New kitty questions?
Question:
> > I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked > and still be doing things he shouldn’t be. > Yeah, my in-laws have a deaf cat that is the same way. I admit ours is a > little less afraid of water than the other two we have. The other night > she was rolling around in the shower after I got out.
Two of my cats *love* to play in the bathtub. It’s their version of WWF wrestling. 
Laura — One man’s mundane and boring existence is another man’s Technicolor. -Tick, Strange Days
Response:
Hello, Many thanks to all of the folks who have taken the time to answer my post. you have given me a lot of good info and opinions and some good jumping off points to research things further. I’m going to get him to a vet within the next few days but one thing that I think I can say with certainty is that he is not deaf. I’ve seen him react at sudden noises, and this afternoon, he was sleeping on my lap and the phone was right next to me. The phone rang and he immediately jumped awake. Thanks again! –Al
Response:
> I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked > and still be doing things he shouldn’t be.
Yeah, my in-laws have a deaf cat that is the same way. I admit ours is a little less afraid of water than the other two we have. The other night she was rolling around in the shower after I got out. But the water bottle works for her. We’re lucky in that reguard! > I also taught him with hand signals to come to bed at night or follow me. > For no, i put one finger up and say NO really loud..the vet said although he > can’t hear he can sense that i’m not happy with what he’s doing.
Yes, ours is getting that way too. She knows her name (Kaoru, we just wave a sign language K at her). She is also learning "Come here" once again still as ASL sign for come (roll your fingers over each other like a wheel). She also takes cues off the other cats, so she knows when we’re running the can opener! > The biggest challange with a deaf cat, at least mine is his constant > howling….last night I was doing laundry down the hall and I could hear him > all the way in the laundry room howling away…he can scream so unbelieveable > loud…even when he was 6 weeks old and about 2 lbs. It is VERY > annoying…last night he howling from the time i walked in the door at 4:30 > until bedtime. He does have different meows for different things but the > "I’m alone here, where is everyone" howl is SO loud.
Thankfully, once again Kaoru isn’t that bad in that respect. Though she has yowled recently. It’s so sad and pathetic. The other thing she’ll do is meow, but not make a sound. Her big thing is that she doesn’t realize that she makes a lot of noise doing things, so she will insist on basically rummaging through everything in the bedroom in the middle of the night. She doesn’t quite understand that banging her cat toys against the bedroom wall causes us a lot of problems sleeping. 
> I also try to show him that i’m in the room and not sneak up on him as it > scares him.
yes! That’s really important. There have been a few times when I’ve made the mistake of thinking that she knows I’m there, when i reach out to pet her I startle her to the point where she will hide under something for quite a while. I always feel bad about that. So I try to stomp or make some kind of non-noise change to her environment (turn on and off a light or something) before I approach her. oddlystrange (who says she’s also a cuddlebug!) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
Response:
> Probably apropos of nothing, but if I had a deaf cat I’d try to find a > vibrator, or some set of signals to train him (stomping, perhaps) that > he could feel without hearing them. Has any one done this? A cat > should certainly learn to come to certain frequencies of vibration. > Maybe a tuning fork against the table or nightstand.
hrmm.. that’s an interesting idea. I’m not quite sure though, because our kitten LOVES vibration. She practically wants to curl up and sleep on the vacuume cleaner! (that’s one good way to know a cat is deaf!). We do occassionally stomp on the floor to distract her attention when she’s doing something she shouldn’t. It works for about 2 seconds. She’s one of the most single-minded cats I’ve ever seen. Once she has her mind set on something, it takes a lot of effort to distract her away from it! oddlystrange (who is happy to report that her mind is set on sleeping in my lap right now) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
Response:
> <He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him > declawed if I can help it.> > If you don’t need him declawed, then leave them alone. Good for you. There are > many anti declaw people here who are passionate about it..doesn’t make them > right, but they are passionate!
What makes us right is the mountains of evidence, which has been quoted here ad nauseam, showing that declawing is anything but beneficial to the cat. > Buy a scratching post and toys for the kitty; > establish boundries so he/she knows it’s not ok to rip the couch to shreds, > etc.
I agree. Training a cat to scratch appropriately is not difficult, nor is providing proper scratching posts for their use.
Response:
I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked and still be doing things he shouldn’t be. One thing that worked for me is a bathroom time-out….he would attack my female, i think he was trying to play but she was not into it….so when he attacks her, I don’t yell…since he can’t hear anyway and it scares the female..i simply pick him up and put him in the bathroom for 10 minutes…if he attacks again, it’s 20 minutes. At first he spent alot of time in the bathroom but now it’s about once a month…and he hates it, howls to get out. But he has been trained cause now when he goes for her, he slowly looks over his shoulder to see is Meomie is watching I also taught him with hand signals to come to bed at night or follow me. For no, i put one finger up and say NO really loud..the vet said although he can’t hear he can sense that i’m not happy with what he’s doing. The biggest challange with a deaf cat, at least mine is his constant howling….last night I was doing laundry down the hall and I could hear him all the way in the laundry room howling away…he can scream so unbelieveable loud…even when he was 6 weeks old and about 2 lbs. It is VERY annoying…last night he howling from the time i walked in the door at 4:30 until bedtime. He does have different meows for different things but the "I’m alone here, where is everyone" howl is SO loud. On a positive note, he is the biggest cuddle bug you ever met and insists on laying on my tummy whenever he can. I also try to show him that i’m in the room and not sneak up on him as it scares him. Take care jackie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > (snip) >If he is deaf you’re going to have to just use the water bottle. It may >take a little longer to train him, but eventually he’ll get the clue. If >you’re really inclined after squirting him use a hand gesture to signal >the word no. Just make sure he’s looking at you when you "say" it > (snip) > Probably apropos of nothing, but if I had a deaf cat I’d try to find a > vibrator, or some set of signals to train him (stomping, perhaps) that > he could feel without hearing them. Has any one done this? A cat > should certainly learn to come to certain frequencies of vibration. > Maybe a tuning fork against the table or nightstand. > liv > take out the garbage to reply… > If you can’t beat your computer at chess try kickboxing.
