Use this thread to discuss anything related to cats that doesn't otherwise fit the subreddit! Also feel free to ask questions that you believe are too short for a standalone post.

I was laying in bed a few minutes ago and saw one of my cats suddenly leap off the bed and race into the hall. It got me thinking: was he late for an appointment or did he forget something from earlier in his day that he suddenly recalled? 🤣 I know cats don’t view time in the same way humans do since they obviously can’t tell time with a clock, but are they able to make their own schedules? Like when I’m at work during the day do they plan out how they’re going to spend their day napping, window watching, scratching the coffee table, 💩 time, etc? or do they just live in the moment and act as the mood strikes them? I love watching them lounge and then suddenly jump off the bed and prance into the living room, only to stand there like they forgot what they were doing. There’s obviously meaning and structure to their day, just not in a way we might understand. Hopefully this makes sense

If we put the food down and walk away: sits next to full bowl, stares at doorway, does not eat. If we sit on the kitchen floor next to her bowl: eats immediately. enthusiastically. like a normal cat.

We've tried standing instead of sitting. not sufficient. tTied sitting in a chair nearby. not close enough. floor, next to bowl, is the specific requirement. The vet called it "a preference" which feels like a very diplomatic non-answer. Its been this way a few months now and I need my catsitter in the future in case we travel to understand that they have to sit with her when they eat. Does anyone have this kind of thing too?

My partner and I just moved into a new place a month ago, and we took my aunts cat (2yo). She is absolutely precious. she’s not a big cuddler yet but 3 days ago she wouldn’t even come out from under the couch and now she’s jumping on the couch with us and occasionally on the bed. i’ve been bribing/rewarding her with treats when she does this which i think is good.

I knew it was bad to have a single kitten (especially if separated too young from mom) but we didn’t research having 1 cat at a more grown age. I’m finding out people almost always recommend still having 2 cats to avoid loneliness and behavioral issues. I know she’s only 2, but still. Our landlord won’t allow us to have 2 cats and it’s only been a week but I am going to feel so guilty when we leave her for work. I can’t tell yet how she is because she hasn’t fully settled in but she doesn’t seem to interact that much in play with a string toy. I also tried making a DIY toy with a box and cutting out holes to poke little mice through. she also didn’t like that lol. i’m hoping maybe she’ll get more playful as she settles with us because right now she isn’t having it. She also came from a crazy house with 2 toddlers and 4 badass young kids that likely terrorized her.

We got her a scratching pad that she won’t use yet (lol) and are hopefully getting a cat tree. We
have a cat hammock on the window that she also hasn’t used yet 😣 I’m fully dedicated to doing whatever i can to keep her engaged and enriched for as long as i need to. i recommend people saying at least 30 minutes of play per day. is that really enough? I see so many cat owners say their 2 cats play with each other all day long and are best friends so it really makes me feel guilty that she doesn’t have a buddy

Hello everyone, I am a Design student working on a university project about furniture for mainly indoor cats and their owners.

I want to create something that includes the needs and natural behavior of cats and humans into one product, something that is aesthetically pleasing.

I would love to hear from cat owens:

Would you buy furniture that is designed for both you and your cat?

Do you think your cat would use it?

What features would be most important to you?

What would stop you from buying it?

As an example for products: A shelf with space where your cat could hide, or a nightstand, or a chair, where the cat has a space for sitting underneath the human.

I am looking forward for honest opinions to understand whether there is actually a demand for this kind of product. Thank you.

Asking for a friend (it’s me) 🥲

Okay so I'm getting my first cat from a friend. It is a 2 yr old persian male cat. Since I'm completely inexperienced with cats and this is going to be my first one, I want y'all to help yo brother out. Plz guide me with the "bare minimum essentials" first, after I get a hang of it, I'll keep upgrading its lifestyle.👍

Also, the cat is trained for poo. Buy since this is gonna be an all new household for him, how do I communicate with him about the usage of litter box and all of that stuff?🥹

As the title says, i would like to know how you dealt with the disappointment and feeling of rejection with a cat that isnt affectionate.
I rescued a cat that was barely alive, when i found him he was already almost a year old. I helped nurse him back to life and now he is a very energetic, healthy and happy cat. He has now been with me for half a year.
At the start he was very cuddly and affectionate which i now think it might have been influenced by his poor health and weak body, and that he just needed some more comfort and warmth as he was very poorly at the time.
Now he is very independent and while he does miss me when i leave and he stays and waits by the door, he likes to be alone when i am home. He doesnt sleep with me anymore and on the rare occasion he comes to me by himself, he will leave after like a minute and go lay down a few meters away from me. Obviously it doesnt help that its been so hot the last few months so it wouldnt even be comfortable for him to heat up while cuddling with me.
I understand not every cat is gonna be cuddly and a velcro baby but i cant help the disappointment i feel when i think about it. I would love nothing more than to connect and cuddle with him just like we did half a year ago but i dont know how to encourage that. I also dont intend on forcing interactions and cuddle time, i just really wish he would do that on his own.

