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We love cats
- Thread starter Whiskey
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I keep wondering why everyone says this. Of the 21 cats who live in our houise, not one of them has ever clawed me for rubbing their bellies. In fact, several of them love it so much that they will lie on their backs while I do it and one of them actually laid there half an hour for maximum belly rubs - I got tired before she did. I suspect that it is a matter of your relationship (the love you share) that determines whether you can rub or get clawed.
Mamma Cali and Tiggie...Tiggie playing Peek a Boo 
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
nadalama
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I've had quite a few cats who loved having their bellies rubbed, but I've also had a few - the more "feral" personalities, like Milly - who would try to claw yer face off if you touched (or tried to touch) the belly. The cat we have now doesn't like it.
He's been a fairly uncivilized individual the whole time we've had him, which is why he lives outside. He's territorial, and since he started getting up in age, opinionated as hell, and doesn't hesitate to let you know when you've disappointed him in some way. He also tries to be the one who decides when you'll start petting him, and then he'll decide when it's time to stop. At least that's what HE thinks...
I just think it's all to do with personalities. Cats all have 'em, just like we do.
We put up shelves so they could get to highest "Tree" in our home....on top of kitchen cabinets.
Put down Welcome mats for them to be a little more comfortable up there while they sleep or are playing.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
Put down Welcome mats for them to be a little more comfortable up there while they sleep or are playing.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
Your Cali looks a lot like our Cali. But our Cali is feral and lives outside. She loves to be petted (especially when we feed her), but in no way would she tolerate living in the confines of the house. I have picked her up, but in about 5 seconds, she squirms to get down.
We didn't train ours that way, but several of them think they are dogs. If they happen to be outside, they follow me like a dog would (even if one of the dogs is with me, the cats heel better). One of them insists on helping me get the mail (mailbox at highway). She follows me out the gate and waits at the mailbox until I am done, asks me to pick her up, and I carry her inside the gate and set her down, then she heels all the way back to the house (but might not come in at that point). They also often play with the dogs or sleep cuddled up to them. You are right; it's kind of funny to watch.
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We had a nice snuggle-nap earlier today, but I have been rushing around trying to get things done before football....she doesn't like it...she should be the center of attention, eh? 
Perfect example here of when NOT to try and pet her....just like horses.... ya gotta watch the body language, the ears and the tail.
She's fine now..she's a very moody cat.
Perfect example here of when NOT to try and pet her....just like horses.... ya gotta watch the body language, the ears and the tail.
She's fine now..she's a very moody cat.
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So had a feral cat that kept ripping the skin off her belly. I did a drop trap on Monday and got her and today I found out she had a mammary tumor. It was the size of a toilet paper roll and continuing to grow longer. She had surgery plus removed two bad teeth.
We are not having it tested. Her life will be good inside now. Hopefully it hasn't metastasized. She is feral but I can touch her.
We are sad about this because we knew something was happening for months but could not catch her.
We are not having it tested. Her life will be good inside now. Hopefully it hasn't metastasized. She is feral but I can touch her.
We are sad about this because we knew something was happening for months but could not catch her.
nadalama
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After the posts that I've read of yours here in this thread, I refuse to believe there was anything you and your wife could have done that you didn't do. You tried your best. It is difficult when animals are wild and cannot understand people's efforts to help.
Yeah, at least Silky and Tony are doing great. You do know I have TWO money trees in my back yard, guarded by a swarm of ferocious cats.After the posts that I've read of yours here in this thread, I refuse to believe there was anything you and your wife could have done that you didn't do. You tried your best. It is difficult when animals are wild and cannot understand people's efforts to help.
Our Cali was feral, too. We tried to domestic her before taking her in to get spade. She wouldn't have no part of the litter box...she acted like we were putting her in water.
Took her to vet to get spade, picked her up and brought her home. Took her straight to the litter box, hmm...it's not water, lol, she walked out of it and she actually used it later on.
Called vet, thanked them for litter training her and asked what they did. They used shredded paper. Wow, did not know that was a thing to use. Just happy it worked! We didn't want her to live outside....hear toooo many cat fights and worried everyday/night if we would see her again.