Response:
> <This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten!> > One of the worst presents to give someone is a pet. There is no guarantee that > the one presented with the pet wants him/her, that there’s a comittment to care > & love for the pet forever, etc. Only the person who expresses the desire (and > would commit) should receive one.
Very true, but this poster sounds delighted. > <I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed > but i’m not sure what that means.> > Domestic short hair (as opposed to domestic long hair) is not any type of > pedigree, btw.
Neither is DLH. I’ve had 2 DLH – they were/are simply mixed breed cats with long hair. Lovely cats, but not a breed. Cathy — "Staccato signals of constant information…" ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon
Response:
You’ve already had your questions answered, for the most part. I concur w/ the person who said to make a vet appt. – I also strongly advise that you make a vet appt. for him ASAP. The vet will get him all checked over, make sure he doesn’t have worms, ear mites, &/or fleas (all treatable), get him tested for FeLV & FIV (which will most likely be neg. – but nice to know & simple bloodwork), & as others mentioned check to see if he’s deaf or has normal hearing due to the white coat/blue eyes combo. In a few months it’ll be time to get him neutered, too. You can also ask the vet to show you how to clip his claws, so that they aren’t needle-sharp. If he gets used to it now, it’ll make it a lot easier for you to do in the future. You can get him a couple of different scratching posts – maybe one in sisal or loop/Berber carpeted (*not* plush carpet), & a cardboard scratcher, & see if he greatly prefers one over the other. I never succeeded in training my cats to stay off counter tops & tables. IME, as soon as you’re not in sight, they do just as they please anyway, even if they know it’s off-limits. So I figure it’s not worth the hassle, & that I most likely contribute more germs to the house than they do, bringing germs in from the outside world & other public places, anyway. There’s a huge range of foods available, along w/ a huge range of opinions as to what’s good. After sifting through various info – online, package labeling, etc., you can decide what you think is best, that also happens to be available in your area (not all foods have equal distribution) & that he likes & agrees w/his digestive tract. I’m sure you’ll get a lot of joy out of having him around; good luck, & a nice, long, healthy life to him! Cathy — "Staccato signals of constant information…" ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group? > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options? > I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. > Many thanks to all for any info. > Best regards, > –Al
Response:
>He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks >old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white >with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, >but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. >I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his >breed but i’m not sure what that means.
He’s a Domestic Short Hair… which is a fancy way of saying "we don’t really know". If you want to impress your friends, you can say he’s a moggie. :) Just a note of caution for you. Blue-eyed white cats are often deaf. You may want to have your vet check that out. If the kitten is deaf, you will have to consider training methods that don’t depend on noise, and it’s better to know that going in so that you don’t get frustrated with things that don’t work. Here’s a site about cat training: http://animal.discovery.com/cat_guide/basic.html Also, you might consider a book such as "Cats for Dummies". If you got to amazon.com and search on "cat training" or "cat behavior", you will be able to see the kinds of books out there that may be helpful to you. In general, when dealing with a cat, you want to redirect behavior from undesirable times/locations to desirable ones. That’s a lot easier than trying to get a cat to entirely stop doing something. Rebecca
Response:
In article > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present.
Well my first peice of advice is take him to a vet as soon as possible. Bring all the paperwork from the pet store with you, but he needs to be checked out by a professional. Depending on how he was obtained (was he bought from a pet store, or was he a rescue animal that was visiting a pet store?) Either way this is a great time to start a relationship with a vet. Make sure he has all his shots, and everything is in good working order. Additionally, feel free to ask your new vet any question you want. They’re very helpful when you’re all curious about your new kitty. I do have one thing to add, given you have an all white cat with blue eyes, have you checked to make sure that he is not deaf? (go up behind him and clap and see if his ears move, that’s usually a good test, just try not to startle him if he is a hearing cat!) A large percentage of all white cats are deaf, and the amount goes higher if they have blue eyes. We have a 5 month old white kitten whose totally deaf. It’s not a whole lot of extra work for you to have one, but you will have a harder time training, and so will getting his attention initially. But our is about 5 months old, and other than a few things has been great. She’s even starting to learn sign language! > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can.
I’d just look for a good kitten food for him now. There’s tons of good ones out there. i think we use Iams for Kaoru. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk.
It depends on whether or not he’s deaf or not. If he’s not, when he’s bad squirt him with a spray bottle, hiss and say "no!" Eventually you won’t need the spray bottle. And you’ll need a lot of patience, it takes quite a few tries for a kitten to figure out what action got that squirt If he is deaf you’re going to have to just use the water bottle. It may take a little longer to train him, but eventually he’ll get the clue. If you’re really inclined after squirting him use a hand gesture to signal the word no. Just make sure he’s looking at you when you "say" it > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard.
I think he’ll get better. Our kitten has had a few interesting accidents herself. The other night she was walking around with a giant peice of poo stuck to her leg. We didn’t realise until she walked by one of us and we got a whiff! But they do get better at time. It’s just like a human kid and potty training, occassionally they have a few accidents. But they get over them pretty fast. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options?
Cat post! Give the kitten alternatives early on. We didn’t do that with our other cats and our sofa looks quite well worn by kitty claws. We’re making sure to train Kaoru to use the cat post in the bedroom and not the sofa. I admit that I haven’t had much luck with that. But hope reigns eternal oddlystrange (who had a lot of questions about her first kitten 7 years ago, and still has some about her new one!) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
Response:
<This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new kitten!> One of the worst presents to give someone is a pet. There is no guarantee that the one presented with the pet wants him/her, that there’s a comittment to care & love for the pet forever, etc. Only the person who expresses the desire (and would commit) should receive one. <I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed but i’m not sure what that means.> Domestic short hair (as opposed to domestic long hair) is not any type of pedigree, btw. <are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this group?> Some lessons in research (to you & others who apparently are new to online navigation)…search engines assist us with finding topics & discovering what we need to know. Search engines, such as Mamma, Altavista, Ask Jeeves, Google, etc. will serve the basic purpose. Need info on the different breeds of cats: Once you reach the website of the different search engines, type in cat breeds; need info on cat care, type in cat care or cat health. Simple. You’ll have the info & the satisfaction that you obtained the info yourself. <What Brands and types of food are best?> At this point, I’ve been feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the occasional can. Many (vets & caretakers) recommend dry AND canned. The dry food assists with the growth of healthy teeth. Vets who stock professional type cat food recommend it (partially because they sell it and profit by it.) The food will be useless if the cat finds in unpleasant and refuses to eat it (even after some experimental coaxing). The experts attempt to steer owners away from commercial cat food. Although I’ve been feeding my cats this commercial food for over 20 years, I’ve always felt guilty doing so. I visited Friskies and Purina websites and was impressed at the amount of research conducted by these companies. My cats enjoy <sliced and mincd> Fancy Feast w/Deli Cat dry. <What are the best methods for training?> Go to Amazon.com and look at the books under cat behavior. Scan the synopsis of the book, pick one or two titles, and check them out of the local library. You’ll be glad you took the time to learn about the fascinating things cat do, why they do ‘em, and how you can live in harmony with them. <He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him declawed if I can help it.> If you don’t need him declawed, then leave them alone. Good for you. There are many anti declaw people here who are passionate about it..doesn’t make them right, but they are passionate! Buy a scratching post and toys for the kitty; establish boundries so he/she knows it’s not ok to rip the couch to shreds, etc. I hope you and your cat have a long happy life together. They bring such joy (and could be a pain in neck, sometimes).
