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I got a minor cat bite on the tip of a finger and before the day was over, my finger was so swollen I couldn't bend it or stand to touch it. Lol. Cat mouths are nasty. Ghost discovered fetch last weekend. He is insatiable. It will be 2AM, I'm asleep, and he'll carefully place the mousie in my hand. Or drop it on my forehead. Or bury it in my hair. It's equal parts adorable and maddening. I need an automatic mousie launcher.
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Jul 15, 2021 02:46
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This is going to be horrible and I know every single one of you is going to judge me for it, but I have to confess: I can't take care of two cats. I adopted older cats because I knew I couldn't keep up with kittens, and adopting two was a snap decision based on places like here saying I should adopt two, but the truth is that my mental health is just exhausted from trying to keep up with two cats. I've just been drained and depressed the past six weeks, and I don't think I can keep taking care of two cats long term.   Toffee absolutely isn't a bad cat, he's just more than a single anxious goony nerd can keep up with, with all his big kitty energy. Further, I had to keep him and Oreo separate for a few days while the vet made sure Toffee's diarrhea wasn't infectious (it doesn't seem to be, thankfully!) and I think Oreo seems happy to be a single cat--the only time he mewed for more attention during that period was when I had to close the door on him to check on Toffee. Again, I freely admit that I'm a horrible person for doing this, but I want to rehome Toffee to a place in the San Antonio TX area that can keep up with his needs for attention and care. I've put the word out with my vet and sites like rehome.adoptapet.com , and if all else fails I have an appointment with the shelter on July 30th, but I'd really really rather not have to take him back to the shelter. (It's a no-kill shelter, at least, but according to their records he was in there for a good month, and they might not have the space to take him back anyway.) Can anybody in this thread offer advice or leads for more rehoming options, or even want to take Toffee in themselves? Davin Valkri fucked around with this message at 04:18 on Jul 15, 2021 |
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Jul 15, 2021 04:15
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Have you called your shelter? Many shelters will ask you, as a stipulation of the adoption agreement, to return cats if you need to rehome them -- it's not stigmatized, and it allows them to make sure the cat is safe and cared for if the adoption doesn't work out. Sometimes these things don't work, and it's okay. Just be honest with them.
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Jul 15, 2021 04:18
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Antivehicular posted:Have you called your shelter? Many shelters will ask you, as a stipulation of the adoption agreement, to return cats if you need to rehome them -- it's not stigmatized, and it allows them to make sure the cat is safe and cared for if the adoption doesn't work out. Sometimes these things don't work, and it's okay. Just be honest with them. I have done so, and have an appointment set up for July 30th. But, like I said, Toffee's been in there for a while, so I'd rather he have the chance to go directly to a new home, rather than possibly having to wait another month.
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Jul 15, 2021 04:20
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Davin Valkri posted:I have done so, and have an appointment set up for July 30th. But, like I said, Toffee's been in there for a while, so I'd rather he have the chance to go directly to a new home, rather than possibly having to wait another month. They're not going to sue you or anything for the most part, but it looks best in the shelter's eyes if you don't rehome him through them. I don't know if you use them for any low cost services or anything, but if you were to rehome him separately and you do use them for low cost services, expect at minimum a heavy stink eye whenever you were to take Oreo. They'd much rather know he's going to a good home, then him randomly disappearing. edit: And look, there's no shame in doing it and you don't deserve judgement. You've acknowledged the issue, and you're doing the right thing by rehoming safely, rather than throwing him out on the street or mistreating him. As for the space concerns, a shelter is going to do whatever they can to take back a pet from an owner that admits they've overstepped and is taking ownership of it. Raymond T. Racing fucked around with this message at 04:44 on Jul 15, 2021 |
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Jul 15, 2021 04:32
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Yeah, it's important to emphasize that returning a cat to a shelter if you can't continue to take care of it is a good, responsible choice, not anything to be ashamed of -- it can be sad, but you're doing the best thing for Toffee's welfare.
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Jul 15, 2021 04:41
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Thanks to both of you. The shelter is the San Antonio Humane Society, and the reason I'm interested in the rehoming option is because their website seems to imply that--although the "return a pet" option is down there--sites like re-home.adoptapet.com should be tried first. But you're both right that keeping the shelter in the loop is good.
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Jul 15, 2021 04:53
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Don't beat yourself up over this decision. You're making a tough call and it sucks and it hurts, but ultimately you're creating a happier, healthier home for Oreo. Take care of yourself and your mental health so you can be the best possible caretaker for Oreo! I hope you're able to find a good home for Toffee.
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Jul 15, 2021 05:28
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Davin Valkri posted:Thanks to both of you. The shelter is the San Antonio Humane Society, and the reason I'm interested in the rehoming option is because their website seems to imply that--although the "return a pet" option is down there--sites like re-home.adoptapet.com should be tried first. But you're both right that keeping the shelter in the loop is good. I'm not seeing anything that expressly indicates try rehoming sites before returning an animal adopted from them.
