Category: Animal House
Hey Ya'll,
So my Birthday is coming up---and for months and months I've deliborated on whether getting a cat... I've begged and pleeded that I'd want to get a cat... and since I currently live with my Mom--- ultemately, it would also be her decission too... but I'll take care of it, it'll be my responcibility, etc etc etc..... anyways: I was wondering what types of litter boxes do ya'll use? Have any of ya'll used those automatic self-cleaning ones? If so, do they work??? (because doing the old-fassion scooping for me might not be the best option) so I was looking into getting one of those self-cleaning boxes. Also: I was looking at litter box liners. How effective are these? Sounds to me like you just pull out the liner, tie it up like a trash bag, and throw it away... but my Mom said that it would be extremely heavy and difficult to lift. So what are ya'lls oppinions on all of this. I'm probably/most likely going to get my cat from the local shelter, and so it doesn't ruin any furniture I'm going to get one that is dclawed... I know, I know... most people don't agree with this, but my cat will be an inside one... and I honestly don't need it scratching things.... perfurably, I'd want an older cat, opposed to a kitten.... I'm thinking I might be getting the cat pretty soon here (like within a few weeks or so) so any of your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Were going to look at litter boxes on Friday.... which btw just happends to be my Birthday!! :) :D anyways, is there a certain type of litter box you'd recommend as well as a type of litter to use? When we had our two cats, Mom always used the clumping litter, she said it's the best kind of litter out there, so if there is any type of litter that ya'll use that isn't the clumping kind, or what have your experiences been like with the clumping type if that's the kind you use? anyways, sorry for all the questions. and thanks for reading!
Amber
Hi there. We've got a 7 month old kitten and I've had cats in the past. Once I had one of those auto boxes but it didn't really work that well. The rake would get stuck in the middle of the box or it would fling litter when dumping it into the receptical. Also, the recepticals were expensive. Now, that was almost 20 years ago so they may have improved.
Currently we just use a regular litter box with a shield to keep her from slinging litter out when she covers her stuff. The shield isn't perfect but it's better than nothing. We started by using liners and doing whatyou said but she had poked holes in it with her back claws. Now, I just dump the whole thing in a trash bag. Even that can get messy but I use a handvac to clean it up. I use the Armon Hammer super clumping litter. My son is responsible for the scooping because this is really supposed to be his cat. I suppose you could use laytex gloves and pick out the clumps if it came down to it. That's what I'd do. I'd look on amazon.com and read through the reviews.
A few things here,
I've owned cats off and on for awhile, either with my whole family or on my own, and first and foremost, the type of litter is sort of dependent on the environment. If you and/or your mother are particularly susceptible to dust, you may have to avoid litters that are particularly dusty because it can and will sorta get in the air. Also, is this a house or an apartment? What sort of flooring?
My overall recommendations are these:
1. If possible, try and get a litterbox with a shield. A shield is a removable part of the box that surrounds the top edge and kind of adds a little extra height to the box. The very top of the shield is an inward-facing lip, which means litter which hits it will often just kick back into the box. You can also go for an enclosed box if you like, I've used those and seen them used to fairly good effect. As for a self-cleaning one, personally I'd avoid them because their efficiency is dubious, and it's not too hard to clean the box otherwise.
2. Try and put the box somewhere the cat can always, always get to if it has to. Putting it in your bathroom may seem tempting but it's probably a good idea. Also, try and avoid putting the box in a really high-traffic area of the household, since some cats are shy and, especially if the box is not a covered one, may be nervous about toileting with people always hovering around.3
If possible, put your box on hardwood, linoleum, ceramic tile or some other hard surface. Putting it on thick carpet is going to make your life harder. I also recommend getting one of those prickly mats to place under the box, that way your cat has something to scrape its feet on instead of tracking litter.
4. If you go to the shelter and find a sweet cat who's declawed, that's one thing, but I urge you very stronglynot to use the presence of claws as a determining factor in your choice of a feline companion unless your mother absolutely will not bend on this. Some kittens scaatch, but most older cats don't do it often, or at all, and oftentimes a scratching-post will alleviate that by giving them an outlet. Clipping claws may be a bit of a pain, I won't argue about that, but...well, I just wouldn't use claws on a cat as my sole reason for not adopting it. There are also items called Soft Paws on the market. They're reasonably inexpensive and act as soft tips for the claws. They kind of snug over each claw-tip and bond with adhesive, and they minimize the damage a cat can do with its claws by virtue of the fact that they are not sharp like its natural claws are. After a little while, these claw-tips will come off one by one and can be sucked up with a vacuum cleaner, before new tips need to be re-applied. A cat may grumble over this, the same way it grumbles about having claws clipped in the first place, but it is painless and will save your furniture. All this is to say...if you find the absolute right kitty and he's stil got his claws, at least think about it first.
5. Scooping, traditionally, is kind of finicky for us blind people. You can either use rubber gloves and go picking through it that way - sounds gross, but it's risk-free - or you can do a similar thing that is done with poop-scooping with a dog on a walk. That is, use a poop-scooper bag; put your hand inside it and use it like a glove. Gather the used litter and poop in one place, then sort of grab it and turn the bag inside out. Your hand will be clean, all the nasty bits are in the bag, and then you just tie it shut and get rid of it.
6. Personally, I find litterbox liners are useful as heck. Sure, sometimes cats will tear holes in them, but often they don't, particularly if they're a bit heavier. The idea here is to put the liner in the box, fill it up with litter, scoop it daily and get rid of nasty bits in order to try and keep it clean, and then, approximately once every seven to fourteen days depending on your tolerance, take the liner out of the box, tie it shut, get rid of it, give the inside of the now-empty box a quick clean, insert a new liner and repeat the cycle. A liner full of litter is going to weigh a few pounds, but it's not ungodly heavy and should pose you no problems unless you have huge wrist issues.
Okay, I think that about covers it. If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask. I, or someone else here, will be happy to assist you if we can.
Sorry for the typos. I also should mention that I meant to say that putting a box in the bathroom is probably -not a great idea. It can be done, I just don't recommend it.
The softpaws can indeed be good but I've personally had cats chew them off. As for the litter box I just use a standard one for Joan Jett and schoop withh a pooper scooper. I just dump the nasty bits into a grocery bag which I then tie shut and take out to the big garbage cans in front of my apartment. I definitely agree about declawing. I'll adopt an already declawed kitty but I would never put a cat of mine through the procedure simply because of the risks involved if they got out or the possible complications that can arise afterward.
