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Company and Catalina
We are planning to have guests pretty soon & the plan is they will share the basement with Catalina, whom we put down there each night. We plan to block off the laundry room and have her stay in that part of the basement to try to minimize our guests being disturbed by her. We don't know how she will re-act to this. Is there anything we can do to help her? We're thinking maybe starting to have her limited to the laundry room at night some days earlier to get her used to the idea before guests arrive. Do you think we should get a calming collar, as sometimes she bites her leg when she is upset? Feel free to give advice on this!
Also, I recently added more pictures of Catalina- please look at my album! She isn't wearing shirts anymore, but we had them on her for a time because she used to bite and bite on her upper back and make it bleed.
Also, I recently added more pictures of Catalina- please look at my album! She isn't wearing shirts anymore, but we had them on her for a time because she used to bite and bite on her upper back and make it bleed.
Best Answer
COMMUNITY LEADER
Aw, sounds like everyone had a good time and Catalina was a success! You're probably right about her long fur and the poo getting stuck. I know of several members who help kitty out by wiping OR just trim the fur around her back end and this should solve that problem.
Now for Catalina's breath. She could just need her teeth cleaned or maybe even need some teeth pulled. Jade's breath when she first came to us was rancid! Oh, it was the worst. We had her teeth cleaned in 08 which helped, but not enough since we found out the next yr, her broken fang was infected as well as other teeth. Has soon as they were pulled and the rest cleaned in 09, her breath has been great ever since. Maybe they were cleaned last yr, my memory is terrible. In any case, it helped immensely!
Now for Catalina's breath. She could just need her teeth cleaned or maybe even need some teeth pulled. Jade's breath when she first came to us was rancid! Oh, it was the worst. We had her teeth cleaned in 08 which helped, but not enough since we found out the next yr, her broken fang was infected as well as other teeth. Has soon as they were pulled and the rest cleaned in 09, her breath has been great ever since. Maybe they were cleaned last yr, my memory is terrible. In any case, it helped immensely!
Company left yesterday. Aside from a deposit on the floor (which may have been accidental, has happened very occasionally before) & my noticing the cat's breath smell, which I didn't used to, the cat seems to have done mostly pretty well! Sometimes, I think with long fur, her feces can stick to it and let loose elsewhere onto the floor- the rest of it was in the litter box. But maybe she was staking her territory, since it was near the wardrobe like I read about someone else's cat doing on this forum, I don't know. She played with one of the guests and was petted by all of them. She especially seemed to like the way one petted her, leaning into it. I think she was happy to have things more back to normal after the guests left yesterday and I was glad she spent time on my lap- what a warmer she is on these cold winter days!
First- I goofed- pink I've notice over right eye (my left, her right eye). Next, she did have scabs when we got her on both ears. A vet wanted us to protect her ears from sunshine and was glad we got her to be an indoor cat. But I am thinking and hoping maybe the scabs came from scratching, because they've gone, but when her toenails get longer and she scratches, she's gotten more. Currently, she has no visible scabs that I can see.
The oil in flax seeds is a source of omega fatty acids that are good for inflammation. They also have a side benefit of being good for mood as well. Her ears were always pink before- sometimes angry pink, except with medicine from the vet's on them. But after I began putting flaxseed meal on her breakfast, she began to have periods of time where the pink disappeared and the ears looked a cool white instead. When she gets upset, I noticed at the vets they got pinker too, besides when they get scratched and rubbed a lot by Catalina.
Thanks you for the kind words, Jade!
The oil in flax seeds is a source of omega fatty acids that are good for inflammation. They also have a side benefit of being good for mood as well. Her ears were always pink before- sometimes angry pink, except with medicine from the vet's on them. But after I began putting flaxseed meal on her breakfast, she began to have periods of time where the pink disappeared and the ears looked a cool white instead. When she gets upset, I noticed at the vets they got pinker too, besides when they get scratched and rubbed a lot by Catalina.
