My cats absolutely love those fat rubber bands that you get with broccoli.
Warning: My cat ate a bunch of rubber bands over the course of months without me knowing. He had to get expensive surgery to get them all out, as they had formed a knot in his stomach.
My cats absolutely love those fat rubber bands that you get with broccoli.
Warning: My cat ate a bunch of rubber bands over the course of months without me knowing. He had to get expensive surgery to get them all out, as they had formed a knot in his stomach.
Big hair scrunchies should be safe. And shower scrunchies. They make great cat toys. In fact, good luck getting your cat to stop stealing them if you keep those around for personal use.
My cats absolutely love those fat rubber bands that you get with broccoli.
Warning: My cat ate a bunch of rubber bands over the course of months without me knowing. He had to get expensive surgery to get them all out, as they had formed a knot in his stomach.
Big hair scrunchies should be safe. And shower scrunchies. They make great cat toys. In fact, good luck getting your cat to stop stealing them if you keep those around for personal use.
I keep all my hair ties in a container on my desk. If the container is empty, we have a bent coat hanger we use to recover them from under the fridge, which is where the cat eventually bats them.
Before following any advice, opinions, or thoughts I may have expressed in the above post, be warned: I found Keven Costners "Waterworld" to be a very entertaining film.
We had cats that didn't take hair ties, twisty-ties, or anything resembling something fun to play with. They stole money. Specifically dollar bills. If you left any kind of paper bill laying around it would be stolen and deposited in their "nest" in my parents closet along with jewelry.
+12
Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
By far the greatest cat toy is Da Bird
It's a feathered toy on a bearing attached to the end of a line. As you pull it through the air, the currents make the feathers spin on their bearings and to a cat it looks just like a bird stuck inside.
Our four cats go absolutely berserk for it, to the point where the youngest of them has figured out how to open the drawer where it's kept, and if I put it away when she's not done playing she'll fish it out herself.
It's a feathered toy on a bearing attached to the end of a line. As you pull it through the air, the currents make the feathers spin on their bearings and to a cat it looks just like a bird stuck inside.
Our four cats go absolutely berserk for it, to the point where the youngest of them has figured out how to open the drawer where it's kept, and if I put it away when she's not done playing she'll fish it out herself.
Oh geez. Yeah you are toying with some powerful forces if you introduce this thing to cats because they will drop everything to murder the shit out of it. We had to distract the cats before putting it away or else they'd wait for someone to open the cupboard and they'd immediately jump up, snatch it, and run like hell.
Wow! Thank you all so much for the replies. A few follow-ups if I may:
1) Shedding. I'd rather not have cat hair everywhere, if possible. I have hardwood floors throughout my house and cat hair is going to get thrown about if a cat sheds a lot. I'd rather have a cat with shorter hair anyway so that should help, right?
2) Litter box location. I'm struggling to think of an acceptable place to put a litter box in my house (I live in a ranch style home) and was hoping I could just put it in the basement, out of the way. Presuming I leave the basement door open so the cat can run down to do its thing, is that something a cat would be ok with? I live in Wisconsin so my basement can get a little on the cold side during the winters, but nothing too extreme.
3) Litter box maintenance. I'm seeing conflicting info on the number of times the litter box needs to be cleaned. Some say a few times a day. Others say once a day, sometimes once every few days. Which is the most accurate statement?
The cleanliness and smell are the two biggest things preventing my wife from being on board with getting a cat. She doesn't want to have to clean up extra hair or deal with a litter box and for some reason she's got it in her mind that me and the kids won't help and she'll be stuck doing it all. I'd also prefer to not have a smelly house. My mom has a cat and while her house doesn't stink, you can definitely tell she's a cat owner. I don't want to become nose-blind to the smell of a cat and not realize my house stinks. I'd honestly prefer that visitors didn't even know I had a cat until it jumped in their lap and requested chin scratches.
Cats are gonna shed. Short haired cats shed short hair. If you brush them regularly it's not as bad.
Basement litterbox should be okay as long as they always have access to it. A secondary maybe in a bathroom where you can turn on a vent fan couldn't hurt, particularly if your basement gets cold. Cats prefer to be warm.
0
Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
The amount of hair varies on the cat, and doesn't always correlate with length. There are plenty of shorthairs who shed like crazy, and plenty of longhairs who don't. Brushing your cat every day will mitigate a lot of the hair problems, but yes, hair will get everywhere and you kind of just have to deal with it (e.g., vacuum more often, or just get used to having a little hair around).
