The Cat FAQ/Megathread: buying a second, clean broom just to use on him

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Pet Island > The Cat FAQ/Megathread: buying a second, clean broom just to use on him

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Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Serella posted:

I don't think anyone noticed me. Any help or advice?

For a lot of people with cat allergies, the symptoms will get better over time as you adjust to a particular cat. Some people get over their cat allergies altogether by living with a cat, some people adapt to the individual cat and are still allergic to other cats, and other people just won't get over it.

Do any non-drowsy antihistamines help your boyfriend, like Claritin or Zyrtec? There's not going to be any way to predict which cats they'll be allergic to without bringing the cat home and giving it a shot. Even if you take them to the shelter with you, all the cats are going to be covered in the cat allergens of a million cats. I'd stock up on OTC allergy meds, get a good vacuum, and see if there's a rescue in your area that will do a trial adoption or foster-to-adopt sort of setup. Also assuming your boyfriend sleeps over, I would keep the bedroom a cat-free-zone until you guys have a grip on what his symptoms are like. There's nothing worse than trying to sleep in a bed covered in poo poo you're allergic to.

Sorry that's not very helpful, and I probably didn't say anything you didn't already know, but I noticed you. :downs:

# ¿ Aug 4, 2010 03:06

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 02:18

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Comrade Quack posted:

2. While petting him yesterday I discovered a lump on one of his hind legs. He doesn't like to be pet or brushed much back there so I have a hard time getting a look at it. It's about the size of larger mosquito bite and feels kind of similar. He'll let me look through his fur for a little bit but I can't find anything abnormal looking. It doesn't seem painful when I try to look at it but he just seems more annoyed with me. I called the vet that I took him to and asked if they'd done his rabies vaccine there but they said no. They typically do the rabies vaccines between the shoulder blades. I got Rusty microchipped at the same time, and I'm pretty sure I can feel the microchip between his shoulders. Would they have done both in the same area at the same time? Should I be worried about the lump?

If your vet gives scruff shots to cats, i.e. between the shoulder blades, get a new vet. That's a very outdated and ignorant practice.

Any and all bumps in cats should be taken seriously. Compared to dogs, a lot more lumps and bumps on cats are actually serious. It definitely needs to be checked out by your new vet. I personally wouldn't wait to see if it gets bigger.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2010 14:53

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Eggplant Wizard posted:

A question.

My cat throws up sometimes (I think 4 times since I've had him), always right after breakfast. I am assuming it's because he eats too fast. I've heard you can make them eat slower by putting balls in their food dishes. Accordingly, I have some ping pong balls. The actual question: is it safe to superglue them in, or is there danger that my cats might be hurt by licking the dried superglue? If so, what other steps can I take? If I just leave the balls loose, I know that the result will be cat food and ping pong balls all over my kitchen.

He doesn't eat all the food at once, just a lot quickly, so I don't know if feeding them less more times a day would be the solution or what.

See what's in your superglue. If it's cyanoacrylate-based, it should be okay. They used cyanoacrylate as surgical glue, and it's also the glue that comes with SoftPaws to stick on your cat's feet (which might be chewed off), so it's definitely not toxic.

I would personally try feeding smaller, more frequent meals before messing with the ping pong balls. Or assuming you're feeding dry food, you could also try giving him half his meal in the bowl and half in one of those treat-dispensing puzzle toys.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2010 18:05

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

FRAZZLED JOHNSON posted:

I'm not really into it, but would it be a good idea to get them both desexed?

Also, what breed is Cesar? (We got them from the local vet, apparently there were four to begin with, and I don't have much past information about them)

Getting them neutered is definitely the first step. Without a bunch of hormones, they are likely to be less territorial and more relaxed. Also, I don't know how you can stand to live in the same house with intact male cats -- you're probably used to it by now, but their urine smells about a million times stronger when they're intact. Neutering is the best first step for fixing the fighting, and your house will no longer smell like piss.

Cesar is a Domestic Shorthair, and his coloring is called brown tabby and white.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2010 14:38

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

FRAZZLED JOHNSON posted:

Cesar never rubs against walls or sprays at all, (or at least I have never witnessed him do either) his brother only started doing it within the last few weeks, and we stop him when we can. There is no way we would let them ruin the house.

Oh I mean the actual litter box (assuming they live indoors and use one). You're probably just used to the smell, but tom cat pee in a litter box has a REALLY strong odor that typically makes the whole room or apartment smell like tom cat pee. If the other cat is starting to spray, I'd get the neutering done ASAP before he gets into the habit. Whether it's in the box or on the wall, their pee will smell way less a few days after neutering.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2010 15:45

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Propagandalf posted:

Cool. The porch is my only real concern for cat-proofing. I'm not too worried about it, I just don't want to come home to find I forgot to secure the door and find out the hard way that I have a cat with no sense of vertigo.

How do I know when they're weaned? She said they're eating solid food, burying their poops and moving around just fine, and momma isn't producing much milk anymore. Any other signs? The age is only a guess, the cat gave birth at an unknown time, they've only known about the kittens for 8 weeks now. Edit: She's guessing they were born only few days before they were discovered. To quote "They were reeeeeally little when we found them".

If they are over 8 weeks old, they should be weaned by now. Mom should just gradually stop letting them nurse, and then she'll dry up. Ideally they should be left with their mom for about 12 weeks, but if she's not weaning them, they should be separated from her for increasing periods of time so that they stop relying on her as a food source.

How tiny is "reeeeally tiny"? Their eyes usually open around 8 days old, to give you an idea. Also (indoor, healthy, well-fed) kittens typically weigh around a pound per month of age.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2010 01:02

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

ETPC posted:

I'm super worried about my cat. Lately, she's been having coughing fits and with her age, I'm concerned. I'm also still worried about the scabby sores she keeps getting around her tail and neck area (occasionally her chin, too). She's had the skin problem for around 6-7 years now and everytime the vet tells my parents there is nothing to worry about. On top of all this, she's getting kind of fat to boot.