Thanks you for the kind words, Jade!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh, I love her! I Did notice her leopard like spots in that picture. She is really a beautiful girl. Okay, so Catalina's ears Are an issue. Poor sweetie. Good that the fur is growing back. You know, since Cat is no longer outside and in the sun, the issue with the ears may not progress. Fingers crossed! I'm so glad you've got your eye on this. If they should start to scab, is when you need to take the next step. What is the flaxseed supposed to do? I mean, how does it help?
It sounds like your guests will be happy to be around Catalina. I hope they make it through the weather and you have a nice visit.
Well, Surgi, I don't think Catalina could have found a better home! You and your sister are spoiling and taking great care of her and are very on top of things!
It sounds like your guests will be happy to be around Catalina. I hope they make it through the weather and you have a nice visit.
Well, Surgi, I don't think Catalina could have found a better home! You and your sister are spoiling and taking great care of her and are very on top of things!
I'm so glad you like her! I think she is a very pretty cat and her fur feels like an angora- soft as silk- did you see her leopard like spots in the picture with the purse? My intended guests had two cats that died- one of kidney failure at I think 16 maybe and the other I guess of old age. They now have two other cats- one given to them as a kitten after the first one died and the other left to them by someone. One has an allergy to cats and has to take medication for it. Our cat has a long winter coat and I hope enough of the dander was cleaned up that it won't be a big problem. I also hope my guests will be able to make it with the weather- they already had to delay their flight because of weather conditions at one of the airports!
At least one of the vets who looked at Catalina's ears early on who wondered if she might have skin cancer from her time of being a ferral cat in the sunshine. She also has a pink place over her left eye.
But there is some good news in a way. I think Catalina can make her ears very pink rubbing and scratching them. But if her back toenails are clipped, that helps. Also, I feel the Lord is using the flaxseed meal pinches put in her breakfast to help her ears. Now they often don't look so inflamed and pink, though sometimes they still do. They had very little hair before. Now, part might be because it is winter, but she's had fur growing on them more than she ever had before. She still has part of her ears totally void of fur. But some more brown fur is growing on one and more of the white fur is growing on both. I hope one day I'll get to find out in total what color her ears were before what happened to her before we got her.
At least one of the vets who looked at Catalina's ears early on who wondered if she might have skin cancer from her time of being a ferral cat in the sunshine. She also has a pink place over her left eye.
But there is some good news in a way. I think Catalina can make her ears very pink rubbing and scratching them. But if her back toenails are clipped, that helps. Also, I feel the Lord is using the flaxseed meal pinches put in her breakfast to help her ears. Now they often don't look so inflamed and pink, though sometimes they still do. They had very little hair before. Now, part might be because it is winter, but she's had fur growing on them more than she ever had before. She still has part of her ears totally void of fur. But some more brown fur is growing on one and more of the white fur is growing on both. I hope one day I'll get to find out in total what color her ears were before what happened to her before we got her.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I was just admiring your pics of Catalina again and I want to ask you about her ears. I notice they are mostly white and I thought I might see dark areas on them in one of the pictures. I hope I'm wrong. I'm just concerned since my cat had cancer on her ears and we had to have them amputated.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there : ) Your Catalina is a gorgeous kitty and I love her name! Big Beautiful girl! Poor baby with the biting, though. You are speaking of the things Catalina gets in to. Man, with a young cat, one must be alert at all times, right? LOL. Catalina sounds like a very good girl and very loved.
So now that she is used to the basement area, we will want to know how it went with the guests. Since Cat is a sociable girl, I think she's going to be just fine with new people especially if your guests like cats.
Keep us updated!
So now that she is used to the basement area, we will want to know how it went with the guests. Since Cat is a sociable girl, I think she's going to be just fine with new people especially if your guests like cats.
Keep us updated!