Response:
Congratulations, Al. You’re embarking on a wonderful journey! You didn’t say whether or not you had already taken your new baby to the vet. No matter what the pet store said about his health, it’s important to see the vet ASAP. BTW – some vets will neuter before 5 or 6 months. Many shelters and rescue groups have neutering done as early as 8 weeks. There are all sorts of internet resources available, and there are responses to another posting above yours that mention some. I do feel strongly about declawing — I’m against. It’s important that you have at least one scratching post for your kitten, and more than one if you can afford it. You can direct him to the post if he looks like he’s about to claw something else. There are different ways to trying (note this word) to keep cats away from surfaces — loud noises, tin foil, a water pistol. Some people coat wires with bitter orange, which you can get at a pet store. You’re going to have to keep your eye on your little one for awhile, and give him plenty of toys and play time with you. Susan L.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group? > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options? > I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. > Many thanks to all for any info. > Best regards, > –Al
Response:
> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means.
DSH stands for domestic short hair. The cat is probably a mutt. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group?
There’s a cats FAQ somewhere around here. Try: http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/ > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can.
This is a big debate on the newsgroup, but what I would do is talk to a vet, and get their opinion on what’s best in your particular price range. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk.
This can be easy or hard, Ive had it both ways… The FAQ has a good list of training resources if I recall correctly. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard.
Ive never had a cat do this, but Id just wash his paws.. Ive had kittens Ive had to bathe before they would groom themselves. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options?
Oh man, prepare to be deluged by fanatics. Personally, I havent declawed my cats(I do have a cat that was declawed, but that was before I owned her), but I haven’t had that much trouble, and what I have had, Ive just accepted. I believe there are things like caps that will cover the claws. But my opinion if you get to the point where you feel you can’t keep the cat because its scratching then get it declawed. That FAQ is a good place to start I think, and as I said, talk to your vet about the food issue, and be honest with what your willing to spend for food on the cat. Also, posters on this NG are vehement about their stuff, I would take everything(including my own post) with a grain(or appropriate amount) of salt. You didn’t mention if the cat was altered(at 10 weeks I wouldn’t think so, but you never know), but I would already plan on getting him neutered at around 5-6 months.
Response:
Hello, This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new kitten! He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed but i’m not sure what that means. I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most important ones at present. 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this group? 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the occasional can. 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer desk. 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin to scratch at furniture, what are my options? I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. Many thanks to all for any info. Best regards, –Al
Response:
> > I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked > and still be doing things he shouldn’t be. > Yeah, my in-laws have a deaf cat that is the same way. I admit ours is a > little less afraid of water than the other two we have. The other night > she was rolling around in the shower after I got out.
Two of my cats *love* to play in the bathtub. It’s their version of WWF wrestling. Laura — One man’s mundane and boring existence is another man’s Technicolor. -Tick, Strange Days
Response:
Hello, Many thanks to all of the folks who have taken the time to answer my post. you have given me a lot of good info and opinions and some good jumping off points to research things further. I’m going to get him to a vet within the next few days but one thing that I think I can say with certainty is that he is not deaf. I’ve seen him react at sudden noises, and this afternoon, he was sleeping on my lap and the phone was right next to me. The phone rang and he immediately jumped awake. Thanks again! –Al
Response:
> I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked > and still be doing things he shouldn’t be.
Yeah, my in-laws have a deaf cat that is the same way. I admit ours is a little less afraid of water than the other two we have. The other night she was rolling around in the shower after I got out. But the water bottle works for her. We’re lucky in that reguard! > I also taught him with hand signals to come to bed at night or follow me. > For no, i put one finger up and say NO really loud..the vet said although he > can’t hear he can sense that i’m not happy with what he’s doing.
Yes, ours is getting that way too. She knows her name (Kaoru, we just wave a sign language K at her). She is also learning "Come here" once again still as ASL sign for come (roll your fingers over each other like a wheel). She also takes cues off the other cats, so she knows when we’re running the can opener! > The biggest challange with a deaf cat, at least mine is his constant > howling….last night I was doing laundry down the hall and I could hear him > all the way in the laundry room howling away…he can scream so unbelieveable > loud…even when he was 6 weeks old and about 2 lbs. It is VERY > annoying…last night he howling from the time i walked in the door at 4:30 > until bedtime. He does have different meows for different things but the > "I’m alone here, where is everyone" howl is SO loud.
