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Victor Nightingale posted:1. Are some cats less allergy-causing than others? I doubt this is the case because 5 minutes of reading tells me the issue is their saliva, not the dander/hair as I originally thought. Both dander and saliva are frequent causes of allergies. Anyway, yes there are some cats known for having less than others; Siberians and Russian Blues apparently. Also LaPerm, Sphynx, Devon Rex, and Cornish Rex due to their different coats. Doesn't help you if you're allergic to the saliva rather than dander though. Victor Nightingale posted:2. Are there medications that I could take to mitigate the effects of the cat? I could just take this claritin stuff every day (each pill lasts 24 hours), but I'd rather not do that if there's a better option. There's an injection you can get I believe, that lasts longer. I'm not allergic to any animals so I don't know for sure. Victor Nightingale posted:3. What's the chance that I would "get used to" the cat, and have less of an allergic effect after a while of heavy medicating? Definitely  A lot of people get used to their own cat and still react to other peoples animals.Victor Nightingale posted:4. Am I crazy? Is this something that there's no way around, and I need to get some fish instead? No it's worth a shot! Other things you can do is avoid letting the cat in the bedroom, use a HEPA vacuum regularly, try not to do stuff like stroke cat then rub your eyes 
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Aug 16, 2009 12:41
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My situation is a little on the unusual side. There is a stray cat in my garden that I am trying to teach to come inside and be a pet - or even be an outside cat, if need be (I have a very old, blind dog. He did not react well to meeting the stray (he got too curious, got too close to see what the hell he was looking at, the cat got scared, and bam, somehow both of them wound up with no wounds but a hell of a shock. This dog will be gone soon, so he'd be an outside cat for probably another year at most, and we live in a low-car, no-sociopath neighbourhood). - Age: No idea, but I'd say probably five or six (actually, probably younger - my flatmates reckon he's probably just coming out of kittenhood now, and he does seem playful in that sort of way) - Sex: Male would be my guess. - How long have you had your cat?: Not really applicable, but I know it was socialized while young, from its behaviour. - Is your cat spayed or neutered?: I am unsure. - What food do you use?: Currently, I'm trying out different foods or just using tinned tuna. - When was your last vet visit?: Not had one. - Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both?: It is a stray, so outdoors with the occasional raid of my dog's indoor food bowl. - How many pets in your household?: One, the dog. - How many litter boxes do you have?: None as of yet. I am an Australian, and the cat is about a 3 on the build chart and seems to have been socialized with dogs. It also seems to be mentally disturbed. Is there anything in particular I should be wary of with trying to tame an extremely paranoid, half-feral stray? Any special diseases or problems to look out for? Any tricks in general to get it used to coming onto the verandah but not into the house proper, and to wean it from gnawing on the poisonous plants growing in the garden? (it seems to find sport in doing it a little. They're not too dangerous, but it's better to be safe than sorry). Loomer fucked around with this message at 12:44 on Aug 17, 2009 |
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Aug 17, 2009 08:31
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The best thing you can do for that cat right now is trap him if you have to and take him to the vet. Get him neutered (or spayed, as it may happen), so he/she doesn't cause any more stray cats, and get him tested for FIV/FeLV. He probably also has worms and could have fleas and mites. That is if you're interested in having it as a pet. If you just want him to chill with you, then keep feeding him and making him associate you thereby with good things.
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Aug 17, 2009 14:13
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Two kitten questions: 1) My kittens are ferals so they have been pretty quiet up until recently. However, one of them is becoming more vocal as of late. They are still locked in the bathroom because we just got them and sometimes he'll meow through the door. I should be ignoring him so he doesn't get into the habit, right? 2) I have two kittens, they are brothers and they obviously are crazy about each other most of the time. However, when I set down food, the bolder one bats the other cat away so he can eat first. He can't eat ALL the food so the other cat gets some when the jerk is done but still . . . Should I give them food in separate dishes or is this normal?
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Aug 19, 2009 04:02
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HondaCivet posted:2) I have two kittens, they are brothers and they obviously are crazy about each other most of the time. However, when I set down food, the bolder one bats the other cat away so he can eat first. He can't eat ALL the food so the other cat gets some when the jerk is done but still . . . Should I give them food in separate dishes or is this normal? Separate dishes would be much kinder to the beta cat. I'm sure if my cats only had one dish they'd do that, but when you can just put out another plate, why endure the strife? How long have you been keeping the feral kittens secluded for? If they're meowing for attention you might as well give them a little more run of the house (I assume you have other cats and you're concerned about infections, but hopefully they've been vetted by now). You are right that you shouldn't encourage the meowing by coming as soon as he starts, but perhaps it's a sign that they need more attention in general.
