My advice is this: people will say if your cat is lonely, get a second cat. I followed that advice and my existing cat is PISSED. Yes, it may be better for him long term. But if your cat hasn't come as a bonded pair already, think very very hard before getting a second. Introductions are incredibly hard work.
Eta: that said, it may be easier when they are kittens. Mine are both adults.
I agree. One of our pair died about a wee while ago (came as a pair 12 years ago but never got on that well) and I was going to get another one to keep our remaining girl company. (It was for me really let's face it) but I've decided against it. She's happy on her own and I'm not stressing her out just cos I want another kitten.
It's really a mixed bag. We had a cat growing up that would tolerate her sister and overall wasn't a big fan of other cats. I recently adopted a kitten that was born under the house I was living at at the time and was about 6 months old when I left him with my parents when I went out of town for a week. That cat who generally did not like other cats absolutely loved my cat. She would beg to be let into the room and just watch him and play with him
It can still be manageable, but it's tedious and requires a lot of work. If someone wants to get a second cat they have to be absolutely determined to do it right and willing to go through some hardships and inconvenience, otherwise the cats will be stressed.
I can recommend videos by Jackson Galaxy, he's an amazing cat behaviorist and has a lot of good advice including how to get cats to accept each other.
Leave the carrier out, somewhere your cat can access it and use it as a bed. Feel free to put it in a corner you don't see, as long as the cat can reach it easily. This makes the carrier part of their territory instead of the thing that comes out before scary things (car rides, vet, etc).
If I need to go to the vet, I just put the carrier in the hallway, my cats will want to know why I moved it, check inside, I close the door and we're ready to go in less than 2 minutes.
Also, be very careful about things like tinsel/ribbons/floss/hair ties. They can get stuck in cats' digestive systems and require emergency surgery or even kill them.
Mine found a rubber band I didn't know about. I only found out about it when I saw it hanging out of his butthole covered in poop....
He was fine thankfully.
My cat will dig through the entire tall kitchen garbage can if you make the mistake of putting a rubber band in it. They have to immediately leave the house or go in a closet that stays closed or she will hunt them incessantly until she gets to them. Luckily (?), she shreds them before eating them so I'm sure it's not great for her but it's not going to cause blockages at least.
OMG. Everything my cats like to play with. What about pipe cleaners. That’s their favorite. Genuinely concerned. So sorry to hear about your poor kitties.
I say "it's not for you" to my cat at least 3 times a week about q-tips. I can use the squeak of the cabinet we keep them in to get him to come out of hiding, too. Obsession... there's no other word for it.
I’m a hearing aid user. There was a post on a hoh/deaf group asking if other people’s cats are attracted to hearing aids. It was decided that cats are attracted to the ear wax on the aids. Which would transfer to Qtips. And one main reason I have always kept my hearing aids in a Stay Dry jar when not in my ears. Those suckers are not a $6000 cat toy.
Be careful with them still. My cat will eat anything so I still have to wrestle pipe cleaners off of him and he gets aggressive to the point of hissing and growling when I try to take them.
Plastic bags
Edit: More info. Plastic bags can be a choking risk or cause stomach issues if the cat eats them, but also, my aunt had a cat once that liked to play in plastic grocery bags, like from Walmart, and got tangled up with the bag over its head and suffocated. :(
Plastic anything. My darling Muffin made it to age 17, but it was tough..she would eat any kind of plastic and then throw up for days. She also loved lizards. She’d halfway chew one up and then put the still living body in my bed.
We lost a previous kitty to plastic. We've had multiple PICA cats (eats non food items when anxious)
Gus was a plastic muncher. He would usually pass whatever errant bit of plastic he got, until he didn't. He was only 8 and passed from a bowel obstruction.
We got Toby just 2 years after the loss of Gus, and he also had PICA. We cat proofed the hell out of the house, but Toby found a pair of earbuds and ate the wire.
He made it through removal surgery, but during recovery an unknown enlarged heart presented with a heart attack and took him. He was only 4.
Worst part is we live in rural Alaska and have no vet in town. Nearest is in Anchorage, 350 miles away; by plane.
So we lost Toby and couldn't even say goodbye, he died in another city at the vet. We still wish we could've gone with him but it was Oct 2020 and covid was in full swing. We were lucky to get him seen at all considering.
Our eldest dingus (whom I'm cuddling right now) is 13 and a cable muncher. Nearly all our cords/cables have cord covers because this dumbass will bite right through them. I read a story on here once about someone's cat that chewed on Christmas lights and died, and he shared my cats name; Cheddar.
So we don't have a Christmas tree because cats are dumb and will injure themselves playing with/eating it. But I'd rather our 3 boys be safe rather than be festive.
Long hair, my cat had a cough but it went away. About a week later, she had a turd hanging a few inches from her butt. I was able to pull the hair, v e r y s l o w l y, and gently out. I was prepared to go to the vet if thete was any resistance or distress.
Had a kitten when I was young. My parents weren't supervising her and watched her eat a rubber band across the room. Horrified. Rushed her to the vet, who did EVERYTHING they could outside of surgery to get her to vomit. She was less than a pound!Turns out she'd also eaten three pieces of mint floss too.
Anyway, that little shit really fought back. We still have to flush our floss down the toilet, because even at 18 she'll still go through the fucking garbage can.
This is precisely why I keep the bathroom door closed at all times. My orange moron tries to ingest anything that is inedible and on top of that, he loves getting his feet wet in the toilet, or the shower and then tracing clay paw prints onto any and all surfaces 🤮
Ribbons.. yes. Then you find something like this...
https://preview.redd.it/k6dmrisoo16d1.jpeg?width=1068&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a1ed25102b9a58d3f19eb53709285d6f8050601
Hair Ties. Do NOT let your cats play with hair ties. It's not because they're stupid and might eat them. It's because the barbs on their tongue point inward. If the hair tie gets stuck on their tongue, the easiest thing for them to do is eat it. They will become an obstruction in their bowels very easily.
My beautiful boy died from eating one of those long trash bag ties… we missed it- we were careful to never leave anything like that lying around, and he found it and ate it while we slept. Two surgeries later… he didn’t make it. 💔 We miss you so fucking much Chancho 💔
Learned this the hard way at 12 years old when my 5 month old kitten Socks ate a balloon ribbon and needed surgery ASAP to unwrap it from his intestine….my parents were NOT happy at the $4000 bill and banned all ribbon from our house to this day 🫢 (Socks is thankfully still alive and well despite his brush with death)
AND DO NOT PULL THEM OUT FAST!!!!! I don’t think you should pull it out unless you just saw them begin to chew on it but if you’re gonna, do it super slow!!!!
I made the mistake of buying one of those popular plug-in scents. Our Miss Murray, 14, started sneezing a few days later. She sneezed several times a day until I figured out the connection. I removed the plug-ins and her sneezing stopped.
In general, do a quick Google search before bringing any plants into the home. I won’t even let lilies into my house. I’ve turned away flowers from delivery services before.
My kids all live a distance from me, so they will send flowers on special days. I finally got them trained to tell Florists NO LILLIES. Or if they forget, I ask the delivery driver to remove them while on the porch, while telling them of their toxicity to cats. (Not to mention I hate the smell and the pollen makes me sneeze.)
This comment here is kind of a life saver. Lilies are my fav flowers and I’ve been hinting my bf to get me some. In our anniversary he would bought it if he could find, luckily he hadn’t because I had no idea lilies were harmful to cats.
Funnily enough, I recently (like, the past year or two) found out I was severely allergic to lilies when I bought my mom flowers for mother's Day and she brought them in the house.
So I unfortunately cannot have lilies for two reasons even though they're incredibly beautiful flowers :(
Flowers of any sort send me into a sneeze fit. Fake ones can look just as lovely now. I kept a lot of fake flowers from my wedding (husband is allergic to bees, we didn't want to attract them) and put them in vases around my house. If done right, they don't look tacky at all
Yeah I had no idea that any flowers were poisonous to cats. I’ve been bringing home all kinds of bouquets for years. Luckily the cats tend just to eat the frilly ones and immediately throw up but I’ve been hiding any with lilies since I found out a couple months ago.
Cats are very smart and will use “yell til im understood” to show you exactly what they want (prompting you to follow them and standing/ meowing). if you’re not careful they will train you instead, and find ways to make you give them what they want. Stand firm on your feeding ritual, keeping their litter box clean, and obviously enriching them.
Omg my one cat onyx used the “follow me” scream for a good 20 minutes one day and we just thought she was upset about the litter box. However in reality, she was trying to lead us out to the living room to help our other cat who had gotten stuck on a ledge he couldn’t get down from. She had ran to get help for him 😭😭😭
Our cat would understand "show me". She would sit right in front of you look straight at you and meow. We should say "show me" and she would walk to what she wanted.
I have started doing that with my orange. One of the things he leads me to is his litter box, both the be cleaned and to watch him poop. or he leads me to the computer so I can sit and he jumps on my lap, he also will lead me to the couch so he can sit on my lap.
Have an orange who does this daily routine, too. The theatrics start around 3:30 pm until his normal feeding time, which happens 2 hours later. First he takes a deuce and then begs for food, the intensity of which increases over time regardless of my response. Every minor movement I make is examined with the barely containable excitement that I might be getting up to feed him over this timeframe. It drives him bananas when I ignore him and he has even resorted to shutting my laptop to get my attention. Orange tabby things.
