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[Weltall Zero]

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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You're 100% right. I'll add it right away. :)

Edit: I had something like this as the last "cat tip", but I rewrote it a bit and moved it to the foods section:

Feed your cat food (both dry and wet) that is as high in meat content (as a percentage) as possible, without cereals, sugars, salt, fruit or animal subproducts. Cats are sometimes allergic to chicken, while more exotic meats like ox, rabbit, boar, etc. are usually better tolerated.

I tried to make it short and to the point so that people don't tl;dr it. :D

 

[Arebours]

what are some good chewing toys for cats?

 

[Rory]

what are some good chewing toys for cats?

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Silvervine Sticks worked wonder.

There are majestic dog treats dried chicken, which are way smaller in cat version, the content is basically the same just the size differs. I prefer to give the dog ones because our cats will chew them and not swallow them whole.

 

[ClivePwned]

So a week or so back, I noticed my cat occasionally would 'scoot' after using the litter tray. If you don't know what this is, it's when a dog or a cat sits down and pulls themselves forward across the floor to try and wipe their bums. It's because something is irritating their asses, but often it's a sign of worms. or it's something to do with some anal glands they have. I do worm my cat so the vet discounted that over the phone.

I took the cat to the vet yesterday and she confirmed it was an impacted anal gland. They express the gland to relieve the pressure (squeezing the shit out). He managed to spray liquid shit all over the wall of the vet's office. It turns out it was my fault since I have not fed my cat dry food all that often since that's usually a cause of indoor house cats putting on a lot of weights (I feed him wet food from tins/pounches and raw meat). The downside is he wasn't getting enugh fibre, hence his blockages.

He'll be getting more regular dry food and some vegetables with fibre occasionally to prevent a further build up, and to protect the posters on the wall at my vet.

 

[THEVOID]

So a week or so back, I noticed my cat occasionally would 'scoot' after using the litter tray. If you don't know what this is, it's when a dog or a cat sits down and pulls themselves forward across the floor to try and wipe their bums. It's because something is irritating their asses, but often it's a sign of worms. or it's something to do with some anal glands they have. I do worm my cat so the vet discounted that over the phone.

I took the cat to the vet yesterday and she confirmed it was an impacted anal gland. They express the gland to relieve the pressure (squeezing the shit out). He managed to spray liquid shit all over the wall of the vet's office. It turns out it was my fault since I have not fed my cat dry food all that often since that's usually a cause of indoor house cats putting on a lot of weights (I feed him wet food from tins/pounches and raw meat). The downside is he wasn't getting enugh fibre, hence his blockages.

He'll be getting more regular dry food and some vegetables with fibre occasionally to prevent a further build up, and to protect the posters on the wall at my vet.

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That's really good to know.

 

[Weltall Zero]

So a week or so back, I noticed my cat occasionally would 'scoot' after using the litter tray. If you don't know what this is, it's when a dog or a cat sits down and pulls themselves forward across the floor to try and wipe their bums. It's because something is irritating their asses, but often it's a sign of worms. or it's something to do with some anal glands they have. I do worm my cat so the vet discounted that over the phone.

I took the cat to the vet yesterday and she confirmed it was an impacted anal gland. They express the gland to relieve the pressure (squeezing the shit out). He managed to spray liquid shit all over the wall of the vet's office. It turns out it was my fault since I have not fed my cat dry food all that often since that's usually a cause of indoor house cats putting on a lot of weights (I feed him wet food from tins/pounches and raw meat). The downside is he wasn't getting enugh fibre, hence his blockages.

He'll be getting more regular dry food and some vegetables with fibre occasionally to prevent a further build up, and to protect the posters on the wall at my vet.

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Yeah, dry food hardens stools, which in turm keep anal glands working properly (being "squeezed" to mark the stool with a greasy, pungent substance... yes, cats have glands whose specific purpose is making their shit more smelly :D). It's still no guarantee, though; one of our cats had hers impacted as well and we feed our cats mostly dry food. I wouldn't say any of this is "your fault"; you didn't have to know about them (many people don't), and it's your vet's fault for not squeezing them with enough care not to turn their posters into aromatic modern art. :D

For the record, you can squeeze them out yourself (we did), although it's not a pleasant procedure for any of the involved parties.

 

[PlzUninstall]

Hi guys, I'm worried about my cat's teeth ever since someone mentioned it. Should I be brushing them fairly regularly? My cat would make my arms into ribbons and I'm concerned about hurting him by forcing his mouth open for brushing.

Any tips?

 

[Weltall Zero]

Hi guys, I'm worried about my cat's teeth ever since someone mentioned it. Should I be brushing them fairly regularly? My cat would make my arms into ribbons and I'm concerned about hurting him by forcing his mouth open for brushing.

Any tips?

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We don't brush any of our cats' teeth, as we're not entirely convinced the benefits outweight the potential stress. Most cats should be fine if fed quality food, especially dry food that acts as a good teeth strengthener and cleaner. Your vet should tell you if they need brushing during their checkups, or may even opt for a deep cleaning right there with partial anesthetic. Still, always be vigilant for signs like red gums, bad breath or symptoms of pain.

If you go for brushing, you're not supposed to force them. Cat toothpasted is specially designed to taste good to them, so the idea is to slowly let them get used to it and let it be done to them willingly, a bit like trimming their claws or brushing their fur.

