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Beyond Satire posted:Yeah he is his usual bitey rear end in a top hat self. Playing/eating/drinking/litterboxing normally. Is displeased that I won't give him some of my pizza. I guess I'll just keep an eye on him for the moment. You say nothing changed, but the seasons are probably in transition where you are, yeah? Our cat has seasonal allergies and gets a little sneezy/gross during the spring. We realized that it was allergies over an illness because she was only bad on my worst allergy days. (We're both allergic to tree pollen!  ) Our vet says she can have half a tab of Zyrtec (so 5mg) a day to help, so it might be something to mention when you do eventually go to the vet.
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Apr 3, 2018 14:37
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Could use some advice, catthread. My folks've just (read: two weeks ago), adopted a trio of what we are pretty sure are brothers; Amicus, Brutus and Claudius. Their history isn't completely certain. They were at the cat home as a trio because they were previously owned as a trio but the owner had to give them up because an unspecified health problem meant he couldn't care for them anymore. We are pretty sure that Amicus and Claudius are about a year old and Brutus is around half a cat lifespan old. This isn't from records; this is because the cat home examined their teeth. The problem: Brutus is pathologically shy, and in weirdly specific ways. Since arriving home for the first time, he has taken up almost permanent residence behind a sofa in the lounge. By all indication, he is totally happy back there. His two probably-brothers aren't the boldest but after a week they were strutting around in total ownership of the place as only cats can. If you make minimal pss-pss noises at them before walking up to them they will happily cat at you until someone gets bored. They're doing exactly fine for two-week-homed cats. But Brutus only ever seems to emerge in the dead of night, and unwillingly, to use his own personal food bowl and litter tray that have been put in the lounge for him because otherwise the other two would just eat his food. He has definitely explored the house, and seems to know his way around, but all he ever seems to do is migrate between hidey-holes for a while before returning to the sofa. He won't even come out a couple feet for treats. The thing is, though, while he's back there, he's at total ease. Like his probably-brothers, if you announce yourself you can reach back there and pet him, and he loves that poo poo. Head, cheeks, chin, back, even belly-rubs. He does it all. He leans right into you purrs as loud as I ever heard a cat purr. But only behind the sofa. He doesn't seem to mind his probably-brothers, nor they him. They can walk right up to him and casually jump over him if they want to run behind the sofa for some reason. He doesn't flinch at this. He doesn't act out in any other way that we've noticed. We've had zero other problems with any of them. They don't fight, they don't piss on not-litter, they're lovely. The cat home tells us that he was like this there too; their quarters were an inside room and an outside room connected by a small tunnel, and he'd just hide in the tunnel all day. His probably-brothers apparently just put up with this. To sum up, we've got a cat that hides all day, despite not seemingly having any beef with either people, nor the other cats, nor exploring the house. This is a problem because nobody involved is cool with having a food bowl and litter tray living full time in the lounge, both for the obvious reasons and because it's a full time concern to make sure the other cats don't literally eat his lunch. He's probably going to have to go back to the home in a week or two if we can't figure something out, and so far we've figured out exactly nothing. This whole thing seems faintly ridiculous, but mostly just sad. Thoughts?