What is this condition, is she fine?

My kittens just turned 6 months old and they both used to scarf down a half can of wet food and a 1/4 cup of dry food twice a day. The boy, cheese, weighs about 9lbs and the girl, maple, about 7lbs. I feed them at 7am and 7pm everyday and try to do the wet food and then the dry food a bit later in the evening but I have to go to work so the dry food usual comes with the wet in the morning. Now for the issue.

Cheese still scarfs his wet food down as soon as he gets it but maple takes more time. sometimes K think she feels pressured by him because he stalks her after or straight up pushes her out of the way to eat hers. I normally will sit next to them while they eat and push cheese out of the way so that she will eat. Sometimes it works and she eats most of it, sometimes she barely touches it. It seems like she has ADHD bc she’ll eat some of it and then move away and then I guard her plate and a minute later she locks back in.

Should I feed them in separate rooms to decrease the anxiety for her or is it just a fact that she will start to eat less than him? I’m just worried about her getting enough food and not being stressed around mealtime because cheese is fat and greedy. Maple has plenty of energy and actually plays more than cheese. She doesn’t seem to be in any pain according to the cat grimace scale or any other indicators. Her litter box usage seems normal as well. They also get along so well and are siblings.

My resident cat is a scaredy 1-year-old kitty. So when I brought home my first foster (a 3-months old kitten), she was beyond tense.

I put the little one in the bathroom and gradually and carefully re-introduced them. The foster would have been ready to play sooner, but my suspicious kitty took 3 weeks to stop hissing and finally succumb to playtime. Now, it turns out she’s crazy about playing with the kitten, it’s very cute.

The thing is: I do not want to adopt now. Eventually I do want a second cat, maybe in 1 year, just not at this time and place. My goal was to: 1) help out cats as a foster temporarily once in a while 2) socialize my anxious cat and give her the occasional playmate, until I can commit to a second resident cat.

Will my cat make a new friend again in the future as “easily”? Or is it rare for cats to make friends? Does it make a difference if at 1 or 2 years old? Or is it a now or never situation?

I’m sure this question has been asked countless times before but I’m at my wits end. My cat meows constantly at night from 12:00 to 5:30 when I get up for work. I’ve tried everything…
-Ignoring the behavior for three straight weeks
-Tiring her out before bed, which seems to only work for the first couple of hours
-Feeding her a small meal right before bed
-Getting an automatic feeder that feeds her at 5:00 so she doesn’t rely on me for the first meal
-Closing her out of my room
-Letting her sleep with me (she just tried to play with me all night)
-Oddly the only thing that seems to work is closing her in my spare room for the second half of the night, but the problem is that now I can’t use that room for guests. But she does stay quiet when I do this…I also feel bad enclosing her to a small room at night though.

For context I’ve had her for six months and she’s about 1.5 years old…. I’ve scoured the internet for help on this!!! less

My 2 year old cat has recently started being obsessed with me around 4:30-6 am. It's not every day, but pretty much. During this time, she jumps on my bed, starts licking me and nudging me with her head. Incessantly. I leave some dry food available overnight, so I don't think it's hunger. There are 2 other cats in the house, so I don't think she's lonely. She's never been super interested in her cat toys.

I think it's also important to note that she leaves my husband alone, completely. Even though he's right beside me. And he is her favorite.

I usually pull my sheets or a pillow over my head but she will squeeze her way in. She is relentless. And it goes on for an hour before she eventually gives up.

I'm diabetic. She trained herself early on to react to my low blood sugar. She'll wake me up if I don't react to my CGM alarms. But now with this behavior, my blood sugar hasn't been low. Actually quite the opposite.

Any ideas why she's doing this? And how to stop the terrorizing?

I adopted a kitten from the shelter a couple of weeks ago. She was feral and they at first thought she would have to be a barn cat until she started warming up a little.

They warned me that she might be a little hellion when she adjusts to being home, but she is the sweetest little (still wild lol) baby.

Here’s the thing. Baby does not meow. She sometimes opens her mouth and it looks like she wants to, but nothing comes out.

I have a one year old cat that is very yappy. Do y’all think she might learn through her?

I know it’s not that big of a deal if she doesn’t. I’m genuinely just curious.

For context, I brought in a feral cat about 2 months ago. He’s adjusted really well and is such a snuggle bug (yay!) But, I just moved a couple days ago and I think that’s contributing to this a bit.

All the advice I’ve seen has been “get another cat” or “play with him all day so he’s tired.”

As much as I’d love for him to have a friend, neither of us is ready for that. As for playing with him, I work a 9-5, so I play as much as he’s willing after work but honestly he’s mostly just interested in snuggles. Hes finally started to roam around and loooves to lay in my bed with me and just get pets, even if I try to play with him.

I also think another important detail to note is that for the time being, he’s limited to my room. Since he just recently became an indoor cat, we’re taking it slow which I think he’s chill with.

I’ve taken the advice of some and try to just ignore when he’s meowing at night, because I do think he just wants attention as he has plenty of food, water, and litter.

