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You should probably get your cat used to going to a vet regardless - if not travelling to one, then having a home visit if that's a thing in Sweden. The US is fairly permissive for pet travel - pets can fly in cabins throughout most of North America (in fact some airlines don't allow them in cargo, whereas many other countries require travel in cargo). There are no national requirements for quarantine or vaccination. However, some states do require proof of rabies vaccination. Having said that, the last time I flew with my cats to one such state the CBP agent didn't ask for them (YMMV, obviously). Still, you should at least get him a rabies vaccine, but if you absolute can't, you could as a last resort fly to a state that doesn't have any vaccine requirements. I don't see a way around getting your cat used to carriers, though, as you're looking at a minimum 8h flight and while cargo crates are roomier, they're otherwise going to be less pleasant for the cat, assuming they're an option at all. Cat carriers generally have to fit under your seat unless Swedish airlines have some special rules, so the one you posted a picture of is probably not going to work. And you'll likely have to get your cat out of the carrier at least once to pass through security.
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Jan 20, 2023 09:00
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Ofaloaf posted:I moved from the US to Sweden three and a half years ago, and adopted a cat from a shelter a year and a half ago (he's turning 5 this year, I think). The little guy's always super-skittish around humans, and it wasn't until this past holiday season that he relaxed enough around me to accept and even ask for pets from me. In all the time I've had this guy, I've only taken him out of the apartment once, and he hated it, he hated traveling, and he hated anyone trying to touch him or pick him up to put him in a cat carrier. Sedate the bejeezus out of him during the trip, for the maximum amount of time the vet recommends it's healthy to do so.
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Jan 20, 2023 15:42
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omg I think I just took the best photo ever of my pets  Extremely Jojo vibes. They are very fond of each other; if they aren't in the same room they get really upset.
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Jan 23, 2023 21:37
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Those are some happy fuckin cats 
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Jan 23, 2023 21:52
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Hello! I have a ten year old mixed breed Maine Coon cat named Reggie. Unfortunately, he has developed myocarditis at this relatively young age (apparently a very common congenital issue for Maine Coons), and so we have put him on a couple medicines, Forusemide and Vetmedin. The Forusemide is temporary, and I think we don't even get another refill after this batch, but the Vetmedin will need to be administered for the rest of poor ol' Reggie's life, however long that may be. Vetmedin from our vet is $60 a month! When we bought the first batch, they mentioned to my wife that we would probably be able to find it cheaper online. I was really intrigued by this, but I'm also kinda sketched out by ordering life-saving medicine online lol. I was wondering if you guys have any recommendations for solid websites that sell  for reasonable prices AND aren't super shady sugar pill factories.Thanks so much for your help! Also, please let me know if this post would be more appropriate in a different thread
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Jan 24, 2023 11:35
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Ofaloaf posted:I moved from the US to Sweden three and a half years ago, and adopted a cat from a shelter a year and a half ago (he's turning 5 this year, I think). The little guy's always super-skittish around humans, and it wasn't until this past holiday season that he relaxed enough around me to accept and even ask for pets from me. In all the time I've had this guy, I've only taken him out of the apartment once, and he hated it, he hated traveling, and he hated anyone trying to touch him or pick him up to put him in a cat carrier. Definitely check with a vet on something you could sedate him with, or help with. My cat used to be an awful traveler to the vet, then the vet suggested gabapentin for travel, either to a vet or groomer. Basically I give it to him the night before travel then about 45 minutes before I put him into a carrier. Calms him down significantly and allows the groomer to work with him without him being fussy about it. You may want something stronger for the long flight, however.
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Jan 24, 2023 13:21
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seiferguy posted:Definitely check with a vet on something you could sedate him with, or help with. My cat used to be an awful traveler to the vet, then the vet suggested gabapentin for travel, either to a vet or groomer. Basically I give it to him the night before travel then about 45 minutes before I put him into a carrier. Calms him down significantly and allows the groomer to work with him without him being fussy about it. You may want something stronger for the long flight, however. Our former stray gets just one dose before the vet if they need to do anything extended.