She's adapted to being inside, she's acting like a regular house cat, it's taken a while, but she's tolerating it. She plays with wond feathers, another type of wond toy, chases and plays with her kitties.
We put shelves up at two windows with pillows, so her and babies can look outside and get some fresh air. On the outside of the windows we put up parts of an used cage, incase they push out the screens they won't escape. Plan on doing two more shelves at two orher windows.
We weren't expecting to have three cats inside, just Cali. The two babies were supposed to go to a woman, but her and boyfriend changed their mind. We didn't have anyone else in line to take them. The third baby went to live with my brother, nephew, and their doggie Pistol. Pistol and CC (kitties name) are best of buddies
Our doggie, Emma, well she's doing her best.
Our other doggie Duke Loved all the kitties, unfortunately
we had to put him to Rest last week Our Beloved Half Wolfie Half Siberian Husky
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
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One of the problems of having 21 in the house: every one of them has been spayed or neutered and boy has that been spendy - wish I had Joeyboy's money trees
.2WhiteWolves said:
She wouldn't have no part of the litter box
Only one of our current housecats came to us as an adult. She might have been a wanderer (we are WAAAAYYY out in the boonies) or she might have been a drop-off. But it was a nasty winter and she was freezing in the garage (lost part of her left ear and an inch of tail due to frostbite) and was begging to come in. She was pregnant and had her babies in my closet. Only one of them survived. All the rest of our community were feral babies born outside in brush piles (or wherever) and were brought in because they were sick and we just had to help them. They chose to stay in. Six or eight go outside in the daytime (in good weather) but always come back in later. Anyway, they all grew up with litter boxes, so never had a problem.
Snicker.... you should try 21... Can't walk anywhere without tripping on somebody. And there is one dog in the house (she doesn't particularly like cats, which presents another problem). It's the three LGDs (Livestock Guardian Dogs) outside who love the cats and the cats love them.
Oh well, there is a reason for everything. Guess we'll find out what that was when it's all over and the tokens get counted.
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Thank You ! For stepping up and taking care of all the fur babies.One of the problems of having 21 in the house: every one of them has been spayed or neutered and boy has that been spendy - wish I had Joeyboy's money trees
2WhiteWolves said:
She wouldn't have no part of the litter box
Only one of our current housecats came to us as an adult. She might have been a wanderer (we are WAAAAYYY out in the boonies) or she might have been a drop-off. But it was a nasty winter and she was freezing in the garage (lost part of her left ear and an inch of tail due to frostbite) and was begging to come in. She was pregnant and had her babies in my closet. Only one of them survived. All the rest of our community were feral babies born outside in brush piles (or wherever) and were brought in because they were sick and we just had to help them. They chose to stay in. Six or eight go outside in the daytime (in good weather) but always come back in later. Anyway, they all grew up with litter boxes, so never had a problem.
Snicker.... you should try 21... Can't walk anywhere without tripping on somebody. And there is one dog in the house (she doesn't particularly like cats, which presents another problem). It's the three LGDs (Livestock Guardian Dogs) outside who love the cats and the cats love them.
Oh well, there is a reason for everything. Guess we'll find out what that was when it's all over and the tokens get counted.
I know they all Appreciate and Love You and Wifey
s: s: We built this
For Cali. It has an upstairs. We wanted her to have a warm place for the winter....not expecting it to be a birthing place. We put a heating pad (not the kind for humans) underneath a blanket and but an unused doggie bed up around it for insulation...she stayed nice and warm during the winter
Well, she got pregnant and actually had her babies in the bottom.
This is what we did trying to keep them somewhat cool.
We stuffed more blankets in the top for insulation, but have enough space for air circulation.
This is what we did to keep them safe (safer) from Tom cats and so they wouldn't fall off porch or get away. Put up wire mesh around the porch, it has rubber around the wire.
Litter trained them while they lived outside, that was really FUN
....but they all learned to use it, well, except for Mamma Cali. ! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
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Minced a pound of semi-frozen chicken and liver into cat food by hand because I didn't have enough meat on hand to warrant a full batch of her food done in the grinder...
