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eating only apples posted:I pushed for two but the landlord would not allow it. Doing our best with what we have.
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May 24, 2022 12:00
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eating only apples posted:Yeah he's almost never alone in the daytime, he has two humans who play with him regularly, we're trying to set the boundaries. He seems to sleep through the night and wake up ready to play, and we're fortunate enough that someone is always there for him. We're actually trying to make time to leave him alone for a few hours while we go out for dinner or something, otherwise he'd never be rid of us. He makes his need for space clear and we leave him alone when he clearly wants to be alone. I didn't mean to imply you weren't giving enough attention to your cat. I just wanted to rule that out as a possibility since I've seen it before. "Why does my cat have so much wild energy when I don't socialize it and give it 5 minutes of stimulation per day?!" sort of thing.
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May 24, 2022 15:26
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A cat of ours went to the vet, weekend before last, for an enema for a blockage. He got 3 enemas in fact! They also gave him a drip/iv/fluid bump (whatever it's called) for 3 days after that, so like 4 visits total. The other cats were hissing at him after the vet visits and I was like 'fine, he smells like other cats or dogs, this will go away.' However he last went to the vet 9 days ago and they're STILL hissing at him. I play with them, give them cat drugs sometimes, the cats have a LOT of space, etc, but, at least 3 of our cats (we have 6 lol) STILL hiss at him. He's always got along great with all of the cats. I'm not sure what to do. Could he STILL be smelling funny from the vet?
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May 24, 2022 16:43
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Cats are just really stupid, they'll figure it out eventually. They're not doing anything actually aggressive right? Hissing is usually a pretty mild hey I'm not sure about you don't come any closer kind of vibe
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May 24, 2022 17:01
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Organza Quiz posted:Cats are just really stupid, they'll figure it out eventually. They're not doing anything actually aggressive right? Hissing is usually a pretty mild hey I'm not sure about you don't come any closer kind of vibe it's hissing, chasing, batting, some proper screaming fights but none that end in injuries (our cats are all fairly pathetic, indoor-only cats). Thanks for the reassurance. 3 different cats will go to the vet on Friday so we'll probably have more PROBLEMS later on.
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May 24, 2022 20:38
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I like how some cats are roommates (they come to you once in a while but otherwise you just share a living space) and others are gently caress You You Belong To Me (crawl in your lap, trip you to get your attention, sleep on you, chase you all over).
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May 25, 2022 04:08
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Pixelante posted:I suggest getting a female kitten. I have a small apartment and introduced a male kitten to my then one-year-old male cat for the same reason and although they get along 95%* of the time, it's all play and no cuddles. They're now several years older and only in the last year they've started sharing the couch (without touching) for napping. This is really interesting because I'd read elsewhere that if you have a male cat, you should get a male kitten (with the same applying to female cats). I was leaning towards getting a male kitten because my family has always believed that male cats are friendlier and more likely to be affectionate. This has resulted in my only having one female cat and while she adored me but would barely acknowledge anyone else existed. Does anyone think there's any truth to this? Is my family just cat-sexist? If you were in my shoes would you be looking for a male or a female cat, or just wouldn't care? Also thanks to everyone for the replies to my original question, it was reassuring to know that my bathroom would be fine to use during the introductory phase.
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May 25, 2022 18:18
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I'd heard the same thing about male cats being more affectionate but didn't really care when we got to adopt Katya, she's the kind to insist you give her attention when she so pleases but is otherwise friendly but aloof. Then we did pick a female kitten as a second cat to hopefully minimise territorial aggression, which worked out fine, and Kimchi is the clingiest cat ever. She screams at you to pick her up and hold her like a baby, loves a snuggle on the couch, and will crawl into bed with us. I think ymmv?
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May 25, 2022 18:32
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Cats are cats, man
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May 25, 2022 18:33
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The variations in natural personality from cat to cat are much bigger than any male/female difference.
