Advice for Cat Owners

If you own a cat or are thinking of owning one, please post any questions you might have in this thread.

Please note that most pet owners will advise from personal experience and are not necessarily qualified to answer questions related to medical issues for your pet. Always consult a vet with any deeper questions that are outside the realms of our help.

Does anyone know how to keep long-haired cats fur from matting so quickly? I'll brush my cat, and then a day later, he'll have new mats. It's very sad to pull them out, and he yowls quite pitifully when I do. Does anyone have a solution?

One of his poor little legs is missing a chunk of fur because it had gotten so matted.

Does anyone know how to keep long-haired cats fur from matting so quickly? I'll brush my cat, and then a day later, he'll have new mats. It's very sad to pull them out, and he yowls quite pitifully when I do. Does anyone have a solution?

One of his poor little legs is missing a chunk of fur because it had gotten so matted.

Oh you'll have to trim that a bit and brush it everyday, it's tiring (my cat has the same problem ) but it'll make it much easier on him :)

Short hair cats are easier to take care of, becuase long-haired ones cough up furballs a lot more no matter how many times you brush the cat. Medium hair is best if you want one with not too short of hair.

I have one indoor and one outdoor cat. The indoor one is just really old now, and my outdoor cat is probably the most laid back cat you'd ever see. yes, he does hunt and that does get a bit tiring. He was actually one of the three kittens I kept that my one previous cat had that we gave away due to the fact she was crazy...I got my other old cat from adoption.

Many people who have long haired cats give them the lion cut that leaves the fur on their head and neck and tip of their tail but shaves off everything else. I have seen this done in the hot summer months.

However, anyone who has a long-haired cat must be prepared to comb and brush it every single day. May I recommend a special comb called the Furminator? It removes a lot of the undercoat. You will get a bushel full of hair off your cat the first time you use it. Just go on-line and google Furminator. I use it on all of my cats.

I think my sister has talked about getting that Furminator thing. Jaggers is actually her cat, but I still say that I'm his mommy. :)

He's had a lion cut before. Actually he got one in March. He didn't even care that all his fur was gone (although I don't think he liked that they trimmed his face so it looked like a cotton ball).

But if you live in a cold place, and your cat gets a lion cut, be sure to have a blankie ready for him while he's in the car. And be prepared for your kitteh to be super-snuggly!

Thanks for the tips everyone!

We had two cats but unfortunately Flid was killed by a car.
Now we are bringing a new kitten into the house and we need a bit of help introducing him to our 7yr old female cat. Help?

You don't say what is the age or sex of the kitten, but in my own personal experience, if the kitten is quite young, a female cat usually takes it over and 'raises' it as her own, teaching it what it needs to know to be a cat. If the older cat is hostile at first, it will help if you give her a treat and pet her every time you bring the kitten to her. She will begin to associate good things with the presence of the kitten. Do not fuss too much over the kitten in her presence. She wants to know that she is still first in your affections.

I usually adopt older cats, but my last was a four month old male kitten when he came to us and I gave him to my then 16 year old Siamese as a companion and she accepted him immediately.

I have a long-haired cat...but we've never brushed her a day in her life...and she's fine (she's an indoor cat) I've never even heard of someone brushing a cat :shrug:

Does her fur just not mat, then? Or is it not that long?

My cat's hair is about 3 1/2 to 4 inches long, but he's a Persian. Maybe it varies with breeds? :shrug:

You don't say what is the age or sex of the kitten, but in my own personal experience, if the kitten is quite young, a female cat usually takes it over and 'raises' it as her own, teaching it what it needs to know to be a cat. If the older cat is hostile at first, it will help if you give her a treat and pet her every time you bring the kitten to her. She will begin to associate good things with the presence of the kitten. Do not fuss too much over the kitten in her presence. She wants to know that she is still first in your affections.

I usually adopt older cats, but my last was a four month old male kitten when he came to us and I gave him to my then 16 year old Siamese as a companion and she accepted him immediately
Hi cathairetic. The kitten is male (our older cat is female). He is about 10weeks old.
Oddly, our Socks is not happy with this interloper. In good stead (hopefully) although she growls and hisses at him and runs away when he gets too near, she hasn't attacked him.
She is getting lots of time on her own with us, and treats, so I guess it is just something that is going to take time.

