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Mister Adequate posted:This sounds like 100% the time to get a second cat. We've been having similar issues with our cat keeping her stimulated, but are really worried about getting a 2nd cat. She is almost 10 years old and was formerly a stray, and is hyper aggressive with other animals (except humans, who she loves). Like anytime she would see another cat in her territory she wouldn't do the whole pause and stare and growl routine, she would straight charge immediately even if the cat was way bigger than her. She is basically a monster. Has anyone had success introducing a kitten or new cat to a cat like ours? Now that we don't let her out anymore she is so bored and needy 24/7.
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Jul 24, 2017 21:33
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Jerome Louis posted:We've been having similar issues with our cat keeping her stimulated, but are really worried about getting a 2nd cat. She is almost 10 years old and was formerly a stray, and is hyper aggressive with other animals (except humans, who she loves). Like anytime she would see another cat in her territory she wouldn't do the whole pause and stare and growl routine, she would straight charge immediately even if the cat was way bigger than her. She is basically a monster. Has anyone had success introducing a kitten or new cat to a cat like ours? Now that we don't let her out anymore she is so bored and needy 24/7. Sounds like you'd need to do a careful introduction. Another old, laid-back cat would probably be a better idea. Some shelters can help you out with seeing if an adoptable cat will fit in to your household and being able to tell you about how their adoptable cats behave around other cats.
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Jul 24, 2017 21:39
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Jerome Louis posted:We've been having similar issues with our cat keeping her stimulated, but are really worried about getting a 2nd cat. She is almost 10 years old and was formerly a stray, and is hyper aggressive with other animals (except humans, who she loves). Like anytime she would see another cat in her territory she wouldn't do the whole pause and stare and growl routine, she would straight charge immediately even if the cat was way bigger than her. She is basically a monster. Has anyone had success introducing a kitten or new cat to a cat like ours? Now that we don't let her out anymore she is so bored and needy 24/7. Yeah, what POOL IS CLOSED says is good advice. Cats can usually be cajoled into mutual tolerance at the least, but a situation like yours may require a bit more finesse. I'd second talking to a shelter as well as your vet about it; if a second kitty can be happily homed it'd be better for Existing Cat as well as giving Interloper Cat a home, so it's worth investigating. We had to take care of my aunt's cats for a couple of years due to her work taking her out of the country for extended periods, and they were both completely insane. Rosie came to terms with it after awhile, Lily never really did, she just staked out her personal spaces (Mostly in my room) and Bast help any feline who infringed upon her ancient holdings.
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Jul 25, 2017 04:08
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I think this thread is too gung ho about a second cat. An older cat that has never shared a home is not going to enjoy the company of a new cat 9 times out of 10. At best they will learn to tolerate its presence.
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Jul 25, 2017 04:13
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Puppy Galaxy posted:I think this thread is too gung ho about a second cat. An older cat that has never shared a home is not going to enjoy the company of a new cat 9 times out of 10. At best they will learn to tolerate its presence. Well, hence the qualifier 'happily' and recommendations to talk to vets and shelters.
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Jul 25, 2017 04:27
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Very thick $350 bed mattress from the internet, soaked in fresh cat urine. A few more large spots of it show up in blacklight. Throw away the mattress or pour an entire bottle of Nature's Miracle Advanced onto it and wait?
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Jul 25, 2017 05:05
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In future, waterproof mattress pad cover thing. At least two, so there's a fresh dry one available when something stupid happens. Bottle of Nature's Miracle might save it.
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Jul 25, 2017 05:11
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Puppy Galaxy posted:I think this thread is too gung ho about a second cat. An older cat that has never shared a home is not going to enjoy the company of a new cat 9 times out of 10. At best they will learn to tolerate its presence. Yeah, honestly, if the cat is that cat-aggressive, it might be best to let her live out her days as an only cat. Not every cat needs or wants feline company, and even if she's bored and needy, it seems like that wouldn't be a good stimulation method for her. Maybe try getting her cat trees/stuff she can explore, with elevation? Toys that don't require your involvement, like those balls on tracks?
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Jul 25, 2017 05:44
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Bird feeder outside a window?
