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Ball Tazeman posted:I cannot handle the 11-1 witching hours. No matter how much we play with her and try to burn her out during the day, like clockwork, Twiggy goes full sicko mode at 11pm. Then disappears under the bed to scratch at the carpet and headboard for an hour, which she does not do at all during the day. It sucks because when she does decide it’s bedtime, she snuggles up right next to my shoulder and tries to groom me. It’s very sweet. So now, we have to lock her out of the bedroom until she scratches and cries at the door at 1am, then let her in for cuddles. I haven’t gotten a full nights sleep in weeks. You have to ignore her, not give in to what she wants. You're actually training her to wake you up at 1 AM by opening the door for her. Leave the door open or leave it closed, it doesn't matter. You have to train her that once the humans are in bed, they won't respond to her. You do that by assiduously not responding to her no matter what. It's probably going to take a few weeks for her to figure it out.
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Sep 8, 2021 04:43
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I've always kept my cats shut out of my room. As much as I love the little buggers I do not want to give up control of my sleeping hours to them. They can hang out with me while I'm awake!
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Sep 8, 2021 05:26
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explosivo posted:Anyone know of a wet food that has the urinary SO stuff and is for cats with sensitive stomachs? My one cat has to eat the prescribed Royal Canin dry food with SO+hydrolyzed protein because he had crystals and also barfs when he eats most food but it sucks having to see him stare at our other cat chowing down on delicious wet food while he gets Have you asked the vet if it's okay to just give him regular wet food with his prescription dry stuff? My cat has had crystal issues so he's on his pee food too, but we give him a can of wet food as dinner, too. We figure it's just getting more water in his diet and he hasn't had any crystal issues since we started doing this, about a year+. He did go and see a vet today and apparently he's developed a minor heart murmur though...not too sure what to do about this, other than keep an eye on him?? The vet just referred us to an animal cardiologist since there isn't much he can do other than tell us about it. He's about ten now so I guess it's just...him aging. 
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Sep 8, 2021 06:02
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Ball Tazeman posted:I cannot handle the 11-1 witching hours. No matter how much we play with her and try to burn her out during the day, like clockwork, Twiggy goes full sicko mode at 11pm. Then disappears under the bed to scratch at the carpet and headboard for an hour, which she does not do at all during the day. It sucks because when she does decide it’s bedtime, she snuggles up right next to my shoulder and tries to groom me. It’s very sweet. So now, we have to lock her out of the bedroom until she scratches and cries at the door at 1am, then let her in for cuddles. I haven’t gotten a full nights sleep in weeks. We shoved a bunch of boxes under our bed to keep the cats from getting under the furthest parts of the bed. they only have access to easy to grab spots for us. As for their hours when they’re full of beans we keep the door open and the oldest knows when the TV is off and we aren’t talking at them we’re asleep and she knows it’s time for sleep. The little one eventually catches on after bugging her for a bit longer and will go to bed because the older one is asleep. We kick them out occasionally. As long as they have plenty of toys, fresh water and a bit of food out there we don’t feel too bad about it and re-open the doors around 6/7am when we’re getting ready for work.