Leaving the litter in the basement shouldn't be an issue so long as they have regular access and it doesn't get so cold that they refuse to go down there. You can also leave an air purifier down there and clean it out when you clean out the litter box, to maybe help with the smell. Speaking of which, I know some people who got air purifiers to help with cat dander and hair, so you might want to get one or more for the general living area(s), too. Seems like overkill, but this sounds like a concern for you so it's one way to help manage the issue.
As to how often you need to clean it, that really depends on your cats, the type/quality of litter you get, and your own preferences. If you have more than one cat, obviously, you will likely need to clean it more often. I recommend daily cleaning if only because it helps manage the smell, reduces the chance that they will step in something and track it, and gives you a regular check-in on your cat's bowel health (similar to how daily brushing helps you inspect your cat's hair and skin). If you make these things part of your daily routine it's not a big deal. Cleaning the litter takes literally 30 seconds, excepting the times you will want to clean the whole thing out (once a week, once a month, whenever it gets to be too much, whatever). Brushing your cat takes 2 minutes, but most cats love being brushed and you will find it just as relaxing as petting them, so that isn't really a "chore" either.
Also, I wanted to reiterate the idea of getting two cats at once from the same litter. It may not sound like a big deal, but having another cat really does help with their socialization and physical/mental health, and getting another cat later is a huge pain in the ass, comparatively speaking.
Edit: I dont have room for an auto-litter system, it might be worth noting. If I did I would probably use one. My advice might not be worth much in that light.
Personally, I suggest getting unscented litter, and putting the box where you will actually clean it (if your bathroom is big enough, that's where it should probably be.)
I hit ours twice a day because thats about his schedule. The unscented litter means if smells like nothing till he goes in it, and nothing after I clean it up and top it off. I have a diaper pail that takes normal trash bags to put his stuff in and take that out once a week. There are other litter locker systems specifically designed for it, but my cats a bit big.
If you put it in the basement, you are more likely to forget about it, but that's just my opinion. I think that the lingering smell of scented litter that you eventually just associate with cat poops is worse than occasionally having a poopy smelling bathroom and cleaning it up. Your bathroom is also pretty equipped to get smells out, more so than your basement (probably). I think it's also harder to get nose blind to the actual smell of soiled litter if it's not coated in a bunch of perfume. I know when hes gone, and I know when I've suitably cleaned the box.
It is a job and it just needs to become someone's routine. I do the litter because the grossness of it doesn't really phase me. boyfriend feeds the cat because I cannot be bothered to get up on the weekend and fed him on time.
Id suggest not giving the job to your kids because you dont want the litter to be half-assed, but that depends on your kids I guess.
Hairs unavoidable though. My dude sheds a fine dust. You can't see it normally, but man is that shit in the vacuum.
I have 3 long haired cats and shedding only seems extreme in the summer. One of my buddies has bathroom issues sometimes so we have to keep "butt scissors" on hand to cut off poo hair which can be pretty disgusting. The other one has issues with matted fur so we have him completely shaved once a year.
So ... Short hair is prob lower maintenance overall.
Switch Animal Crossing Friend Code: SW-5107-9276-1030
Island Name: Felinefine
I think he's talking about maintenance of the cat, as in the poo stuck on the fur. I've had that before, and my longhaired cat gets more hairballs than my shorthair. Still, I don't think it's a huge consideration.
My longhaired cat is probably some kind of Norwegian Forest Cat mix, and it's insane how much he sheds -- more than any two cats I've ever met, including ones with longer fur, like Persians and Maine Coons. I have had good results from a Roomba. Every day it scoops up maybe half a plastic baggie's worth of fur, and that's just downstairs.
It's a feathered toy on a bearing attached to the end of a line. As you pull it through the air, the currents make the feathers spin on their bearings and to a cat it looks just like a bird stuck inside.
Our four cats go absolutely berserk for it, to the point where the youngest of them has figured out how to open the drawer where it's kept, and if I put it away when she's not done playing she'll fish it out herself.
I just got one of these after your post. Will report back after master tires of it.
