Pets

fur

My cat scratches herself until she bleeds. No fleas on her. I was wandering if this is stress related.

Posted by David Eddy on 2009-09-05 at 14:43:06

Hissing at the Mirror

My cat is very laid back and never hisses at anything. That is, until I played a Youtube video of other cats! Now every time he comes in the guest room (his room!) he sees himself in the mirror and hisses! I covered up the bottom of the mirrors - they are on closet doors. Incidentally, the dressing area he eats in is mirrored, too! He hasn't seemed to realize that yet. I'm disturbed seeing him so upset - plus until now he loved his room. What should I do?!?!

Posted by Jenni Bryant on 2009-09-08 at 16:05:14

Flea's

My kitty has not visual effidance of flea's but seems to always be bitting and licking and making a slubbering noise, it might look as if she is cleanning her self but it is so often I am concerned. We have used the earmite for her ears and used an oil for the flea's on her neck back. Her hair seems dirty to the feel now should I give her a bath?

Posted by PAT on 2009-09-09 at 08:52:10

clippers

My cats pissed at me cuz i cut 3 of her toenails and then gave her a treat

Posted by Beth on 2009-09-12 at 05:01:05

cat

my cat seems to urinate on my body while I'm asleep.

Posted by grouperlu on 2009-09-12 at 13:06:19

Kitten biting

My son has a 5 1/2 month old kitten, adopted at 6 weeks of age. My son and the kitten moved in with me about a month and a half ago. The kitten is basically fine with me now, but when he first arrived in my home, he would bite my hand without warning. He still does this with my son several times a day. Sometimes, the kitten will jump up from behind my son's chair and bite or stratch him on the face, arm or hand. The only difference is in how we handle the cat. From what I understand, my son and his friends "rough-house" played with the kitten when he was very young. My son also always wants to pet or pick up the cat when the cat is just laying around or walking through the room. I keep advising him to just leave the cat alone unless the kitten wants to play with him wihen offered a toy or when the kitten comes up to him and seems to want to nestle or snuggle; then when the kitten first indicates that he has had enough to immediately let him go on his way. The kitten is an unneutered male. Will that help with some of this aggression? Also, am I giving my son the right advice? Please let us know. This is the first cat either of us has been around and I can't seem to find any information on this particular subject. It is painful and irritating to see these confrontations on a daily basis. Thanks for your help! By the way, except for this behavior, the kitten seems happy and well-adjusted, eats well, is up on his shots, etc.

Posted by Ethel Seay on 2009-09-13 at 20:03:32

no kill shelters

Great advice about the no kill shelter. Thinking about those places make me sick to my stomach and bring tears to my eyes. How could we do such things to helpless animals unless its absolutely necessary?

Posted by misspriss on 2009-09-15 at 01:56:42

Hair Pulling

Why does my cat pull his hair out by the mouthful?

Posted by Harold on 2009-09-15 at 20:13:19

Fur

David Eddy - your cat may have a skin allergy or may be very stressed about someting. Take your cat to the vet. If you want to try giving her a bath, use a mild shampoo without any fragrances to see if that helps her. But I would still stress going to see a vet!!!

Posted by Stephanie on 2009-09-24 at 16:58:32

Hair Pulling

Harold, check your cat for fleas, give him a bath, and if he is still doing this take him to the vet. It may be more serious than just fleas or dry skin.

Posted by Stephanie on 2009-09-24 at 17:00:41

Cat

Grouperlu - if your cat is urinating on you, then he is trying to tell you something. Check his litter box, if he may not like his litter - or it may need to be cleaned. If that's not it, take him to the vet - he may have a UTI.

Posted by Stephanie on 2009-09-24 at 17:02:37

Fleas

Pat - Try giving your cat a bath - if that does not help, then she may have a skin irritation or allergy - you may need to consult your vet.

