Crazy Cat Lady

[Guest]

Need to increase post count.

[TheresaThoma]

If the air is drier in the house that can cause dandruff. It may also be due to the type of food they are on. One of our kitties had a really bad time with dry food. Her coat will be all dandruffy and bleh. We changed her food and her coat improved. Check with your vet they may have other suggestions.

And Scamp is a handsome little boy!

[dominicansoul]

No answer to that question DS, sorry.

 

I did want to say that Bella is home with me and never have I been so tired. This baby loves to play at night, when I want to sleep, and she thinks the kitty litter box is a delightful toy to scatter everywhere. I am so glad she is 8 months old and will one day be out of the kitten phase. I love it when she just sits on my lap and purrs but she has so much energy and loves to play. I am trying to train her, but the last time I had a cat of my own was in 2000 (15 years ago!) and I had her for 10 years so she sort of became my companion, but oh do I remember her early years, when she was crazy and up all night too! Tired, so tired.... 

I hear you!  My little kitties love to play statue during the day and sleep to their heart's content, but as soon as the sun goes down, they go all werewolf and prowl about and cause all kinds of ruckus!  I'm so glad you finally brought Bella home!   (Even if she's tiring you out, I'm sure things will work out.)

If the air is drier in the house that can cause dandruff. It may also be due to the type of food they are on. One of our kitties had a really bad time with dry food. Her coat will be all dandruffy and bleh. We changed her food and her coat improved. Check with your vet they may have other suggestions.

And Scamp is a handsome little boy!

Okay, I'll be checking with the vet on their diet.  They each eat the same stuff, I buy them Science Diet wet food and leave Science Diet dry food in their bedroom so they can nibble on that throughout the day...

 

BTW, they are starting to deal with another pest, little black ants.  I saw them in their food dish this evening and used packing tape to get them.  lol.  I didn't want to spray any chemical killer cos I dont' want to hurt the kitties...

Need to increase post count.

you should post pics of your cats, if you own any...

[dominicansoul]

I wound up ordering an "ant-proof kitty dish" from Amazon this morning.  The ant problems are getting worse!

[vee]

I like cats however I like them best as an outdoor animal.

[dominicansoul]

statistics show that indoor cats live to be decades old, while poor outdoor kitties lives are cut short drastically (2 years, 3 years tops.)

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

My kitty could never live outdoors. She is a pedigreed Devon Rex (although I adopted her as a rescue cat). Most of her fur is very short, and she has no fur at all on her stomach. Since (conservatively) she is descended from at least 50 generations of indoor cats, she has never shown any desire to go outside. She knows what a good thing she has inside! As the sun moves to various windows during the day, she moves with it--she LOVES warm places. I hope she lives until a ripe old age. My other little girl cat died too young at age 10 of cancer, but her brother lived a couple of weeks past his 17th birthday. I've had friends with indoor cats that lived to 20.

In my neighborhood, there are no outdoor cats at all--I've only seen two in the 20 years I've lived in my house. The winter here is really too harsh for an outdoor cat to survive well, and if you let a cat go outdoors regularly, they can be unhappy during winter when it is unsafe to let them outdoors. In contrast, in Northern California where I grew up, the winters were mild enough that most people let their cats go outdoors when they wanted.

[vee]

Just saw this article

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/2000-year-old-paw-prints-show-cats-have-always-been-jerks/55324/?cid=social_20150805_50353756&adbid=10153555563226908&adbpl=fb&adbpr=9525286907

[dominicansoul]

  Kitties leaving their mark!

[AccountDeleted]

Yes, kitties are stubborn, aren't they? Bella is going to be an indoor cat just because I live on a busy road, and that puts the front yard out. There is a dog in the neighbour's back yard which puts the back yard out. All my other cats have had a cat door to come in and out, but she will just have to do with a litter box. I have decided though that I need to buy a litter 'house' with a lid because she likes to play with the kitty litter and spread it all over the floor. If she had one of those enclosed ones, there wouldn't be as much mess (I hope).

I adore her, but she can be really frustrating sometimes. She is curious of course, but also insistent.When I push her away from something, she wants to go back to it over and over again. Yesterday she knocked over a drink I had on a side table. I was terrified it would soak the electrical boards and short things out, but fortunately the liquid missed all the vital things and only soaked the carpet! And do you think she was sorry? No. I think she was even proud! 

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

Yes, kitties are stubborn, aren't they? Bella is going to be an indoor cat just because I live on a busy road, and that puts the front yard out. There is a dog in the neighbour's back yard which puts the back yard out. All my other cats have had a cat door to come in and out, but she will just have to do with a litter box. I have decided though that I need to buy a litter 'house' with a lid because she likes to play with the kitty litter and spread it all over the floor. If she had one of those enclosed ones, there wouldn't be as much mess (I hope).

