Laurieheels Posted October 26, 2003 Posted October 26, 2003 This is a topic abuot cats. Young, old, long hair, short hair... if you do not like cats, please do not post here. This is for people who do like cats, to discuss cat behaviour, get help with problems, pick breeds for a new cat, things like that. I suppose it could be called the cat fancier's thread. I will start, since I chose the topic. My mother has two kittens. My younger sister by a year has two kittens. By older sister has two cats, both adults. So I am drawn into a cat family. I am most familiar with my mother's two trouble making little rascles. We have a number of Danish nicknames for them. Since I cannot spell Danish words all that well, especially since the keyboard is not set up for that... The younger is part british short hair. We thought she was a british blue, but her fur is looking a bit more like a grey smoke than the grey of that breed. The other kitten who is a bit older is, well, he has to grow a bit more before we figure him out. Short hair, tabby markings, grey with black stripes, a white chest, not buttoned. Both came from the shelter. I find the older one, the male, is a suck for attention, especially when someone is at a computer. I often get meowed at, and then he needs to jump up for snuggle time, and putting his paw on the keyboard to imitate me. So, how about your own little fluffy wonders? Share with us the strange world you've entered since deciding to take on a cat for a pet...
PJ Posted October 26, 2003 Posted October 26, 2003 I actually prefer dogs. But my girlfriend is having a cat problem that we have had some success in dealing with. She has a 2 year old Calico. When she moved into my condo, most of the rooms had wallpapered walls. Within six months, the cat shreaded all the wallpaper that she could reach. It was an embarrassment to invite visitors over. So I purchased a steamer and we removed all the wallpaper. Then the cat started to scratch the corners of the upholstered chairs. So we attached a scrap piece of furniture material to the corners and that prevents them from being damaged any further. But now she has a tendency to scratch at wood furniture like dresser drawers. Does anyone have any ideas how we should deal with this? Should we have her de-clawed? After all, she is an indoor cat. We have tried a scratching post but she avoids them. Thanks click .... click .... click .... The sensual sound of stiletto heels on a hard surface.
Dr. Shoe Posted October 26, 2003 Posted October 26, 2003 Unfortunately our home is not cat compatible. We have a dog, three hamsters, a rat, three canaries and three budgies and our flat is on the fourth floor. However, I was brought up with cats and my earliest memories included two black cats Sambo and Cindy and I vaguely remember Cindy's mother Sally. Sambo died while we were living in Israel and Zoe replaced him. In Israel we had another cat a Tabby called Tigger who was spoilt rotten by our landlady who used to hand feed him Marmite on toast. We lived with my grandmother for six months or so whilst our new house was under construction and so we then had Cindy, Zoe and her cat Tiddles. Zoe then gave birth to two kittens who we called Tigger after "the professor" (as our landlady called him), and Sambo after old Sam. Sadly sambo was barely a year old when he got run over by a car but Tigger lived to the age of 16 but was almost outlived by professor Tigger who was nearly 18 when he died, a fine old age for a feline. In the meantime I got married to a woman who was Horse and Cat mad and on our divorce we had no fewer than 27 of them!! (cats I mean, only 1 horse). Most of them were rescue cats and we were running our own rescue centre with the intention of re-homing them. 2 of them Buster and Tabitha went to my mum's and as kittens the seemed to regard Tigger who was already of advancing years as some kind of crusty old Uncle and at this time the neighbour's cat Mitsy sussed my mum out as a soft touch and so came in through the catflap with the others. Tigger thought that she was with the kittens and the kittens thought that she was with him! About 2 years ago Tabitha died at the age of 15 and Buster is looking distinctly elderly but has been joined by my brothers cat (8 years old or so) misnamed Oscar because he thought that she was a he. Ironically, Oscar means "are you a man?" in Japanese! or so I gather. I would love to have a house one day and get a cat or two as long as they couldn't gat at the birds or the rodents. Sam (our dog) was brought up with cats anyway and loves them dearly so he wouldn't be a problem. Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
Firefox Posted October 26, 2003 Posted October 26, 2003 I'm a cat person. My cats are very contented and well fed. They get all over the place. But I keep them in the kitchen when people come.