- Age: 16 years
- Sex: Female
- How long have you had your cat?: Since around 1994
- Is your cat spayed or neutered?: Yes
- What food do you use?: Purina Cat Chow For All Cats
- When was your last vet visit? August 10th, last year
- Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both?: Indoors. Used to be outdoors but as she got older, we decided to start keeping her in.
- How many pets in your household?: Two at the moment. Another cat.
- How many litter boxes do you have?: One for each cat.

If you vet isn't interested in figuring out why your cat has a bunch of scabs, see a different vet. That's silly. Those particular areas are common spots for flea allergies and food allergies to show up. Speaking of which, Purina Cat Chow is pretty crappy, so it wouldn't be at all surprising if that's the problem. Check out the nutrition thread.

Coughing can be a lot of things, some of which are pretty serious. She needs to see a good vet.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2010 19:17

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Serella posted:

Ok, so I have some questions about a cat I should be getting next week.

1) Other than scratching on the sisal posts, my cats don't use their claws on the cat tree. They pretty much just jump from platform to platform. He should be able to use it just fine as long as you don't get one with like 6 feet of post between the platforms.

2) Do you know how much he weighs? I assume you'll be taking him to the vet at some point soon after you get him, so find out how much he weighs and how much the vet thinks he should weigh ideally. While dieting, cats should only lose about 1% of their body weight per week, and definitely no more than 2%. The best way to do it, if you're serious about getting the weight off, is to either see if your vet will let you bring him in for free weight checks every week, or get a baby scale. I got mine for about $30 on amazon, but craigslist is another cheap option.
Catinfo.org has tons of great information about cat food and dieting.

catinfo.org posted:

Example 1: If your cat weighs 18 pounds but really should weigh 12 pounds, please make sure that he is consuming at least ~180 calories per day. (12 pounds lean body mass X 15 calories/pound/day = ~180 calories/day)
Example 2: If your cat is a proper weight at 12 pounds, a simple formula for the minimum caloric needs to maintain the weight of most cats is (13.6 X weight of cat in pounds) + 70. Younger/more active cats may need more calories.

Just be aware that if your cat is 18 pounds and you feed the minimum of 15 cals/lb/day like Example 1, the cat will almost certainly lose more than 1% body weight per week -- too much, too fast, not good. That's just a minimum guideline.
Twice daily is generally better than once daily feedings. He'll also bug you less about being hungry. An ideal weight loss food will be super high protein (40%+) and very low carb -- probably any of the dry cat foods that are great for ferrets will be a good dieting food for cats.

Canned food is great for urinary health, and sometimes helps dieting cats feel more full due to the added moisture. I feed my cats only canned food, but lots of people mix it up.

3) I would do the Rubbermaid thing and leave the lid off at first, like you said. Usually cats are pretty overwhelmed in a new environment, so it's good to start them off in a bedroom or bathroom and start opening up more doors as they get comfortable. This way, he'll always know where his box is, and you shouldn't have any problems. Cat Attract probably isn't necessary, but it certainly won't hurt.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2010 17:02

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Synnr posted:

Soooo a very, very tiny stray kitten has appeared in my backyard...

It is even smaller than my cat that I got as a really young kitten and seems to be trying to treat my cat as a surrogate mother/buddy. Not that my cat approves. HOWEVER my parents have seen it (it is quite beautiful, sort of a cheetah and tiger pattern of gold dust and grey) and are keen on it. I, being a softy for all things small and furry told them I would help them get him/her so they can take it to the vet.

Does anyone have any advice on how to coax a kitten? I've never tried to catch a stray. It is rather skittish, but a bit of food and milk seems to have made it less anxious around me. My brief contact with it in my first attempt at picking it up make me think it is at the very least dehydrated from this weather. Really, I'm worried the little thing is going to up and overheat or get sick and wander off.

You can try to tame it with tasty food and see if you can grab it eventually, but the quicker/easier way would be to get a humane trap. You can typically rent one from a humane society, cat rescue group (check petfinder), or feed store. You will want to specify that it's for a kitten because if it's really tiny, it may not be heavy enough to trip the mechanism in a full-sized trap.

Once it's trapped, it's best to keep the kitten in a tiny room like a bathroom or closet where you can handle it easily for a few weeks. Feral/stray kittens tend to become comfortable with people pretty quickly if you keep them in a place where they can't get away from you (i.e. go under a bed) so you can handle them several times per day without having to chase them around.

Don't give cats/kittens cow's milk -- it will only upset their tummies. I would get some stinky canned catfood to lure it, which will also help with possible dehydration. I would also be prepared to take it to a vet as soon as you get it, especially if it's tiny and thin. It's very likely it has worms and fleas, and may have something more serious, too.

# ¿ Aug 27, 2010 12:24

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Shebrew posted:

Soo....I think my new kitty already has an eye infection. It's pretty goopy, she squints it a lot, and keeps on shaking her head like she's annoyed. Think it's okay to wait for a Monday morning vet visit or should I try to get something sooner?

Can you get an appointment somewhere today or tomorrow morning? It will probably be fine if you wait until Monday, but I'm always really reluctant to advise anyone to wait on an eye problem because eyes can get pretty horrible and permanent damage can be done. If I were you, I'd probably try to get an appointment today or tomorrow, even if it wasn't at my normal vet clinic, rather than waiting. She most likely just needs some antibiotic eyedrops, and if you start them today, she could be 100% better by Monday.

# ¿ Aug 27, 2010 15:41

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Shebrew posted:

I just got her Wednesday and she's already sick. I'm the worst kitty mom ever.

I keep on rotating between wondering if I made a mistake in adopting her because I'll just wind up being in over my head and being totally in love with her. Anyone else get that kind of weird post-adoption depression or am I just weird?