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Aug 19, 2009 15:24
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exactduckwoman posted:Separate dishes would be much kinder to the beta cat. I'm sure if my cats only had one dish they'd do that, but when you can just put out another plate, why endure the strife? Poor beta cat . . . he must be getting enough to eat though because he is much larger than the alpha! He obviously doesn't know it though. They've only been in there since Sunday. We don't have any other cats, we were just keeping them in a small room for awhile to get them used to us/comfortable in a new place. It's a very small bathroom though so they are probably getting bored. We're planning on letting them out tonight after we make the place a little more kitten-safe. We just moved and it's still a big mess so we were trying to hold off but they'll probably enjoy crawling around the mess anyway.
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Aug 19, 2009 15:40
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Meow Cadet posted:A rescue tends to foster cats, so they know their personality better. They also guarantee to take the cat back if there is a problem, even 10 years down the road. This gives me piece of mind that my cat has a spot at a no-kill rescue if I end up penniless with cancer or something. Ask around for shelter/rescue reputations. Some are good, some are bad. A good place to start would be your vet. Well not having been a pet owner before, how do you screen for a good vet? Meow Cadet posted:Are you a college freshman, new transfer student, or someone out on their own for the first time? DON'T GET A PET. Wait at least 6 months or so. It's a crazy time in your life, don't burden yourself with too much responsibility. Not the first time out. Been around the block so it's not a big deal. It's just moving day I'm more worried about Meow Cadet posted:Expect your cat to come with a cold, fleas, and mites. These are common, and easy to treat. Ewww. Okay. Meow Cadet posted:Cat poo poo is really really foul, and their piss ain't much better. Some cats like to puke once a week, you will step in it barefoot at least 2 times a year. Hairballs are icky. If a lizard/frog/snake sneaks inside, you may see its guts strewn across the floor. Cat hair will be everywhere, even in your food when you go out to fancy restaurants. Your bed will always have tiny grains of litter on
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Aug 19, 2009 16:11
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I think Meow Cadet was giving you the worst case scenario to make sure you're ready to own a cat. All the things she (? sorry) said COULD happen. Several of them will. Shelter cats do tend to come with colds and/or mites, though I'd hope fleas are less common. Mites & colds are easy to treat though. Re: vomit & hairballs. Not all cats are pukers or hairballers, but you'll encounter something sometime, inevitably in bare feet or immediately after you've vacuumed/mopped. It is the way it is. Feeding a good food will help minimize barfing, and if it seems to be bad you can try different formulas in case one agrees better with the cat. If you get a hairballer (protip: get a short hair, not a medium or long hair, if you want the least chance of this), you can give them laxatives to help get the hair through their system. You can also probably ask the shelter if a cat has a hairball habit, too. Litter: yes, you can minimize litter tracking. There are a lot of different ways to deal with it: put a highly textured mat around the litterbox, use a top-entry litterbox, put the whole shebang in a rubbermaid lid with edges to keep it from rolling out, use a covered litterbox (in case the cat likes to kick its litter out), or even try a Booda Dome with steps (google it, they work quite well for tracking but they're a bitch to clean and some rear end in a top hat cats decide to pee down the goddamn stairs anyway moving on). In my house we keep a little brush & dustpan by the litter box so we can sweep around it every day, too.
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Aug 19, 2009 17:51
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One thing I will say about any rescue is be prepared to spend around $200 upfront at your first vet visit or subsequent visits due to the potential URI, mites, etc issues you could have (as mentioned). Plus the checkup, of course. We were lucky with our last rescue *crosses fingers* that we didn't need to go back for a cold, goopy eyes, parasites, or any other numerous things that arise. bamzilla fucked around with this message at 18:34 on Aug 19, 2009 |
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Aug 19, 2009 18:19
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soj89 posted:Well not having been a pet owner before, how do you screen for a good vet? That's a very good question. If you can, I would go to as many vets as I could within a few miles of my home. I'd just walk in, and say I was thinking of getting a pet, and was looking into veterinarians. Ask how much a basic visit it, what their hours are, if they can do emergency surgeries, do they have a boarding service, do they offer payment plans, could you get a little tour, do they have any specialists, etc. After you visit a couple, I think you'll get an idea of what ones you like. Also, whenever you see someone walking a pet, or buying pet food, ask them who their vet is, or who they recommend/warn away from. You can also ask the shelters around if they have any vets that volunteer their services to them... I always like supporting those that support rescue orgs. After you visit or even just talk on the phone with a few places, you should be able to get a vibe if it fits you or not. When I first got a cat, I went to Banfield because they gave me a coupon (then called PetVets), which is a commercial chain located in PetSmart (or is it PetCo?) Every time I went, we saw a different doctor (high turnover) the waiting room was packed with all types of animals with various amounts of restraint, and they always pushed their 'packages' and extra vaccines. Now I go to a cat only clinic, that is run by a single doctor, most of the staff has been there 5+ years, there are only 2 exam rooms, and I LOVE her.
