Pets chit chat thread

[DanieMarie]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Bad kitty just stole the ham off of my bread when I went to go get tea.

[anunitu]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Damn uppity cats.....always going for your kill....(almost forgot the rim shot)...badda bing....

[Shahaku]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Rehomed our big dog. Finally. We sent her off this morning. She's on a farm, lots of running room, experienced owner who will hopefully take really good care of her. Seemed like a nice lady. I'm relieved and sad at the same time.

My hubby and I have been talking about getting a cat or two when things settle down. I'm kinda allergic, but some cats I can be around, no clue which ones. So I'd have to go sniff them and see if they make me sneeze or something. I like cats, I've just avoided them cause they make my eyes scratchy. But I've also noticed it's a bit of an exposure thing, after a few days it calms down some. And I think cats would be a little easier to handle that a husky.

We're going to wait a couple months in any case and see if we still really want to go that route, but we're considering it. I haven't had a cat since I was 10. And they all lived outdoors because of my mom's allergies. So I have no clue really.

I kinda feel like giving a couple rescue kitties a good home would be a decent pay back for having to rehome Koda as well. Then I feel like crap thinking about bringing more animals into our house when we just got rid of one.

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

We still have little Dolly. She is such a treasure. I'd share images but even though it's only been a year, I can't remember how to post images to this forum. ^^

She as some great quirks.. like, we keep her as a house cat because of what happened to Magpie, but let her out into our yard when we're outside. If we're out for a while, like sitting on the swing seat on a sunny day, she usually gets bored and heads in on her own (although last time I was out, she had a little sleep on the seat next to me ^^). When we're just hanging out washing, she'll have a little play but then once we go inside she is hot on our heels (okay, sometimes we have to call for her, but she always comes inside). Other than that, she makes no effort to get outside and other than watching the neighbours from the windowsill, shows little interest in the world beyond our walls.

I was so conflicted about keeping a house cat to begin with (although Rae'ya really helped to put my mind at ease), so these little behaviours are very reassuring.

The other thing I love about this cat is that when I am in the study she likes to sleep on the bookcase next to my desk so she can keep an eye on me. She only ever sleeps there if I am studying, and even has a little blanket so she's comfortable. Waking up and finding her curled up between JP and I is one thing.. it's cute, but I can argue she's only there because we're warm. The study though.. when JP is in bed and I'm burning the midnight oil.. that shelf is no warmer or cosier than her other sleeping places. It is the addition of me being in the room that makes her choose that shelf, and that feels so nice. Like I actually matter to her.

She's like a really good friend. I love her to bits.

[thalassa]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I'm kinda allergic, but some cats I can be around, no clue which ones. So I'd have to go sniff them and see if they make me sneeze or something. I like cats, I've just avoided them cause they make my eyes scratchy. But I've also noticed it's a bit of an exposure thing, after a few days it calms down some.

From personal experience, I don't recommend the sniffing them route--its one of those things where there are so many cats together (if you are at a shelter-like place) you'd have no way of knowing which cat was a problem cat (they'd all seem like problem cats probably).

I am allergic to cats.

Giant welts from tiny scratches, watery eyes the color of hamburger meat because *oops* I touched my face after petting a cat, itchy skin from holding a cat, an asthma attack from time spent with cats. I once had a friend that had to bring a change of freshly laundered clothing, if she was coming over to my house, and shower and change, because I couldn't sit next to her without having an allergy and/or asthma attack...and forget going to her home (with 5 cats and 2 dogs).

So, when we decided to get a kitten, lets just say, it had a touch of crazy to it.

But, I have been around cats sucessfully before--in addition to the occasional cat that doesn't bother my allergies, we had two cats that we raised from bottle fed kittens with their eyes still closed after momma stray cat was hit by a car. My mom is even more allergic to cats that I am, but the kittens didn't bother her that much (at first)...and we eventually discovered a few tricks that helped (they weren't foolproof, but they did help).

1.) The cats have to learn to take baths. They don't have to like them, but they have to suck it up (spray cheese and tuna helps). (I don't totally know how effective it is from a scientific perspective, but there are shampoos that claim to break down the protine that most people are allergic to, and it seems to work...though that could just be from the bath as well)
2.) They had to stay out of bedrooms. This means closing doors.
3.) Changing the air filter becomes a religious experience.
4.) Vacuum daily.
5.) Keep plenty of antihistamines on hand...and daily allergy meds

For the most part, we did pretty well. We didn't keep the cats forever (they did still bother my mom's allergies, and there were some other mitigating factors), but we managed for the year and a half it took for us to find them a good home that would take both of them.

