imagine a cat letting anyone pluck whiskers without mauling them to shreds.
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Aug 13, 2015 20:54
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Angrymog posted:I can't imagine a cat letting anyone pluck whiskers without mauling them to shreds. Back when I was a small and extremely stupid child I trimmed one of my cats whiskers right down to the fur with some blunt child-safe scissors, which did involve accidentally yanking a couple out. For such a crotchety old cat he took it remarkably calmly. In retrospect, he really should have mauled me. Don't gently caress with your cats whiskers, y'all.
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Aug 13, 2015 21:12
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Just for reference to my last post in this thread. 95% of his urine leakage has stopped since we moved into a 2 story house with finished basement. (Old apartment was very tiny). It was either stress from moving or he was having trouble figuring out how to control his new pee hole.
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Aug 13, 2015 22:05
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AtomikKrab posted:Those might have been fresh whiskers, whiskers do fall out and get replaced... in other words you just destabilized your cat. They were not new, had been slightly poking me the last couple months whenever I pet her. Just always thought it was something sticky in her hair. They were hard as needles, did not bend at all and slid out with a slight pull.
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Aug 13, 2015 23:16
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One of my cats has a bad habit of pigging out on food for a bit and then horking it back up within minutes. She regular-eats enough that I'm not terribly concerned about this as a health issue but I'm kind of tired of needing to clean up after her. Is there any thing I can do to get her to stop, or at least do it less often?
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Aug 14, 2015 02:45
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neongrey posted:One of my cats has a bad habit of pigging out on food for a bit and then horking it back up within minutes. She regular-eats enough that I'm not terribly concerned about this as a health issue but I'm kind of tired of needing to clean up after her. We had to feed dry in a puzzle ball for a while. Of course, our cat figured out the fastest way to get the food out-- trap it in a corner and turn it around until all food fell out-- then would pig out on it and hork it up. Eventually we fed her twice a day in smaller portions that she could eat as quickly as she wanted and not throw up.
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Aug 14, 2015 02:49
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Hmm, might do, but then I'd be a bit concerned about the other cat getting enough. Still, I'm home all day for the next little while so I could give it a try and keep an eye out to make sure Maddie's getting enough while Cassie hogs everything.
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Aug 14, 2015 02:53
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When Mocha was eating dry food sometimes we jammed a few golf balls in her bowl that she'd have to work around.
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Aug 14, 2015 04:36
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Pioneer Pet Tiger Diner Ceramic Food Dish/Bowl, White This really slowed Luther down for awhile, but I still had to give him smaller portions at a time because he learned to swipe an arm in and shovel it out. Then I switched to an auto feeder (that still gives too-large portions), but I think his time with the Tiger taught him something about when to say when. As long as I keep giving him anti-hairball treats and he doesn't guzzle a bunch of water then eat, the horking is way less frequent. I'd like to build a platform for his auto-feeder that allows it to dispense into the Tiger bowl, though.
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Aug 14, 2015 05:02
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I swear the prescription Hills I/D food has made Isaacs arse problems WORSE On the Advanced and Hills Science Diet they were soft tending to mushy and stank like hell, now on the Hills I/D the poor bastard is spray painting the litterbox (and his tail and arse hair- Hes a very short short hair but its nearly time for a hygiene trim...) How has the most bland food made his arseplosions BIGGER? 
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Aug 14, 2015 08:00
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Hmm, yeah, a dish like that looks really good. The trick is Maddie is a really light eater relative to Cassie-the-puke-goddess so I don't want her getting much less food than she gets now. But Maddie is a lot smarter than Cassie is, I think, so if Maddie figures out the bowl and Cassie doesn't, it's not a big deal. I'll give that a try. For sisters you'd think they'd be more alike!
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Aug 14, 2015 08:06
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neongrey posted:One of my cats has a bad habit of pigging out on food for a bit and then horking it back up within minutes. She regular-eats enough that I'm not terribly concerned about this as a health issue but I'm kind of tired of needing to clean up after her. I used this: http://www.amazon.com/Indipets-Extra-Heavy-Piece-Stainless/dp/B0033PR7CI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_199_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0H0B7Q1B0JTQREN18D2T It basically does the same thing - prevents the cat from being able to pig out and has to work around for her food. It slowed our cat down a lot, and she'll scoop out her dry kibble with her paw just like the other one, too.
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Aug 14, 2015 16:13
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Those small bowls can actually be pretty uncomfortable for your cats to use. Their whiskers are super sensitive as you know and the shape of those bowls causes a lot more physical contact. Makes it really uncomfortable which is why cats will pull their food out of the bowl to eat it.
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Aug 14, 2015 17:44
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goodness posted:Those small bowls can actually be pretty uncomfortable for your cats to use. Their whiskers are super sensitive as you know and the shape of those bowls causes a lot more physical contact. Makes it really uncomfortable which is why cats will pull their food out of the bowl to eat it. That is probably why when Tali eats all the food in the center of her dish and there's just a ring of kibble around the rim we get screamed at for more food even though you've got plenty of food you fat baby! We just shake her dish around and she goes to town.
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Aug 14, 2015 20:03
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Quick kitty question: is it a Really Dumb Idea to get my cats a lava lamp? Are they likely to burn themselves on it?
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Aug 15, 2015 02:21
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Hydrolith posted:Quick kitty question: is it a Really Dumb Idea to get my cats a lava lamp? Are they likely to burn themselves on it? They're more likely to knock it over, actually. They understand hot.
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Aug 15, 2015 02:41
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goodness posted:Those small bowls can actually be pretty uncomfortable for your cats to use. Their whiskers are super sensitive as you know and the shape of those bowls causes a lot more physical contact. Makes it really uncomfortable which is why cats will pull their food out of the bowl to eat it. Yeah, I was thinking about that. Either way, if she carefully eats out of the bowl to avoid whisker contact or if she scoops some out with her paw, she's eating her dry kibble very slowly which stops her from horking it up later that morning. I have a slightly bigger dish, so she can sort of pivot her head or stand to the side to avoid more whisker contact.
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Aug 15, 2015 02:49
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Huh, that explains why one of their bowls gets eaten out of less. Still, I'll keep that in mind when I pick out a good inconvenient bowl for Cassie.
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Aug 15, 2015 03:01
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