Topic: Cat advice thread

[Maggie May]

This is as close as we've got. Alonso is definitely the only way we have of getting him in the house, but he's still not ready

 
Yes.  Alonso is the key.  Ginger feral looks so relaxed with him.  But when you think how feral was its a massive credfit to you both.  To go froim a cat which bolted when you opened the door to inside and within touching distance is huge.  Great stuff.  I reckon he'll be a house cat before Easter.  Have you decided on a name yet?

[Circa1892]

So. My cat is currently scratching the door during the night and it's doing my head in!

He (obviously) always used to scratch the door when he wanted to be let in somewhere, but all the doors are open at the moment and he's still waking up and scratching them!!!

Anyone got any ideas why this might be? I'd think stress but he's completely happy all the rest of the time?

[Red Beret]

[Maggie May]

So. My cat is currently scratching the door during the night and it's doing my head in!

He (obviously) always used to scratch the door when he wanted to be let in somewhere, but all the doors are open at the moment and he's still waking up and scratching them!!!

Anyone got any ideas why this might be? I'd think stress but he's completely happy all the rest of the time?

Clearly attention seeking, unsure as to the darkness and  desparartly wants your physical  presence during the night.   Have you thought of encouraging him to just jump upon your chest and just stroking him is credibly soothing and sleep inducing for both of you.  I defy both you not to deny any falling sleep with the purring on one hand and the rythmic stroking on the other.   Guaranteed knockout for both of you. Bliss. 

Until he shouts out for you to get your arse off the bed and get his breakfast. Obviously. The howls increase with frequency and volume depending on how swift you've got a shift on.  Tip Tip.  Shouts "Of yes yes yes yes I'm doing it  now for Chrissakes" make  absolutely no difference whatsover.  Another Top Tip.  Don't make the mistake of making a cup of tea of coffee first.  They will know.  And feel slighted  And the screams will intinsifly in volume.   Somewhat, given your possible delicate state is just like a Jumbo jet fling low level over your house.

Home still helps.   

[Barneylfc∗]

 
Yes.  Alonso is the key.  Ginger feral looks so relaxed with him.  But when you think how feral was its a massive credfit to you both.  To go froim a cat which bolted when you opened the door to inside and within touching distance is huge.  Great stuff.  I reckon he'll be a house cat before Easter.  Have you decided on a name yet?

Just calling him Ginge 

We have currently got him in the living room, through the patio doors. He's sitting under the table now but we can't get over to the door to close it. Every time we move he goes to run out.

[LiverLuke]

anyone had cats already and introduced a dog into the house before?

[The Gulleysucker]

anyone had cats already and introduced a dog into the house before?

Yes. We've done it twice.
Generally, the dog learns pretty quickly, though it might involve a fair amount of shouting before it all settles down, but of course it depends on the background of the dog.
For instance, I wouldn't fancy attempting to introduce say a rescued lurcher or a greyhound into a house with cats, due to the tendencies of the breed that might be a difficult and somewhat trying scenario, though with patience, I expect it could still be done.
In our experiences, while there may be some initial hissing and attempted scratching, the cats get to accept the dog pretty quickly, ours now sometimes even sleep in the dog box with him.

[LiverLuke]

thanks for the reply mate.
We are getting a cockapoo puppy of 8 weeks old, so we think he'll be ok. can't imagine the cats being very pleased though, they hate it when any other cats come near the house, hopefully cause the puppy will be smaller than them they won't mind too much. adorable pic btw, hope it ends up like that!

[The Gulleysucker]

thanks for the reply mate.
We are getting a cockapoo puppy of 8 weeks old, so we think he'll be ok. can't imagine the cats being very pleased though, they hate it when any other cats come near the house, hopefully cause the puppy will be smaller than them they won't mind too much. adorable pic btw, hope it ends up like that!

If it's a puppy I don't see any big problem at all.
You might panic a bit when the cats hiss, and they will when the puppy tries to be friends with them, and you then assume the worst and think they are going to scratch its eyes out or worse. But unless you're keeping Lions, it rarely gets that far, both sides tend to gradually accept each other, the puppy probably quicker than the cats in our experience.
All the puppy will want to do is play with the cats (unless it's unbalanced) as it probably won't have any innate aggression towards them, that's generally taught either through group experience or by the owner.
It's quite wonderful when you see them finally getting on with each other, one of our cats now even meows to our dog as a greeting and rubs up against him which he seems to really enjoy.