This article is pretty comprehensive on what to look out for, how to ease your cat into brushing if needed be, and also alternatives:

https://www.litter-robot.com/blog/2018/09/28/cat-teeth-cleaning-do-or-dont/

 

[maximumzero]

Jensen still has his ear infection after a week of twice-daily ear drops. Hopefully this isn't chronic and something we'll have to deal with for the life, but if it is we'll manage.

Did the first full-litter replacement in his box, and as I was pouring new litter in I noticed the package said full replacements are only necessary once a month...it has only been about three weeks and two days, so I probably could have waited one more week, whoops.

 

[UnholyChocolate]

Im want to get 1 or 2 rescue cats in when I move, but half of the estate will still be a building site. I don't know if it will be ok to let them out, or just get indoor cats only.

 

[Deleted member 1478]

Any of you leave your cats out overnight? I haven't had to yet but tonight was definitely the closest. One of them is becoming a lot more active in the evenings and just refused to come in tonight. Took about 4 hours and close to midnight before we managed to pick her up and bring her in.

I know some people do let them stay out all night but I'm always paranoid about foxes etc, especially as we back onto fields.

 

[Sheepinator]

Any of you leave your cats out overnight? I haven't had to yet but tonight was definitely the closest. One of them is becoming a lot more active in the evenings and just refused to come in tonight. Took about 4 hours and close to midnight before we managed to pick her up and bring her in.

I know some people do let them stay out all night but I'm always paranoid about foxes etc, especially as we back onto fields.

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Mine are only outside in our back yard on the weekends mornings and while under close supervision. You should definitely be worried. Life expectancy goes down sharply for outdoor cats, plus you'd need to be on top of fleas and heartworm medication just in case. Hopefully it's chipped, has claws, and isn't wearing a collar?

 

[maximumzero]

So the veterinarian said to use wet food basically as a treat while keeping Jensen on a dry food diet.

I've been giving him quarter servings of 5.5oz cans every few days, as even "third" servings seemed too big, and I'm gonna switch over to the smaller 3oz cans next time I go cat food shopping so I can just half them and don't have to worry about them potentially going bad before I feed him the entire can.

Edit: My parents finally got in a good visit yesterday, which was nice. They tried to visit Jensen two weeks back but my sister and brother-in-law showed up as well and between six people in a relatively small apartment and lots of commotion in the kitchen, Jensen hid under the bed most of the time.

But yesterday he was stellar. He was standing in the middle of the room when they arrived to greet them, was responsive to lots of pets, and even gave them a demonstrated of playtime with his mouse. A great overall first impression.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Slight update!

Lt. Dan has shown good signs that she may yet still walk. The foster mom sent me a photo, and a really low quality video today. She says she is very playful and eats a bunch, and that she has been trying to walk. You can see in the video that her back legs are too weak to lift over even the blanket, but once she is helped, she can at least (kind of) stand. She told me she stands and moves around better on carpet, and that the slick desk wasn't the best example to send. But it made me happy to see we made the right decision in giving her a fighting chance.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Im want to get 1 or 2 rescue cats in when I move, but half of the estate will still be a building site. I don't know if it will be ok to let them out, or just get indoor cats only.

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A building site sounds particularly dangerous for a cat, I would definitely keep them indoors (with access to a window if possible).

Any of you leave your cats out overnight? I haven't had to yet but tonight was definitely the closest. One of them is becoming a lot more active in the evenings and just refused to come in tonight. Took about 4 hours and close to midnight before we managed to pick her up and bring her in.

I know some people do let them stay out all night but I'm always paranoid about foxes etc, especially as we back onto fields.

Click to shrink...

Our cats are strictly indoors, and frankly even if I let them out, I think overnight is a bit too much. :S

So the veterinarian said to use wet food basically as a treat while keeping Jensen on a dry food diet.

I've been giving him quarter servings of 5.5oz cans every few days, as even "third" servings seemed too big, and I'm gonna switch over to the smaller 3oz cans next time I go cat food shopping so I can just half them and don't have to worry about them potentially going bad before I feed him the entire can.

Edit: My parents finally got in a good visit yesterday, which was nice. They tried to visit Jensen two weeks back but my sister and brother-in-law showed up as well and between six people in a relatively small apartment and lots of commotion in the kitchen, Jensen hid under the bed most of the time.

But yesterday he was stellar. He was standing in the middle of the room when they arrived to greet them, was responsive to lots of pets, and even gave them a demonstrated of playtime with his mouse. A great overall first impression.

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Jensen being a charming little devil. :D

1/4 of a can every few days is probably too little, unless he's rather overweight. My SO gives them wet food pretty much every day now. How much water is he drinking?

Slight update!

Lt. Dan has shown good signs that she may yet still walk. The foster mom sent me a photo, and a really low quality video today. She says she is very playful and eats a bunch, and that she has been trying to walk. You can see in the video that her back legs are too weak to lift over even the blanket, but once she is helped, she can at least (kind of) stand. She told me she stands and moves around better on carpet, and that the slick desk wasn't the best example to send. But it made me happy to see we made the right decision in giving her a fighting chance.