Posted by Stephanie on 2009-09-24 at 17:03:54

Kitten biting

Ethel - kittens tend to rough house and if they are played with rough when they are little, they will think that it's ok to play like that. Make sure your kitten has lots of toys to play with and that when you play with him you are not using your hands. This will help deterr that behavior. If you don't have a lot of time to play with the kitten to help exert some of his energy - you may want to get him a playmate (make sure that both are spayed or neuter!)

Posted by Stephanie on 2009-09-24 at 17:11:39

NEW HOME

HOW HARD IS IT FOR A CAT TO ADJUST TO A NEW OWNER? IT WAS A STRAY AND I'VE HAD HER 6 MONTHS AND NEED TO GIVE HER TO A PERMANENT HOME.

Posted by JANE HOPPER on 2009-09-24 at 20:50:07

wiered cat

Have had Ben, a young male cat, for about three months. Initially he laid on his back, signifying the pecking order, and all that. I would initiate times where he'd lay on my chest getting "scratches," etc. He seemed very content with these. Which we did with greater frequency in the beginning. About half-way through our relationship, he often initiated "fighting," he has been de-clawed both front & rear, but even before this, his bites and such were harmless. Meaning no blood, just light little bites . . . When I did play fight, he'd run off and hide for extended periods of time. So, I nixed them, since I did not like the run and hide outcomes. So when he tries and play fight, I say "no," and continue about my business. Now when I initiate scratching sessions he seems to care less, one way, or the other. He used to jump onto my lap, or come up and lay on my chest before lights out, and in the morning walk up and lie down on my chest for scratches. He sometimes does, sometimes not , anymore. Seems now I change his box, feed, water him, and that's about it. No matter what I do, we grow further apart. Have had cats for 36 years, this one confounds me. Have had success with all the others. The degradation in our relationship has gotten to the point where I simply sit back and wonder. To the point, I'm ready to take him back to the Humane Society where I got him from. His bowl is always full of food, changing from one flavor to another, twice daily, fresh water served twice a day as well. I found that keeping their bowl full always. That my cats remained trim, since they didn't have any, even the slightest fear of where their next meal is coming from. I have made Ben three places to lie, and watch the squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, turtles, birds, and so on. One is where he can see quite far, and get lots of sunshine. Have had bird feeders and critter feeders in the back yard seems forever. Helps keep him interested in that at least. I did the same thing for all my other cats. They appeared to really like watching the critters do their thing. As said, just about at wits end, since being redundant, what began as a great relationship is to the point, I've just about had enough. I'm not interested in being a provider, with no interaction . . . First time I've had a pet in which we didn't have a very comfortable, harmonious relationship. So, back to the HS house he most likely will go. By the way, he is not mean, in fact has a very mellow, pretty, song like meow, uses his box, no urine, except in the box, et cetera. Of which I keep very clean for all the obvious reasons, health being one. Has all the creature comforts, seems satisfied with them. Getting chatty . . . Intially he layed on his back, signifying the pecking order and all that. I would inithiate times where he'd lay on my chest and get "scrates," etc. He ssmed very content with these. About have way through our relationship, he often initated "fighting," he has been declared both front & rears, but even before this, his bites and such are harmless. When I did play fight, he'd run off and hide for etended periods of time. Now when I initate scratching sessions he seems to care less. He used to jump into my lap, no more. Seems now I changed his box, feed him and that's about that. No matter what I do, we grow further apart. Have had cats for 36 years, this one confounds me. To the point I'm ready to take him back to the Humane Society I got him from.

Posted by jas on 2009-09-27 at 01:00:20

Stressed Cat

My young cat was shot at recently and treated by the vet. She has now been refusing to take food and water and has been on a drip. How can this problem be solved?

Posted by Rose Mary on 2009-09-30 at 03:50:49

cat meowing early in the morning

The cat is a year old, has been neutered, and has food in the bowl, but doesn't want anyone to sleep past 5 am. Help!!

Posted by Linda on 2009-09-30 at 13:32:26

SHEDDING

I have a cat who sheds ALL THE TIME and I am wondering if this might be due to something lacking in her diet? Does this warrant a trip to the vet?