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Aug 19, 2009 22:45
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Also google your area and vet reviews. When I lived in New Orleans I looked at vet reviews online to help pick one. Also talk to any friends/neighbors with pets and ask who their vet is.
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Aug 20, 2009 06:18
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I have a question about flying with a kitten. I'm going to be flying a 12 week old male Siamese kitten from Raleigh, North Carolina to Orlando, Florida (about a 2 hour flight) on Southwest airlines in a few weeks. My plan right now is to find a cat carrier that looks as least like a cat carrier as possible and sneak the kitten on with my carry-on baggage. I don't plan on trying to sedate the cat in any way because of his age, just play with him a lot during the day so hopefully he's asleep most of the trip. I also plan on putting him in the carrier for a few hours in the days before the the trip so hopefully he's used to it. He will be up to date on his vaccinations and I should be getting a travel certificate from my parents just in case I need to produce it. Am I going about this the right way and am I missing anything? Does anyone know of a good cat carrier that looks like a duffel bag?
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Aug 20, 2009 06:28
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Smoking_Dragon posted:I have a question about flying with a kitten.
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Aug 20, 2009 14:51
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Crooked Booty posted:You do realize that carry-on baggage gets x-rayed, right? If you just pay about $100 you can get a ticket for your cat, which they will typically ask to see at security when you walk through the metal detector with your cat, rather than sending it through on the belt. I guess there's a chance they won't ask for your cat's ticket, but you're not going to fool anyone at security about what's in your bag. The word from my friend who frequently flies with her cats (especially through RDU) is that security doesn't care if you have a ticket for the cat or not, only the airline does. She told me that she takes the cat out of the carrier before it gets x-rayed but security never gives her any trouble.
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Aug 20, 2009 15:38
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Do not "sneak" your kitten onto a plane. Call the airline, and inquire about their particular protocols.
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Aug 20, 2009 18:16
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Smoking_Dragon posted:The word from my friend who frequently flies with her cats (especially through RDU) is that security doesn't care if you have a ticket for the cat or not, only the airline does. She told me that she takes the cat out of the carrier before it gets x-rayed but security never gives her any trouble. If you get caught you will at a minimum be forced to pay the pet fee on the spot and at a maximum be prevented from boarding the plane and forced to pay for a new ticket (with the pet fee). Call them now and pay your pet fee and get things set up properly. Here is the appropriate portion of the website: http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/animals.html (My stepdad is a pilot with Southwest. While I can confirm that security won't care about the cat, I can also confirm that if you get caught with the cat while boarding the airline can (and will) keep your rear end off the plane)
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Aug 20, 2009 18:23
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Do kittens pee/drink a lot? I am always finding tons of giant pee balls in their litter box and at least one of them can be seen drinking water quite often. They are about 4 months old and are fed good wet food (Wellness, Innova, etc.) 2-3 times a day and also have good dry food (EVO) at their disposal 24/7.
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Aug 20, 2009 20:44
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Oooh, good thread! OK, so question time! I've read the thread about nutrition, but I couldn't find any mention of feeding regimen. What I mean is - how many times a day do you feed a cat, when do you feed them wet food, etc. With the cats we owned growing up, we let them eat freely all day from dry food & fed them wet food once in the evening. Is this a good feeding schedule? I'm assuming it's specific to the cat, but what's a good regiment to begin with? Also, should we start our kitten out on different food than we plan on feeding it as an adult?
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Aug 20, 2009 22:36
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Kittens up to 1 year of age should generally be free fed dry kibble. You may supplement that with wet food if you like. If you feed a high quality food you do not need a special 'kitten' formula. Most of the premium foods will indicate they are for all age levels. After a year of age, decide what best suits your family. Most cats can self regulate their food intake. However, many cats cannot, and become obese. If you have multiple cats with varying weight issues, you might do best on a strict schedule. Be wary of feeding first thing in the morning. Cats don't tell time very well, and won't think "I get tasty food at 7:30am," they think "I get tasty food when this person gets out of bed. Get up now!" Don't ever feed your cat in the middle of the night because it's howling/crying. Your cat will remember if you do, and try it over and over for the rest of its life. Dry vs. wet is a long and honored debate. Some cats don't drink much water, and could get dehydrated without a wet food. Some cats drink plenty of water. Some say dry food helps clean teeth. Some say that's hogwash. Does that help at all? Your plan of free feed dry all day and an extra wet meal at night sounds fine. As far as switching foods, it all depends on what food you start out on, and what food you think you want to switch to.