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My heart melts, such an adorable and valiant little thing. The remaning two kittens of the litter of five (three were adopted) we're fostering were hit with some sort of gastroenteritis that was pretty fulminating, they couldn't even walk either, and lost so much weight over the barely two days it lasted. And just like that, they recovered fully. I'm confident that Lt. Dan will make a full recovery and grow up to be a healthy, energetic beauty; you have my best wishes. :)

 

[hythloday]

Monty is trying SO HARD to become friends with Noelle. His only reward thus far has been an un-amused hiss, when he gets too close.

So far, so good! She's not his biggest fan but it looks like we are on the road to tolerance at the very least.

 

[Zen]

Alright. I have three cats currently. I've also just moved. It's been about two weeks. One of the two cats I rescued is (explosively) shitting everywhere and pissing everywhere he can. Always when I'm not around. I cleaned up a (very) splattered exploded liquid pile of his shit this morning that he left for me while I was in the shower. I also cleaned up another pile he had left in another part of my apartment. I've just come home, and not only has he left two more liquid shitpiles, he's pissed in one of the same spots that he shat in this morning.

I know it's him because I know the scent of the cats' piss and shit. You learn it after a little while. And his box was a dead match for the shit and piss piles. He's been doing this ever since I got him, but it has gotten much worse over the past week. I've spent a lot of time with him every day for bonding and to reduce his stress. I have feliway plug ins in two places in my apartment. I have 4 litterboxes for the three cats. I have his space designated upstairs and each cats has their own hideaway and kennel.

My other two cats are fine. The kitten is fine. My elder cat whom I've had for a year is peachy. This guy on the other hand has severe anxiety and I suspect it's separation anxiety. For some background on him, he's about 3 per the vet's deduction and he was already neutered when he was taken by animal control, so I'm thinking he was abandoned by his previous owners. I'm taking him to the vet for a checkup to see if he's developed any UTIs or other health issues, but I suspect it comes down to emotional trauma. How long will I be waiting for this to potentially subside?

I live in a small apartment as well. It may be too small to comfortably house three cats, two of which are adults and one which was a stray until recently. I'm in need of some advice on what to do going forward. My gut is telling me that he can't handle living with other cats since he's used to having his own territory, and thatbhe needs to be the only animal in the household. Shelters won't accept him and it's going to be tough finding people who don't have other animals and are willing to take him. I also feel bad because he is developing a strong attachment to me, but I don't think he's ever going to get along with my other cats. What are your opinions?

 

[Weltall Zero]

Alright. I have three cats currently. I've also just moved. It's been about two weeks. One of the two cats I rescued is (explosively) shitting everywhere and pissing everywhere he can. Always when I'm not around. I cleaned up a (very) splattered exploded liquid pile of his shit this morning that he left for me while I was in the shower. I also cleaned up another pile he had left in another part of my apartment. I've just come home, and not only has he left two more liquid shitpiles, he's pissed in one of the same spots that he shat in this morning.

I know it's him because I know the scent of the cats' piss and shit. You learn it after a little while. And his box was a dead match for the shit and piss piles. He's been doing this ever since I got him, but it has gotten much worse over the past week. I've spent a lot of time with him every day for bonding and to reduce his stress. I have feliway plug ins in two places in my apartment. I have 4 litterboxes for the three cats. I have his space designated upstairs and each cats has their own hideaway and kennel.

My other two cats are fine. The kitten is fine. My elder cat whom I've had for a year is peachy. This guy on the other hand has severe anxiety and I suspect it's separation anxiety. For some background on him, he's about 3 per the vet's deduction and he was already neutered when he was taken by animal control, so I'm thinking he was abandoned by his previous owners. I'm taking him to the vet for a checkup to see if he's developed any UTIs or other health issues, but I suspect it comes down to emotional trauma. How long will I be waiting for this to potentially subside?

I live in a small apartment as well. It may be too small to comfortably house three cats, two of which are adults and one which was a stray until recently. I'm in need of some advice on what to do going forward. My gut is telling me that he can't handle living with other cats since he's used to having his own territory, and thatbhe needs to be the only animal in the household. Shelters won't accept him and it's going to be tough finding people who don't have other animals and are willing to take him. I also feel bad because he is developing a strong attachment to me, but I don't think he's ever going to get along with my other cats. What are your opinions?

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This is a really, really tough situation. Some cats indeed do not get along well with other cats, especially if they've been the only cat for most of their lives. Still, it might be jumping to conclussions to assume this is due to those other cats; let's see if the vet has something to add to this. Im guessing the answer is probably no, but do you know of someone who you can trust enough to hold on to the cat temporarily to test that theory (and probably that trusts you enough to know you won't just lay the cat on their lap and run off).

 

[Sheepinator]

Slight update!

Lt. Dan has shown good signs that she may yet still walk. The foster mom sent me a photo, and a really low quality video today. She says she is very playful and eats a bunch, and that she has been trying to walk. You can see in the video that her back legs are too weak to lift over even the blanket, but once she is helped, she can at least (kind of) stand. She told me she stands and moves around better on carpet, and that the slick desk wasn't the best example to send. But it made me happy to see we made the right decision in giving her a fighting chance.

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That's a very encouraging video! Again, it's totally awesome you're giving him a fighting chance like this. He's very very lucky to have been saved when he was.

