Help with Stray Cats
August 2, 2009
Over the last couple of weeks a stray cat has been hanging around our house. It is very mangy looking – ears are crusty and full of black “stuff”. It is very well mannered and our family is serious thinking about getting the cat medical attention and keeping it as a pet. The problem is – I do not have hundreds of dollars to take care of this. Is there any type of clinic that would help us out – I’m willing to contribute to part of it, but cannot afford the whole “shebang”. Any information you could give me would be most appreciated.
-Staci West Winfield NY
There are many pet clinics that offer low cost care but I don’t know of any that will share costs for a stray, unless it were a specific breed then there are breed rescuers that would be helpful. A call to your local vet or local animal shelter would be the best solution to finding what’s available around you that offers low cost care. It may take some prying but there are different options available in different areas.
However, if the cat is well mannered like you say, it may not be a stray, it may just be lost. Typically strays will not be friendly. You could again contact your local vet to see if anyone has reported a lost cat. Also check with local shelters and the newspaper to try to find it’s owner.
If you do decide to get the cat medical attention you may find it’s not as costly as you suspect. It all depends on what’s really wrong. Most vets and pet clinics will give you a breakdown before moving forward. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking if what they are suggesting is really necessary, or if there are alternative healing options that may be less expensive. Or will the problem heal on it’s own without care. With cats this can be an option more often then people realize.
Topics: New Kitten | No Comments »
Help with 6 Month old cat peeing
September 23, 2008
Hello, I’m wondering if my young female cat is peeing on my things to mark her territory and how if i can stop it? I live with my Fiance (female) and we have a second Male Cat that is slightly younger than my female, Our male has already been neutered and we are about to bring in our female in the next week or so to have her spayed, My female only pees on my things and not my fiances, not that i’m upset at this but most of the time i don’t realize my female has peed on my things until i’m wearing it and it gets wet, she pee’s on my cloths, i think my sporting equipment and gym bags, is this a terrorial thing? can i get her to stop?
thanks for any advice you can give.
Craig
Unfortunately this is not an easy answer. Is it a territorial thing? Possibly. Is it a multiple cat thing? Possibly. Is it because your female isn’t spayed yet? Possibly.
Having your cat spayed should indeed help stop new future incidents. In fact if you didn’t already have an appointment set up it would be the first thing I would recommend.
The second is to make sure that the litter box is accessible and clean. This sounds simple and silly to point out but cats can be picky about their boxes. Some will share, some will share and then all of a sudden decide not to, some will only use it if it’s in an empty room, some will use it with a lid some not, some only if it’s freshly cleaned, etc. In fact just because it was working before doesn’t mean it still is, especially in a multiple cat family.
You can also add another box. It is usually recommended 1 box per cat. More never hurts.
To treat the items already peed on you can get a pet cleaner like Nature’s Miracle. There are others but this one is by far the best. It will remove the odor. It may take several attempts but it will work.
In the meantime, anything that you are in the process of treating you need to make sure it is out of reach of both of your cats. Although you say it’s your female, repeat problems could come from either as they try to be the last to make their mark. You may also find that it is an ongoing problem for certain items, in which case you’ll have to get rid of those items or keep them out of the cats reach. (Any time we leave a wet towel on the floor it’s guaranteed to be peed on.)
Typically by spaying, using multiple boxes and keeping prior contaminated items out of reach of your cats will stop the problem. However, if none of these things work I would consult a vet. It could be a urinary tract infection or a bladder problem.
Topics: Cat Behavior, New Kitten | Comments Off
I adopted 2 kittens and the male one aggressively suckles on the female
October 29, 2007
I recently adopted 2 kittens, and the male one aggressively suckles on the female - how do I stop this?
It sounds like your kitten wasn’t completely weaned before taking it away from its mother. If your kitten is already eating solid food then it’s nothing to worry about and eventually your kitten will grow out of it. If you can’t wait for that to happen then every time you catch it suckling try redirecting the kittens attention. Take it away from your other kitten and put the male kitten in another room. If you give it food or play with it as your distraction, you’ll be conditioning the kitten to expect those things to happen when it suckles. For your kitten the suckling is more of a comfort thing (like a baby sucking on a pacifier) then it is an attempt to look for food.
