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Tsietisin posted:Right you are, I will get the cat off to the vet the next time they are open. This is often because it is not painful for them to defecate with a urinary tract infection, only urinate, so they seek out soft comfortable places to go. Vet, definitely. Edit: it could be urinary crystals as well, make sure you tell your vet you want to check for BOTH a UTI and urinary crystals. RheaConfused fucked around with this message at 02:46 on Feb 28, 2011 |
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Feb 28, 2011 02:44
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Product question for you guys, anyone know of tear stain cleaning products that are good for my kitty? I just bought some blindly that's supposedly "green" and it has laureth sulfate and parabens in it. I won't buy that crap in my shampoo or lotion, so I'm most definitely not ok with putting it next to my cat's eyes. I found a couple online that looked decent, I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations for something like this. Preferably fragrance free too.
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Feb 28, 2011 05:31
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So, we introduced a kitty (6 mo. - female) to our apartment about 3 weeks ago, while we currently possess a 1 year old cat (female). They still aren't exactly "friends". They seem to co-exist ok, but whenever the kitten will try to jump on the other cat to play, they will get in massive fights. (I can't actually gage the severity in terms of claws and biting, however, there has never been any blood) This isn't improving at all, and happens quite frequently since the kitten of course always wants to play. We have just been letting them be for the most part, but we separate them sometimes when the fights get drawn out. Is there any way to improve this other than time? What's the best course of action when the kitten tries to "play" with the cat and doesn't seem to understand she likes her space? sleepness fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Mar 2, 2011 |
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Mar 2, 2011 04:16
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sleepness posted:So, we introduced a kitty (6 mo. - female) to our apartment about 3 weeks ago, while we currently possess a 1 year old cat (female). They still aren't exactly "friends". They seem to co-exist ok, but whenever the kitten will try to jump on the other cat to play, they will get in massive fights. (I can't actually gage the severity in terms of claws and biting, however, there has never been any blood) This isn't improving at all, and happens quite frequently since the kitten of course always wants to play. We have just been letting them be for the most part, but we separate them sometimes when the fights get drawn out. I'd just continue to let them be as long as there is no blood, and maybe make an effort to play with both of them (separately, as to avoid forcing confrontation) in order to wear the kitten out and give the older one some exercise and attention as well. Female cats can be pretty territorial, so the reaction is not unusual at all. I'd try just distracting the younger cat and playing with her if you see her heading to harass the older one, but I would also avoid getting in the middle of their tiffs. Eventually they'll reach a begrudging peace when the kitten learns to back off appropriately.
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Mar 2, 2011 04:59
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sleepness posted:So, we introduced a kitty (6 mo. - female) to our apartment about 3 weeks ago, while we currently possess a 1 year old cat (female). They still aren't exactly "friends". They seem to co-exist ok, but whenever the kitten will try to jump on the other cat to play, they will get in massive fights. (I can't actually gage the severity in terms of claws and biting, however, there has never been any blood) This isn't improving at all, and happens quite frequently since the kitten of course always wants to play. We have just been letting them be for the most part, but we separate them sometimes when the fights get drawn out. Is there blood and screaming? If not they're cool.
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Mar 2, 2011 14:54
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Simple question and not worth it's own thread so I'm asking here. Not a kitten but my cat got some ear wax in her hair coming out of her ear and it's all nasty. I got the ear wax piece out of the hair but now it's really greasy and sticks together. Is there a good way to clean this crap out of her hair?
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Mar 2, 2011 17:32
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You could try using a little bit of dish soap (make sure she doesn't eat any).
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Mar 2, 2011 21:00
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Nostalgia4Infinity posted:Is there blood and screaming? If not they're cool. Thanks for the responses guys. I was just worried because earlier in the thread, you stated that your cats were friends after a week, and this is 3 weeks and is still happening.
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Mar 2, 2011 21:06
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sleepness posted:Thanks for the responses guys. I was just worried because earlier in the thread, you stated that your cats were friends after a week, and this is 3 weeks and is still happening. Well it may have to do with the fact that the second cat is male. That said they do tussle quite rough and slap at each other that it sounds like it'd hurt when they miss and hit cat perch. It alarmed me a little but well, there was no screaming and there was no blood so I didn't worry. I also think that I have a Crisco Disco level of zen with cats.