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Jul 25, 2017 07:29
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So the painkillers the neurologist gave our limping cat Muriel apparently stopped working or something. She was fine for a couple days and now she's back to limping and laying down whenever possible. She also won't make it up to the bed, she woke us up with her attempts so we had to lift her up. poo poo. I'll probably build her a little ramp today. We're waiting till tomorrow and then we're calling the neurologist again. Anyway, we kinda have a new problem: Both cats react really apathetic towards their wet food as of a couple days ago. Muriel of course, but her sister, as well. They'll come but only smell the food for a bit, nibble and go away. Then after an hour or two we'll find the food has been mostly eaten. They haven't really skipped a meal so far, in which case they should be OK, right? When they eat barely anything they usually gobble down the next day. If they or one of them starts refusing food, what's the best course of action? Give them dry food (which they adore, they go nuts when we so much as touch the bag, it's more of a treat)? We already tried switching the brand little by little a couple months ago but that led to diarrhoea so we're wary.
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Jul 25, 2017 08:48
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Vets keep telling me that while wet food is better, when they don't want to eat, anything (reasonable) that they'll eat is way better than nothing. If they'll eat dry, have at it.
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Jul 25, 2017 14:17
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Organza Quiz posted:Bird feeder outside a window? Genius idea. Add a window cat mattress, the kind that suckers onto windows in proximity and instant cat tv! I don't need a cat feeder where I am, flocks of galahs and other birds are close enough.
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Jul 25, 2017 14:25
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Welp we're a failed foster :P
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Jul 26, 2017 18:27
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We need pictures of the culprit.
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Jul 26, 2017 18:41
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Boogalo posted:We need pictures of the culprit. Will do soon, promise.
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Jul 26, 2017 19:34
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I need some recommendations for good cat self enrichment toys. Like the kind that kitty can play with on their own when we're not around, if that's even a thing. We've noticed lately that Wheatley seems to be lacking enrichment in his life, judging by the amount of "woe is me" meowing he makes at us when we're home from work. Abby doesn't give a hoot unless the laser pointer is out, but Wheatley will sit on his favorite toy until one of us picks it up to play. But we can't do that when we're at work and I think that's leading to some pretty intense boredom for him. Anything the thread can recommend would be great. I've looked at the mouse under the blanket toy already and will probably pick one up soon. I was also thinking about food puzzles, though he's not as food motivated as his sister.
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Jul 28, 2017 17:25
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Canadian Bakin posted:I need some recommendations for good cat self enrichment toys. Like the kind that kitty can play with on their own when we're not around, if that's even a thing. We've noticed lately that Wheatley seems to be lacking enrichment in his life, judging by the amount of "woe is me" meowing he makes at us when we're home from work. Abby doesn't give a hoot unless the laser pointer is out, but Wheatley will sit on his favorite toy until one of us picks it up to play. But we can't do that when we're at work and I think that's leading to some pretty intense boredom for him. Scout likes this ball track toy a lot and often amuses herself playing with it; http://i1.wp.com/floppycats.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Bergan-Turbo-Scratcher-Cat-Toy.jpg
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Jul 29, 2017 23:29
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Hello thread. I have a question about introducing a new cat into a home. We have two cats (4 yr and 10 yrs) that have gotten along together for about 3 years now. We adopted a new guy (Poe, 11 months old) a month and a half ago and we're having troubles introducing the new guy into the mix. We are keeping the new guy in his own room and made sure the new cats knew about it. After a few days I let him meet our older cat. New guy pretty much ignored him and I thought it was going to be fine, but then Snickers (older cat) started the hissing game. Hissing and jabbing are fine and I understand it's going to happen. Then we introduced him to our younger cat Misty. She got really upset and screamed a bit, but no contact was made and she began hiding. I thought that was fine as well. So for the next dew days for about an hour a day I let the new guy out to explore. Eventually Misty stopped hiding and came out to attack him. She's half the size of Poe so it didn't go well for her. I broke them up promptly and separated them again. So instead of letting him out now, I've been feeding them all in the same room and when they are done I separate them again. All of them will eat the food together in the same room. Snickers growls and hisses but if Poe isn't near him or isn't looking at him he's relaxed and fine. However, Misty is constantly hissing and growling even when she's eating. Then shes constantly on the lookout for him and doesn't relax like Snickers when he isn't in the immediate area. The other issue is Poe doesn't respond at all to the growls or the hissing. He doesn't care about it and will still approach the other cats. Poe himself never growls or hisses, but wants to play with the other cats even though they hiss. The problem is his method of play is to jump on one of them. When this happens and the other cat fights back, then Poe will fight back. So at this point I'm trying to find the best way to create an environment that might slowly help them get along. I'm not sure having them all eat in the same place together will work if Misty is always growling and hissing. I don't want to keep Poe in his room constantly. We do swap the cats for a few hours each day and let Poe have the house. At this point i'm not sure what will help Misty especially get slowly comfortable.
