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Julio Cruz posted:something that will move when she kicks it is a good thing for her to be able to chase around, a small ball or something vaguely round, though it may well get stuck under furniture and if it's hard it might make noise bouncing off the walls Our broom's permanent home is blocking the gap underneath the oven because we got tired of cleaning out a dozen toy balls every month. All of our furniture has enough of a gap so that a cat can squirm under it which was not a thing we planned for but I'll take it.
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Aug 17, 2021 15:43
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Thanks for the advice all! Also, any cat tower recommendations? We have giant picture windows and I'd love to let her get up high and look out. There are like a billion variations on Amazon.
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Aug 17, 2021 16:17
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xzzy posted:Our broom's permanent home is blocking the gap underneath the oven because we got tired of cleaning out a dozen toy balls every month. Our sofas are the only thing that aren't, they have a few cm gap big enough to chase a ball/spring under and then lose until we move the sofas. We are shopping for new ones that have more space under them... who's the boss here?  Also for the Roomba, but mainly the cat thing
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Aug 17, 2021 16:18
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dantheman650 posted:Thanks for the advice all! Also, any cat tower recommendations? We have giant picture windows and I'd love to let her get up high and look out. There are like a billion variations on Amazon. In my experience they're all equally cheap, so just order whatever and expect it to eventually fall apart. I had one where the top level fell into pieces eventually as the posts were just cardboard tubes, so I replaced it with a 4x4 piece wrapped in twine and it lived on for a few more years.
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Aug 17, 2021 17:24
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If you have any DIY capabilities at all it's not that bad building cat trees. Sisal rope is cheap as hell and home depot will trim down PVC pipe to whatever size you need, they sell in 10 foot sections. Or maybe it's 20 foot.. I don't remember, I'm not a contractor. I guess it's not cheaper by the time you factor in design time and labor but I found it fun. Plus you can custom fit it to wherever it needs to go. Or just buy the spools of sisal rope and resurface your premade cat trees when it gets worn out. 3/8 inch works fine but my cats don't like doing their nails on it as much so I've moved to 1/4 inch rope.
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Aug 17, 2021 17:39
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InvisibleMonkey posted:Ordered expensive handmade wall-units from Russia, paid out the nose in import fees, still worth it. If you have tall ceilings I recommend wall-steps like these, you can plan out a route that leads to a high perch. We have cardboard scratchers and a wall-panel for actual scratching.
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Aug 17, 2021 18:06
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InvisibleMonkey posted:If you have tall ceilings I recommend wall-steps like these, you can plan out a route that leads to a high perch. We have cardboard scratchers and a wall-panel for actual scratching. These look super cool but I’m a renter so it’s a no go. Darn!
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Aug 17, 2021 18:08
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dantheman650 posted:These look super cool but I’m a renter so it’s a no go. Darn! Yeah I've had my eye on those wall mount kits for a while.. for that increasingly unrealistic future when our income and housing prices are in sync. But they do look fun for kitties.
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Aug 17, 2021 18:39
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This was my diy tree when we rented a small apartment with not enough floor space for a proper tree. I was all set to patch the hole underneath the shelf when we moved out but luckily we were able to refer our cat-owner friends to be the next renters so it stayed. Most landlords here are cool with alterations as long as they're reversible though, this was such a perfect spot for it too.InvisibleMonkey posted:I used felt placemats because I'm a shallow bitch and wanted it to look nice, there's also sisal rope for scratching though, let me go back and find a pic. edit: oh, keep in mind that in order to go high any sort of furniture will probably need a wall-mount for support! unless it's also really wide at the base, I guess.
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Aug 17, 2021 19:06
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How much a cat will use something is inversely proportional to how much money and effort you spent on it in my experience. Why would I sleep on this $50 comfy cat bed when there’s a perfectly good dirty towel laying on the floor? Why drink out of this fancy filtered water fountain when the shitters right here? drunken officeparty fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Aug 17, 2021 |
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Aug 17, 2021 19:11
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drunken officeparty posted:How much a cat will use something is inversely proportional to how much money and effort you spent on it in my experience. Can confirm. Got a nice scratching post, bed and cat tower for Twiggy and she would rather use the $10 cardboard scratcher, her shelter crate, and the windowsill.
