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Cat Naming and Noob Questions

Zombie HeroZombie Hero Registered User regular
edited April 2012 in Help / Advice Forum
Here are pictures of my cat that i picked up from a shelter adoption event at the local petsmart (sorry for poor quality):
imag0073t.jpg
imag0096x.jpg

This is my first cat, and people on here seem to know a lot about them, so there are some things i would like to know,
1) Is pet insurance worth getting?
2) I was planning on feeding him wet food (meaty pet store stuff, not grainy supermarket stuff), but the shelter worker said that wet food would be bad for its teeth. Should i mix dry and wet food?
3) How can i tell if the cat is doing ok solo while i work during the day?
4) Any ideas for names?

I probably have more, but this is all the ones i could think of.

Steam
Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
3ds: 3282-2248-0453
Zombie Hero on

Posts

  • Aoi TsukiAoi Tsuki Registered User regular
    D'aw, fluffers. <3

    1. Nope.

    2. Wet food is actually very good for him, as long as you're using a good-quality brand.

    3. If you come home and your stuff is destroyed, it's a good indication that he might be bored during the day. Consider adopting a buddy for him; it'll also reduce clinginess.

    4. Vimes.

  • TayaTaya Registered User regular
    Wet food is better than dry food. Cats in the wild never ate kibble, after all. I haven't done any research, but I think dry food being good for their teeth is just a myth.

    A cat will be fine during the day when you're not there. Leave a few toys around for him. I recommend getting a second cat though, if you can.

  • Zombie HeroZombie Hero Registered User regular
    How often should i be brushing his teeth? once a day? twice a day? once every other day?

    Steam
    Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
    Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
    3ds: 3282-2248-0453
  • Aoi TsukiAoi Tsuki Registered User regular
    How often should i be brushing his teeth? once a day? twice a day? once every other day?

    For the love of God, don't. Just give him some of those dental-hygiene treats every so often and make sure the vet checks his teeth on your annual visits.

  • EntriechEntriech ? ? ? ? ? Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    You can brush his teeth once a day, if you're able. It can take a bit of work to get to the point where a cat will let you.
    Wet food for sure. Grain free if you can. I personally feed our cat any of the grain free wellness canned food and he does great.
    The cat will be totally fine when you're not there. It will likely look out a window, or sleep. Cats generally sleep or rest about 18 hours a day. Just make sure to lavish attention on him when you get home.
    That cat looks like he's got a pretty lush coat on him. You'll probably want to comb or brush him daily. There are a variety of things you can use for this, I use something like a curry comb, have a look around and pick one you like. This'll help keep him groomed, and help reduce shed hair around your place. He'll probably dig on it too.
    Go with a good, simple clay-based litter. Clean the litter box every day.
    Work with your cat to the point that he's comfortable with you touching his feet. You're going to need to trim his claws at some point. You can either pay a vet to show you how, but honestly it's really simple. They sell little scissors shaped properly to snip claws, and then all you have to do is expose a claw and then not cut into the quick. On cats with white claws, you can see it, it's pink.
    Along those lines, buy your cat a scratching post. Something sturdy, cats don't like to scratch on unstable surfaces. Praise him whenever he uses it to scratch. He'll get the idea.
    Buy toys to play with him. Mine loves little sparkly balls. We'll play fetch sometimes, or he'll bat them around on his own.
    Contrary to what most people recommend, you don't have to get a second cat. We've had ours solo for years and he does just fine. It's added expense and effort, and there's no guarantee any two cats you get will get along. You may just be creating a constant battlefield in your home.

  • NylonathetepNylonathetep Registered User regular
    4) Schrödinger

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  • BethrynBethryn Unhappiness is Mandatory Registered User regular
    Cat teeth and dental issues work the same way as human dental issues. You don't have to stop brushing your teeth just because you're eating chips instead of soup. Wet or dry should not be having any different effect on how safe your cat's teeth are from plaque/tartar.

    ...and of course, as always, Kill Hitler.
  • minirhyderminirhyder BerlinRegistered User regular
    You can chop up some chunks of raw meat into the wet food. He should enjoy them, and if he's chewing it could help clean his teeth.

    Chances are kitty is going to sleep when he's alone because that's what cats do when they're bored.