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Sep 8, 2021 06:12
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Chief McHeath posted:The guy I rent from's redneck rear end hillbilly bitch of a girlfriend moved in, and her cat just HAS to be indoor/outdoor because she "always has been." Despite having separate entrances, not loving with her lovely cat at all, all hardwood flooring, that lovely outside cat brought fleas to my cat and his two mini daschunds. Steroid fleas. Capstar is fantastic for killing adult fleas. I love it for knocking down an infestation. The only downsides are that each tablet doesn't work for long, and it doesn't do anything about the flea eggs and larva in your furniture, bedding, and carpets. If you were seeing that much flea activity, you probably have thousands of eggs and larva in your house that will turn into adult fleas over the next 6 weeks. E: I've talked about food grade diatomaceous earth before, it's not fast but it can help knock down some of the larva. Facebook Aunt posted:You can add food grade diatomaceous earth to your arsenal. It's method of action is mechanical, not chemical. It's not a toxin of any kind. It's a grey dust made from the tiny skeletons of ancient sea diatoms. Perfectly safe to eat or lick, though you should probably avoid huffing it while it's airborne (like any dust). Facebook Aunt fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Sep 8, 2021 |
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Sep 8, 2021 06:38
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I woke up this morning and Alet'a nose is running so much that she's leaving literal puddles of goo all over the house. It is perfectly clear and not viscous at all. She's a fully indoor cat and our other cat is fine. I've already made an appointment for noon but how worried do I need to be right now? e: She is eating and drinking, is the same level of affectionate/playful as always, but she is clearly not enjoying herself. ee: Back from vet. Vet says this is either a result of having dry food stuck somewhere or exposure to a chemical. Heart good, teeth and gums good, breathing fine. We're keeping an eye on her. Apparently it was drool and not coming from her nose; it was dripping off of her nose though so ???? Fleta Mcgurn fucked around with this message at 11:23 on Sep 8, 2021 |
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Sep 8, 2021 09:00
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Okay, she's been drooling since at least 7 AM with no sign of it slowing down. The vet said she'd call us after eight hours but am I crazy to think that this is bullshit?
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Sep 8, 2021 13:41
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I adopted a cat (8 years old) and brought her home, I set her up in the living room where I felt she could be left alone to adapt to her new environment without me trudging around (as I need to sleep in my bedroom and regularly use the bathroom and so that leaves the living room). A couple of hours after opening her cat carrier I look around and she's hiding behind the couch, fine enough I figure, I go to sleep. However this morning she's still hiding behind the couch, worried she might maybe be stuck I moved the couch a little to give a little more space, but she's moved to a shelf-thing (like an old fashioned TV stand but modern tvs dont fit in it so I use it for books/board games), I attempted to pet her and she seemed to react a little positively to it but she seems scared so I moved her food bowl closer and left to give her some space. Googling it seems like cats might be scared of their new environment and hide for up to a couple of days, should I just leave her alone until she's decided the place is her home, should I be doing anything to make her more comfortable with it? She's back behind the couch now after poking her head out from the shelf and looking around, so I just moved her bowl again to be closer and left it at that. Should I also put like a pillow/some blankets on the other end?
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Sep 8, 2021 16:01
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This is normal, just let her be until she's comfortable coming out. Hang out in the room with her without acknowledging her and she will let you know when she's ready to be Perceived. I think most cats don't take longer than a few days but some do!
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Sep 8, 2021 16:06
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Yeah, it takes a few days for cats to start to feel comfortable in a new place. They need to process what's going on and convince themselves something horrible isn't going to eat them. I wouldn't put a ton of effort into making sure every comfort is within paws reach, hunger is more powerful than being scared and when she needs it she'll come out to eat. Unless she's extremely timid and it gets into 4 days and she's still not coming out, then you get to worry about dehydration. You'll also probably have to deal with not using the litter box if it's that bad so hopefully she starts to come out of her shell soon.
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Sep 8, 2021 16:06
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It took our adult cat about a week before she would start making nervous rounds around the perimeter of the house. We’ve had her for a month now and she’s finally totally settled in. I agree with the above posters - leave her food and water where they will stay in the future. She’ll come out and eat/drink at night when she feels safe. Just leave her alone for now and keep the space as calm as possible. Her curiosity will eventually make her want to explore!
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Sep 8, 2021 16:10
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Goddamnit, I have to take the bad kitty in again today because we've been finding rock hard shits outside of the litter box again. She was doing well since the last visit but I stopped giving her the medicine after a couple weeks passed and she was back to normal. It's always such a production getting her to the vet and while at the vet that I'm just anxious all day leading up to it. Maybe I need a gabapentin for myself too  Also I'm pretty sure after all this I'm going to get there and the vet's going to tell me to start up the medicine again and that'll be it. Urg.