Skirted-UK Posted October 26, 2003 Posted October 26, 2003 I have always lived in a house that had a cat. I can't imagine a house without a cat. We currently have 3, but I have had as many as 7 at one stage. "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave ! " The Eagles, "Hotel California"
Skirted-UK Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 I actually prefer dogs. But my girlfriend is having a cat problem that we have had some success in dealing with. She has a 2 year old Calico. When she moved into my condo, most of the rooms had wallpapered walls. Within six months, the cat shreaded all the wallpaper that she could reach. It was an embarrassment to invite visitors over. So I purchased a steamer and we removed all the wallpaper. Then the cat started to scratch the corners of the upholstered chairs. So we attached a scrap piece of furniture material to the corners and that prevents them from being damaged any further. But now she has a tendency to scratch at wood furniture like dresser drawers. Does anyone have any ideas how we should deal with this? Should we have her de-clawed? After all, she is an indoor cat. We have tried a scratching post but she avoids them. It sounds like this cat is bored, one of my cats will do things like this to get attention as he knows that clawing the furniture is a sure way to get himself notice. Is your cat on it's own all day? Cats don't do well kept indoors all the time, they like to be out hunting. I know some people who keep cats indoors but they have someone with them all the time. Have you considered fitting a cat flap? "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave ! " The Eagles, "Hotel California"
PJ Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 It sounds like this cat is bored, one of my cats will do things like this to get attention as he knows that clawing the furniture is a sure way to get himself notice. Is your cat on it's own all day? Cats don't do well kept indoors all the time, they like to be out hunting. I know some people who keep cats indoors but they have someone with them all the time. Have you considered fitting a cat flap? In the condo live a mother and her two teenage children. The mother works full-time. The children don't work or attend school so they come and go through-out the day. However, at least one person is at home most of the time. The mother and children do occassionally play with the cat and show it affection through hugging. But for the most part, the cat just lays around. The cat has full run of the condo and is allowed on the furniture and on the beds. The only time the cat has been outdoors is on the condo balcony. But the cat will only go on the balcony when someone is with it. When they leave the balcony, the cat follows them. A few times that the cat was accidently locked out on the balcony resulted in panic scratching on the glass sliding door. We can leave the front door open and yet the cat will not even venture out in the corridoor of the condo building. You say the cat should be outdoors at least part of the time. I suspect the only way the cat will go out is for us to force it out. Is that what we should do? click .... click .... click .... The sensual sound of stiletto heels on a hard surface.
Dr. Shoe Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 I actually prefer dogs. But my girlfriend is having a cat problem that we have had some success in dealing with. She has a 2 year old Calico. When she moved into my condo, most of the rooms had wallpapered walls. Within six months, the cat shreaded all the wallpaper that she could reach. It was an embarrassment to invite visitors over. So I purchased a steamer and we removed all the wallpaper. Then the cat started to scratch the corners of the upholstered chairs. So we attached a scrap piece of furniture material to the corners and that prevents them from being damaged any further. But now she has a tendency to scratch at wood furniture like dresser drawers. Does anyone have any ideas how we should deal with this? Should we have her de-clawed? After all, she is an indoor cat. We have tried a scratching post but she avoids them. Thanks Get a scratch post, cats prefer a properly designed one from the pet shop to furniture. Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
SkyScraper Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 We've got 4 dogs and 6 cats... and they all get along I really like pets, they make the house feel alive, even when you're home alone... Best wishes, hhs
Ionic Posted October 28, 2003 Posted October 28, 2003 all your cat wants for xmas: Go to http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=159&item=3248035924 and you'll realise that ANYONE can utilise the services provided by eBay. /Ionic ... nobody`s foil ! /I
Dr. Shoe Posted October 29, 2003 Posted October 29, 2003 I think I might get some for the birds. I haven't laughed so much for a long time. :rofl: Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
Francis Posted October 29, 2003 Posted October 29, 2003 we currently have 2 tabby moggies Jake and Elwood. Jake is a lazy fat slob that doesn't care and will take fuss from anyone, while Elwood is more wary but is a very loving cat who asks to go out. Different story when I lived in Lincolnshire. We had 27 cats! Yes! 27!! Jackie has nightmarish memories of asking to feed the cats when she first moved in ! 24 cats came in that night for feeding, although 5 were tiny kittens and 2 cats scared the life out of her Mind you, Nicholas was more like a panther than a cat and Thomas (His Nibs) was just demanding Most of our cats came from extra litters being produced, although some came from other people not wanting their cats and dumping them at our place. That's where the dog came in though. He would scare off any people attempting to dump their cats, but would bring home any weak cats he found. A very loving, intelligent dog. He used to nurse the kittens which was a strange sight. A 6.5 stone sable coloured labrador lay on his side with week old kittens by his belly. Some cats were real characters, Thomas came to us as a 1 day old and we hand reared him. He tried to establish himself as top cat until Ellie realised and knocked him down a few pegs. Nicholas was a huge black cat that didn't have a single ounce of fat on him, just pure muscle. Stark contrast to his brother, Steven, who was mostly flab. Lucy was a lovely white and tortoise shell colour and gave birth to some really beautiful kittens. Cleo was a thin black cat that I found behind a stack of newspapers, she was suffering from both her hips been broken. We took her to the vets and got her patched up. The vet put her on steroids and advised us to not let her into any weightlifting competitions He reckoned that she wouldn't live much more than 3 months. She lived for another 5 years until she disappeared. Even with all these cats about, I was still able to keep chickens. The cats didn't bother with them at all and would ignore them even when I let the chickens out of the pen to roam around the garden, but the cats would have any mouse, rat or rabbit that they encountered. I love cats, but I sometimes have to wonder about Jake these days. He walks around with a stoned look on his face and has the intelligence of his food !