Hey ya'll! Thanks for your help! I really appreciate it! I'll look into the litterboxes with a sheald then and look into those litter liners. I was also thinking of going to petcoe and talking to someone who works there, but thought it bes to come here, first, and get some oppinions from people who are totally blind like myself... lol.. I'll try out those softpads... but like you said if I find a cat that's declawed then that's one thing... I'm definitely not going to look for ones that are strictly declawed. Is there a certain age where cats get out of the scratching/ruining the furchiner phase?? If not, then I'll just have to deal with it... but I'd rather him have his clause... but I don't want it ruining the furchiner especially since it's not my house or my furchiner... lol... it's a condo... so we have two stories, the bathroom floors are tile, and the entire upstares hallway and bedrooms are carpetited... the entire downstares however is not. but we do have a stairway when going down to the front door and a stairway going down to the laundryroom etc... but that's about it as far as stares go. anyways, thanks for all ya'lls help, I really appreciate it. has any one used those sifter scoop things? or sifter trays??? where the crap stays in the tray and all the clean litter is in the box? Oh I see- yeah, I do have asthma, so that's partly why my Mom would always use the clumping litter, though then. hmmm... thanks again, and I'll check out these things in more detale. If anyone has any more suggestions/feedback as far as the litterbox thing goes, post away.
Amber
There are any number of ways to deter a cat from clawing tings you don't want them to. One way is to make those things unpleasant for your cat to claw on. There are any number of ways to do this that won't harm kitty. One way that I'm told can be quite effective is to cover an off-limits surface with double-sided tape. Enough repetitions of that and your kitty will get the message. On the other side of the coin you can also make clawable things more desirable. Catnip is a god way to do this as are favorite toys and treats. Of course whatever you do it's going to take time and patience.
some really good information has been given here and I just used the normal box and had litter that was from the supermarket and I would just put the whole contents into a plastic bag, tie it up and put it in the bin, cleaned the box with distefectant and then used a handy towel to dry the box and then refilling it with new litter.
Now a days it is better to get a bigger cat than the kitten as they are already trained but not saying you can't train a kitten cause you can, smiles.
Hi! Yeah, I'm definitely going for the bigger/older cat... we don't need it peeing on everything lol... so I definitely want an older, trained one. I mean, not too old... probably like 2-3 years old is what I'm leaning towards. Thanks for all of your help, and if ya'll have any more suggestions on anything else to do/use I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm wondering this, too, if the cat isn't declawed already when I buy him, I could get him declawed anyways, right? Like is there a set age on when to stop declawing a cat? I'm making an appointment with the shelter tomorrow and I'm going to look for a cat on Friday my Birthday!!! :) I can't wait!! :)
Amber
Ok folks! Getting my kittie tomorrow!! My Mom already scoped out the shelter, and the cats... she asked them which cats are the sweetist cats, and they pointed her to a few... so tomorrow afternoon, I'm gonna go look at them. Oh and this shelter doesn't declaw at all anymore... which she's not very happy about, but if it's an older cat, then it should be most likely out of the kitten phase, I hope. anyways, thanks for all your guys help, I really appreciate it!! :) This will be one awesome Birthday present, that's for sure!! :)
Amber
You really want to be careful about declawing an older cat. It can lead to changes in personality and behavior that you may not like.I remember hearing or reading somewhere, and not very long ago, that forty to sixty percent of cats who end up in shelters were declawed before being taken there, all because it totally changed them. I'm not saying it will always happen but it can. A sweet, loving and people oriented cat can after being declawed become a timid, fearful and aggressive thing because they suddenly perceive themselves as being defenseless. Inthat situation they'll often become biters. Not only that but a declawed cat may, particularly if the procedure is done when they're older, refuse to use the litter box simply because it hurts them to scratch after they do their business. Again not every cat will do this but it's definitely something to consider when you're considering this procedure. My mom had her cats declawed when they were two years old and, while they didn't turn out the way I've described them the possibility was certainly there.
Amber,
First and foremost, today being Friday, good luck with your search for a new cat. Two to three years old or so is a great age...they're young and still full of vigour, but are past the kitten stage. For future reference, a new cat still may pee where it shouldn't, especially if it's scared, though that should clear up quickly. Just don't jump the gun if your cat pees under the bed or something...give it a little time and see if the problem stops. Most kittens by the age of, say, three to four months are litter-trained enough to be trusted. I got a cat at nine weeks who was well-trained, and I've heard of many others in a similar situation. Cats learn fast.
Now, to address what you asked about declawing. Yes, you can certainly declaw a two or three-year-old cat, but I want you to consider a few things:
1. Unless the cat is showing serious signs of not learning to avoid scratching, you are probably doing a permanent surgery to avoid a small annoyance.
2. This surgery actually involves taking the very last join of each front toe off so the claws can never grow back. Most cats can adapt well to this, but some do not. Adapted or not, a cat's balance is compromised and its stride changes, and that can lead to ankle and lower leg problems later in some cases.
3. If your declawed cat ever gets out, it's as good as dead in a fight, or if chased. It cannot climb trees or bushes to escape a dog or other predator attempting to chase it, and that's one of a cat's best escape mechanisms...to climb where other animals can't bother them.
4. As Brian said, some cats who are declawed will become more aggressive in other ways because they are acutely aware of their lack of defense. While living in Alaska, we adopted a great fluffy kitty named Floyd. He's a lovely cat, but he's declawed. Sometimes he bites...he doesn't just ambush and attack people, but he's been known to give them a little nip sometimes. We're not sure if it's a lack of claws thing, or just an over-excitement thing, but either way, we've never even seen him attempt to scratch.
Just ask yourself whether declawing is worth it. Myself, I would try everything else (double-sided tape, soft-paws, regular claw-clipping) before I even consider declawing. And, I know your mother is living with you and it's not just your stuff, but if this really is a birthday present for you and you yourself are against getting the cat declawed, please please try not to let your mom sway you on this. Many people declaw cats more because they aree fraid of the ppssibilities, rather than having assessed the situation logically first. You can't undo the procedure though, so choose very carefully.
And do tell us how it goes!
LOL. My cat's got her claws and she's always been a biter. Granted they're not serious bites but they're startling sometimes.