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Jul 15, 2021 06:01
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Buff Hardback posted:I'm not seeing anything that expressly indicates try rehoming sites before returning an animal adopted from them. Is the uh, big flyer at the top of the front page of the site telling people to use the adoption site specified if they cannot keep their pet not showing up for you, or something? 
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Jul 15, 2021 09:57
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kaworu posted:Is the uh, big flyer at the top of the front page of the site telling people to use the adoption site specified if they cannot keep their pet not showing up for you, or something? I presume that's as a potential alternative to surrendering the pet to the shelter in the first place, not returning a pet previously adopted. I may be wrong, but my understanding is that most shelters want animals adopted from them returned, not rehomed via another service.
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Jul 15, 2021 11:41
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kaworu posted:Is the uh, big flyer at the top of the front page of the site telling people to use the adoption site specified if they cannot keep their pet not showing up for you, or something? That's for people who can't keep their pet in general, not for people who adopted from that rescue but now need to return the animal to the rescue.
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Jul 15, 2021 11:46
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I do see the point - it's there as an alternative to people who are going to that site to give up a pet to the shelter that they did not already adopt from that shelter. It's pretty drat unclear, though, for someone in the position of the goon looking to return a pet. I just wanted to point out that the info *was* there, not get into a semantic discussion, though. kaworu fucked around with this message at 12:52 on Jul 15, 2021 |
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Jul 15, 2021 12:45
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kaworu posted:Is the uh, big flyer at the top of the front page of the site telling people to use the adoption site specified if they cannot keep their pet not showing up for you, or something? Seems a bit silly as to hide that behind an expando which is my bad, but in any case, yeah, that's intended for "pet you've had for a while or adopted elsewhere, not recently adopted from that shelter"
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Jul 15, 2021 16:40
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Davin Valkri posted:I adopted older cats because I knew I couldn't keep up with kittens, and adopting two was a snap decision based on places like here saying I should adopt two, but the truth is that my mental health is just exhausted from trying to keep up with two cats. I've just been drained and depressed the past six weeks, and I don't think I can keep taking care of two cats long term. Here's your problem. We don't say you should adopt two CATS. We say you should adopt two KITTENS. Kittens are insane balls of energy who take a ton of time and effort to play with, unless you get a playmate for them - then they'll pretty much take care of that themselves. Adult cats, on the other hand, are generally much more Adult cat personalities are also much more set in stone than kittens. There are absolutely adult cats that will get along fine with other adult cats, sure - but there's also plenty that HATE other adult cats and will never, ever warm up to any that they didn't literally grow up knowing. I think you're doing the right thing by looking to rehome one of your cats - you're not a bad person. I hope you can find somewhere that works for him. Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Jul 15, 2021 |
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Jul 15, 2021 17:52
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Hi, I am very much in the market for something that helps clean cat puke off of couches and more importantly, rugs. DIY is totally fine. I’m a big fan of flat woven rugs and I swear to god this specific rug is a puke magnet. Other rugs? Maybe once every few months. This rug? Twice since I moved in two weeks ago. The rug has been out for A WEEK. This rug definitely said some cat related slur or something.
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Jul 16, 2021 07:37
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teen witch posted:Hi, I am very much in the market for something that helps clean cat puke off of couches and more importantly, rugs. DIY is totally fine. I’m a big fan of flat woven rugs and I swear to god this specific rug is a puke magnet. Other rugs? Maybe once every few months. This rug? Twice since I moved in two weeks ago. The rug has been out for A WEEK. This rug definitely said some cat related slur or something. I spot-clean the rugs first to make sure all the chunks, etc. are off, then toss them in the washer on Delicate with a squirt of Dr. Bronner's. Luna loves to throw up on her rugs and then whine pathetically because she can't lie down.
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Jul 16, 2021 08:08
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teen witch posted:Hi, I am very much in the market for something that helps clean cat puke off of couches and more importantly, rugs. DIY is totally fine. I’m a big fan of flat woven rugs and I swear to god this specific rug is a puke magnet. Other rugs? Maybe once every few months. This rug? Twice since I moved in two weeks ago. The rug has been out for A WEEK. This rug definitely said some cat related slur or something. https://www.bissell.com/little-green-pet-pro-portable-carpet-cleaner-2891.html A bit expensive but we have a cat and a medium sized dog in our house, and it has worked miracles in getting rid of my cat puking and my roommate's dog making GBS threads on carpet/rugs. If you do go this route I'd suggest also investing in a set of earplugs because this thing is LOUD.