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Jan 24, 2023 14:36
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Oil of Paris posted:Hello! We get our cat's gabapentin from Wedgewood Veterinary Pharmacy. The reviews aren't great but they're like half the price and have so far been good to us. See if your vet will work with them. We don't get her other daily meds there, just the gabapentin. Our vets office is not expensive for her methimazole or steroids, luckily.
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Jan 24, 2023 18:03
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What quantity of Vetmedin did the vet give you for $60? From what I'm seeing on Google (going off the 1.25 mg size), it is $10 cheaper for 50 pills if you autoship from a couple websites. And Chewy has it, just go with them. I was getting our cat insulin between them and Walmart PetRx and Chewy never had a problem getting it to me fast. I used to get my insulin from a local pet pharmacy that had it for cheap. But once Chewy started doing prescription meds they are hard to beat price-wise.
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Jan 24, 2023 21:04
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effika posted:We get our cat's gabapentin from Wedgewood Veterinary Pharmacy. The reviews aren't great but they're like half the price and have so far been good to us. See if your vet will work with them. We used Wedgewood for our cat's medicine before she passed, always worked fine for us but we did need a specific prescription from the vet that got sent over for refills
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Jan 24, 2023 21:06
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Thanks for the recommendations! I saw the Chewy special but didn’t know anything about them. I think that’s probably where we’re gonna end up using. Maybe I’m being dumb using mobile browser, but I can’t figure out how to get a price on the Wedgewood site
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Jan 24, 2023 21:30
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Wedgewood sucks rear end, everything about their catalog, website and ordering process is crap. The only good thing is that it's relatively easy to get a rep on the phone. Last summer they sent me a letter that there may have been an issue with the storage of medicine shipped on <date 4+ months in the past, long after we'd used it all>. Thanks? Having said that, I'm still using them for compounded meds that my vet can't/won't dispense (even though they seem to use Wedgewood for most things anyway) - methimazole (oral suspension) that my cat doesn't mind the taste/smell of. I'd try Chewy next if I needed to switch. Relatedly, I have to get saline solution for the same elderly gentleman and my vet is charging $50 for a 1L kit with line and needles, which seems obscene when Chewy and other online sellers charge $10 for a 1L bag. Granted, the needles and line aren't free, but they're not $40. If anyone knows of a better source in the US, do tell. I'll probably try Chewy, although they seem to require mailing a physical prescription form to Kansas (??? it's freaking saline solution, not a highly controlled substance).
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Jan 25, 2023 03:08
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You shouldn't have to mail anything. I just put my diabetic cat into their system, along with the vet, and they handle contacting the vet. I guess if your vet wants to try to force you to buy from them it might not work, but mine hasn't been a problem.
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Jan 25, 2023 03:25
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My vet doesn't respond to prescription authorization requests from Chewy or other online retailers anymore (yes I know it's bullshit, no I can't do anything about it), so all I can do is request written prescriptions. For whatever reason, Chewy won't accept a scanned prescription for this particular item (Normosol-R), unlike for Rx foods. It's just slightly salty water with electrolytes, not some narcotic.
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Jan 25, 2023 03:34
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I would like to get some information. I have owned 2 cats, and both times I only owned 1 cat at a time. My latest cat, Elly, I always felt guilty about not giving her a friend. I had plans to get a 2nd cat to befriend her but life changed all that. Now that she's gone, I'm feeling very lonely and am thinking of getting a new friend. This time, though, I'm considering getting two so they have a playmate and won't be so bored while I'm at work. I've got a couple questions though. In the past, I've always free-fed my cats. I have a rotating food bowl I fill up once every 5 days - every day on a specific schedule the bowl rotates around and the cat can munch away. I also supplement this with treats and a food play activity thing  With two cats I'm sure I'd need 2 feeders, right? Or would they be OK with sharing one feeder with twice as much food in the bowl? I guess it probably depends on the cats in question but any advice towards feeding cats is always helpful. I'm planning to add another litterbox for another cat, is it better to have litter boxes spread out or in 1 spot and just have multiple for the cats to pick? I was originally thinking of getting 1 cat immediately and then a 2nd in a bit but now I'm second guessing that and thinking perhaps 2 cats right from the start? Is there pros and cons to this or anything I should be aware of or ???? Any other advice or recommendations or anything for a person who has only ever had a single cat and now is looking at multiple cats?
