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I used a battery powered one for a while but I stopped because I couldnt really control how much each individual cat was eating each mealtime. It was fairly reliable though.
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Feb 1, 2015 03:26
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Greetings Pet Island. I've been away from here for a while for reasons... well one reason. However I have reason to post here again and his name is Thomas. As in St. Thomas Aquinas, and his musings on the mythical kitty on the hill. Little guy was at the shelter for the better part of a month or more, apparently was abandoned, covered in knots and a mess. So he got a bath before I took him home.  Sorry for the lighting.  After taking somewhere around an hour to be comfortable leaving the carrier, and a little bit more toweling off he found the safety of under the bed.  He's kinda shy but loves head pets and chin rubs.  Poor guy's suffering a little bit of intestinal distress, probably from the change in food form one brand to another so I'll be stopping by the store to get some science diet to ease his transition to the stuff he already seems to enjoy, judging by how empty his dish is. Last year was weird, and kinda bad. I hope this guy means this one's going to be better. For remembrance sake, my last kitty. Who was a big help. My last pic of a healthy Buttercup
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Feb 1, 2015 03:53
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SynthOrange posted:I used a battery powered one for a while but I stopped because I couldnt really control how much each individual cat was eating each mealtime. It was fairly reliable though. I used a rotating one once. We bought it when we were going away for a weekend (basically 40 hours, just about) and couldn't even put it out until the second we left because Tali figured out what it was and broke into the compartment and started eating her breakfast ~8 hours early. Might have to try again but the first attempt was a bit of a failure.
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Feb 1, 2015 06:42
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Steezo posted:For remembrance sake, my last kitty. Who was a big help. Aw poo poo mate, really sorry to hear that. Buttercup was my favourite not-my-own cat here. Will be sad to not see his fang-filled photo faces anymore.
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Feb 1, 2015 11:50
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I had one of my cats spayed on Wednesday and there is a little bit of pus in the incision today. Is it normal for this to happen? I would bring her to get looked at but the vet is closed on Sundays. Incision pic: http://i4.minus.com/iboJHh4oNSjSXb.jpg Bonus: 
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Feb 1, 2015 22:32
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If there's discharge I'd bring her back, to be safe. What a gorgeous kitty tho  My girl just got spayed too and although it makes me feel awful cats in head cones are hilarious.
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Feb 1, 2015 22:59
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Boz0r posted:Does anyone have any experience with automatic food dispensers for cats? Are they all poo poo, or will they prevent my girlfriend's dumb cat from waking us op at 4 a.m.? I had this one before: http://www.amazon.com/Eatwell-meal-feeder--Model-PFD11-13706/dp/B000241NRI/ I would take a half-day's portion and split it into the 2 trays and an additional bowl, then set a timer for 4 and 8 hours. It worked reliably and it's quiet, but the cats could open the trays by digging at them. It was also light, so the cats could knock it around too. It has mounting holes on the back, so I could've mounted it to a wall or to a board, but I was too lazy to deal with that. I use this one now: http://www.amazon.com/topPets-Automatic-Electronic-Programmable-Portion/dp/B004SBSNB0/ It works great, with the caveat that the smallest serving portion is still kinda big(for cats), so I have it dispense only twice a day. I'm thinking of adding a blocking plate to control the amount of food per feed cycle so I can do more feedings with smaller portions(for the eating too fast problem). It's large/heavy enough that my cats can't/won't knock it around, they can't grab food out of it, and it's pretty easy to deal with. It's noisier than the flip tray one because it does this thing where it vibrates for 5 seconds or so to prevent food from getting stuck, but it's not a big deal. A bonus is that it uses a feed mechanism, so you don't have to reload it all the time. Most of the bad reviews seemed to be about how difficult it is to program and set up; it's definitely not a 10 second procedure, but it's not terrible at all.
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Feb 2, 2015 07:30
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My little piggie cat eats too much at mealtimes so I use this : http://amzn.com/B000GEWHNS AT FIRST... she'd clean out the entire compartment in ~8 hours. Then she'd bug me for more food by being irritating, and I would feed her because MUH SANITY. So I set the timer to rotate to a new compartment right before I get home from work. By the time she was out I was out for the day. She soon learned that meowing at the dish wouldn't help and eventually started slowing down and eating it more spread-out through the day.