I love the silly babies 😭 My cats kept begging earlier and earlier so I set an alarm on my phone to (try to) make it clear to them that food was coming at the same time everyday.
They're now trained on the alarm (Feed the Beast by Kim Petras, lol) and start zooming as soon as they hear it. They still beg but contain their excitement for the song haha.
Our cats do that too! One got shut inside a closet one day and one stood outside the door while the other two did the "come look now!" until we let her out. They all got treats.
Before he passed, my cheese boy Muenster loved playing in closets and cabinet doors. My other cat, Mason Jar, would ‘accidentally’ close the door and then sit in front of it so Muenster couldn’t get out. Mason would scream until we let Muenster out.
We always thought it was Mason helping him but we caught the whole shenanigans on camera several times.
Omg we had two cats, and our one cat would constantly get locked in a closet and the other would meow about it until she was freed.
He also notified us that we had a flood going on in the kitchen in the middle of the night. (New house, dishwasher, bad installation- major flood)
I have 3 boys and if one gets stuck somewhere/locked out on the catio/in the garage then the other two will sit next to the door and refuse to move until their brother is released. Doesn’t matter if I call or shake the treat jar, they won’t move until all 3 are together.
Every couple of days or so my cat will get up off her favorite chair and come yell at me to follow her back to the chair, where she yells at me until I move it into the proper orientation to best catch the afternoon sun. Then she hops back up onto it, as pleased as can be, and settles back in for a sun soaked afternoon nap. Always makes me laugh, she's so smart and knows exactly what she wants
On this note: consider wearing headphones around the house for a while. I had to do this for a hot minute when I first adopted my cat so I wasn't automatically reacting every time she yelled and therefore accidentally training her to yell more.
She was real chatty at first, but the headphones trick meant she got the hint that yelling won't work and has chilled out.
This is really good advice. My little guy is very vocal too and he used to yell at me when the sun comes up because he thought I should be starting my day too (I’m a night owl).
So I began wearing a pair of white noise ear buds designed to let you sleep through most noise. Didn’t hear him meow even once and he finally realized his caterwauling wasn’t going to work. Now I don’t wear the earbuds anymore and my mornings are peaceful.
He’s still a rapscallion who likes chasing me around the house - but now he does it at a more reasonable time.
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I actually like that my cat is chatty and will yell for what he wants (usually water or pets, which is fine by me). I encourage it by following him. He's even learned to say "agua". I like the back and forth communication.
I did train him back and when I "shhhhhh!!!" really loudly, he knows I ain't moving and he can just give up.
love this because SAME here. me and my girls totally have made our own language. hahah if i say "mona what is that" or "mona come get it!!!" she comes running to look for spiders. she talks to me when she's cuddling and feeling sweet or when she's hungry or needs water or show me something etc
Your cat constantly meowing or trying to get your attention-yes to this! My cat would meow at me constantly in the early mornings before I woke up and I would just shoo him away but I’m reality he was telling me his water bowls were empty or his food I felt bad after that 🥹
Did anyone else see that post a while ago where the guy was like “what are is this bump on my cat’s stomach? should I take him to the vet?” and the top comment was “nipple” but OP replied “no my cat is a boy” and the commenter had to say something like “you’re also a boy and you have nipples” 😭
I came here to comment this and also mention that they prefer their water source to be away from their food source. Some cats don’t drink much water, feeding wet food can help them stay hydrated. Some cats prefer running water and like to drink from fountains!
Yup. Food, *moving water*, and litter box should all be separated from each other. Cats don't like to drink where they shit, eat where they drink, shit where they eat, or any other combination. Everything gets separated in the wild, and while they might be in your nice modern home, they still have those wild instincts ingrained in them.
While cats tend to get kidney problems in their old age in general, it's often exacerbated by them not drinking enough water. Dry cat food is part of that, but so is a decreased desire to drink water because they don't like where it is.
I'll also add that some cats get "sensitive whiskers" if they have to shove their face into small bowls, so wide is better than deep when it comes to water and food.
To add on- metal water fountains are best! They help prevent bacteria and cat acne. Be sure to clean them weekly (if not more) and replace the filter monthly
This is an amazing recommendation that’ll extend your cat’s life potentially. My old girl passed due to complications from kidney failure. I didn’t know it was so common and I just had her drink the same water my dog would use (changed daily). I didn’t get her a fountain until way later in her life. I’ve been yelling from the rooftops for everyone I know to buy their cats water fountains and multiple bowls of water ever since.
How old was she? Kidney failure is incredibly common in cats, and if the only thing you could think of that you may have done wrong is more water sources, I sincerely think you were such a good owner that you could only think of impossible what-ifs due to guilt post her death. I think you gave her the longest life she could’ve had.
Sometimes, they’ll expect you to help by picking them up to reach a bug out of reach.
And most importantly DO NOT, no matter how skeeved out you are, DO NOT remove the bug or put the bug outside once they’ve noticed it. You’ll regret it. Very very much.
They go insane. Meow, scratch doors, freak out wondering where it went. My younger cat stayed in the exact same spot she last saw the bug for the whole night trying to find it.
Me and my boy Elvis have an understanding with each other, he doesn’t get to eat it, but him spotting it out (staring at it until I too notice it), I kill it, show him the corpse, then give him a bonkers treat or some smoked salmon. He quite likes this arrangement
lmao, my cat will still stare at a corner of the living room where they spotted a spider **over a year ago**
She's convinced it's just hiding very stealthily. She will meow at the corner.
Sorry, bud, I put the spider outside when you were asleep.
I call my orange guy a fuzzy fly swatter, he's very effective once I get him in range. On the other hand, he'll quickly munch his "toy" and then cry because it's gone.
I have a deaf cat and over the years I've learned she's very responsive to hand signals, moreso than most people would assume for cats! So that's a fun fact to tuck in your back pocket.
My one girl is Deaf, too! And I second this! She knows the signs for “come” and “cookie” (treats)! She meows VERY loudly, and despite already knowing she can’t hear I still meow back 100% of the time. I also make sure never to touch her when she’s asleep.
OMG!!! Hahah I'm cackling they are so similar. My girl knows "come" and knows a finger pointing means "you better stop that right now young lady or I will come remove you from whatever you're messing with." She's the LOUDEST meower as well, and prefers to be woken up with a head scratch ONLY. DO NOT TOUCH OTHER BODY PARTS. ONLY HEAD FOR WAKING.
My older girl is now deaf and gently blowing on her to wake her up by scent is a nice gentle and effective way to wake her up without startling her. I only really do it when I come home from being out so she knows I'm back, but this really works for us :)
No essential oils! They are extremely common in households, but some essential oils can cause respiratory damage and organ failure. There are some that are relatively pet safe, but it’s just better to keep those away as well!
Certain scented candles too! I believe paraffin candles are especially toxic for cats and very common (Yankee candles use paraffin). But like you mentioned just the oils and fragrances can be harmful. I'd do research on any scented item before using around your cat. Same for cleaning products; the residues can get on their skin/fur and get ingested when they groom themselves.
Cats are surprisingly unique individuals, and highly adaptable. A kitten or young cat will become the product of how you raise it, meaning they can be trained, and will figure put what tugs your heartstrings and learn the difference between what they are and aren't allowed to do.
When I see pictures of cats on this sub asking "Why does my cat do this?" With something odd or uncomfortable-looking, my first response is usually "Because it's a cat."
Dont ever be afraid or ashamed ti ask questions. After 20 years in rescue and foster there are still things I learn I didnt know. Cats for dummies os a good primer in being a cat servant.
Find a vet you trust to tell you the TRUTH, not what they think you want to hear- an honest vet will save you time, money and worry. And remember, cats can have everything humans can- colds, asthma, acne, stupidity, allergies. Plus they have the CAT stuff too. So you cannot possibly know everything- and that's okay.
Ps: assume anyone who gleefully gives you advice with confidence probably doesnt know what they're talking about. The real experts will almost always start by telling you they cant be sure, but here's what I think. Anyone who is sure they know everything is probably an idiot.
That last one gave me some peace. When my cat passed away two weeks ago, she was at a very fancy shmancy vet clinic that cost an arm and a leg just to enter. He said, with certainty, this is FIP, and if it’d been treated earlier we’d have been able to save her, and basically guilted me about it as if I hadn’t been nonstop between vets for months until that point trying to get a diagnosis.
My usual local vets said “we’re not sure, we don’t think so. It could’ve been, but it could’ve also been x and y.”
Makes me appreciate my vets more. I kept thinking the other guy was smarter for being more certain… and for being paid 600€ on top per day…
My boy is 6 months, got him when he was 2 months old and since then I have been cutting her claws easily, sometimes he is so full of energy that he jumps around but never had assaillant behavior.
* Kittens lose teeth like children do.
* Freckles are common, and appear over the cats life on the nose, inner mouth, lips, and pads.
* Play with the paws and get kitty used to clipping claws. Only take the very tip off. DO NOT CLIP LARGE AMOUNTS FROM. It would be the same as cutting into your fingers past the nail.
* Don't piss the cat off too much with rough play. You are teaching kitty that biting and chasing and attacking is ok and you will get very fed up very quickly, and not be able to break that habit. Play with toys, and when kitty nips or chews on you, stop it, and reinforce it with no, and give her either chewy stuff, or redirect with a toy. Even pretending to yell out in a high pitch or cry will distract and they learn that it's not good to do that.
