Cats

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by ashura, Jul 9, 2007.

  1. ashura the Old Right Registered Senior Member

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    I've been thinking a lot about getting a kitten. Two actually. Do any of you have cats and, if so, would you mind sharing your experiences with them?

    ie. How were they during their first day home, how playful/active/lazy are they, do they cause any specific problems around the house, etc.
     
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  3. sandy Banned Banned

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    Kittens are adorable but they have to be trained. You set the rules. If you hug and kiss it a lot, it will be more affectionate. If you ignore it you could end up with a psycho later.

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    Brush it a lot (so it doesn't get hairballs and puke.) Let it know you're the boss. Clip its claws weekly so it gets used to it. Always have plenty of (dry) food and water out for it. Keep its litter box clean so you don't have
    "accidents" and problems. Don't let it out. No collars and no declawing.
    Get a scratch post of some kind and train it to use it.

    Cats are usually very clean. They are wonderful pets.

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    My kitties look like this:

    http://www.shadowlong.com/index.19.jpg
    http://www.mycatwearsclothes.com/images/persian2.jpg
    http://www.pethobbyist.com/articles/Images/PersianKitten.jpg

    p.s. The first day home they are scared. You have to give them a home (like your bedroom or bathroom) with a cat-carrier in it so they have a place like their home. Keep their food, water, and box in there too for the first week.
     
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  5. ashura the Old Right Registered Senior Member

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    Are there no outdoor cats? I think it'd be fun to take them out for a bit, even if they just sit on me or something.

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    Is shedding a big problem?
     
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  7. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Main problem is toilet training and also attention. Don't get a cat unless you are prepared to give it a lot of attention. Two is better as one would get lonely and maybe dislike company later on. They love to play, and you should avoid feeding between meals so they understand their routine. Play with them and encourage their curiosity. Communicate and teach them signs (clap and call name when you want them to come, say no and mean it, scold when they do something wrong but pet them immediately later). Also I find they respond better to names ending in "ee" as in chutney and apache.
     
  8. sandy Banned Banned

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    Outdoor cats are usually not as healthy. They come into contact with all kinds of vermin-- the worst being fleas.

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    Yes you can take it out but I would not. Otherwise it may start sneaking out. I train mine not to go out or to even want to go out. Less hassles.

    Shedding depends on the kind of cat you get. Long-haired shed more. They still need to be groomed/brushed. Teach them to like it. I love long-haired cats--especially Persians. They have adorable/affectionate/laid-back personalities. So do Himalayans. Most cats are great. You just have to train them and love them a lot.

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    Also, take them in the car with you at least once every two weeks so they get used to it and are not scared.
     
  9. ashura the Old Right Registered Senior Member

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    That's strange, I'd heard from someone else that the toilet training is almost instinctive. Like there's something in the litter that brings them to it (a pheromone?). Maybe I've been misinformed.

    Gosh, I haven't even thought of names.

    Well I'm a user of public transportation since I live in the city, so the car is nonexistent as of right now. I was thinking about just like trips to the park every now and then. Or maybe a trip to the beach even, see how they like a totally different environment!
     
  10. sandy Banned Banned

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    Toilet training is easy if you show kitty where the box is, teach it to use it, and keep it clean. My cats have always been great about the box.

    If you take it out, it will be scared. I don't know any cats that are real social as far as being out in public. They're not like dogs. If you take it out, use a cat carrier with a big towel in it. That would be less stressful I think. If you just carry it around I think it would be scared. I'm sure there are exceptions.
     
  11. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    We are talking about CATS not DOGS. Toilett training is pretty much AUTOMATIC (my brother-in-law's cats needed 1 !!! showing of the catlitter)
    and cats can live without attention just fine.

    Dogs on the other hand....
     
  12. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    I've had cats since I was maybe 8, almost 30 years.

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    There are all kinds; I was referring to kittens.
     
  13. ashura the Old Right Registered Senior Member

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    Thanks for all the answers.

    How does it differ with kittens? Do they have a few accidents before they realize they should go to the litter box?
     
  14. sandy Banned Banned

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    Most kittens should be litter trained before you get them. They start real early. I would not get a kitten less than 10 weeks old either. If you take them away from Mom too soon they could have problems later. I know there are exceptions but I think this is best.
     
  15. ashura the Old Right Registered Senior Member

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    Did you neuter your cats?
     
  16. Giambattista sssssssssssssssssssssssss sssss Valued Senior Member

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    Kittens are great fun. And then they grow into cats. Cats are fun, too.

