Cat Owners (Slaves is more accurate methinks)

FranknFurter

Ok,
All us people who are owned by cats, I think we should band together and impart our wisdom to eachother

Im sure we all have some tips and tricks for living in peace with your feline master / mistress.

For instance, I have discovered that putting down one sheet of newspaper / A4 printer paper in the litter tray before adding the litter stops it from cementing itself to the bottom of the tray.

A laser-pointer can be a gift from god for a cat owner. (ALWAYS use properly, NEVER let red dot near cat! NEVER let a child play with a laser-pointer!)

She thought twice about jumping on your counter-tops as we made them sticky for a day or two (double sided tape or spray with somthing non toxic).

A half a lemon in our sink stopped ours from wanting in there.

???

B

franksm

Two words: After Eights

Cats (well, mine anyway) go crazy playing with balls made of a couple of the little black After Eight wrappers. Forget ping-pong balls, forget balls made from office paper.

FranknFurter

Hmmm franksm, gonna try that (wonderful excuse to eat chocolate! )

Oh!
I just remembered another!
Every cardboard box I get, I cut off two sides so the box is now L shaped.
Bit of duck tape to make it a bit more rigid, put bottom of L under litter tray and wholla! Little or no more litter thrown onto floor!
Also means cat sh1t is not as visable, and mine seems to like the privacy!
(If your box is not in a corner, then make the cardboard LI shaped!)

B

Manny7

Two points I can think of:

1. Automatic feeders are a godsend and worth every cent. No more 3.15am wake-ups.

2. Cats that are noticeably affected by feliway are not affected by catnip and vice versa. Admittedly this is based on a whopping sample of 3 cats but if it is true it may be of use to know.

galah

persistence and time...(my great piece of advice...;-))

When my cats were younger, they were really wild, running around all night chasing each other, on to countertops, begging for food, all the shenannigans - but slowly, and thanks to the patience of a saint (mine...) they've changed within the past year, and they sleep quietly on our bed (even though they've worked up a resistance to move), won't beg for food anymore, and jumping on countertops etc has subsided as well...Granted, we do let them out a good bit too, maybe that has helped!

Otherwise, I found that a waterpistol helped for the worst offences (just don't let them know that YOU punished them, otherwise they might develop trust issues...)

Double-sided sticky tape is a must for everyone owned by cats, as well..;-)

Ruu_Old

I put some double sided tape on things my cat uses as a scratching post. She gets very confused but a few days later I took it off and she no longer goes for that area. Of course it is not a problem now, she uses her new scratching post we bought all the time. We have had no issues about her jumping on counters in the kitchen, she does like my computer chair and sitting by the keyboard. Time and patience indeed.

I was told that water pistols are not good but there are varying opinions.

FranknFurter

Our gal seems to be totally immune to catnip, I've tried several kinds, none have the slightest effect on her, some she even acts like "phew that smells revolting!"
lol
Try training a cat without catnip, I swear its a journey in agony! lol

b

doctor evil

My cat keeps begging for food it is very annoying, she wasn`t too bad when she was young but its gotten worse as shes become older.

Ruu_Old

That is a problem with ours as well doctor evil, especially since she is on a diet at the moment. I just keep her distracted with a game of fetch or something similar. She is getting better but cranky some days.

FranknFurter

Have to say Im rather bad when it comes to feeding.
I make sure she has some (little) available all day and (more) at night so she eats whenever she wants. I suppose thats bad but when I tried scheduling it to morning and night she got more annoying that I can bear!

