Cat owners...help! (added a pic)

[pooh2001]

We have 2 cats - 4 scathing posts - we feed our cats a good grade of dry cat food - keeps their teeth healthy - also they have greenies for cats, it is like a "toothbrush" when they chew a few of them.

We mix fresh step with tidey cat letter - both clumping, and clean the box every day.

 

[DisneyOma]

We had a nasty flea issue on our 4 cats (now 5!) and got collars that last 8 months and really really work. We bombed we bathed we powdered and sprayed and while not a huge issue they hung around. After the collars after 2 weeks nothing and they somehow tolerate them.

Our cats get prescription metabolic/urinary tact food everyone eats.

We like the light weight litter. Had the litter maid box and it never worked.

Why not use Frontline? Oh wait - the way you worded it I first thought the collars didn't work.

 

[chartle]

Why not use Frontline? Oh wait - the way you worded it I first thought the collars didn't work.

Sorry forgot tried Front Line. We still have some left over.

 

[chartle]

Oh forgot NO CAT TREATS. Still not sure if thats what caused our oldest to throw up tons of blood. I t maybe an Urban legend we no longer have them.

Love to know i other cat owners have heard or had an issue.

 

[LSUmiss]

Have yourself declawed then, right? I would think if it's a personal choice, it's up to the cat to make that decision, BTW.

Despite your attempt to be dramatic, it wouldn’t change my mind. If there was a practical purpose for ppl for some & I lived a long happy life after that I would. I have seen countless cats declawed who had minimal discomfort after surgery who lived long happy lives. Just b/c it sounds terrible doesn’t mean it is. Most of my dogs have tolerated their neuters less easily. Perhaps your experience has been different so you feel strongly about it. However, I suspect there are also many ppl who think it’s so terrible b/c of how it sounds but have never actually seen the procedure or had a cat have it done.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

De-clawing cats is usually a hot topic whenever it's brought up. Just a reminder to please be respectful of each other as you discuss.

 

[mom2rtk]

She's adorable! What a lucky girl.

 

[sonnyjane]

Oh forgot NO CAT TREATS. Still not sure if thats what caused our oldest to throw up tons of blood. I t maybe an Urban legend we no longer have them.

Love to know i other cat owners have heard or had an issue.

I do a lot of training with my cat using treats. He likes dehydrated chicken pieces and Greenies (but likes the chicken WAY more than the Greenies haha). He's had them for years and never an issue. That said, you do have to monitor any pet food. Overseas manufacturers don't have the same standards, and so every now and then, pet foods (including treats) enter the US with contamination problems that have been bad for pets. They often will issue recalls if it's a specific food, but I'd never say that all cat treats are bad - for me they're a very useful tool when doing training.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Oh forgot NO CAT TREATS. Still not sure if thats what caused our oldest to throw up tons of blood. I t maybe an Urban legend we no longer have them.

Love to know i other cat owners have heard or had an issue.

When we were talking with our vet there was nothing mentioned about not doing treats in fact she encouraged them. But what she did say is to monitor how many treats (as it's easy to go overboard) and if you do give treats try the ones that are good for their teeth, etc

I've looked and can't seem to find any link whatsoever with cat treats and vomiting (admittedly the internet is a vast place).

Cats however can be allergic to certain ingredients or food, cats can be gorging themselves thereby making themselves sick, cats can be eating harmful (like certain plants or flowers) things, cats can have a disease, parasite or infection that can cause them to vomit.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Oh forgot NO CAT TREATS. Still not sure if thats what caused our oldest to throw up tons of blood. I t maybe an Urban legend we no longer have them..

I just bought some! They are "dental treats."

 

[mom2rtk]

If you've never watched "My Cat From Hell" give it a try. Jackson Galaxy is sort of a cat whisperer. Fun and interesting show.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

There has been an increase in contamination of pet foods recently. I get the alerts from Dog Food Advisor. I just checked on the FDA site, and it's mostly dog food and treats being reported, but where they make dog treats they often make cat treats, so just be careful. I only buy dog treats Made in the USA. You have to be careful, though, because a lot of packages say, "Manufactured in the USA" and that can mean that the ingredients come from elsewhere (especially meat), and as a pp noted, some other countries have different standards than we do. (Although we do seem to have our share of contaminants ourselves.)

 

[chartle]

I do a lot of training with my cat using treats. He likes dehydrated chicken pieces and Greenies (but likes the chicken WAY more than the Greenies haha). He's had them for years and never an issue. That said, you do have to monitor any pet food. Overseas manufacturers don't have the same standards, and so every now and then, pet foods (including treats) enter the US with contamination problems that have been bad for pets. They often will issue recalls if it's a specific food, but I'd never say that all cat treats are bad - for me they're a very useful tool when doing training.

When we were talking with our vet there was nothing mentioned about not doing treats in fact she encouraged them. But what she did say is to monitor how many treats (as it's easy to go overboard) and if you do give treats try the ones that are good for their teeth, etc

I've looked and can't seem to find any link whatsoever with cat treats and vomiting (admittedly the internet is a vast place).

Cats however can be allergic to certain ingredients or food, cats can be gorging themselves thereby making themselves sick, cats can be eating harmful (like certain plants or flowers) things, cats can have a disease, parasite or infection that can cause them to vomit.

It was specifically Temptations like I said may have been an urban legend. I would love to find an easy treat to try to gain better trust from our new found cat. He's an outside cat we did a trap neuter release a year or so ago but his "father" who we also did the same is longer around so he is alone.

