Cats

[planet planet]

I'm known as the "cat rescue lady" among friends so I get random texts over the years from people asking if I can help rehome their friends' pets. Tenth Life, and most rescues, have a no "owner surrender" policy. Basically, they're not a place where people go to dump their pets who are no longer convenient anymore. I got a text today from a guy who needs to get rid of his 12/13 yr. old kitty who has no behavioral issues, but they had a baby (you usually hear that or they're moving and can't take the pet with them). So I advised him to take the kitty to the least kill of the kill shelters that has open admission.

Just sucks. How can you discard a pet family member like that, especially in their elder years when their chances to find a new home are even more slim?

[Tim]

I'm allergic

[Molly]

I'm known as the "cat rescue lady" among friends so I get random texts over the years from people asking if I can help rehome their friends' pets. Tenth Life, and most rescues, have a no "owner surrender" policy. Basically, they're not a place where people go to dump their pets who are no longer convenient anymore. I got a text today from a guy who needs to get rid of his 12/13 yr. old kitty who has no behavioral issues, but they had a baby (you usually hear that or they're moving and can't take the pet with them). So I advised him to take the kitty to the least kill of the kill shelters that has open admission.

Just sucks. How can you discard a pet family member like that, especially in their elder years when their chances to find a new home are even more slim?

You were kinder to him than I would have been!!

[Jocephus]

that's awful.

this might be a long story but my folks this summer discovered they had a mama cat and some babies living under the back porch. my parents just couldn't not help them so mom has been leaving out food and water to help and they gobble it up. there was the mama cat, then 3 orange kittens and 1 tabby kitten. my folks definitely got attached to them and wanted to keep mama safe so they contacted a trap, neuter and release organization here in town and they were able to get mama fixed. everything seemed fine until about 5 days ago when they noticed a smell and then they eventually found 1 of the little orange cats dead. my parents were devastated. fortunately the mama and 1 of the orange cats have returned, i'm not sure if my parents have spotted any of the others yet. i was thinking i might adopt one of the orange cats, and my sister-in-law wanted the tabby kitten but now we aren't sure. my mother felt so guilty about spaying the mama after the death because she was like "now she can't have kids anymore!" so seeing the mama again with at least 1 made mom feel better.

fwiw - this is the organization that we contacted (and i've been able to add their organization to my grocery shopping card, so they can get some residual money as well) - http://www.fofks.org/

then this is an article about kinda the lead lady and she is the one that came to my folks house to trap. seems like an interesting lady.

http://kmuw.org/post/group-advocates-tr ... at-numbers

[Molly]

that's awful.

this might be a long story but my folks this summer discovered they had a mama cat and some babies living under the back porch. my parents just couldn't not help them so mom has been leaving out food and water to help and they gobble it up. there was the mama cat, then 3 orange kittens and 1 tabby kitten. my folks definitely got attached to them and wanted to keep mama safe so they contacted a trap, neuter and release organization here in town and they were able to get mama fixed. everything seemed fine until about 5 days ago when they noticed a smell and then they eventually found 1 of the little orange cats dead. my parents were devastated. fortunately the mama and 1 of the orange cats have returned, i'm not sure if my parents have spotted any of the others yet. i was thinking i might adopt one of the orange cats, and my sister-in-law wanted the tabby kitten but now we aren't sure. my mother felt so guilty about spaying the mama after the death because she was like "now she can't have kids anymore!" so seeing the mama again with at least 1 made mom feel better.

fwiw - this is the organization that we contacted (and i've been able to add their organization to my grocery shopping card, so they can get some residual money as well) - http://www.fofks.org/

then this is an article about kinda the lead lady and she is the one that came to my folks house to trap. seems like an interesting lady.

http://kmuw.org/post/group-advocates-tr ... at-numbers

This is the orange guy that was living in our garage. We took him in & found a home for his 2 siblings when mama got hit by a car.

[SHOW]

[Gashouse]

We have a 14 yo orange tabby. We recently moved and he keeps peeing on things on the floor and on the carpet. There are two litter boxes, and he's used both so he knows where they are.

Our old house was almost entirely hard wood floors. There were a couple rugs and one room in the basement with carpet. If we left for a weekend, he would usually pee on something on the floor somewhere, but it was only while we were gone. it seemed like it was an anxiety thing for him, even if someone was coming 1-2 times a day to check on him.

But the new house is almost entirely carpeted, and now he's peeing on stuff all the time if it's on the floor. Bath mat - check. Toddler's jammies - check. Towels - check. My t-shirt - check. By systematically sniffing around a room with a smell of cat piss, I found two places where he has pissed on the carpet at least once. Somehow it didn't really turn the carpet a different color, so it wasn't obvious.

We've been in this house for about 2 months and he otherwise seems comfortable and well-adjusted. But we can't keep having clothes and towels and carpet getting pissed on or people will think we just always faintly smell of cat piss (because we will). What's going on with our otherwise sweet kitty and what can we do to get him to stop pissing on stuff?

[Jocephus]

you might not believe it but there is kitty prozac and my folks 14 year old cat is on it. he had bathroom issues and they feel this has helped. for whatever reason, my mother thinks his problems started when they would take ~2 week european trips and leave him behind (i would stop by and feed, water and change liter box but otherwise he was alone for a long time).

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual- ... tions-cats

now she always boards him at the vet when they leave for extended periods although his bathroom issues do seem better/improved.

also, a blacklight would help locating any spots too.

[Mary1966]

http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 54590.html

Cats have navigated the evolutionary race better than dogs.

[Mary1966]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/0 ... c0WW0pHarU

Tama the cat now has her own shrine.

[Gashouse]

Thanks Joce. I thought it might be anxiety but no sea there were kitty meds for that.