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Sep 8, 2021 16:15
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Alright thats good, I was also worried because they have me some painkillers to give her as she had her teeth removed but they just told me that it was the last dosage she was supposed to recieve and she was starting to eat on her own and so if she doesn't eat at all today to call them tomorrow; that's currently the main thing I'm worried about as to whether she needed that and I'd have to force her to have it despite still being scared.  Once I finish up the work stuff I'm doing I'll break out the laptop for my university stuff and work on it quietly in the living room I think.
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Sep 8, 2021 16:23
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explosivo posted:Goddamnit, I have to take the bad kitty in again today because we've been finding rock hard shits outside of the litter box again. She was doing well since the last visit but I stopped giving her the medicine after a couple weeks passed and she was back to normal. It's always such a production getting her to the vet and while at the vet that I'm just anxious all day leading up to it. Maybe I need a gabapentin for myself too One of our kitties was like this, but in the other direction. She'd get a horrible case of the runs, we'd take her to the vet, he'd prescribe probiotics and a dry food to fix things up and it things would improve for a while and then we'd try to get back to normal and she'd get the runs again. Long story short, some kitties need a special diet and you might have to deal with that it's going to be a permanent concern. In our case we slip a tablespoon or so of high fiber kibble into her meals. It also turns out she loves crab grass so when I put her on the leash for walks she eats a bunch of it and that seems to manage it too, we ease up on the kibble at that point because too much fiber and she starts crapping diamonds. So as time goes on feel free to experiment with the diet and see if you can find something that works.
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Sep 8, 2021 16:38
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Yeah it's taken Lena about a week to really get comfy and pop out when she hears me coming in or going to the bathroom. She's been playing a lot now too. Still hisses a little but pretty quickly calms down and demands pets.
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Sep 8, 2021 17:18
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Deteriorata posted:You have to ignore her, not give in to what she wants. You're actually training her to wake you up at 1 AM by opening the door for her. Yeah, realizing what behavior you’re actually cultivating is a big part of cat-having. They *will* train *you* into routines you hate if you let them.
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Sep 8, 2021 18:03
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Raenir Salazar posted:I adopted a cat (8 years old) and brought her home, I set her up in the living room where I felt she could be left alone to adapt to her new environment without me trudging around (as I need to sleep in my bedroom and regularly use the bathroom and so that leaves the living room). Cats don't know they have been adopted. All they know is that they are in a strange place and don't know how to get home. Sometimes it helps if you do a quiet activity in their room. Sit on the floor if that's comfortable for you, so the cat can see you without leaving their hiding spot. If she can see you are calm and comfortable in the space that gives the signal that it is a safe space.
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Sep 8, 2021 18:09
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The Lord of Hats posted:Yeah, realizing what behavior you’re actually cultivating is a big part of cat-having. They *will* train *you* into routines you hate if you let them. The best part of having a cat tbh is the mind control. Facebook Aunt posted:Cats don't know they have been adopted. All they know is that they are in a strange place and don't know how to get home. Yeah I understand, although that's tricky as the way the couch is setup there's no a lot of working room on the side she's facing, I could try to clear some space on the other side? Maybe drag my easy chair over and work on it? Or would working quietly on the couch also maybe work where she can maybe not see me, but at least hear/sense me?
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Sep 8, 2021 18:13
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dorium posted:We shoved a bunch of boxes under our bed to keep the cats from getting under the furthest parts of the bed. they only have access to easy to grab spots for us. As for their hours when they’re full of beans we keep the door open and the oldest knows when the TV is off and we aren’t talking at them we’re asleep and she knows it’s time for sleep. The little one eventually catches on after bugging her for a bit longer and will go to bed because the older one is asleep. We kick them out occasionally. As long as they have plenty of toys, fresh water and a bit of food out there we don’t feel too bad about it and re-open the doors around 6/7am when we’re getting ready for work. We literally bought a specific bed frame just because both sides are 100% taken up by drawers, so there is no way for them to get under the bed. We had a lot of problems with them playing and fighting under there and waking us up, plus after a move the shits tore through the fabric on the bottom of the box spring and would climb up into it. Even after just peeling off the remaining fabric, they'd still jump up and sit on the cross beams. Nothing wakes you up faster than that reverberating THUD of one of those pieces getting hit at 3am that travels directly into the mattress and your pillow.
