Dog person finds a kitten - help!

aonb

Thanks. HALF A YEAR TO GROW BACK?!?!?! Oh dear - Tux looks like a disaster - she's longish haired, so it will be a while before shes her beautiful self again!

I bought her a post-op-present while out shopping today - there was a Cat goodie bag, with 2 balls, a mouse toy, and 3 different bags of treats. She doesnt like any of the toys, and ate a few of 1 of the treats - shook her paws at the other 2 samples Shes a v.tiny cat, and no real interest in food - eats at night when I put her to bed. Any suggestions for foods to tempt/put a bit of condition on? She eats wet cat food (pouches) and I give her a bit of turkey or chicken during the day. She doesnt have much interest in fish, and wont eat any red meats. Likes yoghourt (give her a little bit most days)

mymo

Have you tried scrambled egg?
Has to be done in butter of course, all our animals love it.

aonb

yes, of course in butter :P and my dogs and hens have always been huge fans of scrambled eggs - will try her with some tomorrow, thank you.

Irish Stones

aonb wrote: »

Vets said that she could eat that evening ... she did throw up (which they said might happen) ... left some food overnight for her - all gone this a.m.

That's why the advice was no food.
They could throw up and not be smart enough (because of the anaesthetic) to be ready to cope with it and they could choke.
Anyway, glad to read that everything's fine

aonb

This week, I have been letting Tux outside, for increasingly long periods of time. All going fine She has a ball, streaking around outside like a mad thing. Then she comes in, has a snack, and a snooze, then out again. She stays v.close by, and usually comes when I call. I have had to get a ladder to get her out of a tree once - shes bright, I hope, wont try that again!! :rolleyes: I have had to rescue from a shed - she got locked in!! This afternoon, doing some work in the garden - very difficult: dog wants to bite the rake, kitten wants to jump on the sweeping brush.

Anyway, Tux has a little cut on her chin. Can I put Sudocrem on a cat? I know from vets that I can put it on dogs/horses/hens ...

aonb

Back again to ask another ignorant-of-cats-question

Tux came in this afternoon absolutely FILTHY!!!
I think she has been 'stalking' the hens in their dust bath area
Her entire under-carriage is covered in mud/dirt!
There is no way she is going to be able to wash that lot off.
The question is, can I bath a cat?!?!? (With kevlar gloves on!)

Jeez, so much for a nice lazy sunday afternoon

(the hens are sick of her too!)

Pumpkinseeds

You could bath her, but you'd probably need medical treatment afterwards:D Toby has come in caked in heavy clay after fights in the past and I saturate an old tea towel in lukewarm water and gently rub as much as possible off him. It depends on how much the cat will tolerate really.

SillyMangoX

aonb wrote: »

Back again to ask another ignorant-of-cats-question

Tux came in this afternoon absolutely FILTHY!!!
I think she has been 'stalking' the hens in their dust bath area
Her entire under-carriage is covered in mud/dirt!
There is no way she is going to be able to wash that lot off.
The question is, can I bath a cat?!?!? (With kevlar gloves on!)

Jeez, so much for a nice lazy sunday afternoon

(the hens are sick of her too!)

Yep you can bath her, I have to wash Dude very often so it can be done! Start out slow, just with a damp cloth or sponge. Whatever you do, don't just dip her into water! I'm lucky with Dude, he's so placid that we just stand him into the bath and can use the shower hose on him, but not every cat could tolerate that! Best bet would be with the sponge or cloth and dreamies being constantly fed!

morgana

As others have said, it is possible. Use a sponge or wet kitchen towels to wipe off as much as possible in the 10 second window allowed by the cat. Best attempted as a 2 person-1 cat operation with the humans in as much body armor as available :P.
Preferably with a third human to video the operation for posterity and Boardsie's delight :P

aonb

morgana wrote: »

As others have said, it is possible. Use a sponge or wet kitchen towels to wipe off as much as possible in the 10 second window allowed by the cat. Best attempted as a 2 person-1 cat operation with the humans in as much body armor as available :P.
Preferably with a third human to video the operation for posterity and Boardsie's delight :P

Went down to wet kitchen towel route.10 sec's was an over estimate

She had a wet underbelly & skulked off to the dogs bed to wash herself. Amazingly she was soon spotless. The thing is how do their little tummies cope with all the mud, dirt and FUR?!?!?!