Fanachan- I am of a different opinion about who needs to sacrifice- the weary human travelers who need their sleep or the animal. I feel the animal, loved as she is ,is not of more importance than people. Catalina is in a portion of the area she is used to having access to each night. It is much larger space wise than a cat kennel or cat condo at the vets office. It is a temporary arrangement for overnights and she seems to have adjusted well. She is free to roam much of the house at least 12 hours each day. She continues to eat upstairs as usual.
Nancyjac- At times I have tried to re-direct her when she displays inappropriate behaviour. I didn't realize that was called positive reinforcement. I hadn't thought to close my glasses case (which is rigid) believe it or not, but that's a good idea as a precaution in case she engages in play in an inappropriate place. She is not allowed to stay in the computer cabinet when she is found there and we try to be diligent to keep it closed when not in use, but it doesn't always happen. I wouldn't feel right about petting her right after she was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be or she might feel I am rewarding her for such behavior.
But she can be very smart cat I think, because when we notice where she is headed and we warn her in disapproving tones about where she's going (forbidden territory) sometimes she walks away! Then I tell her she's a good kitty in a praising voice.
Unfortunately, the base the attenna is on is a nice piece of finished furniture, so I don't want to potentially damage it with a clamp, plus we move the rabbit ears , etc. around for better reception. But distraction play with the right toys is good.
Nancyjac- At times I have tried to re-direct her when she displays inappropriate behaviour. I didn't realize that was called positive reinforcement. I hadn't thought to close my glasses case (which is rigid) believe it or not, but that's a good idea as a precaution in case she engages in play in an inappropriate place. She is not allowed to stay in the computer cabinet when she is found there and we try to be diligent to keep it closed when not in use, but it doesn't always happen. I wouldn't feel right about petting her right after she was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be or she might feel I am rewarding her for such behavior.
But she can be very smart cat I think, because when we notice where she is headed and we warn her in disapproving tones about where she's going (forbidden territory) sometimes she walks away! Then I tell her she's a good kitty in a praising voice.
Unfortunately, the base the attenna is on is a nice piece of finished furniture, so I don't want to potentially damage it with a clamp, plus we move the rabbit ears , etc. around for better reception. But distraction play with the right toys is good.
Pets (and children) need consistency and patience. Using the examples you mentioned, when she messes with the antenna, give her something similar but acceptable to play with like a stick with a toy on the end and play with her holding the stick and moving the toy so it is more appealing to her than the stationary antenna. Store your glasses in a rigid case so that if they hit the floor, they won't be damaged. Remove her from the computer cabinet and give her a box or paper bag to play in instead. Same with the DVR. If you consistently remove her every time, and place her on the floor, or better still, in your lap with some petting and attention, she will learn the DVR is not an acceptable place to be and stop sitting on it. Cat proof those things that could be dangerous to her. Block the entrance to the computer cabinet so she cannot get in, or clamp the antenna to a base so she cannot tip it over.
I am in complete agreement with the others. She should not be confined to a smaller place and one she doesn't normally use for her bedtime.
Whenever you are going to have guests, the first thing I would do is ask the guest if they're going to have a problem about the cat roaming around at night. In most cases, I think the guests either would not mind at all and think it would be fun or they will understand that THEY are the guests and your fur-baby is the ruler of all she sees. :-)
Whenever you are going to have guests, the first thing I would do is ask the guest if they're going to have a problem about the cat roaming around at night. In most cases, I think the guests either would not mind at all and think it would be fun or they will understand that THEY are the guests and your fur-baby is the ruler of all she sees. :-)
Prettykitty- thank you for the advice. It is still working out okay and while I am very much looking forward to the family members coming to visit for a few days, I am also glad we won't have to confine Catalina to the laundryroom long term. I like her to have more room to get exercise and play at play at night, if she wants to.
Nancyjac- it feels like you are feeling antagonism towards me and I'm not sure why. Do cats have mutual love their owners if they don't spend quality time together? While I'm quite sure lots of people leave their cats alone for hours while they go to work, I am disabled and at home most of the time. A big reason I chose to get a pet was for therapy for me & she is definitely that.