In the 10+ years since my mom and I bottle raised kitties, there have been some additional things that have come out on the market that have helped in the few weeks we've had Smitten.

6) Allergen-reducing/neutralizing pet wipes. Between baths, the wipes do pretty well.
7) Claritin makes antihistamine eye drops...buy stock in them, as well as regular lubricating eye drops
8) Benadryl spray for scratchies
9) hepa room filters for every room, even those the cat doesn't go into
10) a hepa vacuum cleaner with which to vacuum daily
11) Allergen reducing/neutralizing furniture/carpet spray and laundry detergent*
12) a long-acting asthma medication (either an inhaler, or something like singulair)

*use the laundry detergent to launder any blankets, pillows, etc used in the rooms where the pet lives, and in a mini-steam cleaner, in the place of the regular cleaner

I've had a couple allergy eyeball incidents...and I've needed to use my inhaler a time or two...and I still welt up pretty badly if I get scratched (until I bust out the Benadryl spray)...but overall, its not been so bad...and the incidents that I have had have died down a bit in terms of severity and duration over the past few weeks.


(I might add, that I've owned dogs most of my life, and while I don't consider myself allergic to them, they do bother my allergies in some cases--brushing and bathing mostly)

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I'll add to Thal's post that it's not the hair that most people are allergic to but the 'dander'... it's the proteins in the skin layers that are shed from hair follicles and 'dandruffy' skin. Most cats with a double coat will trigger allergies, whether they are long or short haired. Stress will also make them more allergy-inducing (them being stressed, not you!) And poor skn quality due to diet will also increase it.

[thalassa]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

^Lol, and I'll add to that one too...

The protein (Fel d 1) that most people are allergic to is produced by their salivary, anal, and sebaceous glands (BUT there are a number of other proteins that people are allergic to also--fel d 2, fel d 4, fel d 5, fel d 6, fel d 7, and fel d 8). While the skin carries the most fel d 1 (from the sebaceous glands), cats that groom a lot can be problematic because their saliva (and their skin oils) get into their hair). Part of the reason that some cats are worse than others, is because how much of this protien they make varies from cat to cat. As a generalization, females make less Fel d 1 than males, "fixed" cats make less than their fertile counterparts, and for some reason light haired cats may make less Fel d 1 as well...also, less Fel d 1 is found at the tip of hairs than the root of them....but none of this really matters, because the amount of fel d 1 in the home pretty much ends up the same because of the physical properties of fel d 1. The exception being a multi-cat environment--that's probably a bad idea if you have manageable cat allergies, because it can turn them into unmanageable cat allergies, just from the amount of the protein in the environment.

The problem with Fel d 1 is that it is lightweight and "sticky"---basically, it stays suspended in the air and gets on everything...and stays there. Some studies show that the results of bathing is a negligable in terms of allergens in the home, but some of that is probably because of the "resivoir" of Fel d 1 in the home-on couches, draperies, the air filter, carpeting, etc. Washing the cat only works if you are using something that reduces and/or denatures the allergens (although studies on this are mixed, and *imo* depend on the methodology of the study) while addressing the allergen resivoirs as well (the technical term for this is "resivoir abatement")...vacuuming with a hepa vac, hepa filters, hepa air filters for household unit OR very frequent changes, frequent washing and/or replacement of fabrics with hard, wipable surfaces, mattress covers, pillow covers, etc.

Also, there's no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat--yes, there are cats that have been bred for their (naturally occuring genetic variation) low fel d 1 production, but they still have other allergens present...including fel d 1. Something else to think about is that fel d 1 is similar to a common dust mite protien, and, for peeps with dog allergies Can f 6--how different allergens might work together is still an area of research that is poorly understood. Another thing that is poorly understood is how one might become accustomed to the presence of an allergen. Shahaku, you mentioned it yourself---if you can suck it up for a while, often the problem lessens in severity or goes away. The problem being that once you aren't exposed for a while a later exposure can cause a worse reaction (which may or may not go away after prolonged exposure). One of the reasons we got a kitten is that they (theoretically) produce less allergen (giving some time for the body to adapt)...and also, because they are more train-able, in terms of dealing with being groomed by a person.