Since shes now allowed outside, her appetite is HUGE! She is eating about 3 times what she used to eat! She is very tiny and quite thin, so Im not worried. Can I just ask what you guys do viz feeding your cats? I cant leave food down because my dogs will eat it. I feed her in the morning when I get up, usually chicken/turkey. Then another bit of chicken/turkey at lunchtime. She gets a huge amount of food when I put her to bed at night - well I think its a lot for a tiny cat: 1 whole pouch wet food, plus a spoon of pro-biotic yogourt plus any bit of chicken that she hasnt finished during the day, and some dry kibble in case the rest isnt enough(doesnt usually finish this). Oh and she will get a"cat stick" (chicken/liver soft thing) during the day when I go out (cos the dogs get a treat) and maybe a little few Dreamies (bribery)during the day too Apart from the pouch (100g) I dont weigh her food during the day. If she begs for some more in a.m/lunchtime I will give her a bit more. If she comes in to the kitchen & begs I give her a bit on demand - on the grounds that she is tiny/thin/rescue/Im a sucker (Shes about 6ish months)

Nody

As long as she does not get overweight you don't need to worry overly much to be honest; most cats can regulate their feeding but some are pure gluttons and will put on weight accordingly. If she's out and about chances are she's using up more energy playing as well.

aonb

Thanks Nody. I was hoping someone would say exactly that.
I'm so glad shes eating better, think it may be because shes like a nutter outdoors, streaking around the place, and up trees & stalking birds etc. plus using up energy staying warm. I'll keep an eye on her, but shes not a greedy/glutton type, so I think shes ok.
Ive had no luck getting her to eat anything other than meat & cat food - made her some scrambled eggs which she ignored, and she bats with her paws any meat other than poultry

aonb

Back again! No one ever told me that cats are an alien species in comparison to other animals

So, Tux is now happily wandering outside as much as she wants. We dont let her out at night. Shes over her spaying, so everything going well. Yesterday eve, she was out for a bit when suddenly I saw her go flying across the garden, with another cat flying after her :eek: Tux went up one of the bigger trees at the edge of our property. Our dog took off after the other cat when I ran out!! Tux was stuck up the tree (2nd time!) so ladder out and kitten rescued
She seems to be scared now to go outside. She wont leave the patio's, and is in and out every minute. I took her out a few times, to show her it was ok, but shes pretty timid and very tiny, so I think shes freaked!!

Questions - would this other cat hurt her - a very small neutered female? i.e. would the other cat try to fight Tux (on her own property) or just being inquisitive? Would other cats attack non-Toms/queens not in season??

She is as I say pretty timid, will a fright like this put her off, or will she forget about it?

I think because she is so tiny and timid and had such a bad start, Im over protective

Irish Stones

I have never understood if we should intervene to ease their fears off or let them work this thing over.
If you see that she is afarid of staying outside don't force her, she'll be out on her own when she feels safe.
What other cats could do depends on how these other cats are. Some just want to befriend other cats but our cat misunderstands the message or just doesn't want to reciprocate.
Others want all the territory for them.
Probably this cat was there around before Tux and considers that piece of land its own. Of course they don't understand human borders and properties, so it's a matter to see what this aggressive cat wants.
Chances are that this cat could have some feline disease and in the fight Tux could be injured and infected.
Is it a feral or stray cat, or you know whose it is?

Nody

aonb wrote: »

Questions - would this other cat hurt her - a very small neutered female? i.e. would the other cat try to fight Tux (on her own property) or just being inquisitive? Would other cats attack non-Toms/queens not in season??

Cat on cat fights are very rare to be honest; it's usually cat paws in morning, posturing and one running and the other chasing as in your case. Cat on cat action would usually be two large males if anything. Having said that she might pick up a few scratches or similar so keep an eye on it (prone to be infected).