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Aug 20, 2009 22:47
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Meow Cadet posted:Does that help at all? Your plan of free feed dry all day and an extra wet meal at night sounds fine. As far as switching foods, it all depends on what food you start out on, and what food you think you want to switch to. That was perfect! I just wanted a little confirmation that it wasn't a big no-no to feed this way - I grew up in a house of cats, but we weren't the most researched family. StrangersInTheNight fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Aug 21, 2009 |
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Aug 20, 2009 23:13
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I have a question, hopefully not one that's too retarded. We got a kitten last week and mostly everything is going great, she is very fun, cute and generally pretty good. BUT for some reason she has decided to pee on our bed. She is litter trained and happily uses her box most of the time. She has peed on our bed twice- the first time I came home, we played and cuddled for a bit, and we ended up on the bed. I noticed she was quiet, and saw that she had peed. The second time was this morning. She slept on our bed with us, everything was fine, she got up and started playing with us (whether we liked it or not) and then decided to pee again. I dunno what is going on, she saw the vet yesterday and he said she was completely healthy. She's fine with the litter box most of the time. She is getting LOTS of attention and basically is being treated well. Very frustrating.
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Aug 21, 2009 13:39
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i saw dasein posted:I dunno what is going on, she saw the vet yesterday and he said she was completely healthy. Did you specifically discuss the peeing outside the box or was it just a general check up?
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Aug 22, 2009 01:14
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i saw dasein posted:Kitten pee problems How old is she? How far away is the box from your bed? How easily can she get back to the bed from the floor?
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Aug 22, 2009 03:22
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Alright we adopted a kitten from the Humane Society two weeks ago and he's the most adorable thing ever. Well a few days after we brought him home he started sneezing and then the next day his eye started running so I took him to the vet for a checkup. I feel like I shouldn't question what the vet says because what do I know, I'm just some guy that reads poo poo on the internet, but I feel like I am getting kinda screwed around with and I want to I guess be reassured or have it confirmed that I am not. The Humane Society did the following while he was in their care: FIRST WORMING - ADVANTAGE MULTI SECOND WORMING STRONGID-T FVRCP We brought all the records to the vet on 8/10, she insisted that we have him tested for FELV/FIV, Internal Parisites and put on antibiotics for the sneezing and runny eyes because a kitten can die from it. so... 8/10 CLAVAMOX DROPS 15ML $34.40 REGULAR OFFICE CALL $43.75 FELV/FIV TEST $70.60 INTESTINAL PARASITE CHECK $19.65 ANTIBIOTIC INJECTION $29.35 BIOHAZARD DISP OUTPATIENT 3.99 ~$200 I thought what the christ, this poo poo is expensive but if it's necessary for my kitten then whatever we'll pay it. We feed him Natures Variety - Instinct wet food and Wellness brand dry food so we're not sparing any expense here. Well today was the followup, she said he was looking better but still had a fever (102 degrees) and sounded a little congested in his lungs and that he needed a different medicine so he would get over the sickness. She asked if he was an inside or outside cat and I told her that he is not allowed outside and only stays inside. Then she stuck him with a vaccine while telling me that it was for feline distemper and feline leukemia and squirted something in his mouth and said that it was necessary to prevent worms from migrating up into his respiratory system. Now look, this all sounds like bullshit to me but like I said, what do I know. It wasn't until she asked what he was eating, I told her and she said that Natures Variety is mostly water and they add a ton of salt to both that and Wellness. I gave her a WTF face and then she walked out and her assistant brought us to the front desk. Then they tell me it's going to be another $120.14 so I pay it because I still don't know if I am being ridiculous. I look at the invoice and it says BAYTRIL 22.7MG $33.80 WELLNESS EXAM W/ VACCINES $19.90 FVRCP BOOSTER #1 $22.10 FELEUK BOOSTER #1 $18.90 HOOK/ROUND WORMING $21.45 BIOHAZARDOUS DISP OUTPATIENT $3.99 ~$120 Then they scheduled me for another follow up in 8 days. Am I getting hosed over here or am I being unreasonable? Why is he getting FVRCP again when the Humane Society got him? Why does he need FELEUK if he is an inside cat and why does he need to be dewormed every 2-3 weeks for fucks sake? Tell me if I am a retard who is just overreacting please and not a pushover that is letting his cat get overmedicated to make someone a quick buck. I feel like the later and might need some proper perspective.