 

[Rory]

This is a really, really tough situation. Some cats indeed do not get along well with other cats, especially if they've been the only cat for most of their lives. Still, it might be jumping to conclussions to assume this is due to those other cats; let's see if the vet has something to add to this. Im guessing the answer is probably no, but do you know of someone who you can trust enough to hold on to the cat temporarily to test that theory (and probably that trusts you enough to know you won't just lay the cat on their lap and run off).

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i have got a lot of experience with chronically stressed cats. And honestly, from the report it does not sound like a multi-cat household problem especially because cats are never mentioned.

What seems odd to me is the liquid poo. A stressed cat marks its territory with piss to feel comfortable, but poo? No. Even if it was due to lacking access to litter boxes, the poo should not be liquid.

How big is your flat? How many stories? Where did you place your litter boxes? How do you feed your cats? What do you feed? Where are the drinking stations placed? Which feliway plugins do you use? Do you think that they work? It might be that you need to try one of the alternatives. Does your cat react to baldrian/catnip? How much time a day do you spent playing with each? How do the cats interact? Chasing games? Does the chased cat vary?

I'd do a blood test, check for worms, FIV/FELV, do an allergy test...

Furthermore I'd ask for astorin Sedarom Direkt, I am not sure what the equivalent is in America. It contains Green tea extract rich in L-theanine, dicalcium phosphate, glucose, coconut fat, milk and dairy products.

You could also try "Royal Canine CALM", but I choose the pills because you can still feed quality food instead of trash 4% RC food. There are tube-foods available with that L-theanine too.

There are many options, from Relaxan (Vitamin based), to Bachblueten, Zylkenen, different essences...

You dhould choose something natural based that does not, unlike other "calming drugs", freeze the cat and rise its angst level further due to immobility.

In general I'd try to take holiday and invest the time into finding out if "you not being at home" is the reason. I cant imaging that to be honest. How long are you gone a day?

 

[Shaneus]

Slight update!

Lt. Dan has shown good signs that she may yet still walk. The foster mom sent me a photo, and a really low quality video today. She says she is very playful and eats a bunch, and that she has been trying to walk. You can see in the video that her back legs are too weak to lift over even the blanket, but once she is helped, she can at least (kind of) stand. She told me she stands and moves around better on carpet, and that the slick desk wasn't the best example to send. But it made me happy to see we made the right decision in giving her a fighting chance.

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I think my heart just melted <3

 

[Zen]

i have got a lot of experience with chronically stressed cats. And honestly, from the report it does not sound like a multi-cat household problem especially because cats are never mentioned.

What seems odd to me is the liquid poo. A stressed cat marks its territory with piss to feel comfortable, but poo? No. Even if it was due to lacking access to litter boxes, the poo should not be liquid.

How big is your flat? How many stories? Where did you place your litter boxes? How do you feed your cats? What do you feed? Where are the drinking stations placed? Which feliway plugins do you use? Do you think that they work? It might be that you need to try one of the alternatives. Does your cat react to baldrian/catnip? How much time a day do you spent playing with each? How do the cats interact? Chasing games? Does the chased cat vary?

I'd do a blood test, check for worms, FIV/FELV, do an allergy test...

Furthermore I'd ask for astorin Sedarom Direkt, I am not sure what the equivalent is in America. It contains Green tea extract rich in L-theanine, dicalcium phosphate, glucose, coconut fat, milk and dairy products.

You could also try "Royal Canine CALM", but I choose the pills because you can still feed quality food instead of trash 4% RC food. There are tube-foods available with that L-theanine too.

There are many options, from Relaxan (Vitamin based), to Bachblueten, Zylkenen, different essences...

You dhould choose something natural based that does not, unlike other "calming drugs", freeze the cat and rise its angst level further due to immobility.

In general I'd try to take holiday and invest the time into finding out if "you not being at home" is the reason. I cant imaging that to be honest. How long are you gone a day?

Click to shrink...

650 sq ft, two story studio, litterboxes in every part of it, cleaned daily, food and water bowls in each designated area for each cat, comfort zone feliway plugs used on both upper and lower floors, catnip makes him more aggressive, 3 hours spent sitting next to him and petting per night which is honestly more than the kitten even gets. My elder cat has taken the kitten under her wing and is at odds with the other one. He hisses and swats at both and will try to corner the kitten. My elder cat usually confronts him. There really isn't any space to separate them via solid door except putting him in the bathroom, and he has already demonstrated he will immediately escape given the chance. I'm gone 9 hours a day on average including travel time.

 

[Muffin]

Temmie and Tatsu have grown quite a bit. Especially Tatsu is massive compared to Temmie. Hard to tell they are brothers sometimes.

Side note: Should I be worried that they only eat wet food and wont eat dry food?

 

[Deleted member 49611]

Temmie and Tatsu have grown quite a bit. Especially Tatsu is massive compared to Temmie. Hard to tell they are brothers sometimes.

Side note: Should I be worried that they only eat wet food and wont eat dry food?

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my kittens aren't huge fans of dry food. they will eat it but they much prefer their meat! i wouldn't worry about it but if it's really concerning you then have your vet check their teeth out just to make sure nothing is wrong. if their mouth is fine then they might just not like it.

make sure it's kitten dry food and maybe try them out with different sizes/shapes/flavours.

 

[Ventrue]

Side note: Should I be worried that they only eat wet food and wont eat dry food?