We have one long-furred cat. She gets brushed and combed every day, but she still coughs up furballs all the time. Poor thing.

Another cat is short-furred, but she has very thick fur. If we don't comb her a lot, her fur gets matted and clumped. The problem is, she hates being combed. We think it pulls her fur and hurts her. We try our best to be gentle, and try to use brushes and wide-toothed combs that don't get stuck in her fur so much, but it's hard to get all the clumps out. It's a pain combing her, because she either growls, yowls and bites, or runs off.

Our third cat is okay fur-wise, but lately he's taken to chewing on my hair while I sleep, and I worry about him, because he got sick once.

Any advice?

Shave the cat with the mat problem. It doesn't have to be skin close but if you keep the fur short the misery will end. The cat will be happier and you will be happy because the cat is happy.

A few weeks down the line and we are very happy about how things have turned out between the older cat (Socks) and the new kitten (Snape)
They play together and sleep together - fantastic. :)

Perhaps Snape will grow up to be a hero! ;)

Perhaps Snape will grow up to be a hero!;)
I think he might. :D

My cat throws up. A lot. At least once a day. We've tried Petrol on his paw and he licks it off, but he still throws up... do you have any ideas of what it could be?

A visit to the vet is in order to make sure there is nothing internally wrong. Allergies come to mind also.

Some cats are greedy and gobble their food so fast that it comes right back up. The answer to this is to feed small amounts and when the cat finishes it, wait a bit and give some more.

Then there is the age old problem of hairballs. Cats are very clean animals and groom themselves daily. They have little rasps on the tongue that help pull away loose hair. This hair can accumulate in the stomach and then the cat urps it up. Try combing your cat with a flea comb (very fine teeth) or a Furminator (available on line or in some pet stores). This device removes the loose undercoat hairs and you will be absolutely amazed at what you can remove from the coat of a cat. You can have a pile of loose hairs almost as big as the cat! This will help with the hairballs.

There is also a gel in a tube called Petro-Malt that will help with the hairballs and the cats really like the taste. Just squeeze out a bit and hold the end of the tube up to the cat. It will readily lick it off. I believe it also has vitamins that cats need for good health.

Check with a vet - I had a similar problem and it turned out to be kidney failure caused by too rich a diet - it was solved by feeding her the cheapest food available which is nearly all cereal. She refused to eat for nearly a week but got used to it and lived for many years thereafter

I've got a long haired kitten and I've never brushed him because his hair isn't that long, but as he's getting older it's getting longer, can someone please tell me what type of brush is best to brush cats? I've only ever brushed a rabbit haha :D

I don't brush my cats, I comb them. A brush doesn't remove mats. A good comb-out prevents them.

This is probably a silly question, but it seems that I am not the only one with this issue:

How do you tell if the kitten is male or female? I know the basics about certain colors pertaining to a specific gender, but other than that, I'm lost. I am mainly a dog person, having grown up with dogs and family allergic to cats, so I'm new in this respect (especially when I'm used to it being blatantly obvious with dogs).

My roommates and I have been sheltering kittens and finding homes for them (enjoyable project and distraction from college), and we've been pretty lucky with figuring out their gender before they are adopted. Other than "bring them to a vet" (which has been the answer elsewhere), how do I tell what the kitten's gender is?

It's quite easy once you know what to look for.

The male's urethral opening is round, the female's is a slit. The distance between the urethral opening and the anus is also greater in males.

Here (http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1761&articleid=923) is a link to some drawings that explain it better.

It's simple. No pictures needed. Male : Female ¡

My son's kitty is pregnant! What do I do now?? Its awful she is just a baby herself and she was supposed to get spade today, but sadly it was too late.

I feel awful for her. She is so little and now he belly is huge, she has to go in Monday so the doctor can give her a thorough exam and find out how far along she is. She must be pretty far, because it is really noticeable. :sigh: Anyone want a kitty?

I am a particular fan of the Furminator for my long-haired cat. I bought it to use on my short-haired, to reduce her shedding, but I have found it much more helpful for the long-haired. It gets rid of the undercoat -- the part that gets matted underneath.
I use it on Katsumi and it keeps her fur fluffy and matt-free. I highly recommend it. It's kind of pricey, but worth every single penny.

