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Daww. Indie's a handsome puddy tat.

 

...If anything, for some reason I really like sphynx cats. And their kittens. Shoot me.

 

I have 2 cats currently. For some reason, one of them has singled me out as her 'favorite' person in the family, and the other chose my mom. I wonder if it would be the other way around with my dad ad brother if we got more...

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I love cats. :3 We have three.

 

user posted image

 

The one on the left is Morgan, he's my baby. I bought him with my birthday money when I was 9. He's 14 now. The middle one is just a family cat, his name is Butt. ...My brother named him, hah. It's a long story. He was a stray, and we think he's about 6 or 7 now, maybe? The one on the right is Walden, he's my older brother's cat. He's about two.

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Your cat looks just like mine, oOnyaOo!  (except Widget is female, and she whirrs too, but it sounds more like murr to me)

I forgot to mention. Yesterday she went absolutely PSYCHO and kept clawing me nearly to death...and this cat does not understand the word no. >< *rubs marks of claws*

Is there any OTHER way to stop her clawing due to her lack of understanding the word no?

 

~Cavey

I think this is used mainly for biters, but try blowing on her face when she claws you. They stop doing what ever they are doing cold when you do that.

 

Edit: Also, you are having her claws trimmed regularly right? Trimming the claws helps reduce the 'ouch' factor when they claw you.

Edited by Slaskia

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A lot of people tell me that I should feed only canned because wet food has water content and cats get most of there moisture from food.

 

I never understand why everyone insists that cats don't drink enough water to digest dry food. I believe this was invented by wet food makers. When I've read about carnivores it's mentioned they must drink because of the high water needed to digest MEAT. Which is what cats eat. My dad got more than his share of the feral cat population at his apartments because he put out water along with the food everyone else put out as well (no one else thought about water). Because cats drink water. In all the health guides I read if cats are not drinking they gave a list of things to discuss with a vet.

 

Trust me my cats drink. Even if they've finished eatting there daily treat of canned food instead of there regular wet. Lions on tv drink from the watering hole after eatting. tigers not only drink but swim.

Canned food can be best for some cats but not necessarily all. I wish me cat would eat at least some canned but she hates it. I have tried all kinds. She is on a very good dry food though and does well on it. The canned vs dry issue tends to come up mostly when cats have frequent urinary tract infections ... like mine has had in the past. Canned isn't always the answer though. I feed Wellness Indoor Complete and my Luna hasn't had a UTI since. smile.gif

 

 

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I have two cats Star (boy) and Case (Girl), which out of the two Star does what he pleases, which is basically nothing. As for Case, well, she's quite the naughty little daredevil who loves to nibble on my earphone cords.

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There are some studies that show this does next to nothing. I consider wet food to be better than dry because of the moisture content. In the wild, cats get most of their moisture from their prey and thus do not always have to drink. Cats will NOT actually drink more water to compensate for the moisture-loss from their food and thus they can easily dehydrate themselves.

 

This is total nonsense, I'm afraid. Cats, even feral cats, do drink quite a lot. There should always be a large bowl of water left down for cats at all times regardless of what you are feeding them, and a cat will not intentionaly dehydrate itself. If a cat is very dehydrated it is because it is ill and not because it's on a diet of dried food.

 

A cat will, however, starve itself if it doesn't like what it's being offered. They're one of the few animals that will, and can cause themselves permanent fatal damage if the food being offered isn't changed.

 

Also I wouldn't rely on your vet to steer you in the correct decision food wise, especially if that vet sells food. Nutrition is not heavily covered in vet programs and vets often have very little experience on this topic. What they DO learn is sponsored and paid for by food companies who are basically there to tell the vets why they should hit up potential customers with their in-store food. Most food the vets sell is absolute crap.

 

I don't know about the States, but I can tell you that from the perspective of someone in the UK this is also total and utter nonsense. A vet knows a hell of a lot more about a cats digestive system than any but the most experienced of cat owners do.

