Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Pelafina
Jan 1, 2010

"Well done, android. The Enrichment Center once again reminds you that Android
Hell is a real place where you will be sent at the first sign of defiance."
I had to take in my parents' cat about a week ago but things are not going well. I believe that she is severely depressed, and I am unsure how to help her.

First off, my parents' dog (her best friend)died two months ago, and she was marginally, but noticeably depressed. She would sit near the door a lot waiting for the dog, but inversely, she had gotten more affectionate then she had been previously.

Now, I've had to move her into my small apartment with two other cats. She hasn't been around another cat since she was a kitten, and there was a lot of hissing and swiping on her part if anyone got too close. However, over the first few days, she seemed to be adjusting well. She would be fine being in the same room as the others, and she'd be really sweet if I managed to get some alone time with her.

All that ended about 5 or 6 days ago. She sleeps all day, and barely moves. She barely eats. She gives a deep growl if I'm petting her for too long, and she doesn't respond to my touch at all. The other cats are giving her plenty of space, but if they happen to get close to each other for even a second, Kahlua will hiss. Although she was always a bit of a loner, she was never like this. She's also throwing up every few days or so.

All of the internet searching I did gave me two solutions:

1. Give her plenty love, petting, nice words, playtime etc. The problem is, she won't even entertain the thought. I can't pet her, or get her to play, and my cooing just seems to bother her.

2. Take her to the vet. As much as I'd love to, I lost my job not too long ago and I can not afford a vet visit. There is honestly no way that I can make that happen right now.

So, I'm at a loss. I feel so sorry for her, and I know that she's going to get sick fast if I don't help her. I read online that if I were to take her to the vet, he might give her Prozac. Is it safe to assume that it'd be the same Prozac that I'm prescribed? Am I crazy for even considering doing that? (I probably won't but if you think it's safe let me know)

What should I do?

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


It's only been a week. Cats don't take to change well, especially since she was already stressed. As long as she's still eating and pooping and stuff I'd just give her more time.

Is there a room you could confine her in for awhile? It doesn't sound like you did much of an introduction, it might help to take a step backwards and "shrink" her world for a bit so she has less to worry about.

Crooked Booty
Apr 2, 2009
arrr
Puking and the extreme lethargy you're describing are not a normal result of a stressed out cat. If she's not eating enough and vomiting on top of that, she is going to get seriously ill really quickly, and it's not something that prozac will fix. Can your parents take her to the vet?

Ocean Book
Sep 27, 2010

:yum: - hi
There's no where else to post this but I just want to say that I love my kitty. Having a little ball of fur wandering around and pouncing on you occasionally is the nicest thing.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


Ocean Book posted:

There's no where else to post this but I just want to say that I love my kitty. Having a little ball of fur wandering around and pouncing on you occasionally is the nicest thing.

:3:

You might enjoy the random nonsense thread, it's mostly lots of "my pet is cute/annoying/dumb, here's why."

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:

Crooked Booty posted:

Puking and the extreme lethargy you're describing are not a normal result of a stressed out cat. If she's not eating enough and vomiting on top of that, she is going to get seriously ill really quickly, and it's not something that prozac will fix. Can your parents take her to the vet?

This. If she's lost weight she could already be seriously ill. She needs to go to a vet.

Red Robin Hood
Jun 24, 2008


Buglord
I read through the entire FAQ but I either missed it or it wasn't in there. I'm curious about cat treats. I just adopted a 1.5 year old female cat from my local shelter and she's a sweetheart, and I would like to reward her good-doings with some cat treats. Cat nip is good and I have some of that but I was wondering if anyone has had an experience with the cat treats that come in the little bags... awhile back my mom's cat's vet talked about how giving the cat too many treats like that can actually be harmful. Anyone have any suggestions?

Serella
Apr 24, 2008

Is that what you're posting?

Red Robin Hood posted:

I read through the entire FAQ but I either missed it or it wasn't in there. I'm curious about cat treats. I just adopted a 1.5 year old female cat from my local shelter and she's a sweetheart, and I would like to reward her good-doings with some cat treats. Cat nip is good and I have some of that but I was wondering if anyone has had an experience with the cat treats that come in the little bags... awhile back my mom's cat's vet talked about how giving the cat too many treats like that can actually be harmful. Anyone have any suggestions?

