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Post by rhodadendron on Aug 19, 2006 13:33:08 GMT
Hi everyone
I just wanted somewhere to bleat on about my new kittens as my cat-loving friend moved away and I have no-one to exchange little stories about my beloveds, Hebe and Luka. So I thought I would start a Cat thread - all cat-lovers welcome.
I will post a picture of them when I find out how to do it.
The link to the cat-litter advert in the humour thread was only to fitting. As the kittens haven't been out yet they use a litter-box. Unfortunately Luka was already using the box and Hebe was clearly desperate so noticing the cupboard door was open where the cat-grit bag is stored thought 'Oh I'll use that instead'. Unfortunately the top of the bag wasn't fully open and there was a bit of a mess (to say the least). Gag! Still very clever of her I thought.
They are a bit whiffy and windy I'm afraid. The vet suggested that I try them on a more limited diet. Does anyone have any recommendations for cat-fud? I thought I would keep them on Felix sachets but I am not sure which is a good dried food now that someone has put me off Iams.
Rhoda
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2006 13:45:17 GMT
Hi, I'm no expert but I would have thought something a bit more bland might be the answer. I only had / have regular moggies but have had well over 20 of them over the years. I know when one is off colour we stick to the chicken or fish flavour foods, and leave the beef and liver ones well alone. Also the jelly rather than gravy. We use Whiskas Tuna dry mix but only for breakfast or as top up in the summer when flies are around. I love the names of your kittens and I am sure they must be very pretty. Wx
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Post by 4pygmies on Aug 19, 2006 14:18:36 GMT
Hi Rhoda, I love cats too - got 3 aging ones now - Bill, senior cat 16 yrs old, lovely fluffy and very laid back. Posie, 16yrs too but much grumpier, loves me though, and Pumpkin,,9 yrs my purry little companion wherever I am. Are your kittens the same breed as your beautiful mountain lion? Or am I getting confused again? Mind you, I've never seen an ugly kitten yet so whatever they are, pictures would be nice! I vaguely remember that whiffy cats should be given water, not milk to drink and only dry food for a while. I have a fair few animals so I'm not allowed any more but every so often I get really kitten-y. My OH would sulk for days if I happened to bring one or two home....
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Post by rhodadendron on Aug 19, 2006 14:44:59 GMT
Hi 4P and Willow THis is the link to the picture I originally on the Beeb let's see if this works s25.photobucket.com/albums/c74/Rhoda-Dendron/?action=view¤t=hebeandluka.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgDee's cat was the one that looked like a lioness - gorgeous, although as you say all kittens are lovely really. I hadn't heard about giving them just dry food for a while, I was thinking of just giving them 'wet' in case the dry stuff was a bit indigestible but I might try that instead. I agree about making it blander, I think my other cats were quite picky about eating so I was hoping to get the new kittens to eat a wider range. It is so long since we had kittens, my other darlings both died age 17 over the last year and I was heartbroken, still am really. Kittens are fun but it's lovely when you have all grown older together and know their little ways.
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Post by 4pygmies on Aug 19, 2006 14:58:15 GMT
Oh WoW! Aren't they a couple of honeys? Arggh....but poor you about losing your older ones. I'm not looking forward to it but I know it's inevitable. It must be odd having babies again. I'm sure they'll enslave you soon - cats know what they are about! My older cats have seen me through divorce, major move, all the normal sorts of stuff so I know just what you mean. Good luck un whiffing your kittens!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2006 15:55:06 GMT
Hi RD and 4P I know someone who breeds what I call 'Leopard Cats ' and they are silver and black like those gorgeous ones of yours. They are huge, at least the male is. We seem to attract feral or stray cats. I inherited 7 feral ones and since then rescued 2 pregnant stray ones, yet another had kittens in our green house and lots came in through the cat flap. We live in the country so it didn't matter but with deaths it usually remained at about 12 - 17. I would never pass a cat on to another person so they mostly died of old age. When we moved house yet another pregnant stray appeared within 6 months to produce kittens. Here we are 26 years later with just 2 cats remaining and lots of marked graves amongst the ferns. LP...So long as they die peacefully its all you can do and be grateful that THEY had YOU until their end....you wouldn't want it the other way around would you !
Wx
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Post by Rhoda Dendron on Aug 19, 2006 16:36:51 GMT
Hi Willow, mine are British shorthair silver spotties (as opposed to tabbies) and they look like little snow leopards. I think Luka is going to be enormous as he seems to double in size each day. He is incredibly soft and affectionate. Hebe is by contrast quite tiny and to put it unkindly probably the runt of the litter. She is still gorgeous though. Unfortunately neither of them seem to be all that healthy which is a bit worrying. Hebe started with a nasty cough had antibiotics which cleared it and then had to go back to the vets last week as it had started up again. She doesn't seem at all ill with it and bounces round all the time. Luka has a runny eye which I will need to get checked at the vets next week although I have read that blocked tear ducts can be a problem with pedigree cats.