Thankfully, once again Kaoru isn’t that bad in that respect. Though she has yowled recently. It’s so sad and pathetic. The other thing she’ll do is meow, but not make a sound. Her big thing is that she doesn’t realize that she makes a lot of noise doing things, so she will insist on basically rummaging through everything in the bedroom in the middle of the night. She doesn’t quite understand that banging her cat toys against the bedroom wall causes us a lot of problems sleeping. > I also try to show him that i’m in the room and not sneak up on him as it > scares him.
yes! That’s really important. There have been a few times when I’ve made the mistake of thinking that she knows I’m there, when i reach out to pet her I startle her to the point where she will hide under something for quite a while. I always feel bad about that. So I try to stomp or make some kind of non-noise change to her environment (turn on and off a light or something) before I approach her. oddlystrange (who says she’s also a cuddlebug!) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
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> Probably apropos of nothing, but if I had a deaf cat I’d try to find a > vibrator, or some set of signals to train him (stomping, perhaps) that > he could feel without hearing them. Has any one done this? A cat > should certainly learn to come to certain frequencies of vibration. > Maybe a tuning fork against the table or nightstand.
hrmm.. that’s an interesting idea. I’m not quite sure though, because our kitten LOVES vibration. She practically wants to curl up and sleep on the vacuume cleaner! (that’s one good way to know a cat is deaf!). We do occassionally stomp on the floor to distract her attention when she’s doing something she shouldn’t. It works for about 2 seconds. She’s one of the most single-minded cats I’ve ever seen. Once she has her mind set on something, it takes a lot of effort to distract her away from it! oddlystrange (who is happy to report that her mind is set on sleeping in my lap right now) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
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> <He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him > declawed if I can help it.> > If you don’t need him declawed, then leave them alone. Good for you. There are > many anti declaw people here who are passionate about it..doesn’t make them > right, but they are passionate!
What makes us right is the mountains of evidence, which has been quoted here ad nauseam, showing that declawing is anything but beneficial to the cat. > Buy a scratching post and toys for the kitty; > establish boundries so he/she knows it’s not ok to rip the couch to shreds, > etc.
I agree. Training a cat to scratch appropriately is not difficult, nor is providing proper scratching posts for their use.
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I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked and still be doing things he shouldn’t be. One thing that worked for me is a bathroom time-out….he would attack my female, i think he was trying to play but she was not into it….so when he attacks her, I don’t yell…since he can’t hear anyway and it scares the female..i simply pick him up and put him in the bathroom for 10 minutes…if he attacks again, it’s 20 minutes. At first he spent alot of time in the bathroom but now it’s about once a month…and he hates it, howls to get out. But he has been trained cause now when he goes for her, he slowly looks over his shoulder to see is Meomie is watching I also taught him with hand signals to come to bed at night or follow me. For no, i put one finger up and say NO really loud..the vet said although he can’t hear he can sense that i’m not happy with what he’s doing. The biggest challange with a deaf cat, at least mine is his constant howling….last night I was doing laundry down the hall and I could hear him all the way in the laundry room howling away…he can scream so unbelieveable loud…even when he was 6 weeks old and about 2 lbs. It is VERY annoying…last night he howling from the time i walked in the door at 4:30 until bedtime. He does have different meows for different things but the "I’m alone here, where is everyone" howl is SO loud. On a positive note, he is the biggest cuddle bug you ever met and insists on laying on my tummy whenever he can. I also try to show him that i’m in the room and not sneak up on him as it scares him. Take care jackie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > (snip) >If he is deaf you’re going to have to just use the water bottle. It may >take a little longer to train him, but eventually he’ll get the clue. If >you’re really inclined after squirting him use a hand gesture to signal >the word no. Just make sure he’s looking at you when you "say" it > (snip) > Probably apropos of nothing, but if I had a deaf cat I’d try to find a > vibrator, or some set of signals to train him (stomping, perhaps) that > he could feel without hearing them. Has any one done this? A cat > should certainly learn to come to certain frequencies of vibration. > Maybe a tuning fork against the table or nightstand. > liv > take out the garbage to reply… > If you can’t beat your computer at chess try kickboxing.
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> <This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten!> > One of the worst presents to give someone is a pet. There is no guarantee that > the one presented with the pet wants him/her, that there’s a comittment to care > & love for the pet forever, etc. Only the person who expresses the desire (and > would commit) should receive one.
Very true, but this poster sounds delighted. > <I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed > but i’m not sure what that means.> > Domestic short hair (as opposed to domestic long hair) is not any type of > pedigree, btw.
Neither is DLH. I’ve had 2 DLH – they were/are simply mixed breed cats with long hair. Lovely cats, but not a breed. Cathy — "Staccato signals of constant information…" ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon
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You’ve already had your questions answered, for the most part. I concur w/ the person who said to make a vet appt. – I also strongly advise that you make a vet appt. for him ASAP. The vet will get him all checked over, make sure he doesn’t have worms, ear mites, &/or fleas (all treatable), get him tested for FeLV & FIV (which will most likely be neg. – but nice to know & simple bloodwork), & as others mentioned check to see if he’s deaf or has normal hearing due to the white coat/blue eyes combo. In a few months it’ll be time to get him neutered, too. You can also ask the vet to show you how to clip his claws, so that they aren’t needle-sharp. If he gets used to it now, it’ll make it a lot easier for you to do in the future. You can get him a couple of different scratching posts – maybe one in sisal or loop/Berber carpeted (*not* plush carpet), & a cardboard scratcher, & see if he greatly prefers one over the other. I never succeeded in training my cats to stay off counter tops & tables. IME, as soon as you’re not in sight, they do just as they please anyway, even if they know it’s off-limits. So I figure it’s not worth the hassle, & that I most likely contribute more germs to the house than they do, bringing germs in from the outside world & other public places, anyway. There’s a huge range of foods available, along w/ a huge range of opinions as to what’s good. After sifting through various info – online, package labeling, etc., you can decide what you think is best, that also happens to be available in your area (not all foods have equal distribution) & that he likes & agrees w/his digestive tract. I’m sure you’ll get a lot of joy out of having him around; good luck, & a nice, long, healthy life to him! Cathy — "Staccato signals of constant information…" ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group? > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options? > I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. > Many thanks to all for any info. > Best regards, > –Al
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>He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks >old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white >with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, >but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. >I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his >breed but i’m not sure what that means.
He’s a Domestic Short Hair… which is a fancy way of saying "we don’t really know". If you want to impress your friends, you can say he’s a moggie. :) Just a note of caution for you. Blue-eyed white cats are often deaf. You may want to have your vet check that out. If the kitten is deaf, you will have to consider training methods that don’t depend on noise, and it’s better to know that going in so that you don’t get frustrated with things that don’t work. Here’s a site about cat training: http://animal.discovery.com/cat_guide/basic.html Also, you might consider a book such as "Cats for Dummies". If you got to amazon.com and search on "cat training" or "cat behavior", you will be able to see the kinds of books out there that may be helpful to you. In general, when dealing with a cat, you want to redirect behavior from undesirable times/locations to desirable ones. That’s a lot easier than trying to get a cat to entirely stop doing something. Rebecca
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In article > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present.