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Feb 2, 2015 08:21
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duckfarts posted:I use this one now: Yeah I used this one too. Pretty reliable, and you can set it as low as quarter-cup portions. My problem wasnt to do with the machine, it's the cats getting into a race to finish the food first that was the issue.
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Feb 2, 2015 08:29
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So we finally got a cat! We opted to get an older cat from the shelter since we were keen to save a cat and kittens are assholes (we actually both work in the city so getting kittens would be cruel). We decided on Blue, a 7 year old male cat (he looks like a siamese ragdoll mix). He was super shy and wouldn't come out of his cage but after some enticing with treats, he came out and would purr when stroked. When we brought him home, he didn't want to come out of his carrier at all, so we put his food/water out nearby and slowly he came out for some feeding. The great thing is he doesn't hiss/claw and when we was comfortable, had no issues of being picked up. By the end of the night, he was chilled out on the couch with us (there was a couple times where we both got up to go to the kitchen and when we came back, he had hid under the couch - only took a few minutes to pet and coax him out from underneath) He's currently living in our living room (we blocked off the 2nd floor of the house) and when I came down in the morning, I could see he opted to sleep in his carrier. He darted for under the footstool when I tried to come close. Clearly I know he's not going to be fully comfortable/confident with us right away but what's the best method going forward to get him comfortable? When I come home, should I just ignore him (and not make any eye contact) and go on with my evening and let him naturally come out? Is it worth getting something like Feliway to help him?
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Feb 2, 2015 10:12
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Filthee Fingas posted:So we finally got a cat! I took my cat home with me for Christmas. She spent allot of time under my mother's reclining leather loungers, when she was unsure of her soundings or the people in it (eg my 18mth old niece - cat with 2 legs). I would speak to her in a calm, and quiet voice advising her " its safe for her to come out" or say " She is welcome to come out and join us" She would come out. (if my niece wasn't around). Cats have delicate personalities and sometimes need to be reminded they are welcome and safe. Because he came out on his first night this should work ^^^^ The blue bunny fucked around with this message at 12:39 on Feb 2, 2015 |
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Feb 2, 2015 12:35
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I've been forgetting to complain about my cat, who is supressing my creativity. Whenever I try to record my voice in some capacity, and in fact if I try to read aloud or even hum, she begins meowing. And nowadays I can't even put her out of my room, because it means subjecting her and the puppy to each other... Well, at least she doesn't have any problem with guitar, or music in general.
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Feb 2, 2015 13:44
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supermikhail posted:I've been forgetting to complain about my cat, who is supressing my creativity. Whenever I try to record my voice in some capacity, and in fact if I try to read aloud or even hum, she begins meowing. And nowadays I can't even put her out of my room, because it means subjecting her and the puppy to each other... Well, at least she doesn't have any problem with guitar, or music in general. Don't knock it, that street busker guy with the ginger tabby got famous and made some cash with his book about it. If your cat meows badly, just use autotune on her. I mean, if it's good enough for pop stars right? While I'm here I'll deposit this photo. My mum got me it for christmas and any cat owner will know all about it. 
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Feb 2, 2015 18:07
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I have one very, very similar (This one http://www.mistletoenholly.com/onm-16441.html).
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Feb 2, 2015 18:39
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khy posted:I have one very, very similar (This one http://www.mistletoenholly.com/onm-16441.html). Yep, that's the same brand 'Our name is Mud' is on the box mine came in. Maybe a new design or something the UK got?
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Feb 2, 2015 18:57
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Ratzap posted:While I'm here I'll deposit this photo. My mum got me it for christmas and any cat owner will know all about it. I swear I opened a frozen pizza once and there was cat hair inside the plastic wrap.
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Feb 2, 2015 19:18
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ONE YEAR LATER posted:Get a large tubberware bin, either cut a hole in the side a few inches up or put a lid on it with a large hole in the top. That should prevent the cat from getting litter anywhere and it will also be a lot cheaper than any specific litter box you'll find in the store. This is what we have...a huge rubbermaid tub that the jumbo sandbox fits in. Actually, we have 4 of them with 4 jumbo sandboxes for 5 cats. We had 5 boxes but no one would use the one box...no idea why so we went to 4 and everyone is happy...so...who knows. We don't have lids, and they are not covered in anyway. They just have high sides so we have little steps to go up for our older ones to jump in the box. Everybody jumps out fine. Litter stays in for the most part, and for the little buggers who like to pee over the side of the litter box, its easy to clean. We wash them down 1 or 2 times a week, and have done this forever. Its fantastic...cut down on litter rubble in the house so much. Disco Salmon fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Feb 2, 2015 |
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Feb 2, 2015 21:33
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Ratzap posted:Don't knock it, that street busker guy with the ginger tabby got famous and made some cash with his book about it. If your cat meows badly, just use autotune on her. I mean, if it's good enough for pop stars right? My mom got this me one from this same brand:  My boyfriend and I have two cats - I don't think we've crossed over the crazy line yet. OR HAVE WE - I mean, I do own that mug now, so... 
