Forums > Social Chat > I got a new kitty!

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002
I'm scared of catsWhen I was 6 a cat scratched me and after that I decided that all cats are evil------------------Do You ever Question Your life? Do You ever wonder Why? Do you ever see in Your dreams, All the castles in the Sky??

Every morning I wake up and hit the ground yawning...

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002
Oh for cute!! Sounds like a great cat! I don't have much experience with outdoor cats, I've only had indoor ones, so flee collars wern't an issue. I don't think I'd get one for him, like you said, they can get caught and than the cats in trouble. Unless the make them in a snap relase model like the normal ID collars. Are you getting him one of those? He's probably too old to try to convert to an indoor kitty, right? Outdoor cats are great, but they live much longer and are more healthy if they stay inside. Oh well, good luck gaining his trust ------------------Ambiguous

_________________________________
Fuzzy Dice.......................................

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002
I have had (and do have) lots of cats. Some are very much outside cats that go wandering off for weeks at a time, and others are total lap cats that only want to snuggle and curl up and sleep. They've all had flea collers at some time and we've had no trouble with them (catching on things) but they do tend to go missing (the collers that is) - cats are good escape artists. The best thing I've found is an ointment like Frontline (that's what we use) which lasts about 6-8 months. It's a bit pricey but it's effective and causes minimal disturbance to the cat. You'll end up with a very happy little cat hope I've been some help. Cats are lovely animals to have around - beautiful to watch, playful and affectionate and intelligent. Hope he settles down with such an obviously besotted adoptive parent

Geologists do it in the dirt................

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002

quote:

---

He's probably too old to try to convert to an indoor kitty, right?

---

He's pretty small. He's no longer a kitten but I doubt he's over 6 months old. RE: gaining his trust: Last night I sat on the floor just inside the back door and he finally came inside and sat on my lap for a while. But it started getting cold inside so I closed the door just a bit and he was right back outside almost immediatly. I guess he was OK with being inside as long as he knew he had an escape.Besides, I really don't want a litter box inside the house. So an inside/outside cat is fine with me. (Although my co-worker in the next cube says she gives me about a week before I've completly converted it to an indoor cat)

For a good Prime, call:29819592777931214269172453467810429868925511217482600306406141434158089

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002
If you are going to claim it as your own then I suggest you get one of those little identification tags for it. It is so worth when the little rascals go out for a midnight romp and decide to not call and check in with the parents! Other than that, time and patience are your best alies. I agree that those new flea treatments are far better than a dip, and that getting the little dear "fixed", while traumatic, is better than having a litter of kitties trapesing around unexpectedly!Congrats on your new friendship Dru. Pets really do fill the heart and accent the home in ways you would never have guessed.Just beware...they get addicting and soon you will find yourself thinking..."maybe I should get another so s/he isn't so lonely when I am at work"... What are you going to name him/her?------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002
Lil' kitty!!! How cool.My cats have long since grown up, & are at that lazing in the sun stage.Go the flea collar, but make it one with a bell to protect the wildlife. (although if they are smart enough, they can silence the bell when they hunt. I suspect you will only stop this by getting a cow bell so heavy they won't be able to lift it off the ground )Good luckR.

It was a day for screaming at inanimate objects.

What this calls for is a special mix of psychology and extreme violence...

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002
Well, I've named it Tequiza (yes, I named my cat after a beer) because we put an old sweater in a Tequiza 12 pack box and made it her bed.HER!? Well, as Tequiza rolled over on her back to let me scratch her belly let's just say that if what I saw is what I think I saw then He's a She. The local pet store was very helpful. They have a vet that will do vacinations in their store on Saturdays. So I'm going to bring her down there this weekend.Did I mention that I'm allergic to cats? I found that out about 12 years ago when I lived with a woman with 7 of them. But this one doesn't seem to be bothering me much. Plus, I wash up after playing with her and that helps a lot. But I can't have her fur all over the furniture or I will start itching and my eyes will swell up . . . It's not pretty.But she's so cute The pet store also suggested frontline. $15/month!! Wow, but then again, if it keeps her happy (and keeps the fleas out of my house) then it's probably worth it.Hey folks, thanks for all the good advice I havn't had a pet in the house (of my own) since I was a little kid (which was a LONG time ago. I remember when Kennedy was president!) I've always thought that I would never want animals around the house. But this little cutie is just so friendly and calm.Yep, I think she's adopted us. And I couldn't be happier.

