Your daily cat and kitten news
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LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
I caught Lilith licking the duvet the other day! Apparently they do that to mark the bed with their scent. It's nicer than pissing on the bed, anyway.
Puddy_Tat
🐈⬛
is that a 'you have stopped petting me - why?' look?
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
petee
no gods, no managers
Rogue, Chloe and Akiro
.
wonderful photo.
LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
Lilith was scared of the thunder and lightning in the wee hours, and woke me up miaowing. I cuddled and comforted her as best I could and assured her "It's OK baby, it's just rain which the UK badly needs right now! You're perfectly safe with Mummy." She seemed to find that a satisfactory explanation and went to sleep on top of me, which was nice.
LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
She can't go out at the moment because of the rain so she's gone a little stir crazy! Good job I kept all her kitten toys.
story
Changing the facts
Cat is feeling blue today. I think it’s the change in the weather. I’m feeling elated by the rain but Cat seems sad.
We went for a very adventurous night stroll a couple of nights ago. We crossed the Big Road! I picked him up to carry him across both ways after waiting so he could watch the traffic for a while. He complied with this although normally he don’t like being handled. He loved the open space of the common and strolled around and roamed around for a good while while I waited on a stone wall. Then home and he was clearly tired. I think he was a little overwhelmed by the new adventure, but while we were walking he was urging ahead the whole time, not even stopping to look around as we went through the alley, except to check I was following him fast enough. His nose was mostly pointed forward the whole time.
Then yesterday when it was so hot and muggy he was out of sight all day. When it’s hot he likes to hunker down in his various cool spots nearby. I didn’t worry that I’d not seen him when I went out in the evening, cos that’s normal, but when he didn’t come home as usual when I came home at midnight, I was a bit nonplussed. It sometimes happens, but I could see that he’d not eaten any biscuits in my absence, I woke up when the thunder started and expected to feel his exhausted weight against my leg, but he wasn’t there. I checked his biscuits again and he hadn’t been back to eat them. So then I was worried. An hour later (lying there thinking Well, he’s been away for longer than this before, he’s probably waiting out the storm somewhere…. but he hasn’t eaten since yesterday morning! Is he hurt? Locked in? Kidnapped??) i heard the cat flap clack and in he comes soaked through and glum.
He slept like a stone til about an hour ago, and he’s been mooning about like a teenager since then. He’s eaten, I’ve checked him over and found no sign of injury or illness. Eyes are bright, ears are cool etc.
I wonder if he’s sad the summer has ended? When he came into the garden he hesitated at the door ( doesn’t like wet paws ) and then did a face that said “meh” before committing to coming out. He’s crashed out on the bed now and seems fine, sprawled on his side as usual.
Either he’s had a big adventure that has exhausted him (it’s happened before) or he’s feeling out of sorts about the change in season (he’s not even two years old so doesn’t have much history to draw on), or maybe the flea treatment I gave him two days ago has made him feel a bit yucky?
We went for a very adventurous night stroll a couple of nights ago. We crossed the Big Road! I picked him up to carry him across both ways after waiting so he could watch the traffic for a while. He complied with this although normally he don’t like being handled. He loved the open space of the common and strolled around and roamed around for a good while while I waited on a stone wall. Then home and he was clearly tired. I think he was a little overwhelmed by the new adventure, but while we were walking he was urging ahead the whole time, not even stopping to look around as we went through the alley, except to check I was following him fast enough. His nose was mostly pointed forward the whole time.
Then yesterday when it was so hot and muggy he was out of sight all day. When it’s hot he likes to hunker down in his various cool spots nearby. I didn’t worry that I’d not seen him when I went out in the evening, cos that’s normal, but when he didn’t come home as usual when I came home at midnight, I was a bit nonplussed. It sometimes happens, but I could see that he’d not eaten any biscuits in my absence, I woke up when the thunder started and expected to feel his exhausted weight against my leg, but he wasn’t there. I checked his biscuits again and he hadn’t been back to eat them. So then I was worried. An hour later (lying there thinking Well, he’s been away for longer than this before, he’s probably waiting out the storm somewhere…. but he hasn’t eaten since yesterday morning! Is he hurt? Locked in? Kidnapped??) i heard the cat flap clack and in he comes soaked through and glum.
He slept like a stone til about an hour ago, and he’s been mooning about like a teenager since then. He’s eaten, I’ve checked him over and found no sign of injury or illness. Eyes are bright, ears are cool etc.
I wonder if he’s sad the summer has ended? When he came into the garden he hesitated at the door ( doesn’t like wet paws ) and then did a face that said “meh” before committing to coming out. He’s crashed out on the bed now and seems fine, sprawled on his side as usual.