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Aug 17, 2021 19:20
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one of the laws of cats is that if you get them something that comes in a big box they're much more interested in the box than in the contents
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Aug 17, 2021 19:22
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drunken officeparty posted:How much a cat will use something is inversely proportional to how much money and effort you spent on it in my experience. lol, incredibly true for cat-beds in our case. I stupidly bought a really fancy wooden one when we got our first cat and they will only check it for treats every now and then. and let's not talk about the vintage space-age tv I converted into the coolest and most unused cat-cave ever. I also never learn because I recently bought a tiny dog sofa that they've each sat in once so far. thankfully the bigger projects have all been successes, they love to climb so anything that goes up is a big hit. they're also still using the diy litter-box enclosures without issue, I'll take what I can get. v  v
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Aug 17, 2021 19:25
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Julio Cruz posted:one of the laws of cats is that if you get them something that comes in a big box they're much more interested in the box than in the contents Ah, that's why I made this! Yes, I have had too much time on my hands the past year. https://twitter.com/invisiblemonkey/status/1419295707077431299?s=20
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Aug 17, 2021 19:29
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I’m a big fan of the catit vesper cat trees. They’re all replaceable parts, and minimal carpet so no carpet shreds all over your floor.
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Aug 17, 2021 19:30
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I've also bought my cats a few beds and it never takes. One of them likes sleeping on the hard bathroom floor so i guess it makes sense. We have carpeting in our apartment though so I think in most cases they're perfectly fine falling asleep wherever they want to. We have a tower that occasionally gets some action but they usually prefer a windowsill. edit: or my goddamn desk chair the moment I stand up to do something. I have to put a pillow down to save it or it gets stolen 
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Aug 17, 2021 20:28
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The Chewy Frisco brand trees are pretty sturdy and affordable. When my past roommate got a cat she got some random inexpensive tree that nearly crushed the cat after he fumbled a jump. She switched to a Frisco tree which was way more stable. They can also be mounted to the wall. I’ve heard Armakat recommended here as well. Catastrophic Creations have some totally over-the-top wall-mounted furniture I’d love to get someday, but it’d be waaaaay cheaper to DIY. I’m in an apartment but idk, I’ll just patch the holes when I move out. ┐(‘～`；)┌
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Aug 17, 2021 20:47
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Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this question, but is it alright to ask for regional recommendations on shelters? I have a friend trying to adopt a cat and was looking for advice, but every cat I've gotten since the 90s has been directly adopted from other people or a stray so I wasn't sure what to tell him. We live in the CA Bay Area.
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Aug 17, 2021 21:49
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Lasting Damage posted:Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this question, but is it alright to ask for regional recommendations on shelters? I have a friend trying to adopt a cat and was looking for advice, but every cat I've gotten since the 90s has been directly adopted from other people or a stray so I wasn't sure what to tell him. I just adopted from Street Paws Rescue in San Jose last week and had an incredibly positive experience.
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Aug 17, 2021 21:57
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Imo don’t spend like over $60 for a cat tree. I bought a 6ft one from chewy.com for $54 and a 4ft one from Amazon for $35. They are both made the exact same as the ones in petsmart that are like $120+. The Amazon one is pretty nice for the bedroom and my girls actually use it a lot.
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Aug 17, 2021 21:58
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Our cats love these round cardboard scratchers that double as lying-down places. They don't look very comfortable to my human eyes, but they spend large portions of the day on them, perfectly happy. And they shred them over the course of several months, then they can just go in the cardboard recycling. https://www.zooplus.nl/shop/katten/krabpaal_krabmeubels/krabmeubels_kartonnen/karton/321502 We did also get them a nice big tree with platforms and rope scratchers, which they do use too. But not as much as the €10 hunk of cardboard 
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Aug 17, 2021 22:34
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dantheman650 posted:I just adopted from Street Paws Rescue in San Jose last week and had an incredibly positive experience. Thanks, I'll tell him to check it out!