This little one can be very over-bearing, to the point of scratching you if you forget to refill her bowl quick enough, so I just make sure its never empty. I know, Im lazy and she's spoilt.

b

cotton

A sprinkle of Bicarbonate of soda before the litter in the trays helps curb smells. (Especially when you've got a lot of them!)
Rolled up bits of tinfoil & bobbles are better than any bought toy.
Never leave plants & cats unattended together, the cats always win.;)

Nala

One thing I have noticed:

Cats always, ALWAYS know when you want to worm them. And will stay 10 yards away from you at all times.

morgana

.. or when you want to give them a tablet :rolleyes:

galah

or when it's vaccination time at your local vet...(funny enough, my cats also know when it's Aldi cat treat time - they can "sense" it even if the thought of treats had not actually crossed my mind yet...;-))

morgana

Ohh yeah, and then how to get the cat into the carrier when its time for a vet trip? When she/he doesn't do carriers?
The most important thing: hide the Blo%^&&y carrier. If you don't have a top loader (I don't) you are in for a struggle (I still bear the marks from the last one ). The best way I found to get a cat into a carrier is with the behind first - less scope for cat to do a spread eagle - and close door quickly taking care to shove various paws back in (you might want to wear gloves depending on how vicious your cat can be):) . Works best with a slightly sleepy and unsuspecting cat. With Argos plastic carriers, make sure they are closed properly. Our cat can open the properly closed door in 5 seconds flat. I additionally secure it with those elastic fasteners you use with bicycles.
Then prepare for cat mood backlash

mjffey

We have 10 cats ourself and a cattery.

Luckily our vet comes to our place when it's vacination time, so no problems with catcarrieres. She comes always around 5 o'clock when it's feeding time and we can be sure that 99% of the cats are in.

Regarding frontloader carriers. Lift your cat and hold her against you with her face away from you (her back to your chest), fold her frontpaws under her belly and hold them with one hand, put your other hand on her head and push the cat softly horizontal. She now rests on the arm that holds the frontpaws. You can now lift her in the carrier face first. Easy Peasy. Tjee, hope this is clear. Don't know how to put it down otherwise.

This way of carrying a cat is also very effective when you have an aggressive one. Works 100% with all the cats we have in and some can be very aggressive. It protects you against claws and doesn't hurt the cat.

FranknFurter

I think we are very lucky in having a rather silly kitty who goes happilly into the carry cage to investigate anything thats thrown in first lol

As I type this, the little monster is curled up beside me out cold.
(This always means there has been a day of kitty-carnage)....

We think she may be responsible for a plank of wood suddenly appearing in our kitchen this morning. From what we can tell it was somhow "extracted" from the base of the armchair... :rolleyes:

We have just had our nightly "struggle" to clean out the litter tray (she INSISTS on "helping") and now, Im going to settle down and watch my ALF dvd my hubby kindly dug-up for me (remember alf???? )

b

Gordon Gekko

FranknFurter wrote:

Our gal seems to be totally immune to catnip, I've tried several kinds, none have the slightest effect on her, some she even acts like "phew that smells revolting!"
lol
Try training a cat without catnip, I swear its a journey in agony! lol

b

I think they only become susceptible to catnip once they've passed a certain age, something like 6 months, but am not sure exactly. I thought mine were immune to it too (12 mths old) until we brought back some 'high-grade' stuff from the US recently. We now share our house with two stoners!

FranknFurter

Well, she is over three years old now iirc.
Apparently there are just some rare cats whom it dose'nt affect.

b

artieanna

Fraid catnip a no go for my cat either, when she was a kitten I bought a lovely catnip toy and she looked at me as if to say play with it yourself:D she loves the after eight papers rolled tho...mmm maybe it the smell of choc

Oh yes and if giving tablet, injection etc to your cat..Watch The Back Legs they can rip u apart:eek: :eek: either keep their legs firm on a surface or wrap the cat in an old cardie,blanket, jacket (like a baby in a blanket) making sure back legs in and hold on tightly administer dose and voilla no scrapes yesssss:D

doctor evil

Catnip has no affect on my cat either.

Dinxminx

Sometimes catnip makes my cat act stoned, other times he walks away from it, as if the smell repulses him. He's a weirdo all right!

And he HATES the cat carrier. We stand it up vertically and then lower him into it. Otherwise we end up with our arms in ribbons.

My cat doesn't have a litter tray. Is anyone else's cat like that? We used to have one for him and he just would NOT use it. In the end we got rid of it...

janec

My cat has an annoying habit of biting. The thing is, it's not an aggressive or even a particularly playful thing, she does it when she's all contented and rubbing against you. It's when the purring starts that you have to watch out. It's like a psychokiller getting all euphoric just before they strike!