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Jul 16, 2021 08:24
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Ooooh caveat: I am in hell Sweden so half of the things are unavailable because I guess Swedish pets don’t loving puke or bark or be doofuses (dogs here are weird and I just don’t get it)
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Jul 16, 2021 08:28
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teen witch posted:Ooooh caveat: I am in hell Sweden so half of the things are unavailable because I guess Swedish pets don’t loving puke or bark or be doofuses (dogs here are weird and I just don’t get it) https://www.amazon.se/BISSELL-SpotClean-Pet-Portable-15585/dp/B084PSXMQM/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=bissell&qid=1626422797&sr=8-5 Like twice as expensive for you though even after conversions. Still, it is a quality carpet cleaner when it comes to pet residue.
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Jul 16, 2021 09:08
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Does anyone have experience of hyperthyroidism in cats? I took in a foster cat as an emergency (the other foster carer is seriously ill) and the only information was that he was an affectionate boy who needed medication twice a day with food. Luckily this is a liquid so I'm not wrestling pills into him, and it turns out to be for a thyroid problem. He's been on his medication for at least 3 weeks from the date on the bottle. My concern is that he's very, very thin. His condition means his coat looks a bit manky and his tail is like a kitten's scrawny little tail, but you can feel every bump of his spine and ribs, and his legs are really skinny. Google says large meals of wet foods are best with no biscuits. Should I be feeding him a special high-protein diet? Would raw chicken be better because it's not padded out with filler ingredients? How long does it take for the thyroid meds to work? The people who run the rescue are all volunteers and none of them could tell me much.
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Jul 16, 2021 09:26
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Lady Demelza posted:Does anyone have experience of hyperthyroidism in cats? I took in a foster cat as an emergency (the other foster carer is seriously ill) and the only information was that he was an affectionate boy who needed medication twice a day with food. Luckily this is a liquid so I'm not wrestling pills into him, and it turns out to be for a thyroid problem. He's been on his medication for at least 3 weeks from the date on the bottle. I had an old dude with hyperthyroidism for a couple years. As I recall the only food thing was to not give him the senior cat food because it was reduced calorie which was the opposite of what he needed. Other than that I was just supposed to let him eat as much as he wanted of regular food. He was a nearly toothless old bugger so he was mostly on canned food by then anyway, though he'd whine if he didn't get some kibble offered every day. While being too thin is bad, gaining weight too quickly can be bad too. If the vet that gave them the meds didn't also give them special instructions for food I would assume normal cat food is fine.
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Jul 16, 2021 10:01
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Facebook Aunt posted:I had an old dude with hyperthyroidism for a couple years. As I recall the only food thing was to not give him the senior cat food because it was reduced calorie which was the opposite of what he needed. Other than that I was just supposed to let him eat as much as he wanted of regular food. He was a nearly toothless old bugger so he was mostly on canned food by then anyway, though he'd whine if he didn't get some kibble offered every day. Thanks, Aunt. That's good to know about the senior food, I hadn't considered that. For breakfast he ate two pouches of food and a half a tin of tuna that my other cat had foolishly left for later. I suspect he would eat 24/7 if allowed. Everyone at the foster charity is lovely but they aren't terribly organised and communication isn't great.
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Jul 16, 2021 16:59
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We had a hyper thyroid cat that also had a problem if she ate too much she'd barf it all out and be even worse off. Overall she was able to eat the same calories that our healthy cat did but year over year would lose an ounce or two of weight and we never could figure out a way to get her to keep more food down. It sounds like your dude can pack stuff away no issue so that should really help a lot. Eventually something else entirely killed her (probably a virus, doctor couldn't figure it out conclusively) and she was down to five and a half pounds, from a lifetime max of 10.5.
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Jul 16, 2021 17:09
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We have 4 foster kittens! Would you die for them or are you history's greatest monster? https://imgur.com/U9sbOpE 
Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 22:19 on Jul 16, 2021 |
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Jul 16, 2021 18:02
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I've got a wonderful kitty who has the atrocious habit of eating weird and dangerous stuff. 1.5 months ago she had to have abdominal exploratory surgery to get a bunch of weird crap out of her stomach (guessing couch stuffing but who knows). Since then I've gotten rid of the offending couch and generally tried to get rid of anything she may find appealing, while also trying to keep as many toys she likes(but not to eat) but shes still managed to find some strings twice now. The first one she had to climb to the tip of a closet to find and she barfed it up. The second was a 15 in length of pull cord from the curtains she chewed off and pooped out. Anyone had a cat like this? What do you do?  
Wastid fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Jul 16, 2021 |
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Jul 16, 2021 20:54
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Wastid posted:I've got a wonderful kitty who has the atrocious habit of eating weird and dangerous stuff. 1.5 months ago she had to have abdominal exploratory surgery to get a bunch of weird crap out of her stomach (guessing couch stuffing but who knows). Bitter apple spray everything? I've never seen either (well all 3 that I can speak to having ownership power over) that aggressively interested in linear objects, but bitter apple spray definitely discourage putting things in mouths like power cords and stuff.