Posted by Karen on 2009-10-01 at 00:26:06

tails

Why does the end of my cats tail constantly flicker( like a rattlesnake) She's a very happy kitty.....just wondering why she does it.

Posted by Maryse on 2009-10-02 at 11:00:31

pullin hair out a lot

my cat pulls chunks of hair out all the time, why?

Posted by judy may on 2009-10-02 at 23:06:48

bitting

The cat belong to a young couple who just let it room and would not feed it. Then when the cat was about 6 mo he started visiting the next door neighbor who had 2 small grandchildren and they were very rough with it. Then is started coming to our house and we feed and it stayed so we took him in and had him neutered. we continued to feed him out doors and gave him a shelter. He eventually found his way in thru our Doggie door. we have small 11 year old Pom. When he first started coming in they started fighting but now are so so. How ever he has started coming up behind me grabbing me around the leg and bitting sometime hard enought to draw blood. He will come and sitting on my lap and purr and I pet him but do not hold him down and he has on occasion turned and attacked me hare on my arm. Can I break him of this or what. H follows me all around and likes to stalk me also as he does the dog. Any help would be appreciated. june

Posted by june on 2009-10-03 at 17:52:40

Weird Noises

My 3 yr old male tabby has started growling while grooming his rectum area. His appetite seems normal but he has also started hiding. We recently had company for a week, could it be stress or something worth a visit to the doctor?

Posted by Kathy on 2009-10-03 at 22:49:01

17 Year Old Male Howles after 5 a.m.

My 17 year old had always been mouthy but in the past couple years, its gotten worse. He gets a half can of food morning & night and always had dry food available. No matter what time we feed him at night, he thinks 5:oo a.m. is a great time for breakfast. Have tried squirting with water, yelling, etc. Any ideas?

Posted by LMG on 2009-10-08 at 14:29:02

biting

i have a tabby kitten, found him about 2 months ago.. he was very small when i found him. I'm just wondering if biting is something kittens do when they play..sometimes it actually hurts.

Posted by tab-E on 2009-10-09 at 14:02:46

my cat

My cat Buddy is the best . he is way better than your cats. He is so cute!

Posted by A Girl SRK on 2009-10-09 at 22:36:01

Unusal Kitten Behavior Please Help

We live in the country and we feed about 6-8 feral cats outside. When you live in Central Florida outside cats near the house are necessary to keep down the pests. We seldom see a snake, have never seen a mouse or rat. So we keep an eye out and whenever we spot a litter of kittens we bring them in. We keep them in a spare bathroom with their own, food, water and litter pan. After about 2-3 days we put them out on the screen porch for them to learn to run,climb and play. When they are ready we let them join the general population. (we have 7 inside cats) We have 3 play towers of all different types, we have treat and catnip parties for them once a week. The reason for this discussion is this. The last batch of kittens we brought in were about 3-4 weeks old. We caught 2 the first day and the third only 2 days later. The first two were very normal and playful and loving and would sleep on our laps. The 3rd one was just not adjusting at all. We tried to treat her the same as the others but she just hid and hissed. Then she started playing with the other kittens. So we left her alone and then she slowly joined the group and is still a little shy but ready to be adopted out. But the strangest thing we have every seen happened this morning. One of the first of the three suddenly went wild. She was running all around the house with the other kittens chasing her to play and she just screamed, growled and hissed. Last night she was standing on her hind feet on the coffee table eating ice cream off from my spoon. Today she is almost completely mad. We have no idea what to do. We take in and find homes for about 30 kittens a year so we have seen almost everything there is to see around kittens. Can anyone give us a clue? Of course this has only been going on for about 4 hours today but we are very worried about her. I picked her up and tried to check her out and I don't think she is hurt unless it is internal. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Posted by Carol Anderson on 2009-10-10 at 15:00:09

About 6 month old Kitty

I just adopted a small kitty about 6 months old... I don't know the extent, but I do know that I grabbed her from a young couple that neglected and abused her. She is not shy, but she does the same thing as what I have read others here say... She bites, and attacks from corners on occassion. If anyone knows how to make her stop I will try it she is a great potty trained kitty other than her bitting habbit. Oh, we also went and got a bunch of toys for her and a scratching pad to minimize her biting. Also, she hides in the bath tub if we raise our voice when she does something bad i.e. swatting at our plants.

