Do kittens have any redeeming features?

[cilipadi]

I just got a kitten. He is driving me up the wall. Here is an abridged list of his sins:


He thinks that my flesh is a scratching post
He thinks that my beautiful, much-loved and well-cared-for armchairs are scratching posts
He likes jumping on the keys while I'm trying to type
He meows outside the door when my girlfriend and I are trying to have grown-up time
He insists on riding on my shoulder while I'm cooking so that I have to awkwardly shuffle about, hunchback style, and worry about dropping him in the saucepan
He takes up residence on my lap and goes to sleep and I feel like it would be rude to disturb him to go to the toilet, so I have to hold on for ages when I really, really need to go
And the cardinal sin - he eats my yoghurt


Now I would like to request for people to either tell me about how lovely pets can be, so that I feel like my cat and I may have a happy future together, or to tell me about the evil things their pets do, so that I don't feel alone.

[bellsforher]

Kittens are evil. as a kid we adopted all our cats as adult cats, or at least in their late teens. By this stage they were all fluffy and curled up around your legs cute.

I think you may just have to deal with the fact you have a scratchy, bitey little devil baby for a while.

[cilipadi]

I think you might be right. In the time since I wrote my last post, he has chewed up my laptop cord, scratched my fingers to pieces, performed some kind of weird aerial gymnastics while jumping on and off the sofa and bitten my neck. Apparently he's in training to be a vampire.

And then, as I was writing this he just squeaked at me, tilted his head becomingly to one side and batted his eyelashes at me, as if he knew what I was writing. Dammit. He knows that he's cute.

I think kittens must be like babies - just when you think you can't deal with them anymore, they do something cute so that you'll put up with their shit for another 24 hours.

[trina2004]

I think you might be right. In the time since I wrote my last post, he has chewed up my laptop cord, scratched my fingers to pieces, performed some kind of weird aerial gymnastics while jumping on and off the sofa and bitten my neck. Apparently he's in training to be a vampire.

And then, as I was writing this he just squeaked at me, tilted his head becomingly to one side and batted his eyelashes at me, as if he knew what I was writing. Dammit. He knows that he's cute.

I think kittens must be like babies - just when you think you can't deal with them anymore, they do something cute so that you'll put up with their shit for another 24 hours.

Yep. I don't like cats personally but my friend has a kitten and he is a hellraiser. Bites, scratches, destroys. Pissed in my mate's bed. That was a bit funny. Then comes slinking out and sucks up until by the time my mate noticed he was too wrapped up in the kitten to care, just changed the sheets and continued cooing baby names at the cat.

It's sickening:)

But yeah I think you are already in thrall to your cat:)

[Light-Bearer]

There are no redeeming features to kittens.

They seek to make you their slave.

[boozehag]

my cat is full grown and he lets himself into the pantry and rolls out all the potatos
he pooped in my bag
peed on me while i slept
beats up my dogs
smashed a guitar onto the ground
chews through phone chargers and headphones
steals tampons unwraps them dips them in his waterbowl and places them on people
broke my screen door by body slamming it.. errgh
but i still love him kinda

[cilipadi]

steals tampons unwraps them dips them in his waterbowl and places them on people


That would be incredibly hard for a cat to do, I would think. So he sounds intelligent, at least.

Anyway, I'm glad that we are all in agreement that cats are devil-spawn.

[star-seeker]

Well my cat shat in the shower this morning. Not chuffed!

[Muki]

Give it time and you'll love him for most of the things you mentioned.

All cats can be rat bags. Mine kicks her litter out all over the bathroom, insists on sleeping on faces on snuggling up when I'm trying to do something and meows piteously to be fed at 5am in the morning. And always, always has to make a mess in her kitty litter as soon as I change it.

But she's also a sweetheart. When she knows someone in the house is sick or upset she'll come over to purr and try to offer some comfort. She keeps my feet nice and warm in winter and keeps me company when I'm reading or watching TV. She also kills all the cockroaches and flies she can get her paws on. The fierce hunter!

[xxxVioletxxx]

I want a kitten and a puppy, but I live in an apartment and the rules say no :(

Cats are funny and a pain in the arse. But their crazy ways, affection and entertainment value makes up for it. Pets in general can be such a stress relief.

