Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with cat

Wondering Why My Cat Greets Me This Particular Way ...

WCityMike — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:25:53 -0800

Consistently, every single time I come home, my cat will come over to a particular corner of my desk -- I need not be sitting at it or indeed be anywhere near it -- and meow while faux-scratching it. He occasionally will stretch his back after the scratch, but not always. It's extremely cute, and he's such an affectionate cat that I'm even kind of touched by it. But I suppose I find myself curious as to what the gesture breaks down to. I'm assuming it's a greeting, since he repeats it without fail every time I come home after being out for more than a few minutes, but I suppose I'm curious as to what the action signifies. I doubt it's totally random, but I can't quite figure out what "animal world" thing he would be doing by that particular pattern.

I want a cat -- but should I? But I really want.

cgg — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:28:24 -0800

Help me decide whether or not I should get a cat. This is more complicated than it sounds. (At least it is to me...) I really, really want a pet. In fact, I might even *need* a pet. But I'm trying to decide I if I *should* have one. [Warning -- this is long. Sorry.]

* I grew up with animals. As a kid, we never had less than 2 cats, up to the (slightly chaotic) 3 cats, 2 dogs and a couple gerbils.

* I just turned 30, and I think it's making the feeling of needing something a bit stronger. That being said, I definitely don't want a kid yet. But that "awww can I hold him, he's so adorable, I want one" reaction some people get around little kids? Thats me around cats and dogs.

* I realize I probably shouldn't have dog, at least not yet. I'm not around enough during the day for it to be fair to the little guy. But once I own my own house, I'm getting two. Not yet though.

* I think getting an older, laid back cat from a shelter, one that would be much much happier lazing around on my couch instead of locked into a little cage, would be a very good thing. I want an animal who I can truly help (lets face it, the kittens will always get adopted; 8 year old Fluffy -- not necessarily so). Plus, I want a cat whose personality is already developed. All cats are neurotic to a point, but I'll be frank -- I don't want an animal who turns into a really neurotic, skittish, fraidy-cat who hates being picked up.

* Other important details: I have a stable job, don't travel for work or anything like that anymore, and understand the responsibilities and costs associated with pet ownership.

Now, the reasons against getting cat:

* I live in a very tiny condo, without even a balcony. 600 sqft, tops.

* Rental housing is next to impossible with a pet in this city (Vancouver). I currently rent a condo where pets are allowed, but having a cat is definitely going to make finding my next place much, much harder.

* My boyfriend is really allergic. Although he actually loves cats, they make him miserable. I realize there are things I can do to reduce the allergens in my house, but he will suffer when he visits. And don't bother suggesting he take anything. Been there, lost that battle, many times. He grew up with a cat, and had chronic allergies the entire time. He'd have a pair of cats himself if it wasn't for the allergies. He claims he's tried everything that's supposed to help, twice, and nothing works. I counter with the fact that medicines have improved in the last 10 years, but he ignores me. His words: "If there was something I could take, don't you think I would take it? Do you think I enjoy being miserable?" He may have a point.

* The cat would have to be okay being on his own every other weekend or so. I spend some weekends at the boyfriend's.

* I have actually already had a cat once in my "adult" life. I got a kitten when I was 22, before I was really ready to be able to take care of it. I was moving a lot back then, not really home much, and I'm pretty sure I'm partially responsible for this this particular cat being as neurotic as she is. (She was nuts to begin with, but I probably didn't help matters). My parents adopted her, and she's a little better now that she's living a consistent, predictable life with a big yard and 2 people who worship her, but she's still skittish and, well, nuts. I still feel guilty whenever I see her and realize she really doesn't know how to cuddle with people, although it's obvious she wants to. She likes her people, she just can't deal with them. Also my parents aren't taking any more pets (if only because this cat doesn't play well with other cats/dogs, either).

Also, it should be noted I'm tried the smaller, caged animal route. I had a perfectly nice, normal hamster for 3 years until he died peacefully in his sleep. They just don't do much for me though. It's hard to sleep on the couch with a hamster on your lap.