Posted by David K. on 2009-10-11 at 22:13:40

Older female cat

I have a 9 year old female cat called Ziggy, who we rescued from a quarry at 4 weeks old. She was feral to begin with but has mellowed a lot with age. Every now and again she will be flat out on your knee with you stroking her and she will just attack you. Bites and scratches and then runs off to sulk. Why the hell does she do that when you are in the middle on fussing her??

Posted by KateW on 2009-10-15 at 14:48:12

Unusual Behavior - help me please

I have adopted a 6-month old kitten. She has a few strange/odd behaviors that I have never seen in any of my previous cats. If you walk into the room that she is in, she runs away. If you sit down or lean down to pet her, she walks away from you. She will only come towards you if you sit/crouch down and put your hand out and be patient (about 3 minutes) for her to come near you. She does not allow you to pick her up at all! If you try, she squirms and runs away. She also has an unusual behavior in her litter box. She will go to the box, do her thing, and then she rubs the top/side of the litter box and never covers up her mess. I have had kittens/cats for 35 years and have never seen anything like this. This is also the first "adoption" I have ever done. Any help and/or suggestions would be great. I would love to be able to pick her up and pet her at some point.

Posted by Melinda H. on 2009-10-20 at 09:42:16

biting

kittens love to bite! wear gloves when you play. they will out grow this and then only bite when not in the mood to be messed with or if they get over stimulated by to much petting. sorry but the last part will come with no warnining!

Posted by helen on 2009-10-22 at 16:18:18

New Cats

Hello! I've been feeding a stray city cat for about 4 months. She's very skiddish, and has not yet let me pet her. Dispite this. she lays for hours on the porch right in front of the screen door. When my house cat goes to the screen to visit, she rubs her cheeks and neck over the screen, while my cat rolls on the floor. They also sniff eachother through the screen, and touch noses, etc... I have let my cat on the porch to meet her twice (a month apart from each meeting), but both times, he attacked her and ran her off the porch. When they're interacting through the screen, my cat does not act violent-It seems as though he likes her. I am interested in adopting this street cat -If I can ever catch her, that it. I'm worried about my house cat interacting with ANY future second pet. Can someone explain this strange love/hate behavior being exhibited by my kitty toward the street cat?