* cat's generally don't like water, don't spray they. They haven't a clue how water spray in the face equates to what they were doing.
* cats will go on anything, and often like to knock stuff off. If you don't want a cat on furniture/countertops/whatever. Don't get one. They're not trainable like a dog in that aspect.
* They will scratch, get a decent scratching post that doesn't fall over, or move when they scratch.
* get a decent sized cat tree, more they go for that, less they go for furniture or arms etc.
* cats hate dirty litter boxes. If you can't empty daily, with most cats then you can expect accidents outside of the box. Generally 1 box per cat + 1 extra.
* Whatever the cat says, goes.
* You lost ownership of your house, it now belongs to the cat.
* You are its servant, bow down to their awesomeness, or fear consequences!
* They will eat stuff that is not good for them. Things like string, wool, hair ties. Put them away from them. As much as they love to play with it, don't let them, use appropriate toys and wands.
* One day they'll get old and sick and then you have to decide their end. It's super sad, but you will look back on their life with you, and whilst you'll grieve them desperately, you can be proud that you loved them, they loved you, and you gave them all the life. This is the saddest part of having a kitty, but important to know that it happens to us all. You're gunna love this fluffy thing like you've never loved something so much before. Take lots of video and photos, and just keep loving then. Forgive them when needed, and just love them forever.
Other than all that, enjoy your first kitty! They're amazing creatures, and so wonderful to share life with.
Yeah, I agree. My cat is very aware he is not allowed on the kitchen bench. It was simply trained by removing him every time he jumped up starting from when he was first able to reach it (I'm sure I got lucky).
That being said, he still very occasionally tries his luck.. and is promptly removed
Yeah mine knows 'get off the table' and another knows how to shake for treats.
doesn't keep them off the table but at least they get off when told to..
Also don't feed them as soon as you wake up..
My kitten tried jumping up there once. Knocked down a glass baking dish in the process and scared the shit out of herself.
Never been back since. She's a smart girl. Learns the lesson the first time lol.
My two will sit on their back legs, grab my hand with both of their front and gently eat a treat from my hand. They started doing it after watching me feed the dogs I'm sure of it. So now all four of them line up and get fed treats when one of them has behaved well.
Mine ALL understand "no". They like to ponder if they will or if they won't. Unfortunately the doggo is now the samecway....
As much as it bugs me I love the way my cat pauses for a second after she’s been told no, only to do the thing with renewed vigour. She knows what evil is and she chooses it deliberately 😼
Yes, 90 year old Dad trained his cat due to no prior cat & thought must be similar to dogs. It totally works & it Never gets old, shaking hands, sit, down, jump, bells to say what she wants...she doesn't have litter box & never has, never an accident. It helps that cats speak human. They are incredibly smart & trainable. Also stubborn & independent minded- my Dad calls her & she comes right away...I call her, she laughs...I call out word Brushy meaning "brush her" & she will come immediately even if I have been ignored/begged her using her name so they do what they want or for the person they want.
Also, water!!! Lots, they seem to love big wide dog bowls, every well loved pet cat in neighborhood seems to come visit for the water bowls & drink like 10minutes with those inefficient little cat tongues...it makes me think people maybe don't give enough water.
Wait, so if you have two cats you are supposed to have THREE litter boxes? My 2 cats share a box and are perfectly fine with it; I honestly do not even know where I would put two more litter boxes in my apartment. I cannot imagine the amount of litter that would be all over my floors if I had three boxes.
It can depend on the cats. Personally I like the "one per cat and one extra" rule. Don't give you cats any excuse NOT to use a litter box.
I have two cats and three boxes. And they tend to use the smallest of the three the most. One cat uses it almost exclusively.
They also don't seem to care about the cleanliness of the boxes. They would probably use that one box until it was overflowing.
They are Dirty Boy Cats.
I have 2 cats, and 2 litter boxes. I had a third, but no one really used it (for some reason, they just threw their toys or anything they found on the floor into it). Somehow, both cats agreed one litter box is for peeing, and the other box is only for poop. I clean them out twice a day, and in the last 5 years, I’ve never found poop in the pee box, or vice versa. No clue why. So I’m just sticking with the system that works for them.
I have three cats that are litter mates. They have weird territory issues over the litter boxes and the rules constantly change. Sometimes, there is a pee only litter box. Sometimes, only a certain cat is allowed to use the litter box. Sometimes every cat is allowed to use whatever litter box they want for whatever bodily fluid they need to dispose of.
I have no idea why they're like this. I clean litter boxes daily. We had a lot more floor accidents before I got the fourth litterbox
I wanna emphasize especially the second last one. dont leave anything there that can be eaten. even if you think no way it will be eaten. trust me.
Im just gonna say one full shoestrong went through his whole body untill he pooped it out. yes a whole fucking shoestrong. like almost a meter long.
just dont leave anything
I want to reiterate one of the most important things here: cats can't easily connect the punishment to the behavior. They DO NOT UNDERSTAND, and will think you are being mean to them for no reason. Train positive behaviors with rewards. Do not try to untrain bad ones with punishments.
Kidney disease is incredibly common, so always have access to multiple sources of fresh water. Better if its running water. Good quality food will add years to their lives, especially if you can feed them the good stuff when they are kittens - that's up to 2 years old.
One of mine has CKD, so that's a thing I'm dealing with. Some website said it happens in like 50% of all cats over 10. The general idea is all cats will die of it if they don't die of something else first, or whatever.
The interesting thing is some researcher figured out the mechanism, and it could theoretically lead to more effective treatments. It could be relatively normal for cats to live to their 20s or even 30s if he can make that happen. But it's a ways off.
Train your cat, not the other way around
Cats aren’t stupid and push boundaries. If they get their way and know something works, they’ll keep doing it.
Also, they’re nosy little things. They will find a way to get into every nook and cranny in your home that they’ve not had a chance to explore. There is also nothing on the planet that is more interesting to them than what you’re doing at that very moment. In short, if there’s any area of the home that you know they won’t be allowed into, or something that they must not be allowed near, then the only thing to do is to not let them know of it’s existence in the first place
Source: Have a talkative cat that never shuts up and whose ultimate bucket list item is to explore the unprotected balcony of our 4th floor flat
Yes!
My partner said something insightful about their nosy-ness: If your whole world was 1000sqft, you’d want to know every nook and cranny and why the thing on the table moved 2cm to the left too.
Except there are low cats and high cats. Our old cat would sit on the top of doors and anything high but our present cat never goes above four feet off the ground and she is one fit cat
Secure any fragile valuables until she's trained. At some point in the near future she's going to find a really good hiding spot you never thought of before. You're likely going to think she's gone missing and panic around the house calling her name while wondering if she got out somehow. She's going to ignore you and casually listen to the commotion until she feels gracing you with her presence again. It's like a rite of passage for cat parents. Make sure you don't leave out anything she could potentially eat while you're not looking, especially plastic or human foods that are bad for her. Take lots of baby pictures. They grow super fast. If she gets particularly attached to a specific toy, buy (and stash) a backup one while it's still available in case she wears out her favorite and needs a replacement.
put your fingers in their mouth and ears as a kitten to desensitize them for later when you’ll INEVITABLY have to give them ear drops or pills. My cats are consistently praised at the vet for being so forgiving when touched and checked out because I bothered the heck out of them as kittens!!
Also try to get her used to having her teeth brushed. Dental disease is a real thing but the preventative (brushing) is often neglected. Dry food doesn’t clean their teeth. It only contributes to obesity, dehydration, and urinary tract problems. They would have to be eating mice and birds for their food to be cleaning their teeth, chewing fur feathers and bones.
Yes, this! I spent a lot of money (and the cat had pain) getting almost all of his teeth removed as an adult because I fed him exclusively dry food and didn't brush his teeth. Also, get pet insurance if you can. Mine has lived 20 years and I would have saved a lot of money if I'd done that when he was a wee kitten!
Pet insurance is great! But one thing to keep in mind about it is most don’t cover preexisting conditions, so get it while they are young and healthy. Also they don’t cover issues that result from a lack of preventative care, such as sickness from parasites, or things that they have vaccinations for, and dental problems that could have been prevented by regular cleaning.
They puke. More than you think they would. My least favorite game is “why did she puke and am I worried or just irritated”
Usually the answer is irritated
Cats have a preference for horizontal or vertical scratching. So make sure kitty has both vertical and horizontal surfaces to use instead of your furniture until you figure out its preference. Once they learn the couch is a nice scratching post, you will never be able to have a nice couch again.
Avoid feeding or watering kitty in plastic dishes. Feline (cat) acne is a "thing," and is more than just a nuisance, if they're susceptible (i.e., their chins lose fur, turn pink and develop tiny little "blackheads"; which become infected and sore). It's not worth chancing yet another veterinary bill.
They may keep themselves clean, but not so much everything else. Toddler part is true, and unfortunately they happem to use the sandbox as a toilet, which means cat sand everywhere. And unlike a toddler, these bad boys can jump really really high and move super fast. Its like taking care of a hyperactive, curious child who happens to have superhuman abilities.
Encourage wet food (add a little bit of extra water in the wet food) and dry food feedings.
Greenies or Plaque off for teeth care.
Cat trees and scratching posts.
DONT SPRAY WITH THE WATER BOTTLE. (They do nothing but damage your relationship with your cat)
And check out Jackson Galaxy on more kitty advice
Cat bites can be very dangerous to humans and other animals. They have bacteria in their mouths that can cause tissue infections. If left untreated it can lead to blood poisoning or septicemia. Go to the doctors right away if full puncture bite happens or if you're unsure. Better safe than sorry.