Yeah we give our long hair guy a hygiene from around his butt to avoid dingles
I recommend the Buddha dome if you have space.helps keep tracking of litter to a minimum and it's big enough for our biggest to use. He is a giant 20 pound long hair ragdoll
0
SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
Another thing many cats love is treats, like Temptations. We have our cats on a schedule, so they get dry food in the morning, wet food in the evening, and treats around 10 PM. We even have a toy for one of them designed around dispensing treats: the Snacky Mouse. I tend to put 6-7 treats in it and put it in front of the cat who is smart enough to use it properly and give treats directly to our other cat, who is quite adorable but also kinda dumb.
i'm not sure i hold with all this claw trimming talk. destructive clawing can normally be dealt with with sprays/ repeatedly chasing them off and giving them a more desirable target.
Claw trimming is, admittedly, for indoor cats. It does not remove their ability to fight at all (the claws still do what claws do), but if you don't trim them they will grow into the cat's pads and then only a vet can help you.
I have never heard of this and it doesn't happen to my cats!
Weird. I have never trimmed the cat's nails and our would probably try to murder me then pee on my bed if I tried...
+7
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
My partner Amy and I got ourselves a cat last year. We got a desexed kitten from the RSPCA who is a lovely one year old now. Disciplining him from chewing on cords/scratching the carpet has been quite simple, I just use a squirter bottle with plain water in it and he gets a splash in the face if just saying "NO" in a stern voice doesn't stop him. It's currently collecting dust because he barely misbehaves at all any more.
As for his claws, we don't bother trimming them because he seems to do a pretty good job of keeping them a reasonable length himself. He is an indoor only cat so that may change, but none of the indoor/outdoor cats my family has ever had have ever needed their claws trimming.
He was already fully litter-trained when we got him from the RSPCA (at 11 weeks old) - he's NEVER made any mess outside his tray. It's a big tray with high sides, and we use an elasticated liner with the unscented crystals we put in it. I scoop poops out and flush them down the toilet as soon as I smell them, and every few days I just lift the liner out and it bundles up the litter within it, and I pop that in the bin. Yeah, cat poo smells, but with a quality diet it really isn't too bad. He does one or two small firm fairly dry poos a day, and they certainly don't make my eyes water or me retch or anything close to that. It's just a bit whiffy, but as soon as the jobbie is flushed, the smell dissipates almost immediately.
I can vouch for toys like Da Bird, I don't have that exact model but something very similar, and he loves to play with it whenever and wherever. He'll also murder the absolute hell out of a sheet of newspaper if I lay it on the floor and wriggle the corner of it.
Cleanup is easy, the RSPCA told us he was a domestic short hair (moggy), turns out nope, not even close. He's definitely a domestic long hair (moggy), his fur is thick and long and also very fine and soft. He gets brushed every couple of days, and bathed whenever his mostly chalk white fur gets even slightly off-colour. He's not a big fan of getting a bath, but using slightly warm water, drying him thoroughly afterwards with a big soft fluffy towel, and giving him lots of cuddles afterwards improves his mood instantly.
As for dingleberries, we ensured that when we first got him, anytime he pooped we would ignore him completely until he had cleaned himself, after which we would give him lots of affection and play with him. It only took about a week or two until he developed the habit of doing his business, covering it, and literally laying down and cleaning himself as soon as he stepped out of the box.
For his diet, he gets a measured amount of Hills Science Diet cat kibble exclusively. He tends to graze over the course of the day, and generally meows for fresh food once about 3/4 of his food is gone. I dunno what he doesn't like about those last few dozen biscuits, but he ends up eating them anyway when we top his bowl up. The food we give him is rather expensive, but it has literally zero filler in it. He's an active male cat somewhere around 6-7 pounds, and he still only eats 1/2 a metric cup measure in total per day, so paying $50 for a 7 kilogram bag is fine when it lasts for almost three months.
He's not particularly fond of drinking water from a bowl but will happily drink from the water running off my hands as I wash them after I clean his tray, so I tried a pet dripper (like for rabbits and stuff) which didn't work out. I managed to get him to drink from a running tap quite easily, so we got him a pet fountain, and that works perfectly and is easy to maintain and keep topped up. It has filters to help keep the water from going all gross, and the reservoir is clear so you can see with a glance how much is in it.
