|
Organza Quiz posted:Equigroomer review: the cats mind it less than a normal brush/comb, it definitely does its job of removing undercoat, the only downside is that the removed fur doesn't really stay on the comb so you have to keep grabbing it with your other hand which is a little awkward depending on your cat. oh yeah, I forgot to post mine. it works and is very gentle but very messy since the hair just sort of floats around. Worth it for shedding season and for fussy cats, I would say. InvisibleMonkey fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Dec 6, 2022 |
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 20:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 26, 2024 15:46 |
|
|
It does make a mess but it's a relatively contained mess. The equigroomer is also pretty good at scraping fur off towels, couches, chairs, whatever you happen to be brushing kitty on. Probably not good long term for the upholstery but it does work, it tends to ball the fur up real tight making it easy to collect. I've taken to using it to clean their kitty towers. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 20:16
|
|
|
That's what the vet said, lol.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 20:18
|
|
|
redreader posted:That's what the vet said, lol. Its not too bad just double up a soft paper towel or toilet tissue and thbbbbt. The wildcard is if your cat will tolerate this humiliation. It its a weird smelling thing, not awful, but still offputting. Milly expresses accidentally when sneezing or stressed sometimes and i gotta clean it off walls, blankets, my face, etc.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 20:50
|
|
|
Argh I have to vent!! I'm catsitting for a lovely cat who unfortunately had a poop issue that led to her fur getting all clumpy and dirty. I couldn't help her clean it well, and it kept getting worse each time she'd poop because it would hit the already messy clumpy fur and cause even more mess, so I ended up having to get a "sanitary trim" for her aka have a professional shave her catbutt etc... I find it pretty stressful doing stuff like that for someone else's pet, but hey it went great and she's a trooper. She seems pretty comfortable now and doesn't hate me for putting her in the carrier, so it's a solid win. The reason I have to rant is that I'm pretty sure the initial issue was caused by her owners being insane. They're in a pretty small living space at the moment and have been rearranging it for work from home stuff, and the litter box has ended up in a corner which SHOULD be fine. Except... there's a loving floor-length curtain that constantly somehow ends up lying directly in the middle of the litterbox. I'm pretty sure kitty got tangled up in the curtain or just uncomfortable with the box, and that led to the initial poop failure where she ran around it got it smeared all over the place. I just cannot understand how someone looks at their litterbox, sees that literally half of it is covered by a curtain that is actively touching the litter, and goes "welp seems fine." e: catte tax to make up for my lame story: 
Martman fucked around with this message at 01:57 on Dec 7, 2022 |
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 01:48
|
|
|
I took Tictac took the vet in March. They said everything is good, but she needs to lose some weight. She's lost about 4 this year. She's much more energetic in her search for food now. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 19:43
|
|
|
Having more redirected aggression issues with my cat who has always had these problems. As chronicled itt we've tried medication and she just doesn't take it willingly and can't easily be tricked into taking it, so we haven't been attempting to give her any for a couple months and she was doing really well without any incidents but she's developed what seems like an automatic fight response when my girlfriend's mom is over and has tried to bite her the last two times she's been here even when trying to be careful to not startle her. I'm obviously going to have to get her back on medication and force her to take it one way or another because I feel like there aren't many other options for cats who habitually attack people at the drop of a dime if something sets them off. And I mean it could be something as innocuous as a phone with a loud ringtone going off in the other room or shaking a bottle of pills a little too vigorously for her liking that causes her to go off. I'm just really loving sad tbh, she's such a sweetheart most of the time but we do have to be aware of where she is at all times and I'm literally never able to relax when anyone but us is in our apartment if she's not put in another room beforehand. She also almost never attacks me; I don't know if it's because I am the one who feeds her most of the time but there's been multiple instances of my gf and now her mom doing something that pissed her off and caused her to lash out. I can't help but ask myself how she ended up this way, where we went wrong. Our vet has said before that some cats are just wired this way but I don't know. I feel like an rear end in a top hat.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 20:36
|
|
|
No, don't be. You're doing your best but cats have different personalities and backgrounds and sometimes there's not much you can do, no matter how much you accommodate them. At the point where you can no longer relax in her presence it's time to seriously consider rehoming.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 20:41
|
|
|
Any recommended nail clippers?
