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IUG posted:Are there any cat DNA testing things that are worth the money? My wife love that Ancestery.com stuff, and I was going to try to get her something like that for Christmas, but for our cats. I wouldn’t recommend it. The FBI uses those databases to frame cats for murder
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Nov 4, 2021 23:06
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| # ? May 16, 2024 05:00 |
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I have 2 cats. One of them is 3 years old and the other is 8. The 8 year old cat is great. She's flawless. Clean, sweet and kind. The 3 year old cat is the problem. For the past 7 or so months she's been pissing at the front door of our house 4-5 times per week. I'm loving tired of this. We have a toddler and this pissing cannot continue. We have 3 litterboxes in the house, cleaned daily, fresh litter every 2 weeks now. This little fucker will not poo poo in any of them, only outside on boot trays that I've put there for this purpose now, and when she does go in one to piss, when she's done she flies out of the litterbox vertically and litter sprays everywhere. She's had test after test for struvite crystals, which she did have early on in this journey. She went on some drugs and a prescription urinary diet to clear that up, which it did. She has not had any sign of urinary tract crystals in the past 4 tests that have been done. At this point the vet doesn't know what to do other than prescribe fluoxetine which I am reluctant to do. The cat is either getting cat prozac and we see what happens, or she's getting re-homed. I don't know what else to do and I'm loving losing it. I have had cats all my life and never had any issues like this. Please, if anyone has any insight, I am all ears.
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Nov 4, 2021 23:46
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The test results are in: 50% loving fluff ball 50% demon who won’t stop JUMPING ON MY loving DESK drunken officeparty fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Nov 4, 2021 |
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Nov 4, 2021 23:48
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Ur Getting Fatter posted:me: frees my cat from the prison she's been trapped in for hours Did you consider offering her a bribe of SEA MEAT ?
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Nov 5, 2021 01:49
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IUG posted:Are there any cat DNA testing things that are worth the money? My wife love that Ancestery.com stuff, and I was going to try to get her something like that for Christmas, but for our cats. Cat DNA testing isn't so much of a thing as dog since specific breeds aren't nearly as distinct or common. Tortie and calico are colours, not breeds. Probably your cat is just a generic cat, although I'd be interested to see how a DNA test company spins it!
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Nov 5, 2021 01:56
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VERTiG0 posted:I have 2 cats. One of them is 3 years old and the other is 8. The 8 year old cat is great. She's flawless. Clean, sweet and kind. The 3 year old cat is the problem. For the past 7 or so months she's been pissing at the front door of our house 4-5 times per week. I'm loving tired of this. We have a toddler and this pissing cannot continue. Maybe new cats or other animals out the front door are making her want to scent mark?
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Nov 5, 2021 03:28
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IUG posted:Are there any cat DNA testing things that are worth the money? My wife love that Ancestery.com stuff, and I was going to try to get her something like that for Christmas, but for our cats. No, they are all novelty tests with their own made up parameters and wierd fluff like "what big cats is yours most related to???"
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Nov 5, 2021 04:41
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Cat color gemetics are pretty straightforward, there's only a few genes involved. You can look it up on Wikipedia, then look at your cat, and you'll know her color genes. As for breeds, pedigree cats are so rare compared to generic cats that it's almost not worth asking. If your cat totally looks like a Siamese, or something like that, might be interesting to know if she "really" is one (though she'll never officially count as one without a family tree), but if she just looks like a normal cat, chances are she is. Otteration posted:Maybe new cats or other animals out the front door are making her want to scent mark? If pissing cat has a clean bill of health, the most likely thing is that some scent makes her want to pee and poo in the places she does. I'd scrub them with an enzymatic cleaner, then possibly transfer her poop to a litter box in case that helps. If it's possible, maybe put a litter box near the places she chose - usually cats strongly prefer to bury their business.
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Nov 5, 2021 08:20
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I've always wondered if Katya had some Ragdoll genes because of her luxurious coat and chill temperament, but Kimchi actually is half Ragdoll and she looks nothing like one? lol, genetics. There's like 4 cat breeds and 70% falls into the European Short Hair category, so there's no point to any testing. https://twitter.com/invisiblemonkey/status/1455454587817766912?s=20 Kimmy's ragdoll genes are most apparent in the way she's our little monkey girl
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Nov 5, 2021 09:01
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Thanks all. I decided against the cat genome testing things then. They were going to be too large a chunk of what we agreed to spend for the holidays anyways ($85 * 2, plus tax, shipping and handling, etc.) As a payment, have some pictures of our cats, including what I gave her as a gift a previous Christmas (photoshopped them myself, and had Walgreens print them).  
