Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[langway]

I adopted a kitten recently:

We've named her Piper :3

My god, the adoption process for her was crazy. We've been through various rescue groups for all the animals we've ever had and the process is usually not headache inducing, but my god, these people. So condescending and just downright rude about everything. My mom doesn't use the vet I use for my cat, so the rescue lady made this really crappy accusation that we don't vaccinate our dogs. Lady, you didn't ask for the dogs vet, you asked for my cat's vet. I told you in person that we use different vets, and if you needed the other vets phone number and you said you were only worried about my cat. Don't go around making accusations. I talked to her in person once, and then on the phone about a 4 times in a 2 day span in which she just repeated herself constantly. Yeah, she's not allowed outside, yeah, first ingredient in her food should be meat, yeah, yearly vet visits, I got it. I've had cats, dogs, fucking rabbits even, all my life, we are not stupid people. I know they're just making sure we know what we're doing, but I heard you the first 3 times, do we really have to go through it over and over?

But Piper is such a sweetie. She was feral til about a month ago, so she's still adapting to house cat life, but is doing amazingly. She'll let you hold her and love on her without a problem; I find her purring all of the time. She doesn't mind being passed around human to human. She's loving all of the attention. She still doesn't "get" playing though, if that makes sense. I mean, she'll move her paw to get the toy, but then just kind of slowly put her paw down on it, lol. Doesn't seem interested in the laser pointer either, unfortunately. Aw well. She is so damn pretty tho. 

[Jaded]

@langway, Piper is really beautiful. I've never had a longer haired cat before my current one. I've always thought they were pretty though. I say mine is medium haired. He doesn't care for the laser pointer either and just stares at me and my hand when I try to use it on him. The lady you dealt wish probably does deal with a lot of stupid people even so she doesn't have to treat everyone like that. She probably wasn't even listening when you told her about the separate vets. Luckily you did what needed to be done, got through the process and Piper made it to your home.

Captain is kinda odd about some things too in regards to playing. He doesn't like to play in boxes but does like to lay on top of them to sleep. There was an empty pizza box in the den near the door because I was intending on putting it in the recycle bin outside the door the next morning. Instead I found him sleeping on it. Since it was clean inside because the pizza had been thin crust and not greasy I took the box to my room to see what he'd do. It's sitting by my bedroom door in an empty space and he lays on it all the time to the point that he even naps on it. He also likes the tops of empty dell shipping boxes that they use when returning laptops to them and them returning for warranty repair. So one of those is in front of the bed. He also loves his tunnel that sounds like it's crackling when he's zooming in and out of it.

He also likes this wand toy. I got his from Petco earlier this year on their site when I needed a filler item. Da Bird with feathers doesn't do much for him at all. With his current wand toy I rub the mouse on the end in catnip once or twice a week which makes him crazier about it. The vet said a good playtime at least once a day will help with his crystal issues. He also loves these cheap little mice I usually get from the Walmart Neighborhood Market for $1.97. I ordered a bunch of them from Amazon recently when they had them for $1.32 each and Prime Shipping without being an "add on". I've started to call him my mouse man at times since he loves toys related to mice so much.

The corn silk I've been adding to his wet food the past month and a half to soothe his bladder has helped tons with his crystals too. His appetite is like it was when he first got here last year which also makes me feel guilty about how long he could have felt bad and was masking it. Since I started adding it after his last experience he's started to want to play hard again too.

I'm really a cat lady since I'm able to ramble on about mine so much. Didn't realize how long this post was until I went back to reread it. ?

[JTMacc99]

14 hours ago, riley702 said:

Pom-poms from a craft store are also batted and carried around.

I think those would go over well with Luna. 

My kids have discovered that she will go after a pen or pencil if you toss one on the ground.  She will smack it around for a while. I believe they discovered this because she will jump on the table while they are doing their homework and knock a pencil to the ground for herself. 

[Mindthinkr]

I had friends over and the 4 year old left a small lego piece. Girl cat found it and spent a half hour batting it around. The funny part is that she slips on the hardwood floors and sometimes crashes into walls (lightly). 

News on big boy. Even with my dieting efforts he is still gaining weight. I'm making him an appointment with the vet to check his thyroid. His sister has lost weight on the new regime (she didn't need to lose weight) so I can't fathom why he is still getting bigger. He is on prescription food and I'm making a big effort to get him playing more (laser light chasing, fishing pole thingy with a feather on the end that he hates because it also has a jingle bell and balls to chase) 

[DeLurker]

Sir Robin enjoys a good play session with a ;laser pointer every few weeks.  More frequent than that and he gets bored.

Kook loves a good play session with the laser pointer.  I'll take him in the backyard and shine it on the fence; he'll chase it back and forth for as long as I'll do it.  I've read that it can get too frustrating for a dog since they can never catch it, so don't do that too often. 

