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Rory · Jul 18, 2019

Drain You said:
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.

Are you free feeding? It means "Im done". Cats bury leftover food in nature so it does not attract other predators.

Ours used to do that too when we still free fed them as kittens. Free feeding isn't ideal, had to learn the hard way which lead to our cat developing a very food depending behaviour.

I'd suggest to reduce the meals till barely anything is left after eating and he does not feel the need anymore.

Rory · Jul 18, 2019

Sheepinator said:
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.

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I dont want to see such suggestions anymore!

PMS341 said:
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.

You need to work with the source of the problem. The reason is: Outside is more interesting than inside.

That means you need to catify your home, offer more 3rd dimension opertunities such as catwalks and trees and consider to get some cat-friendly greenery.

Prepare a window for him to have some cat tv, let him enjoy the outside from inside. At the door when you enter you can distract him with a laserpointer like toy.

It is boring for him inside, if you dont already sacrifice an hour a day to dedicate playtime. Also you could consider getting a second cat. 2 cats play with one another. Before we got our second cat we had to play 2 hours a day with shiro else he'd become destructive out of boredom.

Most importantly: Get your cat chipped.

Drain You · Jul 18, 2019

Rory

I've had a bunch of cats in the past with free feeding ( by this you mean just leaving a bunch of food out I think ) and never had any issues, but I learned early on with this one it was an issue, so while I do leave food out I never put more than he will need. If I leave too much he will just over eat and end up just puking it all up. He was malnourished when I got him so I just kinda blindly attributed it to that.

Rory · Jul 18, 2019

Drain You said:
Rory

I've had a bunch of cats in the past with free feeding ( by this you mean just leaving a bunch of food out I think ) and never had any issues, but I learned early on with this one it was an issue, so while I do leave food out I never put more than he will need. If I leave too much he will just over eat and end up just puking it all up. He was malnourished when I got him so I just kinda blindly attributed it to that.

Our first cat would be fine with free feeding too, but number two is too crazy.

For how long have you had him? What kind of food do you feed? Consider switching to dry/wet food or try different contents (fish, game etc.). We serve 8 different brands of wet food with each at least 3-4 different contents.

You wouldnt want to eat the same meal everyday either, and especially with meal times its easy to plan.

It took our cat a good half a year till he learned to not do it. We switched his feeding spot a few times during that time, which helped.

We use surefeeds now due for other reasons. (Ryu kept trying to steal food, now they keep food fresh and save

Drain You · Jul 18, 2019

Rory said:
For how long have you had him? What kind of food do you feed? Consider switching to dry/wet food or try different contents (fish, game etc.). We serve 8 different brands of wet food with each at least 3-4 different contents.

You wouldnt want to eat the same meal everyday either, and especially with meal times its easy to plan.

It took our cat a good half a year till he learned to not do it. We switched his feeding spot a few times during that time, which helped.

We use surefeeds now due for other reasons.

I started bolding parts of your post pointing out the advice I found useful but its just the whole thing pretty much. He's about 5 years old, only dry food. I was told not to give him anything with fish/seafood in it so that honestly been the only thing I've really been looking out for. Thanks for this I do appreciate it, and I'm sure Gizmo will too :)

Day after ish I picked him up vs. his lazy ass now.

SaraNWrap · Jul 18, 2019

What time do you all feed your cats?

Rory · Jul 18, 2019

Drain You said:
I started bolding parts of your post pointing out the advice I found useful but its just the whole thing pretty much. He's about 5 years old, only dry food. I was told not to give him anything with fish/seafood in it so that honestly been the only thing I've really been looking out for. Thanks for this I do appreciate it, and I'm sure Gizmo will too :)

Day after ish I picked him up vs. his lazy ass now.

Skipping fish can make sense if food allergies are confirmed by vets. In general, it can add variation. It does, however, make their pee smelly.

What is important to keep in mind is, that chicken from macs, ropocat, catz finefood, etc are all chicken, but still offer variety due to content variations such as what part of chicken as well as additional contents such as berries etc.

SaraNWrap said:
What time do you all feed your cats?

7 am
1pm (if at home, else when we come home if its past 4:30 pm this meal is skipped)
6 pm (5:00/5:30pm if no 1pm meal has been served)
22 pm

Each mealtime is approximately 50g each cat. (Dog is fed at same times.)

Deleted member 1478 · Jul 18, 2019

Just spent all morning trying to catch a shrew in my living room because my cat decided to bring it in, drop it then let it just run off.

Carn · Jul 18, 2019

SaraNWrap said:
What time do you all feed your cats?

around 08:00 (altough during summer, they wake up early and start making a noise)
around 17:00/18:00
and finally, before we go to bed, usually around midnight.

Weltall Zero · Jul 18, 2019

Shaneus said:
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.

Yep! It's quite funny how they're like us in that regard too:

https://www.meyou-paris.com/en/blog/what-to-do-if-your-cat-has-the-snuffles-n67

Probably obvious, but it's a different set of viruses from our colds so cats can't pass on the virus to humans or viceversa.