For a good Prime, call:29819592777931214269172453467810429868925511217482600306406141434158089

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002
*trying to resist the urge to flirt. Failing misreably*If i get some furry(er) ears, a stick on tail and say miaow a lot; can I snuggle and curl up in your lap too Ros?------------------C@ntusMusic grows in the rose, rock and the rain and the blowing snowstorm,Everything seems to sing, everywhere I go,I say 1, 2 play me do,Let me sound as sweet as you,Play me wide, play me long,Let me be your song.

Meh

Posted: 2nd Apr 2002
Failed miserably to spell miserably too.....

Meh

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
sadly I am allergic to cats (except for my best friend's cat)...SO from far away they are truely cute, but I guess I am more of a dog / horses kinda person ...happy for you though shine onCassandra
Non-Https Image Link
[This message has been edited by cassandra (edited 03 April 2002).]

"I want brown bread... no, that is diesel oil..."
"So I was raised in Europe, where History comes from ..."
"NON !!! La Plume de mon oncle n est pas Bingibangibungi !!!"

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
Wow CassI really like your little catty picture.I love cats, I am a bit allergic to them too, but if I am around them enough I find I am not allergic to them as much. Go the adaptive immune system we were given at birth hey....And Cantus I think it might be hard to fit on Ros' lap, you are a wee bit bigger then a puddy-cat.------------------ ~*~ Katinca ~*~

Love and Light

~*~ Katinca ~*~

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
Did anybody else hear that we are more allergic to male cats than females ?

"I want brown bread... no, that is diesel oil..."
"So I was raised in Europe, where History comes from ..."
"NON !!! La Plume de mon oncle n est pas Bingibangibungi !!!"

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
Frontline is worth it. Get an ID tag. Then people will know she isn't a stray and be kinder to her. If, god forbid, a cat gets hit by a car then they'll hopefully treat it like a loved pet not a stray pest, and the vet will know who's it is. Do you have pet insurance in the US? Like health insurance, but pays the steep vet fees if your cat gets hurt. Pets are expensive, but worth it!I love pets, cats and small dogs. As a kid my family had loads of pets, at least a dozen random cats, an owl and a monkey. Basically any animal that the caretaker at my mother's school caught to eat but she saved instead! Sadly I can't have any pets at the moment due to flat size. I had to give up my cat to a friend when I moved a year ago, I could no longer provided a suitable home I have visiting rights tho!I adopted a cat once. I used to spend my summers in Malta. One morning I woke up and on the other pillow were 2 kittens. One ran off, hardly to be seen again, but the other just sat there. After feeding her a few scraps for the next few days she became a permanent feature. After a couple of months I had to leave but thankfully we persuaded the cat to adopt a neighbour

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
yippee...lovely to have a new pet...we got a lovely little puppy today, too... she has a funny eye (I can't even tell but the posh people who pay lots of money for dogs *do* apparently) - so nobody wanted her... she is really beautiful... hmmmmmmmm.. (warm fuzzy glow from new animal friends)

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
Thanks for the support little sister.....

Meh

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
Bec: So cool for you! Isn't a new pet a fun cool thing? I know exactly how happy you feel.Well, last night Tequiza slept inside the house (that didn't take long) and she's already starting to look outside with a look of "Nope, already did that. Inside is warm and has free food. Outside has coyotes, snakes, racoons and dogs and I have to eat lizards and mice."So she's pretty happy to be inside where it's warm and safe.

For a good Prime, call:29819592777931214269172453467810429868925511217482600306406141434158089

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
i like pussys. cats that is. your all dirtyif you thought otherwise. evil evil children....