If you use treats properly and don't overdo it, there isn't much harm they can do. Giving them too many treats is definitely not good as treats are not nutritionally complete and your cat should be filling that stomach space with actual food. My recommendation is to go for high quality brands and avoid the ones that have too much junk. Greenies are a popular favorite around PI. They're supposed to be good for your cat's teeth and I've rarely heard of a cat disliking them.

Innovative Salad
Jun 18, 2003

That's President Tandi to you.

Pelafina posted:

I read online that if I were to take her to the vet, he might give her Prozac. Is it safe to assume that it'd be the same Prozac that I'm prescribed? Am I crazy for even considering doing that? (I probably won't but if you think it's safe let me know)
I doubt that giving a cat a human dose of any medication would ever be safe. The average human is between 100 and 200 pounds; the average cat is probably 6 to 8. Even if the active ingredient was exactly the same and all the filler ingredients were safe for the cat, I see no way you could dose the medication correctly for an animal that small, using any tools you'd have lying around your house. Also, I think people use terms like "kitty Prozac" because the medication does something similar to its human namesake - not necessarily because it's the same active ingredient in the first place. I don't know if that's true in that particular case, but I suspect that giving a cat human medication is a good way to end up with a dead or exceptionally sick cat.

clockwork automaton
May 2, 2007

You've probably never heard of them.

Fun Shoe
So, I've wanted a cat for awhile now but when I moved from my two bedroom apartment I moved into a single bedroom place with a no pet policy. My hopes were dashed and I figured I would have to find another place to live before I could have a pet. However, this year another tenant in the building placed a sign on her door about being careful opening it so the kitty doesn't get out. I'm unsure if the landlords actually know about her pet or not, but seeing as it has been in plain sight for months I can't see how they wouldn't know.

How the hell do I go about asking the landlords about their policy again without possibly causing any trouble? Should I just go knocking on the tenant's door first to see what's up?

Meow Cadet
May 2, 2007


friendship is magic
in a pony paradise
don't you judge me
I'd just call up your landlord and ask if you could get an amendment to your lease that allows you to have 2 cats. (2 is always better than 1) Often times, 'no pets' really means some pets OK on approval. You might want to offer a pet deposit as well (since otherwise they may come up with a pet deposit that is even more $$).

Always get this approval in writing.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


Red Robin Hood posted:

I read through the entire FAQ but I either missed it or it wasn't in there. I'm curious about cat treats. I just adopted a 1.5 year old female cat from my local shelter and she's a sweetheart, and I would like to reward her good-doings with some cat treats. Cat nip is good and I have some of that but I was wondering if anyone has had an experience with the cat treats that come in the little bags... awhile back my mom's cat's vet talked about how giving the cat too many treats like that can actually be harmful. Anyone have any suggestions?

You shouldn't be feeding treats very often, definitely not often enough to be worrying about how nutritionally complete they are (because they aren't). If you feed them all the time then they aren't "treats," are they? :D

Does anyone else feel like prepackaged cat treats are kind of a waste/ripoff? Unless you're a vegetarian you probably have some little bits of chicken or ham you could toss their way instead. My cats go way more apeshit over real meat than they do over little dried-out treats, and the real stuff isn't processed and loaded with preservatives so it's probably healthier anyway.

Captain Foxy
Jun 13, 2007

I love Hitler and Hitler loves me! He's not all bad, Hitler just needs someone to believe in him! Can't you just give Hitler a chance?


Quality Pugamutes now available, APR/APRI/NKC approved breeder. PM for details.
^^Strangely, my cats won't touch actual meat, raw or cooked. It pains me constantly. They are fat American assholes who want the convenience and tasty preservatives. :downs:

Red Robin Hood posted:

I read through the entire FAQ but I either missed it or it wasn't in there. I'm curious about cat treats. I just adopted a 1.5 year old female cat from my local shelter and she's a sweetheart, and I would like to reward her good-doings with some cat treats. Cat nip is good and I have some of that but I was wondering if anyone has had an experience with the cat treats that come in the little bags... awhile back my mom's cat's vet talked about how giving the cat too many treats like that can actually be harmful. Anyone have any suggestions?

