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CatEra |OT| Share your pics, read our tips, ask any questions
- Thread starter Weltall Zero
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OP
OP
I guess it doesn't get that far for me because I hug and kiss them until they're the ones to walk away in disgust. :D "Elmyra Hug, the guilt-free cat personal space control".
Have you taken her to the vet yet? Lack of appetite can be a million different things.
Oh god, poor thing. Why am I not surprised that someone getting rid of a cat would also declaw him? :(
I just pulled out a tapeworm that was trying to crawl out of my kitten's bum. It was a small segmented one so I assume there's a large one in there giving birth to more of them. I've put him in his kennel for now. I'll probably need to clean the whole place and put my two other cats on dewormer medication huh? Thing was disgusting. The cat hospital had given him dewormer when I took him in a week ago, I guess not all of them died. Trying not to hallucinate about tiny worms wriggling around my apartment at the moment
My cousin's cat has a slight case of entropion . It is 4-5 months old.
Could the cat get better with time, when it grows more? Or is the surgery always necessary?
Could the cat get better with time, when it grows more? Or is the surgery always necessary?
OP
OP
My SO tells me this is normal because the dewormer works on live worms but not eggs, so you need to deworm it again to kill the worms that hatched from the eggs in the meantime. Typically you deworm again 15 days after the first deworming, so do that. If you still see worms after that, then after another 15 days.
Since this is a rarer condition, you should probably consult with your vet. My SO knows of one cat that had this and was operated; it's a very light, quick surgery. Since it's 4-5 months old, it would probably best to combine it with spaying (assuming he wasn't spayed yet, which is typically at around 6 months) so that he only needs to be sedated once.
I need some help.
My cat Griffith got out last night. He used to be a stray about a year ago, and I took him in after weeks of him just hanging outside my previous place. He is friendly and incredible, and I miss him so fucking much already. I was driving home last night when my roommate called me telling me he just "bolted out the door" - something he has never done before - and that he just lost him instantly. We looked for hours (until about 2 AM) when I finally just couldn't move anymore. I fell asleep for about 2-3 hours and woke up hearing him meow. I open the door and he zooms past it, looks at me for two seconds, then books it as fast as he could. I've never seen him run so fast.
I'm not really certain what to do. I have food out, his litter box, and some water. I left some of my clothes out and his blanket that he sleeps with for a familiar scent. I have walked around this morning looking for him and haven't turned up a thing. I'm so terrified of him being picked up (he has no collar, but a microchip) or outright run over. He has lived outside before, so I'm sure he's okay for now, but I can't stand not having him home. I feel like I need to set up a trap or something, but I am worried that would just scare him more. I have reported him lost via the microchip registry, but that's all I can do right now I feel. I don't know. Griffith means the world to me - he has helped me get through a lot of difficult emotional times and overall improved my mood just by existing. He is one of my best friends, and now he's gone (or at least for now). I just bought him new toys, too, which he seemed to love. I seriously wonder if the catnip I got him made him feel "wild" or something.
Obligatory pictures:
My cat Griffith got out last night. He used to be a stray about a year ago, and I took him in after weeks of him just hanging outside my previous place. He is friendly and incredible, and I miss him so fucking much already. I was driving home last night when my roommate called me telling me he just "bolted out the door" - something he has never done before - and that he just lost him instantly. We looked for hours (until about 2 AM) when I finally just couldn't move anymore. I fell asleep for about 2-3 hours and woke up hearing him meow. I open the door and he zooms past it, looks at me for two seconds, then books it as fast as he could. I've never seen him run so fast.
I'm not really certain what to do. I have food out, his litter box, and some water. I left some of my clothes out and his blanket that he sleeps with for a familiar scent. I have walked around this morning looking for him and haven't turned up a thing. I'm so terrified of him being picked up (he has no collar, but a microchip) or outright run over. He has lived outside before, so I'm sure he's okay for now, but I can't stand not having him home. I feel like I need to set up a trap or something, but I am worried that would just scare him more. I have reported him lost via the microchip registry, but that's all I can do right now I feel. I don't know. Griffith means the world to me - he has helped me get through a lot of difficult emotional times and overall improved my mood just by existing. He is one of my best friends, and now he's gone (or at least for now). I just bought him new toys, too, which he seemed to love. I seriously wonder if the catnip I got him made him feel "wild" or something.