[Red Genius]

my boys

[Barneylfc∗]

Just out of shot, is my girlfriend holding a packet of Dreamies 



And we've tried a new way, successfully, to get Ginge to come into the house. You can just about see him at the bottom of the climbing frame.

[gazzalfc]

Just out of shot, is my girlfriend holding a packet of Dreamies 

That advert of the cats bursting through walls for Dreamies doesn't lie does it

We've had to keep our pack in the fridge because its the only place in the house that the cat cant get to

[Azi]

ours is addicted to tins of gourmet cat food, pretty much refuses to eat anything else now it went through a phase where it loved sheba cat food but even that gets turned down for a tin of gourmet

[DeLeiva]

ours is addicted to tins of gourmet cat food, pretty much refuses to eat anything else now it went through a phase where it loved sheba cat food but even that gets turned down for a tin of gourmet

Ours is a right little twat.

He refuses to stick to the same brand of cat food for more than his own designated amount of time.
There no telling when he's had enough of a brand, other than his refusing to eat it.

We've got that many half boxes of pouches it's untrue.

[gazzalfc]

Yeah. My in-laws fucked up his diet by giving him salmon while he was staying there while we were on holiday. Now he wont touch any of the jelly pouches only gravy

Also managed to stop him jumping up while we were eating but as soon as he stayed at the in-laws he got full reign to sit on the couch whilst the in-laws fed him their scraps. So now every time we eat he's jumping up every chance he gets.   

[Barneylfc∗]

That advert of the cats bursting through walls for Dreamies doesn't lie does it

We've had to keep our pack in the fridge because its the only place in the house that the cat cant get to

Certainly does not. They love the things. It's funny when the oldest one, the tabby, is upstairs on the window and she hears them being opened. You can just hear a thud from her jumping down to the floor, then a rumble from her bombing downstairs to get her share. They've managed to maul closed packets previously aswell.

[Maggie May]

my boys

They're gorgeous mate.

Just out of shot, is my girlfriend holding a packet of Dreamies 



And we've tried a new way, successfully, to get Ginge to come into the house. You can just about see him at the bottom of the climbing frame.

You're coming along nicely.  And consider how many huge strides you've made with Ginge.  Do your cats actually use that smart and classy climbing frame?  We used to  spend a fortune on frames and such, and the more expensive the kit the quicker the cats would recoil in disgust. 

[wampa1]

Does anyone have a long hair (or long-ish hair cat)?  Our Lily has started smelling a bit and I think it's because poo and wee is hitting her fur on the way out : (

Consequently, her backend smells a bit (no, I'm not stuffing my face up her arse but when she's padding over you trying to wake you up you definitely notice it).

I think it might be because her tray is a covered one and she doesn't have the room so I'm going to uncover it for a bit and change the litter type.

Anyone experienced anything similar with a long hair cat?

[Glass Kites]

Certainly does not. They love the things. It's funny when the oldest one, the tabby, is upstairs on the window and she hears them being opened. You can just hear a thud from her jumping down to the floor, then a rumble from her bombing downstairs to get her share. They've managed to maul closed packets previously aswell.

Haha, that "thud" we get too!

[nick_8589]

Does anyone have a long hair (or long-ish hair cat)?  Our Lily has started smelling a bit and I think it's because poo and wee is hitting her fur on the way out : (

Consequently, her backend smells a bit (no, I'm not stuffing my face up her arse but when she's padding over you trying to wake you up you definitely notice it).

I think it might be because her tray is a covered one and she doesn't have the room so I'm going to uncover it for a bit and change the litter type.

Anyone experienced anything similar with a long hair cat?

Has her diet, eating, toilet behaviour changed recently.

[wampa1]

Now that you mention it, we're feeding her more wet food as I've had to move temporarily whilst waiting for my flat to be ready and she was hardly eating her usual dry stuff.

[Ziltoid]

I annoy my cat by putting a scarf on her.  She's 17 years young this coming April.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Now that you mention it, we're feeding her more wet food as I've had to move temporarily whilst waiting for my flat to be ready and she was hardly eating her usual dry stuff.