I don't know whether these are problems with their breed, some cats are a bit snuffly like persians. The breeder I got them from obviously cared for them and they haven't been in contact with any other cats since I got them so I'm not sure where they are picking these things up from.
Our original plan was to get one pedigree and one rescue but we couldn't resist having brother and sister of the pedigrees. OH still wants us to get a rescue moggy eventually but we will have to see. I think the two of them are enough of a handful for now I don't know how you coped with 17 Willow!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2006 20:47:51 GMT
Hi RD. Your two sound adorable. I would love a jumble of kittens causing havoc again. Might be a touchy subject to mention 'propagation' but did you know that feline brothers and sisters don't know the rules ...?? I will enquire about how delicate you might expect your 2 to be when I next meet up with our local breeder; I know she treats most things herself. Oh and by the way.....17 were easy, mothers taught kittens everything and they all looked out for each other. The only hard part was the nursing of any individual sick one , cos that one could have the top brick off the chimney. I wish you well with your two and hope they overcome their health problems in time for when they are let outside for the first time....I have been known to lead 2 out tied up with baler twine but they got tangled and then went underneath the car and came out behind the wheels. Bad idea. Wx
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Post by jlottie on Aug 19, 2006 21:21:45 GMT
Hi Rhoda Another cat lover here I have three, 2 four year old brothers and a 2 year old female that decided she was moving in although we had 2 jack russells at the time (only one now), and she still lords it over the rest. My lot love felix and purina dry food (chicken & rice) and I buy the kitten variety for a treat. (thats including the JR) Your 2 look wonderful, you are in for a lot of fun. I think it is so much better to have 2 together, I have a young cat over the fence that keeps trying to join the gang, they definitely need company. Ths black & white one is Buster Puss and is a big baby The ginger one in Jinx by name and nature & the black one is Roxy puss who thinks shes it s77.photobucket.com/albums/j59/jlottie/june%202006/animals/?action=view¤t=loniceraBusterpuss.jpg&slideshow=true&interval=3
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Post by owainglyndwr on Aug 19, 2006 22:06:29 GMT
We haven't got any pets because my kids have asthma ... but I'm looking forward to seeing the White Tigers at West Midlands Safari Park next week. They're beautiful. So cute I'm almost tempted to wind my window down and stroke them...
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Post by jlottie on Aug 20, 2006 21:19:00 GMT
Hi WB1, Sorry to hear that the children can't have pets, hope they grow out of the asthma. Just think though you have escaped 7 hamsters all in squeaky wheels that would escape from their cages in the middle of the night and keep us all us all up looking for them before our 2 Jack Russels did By the way I remember a thread a while a go when you were going to get them back for something that made you scream...........
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Post by rhodadendron on Aug 21, 2006 8:07:59 GMT
Hi Willow, we are getting them speyed at 6 months. I am assuming this will be early enough to prevent any unwanted incestuous activity although I know my other little girl kitten came on heat very early and we got her done because to be honest we couldn't cope with the noise! Do you think we should be safe at 6 months?
JLottie, your cats are gorgeous. I can't wait for mine to get out in the garden and start sleeping in flowerpots! At the moment they sit with their noses pressed to the patio doors watching flys and moths go past. At least that keeps them out of mischief for a few minutes.
Welshblue - when you get to the safari park pay booth and are asked "Do you have any animals in the car?" Never answer "Only the wife and kids, ha ha ha". A friend of mine worked in one of those booths and the first time she thought it was funny. Then got a bit depressed about it. THen by the 50th time it had become so screamingly funny that she would only have to see someone's mouth begin to form the words and she would become quite hysterical! Luckily it was only a summer job for her.
Lots more pictures of cats everyone please!!!