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May 25, 2022 20:26
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I’ve had 2 females and close to 10 males over my life and both the girls were way more affectionate v vThe affection coming in the form of biscuit kneading on my stomach at 4 in the morning but I’ll take what I can get. drunken officeparty fucked around with this message at 00:50 on May 26, 2022 |
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May 26, 2022 00:41
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I love playing the game with my cat where she asks to go out onto the screened balcony, discovers it's raining and windy, then comes back inside and insistently complains that I need to produce the sunny, warm outdoor space immediately. Take a nap indoors, you dweeb.
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May 26, 2022 04:40
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Jayne Doe posted:Take a nap indoors, you dweeb. We were all five years old once. The “nap” word didn’t work then, ether. 
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May 26, 2022 06:47
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Jayne Doe posted:I love playing the game with my cat where she asks to go out onto the screened balcony, discovers it's raining and windy, then comes back inside and insistently complains that I need to produce the sunny, warm outdoor space immediately. You are clearly capable of creating light and heat on command. Why are you refusing to do it now? Rude.
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May 26, 2022 06:57
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Facebook Aunt posted:You are clearly capable of creating light and heat on command. Why are you refusing to do it now? Rude. I've been yelled at on dozens of occasions for not making the sun shine through the window on a cloudy day.
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May 26, 2022 13:02
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Facebook Aunt posted:You are clearly capable of creating light and heat on command. Why are you refusing to do it now? Rude. (She's clearly in charge)
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May 26, 2022 15:55
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Cowslips Warren posted:I like how some cats are roommates (they come to you once in a while but otherwise you just share a living space) and others are gently caress You You Belong To Me (crawl in your lap, trip you to get your attention, sleep on you, chase you all over). My cat Koto is both of these, depending on her mood. Dusty always wants cuddles. ALWAYS.
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May 26, 2022 16:43
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My cat broke his leg, has just had surgery and according to the vet should now be kept in a cage for 6 weeks. Any tips to make this bearable? Where he's gonna poop is one major concern.
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May 27, 2022 11:47
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massive spider posted:My cat broke his leg, has just had surgery and according to the vet should now be kept in a cage for 6 weeks. Any tips to make this bearable? I guess you could get one of those big wire crates for huge dogs so that the cat can still watch everything, and that way you'd have plenty of space for toys and food and stuff Probably even a small litterbox?
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May 27, 2022 12:29
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Extra large dog cratw has enough room for a Dollar Tree litter pan and a bed or folded blanket to lay on. Maybe something of yours that smells like you.
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May 27, 2022 12:44
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Elvis_Maximus posted:I guess you could get one of those big wire crates for huge dogs so that the cat can still watch everything, and that way you'd have plenty of space for toys and food and stuff This is what our shelter does for cats in medical quarantine. Fairly large dog crates that fit a bed, a "half size" litterbox (I don't know measurements offhand, just full and half size), food & water dishes mounted to the crate, and some open space. We try to leave enough space to play with toys as well, and in some of the crates we have ferret hammocks that were donated a while back for cats that want to climb around (obviously not really tenable with a broken leg situation, but good for kittens with colds and stuff like that). It generally works well, I think? No reason it shouldn't work in a home where the cat's able to get more direct attention as well.
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May 27, 2022 14:50
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Are you allowed to handle him while he's convalescing? My boys are big snugglebugs and will happily be cradled for hours at a time, which would make the time spent in a crate that much more bearable which I assume is any time not spent sleeping quietly somewhere.
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May 27, 2022 15:09
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YouTube person "the kitten lady" has this cat confinement setup where it's basically a box like a big dog crate, maybe 2×3 ft, with a litter box, bedding, and food station all inside. That's where she keeps feral cats, and if she wants them to chill she puts a blanket over it so it'll be dark inside.
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May 27, 2022 15:57
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Are the only hypoallergenic cats the ugly things with no hair? I need a cat breed that won't trigger my allergies but still is capable of self respect
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May 27, 2022 22:18
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The allergenic part isn't really the hair so it's not clear that hairless cats won't trigger them. That said, not leaving their hair everywhere probably does something to limit exposure. There are some breeds of cats that are considered less allergenic, such as Siberian Cats (longhair) and Russian Blue (shorthair). But many allergic people still react to them. There's also a special cat food that's supposed to neutralize the allergens in cat saliva, though I haven't heard of anyone using it. All in all, if you're severely allergic to cats, you probably can't keep any cat in your home. If you're mildly allergic, you can try to spend time with cats of less allergenic breeds and see if your reactions are tolerable. There are some people who love cats so much that they're willing to take antihistamines daily in order to have a cat, but it seems like a bit of a crazy thing to do if you don't already have the cat.