It is soooooo common for cats to break with eye or upper respiratory symptoms right before or after adoption. At every clinic where I've worked, it has been standard procedure to assume that every "healthy" cat coming for a checkup right after being adopted from a shelter is contagious with URI or kitty herpes or whatever, and to quarantine and disinfect accordingly. Stressed cats + germs = URIs and goopy eyes. It is totally not you!

I think most people go through the weird adoption depression thing, too. My mom just adopted a new dog a couple weeks ago, and it's funny to observe it from the outside. She was saying ridiculous stuff like "What if I figure out that this dog isn't as cute as I thought it was the other day?" (as if pet-lovers don't always think their ugly-rear end pet is the cutest thing ever and getting cuter every day because they know their personality and love them and blah blah). She was also convinced that her other dog was totally depressed and feeling betrayed when the dog clearly gave no gently caress. She also kept talking about how the old dog was probably going to die within a few days because the dog knew she had been replaced. That was a few weeks ago, and now my mom is acting like a normal person again and loves the new dog. Anyway that was kind of off-topic, but the point is that I think when people who really love pets get new pets, it's pretty common to go a little crazy with the what-if's.

# ¿ Aug 28, 2010 04:38

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Victor Nightingale posted:

Or maybe your cat can't bury his poo poo when half the litter is solidified pee. Or maybe he just doesn't want to step in his own excrement.

Scoop your box every day or get an automatic litter box. :barf:

I bet your apartment smells like rear end.

# ¿ Aug 30, 2010 04:07

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

CompactFanny posted:

He doesn't draw blood, his teeth are just sharp as gently caress. And we regularly play with a feather teaser until he flops down on the floor panting. I suspect that he'll never be a pettin' cat, which sucks ballsacks, but if he doesn't bite anything that walks pasts him I'll be satisfied.

He's getting his balls off right now as I type this! Take that, you loving cat. Bite me? See where that gets you.

One of my cats was like this when she was a kitten. It was horrible and I tried everything. Discipline like a squirt bottle or can of pennies only made it escalate -- not sure if it was because it pissed her off more or because she thought it was a game. I think "time outs" or a kitten playmate are the way to go.

Anyway, she completely outgrew it. She isn't a lap cat, but she is super sweet and sleeps in the bed and loves petting. Now if I get her extremely riled up and she wants to bite, she does so super gently, so something clicked with her at some point. She outgrew it gradually and stopped completely around 2 years old. Hopefully your guy will outgrow it, too.

# ¿ Sep 9, 2010 14:08

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

drunk asian neighbor posted:

Gah I know... I really should get another one.

So nothing to be worried about?

You should be worried that your kitten will become an adult and no longer do the puffy-tail-sideways-hopping, which is one of the cutest things kittens do. :colbert:

P.S. get another kitten

# ¿ Sep 11, 2010 01:40

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

RolandTower posted:

So I have a "well don't I feel like poo poo now" story/question.

Went to a shelter with the intent of adopting a pair of old kittens/young adult cats. Ultimately found two 6 month olds that produced the desired total-heart-meltiness effect. These two were in separate cages, so I asked if I could have them out together in a room to get an idea of how well they'd get along to start out with. The shelter obliged, the cats both immidiately set about doing normal kitten-playstuff with each other. I was thrilled, and filled out the necessary adoption paperwork. They needed to call my landlord before they'd let me take the cats home, so they agreed to hold them until Monday for me.

I just got a call today that one of the two kittens began showing signs of parvoviral feline panleucopenia and had to be euthanized. Since I had them put the two cats together for a few minutes, the other cat now needs to be on quarantine for 10 days to see if she contracted the infection. gently caress.

I intend to call back tomorrow with some more questions when they have a vet at the shelter, but I was hoping that in the meantime someone might be able to give me an estimate of the chances that the second cat contracted the infection given a few minutes of physical contact and assuming the shelter is honest about shots being up to date?

That sucks, I'm sorry.

Unfortunately panleukopenia is extremely contagious. A few minutes of contact is absolutely enough time for the disease to spread, so it really comes down to the vaccine. The vaccine is typically close to 100% effective, assuming it was given at the right time. When kittens are vaccinated at less than ~14 weeks of age, there is a possibility of interference with maternal antibodies that will prevent them from developing immunity. This is why they do kitten/puppy shots as a series of boosters -- they're trying to guarantee they get a vaccine in the animal asap after those maternal antibodies wear off, but this can happen anywhere from around 5-14 weeks. Once vaccinated, it can take anywhere from around 5-14 days for the animal to develop solid immunity.

So if the kittens were vaccinated at inappropriate times or very recently, that's bad. If the shelter got the kittens in the last few weeks, it's possible they were both vaccinated but don't have full immunity yet. Did they claim the sick kitten had been vaccinated too?

# ¿ Sep 13, 2010 12:13

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

pandaid posted:

Nova needs major dental work of the tune of $700. Something about her unknown past and living at a hoarder's house for God knows how long. I checked about care credit, and my vet isn't associated. There are a 2 other vets I'd trust enough to do it, so I'm going to call and get quotes. I need to make sure I'm spending only the money I need to. Any suggestions about price shopping for dental work? Questions to ask? My vet was nice enough to give me a very detailed run down of all the things she'd need (including senior blood work, extractions, pain killers, etc.)

I have enough credit that I can get it done, but it is a lot of money. Nova is likely 8-10 years old based on her teeth, and maybe older (her eyes are clear). The ones that are bad are the ones that get bad with age, so it's not genetics. Some of the teeth had green and black stuff growing on them.

The only thing I can think of other than what you listed is dental x-rays. Some vets don't do them by default, and they should. Cats are prone to a certain type of dental disease called FORLs that frequently aren't visible without x-rays until they get really horrible and painful, so dental x-rays can end up saving you from another dental in the future.