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Cats can be pretty resistant to changes in diet. If you wanted them to eat dry food sometimes, you could slowly mix in increasing amounts with their wet food so they get used to eating it.

Cats seem to find wet food more enjoyable generally.

 

[Deleted member 49611]

deleted

 

[Rory]

650 sq ft, two story studio, litterboxes in every part of it, cleaned daily, food and water bowls in each designated area for each cat, comfort zone feliway plugs used on both upper and lower floors, catnip makes him more aggressive, 3 hours spent sitting next to him and petting per night which is honestly more than the kitten even gets. My elder cat has taken the kitten under her wing and is at odds with the other one. He hisses and swats at both and will try to corner the kitten. My elder cat usually confronts him. There really isn't any space to separate them via solid door except putting him in the bathroom, and he has already demonstrated he will immediately escape given the chance. I'm gone 9 hours a day on average including travel time.

Click to shrink...

Okay i got an idea to solve this.

But first: what did the doc say?

 

[Weltall Zero]

Lovely pics everyone, keep them coming!

i have got a lot of experience with chronically stressed cats. And honestly, from the report it does not sound like a multi-cat household problem especially because cats are never mentioned.

What seems odd to me is the liquid poo. A stressed cat marks its territory with piss to feel comfortable, but poo? No. Even if it was due to lacking access to litter boxes, the poo should not be liquid.

How big is your flat? How many stories? Where did you place your litter boxes? How do you feed your cats? What do you feed? Where are the drinking stations placed? Which feliway plugins do you use? Do you think that they work? It might be that you need to try one of the alternatives. Does your cat react to baldrian/catnip? How much time a day do you spent playing with each? How do the cats interact? Chasing games? Does the chased cat vary?

I'd do a blood test, check for worms, FIV/FELV, do an allergy test...

Furthermore I'd ask for astorin Sedarom Direkt, I am not sure what the equivalent is in America. It contains Green tea extract rich in L-theanine, dicalcium phosphate, glucose, coconut fat, milk and dairy products.

You could also try "Royal Canine CALM", but I choose the pills because you can still feed quality food instead of trash 4% RC food. There are tube-foods available with that L-theanine too.

There are many options, from Relaxan (Vitamin based), to Bachblueten, Zylkenen, different essences...

You dhould choose something natural based that does not, unlike other "calming drugs", freeze the cat and rise its angst level further due to immobility.

In general I'd try to take holiday and invest the time into finding out if "you not being at home" is the reason. I cant imaging that to be honest. How long are you gone a day?

Click to shrink...

Zen, the above is all rock solid advice. Particularly it should be stressed that you need to find the cause for the runny poo, I don't think high stress levels cause this on cats. And Rory is right that cats don't mark with poo, so it seems more like an incontinence issue (or he's too scared to be cornered in a litter box and jus goes whenever the others aren't around).

It's also weird that he's attacking the kitten. Cats, even unfriendly / agressive / territorial ones, are generally pretty tolerant of kittens.

Side note: Should I be worried that they only eat wet food and wont eat dry food?

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Cats will almost always eat wet food and ignore dry food if both are available. What happens if you leave dry food available the full day and don't give them wet food? Let's go from there.

 

[thuway]

Is she biting you when you're strictly petting her? If so the problem is a different one. First of all you need to figure out if she's really playing, or if she's warning you because she finds petting to be disagreeable. Many cats become overstimulated if petted for a long time (with "long" varying a lot from cat to cat), causing them to feel further petting as actually painful, and lash out defensively. With their owners, they will often first warn them by biting gently. If this is the case, then you indeed need to pet her for shorter periods of time.

On the other hand, if she's actually playing, you still need to teach her that hands are not toys. The best way to do this is to watch out for when she's going to start playing with your hands, then gently but firmly tell her "no" (or "shush" her) and pull back your hand. You can also redirect play towards a toy at this time. Once she's tired from playing, you can try petting her again. This will probably be confusing for her at first, but it should eventually get the point across that hands are for petting and not for playing.

Be sure to let me know how this all goes. :)

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Not going so great. It's breaking my heart. She looks beautiful now though.

 

[Rory]

650 sq ft, two story studio, litterboxes in every part of it, cleaned daily, food and water bowls in each designated area for each cat, comfort zone feliway plugs used on both upper and lower floors, catnip makes him more aggressive, 3 hours spent sitting next to him and petting per night which is honestly more than the kitten even gets. My elder cat has taken the kitten under her wing and is at odds with the other one. He hisses and swats at both and will try to corner the kitten. My elder cat usually confronts him. There really isn't any space to separate them via solid door except putting him in the bathroom, and he has already demonstrated he will immediately escape given the chance. I'm gone 9 hours a day on average including travel time.

Click to shrink...

Litter box management. With two stories, I'd test to upgrade to 5 or even 6 litter boxes (temporary to see if it improves the shitting situation). Try different kinds as well, maybe one with shallow entry or a higher rim. (My angst kitty likes closed boxes the most, I had bought open ones to be very sensitive to their needs.) A closed box, open box also try different litters. Why?
You need to test if the box management is the problem for your cat (this includes form, filling, placing, access but also how often you clean it, try to clean it twice a day) or if its indeed a "stress related" problem. You need 3 boxes on the upper floor and 3 on the lower floor, so that your cat always has access to a free litter box even if the other two cats decide to use two different ones.