LBuccalo, don't worry about finding homes for the kittens. If she is as young as you say she is, she probably is carrying only one or two. If you do put an ad in the paper don't say "Free Kittens!" You want to ask a price around $20 or more. Free kittens often get fed to snakes or taken to labs.... and no, I am not exaggerating or making this up. You can always keep them. If one of mine were expecting, I don't think I could give any kittens away.

And Katsumi, the Furminator is great! Anyone who has a long-haired cat should use it at least once a week. It will prevent matting. And other cats need it just to keep them from shedding and to make them more comfortable. You can find them in the major pet stores in the USA or UK.

LBuccalo, don't worry about finding homes for the kittens. If she is as young as you say she is, she probably is carrying only one or two. If you do put an ad in the paper don't say "Free Kittens!" You want to ask a price around $20 or more. Free kittens often get fed to snakes or taken to labs.... and no, I am not exaggerating or making this up. You can always keep them. If one of mine were expecting, I don't think I could give any kittens away.


People do that!!!! That makes me sick, and it also makes me want to cry. Well I am taking her to the vet today to see how many kittens she has, and luckily my older sisters have all decided that they want some! What a relief!

If you do put an ad in the paper don't say "Free Kittens!" You want to ask a price around $20 or more. Free kittens often get fed to snakes or taken to labs.... and no, I am not exaggerating or making this up. You can always keep them. If one of mine were expecting, I don't think I could give any kittens away.


That's horrible :( :( :( :(

LBuccalo I'm so happy that your kittens will get homes :D

LBuccalo I'm so happy that your kittens will get homes


Me too! What a relief!

Well I took her to the vet and she is too far along to see how many kittens she is having. :sigh: He said that she will probably have them around April 16. He is a little concerned that he couldn't see how many she was having, saying that it would be better for her to have at least 3 but hopefully more because she is so small. A smaller litter would be harder for her.

My poor little baby :( She is all fat and sleeps all the time. I know how uncomfortable she must be. Ah well. I am sure she will be fine.

She will be fine. Our family cat, Kinney, had 5 litters of kittens before we got her fixed. She was young and quite small when she had her first litter, but she was just fine. She had 4 kittens in that litter. They were perfect.

Your kitty will know what to do when the time comes. If she is young and attached to your family, she might not want to be alone when it's time to deliver. Just make sure she has somewhere that is quiet and out-of-the-way to have her babies.

There is nothing in the world like having a litter of kittens running around the house. I miss it. It can be quite hard to let them go, but if you try screening potential owners you're likely to find the kittens excellent homes.

Maybe after the kittens are born (when they're a few weeks old) you could advertise on an online buy/trade/share site. In Canada we have Kijiji (not sure what country you're from), and in Britain they have Gumtree. It's free, and it's an easy way to find lots of potential kitten parents. This way you could screen from a larger pool of people. Invite them over to see the kittens -- get resumes or something! hahaha.

my new kitten is chasing my other cats. I know he's just playing, but my other cats definitely dont like it. Should i make him stop, or leave it alone?

If the older cats don't want to be bothered they will show the kitten this by hissing, growling or a swat. Most older cats are fairly tolerant of kittens. And as you know, a kitten has as much energy as an atomic bomb.

You might distract him with toys, but he'd probably rather chase the other cats' tails.

Cathairetic since you're the cat expert I have a question.

My cat Tam does this weird thing where he lifts up his top lip a bit so you can see the two largest of his lower teeth. It's not an aggresive thing at all but it looks really strange. Have you ever heard of anything like it before?

It is probably the flehmen response (from German flehmen, meaning to curl the upper lip). It's a particular type of curling of the upper lip that facilitates the transfer of pheromones and other scents into the vomeronasal organ, also called the Jacobson's Organ. In the flehmen reaction, cats draw back their lips in a manner that makes them appear to be "grimacing". The action, which is adopted when examining scents left by other animals of the same species or prey, helps expose the vomeronasal organ and draws scent molecules back toward it. This behavior allows cats to detect scents, for example from urine, of other cats or clues to the presence of prey.

If one of my cats peed on something for example, then the others would 'flehman' as they scented it. They would know who did it and when. If you come in the house with a strange odor on you, they would probably do it then also.

End of lecture.

Thankyou!

I knew that Lions did it but it never even crossed my mind that that was what it was :blush:

Does anyone know how to keep long-haired cats fur from matting so quickly? I'll brush my cat, and then a day later, he'll have new mats. It's very sad to pull them out, and he yowls quite pitifully when I do. Does anyone have a solution?