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Jul 31, 2017 12:12
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A bit of brawling is also fine as long as it's not super serious fighting (like blood being drawn) and neither cat acts like it's being bullied over a long period of time. After a month and a half of what you've been doing I'd have a go at just letting them sort through things unless it looks like there's actual damage being done. Another option is if there's a way to keep them closed off from each other but so that they can see each other if that's possible? So Misty can watch Poe safely and work out what's up with him.
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Jul 31, 2017 12:50
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Oh blood was being drawn. If it wasn't I would be more ok with letting them go. I tried putting up a gate so they can see through it but I can't find one that's high enough that they can't jump over it. Honestly I was going to put a new door in to block off a hallway so I can give Poe more space when we're not around. I hate keeping him in a small room alone all day. If I could get a see through door that would be cool but I don't know if those exist.
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Jul 31, 2017 13:07
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Hmm yeah, that's tougher. Maybe try letting in the more chill cat to hang out with Poe without Misty? That way at least one set of cats is working their stuff out while Misty gets her poo poo together, and maybe it'll help her adjust if her friend smells more like Poe or she can see him being more relaxed?
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Jul 31, 2017 13:11
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Yea good thought. I was considering that as well. Snickers still growls and hisses, but he's about the same size as Poe so it's not as dangerous and the times when they've scuffled hasn't been as bad. If Poe actually paid attention to the growls and hisses I think it would be better. When we were introducing Misty and Snickers together they both were afraid of one another so it eventually worked out. Poe is so playful and unafraid that it's tough to get him to ignore the other cats. I think because he came from a cat colony he is so used to other cats that it doesn't phase him.
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Jul 31, 2017 13:21
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You can also try the Feliway diffusers or spray. It's hit and miss, though. I found it didn't make a difference at all, but others said it really helped.
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Jul 31, 2017 22:23
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Canadian Bakin posted:I need some recommendations for good cat self enrichment toys. Like the kind that kitty can play with on their own when we're not around, if that's even a thing. We've noticed lately that Wheatley seems to be lacking enrichment in his life, judging by the amount of "woe is me" meowing he makes at us when we're home from work. Abby doesn't give a hoot unless the laser pointer is out, but Wheatley will sit on his favorite toy until one of us picks it up to play. But we can't do that when we're at work and I think that's leading to some pretty intense boredom for him. a second cat e: just realized you may have another already ("his sister"), so #3
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Aug 1, 2017 02:17
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duckfarts posted:a second cat I mean, I'd have a dozen cats if I thought I could get away with it! Sadly, two is the limit for us since we live in an apartment. There's just not enough room for three and the litter boxes that would require.\ But I'll keep looking for ideas. Maybe some DIY home build toys.
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Aug 1, 2017 02:36
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Pixelante posted:You can also try the Feliway diffusers or spray. It's hit and miss, though. I found it didn't make a difference at all, but others said it really helped. I thought about this but it seems the research on cat hormone stuff is shady at best.
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Aug 1, 2017 14:12
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That feliway spray really worked for my nervous cat at the vet a few weeks ago. The vet tech had her lay on a towel sprayed with it and my cat actually purred for a while. It was the best vet visit that cat has ever had.
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Aug 1, 2017 14:56
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Mister Adequate posted:Scout likes this ball track toy a lot and often amuses herself playing with it; http://i1.wp.com/floppycats.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Bergan-Turbo-Scratcher-Cat-Toy.jpg Our cats (two in particular) like this too. Put it on a soft surface (carpet or bath mat or whatnot) though, otherwise it'll drive you crazy with plastic-against-tile/hardwood sounds all the time.