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Aug 18, 2021 00:06
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Lasting Damage posted:Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this question, but is it alright to ask for regional recommendations on shelters? I have a friend trying to adopt a cat and was looking for advice, but every cat I've gotten since the 90s has been directly adopted from other people or a stray so I wasn't sure what to tell him. Berkeley Humane Society and East Bay SPCA are both cool
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Aug 18, 2021 00:40
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This feels really stupid to ask about but I’m a little sad that my kitten has gotten less affectionate in the past month. The first few weeks of adoption, she would let me pet her and sleep right on me or next to me. Now she moves away when she’s touched except for a few face scritches and doesn’t get very close. She still lays near my feet and will let me hold and pick her up fine. She’s just way less cuddly. I’m guessing it’s just cats being cats.
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Aug 18, 2021 03:51
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My Katya is 14 weeks old (so younger than expected) and doing very well but he definitely hasn't grown out of the hand attacks yet. I'm pretty consistant with making a noise, subbing a toy for my hand, and ignoring and it's working but something about going to bed makes him extra in to going after my hands. On the plus side he is a very agressive snuggler when he's in the mood, loves interactive toys, and is very bonded to me. He's also gotten very in to licking me and it's a little disconcerting to be woken up at like 2AM because he's licking my face and wants to cuddle.
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Aug 18, 2021 03:55
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Is there ever a point where when you brush you cat you aren’t getting like mountains of hair? Like I brush her every day or every other day and wtf it’s always the same amount of hair I’m getting. It’s kinda ridiculous abs I have no idea where it’s all coming from.
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Aug 18, 2021 04:07
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To some extent it's a breed thing. All cats (and dogs) constantly shed hair and if you brush them every day you will get something. But some breeds you'll pull out a new cat every day and others you'll just get a faint dusting. You will never reach the point where no hair comes out, it's the reality of owning a pet. If you try you'll eventually cause damage to their skin and coat.
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Aug 18, 2021 04:13
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Lasting Damage posted:Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this question, but is it alright to ask for regional recommendations on shelters? I have a friend trying to adopt a cat and was looking for advice, but every cat I've gotten since the 90s has been directly adopted from other people or a stray so I wasn't sure what to tell him. The Peninsula Humane Society and & SPCA was pretty nice and let us make an appointment in the morning before they opened to the public so we could visit the cats without a lot of people around. I already nabbed their best kittens though, sorry.  Does anyone have tips for dealing with mild cat allergies? I have an air filter and plan to vacuum more often, but besides that I'm not sure what to do. I'm hoping that my immune system will just give up eventually - right now it seems to be mostly fine with occasional flare ups of sniffling and coughing.
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Aug 18, 2021 04:27
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Ball Tazeman posted:This feels really stupid to ask about but I’m a little sad that my kitten has gotten less affectionate in the past month. The first few weeks of adoption, she would let me pet her and sleep right on me or next to me. Now she moves away when she’s touched except for a few face scritches and doesn’t get very close. She still lays near my feet and will let me hold and pick her up fine. She’s just way less cuddly. I’m guessing it’s just cats being cats. See, this is the trouble with getting kittens. While they are super cute, their personality is not yet set in stone, so you have no idea what kind of cat they will be the rest of their lives. If you want a sweet cuddly cat that will sleep on your lap all day, go to your local shelter and find an adult cat with that personality. Plus, you'll be helping a cat that has a lot less chance of finding a home than a kitten. I hope your kitten changes - they're still very malleable at that age. Our foster kittens actually started out a bit wary of us and only interested in playing, but over time they became champion cuddlers and are incredibly affectionate. Try just giving her time and space, don't force affection on her, let it be on her terms, and maybe she'll warm back up. I love kittens, I really do, but there is honestly something even better to me about a senior cat who always wants to fall asleep on your lap with your arm as a pillow.