Either he’s had a big adventure that has exhausted him (it’s happened before) or he’s feeling out of sorts about the change in season (he’s not even two years old so doesn’t have much history to draw on), or maybe the flea treatment I gave him two days ago has made him feel a bit yucky?
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
Tim slept balanced on my rib cage in the early hours too!
ION, I thought id already emptied this bin today…
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
Ok. Today in clueless kitten owner queries:
1) How can I stop him fucking biting me when he wants to play. I always redirect to positive play behaviour, plus put my feet or hands out of sight. I never initiate play with my hands or feet - always a toy. But it’s no less frequent than a month ago. Is he just bitey? Will he ever realise “feet are friends not food”…?
2) although he did poo yesterday morning, the emergency vet noticed he’s a bit constipated, and he still hasn’t pooed. I’ve cleaned his tray, he always drinks fairly well and has 4x wet meals. I’ve fed him some lick-e-Licks snacks because they seemed to make him go when he had them before… He just had a mad dashing play sesh and is eating normally.
I did give him his worming tablet yesterday, and the vet said it might be that, but surely not still? He’s weeing as normal. Will he explode?
1) How can I stop him fucking biting me when he wants to play. I always redirect to positive play behaviour, plus put my feet or hands out of sight. I never initiate play with my hands or feet - always a toy. But it’s no less frequent than a month ago. Is he just bitey? Will he ever realise “feet are friends not food”…?
2) although he did poo yesterday morning, the emergency vet noticed he’s a bit constipated, and he still hasn’t pooed. I’ve cleaned his tray, he always drinks fairly well and has 4x wet meals. I’ve fed him some lick-e-Licks snacks because they seemed to make him go when he had them before… He just had a mad dashing play sesh and is eating normally.
I did give him his worming tablet yesterday, and the vet said it might be that, but surely not still? He’s weeing as normal. Will he explode?
Puddy_Tat
🐈⬛
yowling like a cat in pain might make the point
trabuquera
Modesty Bag
^ you've got to be super consistent about it (because kittens are stupid, even if they're brilliant) and train them relentlessly that hard biting / locking claws in is not OK, by reacting as a cat would - high pitched squeak/yelp and walk away, don't play with them any more for a minute or so, or until they come back to you, hopefully less manic. This is what their kitten siblings or a (tolerant) older cat would do when they play too rough. But kittens are just mad things in general, it takes a long time for the lesson to sink in. Some people try using a spray bottle for negative conditioning but (IMO only) it's pointless as cats don't understand punitive thinking.
Sorry you're cat's blue today story but I am sure it's just this...
Bingo, probably - the flea treatment is clearly unpleasant for cats as they'll shun you for days afterward. I think it stings the skin a bit AND makes them feel seedy for a few days after the treatment. That's why they develop ultra-super-hearing tuned to the specific snappy sound of the capsule and will wake & run from it, even from the deepest sleeps.
Sorry you're cat's blue today story but I am sure it's just this...
Bingo, probably - the flea treatment is clearly unpleasant for cats as they'll shun you for days afterward. I think it stings the skin a bit AND makes them feel seedy for a few days after the treatment. That's why they develop ultra-super-hearing tuned to the specific snappy sound of the capsule and will wake & run from it, even from the deepest sleeps.
story
Changing the facts
spanglechick
I‘m with Puddy_Tat and trabuquera , that’s what I've always done: if they bite I make an alarm sound, a cross face, and withdraw immediately and completely for a little while. The alarm sound may be some kind of mimic of what another kitten or cat might sound like, but I have also used a human sound (I’m human after all) like a loud curt “Eh!”. And with one cat I lived with I’d growl and hiss. But he was a bit of a bruiser so swearing worked best with him. But whatever it was for each car, it was consistently that response for that cat. No point being all gentle. “No no that’s not nice” cos that’s not how they learn from their natural teachers (as trabuquera said, older siblings, their mother). My dad used to just lay the weight of his hand over the neck and back of the kitten, real heavy like, and leave it there. He saw a lion do it to a cub on a telly show and adopted it. It worked for him but it’s never worked for me
This chap, he’s quite sensitive, and he’s kind (he once made the choice to fall off a tall thing rather than dig his claws into my arm to save himself from the fall) and he responds immediately to a plaintive little noise of protest. Not had to do it since he was a kitten though.
trabuquera
Yes, the way they respond to that little click is really a good example of conditioned learning, eh. And he did turn his back on me the morning after I gave him the treatment. Vet swears down it don’t sting but yunnow. He’s eaten well evening hopefully he’ll be back to his perky self soon.