Happenstance said:
Just spent all morning trying to catch a shrew in my living room because my cat decided to bring it in, drop it then let it just run off.

That shrew still alive? Luckiest shrew ever, normally cat presents to humans are of the "pretty dead" persuasion. :D

Sheepinator · Jul 18, 2019

Drain You said:
I started bolding parts of your post pointing out the advice I found useful but its just the whole thing pretty much. He's about 5 years old, only dry food. I was told not to give him anything with fish/seafood in it so that honestly been the only thing I've really been looking out for. Thanks for this I do appreciate it, and I'm sure Gizmo will too :)

Day after ish I picked him up vs. his lazy ass now.

That pic of him looking up at you is really cute. His manspreading in the last pic isn't so gentlemanly though!

Biestmann · Jul 18, 2019

Two days later, Fina only has grown more aggressive towards Costa. In full on 'TARGET ACQUIRED' fashion, she will chase him on sight and engage in a fight. Just now, she chased him down the street, when a neighbor's dog spotted her and ran after her in exchange. She fled into our garden, and the dog right after. I don't know, is this still normal? You'd think she assessed dominance days ago. Instead, her aggressions only grow worse by the hour. I don't know if she is willing to accept his presence at all.

Sheepinator · Jul 18, 2019

Biestmann said:
Two days later, Fina only has grown more aggressive towards Costa. In full on 'TARGET ACQUIRED' fashion, she will chase him on sight and engage in a fight. Just now, she chased him down the street, when a neighbor's dog spotted her and ran after her in exchange. She fled into our garden, and the dog right after. I don't know, is this still normal? You'd think she assessed dominance days ago. Instead, her aggressions only grow worse by the hour. I don't know if she is willing to accept his presence at all.

Can Costa get back into your living area and is Fina banned from there?

Maybe you need to sort out time sharing for the outdoors area. If your family won't go for that I'd seriously be considering telling them they need to do something about this, rather than risk losing my own cat or having it run over while getting chased away. I know the OP said before he's 80% confident it will resolve itself but I personally would err on the side of safety.

Biestmann · Jul 18, 2019

Sheepinator said:
Can Costa get back into your living area and is Fina banned from there?

Maybe you need to sort out time sharing for the outdoors area. If your family won't go for that I'd seriously be considering telling them they need to do something about this, rather than risk losing my own cat or having it run over while getting chased away. I know the OP said before he's 80% confident it will resolve itself but I personally would err on the side of safety.

Their indoors space is entirely separate. They're still getting settled and bringing over their belongings, so doors are open all the time and despite my sincere plead, they forget to or don't care enough to make sure Fina stays indoors during the day by keeping the doors shut like we discussed. I've brought it up again, but their nonchalant attitude towards the issue has been a source of frustration for me which I have let them know.

Sheepinator · Jul 18, 2019

Biestmann said:
Their indoors space is entirely separate. They're still getting settled and bringing over their belongings, so doors are open all the time and despite my sincere plead, they forget to or don't care enough to make sure Fina stays indoors during the day by keeping the doors shut like we discussed. I've brought it up again, but their nonchalant attitude towards the issue has been a source of frustration for me which I have let them know.

I was wondering why Costa doesn't voluntarily stay inside, or run into your living area when getting chased, rather than running away down the street.

I would be furious that after doing them a huge favor to let them save money for a house, they won't abide by your house rules. You may have to put your foot down a lot harder or they'll continue to take advantage. Just because someone is family doesn't excuse them from being respectful.

hythloday · Jul 18, 2019

Noelle and Monty are IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER! Aaaaaaaaa

Edit: we ended the encounter after about 2 hours supervised. She hissed and growled when he got too close and he didn't care about her at all and wanted to explore. If he stayed away she was watchful but didn't move to attack. Good? Bad?

Weltall Zero · Jul 19, 2019

hythloday said:
Noelle and Monty are IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER! Aaaaaaaaa

Edit: we ended the encounter after about 2 hours supervised. She hissed and growled when he got too close and he didn't care about her at all and wanted to explore. If he stayed away she was watchful but didn't move to attack. Good? Bad?

Very good for a first encounter. Let's see how it continues.

THEVOID · Jul 19, 2019

SaraNWrap said:
What time do you all feed your cats?

M-F. I wake up at 5AM and as soon as I get in the bathroom to shower my guy is meowing and waiting till I finish. So 5ish in the morning and 6 at night.

THEVOID · Jul 19, 2019

What do you guys feed your cats. I just got my little Void three weeks ago and bought high end expensive wet food and he hated it. So I bought Sheenba on a whim and he can't get enough of it.

Its expensive and looking for a dry food to supplement.

one more thing: When we adopted him the lady at the humane society said never feed male cats fish? Is this even true? I've avoided it but I don't see anywhere it's bad for male cats? Thoughts?

Jombie · Jul 19, 2019

My bob tail, Garfield.

