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OP posted:2. What can I do to stop this? I have two cats. Pinot Noir is about 6 years old, female, spayed. Cheddar is 7 months old, male, neutered. Cheddar peed on my carpet at about 5 months old before he was neutered. In my experience, male cats only have the urge to mark/spray/PEE EVERYWHERE when they haven't been fixed, so I expected this to correct the problem. It didn't. (I'm fairly sure the female cat isn't peeing, just the male...) There are two main spots he has peed. At least twice in one spot, and I don't know how many in the second spot. A lot. Maybe four times? It's a big area and it's on carpet. I started out with one 16 oz bottle of Nature's Miracle, then went back and bought another 16oz bottle after I saw how much was needed to soak the area. This was enough to cover spot #1, but I went back and got a gallon jug of NM to soak area #2. It's been a week since I soaked both areas, and both feel dry to the touch (but maybe the carpet pad is still wet underneath). My problem is that it still smells HORRIBLE. I almost think the Nature's Miracle made the smell worse. I also bought a hand held blacklight so I could search for any other pee spots, which came with it's own bottle of enzyme-cleaning-action solution (I don't remember the brand, sorry). I dumped that on too for good measure. Do you think I should wait the full 2 weeks as directed by the Nature's Miracle for the area(s) to dry? It says "odor may still be present until the area is completely dry (up to 2 weeks)" on the bottle.. but halfway there I'm just not convinced. Should I try another enzyme based cleaner other than Nature's Miracle? I have read all kinds of reviews where people are just raving about this product but I'm really, really disappointed in it. Also, it did not remove the stain on the carpet. Should I try a carpet cleaner instead of a cat pee specific cleaner? Also, from the OP: OP posted:If you suspect that cats marking the outside of your house are setting him off, you'll want to use an enzymatic cleaner out there, too, and possible moth balls to keep them from coming near your house again. Edit: Now with a photo of the culprit! 
Helvetica Neue fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Sep 17, 2009 |
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Sep 17, 2009 21:24
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Lawen posted:Any first hand accounts of how well Soft Paws work? I searched the thread and while the general consensus seems positive, I'm not seeing any "I use them and they are great!" posts. Our kitties really like destroying area rugs (but have zero interest in any of the several scratching posts I've brought home) and it's getting expensive to replace them. All three of my cats are pretty comfortable with letting us clip their claws, so I don't expect too much problem getting Soft Paws on, I really just want to hear someone say "They work well, the cats don't hate them, and they're more convenient than clipping claws every week." I absolutely LOVE soft paws! I have two cats who both wear them. My older, more crotchety ladycat meows as if I'm torturing her the whole time I hold her down to put them on. Definitely need two people (a holder and an applier) for a cat like that. But I also have a 7 month old kitten who's had them put on since ~2 months, so he's used to it and doesn't complain or struggle at all. I like to use latex gloves to apply them, because the super glue can be messy and tends to get stuck to my fingers, which I hate, but it's really not necessary. Make sure to watch your cat right after you put them on, they tend to chew on them at first and it takes about 5mins for the glue to harden completely.
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Sep 29, 2009 02:57
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Women's Rights? posted:My kitten took a poo poo the other day that was so foul it woke me up from a deep sleep at like 3 am. I had to scoop the litter right then and there in a vain effort to stop the smell. It didn't work Ahaha, this cracked me up, thanks.  I've found that nothing works better than Oust air sanitizer. It just sort of removes the smell without covering it up with flowery smelling crap, I love it. Febreeze and other aerosol smell-removers just can't compare! Question: So, I just found out that my coworker, who gave me my 7 month old cat, never got him his shots. She told me when I adopted him that they were all vaccinated and were FELV negative, but now she's saying she never said that and she only gave them flea treatments.  I've had him for ~6months now and he seems perfectly healthy; he stays indoors 100% of the time. Should I rush him to the vet to get checked out right away? Or wait for his 1 year birthday? Helvetica Neue fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Oct 6, 2009 |
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Oct 6, 2009 22:30
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Helvetica Neue posted:So, I just found out that my coworker, who gave me my 7 month old cat, never got him his shots. She told me when I adopted him that they were all vaccinated and were FELV negative, but now she's saying she never said that and she only gave them flea treatments. Anyone?