Evo Wild Cravings, Halo Liv-a-Littles, and Vitakitty Chicken are what I use for trick training and good behavior. I limit the amount they get or make sure they 'work' for it by hiding treats around the house, in their puzzle box (just a cardboard boxed with the flaps taped so they can only stick a paw in a little gap in the middle-they'll spend hours trying to dig the treats out) and in treat-dispensing balls.

I also make Tillie run laps around the house (which involves me running around with the dangly toy like an idiot) before she gets a treat. Because I am insane.

Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 06:54 on Oct 4, 2010

duckfarts
Jul 2, 2010

~ shameful ~





Soiled Meat

HondaCivet posted:

Does anyone else feel like prepackaged cat treats are kind of a waste/ripoff? Unless you're a vegetarian you probably have some little bits of chicken or ham you could toss their way instead. My cats go way more apeshit over real meat than they do over little dried-out treats, and the real stuff isn't processed and loaded with preservatives so it's probably healthier anyway.
Eh - I can see it the other way too though, where giving them meat bits may encourage them to beg from you during dinner or grab poo poo off the table. Getting them to know that cat treats are ok, but my food is not ok, has its advantages.

BeefofAges
Jun 5, 2004

Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the cows of war.

I would appreciate some advice. My cat is vomiting up food.

Age: 2.5 years.
Sex: Female.
How long have you had your cat? A bit over a month.
Is your cat spayed or neutered? Yes.
What food do you use? Iams Healthy Naturals (it had the highest ratio of actual meat to corn and rice meal of all of the foods available at the store).
When was your last vet visit? Just a few weeks ago.
Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Indoors.
How many pets in your household? 2 cats (both adopted at the same time).
How many litter boxes do you have? 1. It's big and scooped regularly.

My cat is kind of fat. Not completely obese, but definitely chunky. She's always the first one to the food bowl when it's refilled (1/2 cup of dry food in the morning, 1/2 cup in the evening), and she often eats, rests for a few minutes, then goes back and eats some more. This is bad enough, but then she sometimes throws up some food. I think she's just overeating. If she was an only cat, I'd just ration her food, but I don't want to starve the other cat. Does anyone have suggestions, or should I just go back to the vet? Thanks.

duckfarts
Jul 2, 2010

~ shameful ~





Soiled Meat

BeefofAges posted:

I would appreciate some advice. My cat is vomiting up food.

Age: 2.5 years.
Sex: Female.
How long have you had your cat? A bit over a month.
Is your cat spayed or neutered? Yes.
What food do you use? Iams Healthy Naturals (it had the highest ratio of actual meat to corn and rice meal of all of the foods available at the store).
When was your last vet visit? Just a few weeks ago.
Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Indoors.
How many pets in your household? 2 cats (both adopted at the same time).
How many litter boxes do you have? 1. It's big and scooped regularly.

My cat is kind of fat. Not completely obese, but definitely chunky. She's always the first one to the food bowl when it's refilled (1/2 cup of dry food in the morning, 1/2 cup in the evening), and she often eats, rests for a few minutes, then goes back and eats some more. This is bad enough, but then she sometimes throws up some food. I think she's just overeating. If she was an only cat, I'd just ration her food, but I don't want to starve the other cat. Does anyone have suggestions, or should I just go back to the vet? Thanks.
How long has she been puking up food for? Does she eat the puked food afterwards(normal if they're eating too fast)? You might want to try scheduled feeding times(vs free feeding) and using 2 bowls or separate rooms for feeding the cats. Another possibility is that after she eats and then rests, you can then keep her out of your feeding room and allow your other cat to eat until satisfied.

Additionally, you can just call your vet and ask them real quick if you're worried.

ChairmanMeow
Mar 1, 2008

Fire up the grill everyone eats tonight!
Lipstick Apathy
BeefofAges is your cat still using the litterbox? If she has a hairball or other blockage and isn't pooing their may be no room in her stomach for new food. It could be eating to fast also, if her system is processing food.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


BeefofAges posted:

I would appreciate some advice. My cat is vomiting up food.

Age: 2.5 years.
Sex: Female.
How long have you had your cat? A bit over a month.
Is your cat spayed or neutered? Yes.
What food do you use? Iams Healthy Naturals (it had the highest ratio of actual meat to corn and rice meal of all of the foods available at the store).
When was your last vet visit? Just a few weeks ago.
Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Indoors.
How many pets in your household? 2 cats (both adopted at the same time).
How many litter boxes do you have? 1. It's big and scooped regularly.

