Kitteh Owners!

[NZminilops]

Can the cat not go toilet outside? Sorry if that's a dumb question (Brewster does). I can't remember what sort of home you live in, it's weird to me to not have an 'outside' or a yard for an animal to go poo in.

Cats are cool pets, if you find the right one for you. I'm gonna get lynch mobbed I bet, but if I had to choose I would much rather have a cat than a rabbit (if I could have only one pet).

I like independant animals. I also like animals that sometimes wanna come and sit on my lap, but then go away again when I've had enough. And animals that want to play for a bit but then tire quickly (like me ). I like an animal that doesn't have to be confined to a cage, that wont chew on my wires, that wont pee on my pillow or dig hols in the carpet, like a rabbit would do.

Kittens shouldn't be scratchy or nasty, normally only are if they get taken from their mother too early. Mother cat teaches them boundaries. In saying that though, I wouldn't be likely to get a kitten again, just because of how needy they are for cuddles and attention 24/7.

Brewster sez, get a kitteh!

(that's her 'talking', I click my fingers and she chatters)


In regards to food, I rawfeed Brewster for the most part, but this is supplemented by a good quality dry catfood. Look for something with meat as the main ingrediant, and things that have a soy based protein are normally not that great. You want a protein source from meat for cats.

 

[irishlops]

your cat is cute1!!

 

[EileenH]

I might get lynched for this, but if you get a kitty please keep him/her inside unless you can walk him/her on a leash.

I know a lot of people think cats need to go outside, but it's not true. I have 3 cats who are all indoor cats - 2 of them were outdoor cats that I caught and took inside. Every one of my friends have indoor cats & they are all fine. One of them took in a 10 year old adult feral cat when they were in vet school in St. Kitts - so it was an island cat. She lives in an apartment in New York City - 10 years outside, and this feral cat has adapted to apartment life. Was it easy? No, she said it was horrible. But he eventually adapted because there was no choice.

To go along with the thread about how horrible it is to hear a rabbit scream, letting cats go inside inflicts this same fate on all the wildlifecats catch. I saw a group of kittens attack a baby rabbit - it was horrible. They basically ripped it apart alive while it screamed for its life. They thenstood around in a circle while it died. I was 12 years old,by the time Icould intervenethe legs were ripped off of it, so I couldn't save it.I will never forget it, and they were well fed cats. It's just what cats do.

I run a wildlife hospital, and the majority of the admissions we get are cat attacked, especiallly in the spring/summer. Baby birds, baby rabbits..it's horrible; their skin is often ripped off and many have to be euthanized.
Totally preventable by keeping your cats inside.
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That said, onto teaching your cat to usethe toilet.
Here's a You Tube video on how to do it:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvENzOnZhdo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvENzOnZhdo[/ame]
You Tube never ceases to amaze me, there is truly something for all!

 

[Flash]

I feed my cat Wellness dry and the food that Mrs.PBJ are excellent choices. I use Tidy Cat the blue lid and it's great, gets cleaned every other day. She's declawed since she ruined my couch, rugs and curtains (2 pairs). Oh yes she had the scratching post and all that stuff. I waited until she was 8 mos to see if she would stop it but it didn't happen. She plays with the bunnies by swatting at them so if she had claws they would be blind by now.

Yes please keep the new kitty inside. If you lived closer there's a stray female long haired that lives on my clients property and we are all looking to rehome her she's lovely and so friendly. My client is moving in the summer and she's so worried about that cat. We tried all the shelters but no one will take her.

I brush her once a week she's a short haired tabby and has lots of toys but her fav's are the laser light, a string and catnip pillows.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

A very good alternative to declawing is applying softpaws:
http://www.softpaws.com/

I have used it with success to stop Suki ripping Sigmund's nose apart when she gets irritable.
Cat blood all over the house, otherwise... but he just won't learn:biggrin2:...

Re: cat smell.
The poop is bad if you're not on top of it (at least 1x per day). As for cats themselves, they smell FAR better than dogs.
I can pat a cat, and my hand still smells OK... pat a dog, and I have to go wash.

(Maybe that's just me though...)

 

[undergunfire]

I agree 100%, Eileen. Personally, I don't know why some people think that is okay to let a cat run free outside, but once someone says their dog roams the neighborhood...all hell breaks loose....IMHO.

 

[kherrmann3]

I wouldn't let kitty outside unless in a harness because I love all of the little critters outside. I feed everything! I have birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and cottontails. I don't want to risk any of them. Plus, some of you may remember this, but I have a small colony of feral kitties by my apartment. I don't want the kitty to get into a scrap with one of them.

Also, I am pretty sure that kitty dander is what bothers me.

 

[Numbat]

kherrmann3, there are other breeds like the devon rex who are missing the outer coat of fur or something but they look more 'normal' than the Sphinx

 

[Bo B Bunny]

In the country we have TONS of farrel cats and barn cats that roam. I don't mind them at all...but I worry about them. Prissy (RIP) was outside here for 14 years. She wanted to be outside and stayed right at our house, and the 2 neighbors' houses - one neighbor hated when she chased the birds tho LOL!

My cousin next door has a cat that cries at the door when she has to potty. No litterbox in their house

AMY - yes, it's good to clean the box several times a day but realistically, cats cover it up because of that reason - IF they are smart enough to...... Tank tries to use everything BUT the litter to cover his....... the wall of the box, anything outside of the box...... :rollseyes

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

EileenH wrote:

I might get lynched for this, but if you get a kitty please keep him/her inside unless you can walk him/her on a leash.