One of his poor little legs is missing a chunk of fur because it had gotten so matted.

Cat fur becomes matted because it has become dirty, so you need to help you cat keep himself cleaner. Since he is already matted, you may need to have him shaved by a groomer. Your groomer should bath him as well. Now you start with a clean, mat free coat and comb him gently daily (ok, I'll be realistic, try to comb him twice a week). If you bathe a longhaired cat you will get the oil and dirt out of the coat that starts the mats forming. Some coat types will mat more easily than others, the long cotton type coat of the Persian mats easily, while the silky type coat of the Balinese is less likely to mat. But even shorthaired cats will form mats under the right conditions. Older cats may mat because they can't groom themselves as easily as the did when they were younger.

Now, before someone tells me that you can't bathe a cat, let me tell you that you can, but you can't just stick them into a tub of water. Cats will panic if put into standing water, so leave the drain open and use a spray nozzle to gently wet the cat, apply your shampoo, rinse, reapply a small amount of shampoo, work up a good lather, then rinse very well. If you leave shampoo in the fur, it will mat right away. It is best to start bathing when you have a small kitten, they learn to accept a bath more easily then.

Do not use the dry bath stuff on cats. They just make the coat sticky and the fur will mat even more. For spot cleaning use baby wipes.

A good "English" metal comb is the best grooming comb for longhaired cats such as Persians. Brushes will not separate the undercoat well enough and they will mat underneath.

dobbysfriend, a great tool is the Furminator. It removes all excess hair from an animal, it cleans up the undercoat and the first time you use it you will probably have a pile of hair as big as your cat. If you continue with this daily your cat will never get mats again unless he jumps in a mudhole. The Furminator is available at fine pet stores or online.Here is a link to a photo.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d69/cathairetic/furminator.jpg

dobbysfriend, a great tool is the Furminator. It removes all excess hair from an animal, it cleans up the undercoat and the first time you use it you will probably have a pile of hair as big as your cat. If you continue with this daily your cat will never get mats again unless he jumps in a mudhole. The Furminator is available at fine pet stores or online.Here is a link to a photo.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d69/cathairetic/furminator.jpg

Sorry, but the Furminator really is not the best choice for keeping a longhaired cost in great shape. (I have bred and shown Persian cats for years, so I actually am an expert in grooming longhaired cats.) While tools like the Furminator seem to remove hair, they actually strip out the entire undercoat ( that pile of fur was actually most of your cats entire undercoat). Now this can be a good thing at times, but if you really want to have your cat look its best, you do not want to strip its coat. Stripping the coat is fine when your cat is shedding its entire haircoat, and it will remove the mats. To keep your cat in great shape you need to keep the coat clean and use a metal "english style" comb(the Greyhound combs are the best but cost a lot). When you finish grooming a cat properly, you should have very little fur removed (unless you cat is shedding its entire coat.)

You are right, grooming your cat daily will keep the coat in great shape.

I just got new neighbors who let their cat out. It rips up my trash and sprays the outside of my house. Is there anything we can do (cause they're not doing anything) to stop the cat from coming around?

I have 3 cats, who are "fixed" and stay inside.

Oooooo! Touchy situation!

Have you talked to your neighbors about this? They may not know that their cat is being a nuisance. You could explain that neutering the cat will nearly always stop the spraying, the cat will stay home and not roam, and it will be healthier and live longer.

Sometimes people who leave their cats 'whole' either don't have the money to fund the surgery and they don't get immunizations for the cat either.

If they don't cooperate...
How about asking your local SPCA to make a house call and ask them to get their cat neutered? The SPCA would know about free spay and neuter clinics.

I know a few neighbors have talked to them already. The SPCA is a good idea. Thank you, Cathairetic!

I just got new neighbors who let their cat out. It rips up my trash and sprays the outside of my house. Is there anything we can do (cause they're not doing anything) to stop the cat from coming around?

I have 3 cats, who are "fixed" and stay inside.

You need a "Scarecrow". This a a device that is a battery operated motion detector that you hook up to a garden hose. When something walks in front of it, it sprays a jet of water over the area. This tends to discourage almost any cats from staying around. You can find these in most garden centers or online.