We got him to be Amy's cat, but because I am home much more than she is (she works at a remote mine site 4 days per week, so she's away from Tuesday morning until Friday night), he seems to have become more "attached" to me? He still likes pats and cuddles from Amy of course, and he plays with her more (she also plays with him more), but it would appear that I am the leader of the household from his perspective? Oh well, when we get our front fence built and I get the dog I want, it will probably adore her and totally ignore me!
0
SnicketysnickThe Greatest Hype Man inWesterosRegistered Userregular
Just a quick tip for litter training (and one that works for puppies, substituting litter for outside or whatever). Whenever they've eaten, go plonk them on or near the trays, whenever they've just woken up, whenever they're playing and break off and start wandering around etc plonk 'em. You might need to demo a bit of digging for them to get the idea across, but they should pick it up. As long as you are consistent, this will pretty quickly get them in the habit of where to go and when they need to. It's time consuming, but pays dividends.
Really the key to anything small animal related is that consistency, you can't explain rules changes to them so you have to get it worked out ahead of time and stick to it.
Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
Just a quick note there is an ongoing debate about kitty litter and its environmental impacts, particularly with regards to flushing (in reality there seems to be no good way to get rid of litter, as even using biodegradable, compostable materials may not be allowed in your area). Suffice it to say that if you are going to flush kitty litter down the toilet then you should at least make sure it won't damage your plumbing.
+4
JuliusCaptain of Serenityon my shipRegistered Userregular
2) Litter box location. I'm struggling to think of an acceptable place to put a litter box in my house (I live in a ranch style home) and was hoping I could just put it in the basement, out of the way. Presuming I leave the basement door open so the cat can run down to do its thing, is that something a cat would be ok with? I live in Wisconsin so my basement can get a little on the cold side during the winters, but nothing too extreme.
I don't know how true this is, but in my experience cats prefer to have a litterbox on the floor they spend most of their time and maybe even one on every floor. Most important I think is having it be no so far from them that they're okay with just shitting in a corner.
litterboxes smell, sure, but keep in mind that you already live with 2 kids so nobody is ever going to think your house is the cleanest smelling thing ever. it's just a smell in the area surrounding the box, not some all encompassing dog smell.
+2
Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
edited March 2017
Definitely use litter crystals, and not clay or paper litter.
And yes, one litter box is not enough if you have multiple levels to your house.
Wow! Thank you all so much for the replies. A few follow-ups if I may:
1) Shedding. I'd rather not have cat hair everywhere, if possible. I have hardwood floors throughout my house and cat hair is going to get thrown about if a cat sheds a lot. I'd rather have a cat with shorter hair anyway so that should help, right?
2) Litter box location. I'm struggling to think of an acceptable place to put a litter box in my house (I live in a ranch style home) and was hoping I could just put it in the basement, out of the way. Presuming I leave the basement door open so the cat can run down to do its thing, is that something a cat would be ok with? I live in Wisconsin so my basement can get a little on the cold side during the winters, but nothing too extreme.
3) Litter box maintenance. I'm seeing conflicting info on the number of times the litter box needs to be cleaned. Some say a few times a day. Others say once a day, sometimes once every few days. Which is the most accurate statement?
The cleanliness and smell are the two biggest things preventing my wife from being on board with getting a cat. She doesn't want to have to clean up extra hair or deal with a litter box and for some reason she's got it in her mind that me and the kids won't help and she'll be stuck doing it all. I'd also prefer to not have a smelly house. My mom has a cat and while her house doesn't stink, you can definitely tell she's a cat owner. I don't want to become nose-blind to the smell of a cat and not realize my house stinks. I'd honestly prefer that visitors didn't even know I had a cat until it jumped in their lap and requested chin scratches.
1) No, not really. You're going to have to clean up shed cat hair quite a bit. Roombas I guess can help (anecdotally from my experience with my friends' places, don't depend on them overmuch. They miss a lot), but sweeping the floor, cleaning the furniture and keeping some hair rollers (AKA lint removers) around is a good idea.
2) That should be fine. I have two cats and three stories. We keep our litter box in the basement (with a small gate at the entrance to the litter room so the dog can't get in there). There's never been an issue with this set up with our cats. Your cat will let you know if this isn't going to work, but I wouldn't go into it thinking it won't.