# ¿ Sep 13, 2010 19:06

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Israfil posted:

My cat (female, six years old, excellent health until now) has a corneal ulcer possibly resulting from a scratch inflicted while tussling with my other cat (male, 8 years old, excellent health). We (my wife and I) first noticed it Sunday, Sept. 5 when the cat's eye was puffy and she was keeping it closed a lot. We took her to the emergency vet that day. We were given a mild topical antibiotic (applied directly to the cornea, twice a day) and made a follow-up appointment with the regular vet for Friday, Sept. 10.

At the follow-up, the regular vet found that the ulcer had grown in size. She gave us a stronger antibiotic (applied directly the cornea, three times a day) and told us to come back Monday (today). Unfortunately, at today's appointment, the vet found that the ulcer has grown still larger. She wants us to take the cat to a veterinary ophthalmologist.

So far we have not been able to get an appointment for any earlier than Thursday, but my understanding is that this is extremely urgent and that we have to get her to the specialist as soon as possible. The vet did try to help us get an appointment sooner, but she wasn't successful.

My question: We live in Brooklyn, NY. Can anyone here recommend a veterinary ophthalmologist in Brooklyn, Queens, or Manhattan with whom you have personal experience or you know has a good reputation?

There are so few veterinary ophthalmologists that I doubt anyone is going to be able to give you a personal recommendation. If you go here and click on Find an Ophthalmologist, you can search in your area. Looks to me like there are three in NYC, which is a lot more than most places. Any vet who is board certified in ophthalmology is going to be very knowledgeable and experienced with these types of problems. I'd probably go to whomever can fit you in soonest.

ChairmanMeow posted:

If your vet doesn't offer x-rays is it something you would switch for?

There are probably some good vets who don't do dental x-rays because their clinic can't afford the equipment, but I wouldn't personally get a dental done on one of my animals without x-rays, especially for cats. Dentals are expensive, so I'd rather pay a little more to find out that there's a tooth that will need to come out in a year, and pull it then, than be back in a year because my cat's mouth is excruciatingly painful. FORLs are nasty.

Crooked Booty fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Sep 13, 2010

# ¿ Sep 13, 2010 19:40

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Nichole posted:

I have a question about earmites/ear infections.

My husband and I adopted a second cat almost a month ago. She is eight years old/spayed and all around wonderful. Not long after we brought her home, I noticed her ears looked gunky/dirty and I suspected earmites. I made a vet appointment and my husband took her since his boss is more understanding about him leaving work. The vet said it was mites and my husband came home telling me that they gave her a one time drop on her back that would kill the mites. I was surprised, thinking that we were supposed to do that in addition to putting medicine in her ears twice a day. He insisted that they said the one time drop would cure the mites.

Over the weekend we noticed she was scratching her ears and even wimpering a little while doing so. I looked in her ears again and they looked horrible. I tried to clean them, but I feel I just made everything worse. Now they look dry and the itching is getting really bad. I made another vet appointment, but they can't see her until Thursday morning. Did I make things worse by trying to clean her ears?

My question is, was my husband wrong or miss informed by the vet? Should we have been putting medicine in her ears as well as the other drop they put on her back? It was like the once a month flea treatment. Could she have been miss diagnosed? Could it be an infection? My husband says they took a sample out of her ear the first time and confirmed it was mites, but could they be wrong?

The drop on her back was most likely Revolution, which does treat earmites. In my experience, Revolution doesn't always clear them up in one dose, but usually does in 2 doses 3-4 weeks apart. There isn't a daily ear drop for mites -- all the treatments I know of involve one or two treatments weeks apart. If the ears are still gunky like before, it's probably still mites, although secondary infections are possible (my money is on mites still). I would call your vet, explain the situation, and see if you can come pick up another dose of Revolution. I'd get one for your other cat, too, since earmites are contagious.
I doubt she was misdiagnosed because earmites look like huge scary aliens under a microscope, and nothing else looks like them. What did you clear her ears with? Mites can make the ears pretty raw/scabby inside, so most ear cleaners will sting like a bitch, but I'm sure you didn't do any real damage.

Hamburglar posted:

Speaking of my 3 cats, we just had them neutered (one spayed) and they have to wear those terrible "satellite dish" cones around their heads. They are loving miserable. Barely eating (even though we made it easy for them), barely drinking (even though we have a water fountain pouring the water down) and they are, quite honestly, depressed as poo poo. It's been 3 days. Do they really have to wear this thing for 2 weeks? I know I have to "follow the doctor's orders" but I really feel like they're going to be mentally deranged after a few more days of this.

Do the boys have external sutures or did they get glued shut (i.e. did they tell you you would need to come back for suture removal)? If there are no sutures, I'd take the cones off the boys and see what they do. 2 weeks in a cone is really excessive for a cat neuter, to me. As long as they aren't licking like crazy back there, they should be fine. As for the female, or if the boys have sutures, I'd take the cones off whenever you can supervise them. They'll probably cheer up and go eat. If they're all going after their incisions, you can get soft canvas-y e-collars that cats tend to like a lot better because they don't stick out in front of their face and bump into poo poo.

# ¿ Sep 14, 2010 23:58

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Fire In The Disco posted:

IANAV, but I am pretty sure it's because there's not enough taurine. Can one of the vets weigh in here? I think it would be fine as a treat but not as a meal.

IANAV, but the appetizers are not nutritionally complete. They're lacking in taurine and a bunch of other stuff, too. Notice how they have like 5 ingredients while other Fancy Feast has like 20. The other 15 are important stuff.

It says on the website, and probably on the container, too, "Fancy Feast Appetizers are intended for supplemental feeding only. This product may be fed daily along with a complete and balanced cat food diet."

# ¿ Sep 15, 2010 23:56

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Nichole posted:

Now, they are saying she probably never had mites! It was an infection that she has been suffering from all this time. Not only do we have to pay more vet fees and for more medication, now I don't feel confident in this vet. It is shame since this vet is so close to where I live.

