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TONIGHT! the Musical Wherein this loving cat finally sits still long enough to photograph. 
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Nov 10, 2021 01:51
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| # ? May 16, 2024 10:26 |
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What are good resources for cats with separation anxiety? After nearly two years of work from home, my cat has become accustomed to me being around nearly all of the time. Now I am going back to the office a couple days a week and leaving her alone for longer stretches than she's used to. She's learned what comes next when I put on my shoes, and when I get ready to leave she will shout at me or run and hide, it seems that clearly she isn't happy about it. Besides an autofeeder to give her a lunch while I'm away and leaving out some of her toys, what can I do to help her feel okay with this?
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Nov 10, 2021 06:35
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gohuskies posted:What are good resources for cats with separation anxiety? After nearly two years of work from home, my cat has become accustomed to me being around nearly all of the time. Now I am going back to the office a couple days a week and leaving her alone for longer stretches than she's used to. She's learned what comes next when I put on my shoes, and when I get ready to leave she will shout at me or run and hide, it seems that clearly she isn't happy about it. Besides an autofeeder to give her a lunch while I'm away and leaving out some of her toys, what can I do to help her feel okay with this? I'd say she'll get used to it. Make sure she's comfortable (heating, food and water, not locked out of rooms she likes), and give her some entertainment, e.g. a puzzle feeder or a bird bath to watch outside. Comedy option: get a second cat to keep her company.
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Nov 10, 2021 08:53
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Yeah I think, unless she starts doing things that make it clear she's not adjusting acceptably, all you can or need to do is be very nice as you head out and return. Sure she'll whine when you leave, because she loves you. But if she's not tearin' poo poo up when you're gone then she's probably got it under control and will just be happy when you're back.
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Nov 10, 2021 09:01
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gohuskies posted:What are good resources for cats with separation anxiety? After nearly two years of work from home, my cat has become accustomed to me being around nearly all of the time. Now I am going back to the office a couple days a week and leaving her alone for longer stretches than she's used to. She's learned what comes next when I put on my shoes, and when I get ready to leave she will shout at me or run and hide, it seems that clearly she isn't happy about it. Besides an autofeeder to give her a lunch while I'm away and leaving out some of her toys, what can I do to help her feel okay with this? I'm going through this now with one of mine. At first she'd look betrayed and then apparently be grouchy all day long. Then she started yelling at me whenever she saw me putting on shoes or taking a shower in the morning. Now she kind of recognizes that I'm going out and sleeps all day until I get home. She's been a little clingier than usual but she's normalizing. I'd say it's been about three weeks, but it wasn't horrendous. Hopefully yours gets used to it soon!
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Nov 10, 2021 22:04
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Unfortunately my Cam passed tuesday morning. About 6 weeks ago she was diagnosed with PKD after she had been vomiting up her food a lot. Her prognosis looked good after a few more weeks and they thought that the cysts were getting smaller but she rapidly deteriorated over the past few weeks. It was getting harder and harder to get her to eat and she was constantly hiding in a closet. On Tuesday I found her limp and with a very weak heartbeat and we had to say goodbye. My wife and I were looking and we actually found 2 adorable bonded kittens at a shelter near us and we've applied to adopt them! I was wondering, is there any kind of cat DNA/Genetic testing that will tell you if your cat has PKD (As I understand, if the mother has it the kittens will definitely have it as well)? I will definitely adopt the kittens either way, but I just don't want to be blindsided like that again when you think you have so much time and suddenly it's just... over. I know that PKD is very rare in breeds that aren't persians and the cats I am looking to adopt aren't persian, but Cam was an American Shorthair and she still had it so I'm not wanting to take any chances. Additionally I assume any such test would also be able to catch other genetic diseases.
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Nov 11, 2021 06:17
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I'm so sorry. It must have been so hard to see Cam get so weak so suddenly. You did your very best by them, and what matters is that they were loved to the very end. The good news is that yes there is gene testing for PKD! Ask your vet if they have connections to a lab that will run the tests. Just a cheek swab is all that's needed, apparently.