Wet food often causes smellier stools, and a change of diet can disrupt your cat's digestion. A temporary move will also cause a bit of stress. If she was eating dry food before, I would return to that unless she is refusing it entirely. Cats don't like change, and if she has a new home and different food, this will be likely to upset her.

Nonetheless, both long and short haired cats sometimes suffer from smelly hindquarters, but only if they are not grooming properly. Disrupted or incomplete grooming will be due to stress as above - she doesn't feel comfortable in a new space (constantly anticipating surprises in the unfamiliar territory, for example, meaning she's not taking a long time to clean. Any student of cat behaviour will know a relaxed cat grooming thoroughly, for what can seem like hours. Cats hate uncleanliness with a passion.

Before changing anything about her litter tray, observe her behaviour when at toilet and grooming afterwards. Does she seem nervous - does she clean straight afterwards, and in the open or seeking a hidden space first? I note this because cats used to a covered tray often get really panicked by an open tray - removing the cover will make her feel even more exposed, and perhaps even more likely to rush her toilet.

Finally, it may be the case that her hair is simply too long and fine to groom properly. If it seems this is the case, it should be easy to trim a bit. Far easier than surviving scheduling a regular bath, anyway!

In short, I'd go back to feeding her previous dry food and provide a nice big cardboard box for her to hide in not too far from the litter tray. Watch her behaviour for a week or so, look for any signs she's nervous.

PS Just a thought: I assume she's regularly wormed, but if not, ensure this is the case. Wet food especially can introduce parasite eggs and a worm infection can contribute to poor hygiene.

[wampa1]

Thanks for the reply.

Her general toilet habits are the same and she is regularly wormed.  I have changed the litter but I may put the lid back on.  She is grooming but you're right, now that you mention it I don't think she is grooming for as long a period of time as she used to.  That might be a perception thing though.

I think I'm leaning towards diet; it can't be a coincidence that she's started smelling a bit more when she started on wet food.  Failing that, it might just be hair length but it's never been a problem before unless hair just keeps growing to an indefinite length which is unlikely.

[Barneylfc∗]

They're gorgeous mate.

You're coming along nicely.  And consider how many huge strides you've made with Ginge.  Do your cats actually use that smart and classy climbing frame?  We used to  spend a fortune on frames and such, and the more expensive the kit the quicker the cats would recoil in disgust. 

Yeah Maggie, 2 of them use it. Alonso likes to climb right up to the top and sleep up there. Funny as fuck watching him climb up. Because he can't see properly, he's got all the grace of a deer on an ice rink. He literally just falls off it though which isn't as funny as we always think he hurts himself.

[AnfieldCat]

I annoy my cat by putting a scarf on her.  She's 17 years young this coming April.

She's rocking it!

For the people who feed their cats Dreamies about how many would you say you give them a day?

[Barneylfc∗]

She's rocking it!

For the people who feed their cats Dreamies about how many would you say you give them a day?

Too fucking many. Me personally, I would never give them more than 2 at a time. Probably the equivalent of a mars bar for us. My girlfriend though would probably give them about 6 or 7 each. Once a day is plenty. They're only meant to be treats.

[AnfieldCat]

Too fucking many. Me personally, I would never give them more than 2 at a time. Probably the equivalent of a mars bar for us. My girlfriend though would probably give them about 6 or 7 each. Once a day is plenty. They're only meant to be treats.

Yikes, I would say my parents cat is getting about 20-30 a day. My dad gives him them before he goes to work, when he gets in, before he goes to bed and I give him some around dinnertime. Its not always Dreamies, there are the Felix and Whiskas treats too but I imagine they are no better.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Yikes, I would say my parents cat is getting about 20-30 a day. My dad gives him them before he goes to work, when he gets in, before he goes to bed and I give him some around dinnertime. Its not always Dreamies, there are the Felix and Whiskas treats too but I imagine they are no better.

With that level of intake, your pet will shortly be a donor to the Tory party. 

[Mr Mingebag Squid]

I'm approaching the dreaded day when we think about letting our Cats out...

Any general advice about going about doing it?

[Barneylfc∗]

Yikes, I would say my parents cat is getting about 20-30 a day. My dad gives him them before he goes to work, when he gets in, before he goes to bed and I give him some around dinnertime. Its not always Dreamies, there are the Felix and Whiskas treats too but I imagine they are no better.