Hey! Thanks for all the info found here! Went to look at the kitties today!! :) It's funny cause the one that I found online, were declawed, but they told us that they generally didn't like other cats... so I didn't see them, cause most times if they show agression to or don't like other cats, that might be an issue... but there was one kittie that I really liked, she had her claws, but she was realllly sweet. :) But she sheds.... and I didn't/don't want that to be an issue, since my older cats that I had didn't shed... but it was quite interesting, because the male cats were waay more friendlier and social then the female cats... except for a few female cats and the one I described above..... we're going to look at another shelter tomorrow at more kitties, to make sure that I find one that I really love, otherwise, were going to adopt the one that I orriginally saw today. :) And the litterbox thing shouldn't be an issue: Mom and I looked at a few litter boxes in petco today and we came to the conclution that I'm just gonna have to scoop it... but with the sift and save? or whatever it's called. like you scoop it, and only the crap stays in the scoop and the good litter falls in. The liners look like a good idea, too. And think I might be buying the softpaws for the kitties claws. And Mom bought me some really cute kittie toys for my BDay, too!!! :) I'll let everyone know how my adventure at this next animal shelter goes today and hoping that I come home with a furry friend!! :)
Amber
Good luck to you.
Shedding is annoying, I'll give you that, but it's another one of those things I personally wouldn't say no to a cat for. If you find one today that doesn't shed and has all the good qualities you want, claws or no claws, go for it. Otherwise, have fun. If you need to know anything more, one of us will try and help.
Hey Ya'll! So this shelter that we went to visit today was much better. The animals were better taken care of-- and looked/seemed a lot happier. (the one we went to yesterday was a county shelter) where as this one we went to today is a non-profit and it appearently looked a lot cleaner, as well. with all that said: Found my kittie!! :) I'm bringing her home tomorrow, cause we don't have a litterbox yet, and stuff so I needed to get those things before I go bringing her home. :) My decission was between this cat and another cat, actually... the second cat, was more of an explorer, meaning, she didn't like to be petted much, she'd rather exploor the room then be petted, where as the cat that I'm getting would let me pet her for periods of time. Only thing is, this cat seems to be a jumper, for example, they had this scratching post there that she can jump up on and sit in and then jump down and scratch, hope I've explained this correctly lol. but she is a very sweet kittie! :) Even in the cage, she kept letting me pet her, and before I put the 24 hour hold on her or whatever it's called, I saw her one last time---I've started doing this more and more with certain things to make sure that she was the one I want. :) and she definitely was... She even was meowing to let me know where she was lol... but she likes to play, she likes the moveable mouse toys... and any mouse toy really... the only problem with the other cat that I first described, was she went up towards the window as if she would jump out... and I'd be afraid that if she decided to key the screen, and jump out.... but they both were reallly cute/sweet kitties. :) :D The other thing is they had this moterized toy there that was for donation, and it moved around, and it was just cute watching the kittie play with and figure out what it was. Cats pretty much like to do their own thing anyways, and that's no acception with the one that I'm going to get. They are both short haired and both tabby's. Only thing is, she doesn't like other kitties, which is fine cause we don't have any others lol... and she doesn't like to be picked up, which most cats don't. cause the cats that I had growing up always made a fuss when I tried to pick them up... but anyways, I'd thought I'd post and let everyone know! :) I'm excited beyond words, and I can't wait to bring home my furry friend tomorrow! BTW her name is Sarah! :) and... while in the cage and out she was purring heavily too. :) :D any toy recommendations that you can give me would be greatly appreciated! :) Thanks guys!
Amber
You don't have to go crazy with toys. Ping-Pong balls or even things like old gift-wrap rolls and stuff, things that she can bat, pounce and otherwise chase as they roll, will work. It is my own personal experience that paying a lot of money for cat toys is probably overdoing it.
I'm really really glad to hear about Sarah. Best of luck to you. You may, too, be able to get your cat to eventually tolerate being picked up. Most cats I've ever known at the very least won't attack you if you pick them up, but some of them had to be coaxed into it. Let her get used to you and your mom and whoever else may be there, and the environment in general. Let her come to you, because it sounds like she will when she's ready. Please understand that she very well might go and hide on you for a day or two because she's frightened and overwhelmed. There's nothing wrong with this, it's not personal I promise.
Also good for you for setting up the animal's habitat at home first with the litter box and tihgs, before bringing her home. Then she comes home to an established habitat.
Hey! Thanks for the responces.. lol to the person who posted about getting her too much toys: that's exactly what my Mom said about getting her too much stuff that she won't use... lol... oh okay... I see. maybe she'll be more sensitive to me because I can't see? Cause I had the girl at the shelter take her out... I saw her in her cage first, where I was petting and petting her, and and she'd pur... and then when the girl took her out, she kept headbutting me, which I actually don't mind, at least I'll know she's there lol... and then, when she took her out again to make sure she's the one I wanted to adopt, she started meowing to let me know where she was, which I thought was kinda good since I can't see her lol.... but I'm excited. thanks everyone for your tips and suggestions... also: I keep asking my Mom if we could get a cat carrior.. she tells me no that she'll be fine, but still, I'm a little worried she'll start freaking out... and I don't want that.... what happend the first night that ya'll bought your furry friends home? and how did they react? How long did it take for them to get used to their new envirment? thanks guys, and if ya'll have any tips, please share away! :) I'm hoping over time, she will let me handel her after she gets used to me and my Mom and others who frequently come over. Amber
Having a cat carrier, even a cheap one, is a really excellent idea. You have no idea how well this kitty will travel. Some cats really freak out in cars, though many do not. It's likely that if you don't have a carrier, you'll have to hang onto her fairly tight on the trip home. Also, if your cat ever needs a vet visit, it's best to bring her in a carrier, even if it's a routine checkup but especially if it isn't. I dunno...it's a thirty-dollar purchase that you will use on occasion and shouldn't have reason to replace too often, so I'd go for it.
Thanks for your responce! Yeah that's what I thought, too... since the cat doesn't like to be held much, this should make for an interesting ride home... but yeah I still think we should invest in getting a carrior.. cause at least she'll have a little space to go around in... and I am still not sure as to where I'm gonna keep her cause upstairs has carpet, but I don't wanna keep her downstairs by herself. The other place we went to first said to keep them in a small confined space like the bathroom. but my Mom doesn't want the litterbox in the bathroom, she was going to put it near the garrage but I don't want it to scare the kitty if it's near the garrage either... anyways thanks for all your help, I appreciate it! Definitely looking into that carrior for sure! :)
Amber
That's why I tend to prefer kittens. If you get a kitten used to bein picked up early on they'll be more tolerant of it when they get older. And I agree about a cat carrier. I never took Max anywhere without one because he would freak in the car when it started moving.He did that on the way home and I had to hold onto him pretty tight. So then whenit came time for his annual vet visits we made sure to have a carrier for him, wich he'd ride in in the back seat of my mom's car. But that way he cold be safe during the trip. But he would meow like crazy the whole way there and back. Even Joan Jett, my current cat, will get pretty vocal inthe car, though she does have a rather soft, hoarse voice.