It sounds like you are more relaxed about your cats getting at things that aren't cat toys than I. I fear the sizeable attenna might fall off the table and hit her, that my glasses might fall and get broken, that the cat might get hurt inside the computer cabinet with a file drawer or mess up the cords, etc. and that the DVR is not supposed to have a big weight on top of it.
It's nice you have the benefit of experience of being a mother of children and I'm sure that helps you with your cats. This is the first my sister and I have ever owned a pet (my parents got rid of our last one, a dog, when we moved when I was under 10) and we've had Catalina only a little over a year, so I'm very new at this. What sort of positive re-inforcement do you use when your cats step beyond your boundaries?
Nancyjac- it feels like you are feeling antagonism towards me and I'm not sure why. Do cats have mutual love their owners if they don't spend quality time together? While I'm quite sure lots of people leave their cats alone for hours while they go to work, I am disabled and at home most of the time. A big reason I chose to get a pet was for therapy for me & she is definitely that.
It sounds like you are more relaxed about your cats getting at things that aren't cat toys than I. I fear the sizeable attenna might fall off the table and hit her, that my glasses might fall and get broken, that the cat might get hurt inside the computer cabinet with a file drawer or mess up the cords, etc. and that the DVR is not supposed to have a big weight on top of it.
It's nice you have the benefit of experience of being a mother of children and I'm sure that helps you with your cats. This is the first my sister and I have ever owned a pet (my parents got rid of our last one, a dog, when we moved when I was under 10) and we've had Catalina only a little over a year, so I'm very new at this. What sort of positive re-inforcement do you use when your cats step beyond your boundaries?
You said that she is very social and likes attention but you never said anything about giving her physical contact or interacting with her. Having space and a chair and a nice room is fine, but not really very meaningful from the cats point of view. Do you spend time playing with her, cuddling and petting her and so forth? I understand that she had the biting behavior before you got her, but in the shelter situation, she would also not have had very much human interaction and attention. She may now have more space, but if she still spends most of her time alone, whether in the basement or elsewhere in the house, she may still be stressed and bored. Being use to it is not the same as being comfortable with it. If anything, being confined, even in a large area, reinforces her need to explore and interact with the things you want her to leave alone because those things are not continuously accessible to her so they are like new items and adventures each day when she is let out.
In an earlier post you listed some things your cat does (batting at antenna, eyeglass case, going behind furniture, etc.) and asked if any of us struggle with that sort of thing. I have 4 cats and they all do those sort of things, but I don't struggle with it. I have one that pulls open the doors on the kitchen cabinet and pulls stuff out of the cabinets to play with on the kitchen floor. It's not a big deal to me any more than little kids who sit on the kitchen floor banging a pot with a wooden spoon. Being a cat mom is not that much different from being a kid mom and I have been both all of my adult life. I am amused and even proud of their resoucefulness and creativity (both the kids and the cats), clean up any messes, and go on with my day.
In an earlier post you listed some things your cat does (batting at antenna, eyeglass case, going behind furniture, etc.) and asked if any of us struggle with that sort of thing. I have 4 cats and they all do those sort of things, but I don't struggle with it. I have one that pulls open the doors on the kitchen cabinet and pulls stuff out of the cabinets to play with on the kitchen floor. It's not a big deal to me any more than little kids who sit on the kitchen floor banging a pot with a wooden spoon. Being a cat mom is not that much different from being a kid mom and I have been both all of my adult life. I am amused and even proud of their resoucefulness and creativity (both the kids and the cats), clean up any messes, and go on with my day.
Oh yes I remember. You did share wih us the fact that she chose the basement herself. Yes yes. I remember now. She is clearly spoiled. I saw pictures lol
Oh I'm glad she has adjusted. This is such good news Surgi. In all honestly I did not think Catalina would get used to her new sleeping place so fast! Nice work!
Oh I'm glad she has adjusted. This is such good news Surgi. In all honestly I did not think Catalina would get used to her new sleeping place so fast! Nice work!