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Jul 17, 2021 04:44
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Man I wish I knew how to stop my cats eating things. We have one cat who eats plastic all the time, but she seems to have an iron stomach (I've literally found packing tape in her poo). And then our older cat was recently really sick, and it turned out he had something in his stomach - we thought he wouldn't get better, but after several days of cat ex lax, he pooped out a bunch of hair that had blocking him up and he's fine now. Totally unrelated, MORE FOSTER KITTEN PHOTOS      
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Jul 17, 2021 05:01
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That ear fur!!! 
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Jul 17, 2021 05:10
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I know right, it's majestic
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Jul 17, 2021 05:14
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Plastic bags can have various edible-smelling substances on them and I've seen it suggested that a hungry cat will try it because it sorta kinda smells like food. Plus you know, those bags usually come into the home carrying food so they might actually have food residue on them. So if they're on a diet or have some nutritional deficit that could be a cause. But they're also cats, who do weird poo poo all the time. So it's probably just that.
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Jul 17, 2021 05:23
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My cat appears to eat plastic because it is plastic. She rips the packing tape right off boxes so she can go to town on it.
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Jul 17, 2021 05:55
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Milly just chews on rubbery things that she can damage when she wants attention  Flashlight handles, controller joysticks, sandal soles, my therapy bands, etc. The solution is always play with her more but if I've been working and in the middle of a meeting she needs to wait.
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Jul 17, 2021 06:19
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Rotten Red Rod posted:My cat appears to eat plastic because it is plastic. She rips the packing tape right off boxes so she can go to town on it. I've read that cats love the smell of glue because it's somehow made from meat or other animal parts. My cat certainly likes to chew on any sticky tape she can find, even though it makes her sneeze up a storm. They're not very smart!
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Jul 17, 2021 07:15
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My little idiot cost me $2700 when he ate an inch-long piece of foam exercise mat. Never underestimate the kind of things a cat will eat, whether it smells like food or not.
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Jul 17, 2021 08:11
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I mean I chew on not food stuff all the time and accidentally swallowed a pencil eraser in school once or twice from nibbling on it, so I have no grounds to judge Harold for loving to eat strings. Hilariously he has shown zero interest in anything other than his kibble and strings though. 
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Jul 17, 2021 10:59
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My striped bastard Raichu has a deep love of garden netting and weird door rubber caulking thing. He also loves hair bands and certain types of charger cords. I’m tempted to get him a dog toy but I fear he’ll just chew it to bits and eat it
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Jul 17, 2021 11:13
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Sam's favorite chewy toy is six pack rings from soda bottles and I have to cut them up sometimes so he doesn't seagull himself. He also likes licking backpacks. Cats are a mystery. Also in case this is something anyone else is dealing with: if you take in an animal and find you cannot care for them, you are NOT a bad person for surrendering the animal back to the shelter, or finding an alternative home for them. In fact you are doing the right thing for the animal, and for you. No one here is going to judge you for that, and if anyone does out in the wild they're an rear end in a top hat. Pets are a huge commitment and you need to be honest about what you can handle as an owner and what the animals need in order to have good fulfilling lives, even if that means its not with you. Generally "get two" applies to kittens but bonded pairs (littermates, mother and child, etc) of adult cats can also be amazing and it's hard to find homes without splitting them up sometimes. Two adult cats who aren't already friends can be very hit and miss and I wouldn't recommend it for a first time cat owner. It could go just fine but it's a dice roll, and there's a lot of extra work involved in getting adult cats to co-exist happily even if goes well. @Davin specifically, take him back to the shelter don't take on the added stress of having to rehome the cat when it sounds like you're overwhelmed by the situation already. They'll make sure he's taken care of.
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Jul 17, 2021 11:51
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I've pulled all sorts of mystery plastic bits out of Kimchi's mouth, if she's ever swallowed any it hasn't seemed to bother her though. I think it might be a dumb baby thing where they use their mouth to explore new/unusual items? Hopefully most of them grow out of it. We planted a bunch of wildflowers in our yard and they attract a lot of (bumble)bees, which is great, but Kimchi's also obsessed with hunting them. We've had to save a bunch of them she managed to slap out of the air, I'm paranoid about her getting stung but again, so far so good. Katya just knocks over/destroys stuff to get our attention, she's too smart to actually eat anything non-edible.
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Jul 17, 2021 14:14
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does anyone with a Surefeed have any experience with it flashing read and making a horrible grinding noise? Because one of ours is doing this rather than letting a cat eat.
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Jul 17, 2021 14:23
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