Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with kitty

Alternatives to Alternative Cat Litter

PhoBWanKenobi — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:09:38 -0800

Are there any decent alternatives to Feline Pine that my kitty will actually use? Sammy Katz and I have been happy users of Feline Pine for almost three years now. I made the switch because he's a notorious litter-tracker and I was looking for something that was environmentally friendly. He had no problems with the initial switch and, though he mostly goes outside (he's indoor-outdoor; we've had trouble completely transitioning him to the inside because we live in a small studio, but we've gotten him down to only going out for about thirty minutes in the morning), he used it happily when he had to.

Until a few weeks ago, when he abruptly started spraying around the house if we wouldn't get up early enough to let him out. We had a vet check him out (everything is fine), and got a Feliway diffuser, which has put an end to the spraying. But he still won't use his box. It's been raining for the past two days, and he just held everything in--for over thirty hours! I had Mr. WanKenobi pick up some different litter from the supermarket, to see if that helped. He got some Tidy Cat and as soon as we filled it, Sammy ran to the box and immediately peed.

So I guess he's not happy with the Feline Pine.

But I hate normal cat litter--I hate the smell, the environmental unsoundness, and the way he kicks it all over the place. I know there are a lot of natural cat litters: have any feline-pine resistant-kitty owners had success with other brands like World's Best or Swheat Scoop (and, possibly stupid question, but Mr. WanKenobi has celiac's disease--would having a pan of Swheat Schoop in our tiny apartment be a bad idea in light of that?), and how are they in terms of tracking and odor control?

Will kitty be lonely when I'm on vacation?

phrakture — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:24:03 -0800

What do I do with my cat for a week while on vacation? I'm going out of the country for 7 days, and I have a cat. I own those little feeder tubs that should hold enough food and water for the trip, but I don't know about the litter box and if she will get lonely or not.

What's the best thing to do with a cat for a week?

How to build a better furball gakking machine?

squeak — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:27:41 -0800

My kitty has hairballs. She's at the vets after a bout of vomiting up everything she swallowed. They suspect her works are clogged up by a hairball after the x-rays and, bloodwork. I've been feeding her Royal Canine Intense Hairball something or other, she gets cat grass often plus other treats. She despises those petroleum jelly masquerading as *mmm good* malt treats and, rubs the stuff off her paw onto the furniture, the walls ... she refuses to lick it off. Doesn't like butter either. Did I mention she's fussy? She gets brushed a few times a week, she needs it being a long haired cat.

I thought I had all bases covered, but apparently not. Is there anything else I can do/give to her to prevent this from happening again?

Digestive flora for fauna with poor digestion

subbes — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:55:29 -0800

Best probiotic supplement for an allergic cat? OR: Probiotic/digestive supplements with short ingredient lists. Backstory: At the vet's today, we decided it's time to begin treating our cat Torgo's IBD/IBS/general digestive issues more aggressively. As well as a short course of Flagyl and regular Prednisone, the vet recommended probiotic supplements with the prescription food he's been on for over a year now (Hill's z/d).

He did say that it may be difficult to find a probiotic, because of Torgo's food sensitivities. We haven't done extensive tests to determine what he's most sensitive to, because I don't want to put him through the discomfort of a reaction.

Does anyone know of any good probiotics that have limited other ingredients? The fewer ingredients there are, I'm hoping the less chance he will have a reaction, and the more I know of with limited ingrdinets, the more we can try.

Alternatives to Kitty Litter

electroboy — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:28:31 -0800

Alternatives to regular kitty litter? Standard bentonite kitty litter seems sort of dumb. You buy a heavy, relatively expensive bucket of clay for your cats to crap in and then throw it away. Lather, rinse, repeat. Has anyone tried the alternatives? What were they like? The ideal would be renewable, light and cheap, but I'm willing to settle for 2 of 3 (preferably 1 and 3).

I'm aware of the Charles Mingus toilet training method, but our cats are fat and dumb, so this seems unlikely.

We considered trying pine shavings, since we have those already for the chickens, but I'd prefer to have some independent confirmation prior to engaging in any poopsperimentation.

Why u p on mah couchz?

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Sat, 02 May 2009 11:23:06 -0800

Why does my cat keep peeing on the same spot on the couch? Srsly. Enough is enough. My cat keeps peeing on the same spot on the couch, regardless of whether it has a cushion or not. As of right now her litter box is clean and remains untouched by her kitty urine. Is there a reason she would be avoiding it? Her decision to pee on the couch seems random and confusing. Is there something going here that I'm not getting?