So -- opinions? Convince me either way, either that I really would be a good cat owner and I'm just freaked out due to an unfortunate experience that I've learned from. Or that no, a cat probably isn't the best idea right now, and the reasons why.

(Again, I apologize for the length... geez. Some people don't have this much anguish about about having kids, and all I want is a freakin' cat!)

A Superb Cat Supplement. Where?

watercarrier — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:48:25 -0800

CatFilter: What is the absolutely best vitamin/mineral/enzyme supplement available for cats? I want to get something that I don't have to worry about the manufacturer's supplies sources and/or ethics. It has to have all the trace elements, vitamins, minerals that ordinarily would be provided by an excellently balanced and nutritious diet which unfortunately I am not able to provide 100% of the time and this will keep us/them covered in those in-between times.

I have a hungry kitten and a terrified bird

nataliedanger — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:06:05 -0800

How can I keep my kitten from eating my bird? I have a cockatiel in a rather large cage. I also have a 12 week old kitten. She has been very interested in my bird, watching him intently and occasionally trying to jump onto the table where his cage sits. Until today, she wasn't able to jump that high. So now she's jumping onto the cage and trying for dear life to attack this bird (who so far, doesn't really understand that she wants to eat him).

Let me share some facts:
- The kitten has those softpaw covers on (I imagine she will be less able to leap onto the cage after she's been declawed)
- I've tried to spray her with water/scare her with a noisemaker every time she would try to get by him, but she seriously doesn't care about either of these disciplinary tactics. She'll run away, but literally as soon as the spray stops she'll be right back up there.
- We keep her in the bathroom when we're not home, for a number of reasons, but mostly because we don't trust her not to kill the bird. I would like to let her have free run of the apartment soon, though. I know she gets kind of bored in there.
- There is nowhere I can put the birdcage where she won't be able to get it (i.e. another room in the apartment).

I am mostly worried that when she's bigger, she'll be able to knock the cage off the table, or that when the bird is hanging on the bars of the cage (which is his favorite spot), she'll be able to hurt him with her claws or teeth.

Any advice would be appreciated!! I have never had a cat before, so I have no idea even where to begin!

Litterbox issue when traveling by car with cat

kathleenl — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:43:11 -0800

I am getting ready to move 1000 miles with my cat. I have a crate for him, and a litter box to travel with. But I'm concerned about when he might have to use it during the trip because I would like to keep him in the crate (as recommended by just about everyone I've talked to.) Is it ok to have him in the crate for 8 hours and give him occasional food and water and then let him use his litterbox when we arrive at our destination each night? Around the house he often goes that long without using his litterbox...but I'm just not sure if that will be ok. I don't really want to get a larger crate that I can put a litterbox in b/c I don't think he'd like laying next to a litterbox for 8 hours a day.

Some have suggested putting a harness on him and having him go outside, but he's an entirely indoor cat, and I honestly don't know that he'd know once outside (and probably freaked out) to do his business.

I'm also wary of taking him out of the crate in the car because it can be challenging to get him back in.

Any advice is much appreciated!

Where did all the eyebrows go?

divka — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:41:31 -0800

Should I stop worrying that my one of my cat eats my other cats' eyebrows? It appears to be an entirely consensual act. All right, so I have two male cats (unrelated, neutered) who love each other. They express this, in part, through mutual grooming. I've noticed recently that the orange cat has been vigorously nibbling at the brown cat's eyebrow whiskers during the grooming sessions. Now, all the eyebrow whiskers on one side are entirely gone. His fur and skin in this area look perfectly normal.

This happened before--but with the other side of the brown cat's head. Those have grown back in now--so I guess they've been switching sides. Both the orange cat and brown cat appear to be extremely blissed out during the eyebrow nibbling.

The brown cat is fully capable of defending himself. He is, in fact, the dominant cat in this situation.

Of course, one cat over-grooming himself is signs of bad things. But this? I'm not so sure how much to worry about it. Plus, I don't know how I'd stop it if I'd try. Much of the loving action takes place when I'm not home.