[bilgistic]

Little Girl involved in some very aggressive birdwatching...

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, JTMacc99 said:

My kids have discovered that she will go after a pen or pencil if you toss one on the ground.  She will smack it around for a while. I believe they discovered this because she will jump on the table while they are doing their homework and knock a pencil to the ground for herself. 

Bandit (my parents' cat) loves Chapstick and erasers, and will jump up onto whatever surface either items rests on (and he can detect them from 50 paces, it seems), toss his "toy" onto the floor, and go to town.

@langway, congratulations on adopting Piper.  She's adorable, and Piper is on my list of potential cat names (I almost went with it for Riley, but "Riley" just suited her and her circumstances so perfectly it won out).  I've only ever adopted from municipal shelters, but I've heard a lot of stories like yours from people who've gone through a rescue.  (I've also heard a lot of great stories about rescues, to be clear.)   I'm glad things ultimately worked out for you and Piper.

[bilgistic]

My sister lost untold numbers of tubes of chapstick in her old apartment. She was constantly having to buy new chapstick because the cats would make off with it as soon as they found a tube.

[riley702]

@Jaded, where do you get corn silk and how much do you use? Swiffer has had a couple of bladder infections. The previous vet guilted me into an ultrasound that showed "gravel" in her bladder, although the current vet thought it could be cellular debris from inflammation that would be flushed out after the inflammation cleared up.

[Jaded]

5 minutes ago, riley702 said:

@Jaded, where do you get corn silk and how much do you use? Swiffer has had a couple of bladder infections. The previous vet guilted me into an ultrasound that showed "gravel" in her bladder, although the current vet thought it could be cellular debris from inflammation that would be flushed out after the inflammation cleared up.

I sent you a PM.

[Mindthinkr]

I put this in the joke thread but my daughter wanted to get it for me for a holiday prezzie last year. 

[DeLurker]

@langway - Congrats on adopting Piper - she's beautiful!  How old do you guess she is?

I adopted my cat from a rescue, but they were actually very reasonable about the whole thing.  Maybe because they were thinking my boy would be hard to find a home for - he got super stressed when they took him to the adoption sites so was very skittish.  Plus, he has a Hitler mustache - which is what drew my eye to him in the first place.  One of my SIL works with a German Shepherd Rescue in Florida - their requirements and approval process to adopt are pretty extreme.  The intent is to ensure the dog gets a good home so I feel bad being critical, but I personally find their criteria to be over the top and highly subjective. 

[theredhead77]

I found a toy that the cat-cat loves! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRJ7NL0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edited October 11, 2017 by theredhead77

[ABay]

@Mindthinkr, I bought several of those Cat Lady action figures from Archie McPhee a few years ago and gave them to friends for Christmas or birthdays. I also have the Librarian action figure. She's on a shelf in my office next to one of my wrestling action figures (she can't do a sharpshooter but she can drop the People's Elbow).

[langway]

On 10/10/2017 at 2:20 PM, Bastet said:

Bandit (my parents' cat) loves Chapstick and erasers, and will jump up onto whatever surface either items rests on (and he can detect them from 50 paces, it seems), toss his "toy" onto the floor, and go to town.

@langway, congratulations on adopting Piper.  She's adorable, and Piper is on my list of potential cat names (I almost went with it for Riley, but "Riley" just suited her and her circumstances so perfectly it won out).  I've only ever adopted from municipal shelters, but I've heard a lot of stories like yours from people who've gone through a rescue.  (I've also heard a lot of great stories about rescues, to be clear.)   I'm glad things ultimately worked out for you and Piper.

Thanks! Yeah, we've always had very pleasurable experiences with rescues. Every animal (minus the turtle and my other cat-- the turtle was a baby and was out walking around in the snow so we brought him in expecting to release him when it got warmer, but he's content so we kept him, and my other cat was feral and arrived at our doorstep one day, lol) These people though. My god, when I went to their little event at my local pet store, they were hella questioning people. Like this lady who was married to a military guy and they were hitting her with non stop questions like well what if he goes overseas? What if you have to move out of the country? What are you gonna do? Are you just gonna give your pets up? It was like an interrogation and completely insane accusations. I get it -- you want the cats to have forever homes, but it's supposed to be a fun experience for everyone. You've met your goal; someone wants to adopt this cat you've worked with and helped, that should make you happy. Plus, she mentioned something to me like "yeah we let this lady adopt 2 of our kittens and she's keeping them in her finished basement and goes down to visit and spend time with them and we want our cats to have free roam of the house" like yeah, I agree, but just because that lady is doing that doesn't mean every person you meet is going to. Plus, who knows, maybe she spends the majority of her time in the basement, I don't know. Or maybe she lives in the basement and is too embarrassed to say that and the people upstairs don't want the cats up there. No different than an apartment.