Weltall Zero · Jul 19, 2019

THEVOID said:
M-F. I wake up at 5AM and as soon as I get in the bathroom to shower my guy is meowing and waiting till I finish. So 5ish in the morning and 6 at night.

That's a bit too distant apart for a cat. They should either be allowed to feed on their own, or be fed at least three times a day, ideally four-five. Perhaps try leaving the dry food accessible, so that he'll munch on it if he gets hungry between wet food feedings?

THEVOID said:
What do you guys feed your cats. I just got my little Void three weeks ago and bought high end expensive wet food and he hated it. So I bought Sheenba on a whim and he can't get enough of it.

Its expensive and looking for a dry food to supplement.

Brands seem to be different across countries, but one dry food our cats simply can't get enough of is Purizon (dry food). They will gulp it down with more gusto than pretty much any wet food, it's crazy. We have an automated, timed dispenser for it because otherwise they'd eat it all immediately.

THEVOID said:
one more thing: When we adopted him the lady at the humane society said never feed male cats fish? Is this even true? I've avoided it but I don't see anywhere it's bad for male cats? Thoughts?

There's a few caveats when giving fish to cats: must be raw, pre-frozen to eliminate parasites, not salted, and free of fish bones. I'm thinking the specific warning may be because of salt, which can cause kidney problems and urethral blocking, which males tend to be more prone to, especially if they don't drink enough water (again, always separate water and food).

Jombie said:
My bob tail, Garfield.

Pic not showing. :(

electroshockwave · Jul 19, 2019

Weltall Zero said:
Yep! It's quite funny how they're like us in that regard too:

https://www.meyou-paris.com/en/blog/what-to-do-if-your-cat-has-the-snuffles-n67
Probably obvious, but it's a different set of viruses from our colds so cats can't pass on the virus to humans or viceversa.

That shrew still alive? Luckiest shrew ever, normally cat presents to humans are of the "pretty dead" persuasion. :D

The cat's trying to teach him to hunt for himself.

Weltall Zero · Jul 19, 2019

electroshockwave said:
The cat's trying to teach him to hunt for himself.

That's actually quite likely. And probably a bit insulting. :D

THEVOID · Jul 19, 2019

Weltall Zero said:
That's a bit too distant apart for a cat. They should either be allowed to feed on their own, or be fed at least three times a day, ideally four-five. Perhaps try leaving the dry food accessible, so that he'll munch on it if he gets hungry between wet food feedings?

Brands seem to be different across countries, but one dry food our cats simply can't get enough of is Purizon (dry food). They will gulp it down with more gusto than pretty much any wet food, it's crazy. We have an automated, timed dispenser for it because otherwise they'd eat it all immediately.

There's a few caveats when giving fish to cats: must be raw, pre-frozen to eliminate parasites, not salted, and free of fish bones. I'm thinking the specific warning may be because of salt, which can cause kidney problems and urethral blocking, which males tend to be more prone to, especially if they don't drink enough water (again, always separate water and food).

Pic not showing. :(

Informative. Thanks man!

Shaneus · Jul 19, 2019

Who says dogs and cats can't get along?

Vincent Alexander · Jul 19, 2019

I know shelters are stuffed to the brim, but I still can't believe how cold they can be at times. My fiance's work called a shelter about a new kitten that was brought in from the steeets so that the shelter could take it. The shelter responded by asking when a good time to come by would be so they could pick up the kitten to euthanize it. It pissed me off hearing that, even if they are trying to guilt people into saving the kitten some other way. Or maybe they are just cold.

My fiance and I had a long talk because the kitten isn't walking on her back legs and will be a lot of work. She is stressed because we get married in a week, and wasn't sure a small kitten that would need a lot of attention was a good idea. But I hated the idea of not giving her a fighting chance. Outside of her legs, she looks like she has a ton or spunk! And no gunk or anything. My fiance agreed, and we compromised by finding someone else to foster for next 14 days, then we'll take her after honeymoon.

I am crossing my fingers she just needs a lot of good meals and some physical therapy, because if you pick her up, she can wiggle her back legs a bit. They just don't have the muscle to stand up on their own. No idea why yet.

Sorry for long post. I mostly wanted to vent about shelter, and share a picture of adorable kitten.

Also, fiance wants to name her Lt. Dan....I'm not a fan.

Sheepinator · Jul 19, 2019

Vincent Alexander said:
I know shelters are stuffed to the brim, but I still can't believe how cold they can be at times. My fiance's work called a shelter about a new kitten that was brought in from the steeets so that the shelter could take it. The shelter responded by asking when a good time to come by would be so they could pick up the kitten to euthanize it. It pissed me off hearing that, even if they are trying to guilt people into saving the kitten some other way. Or maybe they are just cold.

My fiance and I had a long talk because the kitten isn't walking on her back legs and will be a lot of work. She is stressed because we get married in a week, and wasn't sure a small kitten that would need a lot of attention was a good idea. But I hated the idea of not giving her a fighting chance. Outside of her legs, she looks like she has a ton or spunk! And no gunk or anything. My fiance agreed, and we compromised by finding someone else to foster for next 14 days, then we'll take her after honeymoon.