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Jan 25, 2023 21:08
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It’s way easier to get a bonded pair then to get 2 cats separately and hope they become friends. It’s also really nice for the shelters; they want to keep bonded pairs together but most people want to adopt one-at-a-time. I’d space out the boxes, personally. It’s going to depend on your space and where the cats like to go so you may have to adjust. Like say, if you space the boxes out but they only seem to be using one of them, move the unused box. I feed my cats at set times so I can’t help you with the food question.
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Jan 25, 2023 21:19
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If you already have an adult cat and want to get it a friend, it's highly recommended you get a kitten, as adult cats are WAY less likely to see a kitten as a threat and more likely to accept it. And also you have a better chance of shaping its habits and personality, especially regarding food. If the kitten gets used to free feeding and sharing a bowl while it's young, it will always be fine with it. As far as litterboxes, it's always better to spread them out regardless, but it totally depends on your space and the cats. I have 3 cats and only one litter robot and they don't have any issues. But yeah said, Crocobile is right - find a bonded pair to adopt together. That's the ideal solution.
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Jan 25, 2023 21:29
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khy posted:Any other advice or recommendations or anything for a person who has only ever had a single cat and now is looking at multiple cats? I was in your shoes after Jackson died, I wanted to get two cats for the same reasons and had been debating one at a time or two together. I've had my bonded pair for a couple of months now and it's been fantastic. Adopting a bonded pair resolves a lot of unknowns - there's no introductions to make or conflict to stress about, and you can get answers to questions like "do they share a food bowl?" in advance from the people you're adopting from. Getting a bonded pair is 100% the way to go. E: Worth mentioning, I was specifically looking for adult cats since I didn't have the time or resources to handle kittens. FBS fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Jan 25, 2023 |
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Jan 25, 2023 21:45
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My cats have two litter boxes side by side, and are fine with it; weirdly, they will use only one of them at a time. They don't both get completely emptied at once, and the newest litter is always the Bad Litter, even though they're coming from the same bag. Cats. We adopted two unrelated kittens from the kitten room, and they became besties. When the Manx, Byakko, was very shy, Diana would lead her to the food bowl and back. I'm sure it helped that they already knew one another.
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Jan 25, 2023 22:10
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It's been a process so far getting Lychee used to the new cat (we've named him Shaokao) We're still keeping them in separate rooms, but Shaokao is aware of the world outside the theater room, and will make a mad dash for the door. And in those moments they've seen each other. Shaokao doesn't mind Lychee's existence at all. Lychee though, at first seeing Shaokao would send her into a rage. Hissing and scratching at even us, and take a while to calm down. She'd spend time watching the door to the room Shaokaos in kinda distrustfully. Now she hisses, but only at Shaokao, and she gets over it fast and doesn't hiss at us, but still. Thinking it's about time to do the towel thing and give Lychee a towel that smells like Shaokao. It's definitely been a thing, very stressful, but hopefully it works out in the end.
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Jan 25, 2023 23:47
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Hah, there was some neighborhood cat outside my window for like 2 minutes and I could not get either of my dumbos to turn around and look.
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Jan 26, 2023 22:20
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Hey cat thread, any suggestions for how to use treats to train a cat when I have also another cat who I'm not trying to train, and they're both verrrry keen on the treats? I'm trying to teach Wolfgang that the couch is actually really nice, and safe, even when James is already up there with me. I can put Wolfy next to me, and James will come of his own accord, but if I open a treat packet for a Wolfy then James will be all over me too. Huh.... Unless I reward both of them for being on the couch? Doh. That would work, wouldn't it?
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Jan 28, 2023 13:04
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One of my cats has been driving me nuts today... she keeps meowing for attention but then when I try to start playing with her she just sits and stares at the toy without doing anything. As soon as I leave she starts meowing again. You gotta work with me a little here, cat, you can't just sit there and expect me to wave the wand for you all day.