3) It's preference (both your family and your cat's). Some cats will not use a dirty litter box. Some people will not abide the smell of a dirty litter box. Looking at your previous posts about your wife's concerns, I would start with once a day and make that part of your routine. You want the cat, so be ready to do all of the maintenance. Litter box on you is a minimum, and sweeping the floors and such for cat hair is probably a good idea to make "your thing" (if it's not already) to sweeten the deal a little for your SO. I say this as a person who had to be convinced many years ago sitting on your wife's side of the argument. I fell in love with my cats so I don't mind helping with the maintenance now.
A few other things-
Clip their claws if you have expensive furniture. it's easy enough to make them roll up into a towel or cover burrito and pull their paws out for a quick clip. Make sure you don't get too aggressive and clip down to their toes. It's an overall easier operation with cats than with dogs in my opinion.
Cords aren't an issue. They love string. Cords aren't the same. Sometimes my youngest cat (who is less than a year old) will swat at them, but I don't make a game of it so he pretty much ignores them. Older cat couldn't care less and never did.
Don't train them to jump on counters by leaving food out. This was my mistake with my youngest cat and I regret it. Also, get a bread box. Trust me.
Don't forget to have fun with them! We get shipping boxes regularly and those are great toys. I'll cut them up in various shapes and cut out holes in them, and use another strip of cardboard to poke through. The cats will play Whack-a-Mole with that and they love it. Making cat furniture is also pretty fun and it's a lot cheaper than buying premade things. Also, you can buy cheaper carpet at Home Depot than from an actual carpet store... I had a bad experience trying to do that. I think they were insulted or something.
[edit] Oh, and cats are prone to having urinary tract issues. I feed them wet food every evening when I get home and I add warm water to it, basically so I know they are at least drinking water every day. That was a hard learned lesson from our previous cat, so yeah, I really recommend doing something like that. Cat water fountains are hit and miss. Some cats like them, some won't go near them.
i'm not sure i hold with all this claw trimming talk. destructive clawing can normally be dealt with with sprays/ repeatedly chasing them off and giving them a more desirable target.
Claw trimming is, admittedly, for indoor cats. It does not remove their ability to fight at all (the claws still do what claws do), but if you don't trim them they will grow into the cat's pads and then only a vet can help you.
I have never heard of this and it doesn't happen to my cats!
Weird. I have never trimmed the cat's nails and our would probably try to murder me then pee on my bed if I tried...
Really can depend on the breed and habits of the cat. I have a Maine Coon that is polydactyl. He has an extra toe on each foot, that toe however grows at an angle that makes the claw grow almost directly into his pad. He's kind of a damaged goods cat. I had to get around 1200$ in surgery right after I adopted his one eyed ass. Pulled teeth, fixed retained testicles that were wrapped around his kidney, had those extra digits declawed.
Cat claws shed in layers like an onion. So they're always trying to peel off the outer layer to reveal the brand new fishhooks underneath. Lots of cats will actually get stuck on things like drapes or shag carpet. Mine got stuck on a screen door once. So trimming them is a pretty good idea if you can get them used to having their feet touched as kittens it makes things way easier. I actually go one step further and put soft clawz caps on my cats front digit claws after a trim. It lets them roughhouse without risking someone losing their temper.
I had a post with a bunch of links I'll look up later that had good stuff from a lot of cat people in h/a.
Just a quick note there is an ongoing debate about kitty litter and its environmental impacts, particularly with regards to flushing (in reality there seems to be no good way to get rid of litter, as even using biodegradable, compostable materials may not be allowed in your area). Suffice it to say that if you are going to flush kitty litter down the toilet then you should at least make sure it won't damage your plumbing.
Hard agree. At one point, I tried a type of litter made especially to be flushed, and all it did was clog our toilet. I wouldn't go back to flushing cat litter, should I ever have a cat again.
Posts
Booooo!
Big hair scrunchies should be safe. And shower scrunchies. They make great cat toys. In fact, good luck getting your cat to stop stealing them if you keep those around for personal use.
It's a feathered toy on a bearing attached to the end of a line. As you pull it through the air, the currents make the feathers spin on their bearings and to a cat it looks just like a bird stuck inside.
Our four cats go absolutely berserk for it, to the point where the youngest of them has figured out how to open the drawer where it's kept, and if I put it away when she's not done playing she'll fish it out herself.
Oh geez. Yeah you are toying with some powerful forces if you introduce this thing to cats because they will drop everything to murder the shit out of it. We had to distract the cats before putting it away or else they'd wait for someone to open the cupboard and they'd immediately jump up, snatch it, and run like hell.
