Getting a cat

[Doc]

1. I think the illness you are talking about is Cat Scratch Fever. It's caused by a bacteria called Bartonella Henslae. I am not as up on the disease as I should be, but I am fairly sure that the incidence of this disease seems to be rising, possibly just because people (especially internal medicine specialists) look for it more commonly. The bacteria is carried by a fair number of cats. The method of transmission to people is a little mirky, most cases in humans have a history of a scratch or bite, but not always. I have heard that any open wound that comes into contact with a cat can allow the bacterium to enter a human body. Fleas can transmit the bacteria from cat to cat, so a reasonable strategy to reduce risk would be to keep your cat inside and on a high quality flea control such as Revolution or Frontline (full disclosure: we do sell these products in my practice). The cases I have been involved with a person getting cat scratch fever were all eldery, small children, or people for one reason or another had weakened immune systems. YMMV
Opinion: I don't think that declawing a cat significantly reduces your risk of acquiring cat scratch fever from your cat.

2. On a more positive note, this is what I suggest clients do if they choose not to declaw: Get 2-3 different types of scratching posts/toys. Different cats enjoy using different types of scratching posts. Scratching is an instinctual behavior, give them a non-destructive place to do it. Find a treat your cat likes and use it as positive reinforcement when your cat is in the area of the scratching post. The behaviorist in St. Louis (Dr. Horowitz) says that if your cat actually uses the scratching post, treats should rain down on the cat as a major positive reinforcement. The scratching posts need to be in a spot the cat usually hangs out, probably not near the litter box. For TV watchers, I suggest in the living room. For degenerates like us, within site of the poker computer. Watch your scratching posts, they tend to wear out, replace as needed. Keep nails trimmed.

I need to thank you guys, this thread has made me reevaluate my declaw spiel and thoughts on this matter.

Doc

[Soulman]

Doc, interesting info on cat scratch fever, nice to have a vet in here [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I totally agree on the scratching post/toys. Plus, it's really fun to see your cats go ballistic playing on these [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]


[ QUOTE ]
Also, somebody earlier in the thread mentioned a declawed cat not liking to have it's paws handled.
I very much think this is just cat-finnickyness although I guess could be related to declawing.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think there are a lot of cats that like having their paws handled, declawed or no. They do get used to it for nail-cutting purposes if you do it from when they're kittens though.

[pankwindu]

Sorry for the semi-random bump, but regarding litterbox odor and cleaning nuisance, I would highly recommend giving the crystal-type litter a try. (Of course, you also need to rule out food type and health problems as the cause of excessive odor.)

Crystal litter absorbs all the moisture from the waste and is really pretty miraculous in terms of trapping/preventing any odor. There is MAYBE some temporary odor once in a while immediately after a "movement" if the cat didn't happen to bury properly, but 98% of the time there is absolutely zero smell. You don't have to bother with a covered box, which cats usually don't like very much anyway.

It's also much tidier to clean, there are no urine clumps (it's all absorbed into the crystal), just shriveled dried-out turds that can go straight into the toilet. You can also go significantly longer between cleanings since the dried matter sort of just becomes the same consistency as the crystals around it - overall it doesn't turn into some nasty clumpy mess like regular litter.

[hedxcold]

i plan to adopt a cat, most likely a 1-2 yr old from a shelter, and have some questions

1 - i reread the thread and saw someone mentioned (sorry i forget who) having a scratching post ready before you bring the cat in. what else should we do? obviously we have to clean up things better than we have it now, and have the litter and food out. anything else to make it feel more comfortable?

2 - since we're going to get it from a shelter, is there things we should look for to avoid? we only really want to get one cat, so we would need a cat thats good on its own. if a cat has been at a shelter for to long and gone crazy, what kind of things will it be doing?

3 - the people who were in this apartment before us had a cat too. if we put the litter box in the same area they had theirs, is this going to be a problem?

4 - besides scratching post play area things, anything else you can recommend we buy so it can have fun?

i had more questions but can't remember them right now

[Soulman]

hed, I'm not a cat expert but I'll give you some advice anyway.

The follow items should be purchased beforehand:
* A cat bed, preferrably placed somewhere you spend a lot of time (living room, computer room if you're a geek like me). See http://www.cattoys.com/catbeds.html for examples.

* Nail clippers. You should cut your cat's nails like every other week or so.