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Apr 3, 2018 17:20
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Hi cat megathread! Sorry for the longish post, but I have a question about introducing a new cat. I'll try to make this as readable as possible. The catst of characters: Lilly: 12 YO female, perma-foster. For unimportant reasons she's not adoptable but the rescue I work for has asked me to permanently foster her. She's the best cat ever and I'd adopt her if I could, but I'm happy perma-fostering her. I was asked to take her because she doesn't do well with other cats; it was explained to me that a shelter situation would stress her out immensely, and I agree. I assumed this is because she's extremely shy and timid. I believe in her previous home she lived in her own bedroom while the other cats had the run of the house. Beast: 9 YO male, my GF's cat. Sweetest cat ever, affectionate, well-mannered, and docile. Likes include cuddling, breakfast and hiding under the bedsheets. Booty: 12 YO female, my GF's cat. Sweet when she wants to be but has a feisty side. Likes include cuddling on her schedule only, cleaning her butt, and being outside. (She and Beast get supervised patio time when we're at home.) We moved in together 3 weeks ago and things have gone pretty well with the cats. Lilly is in the spare bedroom (we have a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house with another roommate, a large patio and some storage rooms) and the other two have the run of the place. None of the cats have any health problems despite their age, although we will be taking all of them to the vet for routine bloodwork soon. None have any behavioral problems either. They're all just really average, sweet, affectionate cats. So far, my GF and I have been alternating spending nights in the main bedroom and the spare bedroom. The cats have all met, and my sweet docile shy Lilly has been the one to hiss first. To be fair to her, though, she only does it when cornered. She runs into the closet and hides, and only hisses when one of them pokes their head in. The other two cats are curious but not aggressive, and either run away or hiss back and then run away when she hisses at them. The cats are only allowed near each other with supervision. We use calming spray periodically and both bedrooms have Feliway diffusers, and we notice a marked difference on days when we use calming spray, especially with Lilly (Booty and Beast are so gregarious and assertive that it's only made a minor difference, but we can tell Lilly is much more relaxed when we use it). So I guess I'm asking for general advice. It's been a very long time since I introduced cats together, as my previous cat was a solo cat. It's tricky because Booty and Beast have had the run of the place for 6 months and have lived together for 9 years, whereas Lilly is getting used to a new home AND new cats. It's also tricky because Lilly is not food-motivated, so while I give her treats after every positive interaction, or anytime she decides to explore the place, she only eats them about half the time. I'd also like to know what kind of timeline we should expect. I know 3 weeks is not very long, so I'm not panicking yet, but should I be concerned if no progress is made at the 3 month mark? My GF and I are prepared to always have a separate bedroom for Lilly if needed, but we'd really like all the cats to get along. Currently we'll be lying in one of the beds, reading or whatever, and be sad that only one or two of the cats is around. We are happy to provide a room just for Lilly if that's what she needs, but we really would like to give introduction a try. I'm not 100% convinced Lilly will do poorly with other cats, especially considering Booty and Beast are sweet and not aggressive. My third question doesn't really involve introduction, but more acclimation for Lilly. Currently she hides in the closet in her room, and I keep her food bowl in there with her, although I have left it outside the closet and she still eats it. I'd like to close the closet door at some point, hopefully soon, so she won't have it as a crutch, but I still want her to be able to hide if necessary. Should I introduce another hiding spot where she'd feel secure, and then in a week or so, close the closet? She can't hide under the furniture as it is flush to the ground, but she can hide in the bedsheets if she wants, and there are a few other hiding spots that aren't as enclosed as the closet. I don't want to stress her out too much but I also don't want her living in the closet. Thanks in advance for any tips you may have, and thanks for reading!
