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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Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I've always wondered if the cat desire to chew on brushes has to do with some sort of weird "smells like me, must eat to hide from enemies" instinct, since a lot of cats I've had will also try to eat their own shed hair, but it could also just be a novel sensation to them? Is cat, no idea.

# ¿ Dec 22, 2021 03:31

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 07:10

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

pidan posted:

I'd gently pat the foot to see if it feels strange. If it feels broken or she howls at touching it I'd bring her to the vet right away. Otherwise I think waiting a day or two to see if it goes away by itself is ok, assuming your cat is otherwise healthy.

Also check for color (maybe not possible on a black cat) and warmth in that paw, to make sure blood flow is okay -- cold or pale paws can indicate there's an obstruction. We had a car develop a pronounced limp that turned out to be a blood clot in that limb.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2022 10:40

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I would call your vet and ask? Plenty of vets provide at-home euthanasia services now; even if they don't, they may be able to make a local recommendation.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2022 05:42

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

explosivo posted:

Anyone have any experience with transdermal Fluoxetine for treating anxiety in a cat? I need to figure something out about our girl because she's still having random outbursts of aggression towards us and if you've followed my posts through the years we've tried every method of giving her this medication and it never really works out for one reason or another. I see Chewy has this compounded cream that goes in/on the ear and the reviews seem generally pretty positive.

No personal experience, but some friends of ours used subdermal ear cream to dose their neurotic cat (with Valium, iirc?), and they said it worked well and wasn't too difficult. They used a local compounding pharmacy, but if they sell it straight from Chewy now, all the better.

# ¿ Apr 7, 2022 00:27

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, leave 'em be

# ¿ May 16, 2022 23:29

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, kneading is just an instinctive behavior, and the degree to which a cat does it is going to be down to the individual cat.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2022 11:54

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Hyperlynx posted:

Ha! Apparently James still goes on the Place He Knows He Is Not Allowed, but lately if I just make eye contact with him, make a "shoo!" gesture with my hand and say "off, please" in a disappointed tone, he hops off.

This is our giant idiot cat and the other cat's food dish, except that she'll flee if she hears us coming near her. You know better, rear end in a top hat!

# ¿ Jul 16, 2022 01:02

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Those are some great little dudes! Sounds like they're settling in well.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2022 23:49

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

"Calico" is a specific color pattern of white, orange, and black. The way cat coat genetics work, orange and black fur are both coded on the X chromosome; this means that cats with both orange and black fur need two X chromosomes, which means they're almost always female, with the occasional extremely rare XXY male. Regular tabbies will have color variations in their patterns, but when people talk about tricolor cats, they mean specifically white/orange/black, which may also have some tabby patterning. (Tortoiseshell cats are just orange and black with no white, or very little white; they're also always female or XXY male.)

# ¿ Sep 28, 2022 00:27

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Hawkperson posted:

What’s it called when your kitty cat has a white belly but on the rest of her all the white/orange/black fur is mixed together, except for her back foot which is all black (that’s the one I poke and say “this my favorite paw” which she finds endearing and not at all annoying). I thought that was dilute tortie but maybe it’s dilute calico?

If she has some white but not a lot, some people call that calico and some people call it "tortie and white." IIRC dilute is mostly used as a descriptor for the intensity of the orange and black, so a dilute tortie is cream/grey.

The correct answer is, of course, "kitty kitty"

# ¿ Sep 28, 2022 00:53

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I mean, if we're posting calicos now, I guess I can post this repulsive fur pile:

Upper half intermixed black and orange tabby fur, lower half solid white, absolute useless blob creature whom I would take a bullet for

# ¿ Sep 28, 2022 21:46

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

NOSE SPOT

# ¿ Nov 2, 2022 03:05

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, if you're specifically looking for adult cats, you want either a bonded pair or a single cat who prefers to be an only cat -- adopting two stranger adults at once can work, but it's sort of a crapshoot. (Kittens are much easier in this regard, because they tend to just get along with any kitten in their space). On the plus side, asking a shelter about adult bonded pairs and/or only cats should be easy, since they're not as quickly adopted.