And does anyone know what causes kitty ear yeast infections?

That sucks. As I said before, mites look like crazy aliens under the microscope and there's no mistaking them, so "probably mites" is a pretty half-assed diagnosis.

As for the cause, usually it's just a random thing with no obvious cause. If she starts getting the infections regularly, then it could be due to something affecting her immune system like diabetes, FIV, FeLV, or food allergies, or she could have weirdly shaped ear canals prone to gunk. But with just one infection, it is most likely no big deal and nothing to worry about.

# ¿ Sep 16, 2010 20:35

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

manekineko posted:

How do you cat owners that feed wet food handle this situation?

My cats get (only) wet food twice a day. If I'm going to be gone for ~30 hours, I just give them double the amount of food before I leave (i.e. 2 meals, 1 day's worth). I tried freezing canned food before just to see how they responded, and I didn't like it. It only stays solid a few hours anyway, during which one of my cats obsessively licks it and pushes it around the bowl. You also never know what nutrients are being destroyed by the freezing process.

If I'm going to be gone more than one night, I just get a petsitter to come feed them once a day. They tend to gorge on any available canned food, so spoilage isn't really an issue. If anything, they might barf it up because they eat so much so quickly, but I'm sure they'd be happy to re-eat their puke afterwards. :barf:

# ¿ Sep 16, 2010 22:57

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

WaffleStomp posted:

I'm not really sure what's up with my 8 month old kitten or if it's even serious, but here's the rundown. Over the course of the last day, I've noticed that when he breathes, his nose is making a slight wheezing sound - think of the noise your nose makes when it's stuffed or clogged, its very similar. I haven't noticed anything different in his behavior or eating habits, just this. Have any of your cats had this before?

Sounds like he has an upper respiratory infection. The sniffling you're describing may be as bad as it gets for him (hopefully), but sometimes it's only the beginning of a severe URI. The biggest issue with cats having stopped up noses is that sometimes if they can't smell their food, they won't eat, so watch out for that. If he stops eating, gets snotty, starts squinting, or gets nasty eye boogers, he may need to go to the vet for some antibiotics or eyedrops. I would just keep an eye on him for now and be prepared to take him to the vet if it gets worse.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2010 00:50

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

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

# ¿ Oct 2, 2010 14:57

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Innovative Salad posted:

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

Yeah Swheat Scoop reeks. I think most people say pine-based is better than Swheat Scoop, but it's not the best. If you really want a "natural" litter, World's Best Cat Litter is by far the best, but it's insanely expensive for a bag of corn. Otherwise you're best off with good old clumping clay. Petco/Petsmart usually have a self-serve bulk bin of generic clumping litter that's unscented.

Corridor posted:

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

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

This happens to some cats. I guess it's like callouses. As long as they're not irritated, bothering him, or growing, it's probably not a big deal.

# ¿ Oct 6, 2010 11:59

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

SunknLiner posted:

So PIers, help me out here:

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

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

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

If she is really eating less than 1/4 cup of Science Diet per day, that's not enough. That formula you named is like 510 kcals per full cup, and she should probably be eating around 200 kcals per day. This is a really stupid question, but are you using an actual measuring cup? Are you measuring it "heaping" or level?

As for the canned food, some cats are crunchy food addicts and won't accept canned food, but the health benefits of extra moisture are worth trying a few other foods. Some cats prefer the "pate" style foods like canned Wellness/EVO, some prefer chunkier stuff with gravy like the stuff in pouches, etc.

You didn't do anything wrong mixing in a spoonful of Wellness. Some foods don't agree with some cats, but since you've already bought a whole bag of it, I'd try it out again before you give up on that brand. Maybe add an even smaller amount and make sure you mix it up thoroughly.

SunknLiner posted:

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

Because they have been around a long time, do feeding trials and research, and make prescription diets that do help. They donate money to vet schools, host lectures, and publish textbooks on nutrition. Basically veterinary students don't get a lot of (unbiased) education focused on nutrition, but Hill's has a huge presence in the veterinary community, so vets trust them.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2010 15:54

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

threefourths posted:

My cat has been having these massive sneezing attacks, is it just some kind of kitty allergy or something more serious?

- Age: 1.5 years
- Sex: M
- How long have you had your cat? Almost a year
- Is your cat spayed or neutered? Yes
- What food do you use? Wellness Salmon
- When was your last vet visit? About six months ago.
- Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Indoors.
- How many pets in your household? One.
- How many litter boxes do you have? One.

He probably has an upper respiratory infection, which are basically kitty colds. Sometimes they'll resolve on their own, but I'd take him to the vet if he gets really snotty, has goopy eyes/squinting, or isn't eating/acting right. Some cats won't eat if their noses are stuffy because they can't smell the food, so keep an eye out for that. If any of that stuff happens, he probably needs some medicine from the vet.

# ¿ Oct 9, 2010 20:05

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

ryan_woody posted:

Hello PI. Just a quick question: I'm in the process of beginning the process of adoption of a female Bengal kitten. The breeder I am in contact with requires that either she be spayed before I adopt her (at around 12 weeks), or microchipped and spayed later with proof of spay by her microchip number. The other sites I've read about an early spay say that there are no adverse effects, but I'm wondering if anybody here has had any positive / negative thoughts on early spaying?

With cats, early spaying/neutering is fine in my opinion.

Also you're buying a cat, not adopting one.

# ¿ Oct 9, 2010 23:26

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

manekineko posted:

I'm seeing the vet soon for a checkup but I thought I'd consult you all first. Just in case you didn't know, my cat had serious hip surgery to replace a broken ball joint on his hip a week or two before I adopted him. well, at this point, he's supposed to be completely recovered, but once a day or so he limps away to the bedroom and goes in there to cry, hiss, and growl by himself. Then, 5 minutes later, happy kitty wants pets?