Obligatory pictures:
I have an outside cat.
We're about to move to a new apartment about 10 minutes away our current place. What's the best method to acclimate her to a new, permanent outside area? Tips that'll help me get her familiar with the place so she can make her way back home safely.
We're about to move to a new apartment about 10 minutes away our current place. What's the best method to acclimate her to a new, permanent outside area? Tips that'll help me get her familiar with the place so she can make her way back home safely.
Great pics. Sorry to hear about the cat escape, but I'm optimistic based on what you've said that he'll be fine and will return in the coming days. It sounds like you're doing plenty already to find him. You said you put food out, does that include smelly food he likes? If you know any neighbors, give them a picture and ask them to keep an eye out. If your local shelters have an online database, check it daily. If you have a local mailbox, put up a picture and contact info. Check to see if your area has a Facebook group, and post the info there. I think people post about missing pets on Craigslist too. When you get him back, if it were me I still wouldn't put a collar on (and definitely not one with a bell). If he's away from home, he needs to be able to hunt and eat and not have a collar related accident. Good luck, please keep us posted. Try not to worry too much. I've fed a couple of outdoor cats for a decade, and they've gone from being here daily to going missing for up to five days and returning like nothing happened.I need some help.
My cat Griffith got out last night. He used to be a stray about a year ago, and I took him in after weeks of him just hanging outside my previous place. He is friendly and incredible, and I miss him so fucking much already. I was driving home last night when my roommate called me telling me he just "bolted out the door" - something he has never done before - and that he just lost him instantly. We looked for hours (until about 2 AM) when I finally just couldn't move anymore. I fell asleep for about 2-3 hours and woke up hearing him meow. I open the door and he zooms past it, looks at me for two seconds, then books it as fast as he could. I've never seen him run so fast.
I'm not really certain what to do. I have food out, his litter box, and some water. I left some of my clothes out and his blanket that he sleeps with for a familiar scent. I have walked around this morning looking for him and haven't turned up a thing. I'm so terrified of him being picked up (he has no collar, but a microchip) or outright run over. He has lived outside before, so I'm sure he's okay for now, but I can't stand not having him home. I feel like I need to set up a trap or something, but I am worried that would just scare him more. I have reported him lost via the microchip registry, but that's all I can do right now I feel. I don't know. Griffith means the world to me - he has helped me get through a lot of difficult emotional times and overall improved my mood just by existing. He is one of my best friends, and now he's gone (or at least for now). I just bought him new toys, too, which he seemed to love. I seriously wonder if the catnip I got him made him feel "wild" or something.
Obligatory pictures:
I'm trying to remain optimistic as best as I can. I'm just kind of sitting by the door at this point. I put out some tuna and dry food as well, both of which he likes, but he didn't seem to eat any of it last night or today. I've talked to a few neighbors and they seem willing to help (even a little girl who pointed in the direction I saw him run this morning!) so that's nice. Griffith absolutely hates collars, so he isn't wearing one, though I'm sure he'd get caught in something if he did. I'm about to make some flyers and go from there, I guess. Thanks for the tips.
OP
OP
Another thing you might try is calling local people that dedicate to TNR, see if they can help you trying to trap him. Other than that I'm out of ideas. Does he have a way to enter your house should he want to (cat door or similar)?
He does not, sadly I just live in a little townhome.
That being said, I did end up finding him and bringing him home! After hours of walking around yesterday, I was getting ready to go get copies of the lost poster made when I noticed some of the food was missing. I walked around a bit more and heard some soft, almost pathetic little mews coming from down the alleyway. Walked up to a bunch of downed tree limbs/brush and Griffith was just sitting under there, looking scared. I just got down on my knees and called for him for ~5 minutes before he slowly waddled out and right up to me. Scooped him up, cried a bit, ran back to my house and tossed his ass in there lol. Pet him for like an hour until he wanted to sleep, and now he's still asleep in my bed. This little shit.
For the future, what can I do to deter him from trying to run outside? He had a chair near the door that he liked to sit on, but I moved it so he wouldn't have an easy way to jump out.
I'm so glad to hear he's home safely. I had a mild panic attack over the weekend when I thought Jensen slipped through our apartment door when I went out to check on the weather outside, but after a short frantic search of the apartment I found him under our bed.