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Aug 22, 2009 16:37
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crtdx posted:Am I getting hosed over here or am I being unreasonable? Why is he getting FVRCP again when the Humane Society got him? Why does he need FELEUK if he is an inside cat and why does he need to be dewormed every 2-3 weeks for fucks sake? FVRCP is given in a series of usually 3 vaccines. The basic idea is that vaccines don't really work if the mother's antibodies are still protecting the kitten, and because we don't know exactly when those antibodies are going to wear off in any particular individual, the shots are given at regular intervals to kittens just to be safe. That's all pretty standard. As for FeLV, the American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends vaccinating all kittens for FeLV. If he is indoors only, he shouldn't need to get the vaccine every year, but because the FeLV vaccine is relatively safe and is suspected to be relatively long-lasting, it's a good idea to give it to all kittens just because you never know where they might end up. So just to warn you, most veterinarians are going to suggest that he still needs one more FVRCP, possibly one more FeLV, and Rabies. It seems like a lot of shots, but it's only kittens that need all these boosters. In years to come, he won't require nearly as many shots. The only things that seem iffy to me on the invoice stuff are the FeLV/FIV combo test and the million dewormings. $50 is a lot for a combo test, so $70 seems a little ridiculous. It also surprises me that the Humane Society didn't test him (or else didn't provide you with records of testing him). Did they run the combo test while you waited, or did it take a day or two to get results? I guess if they sent the test to an outside lab that could account for it being so expensive, but I don't know. I also have no idea why they think your kitten needs to be dewormed 5 times unless he's having GI issues or they actually found evidence of parasites in his stool. Considering how much money you're spending at this clinic, it would be nice if your veterinarian was answering all of your questions instead of the internet. If they're blowing you off and not explaining all the stuff they're doing to your kitten, I'd consider looking for another vet with better people skills.
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Aug 22, 2009 17:01
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They did all the tests while I waited, he is eating and drinking fine, using the litter box daily and nothing came up in the tests for parasites. I agree, it would be nice if they explained because then I'd feel better about it, I basically just keep getting told that it's what all kittens need and this many vaccines and stuff is normal but not really getting a straight answer beyond that. I figured the Humane Society would have tested him but it's not in any of the paperwork. He is 12 weeks old, does that make a huge difference? He was 10 weeks when we adopted him. They have me down for the next visit to have the following done: BORDETELLA FELINE #1 and on 9/12 to have these: REWORMING FVRCP BOOSTER FELEUK BOOSTER Which would be a fourth FVRCP as well. I feel much better about all the different charges if most of it actually is normal, this is our first kitten and I expected to have to pay a lot up front but I wish they explained it. I didn't ask because the price wasn't going to dissuade me from getting him whatever care he needs but they also didn't tell me how much things were going to cost until they were asking for my credit card. I feel pressured to hurry up and get out and only spend about 5 minutes with the actual vet so maybe I will start looking for a new vet. Thank you for your help I really appreciate it. Also, I wanted to get him a kitten playmate but have been holding off since he is sick. Looking forward to dropping another $500 on vet tests and vaccines for a second kitten makes me die a little inside, heh, but we'll see. Edit: Also, this is the little cutie! 
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Aug 22, 2009 17:29
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Yes, kittens cost a lot of money, but they don't seem to ask if you want something and explain why you should/don't need to, and instead just shove it on you. I would look for a new vet if I were you, just for the comfort of at least knowing why you would need a certain test or whatever. After all, if it came down to something important, you'd want to be able to trust your vet, and it's pretty clear that this lady is rather off-putting. As for the nutrition stuff, it's pretty sad, but a lot of vets don't know poo poo about pet nutrition due to a lot of factors like it being pretty recent knowledge+ Hill paying their way into everyone's pocket.
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Aug 22, 2009 17:51
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Captain Foxy posted:Did you specifically discuss the peeing outside the box or was it just a general check up? It was just a general check up. If she keeps this up we'll take her back to check to see if she has a UTI. She doesn't have any other symptoms of a UTI that I can tell, she seems to have no trouble peeing normally, etc. Ceridwin posted:How old is she? How far away is the box from your bed? How easily can she get back to the bed from the floor? She is 12 weeks. The box is a room away (we live in a 1 bedroom apartment). The bed is very low, our frame practically rests on the floor and we don't have a box spring. We live like animals/children  I'm trying not to worry about it, I think it is a stress thing and probably related to her getting used to her new home. Thanks for any advice!
