Search found 560 matches

by MarySkater
Fri Apr 26, 2019 4:36 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: A smile for the weekend
Replies: 4
Views: 732

A smile for the weekend

I found this on Facebook. I hope you like it.
Poem from the cat.jpg
by MarySkater
Sat Apr 13, 2019 7:39 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Cat Sitter
Replies: 6
Views: 1440

Re: Cat Sitter

I have used cat sitters in the past, but after one unfortunate experience when a booking was lost and my cats were left unfed, I ask the sitter to text me daily to say that they've visited. (Even better, in these days of camera phones, get them to send a picture.) These days I send my two to a catte...
by MarySkater
Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:30 am
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: WILD CAT???
Replies: 3
Views: 827

Re: WILD CAT???

Photos would help, especially photos showing him next to furniture, a human or the beagle, to give a better idea of his size.

Edited to add: It would also help to know what country you are in.
by MarySkater
Mon Apr 01, 2019 8:55 am
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Mia - a new chapter begins
Replies: 223
Views: 22541

Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Would it be possible to fit a microchip cat flap to an internal door, so that there is one room Mia can get into where Hendrix can't follow her?
by MarySkater
Sat Mar 30, 2019 10:20 am
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Cat Netting
Replies: 2
Views: 838

Re: Cat Netting

Cat pen 2018.jpg This is my cat pen. I was able to give it more space than you have, but any outside space will be appreciated. When I lived in a flat, I was able to enclose part of a window ledge, about 2 feet by 4 feet, and my cats were happy to sit there. On the left of the picture is the origin...
by MarySkater
Fri Mar 29, 2019 11:19 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Nightmare with cat flap!
Replies: 4
Views: 978

Re: Nightmare with cat flap!

Mayday21 wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 11:09 pm Strange that other cats can get in if it’s a chip reader.
I assumed that Chloe had had to turn the reader part off, as it wouldn't open for her cat, so now it will let in not only her cat, but any others.
by MarySkater
Fri Mar 29, 2019 5:12 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Nightmare with cat flap!
Replies: 4
Views: 978

Re: Nightmare with cat flap!

I haven't used a Cat Mate flap, but a long time ago, when I had one cat who was a slow eater and another who was a hoover, I set up a crate with a microchip cat flap as a safe food area for the slow eater. That flap had a projecting "porch roof" which contained the reader, and I found that...
by MarySkater
Sun Mar 24, 2019 5:54 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Cat of the Baskervilles..not!
Replies: 16
Views: 2377

Re: Cat of the Baskervilles..not!

Mary.. apart from Armand (my hubby rescued him from a nasty piece of work) we have never been able to adopt a black cat, over the years every time we have applied to Shelters, we have been told there are none available and have come home with much wanted but definitely not black animals. That's int...
by MarySkater
Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:41 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Cat of the Baskervilles..not!
Replies: 16
Views: 2377

Re: Cat of the Baskervilles..not!

I've seen pictures of cheetahs where the spots were bigger and blotchier than normal. I think there were about 3 rows of spots along the spine that elongated almost into stripes, but the base colour remained tawny. I believe they were called "king cheetahs." And you get light-to-white lion...
by MarySkater
Sat Mar 23, 2019 8:08 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Cat of the Baskervilles..not!
Replies: 16
Views: 2377

Re: Cat of the Baskervilles..not!

Ruth B, belated thanks for the information. It sounds like I was justified in being sceptical of the "black puma" suggestion. Melanism seems to be most common in the spotted cats; I have an idea I've heard somewhere that black servals can occur, although I'm not sure where I saw that. The ...
by MarySkater
Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:24 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Cat of the Baskervilles..not!
Replies: 16
Views: 2377

Re: Cat of the Baskervilles..not!

Over time there have been numerous misidentifications of black cats as Pumas. I remember a TV programme about so called big cats roaming Britain. One witness was adamant that he'd seen a black puma. Now, I've never heard of a puma being black, although some other felines have black varieties. I wis...
by MarySkater
Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:44 am
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Traumatised cat
Replies: 6
Views: 1318

Re: Traumatised cat

You could try keeping the carrier permanently in your living room, or somewhere the cat spends a lot of time. Maybe initially with the door off. Make it just part of the furniture. Feed her near it, and gradually move the food bowl closer so that if possible she is actually going into the carrier to...
by MarySkater
Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:36 am
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Would you euthanase a doubly incontinent cat ?
Replies: 8
Views: 5915

Re: Would you euthanase a doubly incontinent cat ?

I'm glad I've never been in that situation, but if I were, I'd seriously consider euthanasia.
by MarySkater
Mon Feb 25, 2019 8:32 am
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Cat will starve but will not eat cat food
Replies: 38
Views: 15460

Re: Cat will starve but will not eat cat food

When he refused cat food, how long do you leave him before offering something more to his taste? When I had a fussy cat, my vet recommended waiting 24 hours before offering anything different. It worked.
by MarySkater
Sat Feb 23, 2019 5:43 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Cat will starve but will not eat cat food
Replies: 38
Views: 15460

Re: Cat will starve but will not eat cat food

I don't think his attempt to cover food means he thinks it's poo. One of my cats will do that if he hasn't eaten all of his meal at once. I think it means "I don't fancy it at the moment, but I'll save it in case there's a famine"! But I know the scratch-scratching at the floor can get ann...
by MarySkater
Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:38 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: A new toy
Replies: 6
Views: 1039