That's great news. My optimism was warranted. Maybe the reminder of being scared and hungry will keep him inside after this. As for preventative measures, I don't know what else you could do other than being careful when opening the door.He does not, sadly I just live in a little townhome.
That being said, I did end up finding him and bringing him home! After hours of walking around yesterday, I was getting ready to go get copies of the lost poster made when I noticed some of the food was missing. I walked around a bit more and heard some soft, almost pathetic little mews coming from down the alleyway. Walked up to a bunch of downed tree limbs/brush and Griffith was just sitting under there, looking scared. I just got down on my knees and called for him for ~5 minutes before he slowly waddled out and right up to me. Scooped him up, cried a bit, ran back to my house and tossed his ass in there lol. Pet him for like an hour until he wanted to sleep, and now he's still asleep in my bed. This little shit.
For the future, what can I do to deter him from trying to run outside? He had a chair near the door that he liked to sit on, but I moved it so he wouldn't have an easy way to jump out.
Would a small squirt bottle work as a deterrent? I wouldn't really want to actually squirt him with it or anything, just kind of use it/hold it up when he gets near the door or something.
Speaking of hungry, Griffith is especially picky when it comes to food. He begs me for food even when his bowl is full, but usually only does so when he doesn't like the food itself. However, he only seems to like super cheap catfood as opposed to anything even slightly healthy, and will only eat when he has no other choice. He loves meat and I will give him some strips of turkey sometimes, but when I tried buying him wet food/anything with actual meat in it, he seems to snub it. He spent a long time eating birds and squirrels as a stray, I'm sure, but I'm not really certain what kind of food would be best for him at this point.
I'm sure a squirt bottle would work, but I wonder if that would send a good message, because there could be an emergency situation one day where you want him to escape. I don't know.
I don't expect my apartment to burn down, but to be fair, anything can happen lol. Maybe I'll just get a little one and see how it goes. He hasn't rushed the door since yesterday at least so far.
OP
OP
He does not, sadly I just live in a little townhome.
That being said, I did end up finding him and bringing him home! After hours of walking around yesterday, I was getting ready to go get copies of the lost poster made when I noticed some of the food was missing. I walked around a bit more and heard some soft, almost pathetic little mews coming from down the alleyway. Walked up to a bunch of downed tree limbs/brush and Griffith was just sitting under there, looking scared. I just got down on my knees and called for him for ~5 minutes before he slowly waddled out and right up to me. Scooped him up, cried a bit, ran back to my house and tossed his ass in there lol. Pet him for like an hour until he wanted to sleep, and now he's still asleep in my bed. This little shit.
For the future, what can I do to deter him from trying to run outside? He had a chair near the door that he liked to sit on, but I moved it so he wouldn't have an easy way to jump out.
So very relieved to hear you got him back! :)
I'm assuming the issue is that your house has a lawn / garden area where he lounges and you don't want him to exit outside that area, right? There are cat-proof fences, typically using rotating cylinders at the top or bars that form a little ceiling inwards, but I don't know how viable (economically or otherwise) this would be for you.
I live in a ground floor apartment, and installing any sort of fence or anything would probably not be okay. I'm technically not even supposed to have a cat here. :/ I'd love for him to have a screened-in area or something to sit outside, he loves perching in windows and watching the world, but after yesterday, I definitely don't want him wandering around on his own.
I wonder if having a cat prone to escaping might also depend on whether the kitty is fed on a schedule or just setup for grazing? Our two cats have never been outside so I don't think they have much of a desire to escape (though Chloe does love to "cluck" at birds!), but we also have dry food out for them all the time, so they can just graze and don't really have to "hunt".
Perhaps leaving food out for a kitty continually would reduce their desire to escape? As long as it doesn't gorge itself, but I'm sure there's training for moving a cat from regular feedings to grazing. Thoughts, anyone?
Perhaps leaving food out for a kitty continually would reduce their desire to escape? As long as it doesn't gorge itself, but I'm sure there's training for moving a cat from regular feedings to grazing. Thoughts, anyone?
Had to do an ear cleaning, ear drops, and flea/heartworm treatment all in one night. I hope I got that flea treatment on right, and I was worried he'd hate us the rest of the night, but he seems to be doing fine.