Bubba136 Posted October 30, 2003 Posted October 30, 2003 Speaking of Cats! Halloween is Friday! Black cats and all that. However, Francis we needs lots of pictures of the party for those of us that aren't able to be there in person. Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public.
Laurieheels Posted October 30, 2003 Author Posted October 30, 2003 My younger sister has a black cat, with a few white hairs on the chest. Which is not fair, I have always wanted the black cat. Of course, there are places that hide all of the black cats in the shelter before Hallowe'en, in case people are adpoting them for stupid rituals. Cats are sacred, just ask an Ancient egyptian. oh right, those left have had their brains, organs and tongues removed, and wrapped up in tensor bandages or some such thing. Tragic accidents, they seem to have. But still!
ILuvHeels Posted November 1, 2003 Posted November 1, 2003 I just got this in an e-mail today, it's related so...
Laurieheels Posted November 6, 2003 Author Posted November 6, 2003 My mother is thinking about giving back one of her kittens. We have tried so much with this little one to get her to behave. And the only problem is that she likes to relieve herself on the carpet. Not urinate, that she is happy to do in the litter box. And sometimes, she will deficate there as well without prompting. But she has used the carpet in every room of my mother's apartment at least once. And she has a favourite spot about two feet from the bathroom door, as we have the litter box in there. When we had one in the hall, just outside the bathroom, she'd still decide to go about six inches to a foot away from it. We have tried different litters, we have two litter boxes again, we have sprayed the carpet with many things that cats are supposed to dislike, we have given her more attention, we have priased her, we constantly show her the litter box and try to make her feel comfortable there... Nothing is working. So it's likely my mother will have the cat go back to the shelter tomorrow, which is heart breaking, for me, my mother, and for the older kitten as well, except he doesn't know what's going on yet. How does one deal with having to get rid of a kitten that is very much wanted? And at this point, my mother will not change her mind, as much as she loves her little kitten. If the shelter does not call by tomorrow morning to offer some new advice, the kitten goes back. So if anyone has advice on how to get over having to give up a very much wanted pet, I would really like it.
JeffM Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Laurie have you tried vinegar where your kitten does her busines on the carpet/floor. I believe that cats dont like the smell so wont go there again to do their business. And haveyou tried changing the litter regularly, this too has an effect on them I have heard. Hope you are able to keep your little one. Jeff
Laurieheels Posted November 6, 2003 Author Posted November 6, 2003 Well, we have two weeks to figure it out, according to my mother. Vet visit will go in there as we can afford it. I do the litter every night, cleaning it, changing it, whatever it needs. We've been using citrus on the carpets prior to this, we have this spray, but so far no luck. We have a bit of vinegar, so that will be next. But my mother doesn't think it is a scent issue. The thought is that this kitten was premature, or is somehow having problems. She's tiny, and she's very quiet. Sometimes she's fine, sometimes she goes in the hallway. And she knows it is wrong, and she runs if she's caught. My mother is hoping the vet can see if she has bowel problems. The bottom line is that if our little kitten is in any kind of discomfort, then she should be free of it, through surgery or otherwise. Kittens, like people, deserve to be happy, and live happy lives.