1) Shedding. I'd rather not have cat hair everywhere, if possible. I have hardwood floors throughout my house and cat hair is going to get thrown about if a cat sheds a lot. I'd rather have a cat with shorter hair anyway so that should help, right?
2) Litter box location. I'm struggling to think of an acceptable place to put a litter box in my house (I live in a ranch style home) and was hoping I could just put it in the basement, out of the way. Presuming I leave the basement door open so the cat can run down to do its thing, is that something a cat would be ok with? I live in Wisconsin so my basement can get a little on the cold side during the winters, but nothing too extreme.
3) Litter box maintenance. I'm seeing conflicting info on the number of times the litter box needs to be cleaned. Some say a few times a day. Others say once a day, sometimes once every few days. Which is the most accurate statement?
The cleanliness and smell are the two biggest things preventing my wife from being on board with getting a cat. She doesn't want to have to clean up extra hair or deal with a litter box and for some reason she's got it in her mind that me and the kids won't help and she'll be stuck doing it all. I'd also prefer to not have a smelly house. My mom has a cat and while her house doesn't stink, you can definitely tell she's a cat owner. I don't want to become nose-blind to the smell of a cat and not realize my house stinks. I'd honestly prefer that visitors didn't even know I had a cat until it jumped in their lap and requested chin scratches.
Basement litterbox should be okay as long as they always have access to it. A secondary maybe in a bathroom where you can turn on a vent fan couldn't hurt, particularly if your basement gets cold. Cats prefer to be warm.
Leaving the litter in the basement shouldn't be an issue so long as they have regular access and it doesn't get so cold that they refuse to go down there. You can also leave an air purifier down there and clean it out when you clean out the litter box, to maybe help with the smell. Speaking of which, I know some people who got air purifiers to help with cat dander and hair, so you might want to get one or more for the general living area(s), too. Seems like overkill, but this sounds like a concern for you so it's one way to help manage the issue.
As to how often you need to clean it, that really depends on your cats, the type/quality of litter you get, and your own preferences. If you have more than one cat, obviously, you will likely need to clean it more often. I recommend daily cleaning if only because it helps manage the smell, reduces the chance that they will step in something and track it, and gives you a regular check-in on your cat's bowel health (similar to how daily brushing helps you inspect your cat's hair and skin). If you make these things part of your daily routine it's not a big deal. Cleaning the litter takes literally 30 seconds, excepting the times you will want to clean the whole thing out (once a week, once a month, whenever it gets to be too much, whatever). Brushing your cat takes 2 minutes, but most cats love being brushed and you will find it just as relaxing as petting them, so that isn't really a "chore" either.
Also, I wanted to reiterate the idea of getting two cats at once from the same litter. It may not sound like a big deal, but having another cat really does help with their socialization and physical/mental health, and getting another cat later is a huge pain in the ass, comparatively speaking.
Personally, I suggest getting unscented litter, and putting the box where you will actually clean it (if your bathroom is big enough, that's where it should probably be.)
I hit ours twice a day because thats about his schedule. The unscented litter means if smells like nothing till he goes in it, and nothing after I clean it up and top it off. I have a diaper pail that takes normal trash bags to put his stuff in and take that out once a week. There are other litter locker systems specifically designed for it, but my cats a bit big.
If you put it in the basement, you are more likely to forget about it, but that's just my opinion. I think that the lingering smell of scented litter that you eventually just associate with cat poops is worse than occasionally having a poopy smelling bathroom and cleaning it up. Your bathroom is also pretty equipped to get smells out, more so than your basement (probably). I think it's also harder to get nose blind to the actual smell of soiled litter if it's not coated in a bunch of perfume. I know when hes gone, and I know when I've suitably cleaned the box.
It is a job and it just needs to become someone's routine. I do the litter because the grossness of it doesn't really phase me. boyfriend feeds the cat because I cannot be bothered to get up on the weekend and fed him on time.
Id suggest not giving the job to your kids because you dont want the litter to be half-assed, but that depends on your kids I guess.
Hairs unavoidable though. My dude sheds a fine dust. You can't see it normally, but man is that shit in the vacuum.
So ... Short hair is prob lower maintenance overall.
