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Len posted:Our apartment is having construction done on the balcony and I think it's freaking the cat out. Something has him wanting to hide. We found him under the sink and after pulling him out he claws us and runs right back. We blocked it off and he went to the washer and jumped in Their senses of smell and hearing are far, far for sensitive then ours, they handle change poorly, and have zero understanding of context. He had an extended period where there were really loud, strange noises in strange places on top of the smell of multiple large strange animals, in an apt that constitutes literally his entire world. The safe and familiar space that is his was just violated. Of course he's freaked out and it's going to take a day or two to re-settle. Think of how long it takes to acclimate a new cat, or for cats to settle down after one went to the vet. Give him a few quiet, dark places to calm down where you can still keep an yee on him, keep the apt as calm and quiet as you can, and stick to a routine. He'll settle again.
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Jan 21, 2020 14:54
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they aren't actively working on the thing right now so unless he was super scared by them tearing down the thing ballpark 12 hours ago I don't understand
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Len posted:That's the weird thing, he usually uses the linen closet for that. The thing came off the rails so he pushes it open and sleeps cozy back in the blankets. Or he'll sleep in the dryer if we leave it open with clothes in it. But he's beelining for the hole in the wall which he never did before. The linen closet is no longer safe, for whatever reason. Perhaps he heard something particularly frightening while hiding in there, and now no longer feels as secure. Maybe it's secure, but not enough and he needs an extra small, extra defensible space...such as under a sink and in a hole in the wall. Cats are pretty weird, but this isn't that weird, it's fairly predictable behaviour if you think yourself into cat perspective. Like Dienes says, your apartment constitutes the entire world from his perspective, so if the world no longer feels safe anywhere, then what else can a small, vulnerable animal do except hide in the darkest, most secure space he can find, hunker down, and claw anything that tries to get in/get him out? The smell might be part of it, but tbh the disruption + you repeatedly yanking him out of his hiding place is more than enough for an extended freakout - you're essentially resetting the clock on his anxiety every time you force him out. Totally get why you can't let him hide there, but worth bearing in mind that you're necessarily making him feel even more afraid every time you have to do that. Best bet is to block that hole off asap, provide as many hiding places that he is allowed in as possible (think cat: walls on at least three sides, either underneath something or very high up, out of your line of sight) and then just leave him be until he calms down.
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Jan 21, 2020 16:31
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Polish posted:Any remedies for ringworm in a kitten? It is on one spot on his forearm. Vet wants to do weekly sulfur dips for 4-6 weeks or until it clears up, which seems like a lot to put the cat through. Also he is getting his balls cut off next week. My kitten had ringworm years ago and the vet had us spot treat with a liquid everyday. It was near her eye so we had to be sparing with it and it took a month. I think usually it was supposed to take 2 weeks. Unfortunately I can’t remember what medication it was. 
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Jan 21, 2020 16:39
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Ringworm is highly contagious and YOU can get it from the kitten (yaaay zoonotic fungus) so you should do what your vet says even if it's a lot. Sulphur dips aren't fun but they're not that bad, especially if the kitten is still small-ish. They'll get over it and feel better for not being itchy all the time. I wish you and kitten luck for a quick recovery! RE: Hiding cat- make sure kitty has a cat tree or some high place to retreat to if he's feeling scared! Cats need high places to feel secure. Blocking off the hole is definitely a must, but you do need to give him some places he can feel safe if he's having a freakout, and don't drag him out of them because yeah, that just makes those places unsafe to him too.