I am crossing my fingers she just needs a lot of good meals and some physical therapy, because if you pick her up, she can wiggle her back legs a bit. They just don't have the muscle to stand up on their own. No idea why yet.

Sorry for long post. I mostly wanted to vent about shelter, and share a picture of adorable kitten.

Also, fiance wants to name her Lt. Dan....I'm not a fan.

Good on you. Hopefully her issues are just what you say, and congratulations on the wedding, hope you get great weather. Please post an update, even if it's not the best news.

Servbot24 · Jul 19, 2019

Shaneus said:
Who says dogs and cats can't get along?

I honestly don't know where this comes from. Most cats I've met like dogs more than they do other cats.

Zoe · Jul 19, 2019

Is there a brand of dry food that's known to be very appetizing? Been having trouble getting my cat to eat lately.

Deleted member 18360 · Jul 20, 2019

I am more than a little obsessed with OwlKitty

Rory · Jul 20, 2019

THEVOID said:
What do you guys feed your cats. I just got my little Void three weeks ago and bought high end expensive wet food and he hated it. So I bought Sheenba on a whim and he can't get enough of it.

Its expensive and looking for a dry food to supplement.

one more thing: When we adopted him the lady at the humane society said never feed male cats fish? Is this even true? I've avoided it but I don't see anywhere it's bad for male cats? Thoughts?

There are theories in which exotic food and fish are actually not supposed to be as good for your cat as they are more likely to trigger allergies.

The thing is: Just try it. If you see runny poo, you start with cocked chicken and slowly add meats again till its runny and save exotic (such as game, fish etc) meats for the end.

For male cats in specific: fish makes their pee smelly and I assume your cat either has not been potty trained or marks his territory due to reasons.

I prefer feeding fish as you can tell where exactly the cat pissed.

We feed mostly wet food from Catz finefood, Majestic, Feringa, Ropocat, LandPartie, MjaMjam, Mac's, Leonardo, Animonda. We buy like 20 of the cheaper ones and add the expensive ones in between with 6 cans per brand. Always 3-4 different brands with each brand having different meat in each can so they have a lot of variety.

We always buy 400 g cans and use it for one day. Dont get the tiny packs, (80g or whatever), they are hella expensive and you can store the big ones air tight in the fridge and take it out like 15 minutes before eating time.

For dry food we started with Applaw but it has too high potatoe content then switched to Purizon grain-free.

I suppose "Shenba" supposed to be Sheba. Sheba is trash food. We did the same mistake. Mix it or simply serve different kind of high quality stuff and entirely remove sheba. Depending on age kitten can go without food for a day.
Try different meats shiro used to hate beef. Now he eatsit, but cats need to be taught not to be picky eaters.

Weltall Zero · Jul 20, 2019

THEVOID said:
Informative. Thanks man!

Anytime!

Shaneus said:
Who says dogs and cats can't get along?

Grossly uninformed people? :D I know of cats that have fallen into severe depression when their canine companion passed away.

Vincent Alexander said:
I know shelters are stuffed to the brim, but I still can't believe how cold they can be at times. My fiance's work called a shelter about a new kitten that was brought in from the steeets so that the shelter could take it. The shelter responded by asking when a good time to come by would be so they could pick up the kitten to euthanize it. It pissed me off hearing that, even if they are trying to guilt people into saving the kitten some other way. Or maybe they are just cold.

My fiance and I had a long talk because the kitten isn't walking on her back legs and will be a lot of work. She is stressed because we get married in a week, and wasn't sure a small kitten that would need a lot of attention was a good idea. But I hated the idea of not giving her a fighting chance. Outside of her legs, she looks like she has a ton or spunk! And no gunk or anything. My fiance agreed, and we compromised by finding someone else to foster for next 14 days, then we'll take her after honeymoon.

I am crossing my fingers she just needs a lot of good meals and some physical therapy, because if you pick her up, she can wiggle her back legs a bit. They just don't have the muscle to stand up on their own. No idea why yet.

Sorry for long post. I mostly wanted to vent about shelter, and share a picture of adorable kitten.

Also, fiance wants to name her Lt. Dan....I'm not a fan.

Thank you very much for sharing. Basically the higher up in the hierarchy that you get, the colder and more ruthless behaviour you're going to see. Most large animal organizations will readily euthanize any animals with any kind of medical problems or disabilities. What you want is to contact the equivalent of my SO in your area, individuals dedicated to coordinating rescues, fostering and adoptions. They are also overwhelmed but will often at least do their damnedest to save every single kitty.

Edit: Showed picked to SO, told her about it, and she asked "where is this? If it's in Spain we could help!". :D

Zoe said:
Is there a brand of dry food that's known to be very appetizing? Been having trouble getting my cat to eat lately.