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Also I wouldn't rely on your vet to steer you in the correct decision food wise, especially if that vet sells food. Nutrition is not heavily covered in vet programs and vets often have very little experience on this topic. What they DO learn is sponsored and paid for by food companies who are basically there to tell the vets why they should hit up potential customers with their in-store food. Most food the vets sell is absolute crap.

My vet told me next to nothing about what to feed him, which I find a little irritating. He had a very, very bad urinary tract blockage. The day I brought him home, I was up at 2 AM the next morning bringing him back because he was having trouble again. They sent him home with some more medication, and then the next day he was readmitted to the ER of the animal hospital. After getting 3 blockages in as many days we opted for surgery.

 

After, the vet gave me a ton of medicine for him, but didn't tell me what to do to keep him from having a problem like that again. So everything I found was from looking at websites where cat owners posted about different foods. So I've been feeding Wellness based on what I found on the internet.

 

But I couldn't find much about what makes the Primal different from regular wet food, aside from the fact that the Primal is frozen and the Wellness isn't...

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I have two cats Star (boy) and Case (Girl), which out of the two Star does what he pleases, which is basically nothing. As for Case, well, she's quite the naughty little daredevil who loves to nibble on my earphone cords.

Ha! They sound like cute little cats. ^.^ My uncle used to have a cat. His name was Duke. He would always roam around the house and do as he pleased.. until one day he died of old age. sad.gif It was really sad and I think my uncle was never really the same again.. /Sigh.

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I think this is used mainly for biters, but try blowing on her face when she claws you. They stop doing what ever they are doing cold when you do that.

 

Edit: Also, you are having her claws trimmed regularly right? Trimming the claws helps reduce the 'ouch' factor when they claw you.

Um, when the cat is clawing your nose and you have your eyes shut for fear that she puncture them and she is chewing you...I didn't blow because she would have ignored me and chomped my nose. (Plus, my eyes were closed, I couldn't tell which side was what.)

I've bugged my mom to trim her claws because of those razors of claws, but she keeps forgetting... (and trust me, I really do mean razors, she's getting her scratching deeper each day...)

 

~Cavey

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Um, when the cat is clawing your nose and you have your eyes shut for fear that she puncture them and she is chewing you...I didn't blow because she would have ignored me and chomped my nose. (Plus, my eyes were closed, I couldn't tell which side was what.)

I've bugged my mom to trim her claws because of those razors of claws, but she keeps forgetting... (and trust me, I really do mean razors, she's getting her scratching deeper each day...)

 

~Cavey

Ow... That's also one of the reasons I don't have a cat: The biting and the scratching. >.< That always sounds so painful!

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My vet told me next to nothing about what to feed him, which I find a little irritating. He had a very, very bad urinary tract blockage. The day I brought him home, I was up at 2 AM the next morning bringing him back because he was having trouble again. They sent him home with some more medication, and then the next day he was readmitted to the ER of the animal hospital. After getting 3 blockages in as many days we opted for surgery.

 

After, the vet gave me a ton of medicine for him, but didn't tell me what to do to keep him from having a problem like that again. So everything I found was from looking at websites where cat owners posted about different foods. So I've been feeding Wellness based on what I found on the internet.

 

But I couldn't find much about what makes the Primal different from regular wet food, aside from the fact that the Primal is frozen and the Wellness isn't...

Sounds to me like your vet doesn't give a damn what causes it (which is bad) and just wants the money from all the treatments (which is even worse). Perhaps you should see about going to another vet if possible? From the sound of things, it may be better off for both you and the cat.

 

I can assure you not all vets are like yours: the one we go to is very good and tells us everything (including how much things are upfront).

 

@Cave

 

If your mom keeps forgetting, you may want to take the cat to a professional groomer or the vet for a nail trimming (I don't know if all vets offer it).

 

@Rainbow

 

Other pets can bite and scratch as well, not just cats. It's up to the ower to train them out of that habit (though some kind of pets you can't do that with, like reptiles).