I adore her, but she can be really frustrating sometimes. She is curious of course, but also insistent.When I push her away from something, she wants to go back to it over and over again. Yesterday she knocked over a drink I had on a side table. I was terrified it would soak the electrical boards and short things out, but fortunately the liquid missed all the vital things and only soaked the carpet! And do you think she was sorry? No. I think she was even proud! 

I love kittens, so while I am sympathetic, I am also giggling at how Bella has managed to take over your life in such a short time. 

However, the problems kittens can cause is one of the reasons that when I adopted my most recent cat, I adopted a two-year old. I won't even discuss how well-behaved she is because you'd hate me.   It was nothing to do with me--she was that way when I adopted her. Actually, the real reason I adopted her was because she needed a household like mine (very quiet, no kids and no dogs). But also, with a two-year old, I knew what I was getting in terms of temperament. My consolation for not having a kitten is that Devon Rexes are very small cats--they're not much bigger than kittens.

[AccountDeleted]

I love kittens, so while I am sympathetic, I am also giggling at how Bella has managed to take over your life in such a short time. 

However, the problems kittens can cause is one of the reasons that when I adopted my most recent cat, I adopted a two-year old. I won't even discuss how well-behaved she is because you'd hate me.   It was nothing to do with me--she was that way when I adopted her. Actually, the real reason I adopted her was because she needed a household like mine (very quiet, no kids and no dogs). But also, with a two-year old, I knew what I was getting in terms of temperament. My consolation for not having a kitten is that Devon Rexes are very small cats--they're not much bigger than kittens.

I seriously considered getting an older cat, and was looking at 'seniors' (over age 7) first because not many people want them and they needed homes. But after much discussion with my sister, I decided in addition to what the cat needed, I had to consider what I needed. My last cat was my companion and friend and it hurt me terribly to give her up when I moved from Australia to the States. I had raised her from a kitten and she and I were bonded. When I would travel interstate, she would ride in the car with me - not in a carrier, but sitting on top  of a little carpeted cat house in the back seat, or even sitting in the back window ofthe car (probably against the law today). I would sneak her into motel rooms. We really were a team.

Then I discerned religious life for 8 years and in between convents, I couldn't bring myself to getting a pet since I knew I might enter somewhere again and that wouldn't be fair on the animal. So now, I know I am settled and I decided to get a cat who was not a baby (under 3 months) but one who was sitll young enough to become very attached to me. And it is working out beautifully.

She has taken over my life in many ways, but that certainly helps me to be less selfish, which is a danger when one lives for oneself alone. Even though I do volunteer work, it doesn't demand sacrifices of me, the way caring for something helpless does. The responsibility of keeping her alive and well and happy is mine, and even though she drives me nuts sometimes - how wonderful that she is there in my life to do that!

I hope she and I can grow 'old' together.I just have to make sure she is taken care of in case I go first!  

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

I understand "bonding." When I adopted my cat at age 2, she had already lived in 4 or 5 homes, and I feel like I've made a promise to her that my home would be her last. Also, she had health problems that many other people wouldn't want to deal with. (My brilliant vet treated them and my cat is symptom-free.)

She and I are very bonded. For example, if we are lying on the couch and I get up to use the bathroom, she cries to ask "Where have you gone?" while I'm in the bathroom. She definitely runs my life.

I don't think I could give up my cat for religious life--it's a good thing I don't have a vocation. To me, it would be like giving up a dependent child (which a Community would never allow). I would need to bring my cat with me (which I know wouldn't happen). However, my cat would love it. She loves attention, and would enjoy having a choice of friends to pet her. The real problem would be that my cat has been raised to sleep with her "human" and I don't know of any Community that allows cats in cells.

And, you're right, having a dependent animal of any age helps me be less selfish since I live alone. My late male cat needed me to give him subcutaneous fluids for the last 18 months of his life. Me, who HATES needles had to stick a very sharp needle in my cat every day. My vet knew I could do it, and I did do it. (BTW--The process doesn't cause the cat pain at all. And, the only blood was when I accidentally stuck myself with the needle a few times--the cat never bled at all.)

I really should have a second cat to keep my kitty company. However, because I am sick (and am very much on my own), I won't do it unless I am sure I could take care of it well. Also, like you, I want to make sure I outlive my cat(s). My current cat is 11, so God willing, I will outlive her. But a kitten? I'm not positive I'll live another 20 years. 

[AccountDeleted]

I understand "bonding." When I adopted my cat at age 2, she had already lived in 4 or 5 homes, and I feel like I've made a promise to her that my home would be her last. Also, she had health problems that many other people wouldn't want to deal with. (My brilliant vet treated them and my cat is symptom-free.)

She and I are very bonded. For example, if we are lying on the couch and I get up to use the bathroom, she cries to ask "Where have you gone?" while I'm in the bathroom. She definitely runs my life.