And yes...I could call the vet and ask. But, I'd like some outside cat-loving opinions before I call and have my vet make fun of me over this one.

Eeeew, we can't eat that!

DiscourseMarker — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:58:24 -0800

Catfilter: What is the texture of your cat's wet food? So my vet is concerned that the current wet food I've been feeding my cats has too much sodium and is urging me to get better food for them. They also have weight issues (overweight) and I just got the labs on one of the cats and she is a little dehydrated, so I really need to get them to eat more wet food, less dry.

So here's the thing: my cats (obligatory picture) are finicky, particularly with respect to the *texture* of their wet food. As in, they just won't eat food that has identifiable chunks of real meat. It has to be minced/pate/whatever you want to call it, or they just stare at me and yowl. I read through this thread and am interested in Evo or Wellness, but I can't tell from the websites what the food actually looks like in the can.

So those of you who use these brands--tell me about the texture. Are specific flavors of either brand chunky/minced? Somewhere in-between? I really don't want to buy more food (I've already been burned this week!) that I know they won't even look at.

How to un-peppermint a litter box?

starbaby — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:23:49 -0800

Like an idiot, I cleaned my litterbox with peppermint-scented cleaner. Now one of my cats will not use it. How do I get the peppermint scent out? I used a Method-brand bathroom cleaner on my dirtier-than-usual litterbox. It was pepperminty. I use liners on top of the box, so I didn't really think about the smell affecting him. I know this was stupid, and one of my cats has been proving it to me daily by using the shower stall/bathmat instead.

Thursday I tried re-cleaning the entire thing with vinegar water, as it is known to get rid of odors (after the vinegar smell wears off). Either he's still traumatized or this did not work, as he still prefers the shower stall. I have also tried re-introducing him to the area, to show him that it doesn't smell like peppermint anymore. He still acts terrified of the entire idea of using the box. He walked around in the box when I originally cleaned it out, but when I try to put him in it, he reacts negatively and I have to stop immediately to not make it worse, and, of course, still won't actually use it.

Is there anything else I can use to neutralize the odor or peppermint (and now, possibly, vinegar)? Or do I just need to buy a new litterbox?

(I know that you should always get a cat to the vet when it stops using the litter box. I can't get an appointment until late next week, so I am trying to fix what I think is the problem in the meantime, as he seems to be actually using the bathroom fine and doesn't seem to be producing anything unusual. If I can't fix it, I'll keep the vet appointment.)

Cat just starting Lasix - how long before I should see effects?

giddygirlie — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:55:42 -0800

Cat just starting Lasix - how long before I should see effects? My 9 year old cat developed allergies about 3 months ago and the vet treated him with antihistimines and a round of antibiotics (the x-rays showed some spots on his lungs that she thought could be bronchitis) and he got much better.

About 2 weeks ago, he started having difficulty breathing and asthma attacks, so I took him back to the vet. After several additional tests, it was determined that he has heart/lung problems, most likely an early symptom of heart disease (causing fluid to build up in his lungs). He has just started Enalapril and Lasix (Furosemide). These are the same medications used to treat humans as well, so I am hoping someone here might have some experience with how long it takes to see results. The vet said it varies by animal and can take days or weeks. But I am hoping for a few first-hand experiences. And I'm crossing my fingers that the poor guy can breathe easy soon.

Stupid Littermaid!

wordsmith — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:14:51 -0800

My Littermaid cat poop box broke. Again. Are there any decent alternatives? Seems like lots of people have problems with these breaking. When they work, they're awesome, but this is the second unit I've purchased in two years.

My question: are there any decent alternatives (that are still automatic) to the Littermaid?

CATch Me If You Can!

Rykey — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:21:53 -0800

My cat refuses to be caught. The problem: we've moved out of state. Help! My wife let our cat out the morning of the day we were scheduled to move out of state (we planned to leave that afternoon). Our normally cooperative and friendly cat usually comes back within an hour or two of going out, but this time (maybe due to the weirdness of the house being empty, us hustling about, etc.) he refused to come back in.