Re: A new toy

Thanks for the advice - and if Rocky is the cat in the foreground of your photo pic, then he is almost identical to 'our' Rocky! Yes, Rocky is my "tuxedo" cat. I adopted him with his long-term companion, Bridie. Unfortunately Bridie died about 6 months after I got them. For Rocky's sake I...
by MarySkater
Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:03 am
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: A new toy
Replies: 6
Views: 1039

Re: A new toy

You could try, if the stuffing starts falling out of the current toy, gradually removing it yourself until there's just the shell left. Then buy a new toy of similar size and weight, and sew the old shell over it. I realise that this means destroying the old toy, so it's a last resort. Incidentally,...
by MarySkater
Tue Feb 05, 2019 12:31 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Grooming Advice
Replies: 6
Views: 1209

Re: Grooming Advice

I have a Norwegian Forest Cat, who I think would count as semi-longhaired. (Lots of long hair, but not as thick as a Persian's.) She doesn't get angry if I try to groom her, but she's just very wriggly and won't keep still long enough for me to do much to her. Ria rolling.jpg She's 2 1/2 years old n...
by MarySkater
Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:09 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Antiseptic for tick bite?
Replies: 7
Views: 1476

Re: Antiseptic for tick bite?

Thanks, Alan.
by MarySkater
Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:04 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Antiseptic for tick bite?
Replies: 7
Views: 1476

Re: Antiseptic for tick bite?

Thanks, Ruth. That sounds fairly straightforward. Does it need to be a fairly strong solution? Maybe a teaspoon of salt to an egg-cup-full of water? Or less than that?
by MarySkater
Mon Jan 28, 2019 7:06 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Antiseptic for tick bite?
Replies: 7
Views: 1476

Re: Antiseptic for tick bite?

Thanks, Alan. I just studied the small print on my tube of Germolene. It says "external use only," so I don't think I'd risk it somewhere it could get licked (especially on someone else's cat - I don't know who owns my visitor). But it might have been suitable for the face bite I dealt with.
by MarySkater
Mon Jan 28, 2019 6:48 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Antiseptic for tick bite?
Replies: 7
Views: 1476

Antiseptic for tick bite?

A neighbourhood cat who comes through my garden from time to time turned up one day with a tick on his face, between ear and eye. I fetched a tick hook and removed it carefully - as far as I could see without a microscope, I didn't leave any bits in the bite. Afterwards, I started wondering if I sho...
by MarySkater
Wed Jan 16, 2019 10:05 am
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Me pals in trouble!
Replies: 4
Views: 792

Re: Me pals in trouble!

Lovely story, thanks for posting.
by MarySkater
Tue Jan 15, 2019 1:41 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: Flea and Worming treatments
Replies: 3
Views: 828

Re: Flea and Worming treatments

My cats are not at high risk from parasites, as I have a garden enclosure and they can't make direct contact with neighbourhood cats. But other cats hang out in the unenclosed part of my garden, or walk around on top of the fence, so there is a possibility of transfer. I flea-treat them, but not mon...
by MarySkater
Thu Dec 06, 2018 3:25 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Duvet covers that repel cat hair?
Replies: 7
Views: 1963

Re: Duvet covers that repel cat hair?

What about spreading an old sheet over your regular bedding? Polycotton is quite smooth, and they can be found in charity shops. You could take that outside and shake it. If that worked, it would save replacing the bedding you have now.
by MarySkater
Tue Nov 27, 2018 12:04 pm
Forum: General Cat Chatting!
Topic: Pippin is getting fat...
Replies: 5
Views: 728

Re: Pippin is getting fat...

In the days before microchip feeders, I had two cats, one of whom was a grazer, and the other a hoover for food! I solved that by fitting a microchip cat flap to a pet crate, and feeding the grazer in the crate, which only she could get into. But that wouldn't be much cheaper than just getting two m...
by MarySkater
Sat Nov 17, 2018 11:02 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: My cat has two problems.
Replies: 14
Views: 1950

Re: My cat has two problems.

I have heard of cats needing cage rest being given 2 crates put together. The owner can shut the cat into one while cleaning the other. In our case that wouldn't be needed as the cat can be let out in the daytime. Interesting what you say about Billy and Lizzie. It's usually said that boys are more ...
by MarySkater
Sat Nov 17, 2018 10:47 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: My cat has two problems.
Replies: 14
Views: 1950

Re: My cat has two problems.

Not offended at all, this is just a conversation about a problem we've both experienced.

I had a pet crate with 2 doors, front and side. I was able to secure a covered litter tray to the side door, giving my cat an "en suite," and leaving all the space in the crate for bed, food and water.
by MarySkater
Sat Nov 17, 2018 10:05 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: My cat has two problems.
Replies: 14
Views: 1950

Re: My cat has two problems.

Okay, I can see you've thought through the "protection" options. In my case, it was an old cat in failing health. He had always slept with me, so trying to shut him out of the bedroom would only cause him to make a lot of noise, or rip up the carpet trying to tunnel under the door. I had s...
by MarySkater
Sat Nov 17, 2018 8:40 pm
Forum: Health and Behaviour Queries, Help and Advice
Topic: My cat has two problems.
Replies: 14
Views: 1950

Re: My cat has two problems.

I once had a cat who was prone to vomiting on my bed. I saved myself a lot of trouble by spreading waterproof mattress protectors over the top of the bedding. The protectors usually have elasticated hems, because they are intended to be used like a fitted sheet. I would cut off the elastic so that I...