# ¿ Nov 3, 2022 03:14

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I'd get her fixed ASAP, especially since that way you can do a general vet appointment and see if she has any other health needs. The general order I see from rescue programs is trap -> vet -> home

# ¿ Nov 4, 2022 22:04

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Being a small non-apex predator does a number on your stress responses, I guess?

# ¿ Dec 15, 2022 02:53

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

morestuff posted:

No surprise but Paprikash just needed some time to settle. She's incredibly needy about food which is a little annoying, but she's at least taken the hint about waking me up in the morning

This is a pro cat

# ¿ Dec 21, 2022 23:55

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Weird Pumpkin posted:

Hey so cats should really stay indoors

But aside from that, don't suppose anyone has any advice for making it easier for a cat sitter to check on a very shy cat?

I'd asked up thread, but it was in the middle of the discussion. We'll be away for two weeks which is obviously quite awhile, and I'd definitely feel better if I could think of a way for the cat sitter to be able to check on the shy one of our two cats, rather than just seeing if he ate some food by checking the microchip feeder and stuff

Unfortunately, the only advice I have for this is to tell the cat sitter at length about how shy he is, don't worry if you don't see him, etc., which will ensure that he comes out every time and is very sweet just to make you look like a weirdo

# ¿ Dec 22, 2022 00:55

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Sometimes that happens! I think it's just cat personality. As far as I know, becoming more affectionate isn't a sign of anything being wrong with a cat.

# ¿ Dec 30, 2022 04:55

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, and if you're concerned about her being in danger if she falls off the balcony, just... make sure that can't happen? Either screen in the balcony or don't let her out there.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2023 10:29

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Pregnant cats can still get spayed, although I dunno if there's a cutoff point in gestation where vets can't do it safely -- a pregnant cat that's not visibly pregnant, though, should be able to get fixed no issue.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2023 04:15

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Taima posted:

Miles literally wears my sandals. It's a thing. I assume it's because my sandals smell like me, I don't know. But inexplicably if I put my sandals like this, he will put them on. And wear them.

Our Rosemary also does this sometimes! She loves to sit on shoes, and sometimes her foot will end up inside, possibly deliberately? It's adorable.

I somehow don't have a picture of it, but here she is looking appropriately ridiculous:

# ¿ Mar 26, 2023 00:32

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Unsinkabear posted:

She's only been with us about a month and she was a street rat for most of her very short life, and I've never been the primary owner of a cat before, so we're still getting used to each other. Luckily she doesn't seem to mind indoor cat life and seems pretty darn fond of me, all things considered (it helps that I WFH and am here all the time). But she does not tolerate snuggles, does not show the belly, and is an endless font of play energy who very much enjoys biting me at complete random.

If it's any comfort, this all sounds really normal for the first month with a young cat, particularly one off the street who isn't extensively socialized with humans. Snuggling/belly rubs will come with time as she calms down and becomes more comfortable. The biting is something you may need to actively discourage -- I believe the standard advice is making a "hey, that hurts, knock it off"-type cat yowl, of the sort she might recognize from socializing with other cats, and immediately disengaging from whatever you're doing so she learns bite = the fun ends -- but it'll also help to learn her signals and naturally disengage when she's looking testy or overstimulated. Good luck! She's a darling and I bet she'll be a great cat.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2023 23:01

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, that's normal! Even if they're coming into a good situation from a bad one, cats will be frightened when they're getting used to a new space. Give her at least another day.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2023 00:44

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I'm so sorry about Mel and about your cat, HK. We lost an 8-year-old cat that way, to the same sort of very sudden "something looks weird -> very sick, probably cancer, nothing to be done" illness, and it's such a heartbreak. Thank you both for doing what you could for them.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2023 23:11

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, IIRC they get disoriented with the presence of the harness on their back/torso because it disrupts their proprioception? It's a physical response that they need to attenuate to.