We had to make the difficult choice to leave him behind temporarily, because we both had to be at the house closing for our new home first thing the next morning (one of the few circumstances that would force our hand, I promise). We left notes with all our neighbors asking them to notify us if they were able to corner our cat, with no luck. That was three days ago.

Obviously, we wanted to get back ASAP, before our kitty got the idea that he had been abandoned forever. My wife was able to go back yesterday; the neighbors reported plenty of sightings, and the new residents at our old house graciously agreed to let her camp out on the back porch to wait for the cat (they're away for the weekend).

My wife did see our cat soon after arriving, but he's still refusing to come within a few yards of her, even after we put his favorite foods all around the porch. One of our former neighbors had a box trap, which was set up last night, but the little bastard figured out how to get the bait without springing the trap.

Long story short: my wife doesn't want to spook him any more than necessary by continuing to call and follow him. Animal control is closed until Monday. No vets we can get a hold of do house calls. My wife can't stay camped out forever-- she has to come back tomorrow at the latest.

I did see this post about catching a stray cat, but I think this is a somewhat different and higher-stakes situation. Any ideas?

How do I change my cats violent behavior?

jModug — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:08:15 -0800

How do I stop my cat from violently attacking strangers when they come over? So I've had my cat for a few years now and she's awesome and all but about two years ago my Grandpa came over and she went hysterical.

I'm not sure what about him triggered it, but she got really nasty and started hissing and howling at him. Anyway, now she does it to everyone she doesn't know, but the people she has met before (even like once) she doesn't have a problem with.

If you try to go near her when she is being like this she will back up and continue to hiss. Also toys and treats will not distract her.

It was never a big deal before cause she had met all my friends at one point or another before the "Grandpa incident" but ever since getting back from college I can't have other people that I've met come over without locking her up somewhere.

So what are my options to get her to stop this behavior?

Aquarium Pump Cat Fountain Surprise

quarterframer — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:49:20 -0800

Er, I mean supplies. Need pump advice from someone who knows their fish tank equipment. I am going to build something like this homemade cat fountain over the weekend.

I am overwhelmed with the choices available for pumps. Wish list:

1) An off/on switch (if possible).
2) Will either have a good gentle flow for this purpose or will be adjustable (not looking to build a water park, just a good trickle will suffice).
3) Will be quiet (don't want a loud electric pump hummmm that will deter the cats).
4) Easy to clean.

Thanks in advance for recommendations of specific pump models.

Why I am doing this (in case you are wondering): Cats like moving water. All the purpose built fountains I can find have plastic basins made in China. We want to minimize the risk of bad plastic stuff leaching into the water. I am aware that the pump will be plastic. Just minimizing.

How do I remove caked-in cat poop from wood floors?

Braeog — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:24:53 -0800

A bout of constipation and butt-dragging resulted in my cats rubbing their poop into the poorly-surfaced hardwood floors of my apartment, and no amount of scrubbing or Lysol will remove the poop caked into the grain of the wood. This is not a stain, the poop is literally caked into the wood. What do I do to remove it with a minimum of damage to the floors? Is there some way to dissolve the poop?

Stop the pee!

