Posted on 01/13/2015 7:56:38 PM PST by Jamestown1630
Hi;
I just joined the Kitty-Ping list.
I have what is kind of an urgent question about CATS, and our FRiend 'Slings and Arrows' suggested that I post it to the larger group.
We adopted a little cat, Leroy, a week ago; he’s about 8 months old and still very kittenish. He's adapted to us and our household very well; but we think he needs a cat companion.
We have the choice of adopting one of his brothers, from the same litter; or adopting a female cat who is about 1-1/2 years old, who has already had a litter.
I have never really ‘mixed ages’ in cats; I’ve either had a single kitten, or two or three adults.
Do you think there would be problems, if we adopted the older female, and she lived with the 8-month old male?
We like both the older female and the little brother cat equally; but we want what will be the most harmonious mix.
(The adoption org told us that they first had Leroy and his whole litter available at the pet store; but they fought among themselves so much, that nobody would adopt them. So, then they started showing the boys singly; and that’s how we adopted Leroy.)
The older female is very calm and quiet; the Leroy is very “exuberant", to put it mildly :=)
Can anyone give us advice? We have to make a decision within a day or two.
We live in a small space - two bedroom, two bath apartment. We've never had a problem keeping two cats here; but we've never mixed ages. And, at least until everyone is adapted, the cats will have to stay together in the Master BR, while we are at work.
We are hoping to adopt a second cat before the upcoming holiday weekend, so we'll have several days to get everyone adapted.
The advice of FR cat people would be greatly appreciated;
and
Thanks very much,
JT
I wasn’t thinking the siblings wouldn’t get along. I was thinking they might get along TOO well. LOL! Just put all the breakables away until they get older and mellow out a bit. We don’t want them getting in trouble with “mommy and daddy” for knocking over something as they rumble. :-)
I wish y’all many happy years with the lil fellers. They’re lucky to finally have a loving home.
LOL! Yes, everyone has been “fixed”.
First order of business when a newbie shows up is getting tested for FeLV and FIV and getting shots. Then they get spayed or neutered. If a pregnant female shows up, she’s spayed once the kittens are weaned and the kittens get their turns when they’re 6 or 7 months old.
We keep our vet busy. :-)
Well, we’ve cat-proofed everything as well as we can. (Many beautiful, fragile things packed away in boxes :-( But, you just have to decide what’s more important. When they’re older and quieter, things can come back out.
We’re looking forward to getting the new one tonight.
-JT
Yep, priorities. Our nice things have been boxed away for years but it’s our choice. We could let the cats mosey on and MAYBE find a home somewhere else but we keep choosing to let them stay here and own us. And no regrets. A pretty item to look at is nothing compared to the sweetness and love in these kittehs. I don’t miss the items at all.
Leroy and his brother are going to be happy lil campers tonight!
I can’t say for sure with kittens.
Both of the cats I’ve referred to were introduced to dogs later in their lifespan, and they did not like the dogs at first, but friendship formed overtime.
It seems to boil down to whenever the cat finally decides to tolerate the dog.
Thanks for pointing that out. I forgot to mention it in my advice responses. Male siblings do tend to lord over their sisters, unless the sister is a tomboy. I like the suggestion to adopt both older female and sibling but might be too much for the family.
True! My cats are different when alone and not “competing” for human attention!
He is teething! It will pass. Animal bebies are like children, full of energy, they teethe and go through a toddler stage. My mother gave my dad, who loves cats, two females from the same litter. Over time one consistently beat up the other. My sister took the victim. I never had siblings that did not get along, it was a revelation to my family. We are cat owners back to grandparents.
I had a cat that was 8 years old. I brought in a 12 week old kitten. They got along fine, but the older cat ruled over the younger one. She was a diva, anyway.
Thanks again to all who responded.
Leroy Brown (Leroy) and Big Jim Walker (Jimmy) have been introduced. I think all of our fears were for nothing.
There was a lot of hissing at first, and we started thinking that we should have named them ‘Cain’ and ‘Abel’. But the adoption ladies warned us that this happens when they’ve been separated for awhile, and then come back together.
After a half-hour, they seemed to remember that they were brothers. They’re slinking all over the house together, exploring bathtubs and toilets and laundry room. They both love watching TV. Each has his own favorite toy; they play games with lots of feints and bravado, but no blood or fur flying.
Of course, we haven’t gone to bed with them yet; but I’ve been coming down with a bad cold or ‘flu for days, and it hit me big-time today. I probably wasn’t going to sleep much tonight, anyway ;-)
We are thinking that these are the Best Cats Ever; but that’s what every cat-lover thinks, about every new cat.
(It’s sorta like Christmas Trees: each one is the prettiest one a family has ever had!)
I’ll leave you with my favorite Jim Croce song; and thanks again to all. (When I figure out how to do it, I’ll post kitty-pics on my FR page.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO1rMeYnOmM
-JT
Excellent news! And I love your cats’ names:)
May you enjoy your fur boys for years and years to come.
Thank you for stating this! We don't need any more kitties with diabetes.
Post on your ‘fridge...
Cat Rules:
1) The cat is not allowed on the furniture.
2) Alright, the cat can go on the furniture, but NOT on the kitchen counter.
3) OK, the cat can go on the kitchen counter, too, but just not when I’m preparing meals.
4) Fine, The cat can go wherever it wants, whenever it wants, as long as it doesn’t swat me in the face at 4:30 in the morning, demanding to be fed.
5) Yes, the cat will be fed at 4:30 in the morning.
6) Dogs have masters, cats have staff.
Giving A Cat A Pill:
1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat’s head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse’s armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat’s mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill you just swallowed is not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with desert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Get a screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Clean and bandage slashed, bloody arms and face. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw bloody, shredded T-shirt away and get a new one from bedroom.
12. Call fire dept to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Tie cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat’s mouth open with small adjustable wrench. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm, and removes pill remnants from right eye. Also, be quite still for your tetanus shot before beginning your 10-day regimen of antibiotics. Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for vet to make a house call.
Cat Bathing As A Martial Art:
1. Know that although the kitty cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don’t try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, we recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)
2. Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. We recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face-mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.
3. Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule.)
4. Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo.
5. You have now begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.
6. Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He’ll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record for cats is three latherings, so don’t expect too much.)
7. Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared with what you have just been through. That’s because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg.
8. You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.
9. In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.
10. You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn’t usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But at least now he smells a lot better.
How To Give A Cat A Bath:
1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.
2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water and have both lids lifted.
3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape). CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out for anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.
5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a “power wash and rinse” which I found to be quite effective.
6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.
7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can and quickly lift both lids.
8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside where he will dry himself.
A kitten with humans all by themsleves does not realize how sharp their little teeth and claws are. They instinctively use them in play and can rip you up.
Another cat does not tolerate unrestricted warfare and limits with control are set up. Your hands will thank you if you love playing with them.
Dear Sir or Madam Carriage-hill:
Do you have any idea how hard it is to laugh yourself silly, when you have the ‘flu?
Husband (recovering) Me (in the throes) are sick with laughter :-)
(Jimmy has discovered that the bathtub spigot has water coming out of it. He likes the water. Bathing may not be a problem, with this guy.)
If only we could get him to stop jumping up on the ‘verboten’ kitchen counters.............I guess the next time we have Tuna Salad for dinner, we will have to lock the guys up.......
-JT
What our arms and hands have experienced over the past week can testify to the truth of your statement.
But, now we have TWO cats! Hopefully, we’ll heal, and that stuff won’t happen anymore.
(Not counting on it, though; until they’re older, and STOP CLIMBING ON THE KITCHEN COUNTERS!)
-JT
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