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Kitten Thread part 1^n (Kitten goes into a berserker rage)
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You have to re-apply them every month or so. I don't use them anymore on my (now grown) cat, but it really seemed to help curb some of the clawing behavior when he was a little-un.
They really are like latex, so think of the handles of pliers, and thats is about what you see.
Not very expensive and totally worth it IMHO.
Regarding SoftPaws, I've had some experience with them on my cousin's cat. While I wasn't privy to them being applied, the cat seemed perfectly content to have them on, and they did do a very good job in preventing any sort of scratching. We were initially going to pursue that route with our cat, but found that so long as we kept his claws clipped appropriately there were no issues with him inadvertently shredding things. He also took very quickly to the right things to scratch (various pads and posts throughout the house) and what not to scratch (our carpet). So in the end it's just easier (and cheaper) to clip his nails.
You may want to see how inclined the kitten is to claw things/how sharp their clipped claws are before investing in the SoftPaws.
Our kitty to be, assuming the link doesn't break soon
I ended up with a kitten last year. A cute snuggle ball we named Baron (after the fellow in The Cat Returns). We kept him in one bedroom for about two weeks, then only upstairs for a week, then let him explore the whole house. He never freaked out this way, and always seems to enjoy looking into things without bolting.
Also, it turns out little Baron is actually a Maine Coon. The thing is bigger than some of the dogs in the neighborhood now.
I've agonized over getting a second cat to keep him company, but in the end it just wasn't in the cards. We play (a lot) with two primary toys: A plastic ball with a bell inside (looks like a cage) tied to a long length of yarn and a lazer pointer. Hunting toys rock.
Another toy that seems to keep him occupied when I'm not at home is a strange plastic dish device. It looks like a circular baseball base or something similar, with a ball trapped in a hollow-topped rut that allows him to spin the ball around the outside of the plastic thingy. The center has a series of cardboard for scratching/hiding catnip in, and the center has a tall pole with a fishing rod like device. He plays all over it when we are busy, though he tears off the hanging stuffed animals fairly often.
Another thing we do is take him for walks. This was kinda a "Hey, wtf are you doing, sir?" moment for our neighbors, but he loves it. I got a small leash, pretty much an 8 foot line of elastic rope with two key clips, and a very loose cat harness that clasps about his shoulders and chest. We open the door and let him explore wherever he wants to go for about ten minutes. He gets to go outside, but he won't bolt when the front door is opened. As he is, and will always be, an "indoor cat" (we have lots of wild dogs in the area, the outdoor cats have a short (months) lifespan at best), the walks give him the tiger feeling. It also gives him a lot of exercise.
One of the things to not do, however, is try to lead him. I just let him go wherever, and the leash is so I can find him/get to him quickly if a dog or raccoon shows up.
I recommend going to a big lots and getting a cat tower. They carry (on occasion) the same ones you find at pet stored for a tenth of the price. If you have a large enough budget, get a nice one off the internet and shipped to your house. Most cats play/sleep/hang out all the time on these things.
Enjoy!
And i stand by getting it chipped, regardless of not letting it outside. Currently, I can't open my front door without my kitten bolting for the road to explore. I have to unlock the door and bend down to prepare to grab her as I come inside now.
This kitten is 4 months old and looked to be sleeping alone when we saw her.
Oh right, other question - I've seen people advise keeping a kitten in one room for x period of time to prevent it from getting overwhelmed. Would this be a big deal in a one bedroom apartment? It's just bedroom, living room, kitchen - would I be ok leaving the doors open?
Really you're just trying to prevent the cat having a breakdown and cowering under a couch for 5 hours. Start out in one room, and see how they do. If it's all interesting and happy times, introduce another and so on. If the cat looks skittish or scared, reign it back in. With as small as your apartment is, it probably won't be a huge deal. But start in the room with the litterbox.
Depends, I let mine out right away and she took an hour to adjust before roaming like she owned the place. Dinah had little problems adjusting from the shelter to the apartment. She was most likely alone given that the Boston Animal Shelter tends to get more individual strays than litters. On your paperwork it will tell you how long she's been there. If it's like mine she was there and alone in her cage for most of her stay.
Personally I'd reccomend snipping your cat's claws. Even mine is extremely skittish about it, but I find the best result comes from approaching him when he's sleeping, and quickly doing one or two before he can fully wake up and figure out what's going on. If she's too much of handful, spending the 10 bucks or so every month or two may be worth it. You can work towards more comfort with your cat, attempting to teach them to be comfortable when handling their feet and so on, but it's never a sure thing.