Posted by PB&J on 2009-10-23 at 01:00:19

adopted shelter cat-sweet for first week-10 days, now biting & scratching

Hoping someone can offer some advice or insight. We've had cats for many years in the past, which we got when they were kittens and they were wonderful. After my 15 year old tabby passed away several years ago, we have not had any animals until adopting a 3 year old female tabby from the local animal control. She was brought in a month prior, listed as "lost", was already spayed, beautiful little cat. She snuggled my hand through the cage and began eating her food when I was visiting her. After bringing her home,we set her up in the bathroom with food/water/cat box & bedding. She handled the ride home well and actually snuggled with me upon letting her out of the carrier in the bathroom. She was cautious and sniffing her way around, but would purr, come over and snuggle, then go eat some food. Later that day, we let her explore a little more outside of the bathroom. She was not afraid of anyone and even jumped up into my elderly father's lap. We took her for her vet follow up visit the next day, she did very well there. She did have an eye infection which we treated with an ointment for 10 days-also was very good letting us apply to her eyes and gave her a treat. She would come into the bathroom where we started her food/litter/bedding whenever we went in there and start eating her food and brush up against our legs- then she would oush the door open if it wasn't fully closed and jump into your lap when you were on the toilet-no kidding!! She was very friendly and social. Then after the first 10 days or so, when we would pet her as before, after a few pets, she would turn and swipe or bite at any of us. Usually, we could tell the warning signs when a cat's getting angry and avoid further aggravation by ignoring them for some time-but this would be out of the blue and not every time we pet her. The only changes we made since she has been here was moving her litter box and her food/water into a corner in the kitchen, but that was after the first week or so and it has now been a month. She is an indoor cat and does not try to dart for the door when it's opened. She gets fed a few times a day, has her box raked twice a day. She will come in the room where we are and lay in the floor nearby as opposed to hiding or being completely removed from humans. She has come over to brush up and snuggle and will let you scratch under her neck, then when she's had enough, she'll swipe or bite. I've been advised to flick her on the nose when she bites and then go away and ignore her for awhile. I've tried to have some positive/progressive sessions with her on my lap or laying on my chest or stomach petting her to get her use to it. Sometimes she will purr and participate for a little while, then will get off me and go lay down a foot or two away on the bed- or swipe at me-but I usually can tell when it's a good time or not to do this, so I won't force it. I'm concerned if this behavior can be stopped and puzzled that she was such a sweetie for the first week, which you think would be the most stressful and now she's turned nasty. She has been treated very well by our family- I don;t know what kind of environment she came from before the shelter, but she was already spayed, so I would think she had at least been to the vet at some point- but we'll never know if she was abused. Yesterday, she came over to my father wanting to play, so he got the orange feather boa on a stick she loves so much and entertained her for a bit, then let her have it as she likes for a little. When she was done and had calmed down, she came over and brushed up next to his hand where he was sitting, so he reached down to pet her, after a few pets that she initiated, she turned and bit his hand drawing blood, this is the second or third time she's done this to him, and he's not too happy about it. He's also on coumadin, so he has to be careful about getting cuts and scratches, bites, etc. I am sad that's she's gone from being so delightful to a little nightmare. The animal control center said upon her adoption that there was a 60 day period that you could bring the animal back for any reason if it doesn't work out- but I'm afraid they will put her down if we bring her back. We will have to tell them that she has been biting & scratching. I'm thinking of taking her to a no-kill cat shelter, but even doing that makes me feel sad and guilty. Because we've raised our other cats from kittens in the past, this has never been an issue before. I wish she was the sweet little thing she was the first 10 days we had her. Sorry so long winded, but I'm hoping someone can suggest something I may not have heard or tried & how long it may take to stop this behavior, if possible. I don't want to give up on her if possible- but I also don't want her attacking everyone either. Can you teach a cat to snuggle again? or at least not swipe and bite? Thanks for any input...I'm torn on what to do :-(

Posted by MF on 2009-10-23 at 02:35:41

Re: fur

To the person wondering about their cat scratching until it bleeds - this could possibly be a stress indicator, but it could also be something else. My kitten did the same thing - she came from a shelter and she was fine for weeks, and then all of a sudden she started having bloody spots where she had scratched off all her fur and tore into the skin. The vets I was seeing thought it could be a skin infection, or possibly an auto-immune deficiency... they gave her steroids and put her through a painful process of removing the scab to run tests. This was relatively expensive, and I don't know what they were thinking, giving such a tiny kitten STEROIDS. At the time, I knew nothing, so all I could do was to allow them to move forward. When I visited my family in Maine, I took her to our local vet, since the issue had not been resolved, and he was horrified at the other vets. He suggested that she was allergic to certain food, and told me that these days, because of all the artificial crap in cat foods and stuff, cats are developing allergies to the very things they historically love - meat, milk, fish... And once I got her a sensitive skin food, and stopped feeding her treats with any milk or fish in them, she stopped scratching. Now she's indoor/outdoor, so sometimes she still comes home with a nasty patch of skin... but it's probably because she gets into things out there and eats things she shouldn't. My advice - Try your cat on a sensitive skin diet! And try feeding him or her cucumber peels... that was advice my vet gave me, because she can get more vitamins and nutrients out of fresh veggies or bananas or whatev than dry food.