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Oct 8, 2009 16:33
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Buckeye posted:My wife and I have a very cute cat (Bella) who I think is half Himalayan / half domestic short hair. She is about 4 years old now. For the longest time we have been considering getting her a buddy so she doesn't have to spend so much time alone. The thing that worries us is that she is pretty skittish and very untrusting of strangers which makes us wonder how she would adapt to a new kitty or adult cat. We'd love to get her a friend but don't want to mess up a good thing and have her freak out and start peeing everywhere or something. Any advice on whether adding another cat would be a good or bad idea in this situation? Buckeye posted:Also...any truth to the idea that male cats are friendlier than female cats? Bella is friendly with us but she is definitely not a lap cat. She prefers to be near us but not right next to us most of the time. Buckeye posted:Any truth to male cats being much more likely to urinate / spray in the house? Has your kitty ever been around other cats? Are there any neighbor/friend cats you could introduce her to, to see how she might get along? Given her skittish personality, I would be worried that a second cat might just push her further into seclusion, hiding from humans and the second cat, etc.
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Oct 14, 2009 21:59
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Ok. I posted here a couple of weeks ago about my 7 month old kitten. I got him from a coworker who, at the time, said all her kittens had been vaccinated, then a month ago told me she never said that. Whatever. Last night I was laying in bed, trying to fall asleep, when we heard this... scratching on the outside wall. We had heard it about 3 nights ago, but it didn't last long and when we went to investigate there was nothing there. But this time, when my boyfriend went upstairs to check it out, he found six loving raccoons on our porch eating the cat's food. SIX. The porch is on the second floor, I had no idea that raccoons could scale walls. He took a broom and stuck it out the door and banged it around to scare them. They all hopped up on the railing around the porch and he proceeded to knock them off with the broom (it was pretty epic). Anyway. Raccoons can carry rabies. My cat hasn't had a rabies shot. He was absolutely terrified to go outside and I know that he did not come in contact with the raccoons, but they WERE in his food. Is there any chance that their rabies infected spit could transfer to my cat through his food? Also I'm taking him to get vaccinated ASAP. 
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Nov 13, 2009 21:52
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Well, I made a huge play area for him and my other cat out on the back porch. It's high up and about eye level with the trees, so they can bird watch on the porch railing. They have a cat tree and other various furniture items they can climb on, they love being out there. Their litter box is also out there and.. it just made sense to put their food and water outside too. It never occurred to me that raccoons could scale walls. Thank you for the rabies information, that helps ease my panic a little. I've already made him a vet appointment for next week.
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Nov 13, 2009 23:48
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I am in a bit of a predicament and need advice from the internet. I'll try to summarize as much as possible. About 4 years ago, I adopted an adult female cat from the humane society. She was 6 years old, spayed, vaccinated, and micro-chipped. Her name is Pinot Noir and she quickly became my best friend. At the time I was single & lived alone so she was always in my lap & always slept with me. 1.5 years later I moved in with my boyfriend and a male roommate. This roommate adopted a kitten, Cheddar, but he worked nights so for the most part this kitten spent all his time with my boyfriend and I, and he generally felt like *our* cat. I had him neutered and vaccinated. Pinot wasn't happy around Cheddar; she would growl at him if he got too close and swat at him but never hurt him. Sometimes he would push her boundaries, but for the most part they just kept to themselves. When our lease ended, the roommate announced that he was moving in with his mom and couldn't/wouldn't take Cheddar, so he became ours. Now, my boyfriend and I live in our own home without roommates - Cheddar is now 1year and 8months and Pinot is about 10? Over the summer I allowed them to go outside because I don't live anywhere near a road and they just LOVE being out in nature. Pinot developed a habit of going into other people's cat doors and just hanging out in their homes, the neighbor girl told me she woke up to TWO black cats sleeping on her bed (one was Pinot, the other was her cat). At first she was always home before dark, but after she didn't come home for about 4 nights in a row, I decided it was time to bring her back inside and she and Cheddar were relegated back to being indoor cats. About a month after they were brought back inside, we adopted a third cat - no, kitten. I protested that we didn't need a third cat, but my boyfriend's mom' cat had kittens and he had been visiting them since birth and was completely attached to one of them. We brought him home as a "test run" to just "see how he does" and he never left. Of course kittens are easy to love, they're so drat cute! We named the new kitten Mango and he's about 5 months old now. I had him neutered and vaccinated. Until now there have been no issues introducing him into our home. Mango and Cheddar get along splendidly. They run through the house playing together, wrestle together, clean each other and sleep together. They're inseparable. So the problem is that for one, 3 cats is too drat many. Our house isn't huge. If they were allowed to go outside sometimes, it might help, but with all three couped-up inside I think they're driving each other crazy. Problems: 1) Pinot does NOT like other cats. Over time she grew to tolerate Cheddar, but they've always just kept their distance from each other, which is fine. With the introduction of a second male cat, this has totally changed. Now, Cheddar is actively intimidating her, chasing her around the house, and backing her into a corner where she crouches down and just hisses at him. She never tries to fight him physically, but she makes some awful sounds (growling/shrieking/hissing). This is really really hard for me to watch/witness and I know it happens even more when I'm at work because I can't diffuse the situation. 