MAC Hello Kitty Kouture in UK prices

Penelope — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:48:39 -0800

Is MAC Hello Kitty Kouture available for sale at Harrods in London yet? If so, what are the prices? I couldn't find it on their website, but apparently that's the only place in the UK it is being sold. If anyone knows what their prices on the Dazzleglass lipglosses and the Mystery Powders are, I'd really like to know. Thanks. No speculation please : ) just if you know for sure. Thanks again.

Looking for the best litter-tracking solutions

phoenixy — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 11:27:44 -0800

Looking for the best kitty litter-tracking solutions. My cat is a prodigious spreader of kitty litter. I tried to solve the problem by switching to a covered litter box and then getting a little plastic litter mat but it doesn't really do anything; I think the problem is that she tends to jump out of the box, which just sends litter everywhere--I guess my problem is really more litter flinging than litter tracking. I know that there are more-enclosed types of litterboxes I could try, but she's a bit of a fat cat so I'm worried that she wouldn't be able to use them. I saw this Paw-Path litter mat thing that seems like it might work, but I can't find any unbiased reviews (all the reviews are positive ones cherry-picked from their email) so I'm a bit skeptical--has anyone tried it? How do MeFites tackle litter tracking?

Kittens pooping everywhere. Send help, please!

kiripin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:16:25 -0800

Help a first-time pet companion teach her kittens to use their litter box consistently! My two 8 week old kittens know how to use the litter boxes. The trouble is, they also like to use the carpet (under a bookcase and between the couch and a wall), linoleum, and towels. I've searched Google and AskMe, read books, and asked my vet and her techs for help. None of the suggested solutions I found has worked yet.

Relevant details: I have two litter boxes in different sizes. They're capable of getting in and out of both. After aluminum foil failed to deter them, I moved the small one to the most popular spot next to the couch, with a paper bag underneath to catch any stray litter. They've mostly transitioned to using the box there, but I've caught them urinating and defecating on the paper as well, just a few inches from the box. They also continued to use the spot under the bookcase until I put some double-sided tape down. The other box is in the bathroom, and I can tell it's being used, but occasionally they'll urinate on the linoleum or in the bathtub, and last night they pooped on a towel about a foot away from the box. They've been given a clean bill of health, so it's not parasites.

I scoop 2-3 times a day, so I don't think it's a cleanliness issue. I've tried World's Best Cat Litter and Feline Pine Scoop so far, and they treat both litters equally. Could it be a litter issue? Do I just have to keep buying different litters until I find one they'll use consistently?

My vet thinks it's weird that they will ignore aluminum foil and the scents of Nature's Miracle and citrus cleaner, which I've been using to clean up the messes. Double-sided tape is the only thing that works so far, but I can't put that on everything, obviously. She also suggested covered litter boxes, but they have a secluded spot by the couch and under the bathroom sink; it seems like they have enough privacy in both spots, but maybe I'm wrong. Has anyone else had a similar problem? What's worked for you?

Help me find this hoodie!

Verdandi — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:56:55 -0800

TreasureHuntFilter: Does anyone have any idea where I can find the hoodie on the lady on the far right in this picture? I want it! I did a fair bit of googling to no avail--all I found was the Emily the Strange hoodie, and that's not the same pattern.

Totally a shot in the dark, but I fell in love with that little hoodie the first time I saw it :( Any information is appreciated!

(Hoodie lady is Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil if that helps)

Kitty questions of a miscellaneous variety

MeetMegan — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:04:00 -0800

A couple of kitty questions...about microchips, tail behavior, table scraps, bonito flakes, and catnip. I've asked a few questions about Coal before. Now I just have some tiny concerns that I think could be easily addressed.

Microchip: Coal is microchipped. However, I used to be able to feel the little cylindrical chip underneath his skin between his shoulder blades. No more. Should I be concerned that it has somehow moved out of place or been lost, or is this normal?

Tail: Coal seems not to know that his extremely long tail is attached to him. He chases it, bites it, scratches it, etc. - and then he yelps or screeches when he realizes that it hurts. Is this normal?

Table scraps: How much is OK? I mean, I certainly don't feed him table scraps every day, but every once in awhile I give him a little yogurt off the back of my spoon, or a little fish from my plate (as long as there's no onions), etc. - but how much is too much? Sometimes I get the feeling he could eat my whole plate full!