My cat is kind of fat. Not completely obese, but definitely chunky. She's always the first one to the food bowl when it's refilled (1/2 cup of dry food in the morning, 1/2 cup in the evening), and she often eats, rests for a few minutes, then goes back and eats some more. This is bad enough, but then she sometimes throws up some food. I think she's just overeating. If she was an only cat, I'd just ration her food, but I don't want to starve the other cat. Does anyone have suggestions, or should I just go back to the vet? Thanks.

Did the puking start suddenly or has it been going on for awhile? If it isn't a recent development and she seems healthy otherwise (using the litter box normally, not a total slug, etc.) then yeah, she's probably just being a big fat pig.

Firstly you'll probably have to switch to scheduled meals in separate bowls. Twice a day is fine. If she's eating too fast, you'll have to find a way to slow her down. One way is to put a big ball or something in with her food that she is forced to eat around. If you were feeding wet food (which you should really consider, it's a good way to keep your cats hydrated) I'd suggest just mashing the food in a thin layer all over the bottom of the bowl. This works pretty well on my stupid jerk cat that will steal his brother's food if he finishes first.

While you're doing all of this, it'd also be convenient to put her on a little diet so she loses some of that chub!

Also, where are you buying food? Don't buy pet food at grocery stores, it's either total poo poo or completely overpriced (at least in my experience). If you don't have a real pet store around you, you probably at least have some sort of feed store. They often have a surprising selection of good brands. Otherwise even Petsmart and them have a couple good brands. You should check out the Pet Nutrition Megathread if you'd like more help with that.

BeefofAges
Jun 5, 2004

Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the cows of war.

duckfarts posted:

How long has she been puking up food for? Does she eat the puked food afterwards(normal if they're eating too fast)? You might want to try scheduled feeding times(vs free feeding) and using 2 bowls or separate rooms for feeding the cats. Another possibility is that after she eats and then rests, you can then keep her out of your feeding room and allow your other cat to eat until satisfied.

Additionally, you can just call your vet and ask them real quick if you're worried.

She's been doing it since we got her from the shelter. I'm not sure if she eats any of it afterwards, I've never caught her in the act. My roommate has, though. I'll have to ask.

ChairmanMeow posted:

BeefofAges is your cat still using the litterbox? If she has a hairball or other blockage and isn't pooing their may be no room in her stomach for new food. It could be eating to fast also, if her system is processing food.

Yeah, the quantity of poop she produces is amazing for a cat.


HondaCivet posted:

Did the puking start suddenly or has it been going on for awhile? If it isn't a recent development and she seems healthy otherwise (using the litter box normally, not a total slug, etc.) then yeah, she's probably just being a big fat pig.

Firstly you'll probably have to switch to scheduled meals in separate bowls. Twice a day is fine. If she's eating too fast, you'll have to find a way to slow her down. One way is to put a big ball or something in with her food that she is forced to eat around. If you were feeding wet food (which you should really consider, it's a good way to keep your cats hydrated) I'd suggest just mashing the food in a thin layer all over the bottom of the bowl. This works pretty well on my stupid jerk cat that will steal his brother's food if he finishes first.

While you're doing all of this, it'd also be convenient to put her on a little diet so she loses some of that chub!

Also, where are you buying food? Don't buy pet food at grocery stores, it's either total poo poo or completely overpriced (at least in my experience). If you don't have a real pet store around you, you probably at least have some sort of feed store. They often have a surprising selection of good brands. Otherwise even Petsmart and them have a couple good brands. You should check out the Pet Nutrition Megathread if you'd like more help with that.

The food's from Petco. Once this current bag of food runs out I plan to find an independent pet shop and get some Wellness (or equally good cat food).

Thank you all for the suggestions.

Fire In The Disco
Oct 4, 2007
I cannot change the gender of my unborn child and shouldn't waste my time or energy pretending he won't exist
Petco carries a few decent lines. You should be able to find Wellness, Castor and Pollux, Solid Gold and Natural Balance, at the very least, and maybe some other good brands as well. Cats tend to do best on grain free foods, because they're obligate carnivores and simply don't need the carbs. Most overweight cats drop a little bit of weight just by virtue of eating a better food. They also eat less food, because there's no filler.