11 hours ago, DeLurker said:

@langway - Congrats on adopting Piper - she's beautiful!  How old do you guess she is?

I adopted my cat from a rescue, but they were actually very reasonable about the whole thing.  Maybe because they were thinking my boy would be hard to find a home for - he got super stressed when they took him to the adoption sites so was very skittish.  Plus, he has a Hitler mustache - which is what drew my eye to him in the first place.  One of my SIL works with a German Shepherd Rescue in Florida - their requirements and approval process to adopt are pretty extreme.  The intent is to ensure the dog gets a good home so I feel bad being critical, but I personally find their criteria to be over the top and highly subjective. 

Thank you! We were told 12 weeks, but then her paperwork says 6 months. Probably somewhere in the middle if I had to guess. Piper wasn't even up for adoption. They brought her to get used to the events and she was so badly socialized (she was feral) that she was scratching and biting anyone who tried to do anything with her, and were hella surprised that I wanted her (she didn't act that way with my boyfriend and I, lol. Still hasn't in fact. She'll hiss, but she doesn't go nuts. She scared the fuck out of our 150lbs lab/mastiff when she hissed at him tho lol poor guy, he just wants to be friends! He still can't look in her general direction rofl) I'm all for rescue groups, but I was really rubbed the wrong way when she mentioned that she would keep Piper in a cage and bring her out here and there. I get it -- she's feral and poorly socialized, you're easing her in, but you keep talking about how busy you are with x, y, and z and you have all these other feral foster cats, are you really giving them each the individual attention they deserve to become loving adoptable pets? In just one week, Piper has gone from "oh no a human, I'm gonna pretend I'm paralyzed after I hiss" to actively acknowledging someone is around and is interested in them. I don't know, maybe I'm being judgmental. I know how hard it is to domesticate just one feral, never mind 5 or 6 at a time, but I feel really lucky we've got Piper because our consistent and constant efforts are paying off. She's a wonderful cat. 

[Bastet]

I'm so glad Piper wound up with you!

I think it's perfectly valid to ask a potential adopter who's in the military (or married to someone in the military) what plans they have in place in the event of deployment, especially overseas, given how many people just "well, I'm moving, so while I'm packing up all my junk, I'm dumping my cat," and someone in that situation is more likely than the average person to move, but there's certainly a way to do that without interrogating someone, or coming from an assumption that they're going to be assholes. 

Different scenario, obviously, but it makes me think of when I volunteer to represent in their administrative appeal those who've been improperly denied their general relief benefits - some workers see their job, in reviewing applications, as making sure everyone who qualifies gets the benefits to which they are entitled, and some see it to look for any reason to deny benefits.  Some rescue workers are looking to match the right pet with the right home, and some are looking to disqualify anyone who doesn't meet some one-size-fits-all definition of the perfect home.

I'm stunned by how many rescue groups I've heard about that won't adopt a dog into a house where there isn't anyone home during the day.  Seriously?  That makes sense for a dog with significant separation anxiety; that's a special need that requires special circumstances.  But for the average dog?  And as a bright-line rule, with no consideration of how long the person will be at work/school, where the dog will be confined during that time, if a dog walker will be hired, the dog in question's temperament, etc.?  That's ridiculous; it rules out most households, including some that would be a great home for a dog who needs one.

[AgentRXS]

@langway I work with rescuers closely in my profession. Some are definitely more militant then others.  I've also had to investigate several cat rescuers for alleged neglect. Sometimes the most militant organizations are the ones leaving the cats in the most deplorable conditions in their own homes.  People become attached to their fosters, bite off more than they can chew, and will have 30-40 cats stacked in wire crates. But you can't tell these people that anything. They seriously believe that they are better caretakers than anyone else in the world.

On the other hand, I know some awesome responsible rescues. I understand the "interrogation" to a point.  Most rescues are in desperate need of reliable and safe foster homes. Rescues are also inundated every day with calls from people begging them to help with taking in strays, pets whose owners have passed away, people who've moved and left their animals behind. If rescues are full, and animals are taken the open admission shelter, the animal is at risk of being euthanized. So the rescues will try to do whatever they can to ensure that the animal is not returned to them at some point in the future....because its very likely they won't have an open foster home and its a PITA to re-arrange foster homes to make room. Of course, if they decline to take the animal back, the adopter is very likely to bash them on social media. And then everybody and their mother comes out of the woodwork to bad-mouth the rescue, without even bothering to consider that they don't have enough space/homes for all the world's animals.