The last time I took him to the vet, it was because of similar behavior, and the doctor get me pain meds that I administered for 2 weeks that made his hissing and growling go away. He told me the cat was just sore and unhappy about it. Those meds are gone now, so do you think this is a similar thing or a symptom of something else?

The fact that the behavior stopped while he was on pain medication is a pretty strong indicator that the behavior is due to pain. His surgery is the most obvious cause for pain, but I don't think anyone can tell you for sure. The vet should be able to get a good general idea of what's hurting by examining him, but the hip certainly seems like the most likely culprit.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2010 16:57

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Jastiger posted:

- 9 weeks
- Male
- 1 and a half weeks
- Is your cat spayed or neutered? No
- What food do you use? Currently using something called "Recovery", otherwise the dry kitten formula from purina. Won't eat anything but the Recovery wet food.
- When was your last vet visit? Yesterday
- Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Indoors
- How many pets in your household?
- How many litter boxes do you have? 1

We just got lil Niko and oh man what a hand full. Turns out he has ear mites and a mild case of giardia. I say mild because the result came up weak positive for the parasite. We've got him on medicine and HOPEFULLY it works. The thing is he's got diarrhea something awful. He is usually really good about getting or trying to get to the litter box, but doesn't always make it. Thats fine, we just watch him, but its still a little frustrating. The reason I post this and am looking for advice is because his lil butthole LEAKS. I mean, we literally have to hold him under the sink every few minutes because he leaks all over. Almost anywhere he sits it leaves a nasty spot. Its to the point where we can't cuddle or play with our kitty because we'll end up poo covered.

Does anyone have any advice on what we can do to help Niko not get crap everywhere? Its such a chore to have to watch the kitty all the time to make sure he doesn't sit down where there isn't a rag. Thanks in advance.

Honestly I'd probably lock him in a bathroom with a litter box and newspaper on the floor for a couple days. Giardia is easily transmitted to humans, so you really don't want his diarrhea all over your house. Also, kittens are notorious for reinfecting themselves with stuff like giardia, so it's really important that you keep him, your house, and his litter box as disinfected as possible. If giardia is the only cause for his diarrhea, he should improve significantly within 2-3 days of starting the meds. If he doesn't, call your vet.

# ¿ Oct 16, 2010 02:56

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Goddamn posted:

a million questions

Loneliness -- This probably really depends on the person. Personally I find it really depressing to come into my apartment alone at times my cats haven't been here because the whole place just seems dead and empty. That said, cats certainly don't replace my need for interaction with people.

Getting two -- I'd check out shelters and see if they have a 5+ year old cat, particularly one that needs to be an "only cat". These guys can absolutely be just as friendly to people, if not more so -- some of them simply don't want to share their person.

Temperature -- 60F is fine. Your cat will naturally gravitate toward warm spots, possibly including under the covers in your bed at night. Cats successfully live outdoor in places much, much colder.

Cat-proofing -- depends on the cat. A common problem is cats who like to chew strings or electrical cords, but this is more common in kittens. My cats are both capable of opening cabinets, but have never shown any interest in eating cleaning products; hair ties and strings are another story.

Food -- A pound of good-quality dry food probably lasts about a week for a average cat. For canned food, it depends on how much you feed it. Some people feed a combination and some people feed only one or the other. I feed only canned food and my cats each get one 5.5oz can per day. To give you a better idea, most average indoor cats (9-11 lbs) will eat about 200-250 kilocalories per day of a high-quality diet.

Beds -- Your whole apartment will become your cat's bed, and the more money you spend on a cat bed, the more likely your cat will never use it. Cats seriously love cardboard boxes, dirty laundry, and assorted garbage.

Oops I have to go but I bet someone else will answer the rest.

# ¿ Oct 18, 2010 19:41

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Polish posted:

Hey, I asked about my recently adopted 8 week old kitten a few days ago. He was sneezing and had some soupy poopy but other than that he was fine. You guys told me to take him to the vet, and so I did last night. The vet gave me some powder to mix with wet food to firm up his poop.. and that stuff worked! About the sneezing though. She said as long as there is no gunk around his eyes and he is eating, playing, and pooping, there is nothing much she is going to do. He mostly sneezes when he just wakes up from a nap, but occasionally sneezes when he is around playing. Last night he decided to sleep on my face/arms/stomach/etc and was sneezing like crazy and covering me in kitten slime. When I woke up to take a shower he was sneezing a bunch. Should I still be worried about this sneezing? What could be causing it?

I did just get new carpets a month ago and there are still little fuzzys coming up now and then, but other than that our apartment is fairly dust free. The other cat isn't sneezing or anything. And speaking of the other cat, they started playing together yesterday! The big one still seems a little pissed off but they were playing around. Thanks for your help guys!

He almost definitely has a URI, which like a human cold, is viral. The vast majority of cats/kittens from shelters will show URI symptoms in the shelter or soon after being adopted. It's extremely common and typically aggravated by stress (e.g. getting adopted).
If it gets bad enough, the vet may want to put him on antibiotics or an antihistamine, but again like human colds, usually these things resolve on their own. If he's really congested, you can try shutting him in the bathroom with a hot shower running -- sometimes the steam helps break that crud up. I'd just continue to monitor his eyes and appetite, and keep in touch with your vet if you're not seeing improvement in the next few days.

# ¿ Oct 19, 2010 13:08

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

duckfarts posted:

Check this poop out new pet owners - it's a visual diagram of how much different kinds of pets cost in a lifetime: (this could go in the puppy thread too if anybody cares enough about non-cats to post there)
http://www.visualeconomics.com/how-much-our-pets-cost-in-a-lifetime/

I remember somebody earlier in the thread was wondering how much cat ownership costs, and here we have a generic estimate graph which is handy(pay more attention to the per year costs rather than the overall costs though). Their estimates on food + litter are reasonably similar to mine with $270 compared to my $225 a year.

This led me to calculate how much I spend on food per year for 2 cats, and it's over $1000.