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Jan 21, 2020 16:57
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As a general recommendation of a good product for hidey cats that I've personally had good results with is a cat barrel . My younger cat can be very spooky and he used to hide under the bed - which was a pain when he wasn't well and needed to be checked periodically, because I'd have to upset him by pulling the mattress off to get to him. I already had a cat barrel, so I moved it so that access to the lowest entrance was somewhat obscured by a chair, and it was in a nice quiet place in the house behind another piece of furniture, then put him in the room with it. He immediately shot into the nice secure looking hiding place and holed up there until he felt better, which made it much easier to check on him without disturbing him. I've since moved it back to its original spot because my fat fucker likes to sunbathe on the top cushion, but have turned it so that the lowest entrance is obscured by a sofa, and the highest one by the cat tree on the other side, with only the middle entrance fully visible. Momo will now hide in either the top or the bottom hole 100% of the time because he's too stupid to realise I can just move it if I need to. The smallish footprint means you can tuck it into corners to create the illusion (if you are a cat with a brain the size of a walnut) of being a spontaneous, hard to find hidey hole. YMMV but a friend got the same thing for her nervy cat who kept going under the fridge and it worked for her too, with a bit of trial and error and mild manipulation. Edit: the pom pom things on the one I linked are rubbish though, they got pulled off almost immediately. Plus side, it's also a scratching post that both my cats actually like, so it's done wonders for the integrity of my soft furnishings. small ghost fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Jan 21, 2020 |
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Jan 21, 2020 17:52
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Rotten Red Rod posted:A puzzle feeder isn't a bad idea, but the main thing is you can't free feed overeating cats. You just have to restrict them to set meal times and amounts and separate them from other cats' food. I lived with a food obsessed cat for a long time and there's often not much else you can do except for be really vigilant and watch for her (or lock her in another room) when you're cooking/eating yourself. Yep, our kitty grew up on a garbage dump and she's insane about food. She once pulled a heavy glass thing of lasagna OUT of the oven and just yesterday I found our sous-vide pork belly on the floor and the vacuum bag chewed through (she abandoned the lasagna after a few bites because it was vegetarian and luckily she covered the pork with the pot). We've learned to put everything edible out of reach, well I have, my bf forgets sometimes. On the bright side she does learn tricks very easily because she's so food-motivated. v  v
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Jan 21, 2020 19:58
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Yup, sounds about right. And like I said, puzzle feeders aren't really a solution to a cat's overeating, but MAN are they a good way to get a food-motivated cat to get some exercise. They will go NUTS on those things like no other cat until they have every last piece out. Try reserving some portion of your cats' food and always put it in one for some daily activity.
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Jan 21, 2020 20:41
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Yeah, Katya has two puzzle feeders, a tower and a mat so we can switch it up. We use the ball for lunch when no one's home, but I'm thinking about getting a (well secured) automatic feeder so she won't start bothering us 30 minutes before one of her feeding times. I also reserve a little kibble and spread it around the living room in her fav spots so she can 'hunt' for it, all these things help without giving in to her insatiable hunger.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:04
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He didn't sleep with us last night instead choosing to sleep on the washer. I came home today and well  I just want to hug him better ): Edit: he appears to think he's stuck Edit 2: I pulled the washer out and gave him a little step stool just to be safe. Now he has room to turn around and can definitely make it out and is choosing not to but I feel better Edit 3: he has figured out how to escape from behind the washer after a long conversation about how he can do it if he tried. Also I got clawed a few times because he might be stoned after I dropped a catnip sock back there with him Len fucked around with this message at 00:31 on Jan 22, 2020 |
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Jan 21, 2020 23:44
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drat imgur
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Jan 22, 2020 01:17
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Organza Quiz posted:That's so great to hear! We will all need pictures as proof though please understand I really wanted to snag a pic of that the other day but my phone was in the bedroom and I knew if I got up to get it they’d move. I’ll post one the next time I catch em snoozing.
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Jan 22, 2020 01:39
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Cat nose cold, scientifically proven
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Jan 22, 2020 01:47
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Len posted:He didn't sleep with us last night instead choosing to sleep on the washer. Please kiss him right on the forehead splotch for me ty
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Jan 22, 2020 03:34
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pzy posted:Cat nose cold, scientifically proven Awwwww, it's in infraboop!
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Jan 22, 2020 06:42
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Cat is at my feet! He still looks unsure and slightly concerned but I'll take it Forehead splotch kissed
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Jan 22, 2020 07:43
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How concerned should I be about a potential paw burn? My cat has a habit of getting up on the kitchen wall which we usually discourage because his path down includes our glass stovetop. Well my wife made a quick breakfast burrito this morning and I was asleep until the dog came into the bedroom and licked my face. Then the cat jumped on the bed and I noticed he was doing the crouch, walk 3-4 steps, crouch thing. He's not like, obsessively licking himself in one spot or anything. But he does not like me touching his back paws, and they look fine at a glance, no obvious signs of a burn. Hoping it's something easily treatable because with my history of FIP, fading kitten syndrome and fatal kidney disease I'm really not excited about going to the vet and getting a diagnosis... but I am going to try regardless. Fake edit: I'm pretty sure he was just acting funny because he had a hairball. He went back downstairs to eat some food and is now happily napping on my half of the bed and accepting pets. But with my unfortunate cat history it's hard to not worry... Macichne Leainig fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Jan 22, 2020 |
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Jan 22, 2020 14:38
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My stupid idiot is probably going to get two molars pulled because he doesn't chew his food so they got all plaqued up and I'm worried about his stupid rear end
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Jan 22, 2020 16:57
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Protocol7 posted:How concerned should I be about a potential paw burn? My cat has a habit of getting up on the kitchen wall which we usually discourage because his path down includes our glass stovetop. Small 1st and 2nd degree burns on animals are the same as on people - uncomfortable but not dangerous. I wouldn't worry unless he won't stop limping. If it has blisters run it under cold water for a bit (I'm sure he'll LOVE that).