She is as I say pretty timid, will a fright like this put her off, or will she forget about it?

It will take time for her to work up her courage again; once again play with her at the door, then move slightly out the door etc. to help her regain her confidence to go out and "own" the area. Usually it ends up in a time sharing solution (i.e. the cats ownership over the area changes during the day).

aonb

Tux is doing GREAT being outdoors - she stays very close to the property - we're very rural. She keeps coming to the windows and patio doors to check that she can get back in or that we're still there Since shes been going out, she spends the evenings at the stove asleep (which means we're not pestered by an active kitten wanting entertainment!) and her appetite is much keener. Shes not allowed out at night/dark!

My dogs are fed home cooked, the horses gets best quality feed, the hens only get organic/non-GM,the humans eat mostly vegetarian/non-processed etc so now its time to make sure Tux is being fed properly. I would appreciate any pointers/recommendations for a good (healthy) diet for a young cat. I dont buy online, and only get food for her from local shops, so if you can advise me based on that I would be very grateful. She doesnt like fish much, or scrambled eggs. I dont have a clue about portion sizes, keep giving her more til she stops eating/asking!

Right now she eats:
- (human) turkey or chicken for breakfast, plus spoon probiotic yogurt.
- more chicken/turkey at luchtime
- (Dreamies or other treats for snack!)
- evening, she has a pouch of wet food (plus a v.small handful dry kibble which she has very little interest in, except when v.hungry)

on_my_oe

I'm interested too... Princess Foxy has shown a fondness for licking the jelly off her wet pouches, and turned her nose up at the Bozita wet food. She likes Dreamies a lot (late bloomer), and roast chicken. Tonight she went mental for cooked beef.
Ideas / guidelines gratefully received!

Nody

aonb wrote: »

I would appreciate any pointers/recommendations for a good (healthy) diet for a young cat. I dont buy online, and only get food for her from local shops, so if you can advise me based on that I would be very grateful. She doesnt like fish much, or scrambled eggs. I dont have a clue about portion sizes, keep giving her more til she stops eating/asking!

Right now she eats:
- (human) turkey or chicken for breakfast, plus spoon probiotic yogurt.
- more chicken/turkey at luchtime
- (Dreamies or other treats for snack!)
- evening, she has a pouch of wet food (plus a v.small handful dry kibble which she has very little interest in, except when v.hungry)

on_my_oe wrote: »

I'm interested too... Princess Foxy has shown a fondness for licking the jelly off her wet pouches, and turned her nose up at the Bozita wet food. She likes Dreamies a lot (late bloomer), and roast chicken. Tonight she went mental for cooked beef.
Ideas / guidelines gratefully received!

Enjoy!

Irish Stones

aonb wrote: »

My dogs are fed home cooked, the horses gets best quality feed, the hens only get organic/non-GM,the humans eat mostly vegetarian/non-processed etc so now its time to make sure Tux is being fed properly

I can't keep myself from congratulating with you on this excellent lifestyle and approach to all the living beings in your family!

aonb

Irish Stones wrote: »

I can't keep myself from congratulating with you on this excellent lifestyle and approach to all the living beings in your family!

I believe that what goes in to run the machine, is what keeps it running properly - long term! Our bodies are such delicate systems - put junk in and you are going to pay the price.

I know when we got my daughters horse - hes a very light sports horse - very anxious/stressy - never put condition on - we changed his diet - took months and months of tweeking - EVERYTHING about that horse improved!
My hens are in fabulous condition - even in winter - never stop laying - two of my hens are over 8 years old, 1 is 9.
See! Irrefutable evidence (off my soapbox now!)

aonb

Nody, thank you very much for that link but Im a bit of a vegetarian-wimp - handling raw meat/offal/bone and grinding - would be beyond me - even for Tux.
(even for the dogs I couldnt do Raw - so next best thing was home cooked)

Should I be giving Tux a raw chicken wing as I do the dogs a few times/week?

Given that home cooked or raw diets for cats emphasise the issues of vitamin, calcium and fibre in a cats diet, if one were to buy commercial wet food only, what brands are best - and available in Irish shops?

