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[Shaneus]

I've not been too familiar with cat wrassling before, so it's gonna take some time for me to be a bit more hands of and not paranoid about it:

Chloe and Spooky did not wrassle since I'd known them and Taika could not wrassle with an elderly Chloe, so this is all new to me! I need to legitimately watch some cat play-wrassle videos, I think.

But they do seem to have some fun together, these two. I think Kiki is going to be a biggin'.

 

[Weltall Zero]

I've not been too familiar with cat wrassling before, so it's gonna take some time for me to be a bit more hands of and not paranoid about it:

Chloe and Spooky did not wrassle since I'd known them and Taika could not wrassle with an elderly Chloe, so this is all new to me! I need to legitimately watch some cat play-wrassle videos, I think.

But they do seem to have some fun together, these two. I think Kiki is going to be a biggin'.

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Hahah, this is one of the main reasons our adopters call us about. Once you're familiar with it, there's a world of difference between playing and actual fighting. Cues include:

Playing:
- Mostly silent (you may hear a frustrated mmrrow when one of them is "losing" the match, especially if it's due to difference in size and strength).
- Lots of physical contact, grabs and rolling around (your pic above is a perfect example).
- Once one of the cats bows out, it's done (no chases, unless the other cat still wants to play and doesn't get the hint, which mostly happens with cats raised alone).

Fighting:
- Menacing low growls and hisses, showing of teeth.
- "Wild west" tense, static standoffs with a fair distance between the cats; occassional lightning-fast strikes.
- Low posture and folded back ears.
- Can involve one cat chasing off the other.

Note that actual fighting is normal when two cats are introduced to each other and they have to sort out where they stand with regards to each other, so it's not something to be worried about in that situation either. It should be left alone, and usually goes away within a couple of weeks or a month.

 

[2Blackcats]

Inside cats all the way. Sorry, outside cat fans, but being in the scene of rescuing, fostering and having cats adopted for years gives you a very different and very bleak perspective. The number of cats we've given out, only to have them killed by cars or dogs, is in the double digits. We literally got news of one more this month, and my SO was beyond mortified.

Keep your cats inside if you value their lives at all. Cats raised at home are perfectly happy staying inside; thinking otherwise is almost always projecting your human mind on them.

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Thanks a million. That makes me feel much better about what I was probably going to do anyway.

I bring them outside for short supervised play time at the moment. They'll inevitably escape at some point so I want them to be familiar with the house surroundings.

 

[Weltall Zero]

They'll inevitably escape at some point

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There's really nothing inevitable about that. We usually ask our adopters to put mosquito screens over windows if they are going to leave them open.

We've had an average of 5-6 cats at home for the better part of a decade; zero escapees.

 

[2Blackcats]

There's really nothing inevitable about that. We usually ask our adopters to put mosquito screens over windows if they are going to leave them open.

We've had an average of 5-6 cats at home for the better part of a decade; zero escapees.

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I've been thinking of getting those screens alright. But I more meant running past when some unsuspecting visitor opens the front door.

Do you think it's not nice to bring them out for supervised play? What about the enclosure in the garden idea?

 

[Viriditas]

I've been thinking of getting those screens alright. But I more meant running past when some unsuspecting visitor opens the front door.

Do you think it's not nice to bring them out for supervised play? What about the enclosure in the garden idea?

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Have you considered harness training? YMMV, but it can be a great way to let your cat enjoy the outdoors with minimal danger to themselves or other creatures. It's not quite the same as walking a dog, it's more like chaperoning, where the cat is choosing the route but you're there to set boundaries for safety.

Through our walks, we were able to teach our cat some basic safety skills that I think would come in handy if she ever did actually get loose -- like she knows the layout of our immediate neighborhood and which door is ours. Even if she panics and/or gets away from us outside, she isn't likely to bolt in any direction but home. She's also trained to walk at the side of the road (never in the middle) and to go around parked cars, habits which I hope she'd default to if she was on her own. Stuff like that makes me feel better about her chances in a worst case scenario.