Posted by Jocelyn on 2009-10-23 at 15:22:46

loud cats at 5am

I had a friend with this exact problem. The vet told her to crate the cat at night, in a different room, then let him out when she woke up and was ready to feed him. This helps regulate the cats sleep cycle, and you don't have to do it forever. Of course, the cat will hate the crate at first. Hers was very unhappy. He yowled and scratched into the night - which is why it's important to put them in a separate room, where they cannot see you, and it is important to not give them any attention for this behavior. After a night or two, he calmed down and got used to sleeping the night through. This also helps regulate the sleep cycle of a cat who is hyperactive at night and causes a ruckus just by messing with things in your house. After a few weeks, she left the crate open at night, just so he could get used to not having to sleep there (instead of the crate just -which could be stressful) and it worked! No more 5am wakeup calls!

Posted by Jocelyn on 2009-10-23 at 15:42:41

Agressive cats

I have 3 cats 2 male and 1 female. I have had the males for over a year and the female just about 4 months. She is afraid of the males and hisses at them. The males stalk her and chase her. She does not come out of my office except to use the litter box and drink. What can I do to get these cats to get along. The female is a flamepoint siamese, could it be her personality? She also cowers when I go to pet her, and I am thinking maybe she might have been abused. She is a shelter cat.

Posted by Jeannine on 2009-10-24 at 20:25:15

craps outside his littler box

he only goes outside the littler boxs is when we bring the cats from outside in .we dont let them stay in to long ,could it be possiable he doesnt like us doing that and he goes outside of the box

Posted by carolyn on 2009-10-25 at 21:53:38

dont like other catsin the house

i have recently been letting the cats from outside come in for awhile and now i see my cat which goes outside has use the bathroom in the middle of my bed does this mean he is really mad at me for for letting them cats in

Posted by carolyn on 2009-10-25 at 22:01:32

cats eyes

my cats eyes have rolled up under his eye lids and will not come all the way down to normal.

Posted by Elwood on 2009-11-04 at 10:18:11

Bringing in a new family member...

I have two female cats (three years and sixteen years old) whom are already pals, but two months ago We (my husband and I) adopted another older cat from a neighbor who passed away and the younger of my cats keeps chasing the new one into hiding and my original older cat still hisses at the new girl. How do I stop this and bring the three together as pals?

Posted by Donna on 2009-11-06 at 12:53:28

outdoors

my cat tiger is 7 mounths old and constently wants to go outside but i dont think he would come back.what should i do

Posted by ann smith on 2009-11-08 at 00:06:52

outdoor tiger cat 7 months you mentioned

I have a suggestion for the person who wrote about the cat who continually wants to go outside. Assuming you have an indoor litter box that meets the cat's needs, the next thing I'd thinkg about is that cats love fresh grass. It is not unual for them to smell it and want some. Try bringing some in and chopping it up very short about 1/4 to 1/2 inches long, IF your lawn has not been treated with chemicals and if there has not been a frost yet. A good year-round alternative is buying pet grass at a local store, here we can get it at Whole Foods. What they sell here is oat grass. It is a little pricy but does what nothing else will do...stops the cat from wanting to dart out. A firm NO if they try to get out and not opening the door wide to them also helps. Breaking the pattern and providing an alternative really calms down the situation for us. One thing to keep in mind, if you buy the cat grass, buy it from a good store so it won't contain gnats. Some pet stores sell you the gnats too, which can be very undesirable. I hope this information helps you.