My cat keeps covering his food bowl with whatever he can find, any idea why? He's always got a clean litter, keep his food and water in a different room. He seems happy otherwise.
Just guessing here, was he an outdoor cat? Maybe had to protect his food for later, or isn't used to having permanent food available? If you put the food bowl inside a box would that satisfy him that the food is safe from others? Does he think he's a squirrel?
maximumzero Nice.
He's always been an indoor cat, I did get him from someone off of Craigslist who had no idea what they were doing, and now that I'm thinking about it that could be a part of it. He had a lot of trouble eating when I got him because he was too young... and covered in flees. Sorry I digress, I leave food for him out but thats how its always been. Ima try the box suggestion cause I'm curious, I think he'd like that.
Anyone elses cats actuallt enjoy car rides?
My brother's family moved in with us for the next two years to save on rent while their house is being built. Along they brought their older female cat, Fina, known to chase away even dogs. As we already have a male cat, Costa, I was anxious as to how they would get along. Costa is very social to the point where he will be playful with a strange cat the moment he sees us interact with it in a peaceful manner. After letting Fina settle into their designated flat, and both of them interact through a narrowly opened window, we dared to have them meet properly face-to-face next.
Here's how their interactions outside then went:
Day #1: Fina is scared of an overly friendly and chill Costa, hiding underneath a car for hours as he watches
Day #2: Costa really wants to sniff that butt, but Fina still is a bit shy
Day #3: Fina and Costa smell each others noses and get along seemingly fine, despite keeping a bit of a distance
So far so good, I think. Maybe these cats could become friends!
Day #4: Fina gets ballsy, I see her lay down in each of Costa's spots, rolling around on whichever place he just left. Later that day, she chases him into a tree, growling and hissing included. Later that same night, I go out to look for Costa again. As I see him jump down the wooden fence running towards me, Fina suddenly rushes by me right towards him, growls and chases him underneath a car. It's a bit dangerous to do so, but I break them up by shooing away Fina. I feel a bit of regret, as she evidently is a bit scared of me after. My brother comes outside and takes her into their flat for the night, and I take Costa into ours for a peaceful night.
Day #5: I wake up to the news that Fina started a fight yet again, with Costa nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Fina has made herself comfortable in one of Costa's signature places in the garden.
----
So, currently I am concerned about how the situation will develop. I love each and every cat, but Costa is my baby, and I worry about him feeling out of place in his own home. I know Fina was brought into a foreign environment, and that is stressful, but she is acting completely territorial, and chases like these can be potentially dangerous with a road close by. So I need some advice from you fellow owners.
Despite the frequency of these quarrels, neither cat was hurt in the fights so far. That has me believe that rather than outright disdain, Fina simply wants to assess her position in the hierarchy as queen of our home. And I feel bad about that too, because I feel it is primarily Costa's home. But I guess that isn't the case no more. What would be the best course of action here? I am thinking of seperating them for another few days again, locking Fina into their flat with some items carrying Costa's smell and vice-versa. Alternatively, I could just let the thing play out to see if things calm down. But is there no way to have them rule as equals rather than let Fina boss Costa around?
I appreciate the advice. Kitty pictures will follow of course. The situation is stressing me out. :(
Here's how their interactions outside then went:
Day #1: Fina is scared of an overly friendly and chill Costa, hiding underneath a car for hours as he watches
Day #2: Costa really wants to sniff that butt, but Fina still is a bit shy
Day #3: Fina and Costa smell each others noses and get along seemingly fine, despite keeping a bit of a distance
So far so good, I think. Maybe these cats could become friends!
Day #4: Fina gets ballsy, I see her lay down in each of Costa's spots, rolling around on whichever place he just left. Later that day, she chases him into a tree, growling and hissing included. Later that same night, I go out to look for Costa again. As I see him jump down the wooden fence running towards me, Fina suddenly rushes by me right towards him, growls and chases him underneath a car. It's a bit dangerous to do so, but I break them up by shooing away Fina. I feel a bit of regret, as she evidently is a bit scared of me after. My brother comes outside and takes her into their flat for the night, and I take Costa into ours for a peaceful night.
Day #5: I wake up to the news that Fina started a fight yet again, with Costa nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Fina has made herself comfortable in one of Costa's signature places in the garden.