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Mar 2, 2011 21:43
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PI, please help me! I've posted before about how I was going to be moving to a new house, now with a roommate, and that I intended to keep my cat inside. He was an outdoor cat before (dad's doing, not mine). Ever since we've moved, my cat has been more annoying than usual (and he's usually really, really annoying). Especially over the past few weeks, he won't stop meowing. Like, ever. He doesn't do it at night, but if I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he's right there, meowing. I know my roommate is annoyed. I'm annoyed. My roommate carelessly left the door open a couple of weeks ago and my cat got outside, but other than that he hasn't really been out. He is 9 years old and neutered. I've had him since he was a kitten. One possible point of interest is that he threw up a few times a couple of weeks ago, but I think that was a new food I was trying out, and he has since stopped. He is not acting any differently, other than the meowing. I have tried ignoring him, but it is really frustrating. He will alternate between "regular" meowing and the pissed-off, guttural meowing. Any suggestions?
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Mar 3, 2011 01:57
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I've never had a cat before. But I've always liked them. I grew up with dogs, and a dog just isn't what I need right now but I still want a furry companion. I haven't had a pet since 2002 when we put our dog down. I have a bunch of questions: Should I adopt a cat or a kitten? What's a good breed? I'd love a traditional Siamese, preferably white or gray but that's probably too vocal for a first cat. But they seem like total sweethearts. Are they really THAT loud? I'd love a Siberian the most, particularly because I have friends who are allergic to cats, but those are impossible to adopt and cost between 600-800 to purchase from a breeder. I want an active, playful and yet solitary cat. Nothing too needy but one that can be a sweetheart. I'm not interested in a kitten because my place isn't kitten proof but I hear kittens are house proof either way. I want two cats, preferably ones that are already friends because who knows when I'll be out? They'll have each others good company in the mean time. Finally, where is a good place to put litter boxes and cat beds and scratch posts and trees?
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Mar 7, 2011 07:39
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Himuro posted:I've never had a cat before. But I've always liked them. I grew up with dogs, and a dog just isn't what I need right now but I still want a furry companion. I haven't had a pet since 2002 when we put our dog down. 1) I would say adopt a cat, if you don't have your heart set on a kitten. Adult cats are harder for shelters to adopt out, but they're just as good! In fact, better because they are not super energetic assholes. 2) Go to the shelter or rescue and pick out a cat you like. I looked into rescuing a Russian Blue or other less-allergenic cat because my boyfriend is allergic, but it's very difficult to find active rescues in some areas and you can't even guarantee that that particular cat will be less allergenic than any other random cat. Just brush your cat often, use fabric sweepers to clean your couches, and vacuum/sweep often to cut down on cat dander. 3) If you go through a rescue that keeps their cats in foster homes (or a shelter that has a cat room as opposed to keeping cats caged individually), the staff/foster parent will probably be able to help you find a cat with the kind of personality you are looking for. 4) Two bonded adult cats is a great idea. Shelters often have a hard time adopting out pairs. 5) This all depends on your home's layout. I have only one cat and a small townhome, so I keep a large litterbox in the bathroom. If you have an accessible laundry room, that could be a good place to keep a litterbox as well. As far as beds go, put them wherever. Your cats will either lay in them or not, regardless of where they are. I have a cat bed for my cat, but instead he sleeps in my bed or on the rug when I'm not home, so ymmv as far as beds go. I can't be of any help with scratch posts or trees since my cat is clawless and I have neither, but I'd say away from bedrooms (in case of night scratches) and in rooms you're often in because kitties usually want to be where you are.
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Mar 7, 2011 16:47
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Regarding catbed placement - find a spot in your place that gets a good bit of sun and put it there. Baron pretty much ignores the catbed, except for during the afternoon when I get lots of sun streaming in through my windows. Once the sunlight hits it, he's like velcro in the catbed and won't get off no matter what.
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Mar 7, 2011 18:41
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I put the cat tree/post next to something you DON'T want them scratching so they have something they'd rather scratch. Our couch is safe because the tree is right there. For litterbox, someplace on tile. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, whatever just someplace easy to clean that isn't carpet. "Breed" is kind of a misnomer with cats. Go to a shelter and find one you love, almost all shelter cats are domestic shorthair/longhair cats but you can find some really awesome coat patterns if you want a pretty cat, one of my cats has a siamese style mask/boots and she's just a normal shelter cat. Alternately, black cats often have trouble getting placed because people are superstitious morons, and personality trumps coat color every time. So don't count out the poor single color cats. If you ask for a bonded pair the shelter will probably love you, they have a lot of trouble placing them and often don't want to break them up. If you get 2 you shouldn't have much trouble with them keeping themselves amused when you're busy, and still love to play with you. But as a new cat owner, my biggest advice is be patient! Cats take a bit to get used to a new place, they might take 3-4 days to stop hiding and being scared. Just let them do their thing and don't be too pushy, even though it's hard. They'll come out when they're ready.