Any ideas on how to stop this?

luckat

My cat used to bite and scratch when he got happy with his tummy being scratched. He doesn't any more.

What I did was to stop still immediately he'd start this, and just gently push him away with the other hand, saying "Nooo, nooo, no biteys, honey-cat, no little biteys" and the like in a soothing tone.

Incidentally, I've recently discovered that he has bad arthritis in his spine (daily glucosamine has sorted out the inflammation), and wonder if maybe rolling on his back was making him quite sore.

FranknFurter

Ours does the same. Soon as she gets into a "love-frenzy" she chews and swats at hands. Particularly my partners.
We are trying the stop immediately and walk away method too. Hopefully it works.

B

Manny7

One of ours does the biting and scratching thing when I'm tickling her tummy; to be honest I just see it as her playing and let her get away with it, it doesn't hurt that much and I find it fun. Of course my hands have long red scratched on them all the time now which draws some weird looks in work but there you go.

FranknFurter

Our little monster is I think, having some kind of manic episode these days.

One minute she will be there all quiet and purry, the next, for no apparent reason, shes climbing the blinds or running "wall of death" style around the room.
I have now had to confine her to the (largeish) kitchen as she is demolishing the house bit by bit.
Shes no better in the kitchen but at least I can keep an eye on her and tear my hair out actually *knowing* what the crashing noises are without having to go look in another room.
She has an absolute obsession with the blinds and has them well on the way to being unfixable.

How can such a small kitty be SUCH a whirlwind! lol

B

FranknFurter

As my partner said, this deserves a postin'

Tonights daily litter tray change.
First off, the light in the kitchen blows so all im left with is a torch-light.
So, I begin my nightly routine of lifting the tray out and dumping it into the awaiting bag and re-filling with fresh litter.......

I lift the tray, (only 16 hours old tray btw) and realise that *somhow* madam had managed to balance herself on the edge of said tray, and make a single large "turd" over and through the 2" space between the tray and the corner!

Now, by itself thats an amazing feat, however madam being madam, had then proceeded to in less than a day, collect all sorts of paraphenallia (sp?) to "cover" said turd.

There were coke bottle caps, super-valu reciepts, bic biros, and then on top, right there like a card wedged for display on a cake, was a large M&S reciept folded *just so* to be proudly proclaiming "This Sale: E14.99 Thank you!"

*sigh*

Now I can laugh, 15 mins ago, bent precariously off my wheelchair, glaring behind a litter-tray at a over-priced bit of cat-art, I could have killed her.

But, then, as I am bent this way, almost castrating myself in this contortion, cleaning it up, scrubbing, bleaching and spraying..... over she comes, and proceeds to rub her face against mine purring like a generator as if to say "Is'nt it just spectacular daddy!"

Damien Hurst, eat your heart out!

B

franksm

LOL - brightened up my Monday morning, that did

My cats don't go hunting stuff with which to cover up their "presents", but the boy Monte will dig REALLY hard at his wood-pellet litter in the middle of the night, as if to say

<kkkrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkk> you wouldn't

<kkkrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkk> let me stay out

<kkkrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkk> so I'm gonna

<kkkrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkk> make as much

<kkkrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkk> noise as I can

then starts the usual "walking over shelves in the dark" routine, knocking things over.

morgana

Mine too
One of ours is a mutterer, he mutters to himself constantly - even now and then when he is sleeping - when walking along the hedge, stalking a bird, chasing moths whatever ... and particularly appreciated in the middle of the night coming into the bed room and demanding food, other food, attention, bed space whatever is the need of the moment
And me sucker obediently gets up and puts food in bowl, dispenses cuddles etc. just to shut him up and get back to sleep

janec

Love the poo-cover story! I hear ya re the muttering though. I've just taken to putting her out at night so I don't have to listen to her incessant Marge Simpson impressions!

Still haven't managed to stop the biting but I think letting her do it is a bad idea. It might be cute now but it won't be when she's bigger and it definitely won't be to guests.