Island Name: Felinefine
My longhaired cat is probably some kind of Norwegian Forest Cat mix, and it's insane how much he sheds -- more than any two cats I've ever met, including ones with longer fur, like Persians and Maine Coons. I have had good results from a Roomba. Every day it scoops up maybe half a plastic baggie's worth of fur, and that's just downstairs.
I just got one of these after your post. Will report back after master tires of it.
I recommend the Buddha dome if you have space.helps keep tracking of litter to a minimum and it's big enough for our biggest to use. He is a giant 20 pound long hair ragdoll
Found this video which seems to demonstrate it pretty well:
I have never heard of this and it doesn't happen to my cats!
Weird. I have never trimmed the cat's nails and our would probably try to murder me then pee on my bed if I tried...
As for his claws, we don't bother trimming them because he seems to do a pretty good job of keeping them a reasonable length himself. He is an indoor only cat so that may change, but none of the indoor/outdoor cats my family has ever had have ever needed their claws trimming.
He was already fully litter-trained when we got him from the RSPCA (at 11 weeks old) - he's NEVER made any mess outside his tray. It's a big tray with high sides, and we use an elasticated liner with the unscented crystals we put in it. I scoop poops out and flush them down the toilet as soon as I smell them, and every few days I just lift the liner out and it bundles up the litter within it, and I pop that in the bin. Yeah, cat poo smells, but with a quality diet it really isn't too bad. He does one or two small firm fairly dry poos a day, and they certainly don't make my eyes water or me retch or anything close to that. It's just a bit whiffy, but as soon as the jobbie is flushed, the smell dissipates almost immediately.
I can vouch for toys like Da Bird, I don't have that exact model but something very similar, and he loves to play with it whenever and wherever. He'll also murder the absolute hell out of a sheet of newspaper if I lay it on the floor and wriggle the corner of it.
Cleanup is easy, the RSPCA told us he was a domestic short hair (moggy), turns out nope, not even close. He's definitely a domestic long hair (moggy), his fur is thick and long and also very fine and soft. He gets brushed every couple of days, and bathed whenever his mostly chalk white fur gets even slightly off-colour. He's not a big fan of getting a bath, but using slightly warm water, drying him thoroughly afterwards with a big soft fluffy towel, and giving him lots of cuddles afterwards improves his mood instantly.
As for dingleberries, we ensured that when we first got him, anytime he pooped we would ignore him completely until he had cleaned himself, after which we would give him lots of affection and play with him. It only took about a week or two until he developed the habit of doing his business, covering it, and literally laying down and cleaning himself as soon as he stepped out of the box.
For his diet, he gets a measured amount of Hills Science Diet cat kibble exclusively. He tends to graze over the course of the day, and generally meows for fresh food once about 3/4 of his food is gone. I dunno what he doesn't like about those last few dozen biscuits, but he ends up eating them anyway when we top his bowl up. The food we give him is rather expensive, but it has literally zero filler in it. He's an active male cat somewhere around 6-7 pounds, and he still only eats 1/2 a metric cup measure in total per day, so paying $50 for a 7 kilogram bag is fine when it lasts for almost three months.
He's not particularly fond of drinking water from a bowl but will happily drink from the water running off my hands as I wash them after I clean his tray, so I tried a pet dripper (like for rabbits and stuff) which didn't work out. I managed to get him to drink from a running tap quite easily, so we got him a pet fountain, and that works perfectly and is easy to maintain and keep topped up. It has filters to help keep the water from going all gross, and the reservoir is clear so you can see with a glance how much is in it.
We got him to be Amy's cat, but because I am home much more than she is (she works at a remote mine site 4 days per week, so she's away from Tuesday morning until Friday night), he seems to have become more "attached" to me? He still likes pats and cuddles from Amy of course, and he plays with her more (she also plays with him more), but it would appear that I am the leader of the household from his perspective? Oh well, when we get our front fence built and I get the dog I want, it will probably adore her and totally ignore me!
Really the key to anything small animal related is that consistency, you can't explain rules changes to them so you have to get it worked out ahead of time and stick to it.
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I don't know how true this is, but in my experience cats prefer to have a litterbox on the floor they spend most of their time and maybe even one on every floor. Most important I think is having it be no so far from them that they're okay with just shitting in a corner.
litterboxes smell, sure, but keep in mind that you already live with 2 kids so nobody is ever going to think your house is the cleanest smelling thing ever. it's just a smell in the area surrounding the box, not some all encompassing dog smell.