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Mar 7, 2011 18:45
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Are that cats at places like PetCo and Petsmart shelters treated well?
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Mar 7, 2011 20:18
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Himuro posted:Are that cats at places like PetCo and Petsmart shelters treated well? PetCo at least does not have its own shelter. What it does is share space with local rescue groups. The one I volunteer with is pretty good, but it's going to vary. If you want to know how the cats are treated, ask questions. Where do your cats live? Are they fostered or in a shelter space? Do your cats get annual vet visits? If a cat isn't getting interest or is unadoptable for temperament reasons, what do you do? etc. I didn't know Petsmart had shelter relationships, but I'd imagine it is more or less the same deal.
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Mar 7, 2011 23:45
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I went to Petsmart and yeah, they're handled by local adoption agency. They have some beautiful cats there.  They were all sleeping and didn't pay attention to me. Unfortunately, Petsmart only shows off their adoptees on Saturday. Right now I'm just looking around because I'm still settling in and can't have a cat (or two) now but in a few months I'll be ready! I noticed a lot of slips of papers on the cages. It went like,"Name: Abigale, breed: DSH, age: four years old, declawed: no, spayed/neutered: yes, litter box trained: yes." It was nice to learn about these kitties and their personalities. I saw a lynx point Siamese who apparently is a great cuddly lap cat and good with other cats. A lot of the other cats there weren't good with other cats, though. The Siamese shared a huge cage with silver tabby, who apparently ISN'T good with other cats, so it's still curious. Either way, it was a helpful experience and I'd love to help take two cats of these people in a few months.
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Mar 8, 2011 00:33
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All the Petsmarts here have a section set aside for adoptables but they are from a local rescue. They are also double the adoption fee of the SPCA I went to, so you can definitely shop around. My local shelter does half-off (called "lonely hearts") any pet who's been there longer than 6months and any pet over 5yrs old to help place them. I'm not saying be cheap, but there's tons of kitties who need homes and you can always donate the difference. Mine came with a vet visit/preconditions (mites!) covered, all her shots/spay, and a microchip. And a bag of science diet (blech).
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Mar 8, 2011 01:24
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The prices made my eyebrow go up a bit. 95 per cat. Also my father wonders why I want to own a cat. I guess it's weird your currently single mid 20's son wants to own a cat or something? Sigh. I don't live at home anymore but we definitely have a difference in how we treat pets. When I was young, I was never attached to any of my dogs because they always lived outside since my parents didn't want them inside. All except one puppy, who lived inside with us for the most of his life before we put him outside. My father thinks animals belong outside, because hey, that's how they've always lived right?! Whereas I think pets deserve a place in the family unit and should live inside. He considers it a "white" thing to let your pets live inside, haha. Between college and everything else it's no wonder it has taken me so long to get a cat haha. Jupiter Jazz fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Mar 8, 2011 |
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Mar 8, 2011 01:33
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Is there an acceptable human disinfectant / antibacterial that will work on a kitty face? Mine's dealing with a pretty narsty zit on his chin right now and I want to make sure he doesn't catch a secondary infection. It's also too late to run to like a pet supply store, but I do have neosporin kicking around.
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Mar 8, 2011 02:12
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Stew Man Chew posted:Is there an acceptable human disinfectant / antibacterial that will work on a kitty face? Mine's dealing with a pretty narsty zit on his chin right now and I want to make sure he doesn't catch a secondary infection. Don't use neosporin, kitties are sensitive and it would just get licked off anyhow. Stridex pads are great. The thing that worked really well on our kitty's chacne (chin acne) was to do a warm compress a couple of times a day. My husband would run warm/hot water on a paper towel and hold it to her chin as long as she'd let him, and it really helped.