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Aug 22, 2009 18:45
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I have a question about the kitten I brought home a week ago, to be the companion of my adult cat. I've been stressing about this a lot, and didn't get much in the way of advice from the vet when I visited him Monday. The kitten's 5 weeks old. My adult's been vaccinated and gets his boosters every year, but obviously I'm worried about the baby infecting him with whatever she might have. The kitten, as far as I know, is not exactly a stray, since the mother sort of 'lives' inside a factory owned by a family friend. To complicate matters, the vet I visited on Monday told me I couldn't vaccinate her until 2 weeks later, which would make the kitten about 7 weeks old for her first shots. I called around a couple of other places to see what the consensus was on vaccinating kittens, and one of the more reputable places told me they didn't vaccinate kittens until 12 weeks. I'm inclined toward going to this place, since client reviews seem much more positive about the vet. I really love my adult cat and don't want him to get sick because of the kitten, but after a week they've become inseparable. The kitten's totally adorable and she's got a feisty little attitude. She can't meow yet so she just squeaks like a squeaky toy. By the way, the first vet I visited didn't say anything about risk of transmission. (He didn't say much at all, and seemed pretty indifferent, which is why I'm checking out other places.) I guess my question is: Can I keep the kitten? Or is it too risky to keep a non-vaccinated kitten at home with another cat? Am I freaking out over nothing? Are all kittens disease-ridden furry balls of doom? She does have tapeworms, as far as I can tell, and I'm going to the vet on the 31st to do a stool sample, etc., but she seems pretty healthy otherwise. She eats a lot, poops a lot, sleeps a lot, and seems to have grown a hell of a lot in just the last week. Any advice would be appreciated. The kitten, obviously, is on the left:  Click here for the full 897x573 image.
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Aug 22, 2009 20:34
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I'm having some trouble with my girlfriends 2 year old cat, not quite a kitten but I would really appreciate some help. As I said, her cat is about 2 years old. The three of us have been living together for about 8 months and I'm rather confident her cat hates me. I'm very good with cats, I used to help with a cat rescue and I always get "Wow, my cat hates everyone but she just came right up to you!" from friends and relatives. This cat, however, will bite and hiss at me for no good reason. Pet her while she sits on the bed? Bite. Walk into the kitchen behind her? Hiss. Sit on the couch with her nowhere goddamn near me? Bite. I've tried as many of the old tricks I could think of to get her to warm up to me. I've tried: - using treats to coax her - being the person that feeds her in the morning - playing catch with her - cooing at the cat whenever she's near me - having my girlfriend hold the cat while I pet her - many more that I can't think of With all of these the cat will be fine with me for 5 - 15 minutes and then she'll bite or hiss. At that point I drop whatever I am doing and ignore her for a while. Furthermore, she doesn't do these things with my girlfriend, and in some cases my girlfriend enables the behavior. For example, while holding the cat with me petting her the cat may hiss and my girlfriend will stoke the cat and say "noooo, noo" in a soothing manner. This is mildly frustrating. It should also be noted that the cat does not seem to get along with men very well. She has been known to bite a couple of my friends at random who are male (like me). She is also a single cat, we don't have a companion cat. I work 12 hour days and my girlfriend goes to school so she gets more time with her. I decided, after months of trying, that I was just going to out-and-out ignore the cat. If she wanted to be affectionate I wouldn't turn her away but I wouldn't go out of my way to get her attention and eventual bites. This made my girlfriend very upset, we had a long argument that started with "YOU HATE MY CAT!" and ended with my reevaluating my approach to winning over this cat. Please help.