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Apr 3, 2018 17:21
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Fedule posted:To sum up, we've got a cat that hides all day, despite not seemingly having any beef with either people, nor the other cats, nor exploring the house. This is a problem because nobody involved is cool with having a food bowl and litter tray living full time in the lounge, both for the obvious reasons and because it's a full time concern to make sure the other cats don't literally eat his lunch. He's probably going to have to go back to the home in a week or two if we can't figure something out, and so far we've figured out exactly nothing. This whole thing seems faintly ridiculous, but mostly just sad. I dunno I don't see the problem. You have two fun interactive cats and a third invisi-cat, who is totally chill and well behaved and just likes living under the couch. He's an older guy in yet another new strange home and almost definitely just needs more time to feel secure (it's only been two weeks!), but even if he never does I don't really understand why having a purry happy couch monster is an issue. He has a much better chance of coming out of his shell with you and his two familiar cat-bros than he does getting separated and thrown back in the shelter. Be patient. Give him lots of tuna and treats. Don't force him out of his safe space. Gradually scootch the food dish further away. Pet him lots. Talk to him when you are in the room. Distribute other hiding places around the house, like a sideways cardboard box or an open cat carrier. He'll be out soon :3
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Apr 3, 2018 19:28
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Regarding hidey cats: give them time. It helped me to block off the ridiculous hiding spot my cat used (kitchen cabinet under the sink) so that she had to get used to being at least a little more social, but it took her a long time to get over her issues. She started out as a grey streak I'd see maybe once a day, but by the end of her healthy days, she was in the kitchen demanding food, getting treats from strangers, and went from having her food and treats stolen to taking treats from cats twice her size. Fedule posted:To sum up, we've got a cat that hides all day, despite not seemingly having any beef with either people, nor the other cats, nor exploring the house. This is a problem because nobody involved is cool with having a food bowl and litter tray living full time in the lounge, both for the obvious reasons and because it's a full time concern to make sure the other cats don't literally eat his lunch. He's probably going to have to go back to the home in a week or two if we can't figure something out, and so far we've figured out exactly nothing. This whole thing seems faintly ridiculous, but mostly just sad. He might just be overwhelmed by the space. Some cats seem to do better starting with a room. Can you (or someone) spend time with him while he's back there? Not just for petting, but bring a book or something and let him get used to having company. Bring him food, see if he'll eat while you're there. Will he eat a treat behind the couch? If so, what about a treat that's almost not behind the couch? Gradually build trust and see if he'll get braver. I'd try giving him other hiding places, too. Get some cat furniture with hiding spots, have the entrances face away from the room so he'll feel safely hidden. Maybe see if you can entice him with a spot closer to the litter box so you won't feel like you need to leave one in your lounge. If you leave some dry food out, it sounds like he'll eat it at night. As he feels more at home, he'll probably eat more normally. He sounds like a potentially great cat that needs some coaxing and time to learn trust. Maggie Fletcher posted:Should I introduce another hiding spot where she'd feel secure, and then in a week or so, close the closet? Yes, this is probably a good idea. Once she knows about the other hiding spot, you can probably just close the closet. She'll adjust. Maybe put something with your scent on it in a hiding spot, see if that appeals to her. Sounds like she could use some time with the other two, supervised, where you're petting her, giving her treats if she wants, while the other cats are there. Just let her get used to the idea that you can all be together and it's ok. Feliway sounds like it's helping. Some amount of hissing at first is normal. Keep reassuring her and be relaxed and comfortable when you're introducing them. Once she learns that the other cats respect her boundaries, she may not need to hide as much.
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Apr 3, 2018 19:31
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And, at the end of the day, some cats just aren't terribly social and like to spend most of the day hiding. Cats do spend most of their time sleeping, and not all cats like sleeping in the open.
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Apr 3, 2018 20:27
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Yeah, Fedule, some cat furniture (kitty condos and the like which give a hiding place), Feliway diffusers, and most of all time are the best remedies for a shy cat. Just keep being patient. Come to think of it, Lilly might also benefit from some cat furniture of her own? My idiot loves crinkle tunnels.
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Apr 3, 2018 23:33
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Maggie Fletcher posted:-snip- You have very sweet cats but they're also a bit older and set in their ways. Keep the supervised visits up and slowly they should chip away. One thing I've done with introducing cats has been taking a sock, putting it on my hand and petting a cat with it so that it has the cat's scent, then bring it to the other cat hanging out in a room. They'll sniff it and get an idea of the smell (don't be surprised if they hiss at the sock). It's a much less threatening way to introduce a cat. Other than that, keep being persistent.