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I clip my own cat's nails. My oldest cat...it's weird, she likes getting them cut. I snuggle her on her back against my tummy (so she's like, sitting on her butt almost) and I cradle her while I snip away the sharp tips. She purrs the entire time xd.png

 

 

I'm actually feeding the kitten we just got Target brand wet food, because she doesn't like Wellness. . _. But she loves the smell of Nilla wafers! (Not that we get her any xd.png)

 

And oowww, she's biting my arm/hand right now D:

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Well, I just got my first cat. I don't have him home yet but I'm going to pick him up tomorrow.

 

user posted image

 

This is the only photo I have of him so far, and it's just what the Humane Society had on their website. He's cross-eyed.

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I absolutely love cats! All kinds of cats, big, small, wild, domestic. Actually, someday I want to run my own big cats sanctuary. >w<

I've always been good with cats, even wild alley cats in my neighborhood like to come up to me and let me pet them. :3

I've got six cats myself; 2 calicoes (one long haired one short haired), a short haired grey tabby, twin short haired orange tabbies, and a long haired "cow cat."

Pictures of all of them but one (the long haired calico) you can find here -->here<-- if you like. :3

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O.M.G. I went to my friend's house today after we had gone swimming, and I met her little cat named Buddy. Buddy was very nice and gently, and my friend said he liked me! laugh.gif After that expierence, I deffinitely want a cat now. xd.png

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Well, I just got my first cat. I don't have him home yet but I'm going to pick him up tomorrow.

 

This is the only photo I have of him so far, and it's just what the Humane Society had on their website. He's cross-eyed.

Nice looking boy! You'll need to watch his nose and ears if he goes out, though. Those parts on pale cats can burn very easily and I've seen more than a few end up with skin cancer because of it.

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Nice looking boy! You'll need to watch his nose and ears if he goes out, though. Those parts on pale cats can burn very easily and I've seen more than a few end up with skin cancer because of it.

Thanks, Tikindi. I didn't know that. Where I live cats aren't allowed to go out without a leash but that doesn't mean he might not be able to be supervised in my backyard (though I'd be worried about him jumping the fence...) and some people walk their cats. The tips or his ears are definitely really light.

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Thanks, Tikindi. I didn't know that. Where I live cats aren't allowed to go out without a leash but that doesn't mean he might not be able to be supervised in my backyard (though I'd be worried about him jumping the fence...) and some people walk their cats. The tips or his ears are definitely really light.

It normally seems to happen to the cats who spend more time than not outside, so if he's not out very often you probably don't need to worry. Unless the sun is really hot in your part of the world, in which case I'd recommend sunscreen.

 

It's quite possible to cat-proof a garden with a bit of work. I know several siamese breeders that have done it so their queens can go out without the risk of being 'got' by a local tom. It normally requires high-ish fences with either rollers or a loose roll of netting on the top. They need to be high enough that the cat can't simply jump over them, and the rollers/wire prevents the cat from jumping onto the top of the fence.

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I only let my adult cat out on a leash, or else she makes a bee-line for the low fence. And we can't make that fence any higher, because then the neighbors would throw a fit :/

 

Anyways, I got this new kitten a couple weeks ago. She had gotten spayed on the Thursday before we got her (which was that Friday), and so her spay incision hadn't healed up yet. They used skin glue on her superficial cut, and didn't put a cone/hat on her. Thus, she licked at it and pulled the skin glue out, and it got infected. When we brought her home, she was super lethargic, dangerously skinny (she lost a lot of weight at the Humane Society), would not play, and dehydrated. The cut was even starting to open up because the glue was coming undone. So, we took her to the vet and she was put on antibiotics, and her wound was also cleaned (as much as they could). We went in again in two days and she had surgery to get the infected tissue cut away (they opened her up again) and flushed her abdomen to clean out the infection before stitching her up properly.