2) Cheddar started spraying. He never sprayed in his youth, and I thought (incorrectly) that neutering would remove that urge. So far he's sprayed the vacuum 3x and my computer monitor 2x in the last two weeks. The obvious catalyst for this is that I introduced a third cat into the house, who is male. I am assuming this caused Cheddar to feel his territory is being threatened, which prompts him to mark things. I am not totally sure though, because he really loves Mango and they get along great. The only one Cheddar fights with, is Pinot. His interactions with Pinot have done a total 180. Where he used to tolerate her, he now challenges and intimidates her. Could play-fighting with Mango have induced these urges? Right now I am considering re-homing Pinot to a home with a single woman and NO OTHER PETS. I feel really really loving bad about it though. I love this cat, I've had her for four years and we were really close when I was single. I feel so guilty because I am considering getting rid of Pinot because of Cheddar's actions (spraying). But Cheddar and Mango get along swimmingly, I would hate to separate them. She doesn't get along with either of my 2 other cats, and it's made her very hard to be close to her. Because she hates the other two cats, she has become much less affectionate, often sitting alone in our bedroom or in a window. Loving her is like trying to love a porcupine; impossible. She has become a different cat over time. I know the home I'm considering is a good home, and most importantly, it will be a single-pet home which is really what she needs to be happy. So I guess I wanted to hear your opinions about the situation and to hear what a huge loving rear end in a top hat I am for considering getting rid of my cat who I love.  Edit: Here's a picture Pinot - Cheddar - Mango  Edit 2: I have also sprayed FeliWay throughout my house but it seemed to make no impact on anyone's behavior whatsoever. Helvetica Neue fucked around with this message at 21:51 on Nov 9, 2010 |
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Nov 9, 2010 20:38
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HondaCivet posted:Um, so why are you trying to rehome Pinot when the one causing problems is the new kitten? A cute little orange kitten would not be hard to get into a new home, believe me. Well, that's my dilemma and the reason I feel so guilty. Either I get rid of Cheddar and Mango and give Pinot the single-pet home she deserves and needs, or I put Pinot in a home with a family friend who has no other pets. I strongly believe in adopting adult cats (I adopted Pinot as an adult from the humane society) because kittens find homes easily, but adult cats can stay in the shelter for years. I also believe that adopting a pet is a huge responsibility that by doing so, I agree to take that pet on for life. I don't believe in just dumping pets off when you tire of them. Also, this is a joint decision between my boyfriend and I, and he feels that rehoming Pinot is the best option, not the other two cats. When I introduced the cats, Mango stayed in the laundry room for a week and a half, maybe two weeks, with his own food, litter, etc. I let them sniff each other through the door and they didn't actually get to interact for about 4 or 5 days. Cheddar was a bit perplexed at first but took to him quite quickly. Pinot didn't seem to mind and just kept to herself. It's only in the last ~3 weeks that poo poo has hit the fan. Mango has been here for 4 months. Edit: I don't *HAVE* to rehome her. I can clean up after Cheddar spraying. I can discourage him from attacking her when I'm home. In 6 months, I hope to be in a bigger house where she could maybe, stay away from him more. After winter, I can let her outside again (assuming she behaves & comes back home). Helvetica Neue fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Nov 9, 2010 |
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Nov 9, 2010 21:18
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Pinot has never liked Cheddar - she just doesn't like cats as far as I can tell. Loves humans though, even strangers she'll just hop right up on their lap! Their relationship has always been rocky, in my eyes. If he walked by her within 2 feet, she would growl and hiss and yowl at him but she is never the aggressor. He used to just ignore her, kinda roll his eyes and keep walking, but now he lunges at her and actually tries to fight her when she growls at him. They all wear SoftPaws so they don't really hurt each other, it's just a loud scary looking catfight. I'm not trying to blame any one of them.. I guess I wanted to know what everyone here thinks the cause is, and what possible solutions I might have. Adding the kitten = makes Cheddar spray and get extra aggressive to Pinot, even though he adores the kitten/isn't aggressive towards the kitten? Is it better to put her in a single-pet home? I really REALLY want to keep her if I can make it work. Is it selfish for me to keep her in this uncomfortable environment? If I found a home for Mango, would that change Cheddar's behavior? I understand the dangers of allowing her outside, but she just.. she just loves it so much, if you could see her. She absolutely comes alive when she's outdoors. We live on about 6 acres, far away from any busy roads, and she loves to hunt and bring us "presents." I've always kept her indoors, except for a few months this Summer when I finally felt safe enough to let her try it in our new place. I don't let her outside because I want her out of my hair, I (used to) let her outside because I can see how much better it makes her life.