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Apr 4, 2018 04:31
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Is there a way to keep my cat (indoor, male, 6 years old, large) from being an rear end in a top hat when he wants to be fed? I feed him at 8 AM and PM, dry food mainly plus a spoonful of wet food in the evening. I don't really care if he meows, stalks me, or gets really friendly, but I do get mad when he jumps on furniture and starts doing damage to bric a brac (on my dresser and shelves). He's catching on to good ways to get my attention. I have been trying to associate feeding times with a Google Home alarm but he isn't noticing or caring. I like him sleeping by my feet most of the time (and keeping him out of my bed at night would be a whole nother battle) but can I discourage him from seeking negative attention especially before I get up in the morning? In the evenings he also wants to be fed but I'm usually sitting or playing with him so he's not as annoying. I live in a 1-bedroom apartment so he isn't maybe getting as much exercise as might be ideal, but I do interact with him a lot when I'm at home and awake. Thanks!
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Apr 4, 2018 05:38
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An automatic feeder would be one solution. That way he'll just pester the machine instead of you. You could set it for mornings only if you prefer.
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Apr 4, 2018 06:05
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Stick to the alarm for a good long while and don't make exceptions. Take a shower or do your makeup before feeding the cat so it doesn't associate you waking with feeding. Seconding the autofeeder.
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Apr 4, 2018 06:39
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Glory to Italia!
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I have what may be a simple question. I recently moved to a new house (in December) with hardwood floors. Hank (the catte) has seen hardwood before, but she's started scratching at it like she would the litterbox. She's not pooping or petting outside the litterbox. Any idea what is causing this behavior?
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Apr 4, 2018 14:29
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She might think something smells, or she might just be really into the texture. Some cats do the same thing with smooth surfaces like porcelain sinks.
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Apr 4, 2018 15:28
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My cat Ozma does this to canvas bags. She just really loves rubbing her paws on canvas!
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Apr 4, 2018 15:51
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Milly scratches in the back of empty boxes and paper bags, mostly because she is a cat. Sounds like yours is functioning within parameters.
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Apr 4, 2018 15:55
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Apr 4, 2018 15:59
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Huh, she does hate the way skin feels on her paw pads so might be she's just a cat. She chases her rear end a lot too, but she also wags her tail like a dog.
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Apr 4, 2018 16:08
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Thanks for the tips everyone! Seems like our kitties are on the right track. Lilly has gotten a bit bolder--when the other two were outside yesterday afternoon she came out and explored the upstairs. She did it again later that night, only didn't realize Booty was in the same area (still some moving boxes there in a little nook she was exploring) and they saw each other at the same time. A tiny hiss from each and Lilly darted into her room, no worse for wear. I think she's getting tired of missing all the action outside her door and will soon start to want to explore more. I plan on creating a hiding place in her room and shutting the closet within the next week, and my GF and I plan to keep Booty and Beast outside (supervised patio time, we WFH so we can stay out there with them) on Friday so that Lilly can explore the place, get to know our main bedroom and investigate the smells. I think she's a little bolder than I initially thought--it took a few months to bring her out of her shell but now she seems fairly assertive. I think she just needs to have a safe spot to retreat to whenever she wants. Despite their ages, I'm optimistic that they can at least live in harmony even if they don't become good buddies.
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Apr 4, 2018 16:55
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Maggie Fletcher posted:I think she just needs to have a safe spot to retreat to whenever she wants. Anyone with new cats or moving to a new place, this is very common with cats. Whether it's a hidey hole or a perch up high somewhere, cats like having a little safe spot that they can make their own territory. It's one of the reasons cat trees are popular, especially in confined living areas like apartments.
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Apr 4, 2018 17:01
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:Come to think of it, Lilly might also benefit from some cat furniture of her own? My idiot loves crinkle tunnels. She actually does have a large tree in "her" room. It was my previous cat's (RIP), and she long ago claimed it on her own. It gets the calming spray, and she loves it. She has a crinkle cave, but she doesn't use it for whatever reason.
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Apr 4, 2018 17:05
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Maggie Fletcher posted:She actually does have a large tree in "her" room. It was my previous cat's (RIP), and she long ago claimed it on her own. It gets the calming spray, and she loves it. She has a crinkle cave, but she doesn't use it for whatever reason. I really wanna see this cutie. Yesterday we ordered a three way crinkle tunnel and one of those those uh... it's a toy on the end of a wand that automatically rotates around a fixed point and has a skirt to hide the wand and motor? I don't even remember what it was called. Gonna see if Evil Gizmo likes it. She loves toys.