Hey! Yeah Sara meowed the whole way home, but when I took her out of the carrior that they provided me with, she started purring, and coming up to me, and letting me pet her, and she let Mom pick her up to take her upstairs where she is now. She is a sweetie and I looooove her!! :) Only thing is, she hasn't yet used the litterbox, Mom has showed her twice where it's at, but she still hasn't gone.. she's ate and drank, though. So I don't know if she's getting used to things or what... but Mom doesn't want her peeing all over things and pooping all over things... and I got the sifter litterbox, where the sifting tray comes out, and I just lift up the tray, and the crap stays in the tray... all these cats are litterbox trained, so I'm thinking it's just taking her a while to get used to things?? She's sitting on my bed, (she jumped up there right when I bought her in here) and then went under the bed. But she came out when I gave her the toy mice she loves... I got her scratching post, too which she has been using quite a bit.. we also got that feolaway or whatever it's called so that cats can be calm in their new envirments... it's working like a charm right now.. cause she definitely is calm, and constently purring... :) she has plenty food and water, too... any tips as to why she won't use the litterbox? She was using non-clumping litter, but Mom wanted to use clumping litter... but when we asked them if that was going to be an issue, they told us that it shouldn't be an issue if you change the litter... so I don't know... I'm calling the vet and making an appointment, since we get a free exam if we use it within the next 5 days or so, part of the adoption fee. so we'll see... anyways, just wanted to update ya'll on Sara and her progress so far!! :) (and I was able to change the spelling of her name, too to S A R A) which was awesome, didn't know you could do that.. but appearently, when your filling out the adoption papers, you can. so anyways, that's the update on Sara. :) Amber
If she hasn't used her litter box even by now, early Monday afternoon, then I'd worry. Otherwise, try not to, since cats sometimes take awhile to become used to an area, and with many, stress means they don't toilet as frequently. If she hasn't gone yet, you might want to have your mom start hunting, because there's a good chance she's done it where she shouldn't have. Hopefully that isn't a problem.
Hey! I spoke too soon. She peed in her box last night! :) I didn't notice it until Mom came to check it this morning, so there was no pee anywhere... Mom quickly changed the litter because she had somewhere to be, but she is going to show me how later. Sara slept with me all last night, and did some non-stop purring through out the night.... :) she is actually sleeping right now because she stayed up waaay late last night, kept going to eat, and scratch on her post and kept looking out the window... lol... I love this kittie to pieces though!! :) She is one of the sweetist kitties that I've ever met! :) :D anyways thanks for the tips about the litter box.. I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow to get her free exam, so if she still hasn't gone poop by tonight, I'm definitely gonna let them know that.
hi, Amber, so happy to hear that things are going so well. Sara sounds like a sweet kitty!
Glad to hear that she used the litter box. Stress tends to make kitties a little hesitant to do things. glad she peed in the litter box, though; if she doesn't poo in it soon it would be something to mention to the vet. Depending on when she last ate, though, it may take her a while to want to. From personal experience, if you don't smell kitty poo somewhere it shouldn't be, you should be fine. She may also not quite like the feel of the litter under her paws. We have one cat that doesn't like to cover up the cat pee, but is very fastidious when it comes to covering up poo, and this cat does NOT like our litter (perhaps the feeling on his paws). We had a few accidents where he would pee behind the litter box, but most of the time he just does it. Perhaps an adjustment thing.. but I am so happy for you!
Kate
Hey! Thanks, Kate! Nope, she still hasn't gone poo in it, she ate again a little while ago.. oh I see okay... so do I just let her get used to the litter, then? Or do I just go back to what she previously used? she's been sleeping most of the day, although I did get her to play with some toys, and stuff, she's just very content laying on my bed. She does keep sneezing though, I've noticed it over the past few hours or so.. but the shelter told me that she had an upper-respitory infection that went to her eyes instead of her lungs, so I'm hoping she's not elergic to something? or she's not getting a cold.. but guess we'll find out tomorrow, because her vet appointment is tomorrow afternoon. She seems happy though because she just purs and purs and purs.... :) she did this really cute thing before, where she put both of her hands on top of mine, and then bought it up to her face, and she started licking me awwww!! :) and the good thing is, like when I came back from eating my lunch, I didn't hear a little bell ringing, so I didn't know where she was, so I called 'Sara' and she meowed, and she was right on my bed. :) I hope she's okay, she doesn't seem as active as yesterday but I guess a huge part of it is Sara and I stayed up til like 3 something in the morning, cause I was concerned about her, cause she's so tiny, I didn't want to accidently squish her since she was sleeping on my bed... but everything was fine and we both, surprisingly slept in late lol!! anyways, just thought I'd update ya'll on Sara's progress so far! Thanks for reading and everyones responces, I appreciate it! :) (PS I had Mom check for pee/poop anywhere on/around/under the bed and room and there was nothing) and I don't smell any either... so... but anyways thanks for your responces. :)
Amber
Amber,
Ask the vet about kennel cough. it is quite common for animals who have been in shelters. Our third cat showed no symptoms of it until we brought him home, and it didn't affect him very much (he was just sneezy for a couple of days but was eating and sleeping and exploring); it hit Dash very hard, though, and the symptoms manifested differently We had to give her antibiotics. So definitely explore that with the vet.
As for the litter, if she's peeing in it, that's a good sign; just keep a watch out, so to speak... and trust me, if she poos somewhere she shouldn't, you'll smell it!
Kate
Sounds like you've got a sweetheart there, if she's bringing your hand up to her face with her paws and then licking you. Don't worry too much if she sleeps a lot...that's actually a really good sign. She's sort of claiming you, and your bed, as a safe place. As long as you don't mind kitty in bed with you, this is an excellent development.
Floyd, my cat from Alaska, also had an upper respiratory issue...or rather, he was in a shelter that had an outbreak but never really got it. We kept him away from my mom's cat for a few days and there was no issue with either of them. Agreed with Kate, however, in that you should mention it to the vet, get him to look at her eyes and such, see if she's producing mucus and things. If the litter is dusty, that might be making her sneeze too. Any number of things, really.
Purring can also be a sign of nervousness of physical distress. In your case there's like a 99.9% chance it means Sara is happy as happy can be, just be aware that if she's somehow distressed but still purring, that can be quite normal. Not trying to confuse the issue, mind you.
Your vet is likely to recommend this if she hasn't pooped in her box by the time you have your exam, but maybe try feeding Sara something wet, like a little tuna or some canned food. That often loosens them right up, sometimes a little too much. Kate's right though; if she goes where she shouldn't, you're going to know about it. She might just be sort of bound up, so don't worry too much.