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Nov 5, 2021 13:35
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Messy Beast has loads and loads of cat genetics/breeds/colouring info. The site generally has loads of in-depth random info for other animals too and is worth losing a couple of hours to!
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Nov 5, 2021 15:09
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Is it really possible to communicate basic messages to your cat through meowing? Or is that a load of baloney? My friend swears it's a real thing, and she can understand when her cat is hungry or disgruntled, and was curious if anyone here had any experience with that.
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Nov 5, 2021 15:27
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I've been thinking about doing this but never considered just doing it myself. Looks awesome!
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Nov 5, 2021 15:34
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Technically yes, cats have a pretty big vocal range so they probably say quite a bit to us. Figuring out what they mean is a little harder though, I've never been able to translate what they're saying except for the obvious stuff like "dinner is late you fuckstick." As for teaching them words, you don't have to literally meow at them. The research that's been done suggests they don't understand words really, but react to the tone you use. So if you say the same word the same way you can teach them a few phrases.
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Nov 5, 2021 15:35
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Bioshuffle posted:Is it really possible to communicate basic messages to your cat through meowing? Or is that a load of baloney? My friend swears it's a real thing, and she can understand when her cat is hungry or disgruntled, and was curious if anyone here had any experience with that. Cats definitely make different noises depending on what they want, so it's possible to understand them to some degree. I somewhat doubt that meowing back at them is useful, though there's nothing wrong with it if you enjoy it. They can learn to react to some words, e.g. their names or some commands, so theoretically it should also be possible to talk to them using different meows.
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Nov 5, 2021 15:39
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What's up, Perpetually Pissed Off Looking Orange Tort buddy   And her big sister chilling (heh) on the same heating pad:  Martman posted:This is the most dignified cat I've seen in years, well done I'm at work, somebody throw a monocle and top hat on this bad boy TIA.
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Nov 5, 2021 18:08
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InvisibleMonkey posted:I've always wondered if Katya had some Ragdoll genes because of her luxurious coat and chill temperament, but Kimchi actually is half Ragdoll and she looks nothing like one? lol, genetics. Ragdolls are generic cats. The "breed" was developed in the 1960s. The foundation cat was a bog standard domestic longhair. Their pre-1960 ancestors were just cats, and presumably all the genes used to make a ragdoll also exist in lots of random cats that were never part of the ragdoll breeding program. Given all that, it seems pretty unlikely any genetic test will reliably be able to assure you your cat is "part ragdoll".
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Nov 5, 2021 21:05
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Just a little update, Quill is now about 18 weeks old, doing amazing, eating really well and having no issues. She has all her shots and is going to be spayed sometime in the next month or two. She's still really lovely and I don't regret bringing her into my life at all. She plays rough with me but is extremely gentle with everyone else she knows at home and all strangers. I love showing her off. https://i.imgur.com/wPMGH0G.mp4
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Nov 5, 2021 21:37
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Facebook Aunt posted:Ragdolls are generic cats. The "breed" was developed in the 1960s. The foundation cat was a bog standard domestic longhair. Their pre-1960 ancestors were just cats, and presumably all the genes used to make a ragdoll also exist in lots of random cats that were never part of the ragdoll breeding program. Yes, that's why I said there's no point to genetic tests? I only know Kimchi's father is a ragdoll but she doesn't even have the long hair, she's VERY soft though.
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Nov 6, 2021 12:21
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so these are the sisters I took in last week. on the left is Carmela, on the right Candida, who developed an eye infection the very first day in my care! they are 5 months old but Carmela is bigger, stronger, louder and generally more active than her sister  She was also the more shy: both of them were not really used to people and she was very suspicious of me....  but she is coming around  Candida was the more social of the two at the beginning, but I have to give her eye drops and antibiotics for her eye so she is keeping her distance now  but thankfully her eye is getting much better  both are good girls, very energetic when they play.
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Nov 6, 2021 23:06
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Lovely girls! Also loving the tape cat-flap contraption, lol.
