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I got lucky in that our outdoor obsessed cat took really well to a harness and so now we can chill out in the back yard and she has pretty free reign as long as it's shorter than the flexi we bought. Only downside is familiarity has made her pretty boring, she trots over to her one favorite spot where she saw a squirrel once and stares at the spot hoping it comes back for another shouting match.
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Jun 16, 2021 17:43
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Yes, having to listen to your parents use your full name for the "you're in big trouble" warning apparently makes it something we instinctively do when scolding our pets.
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Jun 16, 2021 19:16
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I just feel my cat's ears every so often. It's not scientific at all but if you know what they usually feel like it's informative.
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Jun 24, 2021 23:05
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Cat parks don't exist but if you go to normal parks at "off hours" you should do okay avoiding encounters with dogs. Dogs are usually fine with cats, but cats that have never seen a dog seem to react pretty badly.. they can't handle the in-your-face "let's play!" antics of a dog. Anything that gets too close too fast is gonna spook a cat. But if the cat doesn't tolerate a harness it's a non-starter. Figure that part out first.
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Jun 25, 2021 18:01
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One of our cats caught her first mouse ever today (3.5 years old) and she's strutting around like she's the biggest badass in history and it's hilarious. Keeps tackling our other cat too which is pretty out of character so I'm guessing she's just feeling overstimulated. Fortunately for us she doesn't actually know how to kill anything, she just smacked it around until it passed out from fear and we discovered what she was up to. So I scooped it into a pail and dumped it in the big field near the house. But she's still strutting and I can't stop laughing at her.
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Jun 28, 2021 03:31
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What are you feeding him? Kittens are barely eating at four weeks, you might need to bottle feed to help out. Any food you give should be extremely soft.
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Jun 30, 2021 00:19
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Len posted:Knowing cats he will assert dominance over all three dogs in no time and take place at the top of the food chain Kittens are especially adaptable too. One big thing I'd suggest is in a couple weeks get a small harness (the petsafe come with me one is my choice) and start training him in it. It'll be a lot of squirming but having a leash trained cat is a heap of fun. He'll start emulating the dogs too, which is always hilarious.
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Jun 30, 2021 03:36
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Cat language for "you're playing too rough" is completely disengage and walk away. It's not as effective as one would like but over time it helps.
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Jul 1, 2021 09:20
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I got lucky with our newest cat, she learned that biting hurts and has a great play bite. She'll cheerfully gnaw on a finger and it doesn't hurt at all. She's bad with the claws though, especially once she gets revved up. I just have to recognize when she's getting over stimulated and disengage before I lose some blood.
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Jul 1, 2021 16:45
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Is he a long haired cat? Or is it pure diarrhea? It's an unfortunate side affect of being furry, not-dry poo is gonna stick to fuzz. Our long haired cat had that problem as a kitten and weeks of probiotics didn't really help to firm things up. The only thing that helped was a dry food with fiber in it (sold as a weight management option). It also turned out she loves to eat grass so when I take her out on her harness she typically eats a handful of blades of grass and that seems to get her enough fiber to self manage. It does suck to have to manually clean her up when things went poorly but the way I see, it's less poop management than with a human baby. If it's really bad the vet can do a "sanitary shave" which is exactly what you imagine it to be.
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Jul 9, 2021 18:02
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We had a heat pad loving cat and never saw that. She did go bald on her belly over it, vet said it was just too hot. No signs of chafing though but I guess it's the same basic problem. As a compromise we got a pet specific heating pad, it was pressure activated and a much lower temperature and the belly fur grew back in. She basically spent the last four years of her life cooking on it.
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Jul 11, 2021 04:29
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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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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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Dead batteries aren't gonna make gears start grinding. It's broken. Best case some dried food got inside it and is getting chewed up by the mechanism. But if it's new I'd just do a warranty call.
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Jul 17, 2021 16:32
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We bought the 'go pet club crate' which is also extremely huge because we take our two cats to the vet as a pair so we needed something bigger. But the secret weapon with it is the top loading hatch. It makes it easy to cover the cat's eyes and scoop them into it before they know what's going on. We have relatively tolerant cats though, no hissing or flailing for us.
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Jul 20, 2021 17:44
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If it seems like it's the shape of the litter robot that's an issue or maybe they don't like pooping in a cave, there's other manufacturers to choose from. The oldest designs are basically traditional litter boxes with a motorized comb that would sift the poo and piss bricks into a little bin. Maybe skittish kitties would have an easier time with that.
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Jul 22, 2021 15:22
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Len posted:I have an album on my phone called Cats Don't Go There and it's just him sitting places he shouldn't. In the dryer is my favorite  what the gently caress, cat.