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Chopping up chunks of raw food is a little overkill. Just get a good brand (Wellness is great) and feed him the recommended daily allowance. You can do a mixture as well. I give my cats some wet in the morning, then leave them some dry (Pure Vita currently) for when I'm at school/work and then some wet at night time.

    For dental treats, look into Greenies. My cats go FUCK NUTS CRAZY for them.

    For scratching posts, I recommend the flat cardboard ones that you sprinkle catnip into. Cheap and effective.

    And really, you don't have to worry about brushing its teeth. Maybe once a week if you really want to.

    Esh on
  • AftyAfty Registered User regular
    I have never heard of brushing a cat's teeth before!

    I have a question about feeding that I think fits well into this thread, My cat is very small at five years old she only weighs a few Kg. The vet says she is healthy and is just a small cat. I wonder if I feed her enough though.

    Our general routine is that put a bowl of dried food down for her in the morning and a "pouch" of wet food in the evening. She never ever empties the dried food and depending on the brand will sometimes empty the wet food. I am worried that she doesn't eat enough, but she knows the food is there, wouldn't she eat it if she was hungry?

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    Afty wrote: »
    I have never heard of brushing a cat's teeth before!

    I have a question about feeding that I think fits well into this thread, My cat is very small at five years old she only weighs a few Kg. The vet says she is healthy and is just a small cat. I wonder if I feed her enough though.

    Our general routine is that put a bowl of dried food down for her in the morning and a "pouch" of wet food in the evening. She never ever empties the dried food and depending on the brand will sometimes empty the wet food. I am worried that she doesn't eat enough, but she knows the food is there, wouldn't she eat it if she was hungry?

    Probably, unless there's some sort of underlying health issue, but if you've had her checked out and the vet says she's healthy and her weight is fine...

  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    Here are pictures of my cat that i picked up from a shelter adoption event at the local petsmart (sorry for poor quality):
    imag0073t.jpg
    imag0096x.jpg

    This is my first cat, and people on here seem to know a lot about them, so there are some things i would like to know,
    1) Is pet insurance worth getting?
    2) I was planning on feeding him wet food (meaty pet store stuff, not grainy supermarket stuff), but the shelter worker said that wet food would be bad for its teeth. Should i mix dry and wet food?
    3) How can i tell if the cat is doing ok solo while i work during the day?
    4) Any ideas for names?

    I probably have more, but this is all the ones i could think of.

    1)
    No.

    2) Wet or dry are going to be arguable depending on who you talk to and what vet you have. Both have pros and cons. Wet food has a good deal of moisture in it, which helps as not all cats like to drink water enough. For older cats this is a big problem, especially as renal failure starts kicking in. However, for a new kitten it's not as big of a deal. The biggest problem with wet food is teeth care. Wet food causes a TON of tooth problems if you are not treating your cats teeth regularly (and by treating, I mean brushing them).

    Dry food is easier, but you will need fresh and health water in large supply if you are doing this. I would strongly (very very strongly) recommend getting purified water from the supermarket for your cat's drinking water. A gallon jug should last you about two weeks and it will very likely prevent certain illnesses that cause your cat to develop crystals in their urine from catching. Be sure to change out the water, and the bowls you use daily. Bacteria can grow in both food and water bowls, and that's not good at all. Consider your cat's bowl like you would your cereal bowl, would you eat out of it? If the answer is no, wash the thing.

    I feed my cats dry food in the morning and dry food with a small amount of wet food in the evening.

    Be sure to get quality cat food. Natural Balance is a decent brand, and is available at most places. There are better brands than that, but do the research. Most stuff like Fancy Feast will cut years off your cat's life by essentially feeding it McDonalds quality food every day. Get the good stuff, it only costs 5-10 bucks more a month and your cat's life is worth it.

    And do look into tooth care. Be it a finger brush to brush the cat's teeth once or twice a week or treats that have tooth care applications, taking care of your cat's teeth will increase their lifespan and quality of life by a good deal.

    3) Having two cats is strongly recommended if you are not home often and are otherwise occupied (one the computer, reading, non-playing with the cat stuff) when you are. Cats like attention as much as dogs, and having a playmate is a great way to keep both cats healthy. Having 2 cats will keep both happy, healthy, and caring (though introducing both earlier and younger is better).