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Nov 6, 2021 23:22
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thanks it is supposed to let them learn that they can pass through it, then I will remove the tape and they have to push trough the little door on their own. My last cat, Giotto, was a big old guy and always got its tail trapped loosing a bit of fur but it seems to not even notice it.
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Nov 6, 2021 23:42
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I assume old age is pretty much a cause of death for cats like people? Mine just died a few hours ago and when we took him to the vets for a checkup in July or June the vet was crowing about how good his health was. Blood panels came back excellent and superficially she said he seemed about 2-5 years younger than his real age. Granted he was 14 but he was just fine a little before that and I've never had one that didn't let their poor health and pain be apparent beforehand. Did a cursory look around to make sure he didn't get into anything and found no chemicals. My dad who had a little vet training from back in his army days said it might have been a heart attack but that was a long time ago. I wanted to get an autopsy done but the vet won't be open till monday and I've been pretty much overruled on that from a cost standpoint. I assume any sort of cancer would have shown up in the blood panel white bloodcell counts? He did slip running around the corner and it did give me the briefest cause for concern but it was probably just slick from cleaning. I know I'm just trying to find some sort of closure but it probably was natural causes
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Nov 7, 2021 07:27
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A sudden death in cats is usually linked to some sort of heart attack/embolism or aneurysm. We didn't have a formal autopsy performed when we lost Grace back in April, but our vet told us that it was the most likely explanation. I'm so sorry for your loss. 
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Nov 7, 2021 08:29
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I’m sorry for your loss. As I understand it, like people, even if an older cat is in good health when they get sick they go downhill fast. A friend’s elderly cat similarly had been to the vet recently and they crooned over how he had the heart of a cat 5 years younger. Maybe a month later he died from pneumonia. It was very unexpected and sad. On the other hand it’s better that he died suddenly than a prolonged battle with cancer or feline Alzheimer’s, but either way it’s terrible and sad. We don’t get enough time with them. It hurts that their lives are so short.
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Nov 7, 2021 08:40
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I'm very sorry for your loss! For older humans it's not super unusual to just die suddenly, so I assume the same things can happen to older cats too. If he had some coordination problems before he died, it might well have been some sort of stroke or aneurysm, which presumably wouldn't have been treatable. Cancer would generally cause a slow decline rather than a sudden death, so that seems unlikely. I understand that you want closure, but unless you're worried about other cats in the household or can pay very easily, an autopsy is probably not needed.
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Nov 7, 2021 09:41
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Bioshuffle posted:Is it really possible to communicate basic messages to your cat through meowing? Or is that a load of baloney? My friend swears it's a real thing, and she can understand when her cat is hungry or disgruntled, and was curious if anyone here had any experience with that. There's been actual studies done on 'cat language' and basically there is no standardized calls but each individual cat will work out it's own "pet me" "pay attention to me" "feed me" noises based on whatever their individual human responded to (exactly one time and therefore forever) (that last bit is a joke but the rest is legit.) Owners were unable to determine what another cat's cries meant, but could easily identify what their own cat wanted by their specific cries. So your friend's cat is just vocal and has learned specific cries get your friend to react in specific ways. A less vocal cat might not have as many individual "words".
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Nov 7, 2021 09:56
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I'm sorry too, a similar thing happened to Giotto last august, he went to sleep and was found dead in the morning in the same spot; he was 16 and diabetic. My mother was shocked when she understood the cat was not just oversleeping: I had to give the cat to her for 1 week because I was on travel and she felt guilty. In my experience though if a cat feels ill he will behave very differently, they usually hide or by contrast are more affectionate, so he probably did not suffer. I feel better since i adopted the 2 new cats from the shelter
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Nov 7, 2021 09:59
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Milo and POTUS posted:I assume old age is pretty much a cause of death for cats like people? Mine just died a few hours ago and when we took him to the vets for a checkup in July or June the vet was crowing about how good his health was. Blood panels came back excellent and superficially she said he seemed about 2-5 years younger than his real age. Granted he was 14 but he was just fine a little before that and I've never had one that didn't let their poor health and pain be apparent beforehand. Did a cursory look around to make sure he didn't get into anything and found no chemicals. My dad who had a little vet training from back in his army days said it might have been a heart attack but that was a long time ago. I wanted to get an autopsy done but the vet won't be open till monday and I've been pretty much overruled on that from a cost standpoint. I assume any sort of cancer would have shown up in the blood panel white bloodcell counts? He did slip running around the corner and it did give me the briefest cause for concern but it was probably just slick from cleaning. I know I'm just trying to find some sort of closure but it probably was natural causes Also, cats are notorious for hiding their pain. Sometimes this can make it obvious when they're dying, but I think you should not feel any blame at all for not knowing in advance if something is wrong.