Bonito flakes: How do I feed these to him?

Catnip: He doesn't respond. He's 6 months old on Friday...shouldn't he be responding by now?

Ok, thanks for indulging me. I appreciate it!

Why is kitty trailing her poo?

weatherworn — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:09:40 -0800

Why is kitty trailing poo from the litter box--and how do we get her to stop? We've had kitty for about six months now, and she's always used her litter box very well--even in the six weeks she spent recovering from eye surgery. Recently, however she's begun trailing a nugget or two of poo after she uses the box. She seems to actually flee the box, taking some crap with her. The running is not new behavior, but the flinging of feces? Yep, that's new.

The specifics:
--Kitty is six, spayed, has chronic problems with feline herpes that we treat with lysine.
--Litter box is about 24" x 18" x 6", filled about halfway with World's Best Cat Litter (corn-based). It's kept in our only bathroom and scooped whenever we see hard detritus (once a day, usually). Litter is completely replaced every two or three weeks.
--She has two water dishes--a stainless steel bowl (changed twice daily), as well as a Drinkwell fountain (cleaned and refilled every week or two).
--She eats half a cup of kibble a day.

We'd been trying to switch her slowly from Science Diet to Felidae before we left for a week over the holidays (she's gained a chunk of weight since we got her, and we wanted to try something with less filler). Unfortunately, she refused to eat the new stuff. We had the cat sitters feed her just Science Diet while we were gone. When we returned, I tried reintroducing the Felidae. I suspected it might play a part in the poo problems, though, so I've been feeding her just Science Diet for the past four days. Thought the problem was fixed, but this morning led to two new nuggets on the floor. (Joy.)

She will be seeing her ophthalmogic surgeon next weekend; is a visit to her regular vet in order, too? Is this a food issue? A litter issue? A behavior issue? How do we get her to stop?

Is my kitty sick or in need of a nose job?

schroedinger — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 04:42:48 -0800

Does my cat have a chronic respiratory infection, or is it possible she just naturally has poor breathing passages? Ever since my partner and I adopted her and her sister in August she has had periodic coughing and hacking fits that have been relatively unaffected by three separate rounds of antibiotics. Now I wonder if maybe she just has the equivalent of a deviated septum, or whether it's time for hospitalization. When Victoria and Margaret first came to us four months ago, they both had coughing issues. The vet said it was kennel cough, prescribed us antibiotics, and after two different rounds Margaret's issues stopped entirely. But Victoria continues to have problems, despite finishing yet a third round of a third antibiotic in October. The cough mainly occurs when she is purring vigorously. She will start coughing and hacking, followed by swallowing, as if she's hacking up phlegm and swallowing it. Occasionally the fits will become so violent it sounds like she is throwing up and swallowing it. It is heartbreaking to watch and I worry she'll choke, but after every incident she never seems much worse for the wear, if slightly sedated for the next ten minutes or so.

There are a couple of reasons why I wonder that this may not be due entirely to illness. One, there are no other symptoms of disease--no fever, listlessness, watery eyes, runny nose, etc. Two, after the first round of antibiotics her condition improved somewhat, and has since then stabilized and hasn't gotten better or worse with subsequent dosages. Three, Margaret hasn't gotten sick again, and they're around each other all the time so there are plenty of chances for re-infection. And four, Victoria is pretty wheezy when she sleeps. When sleeping deeply she snores loudly and regularly, a very high, wheezing snore that sounds like something in her nasal passages is blocked up. So maybe that has something to do with her fits?

Anyway, I am not entirely sure where to go from here. She's been put on three different kinds of antibiotics, and I imagine if this is an infection the next step would be hospitalization so they could give her some really strong stuff. But if it isn't an infection, that could just be a futile effort that does nothing but develop antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

And f it is just a nasal passageway thing, well, is there anything I can do? Kitty neti pots? Kitty MRI/X-ray and a subsequent kitty nose job?

I plan on talking to my vet, but I was wondering if anyone could give me insight to similar experiences with their dog or cat.

Sliding glass "cat-io" door?

bartleby — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:22:41 -0800

Want to install a cat flap in a sliding glass 'patio' door. Your experiences? Have spoiled the cat by keeping door wide open during warm months.
Now it's a trade off between freezing and relentless meowing to get out.

It's a rental, so I won't be cutting up any of the doors.
But I figure something like this thing will do the trick.