Also, be sure you wean them off of their old food and onto their new food. There's info in the OP for doing that, but basically you're going to want to mix them for a few weeks at gradually larger ratio of the new food until it's all the new food. This helps prevent litterbox disasters.

Serella
Apr 24, 2008

Is that what you're posting?

BeefofAges posted:

I would appreciate some advice. My cat is vomiting up food.

Age: 2.5 years.
Sex: Female.
How long have you had your cat? A bit over a month.
Is your cat spayed or neutered? Yes.
What food do you use? Iams Healthy Naturals (it had the highest ratio of actual meat to corn and rice meal of all of the foods available at the store).
When was your last vet visit? Just a few weeks ago.
Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Indoors.
How many pets in your household? 2 cats (both adopted at the same time).
How many litter boxes do you have? 1. It's big and scooped regularly.

My cat is kind of fat. Not completely obese, but definitely chunky. She's always the first one to the food bowl when it's refilled (1/2 cup of dry food in the morning, 1/2 cup in the evening), and she often eats, rests for a few minutes, then goes back and eats some more. This is bad enough, but then she sometimes throws up some food. I think she's just overeating. If she was an only cat, I'd just ration her food, but I don't want to starve the other cat. Does anyone have suggestions, or should I just go back to the vet? Thanks.

This sounds kind of like my cat, actually. He's a smidge overweight and when I first got him, he would gorge himself on food and then barf it back up most undigested a few minutes later. I came up with a feeding schedule where he gets three small meals a day -- a little bit of kibble in the morning before I go to work, part of a can of wet food when I get home from work in the evening, and a little bit of kibble just before I go to bed.

This way, he gets enough food, and it keeps him on a good schedule where he's never too far away from having eaten food, so he doesn't feel like he's "starving" and just binge on the food the second he gets it. I think it could work for both of your cats, and you wouldn't be starving either of them just by keeping them on a schedule. Both cats should figure out fast when mealtimes are and actually eat when they should. Of course, you always have to keep a close eye on how your cat is eating since they can be fussy and weird about it, but it's definitely something that worked for me.

CovfefeCatCafe
Apr 11, 2006

A fresh attitude
brewed daily!

Captain Foxy posted:

^^Strangely, my cats won't touch actual meat, raw or cooked. It pains me constantly. They are fat American assholes who want the convenience and tasty preservatives. :downs:


Evo Wild Cravings, Halo Liv-a-Littles, and Vitakitty Chicken are what I use for trick training and good behavior. I limit the amount they get or make sure they 'work' for it by hiding treats around the house, in their puzzle box (just a cardboard boxed with the flaps taped so they can only stick a paw in a little gap in the middle-they'll spend hours trying to dig the treats out) and in treat-dispensing balls.

I also make Tillie run laps around the house (which involves me running around with the dangly toy like an idiot) before she gets a treat. Because I am insane.

I'm actually curious about treats as well (especially after reading the Pet Nutrition Thread). My parents have been giving their cat more treats recently as she's caught her third mouse today (and is currently stalking her fourth!) My other question is what to look for incase the mice are carrying any diseases that we should be on the look out for - otherwise we're looking into trying to locate the source of the mice.

Otherwise, I (and my parents) now feel like awful people for our years of brand loyalty to the Meow Mix cat food (we've pretty much fed it to every cat we've owned), so what's the best way to introduce a new (higher quality) food? She doesn't have any health issues (that we're aware of), and we'd prefer something to help with hair balls as she's a long haired cat.

Meow Cadet
May 2, 2007


friendship is magic
in a pony paradise
don't you judge me

YF19pilot posted:

I'm actually curious about treats as well (especially after reading the Pet Nutrition Thread). My parents have been giving their cat more treats recently as she's caught her third mouse today (and is currently stalking her fourth!) My other question is what to look for incase the mice are carrying any diseases that we should be on the look out for - otherwise we're looking into trying to locate the source of the mice.

Otherwise, I (and my parents) now feel like awful people for our years of brand loyalty to the Meow Mix cat food (we've pretty much fed it to every cat we've owned), so what's the best way to introduce a new (higher quality) food? She doesn't have any health issues (that we're aware of), and we'd prefer something to help with hair balls as she's a long haired cat.