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Apr 4, 2018 18:26
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I've related all advice re: Brutus back to my folks. Ultimately it's their call; I'm only over there a couple weeks a year. I was personally in favour of not sending him back for pretty much the reasons stated. I hope I can convince them to stick it out for long enough. Here is a picture of the purry happy couch monster as thanks:
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Apr 4, 2018 19:27
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:
She's basically the best: https://imgur.com/a/eCH1Z (IDK how to embed anymore)  e: thank you taqueso! As a gesture of my gratitude, have more cats! Booty enjoying the grass outside:  Booty and Beast christening the new patio/garden:  Bonus kitty, who lives in the registration building at a hotel in San Pedro, Belize: 
Maggie Fletcher fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Apr 4, 2018 |
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Apr 4, 2018 21:35
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Maggie Fletcher posted:She's basically the best: Hover your mouse in the top right corner of the image once it is in imgur, then select 'share links' from the menu that pops up, then copy the bbcode one. Awhile back imgur redesigned to make it harder to get just an image.
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Apr 4, 2018 21:51
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Oh wow she looks like she has a mega fluffy tail. What a sweet pea!
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Apr 4, 2018 23:05
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Fedule posted:I've related all advice re: Brutus back to my folks. Ultimately it's their call; I'm only over there a couple weeks a year. I was personally in favour of not sending him back for pretty much the reasons stated. I hope I can convince them to stick it out for long enough. This reminds me of the grey streak's brother, who was super friendly at the shelter but then freaked the hell out at my house, and took a while to come out of hiding. He's similarly colored, though he's a long hair. First he hid all the time. Then he started coming out for pets, but any noise would scare him away. Now, he gives no fucks about much of anything, spends a lot of time on my bed, and is reliably cuddly and purry. Gets really excited when he's in the mood for petting and he gets it. So maybe a bit like your parents' cat, who really does sound like a great cat that just needs a chance. The grey streak (rip Mousie, you are so missed) and her cuddly brother: 
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Apr 4, 2018 23:24
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Adding to the chorus of people who have owned hidey cats: one of our cats was extremely shy when we brought him home, but affectionate and comfortable while in his safe place, and he definitely warmed up over time and became a really sweet, affectionate cat, if still a shy one around strangers. He was a shelter return who just needed some patience and a calm environment to come out of his shell. Hopefully Brutus will be the same!
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Apr 4, 2018 23:44
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Antivehicular posted:Adding to the chorus of people who have owned hidey cats: one of our cats was extremely shy when we brought him home, but affectionate and comfortable while in his safe place, and he definitely warmed up over time and became a really sweet, affectionate cat, if still a shy one around strangers. He was a shelter return who just needed some patience and a calm environment to come out of his shell. Hopefully Brutus will be the same! One of my family's cats growing up never did grow out of it. Li would materialize in your lap when she wanted attention, and lurked atop dressers and cabinets the rest of the day. When we got a second cat, she very quickly and emphatically taught Lun Tha that being up high was reserved for her alone.
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Apr 5, 2018 00:55
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Yeah sometimes cats are just like that and never warm up to more than just a small handful of people. My brother's cat, despite frequent visits, would just disappear whenever anyone that wasnt a resident of the house was around.
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Apr 5, 2018 01:56
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My cat loves everyone except for one person who she will swat at with claws out. I have no loving clue why but its become kinda funny. I've known friend for years and she's good people but Milly just really doesn't like her. Maybe because we dated at one point and she's seen as competition.
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Apr 5, 2018 03:59
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My girlfriend just texted me. Apparently her kitty (the one whom we just spent quite a bit on having his ear removed to deal with his ear infection) has cancer. gently caress. 
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Apr 5, 2018 06:28
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Oh no. Any idea how bad it is?
