I really had no idea that cats were quite so disgusting....

[paisleyII]

i took in a cat recently, felt i had no choice as stray and desperate (the cat not me) but can't say that i am thrilled about it although i wouldn't get rid off her. all she does is eat, sleep, shit and not much imbetween, gets in the way and demands attention when i am busy working plus goes for us for no particular reason which isn't ideal as she scratches dd sometimes for no real reason but to add insult to injury she likes to be sick reasonably regularly, this evening in my dd's bedroom whilst dd is fast asleep. i have had to clear it up in the dark as don't want to wake her, the cat is however tucking into more food downstairs watching me trapes up and down the stairs with a bucket. i was right all these years to not want a cat, can't believe i bloody am stuck with one now (sometimes i quite like having her but i feel the clearing up of her stinking shit etc outweighs the enjoyment i get from her, at least dd loves her, when she is not being scratched....)

hi nursenic & rando - nurse - your post made me laugh. there is an entertaining side to cats, i have only moaned on here about the downside, i do at times enjoy having her (i am hormonal and find it easier to moan about the downside) - they (cats!) can do mental things ie ours has taken to drinking water out of any glass she sees, funny seeing her head in a large glass, she proceeds to knock the glass over and then look at you with a guilty look. how on earth do you know if it is rat blood? out of interest, how much food and how often do you feed your cat a day? on the box is wiskas pouch food, it implies for a 4kg cat two pouches a day. our cat has already devoured one pouch, i can't imagine her waiting until the end of the day for a second but if i put out more food imbetween then that is surely over feeding her? i will probably put out a small amount of dried too. having a cat really reminds me of when i was breat feeding, didn't have a CLUE really as to what i was doing and kept being told of varying ways of what i should be doing....rando - i don't mind cleaning out the litter tray, do it about twice a week, it is the smell of the poos and the clearing up of the messier ones but i know, you have to take the rough with the smooth, i am just not used to it. dd is only 8, believe me, i have tried getting her to help, the most she does is brush but even then she daydreams and ends up playing the cat which i can't complain about really. our house is small, her litter tray fits nicely in a snug space in the bathroom, i don't really mind clearing up, it is the wetting of the floor etc that i am not thrilled about, the timing too, always when i am about to go either out or to bed. i do like the wood chip pellets as opposed to the tiny white ball things, hated those. she does groom herself a fair bit which i thought in my ignorance was a good thing. you are lucky that your cat goes out, ours has to be encouraged and even then barely does unless we do which isn't often as it is the winter. hopefully in the spring she will go out more. she spends the day lying around but it could be because i rescued her from an outside builders yard so she is enjoying being inside. she is overweight, the vet said the day i got her. the girls who took her in (secretarys at the builders yard, the cat would spend the day with them but be put out at night and all weekend as they didn't work then) must have fed her up overly so as they told me when they first found her she was skinny etc.

hi tab & mildly - i know dh is being pathetic, his take on it is i called him and told him when i was at work one day that i was bringing home a cat (which is how it went) so she is my responsibility which i guess she is even though he really loves her, it's easier for me to just do it but there is noway i would cut short my being out to come home earlier to clear up her mess. last week he had to as his mother was coming round and i was at work :D I do change her water alot as it gets a bit of fur in etc. is a zoom groom a furminator? i already have one of those, they are great although more fiddly, hard to get her to stay in one place for long, i tend to have a short go with it and then go over with the 'normal' easier bruch picking up the loose bits of hair. i have been in the habit of leaving out some dried food all day so she wouldn't have felt the need to gourge herself i wouldn't have thought. this morning she has polished off a 100g pouch of wet gravy meaty stuff. we have had her 6 weeks and she has been sick three times, once after one week, once last week and once yesterday evening. i will pop by the vets (without her) this morning and ask the nurse their thoughts describing it as to whether or not they think i should bring her in. she was only there last week, the vet had a good feel of her tummy (routine) etc and she seemed fine, her blood was given the all clear only 5 weeks ago. thanks for your responses

Is there a common factor each time she throws up? ie, a particular flavour or make of food which she doesn't have every day?

It sounds like you need a larger litter tray. We have one of the covered one's with carbon filters to cut the pong. I thought it was really gimmicky but it was a present; it did work though, and meant that it didn't have to be cleaned out immediately a poo was done.

Strongly recommend a cat flap, though.

I liked your posts paisley. I'd rather hear the 'real' side of cat ownership especially with regards to stray cats with their often 'amusing little ways'.

How do I know it is rats blood? well, the rat's head in my back garden gave the game away .