Get 4 or 5 samples of high quality foods from your local feed store / pet boutique, and offer a buffet (I suggest using paper plates and labeling them all). Then you can see what food the cat(s) like the best, and then slowly mix it into their regular food for a week or two or three.

There's no sense in getting better food of your cat won't eat it, so samples are key.

Innovative Salad
Jun 18, 2003

That's President Tandi to you.
What kinds of unscented litters are really good at containing the smell of cat piss? We started off with Swheat Scoop, but I find that it reeks terribly and doesn't clump well, making it a pain to scoop and probably not great for the kitty to use. We do scoop every day and there's only one cat, so I don't think that's the source of the smell problem. For example, are pine-based litters safe to use for cats, and are they any good? I seem to recall they're not good for guinea pigs and other small mammals, but cats are obviously not closely related to those.

Corridor
Oct 19, 2006

My kitty has been developing bald spots on both his heels. It's a bit weird. Is this normal? The bald patches appear nowhere else, just his heels.

I've seen them develop on elderly dogs, but this cat is like, three.

Crooked Booty
Apr 2, 2009
arrr

Innovative Salad posted:

What kinds of unscented litters are really good at containing the smell of cat piss? We started off with Swheat Scoop, but I find that it reeks terribly and doesn't clump well, making it a pain to scoop and probably not great for the kitty to use. We do scoop every day and there's only one cat, so I don't think that's the source of the smell problem. For example, are pine-based litters safe to use for cats, and are they any good? I seem to recall they're not good for guinea pigs and other small mammals, but cats are obviously not closely related to those.
Yeah Swheat Scoop reeks. I think most people say pine-based is better than Swheat Scoop, but it's not the best. If you really want a "natural" litter, World's Best Cat Litter is by far the best, but it's insanely expensive for a bag of corn. Otherwise you're best off with good old clumping clay. Petco/Petsmart usually have a self-serve bulk bin of generic clumping litter that's unscented.

Corridor posted:

My kitty has been developing bald spots on both his heels. It's a bit weird. Is this normal? The bald patches appear nowhere else, just his heels.

I've seen them develop on elderly dogs, but this cat is like, three.
This happens to some cats. I guess it's like callouses. As long as they're not irritated, bothering him, or growing, it's probably not a big deal.

Bellmeistr
Jul 2, 2007

Innovative Salad posted:

What kinds of unscented litters are really good at containing the smell of cat piss? We started off with Swheat Scoop, but I find that it reeks terribly and doesn't clump well, making it a pain to scoop and probably not great for the kitty to use. We do scoop every day and there's only one cat, so I don't think that's the source of the smell problem. For example, are pine-based litters safe to use for cats, and are they any good? I seem to recall they're not good for guinea pigs and other small mammals, but cats are obviously not closely related to those.

I highly recommend the Fresh Step Natural Litter (http://www.freshstep.com/prodscoopable.php#natural). It contains smells really well, clumps like a champ, and has no discernible odor to it at all. I can't stand perfumed litters. The same can be said for their Perfume & Dye Free Litter. The only difference I've noticed is that the natural one has small wood chip type things in it. The both work great though.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


That's weird. I use Swheat Scoop with two cats and I think it smells OK as long as I keep up with it. Is your litter box in a small room? I think it clumps pretty well too. I got a free bag of World's Best and was mixing it with the Swheat Scoop and I didn't notice much of a difference except that the World's Best lasted longer. Considering that though, maybe it's worth a shot in spite of the price.

duckfarts
Jul 2, 2010

~ shameful ~





Soiled Meat

Innovative Salad posted:

What kinds of unscented litters are really good at containing the smell of cat piss? We started off with Swheat Scoop, but I find that it reeks terribly and doesn't clump well, making it a pain to scoop and probably not great for the kitty to use. We do scoop every day and there's only one cat, so I don't think that's the source of the smell problem. For example, are pine-based litters safe to use for cats, and are they any good? I seem to recall they're not good for guinea pigs and other small mammals, but cats are obviously not closely related to those.
I've used Ever Clean - Extra Strength unscented for a while now with my 2 cats. It's a basic scoopable clay litter, but it's the best one I've found so far and it works great for containing pee and poo stank, and doesn't give my cats weird smells. I tried some of the alternative weird litters, like the ones that have pellets that dissolve, but one of my cats refuses to poo poo in that poo poo.