    If that's not possible, just make sure your cat is getting the attention they need. Plenty of litter and things to scratch, claw, and chase. Little nerf balls (they sell them at every pet store) are a fun toy almost every cat loves. I've had huge success with the "Ball in a track" toys, pretty much a circle of plastic with a ball inside the cat can bat around, and a small scratching area in the middle. Brushes are also important, a furminator is a must-have for a cat owner.

    Cats sleep/rest about 15-20 hours a day and run around like a crazy monster for 1-3 (sometimes more for kittens). Active times tend to be morning and evening, so space their meals at those times and give them lots of love before and after work and things should be fine at home.

    Signs things are not ok: Clawed furniture (cat needs something else to claw, buy more cat towers/scratching posts, cardboard claw mats), peeing or pooping about the house (cat needs to be fixed, has not enough or dirty litter), Cat is yowling all day and bother neighbors (is lonely, get another cat or come home on your lunch breaks for love times, alternatively get it a cat-shape stuffed animal, which seems to work for a time when cats want socialization).

    4) Only naming advice I can give is make it something you will stick with. A bad cat has a hundred names, a good one twice as many. Just try to keep the name you start with before all sorts of silly add-ons simple and the same so he knows you are talking to him.

  • RadicalTurnipRadicalTurnip Registered User regular
    My Wife really likes Governor J Ratcliff as a cat name...

    My good friend likes "Velocity", "Voltage", or "Octane" as cat's names, so that when you come home you can say "Hi Voltage" or "Hi Octane" etc.

    I personally like a lot of president's names as cat's names: especially their first name. That cat in your picture, I think, looks like a "Herbert" or a "Franklin". Possibly a full-on "Martin Van Buren".

    Alternately: you could name it something nerdy like: Dumbledore, Hermione, Skywalker, Picard (I really like this one), etc.

    Speaking of which: is your cat a "he" or a "she"?

  • minirhyderminirhyder BerlinRegistered User regular
    Esh wrote: »
    Chopping up chunks of raw food is a little overkill.

    Why is it overkill? I chop up a few chunks and put it into his wet food. He loves them, and they clean his teeth. It's pretty analogous to those greenies snacks, except it's meat and not grains and other junky stuff.
    Nothing against greenies, but raw meat is a great alternative to them.

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited April 2012
    minirhyder wrote: »
    Esh wrote: »
    Chopping up chunks of raw food is a little overkill.

    Why is it overkill? I chop up a few chunks and put it into his wet food. He loves them, and they clean his teeth. It's pretty analogous to those greenies snacks, except it's meat and not grains and other junky stuff.
    Nothing against greenies, but raw meat is a great alternative to them.

    It's just a lot of extra work for a new cat owner. And that's if his cat even likes it. My cats won't touch people food. I'm saying, let's ease him into his first cat.

    Also, as Enc suggested, purified water. I just use the stuff from my Britta jug in the fridge. They also have one of those electric water fountains with a filter in it as well.

    Esh on
  • Zombie HeroZombie Hero Registered User regular
    Thanks for all the advice. Super helpful stuff here. I will pick up a fountain and greenies on my way home from work.

    The jury is still out on getting a cat ally.

    Steam
    Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
    Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
    3ds: 3282-2248-0453
  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Thanks for all the advice. Super helpful stuff here. I will pick up a fountain and greenies on my way home from work.

    The jury is still out on getting a cat ally.

    Make sure to periodically change out the filter in the fountain too and clean it as well. Go for a metal one over plastic too. Same with the food bowl. NO PLASTIC.

    Esh on
  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    Esh wrote: »
    Thanks for all the advice. Super helpful stuff here. I will pick up a fountain and greenies on my way home from work.

    The jury is still out on getting a cat ally.

    Make sure to periodically change out the filter in the fountain too and clean it as well. Go for a metal one over plastic too. Same with the food bowl. NO PLASTIC.

    Plastic can be fine, so long as you get a decent piece and keep it clean. I use a broad human salad bowl for water and a pair of plastic bowls and a pair of stainless steel bowls for feeding. The big downside to plastic is the cleaning, but if you are cleaning every day and replacing once a year, bacteria and chemical concerns shouldn't be a problem.