Our cat tends to eat small amounts little and often. I try not to leave wet food in the bowl as too stinky for my nose but do leave a little dry food out at night in desperate attempt to shut him up. He loves to crunch his food; you can see his claws/toes curling up and down with pleasure as he eats.

He has a thing about the spaces between sofa cushions and the shadowy space under the sofa. He sniffs and dabs at them and seems to have some visual 'illusionary' stuff going on. We have to watch out for any type of string as he'll play with it and run around the house with it hanging from his muzzle like that weird man off of 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.

Re the snoring/snuffling- i wonder if his last home or kitten home was a smoking house as he sounds like an ex smoker of many years.... The Vet says he's a champ of a cat and he's put on so much muscle and a bit of good fat since moving in with us.

He's the second stray we've found-the last was a gorgeous chunky smoky blue Persian cross kitten with a lovely square face (better than it sounds) which the vet adopted because she fell in love with him when we took him there.

I would take her to the vet (or at least call and speak to the vet you saw if you've been very recently) and tell them about the puking and see what they say.
If it does turn out to be furballs get yourself a Furminator brush, they really do remove amazing amounts of fur, and if the loose fur is in your bin then your cat can't swallow it and puke it straight back up again...

Oh 3 times in 6 weeks isn't that much really, they strike me as badly designed compared to dogs, lol, dogs are sick like people are- if there's something wrong, cats just seem to be sick occasionally for the sake of it... I'm sure there are reasons, I'm stuffed if I can work out why sometimes though.

Before my sookie cat was ill (she's got lymphoma, the whole food thing is because of that, just so you know they're not related, lol) they had dried food out always and meat once a day.

Now she's on meat, there's dry food down, but it's more for the other one as she's out more and misses mealtimes, the one that's on meat has two pouches a day, but only half at a time - it's a PITA though, it only works because I'm in all day and I'm only willing to do it because she's ill, lol.

Most people I know with cats leave dry food down and give them meat once a day.

hi jux - two of her three sicks have been kind of (tmi) mustard colour, spoungey as opposed to wet and runny if that means anything? no pattern that i can think of, she seems fine before and after plus i think both times she had been eating more dried food (always the same brand, was fine with it before) BUT i am as of this morning giving her more wet food again with only a little dried on the side. re food, i have stuck with the same (wiskas pouch with gravy) or the dried stuff Purina One. we haven't really got room in the bathroom for a bigger litter tray, it'll have to do. dh won't get a cat flap as he doesn't want to get other animals in the house (we don't have a door on the kitchen so anything that got in would be in the dining room too). in the spring and summer we have the back door open most of the time so should be better then, don't want her out at night. dh has a friend who has apparently tried everything including one of those cat flaps that only let in your cat but they haven't worked for him, dh doesn't like the idea of the back door being less secure, i see his point although only agree in part but am happy to stay as we are, she doesn't like going out anyway but will more in the spring and summer (i hope) but some people have house cats which never go out, she goes out a bit but seems really scared which surprises me as she was living rough on the street of hackney for 3 or more months, i would have thought she would be a bit of a street toughie :) the other day she actually went in the garden for about ten minutes, came in and immediately did a wee on the bathroom floo having aimed badly at the litter tray :D

I don't have a cat flap, they just ask to get in and out, well not so much at the moment - they've decided it's a bit too cold for them

nurse - i have just furminated her! she does like it. she likes to hide in market bags i have dotted around the house (i am a trader) and goes MENTAL with a cat nip tiny cushion and mouse that we bought her, bloody brilliant stuff. when i met her she was living rough in a yard opposite where i work, she was begging us for food (you could tell she was hungry) as she hadn't eaten since friday afternoon when the secretarys went hom for the weekend (it was sunday), i was really upset and to cut a story short, took her home the next day (collected her form the chap who ran the yard) as noone else could give her a home (already had a cat or dogs, etc) but it has been a bit tricky adjusting and still am. dd loves her to bits and i guess i may feel the same, i have warm moments with her, i cuddle her alot, lord knows why but she seems to like me more than anyone else (this makes me feel guilty that i don't inwardly feel the same, perhaps it will change). hard not knowing exactly how old she is (as rescued) and what sort of home she came from, she wasn't chipped but definately belonged to someone else. really sad what you said about your cat possibly having a knock on affect health wise having possibly lived previously with smokers. i guess something like that could well affect an animal (we don't smoke although i get the odd craving still as i used to but it does pass). i'm off out now and will pop by the vets and pick their brains..... thanks for your post

thanks tab re food

Oh I don't think you need to feel bad that you don't adore her, you've only known her a wee while, lol.