Innovative Salad
Jun 18, 2003

That's President Tandi to you.

HondaCivet posted:

That's weird. I use Swheat Scoop with two cats and I think it smells OK as long as I keep up with it. Is your litter box in a small room? I think it clumps pretty well too. I got a free bag of World's Best and was mixing it with the Swheat Scoop and I didn't notice much of a difference except that the World's Best lasted longer. Considering that though, maybe it's worth a shot in spite of the price.
It's not - it's in the living room, and I scoop it every night. The kitty does probably consume more water (and subsequently pee more) than your average cat though, and I have a weird nose. We'll see how the clay stuff goes. Thanks for the advice guys :)

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


How deep are you keeping the litter? I think it works better when its pretty deep, like 3-4".

Erluk
Nov 11, 2007

"If you can't beat 'em, STRANGLE 'EM"

I recently adopted a kitty and was wondering about laser pointers. i have heard that they are bad for a cat (something about upsetting their mental stability), but you guys recommend them. Is this a myth?

duckfarts
Jul 2, 2010

~ shameful ~





Soiled Meat

Erluk posted:

I recently adopted a kitty and was wondering about laser pointers. i have heard that they are bad for a cat (something about upsetting their mental stability), but you guys recommend them. Is this a myth?
Don't use strong(green) lasers, don't shine it in your cats eyes. Other than that, have at it.

Meow Cadet
May 2, 2007


friendship is magic
in a pony paradise
don't you judge me

duckfarts posted:

Don't use strong(green) lasers, don't shine it in your cats eyes. Other than that, have at it.

It's good to end the laser session by tossing a toy or treat, so the cat can finally 'catch' something, and not get frustrated.

Nostalgia4Infinity
Feb 27, 2007

10,000 YEARS WASN'T ENOUGH LURKING
This is Daisy. I adopted her about a month ago.


She's about 6 months old and I have a question about feeding. I'm running out of the food that the shelter gave with her and I was wondering about what to feed her. My parents feed their cats Iams but I've heard that a brand called Buffalo Blue (or something) is similarly priced and better for her.

I'm also questioning portions, I give her about a cup of food whenever the dish is empty (usually about once a day) and a spoonful of wet food every morning. Should I be feeding her more/less? She's an indoor cat and I don't want to overfeed her. Also when should I transition from kitten to adult food?

Other than that, she's an awesome cat. Knows her name already and comes when I call her. :3:

Eggplant Wizard
Jul 8, 2005


i loev catte

Nostalgia4Infinity posted:

This is Daisy. I adopted her about a month ago.


She's about 6 months old and I have a question about feeding. I'm running out of the food that the shelter gave with her and I was wondering about what to feed her. My parents feed their cats Iams but I've heard that a brand called Buffalo Blue (or something) is similarly priced and better for her.

I'm also questioning portions, I give her about a cup of food whenever the dish is empty (usually about once a day) and a spoonful of wet food every morning. Should I be feeding her more/less? She's an indoor cat and I don't want to overfeed her. Also when should I transition from kitten to adult food?

Other than that, she's an awesome cat. Knows her name already and comes when I call her. :3:

Take a look at the Pet Nutrition Megathread for information on what foods are good. Blue Buffalo is great; I feed my cats their "wilderness" blend (= grain free). As for quantity, every food has a recommended serving size per day on the bag/can, usually according to the cat's weight. Kitten food is kind of a gimmick, so just get her onto Blue Buffalo or Wellness or something (again, check the other thread). You might want to start transitioning her from the Iams to the new stuff to make it easier on her digestive system, so it would be good to start blending in the new stuff bit by bit before you run out of the old stuff.

She's a cutie :) Congratulations, and good on you for making her an indoor cat.

HondaCivet
Oct 16, 2005

And then it falls
And then I fall
And then I know


Nostalgia4Infinity posted:

This is Daisy. I adopted her about a month ago.


She's about 6 months old and I have a question about feeding. I'm running out of the food that the shelter gave with her and I was wondering about what to feed her. My parents feed their cats Iams but I've heard that a brand called Buffalo Blue (or something) is similarly priced and better for her.

I'm also questioning portions, I give her about a cup of food whenever the dish is empty (usually about once a day) and a spoonful of wet food every morning. Should I be feeding her more/less? She's an indoor cat and I don't want to overfeed her. Also when should I transition from kitten to adult food?