Tell you one other thing, too. Tiny as Sara might be, she clearly has had human attention before and has probably been stepped on, kicked by mistake, sat on, rolled on or any number of things. Cats are mostly pretty tolerant of that. The worst I've ever seen when I rolled on a cat by mistake (not my whole body, don't worry) was the cat getting up in a huff, kind of huffing, giving me a swat and then jumping down and taking off for awhile. It seems to offend them more than it hurts them. More than likely, if you roll over in bed and your leg or hip or arm or shoulder comes down on Sara, she's going to squirm, grunt, thrash away from you or might, if she's really asleep and it didn't hurt, do little to nothing at all. Your bed has some give to it, and so does both your body and the cat's body. You aren't squishing her any more than someone is squishing you when they kind of flop over and thunk their arm on you. You won't hurt her unduly unless you do a full body-roll fully on top of her at a bad angle or something, and I think unless you're a violent sleeper you'll not be at risk of that. My own personal experience tells me that if you're asleep and poised to roll on the cat, you'll start the roll, feel something that shouldn't be there and kind of startle yourself half-awake, then reposition and fall asleep again without doing any damage. In other words, this longish ramble is trying to say one main thing: try not to worry too much, because it's extremely unlikely you'll hurt your new friend if you happen to sorta squash her in bed. She'll get over it.
Hey! Thanks for all your responces. Feeling much better now lol. She went poop in her box! :) only thing now, is that they told us to keep her in a confined space, like my room or whatever so everythings set up in my room, litter box, etc and they told us that once she begins to feel more acclimated with the area that she might want to exploor more of the house so keep the door open. Well we did that this evening, but Mom wanted to be here, in case she did in fact go down stairs and pee on something or whatever, so we tried to get her to go downstairs, and she went down a few steps, then came back up... Mom picked her up and tried to bring her down, and she wasn't having any of that lol... so she came right back in here, and I kept leaving the door open, and she retreated to hiding under the bed, and still is there right now as we speak. I've tried to get her to come out, and sleep with me like she did last night, but she continues to stay put under the bed. so I'm wondering if the insident was too dramatic for her? I mean they did tell us that she'd take a while to adjust. But my Mom's boyfriend told me that if he were me, that he'd just go physically pick her up, and bring her downstairs, she's a cat... not a human... and I get that, but she just got here, and I don't wanna cause any more trama/stress then she's already had.. but she is still purring under the bed... but when he would come in and say hi, she'd go under the bed, and when I'd come in, I'd get her out, and then he'd come up here and try to play with her, and she wouldn't come out.. the door is shut, and she continues to lay under the bed... I can't get her out, either... I hope I didn't scare her too much, though.. she's ad a hectic couple of days lol.. but I'm just concerned... that's all lol... at least her and I have this system where, when I come back into the room from doing whatever it is, I'll go 'Sara' and she'll meow to let me know where she is.. she's been doing this throughout the day, too which is good for me. :) so yeah... any tips/suggestions I can do I know I have to give it time, but I just feel like forcing her to go downstairs was too much, and now she's even hiding from me cause she's scared... so I don't know. Amber
It might have been a bit much, yes, but don't beat yourself up. She'll come out eventually, and if you treat it like it's not a big deal, she'll pick up on that and you'll have your kitty back in no time.
Your mom's boyfriend has a point, I suppose, but I'd think that should only matter in cases like discipline or whatnot. Unless you need her downstairs for a specific reason, which it seems you don't right now, forcing her to endure being carried down there when it clearly upsets her seems silly. Just let her be, and she'll figure things out. Were I you, however, I'd leave your bedroom door open, that way she doesn't associate your room with being trapped. Give her the option, and hang out downstairs sometimes. Once a little time goes by, maybe stand at the foot of the stairs when your bedroom door is open, and call her, see if she comes down. You may want to entice her down first. If, and only if, all the gentler efforts don't work, then at some point you can pick her up, go out of your room, close the door, bring her downstairs and see what she does. Try and keep her entertained and teach her that the rest of the house is still a nice place.
Completely agreed with Greg... though to be honest for every single cat we've brought home, they've been so curious to check everything out that we didn't have the luxury of keeping them in an enclosed place to get them used to stuff. She will come out when she is ready.
How did the vet visit go?
Kate
Hey thanks Greg and Kate! She came out this morning onto my bed and slept with me for a while. Then Mom came in to check the litter and she made more poops in there and peed in there, too! :) Seems as though the upper respitory infection is back though, or never went away? because Mom said that her eye was looking really mucuisy and it just wasn't looking good. She didn't notice it yesterday because her eye was half-closed... but I think it's back... I went to refill her food, and when I came back, she went back under the bed.. I'm thinking this is because she's not feeling well... this should be an interesting trip to the vet, if she won't come out from under the bed, how will I get her in her carrior? she came out just before, too, and she came up to me, I pet her for a minute, and then she went to eat, and then went right back under the bed. so I don't know... thanks for all your tips, guys! Kate: the vet visit is in the afternoon, so we'll see what they come up with if I can get her out from under there and into the carrior lol. Amber
You'll have to get her out from under there. Just reach under and snag her. It might get you scratched or bitten if she gets aggressive, and you may have to just accept that one. Hopefully it's not too huge an ideal, and I do hope your vet can address her runny eye.
I got a kitten a few years ago, a nine-week-old I mentioned in an earlier post named Ming. He ssent the first day and a half on my bed, he wouldn't get down. He loved to be petted and cuddled but it took him awhile to get used to my apartment. It didn't help that Kara, my other cat at the time, is a grumpy bitch and would growl at him every time he got close. She wanted nothing to do with a playful kitten. Anyway, I've seen the claiming behavior before, but I also know many cats that just got on and explored as soon as they could.