Now she's a rambunctious little tyke, and her sutures are removed (I got to remove them!) and she's all healed up. Anyways, I've noticed that in the past few weeks that she's been having a lot of diarrhea. When we had first brought her home, the feces were solid. We thought maybe her loose stool had something to do with the antibiotics and perhaps the change in food (she wouldn't touch the wet food they gave her at the pound, so we got new wet food) but now that she's been off the antibiotics for a few days and on the food for a long time, it doesn't seem to have changed. She's playful like she should be, so I don't really know why she would be having this diarrhea or why there aren't any other signs of illness.

 

Also, concerning her- when we brought her home, naturally our resident cat was not very thrilled. However, they seem to have warmed up to each other, and the adult cat no longer hisses and spits. But, sometimes when they do interact (which is becoming increasingly often), I notice that my adult cat swats at her a lot and tries to bite her. Or, something. I can't tell if she's seriously trying to injure the kitten or what, but there hasn't been any growling for a while and the kitten swats back. It just doesn't seem very...friendly. And other times they play together, they do appear friendly. So I'm not sure if these particular occasions are really the older cat (Lyra) trying to hurt the kitten (Maddison) or what, although I really do think they're just playing. I just want to be sure d:

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I honestly don't understand why the animal shelters don't put E-collars on female cats when they spay them prior to letting us take them home. Cats, being self-cleaning animals will lick the incision site (which you are not supposed to let them do for at least 7 days), and you cannot watch them 24/7 to keep them from doing that. You're also not supposed to let them run and jump around a lot while they are healing up for about two weeks.

 

For Murra I kept her in a pet carrier most of the time during her healing period, letting her out for 30-60 mins a few times a day to eat/drink/litterbox/play. I did end up having to get an E-collar for her, since the shelter, as mentioned before, did not give her one. I would take it off when I had her out of the carrier so she could eat and such. Fortunately, the set up worked out really well an we had no complications with the healing and as a bonus, she is completely comfortable with the carrier (she even sleeps in it sometimes on her own).

 

Shiny, as for the interactions between your cats: so long as they do not start screaming/growling/hissing constantly at each other when interacting with each other, it is playing. Swatting, biting, wrestling, etc with each other, so long as what I mentioned before is not happening constantly, is normal play behavior (a growl here or hiss there is normal).

 

As for the diarrhea...the information we got when we got our two little 'monsters' was that if they have diarrhea for more than 24 hours they should be brought to the vet to be checked for infection (they likely will ask for a poo sample). Cats are very good at hiding weakness, so there may be something wrong with her and you'd never know it unless you know what to look for (changes in behavior, appetite, sleep patterns, etc).

 

Hope that helps.

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Yeah, we brought her to the vet on the Sunday after bringing her home, and she got an cute little hat, and then properly fixed up. She has her own little kitty pen where she hangs out.

 

Okay, good! I'm glad it's just playing =)

I'll see if I can get my moms to take her to the vet soon. Thank you!

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w/regards diarrhea may I ask what you're feeding them? Adult cats can often eat much richer food than kittens, and something the adult is having no trouble with may be giving the little one a runny tummy.

 

Cats also need to establish a pecking order - so some of the swatting may be down to that. It's not strictly play, but also not strictly nasty either. It's just the older cat reminding the younger one who is in charge.

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Aye, Tiki has a point about the food. Are you feeding the kitten the same food as the adult? Kittens need their own special cat food until they are at least a year old.

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Aye, Tiki has a point about the food. Are you feeding the kitten the same food as the adult? Kittens need their own special cat food until they are at least a year old.

Not always - I've known plenty of brands of food that are fine for kittens to eat (although it is *much* easier just to feed them kitten food - and I don't know much about American cat food brands), and I've also knwon some that I wouldn't touch for a kitten with a 10ft barge pole - like Whiskers. I've known that stuff give adults a bad stomach so you wouldn't catch me feeding it to a little.

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Picked up my boy today. I've started calling him Dango but I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it. xd.png I love him a whole lot, he's such a love bug. <3 He's settled in very well but we haven't introduced him to dog properly yet.

 

He's really fuzzy and lovely. <3

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