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Archive through October 27, 2005

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Sep. ~ Nov.: Hairball Haven: Cats (ARCHIVES): Archive through October 27, 2005 users admin

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Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 11:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
When I was first married we had two cats.. a black short haired guy and a tiny long haired gray kitty.

He liked to rattle doors. Since she ate wool, they were banned from the bedroom. They'd been used to being fed twice a day when they were kittens but on weekends the morning feeding was expected NOW and he's reach under the bedroom door and rattle it, plus they'd sing a loud chorus of MEOWS.. and of course one of us would stagger out of bed and throw some food in their dish.. duh.. two psych majors (who eventually had 6 psych degrees between them) being conditioned by those felines and conditioning them.

Since they were now adults we decided that was it.. one meal a day and it took quite some time to extinguish their conditioning but in time they stopped the meowing and rattling.

They had their year in Berkeley while I finished my bachelors and eventually we had settled into a cottage in the then remote canyon area of OC.. and started getting Labradors.

Well.. labs will eat/inhale anything so they ate in crates so that each dog got the intended food, additives, etc.. and the two cats.. well she was a slow eater and he was a feline vaccuum cleaner so she was also crated to protect her and her food from assorted labradors and THE BLACK CAT..

The black guy also was good at opening cupboard doors so we had to install locking devices for him..

Critter was a model only cat and only liked dry food from the start so she's been a free feeder and I wish she'd eat more, but it isn't for lack of availability.

Angelina also free feeds and I think isn't feeling like she has to compete because we do have three food bowls and one is in "her" room where she is shut up over night. I've never seen her eat from the other bowls but her favorite water bowl is one that Critter also uses.

I still have three litter boxes and I know Angelina has visited all three at times, but mostly sticks to "her" box in her room.

I've seen cats who always must bring their food somewhere other than the dish and bmake a general mess..

GAL.. those orange kitties keep finding you guys!

It does sound like you need a Cat Whisperer or something.

I would suggest getting a crate and crating him when you are eating/drinking so that he cannot food snatch.

Maybe you can talk to some local rescue people who work with feral cats and must have dealt with some of the same issues. I'd start with www.petfinders.org for organizations in your area.



For different reasons (trying to integrate the two cats, anger issues) my cat sitter has recommended that I learn Tellington or TTouch, which is a kitty massage technique.. since your guy seems to have a major issue with food, maybe it would help him too.

I've ordered a book, but I know there is a video too.


Half.. Loki is practicing for Halloween, huh? What a cutie and look at those whiskers!! He has some growing to do to match those babies!



Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 11:22 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Gracie.. a certain black kitty here (that would be Critter) loves to start loud talking in the upstairs hall.. actually it is more like caterwauling, loud WOAH sounds.. ack.. I think she likes the way the hall echoes or amplifies her already loud utterances..

I'm fascinated by the different utterances my two girls make (well at some hours I'm not at all fascinated)..

Critter mrows but Angelina BRRROWs..

Puppylov3
Member

01-26-2004

Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 11:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Puppylov3 a private message Print Post    
Shadoe - Casper drove me insane moving his water dish. His moving it typically let to a water puddle from the overturned dish in the process. I experimented with varous dishes and ended up with two stainless steel dishes in a wire rack.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 12:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
I love all the kitty pics!

Lizzie, glad you are feeling better!!!

Shadoe
Member

11-04-2004

Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 4:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Shadoe a private message Print Post    
puppylov3 - I have tried so many different types of containers for the water, but Shadoe still moves it. The bowls for food and water can be identical, but it's just the water one she has to move. Even if I put some milk in a bowl, she does not move it; just the water one.

She has big powerful front paws like a digging breed of dog, so short of nailing the bowl to the floor, I think I am stuck with her habit. She has never spilled the water - she just seems to dislike where I place it.

Booboo watches her from afar with me, thinking she is nuts as well.

Puppylov3
Member

01-26-2004

Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 7:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Puppylov3 a private message Print Post    
Casper has the most amazing front paws I've ever seen. Big honkers with the longest toes.

And cabinets - boy is that a story. I've given up (and the food is in a pantry closet on shelves) I had a cat named Mystic who never should have been left by herself. Because she taught herself to open cabinet doors. She taught this trick to Casper. Mystic drove me insane and went to my mothers to live (but that's a whole other story). The girls? yeah you guessed it - they watched Casper and both have mastered cabinet doors. Caspers a big fraidy cat so his typical OMG someone's in my house hideyhole is under the bathroom sink. (and he and the fraidy cat syndrome is why I don't baby lock the suckers)

Redstar
Member

07-08-2005

Monday, October 24, 2005 - 5:13 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Redstar a private message Print Post    
I am loving the naughty kitty stories! So does Emma, as I keep telling her what a good pretty princess kitty she is. And so does my GF - I read some of them to her - she laughed and laughed at Maximus and at Shadoe's cabinet door slamming cat.