As for the smaller yet responsible rescues, a lot of it has to do with personal attachment. A lot of these animals have been through so much and when you foster them, you create a bond. Everyone wants their foster pet to go to the best possible forever home....and when you have been in the animal care business for longer then 5 minutes, everyone gets the side eye from you. Its nothing personal to the adopters.

Your Piper is gorgeous and I'm glad she has a good home. Part of my job duties is to guesstimate an animals age upon intake. If I were to guess, Piper is probably 5-6 months old. :)

Edited October 12, 2017 by AgentRXS

[langway]

40 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I'm so glad Piper wound up with you!

I think it's perfectly valid to ask a potential adopter who's in the military (or married to someone in the military) what plans they have in place in the event of deployment, especially overseas, given how many people just "well, I'm moving, so while I'm packing up all my junk, I'm dumping my cat," and someone in that situation is more likely than the average person to move, but there's certainly a way to do that without interrogating someone, or coming from an assumption that they're going to be assholes. 

Different scenario, obviously, but it makes me think of when I volunteer to represent in their administrative appeal those who've been improperly denied their general relief benefits - some workers see their job, in reviewing applications, as making sure everyone who qualifies gets the benefits to which they are entitled, and some see it to look for any reason to deny benefits.  Some rescue workers are looking to match the right pet with the right home, and some are looking to disqualify anyone who doesn't meet some one-size-fits-all definition of the perfect home.

I'm stunned by how many rescue groups I've heard about that won't adopt a dog into a house where there isn't anyone home during the day.  Seriously?  That makes sense for a dog with significant separation anxiety; that's a special need that requires special circumstances.  But for the average dog?  And as a bright-line rule, with no consideration of how long the person will be at work/school, where the dog will be confined during that time, if a dog walker will be hired, the dog in question's temperament, etc.?  That's ridiculous; it rules out most households, including some that would be a great home for a dog who needs one.

You worded this much better than I could, lol. No problems in asking those questions to military people (we have a Naval base in our area, so at least 40% of the people here are transplants), I just feel like they were way too accusatory, you know what I mean? No tact. There are ways to ask the tougher questions without being shitty.

Yeah, I think some of the groups definitely look at dogs as legitimate children. It's one thing for an owner to refer to them as their child or furbaby or what have you (I'm definitely mommy to my cats) and they do require somewhat similar care, but I'm not about to stop working to become a stay at home parent to a dog, lol. That's like saying every family should have a stay at home parent. Sometimes, it's not feasible. But I assume that's the "picture perfect" family some of these group want. You'd think if the dog was going to a good home with good people that are going to give it the best care they possibly can that they would be thrilled. One less mouth to feed for a day, then you can start fostering a new dog and find a home for that one! You're saving more lives!V I don't know. Like I said, it should be rewarding to all involved for many different reasons. 

[langway]

6 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

@langway I work with rescuers closely in my profession. Some are definitely more militant then others.  I've also had to investigate several cat rescuers for alleged neglect. Sometimes the most militant organizations are the ones leaving the cats in the most deplorable conditions in their own homes.  People become attached to their fosters, bite off more than they can chew, and will have 30-40 cats stacked in wire crates. But you can't tell these people that anything. They seriously believe that they are better caretakers than anyone else in the world.

On the other hand, I know some awesome responsible rescues. I understand the "interrogation" to a point.  Most rescues are in desperate need of reliable and safe foster homes. Rescues are also inundated every day with calls from people begging them to help with taking in strays, pets whose owners have passed away, people who've moved and left their animals behind. If rescues are full, and animals are taken the open admission shelter, the animal is at risk of being euthanized. So the rescues will try to do whatever they can to ensure that the animal is not returned to them at some point in the future....because its very likely they won't have an open foster home and its a PITA to re-arrange foster homes to make room. Of course, if they decline to take the animal back, the adopter is very likely to bash them on social media. And then everybody and their mother comes out of the woodwork to bad-mouth the rescue, without even bothering to consider that they don't have enough space/homes for all the world's animals.

As for the smaller yet responsible rescues, a lot of it has to do with personal attachment. A lot of these animals have been through so much and when you foster them, you create a bond. Everyone wants their foster pet to go to the best possible forever home....and when you have been in the animal care business for longer then 5 minutes, everyone gets the side eye from you. Its nothing personal to the adopters.

Your Piper is gorgeous and I'm glad she has a good home. Part of my job duties is to guesstimate an animals age upon intake. If I were to guess, Piper is probably 5-6 months old. :)

Thank you, this is very insightful! I completely understand that there are just so many animals that need rescuing and there's just not many people to do it. I'm not trying to bash them, though I can see why it would come off that way, mostly just ranting, lol. The experience was just frustrating and very different than what I have encountered in the past from other rescue groups that my family has adopted from. I know they love the kitties and just want stable, loving homes for them. 