Edit: Also I don't have any personal experience with them, but a couple friends of mine have their house fixed up with cat patios outside their windows. One of them opens into a small aviary-sized outdoor enclosure. It's so freaking cool, I doubt our landlords here would agree to any such thing though, lol

 

[2Blackcats]

Have you considered harness training? YMMV, but it can be a great way to let your cat enjoy the outdoors with minimal danger to themselves or other creatures. It's not quite the same as walking a dog, it's more like chaperoning, where the cat is choosing the route but you're there to set boundaries for safety.

Through our walks, we were able to teach our cat some basic safety skills that I think would come in handy if she ever did actually get loose -- like she knows the layout of our immediate neighborhood and which door is ours. Even if she panics and/or gets away from us outside, she isn't likely to bolt in any direction but home. She's also trained to walk at the side of the road (never in the middle) and to go around parked cars, habits which I hope she'd default to if she was on her own. Stuff like that makes me feel better about her chances in a worst case scenario.

Edit: Also I don't have any personal experience with them, but a couple friends of mine have their house fixed up with cat patios outside their windows. One of them opens into a small aviary-sized outdoor enclosure. It's so freaking cool, I doubt our landlords here would agree to any such thing though, lol

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I was actually looking at a cat patio last night , https://imgur.com/gallery/yYirZqv
looks like a fun project.

Harness training sounds like it might be just ticket though, thanks again.

 

[Parch]

Indoor is certainly more healthy. They significantly reduce the possibility of injuries, diseases, fleas, and death.

I had an outdoor cat that switched to indoor and didn't have any problem with the transition. That was probably because I did it after a move. The new territory for the cat was inside the new house only, not the new neighborhood or yard, so he just accepted the new situation. I was surprised how easy it was. I thought there would be complaining and escape attempts but there was none of that.

 

[Weltall Zero]

I've been thinking of getting those screens alright. But I more meant running past when some unsuspecting visitor opens the front door.

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I guess it's not an issue for us for multiple reasons:
- Reception room which we typically leave closed, acts like a sort of airlock when going outside.
- Outer door is a security door we leave locked all the time (big city).
- House is an apartment, so that outer door opens to an indoor stair landing.

If your house is a more American suburb type, that might be more of a problem...

Do you think it's not nice to bring them out for supervised play? What about the enclosure in the garden idea?

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I would use a harness for any actual outdoor play, as mentioned above. Enclosures are good but cats are notorious escape artists, so you would need to make sure it's completely cat-proof. :D

 

[2Blackcats]

Indoor is certainly more healthy. They significantly reduce the possibility of injuries, diseases, fleas, and death.

I had an outdoor cat that switched to indoor and didn't have any problem with the transition. That was probably because I did it after a move. The new territory for the cat was inside the new house only, not the new neighborhood or yard, so he just accepted the new situation. I was surprised how easy it was. I thought there would be complaining and escape attempts but there was none of that.

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Good to know. I think my house is probably a lot smaller than your houses though.

I guess it's not an issue for us for multiple reasons:
- Reception room which we typically leave closed, acts like a sort of airlock when going outside.
- Outer door is a security door we leave locked all the time (big city).
- House is an apartment, so that outer door opens to an indoor stair landing.

If your house is a more American suburb type, that might be more of a problem...



I would use a harness for any actual outdoor play, as mentioned above. Enclosures are good but cats are notorious escape artists, so you would need to make sure it's completely cat-proof. :D

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Great, thanks.

 

[Housecat]

Some photos of my brother's two somali cats. Mother and son, mother being the red one. They are fun cats!

And one of my cats because she is the purrfect meowdel:

 

[2Blackcats]

Some photos of my brother's two somali cats. Mother and son, mother being the red one. They are fun cats!

And one of my cats because she is the purrfect meowdel:

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Nice, lovely cats.