Nody

aonb wrote: »

Nody, thank you very much for that link but Im a bit of a vegetarian-wimp - handling raw meat/offal/bone and grinding - would be beyond me - even for Tux.
(even for the dogs I couldnt do Raw - so next best thing was home cooked)

Should I be giving Tux a raw chicken wing as I do the dogs a few times/week?

You'd most likely need to work Tux up to handling something like a chicken wing; it does not come directly. Same rules as with dogs about not cooking the bone etc. Also very important for cats is that you ensure they get taurine (this is found in heart/brain and dark red muscle meat mainly!) and you can get taurine powder (it's water soluble so basically cats can piss it out if given too much).

Given that home cooked or raw diets for cats emphasise the issues of vitamin, calcium and fibre in a cats diet, if one were to buy commercial wet food only, what brands are best - and available in Irish shops?

Depends on the shop to be honest. Bozita, Porta21 (not complete), Animonda Carny only (not any other Animonda!), Cosma (not complete), Lily's kitchen, Catz Finefood, Feringa, Terra Faelis etc. are all good choices but honestly your best bet (price & selection) will be zooplus.ie.

Pumpkinseeds

aonb wrote: »

Nody, thank you very much for that link but Im a bit of a vegetarian-wimp - handling raw meat/offal/bone and grinding - would be beyond me - even for Tux.
(even for the dogs I couldnt do Raw - so next best thing was home cooked)

Should I be giving Tux a raw chicken wing as I do the dogs a few times/week?

Given that home cooked or raw diets for cats emphasise the issues of vitamin, calcium and fibre in a cats diet, if one were to buy commercial wet food only, what brands are best - and available in Irish shops?

Only 1 of our 4 cats will eat any poultry/meat with bones in. We give them diced raw chicken breast and raw lean minced beef a couple of times a week instead. The salmon Bozita is the wet food ours prefer, they'll tolerate the odd can of the chicken one. Funnily enough, we ran out of Bozita and the delivery was late so they had different varieties from the supermarket, and all that was getting eaten was the jelly. Poppy wouldn't eat any of the wet food, Whiskas, Felix or the stuff from Lidl. Thankfully the Bozita arrived today and she wolfed it down, of course she bolt ate so ended up throwing it up again.:rolleyes:

aonb

All going well in this cat-enslaved household! Tux goes out for a bit every day - in/out/in/out/in/out/in/out She never leaves the property, and comes when called - so all good.

Can you tell me what it means she shakes her paw when I give her some food (she doesnt like it or isnt hungry?)

Whats the difference when she walks around with her tail straight up versus with her tail down?

Irish Stones

aonb wrote: »

All going well in this cat-enslaved household! Tux goes out for a bit every day - in/out/in/out/in/out/in/out She never leaves the property, and comes when called - so all good.

Very good indeed, you trained her well!

Can you tell me what it means she shakes her paw when I give her some food (she doesnt like it or isnt hungry?)

One of my two cats does this and I always associated it with the fact that she doesn't like the smell of that food.
As a matter of fact she usually walks away after shaking her paw and won't ask for the same thing later.

Whats the difference when she walks around with her tail straight up versus with her tail down?

Tail straight up = Hi, I'm here, I'm friend, you're friend. Also, I am happy.
Tail up with curled tip = I'm happy but also a bit in doubt.
Tail down = I'm relaxed or exploring the space around me.

morgana

Tail position is a pretty good indicator how the cat is feeling at the moment:

Irish Stones

morgana wrote: »

Tail position is a pretty good indicator how the cat is feeling at the moment:

Figure no. 9, Bristling with anger, straight up fluffy tail, my younger cat does this when she's absolutely delighted by my strokes and attention

aonb

Thats a great illustration Morgana, THANKS!

aonb

Tux seems to sleep half the day, then is full of beans for the evening :rolleyes:

mymo

The youngest two of ours seem to enjoy horseracing while we're in bed, 4am and the galloping up the stairs , along the hall (sometimes leaping onto my bed) and back begins. For two smaller (well smaller than the big boys) cats they make some racket!