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Jan 28, 2023 22:14
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Obfuscation posted:One of my cats has been driving me nuts today... she keeps meowing for attention but then when I try to start playing with her she just sits and stares at the toy without doing anything. As soon as I leave she starts meowing again. You gotta work with me a little here, cat, you can't just sit there and expect me to wave the wand for you all day. cat.exe is working as intended. closing this ticket.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:29
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My 2 go-tos are either tossing treats across the apartment so he has to run & jump for them, or pulling out the wand toy and having the lure go behind something. Nothing seems to drive a cat crazier than having something go just out of sight. We have such a routine at this point that he’ll meow and look up at the cat tree, because he wants the lure to taunt him at the top of the cat tree. I guess it feels really satisfying to run up there and catch it. 🤷🏻♀️ With Niko I can just wiggle anything around and he’ll throw his body in the air. Sinjin I have to have this whole silly routine with.
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Jan 29, 2023 04:17
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Crocobile posted:My 2 go-tos are either tossing treats across the apartment so he has to run & jump for them, or pulling out the wand toy and having the lure go behind something. Yeah, I have a U bend in my hallway. My cats will chase after a wand toy for quite awhile if I just move it one side, they follow and then I move it around the corner so they can't see it. They chase after it, move toy around other corner, repeat.
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Jan 29, 2023 16:25
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I'm feeling a bit demoralized about introducing my new cat. The established cat, Ripley, was on a chair, and the new cat, Broc, jumped down from his cat tree onto the chair, kind of trapping her between him and the back of the chair. She FREAKED OUT, full yelling, swatting, and ran away. Since then, if he gets close, her growls have gone to full hissing and swatting. She's running away, but he'll follow her sometimes, trying to play, which leads to bigger dust ups. He's starting to get scared of her, which is a little good, but she can sometimes push back too far when she gets an edge. I don't think Broc would actually fight, he's incredibly quick and would likely run away, but I worry I'm letting negative associations to develop. We've tried to address it with more communal play time and treats, in addition to the already established same feeding times, but it seems to be only temporarily fixing things between them. People online seem to mainly be saying "just watch the Jackson Galaxy videos", which we have, but they're fine while eating and playing, it's the actual cohabitation that's the problem. I worry we'll have to go back to keeping Broc in a separate room all the time. I just started a new job, my partner is finishing her PhD, and we're planning on moving in the next month, so all that on top of managing them in separate rooms and keeping them engaged would be too much. Edit: potentially helpful info. Ripley is 2.5 years, Brock is 4.5. Broc is VERY playful and interested in Ripley and our third cat, Charlie. We got Broc in early November, did intros for about 1.5 months, and have let Broc out during the day for about a month with little problem. This started about half a week ago. They seemed to be (slowly) improving until recently. Hiro Protagonist fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Jan 29, 2023 |
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Jan 29, 2023 18:47
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Cat is extremely food motivated so I got her some puzzle toys that she can play with that dispense treats. Unfortunately she now thinks all food everywhere can be had with enough effort
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Jan 29, 2023 19:43
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Hyperlynx posted:Hey cat thread, any suggestions for how to use treats to train a cat when I have also another cat who I'm not trying to train, and they're both verrrry keen on the treats? Trip report: James, for once, didn't want to jump up on the couch to get his treat. Wolfgang ate his, then got up and tried to get to James' one too, got annoyed and left when I stopped him. James stretched up and pawed at his treat but didn't eat it until I grabbed him and hoisted him up. Final result: both cats extremely confused, sitting on the floor next to each other, washing themselves and then each other 😆 I'll keep at it. Surely they'll figure it out eventually
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Jan 29, 2023 22:12
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Hiro Protagonist posted:I'm feeling a bit demoralized about introducing my new cat. The established cat, Ripley, was on a chair, and the new cat, Broc, jumped down from his cat tree onto the chair, kind of trapping her between him and the back of the chair. She FREAKED OUT, full yelling, swatting, and ran away. Since then, if he gets close, her growls have gone to full hissing and swatting. She's running away, but he'll follow her sometimes, trying to play, which leads to bigger dust ups. He's starting to get scared of her, which is a little good, but she can sometimes push back too far when she gets an edge. I don't think Broc would actually fight, he's incredibly quick and would likely run away, but I worry I'm letting negative associations to develop. Growls and swatting are normal parts of new cats interacting especially when there's an age difference. Unless there are deep bites, blood, or more than a little fur this is fine.