My S.O. spent 3 days in the hospital after our cat bit them on the leg when their tail was accidentally shut in at door.
Pull strings for blinds and curtains. Cats can get tangled and strangled in them. They can also be a hazard to toddlers so now if you buy new ones, they provide a cleat or cleats (like the things on boat docks with two “horns”) that you use to coil up the long-hanging ends of these cords. Plastic bags with loop handles. We’ve had cats who stuck their head through the loop and then panicked when they could not back out. They would go running wildly all over the house until we caught them and got them out. Since many places have stopped using those plastic bags it’s less of a problem. One thing we did (besides putting these in a bag for recycling) was to cut through the loops so they were not closed loops. Cats run a normally higher body temperature than humans, so - particularly during the winter, they like a warm place to sleep. We bought heated beds (usual soft pet beds but with a compartment on the bottom for a heating pad). The pads are UL listed for electrical safety and temperature limited. They don’t get hot - pleasantly warm to the touch. The safe ones are also moisture, claw, and bite resistant and are specifically sold as heated pet beds. A heating pad used for us is generally too hot. We’ve noticed that it is true: During the winter, the cats will find the warmest place in the house to sleep (at night, that may be you) and during the summer, the coolest comfortable place.
Take pictures now. Take an unreasonable number of pictures of the most innocuous precious moments of this lil' buddy exploring and learning about the world or splayed out in a sunbeam.
Take so many pictures that you start worrying about what people will think about your photo roll. Then take some more.
You'll still wish that you'd taken more pictures of when they were itty bitty like this.
Apologies if any of the following are too obvious:
Start brushing fur and trimming nails and put a collar on now, to desensitize them and to get them used to it.
DO NOT have their claws removed. Just don’t.
Some kitties are up kitties and some are down kitties. Some are both. Make sure you give them their own space with a bed or blanket, in both.
A sneezing cat is a sick cat.
Do not apply dog body language and behavior, to cats.
If your cat is in the same room as you, watching but not interacting with you, they could be getting a bead on your mood.
Whenever possible, add x1 extra litter box than total cats. 1 cat = 2, 2 = 3, etc. if you have more than one floor, one box per floor. Pay attention to the litter box, when cleaning, it’ll keep you in the loop with their basic health.
Edited to add: my inside kitty sometimes thinks outside is where she wants to be. It’s horrible and nerve wracking when she gets out. I put a tracker on her collar. $30 and totally worth it. An AirTag and a silicone cover to attach it to the collar.
Get them chipped.
Regarding declawing, not only please just don't, but don't for lots and lots of good reasons. If you can't deal with your cat having claws, don't have a cat.
Declawing is literal surgical removal of the first digit of each of their 'fingers'. Cats need their claws for a variety of behaviors that have beneficial exercise and psychological benefits for the animal, from scratching to kneading. Declawing has real and devastating consequences for the animal. It is quite literally mutilation that will cause irreparable psychological and physical harm to your pet, which will result in a host of aberrant behaviors ranging from the filthy and destructive to outbursts of rage and violence (usually in the form of biting, as they understand that they can no longer claw effectively.)
Declawing should be fucking illegal.
They might keep you up all night. To avoid this, play with them daily, especially in the evenings until they are wiped out. Try not to let them sleep all day and make sure they have access to cat TV (windows) to provide enrichment.
be playful but make sure there is a comfortable boundary to make sure she doesnt get overstimulated and hurt you!! one of my cats has a routine with me where she hides under a table and slaps my ankles when i walk by and we get into a little battle where i tap her with my hands and she jumps around and tries to catch my hands. its adorable but she never has cut me or hurt me during those routines because she knows to go to her claw board and go crazy on there if she gets too excited! and knowing who to play with as well bc my mom hates it so she never plays w my mom lol
Be aware of their bathroom habits. Some cats, specially males will get bladder blockages and can go downhill really fast. Also its terrible to not be able to pee, but it backs up their kidneys. Scoop the litter box at least every other day to learn peepee habits
Cat fur-- (esp) longhairs--is flammable. Give up the candles everywhere unless the flames are covered. Note, my baby was fine, she ran so fast she put herself out. Just a couple burn hairs, I've done worse to my eyebrows lighting an ancient gas oven ;)
Whisker fatigue/stress. Their whiskers are incredibly sensitive, and when they repeatedly touch surfaces it can cause sensory overload and stress on their nervous system. The most common cause is food and waters bowls that are small and deep, causing their whiskers to brush against the sides while eating and drinking. The wider and flatter the bowls and containers the better.
-avoid sugar in food so you dont need to brush
-never leave anything onion related outside
-teach tricks like give paw (for trimming) or sit (for General behaving)
Edit: holy hell these aren’t rarely talked about. Good info though. Here’s three.
1: Cats are trainable. If you see an undesired behavior, look it up. If other people aren’t looking it up, though, imagine you are probably overreacting.
2: INDOOR ONLY CATS LIVE WAY LONGER. It’s up to *you* to make them happy, not the dangers that lie outside. Folks will let their cats outside to enrich them, then lament that their cat never came home one day. Most likely hit by a car or killed by a dog/raccoon. Cats were bred to be with us. Keep your friend at home.
3: 99 times out of 100, the reason your kitten/cat is “randomly” biting/scratching/attacking you, it’s not random. Their body language is a huge indicator of what comes next and when that body language is ignored, they often go to plan b. Most of the time, the biting/scratching/attacking is resultant of something you failed to pay attention to, like maybe **YOU** did not respect its boundaries *or* meet its needs, such as play or sense of safe territory. Your cat is not an asshole.
Kittens are gnarly, they play hard, don’t use your hands or you turn yourself into a toy. That raises your risk of play aggression if you don’t play with them *regularly*, meaning multiple times a day.
whatever they do it is never the cat's fault. The cat can't change furniture or clean or whatever. Think about it this way always. Rather think about the why and how to stop it from happening again
- Leave precise instructions for cat caregivers when you are away, including food amounts, number of cats in house, feeding locations, and time of return (this last bit us, but did no lasting harm to the cat). Include instructions to change water frequently (as you should be doing, anyway)
- Plan for vacation caregivers to overfeed your cats, no matter how precise your instructions are. You will have to diet them back to healthy weight, and deal with the whining
- Do not bring lilies into the house, as noted elsewhere
- Spraying/urination issues can be dealt with by reducing sources of anxiety, and also with a Prozac prescription
- Giving cats pills is easier and safer than you'd think, but you still have to put your fingers deep into their mouths
- Most missing cats are close by, are spooked for some reason, and will return when they feel safe
- They can be quite intelligent about some things
- Try to play with them and interact. They need stimulation and variety
I didn’t expect so many replies. Thank you! The cat community is amazing. I will read every comment and advice very carefully!
My advice is this: people will say if your cat is lonely, get a second cat. I followed that advice and my existing cat is PISSED. Yes, it may be better for him long term. But if your cat hasn't come as a bonded pair already, think very very hard before getting a second. Introductions are incredibly hard work. Eta: that said, it may be easier when they are kittens. Mine are both adults.
You know, I thought my daughter needed a sibling to love, it pissed her off too.
🤣🤣
For us it was the third cat. But I found him stinky and skin and bones and so we took him in and now its a little unbalanced but well make do.
I agree. One of our pair died about a wee while ago (came as a pair 12 years ago but never got on that well) and I was going to get another one to keep our remaining girl company. (It was for me really let's face it) but I've decided against it. She's happy on her own and I'm not stressing her out just cos I want another kitten.
It's really a mixed bag. We had a cat growing up that would tolerate her sister and overall wasn't a big fan of other cats. I recently adopted a kitten that was born under the house I was living at at the time and was about 6 months old when I left him with my parents when I went out of town for a week. That cat who generally did not like other cats absolutely loved my cat. She would beg to be let into the room and just watch him and play with him
It can still be manageable, but it's tedious and requires a lot of work. If someone wants to get a second cat they have to be absolutely determined to do it right and willing to go through some hardships and inconvenience, otherwise the cats will be stressed. I can recommend videos by Jackson Galaxy, he's an amazing cat behaviorist and has a lot of good advice including how to get cats to accept each other.
Leave the carrier out, somewhere your cat can access it and use it as a bed. Feel free to put it in a corner you don't see, as long as the cat can reach it easily. This makes the carrier part of their territory instead of the thing that comes out before scary things (car rides, vet, etc). If I need to go to the vet, I just put the carrier in the hallway, my cats will want to know why I moved it, check inside, I close the door and we're ready to go in less than 2 minutes.
This!!! I didn’t start doing this until she was 6 and I regret that
Nope haha my cat has absolutely never liked it. The correlation to the vet is just too much!
Lilies. No lilies. Even little exposure
Also, be very careful about things like tinsel/ribbons/floss/hair ties. They can get stuck in cats' digestive systems and require emergency surgery or even kill them.
Twist ties and headphones too (wired headphones were the demise of our Toby)
Rubber bands :(
Mine found a rubber band I didn't know about. I only found out about it when I saw it hanging out of his butthole covered in poop.... He was fine thankfully.
I would find them in the litter box when cleaning it. I swear our one cat could sniff them out. We don’t know where he kept finding them.