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Mar 8, 2011 02:20
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I found some hydrogen peroxide to at least sterilize and help debride it, we'll see if anything changes. He's a squirmy kitten and doesn't trust me farther than he can throw me so I'm a bit handicapped. VV OK VV Gunshow Poophole fucked around with this message at 02:32 on Mar 8, 2011 |
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Mar 8, 2011 02:23
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Stew Man Chew posted:I found some hydrogen peroxide to at least sterilize and help debride it, we'll see if anything changes. He's a squirmy kitten and doesn't trust me farther than he can throw me so I'm a bit handicapped. DILUTE THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE 50/50 WITH WATER. Seriously.
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Mar 8, 2011 02:25
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Himuro posted:The prices made my eyebrow go up a bit. 95 per cat. At the rescue I work with, $95 is the adoption charge for cats because that is exactly what it costs us (at a very big discount) to speuter, vaccinate, & FIV/FeLV test a single cat. It also helps ensure that adopters are serious, but that's very secondary to the cost issue. Bear in mind that such rescues tend to work 100% from donations and are staffed by volunteers-- the money goes to the cats' care, not to starbucks for the volunteers or anything. Those $95 allow us to do the initial vetting for another stray cat, but our money for food, litter, other medical treatment, cleaning supplies, etc. comes 100% from donations. Eggplant Wizard fucked around with this message at 04:01 on Mar 8, 2011 |
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Mar 8, 2011 03:56
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Oh wow, that makes me feel a lot better. I'd love to adopt a kitties from a local store.
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Mar 8, 2011 04:13
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Eggplant Wizard posted:At the rescue I work with, $95 is the adoption charge for cats because that is exactly what it costs us (at a very big discount) to speuter, vaccinate, & FIV/FeLV test a single cat. It also helps ensure that adopters are serious, but that's very secondary to the cost issue. Bear in mind that such rescues tend to work 100% from donations and are staffed by volunteers-- the money goes to the cats' care, not to starbucks for the volunteers or anything. Those $95 allow us to do the initial vetting for another stray cat, but our money for food, litter, other medical treatment, cleaning supplies, etc. comes 100% from donations.
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Mar 8, 2011 07:37
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Stew Man Chew posted:Is there an acceptable human disinfectant / antibacterial that will work on a kitty face? Mine's dealing with a pretty narsty zit on his chin right now and I want to make sure he doesn't catch a secondary infection.
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Mar 8, 2011 08:20
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You might get lucky, though, if your cat had a previous owner. We only had to pay  for Baxter because he had already been neutered/declawed/micro chipped.
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Mar 8, 2011 21:20
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My one cat, close to a year old, has had an ongoing issue with his right eye since we got him as a kitten. What happens is that his eye will start to slightly tear up, and over time, the skin/hair around the eye will begin to accumulate a dark red crust. His left eye remains unaffected by whatever is going on. Here's a really terrible quality picture (Droid does!) of what happens: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/154222_10150315692685144_534490143_15617312_3720226_n.jpg I've taken him to the vet numerous times, and each time we've gone, they give him steroids (both via pill and shot) and eye drops. His eye returns to about 95% normal after a few days and stays that way for about 2-3 weeks before slowly returning to the picture above. The vet thinks it's an allergy and says there's no way to treat it other than coming back over and over and getting more meds. Has anyone experienced this with their cat before? I almost want to take him to another vet to get a second opinion at this point.
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Mar 11, 2011 17:00
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I would definitely get a second opinion. You might want to see if there's a veterinary ophthalmologist in your area, or try a cat-only vet. IANAV but it looks a blocked tear duct. The duct there lets excess tears drain into the nose. If clogged, the tears just spill over onto the face and make all that icky crust. Crust plus moisture is a breeding ground for yeast and bacteria, which irritates the skin, causes more inflammation around the duct, and so on. It's a vicious cycle. The tear duct may be clogged due to inflammation from some sort of allergy, but obviously there's something up with that duct in particular if it's only affecting one eye. Sometimes a vet can unclog or widen the duct surgically, but it's not always successful, and your best chance of success will be with a vet who is experienced with the procedure, like a veterinary ophthalmologist. The blockage can also be due to stuff like eyelashes growing in the wrong way (which hopefully your vet would have noticed, but who knows?), and that can be fixed really easily with surgery. If you're not already doing this, try to keep the area as clean and dry as possible. Crust and irritation are just going to make things worse.