[Neptune]

Just like dogs, humans (and children), they can still learn via classical conditioning - that means there is hope. Not that I'm about to be getting one.

[cilipadi]

Oh yay, people who like cats. I'm glad that you exist. It gives me hope.

[Neptune]

And always, always has to make a mess in her kitty litter as soon as I change it.

Cats like a clean litter box! Just like we like a clean toilet.

[cilipadi]

Cats like a clean litter box! Just like we like a clean toilet.

LOL!

I was going to say, "unless we are men who piss on the seat". Then I thought it was too much of a cheap shot. Then I thought, what the hell, there are certainly men who do that and it's really annoying when you go to the toilet in the dark and don't realise until you've sat down. And then I thought, there are actually women who hover and end up pissing on the seat as well. And then I couldn't work out which of these things I should actually write, so I wrote down the whole train of thought.

[Neptune]

Lol.. hence why I never sit on a toilet seat shared with someone I don't trust. I used to live with boys who would pee on the floor as well, and not wipe it up. For months I thought our toilet was leaking from the bowl, but then I realised some men don't know how to use.. I mean aim their dicks.

[Muki]

Cats like a clean litter box! Just like we like a clean toilet.

I KNOW. I usually wait until she's just gone but as soon as I change it she goes again out of spite. As if she needs to break it in or something.

[Tatsuya]

Give it time and you'll love him for most of the things you mentioned.

All cats can be rat bags. Mine kicks her litter out all over the bathroom, insists on sleeping on faces on snuggling up when I'm trying to do something and meows piteously to be fed at 5am in the morning. And always, always has to make a mess in her kitty litter as soon as I change it.

But she's also a sweetheart. When she knows someone in the house is sick or upset she'll come over to purr and try to offer some comfort. She keeps my feet nice and warm in winter and keeps me company when I'm reading or watching TV. She also kills all the cockroaches and flies she can get her paws on. The fierce hunter!

baby... your fucking cat is the bane of my existence, she thinks im a climbing post, (the cat is actually on my shoulder as i type this, and she's not exactly a small cat >.>) she destroys my bookshelf, purposely knocking books and figurines off, and she chews on my freaking cables... WHEN THEY ARE PLUGGED IN...
not to mention, heaven forbid i moisturize my face, it gets all licked off when i do...

[cilipadi]

Lol.. hence why I never sit on a toilet seat shared with someone I don't trust. I used to live with boys who would pee on the floor as well, and not wipe it up. For months I thought our toilet was leaking from the bowl, but then I realised some men don't know how to use.. I mean aim their dicks.

YES... I used to live with a boy who did this too. I think he would just go in at night and randomly spray, not even aiming for the toilet... as long as his urine landed somewhere in the bathroom, apparently it was okay. The number of times I had to prepare a footbath for myself in the small hours of the morning....

[sheerheartattack17]

baby... your fucking cat is the bane of my existence, she thinks im a climbing post, (the cat is actually on my shoulder as i type this, and she's not exactly a small cat >.>) she destroys my bookshelf, purposely knocking books and figurines off, and she chews on my freaking cables... WHEN THEY ARE PLUGGED IN...
not to mention, heaven forbid i moisturize my face, it gets all licked off when i do...

From the vet and some pet stores there are sprays you put on your furniture and cords ect that you dont want the cat to chew. Tastes bad so the cat isn't likely to want to chew the cords in future :)

[sheerheartattack17]

And depending on the breed of cat that you have, most cats can be trained using positive reinforcement like dogs xD

[naughtylion]

Cats are creatures of habit.

You'll find this as time goes on and it makes the piss easy (no pun intended) to train.

:)

[Blue-bird]

Two of my friends who have a house together have got a kitten a puppy and 21 month old. Their house is both the cutest place in the world and hell. The puppy bites everything and never stops jumping. The kitten chews any cords left around, gets in the roof and fucks up the insulation, purrs loader than a monster truck so tv volume has to double and always starts fights with the puppy and then makes terrible noises so the puppy gets smacked and yelled at. And the child, well you have to love her but at times you wish you didnt.
So in conclusion all young things are adorable and infuriating

[pho3nixphir3]

oh dear! i'm not a kitten owner, no tips for you =(. good luck!

i want a kitten, but cats sound scarier than dogs.