He's came inside when it got cols and has been in our house a month or so. He's fine when I feed him but any other time I think he has PTSD and runs away.

 

[sonnyjane]

I just bought some! They are "dental treats."

I seriously wouldn't worry unless you see any symptoms. I've used them for nearly 2 decades with various cats without issue. The thing is just make sure you don't give too many. They are to be used sparingly - a few a day.

 

[sonnyjane]

It was specifically Temptations like I said may have been an urban legend. I would love to find an easy treat to try to gain better trust from our new found cat. He's an outside cat we did a trap neuter release a year or so ago but his "father" who we also did the same is longer around so he is alone.

He's came inside when it got cols and has been in our house a month or so. He's fine when I feed him but any other time I think he has PTSD and runs away.

Try these. They're a huge hit around these parts: https://www.chewy.com/purebites-chi...VD3F-Ch2aYA6oEAYYByABEgJFGvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[rodeo65]

Four years ago when I took Monster to the vet for his yearly exam, they had another litter of kittens someone had dropped off. Somehow Stitch ended up in the car as well (I'm no longer allowed to go to the vet by myself).

Sorry - no advice on the cat side of things. I'm allergic and have never had one. But - funny, I'm in the same position! I am no longer "allowed out anywhere unsupervised" due to our current dog total of four. I rescued one while walking across the parking lot to the grocery store. There was an adoption event at the pet store next to the grocery and about 30 crates outside with various beagles and hounds.

I had never been interested in a beagle before but I wandered over. The fattest one there was getting no attention at all and I was sad for her. I took her out to walk her around a bit and sat on a bench at the end of our walk waiting for the area around her crate to clear. She somehow launched her 42 lb body up onto the bench beside me, fell over on top of me and that was that. I'd been claimed. DH was not terribly thrilled - she snored unbelievably at first, but a year and a half later we had her down to 23 lbs and she is just the sweetest dog!!

 

[DisneyHardin]

It was specifically Temptations like I said may have been an urban legend. I would love to find an easy treat to try to gain better trust from our new found cat. He's an outside cat we did a trap neuter release a year or so ago but his "father" who we also did the same is longer around so he is alone.

He's came inside when it got cols and has been in our house a month or so. He's fine when I feed him but any other time I think he has PTSD and runs away.

Our cats have eaten thousands of Temptations over the years with no problems. It may be that your cat had an allergy to something in them.

 

[monsterkitty]

Sorry - no advice on the cat side of things. I'm allergic and have never had one. But - funny, I'm in the same position! I am no longer "allowed out anywhere unsupervised" due to our current dog total of four. I rescued one while walking across the parking lot to the grocery store. There was an adoption event at the pet store next to the grocery and about 30 crates outside with various beagles and hounds.

I had never been interested in a beagle before but I wandered over. The fattest one there was getting no attention at all and I was sad for her. I took her out to walk her around a bit and sat on a bench at the end of our walk waiting for the area around her crate to clear. She somehow launched her 42 lb body up onto the bench beside me, fell over on top of me and that was that. I'd been claimed. DH was not terribly thrilled - she snored unbelievably at first, but a year and a half later we had her down to 23 lbs and she is just the sweetest dog!!

Love your story!

 

[VandVsmama]

Best food can vary based on the cat. I'd recommend to ask the vet for his/her opinion and try whatever he/she suggests first.

Cats will usually live longer if they're indoor cats and not allowed to roam around outdoors.

Re: litter boxes - it's all about trial and error...

• Some cats do fine w/self-cleaning litter boxes. Yet for other cats, it freaks them out.
• Some cats love self-cleaning litter boxes so much that they'll hear the sound of it cleaning and then they'll run back to step in it again (but not actually deposit anything). LOL!
• Some cats prefer litter boxes with no hoods/lids on them. Yet others are fine with it.
• We've had success with Feline Pine. Masks the smell a lot better than other kitty litters and our cats do fine with it. We dump the whole thing out once a week and scoop poop out daily.
• Usual advice from cat experts is to have as many litter boxes as you have cats + 1 more litter box. So if you have 1 cat, do 2 litter boxes. We have 2 cats and have just 1 litter box and the kitties are fine with it.
• If you stick to 1 litter box and the cat is going outside the box, that's where you have to do trial and error. Add another litter box. And/or switch to a regular tray litter box that's not self-cleaning and make sure it doesn't have a hood or lid on it. Then once kitty gets used to that, put a hood/lid on it. If the cat starts going outside the box again, then you know that you have to stick with just a tray-type box and not one with a cover on it.

Cleaning the cat:

• You really don't have to give the cat regular baths like you would a dog unless the cat is especially dirty or needs help in that department.
• All cats will shed. When the weather starts to warm up, they will usually shed more than at other times of year. Use a pet or cat brush once in awhile often helps to get some of the excess fur so it doesn't fly around your house quite as much.
• Some cat owners whose kitties have longer fur will get the cat groomed occasionally, especially in the summer months but this is not a necessity.

 

[meghanb133]

Gee, I think a better solution would have been to teach your child not to brutalize the cat.[/QUOTE]

Have yourself declawed then, right? I would think if it's a personal choice, it's up to the cat to make that decision, BTW.



Exactly! No issues with having their nailbeds removed. I challenge the owners who declaw their cats to get their own nails removed.



Gee, I think a better solution would have been to teach your child not to brutalize the cat.

My child didn’t brutalize her. She is a CHILD and our cat prefers not to be held tight.. as a kitten she would immediately scratch. I did what I thought was best for MY family and MY pet.