 

[Serpens007]

Not a very good picture, but I found them like this yesterday

Left one is Leia, right one is Ben (or Benito). Leia is 9 months old, Benito is 5 months old, and has been with us since May. Leia didn't like being around Benito too much, but they slowly became friends. They still play rough sometimes and one of them gets angry, but overall are good friends. Ben is still a cat that likes everything for himself, but has learned to share a bed with her friend/sister.

Seeing them like this makes me so happy. Specially after Leia lost her brother. Adopting Ben was a really good idea in the long term.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

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This is a meme. Put this disapproving poof on reddit or whatever and make them famous haha

 

[Delphine]

Some photos of my brother's two somali cats. Mother and son, mother being the red one. They are fun cats!

And one of my cats because she is the purrfect meowdel:

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I absolutely love Somali Cats, they're my favorite, and I plan on getting one at some point in the future. Thanks for sharing these pictures, those cats are amazing!

 

[Deleted member 49319]

 

[Shaneus]

A tale in three parts:

Bonus pictures:

 

[MrT]

I was actually looking at a cat patio last night , https://imgur.com/gallery/yYirZqv
looks like a fun project.

Harness training sounds like it might be just ticket though, thanks again.

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We used to have 4 outdoor cats, we're in a quiet development with no busy roads etc and have plenty of space and even fields on 2 sides so we always felt ok having them outdoors, until one of them was killed by a neighbour's off-lead puppy pretty much outside our front door. We kept the remaining 3 indoors for a few weeks after that but they were all geting stressed, so we bought cat proof fencing from protectapet to go around our garden. It's really easy to install and has been designed to be escape-proof, all you need to worry about really is anything tall near the fence that could be used to climb up then jump across. Since we installed it the cats have been visibly happier, even our grumpy old boy who is a bit bipolar sometimes has been much more calm and affectionate, we think because he still gets outside but is less stressed because he doesn't have to defend his patch anymore (he got in a lot of scuffles previously). We tried leash training but none of them really got the hang of it or enjoyed it, and one of them was an expert at escaping whatever harness we put on her (she just turns backwards and sort of scoots out of it)

 

[ukas]

My baby girl, Panda.

 

[Housecat]

This is a meme. Put this disapproving poof on reddit or whatever and make them famous haha

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Yeah I love her expression!

I absolutely love Somali Cats, they're my favorite, and I plan on getting one at some point in the future. Thanks for sharing these pictures, those cats are amazing!

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They are very pretty! Personality wise they seem as diverse as any other cat to me, but I only really know these two somali cats, so maybe they don't fit the breed standard personality wise (I don't know what the breed standard is either though). These two are very different from each other, even though they are family as well. Guess my point is that, they look different than normal house cats, but I can't see how they are different in any other way, except maybe the price :p My brother got these two as adults a few years ago from a friend that had to move, he doesn't really care about cat breeds so a bit random that he ended up with them. They are cool cats though, and I love the bright red color. I also really like this color variant:

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

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At first I was like...but then I was like!

 

[2Blackcats]

We used to have 4 outdoor cats, we're in a quiet development with no busy roads etc and have plenty of space and even fields on 2 sides so we always felt ok having them outdoors, until one of them was killed by a neighbour's off-lead puppy pretty much outside our front door. We kept the remaining 3 indoors for a few weeks after that but they were all geting stressed, so we bought cat proof fencing from protectapet to go around our garden. It's really easy to install and has been designed to be escape-proof, all you need to worry about really is anything tall near the fence that could be used to climb up then jump across. Since we installed it the cats have been visibly happier, even our grumpy old boy who is a bit bipolar sometimes has been much more calm and affectionate, we think because he still gets outside but is less stressed because he doesn't have to defend his patch anymore (he got in a lot of scuffles previously). We tried leash training but none of them really got the hang of it or enjoyed it, and one of them was an expert at escaping whatever harness we put on her (she just turns backwards and sort of scoots out of it)

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Thanks for the post. We're really restricted by the fact that our garden is separated from our house by a road. It's a really weird design. There's also no footpath, and even though there's only 2 houses past ours the people living there are car crazy. 4 cars constantly going up and down way too fast for the tiny road. Don't think the fences are as useful if you have to always carry your cats out and in

 

[2Blackcats]

Sooo, next question.