And yes, one litter box is not enough if you have multiple levels to your house.
1) No, not really. You're going to have to clean up shed cat hair quite a bit. Roombas I guess can help (anecdotally from my experience with my friends' places, don't depend on them overmuch. They miss a lot), but sweeping the floor, cleaning the furniture and keeping some hair rollers (AKA lint removers) around is a good idea.
2) That should be fine. I have two cats and three stories. We keep our litter box in the basement (with a small gate at the entrance to the litter room so the dog can't get in there). There's never been an issue with this set up with our cats. Your cat will let you know if this isn't going to work, but I wouldn't go into it thinking it won't.
3) It's preference (both your family and your cat's). Some cats will not use a dirty litter box. Some people will not abide the smell of a dirty litter box. Looking at your previous posts about your wife's concerns, I would start with once a day and make that part of your routine. You want the cat, so be ready to do all of the maintenance. Litter box on you is a minimum, and sweeping the floors and such for cat hair is probably a good idea to make "your thing" (if it's not already) to sweeten the deal a little for your SO. I say this as a person who had to be convinced many years ago sitting on your wife's side of the argument. I fell in love with my cats so I don't mind helping with the maintenance now.
A few other things-
Clip their claws if you have expensive furniture. it's easy enough to make them roll up into a towel or cover burrito and pull their paws out for a quick clip. Make sure you don't get too aggressive and clip down to their toes. It's an overall easier operation with cats than with dogs in my opinion.
Cords aren't an issue. They love string. Cords aren't the same. Sometimes my youngest cat (who is less than a year old) will swat at them, but I don't make a game of it so he pretty much ignores them. Older cat couldn't care less and never did.
Don't train them to jump on counters by leaving food out. This was my mistake with my youngest cat and I regret it. Also, get a bread box. Trust me.
Don't forget to have fun with them! We get shipping boxes regularly and those are great toys. I'll cut them up in various shapes and cut out holes in them, and use another strip of cardboard to poke through. The cats will play Whack-a-Mole with that and they love it. Making cat furniture is also pretty fun and it's a lot cheaper than buying premade things. Also, you can buy cheaper carpet at Home Depot than from an actual carpet store... I had a bad experience trying to do that. I think they were insulted or something.
We get these and the cats like them- http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/you-and-me-single-wide-cardboard-cat-scratcher-refills?cm_mmc=PLA-GG-_-PTC_P_SUP_PLA-GG_FY16_NB-AllProducts-PLA-_-Supplies_All-Products-_-92700017178553472&kwid=p17178553472&device=c&gclid=Cj0KEQiA3Y7GBRD29f-7kYuO1-ABEiQAodAvwEUvcU-MXDytdAhYwBL-AI90TIP5bcYcSPK-kEnY_64aApAL8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds . You have to replace them when they wear out, though. If it's not new it's not interesting to them, and rotating them doesn't work. They want that fresh scratch feel, I guess.
[edit] Oh, and cats are prone to having urinary tract issues. I feed them wet food every evening when I get home and I add warm water to it, basically so I know they are at least drinking water every day. That was a hard learned lesson from our previous cat, so yeah, I really recommend doing something like that. Cat water fountains are hit and miss. Some cats like them, some won't go near them.
Really can depend on the breed and habits of the cat. I have a Maine Coon that is polydactyl. He has an extra toe on each foot, that toe however grows at an angle that makes the claw grow almost directly into his pad. He's kind of a damaged goods cat. I had to get around 1200$ in surgery right after I adopted his one eyed ass. Pulled teeth, fixed retained testicles that were wrapped around his kidney, had those extra digits declawed.
Cat claws shed in layers like an onion. So they're always trying to peel off the outer layer to reveal the brand new fishhooks underneath. Lots of cats will actually get stuck on things like drapes or shag carpet. Mine got stuck on a screen door once. So trimming them is a pretty good idea if you can get them used to having their feet touched as kittens it makes things way easier. I actually go one step further and put soft clawz caps on my cats front digit claws after a trim. It lets them roughhouse without risking someone losing their temper.
I had a post with a bunch of links I'll look up later that had good stuff from a lot of cat people in h/a.
Hard agree. At one point, I tried a type of litter made especially to be flushed, and all it did was clog our toilet. I wouldn't go back to flushing cat litter, should I ever have a cat again.