Well, first off- we first got Catalina when she evidently already had the behaviour of biting herself- she had sores on her upper back and on her left side. She had been at the Humane Society for a number of months when we chose her. She was biting at her upper back for months and we used baby shirts for quite awhile. She stopped making herself bleed there and chose her leg instead. The vet feels she has OCD and likely her former owner unfortunately dumped her.
Secondly, the cat started out in the basement only, and now has the run of the house, except bathrooms and bedrooms for about 12 hours or more each day. She is used to the routine of being downstairs each night ever since we got her more than a year ago. She has a special Poang chair she adopted to sleep on and there is over 500 square feet down there for her to play in at night. The floor and walls are finished & she has shown me when I'm down there things she likes to do in the basement. The laundry room is large, much larger than boarding her at the vet's kennel & she's only there at night until our guests leave (guests not here yet but took PrettyKitty's suggestion to get her used to it right away). She seems to already have adjusted fine.
Our cat is very spoiled, and happy here and we love her and she loves us. I figured it was normal behavior to explore and play. But we cannot keep track of her and keep her safe and our equipment safe upstairs when we are asleep.
It sounds like maybe it isn't worth the money to get a calming collar/spray. Thanks for sharing about that.
Secondly, the cat started out in the basement only, and now has the run of the house, except bathrooms and bedrooms for about 12 hours or more each day. She is used to the routine of being downstairs each night ever since we got her more than a year ago. She has a special Poang chair she adopted to sleep on and there is over 500 square feet down there for her to play in at night. The floor and walls are finished & she has shown me when I'm down there things she likes to do in the basement. The laundry room is large, much larger than boarding her at the vet's kennel & she's only there at night until our guests leave (guests not here yet but took PrettyKitty's suggestion to get her used to it right away). She seems to already have adjusted fine.
Our cat is very spoiled, and happy here and we love her and she loves us. I figured it was normal behavior to explore and play. But we cannot keep track of her and keep her safe and our equipment safe upstairs when we are asleep.
It sounds like maybe it isn't worth the money to get a calming collar/spray. Thanks for sharing about that.
I tend to agree with nancyjac! I still don't like the idea of putting her in the laundry room. Maybe you could think of a better solution Surgi.....
I guess maybe I have a some what different take on all of this. The behavior you described (exploring, playing, wanting attention) is all normal and desirable behavior for a cat. Cats jump, climb, perch, and play with objects. Punishing her by putting her in the basement or laundry room by herself because she likes to explore behind furniture or bat at the TV antenna or other normal behaviors is very stressful and confusing for her and most likely is what is causing her to bite at herself from this stress.
If you are unable or unwilling to tolerate this normal behavior, and train her through positive reinforcement to stop unacceptable behavior, then you might want to consider rehoming the cat.
If you are unable or unwilling to tolerate this normal behavior, and train her through positive reinforcement to stop unacceptable behavior, then you might want to consider rehoming the cat.
The calming sprays?? Used it on my cats. Did not work! Feliway sprays you mean. Right? Naw.......those didn't work for us.
the calming collar wouldn't her, it may not help either tho. its a feliway collar right? you can also get in a diffuser or spray, I use these can't really comment on if they help to calm or not....but like I said why not try it won't hurt...
good luck♥
good luck♥
Should clarify- the cat was not put in the laundry room after the tetanus shot, this is where she went herself.
Yes, she likes cat-nip. She has access to the laundry room now, as it is part of the basement. This is where she went after she got her tetanus shot. But we plan to block it off with a canvas-type wardrobe. She normally only has water at night once down in the basement & eats upstairs every day, including her nightly snack, so we plan to continue that part of her routine. Thanks for the advice- our guests are scheduled to arrive Feb. 3rd. We'll have to get the drying rack out of there tonight then!
Glad you like our Catalina and her name! Please- everybody with any advice on how best to do this for the cat to adjust the easiest, please feel free to share!