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May 27, 2022 22:28
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There's this stuff called Allerpet / allerpet C that you can rub on your cats (it's liquid) about once a week, which removes the dander / deactivates it / some other thing, and it makes the cats less allergy-causing. edit: vacuuming and hepa filters also make a massive difference.
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May 27, 2022 22:33
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redreader posted:There's this stuff called Allerpet / allerpet C that you can rub on your cats (it's liquid) about once a week, which removes the dander / deactivates it / some other thing, and it makes the cats less allergy-causing. I tried installing a HEPA filter in my cat, but apparently it's hard to find them for my specific breed.
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May 27, 2022 23:15
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My husband is allergic, so when we got Ollie we bought a good hepa filter for the main living space and one for the bedroom and do not let Ollie in the bedroom. We also try to brush him plenty and feed him that expensive rear end Purina allergy reducing food. Husband has been able to tolerate the allergies without having to take a lot of extra antihistamines. He does have a ton of seasonal allergies as well so it’s hard to tell; but Ollie hasn’t made things worse. I think starting with a kitten also helped. This is all mostly anecdotal though. E: we also use the allerpet stuff, but not super regularly
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May 28, 2022 00:00
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I've had three spayed females and three neutered males, one pair at a time in each combination, and my best answer is "It depends". My last two pairs of cats disliked each other; this pair knew each other from the shelter, and spend most of their time chasing each other. One of them is definitely meaner than the other; Diana hates it when you pay attention to Byakko, and will take a flying leap from the floor to bite Byakko being held in your arms.
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May 28, 2022 00:12
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As someone allergic to their own cats, I can say at the very least that the worst part is the first couple months the cat is in the house After that it seems like my allergies start to dampen a little. I'm still allergic to them, but it's not near as awful.
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May 28, 2022 00:13
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I'm also allergic to cats and have TWO so just buy generic zyrtec by the year and take one every night before bed.
Boogalo fucked around with this message at 01:54 on May 28, 2022 |
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May 28, 2022 01:35
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RokosCockatrice posted:Are the only hypoallergenic cats the ugly things with no hair? I need a cat breed that won't trigger my allergies but still is capable of self respect Sphynx are cool and good, buddy.
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May 28, 2022 02:43
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RokosCockatrice posted:Are the only hypoallergenic cats the ugly things with no hair? I need a cat breed that won't trigger my allergies but still is capable of self respect I'm amazed at how much of your post is factually wrong.
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May 28, 2022 03:12
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I just moved to a new state and Latte quietly slept in her crate for the entire 13 hour drive and is already exploring the new house. I was so worried she’d have a tough time but she seems to have barely minded!
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May 28, 2022 04:54
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I wouldn't count on this for adopting a cat, but in my experience cat allergies can also go away with exposure. I used to get itchy eyes and a runny nose any time I spent more than 10 minutes around cats. It was actually a problem for me socially because most of my nerdy friends were cat people and I couldn't do game sessions at their houses so I had to host them. But I powered through with loratadine, first to be around my sister's cats on holiday visits, and later to be comfortable with my partner's previous cat. Now we have two cats together and it's no problem at all. I still get a little sniffly if we go too long without sweeping and vacuuming but it's hardly a problem to keep up. It's nice, it feels like a balance for worsening allergies to tree pollen as I get older.