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Jan 29, 2023 23:29
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Can I leave wet food out during the day and overnight if I'm changing it in the morning (8am) then at 5 or 6pm? Adopted a 9yo cat about 2 weeks ago and she seems to eat a good chunk of the food I give her at when I first put it down. She usually leaves about 2/3rd uneaten though. When I did leave the wet food overnight, there was maybe a 1/4 of the original amount by morning. She doesn't like dry food ( admittedly I've only tried a sample of one brand so far). So she's on a completely wet food diet. She's also got a raised / angled bowl stand, so I don't think it's a whisker issue. Feeding schedule right now: - 8am: 3oz can wet food - 5pmish: another 3oz can after dumping leftovers from morning.
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Jan 30, 2023 06:52
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Jet doesn’t like wet food, but I’d be wary of leaving it out for fear of flies laying eggs in it.
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Jan 30, 2023 14:32
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I saw a suggestion once that you should remove any uneaten food after 30 minutes. It's mostly a weight control thing though, if the cat is prone to weight gain letting them graze makes control more difficult. Our cats aren't fat but we do it anyway to avoid having food sitting around all day. It seems like it makes mealtime a more significant event which is kind of fun. And if they show no appetite it's a hint they've got a stomach bug or are feeling a bit off. I've known several people in my time that dump a 6 oz can in the bowl and leave it until the next morning and no food poisoning ever happened so while it's kinda gross and a bit of a gamble it's not a death sentence either.
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Jan 30, 2023 14:45
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My cat is abnormal, in that she's not the most food motivated, and is on prescription food. She'll let me know it's time to eat, but doesn't scarf it down, so it's a bit of a hybrid feeding: 1/4 5 oz can 1/4 cup dry food Two times per day (after my morning shower or 6:30am, and when I get home from work, or 4:30pm)
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Jan 30, 2023 14:54
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I'd start putting out the amount the cat normally eats and putting the rest in the fridge. It's not safe to leave wet food out all day, but most cats seem to be smart enough to only want fresh wet food (ours do, anyway).
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Jan 30, 2023 16:47
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Rotten Red Rod posted:I'd start putting out the amount the cat normally eats and putting the rest in the fridge. It's not safe to leave wet food out all day, but most cats seem to be smart enough to only want fresh wet food (ours do, anyway). One of ours will refuse to eat food that's been refrigerated. Or warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave. Fresh out of the can only for her.. rear end in a top hat cat.
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Jan 30, 2023 17:03
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Try mixing it with some warm water, that has better result for me than microwaving.
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Jan 30, 2023 17:15
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Ferdie really hates food straight from the fridge, but he also usually eats his whole bowl in one go. He has 3 meals a day. In the summer if he didn't want food for whatever reason it would go in the fridge, but we learned quick that he doesn't want it cold. It's been harder in the winter when the flat gets pretty chilly but I think he's used to it now. We tried warming it up but he also hated that, so. Here's special boy, sleepy but also keeping an eye on me 
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Jan 31, 2023 01:41
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Actually, why does his fur look like that? He's not greasy, lumpy, flaky, or overly hairy for a shorthair, and he gets brushed regularly. Not stressed or anxious. He's fast asleep right now and I can still see it all standing on end like goosebumps. Why does he always have hair that sticks up? He always looks spiky but feels very smooth.
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Jan 31, 2023 01:47
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This sounds crazy to me because my cat eats all the food I give him as soon as I give it to him, starts begging an hour or two before his dinner time (I started giving him some of his dry food in a bowl of warm water to try and make him feel more full). I give him the rest of his dry food in this slow feeder so he doesn't choke himself or something. He also constantly tries to steal people food. If I'm eating something he's interested in I put him in the other room and shut the door to the kitchen. He often tries the cabinet to see if he can open it and steal some of the chips that are in reach. In addition to meat he also loves carbs like bread, rice, and tortilla chips, as well as fatty foods. Just recently I bought a big jug of canola oil and put it in a cabinet that had previously only held cookware, and when some spilled on the floor of the cabinet he got into it and helped himself. Some time after I cleaned it up he got back in there and tipped the jug over so some leaked out and he was able to lap it up. After I moved the jug to a spot he couldn't reach I still found him checking the old spot a few times, just in case.
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Jan 31, 2023 02:04
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