Brrrrrrrr....
She nommed her plate all gone though...my pretty and highly spoiled kitteh is content..
I swear she likes my hand-cut stuff better than the stuff I make in 2lb batches with the meat grinder when i can get a ride to the Winco. It's about the same consistancy, but for some reason she likes it better. Must be the love...LOL!
It's good knife practice though...I kinda enjoy doing it for her.
Brrrrrrrr....
She nommed her plate all gone though...my pretty and highly spoiled kitteh is content..
I swear she likes my hand-cut stuff better than the stuff I make in 2lb batches with the meat grinder when i can get a ride to the Winco. It's about the same consistancy, but for some reason she likes it better. Must be the love...LOL!
It's good knife practice though...I kinda enjoy doing it for her.
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SO glad!
Didn't get the wood stove fire going .... it got down to 16° the other morning.... all snuggling
I think, if Duke was still with us.... they would've been snuggling with him.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
I think, if Duke was still with us.... they would've been snuggling with him.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
Milly's been a good girl.... sleeping in the heated bedroom I do for her. I don't heat the living room. It's like 60F in the living room, 72F in the bedroom. I can't sleep in there ATM, but she can and be warm.
She's smart.
I also improvised a way for her to get up there without the dresser or bed I don't have anymore because of the damn bugs...boxes, lots of boxes.... that's my life right now. But, she's ok....that's what matters.
She's smart.
I also improvised a way for her to get up there without the dresser or bed I don't have anymore because of the damn bugs...boxes, lots of boxes.... that's my life right now. But, she's ok....that's what matters.
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gopher_byrd
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My poor fur babies are at the vets today getting neutered, and somehow both babies Tangee n Tiggie, Momma Calie and possibly Emma got roundworms. It's been a real mess around here with Tangee and Tiggie vomiting the last three days, thanful that they have only vomited in hallway, bathroom and kitchen....nothing on carpet areas
Thankfully, nothing this morning before going to vets. Hopefully, one more treatment of dewormer in two weeks will do it.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
Thankfully, nothing this morning before going to vets. Hopefully, one more treatment of dewormer in two weeks will do it.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
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We put up an extra platform so the kitties can't climb their way over the screen doors when they are latched together.
I think they like it
We blocked them from jumping over to the refrigerator for now. Have to get breakables off of the other kitchen cabinets before letting them jump across and onto the cabinets.
They chase each other across the cabinets onto the platform They will have a blast once it's unblocked.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
I think they like it
We blocked them from jumping over to the refrigerator for now. Have to get breakables off of the other kitchen cabinets before letting them jump across and onto the cabinets.
They chase each other across the cabinets onto the platform
They will have a blast once it's unblocked. ! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
Kitties are at full SPEED....ZOOM ZOOM ZOOMING everywhere
worms are gone and they are eating like horses, lol. Will be deworming them again to be on the safe side.
Started them on Ruff Greens, it's for doggies, but the company said it wouldn't harm the kitties or mamma.
Ruff Greens will be becoming out with one for cats by the end of the year....YAY.... It's full of good vitamins and minerals, we've noticed a difference in Emma, so decided to give it a shot with kitties and momma. Of course, we don't give as much to kitties or momma as we do with Emma.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
worms are gone and they are eating like horses, lol. Will be deworming them again to be on the safe side.
Started them on Ruff Greens, it's for doggies, but the company said it wouldn't harm the kitties or mamma.
Ruff Greens will be becoming out with one for cats by the end of the year....YAY.... It's full of good vitamins and minerals, we've noticed a difference in Emma, so decided to give it a shot with kitties and momma. Of course, we don't give as much to kitties or momma as we do with Emma.
! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
I like his mustache. He looks like he's waiting for the parlor maid to bring his brandy and cigar.
He's come a long way and is quite beautiful. He does look a little pampered, and he is. Love your comment.
Human Foods Cats Can Eat
Human Foods Cats Can Eat – Mother Earth News
Prepare a raw foods diet using safe and healthy human foods cats can eat too.
www.motherearthnews.com
These are only nine of the 20 who live in this house, but at 10 degrees F outside and several feet of snow piled up, these little people enjoy the fire (the rest are on pillows, couch, blankets, etc.)