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Apr 5, 2018 07:06
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The vet told her they found cancer in the tissue they removed from his ear. Maybe that was it and he is already cancer-free, or maybe not. I guess he will get some more tests done soon. It's ultimately up to her to determine his future care, but given the costs I imagine we would have to opt for palliative care. I know cats don't suffer as badly from chemo as humans, but it's a drat costly option to buy him just a few more months. I really like the boy and I wish we could have found him earlier in his life than we did.
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Apr 5, 2018 07:15
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paperwind posted:My girlfriend just texted me. Apparently her kitty (the one whom we just spent quite a bit on having his ear removed to deal with his ear infection) has cancer. gently caress. Ugh that's pure bullshit I am so sorry. I hope kitty has good luck, sending him all the cuddles. <3
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Apr 5, 2018 18:52
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Man, I just had another incident with my one cat (~2y/o) changing the litter again. I opened the lid to pour more litter in and she came around the corner staring daggers at me. She got real close and started doing this "Merp" sound at me at which point I knew she wanted to rumble. My in-laws who are visiting came over like "pfft she's fine let me do it" and started pouring the litter in when she attacked my girlfriends mom. Fortunately she was wearing pants and didn't get scratched or bitten but we yelled and got her to stop attacking, at which point she just stalked around the house scaring the poo poo out of us with a corncob tail until she finally chilled out and is now sleeping comfortably beside me. I really think she has a negative association with me near her litter specifically because of one time that she got freaked by a loud sound while I was changing the litter almost a year ago at this point. My gf's parents have been changing the litter all week and she's sniffed around but never attacked until today when I tried doing it, and then she went apeshit on everyone till she calmed down. She's never aggressive except almost every time I'm changing the litter. Fortunately she's also never shown any real aggression towards our other cat, just me when doing the litter. Do these Feliway diffusers help? I was thinking about getting one of those things and keeping it around the litter to chill her out but I would really like to just not have to worry about closing the door or keeping my head on a swivel checking for Leela every time I change the litter.. 
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Apr 6, 2018 02:13
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Could be the sound. Pouring litter might sound like hissing or something. Play some music to cover it up, see if that helps?
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Apr 6, 2018 02:36
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Also, cats are psychos and it's easy to over-analyze their behavior. Trying to figure out why they act they do is often fruitless. It's usually better just to mitigate it. Keep the cats out and the door closed while you're pouring litter.
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Apr 6, 2018 02:40
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Yeah was gonna echo the overanalyze thing. I wouldn't try to the the behavior to a noise that happened once a few years ago, that sounded like a stretch. They're either psycho or are associating you with real trauma or pain or they just like the way you squeal. The diffusers work ok, but sort of like a cat crazy dampener. Sometimes they break through. And some it might not work well on at all. Best to experiment, but it's sort of more for generally stressful places like new homes or with new animals or for transport and vet rooms and might not work on a specific acute trigger. ILL Machina fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Apr 6, 2018 |
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Apr 6, 2018 03:30
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I've checked the FAQ and skimmed the thread a bit so I don't think I'm asking anything too obvious... Is there anything we can do to stop our neighbour's cat bringing us dead birds? The cat is otherwise lovely and my housemates adore it too much to shoo it away from the property forever. We don't even know the exact owner (secondhand knowledge is that they're in an apartment building on the same block) but I get the impression they just feed the cat and let it roam free otherwise. It has a collar with a bell that we put on, which seemed to help for a while, but the corpses have really ramped up recently.
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Apr 6, 2018 08:09
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Re: psycho litter cat, start conditioning her to be okay with you doing it. Find treats that she loves and stuff her with them as you approach the litterbox. Once she’s cool with you being near it move on to making movements as if you’re about to start cleaning it etc. Try to only let her get to the level of mildly agitated and stuffed full of treats and stop before she totally freaks out. Keep her out of the room while you actually do the box though for sure, just pretend to do it while you’re conditioning her.
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Apr 6, 2018 10:31
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