Finger nibbling.

The cats like to lick and bite (very gently) our hands.

I'm loathe to discipline them for this as they do the same thing to each other a lot and I don't I don't really want to change that behaviour.

Will this develop into more problematic behaviour as they get older, they're 3 and a half months old now?

(I really appreciate all this advice by the way)

 

[Weltall Zero]

Sooo, next question.

Finger nibbling.

The cats like to lick and bite (very gently) our hands.

I'm loathe to discipline them for this as they do the same thing to each other a lot and I don't I don't really want to change that behaviour.

Will this develop into more problematic behaviour as they get older, they're 3 and a half months old now?

(I really appreciate all this advice by the way)

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Yeah, I get exactly what you mean. If it's not painful you can probably let them still do this, they shouldn't bite harder over time if that's what you're worried about. They do this as a part of grooming to loosen fur knots, etc. If they bite too hard, usually simply saying "ouch" will let them get the hint and be softer. With time they typically realize human skin is different and stop biting.

It's a different matter if they do this while playing; in that case, you should redirect play to their toys when they do this. You don't actually need to do anything that upsets them; simply don't play with your hands, and redirect to a toy if they start doing so (e.g. a fishing pole).

 

[Shaneus]

At first I was like...but then I was like!

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I never noticed but you can totally see one of his fangs in the second photo 😺

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

I never noticed but you can totally see one of his fangs in the second photo 😺

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Second pic is a Nani meme waiting to happen. So much personality.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Second pic is a Nani meme waiting to happen. So much personality.

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Here it is in avatar form:

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

Here it is in avatar form:

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I seriously love this so, so much.

 

[Browser]

I adopted a 6 month old cat and she has been with me for 6 months.first cat, Its been great, but I wonder if shes ok being the only cat? Do they get lonely, or are they ok being the only cat in the house?

My house is not big so I cant get another cat, but her feeling alone worries me sometimes.

 

[Weltall Zero]

I adopted a 6 month old cat and she has been with me for 6 months.first cat, Its been great, but I wonder if shes ok being the only cat? Do they get lonely, or are they ok being the only cat in the house?

My house is not big so I cant get another cat, but her feeling alone worries me sometimes.

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It's always recommended to have at least two cats. If there's always at least one person in the house they're less likely to feel lonely, but even then it's more mentally healthy for them to have another furry four-legged pal to play with and socialize.

 

[Kasey]

They grow up so fast...

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Edit: bonus pic

 

[Weltall Zero]

They grow up so fast...

Edit: bonus pic

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Oh my god, so cute. Not only a milk moustache, but also a milk forehead. <3

 

[2Blackcats]

Yeah, I get exactly what you mean. If it's not painful you can probably let them still do this, they shouldn't bite harder over time if that's what you're worried about. They do this as a part of grooming to loosen fur knots, etc. If they bite too hard, usually simply saying "ouch" will let them get the hint and be softer. With time they typically realize human skin is different and stop biting.

It's a different matter if they do this while playing; in that case, you should redirect play to their toys when they do this. You don't actually need to do anything that upsets them; simply don't play with your hands, and redirect to a toy if they start doing so (e.g. a fishing pole).

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Excellent, thank you.

 

[EssBeeVee]

since we're down to one cat now. i moved his bed inside the office so he doesn't feel as alone. granted he would doing his own thing anyways. hes not as hyper as the other one.

 

[SecondNature]

Ok so some dumb questions here: my kitten is still 10 weeks so it doesnt have rabies shot yet but what are the chances it contracts rabies?

I ask because he scratched while climbing me, and now im paranoid of his scratch giving me something. I know that sounds dumb but it just got me wondering.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Ok so some dumb questions here: my kitten is still 10 weeks so it doesnt have rabies shot yet but what are the chances it contracts rabies?

I ask because he scratched while climbing me, and now im paranoid of his scratch giving me something. I know that sounds dumb but it just got me wondering.