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Esh wrote: »
    Thanks for all the advice. Super helpful stuff here. I will pick up a fountain and greenies on my way home from work.

    The jury is still out on getting a cat ally.

    Make sure to periodically change out the filter in the fountain too and clean it as well. Go for a metal one over plastic too. Same with the food bowl. NO PLASTIC.

    Plastic can be fine, so long as you get a decent piece and keep it clean. I use a broad human salad bowl for water and a pair of plastic bowls and a pair of stainless steel bowls for feeding. The big downside to plastic is the cleaning, but if you are cleaning every day and replacing once a year, bacteria and chemical concerns shouldn't be a problem.

    Cats can also get these face/lip pimples from rubbing against plastic bowls. Plastic isn't fine. There's no point in using it if you can get a metal bowl for just a tiny bit more.

  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    Esh wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Esh wrote: »
    Thanks for all the advice. Super helpful stuff here. I will pick up a fountain and greenies on my way home from work.

    The jury is still out on getting a cat ally.

    Make sure to periodically change out the filter in the fountain too and clean it as well. Go for a metal one over plastic too. Same with the food bowl. NO PLASTIC.

    Plastic can be fine, so long as you get a decent piece and keep it clean. I use a broad human salad bowl for water and a pair of plastic bowls and a pair of stainless steel bowls for feeding. The big downside to plastic is the cleaning, but if you are cleaning every day and replacing once a year, bacteria and chemical concerns shouldn't be a problem.

    Cats can also get these face/lip pimples from rubbing against plastic bowls. Plastic isn't fine. There's no point in using it if you can get a metal bowl for just a tiny bit more.

    Metal is more resistant to harboring bacteria, yes, but it's not something you need to drop everything for and go get a new bowl. When switching out time comes (again, every 6 months to a year), if you notice a problem or don't clean as often as you might, go metal. Though in all of the cats I or my family have had we have never had this problem occur once. But then, we wash the bowls daily along with the rest of the human dishes.

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Esh wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Esh wrote: »
    Thanks for all the advice. Super helpful stuff here. I will pick up a fountain and greenies on my way home from work.

    The jury is still out on getting a cat ally.

    Make sure to periodically change out the filter in the fountain too and clean it as well. Go for a metal one over plastic too. Same with the food bowl. NO PLASTIC.

    Plastic can be fine, so long as you get a decent piece and keep it clean. I use a broad human salad bowl for water and a pair of plastic bowls and a pair of stainless steel bowls for feeding. The big downside to plastic is the cleaning, but if you are cleaning every day and replacing once a year, bacteria and chemical concerns shouldn't be a problem.

    Cats can also get these face/lip pimples from rubbing against plastic bowls. Plastic isn't fine. There's no point in using it if you can get a metal bowl for just a tiny bit more.

    Metal is more resistant to harboring bacteria, yes, but it's not something you need to drop everything for and go get a new bowl. When switching out time comes (again, every 6 months to a year), if you notice a problem or don't clean as often as you might, go metal. Though in all of the cats I or my family have had we have never had this problem occur once. But then, we wash the bowls daily along with the rest of the human dishes.

    You're completely ignoring the "rubbing against plastic bowls" bit. It doesn't matter how clean or dirty they are. The plastic causes it. I have a pair of really nice metal bowls for my cat and they were about $6 from the pet store. I'll gladly pay that over making my cats suffer.

  • SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGaming Registered User regular
    On bowls, I cannot recommend the drink well fountain enough for water. It trickles a bit and has a filter. The trickling entertains my cat quite a bit and he drinks from it a lot more than a regular bowl. Plus you don't have to refill as often! Even better, you can get a reservoir for it (I have a 70 ounce) which you have to change out even less. All that for less than 50 bucks. it's great. And the bowl is big enough so my cat doesn't rub against the plastic ever, plus he drinks from the stream most of the time anyway.

  • StraygatsbyStraygatsby Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    SniperGuy wrote: »
    On bowls, I cannot recommend the drink well fountain enough for water. It trickles a bit and has a filter. The trickling entertains my cat quite a bit and he drinks from it a lot more than a regular bowl. Plus you don't have to refill as often! Even better, you can get a reservoir for it (I have a 70 ounce) which you have to change out even less. All that for less than 50 bucks. it's great. And the bowl is big enough so my cat doesn't rub against the plastic ever, plus he drinks from the stream most of the time anyway.