I have a question...can humans get infections from cat bites?
I really want to get a cat but my mother's main concerns are first health issues and second "cleanliness" issues such as where to put the litter box and whether or not our house will get fleas.
Any suggestions or answers to these issues?

I have a question...can humans get infections from cat bites?
I really want to get a cat but my mother's main concerns are first health issues and second "cleanliness" issues such as where to put the litter box and whether or not our house will get fleas.
Any suggestions or answers to these issues?YES! Humans can get terrible infections from a cat bite. But having said that you would have to be bitten pretty severely with many puncture wounds in your hands for example. For any puncture wound wash with hot soapy water and see a doctor. Scratches are usually no problem at all. Just wash any bad ones and let them scab over and heal. Cats are pretty mellow and tolerant. They usually do not scratch or bite unless they are tormented.

Cats are very clean animals. They groom a lot. You need to comb them daily so they don't lick up and swallow loose hairs. If they get a lump of hair in the stomach they will vomit up a hairball. If you comb them regularly they will not leave a lot of hair on the furniture.

If you apply a topical preventative such as Frontline Plus you will not have to worry about fleas, ticks, etc. This should be done once a month or every six weeks. If the cat is flea free when it arrives and never goes out you shouldn't have any problems with fleas at all.

Having said that... Please keep your cat indoors. Get a scratching pad and use the catnip included on it. Rub it in. The cat will scratch there and not on your furniture.

DO NOT put the catfood bowl and water bowl (which should be changed daily) near the litterbox. Would you like to eat your dinner next to your toilet?

The litterbox needs to be in a secluded area and policed regularly. Minimum cleaning is once a day. Twice is better. Get the clumping litter. That way you remove urine as well as feces. If you don't keep it clean the cat will not use it, with good reason. If you have a two floor house, put one litterbox upstairs and one downstairs. You should always have one more litterbox than you have cats. I have four cats and five litterboxes.

Never feed the cat dog food. Feed a high quality cat food. Cats are obligate carnivores and require a much higher level of protein in their food than do dogs.

Make sure you take your cat to vet for its immunizations and have it neutered or spayed so you do not contribute to the overpopulation of unwanted animals in shelters.

I hope you and your new cat will be happy together for a long time. A cat or any pet is a commitment for the life of the pet and indoor cats can live 20 years or more.

Not all clumping litters are advisable, especially for kittens. They've caused respiratory problems in our cats before. I use cardboard pellets which we can dig into the garden or flush down the toilet. It also doesn't smell nearly as bad as some others.

Thank you so much cathairetic, your advise is really good and has cleared up my questions! :huggles:

You need a "Scarecrow". This a a device that is a battery operated motion detector that you hook up to a garden hose. When something walks in front of it, it sprays a jet of water over the area. This tends to discourage almost any cats from staying around. You can find these in most garden centers or online.
I never heard of that before, thanks!

I think the cat got fixed. It disappeared for a week or so. We saw it again a few days ago, but it no longer sprays our stuff. Hopefully, we won't need to worry about it anymore. :)

I have another question: Where would be the ideal spot for a cat's litter tray? I know it should be somewhere quiet and not near its food and water bowls, but other than that any specific places which work best for you?

I have another question: Where would be the ideal spot for a cat's litter tray? I know it should be somewhere quiet and not near its food and water bowls, but other than that any specific places which work best for you?
I have five litterboxes for four cats. Three are lined up in a row (touching each other) in the upstairs hallway. We call in 'the public loo.' Normally number four is in the guest bedrooom in a corner and number five is in the master bedroom in a corner that has a chest on one side and a dresser on the other so it is really private. However, number five is currently in our living room where Esmé, our 18 year old Siamese has set up housekeeping. Her food and water fountain are also in the room. She recently went blind and needs her own space to negotiate. The area can be closed off by French doors to the entrance hall and to the kitchen from the TV Room. Even when the doors are open, no other cat uses that box but her.

Each box has a special mat to let the litter fall from kitty paws onto it and not be trotted around the house and into the carpets.

Did you know that there are pieces of furniture that look like a side table or hamper that have a door in the side and the litterbox inside. No one would ever know! A lot of people keep them in the bathroom, but some bathrooms are barely big enough for people let alone a litter box. The biggest thing is to keep the litterbox clean at all times. If the litter is flushable, the bathroom is a good idea because you can see a clump, scoop it and flush it away in no time at all. I don't mind our boxes in the hallway because they are easy to clean and since we use high sided plastic storage boxes (which I highly recommend to keep the litter inside the box) the cats do have some privacy, even in the public loo.