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Sep 8, 2021 18:19
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Raenir Salazar posted:The best part of having a cat tbh is the mind control. Yeah, the couch is fine. She'll still be able to hear you and smell you. This person seems cool and they are calm so this must be a good place. Watch tv, take a nap, it doesn't really matter what you do.
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Sep 8, 2021 18:28
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xzzy posted:Yeah, it takes a few days for cats to start to feel comfortable in a new place. They need to process what's going on and convince themselves something horrible isn't going to eat them. I wouldn't put a ton of effort into making sure every comfort is within paws reach, hunger is more powerful than being scared and when she needs it she'll come out to eat.
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Sep 8, 2021 18:35
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Thank you to everyone who wished my little thyroid cancer kitty well. We're having a heatwave and he's decided it's too hot to eat, which means he hasn't taken his medication in two days. Tonight I'm going to try squirting the syringe into his mouth. Pray for both of us.
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Sep 8, 2021 19:46
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I have acquired some kitty treats albeit they're dry, so I dunno if the cat will take to them; and some small cat toys, so far she's not really responding to them and I think is just starring at them/me. I picked up some more wet cat food since I assume I'll be changing the bowl a bit often until she comes out.
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Sep 8, 2021 21:23
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She takes another peek! 
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Sep 8, 2021 22:33
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Raenir Salazar posted:I have acquired some kitty treats albeit they're dry, so I dunno if the cat will take to them; and some small cat toys, so far she's not really responding to them and I think is just starring at them/me. I picked up some more wet cat food since I assume I'll be changing the bowl a bit often until she comes out. She's overwhelmed with everything being new at the moment so she won't be in the mood to play with toys. It doesn't mean she won't eventually take interest in them, but playing is something cats do when they feel safe. Leave some dry treats out overnight and see if they vanish before the wet food! And if a lot of wet food is being wasted, put out smaller portions until she starts clearing the bowl. She's not going to starve even if she doesn't eat much.
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Sep 8, 2021 22:33
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Raenir Salazar posted:She takes another peek! Yep, there you go. It's a gradual process. We had 2 adult fosters who were VERY scared and would not move from their hiding spots for the first 2-3 days. One of them started venturing out then and became quite sweet, but the other wouldn't let us near her for 2 weeks or so. But she WAS going out for food/water/litterbox while we were sleeping, and she finally started coming out and investigating us - and now she's even asking for pets, although she's still a bit jumpy. Every cat takes a varying amount of time, especially adult cats. The main rule is let them come to YOU, don't try to force pets on them before they are ready. Make sure she has a soft place to sleep - in a choice between comfort and safety, a scared cat will choose safety - and that sucks for the cat, so don't make it a choice. Give them a nice soft bed in the spot they like hiding, if possible, and if it's been a while and you're worried about their food/water, it's fine to put it near their hiding spot temporarily. And make sure they can see the litterbox. Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 23:03 on Sep 8, 2021 |
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Sep 8, 2021 22:58
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Yeah I placed down those towels from her cat carrier as maybe where she can sleep, I'm considering giving her the couch pillow(s) at like the other side.
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Sep 8, 2021 23:12
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Cat bad at pooping has been given a special dry food to help with digestion. She has primarily eaten only wet food for like the last 4 years so this will be fun
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Sep 8, 2021 23:18
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Raenir Salazar posted:Yeah I placed down those towels from her cat carrier as maybe where she can sleep, I'm considering giving her the couch pillow(s) at like the other side. You are very sweet for caring about her comfort and safety so much  My Shy Guy basically lived under my bed or inside the kitchen cabinets for a whole month before he came out. He had no problem jumping on the bed and singing me the songs of his people at night, though. Now he meows at me when he wants me to go to bed and cuddle with him. You’ll become best buddies soon. :]
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Sep 8, 2021 23:42
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I've spotted her by the other side of the couch  A thought occurs to me, I had Polydactyl cats before, and looking at the wikipedia article they describe it as like an abnormality; what distinguishes an abnormality from evolution/natural selection? Could cats select for the thumbs and evolve to become tool using on a long enough time scale?