A really fabulous article on the subject can be found here.

[anunitu]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I have been lucky not to be allergic to cats ever. This works out well because Cats are my very favorite animal in all the world.

[Heka]

When I moved out of home, whenever I returned, and the cat came up and rubbed against me, I would experience some reactions. Never happenrd when I lived there full time. Guess I just dropped whatever tolerance I had for it. Meh, it's not too bad to bother me.

[Willow]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I went to see my cat tonight. She has some brownish(?)-colored discharge in her eyes. It's not bloody, just a little muddy looking. I don't know how worried I should be. It's probably just an infection of some sort, and I got my sister to agree to take her to the vet in a few days when she takes the other cat in for his checkup. But I'm still worried, because I'm a worrier. -.- My poor kitten.

[Shahaku]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Thanks for the allergy info. I knew it had something to do with the dander. I don't have a terrible allergy, my eyes get a little scratchy and sometimes my nose gets a little stuffy, but nothing terrible. And usually if I'm around it continuously for a couple days it goes down quite a bit. I just can't figure out what it is about certain cats that doesn't make me react. It doesn't seem to be a particular color, breed, or fur type so... Idk.

- - - Updated - - -

So... what should we get for a cat? What do we need to have for them as soon as they walk through the door? Food, litter, litter box. What else?

Toys? Cat trees? What is worth buying? What's actually useful and relatively easy to DIY? I actually saw this thing to toilet train your cat in 8 weeks or less at the pet store today... I think they wanted $80. I thought it was kinda ridiculous but I guess it would be useful if you cat actually went on the toilet... Still don't think it's worth it to spend $80 on something like that. A cat tree started at $40 for a dinky little one room thing, up to $250 before we stopped looking at price tags for something about 5ft. Is it worth it? Etc...

Also, what really needs to be put up? I understand cats will get into anything that's not put away so I take it I can't have stuff on my counters anymore...

[anunitu]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I once got one of those Cat things where they would crawl into it,and a scratching surface on the outside. The cat ignored it completly. Ya never know what they will really like till they like it to be truthful. If you are halfway handy with building wooden stuff,it would be easier and cheaper to design your own,and put carpet on the outside.

[thalassa]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

So... what should we get for a cat? What do we need to have for them as soon as they walk through the door? Food, litter, litter box. What else?

Toys? Cat trees? What is worth buying? What's actually useful and relatively easy to DIY? I actually saw this thing to toilet train your cat in 8 weeks or less at the pet store today... I think they wanted $80. I thought it was kinda ridiculous but I guess it would be useful if you cat actually went on the toilet... Still don't think it's worth it to spend $80 on something like that. A cat tree started at $40 for a dinky little one room thing, up to $250 before we stopped looking at price tags for something about 5ft. Is it worth it? Etc...

Also, what really needs to be put up? I understand cats will get into anything that's not put away so I take it I can't have stuff on my counters anymore...

Well, you don't have to buy everything all at once...

Also, as cool as the toilet trained cat thing *sounds*, I think its sort of mean...cats like to dig, its part of their instinctual behavior. Plus, Hubby actually had a friend whose cat died after it slipped and fell in and it got stuck and drowned. Perhaps it was a freak accident...but, even without that, I think there are good reasons not to (minus #8, which...whatevs)

To come home, we got a litter box, food (and food and water dishes), litter, treats, a carrier (from the thrift store), and a collar with a bell to start with...for starter toys, we got two fishing pole type toys, and a bag of puff balls and mice (from the dollar store). Also (because of the allergy thing, the hepa filter--we found two of them at the thrift store for $5 apiece, all we had to do was order the filters online, the special shampoo, spray cheese (as bribery for the bath--we tried actual kitty treats, but he wasn't having any of that).

Last week we also got a harness and leash to take the kitty outside, a chasey laser thing, some cat grass, and a fluffy cave-like bed thing, and a round thing with the ball in it that goes around in circles (similar to this, but without the scratcher, and with a mouse on a springy pole thing in the middle--he loves it), and a cheaper scratchy thing, a tunnel (which he also likes to hide in), and the feeder ball we talked about in the other thread.

At some point, we probably will get (or make) a cat tree thingy--my problem with the ones they make for stores is that the entire thing is carpeted, I need something where the platforms have washable covers or something. But right now, kitty is happy with cardboard boxes stacked together with holes in them. Not sure if it will change its mind or not, but this kitty is more of a hidey-hole deweller than a climber.