You're still getting used to her, I find the longer I have mine, the more of a mad cat lady I become, it kind of sneaks up on you, rofl.

Have always had a cat in my life which is pretty good considering I am a dog person and adore my DS's springer Spaniel-the maddest stupidest dog on the planet.

I have a cat who is now 8, got her as a tiny kitten from the rspca (I wanted a dog but ex told me I could have a cat, with certain colours, and what I had to call her). She is a little timid slip of a thing who definitely thinks humans are cat slaves and ignores me unless she is cold, hungry, or wants adoring.

I get fed up with sickyness and poo but have the following advice

• litter tray. If you don't want a lidded/roofed one, get one with a top rim that curls over so the sides don't just go straight up. I have one of these, it's still open, takes up same amount of space as my old one, but means it's harder for litter to fly over the edges and harder for her to 'miss' and 'go' over the edge of the tray. I use 'ultraclumping' cat litter. Absorbs all the smell pretty quickly and is easier to remove the wee and poo (wees make solid lumps of hard cat litter that can just be scooped up).
• sick. My cat is infrequently sick but had a spate of regular sickyness a while back. Was still eating normally though but took her for a check up, vet said couldn't fell' anything but prescribed some Antibiotics and she's been fine since, for the price of the AntiB's well worth a try, she may still have some nasty tummy germs in her system you never know.

I am more of a dog person than a cat person but they do grow on you. My DS has just turned 7 and is only now becoming fond of the cat!

thanks chaps. went and had a chat with vet nurse. she said that it sounded fine/normal but if cat was sick certainly more than once in a day or a few times in one week then to take her in for a check over. she said that for a cat to have been sick three times in 6 weeks (once of which was def' furballs) she said nothing to be concerned about etc etc. i bought her although wasn't cheap, about £11...., a bag of sensitive dry food from them, through i could incorporate it with a couple of pouches of meat a day, just a small amount. she said her cat was only roughly a year old and yet she gave hers at least 3 pouches of food a day, seems it is different for most cats, i guess you have to get a vibe as to what is right for your cat, no set rules seem to fit for every cat. i have been changing her water more frequently too so thanks for the tip on that (i used to change only twice a day before as i thought that was fine) so cheers

Are you feeling a bit reassured now? Cats by nature are not typically greedy (although I do know plenty of people who would disagree). A dog will usually eat itself stupid (I have 4, not a crumb can be left un guarded!) but cats are more controlled! So I would decide how many pouches you want to give her, and leave dry down the rest of the time, give it a week or so, so she can learn the new routine and theoretically stop scoffing anything thats put down!

I didn't realise you had only had her for 5 weeks, she will settle down. She is getting used to her new life. If you live in an area that is suitable (i.e not next to a busy road) try and encourage her to go out. She will be hesitant at first all are, and given that she was a stray she may be more hesitant than some. I don't like cat flaps because other cats come in and most importantly my cat brings live mice etc in (I'm an expert with catching them now ).

I would start by leaving the back door open, she will look out at first, then go out and come in, then go a bit further etc untill she is comfortable. If you leave the door open so she can get back to safety she will feel reassured.

IME cats that go out are less bothersome in the house having been exercised and entertained doing whatever they do all day. When mine comes in he mainly sleeps!

I am a mad cat lady and I do love them, but I did have one cat from a rescue that I didn't like, I kept her because I like you took her, and gave her a good life but that cat I just didn't get.

I really recomend that book I linked to earlier, its a light hearted take on cats but so true - you will see the funny side

Oh if she does end up going out I recomend only in the day time, bring them in when it gets dark, as there are too many arseholes who make sport of hurting cats, with shot guns etc. Just my opinion again but bear it in mind

thanks oreo - curious but how do you catch a live mouse!! i love mice, we have the odd one in the garden, i hope she doesn't eventually kill them

Well after you leap about like an idiot and scream a bit, chuck the dogs out in the garden, and confine DD to highchair. Keeping an eye on mouse which will head for cover, into a corner behind a dog bed type place. Then you want a plastic cup (ikea type not disposable) and basically be quick! Pull out dog bed mouse will run into corner and gently lower cup on. Then slide a takeaway menu under and lift! Put it at the bottom of garden and keep cat in for a bit so it can escape!

Once she starts pooing outside you'll never want to go back to litter trays and be insisting on a cat flap! You're in London-ish area? I had two cats when I lived in Elephant & Castle, with a cat flap and they were in and out all day. I was right on a very busy main road but it wasn't easy for them to get to the front of the flats so were comparatively safe.