~A Soft Rubber Bodybuilding Smurf~

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
Cantus - of course you can, no need to ask Dru - so glad you're feline friend is settling down sounds like a smart cat[This message has been edited by Ros (edited 04 April 2002).]

Geologists do it in the dirt................

Posted: 4th Apr 2002
Right then, I'll round as soon as I can.....

Meh

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
That's great about your new kitty I'll never completely understand people who pay loads for a pedigree this or that when there's plenty of gorgeous animals out there waiting to be loved from shelters or the RSPCA etc. Fingers crossed she's healthy and has a long happy life.

I personally recommend against the collar idea (most of the cats I know with flea collars and bells attached still manage to catch the very occasional birdy), and I have heard a couple of horror stories regarding poor kitties and their collars getting stuck on things. (And I'm studying Veterinary Nursing so its giving me a bit of first hand experience).

Definitely get her to the vet for a check-up and worming etc. It may be 'expensive' in the short-term, but necessary and actually reasonable in the long-term for promoting good health. Also have a chat about nutrition for the lil one... you'd be surprised how similar the prices of supermarket-brand pet food and veterinary-practice prescribed food really is, if you work it out on a per-serve per recommended daily intake basis. (Biggest difference I've seen is about 30 cents)

And that way you'll know she's getting absolutely everything in a good balance. But then I could bore you for hours about the benefits of good animal nutrition so I'll leave it at that!

A friend of mine who actually is a vet had a middle-aged couple come in with their new cat who they had adopted off the street too. Cat "Molly" was in fairly good health, and they wanted my mate to spay her. But she couldn't find a uterus at all. Molly turned out to be a boy, and without too much confusion the procedure went ahead (a slightly different way!) Moral is.. you never know what you got 100% of the time!

What is classified as "a funny eye" Bec? And what breed is your new pup? Just interested..

Back to study..... *sighs*

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.- B.B.King

Posted: 3rd Apr 2002
hi Splat... nice to talk..

my puppy's "funny eye" is just a little droopy at the top and it's a little bit "glassy" (does that make sense?) - just without the clarity of colour of her other one... she has been checked out by a vet and she isn't blind in the eye or anything - and certainly it makes her more endearing if anything...*

she's a Border Collie...

...first night here last night and she ended up sleeping on my feet (I was on the lounge - having given up trying to encourage her to settle by herself and not allowed in the bedroom) - she just whimpers & cries if we leave her alone... but so would I if I was only 8 weeks old and taken away from my parents and siblings. But, the sleeping in my bed isn't a sustainable thing... I'm sure she'll settle in soon but I haven't the heart to leave her crying...

Posted: 4th Apr 2002
Splat, Good advice. Thank you. The pet store where we go has vets that come in on Saturdays between 2:00 and 5:00 to do vaccinations so I'm goign to give her the full package just to be safe.

They also suggested that we give her food designed for kittens at first because she may very well be a bit malnurished having been outside for so long.

Now here's a weird event: Last night she jumps up on the bathroom counter and starts to mew and puts her paw down in the sink. My wife washed her hands and Tequiza starts drinking from the faucet! Sure it's cute, but it makes me think that she learned that at someone else's house. When I add that in with the fact that she's incredibly gentle and comfortable with people (not like a wild cat at all) I'm forced to believe that she's had owners before and perhaps she belongs to sombody else.

I havn't seen any lost cat flyers up in our neighborhood and she was pretty skinny (like she's been outside for a while). But I also wonder if I should vaccinate her now because her old owners may have vaccinated her already and I don't want to overdose her.

P.S. She's decided that she sleeps in the bed with us. I tried to convince her that the towel on the floor was her spot but every time I woke up it seems she had a different point of view.

Bec: You have a Border Collie! Those are the coolest dogs (and really smart). We have a niece who has a border collie and when the little kids in our family are playing in their back yard you can see River (the dog) herding the kids away from the rose bushes. Every time the kids start to wander away from the lawn and swing set River will herd them back to the "safe" play area.

Sheep, kids, whatever, as long as River is herding something he's happy.

For a good Prime, call:29819592777931214269172453467810429868925511217482600306406141434158089