ETA: Now I'm perusing diy cat toys on the net...gonna post 'em in the pet toy thread

[anunitu]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I will say one thing about Catnip..When I was still in SF,my GF and I got a catnip plant,and kept it outside on the back porch. Another outside cat stole the whole freaking plant out of the pot.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

So... what should we get for a cat? What do we need to have for them as soon as they walk through the door? Food, litter, litter box. What else?

That's pretty much it to get started. Honestly, I don't recommend spending too much money until you actually have your cat, because they can be so finicky that it's VERY easy to waste money by assuming that they'll like something. Cats have their own ideas about things... if you buy the wrong thing, they'll ignore it and you'll have wasted your money. So most things I'll talk about in a minute are actually best bought AFTER you've had your cat for a few days.

Litter trays... need to be big enough for the whole cat to fit in with some extra room. Almost all commercial litter trays are far too small. You can get around this by getting more than one, but generally a big DIY flattish tray, or a modified rubbish bin or storage tub is actually better than a commercial litter tray. I recommend the recycled newspaper type litter to start with, but get a small bag only... because some cats have a preference for substrate and if they hate your choice enough they wont use the tray. Most issues with cats not using litter trays is NOT training, but is down to the fact that the cat doesn't like a) the litter tray itself, b) the litter substrate or c) where you put the litter tray. Which brings me to where you put it... it needs to be somewhere secluded but with two exits, and NOT somewhere where sudden noises or surprises will happen. Laundries are actually one of the worst places you can put a litter tray, from the cat's point of view.

Feeding... I recommend feeding out of a food ball, not a bowl. We've been discussing this recently in the Puzzle Feeders and Toys thread. You can make DIY ones or you can get a commercial one. Start with an easy, round, non weighted ball with an adjustable opening and then work up from there if your cat needs a harder one. There are several reasons for this... environmental enrichment is one, but it is also better suited to their natural feeding habits (small, frequent meals) without compromising their weight (as ad lib feeding does). You put their half-daily ration of food in the ball and leave it out for them in the morning, then put the rest of the daily ration in there in the arvo or evening.

Water bowls... preferably several and should be changed daily. Some cats have a preference for what the bowl is made of (yes, some cats hate drinking water from plastic bowls) and most cats don't like water that's been standing still in a small tub for hours on end. You will hear about fancy cat fountains etc... most cats will appreciate that, but it's not necessary and it's one of the last things I would spend money on (there are more important things to buy first).

Toys?

Toys are... misunderstood. What cats need is one-on-one interaction with you. So the single most important thing about 'toys' is that they encourage YOU to play with the cat. After that, you want toys that encourage and provide an outlet for natural instinctual behaviours, which may differ from cat to cat. Generally, it's the hunting behaviours that we are satisfying with toys... lasers, feather toys, chasers, toys that will roll around the floor when they bat them etc etc. Some cats will play with toys, some wont. Most will only play if you're playing with them. My old cat Casper played with toys on her own... we'd come home and she'd have dragged them out of their corner and scattered them everywhere. But Tomas will only play if you're playing. Except for one little stuffed ladybird bug that he LOVED and would toss around and play with all day. I spent years trying to replace it after he lost it, and he has never treated any other toy the same. With toys, use your toddler-sense... if they can chew it and swallow it, don't use it. If they can break bits off of it, don't use it. And bear in mind that most classic cat toys are not actually safe to leave with kitty unsupervised.

Cats that spend time indoors alone need environmental enrichment, not toys. Some toys provide this, most don't. This is where food balls, scratching posts, shelves and gyms, tunnels and self-interactive toys come in. This is also where most 'destructive' behaviours come from... a lack of acceptable outlets for perfectly natural behaviours. Boxes and paper bags can be fun (supervised) toys also... if you buy litter in big bags, give it to the cat to play with afterwards. You'd be amazed what cats actually enjoy doing, as opposed to what people think they will enjoy.

Cat trees? What is worth buying?

Yes... BUT... don't get one until after you've met your cat. Cat trees are important, but they are also one of the biggest money wasters out there, because people almost always buy the wrong cat tree/scratching post. The commercial ones suck, except for the big fancy expensive ones. But people always try to get the little cheap one because they don't realise the difference, then regret it because the cat hates it and wont use it.

