cats -- don't you just love them too

[TynyWonder]

Chris,

I agree with Karol why would you want to trim their nails or bathe them?  I thought that was the reason for "hairballs" was from them cleaning themselves?  Please let us know what happens and what you decide to do.    Good luck in whatever you decide to do tho........

[MIbarra]

Chris,

My cat never liked the nail trimming bit but he didn't freak out. He did freak out if I had to bathe him. He urinated once in the bathtub when I had to give him a bath.

I'm trying to train the new kitty for the nail trimming. I already have a few scratches when she has tried to jump in my lap. They're not pretty so I hope she takes to the nail trimming quick!

[TynyWonder]

I just wanted to share something kinda funny my that my boy cat, Tipper, likes to eat........who even tho he is 20 POUNDS is picky.........he LOVES to eat that Marshmallow Fluff stuff............it is so funny!  My girl cat, Sandie, who is only about 9 pounds is much less pickier than Tipper is, odd huh that he is the big one?     

[kitkatz]

My cat likes to lay in a box.  I will have one ready to put things into and there she is in the box.

[flip]

My cats love boxes too. They love it when the UPS truck comes because it means new boxes.

[TynyWonder]

I guess I am giong to have to pull out one of my old moving boxes............if I still have any............

[Chris]

The reasons for the nails to be trimmed are that she gets caught easily on various types of fabric. Sweaters, blankets, throws.. Then she likes to play and she scratches easily if they get to long. A risk with kitty litter I do not want to take and parents hate getting scratched. They have a scratching post in various types and trees, but barely use it. She will however scratch the carpet at a particular step instead of using the scratching post right next to it. Plus it's my parents prerogative.

As for cleaning the cat, she urinated on herself! Ewwww!!  She only gets washed if they need it for reasons like that, but in most cases it's due to having a dirty behind from eating to many treats from over begging everyone. She doesn't do that to often though. The male cat gets his feet washed only when he digs in the dirt and gets his white feet muddy. We try to keep their white fur white and their brown fur brown. Normally they just get combed.

I haven't been downstairs to look at her to see how she is. I am avoiding my dad at all possible cost, more than usual today. I hate it when he gets pissed and he is also in the basement working on something which is usually a bad combination.

[TynyWonder]

OOOOO  I  SEEEEEEE  now!!!!!!!   

[twirl]

Sllugger went crazy a few months ago
cost me over 400.00 and the vets never found an answer
I had to give her medicine that the vet said tastes like chicken gravy
she slept all the time
one day she just lost it and would run and cry and get pissed
but she was not aggressive to any of us
she was gone for a couple of days and I was worried sick when Missy found her
and she did not act like she knew us
she is back to herself now
but it was touch and go

[RobinM]

I have two cats, Peter and Kimiko.  Peter is 17 and Kimi is 15.  I trim Kimi's claws because she doesn't wear them down outside the way Peter does.  She gets her front paws caught in the carpet and falls on her face or she gets a nail caught in my jeans and bites me, as if it's my fault!

Chris' cat might have gotten the quick of the nail trimmed and that hurts.  It's never happened to my cats, but it happened to my parents' Scotty dog.  It happened once and after that she never wanted her nails trimmed.

Kimi's favorite toys: rolled up ball of tin foil.  She also likes string, mice (Kimi is pro-life and brought everything she caught home to me and let it loose -- giant moths, mice, rats, salamanders, birds.  I am so glad both my cats are past that stage!

Peter's favorite toys: realistic looking rubber lizard, string, mouse (live ones when he was younger.  I had lots of dead "presents" left for me out on the backyard path)
However, now that he is older fresh catnip is his first choice entertainment.  I grew a patch for him in the backyard

Robin

[RichardMEL]

I believe cats like boxes because they perhaps feel kind of secure in there (silly really) -eg: if there's a "wall" to their back and sides they only have to look in one direction for a threat. Plus it's fun for them to play in I guess. I have this fabric igloo thing called a cat cave that cost $9 or so and I put it under the TV. Sometimes Celeste will curl up in there facing outwards (so she can still spy on me when I'm watching TV) and it's kind of warm and snug in there.. so she can also claw up the fabric too, which she likes, so she really loves it sometimes - other times she will ignore it for weeks - but then all of a sudden I'll notice she's back in there half asleep but with an eye on me to make sure I don't go anywhere! It's very cute.

She's always been good with her claws being trimmed she just sits and endures it. I think she realises anything done to her is with love so she is quite reasonable really. Lucky me!

[twirl]

I wish my children behave as good as Celeste

[kitkatz]

My Siamese yells the entire time I am clipping her nails.  Our other cat has to be held. It is a two person job with him.

[twirl]

I am out of cat food and Slugger will not eat dog food
so I boiled her shrimp
and gave my husband left over chili
my dogs had dog food with chili on top
Zuko, a cat, had shrimp with milk
milk gives Slugger diarrhea
shopping tomorrow, which I hate

[twirl]

there is a kitty chasing a remote control mouse
so funny
it was on the main page of Yahoo
Kitty vs toy mouse
viral video pick

[RichardMEL]

By the way - dog food is not good for cats as it doesn't contain some of the proteins and stuff they need aparently so.... don't mix the foods up

[kitkatz]

Our cat just was outside in the dark. The neighbor's cat decided to challenge him. Our cat hit the screen door and shut it against himself coming back into the house.  Practically climbed it to get away from the neighbor's cat.  Then when I opened the screen, he could not decide whether to come in or stay and fight. Cats!

[flip]

My cats launch themselves on the screen doors and just hang there. They don't even jump down when the door opens.

[jbeany]

there is a kitty chasing a remote control mouse
so funny
it was on the main page of Yahoo
Kitty vs toy mouse
viral video pick

I've got a mini radio controlled car - it's just a tiny bit bigger than the little matchbox ones.  I was zipping it around the floor, driving my cat crazy with it.  It has fat tires, so it runs really well on carpet, except for where it got stuck on the heat vent.  She chased it around the coffee table for 15 minutes before she gave up and sat down.  I zipped it past her one last time; she made one tremendous pounce, picked it up in her mouth like it was a mouse, and stranded it on the heat vent.
Smart kitty!

[okarol]

there is a kitty chasing a remote control mouse
so funny
it was on the main page of Yahoo
Kitty vs toy mouse
viral video pick

I saw that too - so cute - reminds me of a kitten we had named Raven --> http://video.yahoo.com/network/100000086?v=3375896&l=100000085

[twirl]

RomeoMel    oops I mean RichardMel
my cats will not eat dog food but my dogs love cat food
is that okay

[kitkatz]

My doggie LOVES cat food.  Every morning she takes the cat food dish off of the counter and finishes it up.  Sometimes she even steals it out from under the cats.

[RichardMEL]

I have no idea about dogs & cat food. (Sorry I focus on the cat world as a cat lover ). I would imagine though that if the dogs (and I suppose cats too) get the majority of food being their own type - as in dog food for dogs and cat food for cats, that that would give them the specific needs for their species and other stuff would be like treats I just meant if you feed a cat ONLY dog food, which may happen, that is not healthy for the animal if that is the only thing they have to eat.

-from RomeoMEL (not a vet)

[twirl]

RomeoMel

[dkerr]

Ever tried giving a cat a bath?  Now that's a real experience. We had a cat once . . .  Miss Kitty. Sweet cat, but I am also very allergic to cats.  The only reason we had her was as a rescue.  Kept her for two years and found a home for her with someone my daughter worked with.  It was too much for me to handle unless I wanted to go for shots.