    Neutering is excellent, honey. Kittens may be cute, but don't let the breeding become excessive and rampant. Then you have problems.

    Certain humans should also be neutered.
     
  17. Giambattista sssssssssssssssssssssssss sssss Valued Senior Member

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    We had a cat that used to suck his

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    on a regular basis from a young age. He would also find the almost non-existent nipples on our other MALE cat, and suckle, complete with the kneading motions. Of course, our other cat, being very laid back and friendly, didn't seem to mind at all!
    This went on for about the first year or two. We concluded he had been weaned too early.

    Funny how he found those tiny nipples in all that hair. It was funny to watch. Wish I had pictures.:bawl:
     
  18. EmptyForceOfChi Banned Banned

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    i see sandy said "dont let the cats out" that is the worst thing to do to a cat. your just keeping an animal prisoner if you dont give it freedom. thats why i could never own a pet thats not free to leave when it likes,

    my cats had a cat flap in the back door of the house, they could leave when they please 24/7. i suggest playing with the kittens when they are young alot. show them how to fight with your hand, (you will get scratch marks) you have to simulate the natural fight training it would recieve from its siblings, otherwise it will turn into a wimp when its older,


    there isnt much to do for cats they take care of themselves. teach it to go toilet outside the hosue and they dont leave nasty shit everywhere like dogs do, they burry it in the dirt somewhere and clean up after themselves.

    just watch out for your furniture because cats scratch the hell out of them. like sandy said get them a scratching post. but i taught my cats to use a tree outside as a scratching post.


    most important thing i think is to give them a cat flap so they are free to come and go as they please. you cant dominate a cat like you can with a dog. they are not pack animals so they do not react in the same manner as dogs with the alpha male rule. if a cat doesent want to do something then it wont. you have to be firm with it though and show it you dont bend to its every whim. but it wont ever see you as a leader. only a provider of food and water at the most.


    peace.
     
  19. sandy Banned Banned

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    Yes, but not too early. Not before the male's urine started smelling very strong (around 8 months) and not before the female almost entered her first heat. (I think around 7 months.) Do not neuter your kitty too early. The vet could miss a testicle (they may not have fully dropped) etc...

    I still say keep kitty inside. Then you don't deal with fleas, ticks, infections, accidents,fights, dead mice/frogs etc, disease, or death. Outdoor cats are a nuisance. (To neighbors and society.)

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    I also don't do any shots after the baby shots. I don't believe in it. An indoor kitty doesn't need to be shot full of drugs. My kitties last for 15+ years and they are purebreds.

    Kitties are great pets.

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  20. EmptyForceOfChi Banned Banned

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    wich are all selfish reasons and cruel in my books. you dont let the cat out for your own gains, and you strip the cats of thier right to mate and breed. wich i do not agree with either.

    lol "outdoor cats are a nuisence to society" cats are not meant to be kept indoors. its natural for them to be outside.

    yes kitties are great "pets" but i prefer to not own animals and not enslave them for personal wants,


    peace.
     
  21. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    Wow, we have 3 cats and I never realized it was so difficult.
    Potty training was easy. Here's your box, Now go, they did.
    We have a feeder we keep full of water and food. They eat when they are hungry. They're not dogs who eat everything.
    2 cats we have are strickly house cats, 1 indoor/outdoor. She's outdoor because she has ripped all the window screens out trying to hunt. We no longer have a mole problem. We have now bought her a harness/leash and stake her out when the moles come back.
    Please get more than one cat, they do get lonely. They can be trained like a dog to fetch, come when you call their name or whistle. They just aren't as eager to please as a dog.
    DO NOT DECLAW! Its not cutting off nails, its cutting off the first joint. Imagine your hands with all the first joints gone.
     
  22. EmptyForceOfChi Banned Banned

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    to declaw a cat is horrible and totaly wrong. i still dont agree with forcing a cat to stay indoors or anywhere, and i dont agree with tying it up or a harness either.

    unless the animal is free to do what it wants its slavery and cruel. i think the worst thing you can can to an animal is take away its freedom. especialy birds i hate seeing them in little cages for peoples entertainment and ego.

    i dont "own pets" im friends with animnals who choose to live with me, they are my equals.

    peace.
     
  23. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    and if we had a house in the country, she wouldn't be tied up. But its either that or she gets picked up by animal control. We've already had one hit by a car.

    I try to do as much as humanely possible. They are all rescue cats. They are all fixed. They have their claws.
     

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