If Purizon (sold by Zooplus) is available in your country, that.

umop 3pisdn said:
I am more than a little obsessed with OwlKitty

I was laughing like a madman, that's great. :D

THEVOID · Jul 20, 2019

Rory said:
There are theories in which exotic food and fish are actually not supposed to be as good for your cat as they are more likely to trigger allergies.

The thing is: Just try it. If you see runny poo, you start with cocked chicken and slowly add meats again till its runny and save exotic (such as game, fish etc) meats for the end.

For male cats in specific: fish makes their pee smelly and I assume your cat either has not been potty trained or marks his territory due to reasons.

I prefer feeding fish as you can tell where exactly the cat pissed.

We feed mostly wet food from Catz finefood, Majestic, Feringa, Ropocat, LandPartie, MjaMjam, Mac's, Leonardo, Animonda. We buy like 20 of the cheaper ones and add the expensive ones in between with 6 cans per brand. Always 3-4 different brands with each brand having different meat in each can so they have a lot of variety.

We always buy 400 g cans and use it for one day. Dont get the tiny packs, (80g or whatever), they are hella expensive and you can store the big ones air tight in the fridge and take it out like 15 minutes before eating time.

For dry food we started with Applaw but it has too high potatoe content then switched to Purizon grain-free.

I suppose "Shenba" supposed to be Sheba. Sheba is trash food. We did the same mistake. Mix it or simply serve different kind of high quality stuff and entirely remove sheba. Depending on age kitten can go without food for a day.
Try different meats shiro used to hate beef. Now he eatsit, but cats need to be taught not to be picky eaters.

Thanks. Man, this thread is great. For the record the day we got our cat we showed him where the liter box was and he never had an accident. I never had a cat (pug and dog lover) and I was shocked how easy it was for cats to be trained on liter. I literally did nothing.

We tried Blue Buffalo when we first got him and he didn't like it. Thus I want to try other foods besides Sheba which he loves. I'm always wary of high end food because my Pug got really sick on high end. high protein food. So just looking for the right balance for him.

Rory · Jul 20, 2019

THEVOID said:
Thanks. Man, this thread is great. For the record the day we got our cat we showed him where the liter box was and he never had an accident. I never had a cat (pug and dog lover) and I was shocked how easy it was for cats to be trained on liter. I literally did nothing.

We tried Blue Buffalo when we first got him and he didn't like it. Thus I want to try other foods besides Sheba which he loves. I'm always wary of high end food because my Pug got really sick on high end. high protein food. So just looking for the right balance for him.

It's more difficult to look for high quality dog food than cat food.

Basically you want high meat content with listing what exactly is in there (what pieces of the animal) and try to avoid high amounts of lung, kidney etc. (Small amounts are okay).

Always watch out for changes in poo, it might be that a sensitivity (to e.g. beef) develops later in age then you need to avoid certain cans with beef content but still can feed the brand in general.

I personally think that feeding a high variety of foods is good for pets, if you stick to one brand and you get into an emergency situation be it natural disaster, discontinuity of the brand/change in formula or as simple as forgot to restock you got alternatives.

Weltall Zero · Jul 20, 2019

THEVOID said:
Thanks. Man, this thread is great.

This makes me very happy to hear, hahah. Originally I thought it would be a thread about sharing cat pics, it wasn't until after the fact that I realized we could also share advice.

THEVOID said:
For the record the day we got our cat we showed him where the liter box was and he never had an accident. I never had a cat (pug and dog lover) and I was shocked how easy it was for cats to be trained on liter. I literally did nothing.

Yeah, that's amazing about cats. It's so shocking when you see kittens that can barely walk, still valiantly try to go to the litter by themselves. For cats it's a survival instinct so they are really predisposed to it.

THEVOID said:
We tried Blue Buffalo when we first got him and he didn't like it. Thus I want to try other foods besides Sheba which he loves. I'm always wary of high end food because my Pug got really sick on high end. high protein food. So just looking for the right balance for him.

I'm thinking this question pops up a lot in the thread, and although brands are mostly regional, perhaps we could compile a list of good, healthy brands even if only some are available for each country, and put them in the OP. Rory, what are some brands you know are good?

fleet · Jul 20, 2019

hey dudes. my partner and i got a cat about two months ago. we fucking love her so much. she's a bit of a nervous kitty and when she's stressed out she likes to scratch the furniture. we got her like three scratching posts, of which she liked one of them. anytime she went near it or used it, we gave her a treat. there were a few solid weeks where she would just use her scratching post instead of destroying the couch. cause she's a fatty, we stopped rewarding with treats once it seemed like she'd learned to use it. things were going well.

the other day she had to go to my mums place overnight cause my partner and i were away. ever since she's come back she's been scratching the couches again, for about a week now. what happened? how do we get her to redirect back to her post? we've started using the treats again to reward using her post, but it's like she's completely forgotten how to use it.