[Blue-bird]

I love cats so much but they're definitly not a pet; they're an equal. And she is a totally gorgeous cat and crazy affectionate but I couldnt imagine living there! :eek:

[cilipadi]

And the child, well you have to love her but at times you wish you didnt.

LOL

You paint a very vivid picture BB. I'll reread it to if I'm ever mad enough to consider getting more pets/children.

Damn cat just yawned. He has tuna breath.

[Happy to be me]

:)

[pho3nixphir3]

omgsh guys, i was driving off from the station, and a black and white thing streaked across the street, i looked at it as i was driving by, and i think it was a little lost kitten =(. my mind dilly dallied as whether to stop, but by then i was up to the main road. grabbed the maccas drivethrough i planned to then u turned, stopped the car. search around the lake/pond, but it was nowhere to be seen. i feel so guilty =(.

[trina2004]

omgsh guys, i was driving off from the station, and a black and white thing streaked across the street, i looked at it as i was driving by, and i think it was a little lost kitten =(. my mind dilly dallied as whether to stop, but by then i was up to the main road. grabbed the maccas drivethrough i planned to then u turned, stopped the car. search around the lake/pond, but it was nowhere to be seen. i feel so guilty =(.

You're cute.


But it was probably a feral cat. Would have clawed your face off.

http://tetonwyo.org/em/docs/images/vicious_cat.gif

[munijy]

LOL. Yeah.. Once I tried helping this little kitten from a narrow drain, and it scratched me the moment I pulled it out!!! >:

[Blue-bird]

LOL

You paint a very vivid picture BB. I'll reread it to if I'm ever mad enough to consider getting more pets/children.

Damn cat just yawned. He has tuna breath.

Hahaha Im glad. Although Im the childs favourite atm so Im totally smitten but she'll like someone else better tomoro and it'll break my heart I just know it!
Cat breath is the worst! Even when you dont give them fish, fish bat to the face! I feel your pain xoxo

[cilipadi]

omgsh guys, i was driving off from the station, and a black and white thing streaked across the street, i looked at it as i was driving by, and i think it was a little lost kitten =(. my mind dilly dallied as whether to stop, but by then i was up to the main road. grabbed the maccas drivethrough i planned to then u turned, stopped the car. search around the lake/pond, but it was nowhere to be seen. i feel so guilty =(.

Once upon a time in China, my gf and I played with an adorable kitten on the street for ages, and we wished that we could take him home and love him, but we were in China, not at home, so we couldn't. Eventually we had to leave him. As we walked away, we saw a fellow on a bicycle swoop on him with a shifty look and stash him in the bike basket. The little kitten mewled piteously. We weren't sure what was going to happen to him, but we were sure it wasn't good. We did the same thing of wondering whether to do something... but we weren't sure what to do. We just went back to our hostel feeling guilty and traumatised.


Cat breath is the worst! Even when you dont give them fish, fish bat to the face! I feel your pain xoxo

I comfort myself by thinking that at least he is not as smelly as a dog.

[star-seeker]

Laughed my head off at that Trina, thanks!!!

[tweety]

Lol.. hence why I never sit on a toilet seat shared with someone I don't trust. I used to live with boys who would pee on the floor as well, and not wipe it up. For months I thought our toilet was leaking from the bowl, but then I realised some men don't know how to use.. I mean aim their dicks.

i never got that! now how difficult can it be to hold a little willy and aim to P in a giant bowl!??? it's not as if they're holding onto a huge fire hose with enormous water pressure! :D

but ladies, let's be honest....boys can be dirty but the loos at work sometimes....disgusting is the only word to describe what i come across in there sometimes. they look like ladies but they most certainly do not act like one! :eek:

[tweety]

cats are great! and come on cili, those little arched backs...attacking you sideways...makes you laugh, not so?

we've got five cats (yep, wife brought two when moving in) and one of them is gay. totally in love with our ginger prince. quite disturbing: humping ginger boy in front of the window....hello, the kids are watching!! :eek:
and it's really pathetic coz he doesn't know how to go about it....keeps lifting his little back leg...not getting anywhere...and our ginger boy is so virile...shame :)

[pho3nixphir3]

my brother can't aim for peanuts. yuck.

awww that's adorable! i have fat nora crawling on my arm right now =)

[The Owl]

cats are great! and come on cili, those little arched backs...attacking you sideways...makes you laugh, not so?