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Feb 3, 2015 00:20
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The blue bunny posted:I took my cat home with me for Christmas. She spent allot of time under my mother's reclining leather loungers, when she was unsure of her soundings or the people in it (eg my 18mth old niece - cat with 2 legs). I would speak to her in a calm, and quiet voice advising her " its safe for her to come out" or say " She is welcome to come out and join us" Thanks for this. He slowly came out on his own from underneath the footstool and we got him to join us on the couch. Only thing is now after an evening of him being relaxed and getting pet on the couch (he jumped up himself) he reverts to being cautious in the morning and darts for underneath the footstool in the mornings the first moment we open the living room door (we keep him on his own in the living room with the door closed overnight). I'm guessing it will just take time for him to realise there's no threat? Any benefit in one of us just sleeping in the living room with him for the night?
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Feb 3, 2015 08:13
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Filthee Fingas posted:Thanks for this. He slowly came out on his own from underneath the footstool and we got him to join us on the couch. He is fine. He's just not used to the new environment and it's still a bit spooky for a New Human to make an entrance when he's still sussing out his surroundings. You don't need to sleep in the living room with him; seriously he is going to be a little cuddlebug in no time you are just reeeeeeally in the early days at the moment.
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Feb 3, 2015 09:09
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regulargonzalez posted:Thanks for the advice all. I've been keeping a careful eye on her (as well as spending as much time cuddling as possible) and she has a healthy appetite and grooms herself. I don't know why, but the grooming somehow makes the decision particularly painful. It's like, if she's still trying to keep herself clean it seems like she thinks she'll get better someday and this discomfort is just temporary, you know? She even still grooms me (she's always been a tremendous licker, preferring to lick you rather than to be petted). So, update from a couple weeks ago after Luna had been diagnosed with cancer. She remained in good spirits to the very end but this last weekend she took a turn for the worse and had a constant stream of bloody drool coming from her mouth. Took her in on Monday and did what was necessary. Thanks to everyone who reassured me that it was ok to keep her as long as she wasn't in obvious distress and was still eating / grooming. The extra couple of weeks were a tremendous help in letting me come to terms with the situation and to say goodbye. Gonna miss you, girl. Also: gently caress cancer.
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Feb 3, 2015 12:56
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Tamarillo posted:He is fine. He's just not used to the new environment and it's still a bit spooky for a New Human to make an entrance when he's still sussing out his surroundings. You don't need to sleep in the living room with him; seriously he is going to be a little cuddlebug in no time you are just reeeeeeally in the early days at the moment. Thanks for this. We'll just keep doing what we've been doing (spending time in the living room and letting him come out on his own).
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Feb 3, 2015 14:52
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Hey cat thread, my girlfriend and I own two cats. The older guy, and by older I mean he's just under 6 months old, is acting quite strange. So here's some background on what happened: November, we moved into this new apartment and adopted the older guy. Been feeding him Authority, since my parents had a ton left over. Beginning of December we got him neutered and up to date on shots. Decided to try Friskies for awhile, for cost reasons. This was in January. A little later, we adopted our second kitten, who the old guy wasn't too fond of to start. A few weeks later, his appetite is well reduced (about 1/4 of a can in one sitting) and he seems to be doing that "hunched" pose a lot, and sleeps a ton. I've witnessed him throw up (all food,) and we've seen puke once or twice more before. He hasn't lost much weight, if any, but all of this has me worried. We thought the food might have been the problem, so this week we bought some Authority again and we're feeding that to him. His previous parents were feeding him Friskies shreds w/ gravy. He doesn't really show many signs of discomfort when picked up or touched, and he doesn't do anything strange when eating, so I suspect something may just have his tummy upset. This is vet-visit worthy, right? Anyone ever dealt with this?