Any MeFites have one? Built one?
Your experiences, caveats, horror/funny stories, product recommendations, etc. would be much appreciated.

Can I stop my kitty from compulsively scratching her face?

weatherworn — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:51:00 -0800

Is there anything I can do to keep my kitty from scratching her eyes? She's been in an e-collar for two months post-eye-surgery, and it's time for freedom. But whenever she's out of the collar for more than an hour or two, she scratches her eyes and ends up bleeding. The vet says she's just neurotic and needs to get used to being uncollared, but I'm worried she's going to do some serious damage to herself. My lovely Laila-kitty has been through a lot since we adopted her the first week of August. She's a six-year-old medium-haired tortie, and she'd been at the shelter for a month when the we met her and fell in love. Now she's a single, indoor-only cat. The boyfriend and I work from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., leaving her alone in the apartment.

She had a case of conjunctivitis that the shelter had been treating with some mild eye drops for about a week. We would later find out that feline herpes was the culprit. She was spayed the day before we brought her home midweek; all of the uproar made her herpes flare up something fierce. By her check-up on Saturday, her cornea had ulcerated, and her eye had nearly, well, burst. We rushed her to an emergency ophthalmologist for a conjunctival pedicle graft on her left eye.

Two months and several thousand dollars later, she's gotten an all-clear from the vet to be freed from the e-collar. (Actually, due to a chronic ear sensitivity, she *needs* to be freed from the e-collar so the current ear problems can die down.)

However, every time she's been out of the e-collar for more than an hour or two in the last couple months, she's scratched and rubbed her eyelids and mouth to the point of bleeding -- leading to another expensive visit to the emergency vet.

She had a checkup today, and her graft is doing just fine. She treated with Revolution just in case she had fleas (although the vet didn't see any), and her claws were trimmed. The vet suggested that the past two months in the collar had just made her neurotic and that she was going to groom compulsively for a while. However, in the few hours since we brought her home, she's already rubbed and scratched her right (non-surgery) eye raw -- and that's with us watching her almost constantly!

What could be causing her compulsive scratching behavior? What the holy hell can we do to keep our kitty from self-harming? (Declawing is not an option.) I'm scared that she's going to cause herself some serious damage.

Male Cat Afraid of Dominant Female Cat

alleycatd — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:48:34 -0800

My male cat is afraid to use his outdoor house because my dominant female cat has claimed it. How do I get him to re-claim his house? How do I get her to relinquish control of the house? Background Info:

Male Cat: My male cat was a stray and is approximately 6 years old. I've had him for over 2 years. He is timid and skiddish but loves to cuddle. He is neutered.

Female Cat: My female cat was also a stray and is approximately 2 years old. She is affectionate and full of energy. I've had her for approx 1 year. She is spayed.

Both cats are primarily outdoor cats.

The frontyard and enclosed front porch is the territory of my female cat and she is dominant there. The backyard and the inside of the house used to be the territory of my male cat. He used to be dominant in his territory.

A few months ago I made the mistake of letting the female cat spend more time inside of the house. She suddenly decided that the inside of the house and the backyard were now her territories. She also decided that she was going to be the dominant cat in those territories.

Her personality has changed. She used to be very friendly and walk the neighborhood with several of my neighbors cats and play with the neighborhood children. Now she is obsessed with being inside the house and patrolling her territory.

My cats used to stalk each other and play fight in both the front and backyard. Now my male cat acts terrified of my female cat. He runs away whenever he sees her.

I have two outside bungalow style cat houses in the backyard. My male cat and his neighborhood buddy (she's female) usually use them in the Fall through Early Spring. It's important for my male cat to have access to the houses because we have frequent windstorms and rain October - March.

My female cat has a "katkabin" (which she has never used) in the front yard and a cat bed (which she frequents) inside of our covered porch in the front yard. She now uses both her bed in the front yard and both houses in the backyard.

I've sprayed down the cat houses with enzyme spray. I've petted my male cat and placed his scent inside both of the houses. I even moved the houses to different locations in the backyard. My male cat seems very interested in the houses when my female cat isn't around, but as soon as she shows up he runs away again.

I need advice on how to help my male cat stand up for himself and claim his space. Thanks in advance.

Kitty Konundrum

dantekgeek — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:22:06 -0800

KittyFilter: Help me find a feline friend! Lengthy background and requirements after the jump. I just moved to New York for school, and while I adore the city and the freedom of living on my own, I miss the constant companionship of my family and dogs back home.