Dr. Shoe Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Orange peel seems to work well. Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
Skirted-UK Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 My mother is thinking about giving back one of her kittens. We have tried so much with this little one to get her to behave. And the only problem is that she likes to relieve herself on the carpet. Not urinate, that she is happy to do in the litter box. And sometimes, she will deficate there as well without prompting. But she has used the carpet in every room of my mother's apartment at least once. And she has a favourite spot about two feet from the bathroom door, as we have the litter box in there. When we had one in the hall, just outside the bathroom, she'd still decide to go about six inches to a foot away from it. We have tried different litters, we have two litter boxes again, we have sprayed the carpet with many things that cats are supposed to dislike, we have given her more attention, we have priased her, we constantly show her the litter box and try to make her feel comfortable there... Nothing is working. So it's likely my mother will have the cat go back to the shelter tomorrow, which is heart breaking, for me, my mother, and for the older kitten as well, except he doesn't know what's going on yet. How does one deal with having to get rid of a kitten that is very much wanted? And at this point, my mother will not change her mind, as much as she loves her little kitten. If the shelter does not call by tomorrow morning to offer some new advice, the kitten goes back. So if anyone has advice on how to get over having to give up a very much wanted pet, I would really like it. Some cats do this when they are very young, but you can train them to use a litter tray and they will grow out of it. Cats are usualy very clean so I think you will find that this is just a phase it's going through. I know it's difficault, but just try and stick it out and it will all come right in the end. "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave ! " The Eagles, "Hotel California"
Laurieheels Posted November 8, 2003 Author Posted November 8, 2003 Well, here is the update. My mother had the day off, so she took the tiny kitten to the vet, a different one from where we had her shots done. This vet listened to everything, gave her an exam, and determined that she does not have worms anbd her digestion is just fine. He also examined her teeth, and concluded that this kitten, which the local shelter told us was born in early June, and we thought was actually born in early July, is even younger. The teeth tell everything, aparently. my mother said that the Vet checked her teeth many times, and we is certain that maybe this kitten is only three months old or so. So as it turns out, she would have been spayed too young. The vet gave some food samples, encouraged a number of different things, and generally confirmed many things we knew about cats, such as they have feelings and they react to many things. it turns out that my mother's tiny kitten is just very young, and has a traumatic time of things since being at the shelter. And the shelter has lied to us a great deal about her. A woman from the shelter who is supposed to be an expert about cats and their behaviour had told my mother via telephone that cats do not remember things and do not feel emotions. Um... yeah. Right. The Vet has indicated this is quite contrary, as we always believed. Cats remember a lot, they are quite celver, and they have feelings. They get moody, they get lonely, they can be afraid, happy, sad... I am sure cats feel at least five of the seven basic emotions. So the two weeks is now ignored, we have been told our kitten is just really young, and has had a lot happen to her at too early an age. Either that, or she is the runt of the litter in a way that's very rare, and that has her all confused. The end result of reasoning is that she goes on the carpet sometimes because she is afraid and uncertain of things. She knows it is wrong, but there are times when she just feels mixed up and uncomfortable, and so she just goes in a spot she has before. Only time, love, attention, and encouragement can fix this now, along with a balanced diet of good quality cat food. And that is the report!
JeffM Posted November 8, 2003 Posted November 8, 2003 Sounds like every thing and every one will end up very happy. yeah. Jeff
jim Posted November 8, 2003 Posted November 8, 2003 Only time, love, attention, and encouragement can fix this now, along with a balanced diet of good quality cat food. Yup.....there's nothing quite like it... I feel great !!!
Dr. Shoe Posted November 8, 2003 Posted November 8, 2003 When we had professor tigger in Israel, he was raised in a small flat and moved across the landing to a larger one when he was about a year old. A couple of years later, my mother was in the old flat cleaning it on behalf of the landlady when he follwed her in and with a "Miaow?" investigated all the nooks and crannies he loved as a kitten. Cats don't have memory? Crap! Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
Laurieheels Posted November 9, 2003 Author Posted November 9, 2003 Cats are everything we think they are and more. My sister once suggested that cats have a way to talk with one another than doesn't include sound. Not exactly telepathic, but some mysterious way they can convey thoughts and feelings about things with only a glance. And it seems to be true most of the time. Of course, that's not to say the cat receiving the advice will actually listen and leave the sleeping one alone, or some such thing.
hoverfly Posted November 9, 2003 Posted November 9, 2003 This is akatexasbumbkin's cat Ghost or RB before he was named Ghost. (responds to both...well most of the time.) He was adopted from the SPCA. When this picture was taken last Christmas, he was only around 5lbs when he was let out side. Ate like a pig with out getting fat. But after some expensive vet bills form fights with other animals, he is stays inside now at aka’s mother’s house and weights around 8lbs. Hello, my name is Hoverfly. I’m a high heel addict…. Weeeeeeeeeee! 👠1998 to 2022!
Laurieheels Posted November 10, 2003 Author Posted November 10, 2003 He's adorable. White fur, blue eyes... very cute indeed. And looks handsome in a red bow tie!
azraelle Posted November 10, 2003 Posted November 10, 2003 Although I adore cats--we used to have about 20, now dwindled to 2--(and long-eared hounds), I have a somewhat metaphysical opinion of them: I think of them as assigned or potential witnesses to our behavior on this earth with respect to the Judgement Day! Just a thought . . . I mean, really, who would suspect a CAT of all God's creatures being a spy for the Almighty? "All that you can decide, is what to do with the time that is given you."--Gandalf, "Life is not tried, it is merely survived -If you're standing outside the fire."--Garth Brooks
Laurieheels Posted November 11, 2003 Author Posted November 11, 2003 Are you sure they're not neutral spies, playing both sides? I mean, sometimes they seem perfect and well behaved, and turn your back... one's back up eating the plants, after being educated on an infinite number of occassions that such a thing is wrong, and possibly dangerous.
texasbumpkin Posted November 11, 2003 Posted November 11, 2003 Hoverfly is incorrect on the weight of the cat.......ghost is 12 lbs........I have the vet records to prove it.
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