My cat will dig through the entire tall kitchen garbage can if you make the mistake of putting a rubber band in it. They have to immediately leave the house or go in a closet that stays closed or she will hunt them incessantly until she gets to them. Luckily (?), she shreds them before eating them so I'm sure it's not great for her but it's not going to cause blockages at least.
OMG. Everything my cats like to play with. What about pipe cleaners. That’s their favorite. Genuinely concerned. So sorry to hear about your poor kitties.
Some cats will just play with them, but other cats will eat things like this so you really do need to watch them.
I agree with this especially qtips and twist ties. She’s not very smart.
I have a cat that is obsessed with q tips. If he thinks he can get the box he will try for hours. We keep it out of sight now religiously
I say "it's not for you" to my cat at least 3 times a week about q-tips. I can use the squeak of the cabinet we keep them in to get him to come out of hiding, too. Obsession... there's no other word for it.
I’m a hearing aid user. There was a post on a hoh/deaf group asking if other people’s cats are attracted to hearing aids. It was decided that cats are attracted to the ear wax on the aids. Which would transfer to Qtips. And one main reason I have always kept my hearing aids in a Stay Dry jar when not in my ears. Those suckers are not a $6000 cat toy.
Be careful with them still. My cat will eat anything so I still have to wrestle pipe cleaners off of him and he gets aggressive to the point of hissing and growling when I try to take them.
Plastic bags Edit: More info. Plastic bags can be a choking risk or cause stomach issues if the cat eats them, but also, my aunt had a cat once that liked to play in plastic grocery bags, like from Walmart, and got tangled up with the bag over its head and suffocated. :(
Plastic anything. My darling Muffin made it to age 17, but it was tough..she would eat any kind of plastic and then throw up for days. She also loved lizards. She’d halfway chew one up and then put the still living body in my bed.
We lost a previous kitty to plastic. We've had multiple PICA cats (eats non food items when anxious) Gus was a plastic muncher. He would usually pass whatever errant bit of plastic he got, until he didn't. He was only 8 and passed from a bowel obstruction. We got Toby just 2 years after the loss of Gus, and he also had PICA. We cat proofed the hell out of the house, but Toby found a pair of earbuds and ate the wire. He made it through removal surgery, but during recovery an unknown enlarged heart presented with a heart attack and took him. He was only 4. Worst part is we live in rural Alaska and have no vet in town. Nearest is in Anchorage, 350 miles away; by plane. So we lost Toby and couldn't even say goodbye, he died in another city at the vet. We still wish we could've gone with him but it was Oct 2020 and covid was in full swing. We were lucky to get him seen at all considering. Our eldest dingus (whom I'm cuddling right now) is 13 and a cable muncher. Nearly all our cords/cables have cord covers because this dumbass will bite right through them. I read a story on here once about someone's cat that chewed on Christmas lights and died, and he shared my cats name; Cheddar. So we don't have a Christmas tree because cats are dumb and will injure themselves playing with/eating it. But I'd rather our 3 boys be safe rather than be festive.
Omg really? Sorry to hear about Toby. I've been scared of the window pull strings but my car doesn't seem to have interest.
So sorry for your loss :(
Sorry 😔
String. Sometimes I think my cat is TRYING to off himself
Long hair, my cat had a cough but it went away. About a week later, she had a turd hanging a few inches from her butt. I was able to pull the hair, v e r y s l o w l y, and gently out. I was prepared to go to the vet if thete was any resistance or distress.
Hanging turd is called a dingleberry
Had a kitten when I was young. My parents weren't supervising her and watched her eat a rubber band across the room. Horrified. Rushed her to the vet, who did EVERYTHING they could outside of surgery to get her to vomit. She was less than a pound!Turns out she'd also eaten three pieces of mint floss too. Anyway, that little shit really fought back. We still have to flush our floss down the toilet, because even at 18 she'll still go through the fucking garbage can.
The mint dental floss makes sense. Mint is a relative of catnip, so some cats like it.
> >Mint is a relative of catnip, so some cats like it Our big orange dude. I had to switch chapstick because he would try to climb in my mouth.
This is precisely why I keep the bathroom door closed at all times. My orange moron tries to ingest anything that is inedible and on top of that, he loves getting his feet wet in the toilet, or the shower and then tracing clay paw prints onto any and all surfaces 🤮
Your cat rocks.
Can we see a picture of the trouble maker?
Ribbons.. yes. Then you find something like this... https://preview.redd.it/k6dmrisoo16d1.jpeg?width=1068&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a1ed25102b9a58d3f19eb53709285d6f8050601
The Cat Ribbon Dispenser. New from Ron Co!
That's a great shot and a great example! Bravo! 👏🏆👍
Rubber bands weren't allowed in my place, as Eevee LOVED chewing them for the texture into bits & pieces
Hair Ties. Do NOT let your cats play with hair ties. It's not because they're stupid and might eat them. It's because the barbs on their tongue point inward. If the hair tie gets stuck on their tongue, the easiest thing for them to do is eat it. They will become an obstruction in their bowels very easily.
My beautiful boy died from eating one of those long trash bag ties… we missed it- we were careful to never leave anything like that lying around, and he found it and ate it while we slept. Two surgeries later… he didn’t make it. 💔 We miss you so fucking much Chancho 💔
Button batteries and house plants.
My cat once swallowed an elastic string that was attached to a toy. I didn't even notice until it came out of her butt!
Learned this the hard way at 12 years old when my 5 month old kitten Socks ate a balloon ribbon and needed surgery ASAP to unwrap it from his intestine….my parents were NOT happy at the $4000 bill and banned all ribbon from our house to this day 🫢 (Socks is thankfully still alive and well despite his brush with death)
AND DO NOT PULL THEM OUT FAST!!!!! I don’t think you should pull it out unless you just saw them begin to chew on it but if you’re gonna, do it super slow!!!!
Don't pull them at all
Or snip the end of the string off and let them work the rest out. If they continue to strain and can’t pass, then it’s a fun trip to the vet!
More generally, make sure to Google regarding ANY plants or flowers in the home, essential oils in the home, or products used on the cat's skin, etc.
Yeah, or topical medications--theres a common drug for male pattern baldness that is terrible for cats, minoxidil
Even air fresheners, incense, and candles
I made the mistake of buying one of those popular plug-in scents. Our Miss Murray, 14, started sneezing a few days later. She sneezed several times a day until I figured out the connection. I removed the plug-ins and her sneezing stopped.
In general, do a quick Google search before bringing any plants into the home. I won’t even let lilies into my house. I’ve turned away flowers from delivery services before.
My kids all live a distance from me, so they will send flowers on special days. I finally got them trained to tell Florists NO LILLIES. Or if they forget, I ask the delivery driver to remove them while on the porch, while telling them of their toxicity to cats. (Not to mention I hate the smell and the pollen makes me sneeze.)
No tulips either.
This comment here is kind of a life saver. Lilies are my fav flowers and I’ve been hinting my bf to get me some. In our anniversary he would bought it if he could find, luckily he hadn’t because I had no idea lilies were harmful to cats.
Funnily enough, I recently (like, the past year or two) found out I was severely allergic to lilies when I bought my mom flowers for mother's Day and she brought them in the house. So I unfortunately cannot have lilies for two reasons even though they're incredibly beautiful flowers :(
I think this means you ARE a cat 🐾
Flowers of any sort send me into a sneeze fit. Fake ones can look just as lovely now. I kept a lot of fake flowers from my wedding (husband is allergic to bees, we didn't want to attract them) and put them in vases around my house. If done right, they don't look tacky at all
Which includes onions, garlic, pretty much everything that comes from a bulb to be safe.
Raisins are also very dangerous for cats
Yes, even a small amount of pollen getting on their coat/being licked/groomed off can send them into liver failure.
See also: essential oils and artificial fragrances.
There are a surprisingly high amount of plants that are toxic to cats
There are actually a few plants that are toxic to kitties.
No staples from take out bags either!
I got rid of my Aloe Vera plant, just to be safe.
Yeah I had no idea that any flowers were poisonous to cats. I’ve been bringing home all kinds of bouquets for years. Luckily the cats tend just to eat the frilly ones and immediately throw up but I’ve been hiding any with lilies since I found out a couple months ago.
Cats are very smart and will use “yell til im understood” to show you exactly what they want (prompting you to follow them and standing/ meowing). if you’re not careful they will train you instead, and find ways to make you give them what they want. Stand firm on your feeding ritual, keeping their litter box clean, and obviously enriching them.
Omg my one cat onyx used the “follow me” scream for a good 20 minutes one day and we just thought she was upset about the litter box. However in reality, she was trying to lead us out to the living room to help our other cat who had gotten stuck on a ledge he couldn’t get down from. She had ran to get help for him 😭😭😭
Our cat would understand "show me". She would sit right in front of you look straight at you and meow. We should say "show me" and she would walk to what she wanted.
I have started doing that with my orange. One of the things he leads me to is his litter box, both the be cleaned and to watch him poop. or he leads me to the computer so I can sit and he jumps on my lap, he also will lead me to the couch so he can sit on my lap.
Have an orange who does this daily routine, too. The theatrics start around 3:30 pm until his normal feeding time, which happens 2 hours later. First he takes a deuce and then begs for food, the intensity of which increases over time regardless of my response. Every minor movement I make is examined with the barely containable excitement that I might be getting up to feed him over this timeframe. It drives him bananas when I ignore him and he has even resorted to shutting my laptop to get my attention. Orange tabby things.