They were both rescue cats, one had been found wandering in Peckham and had been taken in by Peckham police, lived in the station for a week but as no one claimed her they handed her over to the Blue Cross in Victoria. She was a lovely affectionate little thing, once she'd settled. Obviously really nice original owners. Not all are so lucky. Died at 17yo, by which time she'd moved house with me 4 times.

I've never kept cats in at night. They're nocturnal so it's more natural for them to be up and about and busy at night. Their eyes are better suited to seeing in dim light too.

I'm not saying you're wrong to keep her in, that's your call, obviously. True, some people do keep their cats as house cats; they're often pedigree and valuable, or it's an area where there are often animal attacks (by people ).

Your cat will get used to going in and out, and feel more confident about being away from home come the spring. You might want to review your position come the summer!

Good luck with her. Cats can be amazingly rewarding. There's very little as therapeutic as a warm cat purring at you!

oreo - you are brave, i can't imagine catching a mouse in a cup. the other day dd and i were watching one eating a bit of old bread on a dust bin that our dining room looks onto (attractive!) but the bin is right by the window, we had a great view, the mouse was right by us and watched us as it ate, it had really big eyes, it was lovely, if the cat brought one in dead i'd ber pretty upset - i have been friends with a neighbours cat for years (although not now, our cat HATES other cats and goes for him if he dare come near our house) and he once brought me a mouse as a gift, freaked me right out, one of its eyes was hanging out... jux - tbh i don't mind if she went out at night but dh is adamant he won't get a cat flap. tbh, i didn't give him a choice with me bringing a cat home and appreciate his being accommodating as we have both always said that neither of us wanted a pet so i think it quite funny how i just phoned him and TOLD him i wasn't going to. she has it pretty good here, we live in east london in a suburban bit, nice gardens for her to explore in in the day. i know a fair few with cats that aren't allowed out at night, they seem to have in common that they think their cat is safer in at night and less likely to be knocked down, everyone is different. we have ALOT of foxes where we live and at night there are DOZENS as we live literally right by a forest (i used to have a good relationship with a fox!!, for two years although she has gone now, she used to come and visit 8pm most nights, loved her to bits). i am fond of my cat, i think i painted a picture of me not having any warm feelings for her, i do, i give her quite alot of love really, she seems to like me as follows me around and jumps on me as soon as i sit still for more than 30 seconds. she is part of the family now. have a good weekend :)

Our cat is my 6th, I still got that fuck i've got to look after you for years thought when I got him home. Cleaned the shit off his bum, washed the pooh and sick off his cat carrier and paws.

I still walk around some nights muttering for sale one Bengal, never fucks off till 2am so you can't go to bed (he's in overnight most rta happen at night) or bites his owner.

She will like you more, you feed her and took her in, in her world you rock.

A dj on local radio said cat owners are all selfish because cats don't need as much looking after as dogs, git.

thanks fluffy, you have a bengal, aren't they really fancy cats, very exotic? are they not gentle then? if i had one of those where i live and it went out it would probably get pinched within a few weeks :)

One of mine had a penchant for underwear from the washing basket. I brought a hot date home one night to be greeted by a trail of underwear (tights, knickers and bras) leading from the cat flap, along the hall and into the sitting room.

Yes originally it's an Asian leopard cat bred with a moggie, then they bred the resulting kittens to the dad and then to other bengals until it's 4 generations down from the original Asian cat. He has a spotted coat but gets mistaken for a tortie sometimes but the betterwear lady spotted him straight away.

He's on my lap now spark out but his breeder used to rough and tumble play with him so he thinks it's ok to go for my arm. I hiss at him and he stops. He's actually very nice natured, with all the vet visits he's had he's never actually tried to scratch or bite anyonehe just struggles to get away. My chinchillas had no problem trying to bite us or the vet.

Plus he's the only cat I've had who loves tummy fuss and lies on his back for ages letting you rub his tum.

Wanted to swing for him when he started batting baubles off the tree earlier though.

paisleyII I think your heart is 100% in the right place and it was very nice of you to take in this cat. Yes, cats have bodily functions just like all living things and it's annoying to be the one responsible for cleaning them up, but they can't help it.

Attachments take a long time to develop and are always evolving - I think you will grow to like/love your cat more with time and it's lovely that you treat the cat so nicely - a few weeks is nothing. I agree that your home is much, much better for this cat than a shelter!

Is it possible for you to keep the litter tray in the shower, if you have one? Somewhere where the cat can step into it/ access it, but if the cat wees outside the tray for example you can just wash it away easily.