:bunnydance: :yeahthat:

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

AMY - yes, it's good to clean the box several times a day but realistically, cats cover it up because of that reason - IF they are smart enough to...... Tank tries to use everything BUT the litter to cover his....... the wall of the box, anything outside of the box...... :rollseyes

Hey your Tank and my Simba could be brothers,lol. Simba does the same thing

 

[Bo B Bunny]

LOL! Tank's a maine coon. He's also a big drooling, love bug.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

You guys are lucky... I've read that the covering of feces is partially based on dominance within the household cat hierarchy.
For that reason, Sigmund refuses to cover his poops. I believe he also refuses to cover because of the sensation of litter touching his paws.

Another excellent reason to use softpaws... declaw a cat, and you may never get them in a litter box again. Imagine getting the sharp bits of litter in an open wound...
Sig came to me already declawed... I am very unimpressed with whoever did that to him.

Declawed cats may also compensate for their resultant insecurities by becoming more prone to biting. Soft paws all the way!

Autumn

 

[undergunfire]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

AMY - yes, it's good to clean the box several times a day but realistically, cats cover it up because of that reason - IF they are smart enough to...... Tank tries to use everything BUT the litter to cover his....... the wall of the box, anything outside of the box...... :rollseyes

True, but you have to think of your own house . Kitties who walk through dirty litter walk through your house and things you touch, yuck! My Tibi also doesn't cover his potties up...he does the whole "drop-it....walk away".

I guess I am litter box OCD. I keep mine super clean....haha!

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Luvmyzoocrew wrote:

Bo B Bunny wrote:

AMY - yes, it's good to clean the box several times a day but realistically, cats cover it up because of that reason - IF they are smart enough to...... Tank tries to use everything BUT the litter to cover his....... the wall of the box, anything outside of the box...... :rollseyes

Hey your Tank and my Simba could be brothers,lol. Simba does the same thing

He need a bigger litter box i had a cat that didi that for foster. I asked the vet why and he said he neeeded a bigger litterbox.

My foster cat i had this guy for a good year was 18 pound slim not fat slim. I had to find a huge litter box. And it stoppped.

 

[undergunfire]

Mrs. PBJ wrote:

Luvmyzoocrew wrote:

Bo B Bunny wrote:

AMY - yes, it's good to clean the box several times a day but realistically, cats cover it up because of that reason - IF they are smart enough to...... Tank tries to use everything BUT the litter to cover his....... the wall of the box, anything outside of the box...... :rollseyes

Hey your Tank and my Simba could be brothers,lol. Simba does the same thing

He need a bigger litter box i had a cat that didi that for foster. I asked the vet why and he said he neeeded a bigger litterbox.

My foster cat i had this guy for a good year was 18 pound slim not fat slim. I had to find a huge litter box. And it stoppped.

Hrm...maybe Tibi needs a bigger one then, too. Figures, I just spent $35 on that litter box a few months ago. It's the big "Booda Dome"...I love that thing, too.

 

[wabbitmom12]

You asked about training them to use the toilet...I have had two differnt people tell me that once their cat started using the toilet...it also started using ANYTHING porcelain...sink, bathtub.....EWWWWWWW!!!!

I love my little black kitty, but if he started using my sink for poops, his days on earth would end!!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Agreed, we just don't have the time all day..... it gets scooped, but we also have 2 litterboxes for the cats.... and they do pretty well. If Tank doesn't cover his, Diesel comes in and does it LOL!

 

[BethM]

My post will be not helpful at all. But I'm going to write it anyway.

I am allergic to cats. Which is fine with me, because I don't like them. I think they're icky. That thing where they leave dead things for you....Yuck. And the litterbox...And those parasites that can be in the feces......YUCK! And their eyes...cat eyes seem so cold and devoid of emotion to me.

I knew someone who had trained her cat to use a people toilet. But the toilet her cat used was smelly and had...Stuff...crusted on the side, inside the bowl. The cat didn't "aim" for the water, and it usually ran down the inside of the bowl, and of course the cat couldn't flush, so it was dried on by the end of the day when she got home. Gross and Smelly!

Another friend has a cat that's OCD about it's litterbox. After using it, the cat will hang out in there and scratch for literally 10 minutes, flinging litter and stirring up the odor. Yuck.

I would not be able to deal with a cat scratching up the furniture, either. Bad kitty!

My allergy has become an excellent excuse for me...Sorry, honey, my allergies just won't tolerate a cat in the house. If you love me, you will not bring a cat here.
I think those hairless cats are freaky. They look like little space aliens. If one of those things ever jumped into my lap, I would seriously scream. No way I would ever "pet" one.

 

[kherrmann3]

I've always been one for "special" pets, so I think that's why I want a Sphynx so bad. Will doesn't like the Rexes either. He's just difficult.

I personally am a dog person. I grew up with West Highland Terriers, and they don't have the icky coat. They are supposed to be one of the few dogs that are OK with people who have allergies.

Back on the kitteh topic, the ones I keep looking at keep getting new homes. I am going through Craigslist, because shelters have to call my apartment and OK it with the manager. They strictly say NO PETS! A lot of people here have kitties, though...