Well my first peice of advice is take him to a vet as soon as possible. Bring all the paperwork from the pet store with you, but he needs to be checked out by a professional. Depending on how he was obtained (was he bought from a pet store, or was he a rescue animal that was visiting a pet store?) Either way this is a great time to start a relationship with a vet. Make sure he has all his shots, and everything is in good working order. Additionally, feel free to ask your new vet any question you want. They’re very helpful when you’re all curious about your new kitty. I do have one thing to add, given you have an all white cat with blue eyes, have you checked to make sure that he is not deaf? (go up behind him and clap and see if his ears move, that’s usually a good test, just try not to startle him if he is a hearing cat!) A large percentage of all white cats are deaf, and the amount goes higher if they have blue eyes. We have a 5 month old white kitten whose totally deaf. It’s not a whole lot of extra work for you to have one, but you will have a harder time training, and so will getting his attention initially. But our is about 5 months old, and other than a few things has been great. She’s even starting to learn sign language! > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can.
I’d just look for a good kitten food for him now. There’s tons of good ones out there. i think we use Iams for Kaoru. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk.
It depends on whether or not he’s deaf or not. If he’s not, when he’s bad squirt him with a spray bottle, hiss and say "no!" Eventually you won’t need the spray bottle. And you’ll need a lot of patience, it takes quite a few tries for a kitten to figure out what action got that squirt If he is deaf you’re going to have to just use the water bottle. It may take a little longer to train him, but eventually he’ll get the clue. If you’re really inclined after squirting him use a hand gesture to signal the word no. Just make sure he’s looking at you when you "say" it > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard.
I think he’ll get better. Our kitten has had a few interesting accidents herself. The other night she was walking around with a giant peice of poo stuck to her leg. We didn’t realise until she walked by one of us and we got a whiff! But they do get better at time. It’s just like a human kid and potty training, occassionally they have a few accidents. But they get over them pretty fast. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options?
Cat post! Give the kitten alternatives early on. We didn’t do that with our other cats and our sofa looks quite well worn by kitty claws. We’re making sure to train Kaoru to use the cat post in the bedroom and not the sofa. I admit that I haven’t had much luck with that. But hope reigns eternal oddlystrange (who had a lot of questions about her first kitten 7 years ago, and still has some about her new one!) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
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<This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new kitten!> One of the worst presents to give someone is a pet. There is no guarantee that the one presented with the pet wants him/her, that there’s a comittment to care & love for the pet forever, etc. Only the person who expresses the desire (and would commit) should receive one. <I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed but i’m not sure what that means.> Domestic short hair (as opposed to domestic long hair) is not any type of pedigree, btw. <are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this group?> Some lessons in research (to you & others who apparently are new to online navigation)…search engines assist us with finding topics & discovering what we need to know. Search engines, such as Mamma, Altavista, Ask Jeeves, Google, etc. will serve the basic purpose. Need info on the different breeds of cats: Once you reach the website of the different search engines, type in cat breeds; need info on cat care, type in cat care or cat health. Simple. You’ll have the info & the satisfaction that you obtained the info yourself. <What Brands and types of food are best?> At this point, I’ve been feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the occasional can. Many (vets & caretakers) recommend dry AND canned. The dry food assists with the growth of healthy teeth. Vets who stock professional type cat food recommend it (partially because they sell it and profit by it.) The food will be useless if the cat finds in unpleasant and refuses to eat it (even after some experimental coaxing). The experts attempt to steer owners away from commercial cat food. Although I’ve been feeding my cats this commercial food for over 20 years, I’ve always felt guilty doing so. I visited Friskies and Purina websites and was impressed at the amount of research conducted by these companies. My cats enjoy <sliced and mincd> Fancy Feast w/Deli Cat dry. <What are the best methods for training?> Go to Amazon.com and look at the books under cat behavior. Scan the synopsis of the book, pick one or two titles, and check them out of the local library. You’ll be glad you took the time to learn about the fascinating things cat do, why they do ‘em, and how you can live in harmony with them. <He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him declawed if I can help it.> If you don’t need him declawed, then leave them alone. Good for you. There are many anti declaw people here who are passionate about it..doesn’t make them right, but they are passionate! Buy a scratching post and toys for the kitty; establish boundries so he/she knows it’s not ok to rip the couch to shreds, etc. I hope you and your cat have a long happy life together. They bring such joy (and could be a pain in neck, sometimes).
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Congratulations, Al. You’re embarking on a wonderful journey! You didn’t say whether or not you had already taken your new baby to the vet. No matter what the pet store said about his health, it’s important to see the vet ASAP. BTW – some vets will neuter before 5 or 6 months. Many shelters and rescue groups have neutering done as early as 8 weeks. There are all sorts of internet resources available, and there are responses to another posting above yours that mention some. I do feel strongly about declawing — I’m against. It’s important that you have at least one scratching post for your kitten, and more than one if you can afford it. You can direct him to the post if he looks like he’s about to claw something else. There are different ways to trying (note this word) to keep cats away from surfaces — loud noises, tin foil, a water pistol. Some people coat wires with bitter orange, which you can get at a pet store. You’re going to have to keep your eye on your little one for awhile, and give him plenty of toys and play time with you. Susan L.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group? > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options? > I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. > Many thanks to all for any info. > Best regards, > –Al
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> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means.
DSH stands for domestic short hair. The cat is probably a mutt. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group?
There’s a cats FAQ somewhere around here. Try: http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/ > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can.
This is a big debate on the newsgroup, but what I would do is talk to a vet, and get their opinion on what’s best in your particular price range. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk.
This can be easy or hard, Ive had it both ways… The FAQ has a good list of training resources if I recall correctly. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard.
Ive never had a cat do this, but Id just wash his paws.. Ive had kittens Ive had to bathe before they would groom themselves. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options?