    I second (or third, or fourth) the DrinkWell fountain suggestions. Our cats love it, and it's very low maintenance.

    Though you'll enjoy cleaning it the first time. Accumulated cat spit ftw! =P

    Straygatsby on
  • SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGaming Registered User regular
    Actually random question, anyone have a litter box they recommend? I'm using a fairly basic rectangle plastic box at the moment but I know more high tech things exist to help me out with making poop cleaning less maintenance. Suggestions?

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    SniperGuy wrote: »
    Actually random question, anyone have a litter box they recommend? I'm using a fairly basic rectangle plastic box at the moment but I know more high tech things exist to help me out with making poop cleaning less maintenance. Suggestions?

    Unless you want to shell out like $300 for a Litter Robot, do not buy automated cat boxes. Just a get a decent covered one and call it a day. If you DO want to spend that much, Litter Robots are AMAZING.

  • SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGaming Registered User regular
    Esh wrote: »
    SniperGuy wrote: »
    Actually random question, anyone have a litter box they recommend? I'm using a fairly basic rectangle plastic box at the moment but I know more high tech things exist to help me out with making poop cleaning less maintenance. Suggestions?

    Unless you want to shell out like $300 for a Litter Robot, do not buy automated cat boxes. Just a get a decent covered one and call it a day. If you DO want to spend that much, Litter Robots are AMAZING.

    Damn, that does look nice. But I am not buying my cat a nicer toilet than I have. Is there a manual litter robot? It seems like there should be something that doesn't require me using a tiny slotted shovel.

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    SniperGuy wrote: »
    Esh wrote: »
    SniperGuy wrote: »
    Actually random question, anyone have a litter box they recommend? I'm using a fairly basic rectangle plastic box at the moment but I know more high tech things exist to help me out with making poop cleaning less maintenance. Suggestions?

    Unless you want to shell out like $300 for a Litter Robot, do not buy automated cat boxes. Just a get a decent covered one and call it a day. If you DO want to spend that much, Litter Robots are AMAZING.

    Damn, that does look nice. But I am not buying my cat a nicer toilet than I have. Is there a manual litter robot? It seems like there should be something that doesn't require me using a tiny slotted shovel.

    This works ok if you keep on top of it.

  • Natas_XnoybisNatas_Xnoybis Registered User regular
    4) Thongor - the Barbarian Warlord from beyond the Northern Wastelands

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    GIS is evil
  • Zombie HeroZombie Hero Registered User regular
    Alright, so the little orange guy follows me like a shadow. I feel like I'm playing Ninja Gaiden II when i walk around my apartment. I think getting a second cat might be a good idea because im doubting even a couple hours of dedicated cat time a day might not be good enough for sir neediness.

    What is the best way to introduce another cat? since cat 1 has only been here for a few days, safe to just unleash cat 2 and let them work it out?

    Steam
    Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
    Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
    3ds: 3282-2248-0453
  • TayaTaya Registered User regular
    Alright, so the little orange guy follows me like a shadow. I feel like I'm playing Ninja Gaiden II when i walk around my apartment. I think getting a second cat might be a good idea because im doubting even a couple hours of dedicated cat time a day might not be good enough for sir neediness.

    What is the best way to introduce another cat? since cat 1 has only been here for a few days, safe to just unleash cat 2 and let them work it out?

    Make sure they each have a separated safe zone where they can hang out without being near the other cat. For a few days, keep them separated when you're sleeping or at work but let them roam free when you are around to supervise. The cats will certainly growl, hiss, and bat at each other for a few days but they should work it out on their own pretty quickly.

  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    There are dozens of threads if you search on here with details on how to introduce two cats. the long and short is usually to separate them by a door for a few hours off and on to let them smell and get used to each other, and then watch them for any overt signs of violence. With kittens, you should be fine, problems usually occur when you introduce a new cat to one that is an adult or been along a long time.

    Make sure both are fixed/neutered timely or you will likely have spraying bouts.

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