we've got five cats (yep, wife brought two when moving in) and one of them is gay. totally in love with our ginger prince. quite disturbing: humping ginger boy in front of the window....hello, the kids are watching!! :eek:
and it's really pathetic coz he doesn't know how to go about it....keeps lifting his little back leg...not getting anywhere...and our ginger boy is so virile...shame :)

I thought cats don't really hump???! Which was why I thought a cat is better than a dog?? Also, why do male cats not lift that back legs when weeing? Leo is still a kitten and he doesn't do that - makes me suspect that he's a girl? :confused:

[tweety]

I thought cats don't really hump???! Which was why I thought a cat is better than a dog?? Also, why do male cats not lift that back legs when weeing? Leo is still a kitten and he doesn't do that - makes me suspect that he's a girl? :confused:

maybe cats in general don't but mine does! :(

cats have a much better thing than lifting their leg: spraying! very effective....

i find that tom cats are much more affectionate than girls...i think with 5 cats i can say i'm an expert. :)

[cilipadi]

cats are great! and come on cili, those little arched backs...attacking you sideways...makes you laugh, not so?

My kitten is cute. I'm just a grump ;)

we've got five cats (yep, wife brought two when moving in)

:eek:

[tweety]

Once upon a time in China, my gf and I played with an adorable kitten on the street for ages, and we wished that we could take him home and love him, but we were in China, not at home, so we couldn't. Eventually we had to leave him. As we walked away, we saw a fellow on a bicycle swoop on him with a shifty look and stash him in the bike basket. The little kitten mewled piteously. We weren't sure what was going to happen to him, but we were sure it wasn't good. We did the same thing of wondering whether to do something... but we weren't sure what to do. We just went back to our hostel feeling guilty and traumatised.



I comfort myself by thinking that at least he is not as smelly as a dog.

can we please agree on a warning sign when you're gonna write stories like this....i'm not good with knowledge like this....it really hurts me to know stuff like that...i keep thinking about it...makes me sad that there are so many cruel ppl out there...silly i know, should be tougher being my age and all but i am not...

[The Owl]

maybe cats in general don't but mine does! :(

cats have a much better thing than lifting their leg: spraying! very effective....

i find that tom cats are much more affectionate than girls...i think with 5 cats i can say i'm an expert. :)

Spraying!!! Ok, I need to observe when he wees the next time. He's so shy and tends to do it very quietly in his kitty litter. Leo's very affectionate - he likes to hug my legs when I'm out of the shower to get my attention! :D

[cilipadi]

can we please agree on a warning sign when you're gonna write stories like this....i'm not good with knowledge like this....it really hurts me to know stuff like that...i keep thinking about it...makes me sad that there are so many cruel ppl out there...silly i know, should be tougher being my age and all but i am not...

oh, sorry tweety. Ok, next time I'll preface a story with three angries, so you'll know.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

But I don't really have any more stories like that anyway :)

[ammonite]

one redeeming feature is that cats bury their poo

today i got sick of the mine-field the dog's backyard had become and armed myself with a scooper taped to a looong piece of wood. i filled an 8 litre bucket. (and there is still more)

cats also don't eat horse poo or roll on dead things

and they wash themselves

[munijy]

Spraying!!! Ok, I need to observe when he wees the next time. He's so shy and tends to do it very quietly in his kitty litter. Leo's very affectionate - he likes to hug my legs when I'm out of the shower to get my attention! :D

XD I wanna see him!!!!!

[Blue-bird]

My cats do that shower thing too! My brothers cat especially -who has many issues stemming from his early kittenhood we assume, he was 13 weeks when we got him from a house with bigs dogs and small children- he never cuddles, he just meows alllll the time in his stupid high pitched voice and runs away or just croutches down and goes stiff when you go near him. But when your all wet and naked fresh from the shower he couldnt be more affectionate and tame... Creep!!

[star-seeker]

I thought cats don't really hump???! Which was why I thought a cat is better than a dog?? Also, why do male cats not lift that back legs when weeing? Leo is still a kitten and he doesn't do that - makes me suspect that he's a girl? :confused:

I have a beautiful stripy cat called Leo:D Must be common name for a male cat... Although if you suspect he's a girl you might have to call him Leonie:cool:

[VladTheImpaler]

my cat is full grown and he lets himself into the pantry and rolls out all the potatos
he pooped in my bag
peed on me while i slept
beats up my dogs
smashed a guitar onto the ground
chews through phone chargers and headphones
steals tampons unwraps them dips them in his waterbowl and places them on people
broke my screen door by body slamming it.. errgh
but i still love him kinda

hahaha. that is excellent.

[boozehag]

yeah... i like it when he tries to defy gravity and fails.. that makes up for the hundreds of dollars ive spent on repairs and replacements for stuff

[The Owl]

XD I wanna see him!!!!!
You’re most welcome to come and see him wee but I don’t think he wees at a certain time. You may have to wait for a while or perhaps feed him with lots of water! :D

He has ringworm at the moment so Jem and I are a little scared of being too close in case we’re infected but once he has recovered, he will be the cuddlest soft creature ever created! ;)

I have a beautiful stripy cat called Leo:D Must be common name for a male cat... Although if you suspect he's a girl you might have to call him Leonie:cool:
Good idea! We’ll probably find out today – am bringing him to see a vet this morning!

[munijy]

You’re most welcome to come and see him wee but I don’t think he wees at a certain time. You may have to wait for a while or perhaps feed me with lots of water! :D

He has ringworm at the moment so Jem and I are a little scared of being too close in case we’re infected but once he has recovered, he will be the cuddlest soft creature ever created! ;)


Good idea! We’ll probably find out today – am bringing him to see a vet this morning!

Aww... I don't wanna see him wee!!! :eek: I just wanna play with him. Hahahahaha.... :p

[The Owl]

Aww... I don't wanna see him wee!!! :eek: I just wanna play with him. Hahahahaha.... :p

LOL, can't believe you're awake already! When he gets better (so that he won't infect you), do come to our place for tea and we can watch some L Word while Leo sits on your lap to keep you warm! :p

[munijy]

Yeah... My sleeping hours have gone weird. Hope Leo gets better soon! :p

[The Owl]

Yeah... My sleeping hours have gone weird. Hope Leo gets better soon! :p

Ta! Leo's getting better but still has some ringworm. The vet said it's one of the worst ringworm cases he has very seen. Leo must have got it when he was bought. I don't think the family treated him well. When we adopted him, he must already have ringworm on him. Waiting for a couple of weeks before he fully recovers. I think he secretly likes baths! :D

[BlueGirl]

It's 4.25AM.....I am awake because I am house minding for my cousin who has recently got herself a kitten......looks cute but won't shut up. It's like having a newborn baby in the house. &^%$##@@***

I played with him for ages to wear him out, it totally worked - but now I'm so 'ON' I can't sleep. I don't have to work today but I would like to function....and I just know he'll be up again in a few hours looking for his breakfast!!!!

....so cilipadi, to answer yr question.....it's a BIG FAT 'NO' from where I sit....

[The Owl]

It's 4.25AM.....I am awake because I am house minding for my cousin who has recently got herself a kitten......looks cute but won't shut up. It's like having a newborn baby in the house. &^%$##@@***

I played with him for ages to wear him out, it totally worked - but now I'm so 'ON' I can't sleep. I don't have to work today but I would like to function....and I just know he'll be up again in a few hours looking for his breakfast!!!!

....so cilipadi, to answer yr question.....it's a BIG FAT 'NO' from where I sit....

Kittens love attention and love to play. Leo can really start meowing on the dot when he hears that I'm awake, reminding me to feed him. As long as you don't shower it too much attention, after a while, it will stop meowing. Perhaps try it the next time. :o

[crabapple]

Hmmm. I realise this is a very old thread, but I just got a kitten a couple of weeks ago, and she indulges in almost all of the sins you listed, Cilipadi!

Although she hasn't yet discovered yoghurt. But otherwise she is very very very naughty, and I have lots of lovely new cuts on my hands. It really is a bit like having a baby - she's so so cute and inquisitive, but won't let me sleep through the night.

A tip - they HATE water spray bottles (the kind you use to spray and wipe a bench). Great instrument of torture...I mean teaching. *cough cough*

Still, cute and playful is very redeeming...

[Vespa86]

all my cats were angels! I dont ever remember having the devil's spawn with me haha! I do declare that I was able to teach my baby (Addison is her name) to play fetch! And she always comes when I call her name and she is wonderful! but apparently her loving nature is annoying the heck out of my mother who is currently caring for her! haha but I love my cats and I'm sorry you all have had impish behavior from your kitties! lol

[angelicfootstomp]

LOL. Yeah.. Once I tried helping this little kitten from a narrow drain, and it scratched me the moment I pulled it out!!! >:

they do that because they get scared and you seem like a pretty good tree to climb up..if you observe cats in the wild or even two cats together they will scratch each others faces and be really vicious..

I had a kitten I was looking after - keeping safe from the welfare end of the line euthanasia list - in 2009. He was lovely and just so vulnerable. Pooped, sometimes over the edge of the litter box, got diarrheoa a bit till he adjusted to the food I gave him, threw up a few times, started to wreck the landladies furniture - her soft new couches and the floor rug began to fray at the edges, got me in trouble with them because of that, even though I was allowed to have a pet. She said the kitten should be outside of I would have to find another home for him, in the winter of Ipswich? no way he half froze to death when he had his first night in the laundry cos he had diarrhoea and i wanted to contain it in case it was worms but then his eyes looked like they had been replaced by icicles and he was given the warmer room options from then on and plenty of rubbing to get him warm..I decided to give us both a home and he got a place with a family and I moved interstate. The things he did were just so cute, annoying - clawing my feet and biting at them when he was on the end of the bed, an unpleasant wake up call sometimes. tested me. but then he did things that were loving and funny, and remarkable like when he typed on the keypad all these numbers and a lot of them were 7's, he did this a few times on separate occasions and i pondered his past life and also wether cats can be mathematical..miss him and cried dying a bit inside but it was for the best as he has a loving home and I had to get my life back together in another state. just waiting til i have a home of my own to have a menagerie! but then I am intending to learn holistic animal healing so i am biased and always love all animals, always have always will...

[angelicfootstomp]

Ta! Leo's getting better but still has some ringworm. The vet said it's one of the worst ringworm cases he has very seen. Leo must have got it when he was bought. I don't think the family treated him well. When we adopted him, he must already have ringworm on him. Waiting for a couple of weeks before he fully recovers. I think he secretly likes baths! :D

yep my kitten back then had ringworm being from welfare, he was found on the streets..it can be hard to spot when they have such thick fur. i gave him baths sometimes, but then you have to make sure the wetness of the condition doesn''t get made worse too..i'm just trying to recall my remedy..i'll look one up for you in my cat herbal book..it's English, so the herbs may be hard to find in their fresh form. use borage leaves and stems, crushed in a mortar and pestle, apply the fresh juice to the ringworm directly and only externally. make a marigold tisane - a herbal tea, basically steep the marigold herb in boiled water like a teabag for about 5 mins, not much longer because it get stronger. put that into a herbal preparation dropper and give orally 3 dropperfuls 4 times a day. half an hour before and after each meal. From The Cat Herbal by Claire Nahmad.

She also advises to give things in the food, such as finely shredded or chopped raw garlic, watercress and celery. I gave the kitten I was looking after for a few months a little raw garlic before he ate and he grew accustomed to it somewhat, as he would just eat his way around the garlic otherwise.

I found that some nice manuka honey immediately after the garlic was soothing for his mouth and throat, as raw garlic even a few mm by mm can be harsh to a small kitten. yet I found that with regular dosages, he had very healthy mucous membranes, most noticeably his nose, and it also has the benefit of boosting the immune system, and repelling fleas and worms etc!

I have been to forums where garlic has been of fierce debate for pets..yet pick up a horse magazine and you will read of the benefits of giving a clove a day to a horse for good health and to repel infestations etc!! works well for people too! only 4 cloves a day raw in food is the minimum you need for it work, I find..

[angelicfootstomp]

Once upon a time in China, my gf and I played with an adorable kitten on the street for ages, and we wished that we could take him home and love him, but we were in China, not at home, so we couldn't. Eventually we had to leave him. As we walked away, we saw a fellow on a bicycle swoop on him with a shifty look and stash him in the bike basket. The little kitten mewled piteously. We weren't sure what was going to happen to him, but we were sure it wasn't good. We did the same thing of wondering whether to do something... but we weren't sure what to do. We just went back to our hostel feeling guilty and traumatised.



I comfort myself by thinking that at least he is not as smelly as a dog.

in china it is true, not a myth, that they are used for food. my brother lives in China and he has eaten dog and maybe cat, ducks tongue..bllluuurk..i am a vegan so i am not worried about eating meat overseas. sorry if that offends anyone but i have a cast iron stomach and even if i ate meat it wouldn't bother me either in that sense. it feels so terrible to leave an animal behind that you know is vulnerable..I've been past a few recently, usually near cars and just so terrible to think of..

[The Owl]

I have been to forums where garlic has been of fierce debate for pets..yet pick up a horse magazine and you will read of the benefits of giving a clove a day to a horse for good health and to repel infestations etc!! works well for people too! only 4 cloves a day raw in food is the minimum you need for it work, I find..

wow! Very interesting! I have medicine for Leo and he needs to take it twice a day. He's getting better - still has ring worms around his eyes - hard to wash that area. New furs are growing out now - they are dark patches when they grow out - quite different from humans when we have new skin. I'd love to cuddle him properly and let him sit and watch TV with me once he gets better. He's quite a cutie! :)

Do you still feed your cat garlic?

[BlueGirl]

Thanks for yr earlier advice Owl, I resisted & didn't give him too much attn for about 4days, he gave me a few 'greasers' along the way but it's worked, he now sleeps peacefully in synch with me......no more early start. Having said that is' now 7.58 on a SUN & I'm awake, but only because I choose to be.

I also found out he likes to lick on watermelon rinds and have a bit of a chew at times too - I don't know too much about cats but fruit can't be bad for them....can it??

[cilipadi]

This guy understands my pain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qit3ALTelOo

[trina2004]

I am fostering a cat for a mate for a week..and questions!
They left a note- reckone he should be fed three times a day! Now I dont really have time to feed it in the middle of the day as well as morning and night- will it be okay only being fed twice? I only feed my dog once a day so I think so, but not being a cat person, I don't want it to get sick and die incase they think I did it on purpose!

:)

[xxxVioletxxx]

Once a day with some kitten milk and maybe some bix/snacks should suffice.

I still want a kitty and a puppy :(

[The Owl]

Thanks for yr earlier advice Owl, I resisted & didn't give him too much attn for about 4days, he gave me a few 'greasers' along the way but it's worked, he now sleeps peacefully in synch with me......no more early start. Having said that is' now 7.58 on a SUN & I'm awake, but only because I choose to be.

I also found out he likes to lick on watermelon rinds and have a bit of a chew at times too - I don't know too much about cats but fruit can't be bad for them....can it??

No worries! I’m unsure about fruit – I’ve never given Leo food other than kitty food. My worried about him having a tummy ache! Here’s the anser from Wiki: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_cats_eat_fruit

I am fostering a cat for a mate for a week..and questions!
They left a note- reckone he should be fed three times a day! Now I dont really have time to feed it in the middle of the day as well as morning and night- will it be okay only being fed twice? I only feed my dog once a day so I think so, but not being a cat person, I don't want it to get sick and die incase they think I did it on purpose!

:)

I think cats don’t really overeat. If you leave 1.5 serving in the morning and another 1.5 in the evening, it should be fine? They are quite resilient!

[crabapple]

I leave a bowl of dry food during the day (although mine is quite small - this could be a problem if your friend's cat is more excited about food) for her to nibble on, then give 'wet' food in the evening.

She's growing incredibly quickly, so seems to be ok...

[angelicfootstomp]

wow! Very interesting! I have medicine for Leo and he needs to take it twice a day. He's getting better - still has ring worms around his eyes - hard to wash that area. New furs are growing out now - they are dark patches when they grow out - quite different from humans when we have new skin. I'd love to cuddle him properly and let him sit and watch TV with me once he gets better. He's quite a cutie! :)

Do you still feed your cat garlic?

If I had him still I would feed him garlic everyday, just a little. I am a believer in the power of allicin, derived naturally from garlic in raw form. It can do things for health that other things have side effects for, unless the cat or human has high blood pressure and takes the medicine for that that kind of thing. I had to move interstate and it was too costly..he found a loving home though..night night!

[trina2004]

well he's survived so far! thanks for the advice girls!
He misses his owners though- keeps climbing all over the keyboard when I'm trying to type! He's also broken two glasses, knocked over the bin and spread garbage through the house- little shite!