First, you need to know your cat's personality so that you can get one that is actually tailored to THEM and their needs. Do they like to climb up on things or hide? Do they like carpet or vinyl or cardboard to scratch on? When they scratch, do they stretch horizontally or vertically? Do they like to survey people from on high or ambush people from hidey holes? Your choice of cat tree needs to be a direct reflection of your cat's personality. Height, complexity, inclusions and the fabric it's covered with are all important.

Some cats don't need a cat tree or scratching post, because they get what they need in other ways. People who make elaborate cat shelves and walkways don't usually need a tree. Cats who like to scratch up cardboard in a horizontal plane don't need a scratching post. Cats who prefer the leather fabric of the couch will not scratch the carpet post no matter how hard you try to retrain them. Outdoor cats often don't need a tree because they do what they need outside, or will prefer to spend their time outside where they can climb or hide because the inside of the house is boring and has no fun hidey holes.

What's actually useful and relatively easy to DIY? I actually saw this thing to toilet train your cat in 8 weeks or less at the pet store today... I think they wanted $80. I thought it was kinda ridiculous but I guess it would be useful if you cat actually went on the toilet... Still don't think it's worth it to spend $80 on something like that. A cat tree started at $40 for a dinky little one room thing, up to $250 before we stopped looking at price tags for something about 5ft. Is it worth it? Etc...

In regards to scratching posts, what is worth buying is what meets your individual cat's needs. Everything else is a waste of money. If all your cat wants is a low level shelf to sit on and a little square of carpet to horizontally stretch out to scratch, then a plain $50 post is more 'worth it' than a big $300 complex cat gym. Unfortunately, most cats don't want the plain $50 post. But you wont know until you've met your cat and had them home for at least a few days. DIY ones are even better, because you can tailor it to your cat, cover it with what you cat needs, and make it perfect for them. Whether or not that works out more cost effective depends on how handy you are and what you already have laying around at home... because it needs to be safe and well constructed. Nails poking out, treated pine, the mouldy carpet from the back of the shed and badly done staples are a hazard and not at all appropriate.

I agree with Thal about the toilet training thing... I don't like it for several reasons. But if you wanted to do it, you DON'T need an $80 anything. You just need a litter tray and some patience.

Toys and environmental enrichment... if you are moderately crafty you can DIY lots of these things. If it's easier to buy commercial, beware of very cheap ones.

Also, what really needs to be put up? I understand cats will get into anything that's not put away so I take it I can't have stuff on my counters anymore...

If your house is dog and toddle-proof, you should already be mostly fine. The only other thing to think about is shelf training kitty (with a combination of acceptable alternatives and double sided sticky tape). Most toddler toys are not going to be harmful to the cat if they are laying around (it's a different story with dogs). Otherwise, make sure there is no wool/yarn, cotton thread, sewing needles, balloons, hair ties, rubber bands or other things like that laying around. And don't have any rat, snail, roach or whatever traps or baits around. You can have stuff on your counters... just not breakable stuff that you'll be sad to see dumped onto the floor. Keep all food packets inside cupboards, and don't leave chemicals on the counter or windowsill. Some cats will raid garbage bins, so keep the lid secure.

- - - Updated - - -

...and a bag of puff balls and mice (from the dollar store).

Thal, I'm sure it's fine, but I just need to check... when you say 'puff balls' you don't mean like those craft type pompom things, do you? And they aren't small enough that kitty can swallow them? I just want to check because lots of the small toys you get from dollar stores are actually too small and thus hazardous for a grown cat. Lots of cats love them, which is why they are sold and why so many people get them, but I've seen a LOT of unsafe cat toys on the market. I know yours is just a kitten at this stage, but make sure you've thought about that when using this sort of toy.

Otherwise, all the other toys and environmental enrichment things you suggest here and in Danie's thread are fabulous

- - - Updated - - -

I will say one thing about Catnip..When I was still in SF,my GF and I got a catnip plant,and kept it outside on the back porch. Another outside cat stole the whole freaking plant out of the pot.

My mum has to keep the catnip pot in the actual garden rather than in the cat-run, because Tomas totally destroys it any time he has access to it. We break off a single twig and take it inside for him. He rolls around on it, smooches it, squashes it, lays on it and will guard it with his life. On the other hand, Casper could never care less about catnip. And mum's plant occasionally shows signs of being used by neighbourhood cats... it's never been stolen though! lol