Other than that, she's an awesome cat. Knows her name already and comes when I call her. :3:

What you're doing sounds OK for now. Once she's full-grown you might want to switch to meals so she doesn't get fat. Not all cats get fat from free-feeding but you should keep an eye on her to see if she'd have that tendency. You should also feed her more wet food if you can, it keeps her hydrated better.


OK, I have my own question . . . sometimes one of my cats is pooping and then he gets excited for whatever reason and runs out of the litter box and the poop he was working on ends up falling off outside the litter box. Should I be worried or is my cat just really really retarded?

arbybaconator
Dec 18, 2007

All hat and no cattle



This is Eva, our first kitten. She's about 2 months old. We picked her up from the shelter last week, and so far everything is going well. She loves to play with our Yorkie, and is super-friendly :3:

Billy Black
Nov 9, 2006

HondaCivet posted:

OK, I have my own question . . . sometimes one of my cats is pooping and then he gets excited for whatever reason and runs out of the litter box and the poop he was working on ends up falling off outside the litter box. Should I be worried or is my cat just really really retarded?

I think some (most) cats are just neurotic, but my parents cat does this. My SO's cat used to do this until we got our second cat, then he just stopped altogether. Maybe he gets enough exercise from the second cat that he doesn't feel the need to run around post-poop anymore? I don't know. It's probably just a cat thing.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

SunknLiner
Jan 19, 2005

My wife and I recently adopted Chloe, a 3 year old calico, from a friend of hers who was moving to a new apartment with a "No Pets" policy. She's been with us for 3 weeks now and already I have a few food-related questions that I need some help with!

We took her to the vet last week for her initial exam and thankfully she's in great health, but slightly overweight at 11.9 pounds. According to the doctor she's a 6 on a 10-scale with 5 being perfect. Her old owner had been free-feeding her Science Diet: Adult Optimal Care which we've continued for now, but we plan to switch her to better food soon. To loose some weight the vet has asked us to feed her no more than 1/4 cup of dry food and 1 3oz can of wet food per day.

Our goal is to switch her from the SD to Wellness: Complete Health. I tried to start the switch last week by mixing in a spoonfull of Wellness into her 1/4 of SD. She ate a little bit and them promptly barfed it up on our rug a few minutes later. I immediately pulled all of the Wellness out of her bowl and have been feeding her only the SD since. What did I do wrong here?

She's not a big eater as it is. I scoop her 1/4 cup of the dry food in to her bowl in the morning before I leave for work, and it takes her all day to go through it taking a piece or two at a time. Most days I wake up and there is still a little food in her bowl from the previous day. I don't see how we can possibly feed her a full 1/4 cup per day AND a 3oz can of wet food when she barely finishes the dry food alone.

Speaking of wet food, she won't touch the stuff. We bought Wellness in several different flavors and have tried giving her spoonfulls on a seperate plate as a treat to ger her acclimated to it, but she either just licks it and walks away, or just downright ignores it.

I'm a little worried that she isn't eating enough, but she certainly appears to be in good health. She's a pretty chill cat, but is playfull when she feels like it. She's friendly and affectionate and appears to be in good spirits. Aside from her eating and bathroom habits (she only poops every other day) she appears to be a completely healthy and happy cat.

So PIers, help me out here:

* Should I try switching the dry food again? How?

* What's with the wet food? Should I keep trying, or scrap it?

* Is my cat eating / pooping enough? Should I be worried because she's not even eating what the vet considers to be a DIET amount of food?

BONUS CAT PICTURES! (Sorry, phone camera...)


Click here for the full 960x1280 image.



Click here for the full 960x1280 image.


As an aside, why the hell does every vet plug SD as being the ultimate food?? The first three ingredients are friggin' Chicken By-Product Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Brewers Rice Corn Gluten Meal. Ugh.


- Age: 3
- Sex: F
- How long have you had your cat?: 3 weeks
- Is your cat spayed or neutered?: Yes
- What food do you use?: Science Diet: Adult Optimal Care
- When was your last vet visit?: 1.5 weeks ago
- Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Indoors
- How many pets in your household? 1
- How many litter boxes do you have? 1

SunknLiner fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Oct 8, 2010

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply