cats -- don't you just love them too

[David13]

Claudia, your kitties are adorable!  I am in total agreement with you. . .I would never give them up.   

As long as you are using precautions, there shouldn't be a problem at all.

[MIbarra]

Claudia,

Keep your babies! I had a transplant 18 months ago and had a wonderful cat, 2 dogs, and a class hamster.. Now I have a new kitty and still all the rest of the pets. I clean up after all of them and haven't had a problem! Like Chris said, just be extra careful when cleaning the litter box, try to make sure you don't get scratched or if you do, clean it off right away.

You'll be fine. I understand about them keeping you out of a depression! Sometimes they were the only reason I got out of bed in the morning.

[Ken Shelmerdine]

I have a love hate relationship with cats. My house is situated in a small cul de sac of about 10 houses and I am about the only one in the road who doesn't have a cat. I swear there a more cats than people. And what do they (the cats not the people)all take great pleasure at doing?....you got it.....THEY ALL CRAP ON MY GARDEN.When I am having a nice relaxing day pottering about in the garden daydreaming about winning the lottery or of a night on the town with Jennifer Lopez there is nothing more annoying to bring you down to earth when your trowelling a hole to plant something and you hit POOP. 

On the other hand I feed the cat belonging to my friend and neighbour Mike when he and his family go on holiday. The cat is a Siamese called Eric. I like Eric very much. I find that most Siamese cats unlike other breeds of  cats are very affectionate to wards humans whether they need feeding or not.  and Eric is no different.The way he meows every time you say anything to him it's as if he's trying to an answer you.

He is also very noisy. If he's meowing to come in he gets louder and louder until it develops into the most deafening blood curdling howl. You can even hear him on the next road!

He 19 years old and still fit as a flee and  is the one cat I forgive for shitting on my garden.
LONG LIVE ERIC! 

[RichardMEL]

Yes but Ken that cat poop is GOOD for your garden (I'm pretty sure!) - natural fertalizer!! So stick it in the holes happily!

[monrein]

Yes but Ken that cat poop is GOOD for your garden (I'm pretty sure!) - natural fertalizer!! So stick it in the holes happily!

No no no.  Carnivore poop does not make good fertilizer without significant time and composting effort to turn it into something usable.  Pet poop can also harbour many parasites like tapeworm, giardia and on and on.  It also stinks and cat poop is even worse as they like to dig in my beds where I then fondle it later as I'm planting or loosening my soil by hand.  Dog poop also contains too much nitrogen for many gardening purposes and that's why you'll see higher grass growing on the outer ring of decomposing dog poop in a lawn.  Animal urine will burn lawns and shrubs  and I personally spend a fair bit of time patching my lawn from irresponsible pet owners who permit their dogs to wander up on my property, sometimes almost right to my door on a long leash, while they admire my hard work without thinking about the fact that they're pissing in my playpen.  I love animals but I do not love those owners who leave their pet droppings on my lawn from where I've tracked it into my house therefore basically ruining my day.  There are also those owners who pick up their pet's poop, bag it, and leave it like an offering on my curbs.  WTF???

When we had Simber, who was a large dog, my shrubs and lawn were terrible because of course he peed on them.  I was prepared to pay that price for the pleasure he gave me.  He was my responsibility and this was his home.  However I see no reason why I should have to enjoy only the disadvantages of other people's pets.  When I used to walk Simber I trained him to poop at the curb and did not allow him up on my neighbour's lawns which they I know worked hard to maintain.   

NOTE   Animals cannot possibly know where to go potty,  accidents do happen and they should be viewed with some amount of understanding, especially when owners are responsible, but animals generally try very hard to please their owners and respond well to training.  I think it's all about mutual respect and making some compromises for peaceful coexistence.   

[RichardMEL]

Well.. I stand corrected....

When I was growing up our cat used to go in the garden.. she used to have a couple of regular spots she used and she'd dig a hole, do her thing and cover it up - pretty good really rather than just leaving it on a sidewalk (pavement/footpath ) or something.

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Well said Monrein. And Richard that's all very well but when you are trying to plant things in a flower border full of concealed cat pooh it makes what should be a nice relaxing pastime into an experience like sticking your hands into a mine field.

Fresh faeces of any animal is not good for plants or soil until it is well rotted down and composted with the exception of horse manure but then again it should only be used fresh round the base of rose bushes.

[RichardMEL]

This is why I am a computer nerd and not a green thumb!!!

All I know is my kitty enjoys eating greenery from my pot plants

[monrein]

You grow pot, RichardMeltOurHearts?  So Celeste is walking around stoned?      Oh, maybe you meant plants that grow in a pot?  Or maybe not?