Oh man, prepare to be deluged by fanatics. Personally, I havent declawed my cats(I do have a cat that was declawed, but that was before I owned her), but I haven’t had that much trouble, and what I have had, Ive just accepted. I believe there are things like caps that will cover the claws. But my opinion if you get to the point where you feel you can’t keep the cat because its scratching then get it declawed. That FAQ is a good place to start I think, and as I said, talk to your vet about the food issue, and be honest with what your willing to spend for food on the cat. Also, posters on this NG are vehement about their stuff, I would take everything(including my own post) with a grain(or appropriate amount) of salt. You didn’t mention if the cat was altered(at 10 weeks I wouldn’t think so, but you never know), but I would already plan on getting him neutered at around 5-6 months.
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Hello, This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new kitten! He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed but i’m not sure what that means. I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most important ones at present. 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this group? 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the occasional can. 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer desk. 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin to scratch at furniture, what are my options? I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. Many thanks to all for any info. Best regards, –Al
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> > I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked > and still be doing things he shouldn’t be. > Yeah, my in-laws have a deaf cat that is the same way. I admit ours is a > little less afraid of water than the other two we have. The other night > she was rolling around in the shower after I got out.
Two of my cats *love* to play in the bathtub. It’s their version of WWF wrestling. Laura — One man’s mundane and boring existence is another man’s Technicolor. -Tick, Strange Days
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Hello, Many thanks to all of the folks who have taken the time to answer my post. you have given me a lot of good info and opinions and some good jumping off points to research things further. I’m going to get him to a vet within the next few days but one thing that I think I can say with certainty is that he is not deaf. I’ve seen him react at sudden noises, and this afternoon, he was sleeping on my lap and the phone was right next to me. The phone rang and he immediately jumped awake. Thanks again! –Al
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> I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked > and still be doing things he shouldn’t be.
Yeah, my in-laws have a deaf cat that is the same way. I admit ours is a little less afraid of water than the other two we have. The other night she was rolling around in the shower after I got out. But the water bottle works for her. We’re lucky in that reguard! > I also taught him with hand signals to come to bed at night or follow me. > For no, i put one finger up and say NO really loud..the vet said although he > can’t hear he can sense that i’m not happy with what he’s doing.
Yes, ours is getting that way too. She knows her name (Kaoru, we just wave a sign language K at her). She is also learning "Come here" once again still as ASL sign for come (roll your fingers over each other like a wheel). She also takes cues off the other cats, so she knows when we’re running the can opener! > The biggest challange with a deaf cat, at least mine is his constant > howling….last night I was doing laundry down the hall and I could hear him > all the way in the laundry room howling away…he can scream so unbelieveable > loud…even when he was 6 weeks old and about 2 lbs. It is VERY > annoying…last night he howling from the time i walked in the door at 4:30 > until bedtime. He does have different meows for different things but the > "I’m alone here, where is everyone" howl is SO loud.
Thankfully, once again Kaoru isn’t that bad in that respect. Though she has yowled recently. It’s so sad and pathetic. The other thing she’ll do is meow, but not make a sound. Her big thing is that she doesn’t realize that she makes a lot of noise doing things, so she will insist on basically rummaging through everything in the bedroom in the middle of the night. She doesn’t quite understand that banging her cat toys against the bedroom wall causes us a lot of problems sleeping. > I also try to show him that i’m in the room and not sneak up on him as it > scares him.
yes! That’s really important. There have been a few times when I’ve made the mistake of thinking that she knows I’m there, when i reach out to pet her I startle her to the point where she will hide under something for quite a while. I always feel bad about that. So I try to stomp or make some kind of non-noise change to her environment (turn on and off a light or something) before I approach her. oddlystrange (who says she’s also a cuddlebug!) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
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> Probably apropos of nothing, but if I had a deaf cat I’d try to find a > vibrator, or some set of signals to train him (stomping, perhaps) that > he could feel without hearing them. Has any one done this? A cat > should certainly learn to come to certain frequencies of vibration. > Maybe a tuning fork against the table or nightstand.
hrmm.. that’s an interesting idea. I’m not quite sure though, because our kitten LOVES vibration. She practically wants to curl up and sleep on the vacuume cleaner! (that’s one good way to know a cat is deaf!). We do occassionally stomp on the floor to distract her attention when she’s doing something she shouldn’t. It works for about 2 seconds. She’s one of the most single-minded cats I’ve ever seen. Once she has her mind set on something, it takes a lot of effort to distract her away from it! oddlystrange (who is happy to report that her mind is set on sleeping in my lap right now) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
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> <He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him > declawed if I can help it.> > If you don’t need him declawed, then leave them alone. Good for you. There are > many anti declaw people here who are passionate about it..doesn’t make them > right, but they are passionate!
What makes us right is the mountains of evidence, which has been quoted here ad nauseam, showing that declawing is anything but beneficial to the cat. > Buy a scratching post and toys for the kitty; > establish boundries so he/she knows it’s not ok to rip the couch to shreds, > etc.
I agree. Training a cat to scratch appropriately is not difficult, nor is providing proper scratching posts for their use.
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I have a deaf cat and water bottles never bothered him a bit…he’d be soaked and still be doing things he shouldn’t be. One thing that worked for me is a bathroom time-out….he would attack my female, i think he was trying to play but she was not into it….so when he attacks her, I don’t yell…since he can’t hear anyway and it scares the female..i simply pick him up and put him in the bathroom for 10 minutes…if he attacks again, it’s 20 minutes. At first he spent alot of time in the bathroom but now it’s about once a month…and he hates it, howls to get out. But he has been trained cause now when he goes for her, he slowly looks over his shoulder to see is Meomie is watching I also taught him with hand signals to come to bed at night or follow me. For no, i put one finger up and say NO really loud..the vet said although he can’t hear he can sense that i’m not happy with what he’s doing. The biggest challange with a deaf cat, at least mine is his constant howling….last night I was doing laundry down the hall and I could hear him all the way in the laundry room howling away…he can scream so unbelieveable loud…even when he was 6 weeks old and about 2 lbs. It is VERY annoying…last night he howling from the time i walked in the door at 4:30 until bedtime. He does have different meows for different things but the "I’m alone here, where is everyone" howl is SO loud. On a positive note, he is the biggest cuddle bug you ever met and insists on laying on my tummy whenever he can. I also try to show him that i’m in the room and not sneak up on him as it scares him. Take care jackie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > (snip) >If he is deaf you’re going to have to just use the water bottle. It may >take a little longer to train him, but eventually he’ll get the clue. If >you’re really inclined after squirting him use a hand gesture to signal >the word no. Just make sure he’s looking at you when you "say" it > (snip) > Probably apropos of nothing, but if I had a deaf cat I’d try to find a > vibrator, or some set of signals to train him (stomping, perhaps) that > he could feel without hearing them. Has any one done this? A cat > should certainly learn to come to certain frequencies of vibration. > Maybe a tuning fork against the table or nightstand. > liv > take out the garbage to reply… > If you can’t beat your computer at chess try kickboxing.