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Jan 22, 2020 17:32
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Rotten Red Rod posted:Small 1st and 2nd degree burns on animals are the same as on people - uncomfortable but not dangerous. I wouldn't worry unless he won't stop limping. If it has blisters run it under cold water for a bit (I'm sure he'll LOVE that). Definitely not blisters or anything, he's up to his normal rear end in a top hat shenanigans now so I'm going to guess it was just upset stomach from a hairball. It doesn't help I was poking and prodding him this morning, I mean I wouldn't want to be poked and prodded after barfing up a hairball. The other thing we were potentially concerned about was urinary problems and he's had at least one piss without any problems since this morning so I'm not really worried about that. Macichne Leainig fucked around with this message at 21:43 on Jan 22, 2020 |
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Jan 22, 2020 21:40
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If you're really worried, there are stove top covers you can get for glass stoves when they're not in use, and I would definitely recommend looking into them.
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Jan 23, 2020 04:28
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Of course the second I order two extra cans of Ssscat spray it stops working on him and he frantically claws and bangs on the bedroom door at night waking everyone in the house up even while Ssscat sprays him. We have a small baby gate which keeps the older cat out but he can jump over. We have an accordion door in front of it that he partially broke trying to push open, but I can close but it doesn't matter because he can somehow open it and jump over the baby gate. Spraying him with water as soon as we open the door doesn't work, he's back at it in five minutes. If we let him in he chews on plastic obnoxiously, which is his strategy when he's hungry - but his food dish is overflowing. He's good for weeks at a time but then will have a long stretch of days where he's intolerable. Holy poo poo I want more than four and a half hours of sleep, cat.
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Jan 23, 2020 12:06
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I think our older cat is humping my foot. First he straddles it (while it's under the comforter), then he starts intensely kneading on either side of it, then he starts, like, vibrating? That's when I pull my foot out and move and it and he just gets right back on. After the third time I just toss him out of the bedroom. Also, unrelated, but now that I have them happily eating a steady diet of Orijen dry food I'm trying to re-introduce them to the occasional can of wet food as a treat, but the older one has barfed up about 50% of the cans I've tried (first Tiki Cat then Wellness Core). Not sure if it's the sudden change in food or that he's so excited he's scarfing it down too fast and not chewing it properly, but I suspect the latter. I guess maybe I'll try splitting a small can between the two instead of a big can.
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Jan 24, 2020 19:10
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Smaller can sounds right. I found that my cats could enjoy and keep down a half of a 3-1/2 ounce can, but not more at any one time.
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Jan 24, 2020 19:13
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TofuDiva posted:Smaller can sounds right. I found that my cats could enjoy and keep down a half of a 3-1/2 ounce can, but not more at any one time. Yeah I actually split a pouch of wet food between my three cats because they mostly just seem to like the juices and rarely finish all the actual food, but also because any time I have used more than one pounch invariably at least one of the cats eats either too much or too quickly and barfs it up somewhere, plus it just leaves more uneaten food.
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Jan 24, 2020 19:20
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TMMadman posted:Yeah I actually split a pouch of wet food between my three cats because they mostly just seem to like the juices and rarely finish all the actual food, but also because any time I have used more than one pounch invariably at least one of the cats eats either too much or too quickly and barfs it up somewhere, plus it just leaves more uneaten food. They have plain gravy treats if your cats really like the juices.
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Jan 24, 2020 19:32
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Protocol7 posted:They have plain gravy treats if your cats really like the juices. Oh they like the wet food too as 90% of it gets eaten most days, but yeah I also have packets of gravy/liquid food for them too.