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Nov 9, 2010 23:08
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She never brought home a bird, the main thing she used to catch was those big rear end dragonflies (like 4inches). She caught a baby mouse one time. But I see your point.. and she isn't going outside anymore.
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Nov 9, 2010 23:27
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I guess I hoped to come off as a seasoned cat owning veteran and not a noob who needs to be lectured about the dangers of being outside. Yes, I understand. They aren't going out anymore. It was just an idea I put out there as a possible solution to maintaining her happiness with me, instead of rehoming her. Not something I plan to do or am doing. I am dealing with a cat who is pretty miserable/unhappy in her living conditions and willing to consider anything. As for my living situation, I have a small single level house with 2 bedrooms. The only room off limits right now is the bathroom, because Mango has a field day batting everything off the counter. So really, each cat could go in it's own room if they wanted to. Pinot tends to hang out in the bedroom, and Cheddar and Mango tend to hang out in the living room. I have two large, covered litter boxes, do you think I should get a third? Both litter boxes are in the laundry room as there really isn't anywhere else to put them in my small house. Again, I *hope* to move to a much larger home in 6 months but nothing's set in stone yet. We only have two shelving units that give them something "high" to be up on, their normal perches include windows, tables, and desks. I think Cheddar loves my desk especially, hence the spraying my monitor thing. We are actually in the process of building a super awesome cat tree though, it's over 6 feet tall! Not completed yet. Regarding UTIs, Cheddar is the only one peeing, and it isn't actually a pee puddle he's leaving - it's a short burst of pee. You know, spray. Just enough to leave a little circle in the center of my monitor and traces of it dripping down. There was no puddle; he didn't actually pee there. It's always been my understanding that the symptoms of a UTI are where they just pee all over the house because they might associate their litterbox with pee pain. He's not peeing everywhere, just spraying 2 specific locations multiple times. Do you still think it could be a UTI warranting a vet visit? Edit: I forgot to mention that I use Nature's Miracle - LOVE that stuff. Thank you for all your insight thus far. Helvetica Neue fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Nov 10, 2010 |
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Nov 10, 2010 00:44
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After going over this in my head all day, and our conversations here, I feel strongly that I can't give her up. I came home today and hung out with her in the bedroom for about an hour, sans other kitties, just us. She is the best cat ever.. so affectionate and even tempered, I just love her. I can't let any of my cats go, and I am still capable of providing them them with a happy home, I just need to work at it better. If anything, Mango should go not her. I agree with everything you said above, especially the part about just waiting the six months. After all we've been through, I owe her that much. Sidenote: there simply is not enough floorspace in the laundry room for 4 litterboxes, really? Three would fit though. (I have two currently) Helvetica Neue fucked around with this message at 03:25 on Nov 10, 2010 |
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Nov 10, 2010 03:18
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RheaConfused posted:if you feel you really have to rehome, the kitten will be the easiest to find a home for and Cheddar will be absolutely fine. I feel so bad for her. She's sort of a small cat, well medium sized I guess, where as Cheddar is a BIG boy, so he can really throw his weight at her and hold her down. The sounds she makes sounds like she's DYING, but I know he isn't actually causing physical harm, only scaring the crap out of her and me. However, she does still come out in the living areas and socialize with the humans and the cats, regardless of being attacked. She's not just holed up under the bed or anything. So that's good. Today before I left for work, Mango was trying to play with her. I might try to record this on my phone to show you guys so you can see if you think I should be worried about this. Mango's 5 months old so he's still in his SUPER loving CRAZY ATTACK KITTEN phase, and I watched him "playing" with her; ranging from batting at each other to full-body, belly-to-belly pouncing her, which results in a terrifying yowl like you just stabbed her or something. To me her sounds are a huge overreaction, because she did attack him back and it seemed playful, or at least not harmful. But she cowers down to the kitten, even backs away and he keeps going at her.. he wouldn't stop until I distracted him with a toy. I worry about this going on all day in my house. I worry this is some sort of dominance exercise, and that Cheddar has been "teaching" Mango how to attack the female in the house, and that in this dual-alpha-male-cat dominated household they'll BOTH start spraying. 