Fucking hell mate that's insane. They really need to cut down on that ASAP for the cats own good. As I said, they are only treats after all. They aren't meant to be a replacement for food. Imagine their cat was a 4 year old kid. Could you imagine that 4 year old kid being given 20 to 30 Milky Way's each day? Really not good for them at all.

I'm approaching the dreaded day when we think about letting our Cats out...

Any general advice about going about doing it?

Not sure there is much you can do really. We only recently started letting Craig out. At first we were going out with him as we do with Alonso. Ten minutes at a time. We would bring them out the back and play with them so they wouldn't run off. Throwing golf balls up the garden and shit like that. Now we let him go on his own but still be checking he is about the place every half hour or so. Our garden is massive though with plenty of bushes and trees so they don't really need to go anywhere else.

[AnfieldCat]

Fucking hell mate that's insane. They really need to cut down on that ASAP for the cats own good. As I said, they are only treats after all. They aren't meant to be a replacement for food. Imagine their cat was a 4 year old kid. Could you imagine that 4 year old kid being given 20 to 30 Milky Way's each day? Really not good for them at all.

.

You've made me worry now, the packets do say 'no more than 20 a day' so they are suggesting around the 20 mark. Are all the 'treats' as bad as Dreamies? The Felix ones say 'up to 40 pieces a day'.

[Barneylfc∗]

Not all the same mate no. I'm only going by what our vet has said as one of ours is a fat fuck  It's maybe because she's overweight that he's told us one or two a day. But he did tell us that is the equivalent of a milky way for a kid.

[AnfieldCat]

Not all the same mate no. I'm only going by what our vet has said as one of ours is a fat fuck  It's maybe because she's overweight that he's told us one or two a day. But he did tell us that is the equivalent of a milky way for a kid.

Surprisingly ours isn't fat.

[Mr Mingebag Squid]

Not sure there is much you can do really. We only recently started letting Craig out. At first we were going out with him as we do with Alonso. Ten minutes at a time. We would bring them out the back and play with them so they wouldn't run off. Throwing golf balls up the garden and shit like that. Now we let him go on his own but still be checking he is about the place every half hour or so. Our garden is massive though with plenty of bushes and trees so they don't really need to go anywhere else.

Well Rocket (our Male) decided to make a run for it when we took him into the garden. We've taken them both out together and let them have a sniff and look around - but I thought I'd see what he'd do with a bit of leeway....

Straight over next door, who have a massive field for a garden, eating their plants then bolted down into another field. Panicked slightly for an hour, but then he came back on his own.

Provided its dry over the weekend, gonna open up the back door for the pair of them and let them go off and explore. Nervy stuff!! 

[wampa1]

I've not had the experience of letting a cat our for the first time as Holly was stray that we rescued so was already used to the area and then when Holly did and Lily came along, Lily doesn't go out (I do think think cats should be go out but she has shown no inclination of wanting to and personal circumstances dictate that she can't)

When we let Holly out after moving house though, we left it for about 4 weeks and then just went out in the garden and left it up to her if she wanted to join us.  After some careful exploring, she disappeared into a neighbour's garden for about an hour too but came back when she was bored/hungry : )

[Mr Mingebag Squid]

Well, the back doors were opened up Saturday to their delight and off they went. Mostly in or around our backgarden, but Sunday Rocket ventured off for a few hours before reappearing. Luna seems to only go out for a few moments before reappearing around the house somewhere.

Next step...litter trays...how do we go about removing their dependency on these?

[B0151?]

Madness how needy our cat has become as she's got older (15ish now), barely gives us a moments peace some days whereas she used to be a right loner. Now she's just a moaner! All healthy and that, everyone needs love as they get on I guess. 

[Barneylfc∗]

Well, the back doors were opened up Saturday to their delight and off they went. Mostly in or around our backgarden, but Sunday Rocket ventured off for a few hours before reappearing. Luna seems to only go out for a few moments before reappearing around the house somewhere.

Next step...litter trays...how do we go about removing their dependency on these?

They'll just start going outside when they are out more often then hide the tray.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Next step...litter trays...how do we go about removing their dependency on these?

Show them to Sir Bobble Clops' garden. It's the cat toilet du monde, no feline can resist.