cgs — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:01:25 -0800

How do I get my cat to stop pissing all over my apartment? Some details:
- He is a 14 year old male. I adopted him when he was 3. He's been scent-marking (pissing) for the past year.
- We've gone to the vet and everything is ok (no crystals, no UTI, blood + urine fine). Vet says "he's getting older and things like this happen".
- I've tried Feliway spray and diffuser: no affect.
- He is scent marking... he still uses the litter box for main urination.
- I have a second cat, but she has been in the house for 8 years and this is new behavior over the last year. As he has escalated, I have shown him more affection in case he is competing with her: no affect.
- I have gotten the advice to separate the cats and give them their own litter boxes: my apartment is not amenable to this (it is a floorthrough w/ no doors... only door is on the bathroom).
- He pees on anything new or that I leave out: my blackberry, wallet, laundry. He has peed on me, while curling up in my lap.
- Sometimes it is the very deliberate tail-curling, hunched back posture w/ a 10-inch stripe of urine on the floor, sometimes it is just a few random drops where he is lying.
- He does it in jags... like nothing for awhile, and then over an hour just walks around does it every seven feet or so.
- My apt has begun to stink despite my best efforts to keep on top of it. The instructions online are to not clean up the urine w/ any strong smelling soap, since this will make him pee more.
- As it is now, I'm not comfortable having guests over. My furniture basically reeks, and I'm approaching my wits end. Each time I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of him scraping over his latest spray, I fantasize of him catching a terminal illness, and feel evil.

Ugh... tell me what to do, AskMeFi.

Cat door that reads 10 digit RFID microchips?

scrumtralescent — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:45:25 -0800

Is there a cat flap and/or cat door that works with 10 digit microchips? There is one available in Europe that only reads 15 digit microchips--most microchips in the U.S. are only 10 digits. Are we yankees to go without our RFID cat flaps? FYI, I had no idea microchip reading cat flaps existed until I saw that MeFi was spammed by an unscrupulous cat flap monger. It's the only useful spam I've ever read!

Meerrrrrooowww!

queseyo — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:25:11 -0800

We get along great; our cats don't. My boyfriend and I will probably be moving in together in the next year. Our cats have already met, as I've taken care of his cat several times, usually for a week or two. They don't get along. Is there anything I can do to reduce the aggression? He has a 1.5 yo little pound kitty (under 8 pounds) and I have a 7 yo chartreux (a cheezburger cat, 12 pounds). They are both spayed females, with their claws, both indoor cats. If BF's cat approaches my cat in any way (either just walking by, trying to play or being aggressive), my cat hisses, ears back, and starts batting her paws. My cat's only reaction to BF's cat seems to be hissing, even when BF's cat is not interacting with her, or (in my perception) trying to be friendly (butt-sniffing). BF's cat, who is far more clever and agile than mine, does take advantage of the situation, and will corner my cat and bat at her. I've seen BF's cat stalk out my cat, waiting for her around the corner, doing the whole rear-end winding-up and pounce! thing. Other times, it seems like she's just trying to say hi, or lick, or play.
They just had a roll around on the floor fight, my cat hissing, and both tearing across the apartment.
On one hand, I think my cat needs to find another reaction than hissing, and I think BF's cat needs to not badger mine as much. BF has taken care of both cats once, and reported very few hissing incidents; this could be because his place is much larger than mine (I live in a rather small apartment, he in a split-level house) and the two can have their own space, and that BF's cat is (possibly) less territorial than mine.
I don't expect the two of them to be friends, but the hissing is really getting annoying. What can I do to ameliorate the aggression (on both sides)?

White cat. Dark sofas. Cat hair is not sexy

yeara — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:06:25 -0800

i got a couple of new couches for the living room, and i enjoy lounging on them. my roommate's cat has taken a liking of them too, but sheds massive amounts of hair. I now have to vacuum them every time before said lounging. is there anything i can do to deter the cat from lounging on the couches?

Is my cat abnormally stupid, or is she a little blind?

gwenlister — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:57:50 -0800

Is my cat abnormally stupid, or is she a little blind? (note: I'm leaning towards that she is stupid) I adopted my cat, Rhubarb, from my local SPCA in January. I love her so hard, I can hardly breathe, but her behaviour is weird. I have had cats before, but they have seemed fairly intelligent. Rhubarb, on the other hand, seems ridiculously stunned. For example:
- Every morning when I wake up I call for her and she comes into the bedroom for her morning cuddles. More often than not when she attempts to jump onto my bed she misses and ends up jumping head first into the side of the mattress. She'll do that once or twice until she gives up and just meows from the floor until I pick her up. (In her defense, it is an extra high bed, but still...)
- she has yet to figure out how to open a door that is already slightly ajar (ie. she hasn't figured out how to put her paw in the door and open it enough to fir through)
- I put a sock on her head once (it was loose, don't freak out) but rather than trying to get it off she just sat there and didn't move until I took it off....
- she sometimes falls off the bed during her morning cuddles. She likes to flop down on her side so I can rub her tummy and sometimes she kinda flops off the side of the mattress.