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Nov 13, 2021 03:06
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I just need to ramble a little, we noticed our guy was in a little bit of pain last night and this morning started yowling after unsuccessfully using the litter box. Rushed him to the vet and they didn't think he was blocked yet, just gave him antibiotics, muscle relaxer and pain meds to treat a possible cystitis. He passed a little urine this afternoon, but then the medicines started wearing off and he couldn't pass again. I gave him the evening dose of everything and he's not complaining with every step but now he's hypersalivating, and not interested in food, water or even trying to use the little box. It's just this fear and anxiety is crushing after it felt like he was turning around this afternoon.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:11
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My vet suggested something, and I'm wondering if I should switch vets, or it's actually good advice and not serial killer stuff. She suggested to keep the cats energy and play levels up to buy live feeder mice, and drop them in the bath tub as a treat for the cat. I like, panicked internally but smiled and nodded. This sounds crazy awful to me, so I wanted to get a 2nd opinion, but at the same time I didn't want to be the girl calling a bunch of vets and asking about it.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:14
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That sounds absolutely bonkers, and depending on the tub I'm 95% sure lots of mice could easily jump out of one if they really had to. I have never ever heard of someone doing that. E: is there any chance at all this was a misunderstanding, and they meant feed them dead whole mice in the tub to contain the mess? That is still unusual but would make the suggestion seem far less batshit Martman fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Nov 13, 2021 |
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Nov 13, 2021 05:27
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Uhhhhhhhhh yeah that's completely wild, not a normal to suggest at all. Pretty sure even most people who keep animals that actually eat mice give them to them dead so they don't get injured? But if you're going to give them dead mice then just give them chicken necks instead to crunch.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:42
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I was sure I misunderstood, so I asked several times, in various levels of specificity, and this is definitely what they were saying. That giving your cats live animals to chase around a bathtub to hunt and kill would be a good form of play, and a treat for the Cat. It seemed like the most batshit crazy thing I've ever heard, but the lady is pushing on 60 or 70 and I didn't want to be rude. She compared it to feeding crickets to frogs, or feeder mice to a snake.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:43
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But that's what they actually eat! They aren't given to them to toy with for fun! Pretty sure the mice that snakes get are frozen/thawed. The better comparison to that would be giving a cat a raw diet including organ meat etc that resembles what they'd get hunting prey. Anyway yeah don't listen to that person that's nuts. And probably change vets, yeah.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:47
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i get the logic but i have never heard of that before in my life seems kinda cruel to the mouse -- yes yes, obligate carnivores, et cetera but that doesn't mean we have to torture a small living critter for our cat's entertainment when a non-living toy does just as well I feed frozen to my reptiles for that reason and to avoid risk of injury.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:48
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Ok, I'm really glad this isn't just me. I might just say something to the front desk, or just switch all together without saying anything.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:50
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A cat can get enormous amounts of entertainment -- if they want entertainment, and some of them don't -- from an owner and an assortment of cat toys. You throw toys, you bounce toys, you point laser pointers, until something clicks. A cat does not have to terrify another living animal in order to enjoy its own cat life. And that mouse is being terrified for no good reason. As other people have already said, people who feed snakes and such use dead rodents, because live rodents can actually injure the animal being fed, or escape. Frankly, your vet is right up there with the people who insist that cats have to go outdoors because it is their nature.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:50
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Boba Pearl posted:Ok, I'm really glad this isn't just me. I might just say something to the front desk, or just switch all together without saying anything. Yeah, I'm generally super deferential to vets and their expertise, but I draw the line at this one. It's cruel and dumb and potentially dangerous to the cat. I would bet she's not an actual cat owner and just thinks it would be a neat thing for them to do, as no one who actually has a cat would think it was in the least bit sane.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:56
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It's a good lesson that just because they're doctors doesn't mean they aren't human, they can still go a bit dumb and spread horrible ideas.
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Nov 13, 2021 05:59
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Arsenic Lupin posted:As other people have already said, people who feed snakes and such use dead rodents, because live rodents can actually injure the animal being fed, or escape. Just seems like a terrible idea for so, so many reasons. Martman fucked around with this message at 06:01 on Nov 13, 2021 |
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Nov 13, 2021 05:59
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I was already kind of weary, because there was some woo about needing to make an enclosure outside because cats need to catch sun and touch grass from outdoors, she also wears a lot of crystals which tends to be a red flag for me personally, but that's probably because I spend too much time on the internet. I honestly couldn't torture an animal like that, it seems so gross and unnecessarily violent.
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Nov 13, 2021 06:04
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Well, I hear catios (cat patios) are getting extremely popular, and a safe outdoor enclosure is indeed awesome for a lot of cats. Not necessary at all but I wouldn't call it BS or woo or anything... but yeah I don't blame you for distrusting everything this person said now.
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Nov 13, 2021 06:06
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Catios are pretty great, I've enclosed off my back courtyard for the cats, but they aren't necessary. It just means I can get away with putting less effort into keeping them entertained because they have a little bit of outdoors to roll around in, and some dirt to crap in so I don't need a litterbox.
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Nov 13, 2021 06:12
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Cattios rule if you have the time/means/space for them but if your vet is being weird and prescriptive about it that sucks. The mouse thing is completely nuts. I’d have to assume she doesn’t own cats and is just suggesting stuff she’s fantasized about doing?? Why not just use a loving puzzle feeder???
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Nov 13, 2021 07:48
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I've read that cats don't naturally know how to catch mice, they learn it from their mother when they're young. So if your cat is having babies, and you want future generations in you cat's line to have any chance of catching mice, I guess you'd have to supply some. In reality this probably won't be a problem, because no breeder will switch from lapcats to mousers for no reason, and mousers can just get their own mice from outside (or the barn or wherever). But yeah, bringing in live mice just so your cat can have some fun sounds really cruel. It would also leave your bathtub clad in mouse guts and poop. I don't think your vet has thought this through.