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Aug 2, 2017 07:27
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You definitely need a sweet spot of cat for that toy though. One of my cats is too dumb to figure it out, the other is too bored because it just moves in a circle.
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Aug 2, 2017 07:43
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Mine played with it a bit, then the elderly one peed on it. Also it's a deadly trip-hazard in the dark.
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Aug 2, 2017 07:52
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My cat loves his ball track but he mostly loves it at 2am when I'd rather he didn't.
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Aug 2, 2017 08:31
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Our cat has a spot on his left side that makes him act weird when it's scratched. Specifically, he lifts his head up, sticks his tongue out and starts licking at the air. Does anyone else's cat do that?
Lily Catts fucked around with this message at 12:28 on Aug 2, 2017 |
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Aug 2, 2017 12:23
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Schneider Heim posted:Our cat has a spot on his left side that makes him act weird when it's scratched. Specifically, he lifts his head up, sticks his tongue out and starts licking at the air. Does anyone else's cat do that? Ours definitely have Phantom Lick Spots. Rosie can get pretty air-licky when being groomed, too. I presume it's just a bit of cat weirdness.
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Aug 2, 2017 13:03
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Peridot does phantom licking sometimes, it always freaks me out a bit like there's something wrong with her but she seems okay so far and she's been doing it occasionally for ages. I got one of those balls-in-tracks for Pepper before I had Peridot and she played with it obsessively for 24 hours, then lost all interest once she was satisfied that the ball would never come out. I managed to hold her interest for a little while by putting treats in it which she could get out if she worked hard enough but she even got bored of that after a week or so.
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Aug 2, 2017 15:02
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Sprinkling a little catnip on our cats' track ball renews their interest in it every time. Ozma especially will keep at it even after tuckering herself out, just flopping over next to it and idly swatting at the ball. http://i.imgur.com/us2UGa1.gifv normally she'll wait til it rolls all the way around but i kept hitting it back at her
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Aug 2, 2017 16:00
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I finally got around to buying a fountain for Tuna. He really seems to appreciate it. He still likes to supplement it by drinking from the toilet, though. 
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Aug 2, 2017 18:36
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About a year and a half ago, Me and the wife brought home a 2.5 year old cat from the shelter. From what I understand, it was adopted twice before and returned both times for being too violent with other pets and children. She was a stray for about a year at some point Sewell. Cora has been super great with us, minus the first week of demon cat. She has some anxiety issues just like me it would seem. Since we got her though, she has taken to peeing on my wife's grandma's old couch. Seems like every other or every third day. I have tried cat attract, feliway defusers, new litters, multiple Litter boxes, removing the cushions, waterproof cover, putting the cats food bowl on the couch, and putting the cats snuggle planet on the couch. No matter what I do she pees. The only other place she has ever gone outside of the litter box is on/in my shoes and my wife's shoes. She's only done that a couple times since we got her though. Does anyone have any insight into what I can do for my cat? The wife doesn't want to give up the couch and i don't want to give up the cat
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Aug 2, 2017 23:04
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Is the couch against a window? We had a cat once who kept peeing on a seat there. Turns out there was an outside cat going by there every so often, so our inside cat got territorial.
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Aug 2, 2017 23:06
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:Is the couch against a window? We had a cat once who kept peeing on a seat there. Turns out there was an outside cat going by there every so often, so our inside cat got territorial. Its on the far wall across from the window. There is a closer identical couch that she has never peed on, and sleeps on all the time.
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Aug 3, 2017 01:31
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LeninVS posted:About a year and a half ago, Me and the wife brought home a 2.5 year old cat from the shelter. From what I understand, it was adopted twice before and returned both times for being too violent with other pets and children. She was a stray for about a year at some point Sewell. Are you cleaning the couch thoroughly with enzymatic cleaners (something like Nature's Miracle) after every incident? Even if the couch smells okay to humans, urine scent can linger at a level cats can detect, and lingering urine smell = "this is a pee-place, I pee here" for cats. You really need to knock out the smell with enzymatic treatment if you want to make it not a pee-place.
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Aug 3, 2017 01:58
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