Weltall Zero · Jul 20, 2019

fleet said:
hey dudes. my partner and i got a cat about two months ago. we fucking love her so much. she's a bit of a nervous kitty and when she's stressed out she likes to scratch the furniture. we got her like three scratching posts, of which she liked one of them. anytime she went near it or used it, we gave her a treat. there were a few solid weeks where she would just use her scratching post instead of destroying the couch. cause she's a fatty, we stopped rewarding with treats once it seemed like she'd learned to use it. things were going well.

the other day she had to go to my mums place overnight cause my partner and i were away. ever since she's come back she's been scratching the couches again, for about a week now. what happened? how do we get her to redirect back to her post? we've started using the treats again to reward using her post, but it's like she's completely forgotten how to use it.

Get some cardboard scratching mats / beds / couches, these are cheap and often more popular than scratching posts. Like these:

zoovilla-cat-trees-scratch-posts-toy0042002000-64_1000.jpg

If your scratching posts are the short, ground level ones, you might want to invest in a tall cat tree she can chill in, especially if set near a window.

Try spraying catnip or valerian root, or even scratching the post / cardboard mat yourself (yeah, I know it sounds silly).

All that said, there's no 100% working solution for all cases. Cats are cats, the bane of couches; sometimes you just have to roll with it, and get a couch protector or something. :/

Cat Dad · Jul 20, 2019

fleet said:
hey dudes. my partner and i got a cat about two months ago. we fucking love her so much. she's a bit of a nervous kitty and when she's stressed out she likes to scratch the furniture. we got her like three scratching posts, of which she liked one of them. anytime she went near it or used it, we gave her a treat. there were a few solid weeks where she would just use her scratching post instead of destroying the couch. cause she's a fatty, we stopped rewarding with treats once it seemed like she'd learned to use it. things were going well.

the other day she had to go to my mums place overnight cause my partner and i were away. ever since she's come back she's been scratching the couches again, for about a week now. what happened? how do we get her to redirect back to her post? we've started using the treats again to reward using her post, but it's like she's completely forgotten how to use it.

Has she literally outgrown the scratching post? She might need a new one. I know that my ex's cats like a mix of vertical and horizontal scratchers. Is the post you got her vertical or horizontal? What material is the post and furniture? Lastly, I'd say put double sided sticky tape on the furniture. She'll scratch it, not like the feeling and then should go back to the post.

Rory · Jul 20, 2019

Weltall Zero said:
This makes me very happy to hear, hahah. Originally I thought it would be a thread about sharing cat pics, it wasn't until after the fact that I realized we could also share advice.

Yeah, that's amazing about cats. It's so shocking when you see kittens that can barely walk, still valiantly try to go to the litter by themselves. For cats it's a survival instinct so they are really predisposed to it.

I'm thinking this question pops up a lot in the thread, and although brands are mostly regional, perhaps we could compile a list of good, healthy brands even if only some are available for each country, and put them in the OP. Rory, what are some brands you know are good?

I had prepared a paper the other day.

1) high content of quality meat
Cats are carnivores that's why their food should be high meat focused. Always check how much meat your catfood actually contains. The meat should be "high quality" therefore of food quality (40% beef), by-products should be listed (20% by-products liver, heart, lungs). They put things like animal piss in there and dont list it because people wouldnt buy it if they knew.

Cat food should be free of sugar. Some brands add it to keep it nice looking, cats cant taste sweet, it has no influence on them except causing diabetes. Keep in mind that fruits also contain sugar, it should be kept low sugar without any extra added.

In my opinion grains should not be part of a cats diet, unless it needs to be put on diet for medical reason (runny poo).

Majestic Adult $$ — e.g. Beef: Meat products (70%, consisting of 65% beef and 5% beef heart)
Leonardo $$ — Meat and animal by-products (65% poultry + poultry meat stock 34%)
°Mac's $ — meat (at least 70% beef, of which 30% head meat) and animal by-products (beef heart, cattle rumen, beef liver, bovine lung)
°Animonda Carny $ — Beef (35%, lung, heart, kidney, meat, udder), chicken (30%, liver, meat, stomachs, neck)
* Catz Finefood $$$ — chicken (50%) (consisting of muscle meat, heart, lungs and liver), pheasant (20%) (consisting of heart, muscle meat and liver)
LandPartie $$$$ - 70% meat product (consisting of 50% beef (beef hearts, beef, beef livers, beef lung, beef rumen) and 20% lamb (lamb hearts, lamb, lamb livers, lamb lungs, lamb rumen)
Terra Faelis $$ — Turkey Hearts (38%), Muscle (20%), Stomachs (19%), Liver (10%) *MjaMjam $$$ - 96% meat and offal (48% game meat and 48% rabbit meat, heart, liver, egg, kidney)
° Ropocat $ — Meat and animal by-products (96% poultry)
° Feringa $ — 50% consisting of turkey heart, turkey meat, turkey liver, turkey necks

Purizon still has a lot of potatoe, certain kinds dont.