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Jul 22, 2021 15:32
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Only way I know is to become a veterinarian because they make it look so loving easy. For us it's a two person job. Wrap the cat in a blanket, load the pill into the popper, carefully poke it into the side of her mouth until she opens, then plunge the pill in. Then hold her mouth shut until we feel a swallow. Cat hates it, we hate it, it's a miserable part of cat ownership.
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Jul 23, 2021 04:33
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Chatty cats are great. I'll have conversations with one of ours and she'll talk right back. We're probably talking about completely different things, there's certainly a language barrier. But it's fun.
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Jul 24, 2021 02:19
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I think tone matters. When using one of the handful of words we've taught our cats we have to say it a very specific way before we get a reaction. It feels like they learn the pitch more than the actual phonetics.
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Jul 24, 2021 23:48
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One kitten works and has worked that way for zillions of cats over the centuries. I'm not sure "well socialized" is a term you can even use with cats, they either tolerate new cats or don't and it doesn't matter how they grew up. Getting a pair of kittens only assures that if you do want multiple cats that they'll tolerate each other. A solo cat in a home alone for long periods can be an issue, but it depends on their personality. If they like to be left alone a lot, they'll be fine. If they crave attention they'll still probably be fine but you'll feel like an rear end in a top hat not giving them all the attention they crave. A kitten with a dog is probably a non-issue.
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Jul 31, 2021 00:30
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The only thing to keep in mind with kittens is if you ever want to teach a cat anything, that's the time to do it. They're super tolerant at that age and soak up new stuff like it's no big deal. Once they get to about one year old they start to get locked in and while they can always be trained, it's a lot more work. Harness train them, clicker train them, introduce them to pools of water so maybe they won't be terrified of it, make positive experiences with pet carriers, learn how to use disengagement to discourage bad behaviors, make it very clear where to do their nails, and probably some other stuff I forgot. I don't find it particularly stressful or time consuming, it's not a full time job. And even if it was full time it's amazing fun playing with kittens, they mature fast and then it's gone forever.
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Jul 31, 2021 14:51
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Kitfox88 posted:He wasn't showing any signs of not hearing well and there wasn't any discharge, thankfully. I think maybe he had a hair stuck in an uncomfy spot or some wax somewhere unpleasant because once we gave him a squirt of some pet ear cleaner and a good rub inside and out once he would let us he's back to normal, no folding it down or shaking his head or such. I'd still get it checked out if you can, or at least keep a super close eye on it, poo poo in cat ears can turn into a lifetime problem if you don't completely get rid of it. The vet might just give you the same cleaning stuff you're already using but they can also clean way more effectively than an amateur (it's crazy how good at it they are). If it's mites or something they can give you a specific cream to put in kitty's ear too.
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Aug 5, 2021 00:05
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Last time I researched it the internet results said it could take 2-4 weeks. I've done it in a few days with minimal hissing. Growing up my parents tried to bring in a second cat and she spent a month hiding and making GBS threads everywhere, she just couldn't deal with a strange cat and a new home. So it really comes down to the personalities of the cats involved. If it seems to be going well, it's fine to let them interact.
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Aug 7, 2021 01:03
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One of our cats is so skilled at flinging litter I gave up trying to prevent it and resigned myself to sweeping it up every couple days. She's a cold adapted cat so has those extra tufts of fur on the feet and I think litter gets snagged in it and there appears to be no technology to defeat that. Wood pellet litter was the least messy we tried but there is no litter scoop that can sift that stuff so we went back to the clay based options. The wood didn't block smells as well either.
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Aug 7, 2021 22:12
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The part that interests me about housecats and bugs is that one of our cats loves to go outside on a leash. In the house, any time a fly or a spider shows up it's defcon 5 and she's gotta smack the thing around and gnaw on it until it stops moving. But when outside, she doesn't give a gently caress about bugs. Ants crawling around, flies buzzing, bees on flowers, she doesn't give a poo poo about any of that. I see two possible interpretations: in the house she's bored and will take any action she can get. Or outside there's so much to see and smell there just isn't time to mess with bugs.
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Aug 9, 2021 21:40
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We tried to do an at home rainbow bridge earlier this year and the doctor we found would only do it if we muzzled the cat. gently caress off, she's 19 and has lost all ability to walk. She ain't gonna bite you. So we went with our normal vet and it went about as well as it could.
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Aug 11, 2021 22:38
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I leash trained our current two cats when they were kittens. Both of the tolerate the harness well, but as they matured one of them decided she's a house cat and refuses to go outside. The other one loving loves it (who happens to be a norwegian forest cat) and every day at 5pm she's at the door bawling to put her leash on and go tour the backyard. Whichever type of cat you have is irrelevant IMO, getting them tolerant of a harness will be useful someday. If they like to go on walks it's a giant bonus.