----
So, currently I am concerned about how the situation will develop. I love each and every cat, but Costa is my baby, and I worry about him feeling out of place in his own home. I know Fina was brought into a foreign environment, and that is stressful, but she is acting completely territorial, and chases like these can be potentially dangerous with a road close by. So I need some advice from you fellow owners.
Despite the frequency of these quarrels, neither cat was hurt in the fights so far. That has me believe that rather than outright disdain, Fina simply wants to assess her position in the hierarchy as queen of our home. And I feel bad about that too, because I feel it is primarily Costa's home. But I guess that isn't the case no more. What would be the best course of action here? I am thinking of seperating them for another few days again, locking Fina into their flat with some items carrying Costa's smell and vice-versa. Alternatively, I could just let the thing play out to see if things calm down. But is there no way to have them rule as equals rather than let Fina boss Costa around?
I appreciate the advice. Kitty pictures will follow of course. The situation is stressing me out. :(
Biestmann I'd feel very scared that Fina will chase Costa away and you'll lose your cat, and it sounds like that could happen very soon. Can you keep your indoors space Fina-free so that your cat can still feel safe in some spots? You may have to consider telling your brother he has to find another home for his cat. You're the one doing him a huge favor, you shouldn't lose your own cat in the process.
OP
OP
One safe and common alternative is to put mosquito screendoors on windows and keeping them open, then put a cat tree nearby so he can be high up and look outside.
That's interesting, I've never heard of a cat doing that. It's quite likely he's trying to avoid the smell of food to attract bugs or predators: one of us sometimes dunks his mouse toys into water and I think it might be because of that, too. If it gets too bothersome, I guess you could always buy either a dispenser, or one of those bowls with an automated retracting lid that scans cats' chips.
Females tend to be much more territorial than males, and typically will try to fight for domination. This is not necessarily particularly bad to the males, especially spayed ones; most behave rather passively, take it in stride and accept a matriarch as the ruler of the roost. It's with other females that they can sometimes quarrel.
That said, obviously having to share space with a more dominant cat, whereas he was always the one and only, can be stressful for any cat. The best you can do is spend a lot of time with him, reassure him that he's your baby and she's not going to take his place. Typically cats take about two weeks to acclimate to each other, during which quarrels are normal. It might not seem like it, but Costa's quality of life could be improved a lot in the long run by having another cat around to socialize.
I'm worried about the chases outside your house though. Besides being run over, there's always the possibility that they might get lost. While things get a bit more calm, I would consider restricting their space to the house rather than letting them go out into the garden. I understand this might introduce stress, so alternatively only let Costa outside (for this you would need to keep the door closed and only open it when he wants in or out).
Sheepinator Weltall Zero
Thank you two for taking the time to write your responses. We had a vacant floor that my brother's family now lives in, Fina included. That means Costa's indoor space has not changed as a result of them moving in with us. Fina is curious of course, but we are going to keep those spaces separate for both of their sakes. As for the outside, I believe it is worth mentioning that I live in Germany where there is no real risk of other predators doing harm to them. As such, they have both been outside cats all their lives, and you would be surprised the distance I find Costa going about his day as I am out doing other things at times.
As your explanation regarding male versus female cats is encouraging if anything, I will monitor the situation over the next few days in hopes that things will calm down between them. I will however suggest to limit Fina's outside time for the time being, and have already brought her one of Costa's blankets so she can familiarize with his scent in her private environment.
Costa having a friend again would be fantastic. We found him in our garden as a kitten, after which he lived with our old cat, Mausi, for the next few years. Despite a rocky start, they became incredibly close by the end, but sadly Mausi passed away a couple of years ago. After that, Costa made friends with one stray cat, who stopped showing up altogether after a while, me suspecting he must have passed away rather suddenly. Costa really is a social cat, more so than any other I have met, so I hope that things can pan out positively for both him and Fina. In the meantime, I have been and will continue to spoil Costa rotten, not unlike I have been since the day he has been with us.
Thank you both for your time again. I feel a bit better now. I'll be sure to give updates on the situation.
Thank you two for taking the time to write your responses. We had a vacant floor that my brother's family now lives in, Fina included. That means Costa's indoor space has not changed as a result of them moving in with us. Fina is curious of course, but we are going to keep those spaces separate for both of their sakes. As for the outside, I believe it is worth mentioning that I live in Germany where there is no real risk of other predators doing harm to them. As such, they have both been outside cats all their lives, and you would be surprised the distance I find Costa going about his day as I am out doing other things at times.