* Cat sand/crystals. Don't go for the cheap stuff, it's not really cheaper (you have to use more) and it smells way worse.

* Bowls for water/food

* Food obviously. Go for one of the better/more expensive brands, better for the cat and their coat will look way better.

* Toys: cats like to chase and 'hunt' toys. That means lures and stuff on a thread will usually make for great toys, like the rod&reel found here. Other toys, like stuffed mice, are hit and miss.

* Scratching post: if you can afford it/have the space, the cat will love proper cat furniture rather than just a post, like e.g. this one. It's a good idea to buy one that goes pretty high, cats generally love to be able to look down on the world [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

* A brush for doing their coats every once in a while. Which type depends on the length of the coat, ask your local pet store. Our cats both love being combed now, although they were both rather skeptical at first.

* I very much doubt the litter box thing will be a problem, unless the cat is absurdly fussy.

I don't have any experience with picking up cats from shelters, so others can probably give better advice there. However, I'd talk to the people at the shelter and would try to get a cat that's good-tempered - adopting a cat with severe personality issues won't be good for you nor for the cat. Stress that you're looking for a cat that will be alone. If it's going to be an indoor-only cat, that should definitely be brought up as well.

Edit: you obviously don't need to go overboard, if you want a basic scratching post, food etc that's of course perfectly fine!

[Shizzle12345]

i got some questions, i recently bought a maine coon cat. And the damn thing is now about 4 months old. Hes pretty wild, and its a male, and he wants to go outside so bad. I live in the suburbs, there is a little bushy area behind my big back garden. And i wonder can i let him go outside? Lots of pple who own a qutie expensive cat wont leave him outside, but ill take the risk.

But will he come back? He allready escaped once, and climbed in the nearest tree and i had to rescue him out of there because he was too scared to get out [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] .

[+EV]

[ QUOTE ]
Some questions

i) How much does a cat cost per month to upkeep?
ii) How do I stop my cat from [censored] up my apartment, whether by poo/wee or destroying my furniture?
iii) How difficult is it to get someone to look after a cat if I go away for the weekend? Is there any way to leave them alone for a few days?

[/ QUOTE ]

Do it. It will tell you when you are in mortal danger like this one.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/25/dea....ap/index.html

[AceLuby]

[ QUOTE ]
i got some questions, i recently bought a maine coon cat. And the damn thing is now about 4 months old. Hes pretty wild, and its a male, and he wants to go outside so bad. I live in the suburbs, there is a little bushy area behind my big back garden. And i wonder can i let him go outside? Lots of pple who own a qutie expensive cat wont leave him outside, but ill take the risk.

But will he come back? He allready escaped once, and climbed in the nearest tree and i had to rescue him out of there because he was too scared to get out [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] .

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a couple of friends in a similar situation and they bought the cat a harness and leash combo so it can only go about 15 ft. If you do this I would recommend putting the harness on inside and let it get used to it. Cats usually freak out at first, but once they get used to it you'll be fine.

[revots33]

Question about getting another cat:

I have one senior cat who is almost 15. He is great but very set in his ways and used to his routines. I've been thinking of getting another so he'd have company while I'm at work, but I worry that my old cat will react badly to a new cat in his house all of a sudden. Anyone have any experience with this? Like I said my cat's kinda old so I don't want to stress him too much, but then I wonder if he might actually like the company of another cat.

[revots33]

[ QUOTE ]
My parents circumcised me when I was born without my consent. WTF. They cut off a piece of my wee wee. HOW INHUMANE. HOW COULD THEY HAVE DONE THIS TO ME? THEY DON'T OWN ME. WTF MATE. All it takes is one minute a day to pull the foreskin back to keep it clean. Circumcision is for lazy people w/ no thought about anything but themselves IMO. I mean they CHOP OFF A PIECE OF THEIR PENIS!!! .....See how dumb I sound?

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you sound dumb? Many people do in fact find circumcision inhumane, for obvious reasons.

As for declawing, it's a touchy subject. I can see both sides. But I think people need to stop using the "my cats seemed to have no problem with it" as an argument. You are mutilating an animal to protect your couch, plain and simple.

You can argue that causing pain to an animal is a worthwhile tradeoff, since in return the cat gets a comfortable home for life. I think that's a fair argument, even. But don't kid yourself into thinking your cat doesn't mind having his fingertips amputated, or that it isn't painful and traumatic to the cat.