Rhoda
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Post by sweetleaf on Aug 21, 2006 8:49:57 GMT
Hi Rhoda, I thought I would get my cat spayed at 6 months but unfortunately I liost track of time and when I got her to the Vet (at 7 months) she was already pregnant, had 7 kittens by the cat next door, while she was feeding them I approached the Vet again and he told me she was again pregnant BEFORE the kits were 6 wks old. I homed every one except one of the first brood,except my lovely Stripe, but mum left them to move in down the road when she was left with two of the second brood, one called Trouble who the vet told me I would be unhealthy because she was "the runt". She mysteriously broke her jaw at 6wks ,then her mum put her outside on the dustbin! She had to be fed down a tube every two hours,day and night Then theres Troubles brother, who got called Brother in the end (I cant give them away if I name them and no-one wanted him) I love them all to bits and they are all of course neutered as Ive learned my lesson, they are 11 years old and Trouble, who the vet wanted me to put down, is as fit as a fiddle, never had any health probs since her jaw mended, although she has no voice... she opens her mouth to miaow and nothing comes out but a squeak! They eat a mix of wet and dry foods but will not eat gravy varieties and love a pilchard or two as a treat (not the brine one but the tom sauce variety, salt is very bad for cats) I rinse off the sauce and give them a whole pilchard each to dismember, the oils are very good for their coats.I could go on and on about my beauties but youre probably yawning about now!
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Post by rhodadendron on Aug 21, 2006 11:23:37 GMT
I wasn't yawning at all. I love cats and it is all very interesting. My previous darlings loved tuna which they got once a week but in the early days it was the stuff in brine as we didn't know. We tried them with pilchards and even expensive tinned salmon for Chrimbo dinner but they turned their noses up at everything. They loved tuna, felix (they licked all the gravy or jelly off and left the big bits) and Iams and anything on my plate. These new kittens will hoover up anything at the moment.
I wonder if we ought to get Luka done sooner rather than later. As they are not going out yet that will solve the problem.
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Post by sweetleaf on Aug 21, 2006 15:16:07 GMT
Its always best to "sort out" the boy cats asap as they may not be just a problem to you, but to the entire neighbourhood! Then there is the problem with the SMELL. .. . ....that dissapears almost magically after a trip to the vet!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2006 15:57:13 GMT
Lovely kittens Rhoda. Buster looks really lovely jlottie. I've got a white cat called Spook. He is totally deaf which can cause problems because for example,I can't call him back. On the other hand he wears three bells on his collar which doesn't upset him in the least but gives the birds plenty warning. He sounds like a jester when he's wandering around the garden. He had his bobbies seen to when he was six months old. Don't thinks vets would see to a cat any earlier would they? Spook is fed on cat biccies and the odd treat. He's been sporting a long black mark over his eye for a few days so he's being called Harry Potter at the moment.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2006 19:49:58 GMT
They are a bit whiffy and windy I'm afraid. The vet suggested that I try them on a more limited diet. Does anyone have any recommendations for cat-fud? I thought I would keep them on Felix sachets but I am not sure which is a good dried food now that someone has put me off Iams. Rhoda Rhoda My wife used to work for Purina and is a qualified vet nurse (who specialises in pet nutrition). She wouldn't feed our cats anything other than Purina ProPlan. You can get different types for young cats, adults and seniors. We've fed our 2 (Ringo & Stan) on it for years and everyone says how big they are and how healthy they look. I'll post a link to some pictures of them in due course. Cheers FA x
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Post by jlottie on Aug 21, 2006 19:55:20 GMT
Hi FA
Nice to see you over here, well thats 2 votes for purina, my lot love it. Can you ask your wife why my dog is addicted to cat food (11 year old mental JR) Its getting to the stage when it is a waste of time buying dog food as he won't eat it.
JL
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2006 20:18:27 GMT
Jlottie Mrs FA says that it's probably because cat food has a higher protein (meat) content than dog food. She says that it's not an ideal situation and you should try tempting the dog back to dog food with little treats etc (which you've probably tried) but it shouldn't do any long term damage if the dog really won't eat anything except cat food !! As promised, I've just uploaded some pictures of my 2 cats to yahoo. Here's hoping the link works..... uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lardyandy67/album?.dir=/ed00re2FA x
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Aug 21, 2006 20:44:45 GMT
Me too as well also... We've had a succession of cats over the years, the latest is Priya, a rescue cat. Black all over, runt of the litter...seriously disturbed when we got her...she's still quite nervous with strangers (no bad thing)...she's gorgeous and jolly intelligent. When we got her I'd set out wanting a ginger cat...but she was so pathetic we just had to take her home! Son's girlfriend has a persian, son has a tonkanese-silver tabby x, they've been to look at a Bengal x today....oooOooOoOoo... Would love another kitten...but Priya might not like it... You've all got beautiful cats....lovely photos chaps. CPBxxx
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2006 9:44:29 GMT
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Post by rhodadendron on Aug 22, 2006 10:55:17 GMT
Lovely cats, lovely pictures FA and Rita. That is what I could see of them because Luka's fat little bottom was in the way as he is obsessed with the little pointy arrow icon on screen and spends ages pawing at it. I find this strange as I thought that cats near sight wasn't supposed to be that good but both he and Hebe like the arrow and can identify it even when it is stationary, moving around and there are other flashing ads and movement on the screen!