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Aug 18, 2021 04:34
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xzzy posted:
Yeah I figured I’m just surprised how much comes out every drat day lol
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Aug 18, 2021 04:57
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Anyone know how to, like... Keep cats from acting like jerks to each other, or be less jealous over humans?  Jackie's a very, very good cat but she doesn't always get along well with other cats. We have this young cat, Mini-Scratcher, who has attached himself to her and just utterly adores her, and she tolerates this... most of the time, but rarely in my presence? If I have the audacity to pet Mini-Scratcher when she's around (and I'm literally the only human this cat has ever allowed to touch him under any circumstances which currently annoys my roommate since Mini is his cat technically) she immediately growls and smacks him upside the head! She's OK with him being around as long as I mostly entirely ignore him, while she's conscious? It's very frustrating.
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Aug 18, 2021 05:02
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MarcusSA posted:Yeah I figured I’m just surprised how much comes out every drat day lol Yeah, my cat is long haired and she just sheds massive amounts of hair, so much hair, everything I own is covered in hair within a week or two if I don't stay on top of picking it off. And I do deshed her at least weekly. Now I wonder about all the wild animals out there - do they also shed so much? Where does it all go?
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Aug 18, 2021 05:49
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Ball Tazeman posted:This feels really stupid to ask about but I’m a little sad that my kitten has gotten less affectionate in the past month. The first few weeks of adoption, she would let me pet her and sleep right on me or next to me. Now she moves away when she’s touched except for a few face scritches and doesn’t get very close. She still lays near my feet and will let me hold and pick her up fine. She’s just way less cuddly. I’m guessing it’s just cats being cats. It's okay. It's normal. You cat doesn't love you any less, she's just maturing into an independent adult. You're such a good parent that she's growing up! Just keep showing her affection and love and picking her up.
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Aug 18, 2021 05:58
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pidan posted:Yeah, my cat is long haired and she just sheds massive amounts of hair, so much hair, everything I own is covered in hair within a week or two if I don't stay on top of picking it off. And I do deshed her at least weekly. Now I wonder about all the wild animals out there - do they also shed so much? Where does it all go? I what brush do you use to deshed? Like I got this one and she seems to like being brushed with it but I wouldn’t mind something a little better. CeleMoon [Soft Silicone Pins]... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EI7ZVCC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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Aug 18, 2021 06:14
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Butters is a triple-coat fuzz elemental. I'll spend 30 minutes brushing to get a whole extra cat out of her and if i spent another 30 minutes I'd get another one, repeat infinitely. I use a slicker brush, oval brush with the little white nubs on the tines, a furminator, and a glove with rubber nubbins. She seems to tolerate them each alternately so I gotta switch it up. Furminator good for cutting, slicker good for mats, oval brush and nubby glove for removing the loose hair.    This poo poo is bullshit she's so cute though.
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Aug 18, 2021 06:43
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MarcusSA posted:I what brush do you use to deshed? I use a Furminator (the biggest cat version). Some people don't like them and claim they rip out hair, but my cat likes it and it's very effective. It does pull out enough hair to knit a new cat. I also comb her with a normal human comb every now and then as part of petting her, and lots of hair comes out then too.
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Aug 18, 2021 07:29
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I got one of these and it picks up mountains of hair off my longhair tuxedo fatass. And yeah I don't understand how she can produce that much fluff and not be shed bald in a week... https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Hair-Remover-Glove-Deshedding/dp/B01N66Y1IK/ In cat tree chat, the best one I've ever seen is one my sister found out in front of someone's house with the trash. Instead of those cardboard tube things it's proper wood 2x4s nailed together and wrapped in carpet. I could probably sit in it if I wanted to. I've never even seen one like it in any store or online, I'm sure if I did it would cost $1000 or some bullshit 😾
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Aug 18, 2021 07:57
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Somebody probably just made it at home. They're easy to make, only takes the most basic of tools and woodworking skills. I've got a big square of old carpet in the garage waiting for me to feel inspired.