I'd add a Feliway Friends, to lower the tensions between the cats. 650 sq ft you could theoretically remove one "Classic" and replace it with Friends, given that you pass by frequently enough to let the "essence" travel with you and spread. (Normally it's per 538,196 sq ft one plug and per story -- but we use on 1076 sq ft 1 classic and 1 friends without stairs in between and its working just fine.) Keep in mind that you should exchange the plug every 6 month. This is to relax the situation between cats.

3 hours attention sounds plenty. However petting does not seem what would be the right "medication" here. Fixed playtime. Ideally, with a cat as yours which has too much energy, ideally you'd do 15 minutes of "boil and simmer" before feeding. That means you take out all that excessive energy that he has. Boil and simmer means you get him all up and crazy after a toy or whatever till he's totally exhausted, let him rest for a few seconds and then go on. Till he's done for good. Then he will be served food. (He has earned it.) Do this thrice a day/before each meal. You want a really done cat. It will make sure your cat does not have the energy to hunt and chase after the other one.

A solid door is not necessary. I'd actually reintroduce them to one another. For that a mesh door is more than enough. A bathroom itself is not big enough for that. Would it be possible to separate upper and lower floor somehow? This would lower the tension between cats and help with socializing.

What I wonder is, how is the kitten doing in this constellation? It will barely get enough attention, a playful kitten would behave way more like the cat you describe. Im not 100% sure the kitten is not causing trouble too.
How was it prior to move?

Temmie and Tatsu have grown quite a bit. Especially Tatsu is massive compared to Temmie. Hard to tell they are brothers sometimes.

Side note: Should I be worried that they only eat wet food and wont eat dry food?

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This depends. One theory says that dry kibbles cleans the teeth. After eating an apple I, myself, often have more stuck in between than the apple cleaned. My cats get wet food only and kibbles/dry food is only added as a snack. (Pills for example are always served with dry food kibbles, they eat them because they know to be fed kibbles from hand as treats.)

BUT what I think is important is that cats know dry and wet food and are eating both if served when really hungry. Else you might run into trouble in case you only have dry food available if an disaster is coming.

If cats ignore dry kibbles, it can help to soak them. I wouldn't do it with this temperatures atm because soaked food goes bad way sooner.

 

[Muffin]

Thanks for the hints, I'll try mixing some dry food in with the wet food from now on. Don't really want to only give them dry food for a day and wait to see if they eat it, they're still growing and need to eat much. Well, at least the smaller of the two does. I'll do that in a few weeks maybe.

 

[Rory]

Thanks for the hints, I'll try mixing some dry food in with the wet food from now on. Don't really want to only give them dry food for a day and wait to see if they eat it, they're still growing and need to eat much. Well, at least the smaller of the two does. I'll do that in a few weeks maybe.

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you can also try to serve as treats from time to time. add some fish oil and make it more attractive.

 

[Zen]

Litter box management. With two stories, I'd test to upgrade to 5 or even 6 litter boxes (temporary to see if it improves the shitting situation). Try different kinds as well, maybe one with shallow entry or a higher rim. (My angst kitty likes closed boxes the most, I had bought open ones to be very sensitive to their needs.) A closed box, open box also try different litters. Why?
You need to test if the box management is the problem for your cat (this includes form, filling, placing, access but also how often you clean it, try to clean it twice a day) or if its indeed a "stress related" problem. You need 3 boxes on the upper floor and 3 on the lower floor, so that your cat always has access to a free litter box even if the other two cats decide to use two different ones.

I'd add a Feliway Friends, to lower the tensions between the cats. 650 sq ft you could theoretically remove one "Classic" and replace it with Friends, given that you pass by frequently enough to let the "essence" travel with you and spread. (Normally it's per 538,196 sq ft one plug and per story -- but we use on 1076 sq ft 1 classic and 1 friends without stairs in between and its working just fine.) Keep in mind that you should exchange the plug every 6 month. This is to relax the situation between cats.

3 hours attention sounds plenty. However petting does not seem what would be the right "medication" here. Fixed playtime. Ideally, with a cat as yours which has too much energy, ideally you'd do 15 minutes of "boil and simmer" before feeding. That means you take out all that excessive energy that he has. Boil and simmer means you get him all up and crazy after a toy or whatever till he's totally exhausted, let him rest for a few seconds and then go on. Till he's done for good. Then he will be served food. (He has earned it.) Do this thrice a day/before each meal. You want a really done cat. It will make sure your cat does not have the energy to hunt and chase after the other one.

A solid door is not necessary. I'd actually reintroduce them to one another. For that a mesh door is more than enough. A bathroom itself is not big enough for that. Would it be possible to separate upper and lower floor somehow? This would lower the tension between cats and help with socializing.

What I wonder is, how is the kitten doing in this constellation? It will barely get enough attention, a playful kitten would behave way more like the cat you describe. Im not 100% sure the kitten is not causing trouble too.
How was it prior to move?

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I found the kitten literally two nights before my move heh. He was in dire straits until probably a couple days after I had taken him to the vet and gotten him treated. I play with him basically every time I have a few minutes to myself at home. He's always running around and sometimes he runs too fast out of the litterbox and some residue poop is ejected. Dude is into my shoes right now but his interests keep expanding as his mobility gets better. He's definitely a troublemaker, but he doesn't have anxiety. I spend a lot of time letting him sit in my lap too aside from playing with him.