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2022 00:45
|
|
|
Just got a cat! Paprikash has been here for two weeks. She was a dream when she showed up, got used to the new space quick and was very affectionate. For the past week or so, though, she's been getting increasingly agitated — started with a tail twitch and some hiding under the coffee table, but has gotten worse over the last few days. She gets particularly bad after playing (laser pointer usually though I mix it up), when she seems particularly freaked out and scared. None of her behavior is really all that out there, but she was so bubbly at first that it's been a noticeable difference. Not much has changed about her living arrangement (she was being fostered in an apartment around the same size, I've kept up their feeding patterns) and I've mostly just been giving her space to work through it. Any thoughts? Just give her more time to settle? Possibly just her vibe in general?
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 20:53
|
|
|
Sounds like she's got energy to burn and she's not fearful as much as she is bored. How old is she? When she's under the coffee table is her ears pinned to her skull, or are they alert and swiveling around? If you try to pet her does she shy away or does she try to bat at it or otherwise interact with it vigorously? Is she making a lot of noise?
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 20:58
|
|
|
She’s probably still settling in, but laser pointer toys can make cats really agitated. Jackson Galaxy has a video on how to use them: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iMk0QDjQ9Wk Tldr version is: if you use a laser pointer, let the cat catch a real toy at the end of the session. It can also help to end the play session with a meal.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 21:03
|
|
|
Crocobile posted:She’s probably still settling in, but laser pointer toys can make cats really agitated. Jackson Galaxy has a video on how to use them: Socks, when we had first got her and RIP now, would get really, really, REALLY excited about the laser pointer no matter what we did We actually had to eventually stop using it because it was attached to a key ring and even the SOUND of a key ring being picked up would cause her to start getting excited to chase. It was like she was absolutely addicted to it Ever since if we play with our boys with a laser pointer it's only for a little bit and followed with catching something or some food or something
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 21:13
|
|
|
kw0134 posted:Sounds like she's got energy to burn and she's not fearful as much as she is bored. How old is she? When she's under the coffee table is her ears pinned to her skull, or are they alert and swiveling around? If you try to pet her does she shy away or does she try to bat at it or otherwise interact with it vigorously? Is she making a lot of noise? After a little bit of running after the laser she mostly just locks up and gets a 1000-yard stare. Not exclusive to the laser either, she does the same thing with other toys — she's into play for a little bit, then after 30 seconds shuts down and/or looks for a hiding place. — She's a year old — not really either, but she's not giving off hunting vibes to me. She'll reluctantly come out when called, and she'll gallop out for a treat — she seems to love pets but there's definitely been more love bites / batting at my hand lately, and just less patience for it in general — she's vocal in general (nothing new, foster told me about it in advance) but it's all chirps and short vocalizations. No howling or anything I'm gonna try and get her some extra toys and see if she just likes self-directed play more. Guessing I'm worrying for nothing but it's been a bit of a bummer
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 21:13
|
|
|
One year seems kinda young for it to me, but it's normal for cats to play for shorter periods as they age. It transforms from a "I must learn how to murder stuff" mindset to "this is a social activity to do with my human" type deal. It's not a hard and fast rule but it's been pretty consistent for all the cats I've ever had. It does sound like an energy outlet issue to me though. She's still pretty young and will have a lot of it to burn. It might be worth trying to leash train and see if daily walks help. A puzzle box (like the cat amazing ones) to dig treats out of might help too. If she's super treat oriented you can also try to make a game out of tossing treats around the house and getting her to chase after them. Obviously you can't give her hundreds of calories of treats per day but if she'll sprint after 5-6 treats once a day it should help a lot. If you really want to get into it, clicker training her some tricks might be worth a look. I've never had success at it but there's videos of people teaching cats to jump over an arm and that is gonna be a good way to burn some energy.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 21:21
|
|
|
Yeah, she sounds like she wants different types of interactions than what is being offered. I wonder if she wants someone to wrassle, do you have a stuffed animal she can attack? Toy fish that have slapping tail fins might be a hit with her. The frustration is that cats are finicky and have very changeable tastes and moods. She might even change in another week.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 21:40
|
|
|
Thanks y'all, will try some of that out
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2022 21:44
|
|
|