Hogs & Quiches,
Rich
I know you mean well, Jimi, but this article was just BS. Cats (and dogs) cannot digest cellulose, at all, so it serves no purpose other than as a bulking agent to make them poop more and bigger turds. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning their diet should consist of only meat, nothing else, and none of it should be cooked. A raw fed cat or dog has a low stomach pH, which is hostile to bad bacteria. This is why raw fed dogs and cats can eat nasty roadkill with no problems, but kibble-only dogs and cats will have a "gastric upset."
A dog is an opportunistic carnivore, meaning he will eat anything he can put in his mouth, but a carnivore is a carnivore, and fruits and veggies are no good for them, even if they like them.
Cats (and dogs) should never be eating vegetables, or fruits, or anything that's a plant. The only reason they eat the corn and other crap in kibble is that the kibble-makers give it a tasty smell, and they eat it THINKING it's meat. Plus, if that's the only food they have, it's that or starve.
Having said all that, I will admit that our own cats eat kibble, but they go out and hunt whenever they can. I've tried to logistically figure out how to raw feed 20 cats so that each cat gets his or her own meal, and I can't do it. Some are more aggressive eaters and would be stealing the other, more timid cats' food. There are days I wish we only had one or two cats, but it is what it is. But when I'm cutting meat at the kitchen counter, you should see the yowling crowd of cats at my feet. I do tend to drop a lot. I'm clumsy.
And we have had a few cats that loved vegetable matter. One liked lima beans, go figure. He'd stand up on his hind legs for lima beans. Another one loved butternut squash, and was under my feet all the time when I was canning squash in the fall. But those are few and far between.Anyway, most people think that a human "healthy diet" is also good for their dog or cat, but it's not. That Mother Earth News article was a travesty of misinformation. If you're going to feed your cat kibble, feed it kibble. If you're going to feed it meat, feed it only meat, and feed it raw. Save the fruits and veggies for your healthy breakfast smoothies.
Bought this a couple of weeks ago, kitties didn't know what to think of it. But, they finally are use to it. I've noticed they have been drinking more water. 
Long post sad story.
I have shared the story of Silver. Our feral, not really, that decided she wanted inside. She got hyperthyroidism and down to 6.5 pounds. After 3 months she gained 1.5 pounds and her fur was gorgeous. Yesterday, she was drooling and breathing funny. I took her to the vet. The found a perfect thyroid test, anemia and fluid around the lungs.
We decided the anemia came from the thyroid treatment because she had kidney disease giving her anemia. The vet wanted to pull the fluid to see what it looked like. It was blood. She had a bleed. We had to put her down. He pulled over 100 mls.
We were so upset because we had developed a plan before the fluid pull. It was a very long day. I still have 20 house cats but they all matter.
I have shared the story of Silver. Our feral, not really, that decided she wanted inside. She got hyperthyroidism and down to 6.5 pounds. After 3 months she gained 1.5 pounds and her fur was gorgeous. Yesterday, she was drooling and breathing funny. I took her to the vet. The found a perfect thyroid test, anemia and fluid around the lungs.
We decided the anemia came from the thyroid treatment because she had kidney disease giving her anemia. The vet wanted to pull the fluid to see what it looked like. It was blood. She had a bleed. We had to put her down. He pulled over 100 mls.
We were so upset because we had developed a plan before the fluid pull. It was a very long day. I still have 20 house cats but they all matter.
I have nothing to say that would mean anything...so...
*hugs*
I cried for days when I had to put Tiki down, she also had hyperthyroidism, but under control on meds.
Until she contracted a fairly rare but deadly oral infection causing terrible mouth sores with no cure.
But, after that, I got a Milly...and she changed my life.
Circle of life, eh?
Be well...
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Thanks. I still look for her quietness. It's really funny how some cats just touch you more and sometimes they are even around you that much. But when they are they are all in.
I hear ya..Milly is now nearly 5yo and 10 pounds of FU....LOL..
I have scars....but as an old bachelor on SSI, she's my world.