*Purizon Adult game & fish - grainfree $$
*Purizon Adult duck & fish - grainfree $$
Applaw (has potato content)

Macs, Feringa and Animonda are base for us, MjaMjam, Catz Finefood and Majestic added. The rest is time to time add on.

Dry food is fed rarely as treat. If we serve a food of kibbles they first check if there is no wet food around. In the end they eat it. (Which is important to me, my cats are supposed to be able to be switched to kibbles if necessary.)

Bad example of cat food:
Felix Crunchy & Soft Meat: cereals, meat and animal by-products (10% *), vegetable protein extracts, oils and fats, vegetable by-products, glycerine, minerals, sugar, yeast, vegetables (crispy croquettes: 0.2% dried vegetables equal 1% Vegetables). * Consists of 20% rehydrated meat and animal by-products, with at least 4% beef, 4% chicken and 4% meat. Softer croquettes contain 15% more meat than crispy croquettes.

fleet · Jul 20, 2019

Cat Dad said:
Has she literally outgrown the scratching post? She might need a new one. I know that my ex's cats like a mix of vertical and horizontal scratchers. Is the post you got her vertical or horizontal? What material is the post and furniture? Lastly, I'd say put double sided sticky tape on the furniture. She'll scratch it, not like the feeling and then should go back to the post.

yeah maybe! she really tore it up good, it's a bit frayed and stuff. it's a vertical one that she loves most. we got her a vertical one, a horizontal one, and a cat scratch mat thing. she hates the mat, doesn't care much for the horizontal. i think she likes stretching her back with the vertical one.

Weltall Zero said:
Try spraying catnip or valerian root, or even scratching the post / cardboard mat yourself (yeah, I know it sounds silly).

All that said, there's no 100% working solution for all cases. Cats are cats, the bane of couches; sometimes you just have to roll with it, and get a couch protector or something. :/

for some reason she just does not give a fuck about catnip. looks at it, sniffs at it curiously, walks off to do something else. rip $40 bottle of catnip spray stuff. but i know, she's just a cat who wants to scratch, i love her anyway. just can't figure out how she "forgot" a learned behaviour after just one day.

anyway, hi from salem. she's very fat and she's obsessed with computer games, keeps pawing my screen. like cat like owner!

Rory · Jul 20, 2019

fleet said:
yeah maybe! she really tore it up good, it's a bit frayed and stuff. it's a vertical one that she loves most. we got her a vertical one, a horizontal one, and a cat scratch mat thing. she hates the mat, doesn't care much for the horizontal. i think she likes stretching her back with the vertical one.

for some reason she just does not give a fuck about catnip. looks at it, sniffs at it curiously, walks off to do something else. rip $40 bottle of catnip spray stuff. but i know, she's just a cat who wants to scratch, i love her anyway. just can't figure out how she "forgot" a learned behaviour after just one day.

anyway, hi from salem. she's very fat and she's obsessed with computer games, keeps pawing my screen. like cat like owner!

Try alternatives. https://m.petmd.com/cat/behavior/5-alternatives-catnip

Vincent Alexander · Jul 20, 2019

Sheepinator said:
Good on you. Hopefully her issues are just what you say, and congratulations on the wedding, hope you get great weather. Please post an update, even if it's not the best news.

Thank you, and will do!

Weltall Zero said:
Thank you very much for sharing. Basically the higher up in the hierarchy that you get, the colder and more ruthless behaviour you're going to see. Most large animal organizations will readily euthanize any animals with any kind of medical problems or disabilities. What you want is to contact the equivalent of my SO in your area, individuals dedicated to coordinating rescues, fostering and adoptions. They are also overwhelmed but will often at least do their damnedest to save every single kitty.

Edit: Showed picked to SO, told her about it, and she asked "where is this? If it's in Spain we could help!". :D

Thank you. I wish there were more people like your SO out there.

fleet said:

My god, that is one soft looking kitty. I just want to pet through the monitor.

Sheepinator · Jul 20, 2019

Food. In the US here, we feed out adult 10+ years indoor cats Blue Wilderness dry food. They have a permanent supply, no rationing, and we alternate the flavor with each bag. It's higher protein and grain free. Also multiple times a week they get a different brand wet food or broth or tuna etc. Neither cat has a weight problem.

https://bluebuffalo.com/product-finder/cat/?facets=96,161,89

Scratchers. One of ours loves sisal rope on a vertical post in a cat tree. That wears out faster than the cat tree does, so you can replace it yourself if needed. She also likes the flat cardboard style pads that are very cheap. Our other cat prefers carpet, hopefully on a cat tree instead of our floor.

Weltall Zero · Jul 20, 2019

Rory said:
I had prepared a paper the other day.

1) high content of quality meat
Cats are carnivores that's why their food should be high meat focused. Always check how much meat your catfood actually contains. The meat should be "high quality" therefore of food quality (40% beef), by-products should be listed (20% by-products liver, heart, lungs). They put things like animal piss in there and dont list it because people wouldnt buy it if they knew.