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Nov 10, 2010 17:59
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duckfarts posted:I applaud your decision to bear with it and keep your cats. It really does take time for poo poo to calm down between new and tenured cats, so buckle down and keep a roll of paper towels handy, but when the dust settles, things should be much better. duckfarts posted:For the litterboxes, it really would be best to make sure you have at least 2 different making GBS threads locations(same goes for food and water). If your cats aren't getting along, they need to be able to eat and crap in peace, away from the other cats/threats. As long as they aren't beating the poo poo out of each other, they'll socialize over time, on their own time. You can try putting a litterbox under a table or inside a cabinet to avoid wasting floorspace.  duckfarts posted:For the outside thing, if you still want to take a cat outside, make sure all your cats have their FLV shots, and use a harness+leash and go with them instead of just letting them go nuts and coming back whenever. The only downside to this in my opinion is that if your cats LOVE to go outside, you may need to be careful when opening the front door if your cats want to bolt outside(and taking them outside may encourage it instead of getting them used to indoor life only).
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Nov 10, 2010 18:07
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ChibiStacey posted:3) Korben has a super licking habit! He'll climb up on my head purring lots, and lick my face, neck and hair. What does this mean (I guess he enjoys it?) Also he won't lick my husband, just me My cat Cheddar likes to do this, too - I call them kitty kisses.  I think it's a sign of affection, trying to clean you. Or maybe he thinks you need a bath 
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Nov 12, 2010 00:56
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John Dyne posted:I'll try the pumpkin. Also, her poop REALLY stinks. I've had cats before and it wasn't this bad. She even bolts from the bathroom at the smell of it, and looks extremely uncomfortable while she's doing it. It was funny at first, but now it's the sort of thing that wakes us up in the middle of the night. Quick update on Pinot Noir, Cheddar and Mango - things are looking up! Cheddar hasn't sprayed on anything (that I know of) since my last post. He's also been much less aggressive towards Pinot, and she's actually warming up to both of them. I have only seen Cheddar really corner her and terrorize her probably twice since I last posted - a huge improvement over his old behavior. I always diffuse the situation when I'm home, if it escalates past just playing. I've caught HER instigating playtime with Mango, which I thought was pretty impressive for her age.
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Dec 1, 2010 18:35
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duckfarts posted:Probably not; usually you'd get watery/itchy/red eyes(the most common one I know of), difficulty breathing, or rashes. In some cases, the person can get over the allergies as well. Keep an eye on....uh...yourself, and see if the symptoms worsen. If you die, keep us posted. Related question, kinda.. recently my nose has been plugged when I'm at home around my cats. Not snotty, but like my sinuses are swollen and no air can come through. I chalked it up to seasonal allergies, but it's winter now and it hasn't gone away. Am I allergic to my cats? (no itchy/watery eyes or sneezing)
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Jan 12, 2011 19:03
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HondaCivet posted:It might be something else in the house, like dust or a too-low humidity level. If it's come up only recently I wouldn't assume it was your cats unless you just got them. It's been happening since the summer, which is why I assumed seasonal allergies.. I live in Oregon so it's very humid, but I moved here from the desert where I never had any allergies at all. I've had my adult cat for many years, but I did get another cat in the summer around when it started happening. 
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Jan 12, 2011 22:15
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standardtoaster posted:I get it, I know this. Do you have a recommendation for a dewormer? Your vet will give you a dewormer based on your cat's weight. If you know your cat's weight you may not need a whole exam. One deworming pill ranges from $7-$15 where I live. Giving a cat a pill is nearly impossible and painful for both parties, so you can try crushing it over some wet food or putting in a pill pocket (a treat with a hole in it), but my cats are never fooled by those.
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Jan 15, 2011 00:35
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Pandaid - It sounds like she is annoyed with him, but she's not getting too rough or too aggressive. I have a silimar setup in my house, and my older female cat is always growling and/or hissing at the younger cat who just wants to play. It's just her most basic reaction to being hosed with, I guess, because she has gotten much more tollerant the longer they live together, but she still does it. Also I think the fact that they are together all day when I'm at work has improved the situation. How long have they been living together? I have actually caught her playing back, sometimes, even doing the "you chase me now I'll chase you" game. I was so surprised! It took about 6 months to get there, but they have definitely warmed up to each other. She still growls, but the playful cat has learned when he can ignore it and when she's serious. I'd say just give them time, monitor her if it gets too rough. Sometimes I have to intervene when playful cat does the jump attack 180 spin move and pounces her belly to belly. She'll yowl like she's being murdered and he'll just hold her down. I have to pull him off when I see that happen but I imagine it goes on when I'm at work, too. I have a theory it is also influenced by their genders, and that it's his form of dominance in a way.
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Feb 3, 2011 20:58
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