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Essentially zero chance. In all our years rescuing cats we haven't had or even heard of a cat ever contracting rabies. It probably depends on the country, e.g. in Spain the vaccine is only mandatory when traveling abroad.

Even in the infinitesimal chance it had the rabies (and you would probably notice it!), it's mostly transmitted via bites, not scratches. You should, of course, disinfect any scratch you get like you would any other wound, but you're fine beyond that.

 

[SecondNature]

Essentially zero chance. In all our years rescuing cats we haven't had or even heard of a cat ever contracting rabies. It probably depends on the country, e.g. in Spain the vaccine is only mandatory when traveling abroad.

Even in the infinitesimal chance it had the rabies (and you would probably notice it!), it's mostly transmitted via bites, not scratches. You should, of course, disinfect any scratch you get like you would any other wound, but you're fine beyond that.

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lol thanks.

On a more serious note: the cat threw up (heaving and spat out bubbly foam liquid) and as they did this they splattered more wet stool (no solids)

My cat still has these wet leaky poops where most their poops are wet or slushie, never ever just solids.

His butt will sometimes leak liquid. We will be taking him in for his next shots and collect a stool sample but the medicine and dewormer we got last time seems to have done little to improve it.

Is it the wet food? Allergies? Something more serious?

 

[Deleted member 4532]

I just wanted to share this picture of my youngest cat sleeping/kneading my chest. I just wanted to lay down for a bit but now I can't move lol.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Is it the wet food? Allergies? Something more serious?

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Can be a lot of things (change in diet, parasites, etc); you need to take him to the vet as soon as possible. Diarrhea can be dangerous on a kitten due to dehydration.

 

[maximumzero]

This is how I usually find him in the hallway in the morning, waiting for me to finish showering.

My wife bought a few new cat toys online, including one that can be best described as a furry worm attached to the end of a fishing pole. He's having a good time with it and hasn't been so vocal in a long time.

 

[SecondNature]

Can be a lot of things (change in diet, parasites, etc); you need to take him to the vet as soon as possible. Diarrhea can be dangerous on a kitten due to dehydration.

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Sent a stool sample today, but this evening my cat was sneezing (which is usually accompanied by his but getting poop) and I saw a worm

I was so scared for him. This little worm was crawling around, shot out from his sneezing, thicker rather than really long. We gave him a de-wormer just 2 weeks ago yet he still has diarrhea and Im going to call the vet asap tomorrow. I just feel scared now because they will likely be booked for 2 or so days and I feel like such an idiot for not realizing sooner that he was still sick. His poo has been watery ever since we got him and Im so scared we screwed up his life or growth forever. We thought maybe it was just because he was eating wet food, but he just hasn't improved at all with his stool.

He's always so happy and eats and drinks just fine, but his stool has always been a problem.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Sent a stool sample today, but this evening my cat was sneezing (which is usually accompanied by his but getting poop) and I saw a worm

I was so scared for him. This little worm was crawling around, shot out from his sneezing, thicker rather than really long. We gave him a de-wormer just 2 weeks ago yet he still has diarrhea and Im going to call the vet asap tomorrow. I just feel scared now because they will likely be booked for 2 or so days and I feel like such an idiot for not realizing sooner that he was still sick. His poo has been watery ever since we got him and Im so scared we screwed up his life or growth forever. We thought maybe it was just because he was eating wet food, but he just hasn't improved at all with his stool.

He's always so happy and eats and drinks just fine, but his stool has always been a problem.

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At first I read that as the worm coming out of his nose during the sneeze and was really worried! I'm assuming you mean he "pooped" the worm during sneezing; that's OK.

The thing with deworming is that you need to do it again after two weeks of the first one, to kill any worms that may be in egg form and thus not killed by the first dose. If you still have dewormer doses, give one to him now.

I think he'll be fine, it just seems like he had a lot of worms or very resilient ones, poor thing. You should be OK until you can go to the vet, but just to make sure he doesn't dehydrate, make sure he has plenty of acces to water (separate it from the food, as per the tips in the OP), and perhaps increase the amount of wet food.