Posted by Tony in Tulsa on 2009-11-11 at 20:51:28

Tried and True! New cat acceptance by other cats

Especially with kittens the best thing I've found is to save something that smells like your cat or cats a few days before the arrival of a new kitten and then rub it all over the new kitten before he or she meets the other feline members of the family. They will smell themselves and not make AS BIG a deal about the new guy as they might have otherwise. Also the new guy might need a bath before being presented for "membership" in the club.... This can easily be arranged by isolating existing family members from the new one before he is brought into the house, and take him right on in to his bath. Then do the familiar smell transplant I mentioned and you have the best case for success. I have also not forced pets to interact at first and expect a little distancing and territorial behavior. But I also reassure my old pets and don't accept much fussing from them after a time, telling them no, and call them by name,I want you to like the new kitty, and talk sweetly to them to reassure them. It may take a lot of patience, but many will be accepting. Occasionally you'll find a tough character that won't share space with the others, in which case, you give it time. As long as there is no physical fighting, let them work it out and in time they usually will. One case in particular where this happened, we had the older cat and a new kitten who replaced a cat who died that was his own age. Older cat was not accepting at all. We did the smell change and let them both have their time and space. Eventually the older cat loved the young one so much he defended his life from an intruding dog. So don't give up too soon. I'm convinced some pets need more time than others to make friends with a newcomer they didn't ask for. They experience jealousy and many other human-like emotions and often have no idea how to deal with them. They want 100% of your attention and if that feels threatened, they may need a lot of attention and reassurance from you that they have nothing to worry about.

Posted by Tony in Tulsa on 2009-11-11 at 21:04:55

Excessive shedding

We found a great product for managing the shedding problem. It's called a Furminator. Several places sell them. I got mine on ebay for a reasonable price. The cats love it. It removes all the loose fur a brush can't get. The first time you'd thing you brushed off enough fur to make another cat! But the next day the coat will be SO BEAUTIFUL, shiny and close. All cat owners should consider getting one of these. It sure does cut down on how much fur gets ingested and becomes a household cleaning problem. There are also vitamin products available to help with shedding. It doesn't completely stop shedding, but it cuts way back on how much of a problem it is. I have not used them on my cats, but may try them sometime.

Posted by Tony in Tulsa on 2009-11-11 at 21:12:06

Reader whose cat's eyes are not visible

Cat's have a "third eye lid" that is really cool. Almost always if the eye is partly covered by the eyelid all the time, your cat is sick and needs to see the vet. It might be just one eye that's covered, and if it is, it may be an infection in that eye, which needs to be treated by your vet. Infections in cats can be dangerous to their health so don't wait around, get him in to see the vet. It may not be hard or expensive to treat and then you'll know you did all you could then for your furry friend instead of having regrets later. Cats are pretty hardy except when it comes to infections, and especially when they get older, that may be the one thing they can't fight. If you can see your good buddy's third eyelids all the time and not his eyes, you need to be his good buddy and get him to the vet, like NOW!

Posted by Tony in Tulsa on 2009-11-11 at 21:20:18

Bad cat behavior: Biting

I have noticed there are different types of cat biting. Playful kitten biting is just a bad habit and you have to say no, remove your hand and stop playing for a while to make them realize they did something wrong. It may take many times to get the message through but they can be trained to not bite. It works best on kittens that have had some handling and have not just been "wild." Then there is the adult cat who bites occasionally, maybe even affectionately. If you don't want this behavior the training is exactly the same. As for the agressive version some of you described, I have not experienced that so I can't offer a suggestion on that. I have seen a cat in pain bite when he would not ordinarily. If that happens you have to understand that for today, he has had "enough" and the rules are out the window. You still can say no and withdraw your hand (not hard to do if this happens!). Like your kids, your cat wants to know what pleases you, after all he or she does like the benefits of knowing you.... Not all of them understand cause and effect, but over a long period of time, they do figure out a few things, it seems to me. I have had several cats through the years, have two now, and have had quite some variety of experiences along the way with their behavior. The award winner of them all is the 13 year old darling we have now, raised from a kitten with us. I think it makes a lot of difference if you can get them early in their lives or get a cat no-one has abused. They are more trusting and have less emotional "baggage." Even so a cat from some other environment can still be a fine pet and buddy, I've seen that too, we had one such that lived 18 very healthy, happy years and his family (mine when growing up) adored him the whole time. He was a dropped cat that was forever grateful (not all are, but he definitely was). My younger sister was his owner and she didn't put up with any biting from him. But there was such a powerful love between them he would do ANYTHING to please her, and that he certainly did.