Topics: Cat Behavior, New Kitten | No Comments »
How do I keep my cat from sleeping in bed with me
October 21, 2007
How do I keep my cat from sleeping in bed with me? I have a 4 month old kitten that never leaves my side when I am home. She is a very affectionate cat and very good around groups of people. I live in an apartment where I don’t want to leave the litter or food outside of my bedroom as I have a roommate and it’s not his responsibility to have to deal with those things. I want them out of the way for everyone and my room is the best solution…
I’m wondering if anyone has any suggestions for me to keep my cat from going onto my bed, when I am sleeping or otherwise. One reason is that I am losing sleep as she wakes me up almost every night. But the main reason is that she has flared up a breathing problem for me as her dander gets on my bed.
Redirection is the best way. Every time your kitten jumps on the bed take the kitten off the bed and say no. You can even take it into another room. However, don’t give it food or play with it when you do this as you will be conditioning your kitten to expect that to happen when it jumps on the bed.
Keep at it and do it every time. This will be time consuming but will work with time.
Topics: Cat Behavior | No Comments »
When do cats loose thier baby teeth
October 15, 2007
When do cats loose there baby teeth? At what age do kittens lose thier baby teeth and then get there adult teeth?
-Jo Pittsburgh PA
They have all their milk teeth at 8 weeks of age and permanent teeth will appear around 12 to 18 weeks.
Topics: New Kitten | 1 Comment »
How do I keep my cat from sleeping in bed with me
October 14, 2007
How do I keep my cat from sleeping in bed with me? I have a 4 month old kitten that never leaves my side when I am home. She is a very affectionate cat and very good around groups of people. I live in an apartment where I don’t want to leave the litter or food outside of my bedroom as I have a roommate and it’s not his responsibility to have to deal with those things. I want them out of the way for everyone and my room is the best solution…
I’m wondering if anyone has any suggestions for me to keep my cat from going onto my bed, when I am sleeping or otherwise. One reason is that I am losing sleep as she wakes me up almost every night. But the main reason is that she has flared up a breathing problem for me as her dander gets on my bed.
Redirection is the best way. Every time your kitten jumps on the bed take the kitten off the bed and say no. You can even take it into another room. However, don’t give it food or play with it when you do this as you will be conditioning your kitten to expect that to happen when it jumps on the bed.
Keep at it and do it every time. This will be time consuming but will work with time.
Topics: Cat Behavior | No Comments »
Why does my cat like to drown his toy mice in his water bowl
October 13, 2007
Why does my cat like to drown his toy mice in his water bowl? They are the kind of toy mouse that is made of real rabbit fur, I think. he carries it around and plays with it a long time, then finally drowns it. he just started doing it , he used to just play with it.
Denise, Florida
This is pretty typical. Some cats will put just about anything they are playing with in their water bowl. Some will even drop toys in the toilet.
It’s an instinctual thing.
Topics: Cat Behavior | No Comments »
My 9 week old kitten has dirty ears
October 10, 2007
I have a 9 week old kitten who seems to have very dirty ears. When you look inside them it looks like there is dirt in them. Do you know what it could be? Thanks in advance
- Dale Manassas VA
It could be ear mites. If there is any brown/black waxy/gritty material in the ears then this probably ear mites.
You could try cleaning your kittens ears and see if that helps. Simply take a small pad of cotton or cloth and lightly moisten it with olive oil. Insert the oiled cotton/cloth into the outer ear and use a gentle, twisting motion to clean. Don’t try poking inside with your fingers or Q-tips as you could easily damage the kittens ear.
If it continues you may want to consult a vet to get some medication.
Topics: Cat Grooming | Comments Off
How do I cut my cats nails
October 9, 2007
Do you take your cat to a professional to get his or her nails cut or do you try to cut them yourself?
-Elaine Utica NY
You can take your cat to a groomer or vet but if you’re up to it there is no reason not to do it yourself. (of course your cat may think otherwise but it’s always worth a try)
To trim the nails place your cat in your lap or on the floor between your legs. Press on the pad of its paw with your fingers to make the claws come forward. The main part of the claw includes the pinkish-colored area, which contains nerves. Do not cut this part. The white tip (just past the pinkish area) is the dead tissue, which can be cut. Simply take the nail trimmer and cut this white tip off.
Topics: Cat Grooming | No Comments »
How to tell when my cat or kitten has to pee
October 3, 2007
When holding a kitten/cat, how to know if they have to pee? Usually what moves or signs do they show that they have to pee if I’m holding the kitten?
-Bob
If the kitten has already been box trained it will squirm to get away. If your kitten isn’t boxed trained yet you’ll be able to tell because it will crouch with its tail raised. If it does this put it in the box.
Topics: Cat Behavior | No Comments »