People's numbers are going to vary quite a bit, and honestly I think most PI people spending $10/month on cat food can afford to feed something a little better... but that's just me. Also, those are all bargain prices for spay/neuter. Spaying a large breed dog for $125? And I don't like the average lifespan of a cat listed as 15. But other than that it's fabulous!!!

# ¿ Oct 21, 2010 13:14

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Meander posted:

OK a quick cat question for all of you.

My three year old black and white cat, Batman, recently got lost - I'd moved houses following the end of my relationship, moved him to the new place, and he managed to get outside on the first day. Thirteen days later (last night) he showed up on the doorstep of my old place - a distance of about 2 km as the crow flies, but about 3 km by road. He's okay I think, very skinny now but otherwise ok.

I was wondering what's the best way to help him recover from the whole ordeal? He's back at the new place now under strict house arrest for the time being. I was careful not to overfeed him in the first few hours, but now am leaving food out as normal and he's not overeating. He's still a bit scared and is hiding under my bed, but will purr if I go and pat him.

Also is it a good idea to take him to the vet's for a checkup? I'm not sure how much weight he lost, he was at about 4.5 kg and he feels much much lighter now (I'd guess around 3 but no idea).

And any tips for settling him in to his new abode?

I would definitely take him to the vet. If he has lost anywhere close to 1/3 his body weight in 13 days, his liver and other organs may be struggling, and your vet may recommend medication to help him recover. As for getting settled in the new home, it will probably just take time.

# ¿ Oct 22, 2010 12:00

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

VidaGrey posted:

So, we were at the cat shelter just socializing with the kitties today. I asked one of the people who run the place for some advice regarding the evil in our home. Her solution was surprising...the depo provera shot! I researched it some online and, well, people have used it for aggressive cats with sucres. Anyone ever heard of this method?

I've never heard of depo provera being used for aggressive cats, but it has been used with some success for cats that spray. There can be some pretty nasty side effects, and of course it's not approved for use in cats. I would try a shorter acting drug more commonly used in cats before depo -- something like prozac or amitryptiline. Feliway may be worth a try, too. Talk to your vet.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2010 00:17

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

moechae posted:

Oh yeah, I am definitely taking the kitty to my dog's vet as soon as they open tomorrow morning if the lady doesn't call by then. The cut definitely needs stitches at least. I got blueberry (name on tag) bandaged up and he ate half a can of blue buffalo, which I take as a good sign. Two tries on the bandage, he had the first one off in two seconds, the second one which I taped all to hell has held so far. I think it might've actually been an animal attack instead of a car, he's missing a big tuft of fur on his other side, there's about a quarter-sized bald patch. Plus a couple of scars around his head and neck area. What 2-3mo old kitten has battle scars already? Goddamn. I would take the cat in a second, but the bf is pretty drat allergic. Grey cats are my favorite cats too.

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the bandage looks really tight. The way you have it may make his toes swell up overnight. If he's not messing with the cut too much, the bandage may not be necessary.

In any case, he's lucky you found him. Let us know what happens.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2010 02:43

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

digitalscribbles posted:

I've never owned a long hair cat before and would like to know if there is anything special we should do. She enjoys being brushed, so that is easy. I don't see any fleas on her, but she does have little black specks I keep finding on her...dirt maybe. She was outdoors only until yesterday when we decided she had adopted us and perhaps we in turn should adopt her.

So I guess my questions are, is there anything special we should do for a long haired cat? Do we need to keep her hair trimmed? I ask because I see some cats that have been shaven I don't know why. Will she have more of a messy bathroom problem since she is so hairy? Should we trim the hair in that area?

I guess I really don't know where to start with a stray, we've always adopted cats from the humane society and they generally get to us litter trained, fixed and so on. Thanks!

If you can brush her regularly, that's great. Little black specs may be dirt but may also be flea dirt from an earlier infestation. Sometimes you can tell by getting some of the specs on a paper towel and adding water -- flea dirt will dissolve to be reddish brown. If she hasn't been dewormed, that might be a good idea since cats get tapeworms from fleas.

Long haired cats usually get shaved because they're matted. The common problem areas are tummies, arm pits, and areas that come into contact with food or poop, i.e. butt and chest/chin area. Some furry cats have problems getting poo in their fur, so people shave that area -- it's called a sanitary or hygiene clip, and most vets and groomers will do it for cheap. I'd leave it alone unless she starts having problems.

A lot of people end up shaving long-haired cats when they're older because dental problems and arthritis can make it harder for the cat to groom herself, and mats crop up. Mats also snowball, so if you find little ones on her, cut them out or take her to a groomer. When ignored, they'll just get bigger, tighter, and closer to the skin, which is uncomfortable and harder to fix. If you can keep up with regular brushing and get her to enjoy it, you should be in good shape.

Btw I saw her in the pics thread and her tail is amazing. :3:

# ¿ Nov 4, 2010 15:22

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

ductile escapist posted:

Is there anything I can do to prevent my two male cats, who have already been neutered, from spraying parts of the house? They are extremely friendly but since this is my parent's place, they have decided to force them to be outdoors all the time, though they at least have access to the garage.

It's disheartening to think of all the time we could have spent with them if it had not been for my Mother's decision. I looked into Ssscat from the OP, but given that it costs around $22 per device and we'd probably need 3-5, I was not able to convince them to try it. They felt that the device wasn't complex enough, because we need to do more than just prevent them from coming near a dinner plate or walking on the counter.

I still think the only way to train them, if they can be trained, is to use a scented spray that acts as a cat repellent and just spray the areas they use every 2-3 days, and ideally we could catch them urinating in the area when we use it, but we can't watch them throughout the entire day. I'd appreciate any feedback on this. They're incredibly nice cats and there's nothing else they do that's problematic (like digging into the carpet with claws, etc), it's just that they won't stop marking their territory throughout the house.