As your explanation regarding male versus female cats is encouraging if anything, I will monitor the situation over the next few days in hopes that things will calm down between them. I will however suggest to limit Fina's outside time for the time being, and have already brought her one of Costa's blankets so she can familiarize with his scent in her private environment.
Costa having a friend again would be fantastic. We found him in our garden as a kitten, after which he lived with our old cat, Mausi, for the next few years. Despite a rocky start, they became incredibly close by the end, but sadly Mausi passed away a couple of years ago. After that, Costa made friends with one stray cat, who stopped showing up altogether after a while, me suspecting he must have passed away rather suddenly. Costa really is a social cat, more so than any other I have met, so I hope that things can pan out positively for both him and Fina. In the meantime, I have been and will continue to spoil Costa rotten, not unlike I have been since the day he has been with us.
Thank you both for your time again. I feel a bit better now. I'll be sure to give updates on the situation.
OP
OP
I am around 80% confident things will work out, especially since they don't have any other cats to "band together" against each other. A lone female cat bullying a lone male cat on introducting is how it plays every single time, we've been through that so many times. It's not until a few weeks pass that you can guess how things will be in the long run.
Separating them and letting them interact more slowly will of course proportionally increase this "getting to know each other" time, so keep that in mind and be patient, but it will also be gentler for both of them, and probably increase the chance they get along eventually, so that's good. :)
Hi CatERA, my cat is being especially possessive of my attention tonight. She keeps hissing at the other cats and needs to be in my presence at all times. Obviously she's uncomfortable about something but I'm not sure what. Do you guys have any insight or have dealt with something similar? She's usually very calm. Maybe she doesn't feel well or something, idk. :/
OP
OP
She may be feeling unwell indeed, or she might have had a bad fight with some of the other cats... or it might be nothing. Is she normally possessive / needs attention (even if not to the same extend as now)? Check her in the morning, perhaps touch her (legs, belly, etc) to see if she hurts somewhere. If she keeps behaving unusually tomorrow (well, today I guess), you might want to take her to the vet for a check up.
My 5 year old male cat hates it when we have guests over. He hisses and yells when they get too close, and it's giving me anxiety when toddlers come over because he'll try to scratch them when they get too close. Any ideas on what I can do?
I also have two other cats who do fine with new people.
I also have two other cats who do fine with new people.
Poor Jensen has been sneezing intermittently since yesterday morning. Maybe once an hour or so. I'm hopeful he just has some nose irritation from a dusty corner of the apartment and isn't getting sick. Conveniently we have a vet visit Saturday morning so they can check up on his ear infection progress so I'll let the vet know then if it's continued.
About to move into a new apartment and have a few questions since I never had a cat before and I really want to adopt one
1: I have a super active 1 year old small dog, any chance they will not get along at all? I'm thinking of getting an older cat since they usually don't get adopted
2: Do I need to add nets into my apartment? It's on the first floor but how likely is it to run away or get hurt?
3: Are they dirty? I know cats take care of themselves but will my apartment get smelly?
1: I have a super active 1 year old small dog, any chance they will not get along at all? I'm thinking of getting an older cat since they usually don't get adopted
2: Do I need to add nets into my apartment? It's on the first floor but how likely is it to run away or get hurt?
3: Are they dirty? I know cats take care of themselves but will my apartment get smelly?
OP
OP
Some cats really don't get along with other people but their owners and there's not always a lot that you can do about it. My SO babysits cats at their owners' homes and one in particular hisses and attacks her if she gets close. Some things you can try is having the visits give treats to your cat so that he associates them with something good, but of course the visits have to be brave enough to do this. Has he always been like that or is this recent? How long have you had him? Is there a chance that he could have been mistreated before you adopted it?
This can also be due to low humidity in the air. Do you have the AC on, and do you live in a city with dry air? Madrid is super dry, and hot as hell in summer, so we sometimes have that issue.
There's always a chance of that, it's really impossible to know until you try. It probably goes without saying but if you come across a cat that has lived with other dogs, that would make things easier.
Really good on you to adopt an adult, it's really very hard for them to get adopted (we've been fostering one for like ayer, in that time entire litters have come and gone). It's also easier to handle for newbies, as kittens are more delicate and also quite a handful.