I've only ever had dogs as pets, but I just couldn't bring myself to have a dog in the city, especially when the dark of winter sets in and going out to walk it starts to feel more akin to Shackleton's trek than a stroll around the block.

I've always wanted a cat, but I really don't know anything about them other than the basics (four legs, hair, tail, invisible bicycle, etc). I do know that different breeds have different personalities, but I wouldn't know where to start looking to find out which of them match best with what I'm looking for in a kitty. I know cats tend to be loners, but I'd really like to find a furry friend who needs my affection as much as I need his. Loyal, playful, etc– all the best characteristics of a dog, but without all the drool and barking. Perhaps something trained in the ways of LOLcattery...

Additionally, while I certainly don't want anything resembling a shaved rat, it would be a plus if whatever cat I end up getting won't shed hair all over my clean minimalist room. I realize shedding is a natural part of being a feline, but I'm sure there are some breeds that shed more than others.

Am I out of luck, am I asking too much, or is it only a matter of time until I'm taking care of my very own fluffball.

Why does Sphinx the cat suddenly want people food?

ersatzkat — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 16:45:37 -0800

Our 5 year old cat has developed a sudden interest in "people food". He's a very healthy, neutered male that we adopted at age 2, so we don't have a full background on him. He's always sniffed people food and then turned away from it, but the past 3 days or so he's expressed a meow-y interest in whatever we're eating, especially if it's bready or cracker-y or otherwise carb-like. His own eating habits (his cat food) haven't changed or slacked off, and his water intake and litter box habits are normal. He's due for a yearly checkup this weekend and we're planning on asking the vet about it, but I'd appreciate any insight between now and then.

i need litter box training.

kidsleepy — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:55:20 -0800

how to train a human to use a litter box? i did it! i've adopted a kitten from a rescue shelter, and i'm picking him up tomorrow. the only part i'm apprehensive about is the litter box. this will be my first indoor cat, and while there are bazillions of resources on how to train the cat to use a litter box, I can't seem to find simple instructions for me! i feel maybe this is a dumb question, but in the interest of little rudy mancke junior (pictures to come, i promise!), i need basic, "talk to me like a five year old," litter box training.

how often do i need to scoop? how often do i need to completely empty it and wash it? can i flush the litter? if not, do i just put it in a garbage can? where does the filter go? do i even need a filter? is a liner really necessary?

any other litter box tips/tricks/recommendations welcome!

My cat has a drinking problem.

tastybrains — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:19:51 -0800

My cat has a drinking problem. He is incapable of drinking water out of his water dish without making an extraordinary mess. My husband & I are trying to come up with a solution so that we can either contain the mess or stop it altogether, and we need your help! One of my cats, Smacky, just loves his water bowl. He loved his old water bowl and he really loves his new water bowl, which is actually a Drinkwell fountain.

He drinks the water, sure. His method for drinking water involves dipping his paw in, and then licking the water off of each individual "finger", rinse, repeat.

However, his love of his water bowl goes far beyond just quenching his little feline thirst.

Sometimes he just sits near it, gazing lovingly at the little stream of water trickling into the bowl. Sometimes he will pretend he is a mighty grizzly bear, and swipe at invisible salmon swimming by (getting water all over the kitchen in the process). And sometimes he just needs to make sure the water is still wet, so he dips his paw in and then shakes it out all over. We have tried reverting to a less FUN water bowl, but he makes his own fun. If it's wet, it's fun.

Because of this, the kitchen floor is often wet, with puddles around the water and food bowls and little wet pawprints everywhere else. In our old apartment, he managed to splash water on to the cabinets so frequently that it actually caused the veneer to start to peel off.

We have always kept the water fountain/bowl in a plastic tray with a wide lip to catch drips & spills, but his splashing goes WAY beyond that.

The thing is...we can't scold him or make it less appealing to drink water because he has had repeated problems with FLUTD with a severe urinary tract blockage in his past. So the more water he drinks, the better. But the water he's splashing all over isn't really helping his urinary tract or the floor in our new house.

We've had a couple of ideas as to how to contain the mess, but we have doubts about each one. Two of the ideas are: (1) Getting a large covered litterbox and putting the water fountain in there, to contain the splashing. (Doubt: Don't want to cause litterbox confusion, also don't want to encourage mold growth.) (2) Limiting access to the water so that he can only drink from the stream (Doubt: Don't want to restrict water intake, plus I don't see how this would work.)