Yeah, I'm starting to think she's much older than what I was told originally, lol. They told me 12 weeks 2 weeks ago, and then when I got her paperwork, their vet had her listed at 6 months. Age ain't nothing but a number, this cat has me wrapped around her paw. For no reason, she just came up and head butted me and rubbed her face against mine. I think she likes me, guys :3

[DeLurker]

10 hours ago, langway said:

For no reason, she just came up and head butted me and rubbed her face against mine. I think she likes me, guys :3

Don't cats have scent glands in the cheeks?  So when they want to identify something - an area, a pillow, a person as "theirs" the rub their cheek on it (in this case you). 

I think you are both smitten.

[emma675]

Okay, I need some outside opinions from pet experts.

I met with another rescue dog this past weekend and she's also come to my house for a home visit. She's a sweet, but young (probably just over a year), mutt who was found dumped on the side of the road in the country. The foster is guessing she's part bird dog, part pit, part boxer, part who knows. She's already spayed, vetted and house trained, loves other dogs, is not sure about cats.

Here's my issue(s): the foster has already teared up twice just talking about me potentially adopting her. She's a very sweet lady so this may just be her nature, but I'm starting to wonder if she's more attached to this dog than she wants to admit. This is not her first rodeo, she's been a foster for years and adopted out dozens of dogs. 

My second issue is that although I really, really like this dog I was not immediately all "this is MY dog, she's mine, I have to have her" like I was with my first dog. She's a great dog and I've already thought about how we'll go on walks and travel in the car and other plans, but if someone else were to adopt her today I wouldn't be completely distraught. I would be bummed but happy she found a family. Am I just not ready for another dog yet? Am I painting an overly rosy picture (that maybe isn't reality) of how I knew Olivia was the first dog for me? Am I overthinking this?

[bilgistic]

I only "knew" with Bilgisticat. He literally picked me the day I went to the shelter 16 years and four months ago. I was walking by his cage and he reached out his paw to me. I was smitten. He was my "heart cat" and I doubt I'll ever be as bonded to another cat as I was to him. He was just so special, and taking care of his chronic illnesses taught me the things of which I'm capable.

My first cat in my adult life, Bilgisticat's "sister", was three years older than him. I don't remember if I ever even saw a picture of her before I adopted her but surely I must have. She was the daughter of a coworker's cat. It took about two weeks for her to settle in and I felt like, "What have I gotten myself into?!" I hadn't had a kitten since I was 11 (I was then 22 or 23.) She soon became my sweet baby girl, and we slept spooning every night. I was the big spoon. Heh.

When I met the new girls I just adopted, I didn't necessarily feel like it was "meant to be", but that they were sweet girls who'd been very well cared for, and we would be good for each other. They are and will always be more bonded to each other than me, and I'm OK with that. I love how much they love each other. Their foster mom was teary when she dropped them off because she'd had them for a long time due to them being hard to adopt (black and not kittens).

Fostering is incredibly hard. Once foster "parents" start accepting animals, they are constantly asked to take on more. They are so giving and are easily taken advantage of. They spend a great deal of time, money and energy in caring for animals, some of whom are just dumped back on them because the adopters didn't think caring for a pet would be work. Little Girl was adopted out without Little Mama, and she was miserable without her mom. The adopter brought her back. As a result, the foster mom wanted the girls to be placed together, and here we are.

I'd just have a heart-to-heart with the foster mom if I were you, @emma675. She may be like the foster mom in my situation and just semi-attached due to length of time, but knows finding a good home is best for everyone. Or it may be a "foster fail", and she just needs to keep the doggie. She's not given you any indication one way or another, but you need to know, so just gently broach the subject. I hope it works out. If you are imagining how you'll go on trips together, it sounds like you are ready for this pup. :)

And just because... You can't see me; I'm hiding under the couch!

Edited October 12, 2017 by bilgistic

[theredhead77]

I grew up with cats and had been guilted into adoptions two kittens when I was a younger adult. That was a fail because I was a broke college student, unable to afford my allergy medicine and really miserable. My mom found them a home with her coworker and to this day (15+ years later) I still wonder if I made the right choice. I still remember how terrified they were when I  left them in their new, loud, chaotic home compared to my quiet, peaceful home.

I knew the minute I heard the kitten-cat's tiny mew that I was meant to be his hooman and when I saw the horribly sad shelter photo of the cat-cat and read his awful story of repeated abandonment I knew I had to save him, even if I wasn't meant to be his hooman. It was a bit rough going at first but I couldn't imagine my life without him.

[AgentRXS]

@emma675 When I used to work adoptions at my center, I met people in your exact situation multiple times a day. I would always tell people to take their time and really think it over. If you're not feeling the connection you're looking for, visit other rescues or your county shelter (where new animals are coming in daily).  If after a week or so passes and you still can't get her off your mind (and she's available), I would go for it.  Maybe you'll find a stronger connection with another dog you meet. I wouldn't jump the gun just yet, especially since it seems like she is in a safe and loving foster home already.

I only had 2 years with my soulmate cat. He died  after aspirating blood after a really bad asthma attack and received negligent vet care which I'm still bitter about, 12 years later (why does it seem like the sweetest souls are always inflicted with illness?). Anyway, I couldn't stand coming home and not having a cat to greet me, so two days later , I adopted another kitten. Milo was the exact opposite of my special cat. He wasn't cuddly,entertained himself, and was fine with being left alone during long periods of time and that suited my lifestyle at the time (working-full-time/attending school). I recently re-homed him only because in the last few years he and and Diamond fought incessantly and he started to refuse to use any of the 3 litter boxes I had at the time. I found him a wonderful home with a senior citizen where he could be the only cat and he is very happy and settled.

Diamond was a mother cat that I was fostering with her 5 kittens. Her kittens all passed away of distemper while I was fostering them.  When I returned her to the shelter for her spay surgery, she tried to attack the vet staff, despite showing no behavioral problems at home. I adopted her because I was advised she would not be able to be placed for adoption where I worked. No way was I going to let her be put down. Her way of letting me know she chose me, I guess. Ella was supposed to be a short-term foster for an outside rescue, but both Milo and Diamond bonded with her, and for a couple years, she was  the peacemaker cat between those two. Diamond and Ella are now a bonded set, and are rarely seen apart from each other.

All this to say, we all have different reasons for adopting, and deep down we know when something is right for us. Trust your instincts and take your time is my advice.

Edited October 13, 2017 by AgentRXS

[Jaded]

I chose Captain off a rescue site without ever seeing him in person beforehand. When my family was still visiting from a state over they brought him with them. They volunteer at the rescue he came from so I didn't have to fill out paperwork, interview or anything. I don't think they are super strict like some places. They are a bigger place and do pet store adoptions too. He was a $15 Valentine's Day Event special. ?

I didn't know what kind of cat I wanted or was looking for until I saw Captain near the end of the page of cats. Him being black made me think of my Mom who had recently passed away. I think I may have told this story before. Here I go again though.

My first cat was that color and she had a big part in my choosing Blackie back then. When my Mom and Nana decided to ok me having a cat when I was about 7 my Mom found an ad in the paper or Thrifty Nickel (can't remember which) advertising free kittens. It ended up being two older ladies with a pet carrier full of kittens. We all went in the living room of my Nana's house, sat on the floor and when the carrier door opened cats kittens came running out. I had my sights set on one that I don't remember what it looked like and even though it wasn't very responsive to me I was convinced it was the one. That was until my Mom told me to look at the one she had been holding and petting the whole time. He was a little black kitten who was calm and sweet which she pointed out. Once she handed him to me and I held him I forgot about the other kittens who were there. 

The reasons I chose Captain were because of my Mom, that he looked like he felt as lost and bewildered as I did, that he was black and him having one eye added to his charm. I also kinda thought since he was black and had one eye might make him get looked over more then other cats there. There's a few cats that are still on the site of that rescue shelter who were there when I picked out Captain. One is a black female and another who's a little porker named Garfield. When the family brought Captain they said Garfield had a bit of a gnarly attitude at times and was a bit of a bully when it came to eating. I check out the site to see if he's still there every few months and he is. 

[Mindthinkr]

[bilgistic]

It seems we have fleas. SIGH. The girls' foster mom gave me Revolution (flea/worm treatment/prevention), but I'd not yet used it. I'd noticed that I'd gotten a couple bites over the past few days. DAMMIT.

I got the treatment on Little Girl, but only half of it on Little Mama. She acted like I was doing the most horrible thing in the world to her by squirting flea meds between her shoulder blades. The nerve of me! She's gone off somewhere to sulk.

My late cats only ever had them once, so let's hope once we get this batch killed, I won't have to keep treating the girls.

Fucking fleas.

Edited October 14, 2017 by bilgistic

[Bastet]

My parents had a cat, Bailey, who reacted like that.  Poke his ear with a lancet to test his blood sugar, or stick him with an insulin needle?  No problem.  But pour a small amount of liquid between his shoulder blades?  The horror!  He would hear that plastic snap, and try to run away.  (But at least it did spur my parents to wonder why they were giving a preventative, when there was no indication fleas would invade if they didn't.  So they stopped giving it, and no one has had fleas since.)

Baxter got fleas once, the summer from hell when he was having all kinds of problems that took time to fix, so I gave him and Maddie the treatment for two months.  Thankfully, the little buggers never reappeared.

I saw something on Riley a few days ago, in the white fur at her neck, that I wondered if it was a flea, but when I tried to go digging, she was wiggly because she wanted to cuddle, and I could never find anything (flea or otherwise).  So I've been keeping an eye out for any signs of fleas; fingers crossed!

I remember when I brought Louise home as a kitten (my best friend's neighbor's cat had a litter, she was the runt who no one wanted, and the neighbor's young son was using her as a football, tossing her down the hallway - which the neighbor thought was funny - so I promptly put her in my car and headed home to tell my parents we had a new cat), she had quite the flea infestation, so I spent a lot of time sticking her under the kitchen faucet and then going to town with the flea comb.  I eventually got them all.

So, yes - fucking fleas.

[walnutqueen]

If someone hands you a cat and flea medication, guaranfuckinteed you need to use it, STAT.   By the time you are finding bites on your ankles, it is far too late.  Chances are, you'll need dewormer too.

I'd sooner introduce an AIDS kitty into my household (and have), rather than a de-flead critter.  Those fleafuckers are worse than ants!  ;-)

[CoderLady]

The stuff apparently has a horrible, overpowering stink to cats. I've cracked open vials of Frontline or Advantage in a separate room from where I'd planned to administer it and even though I'd come in with it hidden in the palm of my hand, as soon as I'd get near the victim there would be a lot of deeply offended "Who farted!" squinting and blinking, then running. Some cats don't seem to notice it but the ones that do get really pissed if any actually gets on them. It's a bit scary. Another time "This is for your own good" is just so much hot air.

Edited October 14, 2017 by CoderLady

[bilgistic]

23 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

If someone hands you a cat and flea medication, guaranfuckinteed you need to use it, STAT.   By the time you are finding bites on your ankles, it is far too late.  Chances are, you'll need dewormer too.

I'd sooner introduce an AIDS kitty into my household (and have), rather than a de-flead critter.  Those fleafuckers are worse than ants!  ;-)

The girls were pretty skittish for a while, so I couldn't have administered the stuff immediately anyway. It took them about a week (Wednesday-ish) to get settled to the point where they were eating regularly.

12 minutes ago, CoderLady said:

The stuff apparently has a horrible, overpowering stink to cats. I've cracked open vials of Frontline or Advantage in a separate room from where I'd planned to administer it and even though I'd come in with it hidden it in the palm of my hand, as soon as I'd get near the victim there would be a lot of deeply offended "Who farted!" squinting and blinking, then running. Some cats don't seem to notice it but the ones that do get really pissed if any actually gets on them. It's a bit scary. Another time "This is for your own good" is just so much hot air.

They came out to eat. Little Girl was hiding in solidarity with Little Mama. I managed to get the rest of the treatment on Mama, but probably set back her trust a couple days. :'( And I'm going to have to vacuum, which will undoubtedly be a sign of the end times for them.

[AgentRXS]

Due to my job, I keep my girls on year-round preventative just in case. The Seresto flea collar is the absolute best!  I remember getting so frustrated because I would still see fleas on them despite giving them flea baths in Dawn dish soap, and using Advantage/Revolution/Frontline.  I tried this brand of flea collar because I was hearing amazing reviews, and it works as promised. Within days of using it, the fleas were gone.

In fact, they are overdue for collar replacements and I STILL don't see any fleas. And the collar doesn't seem to cause any skin irritation either.

If anyone is interested, here is the link: https://www.chewy.com/seresto-8-month-flea-tick-collar-/dp/46492#ugc-section

Edited October 15, 2017 by AgentRXS

[bilgistic]

I've apparently been forgiven, since both girls came to the bedroom to let me know it was time for their midnight snack.

[Bastet]

Isn't it great when hunger trumps revenge?  I clipped Riley's claws when the game was over tonight, and she predictably reacted as if she'd had her very toes removed, but then I offered her some of my baked salmon (her favorite) and all was forgiven.

[AgentRXS]

On 10/15/2017 at 0:05 AM, Bastet said:

Isn't it great when hunger trumps revenge?  I clipped Riley's claws when the game was over tonight, and she predictably reacted as if she'd had her very toes removed

LOL Sounds like Diamond yesterday....Ella gets annoyed when I clip her nails but sits through it. Diamond the Drama Queen had to thrash, hiss, and scream as if I were cutting her whole paw off.  But as soon as those damn Temptations treats came out, all was right in her world again LOL

Edited October 17, 2017 by AgentRXS

[raven]

One year a TriPawd, 15 yrs old - Tai is pretty amazing.  She likes riding in the car more than going to the park lately, but as long as we're out, it is all good.

She is def more durable than I am LOL.

[raven]

16 hours ago, bilgistic said:

And I'm going to have to vacuum, which will undoubtedly be a sign of the end times for them.

When we had an issue with the little bastards, I vacuumed twice a day and sprinkled a baking soda/salt mixture on the carpets (before vacuuming).   It dries them out. 

If you have wall to wall, you can't vacuum too much.  They'll lay their eggs and hatch when it gets warm.  They'll do that in floor cracks too and on curtains and furniture.

You'll just have to sincerely apologize with treats :)

Quote

Due to my job, I keep my girls on year-round preventative just in case.

I do this as well since we're in the middle of the woods.  After our previous scare with them, I can't be too careful.

[theredhead77]

I give my cats Revolution monthly too. That reminds me, I need to get some ordered ASAP. I also need to find a vet ASAP. If anyone is in the Smyrna / Vinings area of GA and can recommend one I'd really appreciate it.

[CoderLady]

15 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

Diamond the Drama Queen

I hope that's actually her full name because it so perfectly sums up the essential Cat.

[DeLurker]

Sir Robin is on Revolution.  It's not a big deal to put it on him, but he's pretty chill about most things.  You guys reminded - he is due for his treatment today.

[bosawks]

Taking advantage of the weather and squeezing in one more paddle at the shore.

[theredhead77]

On 10/11/2017 at 6:31 PM, theredhead77 said:

I found a toy that the cat-cat loves! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRJ7NL0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm quoting myself here to say that this thing is still a huge hit. It eats batteries like crazy though so if you do decide to purchase, be sure to get rechargable AA batteries.

[Sandman87]

Mom's cat keeps learning new tricks. If I get up from my computer and leave the room for even a minute, I come back to find this on my chair:

It happens every time, unless I remember to push the seat back under the desk while I'm gone. And then she squints at me and purrs, which I think means that she's laughing at me.

[riley702]

On 10/11/2017 at 6:31 PM, theredhead77 said:

I found a toy that the cat-cat loves! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRJ7NL0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just don't give them this: 

A kitten rescue group on YouTube is warning that it could be a choking hazard. Warning - the video does show 2 incidents; the kittens are fine, but it can be distressing to watch.

[DeLurker]

It is 55*, which is the coolest it has been since spring.  Kokuma can barely contain his energy and desperately needs to go play at the dog park or go out for a trike ride, or both.  Sadly for him, I have yet to reach the necessary level of caffeination to face the world.

[bilgistic]

I installed a window seat for the girls and they are starting to use it, but it's getting a bit chilly at night. My window has basically zero insulation. I was surprised to see Little Mama in the window last night, since as a rule, cats like to be at hot as possible. I guess I should've waited until the spring to install it, but it's too late now. I screwed it on.

If I do the shrink-wrapped plastic covering over the window, I'm betting they'll punch a claw through it, rendering it useless. Oh, well.

Little Girl is currently playing with a Luna bar wrapper. It's the little things.

[DeLurker]

Kook got his outing - a trike ride to the dog park where he played mightily with a German Short Haired Pointer (I think that was what the owner said it was).  The two played the chasey game.  Because the other dog would go take a dip in the kiddie pools and then come charging back to wrestle and chase, Kook came home looking like a fluffy Dalmatian.  And thoroughly tired.  The cooler temps rev up his energy level, so there will need to be another good exercise session after dinner.

Luckily the muddy splotches were dried by the time we got home and they brush out of his coat pretty easy.  I had to thoroughly wet a wash cloth to properly de-dirtify his face.  He's not a fan of that, but it happens with enough frequency that I have specially designated dog washing towels & face clothes.  And slobber rags to bring on our walks. rides, trips to the park, etc...

[raven]

On 10/16/2017 at 1:09 AM, Sandman87 said:

It happens every time, unless I remember to push the seat back under the desk while I'm gone. And then she squints at me and purrs, which I think means that she's laughing at me.

She is happy that you have learned how to get the chair nice and warm for her :)

[JTMacc99]

Luna the black cat has tended to think that hands and feet are play toys that involve light claws and teeth. Not always. Sometimes hands are for being petted. Sometimes they are to be attacked. Human logic has proven to be useless to figuring out when.

Until now... I figured out that in the morning when she greets me as I get out of bed, I can pick her up, set her up on my left arm so that back legs are hanging on either side, hand cradling her chest between front legs. Fingers far enough from teeth that she doesn't see them. She just hangs on my arm like the queen getting escorted around the house.  Today I tried the old, "I'm going to flip you upside down and carry you like a baby. Heh. Not. Happy. 

[CoderLady]

I used to carry my now 20-year-old lady cat around like that. I'd drape her over my arm and we'd make a stately procession through the rooms with her purring up a storm, surveying her queendom from her unique throne. Now it seems to be too uncomfortable for her so I gather her up against my chest and walk her around for whatever few seconds she'll let me. It's not the same but better than nothing.