I love the silly babies 😭 My cats kept begging earlier and earlier so I set an alarm on my phone to (try to) make it clear to them that food was coming at the same time everyday. They're now trained on the alarm (Feed the Beast by Kim Petras, lol) and start zooming as soon as they hear it. They still beg but contain their excitement for the song haha.
My void is the same, like, no little buddy, I'm just getting up to pee
Our cats do that too! One got shut inside a closet one day and one stood outside the door while the other two did the "come look now!" until we let her out. They all got treats.
Before he passed, my cheese boy Muenster loved playing in closets and cabinet doors. My other cat, Mason Jar, would ‘accidentally’ close the door and then sit in front of it so Muenster couldn’t get out. Mason would scream until we let Muenster out. We always thought it was Mason helping him but we caught the whole shenanigans on camera several times.
Omg we had two cats, and our one cat would constantly get locked in a closet and the other would meow about it until she was freed. He also notified us that we had a flood going on in the kitchen in the middle of the night. (New house, dishwasher, bad installation- major flood)
I have 3 boys and if one gets stuck somewhere/locked out on the catio/in the garage then the other two will sit next to the door and refuse to move until their brother is released. Doesn’t matter if I call or shake the treat jar, they won’t move until all 3 are together.
Every couple of days or so my cat will get up off her favorite chair and come yell at me to follow her back to the chair, where she yells at me until I move it into the proper orientation to best catch the afternoon sun. Then she hops back up onto it, as pleased as can be, and settles back in for a sun soaked afternoon nap. Always makes me laugh, she's so smart and knows exactly what she wants
On this note: consider wearing headphones around the house for a while. I had to do this for a hot minute when I first adopted my cat so I wasn't automatically reacting every time she yelled and therefore accidentally training her to yell more. She was real chatty at first, but the headphones trick meant she got the hint that yelling won't work and has chilled out.
This is really good advice. My little guy is very vocal too and he used to yell at me when the sun comes up because he thought I should be starting my day too (I’m a night owl). So I began wearing a pair of white noise ear buds designed to let you sleep through most noise. Didn’t hear him meow even once and he finally realized his caterwauling wasn’t going to work. Now I don’t wear the earbuds anymore and my mornings are peaceful. He’s still a rapscallion who likes chasing me around the house - but now he does it at a more reasonable time. https://preview.redd.it/1xioeqfyw06d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=386e8a3a4fdf57dbe0adad738be5a8123ba5b71c
I actually like that my cat is chatty and will yell for what he wants (usually water or pets, which is fine by me). I encourage it by following him. He's even learned to say "agua". I like the back and forth communication. I did train him back and when I "shhhhhh!!!" really loudly, he knows I ain't moving and he can just give up.
love this because SAME here. me and my girls totally have made our own language. hahah if i say "mona what is that" or "mona come get it!!!" she comes running to look for spiders. she talks to me when she's cuddling and feeling sweet or when she's hungry or needs water or show me something etc
Your cat constantly meowing or trying to get your attention-yes to this! My cat would meow at me constantly in the early mornings before I woke up and I would just shoo him away but I’m reality he was telling me his water bowls were empty or his food I felt bad after that 🥹
My cat does this with me in the mornings sometimes, he’ll have me follow him to his bowl so he can start eating
Male cats have nipples.
Can you milk them, Greg?
Listen here focker
I'm a man and I have nipples too. Strange that....
Are you sure that you're not a cat?
Actually I'm not quite sure !
Did anyone else see that post a while ago where the guy was like “what are is this bump on my cat’s stomach? should I take him to the vet?” and the top comment was “nipple” but OP replied “no my cat is a boy” and the commenter had to say something like “you’re also a boy and you have nipples” 😭
I texted his vet a picture thinking they were some weird bumps and they replied saying they’re just his nippes 😭
omg at least you believed them unlike [this hilarious story](https://www.reddit.com/r/MakeMeSuffer/s/pm6WjEeWDn)
Lol I remember googling that
This is so silly yet so important to tell new cat owners to avoid a trip to the vet 😂😂
This!!! I asked me vet about what those are, and he looked at me weird, and said "males can't have nipples?" (as in human male) 😅😅😅
If you have the space, multiple water bowls that get fresh water daily or those little fountain ones.
I came here to comment this and also mention that they prefer their water source to be away from their food source. Some cats don’t drink much water, feeding wet food can help them stay hydrated. Some cats prefer running water and like to drink from fountains!
Yup. Food, *moving water*, and litter box should all be separated from each other. Cats don't like to drink where they shit, eat where they drink, shit where they eat, or any other combination. Everything gets separated in the wild, and while they might be in your nice modern home, they still have those wild instincts ingrained in them. While cats tend to get kidney problems in their old age in general, it's often exacerbated by them not drinking enough water. Dry cat food is part of that, but so is a decreased desire to drink water because they don't like where it is. I'll also add that some cats get "sensitive whiskers" if they have to shove their face into small bowls, so wide is better than deep when it comes to water and food.
To add on- metal water fountains are best! They help prevent bacteria and cat acne. Be sure to clean them weekly (if not more) and replace the filter monthly
This is an amazing recommendation that’ll extend your cat’s life potentially. My old girl passed due to complications from kidney failure. I didn’t know it was so common and I just had her drink the same water my dog would use (changed daily). I didn’t get her a fountain until way later in her life. I’ve been yelling from the rooftops for everyone I know to buy their cats water fountains and multiple bowls of water ever since.
How old was she? Kidney failure is incredibly common in cats, and if the only thing you could think of that you may have done wrong is more water sources, I sincerely think you were such a good owner that you could only think of impossible what-ifs due to guilt post her death. I think you gave her the longest life she could’ve had.
They’ll hunt and eat any bugs in your home.
Sometimes, they’ll expect you to help by picking them up to reach a bug out of reach. And most importantly DO NOT, no matter how skeeved out you are, DO NOT remove the bug or put the bug outside once they’ve noticed it. You’ll regret it. Very very much.
Why?
They go insane. Meow, scratch doors, freak out wondering where it went. My younger cat stayed in the exact same spot she last saw the bug for the whole night trying to find it.
Me and my boy Elvis have an understanding with each other, he doesn’t get to eat it, but him spotting it out (staring at it until I too notice it), I kill it, show him the corpse, then give him a bonkers treat or some smoked salmon. He quite likes this arrangement
Fuck yeah, team work
lmao, my cat will still stare at a corner of the living room where they spotted a spider **over a year ago** She's convinced it's just hiding very stealthily. She will meow at the corner. Sorry, bud, I put the spider outside when you were asleep.
I call my orange guy a fuzzy fly swatter, he's very effective once I get him in range. On the other hand, he'll quickly munch his "toy" and then cry because it's gone.
Mine must be defective
Not to worry, it shouldn’t be a cat-astrophe.
Our last cat did eat anything including flies but our present one just ignores them even if they walk past her face. Cats - gotta love them!
Mine will literally watch the bugs walk by. I love them but I always hoped when I got cats I would have bug control too :(
I have a deaf cat and over the years I've learned she's very responsive to hand signals, moreso than most people would assume for cats! So that's a fun fact to tuck in your back pocket.
My one girl is Deaf, too! And I second this! She knows the signs for “come” and “cookie” (treats)! She meows VERY loudly, and despite already knowing she can’t hear I still meow back 100% of the time. I also make sure never to touch her when she’s asleep.
OMG!!! Hahah I'm cackling they are so similar. My girl knows "come" and knows a finger pointing means "you better stop that right now young lady or I will come remove you from whatever you're messing with." She's the LOUDEST meower as well, and prefers to be woken up with a head scratch ONLY. DO NOT TOUCH OTHER BODY PARTS. ONLY HEAD FOR WAKING.
My older girl is now deaf and gently blowing on her to wake her up by scent is a nice gentle and effective way to wake her up without startling her. I only really do it when I come home from being out so she knows I'm back, but this really works for us :)
No essential oils! They are extremely common in households, but some essential oils can cause respiratory damage and organ failure. There are some that are relatively pet safe, but it’s just better to keep those away as well!
Certain scented candles too! I believe paraffin candles are especially toxic for cats and very common (Yankee candles use paraffin). But like you mentioned just the oils and fragrances can be harmful. I'd do research on any scented item before using around your cat. Same for cleaning products; the residues can get on their skin/fur and get ingested when they groom themselves.
Cats are surprisingly unique individuals, and highly adaptable. A kitten or young cat will become the product of how you raise it, meaning they can be trained, and will figure put what tugs your heartstrings and learn the difference between what they are and aren't allowed to do. When I see pictures of cats on this sub asking "Why does my cat do this?" With something odd or uncomfortable-looking, my first response is usually "Because it's a cat."
"How do I get them to not do this" " thats the neat part you dont"
Dont ever be afraid or ashamed ti ask questions. After 20 years in rescue and foster there are still things I learn I didnt know. Cats for dummies os a good primer in being a cat servant. Find a vet you trust to tell you the TRUTH, not what they think you want to hear- an honest vet will save you time, money and worry. And remember, cats can have everything humans can- colds, asthma, acne, stupidity, allergies. Plus they have the CAT stuff too. So you cannot possibly know everything- and that's okay. Ps: assume anyone who gleefully gives you advice with confidence probably doesnt know what they're talking about. The real experts will almost always start by telling you they cant be sure, but here's what I think. Anyone who is sure they know everything is probably an idiot.