I‘m with Puddy_Tat and trabuquera , that’s what I've always done: if they bite I make an alarm sound, a cross face, and withdraw immediately and completely for a little while. The alarm sound may be some kind of mimic of what another kitten or cat might sound like, but I have also used a human sound (I’m human after all) like a loud curt “Eh!”. And with one cat I lived with I’d growl and hiss. But he was a bit of a bruiser so swearing worked best with him. But whatever it was for each car, it was consistently that response for that cat. No point being all gentle. “No no that’s not nice” cos that’s not how they learn from their natural teachers (as trabuquera said, older siblings, their mother). My dad used to just lay the weight of his hand over the neck and back of the kitten, real heavy like, and leave it there. He saw a lion do it to a cub on a telly show and adopted it. It worked for him but it’s never worked for me
This chap, he’s quite sensitive, and he’s kind (he once made the choice to fall off a tall thing rather than dig his claws into my arm to save himself from the fall) and he responds immediately to a plaintive little noise of protest. Not had to do it since he was a kitten though.
trabuquera
Yes, the way they respond to that little click is really a good example of conditioned learning, eh. And he did turn his back on me the morning after I gave him the treatment. Vet swears down it don’t sting but yunnow. He’s eaten well evening hopefully he’ll be back to his perky self soon.
story
Changing the facts
Here’s a mother dog being really strict with her puppies
Obvs it’s a dog not cats but I think it demonstrates how effective animals can be in correcting their offspring. It looks loud and aggressive but it’s def effective.
Here’s a little vid I found outlining the procedures for cats. I watched it at 1.5 speed cos it’s slow.
Do a search for mother cat disciplines kitten for more examples. I couldn’t choose one to post here.
Obvs it’s a dog not cats but I think it demonstrates how effective animals can be in correcting their offspring. It looks loud and aggressive but it’s def effective.
Here’s a little vid I found outlining the procedures for cats. I watched it at 1.5 speed cos it’s slow.
Do a search for mother cat disciplines kitten for more examples. I couldn’t choose one to post here.
Puddy_Tat
🐈⬛
and getting hold of a kitten / cat by the scruff of their neck (not trying to pick them up - they are too heavy for that except when they are very small) tends to 'deactivate' a cat
Calamity1971
If Mr Peanut says It's okay, then it is.
Dystopiary
All this aristocracy has really got to stop.
Like a lot of cats, you could give Arnold the softest, plushest, snuggliest bed and he'd probably still prefer a cardboard box.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
Still no poo here. That’s a good 48 hours.
We’re going to have to go to the vet again, aren’t we?
We’re going to have to go to the vet again, aren’t we?
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
So, having made a vet appointment, the ginger princeling finally pooed for the first time in more than two days. Not loads but… hurrah for Tim’s bum!
Me76
Not very good lurker
Orson back at the vets today. He's better but still not himself and has a bad back leg massive limp and not able to get on things at all.
It's very weird seeing him on the floor instead of on things.
We have antiinflammatories to add to the antibiotics as his fever hasn't gone down either and then back to the vets on Wednesday
It's very weird seeing him on the floor instead of on things.
We have antiinflammatories to add to the antibiotics as his fever hasn't gone down either and then back to the vets on Wednesday
May Kasahara
take me to the feeling
High Voltage
In the top 97% of Urban's most interesting posters
There's been a new cat appeared around the neighbourhood in the last fortnight or so
She doesn't seem to have a home here and is basically going door to door for food etc
One of our neighbours spoke to me yesterday about her and if we had any cat food we could "donate" to the cause . . . which of course we did
Then, this morning Mrs Voltz strides very purposefully out the front door with a cat basket in hand - cat is quickly penned
I was given instructions to "phone round the vets" - which I did and a local one had a missing cat on their books and told us to bring it to them for scanning
This we did and the cat was the lost cat - it seems the family had moved a couple of weeks ago and the cat had got out and was living on the lam - the cat has now been returned to its family
She doesn't seem to have a home here and is basically going door to door for food etc
One of our neighbours spoke to me yesterday about her and if we had any cat food we could "donate" to the cause . . . which of course we did
Then, this morning Mrs Voltz strides very purposefully out the front door with a cat basket in hand - cat is quickly penned
I was given instructions to "phone round the vets" - which I did and a local one had a missing cat on their books and told us to bring it to them for scanning
This we did and the cat was the lost cat - it seems the family had moved a couple of weeks ago and the cat had got out and was living on the lam - the cat has now been returned to its family
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
Well done, saved someone some heartbreak there for sure. Good deed for the day.