At 5 or 6 litterboxes there's nearly one in every corner of the apartment haha. Tonight there wasn't any stray poop or urine spots that I could find. I like your idea of boil and simmer, gonna try that with both the kitten and the other guy. I have vet appointments set up for both the recent cats in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Rory]

I found the kitten literally two nights before my move heh. He was in dire straits until probably a couple days after I had taken him to the vet and gotten him treated. I play with him basically every time I have a few minutes to myself at home. He's always running around and sometimes he runs too fast out of the litterbox and some residue poop is ejected. Dude is into my shoes right now but his interests keep expanding as his mobility gets better. He's definitely a troublemaker, but he doesn't have anxiety. I spend a lot of time letting him sit in my lap too aside from playing with him.

At 5 or 6 litterboxes there's nearly one in every corner of the apartment haha. Tonight there wasn't any stray poop or urine spots that I could find. I like your idea of boil and simmer, gonna try that with both the kitten and the other guy. I have vet appointments set up for both the recent cats in the next couple of weeks.

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I proper introduction is crucial to guarantee a smooth transition from enemies to frenemies to friends. If you dont slowly introduce them, then it might take month to years for them to figure out to get along.

If you found the kitten 2 nights before, maybe your old cat does not like these two sudden changes too much. Your best bet would have been (especially because the kitten was not so mobile yet) to keep the kitten in the bathroom and separate them with the mesh-door till both parties are cool with one another. (depending on the process)

It is always a good idea to separate new found kitten from inhabitants for 2-3 weeks minimum for 2 reasons: One they can get used to one another and second is illnesses. If your little one is also having drippy poo, this may indicate that he has (had?) worms. In that case you need to de-worm all 3 cats. Which you most likely didnt? So the worms wander from one cat to another. Which is not necessarily to be noticed, but when one cat is additionally fleeing its litterbox then you get a mess.

I'd de-worm all of them now and get the new litter boxes afterwards, this way you don't need to scrub so much. You need to make sure you clean the remaining boxes really well. Giardia are a pain to get rid of. I know 6 litter boxes sound a lot and is annoying, but it's just for the time being and can be reduced later on again.

 

[Zen]

All three are on their second round of dewormers. My eldest cat likes the kitten quite a bit and lets him eat from her bowl, lays with him, lets him bug her. I was surprised tbh. She doesn't get along nearly as well with the other cat.

 

[Zoe]

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

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I don't believe it is.

We ended up getting Blue kitten food which she has been all over. She's too dainty though and picks it up piece by piece, with half of it falling right out of her mouth onto the floor (partially probably because of her current motor issues).

The vet has given us Mirataz. We'll see how that goes...

 

[Xaszatm]

So I'm allergic to fur, yet want a cat, how dumb am I?

 

[Brandino]

So I'm allergic to fur, yet want a cat, how dumb am I?

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Make sure you have a good antihistamine

 

[Sheepinator]

So I'm allergic to fur, yet want a cat, how dumb am I?

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Depends how allergic. It may still be tolerable with frequent hand washing and vacuuming etc. People with mild allergies can absolutely live with cats, maybe not a clowder though.

 

[PurpleRainz]

I got a new kitten and she has a brown eye and a blue eye super cute oh my god she's solid white I've never had a pure white cat before. We named her Lya after a short story by George R R Martin called A Song for Lya. She does have pink eye though Her eye is swollen the soonest the vet could see us is Friday. I'll try and post some pics if people wanna see them I've got two other cats but I'm taking care of my dads cat Arya while he recovers from his stroke.

My adult cats are starting to warm up to her really quickly she's only been here since 2 am last night and I already caught my cat Snart licking her.

 

[P-Bo]

So I'm allergic to fur, yet want a cat, how dumb am I?

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You can do it, but you may be miserable.

Had asthma when I was a kid, and while I grew out of it, I still break out into violent sneezing sessions when I'm with my cat for prolonged periods of time.

To be fair, I'm not taking antihistamines, and my insurance won't cover me getting allergy shots, so I just made this harder by trying to brute force it.

Some people are able to adapt to their pets though--I have far less reactions these days than when I first brought my cat home. My cousin had a similar case with his dog, and his health history is somewhat identical to mine.

 

[Rory]

I got a new kitten and she has a brown eye and a blue eye super cute oh my god she's solid white I've never had a pure white cat before. We named her Lya after a short story by George R R Martin called A Song for Lya. She does have pink eye though Her eye is swollen the soonest the vet could see us is Friday. I'll try and post some pics if people wanna see them I've got two other cats but I'm taking care of my dads cat Arya while he recovers from his stroke.

My adult cats are starting to warm up to her really quickly she's only been here since 2 am last night and I already caught my cat Snart licking her.

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Separate them.

You have got a cat with a pink eye, this could be something harmless or cat flu. Till you have seen the vet the cats should not be in contact to keep oldies healthy.

White cats with blue eyes are very likely to be deaf or partly deaf. I'd check on that.

The pink eye will require antibiotics, preferably for pets. Your vet will help you out. De-worm it.