Hey! The vet visit went well. after waiting there for almost an hour with kittie in the carrior... but she does have the upper-respitory infection in her eyes still, which the shelter was giving her suppliments instead of an anti-biotic. So they gave her eye-drops which she has to take every 12 hours... she also got an injection for her sneezing, cause that might be a little cold developing.. the injection should last for about 14 days.... last night, I had somewhere to be, and when I came home, she was purring, and circling around me, and we were just hanging out... I attempted to clean out her litter without Mom's help... which actually wasn't too bad. But I discovered that I need a trashcan opposed to the plastic bags to put it in, cause the bags are just harder. it'd be a lot easier if I had a trashcan, and just scooped the crap into the trash can instead of a bag.. so Mom's getting me a little trash can so that I can do just that.. when I went to leave to dump the litter from the bag, Sara started to meow... and then when I was coming back, I heard her meowing, and when I went to come back in, she wanted to run out... I didn't let her because I was home by myself, and I'd feel better with someone who is sighted super vising, just in case.... so.. then, she was laying in her scratching post, (cause the top of it has a place where she can sit and scratch or lay (what she's been doing lol) and scratch, so last night, she just layed there, and meowed when she wanted me to pet her.. so I did until she fell asleep... and then it turned out, that sometime during the night, she got onto my bed and layed with me until Mom came in to give her the drops. Yesterday, the vet showed Mom how to put them in, and me how to hold her, in a towel or whatever, but today, she was barely awake when Mom put them in, so she was able to... and then I had lunch with a friend for a few hours, and she came out when I came back, and she was purring, and then she again got on top of her scratching post, and I was on my computer, and she meowed for me to pet her... and I did, then she jumped down, and is currently under the bed again lol. Amber
Glad to hear Sara's mostly all right. Her issues should clear up fairly soon.
Quick suggestion for ya. Sometimes, when she meows to be petted, don't pet her. See if she comes over and pesters you. Don't do exactly what she wants every time she so much as twitches. I know it's hard to resist, they can be dead cute when they mew just the right way, and I don't always take this advice. Just...mix it up a little. I'd only ignore the mew once you're settled in and you've been there a bit, and even then don't do it for a long time. My only thought is that you don't want to spoil her and make her think that every time she meows, she will get exactly what she wants...because one day you'd catch on, and bring it to a stop, and she'd get upset.
Hey! Thanks for your suggestion, Greg. Today, she explored the whole house. Mom came home, I wasn't here, I had gone out somewhere, and Sara just walked out and started explore, she even went down stairs... then, when I came home, she came down stairs some more, and she was playing with her banana filled with cat nip which she loves... she was being super sweet with everyone, too... she loves the scratch post, too... she seems to always go there... love how when I call her, she always meows in responce.. thanks for the suggestion, Greg. I appreciate it. I'll have to try it out sometime, lol.. even though its gonna be hard. Amber
awe how cute and i'm glad to hear that you and your kitty is getting along so well, I hope her eyes get better real soon, smiles.
Thanks. :) Yeah me too.. 8 more days for drops. :) YAY! lol.. Amber
I don't understand the business about too many toys.
Granted I am a bird guy, but I used to rotate toys frequently. Of course birds are very destructive to and shit on their toys, but the boredom they experience from not having things switched out is pretty excruciating.
I don't know about cats though. I have just never heard the argument of too many toys. Just a bird guy popping in for a bit though, and may or may not be relevant.
I'm not saying it's an actively bad thing, Leo. It's not. At worst, I'm saying that it may not be wholly necessary, as the majority of cats I've known are content with just a few toys, or a specific type of thing. Pipe cleaners, for instance, used to fascinate one of the cats I had growing up, while Kara had no interest. It's a matter of assessing the individual cat, finding things they like. I do think birds tend to get bored more than cats do, though, and tend to destroy things a bit faster.
Ah that makes sense.
Yup. My last cat absolutely loved the few toys we had for him. Joan Jett not so much, but then she's an older cat and doesn't play as often as she used to. She tends to go through spurts LOL.
Brian, I don't know how old your cat is, mine is two.. so she's out of the kitten phase, thankfully. she definitely likes to explore that's for sure lol! :) I let her explore the house today with my soupervision of course lol... she does listen to me when I call her though.... which is a good thing. :) her eye infection is clearing up really well, too. :)
i'm glad to hear your cats eyes are getting better and I gave my cat lots of toys just so he had a variety to choose from, smiles.
Hey! Oh that's awesome! Well she'll only come out when I'm here with her by myself. Recently, I've had family in from out of town, and she's come out a few times, but ran back upstares. The doors constently open, too... but she'll only come down with me, when she and I are here by ourselves, which hasn't been lately because between the housekeeper and family in from out-of-town... she's had a lot to get used too. I'm going out-of-town tomorrow and I'll be back on Thursday, and a friend is watching the kittie for me... I'm a little nervous.. but I'm sure she'll be fine though.. otherwise, cleaning out the litter isn't bad at all... I've gotten used to it. Only thing is, I need a bigger trash can to put it into, but were going to be buying it relitively soon... Sara is such a sweet kittie!! :) Amber
Joan Jett's actually fifteen. She's been in my family since she was three days old. Her mother either died or abandoned her littermates and someone brought them into the clinic where my sister worked as a veterinary technician. One of them died and the other two were adopted. Her sister turned out to be quite mean though.
Oh wow... what an epic name for a cat- Joan Jett! :) Did you name her that? The humaine society had named my cat Sara, so I kept it, because when I was a kid, I was obsessed with the name, to the point where I'd write Sara and my last name on my papers in 3rd and 4th grades lol.. the teachers would be confused at first, but then they'd let it go lol... (couldn't write Sara until I learned the AR contraction though!) and you betI learned that a r contraction real quick! lol! and I swore that either I'd change it when I was 18--which never happend cause I was too lazy and I realized it wasn't really worth it... or I'd name my first child (whether it was a 4 legged kid lol hahaha or a two legged one I was going to name her Sara) and it was just ironic that my cats name is Sara lol. She's doing realllly well. I got her treats today (some that she seems to reallly like) I got her 3 different kinds just in case) some whisker-lickin ones or whatever there called lol.. and the other brands I can't think of at the moment... she's coming out more and more now... and doesn't go under the bed hardly anymore yay! :) now, tomorrow, I'm going to start clicker training with Sara!! :) Hoping this goes well. :) Amber
Actually my sister was the one who named her. She was originally my sister's cat. Thenwhen my brother movedhe couldn't takehis cat with him and so she ended up takingher. Unfortunately tis was a rather fat and lazy specimen of a cat and Joan Jett liked to tease her, so she went to live with my folks. My folks gave her to me in January of this year after the end of my last relatioship. THe woman was pretty adamant about not letting me have a cat, which is one of the reasons it ended. But oan likes being the only animal and not having to worry about getting chased by dogs every time she so much as moves.
awe a nice name and oh yes they love kitty treats, smiles.
awww that's awesome. an animal companion is always a nice present. :) Yeah, Sara doesn't like other animals, either, so it's kinda good, imo... cause then I don't have to worry about omg is this gonna work out or whatever, we don't have any other animals though, so she doesn't have to worry. :) My Dad's dogs though (they were formally mine, long story) when I went over there the other day, they smelled me, and since I smell like a cat, they high-taled it out of there.. they usually aren't like that, but I think because I smelled like kittie, they were like 'whatever' which okay.. but it was strange to see that, because they aren't usually like that whenever I go over there... so I was a little takenaback by that, so were my parents and younger brother at how they literally smelled me, and walked away. but I love Sara to pieces and wouldn't trade her for anything!! :) she's coming downstairs more and more, it's gotten to the point where she'll now follow me around the house, even into the bathroom, lol and she claws at my legs when she wants her food lol... kittie is getting better by the day, it's always an adventure let me tell ya lol!! I just got back from out-of-town and oh boy!! She was going insaine, following me around, everywhere I went, even if I got up to go to the bathroom lol... and purring constently... but I'm thinking about switching her food, just because I give her all this food at breakfast (at whatever time she decides to get up) which has been reallly early, so it kinda forces me to be an early riser, but then we both fall back to sleep lol... but I put all this food out for her, and she only eats, like a little bit, and then she'll go back for more at different points of the day, but still.. I also put out a lot for her at dinner time, and same thing, she'll eat periodicly, but then go back at whatever time she feels like it and get more food throughout the night. she also doesn't drink much if anything at all.. granted it's been quite humid and hot here, and we have no air conditioner, so fans have been running here 24/7, but still. We got another brand of food when we went to the petstore when we were going to bring her home, and it's been a few weeks, and I wanna see if she likes this food better then the food that she's currently on... cause if she does, then I'll be tossing her dry food that she has.. they both are dry foods, but still.. finally found treats that she likes, too! :) :D anyways, that's my update with Sara. :)
Keep in mind that cats tend to free feed (that is, they don't often eat a lot at one time and like to graze throughout the day) so switching her food may not be necessary. Don't expect her to gorge herself at a mealtime the way dogs do.
Oh okay I see... thanks for the tip, and I'll remember that when I'm feeding her... makes sence....
Hi,
Just a comment on the food issue, my kitten, Baxter, doesn't eat a lot at one time either, especially if it's dry food. He tends to snack throughout the day. We started him on wet food, since he was about 2 months old when we took him in, and, as his teeth grew, we introduced him to dry food as well. Now he likes both. He loves to drink water, too. I've never seen a cat drink so much water voluntarily. I'm glad, though, because we had an incident when it was really hot outside where we were pretty sure he was dehydrated. he was so lethargic for a couple of days that it was starting to scare us. After that, I think he decided he needed to drink more water. he's so cute when he does it. He smacks his lips so loud that you can practically hear it everywhere in the house.
As for toys, now, granted, Baxter is a 4-month-old kitten, but he loves to take almost anything that's not tied down and play with it, lol. he especially loves paper. he's been known to snatch receipts and coupons from the coffee table and play with them. He loves his catnip ball, and he has a couple of other toys we bought him, but basically, it's not hard to amuse him with ordinary items. he loves to play in boxes, too. I recently ordered something from Amazon, and as soon as I unpacked it, he claimed the box as his own, lol.
My parents want to get him declawed, but I'm trying to talk them out of it. He doesn't really claw things too much, but man, can he bite when he wants to. he loves to attack feet. We're trying to teach him not to do it, but it's been really tough. You can be walking around, minding your own business, and he comes pelting up to you and just starts attacking the crap out of your feet. I'm really afraid that if we get him declawed, he'll become even more aggressive with the biting. My parents seem to think that he'll calm down, just because we plan to get him fixed around the same time, but still. I'm concerned.
You're welcome. Try and make sure your girl has water and dry food down at all times (unless she proves to eat too much, in that case you'd have to regulate her food so she doesn't become overweight). Wet food is a great supplement.
Hey! Yeah Sara has gotten into the attacking the feet phase, too... I'll literally go into the kitchen or go down stairs, and she'll go in front of me, and not move, or if she does, it's very slow, to the point, where I have to sit on my butt to go downstairs because I can't get her to move, and I don't wanna step on her. I've already done that accidently... and she did meow.. but I think she was okay... but yeah she really doesn't drink at all... My Mom won't allow me to buy wet food, for 1. she says that dry food is waaaay better for them (which I've been reading all these studies and such that dry food is one of the worsed things you can give your cat) so go with wet food... and B. it smells and they have diaria from it... I've tried to tell her that dry food for cats isn't good, but she says it is, and not to listen to all those reviews and such because wet food isn't good for them, so I'm feeding her dry food... and lots of water...... but she doesn't drink.... also, when she wants something (even when I'm getting something unrelated to her, like a drink, she'll climb up my leg... and sometimes unintentinally scratch me... the other day I had shorts on though, and she must've realized that, as when she went to climb up my leg lol she only used her paws and no claws so I didn't get scratched.... thanks for the tips guys... we've got no more of her regular food, so I'll be feeding her the food we got from the pet store tonight, and we'll see how she likes this. Amber
If she's not drinking water, and is only eating dry food, that could explain why she's not using the litter box as much as she should. If she's eating a primarily dry diet, digestion is going to be slow. My mom and I are taking Baxter to the vet tomorrow for his rabies shot, and I'll double check for you if I remember, but I'm pretty sure that when the vet asked us what and how much we were feeding him last time, she said that getting them to like a balance of wet and dry food is a good thing. That way they don't get in the habit of only eating one specific type of food. So, if a vet didn't tell us that wet food was bad, I highly doubt it is. Just like with people, though, balance is probably key.
The problem with wet food is that it often has a low meat content (cats can really only get nutrition from meat as they are true carnivores) and it's also hard on their teeth if they eat too much of a lower-quality kind, or so I've heard. Dry food is fine as long as it's decent-quality food. I wouldn't worry too much about it, and as Green Turtle and I have both said, try and strive for a balance of the two, especially if she doesn't drink a lot of water.
Meglet and Green Turtle are right. A cat who eats a lot of soft food is going to have bad gums and bad teeth more quickly, because it's soft and such. A cat who eats hard food primarily is probably going to lack certain nutrition and will wear their teeth down more quickly, but can generally do well enough.
Studies are conflicted. There are pros and cons to both wet and dry food. If you get half-decent wet food, it's excellent for them and they really enjoy it. But for every wet food that's low in meat content, there's a dry food that has ash and other bulking agents in it that will do nothing for your cat. Balance is probably ideal, though not strictly necessary.
The cats I've had went mostly with dry, and they were fine. I know of a couple of people who swear by raw meat and really excellent wet food, and I'm sure that helps in some ways, but it's always seemed just a trifle excessive to me. Go with what works, but on this one, your mom isn't spot on, I'm afraid. If twenty reviews discredit what someone says, no matter how vehement they are, and those reviews have scientific basis, then there's at least reasonable doubt.