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Jan 24, 2020 19:36
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TofuDiva posted:Smaller can sounds right. I found that my cats could enjoy and keep down a half of a 3-1/2 ounce can, but not more at any one time. Same. Any more than that and they won't eat it and it gets gross and I end up wasting it. I just feed them 3 times a day instead of two. The one also goes absolutely ballistic for tuna juice. Will absolutely not touch the flakes but screams for the sweet nectar of the sea when a can of tuna gets opened.
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Jan 24, 2020 19:44
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Two of my cats like small pieces of cheetos puffs and the dust that I break up 2 or 3 of them into a bowl for them when I'm done snancking.
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Jan 24, 2020 19:50
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Protocol7 posted:They have plain gravy treats if your cats really like the juices. Yeah, Sweetheart goes absolutely ballistic for the ones Catit makes. Taxxe: 
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Jan 24, 2020 19:58
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TMMadman posted:Two of my cats like small pieces of cheetos puffs and the dust that I break up 2 or 3 of them into a bowl for them when I'm done snancking. one of my cats goes fuckin bonkers for these, she will literally crawl down my throat to get at them so I break off tiny bites for her. after about 2-3 she seems satisfied and loses interest
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Jan 24, 2020 21:22
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I have the same problem with Norris except it's popcorn.
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Jan 24, 2020 23:16
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It's fries for me and my Salem cat. I could go out and get a fast food burger meal and as soon as I come home both the dog and cat are both begging for a fry.
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Jan 24, 2020 23:21
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ET will beg for people food but if you give it to him he just bats it around and doesn't actually eat it. Fyodor has no interest in people food he prefers his cat grass and dry food.
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Jan 25, 2020 00:43
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I accidentally stepped on the tip of my cat's tail  it didn't, like, break the skin or anything, and it was a very flat step with some flat sandals on, but he does meow when I fiddle with the tip of his tail now. When should I be worried about broken bones, damaged nerves, paralysis, etc.? How can I tell if he has to go to the vet?Edit: If it helps, his tail still curls into the little question mark form whenever he's playing with a toy, and he can still hold it up high. Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Jan 25, 2020 |
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Jan 25, 2020 00:59
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my cat is norris posted:I have the same problem with Norris except it's popcorn. My younger cat eats everything. Literally everything. Treats, cheese, yogurt, chips, marshmallows, whiskey, beer. It got to where I had to stop giving him stuff out of curiosity because the answer is yes he’ll eat/drink it. Though for what it’s worth we got some white cheddar Cheetos from Rite Aid over Christmas that he went insane for. Like barreling me over to get to them, easily his favorite snack thus far
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Jan 25, 2020 03:01
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Pollyanna posted:I accidentally stepped on the tip of my cat's tail Cat fine. I did this with my cat 2 weeks ago, she hissed super loud and ran away. If cat can still move tail on their own, or at least not let it just drag on the floor then everything is fine. If anything I suffer more permanent damage because now whenever I step on anything soft like a sock I get filled with terror. Gaj fucked around with this message at 06:25 on Jan 25, 2020 |
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Jan 25, 2020 03:03
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Pollyanna posted:I accidentally stepped on the tip of my cat's tail How long ago was it? If he's still clearly in pain a few days later, maybe go to the vet. If it just happened, stop fiddling with the tip of his tail and let the poor guy heal dammit. He's probably fine.
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Jan 25, 2020 05:53
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The girls only want ham, although Luna also likes chorizo. Aleta likes to drink water out of cups more than her bowl, so I have to be careful not to set down water glasses and walk away.
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Jan 25, 2020 11:14
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gey muckle mowser posted:one of my cats goes fuckin bonkers for these, she will literally crawl down my throat to get at them so I break off tiny bites for her. after about 2-3 she seems satisfied and loses interest Buffy used to love doritos (cheese ones), cheesy puff things, bombay mix (the shaped stuff, not nuts), guac, chive & cream dip and many others. She was a mental moggy and I miss her so much. We'd share fish and chips when I got take away - a piece for me, one for buffy, one for oliver...
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Jan 25, 2020 13:16
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:Aleta likes to drink water out of cups more than her bowl, so I have to be careful not to set down water glasses and walk away. Peridot is like this too except I gave in and started keeping a mug full of water just for her to drink out of so she can feel like she's drinking human water.
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Jan 25, 2020 13:27
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