 

[Rory]

All three are on their second round of dewormers. My eldest cat likes the kitten quite a bit and lets him eat from her bowl, lays with him, lets him bug her. I was surprised tbh. She doesn't get along nearly as well with the other cat.

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Then its time to collect poo. Your cat is not healthy in its current state. Maybe you need a stronger product or need to de-worm once more.

 

[Xaszatm]

Make sure you have a good antihistamine

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Depends how allergic. It may still be tolerable with frequent hand washing and vacuuming etc. People with mild allergies can absolutely live with cats, maybe not a clowder though.

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You can do it, but you may be miserable.

Had asthma when I was a kid, and while I grew out of it, I still break out into violent sneezing sessions when I'm with my cat for prolonged periods of time.

To be fair, I'm not taking antihistamines, and my insurance won't cover me getting allergy shots, so I just made this harder by trying to brute force it.

Some people are able to adapt to their pets though--I have far less reactions these days than when I first brought my cat home. My cousin had a similar case with his dog, and his health history is somewhat identical to mine.

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Last time i was in a room with a cat for an extended period of time (30 minutes) I started having difficulty breathing and had to leave. I think I'm just doomed.

 

[Sheepinator]

Last time i was in a room with a cat for an extended period of time (30 minutes) I started having difficulty breathing and had to leave. I think I'm just doomed.

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Sphynx cat?

https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/what-you-need-know-bringing-home-sphynx-cat

 

[Xaszatm]

Sphynx cat?

https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/what-you-need-know-bringing-home-sphynx-cat

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That actually is the cat I'm thinking of getting honestly. I'm probably going to go to my doctor about this. I still need to wait until next year anyways since medical issues might make it a bad decision to purchase a cat right now.

 

[PurpleRainz]

Separate them.

You have got a cat with a pink eye, this could be something harmless or cat flu. Till you have seen the vet the cats should not be in contact to keep oldies healthy.

White cats with blue eyes are very likely to be deaf or partly deaf. I'd check on that.

The pink eye will require antibiotics, preferably for pets. Your vet will help you out. De-worm it.

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Oh geeze I didn't even think of that thank you I'll keep the big cats away from her from now on. I should have caught that myself I've just been working crazy hours so I'm flustered and didn't even think about it spreading in the rush to get her set up and vet appointments and kitten chow and trying to figure out if she was weened.


I didn't know about white cats being deaf that might explain why she always seems so surprised when me or my girlfriend sneak up on her to keep her out of the big cats room.

I haven't had a kitten in so long I've forgotten all the rules of integrating one into a house. I did remember to keep her food away from the big cats though and she has her own little pan of kitten chow and water and a tiny kitten sized litter box. Does anyone know how often I should feed her? I know nursing kittens need food pretty often but she's weened.

To further explain her nose isn't runny and her eye isn't all gunky I'm just being cautious and assumed it was pink eye her face is kinda weirdly shaped she's really fluffy but looking at my cat Snart he's got similar looking fluffy spot under his eye and he's always had it looking at pictures of him from a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Shaneus]

So I'm allergic to fur, yet want a cat, how dumb am I?

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Greyhound!

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Just got terrible news and I'm trying my best to not be enraged and depressed all at the same time. The foster kitten that another student was taking care of for us until tomorrow? One single day left to go? She's gone. The kitten was being kept in a bathroom separated from other animals in the home. I don't know how it happened, but when someone went into the bathroom and let the kitten out of the carrier, a roommate's cat got into the bathroom also. They either didn't realize, or didn't think it was a big deal, but the cat jumped on the kitten and attacked when they opened the carrier. It happened quickly, and when the person tried separating them, the cat then attacked the person. The cat was too small and too weak, and the little time it took for the cat to attack did enough damage on the chest that when they rushed the kitten to the ICU nearby, they determined it was best to euthanize. I just grabbed the closest thing I could that wasn't glass and smashed it against my wall. Now just sitting here trying to process it. I can't stop thinking about what a terrible, shitty way that was for the kitten to go, and it makes me want to cry.

I wish I liked alcohol so I could get drunk right now.

 

[Shaneus]

Just got terrible news and I'm trying my best to not be enraged and depressed all at the same time. The foster kitten that another student was taking care of for us until tomorrow? One single day left to go? She's gone. The kitten was being kept in a bathroom separated from other animals in the home. I don't know how it happened, but when someone went into the bathroom and let the kitten out of the carrier, a roommate's cat got into the bathroom also. They either didn't realize, or didn't think it was a big deal, but the cat jumped on the kitten and attacked when they opened the carrier. It happened quickly, and when the person tried separating them, the cat then attacked the person. The cat was too small and too weak, and the little time it took for the cat to attack did enough damage on the chest that when they rushed the kitten to the ICU nearby, they determined it was best to euthanize. I just grabbed the closest thing I could that wasn't glass and smashed it against my wall. Now just sitting here trying to process it. I can't stop thinking about what a terrible, shitty way that was for the kitten to go, and it makes me want to cry.

I wish I liked alcohol so I could get drunk right now.

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Oh no! That's broken my heart, I'm so, so sorry.

Fucking hell, man :(

I wish people could've been more wary of something like that happening, but... argh. Hopefully you'll find room in your heart to take on another kitty who needs you just as much, sooner rather than later.