For all my cat loving friends here: My cats and I are going to be in an article in Cat Fancy magazine. I'll let you know when it comes out. :wave:

I have a really weird question...

Okay so my cat Dexter had kittens in late April, so they are about 5 months old right now. Umm she is still nursing the two we kept. It is so odd. They eat normal food and everything, but at night or random times during the day she searches them out and gets them to nurse. The disturbing thing is they are as big as she is :rotfl: It is so odd, and the vet is stumped.

Any advice?

Help needed by a prospective new cat-feeder!

My family and I are in the process of getting a new kitten and I've been doing quite a bit or reading on the subject of cats - I've had three before, but I like to keep up with the latest feline studies. I keep finding references to 'cat trees' (the combined scratching-posts/hideyholes/platforms-with-toys) for them to play in and they look like a great idea, but whenever I look at the trees in shops they look and feel really flimsy - no good for anything heavier than a kitten. Can anyone recommend a good brand that I could buy? (Preferably one that's available in the UK, please!)

I don't know if DrsFosterSmith.com sell in the UK but their trees and cat furniture are heavy and substantial. You might also look at the advertisements in Cat Fancy and Cats magazines. Be prepared to pay top dollar but you will have something that lasts almost forever. I have a DrsFosterSmith one in my sitting room and, believe me, it is built like a tank! The cats leap onto it to look out the windows and it doesn't even wobble one bit.

Thank you!

Three years have gone by since my previous cat passed away, so information like this is very welcome - I'll look at some of the cat trees you recommend.

By the way, for any other prospective cat-owners/servants/whatever, Feliway sprays and plug-ins and their equivalents really seem to be a good idea. They make nervous beasties feel more relaxed, apparently.

We just found a cat, who was very skinny. She was covered in scabs on her back quarter. I thought then she was maybe a 9-10 month kitten. We've had her 2 weeks, on kitten food, and after sleeping almost a week solid (she's definitely a "human" cat) she's perkier (no worms or fleas that I can see), but I'm wondering if she may be pregnant.

I know a cat pregnancy is 60 days. I'm wondering when they really start to "show" or develop breasts. (no breasts yet, not really showing).

Take the cat to the vet and have her examined. You will find out if she is pregnant, she can get her immunizations and she can be tested to see if she picked up any cat diseases while she was out on her own.

I think a cat pregnancy is 63 days, I may be wrong. You will notice her belly swelling. A female cat can become pregnant at around six months of age and since they are not full grown sometimes it is difficult to tell because they continue to gain weight and grow. When she starts looking for a place to make a nest, you should get her a large box with high sides and cut out a U-shaped door where the bottom of the door will let her jump in and out but not let growing kittens get out until you want them to. Give her some cushy towels in it and put the box in a closet with the door cracked. Show it to her and she most likely will decide to use that box as her nest.

Hi! We have two cats, but recently another cat has been coming into our house. We wouldn't mind, but he really doesn't get on with our cats. They normally ignore him, but he keeps attacking them. I think he is fairly young, he looks to be about 9 months to a year old, the age our cats were when we got them. Any ideas on how to stop him coming in? We've tried kicking him out, even the occasional splash of water, and he just keeps coming back.

If this cat is homeless, please take him in. He is territorial because he is not neutered. If you have him fixed and also get all his shots (I hope your other cats have their shots etc.) he will mellow out and fit in.

When I bring a new cat into my house I first take it to the vet to be tested for leukemia and FIV, and if it is clean it will get all shots and be neutered or spayed. Then I take the cat home and put it in my bedroom with food, water and a litterbox. I rub a towel on the cat to get its scent and then I shut the door. I put the towel where the other cats can smell it but do not leave it lying around for long. I rub a towel on each of them to get their scent and put the towels in the bedroom with the new cat for it to smell and then I remove them. I let them see each other for a short time each day, with supervision. I can use scented towels to rub all the cats down so they all smell alike. No fighting allowed.

After a couple of weeks or sooner they are usually getting along and the door opens and the cat is no longer confined. This has worked for me. I always have one litter box for each cat and one extra litter box. Right now I have only three cats so I have four boxes lined up in the upstairs hall. We call it the Public Loo.