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Aug 18, 2021 09:07
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pidan posted:I use a Furminator (the biggest cat version). Takes No Damage posted:I got one of these and it picks up mountains of hair off my longhair tuxedo fatass. And yeah I don't understand how she can produce that much fluff and not be shed bald in a week... Thanks I’ve ordered both of those!
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Aug 18, 2021 09:51
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Looks like we're getting a kitten this coming weekend, I'm equal parts excited and nervous/apprehensive about it. I grew up with a dog and fish, currently have shrimp (yes as pets) and have taken care of a cat here for just over a week recently. I'm used to having to think about pets and that kinda thing and want to make sure I do this right. I read the entire OP (thanks for all who contributed), but I still have this background anxiety about it because it's so many unknowns. I have a few questions. My main concern is probably stupid but I live in the top floor of an apartment with multiple windows which are open a majority of the time. I can't get the thought of the cat falling out of the windows out of my head and it's horrifying me. I know they're descended from apex predators, are used to hanging out in trees or whatever, but is there a good way to ensure there aren't any horrible accidents this way? There are windowsills right by the windows that are plenty wide. The adult cat I was taking care of during a recent heat wave just hung out on the sill watching crows, I wasn't that worried because I figured adult cats will have their poo poo together. It'll be an indoor cat. I've bought:
Will also be picking up a carrier. Here's a screenshot of everything, please give me any feedback you might have. All of this stuff can be returned and my pride at buying something bad/dumb is less important than having the right thing.   About the cat: It's a Black Cat, I guess short hair. I'm not 100% sure how old it is - my partner's cousin's cat had a litter. Yes I've asked about why the cat isn't spayed, and I've offered to pay for the procedure, we'll see what happens. As it stands, I don't know the age (will learn that before we pick it up). Without going into the situation too much, there's going to be limited information and I don't know that much of anything will have been done in terms of what you're supposed to have done for a kitten in terms of vaccines/deworming/etc. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for this cat to have fleas as well although it's been inside 100% of it's life. I don't know if there are other animals in the household that go outside. It's not a breeder cat or anything like that anyways. After having read the OP I'm wondering about two cats - basically my partner is going up there to look at two and then take one home or something, I'm not sure if two littermates are 'available' or whatnot. I have to say that I'm very reluctant to have two because:
Food: I've read a lot about the obligate carnivore thing, and I've heard a lot about cats having renal dysfunction. I work in (human) healthcare, in critical care where we do things like monitor urine outputs, look at those kind of labs related to the kidney, do continuous dialysis in ICU, that sort of thing and so I really want to maximize the renal health as much as possible because I'll be stressing about it no matter what. How many times a day should you feed? How do you 'dose' the amount of food for a kitten? Is there a downside to purely going wet food seeing as that gives the most hydration per caloric intake? I read about avoiding the carbs in dry food as well for liver health. Why does anyone use dry food then? Is a wet/dry mix the best? Should I rotate brands of food to reduce the chances of allergies developing? How much of this is just cat preference? I'm still looking up what needs doing at different ages, is there a good guide for this where it's broken down like the service intervals for a vehicle? I'll know more about the kitten's age hopefully well before this coming weekend so I can plan this stuff. Should I be making an appointment with a vet for an initial assessment? The plan is to bring the cat down, we don't have a small room (like a laundry room etc) that isn't the bathroom so maybe we'll keep the cat in one of the bedrooms for a few days with the litter in the same room and see how that goes? What should the game plan be re: fleas? What should I be on the lookout for? If the cat wants to sleep under a bed or whatnot should I just let it be or should I be placing it in the cat bed in that playpen? I'm sure I'll have more questions. Any advice is appreciated.
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Aug 18, 2021 14:46
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