They are at the bouncing off the walls and running up my (previously predominantly white) curtains stage.
(15 minutes later) Did I say I loved cats? I don't think so. I was half way through typing this message when Hebe turned up with accompanying bad smell and mess all over her paws where she had trodden all over it in the litter tray. And then trodden it all over the kitchen, stairs, me, etc. I spend half my life de-pooing the litter tray. Who would like to take on two hideous kittens?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2006 11:13:34 GMT
Might I suggest 2 litter trays, when Tigger was tiny he used one pooing and the other for weeing I have always fed my cat on Hill Science diet - they do it for kittens too. Cat poo isn't very pleasant at the best of times, but Hills makes their poo more tolerable, it's firmer and less pongy
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Post by obelixx on Aug 22, 2006 12:23:04 GMT
I have 3 cats - all moggies but all special - an amputee, a head case and a basket case. The amputee is now 7 and I got him as a kitten needing a home. He lost his front leg after an argument with a car 18 months ago. He's black and white and longish haired. He's very loving, cuddly and purry, keeps the other two in order (well he tries) and likes to help me with keyboard and filing operations.
The head case is a 3yr old very long haired tabby. She is very soppy but insanely jealous of number 3 who she attacks at every opportunity. His arrival made her angry and depressed and it's taken her over a year to become halfway normal again.
The basket case was abandoned here as a kitten in Nov 2004. It was a shocking experience for him and it took me a week to catch him at his feeding station in the BBQ. The rest of the time he huddled under a very prickly conifer. Then he spent 10 days hiding under our bed and the first time he popped out, No 2 tried to kill him. He still dives under furniture and growls when he sees her coming and then swipes at her tail as she passes. Barmy! He's soppy, stupid and a very short-haired tabby and white. He doesn't hold with winter and has to have a litter tray in the garage during the cold months.
I feed them alternating flavours of Whiskas paté because they only lick the gravy or the jelly on the other types. They also have a permanent supply of Royal Canin biscuits. These come in formulations for young cats, old cats, sensitive tummy cats, indoor with anti fur ball goodies and outdoor with extra vitamins and minerals for immunity. The flavour is always the same and they currently have the indoor/outdoor furball action mix. They won't touch the other brands of biscuits now except when they're at the cat hotel.
We've always had cats, taking on strays and kittens but always neutering them. Some have lived to a ripe old age and some have been run over. They provide endless cuddles and entertainment but Possum yearns for a puppy. Whatever would the head case think of one? I couldn't cope with a canine basket case.
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Post by bagpuss on Aug 22, 2006 16:02:31 GMT
Hi there.
Have enjoyed looking at all the lovely cat pictures posted so far.
I'm also another cat lover. I have two. Morph (10 year old black short haired cat) who is mother to my second cat, Dave(a 9 year old black and white fluffy cat). They both have the same slight oddity in that they both have 5 toes on each paw, instead of the normal 4 (the runt of her litter had 6 toes on each paw!!)
Mine have a mixture of wet and dry food. Although If I have stilton, Dave always pesters me for a little bit. Morph is not so keen, she prefers cheddar.
Will try and post some pics soon.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2006 16:41:55 GMT
Wow sorry the pic is so big We are remembered at our vets as the people who took 6 kittens for their ops..2 per day...and had only correctly sexed 1 out of the It depends on the vet as to when they will neuter the kittens, but from memory its something like 16 weeks. Some will do it earlier and will abort of the cat is pregnant but they all have different margins. Hope you catch yours in time RD and I really enjoyed reading the other stories too folks. Wx
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Post by toonia on Aug 22, 2006 17:01:05 GMT
www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3246018Doglover gatecrashing the catsite here! A little something for your moggies.... The reason I won't have a cat is I couldn't cope if it brought me a mauled little cutie pie like this! Although I am not cat- less as all the waifs and strays from miles around take refuge in our garden. We hadn't been here five minutes and they'd sussed that the Pongster was no threat and always has food in his bowl. I'm also the only person with bird feeders and a pond,they must see me as the local takeaway. I only wish they'd go for neutering here, the local slapper single mum cat had two litters by our barn this year. The neighbour said if he'sd seen the babes when they were smaller he would have "done something about it". Didn't want to go there!
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Post by sweetleaf on Aug 22, 2006 21:10:45 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2006 17:54:33 GMT
[img src="[/img] f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23411225855.jpg"] I hope this works Ive been trying for eight hours to work out how to upload and post photos I'm not sure if all will come up or just one but here goes.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2006 17:55:36 GMT
Back to the drawing board to try again better luck next time i hope
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