Anyway, GreenTurtle, I agree with you about Baxter. Getting him declawed will almost certainly make him worse. He will probably grow out of this attacking-feet phase though. If more time goes by and he doesn't, then just start doing something he doesn't like when he's attacking. Scoop him up really quick and startle him when he starts biting the hell out of your feet. Or grab him and hold him still, make him a little annoyed with you. Or tap him on his nose and say "no" fairly sharply. He will probably get the picture...and as I said, time will probably cure him of this even if insistence on your part does not. Please please don't declaw him. Does he have anywhere he can scratch, like a scratching-post? If not, I suggest that. They're inexpensive and might ensure he doesn't destroy anything costly.
Thanks guys! I'll look into getting her some type of wet food, soon then just so she has a ballence of both. She doesn't like being picked up. Already tried doing that, and I got a scratch on my arm lol.. I guess I could try tapping her on the nose and telling her 'no' and see if that helps. I definitely am not getting her declawed though. We tried this new food on her (it's a dry food) but we can get it at the pet health food store-- and she loves this food. She eats way more then she used to with the food that she came here with. We now have her eating in the kitchen instead of my room. She still doesn't drink, although, she was on the rim of the toilet the other day.. I quickly got her off, cause I didn't want her falling in or something lol! She seems not to be quite afraid of water as I had orriginally thought. She's gotten to the point, where she follows me everywhere, even into the bathroom when I take a shower.. once I turn on the water though, she'll come back out into the hallway and when I come out, she'll come back in, and rub up against my legs, even though I am still wet... she just shakes the water off lol... it kinda surprised me, because my other cats would go no where near water... and today, I accidently spilt her water dish, (not a lot, but like a puttle) lol and I discovered that she was licking it up off the floor. which was quite interesting. anyways, thanks for all your tips, and I'll definitely keep all of ya'll updated on Sara's progress. :)
interesting views on the cat food and yeah my cat use to do that follow me every where and some times if he got under my feet i'd accidently stand on him and felt bad about doing it but he got use to the fact I couldn't see very well which I thought was quite neat.
Curious about the dish you have kitty's water in-since she was licking the water off of the floor after the spill, I'm wondering if maybe the dish is too high or somehow uncomfortable for her to drink from? She also might be licking water from the tub/shower/sink after you are gone or even the toilet if you leave the lid up.
Very possible. My parents' cat (who is outdoor but comes inside a lot) has a special water dish, and the only time I ever caught her drinking from the sink or toilet was if her dish was empty or if the water hadn't been changed in awhile. Didn't happen very often, thankfully, but if your cat is thirsty enough to lick the water off the floor, it might be worth changing her dish.
Don't put the dish in a position that makes her crane her neck. Does she have a snub nose, a squashy-looking face? If her face is flattish, she may just have trouble drinking. Or, some cats just like puddles. Your kitty isn't terrified of water, that much is clear...so yeah, if the dish is a fairly average shape, make and model, it'll probably be fine.
Do yourself a favour and put the toilet lid down if you absolutely don't want Sara drinking out of there. She's not likely to fall all the way in unless your toilet's deep and sort of narrow (rather than being broader and more shallow, I mean), but I can totally see why you wouldn't want her drinking toilet water. Putting the lid down, and making sure it stays down, will soon get her away from there.
Thanks guys! The water dish is round, and glass, with little mice on it lol.. but I always spill it, because it's one of those dishes with not a very good lip, and when carrying it, it just, spills. I've actually looked into getting her another water dish, one that I couldn't spill, she eats out of the same kinda food dish, too... not the same dish, obviously but lol... what kind of dish should I get.. I definitely don't think it's too high for her, although I can't see when she drinks, so I don't know... hmmm... but today, I filled it up from the sink, and I held it out and she was drinking from that. She's going on the counters more and more.... and I'm having to get her off... lol.. she also has recently done this where I'll be on the couch watching TV and she'll come up, look for a spot, and sit/lay at my feet. the other night, however, I had the blanket on, and she came up, and I had my legs open and under the blanket, and she came up, and layed inbetween them, and she even scooted up so that she was laying on my leg... she was literally there for about 2 hours... we both fell asleep lol.. but every time I'm on the couch, she'll meow, I'll call her over, she'll get up onto the arm of the couch, and then come down onto the blanket, either at my feet, or inbetween my legs ontop of the blanket... :) she was even like that, when my Mom's boyfriend came over, and she stayed there instead of bulting back upstairs. she's going into my closit more and more now ugh... my closet doors are pretty flimzy another words, she could get inbetween them, because that's how flexible they are... I tried to keep her out, a bunch of times today, and she just meows, and tries to get in there anyways, and when she finds out that she can't, she'll meow, and then eventually give up on it lol... but anyways lol that's my story and I'm sticking to it lol. Amber
Sounds like the bowl is low enough for her to access.
She's starting to relax and unwind in her new home, so she'll probably continute to change and adapt as she's still so new to your home.
She is clearly very attached to you!
Sounds like the bowl is low enough for her to access.
She's starting to relax and unwind in her new home, so she'll probably continute to change and adapt as she's still so new to your home.
She is clearly very attached to you!
drat! double post!
Yeah... sounds like it. :) I love this kittie to pieces... :):D Oh okay good... it was one that we bought at the pet store before we got her.. but she's a very small cat for being 2 years old though... so I don't really think I need to get her another dish, it was just for me, so that I wouldn't continue to spill it. But seeing as how she's not afraid of water (based on what she's been doing) she just literally shakes the water off if she gets wet lol... then sounds like she likes water... although, she was a stray, so I'm not sure if maybe she just had to adapt to water from where she came from... I don't know... but I'm sure that cats can adapt to envirments pretty quickly though.
Cats don't like being forced into or under water, in my experience, but many of them are more than happy to play in it or dip their heads in it a little sometimes. Hell, most cats can swim a little if they have to, and this is more true especially of the large non-domestic cats.
hmmm, interesting... yeah makes sence. Especially if they are living out in the wild for some time though... I don't know how long she was out there, but she hadn't been in the shelter for very long. Were thinking she might fear the outdoors, though because whenever we open the door, she bults upstares instead of outside. She doesn't ever really want to go outside at all... she just window gazes... but my Mom thinks she was demesticated though because instead of scratching me when she doesn't want me to play, she'll take my hand away with just her paws... so she's thinking she maybe was a house cat at one point, and then got some how out, and either never came back, or was never found... she's too polight to have just came from the wild, ya know? But based on her history (which we don't even know where she came from) I don't know.. just a speculation though.