Our cat is very social and loves attention, so I don't know if she'd mind sharing the space with strangers but I don't know if she'd be likely to give them less sleep if she was allowed in their sleeping quarters. I am concerned about change in her routine, as I think that may be why she went after her leg one of the times recently, because it happened while we were out with friends and she was in the basement. Could starting it early minimize her resentment of the guests? Can anyone shed light as to whether it might be worth investing in a calming collar for this venture?
Our cat is very curious, as I imagine most cats are and likes to go places where she shouldn't be at times and would likely do this more readily if we weren't out here to stop her upstairs....
like on top of the air purifier, batting at one of the rabbit ears of the antenna,
finding a way behind the end table and on to the DVR,
batting at the container with my eye glasses on a small table and even leaping on the same small table when I tried to clear off things she was treating as toys that weren't,
leaping on the table with the stereo, and if we leave open the computer hutch, climbing in next to the computer tower with the cords.... things like that. (Do any of you folks struggle with this sort of thing?)
Anyway, we plan to have the Poang chair with the sheep's wool rug on it that she normally sleeps on in with her in the laundry room & have her litter in there... how soon should we change the position of the litter so she's used to it when they get here?
Our cat is very curious, as I imagine most cats are and likes to go places where she shouldn't be at times and would likely do this more readily if we weren't out here to stop her upstairs....
like on top of the air purifier, batting at one of the rabbit ears of the antenna,
finding a way behind the end table and on to the DVR,
batting at the container with my eye glasses on a small table and even leaping on the same small table when I tried to clear off things she was treating as toys that weren't,
leaping on the table with the stereo, and if we leave open the computer hutch, climbing in next to the computer tower with the cords.... things like that. (Do any of you folks struggle with this sort of thing?)
Anyway, we plan to have the Poang chair with the sheep's wool rug on it that she normally sleeps on in with her in the laundry room & have her litter in there... how soon should we change the position of the litter so she's used to it when they get here?
Well you certainly have one beautiful kittty. I lover her name BTW.
Quick question though. Would keeping her in the house until the guests leave be a problem ?
I don't think she'll like that her space will be resumed to the laundry room. Think about it. She had the whole basement for herself. Two big changes will occur: She will be confined to a smaller area AND will have to share space with strangers.
If your cat doesn't deal well with changes
If your cat isn't a very social one
If your cat is so anxious that she even hurts herself
If you think the house is a more suitable, comfortable place for a cat like her
......then, IMHO.....the laundry room is no the best option.
You see, my house is big. Yet it isn't big enough for my cats. They still desire to go outside and roam free. If she is anything like them.......then keeping her in the laundry room will only make her upset and anxious. I don't know about calming collars since my cats don't have that anxiety problem.
Quick question though. Would keeping her in the house until the guests leave be a problem ?
I don't think she'll like that her space will be resumed to the laundry room. Think about it. She had the whole basement for herself. Two big changes will occur: She will be confined to a smaller area AND will have to share space with strangers.
If your cat doesn't deal well with changes
If your cat isn't a very social one
If your cat is so anxious that she even hurts herself
If you think the house is a more suitable, comfortable place for a cat like her
......then, IMHO.....the laundry room is no the best option.
You see, my house is big. Yet it isn't big enough for my cats. They still desire to go outside and roam free. If she is anything like them.......then keeping her in the laundry room will only make her upset and anxious. I don't know about calming collars since my cats don't have that anxiety problem.
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I would make the laundry room a fun place for her so the transition isn’t so hard on her. Play with her there. Put things of her interest. Does she like catnip? Feed her there at all times, starting today. Pet her a lot and give her lots of kisses so her association of that place is that of one nice room where she can have fun and love. Then at night….tonight………stay with her a little. Rub her head and play. I would do this every day…every single day. In other words, you know your cat and what she likes. Make that room very cozy and comfortable for her. Try that and see what happens. Hopefully she is not a very determined cat and will make your life easier by adapting faster.
Good Luck to you and Catalina!