Both my cats have colds right now. I'm sorry they are a little under the weather, but gosh, kitty sneezes are so darn CUTE!

Phoebe (my 16 yo cat with CRF) is currently doing well - eating and grooming properly. She sleeps a lot, but makes a nice lap warmer. Emma (6 mo kitten) has fully recovered from spaying and back to her playful self. I awaken each morning to a bed full of kitty toys. She never wakes me up when she brings them to bed, so I can't complain!

Hypermom
Member

08-13-2001

Monday, October 24, 2005 - 7:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hypermom a private message Print Post    
Sea, I feel for you with the caterwauling!

Samantha does it every time if we've left her when we're in NV. It echoes all upstairs. Her brrrrrow gets so low, I think she's going to hack up a lung. lol Yesterday, we went to a movie. When we got home, she was waiting at the door doing it again. My DH said she was scolding us. Holly only does it if she wakes up and finds that we've gone to bed. Her thing is to get into the dirty laundry and pull out my DH's socks. She puts it in her mouth and walks around growling. Before we remodeled our kitchen, she would open a bottom drawer that had kitchen towels and lay in there.

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Monday, October 24, 2005 - 9:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kristylovesbb a private message Print Post    
My cat started the strangest behavior. Whenever I go into the kitchen he tries to herd me into the laundry room where his food is. The feeder is always full and so is his water. He seems to want me to stand there while he eats because he will take one bite and check to make sure my feet are still there then another bite and check my feet and so on until he finishes. Weird huh. If I do not go into the laundry room he knows I am heading back to the computer and will fly across the room jump on the sofa and leap onto my computer chair so I have to shoo him out of it to sit down. I think he is jealous of the Clubhouse.LOL

Taterheadtwo
Member

09-29-2005

Monday, October 24, 2005 - 2:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Taterheadtwo a private message Print Post    
r you making him eat the crappy cat food first,lol, j/k , but funny so there im posting it

Shadoe
Member

11-04-2004

Monday, October 24, 2005 - 3:10 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Shadoe a private message Print Post    
Kristy - maybe he is just feeling a bit neglected. Skinny Booboo is exactly the opposite - I have to top up the biscuit dishes and back slowly away. She sits by the food and waits until I am a proper distance away and then she eats. I get some wicked dirty looks if I watch her eat. I tried to watch to see if she liked a new type of biscuits but I made a mistake and stood too close. She stormed off and returned to try the new food after I was a safe distance away.
I think cats and other pets are not really too different from people. They too can get feelings of being ignored or neglected or taken for granted. Maybe you can try staying with him while he eats and talk to him a bit. Just make sure you let him know that you do not intend to make a habit of this special treatment, so don't get used to it.
Good luck reassuring him.

Taterheadtwo
Member

09-29-2005

Monday, October 24, 2005 - 4:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Taterheadtwo a private message Print Post    
lol, i have heard that cats like fresh grass too much on, i dont let my cats out, adfraid of the neighbors kids toturing pets.
so i cut some grab pulled it up and put in on the floor, they looked and sniffed, but never would play are taste it,
so i got down on all fours,lol, and and nuzzled into the grass, and took some into my mouth and made a show for the cats, lol. well they watched and then when i stood up they got up and lefted the room. ( too this day i know they were laughing at me,lol ) they never did touch the grass. your cat who knows, we love them but you sure cant always guess what their thinking.

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Monday, October 24, 2005 - 7:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kristylovesbb a private message Print Post    
Taterhead, I am laughing about your post and thinking that I hope no other cat or dog walked in your grass and peed on it before you put it in your mouth.LOL Toooooo funny

Lizziedi
Member

10-05-2005

Monday, October 24, 2005 - 9:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lizziedi a private message Print Post    
I've been enjoying all the posts about crazy cat traits.

Then I got to Tater's. Just last week I did the same thing--going out to collect grass. My kitties are systematically chewing a very large indoor Draceana down to nothing. So I thought I would bring real grass to them. Didn't work, sniff it but won't touch it.

I tried growing the pet store grass about a year ago for my old cat. Again, wouldn't touch it.

Any ideas? I wouldn't mind buying small plants for "sacrifice" if it would mean safely giving them what they need.

Shadoe
Member

11-04-2004

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 2:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Shadoe a private message Print Post    
You can try looking at a farmer's market for small pots of growing pet grass. I don't know what it is about it, but mine sniff at it and rub their faces on it and chew on it.
There is also a stand at the market where the couple make healthy or organic animal treats and have bags of dried catnip grass. I have to place two separate piles of it on the rug so that each cat can do her own thing in her own pile.
It's good for their ingestion I had thought but if it's not, they still seem to love it.

Supergranny
Member

02-03-2005

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 12:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Supergranny a private message Print Post    
Tater..that was priceless. You made my day!