Someone suggested to me that much of this could be due to her maybe having problems with her vision. Could this be the case? Cats are supposed to be graceful and gymnastic. Should I get it checked out? I mean, she seems fine apart from being a bit stupid/clutzy.... And she isn't a clutz all the time (last week she managed to jump right into the freezer into the one tiny clear area in it), just often.

Opinions?

Catfilter: How to stop a cat from trying to run out the door when the door opens?

agent99 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 06:19:54 -0800

How do I keep the cat from running out the front door every single time it's opened? I just moved to a new apartment with my two cats; our next door neighbors have two enormous, vicious, and completely untrained dogs. One of my cats tries to run out the front door every chance it gets (it did this at our old apartment, too), and I'm really afraid that one day the vicious dogs and my cat will meet and it won't be pretty. How do I stop the cat from trying to run out???

Cat vocalizations

christopherious — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:40:27 -0800

My cat often communicates with me through these short vocalizations made while his mouth is closed. They sound like muffled, abbreviated meows and remind me of a broken telephone (old school telephone -- the kind with the bell). He does it whenever he's lurking around me but usually when I glance in his direction. And he does it all the time.

I have owned many cats, but never one who vocalized so much in such a funny way. Is this actually common? Is it limited to any specific breeds (he's a short hair black cat), or just to certain personality types? Do feline behaviorists have a word for it?

My cat's gone mad with love!

aburd — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:43:56 -0800

My cat demands constant affection. When she doesn't get it she screams and pushes herself against me. It is cute for short periods of time but recently she has become even more vocal and more needy. It's to the point that if I'm on the phone she is screaming in the background. If I have company she is in their face trying to get attention unless I am constantly petting her. How can I help her and help my sanity? I realize this question is selfish but it's an issue that is bothering me. I love my cat. She's sweet and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. But she is crazy needy. If she is laying on me she slowly works her way up my body until her face is right next to mine licking my face. I used to try and let her wear herself out with the licking or whatever but it doesn't really work. She just keeps going. If I have company over she jumps in everyone's lap and presses her face into their hands until she is getting petted. She licks them compulsively. It can be offputting for my company. Every one who meets her says that she is not like any cat they have ever seen.

So I have started to think that she might have an imbalance of some sort. But in researching online every imbalance that I've read about seems to present itself by cats being less social not more social. Every vet I've seen laughs off my concern and says that it is a good sign that she acts this way. I don't think they understand the extent of the affection. It is constant, loud, and sometimes odd.

For a bit of background on the cat, the lady from whom I got her says she was sitting on a bench in the park and my cat was screaming under the bench. She was very young at this point and undernourished. This nice lady took her in and got her healthy. The lady had me housesit for my cat and 2 other cats for about a year and a half. When she moved she couldn't take all of her animals and I got Julie because I got along with her wonderfully. Her needs have grown as I have had her and it is getting to a point that I think she might need help. I have one other cat but they don't really play much.

Any help or thoughts or stories about similar situations would help!

Help me spoil my cat!

CrazyGabby — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:42:52 -0800

Catfilter: How do I reward positive behavior in a cat that doesn't like anything? My cat, Gabby, doesn't like cat treats. The only "people food" she really likes is cookie dough. She doesn't respond to catnip. She hates to be brushed. She will occasionally play with us but usually gets bored and wanders off. She doesn't like to be held and petted unless it's on her terms. She's a loving cat, but it just needs to be when and how she wants it. She's also rather skittish.