Cat food should be free of sugar. Some brands add it to keep it nice looking, cats cant taste sweet, it has no influence on them except causing diabetes. Keep in mind that fruits also contain sugar, it should be kept low sugar without any extra added.

In my opinion grains should not be part of a cats diet, unless it needs to be put on diet for medical reason (runny poo).

Majestic Adult $$ — e.g. Beef: Meat products (70%, consisting of 65% beef and 5% beef heart)
Leonardo $$ — Meat and animal by-products (65% poultry + poultry meat stock 34%)
°Mac's $ — meat (at least 70% beef, of which 30% head meat) and animal by-products (beef heart, cattle rumen, beef liver, bovine lung)
°Animonda Carny $ — Beef (35%, lung, heart, kidney, meat, udder), chicken (30%, liver, meat, stomachs, neck)
* Catz Finefood $$$ — chicken (50%) (consisting of muscle meat, heart, lungs and liver), pheasant (20%) (consisting of heart, muscle meat and liver)
LandPartie $$$$ - 70% meat product (consisting of 50% beef (beef hearts, beef, beef livers, beef lung, beef rumen) and 20% lamb (lamb hearts, lamb, lamb livers, lamb lungs, lamb rumen)
Terra Faelis $$ — Turkey Hearts (38%), Muscle (20%), Stomachs (19%), Liver (10%) *MjaMjam $$$ - 96% meat and offal (48% game meat and 48% rabbit meat, heart, liver, egg, kidney)
° Ropocat $ — Meat and animal by-products (96% poultry)
° Feringa $ — 50% consisting of turkey heart, turkey meat, turkey liver, turkey necks

Purizon still has a lot of potatoe, certain kinds dont.

*Purizon Adult game & fish - grainfree $$
*Purizon Adult duck & fish - grainfree $$
Applaw (has potato content)

Macs, Feringa and Animonda are base for us, MjaMjam, Catz Finefood and Majestic added. The rest is time to time add on.

Dry food is fed rarely as treat. If we serve a food of kibbles they first check if there is no wet food around. In the end they eat it. (Which is important to me, my cats are supposed to be able to be switched to kibbles if necessary.)

Bad example of cat food:
Felix Crunchy & Soft Meat: cereals, meat and animal by-products (10% *), vegetable protein extracts, oils and fats, vegetable by-products, glycerine, minerals, sugar, yeast, vegetables (crispy croquettes: 0.2% dried vegetables equal 1% Vegetables). * Consists of 20% rehydrated meat and animal by-products, with at least 4% beef, 4% chicken and 4% meat. Softer croquettes contain 15% more meat than crispy croquettes.

Thank you for these, I'll add them to the OP! Just one thing, could you confirm the symbols?
- I'm assuming $ is price (so $ is "inexpensive", $$$$ is "very expensive").
- I'm guessing * is "liked by cats", like in my list in the OP?
- I have no clue what the º is. :D

Weltall Zero · Jul 20, 2019

Vincent Alexander said:
Thank you. I wish there were more people like your SO out there.

There are! She knows quite a few in Madrid, in fact. That's why I always recommend to look for these kind of people in your area.

Deleted member 49611 · Jul 20, 2019

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Weltall Zero · Jul 20, 2019

WillJoe said:
i got two kittens when they were 7 weeks old. they will be 13 weeks old tomorrow :) i don't feel comfortable posting pictures of them online but i think they are too damn cute and adorable. i love them and want to show them off :) they are sisters. these photos were taken the day after we got them.

this is Tibby:

and this is Kirjava:

Awww, absolutely lovely! <3

Rory · Jul 20, 2019

Weltall Zero said:
Thank you for these, I'll add them to the OP! Just one thing, could you confirm the symbols?
- I'm assuming $ is price (so $ is "inexpensive", $$$$ is "very expensive").
- I'm guessing * is "liked by cats", like in my list in the OP?
- I have no clue what the º is. :D

My cats like all wet foods the same, it may differ in tastes (like beef), but I cant help with cat preferences.

* and º simply mark a good quality/price balance.

ºcheap but good quality (listed content, high quality etc)
*good quality for relatively low price

Everything else that's not marjed is either rather overpriced or falls into the category "well, can be fed in between but shouldnt be the only food fed".

Weltall Zero · Jul 20, 2019

Rory said:
My cats like all wet foods the same, it may differ in tastes (like beef), but I cant help with cat preferences.

* and º simply mark a good quality/price balance.

ºcheap but good quality (listed content, high quality etc)
*good quality for relatively low price

Everything else that's not marjed is either rather overpriced or falls into the category "well, can be fed in between but shouldnt be the only food fed".

OK, I added it to the OP. I formatted it a bit, let me know if all the info is correct.

Rory · Jul 21, 2019

Weltall Zero said:
OK, I added it to the OP. I formatted it a bit, let me know if all the info is correct.

Thats all fine. :)

I think most importantly it'd be to teach how to recognize good food. Especially because of many brands being location bound.

Maybe add it in a spoiler tag for people who cant find a brand to go with there?

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