 

[SecondNature]

At first I read that as the worm coming out of his nose during the sneeze and was really worried! I'm assuming you mean he "pooped" the worm during sneezing; that's OK.

The thing with deworming is that you need to do it again after two weeks of the first one, to kill any worms that may be in egg form and thus not killed by the first dose. If you still have dewormer doses, give one to him now.

I think he'll be fine, it just seems like he had a lot of worms or very resilient ones, poor thing. You should be OK until you can go to the vet, but just to make sure he doesn't dehydrate, make sure he has plenty of acces to water (separate it from the food, as per the tips in the OP), and perhaps increase the amount of wet food.

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So i saw another one this morning and my dad's seen a few and said it came from maggots from the composting he has and not the cat.

i guess i was wrong but i feel like im going crazy. I swear it was bigger than a maggot And looked cover in poop slime, but ive also never seen maggots in the house so maybe its just maggots.

The stool sample hopefully directs our next steps

 

[Weltall Zero]

So i saw another one this morning and my dad's seen a few and said it came from maggots from the composting he has and not the cat.

i guess i was wrong but i feel like im going crazy. I swear it was bigger than a maggot And looked cover in poop slime, but ive also never seen maggots in the house so maybe its just maggots.

The stool sample hopefully directs our next steps

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Sounds good. The worms should be relatively easy to see in his stools. They're usually very small but since they're white they're rather visible.

 

[Rory]

lol thanks.

On a more serious note: the cat threw up (heaving and spat out bubbly foam liquid) and as they did this they splattered more wet stool (no solids)

My cat still has these wet leaky poops where most their poops are wet or slushie, never ever just solids.

His butt will sometimes leak liquid. We will be taking him in for his next shots and collect a stool sample but the medicine and dewormer we got last time seems to have done little to improve it.

Is it the wet food? Allergies? Something more serious?

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Worms? As long as he's sick vaccination/shoots make no sense

 

[Weltall Zero]

Worms? As long as he's sick vaccination/shoots make no sense

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This is a good point. You should probably ensure he's free of parasites and in good health before vaccinating him.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Toast got neutered today. He has been out of it.

Next week, he goes to his new home. Then it's just a matter of finding Nadja a new home once she is done with ringworm nonsense.

 

[Viriditas]

Molly often stares at us for long periods of time, like a stalker, lol. I'll be enjoying my morning coffee or getting my shoes on or reading a book, and suddenly it feels like I'm being watched...

Creepy Kitty Chronicles: She is Always Watching

Miss Molly Mayhem truly delights in frightening us. That last one was just taken this morning. It's not like I didn't know she was floofed out on the floor, but I was a little startled when I noticed that she was staring so intently at me. To be fair, it was time for her morning walk, hahah

 

[Gio]

Molly often stares at us for long periods of time, like a stalker, lol. I'll be enjoying my morning coffee or getting my shoes on or reading a book, and suddenly it feels like I'm being watched...

Creepy Kitty Chronicles: She is Always Watching

Miss Molly Mayhem truly delights in frightening us. That last one was just taken this morning. It's not like I didn't know she was floofed out on the floor, but I was a little startled when I noticed that she was staring so intently at me. To be fair, it was time for her morning walk, hahah

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Lol she is obsessed with you. So cute.

 

[Reym]

Question:

We have a cat named Lupin who keeps pooping on the floor. I don't think she's sick - she's been to the vet several times since this started and she seems fully healthy and energetic, her poops look healthy too and we sure get a good look at them, heh. She also uses the litterbox fine to pee, so it's not like she's adverse to it. We've tried moving the box and we've tried getting additional boxes, but she keeps doing it.

I think it started when my previous cat, Nesbit, got sick. She started having trouble using the little box and covering things properly and I think Lupin just didn't want to use the "dirty" box. Nesbit's gone now, but Lupin's still going on the floor and I think it's just become habit. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to break her of this habit?