We recently got a new kitten, Zappa, and Gabs has been behaving very well with him. She hisses plenty, but hasn't attacked him, hasn't run away to hide, hasn't acted out in other ways, even let him use her litterbox (THAT one floored me). She's been more standoffish than usual with us, but I'm not surprised - she needs quiet and calm before she'll come up to you for some love. The kitten is an attention whore, so I think she's feeling a little neglected. I want to give her some sort of positive reinforcement for behaving so well, as well as make sure that she knows we love her and haven't replaced her...but how?

Loss of a dear, loved cat, and getting new cat (or 2). Non-cat people, skip this one.

neblina_matinal — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:52:23 -0800

Loss of a dear, loved cat, and getting new cat (or rather, 2). Non-cat people, skip this one. I've just lost my cat, Scarlet O'Hara, to CRF on Monday. I'm still hurting a lot, I really loved her. She was my feline mini-me, this cat's personality mirrored mine in so many ways it's not even funny.

I know I have to allow myself to grieve her loss, but I've very quickly realized there is a cat-shaped hole in my life than only another cat can fill. I'm not trying to replace her, I really know that's impossible, which is why I'd like your input on a few questions:

1. I know grieving time is different for each person, but is there a healthy minimum? I certainly don't want to bring a new cat home and feel miserable because oh-well-Scarlet-didn't-do-that or whatever. It wouldn't be fair on either of us. New cats often need time to adjust, and I know the first few weeks might be tricky. I want to be all there.

2. I live in a one-bedroom apartment (about 85m2/915ft2) and I want to adopt two cats. I've always wanted two, but Scarlet was too dominant and hence agressive towards other cats, so I never added to the family. This is enough space, right?

3. The new cats. I want to adopt adult cats from a shelter, because a) they have a harder time being adopted and b) I want mellow, cuddly cats and while it is sometimes hard to see their true nature at the shelter, it's still a better shot than adopting kittens that really can grow up either way. I'm thinking of getting two FIV+ cats, as they'll be indoors always except for a small terrace. But I can't deal with the idea of loosing another cat friend to illness... Please tell me I'm being an idiot. I want to do something really nice for kitties that usually don't stand a chance at a shelter. Scarlet would be proud.

4. My mother also has a cat, who's the kindest soul ever and gets along with other cats. Whenever she's away on holiday I bring him to my place (hasn't happened yet, he's a new addition), and vice-versa. He's FIV-. How bad would it be, with 2 FIV+ cats who would only see the other cat a couple of times a year? Is this enough to make me not adopt FIV+ kitties?

5. Are there any tips to recognize the type of cat I want at a shelter? I don't care about looks, as I find all felines beautiful, but I really want ones who want to cuddle and sit on my lap and all that mushy stuff (that said, Scarlet looooved her cuddles and her lap and she still managed to keep one heck of a personality, so I know there are no absolutes here.)

Thank you for reading all of this. Please keep in mind that even though I have more questions regarding the adoption process, I'm still very concerned about the grieving process and not rushing things...

Feeding My Cats Homemade Raw Meat Diet - Good Idea?

billysumday — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:50:59 -0800

I want to make my own homemade, raw meat (chicken and rabbit) cat food. My girlfriend thinks it's a bad idea. Almost everything I can find on the interwebs suggest that feeding a cat a BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) diet is healthy for the cat. This wiki suggests that there is no scientific evidence pointing to a clear resolution - in the references section there are some vets arguing one way or the other, but nothing concrete. Has anyone been there, done that, or have any other advice? Following the advice and instructions of this vet, I'd like to grind up whole pieces of chicken, add the necessary supplements, and feed that mixture to my cats as a supplement to their dry food.

Girlfriend is pragmatic and a Ph.D. student in the sciences and is demanding solid research to support this idea. There is no solid research, so far as I can tell, but there are a lot of supplemental anecdotes by random people on the internet that swear by this diet. Also, online companies selling people raw food to feed to their cats.

I would love any suggestions people have of other, better recipes; advice on how to make homemade cat food; and ideas to convince the g/f to feed the kitties my super awesome Billysumday's special all-natural feline delite raw food diet.