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Nov 7, 2021 10:25
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There's nothing funnier to me than the look of sheer determination on my cat's face when he's kneading a blanket.
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Nov 7, 2021 22:00
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Regarding the cat DNA thing, we got Basepaws for our cats. It's definitely a luxury item at $120 per kit, but I found the numbers still pretty interesting. This was our long haired cat that we always assumed was mostly persian because of her stubby legs, long hair, and flat-ish face. Our other cat was less interesting, being a generic orange short hair street cat. He was just a mix of everything.
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Nov 7, 2021 22:50
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My foster puss is being adopted next week. I'm happy for him and for his new family, but I really hate this period of limbo.
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Nov 7, 2021 23:00
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explosivo posted:There's nothing funnier to me than the look of sheer determination on my cat's face when he's kneading a blanket. Same, the cat's little focused face is the cutest expression.
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Nov 7, 2021 23:33
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I love the cuddling they do. On the less positive side, new shelter resident in my room... and of course she's a hostile little hellion who should have been in her own space, where it was known she hates other cats before she even came in. Hopefully I can figure out how to help her settle down some. Picking fights with everybody in the meantime. 
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Nov 8, 2021 19:16
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Been thinking about getting another cat recently. All mine in the past have been rescues, but my current roommate is allergic and I don’t think I’m going to find one of those hairless breeds at a shelter…. Looking for any general advice before I start looking into breeders and whatnot
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Nov 8, 2021 19:52
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seance snacks posted:Been thinking about getting another cat recently. All mine in the past have been rescues, but my current roommate is allergic and I don’t think I’m going to find one of those hairless breeds at a shelter…. Some time ago someone mentioned a special cat food that was supposed to reduce the production of the enyzmes that produce cat allergens. Edit: I think it was this https://www.purina.com/pro-plan/cats/liveclear-cat-allergen-reducing-food Never used it, but it might be a start?
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Nov 8, 2021 20:28
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There's a theory out there that white haired cats give off fewer allergens than dark haired cats, and long haired cats give off less than short haired cats. I don't know how well it's backed by research but it's a thing I've had parroted at me forever. So try finding some quality studies on it, and if it pans out, look for a white fluffball!
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Nov 8, 2021 20:42
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regularly using allerpet anti-dandruff shampoo has helped by dads allergies so far as well
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Nov 8, 2021 20:47
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Milo and POTUS posted:I assume old age is pretty much a cause of death for cats like people? Mine just died a few hours ago and when we took him to the vets for a checkup in July or June the vet was crowing about how good his health was. Blood panels came back excellent and superficially she said he seemed about 2-5 years younger than his real age. Granted he was 14 but he was just fine a little before that and I've never had one that didn't let their poor health and pain be apparent beforehand. Did a cursory look around to make sure he didn't get into anything and found no chemicals. My dad who had a little vet training from back in his army days said it might have been a heart attack but that was a long time ago. I wanted to get an autopsy done but the vet won't be open till monday and I've been pretty much overruled on that from a cost standpoint. I assume any sort of cancer would have shown up in the blood panel white bloodcell counts? He did slip running around the corner and it did give me the briefest cause for concern but it was probably just slick from cleaning. I know I'm just trying to find some sort of closure but it probably was natural causes For what it's worth, my cat had advanced metastatic cancer and it was only discovered through an ultrasound and chest-xray. He had had bloodwork done the week he died, and nothing about the results indicated cancer.
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Nov 8, 2021 20:56
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xzzy posted:There's a theory out there that white haired cats give off fewer allergens than dark haired cats, and long haired cats give off less than short haired cats. I don't know how well it's backed by research but it's a thing I've had parroted at me forever. Good to know, I would absolutely love to have a cat like Walter: https://youtu.be/sJeuWZNWImE
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Nov 8, 2021 22:46
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