Posted by Tony in Tulsa on 2009-11-11 at 21:34:39

RE: tails

Maryse (10/10), my cat does the same thing! She''s a feral, had been returned twice to a kill shelter and she's gorgeous, but, obviously, with some baggage...have had her 5 years now; when I first saw the tail 'twitch/rattle' I thought she must be scared, but she was right next to my dad, whom she loved. Come to learn, she does this, sometimes while lifting first one hind paw, then the other, when she is excited and happy out of her MIND. Don't know why; some neurotic feral tic; pls don't worry about it. I think my baby just doesn't know how to deal with being happy. She will not let me hold her, nor will she sit in my lap. She never licks me (I miss that the most), but has to sleep with some part of her body touching mine (THAT took 3 years). I can bribe her into doing many things bybrushing her. There is nothing in the world she loves more than her cheeks and neck brushed...Caroll Anderson, I hope you took the first AND the third kitty from that last litter to the vets! Reading some of these stories makes me grateful for my own priblems and leavesm me wishing i could help ease more suffering...

Posted by maxkelly on 2009-11-12 at 02:04:54

New kitten-old cat

I'm going to be getting a new 5 month old kitten in a couple of weeks-after he has had a rest from an operation on his leg. My friend who is a vet sais he is lovely and really sweet natured. I'm really looking forwards to having a cat, and my husband likes cats too-so thats all good:-) Unfortunately however, we are going to be moving in the new year-for my new job, and most likely going to be living with my mam for a while before we get sorted out. My mam loves cats, and lives in a nice safe and quiet area-however, she has an older female cat-probably about 11 or 12, who was rescued, is nervous and a little erratic in her behaviour. This cat hated the other cat she lived with-and became much more friendly and confident when that cat-a male and boistrous cat-passed away. I am afraid that bringing this new young male in will upset both of them-and I'm worried incase the stress makes either of them serously ill, and then I have to move the poor bugger out again-when my husband and I get our new place. Any suggestions guys? I've read some good avice on gradual introductions, but I'l be working three days a week, and my mam and my husband will be working full time, so I'm a little unsure of how it could be put into practice on a daily basis. Man. Am a pile of worries right now-and really would love this new kitten:-(

Posted by Helen on 2009-11-12 at 20:03:08

16 yr old female cat

In the last year my cat has started making terrible, loud meowing cries that sound as if she is being tortured. In all her 16 years I have never heard this kind of vocalization from the cat except in this past year. I've had her to the vet but all her bloodwork came back just fine. If you approach her inquiringly during these bouts of screeching, she'll stop and will be ready to play or be petted and she'll act just fine. I can't figure it out. Help!

Posted by Diane on 2009-11-13 at 13:05:24

male orange tabby

my kitty has blood in his urine what shall i do?

Posted by annie on 2009-11-15 at 14:22:14

Wild rescued Himalayan

A week ago I rescued a beautiful small female who was on the Eu list for the next day or two. I could not let this beautiful cat be euthanized and wondered why it could have gotten that far without rescue. When I asked for visitation at the shelter, my question was answered. She has been declawed on all four but she is terribly unsocial. She hisses and spits and howls just being near her. Said to be two years old, she is half the size of my persian. I have been isolating her in my guest room, coming in two to four times a day to feed and check on her and allow her to hopefully become less frightened of me. Things do seem to be coming along slowly. I just don't know how quickly to try to move things along. She will let me come in now without the hissing etc. but still recoils if I try to get closer than a couple feet or reach out to her. She obviously shows all the signs of a highly stressed cat and I just want to make it all better. Any ideas/suggestions for me?

Posted by Jewell Land on 2009-11-15 at 21:06:52

New cat owner

I just received a new cat, He hasn't warmed up to me yet. It's been about a week since I have had him. He constanly ignores me but at night when I am laying down he comes near me and just sits and stare at me. It kind of freaks me out. I don't know if he is about to attack me or what. Also why I am sleep. I think he bites me because I always feel sharp pinches on my legs and feet. What does this mean??

Posted by Jen on 2009-11-16 at 15:18:23