Has anyone come up with any solutions to a similar problem? Any other ideas? It's a plus if it's inexpensive and not too much of an eyesore.

A Cat's Life Might Just Be Hanging in the Balance

dhammond — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:25:28 -0800

There's a little kitty that's been showing up near my apartment. He's cute as a devil, very affectionate, and appears to be in good health (if undernourished). I'm wondering what, if anything, I should do with him? Picture and more info inside. He has a collar, but no name tag, which leads me to suspect that he belongs to somebody. But I haven't seen any missing kitty signs around the neighborhood, so I don't think tracking down the owner is going to work for the time being. I'm a cat owner but, as much as I'd love to take the little dude inside and feed him, I don't know if that's the best idea. I wouldn't want little Cosmo (my 4-year-old cat) to get upset or diseased or covered in fleas.

I don't know much about animal control and shelters here (Los Angeles), except they seem to be overcrowded and maybe not the best place for an animal.

Just to be clear, I don't really feed need to do anything. He's certainly not bothering me and doesn't appear to be in any imminent danger. But if anyone has any good thoughts or suggestions about what might be best for him, I'd love to hear from you. Thank you.

How much to put in the kitty kitty?

kidsleepy — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:33:29 -0800

How much money should I save up before adopting a kitten? I grew up with over a dozen cats (not all at once), and know how to physically take care of them. However, I've never been soley financially responsible for one before. I've decided that the time is ripe to adopt my very own kitten (finally out of school and have a stable place to live). Before I do that, I want save enough money in my "kitty kitty" to cover the basic costs of the first six months of kitten-care. What kinds of shots do kittens need and how much do they cost? How about the cost of neutering/spaying? Cat food and litter and litter box? Any other expenses I forgot to factor in?

Japanese question.

tehgeekmeister — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:26:51 -0800

What does this say in (I think) Japanese? (Note: there are two exclamation points at the end of the sentence, so the last character is a single upward stroke.)

how to feed two cats separately

logic vs love — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:22:21 -0800

I have two cats who are used to eating together. But one has a weight problem that needs to be controlled. How can I get them used to eating separately? posted for a friend:

I have two cats, a 10-month old kitten and a 10-week old kitten. We got the 10-week old only a few weeks ago, but both cats are already close friends. Even though I tried to feed them in separate bowls to begin with, they quickly began eating out of the same bowl, making it impossible for me to tell how much food each is eating. The problem is, the 10-month old kitten is already a little overweight and will stop being a kitten fairly soon. She will have to be switched to adult cat food sometime soon, while the 10-week old will have to keep eating kitten chow for quite a while. I need to figure out how to get them eating out of separate food bowls and possibly at different times of day so that I can switch the older cat to regular cat food and control her weight.

The problem is, I have no clue how to do this. Currently, they eat only dry food (Iams Kitten food), which I leave available to them all day. I assume getting them used to timed feedings is part of the process, but what else should I do? How can I get my cats used to eating from separate bowls and leaving each other's food alone?

Another Flea Question

Shane — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 21:45:38 -0800

When fleas can't nibble on your cats ('cuz you've treated the felines with Advantage or something), what do tehy live on? Fur? Cat food? They should just starve. But they say that if you don't sweep them daily you don't get rid of them... I have four cats. One got outside and brought fleas back in. HELP! Fleas are hell. Especially in a messy house. Do I have to do one massive (impossible) cleaning and sweeping!? Or one room per day?

So I read the AskMe posts and I hear Borax is good and fairly harmless to put down on the rug, mattress, etc and then sweep up.

Right?

Also, tomorrow I'm (hopefully) getting some Advantage (even though it's made by Bayer!) to get rid of the itchy beasts off my cats.

BUT MY HOUSE IS A MESS! There's no way I can clean it all at once. I'm just dealing with cleaning one room at a time, maybe one per day over the next few days, recycling piles of accumulated papers, moving my entire computer station and all the wires and components and sweeping up all the massive dust-bunnies (where most of the fleas seem to be spawning), etc.

Will this kill the fleas? 'Cuz, ya know, they hatch continually.

If the fleas can't get on my cats 'cuz of the Advantage, and I sweep the house over the course of a few days (re-sweeping everything each day as I go), will I get 'em all?

Or do I have to do one massive (impossible) cleaning and sweeping!?

I feel itchy just thinking about this.

Thanks.