First they both need to go to the vet to rule out medical causes. In the meantime you need to thoroughly clean every area they've peed with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle. Ssscat and cat repellants are not the answer for this problem at all. The last thing you want to do is give them even more negative associations with urination. Get them checked out by the vet and clean everything thoroughly, and then come back and ask for advice if that doesn't solve anything.

No offense to ductile escapist, but I'm personally tired of typing out the list of things to try for cats peeing inappropriately... because it seems like half the people try that stuff, and then they just give up, instead of taking their cat to the vet first like everyone recommends. So anyway, the cats need to go to the vet first and foremost. There are lots of other things to try after you've ruled out medical causes.

# ¿ Nov 6, 2010 01:13

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

Serella posted:

So my cat was at the vet the other day for some issues, and today he's sneezed a few times so I'm worried he may have picked up a bit of a kitty cold while he was there. He only sneezed 3 times all day, but I'm completely paranoid that he's getting sick two days before I'm going out of town because he's going to be boarded for 4-5 days. It may be nothing, but for reference, what do you do if your cat gets a cold/URI? Is a vet visit necessary, or do they just tough it out like people do? His appetite is still good and he's acting normal otherwise. Am I just worrying too much? He's my first cat and within only 3 months of having him he's already ended up with struvite crystals so I'm super concerned.

Kitty colds are pretty similar to human colds. One big difference is that most cat colds come from a virus that cats carry around for life, and then they have outbreaks triggered by stress. He may have picked up a new virus at the vet, or it may just be due to stress. Most shelter/rescue cats already have the virus.

Most healthy cats will get over a URI on their own. The big worries (i.e. reasons to go to the vet) are 1) if their nose is stuffy enough, they can't smell their food, so they stop eating, 2) eyes get involved pretty often, and eye goopiness should usually be treated because eyeballs are serious poo poo, 3) if he gets spraying-boogers-all-over-the-walls snotty or wheezy, he may need antibiotics to treat/prevent a secondary infection.

Where were you planning to board him? Since URIs are contagious, he will probably need to be isolated from other cats if he continues sneezing. If you're boarding him at the vet, there's really nothing to worry about. They see URIs all the time and will know how to take good care of him. You may want to give them a heads up about his sneezing before you drop him off to make sure they have room in whatever isolation area they have.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2010 02:10

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

pandaid posted:

edit: threw up blood again an hour later, with some clots in it. Called e-vet, going in. Wish us luck

Let us know what happens. Blood is scary.

SBZPrincess posted:

The problem is peeing outside the litterbox. The problems started last year during New Year's, I thought it was because she wasn't used to fireworks but just to make sure I took her to the vet. I was having difficulty obtaining a urine sample but got an X-ray done. No stones. Eventually got the urine sample. Vet said there were some crystals but not a level that should be worried about. Also said there were white blood cells in her urine, and a small amount of bacteria. Angel is diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, given a giant shot of antibiotics (just in case), some painkillers and sent on her merry way. For quite some time, she is peeing in the litterbox as normal. I have to go out of town for work for 3 months, my next door neighbor watches cats, plays with them every day, makes sure they are fed etc. But she doesn't notice that apparently Angel has begun peeing on things again. I come home, spend a small fortune to get the carpets cleaned and doused with Nature's Miracle. Everything seems fine until about a month ago. I had to switch to a new work schedule, I don't really have a choice in the whole matter. I try using Feliway to help with things, to no avail. Now she's peeing on my clothes and blankets again. I try the painkillers like the vet tells me to, doesn't work. Now I'm about to drop 300$+ on an ultrasound of her bladder to try to rule out everything but behavior issues. Problem is, my other cat Cricket has an overactive immune system and therefore has inflammatory gum disease, and has to have dental cleanings on a regular basis. I just dropped 900$ to get some of her teeth pulled. I am starting to reach my financial limit, and I am getting really tired of having to come home to my house smelling like cat pee and trying to find the offending odor. If I can't find a solution to Angel's pee problem, I might have to take her to the shelter. Sorry for the giant book, I have been lurking in this thread since I got my cats and I wanted to provide as much information as I can, so that hopefully someone can provide some insight. Thank you.

This all sounds pretty classic for interstitial cystitis. Before you give up, you may want to ask your vet about something like Amitriptyline or Prozac. Antidepresants can sometimes really help with cats whose flare-ups are triggered by stress. Also Amitriptyline is used in people with interstitial cystitis because it does some magical stuff to bladder-associated pain.

I would also try feeding canned food. With all bladder problems in cats, increasing water intake helps dilute the urine, and therefore also helps dilute anything in the urine that's causing irritation. I would even try a prescription urinary diet before giving her up to a shelter.

Also, try not to get discouraged. Reaching your financial limit is one thing, but it sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what's wrong, and she's had 3 major self-limiting episodes in the last year. If you try more drugs and food changes with no results, and you really can't take it anymore, you may want to consider humanely euthanizing her. She is peeing when you go away or aren't home to entertain her enough, i.e. because she stressed. Going to a shelter will make her problem worse if anything. Adult cats who pee outside the box don't make it out of kill shelters alive. Unless you are able to find her a new home with an individual who knows about her urination issues, I think you'd be doing her a serious disservice to rehome her to someone who doesn't know about the issues, or to leave her at a shelter where she'll be super stressed out until the moment she's euthanized.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2010 15:11

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 02:18

Crooked Booty: Apr 2, 2009; arrr

SBZPrincess posted:

Would you happen to know of any grain free canned foods? I wanted to try giving her a urinary diet but I can't seem to find any prescription urinary diets that are grain free, and unfortunately with her history of bloody stool I am really hesitant to change her diet.

Check out the petfood megathread. Wellness, EVO, Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, Merrick, Wysong, etc... Most of the premium brands have at least a few grain-free formulas.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2010 21:17

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Pet Island > The Cat FAQ/Megathread: buying a second, clean broom just to use on him

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