If you really do not want to adopt this cat, find out if he has an owner and if not, please call a cat rescue group or the SPCA.

The cat definitely is, or was, owned, as he has a collar, but no tag. And don't worry, the cats do get their jabs. :)

I just noticed that my cat has little pockets on the outsides of his ears. What are they for? Are they normal? Are they something I should be worried about? I've never noticed them before.

This (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cat-ears.jpg) is what it looks like (that's not my kitty). According to this (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Katzenohr_seitlich.JPG) picture, it is called a tragus?

They are absolutly normal and every cat with ears will have them - if you look at your own ear (another humans would probably be easier! :lol:) you'll see we also have a tragus (its the bit that some people get pieced that's not the ear lobe like this (http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/69/68831/tragus.bmp))

What they do? I don't know - sorry :) but in bats they are vital for filtering the returning sounds from thier echo location - so I assume that in cats they also help clarify sound but that's only a guess.

I have an issue, not sure if it's a question anyone could help with, since the vet doesn't seem to think it's an issue, but thought I'd mention it.

I have 2 cats, and one of them is disturbingly useless. Her name's Duchess and supposedly she's a British shorthair, but if so, she's the smallest British shorthair I've ever seen. She's about 3 1/2 years old and still the same size as when she was 1... which is to say, she's about the length of my forearm and weighs maybe half the average for a female shorthair, about 7 1/2 to 8 pounds. Does this make it likely that she's a mutt?

She's also ludicrously shy. We've had two strays, Yoyo and Hobo, and both of them were very human-friendly. Yoyo was friendly to her, though Hobo wasn't, but we had her before Hobo. Ever since we got her she's been scared of everything. Some of the items I have seen her run and hide from include: people including my baby niece, cat toys, cat treats, pieces of chicken meat, other cats, a beta fish, a plastic guitar, a Harry Potter DVD, and air. Every time she's confronted with most of these, she flees and hides either under my dresser or in her litterbox, which she seems to think is a house that makes her invisible... which is odd given that she used to be scared of the litterbox too. At night, she miraculously comes out, purrs and sleeps next to my pillow. She also turns mysteriously playful and friendly in the morning right after I get out of the shower, and also when she's been playing with a catnip toy (the few she doesn't hide from). She's been this way since before we got her (3-4 months old). Any ideas on why this could be and how to help her be more like her nighttime/morning self during the rest of the day instead of running and hiding at the first sign of sound, movement, or other life forms?

Thanks kittling! I've just started noticing the tragus on cats! I'm glad that it is normal.

I have an issue, not sure if it's a question anyone could help with, since the vet doesn't seem to think it's an issue, but thought I'd mention it.

I have 2 cats, and one of them is disturbingly useless. Her name's Duchess and supposedly she's a British shorthair, but if so, she's the smallest British shorthair I've ever seen. She's about 3 1/2 years old and still the same size as when she was 1... which is to say, she's about the length of my forearm and weighs maybe half the average for a female shorthair, about 7 1/2 to 8 pounds. Does this make it likely that she's a mutt?

She could be a mutt. How did you get her?

Sometimes animals, like people, are just small for their species or breed. There's nothing wrong with them, it is just normal genetic diversity.

She's also ludicrously shy. We've had two strays, Yoyo and Hobo, and both of them were very human-friendly. Yoyo was friendly to her, though Hobo wasn't, but we had her before Hobo. Ever since we got her she's been scared of everything. Some of the items I have seen her run and hide from include: people including my baby niece, cat toys, cat treats, pieces of chicken meat, other cats, a beta fish, a plastic guitar, a Harry Potter DVD, and air. Every time she's confronted with most of these, she flees and hides either under my dresser or in her litterbox, which she seems to think is a house that makes her invisible... which is odd given that she used to be scared of the litterbox too. At night, she miraculously comes out, purrs and sleeps next to my pillow. She also turns mysteriously playful and friendly in the morning right after I get out of the shower, and also when she's been playing with a catnip toy (the few she doesn't hide from). She's been this way since before we got her (3-4 months old). Any ideas on why this could be and how to help her be more like her nighttime/morning self during the rest of the day instead of running and hiding at the first sign of sound, movement, or other life forms?

Well, again, how did you get her? Was she from a shelter? Did you bring her home from the street? If it was one of those, then she might have had a bad experience with something. There are animal psychiatrists/behavior specialists, who can help with that kind of thing.