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Aug 13, 2021 19:36
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incogneato posted:"Trained" may be the wrong word for our cats, but they seemed to like it. I think you have the right idea starting young so they see it as a normal thing. https://www.youtube.com/c/TravelersGarden/featured I stumbled on this youtube channel once, the lady seems to have done a pretty stunning job to literally training her cats. She'll even do off-leash walks with them. I don't think mine have the temperament for it, and I'm a bad trainer too, but there is video proof it's possible. 
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Aug 13, 2021 20:18
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We have a grass loving cat and she loving loves crab grass. My neighbors probably hate me for having it but gently caress it, it grows nice and tall and it's easy for her to chew on the big blades and it keeps her poo nice and solid. Won't touch the normal lawn grass though, she doesn't even like to walk on it.
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Aug 16, 2021 02:47
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Yowling is a general attention seeking behavior. You can train them out of it long term by not giving them attention when they do it, but probably not completely. She may just need more attention or if your circumstances allow it perhaps a second cat. She might just want more friends.
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Aug 17, 2021 15:33
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Julio Cruz posted:something that will move when she kicks it is a good thing for her to be able to chase around, a small ball or something vaguely round, though it may well get stuck under furniture and if it's hard it might make noise bouncing off the walls Our broom's permanent home is blocking the gap underneath the oven because we got tired of cleaning out a dozen toy balls every month. All of our furniture has enough of a gap so that a cat can squirm under it which was not a thing we planned for but I'll take it.
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Aug 17, 2021 15:43
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If you have any DIY capabilities at all it's not that bad building cat trees. Sisal rope is cheap as hell and home depot will trim down PVC pipe to whatever size you need, they sell in 10 foot sections. Or maybe it's 20 foot.. I don't remember, I'm not a contractor. I guess it's not cheaper by the time you factor in design time and labor but I found it fun. Plus you can custom fit it to wherever it needs to go. Or just buy the spools of sisal rope and resurface your premade cat trees when it gets worn out. 3/8 inch works fine but my cats don't like doing their nails on it as much so I've moved to 1/4 inch rope.
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Aug 17, 2021 17:39
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dantheman650 posted:These look super cool but I’m a renter so it’s a no go. Darn! Yeah I've had my eye on those wall mount kits for a while.. for that increasingly unrealistic future when our income and housing prices are in sync. But they do look fun for kitties.
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Aug 17, 2021 18:39
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To some extent it's a breed thing. All cats (and dogs) constantly shed hair and if you brush them every day you will get something. But some breeds you'll pull out a new cat every day and others you'll just get a faint dusting. You will never reach the point where no hair comes out, it's the reality of owning a pet. If you try you'll eventually cause damage to their skin and coat.
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Aug 18, 2021 04:13
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Cats are pretty good at not falling, they know the landing hurts. But they are predators and if there's an open window and a bird zooms past instinct can take over and off they go. I personally wouldn't leave a window open if it doesn't have a screen. If it's an indoor cat I wouldn't put a collar on it, there's no need. It's not bad for them in any way, it just seems pointless. Cats generally do fine solo and being left alone for long periods. Certain personalities will do a lot better with a cat friend though, but it's hard to predict when they're kittens. Cat sitting: it is preferred to pay someone to come to your home once or twice a day to feed them. Moving cats to a new environment is super stressful for them. Worse if there's established cats there already. Feeding: it's best to feed them as much wet food as you can. People opt for dry food because it's cheaper and less work. But a quality wet food is the best choice for long term health. Feeding schedule is up to your preferences, as long as you don't change it constantly because cats love routine. One big meal a day, 2-3 small meals a day, whatever makes you happy.
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Aug 18, 2021 15:03
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There are other screen options out there too. Amazon has some with magnets on them if the window happens to have a metal frame. There's a product out there called flexscreen too that allegedly can be put in any window. There's probably clones out there too.
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Aug 18, 2021 15:44
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Managing kittens has never seemed like that much of a chore to me. But maybe I'm weird because I'll spend hours with a kitten, they're too much drat fun.
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Aug 18, 2021 19:59
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Rotten Red Rod posted:Yeah, but if you don't have those hours to spend, a solo kitten can be a bit much. We're currently fostering 4 kittens and it's a breeze - they chase each other all day then sleep on top of us. When we took in our current pair of cats I set up a bed for me and everything kittens needed in our spare bedroom and basically lived in there for a week, only left them to go to work. It was pretty great waking up next to these two dorks. 
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Aug 18, 2021 20:35
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 08:15 |
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saintonan posted:My vet once told me eight weeks is their threshold for spay/neuter, so you should be able to get the kitten done very soon. Vaccinations and stuff vary a bit more, your vet will be able to tell you. I've had vets that wanted to wait until 4-6 months. It comes down to their comfort level, organs are extremely small at 8 weeks so it allegedly makes the job easier if they wait a bit longer. With males timing isn't a big deal but females can go into heat after 5 months so there is some pressure to get it done earlier.
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Aug 18, 2021 21:53
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