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 1:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Actually, the grass that is considered "cat grass" is a bit different (and hopefully not peed on) and I've found that, or seeds, at my market.

Critter likes it but never gets through all of it.

Angelina loves catnip; Critter is totally indifferent to that..

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 2:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landi a private message Print Post    
the kitty grass (wheatgrass) that is sold at petco or some grocery stores is what they want. my ariel loves it, belle won't have anything to do with it. they don't like it when it's not standing up, part of the fun is chewing on it that way!

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 3:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Princess Critter does like to chew on the wheatgrass that way but she REALLY likes to have a minion (that would be me) to pluck out a choice blade and hold it horizontally whilst the Princess Feline doth chomp.



Lizziedi
Member

10-05-2005

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 9:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lizziedi a private message Print Post    
Thanks all!

I'm not sure what the pet grass I grew last year really was. But now I'll take a trip to an amazing place we have here for anything organic, "Wild Oats" and see if they have something I can grow, and wheatgrass--which I know people drink. (Tastes like drinking essence of lawn to me!)

I have continued to think about this since my post last night. Also wondering if I could buy a square foot of the grass that people lay down in their yards, and grow it atop potting soil. The kitties apparently want upright grass. I know my older cat wants plain old grass--the kind everyone grows.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 9:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
I guess it depends on the grass.. I noticed in the past when my dogs ate regular grass it had pretty rough edges and they usually barfed it back up. The wheatgrass seems to have more chance of staying down and when you buy a small container full or grow one, it is younger and more tender, so it seems.

Taterheadtwo
Member

09-29-2005

Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 12:39 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Taterheadtwo a private message Print Post    
i dont care what you say, your still not gonna get me to try the grass again,lol. took forever to have the cats stop laughing at me

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 12:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
I certainly wasn't suggesting that.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 6:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
I'm trying to catch up a bit...

RE: Leash walking. Costa doesn't go outside much. But the fact that he IS trained on a leash makes our visits to the vet much easier. Since he's (supposed to be) a sick kitty, he has to go several times a year. So the leash helps... he feels like he's in control.

He's well trained. He knows what "outside" means, and he knows what "inside" means. If he hears of things going on outside, he'll yell at me to come let him out. But he knows he's an inside kitty, and he'll shut up pretty fast. I'll get a couple of headbutts, and then he'll go lay down by the door and look pleadingly at me.

RE: GAL and her feral Maximus... He's still a young one. As soon as he feels secure in his home, he'll stop with the gulping food. If he had to forage and/or share for a while, it's a habit that will be hard to break. Once he feels real comfy with y'all, he'll settle down. Don't encourage him. Don't feed him out of hand. Put down food several times a day, in small portions, so he can eat it all. And make sure he doesn't have to share. Costa was a shelter kitty and he was a serious food monster when I first got him. He's now so relaxed that he'll move away when his (even bigger food monster) sister nudges him out of the way. And he loves human food, but knows not to beg too seriously. And when I say "that's enough" he knows to walk away from me. Again, he's well trained! :-)

RE: Cupboards. Costa loves to open 'em too. I've got child proof locks on the ones he's not supposed to get into. Including the treat cupboard. Which is an overhead, above the breakfast bar. The little monster realized he could jump up on the counter and reach the danged cupboard. And pull down all sorts of goodies. Of course, they are all packaged up. But he's now locked out of that cupboard, too. (And don't even get me started on the fact that he knows darn well he's not allowed on counters!)

RE: Cat grass. Don't buy regular lawn grass unless you know what specific species it is. It's better to buy the seeds at the local pet store (PetSmart or the like). You can buy packages that are so easy, you just add water. Or you can buy bags of seeds that you plant yourself. Either way, it's a different grass (wheat and oat) than that which you walk on.

Mine both love the grass I buy for them. There's a vendor at my local farmer's market who sells 4" pots. So I buy a new one every 2 weeks. Kassie loves it when it's fresh and young; Costa loves it when it starts to look like straw. It's a cheap enough treat for 'em (although I'm constantly picking up the pieces that Kassie pulls out and doesn't eat). And Kassie cracks me up when she walks around with a piece of grass sticking out of her mouth!

RE: Feeding habits. My mom's cats won't eat unless they are in the room with 'em. If you walk into the bedroom, where their food bowls are, they will run over to their bowls, look up at you, and then start to eat. And Costa used to bring one of his furry mice over by his food bowl when he ate (he hasn't done it lately). I never could figure out if he was sharing his food with his furry toy, or if he didn't wanna let the mousie outta his sight (actually, he turns mice into hamsters, cause he bites off their tails!).

Redstar
Member

07-08-2005

Thursday, October 27, 2005 - 11:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Redstar a private message Print Post    
ARGH! I have some great pics to load, but they are way too many KB. Grrrr...