I think some cats are also really affectionate and clingy when they're new in some place, and only start exploring a larger range of emotion when they're comfortably settled in. Everyone knows the cat who hides under the couch the first couple of weeks, but some cats will also stick to your side until they develop the courage to hide under the couch. That said, if she seems aggressive, it can't hurt to get her checked out, it could be a sign of some medical issue. Although that's less likely if she's eating, playing and using the toilet normally. That's a super cute cat by the way.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 00:13
|
|
|
Oh yeah, when I first picked up Niko from his foster his only 2 modes where hiding and intense cuddling. After a week he became SUPER playful and definitely got less cuddly as he got more comfortable. He’s a cute little cuddle bug at the vet, but that’s just because he’s scared.  I’ve had him for 2 months and, truth be told, I don’t expect to have a full idea of his “normal” personality until he’s over a year and change.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 01:13
|
|
|
When we got Affie 6 months ago she followed us like a little puppy the first few days, then progressed to hiding underneath the sofa at any unusual sound to now being chill, still affectionate, but less needy.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 01:18
|
|
|
Even cats that are attached to a human (or humans) can take forever to find a routine in a new place. We moved last May and only in the past couple months did our two cats really settle on favorite spots and stop jumping at weird noises. So unless there's some serious health issue or inability to function, just give 'em a lot of time.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 01:49
|
|
|
My cats kinda freak out for a few days if i so much as rearrange the living room furniture. Weird fkin animals. They're lucky they're cute
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 02:51
|
|
|
Being a small non-apex predator does a number on your stress responses, I guess?
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 02:53
|
|
|
Yeah, our cat was the sweetest thing ever when we first got her. Then she became an antisocial grouch for a month, before settling into being fairly affectionate. I will say as she aged into a senior cat she got more cuddly. I guess she decided getting frequent massages and keeping warm was a nice idea after all. Being a Siamese mix she's a bit neurotic about it all, though, and now has dedicated cuddle times and locations. Like, at 6pm if we are not at the couch, she will stand next to her couch steps, glare, and make harrumphing noises until we join her. She also yells bloody murder in the hallway to tell us she's left a deposit in the litter box and would like it cleaned up, so sometimes routines aren't a great thing. (She'll lead us back to the boxes and watch us clean up to make sure it's gone, too. Cats.)
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 14:54
|
|
|
Boogalo posted:My cats kinda freak out for a few days if i so much as rearrange the living room furniture. Weird fkin animals. They're lucky they're cute When we moved a couple months ago, my cat was a bit upset that there was no furniture. Once the movers brought everything later that day she was fine.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2022 15:44
|
|
|
Update: I got her a deluxe electronic chirping bird toy ($4) and she’s been murdering it for a half hour straight. Clearly some pent-up energy, hah
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 02:30
|
|
|
I have six cats. One of them murders da bird any time I take it out and we only have 2 feather attachments left. I would appreciate recommendations for cheap things for cats to play with. Like, post a link to this deluxe 4 dollar toy please! And anyone else, if you have anything great to recommend please let me know.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 02:46
|
|
|
Here you go!
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 02:52
|
|
|
We can't give toys with feathers to Ferdie because feathers are his absolute favourite snack
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 11:41
|
|
|
Got handed two tiny sick babies in a box today. Both are suffering from conjunctivitis, URIs, fleas, and maybe other unknown problems. They have already been to the very and are starting a treatment plan including eye ointment every 8 hours, Clavamox every 12, Revolution flea treatment for the bigger boy, and baths and combing for the littler girl. My questions are mainly about the littler girl. She's maybe 4 - 5 weeks old and the other kitten boy is closer to 8. He seems to be quite strong, self-sufficient, and is already playing, but she seems very weak and way less vigorous overall. How can I encourage her appetite? I want to make sure she maintains a healthy weight. The vet didn't say KMR would be required, but do you think it would be a good idea to pick some up for her regardless? Would it help if her food was a little warm? They're currently resting.  She is so, so small. I've never worked with such a tiny kitten. eta that we're hoping one of the local no-kills can take them but in the meantime we are doing the best we can to sub in for the experts my cat is norris fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Dec 17, 2022 |
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 19:57
|
|
|
There's "the kitten lady" on YouTube who has a lot of videos for dealing with different kitten rescue situations. There's also a sort of FAQ on her website: http://www.kittenlady.org/kitten-care Small kittens can be very fragile so don't hesitate to call your vet, or a rescue, if some unusual situation comes up!