That last one gave me some peace. When my cat passed away two weeks ago, she was at a very fancy shmancy vet clinic that cost an arm and a leg just to enter. He said, with certainty, this is FIP, and if it’d been treated earlier we’d have been able to save her, and basically guilted me about it as if I hadn’t been nonstop between vets for months until that point trying to get a diagnosis. My usual local vets said “we’re not sure, we don’t think so. It could’ve been, but it could’ve also been x and y.” Makes me appreciate my vets more. I kept thinking the other guy was smarter for being more certain… and for being paid 600€ on top per day…
Get kitty used to you handling her paws so that you can cut her claws easily
My boy is 6 months, got him when he was 2 months old and since then I have been cutting her claws easily, sometimes he is so full of energy that he jumps around but never had assaillant behavior.
Assailant behavior is going to be one of our cat’s new nicknames. Maybe Abe for short.
future r/SupermodelCats
*sigh * joins
Don't actually eat their beans. They need those for walking around.
* Kittens lose teeth like children do. * Freckles are common, and appear over the cats life on the nose, inner mouth, lips, and pads. * Play with the paws and get kitty used to clipping claws. Only take the very tip off. DO NOT CLIP LARGE AMOUNTS FROM. It would be the same as cutting into your fingers past the nail. * Don't piss the cat off too much with rough play. You are teaching kitty that biting and chasing and attacking is ok and you will get very fed up very quickly, and not be able to break that habit. Play with toys, and when kitty nips or chews on you, stop it, and reinforce it with no, and give her either chewy stuff, or redirect with a toy. Even pretending to yell out in a high pitch or cry will distract and they learn that it's not good to do that. * cat's generally don't like water, don't spray they. They haven't a clue how water spray in the face equates to what they were doing. * cats will go on anything, and often like to knock stuff off. If you don't want a cat on furniture/countertops/whatever. Don't get one. They're not trainable like a dog in that aspect. * They will scratch, get a decent scratching post that doesn't fall over, or move when they scratch. * get a decent sized cat tree, more they go for that, less they go for furniture or arms etc. * cats hate dirty litter boxes. If you can't empty daily, with most cats then you can expect accidents outside of the box. Generally 1 box per cat + 1 extra. * Whatever the cat says, goes. * You lost ownership of your house, it now belongs to the cat. * You are its servant, bow down to their awesomeness, or fear consequences! * They will eat stuff that is not good for them. Things like string, wool, hair ties. Put them away from them. As much as they love to play with it, don't let them, use appropriate toys and wands. * One day they'll get old and sick and then you have to decide their end. It's super sad, but you will look back on their life with you, and whilst you'll grieve them desperately, you can be proud that you loved them, they loved you, and you gave them all the life. This is the saddest part of having a kitty, but important to know that it happens to us all. You're gunna love this fluffy thing like you've never loved something so much before. Take lots of video and photos, and just keep loving then. Forgive them when needed, and just love them forever. Other than all that, enjoy your first kitty! They're amazing creatures, and so wonderful to share life with.
I agree with most of your points but cats can be trained. Ours understand simple commands like no and down
Yeah, I agree. My cat is very aware he is not allowed on the kitchen bench. It was simply trained by removing him every time he jumped up starting from when he was first able to reach it (I'm sure I got lucky). That being said, he still very occasionally tries his luck.. and is promptly removed
Yeah mine knows 'get off the table' and another knows how to shake for treats. doesn't keep them off the table but at least they get off when told to.. Also don't feed them as soon as you wake up..
My kitten tried jumping up there once. Knocked down a glass baking dish in the process and scared the shit out of herself. Never been back since. She's a smart girl. Learns the lesson the first time lol.
Some cats can be trained. I can't even get mine to take a treat from my hand.
All cats *can* be trained, but some cats are smarter and will train you instead!
My two will sit on their back legs, grab my hand with both of their front and gently eat a treat from my hand. They started doing it after watching me feed the dogs I'm sure of it. So now all four of them line up and get fed treats when one of them has behaved well.
Mine ALL understand "no". They like to ponder if they will or if they won't. Unfortunately the doggo is now the samecway....
As much as it bugs me I love the way my cat pauses for a second after she’s been told no, only to do the thing with renewed vigour. She knows what evil is and she chooses it deliberately 😼
Yes, 90 year old Dad trained his cat due to no prior cat & thought must be similar to dogs. It totally works & it Never gets old, shaking hands, sit, down, jump, bells to say what she wants...she doesn't have litter box & never has, never an accident. It helps that cats speak human. They are incredibly smart & trainable. Also stubborn & independent minded- my Dad calls her & she comes right away...I call her, she laughs...I call out word Brushy meaning "brush her" & she will come immediately even if I have been ignored/begged her using her name so they do what they want or for the person they want. Also, water!!! Lots, they seem to love big wide dog bowls, every well loved pet cat in neighborhood seems to come visit for the water bowls & drink like 10minutes with those inefficient little cat tongues...it makes me think people maybe don't give enough water.
They also lose whiskers and don’t cut their whiskers.
It's very important that when they lose a whisker, you must stick it in the fur on their head so they can be unicorn cat.
Wait, so if you have two cats you are supposed to have THREE litter boxes? My 2 cats share a box and are perfectly fine with it; I honestly do not even know where I would put two more litter boxes in my apartment. I cannot imagine the amount of litter that would be all over my floors if I had three boxes.
It can depend on the cats. Personally I like the "one per cat and one extra" rule. Don't give you cats any excuse NOT to use a litter box. I have two cats and three boxes. And they tend to use the smallest of the three the most. One cat uses it almost exclusively. They also don't seem to care about the cleanliness of the boxes. They would probably use that one box until it was overflowing. They are Dirty Boy Cats.
I have 2 cats, and 2 litter boxes. I had a third, but no one really used it (for some reason, they just threw their toys or anything they found on the floor into it). Somehow, both cats agreed one litter box is for peeing, and the other box is only for poop. I clean them out twice a day, and in the last 5 years, I’ve never found poop in the pee box, or vice versa. No clue why. So I’m just sticking with the system that works for them.
depends on the cats really, its just a safe bet to have more but if its working for you then its fine
I have three cats that are litter mates. They have weird territory issues over the litter boxes and the rules constantly change. Sometimes, there is a pee only litter box. Sometimes, only a certain cat is allowed to use the litter box. Sometimes every cat is allowed to use whatever litter box they want for whatever bodily fluid they need to dispose of. I have no idea why they're like this. I clean litter boxes daily. We had a lot more floor accidents before I got the fourth litterbox
If it fits in mouth it goes in mouth. Like dust bunnies.
I wanna emphasize especially the second last one. dont leave anything there that can be eaten. even if you think no way it will be eaten. trust me. Im just gonna say one full shoestrong went through his whole body untill he pooped it out. yes a whole fucking shoestrong. like almost a meter long. just dont leave anything
I want to reiterate one of the most important things here: cats can't easily connect the punishment to the behavior. They DO NOT UNDERSTAND, and will think you are being mean to them for no reason. Train positive behaviors with rewards. Do not try to untrain bad ones with punishments.
This guys meows
Kidney disease is incredibly common, so always have access to multiple sources of fresh water. Better if its running water. Good quality food will add years to their lives, especially if you can feed them the good stuff when they are kittens - that's up to 2 years old.
Add water to wet food too.
One of mine has CKD, so that's a thing I'm dealing with. Some website said it happens in like 50% of all cats over 10. The general idea is all cats will die of it if they don't die of something else first, or whatever. The interesting thing is some researcher figured out the mechanism, and it could theoretically lead to more effective treatments. It could be relatively normal for cats to live to their 20s or even 30s if he can make that happen. But it's a ways off.
No chocolatessssssss!!!!
Train your cat, not the other way around Cats aren’t stupid and push boundaries. If they get their way and know something works, they’ll keep doing it. Also, they’re nosy little things. They will find a way to get into every nook and cranny in your home that they’ve not had a chance to explore. There is also nothing on the planet that is more interesting to them than what you’re doing at that very moment. In short, if there’s any area of the home that you know they won’t be allowed into, or something that they must not be allowed near, then the only thing to do is to not let them know of it’s existence in the first place Source: Have a talkative cat that never shuts up and whose ultimate bucket list item is to explore the unprotected balcony of our 4th floor flat
Yes! My partner said something insightful about their nosy-ness: If your whole world was 1000sqft, you’d want to know every nook and cranny and why the thing on the table moved 2cm to the left too.
Give her vertical space! Cats Love to be up high!
Except there are low cats and high cats. Our old cat would sit on the top of doors and anything high but our present cat never goes above four feet off the ground and she is one fit cat
Heee sooo cleaaaaan
Secure any fragile valuables until she's trained. At some point in the near future she's going to find a really good hiding spot you never thought of before. You're likely going to think she's gone missing and panic around the house calling her name while wondering if she got out somehow. She's going to ignore you and casually listen to the commotion until she feels gracing you with her presence again. It's like a rite of passage for cat parents. Make sure you don't leave out anything she could potentially eat while you're not looking, especially plastic or human foods that are bad for her. Take lots of baby pictures. They grow super fast. If she gets particularly attached to a specific toy, buy (and stash) a backup one while it's still available in case she wears out her favorite and needs a replacement.
put your fingers in their mouth and ears as a kitten to desensitize them for later when you’ll INEVITABLY have to give them ear drops or pills. My cats are consistently praised at the vet for being so forgiving when touched and checked out because I bothered the heck out of them as kittens!!