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> <This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten!> > One of the worst presents to give someone is a pet. There is no guarantee that > the one presented with the pet wants him/her, that there’s a comittment to care > & love for the pet forever, etc. Only the person who expresses the desire (and > would commit) should receive one.
Very true, but this poster sounds delighted. > <I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed > but i’m not sure what that means.> > Domestic short hair (as opposed to domestic long hair) is not any type of > pedigree, btw.
Neither is DLH. I’ve had 2 DLH – they were/are simply mixed breed cats with long hair. Lovely cats, but not a breed. Cathy — "Staccato signals of constant information…" ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon
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You’ve already had your questions answered, for the most part. I concur w/ the person who said to make a vet appt. – I also strongly advise that you make a vet appt. for him ASAP. The vet will get him all checked over, make sure he doesn’t have worms, ear mites, &/or fleas (all treatable), get him tested for FeLV & FIV (which will most likely be neg. – but nice to know & simple bloodwork), & as others mentioned check to see if he’s deaf or has normal hearing due to the white coat/blue eyes combo. In a few months it’ll be time to get him neutered, too. You can also ask the vet to show you how to clip his claws, so that they aren’t needle-sharp. If he gets used to it now, it’ll make it a lot easier for you to do in the future. You can get him a couple of different scratching posts – maybe one in sisal or loop/Berber carpeted (*not* plush carpet), & a cardboard scratcher, & see if he greatly prefers one over the other. I never succeeded in training my cats to stay off counter tops & tables. IME, as soon as you’re not in sight, they do just as they please anyway, even if they know it’s off-limits. So I figure it’s not worth the hassle, & that I most likely contribute more germs to the house than they do, bringing germs in from the outside world & other public places, anyway. There’s a huge range of foods available, along w/ a huge range of opinions as to what’s good. After sifting through various info – online, package labeling, etc., you can decide what you think is best, that also happens to be available in your area (not all foods have equal distribution) & that he likes & agrees w/his digestive tract. I’m sure you’ll get a lot of joy out of having him around; good luck, & a nice, long, healthy life to him! Cathy — "Staccato signals of constant information…" ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group? > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options? > I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. > Many thanks to all for any info. > Best regards, > –Al
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>He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks >old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white >with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, >but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. >I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his >breed but i’m not sure what that means.
He’s a Domestic Short Hair… which is a fancy way of saying "we don’t really know". If you want to impress your friends, you can say he’s a moggie. :) Just a note of caution for you. Blue-eyed white cats are often deaf. You may want to have your vet check that out. If the kitten is deaf, you will have to consider training methods that don’t depend on noise, and it’s better to know that going in so that you don’t get frustrated with things that don’t work. Here’s a site about cat training: http://animal.discovery.com/cat_guide/basic.html Also, you might consider a book such as "Cats for Dummies". If you got to amazon.com and search on "cat training" or "cat behavior", you will be able to see the kinds of books out there that may be helpful to you. In general, when dealing with a cat, you want to redirect behavior from undesirable times/locations to desirable ones. That’s a lot easier than trying to get a cat to entirely stop doing something. Rebecca
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In article > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present.
Well my first peice of advice is take him to a vet as soon as possible. Bring all the paperwork from the pet store with you, but he needs to be checked out by a professional. Depending on how he was obtained (was he bought from a pet store, or was he a rescue animal that was visiting a pet store?) Either way this is a great time to start a relationship with a vet. Make sure he has all his shots, and everything is in good working order. Additionally, feel free to ask your new vet any question you want. They’re very helpful when you’re all curious about your new kitty. I do have one thing to add, given you have an all white cat with blue eyes, have you checked to make sure that he is not deaf? (go up behind him and clap and see if his ears move, that’s usually a good test, just try not to startle him if he is a hearing cat!) A large percentage of all white cats are deaf, and the amount goes higher if they have blue eyes. We have a 5 month old white kitten whose totally deaf. It’s not a whole lot of extra work for you to have one, but you will have a harder time training, and so will getting his attention initially. But our is about 5 months old, and other than a few things has been great. She’s even starting to learn sign language! > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can.
I’d just look for a good kitten food for him now. There’s tons of good ones out there. i think we use Iams for Kaoru. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk.
It depends on whether or not he’s deaf or not. If he’s not, when he’s bad squirt him with a spray bottle, hiss and say "no!" Eventually you won’t need the spray bottle. And you’ll need a lot of patience, it takes quite a few tries for a kitten to figure out what action got that squirt If he is deaf you’re going to have to just use the water bottle. It may take a little longer to train him, but eventually he’ll get the clue. If you’re really inclined after squirting him use a hand gesture to signal the word no. Just make sure he’s looking at you when you "say" it > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard.
I think he’ll get better. Our kitten has had a few interesting accidents herself. The other night she was walking around with a giant peice of poo stuck to her leg. We didn’t realise until she walked by one of us and we got a whiff! But they do get better at time. It’s just like a human kid and potty training, occassionally they have a few accidents. But they get over them pretty fast. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options?