[Chris]

 

[David13]

You grow pot, RichardMeltOurHearts? So Celeste is walking around stoned? Oh, maybe you meant plants that grow in a pot? Or maybe not?

Just the thought of that poor kitty walking around in a haze. . .   

[MIbarra]

David,

Your orange kitty looks suspiciously happy. Maybe it got into the pot patch too?

[monrein]

You grow pot, RichardMeltOurHearts? So Celeste is walking around stoned? Oh, maybe you meant plants that grow in a pot? Or maybe not?

Just the thought of that poor kitty walking around in a haze. . .   

Poor kitty, what poor kitty?  She'll not be arrested, she'll blame it on RickyMelty and say she thought it was catnip.  More like tricky kitty. 

[pelagia]

We have two cats and a dog and that hasn't caused any problems for my post-transplant husband.  He did avoid playing on the floor with the dog for a couple of months and is careful with the cats so as not to get scratched.  So far, so good.  Can't imagine a life without the animals...

[jbeany]

My kitty loves the nip.  She flattens herself out on the floor in front of a pile of it, and scoots thru it chin first.  My friend's cat had to go cold turkey, though.  After it's very first dose, it started running at high speed up and down the hall, only stopping to shake its head when it bashed into the wall at either end, then turning around and charging back the other way.  Once was enough - no more nippy in that house!

[RichardMEL]

lol @ pot!!! ha ha! No... just plants that grow in pots... since I am in an apartment....

strangely Celeste doesn't like catnip at all... but she just likes nibbling on little flowers or greenery or even some weeds in my pot plants (the legal sort) - still I know the green stuff is good for her to have a bit of in her diet so I don't mind. She seems to know what to avoid too so it's all good

[Chris]

We have two cats and a dog and that hasn't caused any problems for my post-transplant husband.  He did avoid playing on the floor with the dog for a couple of months and is careful with the cats so as not to get scratched.  So far, so good.  Can't imagine a life without the animals...

I have been scratched on a few occasions post transplant either from playing to rough playing hide and go seek or giving one of them a bath to get dirt off. I clean the area well, apply neosporin and bandage the area up, usually with a 3X3 guaze pad. So far no problems ven though I heal slowly.

[twirl]

can you still sleep with your cats

[Chris]

can you still sleep with your cats

Yes, ours does. He takes to much room though were I sleep. think I have a picture.

[twirl]

hint: where is the picture
have you already posted it
and how have you been

[Chris]

hint: where is the picture
have you already posted it
and how have you been

I had to get it off my cell phone, it wasn't on my laptop.

I am hanging in there falling apart it seems. I can't have knee surgery as I hoped in December due to more damage to knee in a different spot that needs to heal due to having trouble with going down stairs. So more physical therapy. Bones are not strong enough to risk surgery either yet and I haven't tried a nerve blocker they want me to use for my knee and back pain that just started back up again. So call me Hop A Long with my trusted partner Hop Sing 

[RichardMEL]

Thanks for asking about if you can sleep with your cats (gee that sounds horribly rude doesn't it?) - I had wondered given if they sleep near you on the bed and their fur/dander/whatever gets in your mouth, let alone them coming up and licking you or whatever during the night that it may be a concern - specially right after transplant. I know I planned to boot my kitty out of the bedroom for at least a few months after (I know, I live in hope there WILL be a few months after... whenever the call comes!) just because I would be paranoid about it... but then whenever I think about THAT(kicking kitty out) I get upset because I feel mean and don't want her to get the wrong idea that she's no longer welcome or anything *sigh*

Although recently she's taken to sleeping on the couch at night anyway... I think I must have done something wrong when the lady of the house decides to sleep elsewhere !!!!

 

[Chris]

Rich,
I never wore a mask at home right after transplant when the cat was around unless I was doing IV treatments, but the cat were temporarily locked in a bedroom or basement depending on the treatment being done. The  cat we had at the time do not lick anyone (but current cat's will) ,so never worried about it at the time. He just knew I was sick and stayed with me.

[MIbarra]

As soon as I came home from the hospital after my transplant, my cat came just as close to me as always and one of my dogs insisted on sleeping next to me on the couch. No fears, RichardMEL! Kitty does not have to be banished. Just be extra careful. I always kept germex next to me for use after I would pet them.

[kitkatz]

My Siamese was very angry today because I locked them in one room because of the party today.  Ohhh wheee!  Was she mad at me when I let them out.  The look I got,then when I went to pet her, the tail went down and she walked away from me. Talk about angry kitty!