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Mar 11, 2011 18:55
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Thanks for the tip. The vet I went to wasn't cats only, so I'll look into that. He kept saying he thought it was an allergy and that there was no way to pinpoint what was causing it, which sounded like a bunch of BS to me.
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Mar 11, 2011 20:40
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Got a new cat, shelter said he was about two years old. I've read that cats can be shy in their new homes for a while. Is it fairly normal for him to hide in the closet mewing? He will come out if coaxed out and he is probably the most cuddly cat ever once you're petting him but he just hides in dark places and mew mew mew mew. We've got a litter box, food and water out for him. Is there anything I can do to help him adjust? vv -- its just been a day. I've also noticed he has a green number inside his ear, 35 or something I can't quite make out the first number, the second is a 5 for sure. I assume this is some kind of tag? Doorknob Slobber fucked around with this message at 01:14 on Mar 14, 2011 |
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Mar 13, 2011 17:54
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Reason posted:Got a new cat, shelter said he was about two years old. I've read that cats can be shy in their new homes for a while. Is it fairly normal for him to hide in the closet mewing? He will come out if coaxed out and he is probably the most cuddly cat ever once you're petting him but he just hides in dark places and mew mew mew mew. We've got a litter box, food and water out for him. Is there anything I can do to help him adjust? Just keep petting him. He'll get less scared soon. How long have you had him?
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Mar 13, 2011 19:15
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Skywriter posted:PI, please help me! Sounds like our cat Timmeh. He used to go in the garage for hours on end until he was caught scratching my mom's car. He now can't go out. Which means he meows nonstop, paws at the door, and throws general half-screaming fits when we won't let him out. Best thing we have for him is to use a water spray bottle when he won't let up, or try to entice him away from the door with a toy or two.
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Mar 14, 2011 05:51
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Reason posted:Got a new cat, shelter said he was about two years old. I've read that cats can be shy in their new homes for a while. Is it fairly normal for him to hide in the closet mewing? He will come out if coaxed out and he is probably the most cuddly cat ever once you're petting him but he just hides in dark places and mew mew mew mew. We've got a litter box, food and water out for him. Is there anything I can do to help him adjust?
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Mar 14, 2011 12:14
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I think one of our cats is afraid of the dark. Most of the time he is a very laid back cat, and likes to sit on people's laps. But at night, he will come to my bedroom door and run his feet along it (his previous owner front declawed him, he'd be scratching otherwise) and meowing piteously. If you leave during one of these fits, he follows you around, rubbing against your legs. Ignoring it has not worked - he is content to do this for an hour or more, and has done it for a couple weeks. It actually seemed to calm him down a bit when we shut him in another room with another cat, but the second cat hated being cooped up and made noise, too. He does something similar with the basement door, too. It is really weird.
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Mar 14, 2011 14:27
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duckfarts posted:Give him some time alone, but come back every so often and let him smell you, then pet him for a little bit. The fact that he can be coaxed out is a really good sign actually, but make sure he does have that closet available for him to hide in until he gets bold enough to start exploring. Also, if it's only been a day, it's totally normal; your little dude is fine. You can help speed up the acclimation process by taking photos of him and posting them.  Sorry for the picture quality, only cell phone camera available. We decided to name him Poe. He's exploring a little bit today, mewing as he goes. He's eaten and had some water, but I haven't seen him use the litter box yet so I'm a little nervous about that. Anyone have ideas on the green number inside his ear? Doorknob Slobber fucked around with this message at 18:03 on Mar 14, 2011 |
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Mar 14, 2011 18:01
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Reason posted:
Green number might be tagging; if it helps at all, I remember my cat getting some sort of green belly tattoo or marking or something after getting spayed, so maybe it's something related?
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Mar 15, 2011 06:07
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He might have been part of a feral colony, they mark them with ear tattoos or nick the ear to show he's been neutered. It can take a few days for a cat to feel comfy enough to wander out of a small hiding place in a new home, give him time and some pets and let him check everything out on his own. He'll be fine. 
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Mar 16, 2011 09:10
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We found a roach in my apartment last night (dead & torn apart, ty cats). Will putting traps/roach motels or whatever, cause the roaches (if god forbid there are anymore) to be poisonous for my cats? They don't usually eat bugs, just tear them up. The one last night was kind of eviscerated looking but definitely not much of it, if any, was eaten. x-posting to general questions thread
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Mar 19, 2011 14:56
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