Cat post! Give the kitten alternatives early on. We didn’t do that with our other cats and our sofa looks quite well worn by kitty claws. We’re making sure to train Kaoru to use the cat post in the bedroom and not the sofa. I admit that I haven’t had much luck with that. But hope reigns eternal oddlystrange (who had a lot of questions about her first kitten 7 years ago, and still has some about her new one!) — sharing violation: http://www.obscure.org/~perky online garage sale: http://www.obscure.org/~perky/garagesale/
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<This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new kitten!> One of the worst presents to give someone is a pet. There is no guarantee that the one presented with the pet wants him/her, that there’s a comittment to care & love for the pet forever, etc. Only the person who expresses the desire (and would commit) should receive one. <I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed but i’m not sure what that means.> Domestic short hair (as opposed to domestic long hair) is not any type of pedigree, btw. <are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this group?> Some lessons in research (to you & others who apparently are new to online navigation)…search engines assist us with finding topics & discovering what we need to know. Search engines, such as Mamma, Altavista, Ask Jeeves, Google, etc. will serve the basic purpose. Need info on the different breeds of cats: Once you reach the website of the different search engines, type in cat breeds; need info on cat care, type in cat care or cat health. Simple. You’ll have the info & the satisfaction that you obtained the info yourself. <What Brands and types of food are best?> At this point, I’ve been feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the occasional can. Many (vets & caretakers) recommend dry AND canned. The dry food assists with the growth of healthy teeth. Vets who stock professional type cat food recommend it (partially because they sell it and profit by it.) The food will be useless if the cat finds in unpleasant and refuses to eat it (even after some experimental coaxing). The experts attempt to steer owners away from commercial cat food. Although I’ve been feeding my cats this commercial food for over 20 years, I’ve always felt guilty doing so. I visited Friskies and Purina websites and was impressed at the amount of research conducted by these companies. My cats enjoy <sliced and mincd> Fancy Feast w/Deli Cat dry. <What are the best methods for training?> Go to Amazon.com and look at the books under cat behavior. Scan the synopsis of the book, pick one or two titles, and check them out of the local library. You’ll be glad you took the time to learn about the fascinating things cat do, why they do ‘em, and how you can live in harmony with them. <He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him declawed if I can help it.> If you don’t need him declawed, then leave them alone. Good for you. There are many anti declaw people here who are passionate about it..doesn’t make them right, but they are passionate! Buy a scratching post and toys for the kitty; establish boundries so he/she knows it’s not ok to rip the couch to shreds, etc. I hope you and your cat have a long happy life together. They bring such joy (and could be a pain in neck, sometimes).
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Congratulations, Al. You’re embarking on a wonderful journey! You didn’t say whether or not you had already taken your new baby to the vet. No matter what the pet store said about his health, it’s important to see the vet ASAP. BTW – some vets will neuter before 5 or 6 months. Many shelters and rescue groups have neutering done as early as 8 weeks. There are all sorts of internet resources available, and there are responses to another posting above yours that mention some. I do feel strongly about declawing — I’m against. It’s important that you have at least one scratching post for your kitten, and more than one if you can afford it. You can direct him to the post if he looks like he’s about to claw something else. There are different ways to trying (note this word) to keep cats away from surfaces — loud noises, tin foil, a water pistol. Some people coat wires with bitter orange, which you can get at a pet store. You’re going to have to keep your eye on your little one for awhile, and give him plenty of toys and play time with you. Susan L.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group? > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options? > I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. > Many thanks to all for any info. > Best regards, > –Al
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> Hello, > This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new > kitten! > He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks > old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white > with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, > but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. > I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his > breed but i’m not sure what that means.
DSH stands for domestic short hair. The cat is probably a mutt. > I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most > important ones at present. > 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this > group?
There’s a cats FAQ somewhere around here. Try: http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/ > 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been > feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the > occasional can.
This is a big debate on the newsgroup, but what I would do is talk to a vet, and get their opinion on what’s best in your particular price range. > 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned > with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off > limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer > desk.
This can be easy or hard, Ive had it both ways… The FAQ has a good list of training resources if I recall correctly. > 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he > tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes > out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to > wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young > kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? > He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard.
Ive never had a cat do this, but Id just wash his paws.. Ive had kittens Ive had to bathe before they would groom themselves. > 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would > really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has > been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of > scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the > kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin > to scratch at furniture, what are my options?
Oh man, prepare to be deluged by fanatics. Personally, I havent declawed my cats(I do have a cat that was declawed, but that was before I owned her), but I haven’t had that much trouble, and what I have had, Ive just accepted. I believe there are things like caps that will cover the claws. But my opinion if you get to the point where you feel you can’t keep the cat because its scratching then get it declawed. That FAQ is a good place to start I think, and as I said, talk to your vet about the food issue, and be honest with what your willing to spend for food on the cat. Also, posters on this NG are vehement about their stuff, I would take everything(including my own post) with a grain(or appropriate amount) of salt. You didn’t mention if the cat was altered(at 10 weeks I wouldn’t think so, but you never know), but I would already plan on getting him neutered at around 5-6 months.
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Hello, This year, I got one of the coolest Christmas presents ever, a new kitten! He was purchased for me from a pet store and is currently about 10 weeks old. He seems fairly small boned, and is fairly short haired, all white with blue eyes. His tail seems longer than I have seen on most kitties, but maybe that’s just because his body is so small right now. I am curious as to his breeding. On his papers it says "DSH" for his breed but i’m not sure what that means. I have all sorts of questions but will try to limit myself to the most important ones at present. 1. are there any on line resources containing FAQs other than this group? 2. What Brands and types of food are best? At this point, I’ve been feeding him dry which I have left out, and interspersed this with the occasional can. 3. What are the best methods for training? I am primarily concerned with getting him to understand that some objects and zones are off limits, such as the kitchen table and the power strips under my computer desk. 4. He is using his litter box quite nicely; However sometimes, when he tries to cover his leavings, he winds up stepping on them. He them comes out of his box and jumps into my lap where upon I immediately have to wash his paws due to the smell. Is this sort of thing typical of young kittens? If not, is there anything I can do to help him overcome this? He does seem to be slowly getting better in this regard. 5. What about his claws? He is going to be an in door cat, but I would really rather not have him declawed if I can help it. So far, he has been quite good, and does not seem apt to scratch things for the sake of scratching. Does this behavior vary depending on the personality of the kitty or will the scratching increase as he gets older? If he does begin to scratch at furniture, what are my options? I could go on but that’s more than enough questions for now. Many thanks to all for any info. Best regards, –Al
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