If she is from a breeder, then it might be a genetic thing, which you should ask the breeder about.

I have a four year old cat named Cecil. I got him when he was four months old from my Schwan's delivery man who told me he had 18 cats at home. I immediately offered to adopt one. Cecil was a leftover from a previous litter. He loves me but is incredibly shy and afraid of everyone but me and my grandson. He runs from my husband even though my husband is the "food god."

I believe what happened with Cecil was this: he was running wild around a house full of cats and was never socialized to interact with humans. I suspect that is what happened with Duchess, APolaris. She will continue to improve, however, cats are not stupid and I would not call her 'useless.' What do you want her to do? Bring in the newspaper? Duchess is learning as she goes along and as she is shy and afraid sometimes it takes her longer to trust. However, she will learn. You must just be patient.

Does Duchess get along with your other cat or does the other cat dominate her? This will sometimes cause a cat to be very shy and skittish because they are always looking out for the dominant cat.

My sister adopted a stray. She used to be shy, though maybe not as much as Duchess. But whenever we saw her, she would run and hide. She hid from everyone, no matter how many times she had seen them. In time she has gotten to know the family and relaxed. We just had to be patient. We had to let her come to us...if we called her and she ran, we left her alone. She would come back out on her own time. Now, she greets us at the door, lets us pet her for hours, and is always meowing at us. It just takes time sometimes for them to get used to a new place. We also think since she was a stray she may have been abused; it takes time for them to learn to trust another human. But most likely, IMO anyways, Duchess should adjust if you take it slow.

Duchess is actually the only cat of the three I've had who wasn't a stray. The two strays my brother took in were both very human-friendly.

We bought Duchess at the North Shore Animal League about 3 years ago.

Yoyo and Duchess don't interact that frequently, and when he tries one of them usually just lets out a soft "rowr," then she runs away regardless of who said it. At nighttime during her "friendly" hours I have caught her licking him once or twice. I also know cats are supposed to hate being picked up, but not to the point that they literally claw into your wrists (I've been asked if I cut myself because of her) and put on an expression as if their life is in danger. This is why I've stopped trying unless necessary. What I mostly don't understand is why she's terrified not only of other life forms, but of such entities as a catnip toy, her food dish, cat treats, our bathroom, and the outdoors. Yet, go figure, she thinks my dulled katana is a toy.

Yoyo and Duchess don't interact that frequently, and when he tries one of them usually just lets out a soft "rowr," then she runs away regardless of who said it. At nighttime during her "friendly" hours I have caught her licking him once or twice. I also know cats are supposed to hate being picked up, but not to the point that they literally claw into your wrists (I've been asked if I cut myself because of her) and put on an expression as if their life is in danger. This is why I've stopped trying unless necessary. What I mostly don't understand is why she's terrified not only of other life forms, but of such entities as a catnip toy, her food dish, cat treats, our bathroom, and the outdoors. Yet, go figure, she thinks my dulled katana is a toy.

The North Shore Animal League is a shelter from what I understand. Did they tell you her history? There are a number of reasons a cat could act like this. If she was a stray, abused or came from a kitten mill/hoarding situation, then she may not be used to living in a house, or having humans take care of her well. If she was confined to a tiny cage (which is what happens in kitten mills), then she might well be frightened of many things that better socialized cats take for granted.

I think it would be best to follow the advice of cathairetic and HermioneG05 and just have patience with her. You have to get her to trust you some how.

I need some advice. My mom recently moved in with me and brought her two cats. One of the cats is about a year old and a siamese and something else. She looks really old. But thats beside the point. She goes to the litter box and just kinda messes it up. She scratches it so the liner is all messed up and then walks away. If I go fix it, she comes right back and does it again. I assume she uses the box when nobody is watching but why does she keep messing up the liner? She WILL NOT let it be. It's highly obnoxious because the cats cant use it when the liner is folded in over the litter. I'm not sure how to make her stop

I don't use a liner, but I have an idea. Is the liner plastic? Because two of my cats will mess with/lick anything plastic every chance they get. Unfortunately, I haven't found a way to get them to stop, except to keep plastic bags etc away from them.

It also could be stress from moving too.

Yeah it is plastic. I'm thinking stress too. But its been almost 2 weeks now. Although I'm not sure how long cats 'get over it'.