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Aug 23, 2009 01:25
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teepee posted:Can I keep the kitten? Or is it too risky to keep a non-vaccinated kitten at home with another cat? Am I freaking out over nothing? Are all kittens disease-ridden furry balls of doom? It is a risk, yes, but as long as your own cat is fully vaccinated, I personally wouldn't be too worried about it. Then again, I'm not sure how prelevant FeLV/FIV is in other countries. There's other viruses to worry about as well of course, but those are nasty ones. When I foster kittens, I tend to keep my own cats seperated from them, but the first litter I had, one of my cats took a shine to the litter and wanted to spend all his time in with them, grooming and playing with them. Given that they were an orphan litter of only 5 weeks, I decided to let him mother them, once I'd had them vet checked, and watched them for a few days to see if they had any obvious signs of a contagious illness. If you've already had the kitten a few days I'd say any potential damage is done, so you may as well keep them together until you can vaccinate. For the record though, you don't have to wait til 12 weeks to vaccinate. The kittens that I foster for an animal rescue get their first vaccines at 9 weeks, second vaccines at 12 weeks, and rehomed after that point. I've seen 3 different vets with the foster kittens I've had (depending where I'm told to go by the people in charge :P) and they all agree that 8-9 weeks is the age for vaccines. If he's only 5 weeks old at the moment (which is very young to be away from mother cat), you should consider giving him some milk replacement in a bowl to supplement any wet/dry kitten food you're giving him. Rufus T. Turnbuckle posted:I'm rather confident her cat hates me. Tough situation  Have you tried Feliway plugin to see if that affects the cat's behaviour? None of my cats dislike men or anything, but one of my cats is pretty stressy and nervous with new people, and seems better when I'm using Feliway in the house.Other than that, you might try a second cat as company. That would help from the point of view that they might compete for attention, or at least the older cat would see the new cat being affectionate with you and not being hurt or anything. My oldest cat was a bit of a bastard as a kitten and adolescent, but rapidly became more affectionate with us once we got more cats. Not sure if that was just him growing up, or because he saw the other cats getting lots of lovings. Helanna fucked around with this message at 10:36 on Aug 23, 2009 |
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Aug 23, 2009 10:32
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Quote is not edit
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Aug 23, 2009 10:36
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Another question about removing cat urine smell: I'm taking an old polyester rug from my parents to bring to my new apartment. I found it in the attic, and it must have been sitting there for a few years at least. Unfortunately, it looks like their cats peed all over a considerable section of it, which was left unclean, and then rolled up and put into storage. It smells really strongly on about 20% of the rug. After researching online I saw some terrible reviews for Nature's Miracle and other enzyme involved cleaners, so I would love to avoid spending the money on them if they don't work well. My first attempt was to use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution thickly applied to problem areas. It worked great at first; it neutralized the odor in sections that were not super strong, but some scent remained on the worst section. I continued to add more, hoping to penetrate deeper into soiled material, but my rug started to bleed (it's red) and the towels I was using to dab up excess turned pink with dye. I had read that peroxide was ok for synthetic fabrics but I have no expertise in this area so I don't know if I'm harming my rug (the colors still look as vibrant as ever; there is no visible damage yet). However, I'm hesitant to use more peroxide or to use other treatments like vinegar- will my rug lose its piss smell and simply take up a vinegar one? I've also heard baking soda works well- but will it be difficult to remove after applying it? Does anyone have experience on polyester rugs or red-colored rugs? It might be possible that red rugs bleed more than other colors? This is such a hassle! I can reward advice with cute pictures of the offending cats!
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Aug 23, 2009 23:29
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Vinegar actually dries odorless, so you may have some success there, but I've never heard anything but good things about Nature's Miracle and other enzymatic cleaners. In fact, it works wonders for ferret messes, so I highly recommend it.
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Aug 24, 2009 01:03
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I just read the thread and never noticed my question already posted, although I imagine it's a common one, but here it is: I have a 4 year old male kitty named Sammy. Yesterday I adopted a 7-week old female kitten, who I have dubbed Charlotte. SammyCat has a fantastic personality and is very cuddly and loving, but I assumed another cat in the house would make him completely lose his poo poo. However, he is absolutely fascinated by Charlotte and wants to sniff her and nuzzle her and cuddle her to death. Charlotte HATES Sammy. She stares at him and hisses if he so much as looks at her. I guess I'm just thrown off because I expected Sammy to be upset and for Charlotte to want to bond to another cat, as she's from a home with 8 other kittens and 2 adults. She's very affectionate with me, however, and loves to cuddle, so I know she has it in her to be nice to Sam. Sammy is chill as gently caress, so he just goes to lie down or something if Charlotte freaks on him, and I allow him to come and go outside as he pleases (which I think Charlotte is still too tiny for) so they each have their own space. I'm just wondering if it's normal for the kitten to be so standoffish, and if they'll ever begin to get along? I can keep them separated forever if I have to, but it would warm the cockles of my cold, cold heart to see them cuddling or grooming eachother. Also, side question: Sammy has not yet been neutered (I know, I know), but I wanted to get it done when I get Charlotte spayed, which will presumably be when she's 6 months old. What are the chances Sam will knock her up before then? If they're very great, I'll have him done ASAP, but I was hoping to minimize the number of days I spent caring for infirmed kitties by getting them done the one shot. Thanks!!
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Aug 25, 2009 02:01
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The Animal Fizz posted:Also, side question: Sammy has not yet been neutered (I know, I know), but I wanted to get it done when I get Charlotte spayed, which will presumably be when she's 6 months old. What are the chances Sam will knock her up before then? If they're very great, I'll have him done ASAP, but I was hoping to minimize the number of days I spent caring for infirmed kitties by getting them done the one shot. As for spaying/neutering, it's not uncommon for cats to go into heat as young as 4-5 months. Neuter him now just to be safe. Neutering really isn't a big deal at all, and he won't be "infirmed" after. Most cats are only under anesthesia for about 10 minutes (or less) and don't need more than a single dose of pain medicine. It's a really minor procedure, and honestly I don't know how you've tolerated the smell of tom cat pee for this long. 