I don't think I could give up my cat for religious life--it's a good thing I don't have a vocation. To me, it would be like giving up a dependent child (which a Community would never allow). I would need to bring my cat with me (which I know wouldn't happen). However, my cat would love it. She loves attention, and would enjoy having a choice of friends to pet her. The real problem would be that my cat has been raised to sleep with her "human" and I don't know of any Community that allows cats in cells.

And, you're right, having a dependent animal of any age helps me be less selfish since I live alone. My late male cat needed me to give him subcutaneous fluids for the last 18 months of his life. Me, who HATES needles had to stick a very sharp needle in my cat every day. My vet knew I could do it, and I did do it. (BTW--The process doesn't cause the cat pain at all. And, the only blood was when I accidentally stuck myself with the needle a few times--the cat never bled at all.)

I really should have a second cat to keep my kitty company. However, because I am sick (and am very much on my own), I won't do it unless I am sure I could take care of it well. Also, like you, I want to make sure I outlive my cat(s). My current cat is 11, so God willing, I will outlive her. But a kitten? I'm not positive I'll live another 20 years. 

There's really nothing like a cat friend, is there? And we do things for our pets that we really don't want to do (like giving subcutaneous fluids, right?) but because it's for them, well, it's ok. I used to feel that way about my horses too - getting up early to feed them and clean their stalls and all the other things they needed. One winter in New York, five of my horses had caught Strangles from a group of PMU rescue foals that I had on my property until their new owners could pick them up. Strangles causes abscesses full of puss on the neck of the horse (and sometimes elsewhere), and can be deadly. I had to go out to the barn twice a day to clean out their abscesses on all five horses, which would get frozen over during the day (winter in upstate NY is a whole 'nother story). I would stick my finger into the abscess to open the frozen over hole and then use a syringe full of hydrogen peroxide to clean out the hole. The puss was revolting and having to do this over and over again until all the abscesses healed up from the inside out was  - well, all I can say is that there are very few people I would have done this for! LOL

As for getting a second kitty - that's a tough one for you. I don't think cats are really herd or pack animals though, so I think yours should be good on her own. Now if we were talking about dogs or horses, that's a different thing.They actually do get lonely and need companionship. I think as long as a cat has a consistent person to love and care for them, they seem to do pretty good. Just my thoughts though. I do plan on living until my kitty is in her 20s so let's hope God agrees with me. I never really cared much about it until I got her, but now I feel it's my "duty" to stay alive til a ripe old age!  

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

all the abscesses healed up from the inside out was  - well, all I can say is that there are very few people I would have done this for! LOL

As for getting a second kitty - that's a tough one for you. I don't think cats are really herd or pack animals though, so I think yours should be good on her own. Now if we were talking about dogs or horses, that's a different thing.They actually do get lonely and need companionship. I think as long as a cat has a consistent person to love and care for them, they seem to do pretty good. Just my thoughts though. I do plan on living until my kitty is in her 20s so let's hope God agrees with me. I never really cared much about it until I got her, but now I feel it's my "duty" to stay alive til a ripe old age!  

Actually, when domestic cats are feral, they usually live in groups/communities. (I believe the only other breed of feline to do this is the lion--although I am not positive about serval cats.) No, cats are not pack animals like dogs, but they are not normally solitary, either, despite what most people believe. (The zoo docent/guide part of me still comes out once in awhile.  )

However, the need for the companionship of another cat (versus, or in addition to, a human) differs by the cat. Some cats don't want other cats around, while others need cat companions. My little girl's breed is very companionable. In fact, her owner (the one who had rescued her) wouldn't place any of the Devon Rexes in her care in a household without other cats (or she might place two cats who already got along). I had two cats until 2 years ago when my male died. My cat has adjusted to living with only me, in part because I am home all the time. If I were still working, she would need another cat.

One problem for me, though, is that my cat doesn't get enough exercise. One issue is that I am so sedentary but also because she is used to playing with another cat. (And, yes, my cat gets regular physicals, and is eating special low-calorie food.) Devon Rexes can be prone to being overweight because they are naturally small. (Just like I say that it isn't that I need to lose a few more pounds--I need to gain a few more inches. If I were, say, 5'7" I'd be the perfect weight.  ) For my cat, a healthy weight would be about 7-8 pounds, but she weighs more. It's a tough problem to deal with. And, it doesn't help that my cat is now 11, so is naturally more sedentary. Unfortunately, the time she most likes to play is about 6 am, when I'm not feeling human yet. And for me, exhausted is the norm. (Lately, with all my dental surgery, I have been sicker than that, but my dental surgery is over now.) Despite this, right now my cat is healthy. And, I am always here to serve as a warm couch that has arms to scratch her head when she tells me to.

Edited August 6, 2015 by IgnatiusofLoyola