# ¿ May 1, 2023 21:51

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Harvey Baldman posted:

Welcome to your new home, Check Engine Light

# ¿ May 16, 2023 21:33

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

If they're not having any issues with vision or other indicators of illness, I wouldn't worry about it. Cat eye color changes a lot while they're young. Can always ask the vet at their next checkup?

# ¿ May 26, 2023 03:11

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, if the apartment is a safe environment and his needs are being met (definitely advise a pet sitter, maybe autofeeders for food, but try to get human eyes on him), he's better off staying put. Being alone is much less stressful to most cats than frequent travel.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2023 01:11

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, I'd definitely get a fountain if he's interested in running water, just for hydration. Not sure it'll draw his attention away from the sink completely, though -- "something I like + a person is there" is a big enticement for a lot of cats.

He's adorable!

# ¿ Oct 25, 2023 23:40

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

The one question I remember from our adoption application was "how will you deal with cats clawing furniture," which was clearly intended to weed out declawers, but they seemed amused by "offer scratchers and also I don't care, my couch sucks."

# ¿ Nov 11, 2023 01:42

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, almost certainly just variation between littermates, as long as they're both eating, growing, and active. I wouldn't be worried unless the small one actively seems to be lethargic or really not growing.

# ¿ Dec 9, 2023 13:00

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Macksy posted:

Asked in the vet thread, but thought I'd ask her if maybe for a faster response. I accidentally took a half tab of 12.5mg zeniquin(animal antibiotic for my kitty) and just thought i'd ask if that's something that is gonna be a problem or not? I dont know how bad an animal medicine is for a humon.

It looks like the generic name is marbofloxacin and that it's of a class of antibiotics also used for humans, although a quick google doesn't make it totally clear if it's prescribed for human use? I'm not seeing any evidence that it would be dangerous, though.

# ¿ Jan 11, 2024 08:09

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

cash crab posted:

does anyone else have cats that, instead of greeting you, both run to the nearest scratcher and start going to town while making pointed eye contact

it has very "the boss is here look busy" vibes

One of our cats, the one who seems to get overstimulated the most often, will sometimes do something like this, usually by running to a rug and then kind of rolling/scratching/grabbing the rug a little bit? I suspect she's getting overexcited at people coming home (and the possibility that she might be fed, since the cats get dinner when we get home from work) and expressing that physically.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2024 10:24

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

If I had to guess, it's probably just a reaction to ambient stress in the environment? It's pretty normal for cats to end up lashing out at random targets in their vicinity when they're under stress. I imagine she'll calm down as she gets more used to the new status quo.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2024 22:23

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, that sounds like good progress for a cat who's only lived there a week. It just takes time for them to adjust.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2024 23:57

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

She looks like a torbie, so call her Torbitha.

(Thank you for taking her in!)

# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 08:33

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I had a half-tail cat as a kid (congenital, he had a little bone knob on the end) and I can confirm that they are extremely good

# ¿ Apr 13, 2024 22:56

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

oh my god the little corn dog tail

Did she just have surgery on it? Poor little bub. Glad she's psyched to be home.

# ¿ Apr 14, 2024 22:05

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 07:10

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

cash crab posted:

okay so i know there’s a learning curve with introducing new cats but tandy is not doing well. he’s completely terrified of annyeong and he’s stopped eating. i can separate them again but i am worried he’s going to develop some issues down the line if she keeps smacking him with no provocation. i wanted to get another cat specifically to keep him company and we’re both pretty miserable right now. im blasting feliway in every room and i am trying to feed/play with them in the same area but last night she cut my hand into ribbons because he got into the bed with me.

Are you in a situation where you can isolate Annyeong? I would limit her to one room for now and let them reset / make sure Tandy has a safe space before doing slow introduction options like swapping towels with each other's smells.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 03:02

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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