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Aug 25, 2009 02:15
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Oh man oh man! If things work out, we'll be heading to the shelter tonight to pick out a kitty! The local shelters are so oversaturated, I'm happy to give a pet a good home. A few last-minute questions - my boyfriend and I both work. While we are gone during the day, where should we keep the kitten? Should we allow him/her to wander freely, or confine them to the bathroom or something? My only worry with this is that the litterbox won't be living in the bathroom but in a closet, so it might be confusing to start it out in the bathroom and then move it. As for cords - our house is bunny-proofed, but cats are climbers so there's no guarantee he won't get into things. I've got some bitter apple spray I plan on spraying on cords, so it should be ok to let him wander?
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Aug 25, 2009 17:27
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StrangersInTheNight posted:A few last-minute questions - my boyfriend and I both work. While we are gone during the day, where should we keep the kitten? Should we allow him/her to wander freely, or confine them to the bathroom or something? My only worry with this is that the litterbox won't be living in the bathroom but in a closet, so it might be confusing to start it out in the bathroom and then move it. As for cords - our house is bunny-proofed, but cats are climbers so there's no guarantee he won't get into things. I've got some bitter apple spray I plan on spraying on cords, so it should be ok to let him wander? First, consider getting two They keep each other entertained while you and your boyfriend are both out working. Kitty on their own will get bored, and possibly destructive.It would be worth keeping him confined at least initially, let him explore under supervision until you're sure you've secured the place as best you can. Don't shut him in the bathroom every time you go to work while he's a kitten though! Each time I've got a kitten, I've spend a few days at home, supervising, then started going back to work and just letting kitten(s) roam around the house. As for the litter tray concerned, cats have a good sense of smell; probably won't be an issue for you.
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Aug 25, 2009 17:38
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StrangersInTheNight posted:Oh man oh man! If things work out, we'll be heading to the shelter tonight to pick out a kitty! The local shelters are so oversaturated, I'm happy to give a pet a good home. Seconding getting two. We have two brothers that are 4 months old. If they aren't sleeping or snuggling with us, they are mostly just chasing/wrestling each other rather than getting into lots of stuff . . . I mean, they DO get into stuff, but then they get distracted when the other runs up and tackles them so they don't have much time to tear poo poo up. The bunnyproofing of the cords should be enough. I've never seen any cats that were extremely interested in cords unless they were moving but maybe that's just me. They should be OK to let loose as long as you have the place cleaned up. Make sure to pick up anything small that they could try to eat/choke on. They'll try to eat any little tiny thing on the floor so pick up stuff they shouldn't have. They also sometimes seem to like chewing on long flat things like blinds, cardboard box flaps, etc. so make sure nothing like that is laying around that you don't want them chewing on. Lastly, tuck away any dangling junk like curtain cords that they could hang themselves on. Confining them to one room for a bit is a good idea, it gives them a safe place to stay while they get over the move. They'll let you know when they are ready to come out and explore. My apartment is pretty small so I just let them have their run of the place when I let them out. They should be OK in a house as long as they explore on their own and can learn their own way around. If you have a huge house and move the litter box somewhere completely different, you might want to move the litter box gradually, moving it towards the new location in increments. In my small apartment, we up and moved it a few times and they had no problem finding it though.
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Aug 25, 2009 17:57
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Hey guys, I'm seriously considering adopting a kitten as a companion to my current adult cat. My current cat is about two and a half, and fairly active, and for a number of reasons I think a new kitty bud for her would be of great benefit.  Anywho, I have a couple of questions that I didn't have to go through when I got my current cat that I haven't seen answered here yet (unless I missed them?):Clumping cat litter: I've heard that kittens aren't supposed to be on clumping cat litter because if they ingest it it can cause problems and such. At what age is it alright to be placed on clumping litter? Regardless of age, am I supposed to start on non-clumping and then switch to clumping if I see the cat doesn't seem to show interest in eating it? Vaccine/Deworming schedules: What ages are these usually performed? I've heard that kittens usually get vaccines three times in the first year--when I got my current cat, she only needed her boosters at her one year mark, so I'm not sure when the other first two vaccines are supposed to take place. I know the shelter does whatever age-appropriate vaccines and such before you adopt, but I'd like a heads-up about what to expect. Should I do a deworming regardless when I get the kitten home? Thanks so much for the help!
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Aug 25, 2009 19:32
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