Unfortunately likely. Cats are a bit air-headed when they're on hunt mode so if your cat sees a bird outside they won't think of boundaries to chase it. A lot of cat drop off tall windows when this happens (although fortunately this is unlikely in your case). I would certainly add nets if you intend to keep the windows open.
Cats are super clean and don't smell at all. They do shed fur, especially during spring, which can be minimized by brushing them. And of course their pee and poo smell pretty strongly, but as you probably already know, they cover it themselves, precisely so that it doesn't smell. As long as you don't, say, put your litter box in your bedroom, you'll be fine. The biggest potential issue with smell is if they decide to "mark" something (i.e. pee on it), as their urine smells very strongly. This is rare with neutered cats and often indicative of other problems, although it sometimes happens with products of animal originl like leather or feathers / down.
This guy..!
He got a clean bill of health last night at the vet, EXCEPT for his teeth. They're apparently in very bad shape and he needs multiple extractions. I knew something was up because his saliva smelled bad, and the vet confirmed it. It's a pretty hefty sum to do the surgery, too.
I'm a little frustrated because the rescue didn't say anything about it. They have a "refund" policy where they'll take the cat back within 2 weeks if there's an unknown medical issue, but his bad teeth were obvious. I'm not returning him, just to be clear (unless he does not get along at all with our existing cat, in which case he'd have to be rehomed for safety)
Either the rescue knew, and said nothing, OR they only did the bare minimum of medical screening and let him go off to a home. Maybe they just don't consider dental "necessary?" Even though dental disease can cause a lot of life-threatening problems in cats and humans.
Poor boy. Hopefully he feels better once he gets those bad teeth removed.
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This guy..!
He got a clean bill of health last night at the vet, EXCEPT for his teeth. They're apparently in very bad shape and he needs multiple extractions. I knew something was up because his saliva smelled bad, and the vet confirmed it. It's a pretty hefty sum to do the surgery, too.
I'm a little frustrated because the rescue didn't say anything about it. They have a "refund" policy where they'll take the cat back within 2 weeks if there's an unknown medical issue, but his bad teeth were obvious. I'm not returning him, just to be clear (unless he does not get along at all with our existing cat, in which case he'd have to be rehomed for safety)
Either the rescue knew, and said nothing, OR they only did the bare minimum of medical screening and let him go off to a home. Maybe they just don't consider dental "necessary?" Even though dental disease can cause a lot of life-threatening problems in cats and humans.
Poor boy. Hopefully he feels better once he gets those bad teeth removed.
Dental issues and the need for extractions is unfortunately pretty common in cats. More of our cats have had several pieces extracted than not, especially those coming from the street. It's also something not a lot of shelters probably screen for, since again it's so common and not life-threatening, although it obviously impacts the cat's quality of life.
I'm almost afraid to ask how much they're asking you for the extraction, considering how insanely high US vet prices seem to be compared to Spanish ones, and extractions already being quite expensive (by "expensive", I mean €30 per piece, €300 for all pieces except fangs, which is probably peanuts compared to your prices...).
Any way you can keep him away from the door, maybe with an indoor screen door/petfence kinda thing? In any case, since he did find the food you put out, he does seem to know how to find his way back. I would just keep him inside for a while and just be extra vigilant regarding the door.
Hello, CatEra! This is our cat, Olaf. He's a Maine Coon, and just turned one year old.
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Nice cat, looks big too! Does he still have claws?Hello, CatEra! This is our cat, Olaf. He's a Maine Coon, and just turned one year old.
They quoted between $800 and $1200, depending on how long the surgery lasts. When Luna had 4 teeth extracted (including a fang) it was about $1200, so I'm a bit worried they under-quoted me.
Now that he's been officially declared parasite-free, I'd like to begin slowly introducing him to Noelle.
One of the techniques I see mentioned a lot is to feed them on either side of a door, so they can associate the other cat's scent with the food, and also understand that the other cat has food too and is not coming for theirs. Right now Monty's in a bedroom and the entire apartment is covered in very thick carpet. It's difficult to see under the door and I'm not even sure you could get a cat's paw underneath, so I'm not sure how well the scent would travel.