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Sep 9, 2021 04:19
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Jackie got into a REALLY bad scrape with Murfy this morning, actually freaked me out. I didn't hear it because it took place outside, I just saw a VERY disheveled Jackie stumble inside with some small tufts of fur actually missing. I picked her up to check for scratches and wounds and make sure no serious damage has been done (it hadn't thankfully) but she smelled VERY bad. Turned out her belly and back legs were covered in poop, and she'd left a mess on the stone patio by the hot tub. Cleaned her up with a wet rag and warm water, which I haven't had to do since the days when she was like 7 pounds heavier and couldn't clean herself. I cannot begin to say how out-of-character this is for Jackie - in nearly 11 years of living with her full time, this is probably the second or third time she has ever pooped outside her litter box at all, and definitely the first time she's ever had any sort of accident like that. I don't know precisely what happened, but I'm assuming Murfy and her like REALLY got into a major fight, and he just scared the poo poo out of her, literally. I'm assuming this sort of thing isn't entirely or totally uncommon. I've encountered a cat secreting insanely foul-smelling stuff from their anal glands when like, deathly scared before. But this wasn't that I don't think, though I guess it was kind of similar. Worrisome though, Murfy can be a real rear end in a top hat and Jackie just refuses to back down to him, which creates some pretty serious (and not at all playful) conflict between cats.
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Sep 9, 2021 04:20
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Raenir Salazar posted:I've spotted her by the other side of the couch There is no distinction. Abnormalities are what drive evolution. An abnormality that offers the animal a competitive advantage eventually spreads throughout the population and becomes normal. Those that don't propagate remain abnormalities.
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Sep 9, 2021 04:22
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This kitten is insane and I have no way of “training her” to stay off of things. Double sided tape she jumps over or eats. Aluminum foil she ignores or eats. I bought that plastic mat with the nubs on the back and flipped it over. Well she decided that the nubs are fun to chew and lay on. Literally nothing deters this cat from anything.
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Sep 9, 2021 04:39
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Raenir Salazar posted:She takes another peek! Aww, what a sweetie
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Sep 9, 2021 09:54
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Ball Tazeman posted:This kitten is insane and I have no way of “training her” to stay off of things. Double sided tape she jumps over or eats. Aluminum foil she ignores or eats. I bought that plastic mat with the nubs on the back and flipped it over. Well she decided that the nubs are fun to chew and lay on. Literally nothing deters this cat from anything. Diagnosis: is a kitten.
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Sep 9, 2021 13:09
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Cythereal posted:Diagnosis: is a demon.
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Sep 9, 2021 14:46
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Man I've had cats for literally more than 2 decades and I cannot definitively tell you how to train them to stay off things.
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Sep 9, 2021 15:09
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You basically have to startle them so bad they become scared to try it. Which is basically giving them PTSD and pretty cruel, so I live with the fact a cat's gonna do what a cat wants to do. Sometimes identifying what they're actually trying to do (look for food, get someplace high and safe, knocking things off ledges) and putting alternatives into your house can help.
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Sep 9, 2021 15:20
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The only thing I've found that works is blocking the area from them or just making it as deeply uninteresting as possible so there is nothing there for them, until they give up going there. Probably won't work on a kitten though only a lazy adult cat.
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Sep 9, 2021 15:22
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She really just scratches at everything too. We have 6 different scratching posts now and would rather scratch at the brand new bed frame or underside of the couch. Everybody says cats are easy-mode and the plug and play pet but gently caress that. Kittens are monsters. Everybody also says that they will eventually mellow out and oh god please be true I’m going mad. I just keep reminding myself that one day I will have a good cat, and the sweet moments to insane ones ratio will start to even out.
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Sep 9, 2021 15:23
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