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Nov 13, 2021 08:39
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At one point as a kid a mouse got in and my mother trapped it in the bathroom. Our cat had been indoors-only for years, but had been outdoors in the past. That cat took one look at the mouse and ran for her life.
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Nov 13, 2021 10:00
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Our cats killed a mouse earlier this year, but not with teeth. They just smacked it around the living room like one of their toys until it died from fright. It had no signs of injury on it at all by the time we picked up on what was going on. They don't have a single clue they're predators, all they have is the instinct to pounce on stuff.
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Nov 13, 2021 13:56
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Yeah one of the cats I had growing up caught a mouse inside, and by caught I mean yowled pitifully while following right behind it as it ran along, with apparently no idea what to do beyond her instincts saying she should do SOMETHING with this thing.
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Nov 13, 2021 14:17
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Mice are also stupendous jumpers and unless you have some deep giant bathtub (I'm jealous) the odds of one escaping are pretty high.
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Nov 13, 2021 16:54
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Boba Pearl posted:60 or 70 Sounds like a thing the kids might do 80 or 90 years ago for fun during the long winter months. 😬 Time to retire.
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Nov 13, 2021 17:18
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RoboRodent posted:Mice are also stupendous jumpers and unless you have some deep giant bathtub (I'm jealous) the odds of one escaping are pretty high.  Our tub is shallow as poo poo can't get comfy in it at all  Harold enjoys that it's shallow enough he can sit on my stomach and chest while I'm in it relaxing though, and it also means he can drink my bathwater if I let him! I don't anymore, we think part of what led to his blockage was that our upstairs water is hard as hell due to the ancient pipes
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Nov 13, 2021 23:40
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It seems like Emilia kinda wants more attention then I can consistently give; I'm wondering if I need to get a second cat so she can have company; but what if I then end up with two needy cats?
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Nov 14, 2021 04:54
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How old is Emilia? Because it matters when deciding whether she'll tolerate a second cat.
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Nov 14, 2021 05:15
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Arsenic Lupin posted:How old is Emilia? Because it matters when deciding whether she'll tolerate a second cat. 8 years old.
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Nov 14, 2021 05:19
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At that age it's hard to say if getting another cat will help - its possible, every cat is different, but I would bet on your cat just being very, very attached to you.
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Nov 14, 2021 13:44
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If you do try it, consider a kitten. The older cat is less likely to see it as a threat and odds are good they'll "adopt" it. But like others said, results depend. We have two cats and one of them still begs for attention several times a day, she just loves affirmations from her human. Only get a second cat if you want a second cat.
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Nov 14, 2021 16:04
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I've had Latte for a few months now, and I'm getting a little frustrated by meowing at night. I take care to try and play with her before bedtime and give her a meal right before going to bed. In the night, she does this incessant, almost urgent-sounding meowing. It's very different than any of the noises she ever makes during the day. She has water, a clean litter box, food, and plenty of toys, so I am not sure what she needs. I assume it's boredom, but I also often her hear playing with one of her toys eventually after meowing for some time. Following the advice of this thread, my wife and I completely ignore her, but it hasn't gotten any better and my sleep is suffering. She doesn't escalate in any way. She never knocks anything off desks or destroys anything. Besides this behavior, she's basically a perfect cat. Any ideas? Is this just cats being cats?
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Nov 14, 2021 18:16
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It really depends. Cats meow for a lot of reasons. One of ours meows after she's caught her favorite toy, she'll caterwaul like she's announcing her successful hunt. She'll often do it in the middle of the night when there's no one around to hear her. Another is super attached to us and will meow piteously and incessantly at the bedroom door if we close it. The other will just get randomly hyper when he wants attention and play and will run around the house making weird squeaky noises.  Cats.
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Nov 14, 2021 18:29
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One of my cats will kill a toy, then yowl, and mrrp along through the house and drop it on my bed, meow enough to wake me up for pats, then gently caress off so I can go back to sleep. The newer cat also learned this behavior. They're lucky its cute and I have no trobule getting back to sleep. If I left doors closed there's yowling all night because Milly is co-depended on me at this point. Do you leave bedroom doors open or closed?
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Nov 14, 2021 18:33
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We leave the bedroom door open because Latte sleeps with us. She has full run of our small one-bedroom apartment at night.
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Nov 14, 2021 18:54
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| # ? May 16, 2024 10:26 |
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Our needy little pandemic baby will wake up from a nap and start hollering until we pick up her up and cradle her/rub her belly. This was alarming at first since Katya barely makes any noise and we didn't have any other frame of reference, but turns out she's just a noisy cuddle bug. e: she is baby 
InvisibleMonkey fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Nov 14, 2021 |
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Nov 14, 2021 20:08
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