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 21:07
|
|
|
Thanks for the helpful link!
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 21:15
|
|
|
my cat is norris posted:Got handed two tiny sick babies in a box today. Both are suffering from conjunctivitis, URIs, fleas, and maybe other unknown problems. They have already been to the very and are starting a treatment plan including eye ointment every 8 hours, Clavamox every 12, Revolution flea treatment for the bigger boy, and baths and combing for the littler girl. we have 3 kittens who we got given in a box, who were about 2-3 weeks old, who had probably not eaten much for a couple of days (they didn't poo or wee for 2-3 days after we got them) and here's what we did: -kept them in a box with blankets and a heating pad that the rescue lady gave us. -fed them WARM kitten formula every 4 hours on the dot (check the times, it may be 2-4 hours, can't remember) -wiped their bums with a warm cloth every single time we fed them. This is like the mother licking their bums which encourages them to poo and wee. -we set timers and woke up in the middle of the night etc to feed them! -one of them was doing badly, not hungry and pooing out white poo. The vet said to mix some medicine (IDK what) into their food, and that the white poo was a sign that she was not actually digesting any food. we thought she'd die. After a short time, like 2-4 weeks or so, they were able to eat food themselves. But at the age you got this kitten you might need to bottle feed her! Make sure that the bottle's nipple has an opening. We 'fed' our cat one time before we realised that you need to make a little x in the nipple with scissors. I'm not 100% if she's at the age where she should be eating that stuff but if she's so young you might try feeding her kitten formula like that. And yeah these cats had cat herpes, fleas (one had a flea in his eyelid!) and had runny little cat noses. The cat who we thought would die, is currently sitting on my lap while we type this and she cuddles me at night like a teddy bear in bed. Good luck!
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2022 23:07
|
|
|
Mischa (4mo) and Marcie (2yrs) are now getting on quite well with playing and some cuddles. This is a relief because Marcie is big and very territorial. Can someone refresh me on best practice for kittens starting to go outside? Mischa is still little and not chipped/vaccinated. Marcie is spending most of her time outside and Mischa is desperate to follow her. We've been in the holiday home for a week and staying here through early January.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2022 08:41
|
|
|
In America or other exotic locales it's best not to let the cat out at all. If you do let them out, I figure they should be fully vaccinated first. Unless you only let them out very briefly under supervision, they'll probably meet some other cats which might have diseases, or kill some mice which will also have diseases. It's also pretty important to have them spayed or neutered before you let them out, or you're guaranteeing the next generation of surprise kittens right there. Chipping or otherwise identifying them (collar, tattoo etc) would also be a good idea, or someone might catch them and think they're strays. If you have some catio or fenced garden that you can let them into for short-ish periods, all of these things are much less important. But the risk that they might escape is still higher than from the house, so do keep an eye on them.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2022 08:56
|
|
|
^^ elegantly succinct. Even more so: don't.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2022 09:27
|
|
Glory to Italia!
|
Yeah my gf reports Mischa is going to get vaccinated and chipped later this week... and she will definitely be going outside (which tbh is pretty normal for cats). If nothing else it will be impossible to manage one cat going out but not the other one. Really just thinking about timings of when kittens are competent enough to start venturing out of a new home.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2022 09:38
|
|
|
You're unlikely to get anyone in this thread giving advice on when to let a kitten outside because thread consensus is don't. I know in lots of places it's normal but that doesn't make it a good thing to do. There's not much point arguing about it though, probably no one is going to change each others' minds on the topic.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2022 11:48
|
|
|
knox_harrington posted:Yeah my gf reports Mischa is going to get vaccinated and chipped later this week... and she will definitely be going outside (which tbh is pretty normal for cats). If nothing else it will be impossible to manage one cat going out but not the other one. Indoor cats live on average 15+ years. Outdoor and indoor/outdoor cats live an average of 4 years.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2022 13:10
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 26, 2024 15:46 |
|
|
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2022 13:13
|
|