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Feb 3, 2015 18:27
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Could very well just be stress. Also, the food itself probably doesn't matter, but changing food can cause some temporary digestive problems. Adopting a new cat along with changing food would add to the stress. If he's not showing any other symptoms, give it some time and give him lots of pets and cuddles. His problems may sort themselves out.
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Feb 3, 2015 19:08
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I figured as much. He hasn't ceased eating, drinking, or getting rid of waste in the cat box, so whatever's going on doesn't seem horrible. I think we'll just wait it out, and if it gets any obviously worse, at least we live right next to a veterinary hospital with a dedicated emergency phone number. Of course, what's a post in this thread without photos:  The pukey guy is the black one on the left.
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Feb 3, 2015 19:22
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regulargonzalez posted:So, update from a couple weeks ago after Luna had been diagnosed with cancer. She remained in good spirits to the very end but this last weekend she took a turn for the worse and had a constant stream of bloody drool coming from her mouth. Took her in on Monday and did what was necessary. My condolences, and I completely agree. Well, gently caress death in general. It's the second most absurd thing in this universe, but it's the top most painful one.
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Feb 3, 2015 19:52
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regulargonzalez posted:So, update from a couple weeks ago after Luna had been diagnosed with cancer. She remained in good spirits to the very end but this last weekend she took a turn for the worse and had a constant stream of bloody drool coming from her mouth. Took her in on Monday and did what was necessary. Absolutely gently caress cancer. I'm glad you had that extra time... what kind of masochists are we all that we adopt, care for and fall in love with these selfish creatures that we know we will say goodbye to before we want to. We must be crazy.
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Feb 3, 2015 23:44
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Smokey really doesn't want to go for a walk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sy1MDHZ27M The let's stand up at about 90s in gets me everytime. "Faceplant floop" Disclosure: Not my cat.
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Feb 4, 2015 00:25
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Any ideas about a cat that pees on stuff she likes? Cat is about 12 years old, doesn't pee outside the litter box very often, box is kept clean, we've had numerous tests done on her and she's fine, and seems in general to be a fairly happy cat (very affectionate with everyone even the vet) so I don't think its a protest action. However if she takes a shine to something like a paper bag / box, cat bed, crinkle mats, stuffed animals, etc she will inevitably pee on it. Sometimes it takes weeks or just days of going out of her way to lay on it before she decides to pee on it but it always happens. We usually just throw out the item so its not like she is peeing on the same thing or in the same spot multiple times. Switching litters doesn't do anything because she still uses her litter box just also likes to pee on her stuff. Googling around people talk about cats doing it when they are in pain but this has been going on for years and multiple vets have confirmed with numerous tests she is healthy.
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Feb 6, 2015 20:28
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Behavioral peeing problems like that can be very hard to solve. I've heard of xanax being used to fix problems like that but it isn't always a guarantee. Some people can't have bathmats or leave clothes on the floor for the same reason. You're likely going to just have to keep stuff picked up you know are things she likes to pee on as much as possible. Did your vet have any suggestions for you?
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Feb 6, 2015 23:16
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FuzzySlippers posted:Any ideas about a cat that pees on stuff she likes?
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Feb 6, 2015 23:35
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regulargonzalez posted:You could try the Feliway stuff. It helped a bit with some behavior problems between my two older cats. A recent theory suggests that sometimes cats do this to mix their scent in with certain fabrics or items to make it more personal or comforting.
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Feb 6, 2015 23:46
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Kerfuffle posted:Behavioral peeing problems like that can be very hard to solve. I've heard of xanax being used to fix problems like that but it isn't always a guarantee. Some people can't have bathmats or leave clothes on the floor for the same reason. You're likely going to just have to keep stuff picked up you know are things she likes to pee on as much as possible. Did your vet have any suggestions for you? One vet suggested a Feliway collar actually but it didn't seem to matter. The funny thing is we don't have to worry about our stuff unless she takes a shine to it and starts laying on it then we know to keep it away from her. Even more weird is this is more than the usual suspects (clothes and such) as she sometimes get obsessed with something like a large piece of paper left out that she knocks on the floor and 'claims' and will pee on it given time. We have hardwood floors so cleanup is fairly easy but sometimes I feel bad for her because she seems to find something comforting (rolling around on it and laying specifically on it for days) but then she pees on it and it has to be thrown away. Axikal posted:A recent theory suggests that sometimes cats do this to mix their scent in with certain fabrics or items to make it more personal or comforting. That's interesting. We had the Feliway collar but next time she likes something we could try to hose it down with the Feliway spray to see if it makes a difference.