I'll agree on the chipping. Doesn't need to be right away though, since you're getting a young kitten. We got our cat chipped at about six months, when we took him to get neutered.
It usually amounts to some combination of "hold him still" and "I've done this like 100000 times.".
i would do the chips when the cat is young is its a big needle and the nerves aren't as developed and it will hurt way less than if the animal is bigger/older
chips are for when indoor cats become outdoor cats accidentally
For doing clipping at home with a reluctant feline, your best bet is to sit on the couch normally and have the cat on your left hand side up against your left thigh (on the couch, facing forward). Put your left arm around the cat, and have the clippers in your right (swap if you're left handed I guess).
Your left hand is going to loop around the cat so your forearm can apply pressure if the cat struggles and pin it against your thigh firmly but gently. With your left hand, take a paw from the underside, and apply pressure to each knuckle to pop out the claw, trim with the right hand and move on. If the cat struggles, very calmly apply gentle pressure with your left forearm to trap them against you and in the upright, facing forward position. Stay calm, do not allow yourself to get worked up at all. Release the pressure if the cat stops wiggling and resume. Only let the cat go when it is still and not struggling. Try for one claw at a time at first, and leave the high "thumb" nails for last (even do them separately) because they are more difficult.
In this position the cat's back claws can't reach you (only the couch), you have hold of one paw and can't be scratched with it, and if the cat moves their other paw they have nothing to hold themselves up. It's quite safe. If your cat gives warning bites, move your left hand under them where it's safe and retain the pressure with your forearm so you are not in biting range. It is best not to release if the cat gets worked up (will make it worse next time) just retain the gentle firm pressure and make sure you don't get worked up in return. Take the time to breathe deeply and remain calm.
My cat's a Maine Coon and Petco handles her just fine.
Same here. My kitty may be huge, but those guys know what they're doing. Its definitely worth keeping my eyebrows.
Don't feel bad about passing it off to the staff. If everyone passed on taking their cats in, they wouldn't have a job!
Leila?
That and we always give him some treats afterward so he may one day think clipping is a fun and tasty activity.
Edit: Obligatory pictures of my kitties! Including a couple new ones of our new kitten Loki, who we've had for 2 weeks now:
At first Toby would just hiss at Loki a lot and avoid him, so we made them chat on AIM with one another:
If you haven't picked a vet yet I'll replug Merwin. They charge cost only and just ask you make a donation of whatever you can afford.
Picked up the kitty last night. I spoke with the woman from the shelter on Tuesday morning, she told me that they were open till 7 on Wednesday and that I could pick her up then. I roll up at like 5 and the place is all locked up. Fortunately somebody who worked there (a dog catcher, or something like that) who wasn't necessarily working there at the moment pulled up and was willing to help me out. I would have been sad to not be able to get our kitty until next week.
As for the kitten herself, she's adjusting extremely well. Alarmingly well, actually. Within 10 minutes of being in the apartment she was sprinting around the place and using me as a jungle gym. Which was good and bad - she seems to be a hunter, pouncing on things like moving feet. And hands. While we're sleeping. All. Night. Long. It was really cute that she spent the entire night in our bed, but hopefully she grows out of crawling over my face every 10 minutes.
Pics!
But I got the best of him (or so I thought). One time I pretended to be asleep, and when he went to swat me I pulled the string I had hidden beneath the covers, causing the pillowcase I had tacked to the ceiling above the bedside table to fall and cover him. He looked most perturbed as I laughed.
Now he just crawls under my blankets/comes at me from the other side.
So cute! Little red/tan coloring mixed in with the gray.
I hope you're not of those girls in the red picture frame,
But hey, I could still shave if it would make me more...aerodynamic...:winky:
Oh, hey I'm making a game! Check it out: Dr. Weirdo!
MessyBeast
I got a cat from a shelter three weeks ago. She had a strange behaviour that I had never seen before in my previous cat. Her tail would vibrate as her back legs did a march/dance. I thought it was because she was still a little nervous but apparently it means that she is overcome with joy at seeing me.
Also, it's really cute, but it kinda hurts (her tongue is rough as shit). Is this behavior I should be discouraging, or will she get bored with it eventually?
She's cleaning you.
How do cats define clean anyway?
your cat probably defines clean as licked by her.
by chance, do you have a beard? because my cat only licks me on top of my head when i am laying down, or on my shins, and both places have hair. maybe being clean-shaven will help.
She's giving you a bath the way she would a cat family member. She probably won't stop unless you discourage her from doing it but she could also outgrow it. Taking a shower won't help.