gloom fucked around with this message at 06:53 on May 28, 2022 |
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May 28, 2022 06:51
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Anyone know any… reasonable ways to sort of help a feral cat accept human beings a bit more easily? I’ve talked about Mini-Scratcher several times, and while he is a magnificent young cat, he’s also pretty difficult. For instance, he technically is my roommate’s cat - he was the one who made the effort to trap him and his companion the winter before last and paid for his adoption, and he’s the one who actually buys Mini’s food for the most part, and he’s usually the one who feeds him. He’s not at all bad with cats or mean to them, either. In spite of all of this, Mini has barely let my roommate so much as touch him in 18 months - but then he hasn’t really let any human touch him except for me, and he only allows that late at night or early in the morning when nobody else is awake or around! However, at those times he turns into this absolutely adorable and normal cat who doesn’t immediately flee at any approaching hand coming within 3 feet of him. He actually *loves* attention and getting pets - he purrs and rolls onto his back, even lets me rub his belly and never scratches or bites me. He can still be a little skittish and doesn’t like hands petting him from behind his head that he can’t see coming, but aside from that he’s remarkably normal and friendly - for me, at a certain time of day, in certain areas of the house. So I guess I’m just wondering if anyone has any reasonable tips for just trying to…. Encourage this sort of behavior, or get him to grow a bit more in the right direction. I feel a little guilty too because he’s this really beautiful cat that my roommate adopted, and he won’t even let the guy touch him! It’s not really my fault or anything I can easily change or fix, but it would be nice to try and proactively move things in a better direction. I do realize that this guy is a legit feral, and he might just never chance much, I suppose. But I feel like if he can be THAT comfortable and at ease around me for hours at a time, then there’s definitely some hope.
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May 28, 2022 12:00
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I'd love advice on that too tbh, because while sage isn't feral or anything, he is a gigantic scaredy cat. Like he loves getting pet and playing and spending time with my wife and I, but the instant he hears another car pull up, or God forbid a doorbell, he's off like a bolt of lightning to hide under the covers in our bed
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May 28, 2022 12:10
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Everything I've ever read/watched/heard on socialization involves lots of time, contact, and food, but all within the context of an age window of a few weeks to a few months old. It may already be too late, but if he's playing with you then it's not hopeless. If he's at all food motivated then the first thing to try is to basically hand feed him and only do it while he's willing to eat while very close to the roommate; no freefeeding. When he's comfortable just sitting in very close proximity to the human, then start petting him as he's eating. (Back off if he runs away, then start from the beginning.) He should learn to associate food == human == pleasurable petting and be more amenable to that. Keep repeating until he's less skittish with contact. Play time is also very helpful, possibly right before (because cats hunt, then eat) feeding. Almost ideally he'll be comfortable and tired and full enough that he wouldn't mind spending the next part of the cat lifestyle sleeping on or near the person, which only improves trust. This is fairly time intensive but you can't change cat behavior without a large investment of effort. He's likely too large to carry around, but the more contact he has with people even when not eating is also good, if that's possible. As far as fraidy cats is concerned, I don't think there's much that can be done about those. All you can do is make the home as comfortable as possible so that when the noise passes he'll come out quickly.
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May 28, 2022 12:38
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My cat is 13 years old and has developed a concerning habit of hiding under the bed...? we rescued him several years ago and he had a lot of behavioral problems, but over time, we conquered them all and he's been a total lap cat. I'm not sure if this is new or if he's just reverting to old habits. We took him to the vet to get checked out, and he got a clean bill of health. The vet was even impressed how good he looked for 13. Is this something I should be worried about? It's like sometimes he gets a wild hair and just needs to go under the bed for seemingly no reason. He'll come out if I call him, but will slowly kind of revert and go back under. He might just like sleeping under there, I don't know, any thoughts? It doesn't feel like he's scared because it's not like he's freaking out. He just determines sometimes that he needs to be under the bed, slowly heads over there, and that's it. Then he comes out like nothing is wrong. If he always did this I wouldn't be concerned but this is entirely new behavior that he hasn't exhibited for years.
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May 28, 2022 20:35
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Elvis_Maximus posted:I'd love advice on that too tbh, because while sage isn't feral or anything, he is a gigantic scaredy cat. Like he loves getting pet and playing and spending time with my wife and I, but the instant he hears another car pull up, or God forbid a doorbell, he's off like a bolt of lightning to hide under the covers in our bed My cat that I've had for 10 years does this too. Some cats just don't like strangers.
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May 28, 2022 21:09
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