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Feb 7, 2015 00:13
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So yesterday my plant-pooping cat (who is once again out of the plants - for now - thanks to the miracle of double-sided tape) swallowed a piece of string and got to take a trip to see the vet. Luckily, no bowel issues (although we're keeping a close eye) but they did an x-ray and found what seems to be a bladder stone. The vet game him a shot of antibiotics in case there was an infection and we made an appointment for two weeks from now to talk about changing his food and otherwise managing the issue. He's had no signs/symptoms: no apparent pain, he pees fine, etc. Everything I know about stones in the urinary tract I know about humans, so I was wondering if anyone could give me sort of a run-down on bladder stones in cats. I've done some googling around and the vet gave some good explanations so I feel like I've got a handle on the facts, but it's hard to contextualize them because I don't know a ton about kitties. Like, you can read "A cold is an upper respiratory infection usually causing nasal discharge, sneezing, sore throat and occasionally coughing" but that doesn't really give you a sense of what the deal is when you have a head cold, you know? Anyone have experiences with this that can help me orient myself to my poor rascally cat's presumably uncomfortable bladder?
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Feb 7, 2015 01:47
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I just saw this and it blew my mind: http://i.imgur.com/JmdaoJe.gifv Why do cats love cardboard so much? My cats go crazy for it.
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Feb 7, 2015 04:08
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CommonShore posted:I just saw this and it blew my mind: I think that's from Catty Shack Ranch! It's a big cat rescue down the road from me. I can hear the roaring at night some times, it's awesome. Haha, yep, the cougars are possibly Al and Tucker, the bobcat I dont know, the panther is Skywalker most likely, and that's gotta be Tal the Lion (The other male, Freddy, does not have as much black on him) http://www.cattyshack.org/
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Feb 7, 2015 04:43
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I just applied to adopt this little snugglemuffin, once the shelter vet gets a look at her I get to bring her home. She's all white except for those eyebrows and her tail. I hope her and my other cat will be good friends. I've done a lot of reading up on introducing cats... New cat is 1 year 10 months as opposed to my 10 month old male, but I'm hoping if I do introductions right things should go okay. I've got extra bowls, toys, and a 2nd litter box ready to go. Now I just need to think of a name!
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Feb 7, 2015 18:19
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Suspect Bucket posted:I think that's from Catty Shack Ranch! It's a big cat rescue down the road from me. I can hear the roaring at night some times, it's awesome. I think it's actually from the Big Cat Rescue youtube channel. In fact I'm sure it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J11uu8L8FTY http://bigcatrescue.org/ khy fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Feb 7, 2015 |
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Feb 7, 2015 18:51
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I'm sure this has probably been covered a billion times, but I need to replace the carpet in my house because it has been ruined over the years by our cats. What's the absolutely most Cat-Resistant flooring material I can go for? Vinyl sheet or something similar? Or is Laminate/Pergo any good? I'm assuming the #1 goal is to not give cat pee anything to soak into or get into the cracks of.
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Feb 7, 2015 19:40
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| # ? May 31, 2024 00:40 |
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Gwyrgyn Blood posted:I'm sure this has probably been covered a billion times, but I need to replace the carpet in my house because it has been ruined over the years by our cats. What's the absolutely most Cat-Resistant flooring material I can go for? Vinyl sheet or something similar? Or is Laminate/Pergo any good? Vinyl sheet certainly works but there are nicer options out there. If impervious is your goal, you'll want ceramic tile with tight, well-sealed grout lines. Periodically re-seal it (as easy as wiping on some stuff, then wiping it off a bit later). I've also seen some very nice acid-stained and sealed concrete. You've got to be careful with sealing the concrete well, otherwise liquids like wine (and I bet cat pee) will permanently stain it. Ceramic looks weird in places other than kitchens/bathrooms, though I have seen a house done in it. The stained concrete will certainly look better, but can require more upkeep. Laminate is easy to clean, but if you let liquid sit on it it'll seep in and can cause the layers to swell.
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Feb 7, 2015 23:41
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