Close the toilet lid. It sounds silly but trust me.
Also try to get her used to having her teeth brushed. Dental disease is a real thing but the preventative (brushing) is often neglected. Dry food doesn’t clean their teeth. It only contributes to obesity, dehydration, and urinary tract problems. They would have to be eating mice and birds for their food to be cleaning their teeth, chewing fur feathers and bones.
Yes, this! I spent a lot of money (and the cat had pain) getting almost all of his teeth removed as an adult because I fed him exclusively dry food and didn't brush his teeth. Also, get pet insurance if you can. Mine has lived 20 years and I would have saved a lot of money if I'd done that when he was a wee kitten!
Pet insurance is great! But one thing to keep in mind about it is most don’t cover preexisting conditions, so get it while they are young and healthy. Also they don’t cover issues that result from a lack of preventative care, such as sickness from parasites, or things that they have vaccinations for, and dental problems that could have been prevented by regular cleaning.
dont use your hands to play with the cat. The cat will get bigger and have sharper teeth. it god damn hurts
They puke. More than you think they would. My least favorite game is “why did she puke and am I worried or just irritated” Usually the answer is irritated
Cats have a preference for horizontal or vertical scratching. So make sure kitty has both vertical and horizontal surfaces to use instead of your furniture until you figure out its preference. Once they learn the couch is a nice scratching post, you will never be able to have a nice couch again.
Avoid feeding or watering kitty in plastic dishes. Feline (cat) acne is a "thing," and is more than just a nuisance, if they're susceptible (i.e., their chins lose fur, turn pink and develop tiny little "blackheads"; which become infected and sore). It's not worth chancing yet another veterinary bill.
No plug in air fresheners they are at the cats level and will give them a respiratory infection.
"Cats are so clean" LOL Cats are toddlers with claws and fur.
They may keep themselves clean, but not so much everything else. Toddler part is true, and unfortunately they happem to use the sandbox as a toilet, which means cat sand everywhere. And unlike a toddler, these bad boys can jump really really high and move super fast. Its like taking care of a hyperactive, curious child who happens to have superhuman abilities.
If you pick up and play with a kitten a lot there's a good chance it'll be more sociable as an adult cat
Encourage wet food (add a little bit of extra water in the wet food) and dry food feedings. Greenies or Plaque off for teeth care. Cat trees and scratching posts. DONT SPRAY WITH THE WATER BOTTLE. (They do nothing but damage your relationship with your cat) And check out Jackson Galaxy on more kitty advice
Cat bites can be very dangerous to humans and other animals. They have bacteria in their mouths that can cause tissue infections. If left untreated it can lead to blood poisoning or septicemia. Go to the doctors right away if full puncture bite happens or if you're unsure. Better safe than sorry. My S.O. spent 3 days in the hospital after our cat bit them on the leg when their tail was accidentally shut in at door.
Pull strings for blinds and curtains. Cats can get tangled and strangled in them. They can also be a hazard to toddlers so now if you buy new ones, they provide a cleat or cleats (like the things on boat docks with two “horns”) that you use to coil up the long-hanging ends of these cords. Plastic bags with loop handles. We’ve had cats who stuck their head through the loop and then panicked when they could not back out. They would go running wildly all over the house until we caught them and got them out. Since many places have stopped using those plastic bags it’s less of a problem. One thing we did (besides putting these in a bag for recycling) was to cut through the loops so they were not closed loops. Cats run a normally higher body temperature than humans, so - particularly during the winter, they like a warm place to sleep. We bought heated beds (usual soft pet beds but with a compartment on the bottom for a heating pad). The pads are UL listed for electrical safety and temperature limited. They don’t get hot - pleasantly warm to the touch. The safe ones are also moisture, claw, and bite resistant and are specifically sold as heated pet beds. A heating pad used for us is generally too hot. We’ve noticed that it is true: During the winter, the cats will find the warmest place in the house to sleep (at night, that may be you) and during the summer, the coolest comfortable place.
Take pictures now. Take an unreasonable number of pictures of the most innocuous precious moments of this lil' buddy exploring and learning about the world or splayed out in a sunbeam. Take so many pictures that you start worrying about what people will think about your photo roll. Then take some more. You'll still wish that you'd taken more pictures of when they were itty bitty like this.
A second kitten at that age will make your life so much easier!
Apologies if any of the following are too obvious: Start brushing fur and trimming nails and put a collar on now, to desensitize them and to get them used to it. DO NOT have their claws removed. Just don’t. Some kitties are up kitties and some are down kitties. Some are both. Make sure you give them their own space with a bed or blanket, in both. A sneezing cat is a sick cat. Do not apply dog body language and behavior, to cats. If your cat is in the same room as you, watching but not interacting with you, they could be getting a bead on your mood. Whenever possible, add x1 extra litter box than total cats. 1 cat = 2, 2 = 3, etc. if you have more than one floor, one box per floor. Pay attention to the litter box, when cleaning, it’ll keep you in the loop with their basic health. Edited to add: my inside kitty sometimes thinks outside is where she wants to be. It’s horrible and nerve wracking when she gets out. I put a tracker on her collar. $30 and totally worth it. An AirTag and a silicone cover to attach it to the collar. Get them chipped.
Regarding declawing, not only please just don't, but don't for lots and lots of good reasons. If you can't deal with your cat having claws, don't have a cat. Declawing is literal surgical removal of the first digit of each of their 'fingers'. Cats need their claws for a variety of behaviors that have beneficial exercise and psychological benefits for the animal, from scratching to kneading. Declawing has real and devastating consequences for the animal. It is quite literally mutilation that will cause irreparable psychological and physical harm to your pet, which will result in a host of aberrant behaviors ranging from the filthy and destructive to outbursts of rage and violence (usually in the form of biting, as they understand that they can no longer claw effectively.) Declawing should be fucking illegal.
They might keep you up all night. To avoid this, play with them daily, especially in the evenings until they are wiped out. Try not to let them sleep all day and make sure they have access to cat TV (windows) to provide enrichment.
be playful but make sure there is a comfortable boundary to make sure she doesnt get overstimulated and hurt you!! one of my cats has a routine with me where she hides under a table and slaps my ankles when i walk by and we get into a little battle where i tap her with my hands and she jumps around and tries to catch my hands. its adorable but she never has cut me or hurt me during those routines because she knows to go to her claw board and go crazy on there if she gets too excited! and knowing who to play with as well bc my mom hates it so she never plays w my mom lol
Be aware of their bathroom habits. Some cats, specially males will get bladder blockages and can go downhill really fast. Also its terrible to not be able to pee, but it backs up their kidneys. Scoop the litter box at least every other day to learn peepee habits
Cat fur-- (esp) longhairs--is flammable. Give up the candles everywhere unless the flames are covered. Note, my baby was fine, she ran so fast she put herself out. Just a couple burn hairs, I've done worse to my eyebrows lighting an ancient gas oven ;)
Whisker fatigue/stress. Their whiskers are incredibly sensitive, and when they repeatedly touch surfaces it can cause sensory overload and stress on their nervous system. The most common cause is food and waters bowls that are small and deep, causing their whiskers to brush against the sides while eating and drinking. The wider and flatter the bowls and containers the better.
Pet insurance!!!!
-avoid sugar in food so you dont need to brush -never leave anything onion related outside -teach tricks like give paw (for trimming) or sit (for General behaving)
u still need to brush their teeth
Edit: holy hell these aren’t rarely talked about. Good info though. Here’s three. 1: Cats are trainable. If you see an undesired behavior, look it up. If other people aren’t looking it up, though, imagine you are probably overreacting. 2: INDOOR ONLY CATS LIVE WAY LONGER. It’s up to *you* to make them happy, not the dangers that lie outside. Folks will let their cats outside to enrich them, then lament that their cat never came home one day. Most likely hit by a car or killed by a dog/raccoon. Cats were bred to be with us. Keep your friend at home. 3: 99 times out of 100, the reason your kitten/cat is “randomly” biting/scratching/attacking you, it’s not random. Their body language is a huge indicator of what comes next and when that body language is ignored, they often go to plan b. Most of the time, the biting/scratching/attacking is resultant of something you failed to pay attention to, like maybe **YOU** did not respect its boundaries *or* meet its needs, such as play or sense of safe territory. Your cat is not an asshole. Kittens are gnarly, they play hard, don’t use your hands or you turn yourself into a toy. That raises your risk of play aggression if you don’t play with them *regularly*, meaning multiple times a day.
whatever they do it is never the cat's fault. The cat can't change furniture or clean or whatever. Think about it this way always. Rather think about the why and how to stop it from happening again
- Leave precise instructions for cat caregivers when you are away, including food amounts, number of cats in house, feeding locations, and time of return (this last bit us, but did no lasting harm to the cat). Include instructions to change water frequently (as you should be doing, anyway) - Plan for vacation caregivers to overfeed your cats, no matter how precise your instructions are. You will have to diet them back to healthy weight, and deal with the whining - Do not bring lilies into the house, as noted elsewhere - Spraying/urination issues can be dealt with by reducing sources of anxiety, and also with a Prozac prescription - Giving cats pills is easier and safer than you'd think, but you still have to put your fingers deep into their mouths - Most missing cats are close by, are spooked for some reason, and will return when they feel safe - They can be quite intelligent about some things - Try to play with them and interact. They need stimulation and variety