So far, she's smelled his scent on a blanket and on clothing. Yesterday when he got home from the vet, he was still in his carrier and facing away from her, and she ventured over and sniffed for several moments.
They have had a couple interactions where they got a glimpse of one another through a door that was slightly open, just a crack. One time there was no negativity - they sniffed and that was it. The other two times, Noelle hissed and walked around the corner with her tail puffed out and the other time she hissed and stayed there until the door was closed (Only a few seconds later). There was no growling or attempts to smack, and I know some hissing is normal, but I wonder if we are going too fast..? Of note, he seems to have no reaction at all beyond sniffing. I looked for things like flattened ears and puffed-up tail and saw nothing.
Thanks! Oh yeah, he still has all of his claws. I've never had any of our cats declawed, and luckily it's never been an issue.
Yeah, he's very big. I think he's almost 20lbs now? It's been months since I've weighed him. And I don't think he's quite finished growing.
On this note, we had a problem with our black kitty with this weird coughing thing that was happening (I think I mentioned it in this thread?). It's gone almost completely now, haven't noticed it for a few days and it used to be really loud/frequent. So we think it's gone completely now :)
Thought you'd like to know!
That's good to hear. From the pics it looked like maybe he didn't have them.
hythloday Congrats on the new cat. Sorry to hear about the dental issues and your expense. You're a very good person taking that on. I assume the rescue place knew, but if they were up-front about it then the cat would never get adopted. It's disappointing though because I wonder how many people would be like you, and how many just wouldn't get the work done because of the cost and the cat is probably in pain as a result.
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I think you're doing fine. Some hissing and growling is probably inevitable no matter how slow you take things, it's just how they set boundaries, territories and hierarchies.
Hello, CatEra! This is our cat, Olaf. He's a Maine Coon, and just turned one year old.
Wow, that's one beautiful, majestic cat. Love the lynx-like hairs at the end of his ears, one of my SO's cats had those too. :)
I have very bad memory and frankly can't keep up with everyone's cats for more than a few days, so I can't remember if you mentioned it, hahah. Glad to see ie's doing better! Sometimes it's just a cold or similar.
My cat does something similar - she paws at the floor like she's trying to cover her bowl with dirt (it's carpet so it doesn't work). I think it's just an instinctual behaviour some cats have - hide your food so no-one else can get it.
I didn't even realise they could get colds, but there you go. Knowing that, I'm a lot less worried that it could've been something serious.
Holy shit, Weltall is spot-on, that kitty is majestic as fuck. And huge. I'd love a Maine Coon, but:Hello, CatEra! This is our cat, Olaf. He's a Maine Coon, and just turned one year old.
1) They huge.
2) They lazy (why this is bad, see #1)
3) Fur EVERYWHERE.
But I'd still love one, they're just stunning creatures.
We just had another teeth cleaning, this time for both cats, and due to the stress we have on going and the fact that Ryudo is showing redirected aggressions due to it (and Shiro rediscovered peeing) we decided to not brush teeth for no additional stress.
I honestly think that it comes from the teeth, but the vet said no extraction for now. Ryudo is so unpredictable at times...
After his last cleaning last year his inflammation remained present despite cleaning teeth with toothbrushes.
So this year it looks way better. It has almost entirely disappeared. Despite or maybe even because of not brushing. So I am a bit on the fence regarding toothbrushes.
Ever since our new family member (doggy) moved in Ryudo is very changed. He does not come to us anymore on the sofa for cuddles as ling as doggy is around etc.
He finally sleeps close to us in bed again, but touches and cuddles are not as welcome. He's skeptical. Shiro just rarely seems to care, except that Ryu is releasing his frustration on him he has no problem with the situation.
I honestly think that it comes from the teeth, but the vet said no extraction for now. Ryudo is so unpredictable at times...
After his last cleaning last year his inflammation remained present despite cleaning teeth with toothbrushes.
So this year it looks way better. It has almost entirely disappeared. Despite or maybe even because of not brushing. So I am a bit on the fence regarding toothbrushes.
Ever since our new family member (doggy) moved in Ryudo is very changed. He does not come to us anymore on the sofa for cuddles as ling as doggy is around etc.
He finally sleeps close to us in bed again, but touches and cuddles are not as welcome. He's skeptical. Shiro just rarely seems to care, except that Ryu is releasing his frustration on him he has no problem with the situation.