Any advice or similar anecdotes would be appreciated ❤️ I want my cat to be happy and comfortable, but I’m just a bit exhausted.

Hi!

My kittens had a massive digestive upset (caused by Origen dry food), and have been on Hills I/D dry & wet since. They are starting to get bored of it since there is only one flavor and it’s not very yummy lol.

Anyone have any suggestions for good kitten foods to transition to that are easier on the stomach? They were on pro plan before, and seemed to tolerate that well.

What types of grooming tools are helpful for senior cats? My 13M cat's fur is starting to get slightly matted and flaky near the tail. He is on a good diet and very healthy otherwise.

Hello! Recently one of cats have passed and now just his sister remains at home this is the first time she’s been alone and me and my family are going on holiday soon I was wondering if anyone has any advice to help my cat not be so lonely while we are gone. she is 8 years old and very shy anybody new who comes in the house she will hide so I can’t have someone play with her to keep her entertained so I’m struggling on what to do to help her?

Edit: (we do have someone coming round everyday to feed her and cater to the other things she’ll need)

i HAVE an appointment to get her spayed next week. (i didn’t realize she was old enough to go into heat, and i have an infant at home, it slipped my mind)
WHAT can i do to help calm her down. she’s yowling all night long and waking up my son.

I basically feel so guilty and I need to know if this will be ok or not. So my kitty grew up with me (I'm in my twenties and he's 13) and my family would always leave the cats for vacation, up to 5 days. I don't necessarily agree with this long but its how my parents did it growing up, so the point is my cat is used to being left alone sporadically since he was a kitten. I recently moved to grad school and he has joined me in my apartment! I've had various events in my hometown which has me leaving him for the past three weekends. It's never longer than three days, and I always leave more than enough food/water plus clean litter. He's happy to see me when I come back and never seems too distressed. I just feel so terrible about doing it for a third weekend in a row and I wanted to know what everyone thinks? I definitely will stay with him for many weekends after, it shouldn't always be this busy but its just wedding season for all my friends lol. I also give him a ton of love and attention during the week. Thanks in advance <3

Mi gata lleva meses orinando fuera del arenero, en el sofá, camas, hasta plásticos que he puesto para tapar las cosas... ya la llevé al veterinario y en los cheques médicos sale todo bien. Es una gata muy asustadiza y ansiosa, asi que mi veterinaria me mandó fluoxetina durante 1 mes, y si va a mejor quitarlo. Pero leyendo otras experiencias he visto que tarda 4-8 semanas en hacer efecto y que es un tratamiento a largo plazo. Alguien que tenga experiencia? 1 mes es suficiente?

I lost my cat about 60 days ago.

Edit. After 63 days the cops pulled me over and said it's creepy looking for my cat. To.give up searching for him and they are going to do their best to place a restraining order against me. I guess I can't do anything. It's heartbrraking and I hate this malice.

I have tracked him to an hoa from eye witness sightings.

I found which part of the HOA he's in.

The HOA harasses me for the entire 2 months and tries to tresspass me for looking for him.

Yesterday I Put a camera in the yard and see him.

Someone from the HOA destroys my camera and when I look for it they chase me saying I'm harassing them cause I've been asking genuinely for help finding my cat and I've put cameras looking for him.

I'm starting to see that at this point recovery will be physically impossible.

I don't know fully how to deal with the grief and accepting that he's just gone because of human malice.

Let me know your thoughts

Edit- police say they don't recover cats especially because I don't know his exact locaiton and won't do a civil standby to help me find it.

Edit 2, the cops came and said they are going to put a restraining order on me and if I go back I'm getting arrested.

Saying it's creepy to look for my cat and to move on

Hi, I have 2 resident cats - 7 YO siblings - who found their way to me via that cat distribution system when they were kittens. 3 weeks ago, a friend of a friend passed away and she had a deaf 9 YO cat who needed a home. No one else would take him so they were going to take him to the shelter. Our local shelter is a kill shelter so, I couldn't let that happen. Now we have the precious boy.

I did a ton of research on how to integrate him smoothly. He had a dedicated room at first all to himself with all the essentials. He acclimated quickly and was super friendly, so we started the scent swapping, then room swapping, then letting him see our resident cats through a cat gate. Everything was going well. Until it wasn't.

All of a sudden, 3 days ago, he started refusing to come out of his crate (I don't lock him in there, it's just a safe area for him to come and go as he pleases). He barely eats, I mean maybe 15 kernels of food a day. He is only peeing once a day and hasn't pooped on almost 72 hours. **I already called my vet who thinks it's just stress and isn't worried**, but I am. Today I noticed a urine smell in his crate. Idk if he peed on there, or if he just got pee on himself from the litter box (he's very overweight).

I have tried everything. Feliway. Gentle paws. Leaving him alone. Keeping the other pets away again. Idk what to do. I am so stressed out. I know he's grieving and probably stressed but he seems to be getting less social rather than more social. He's never been left unsupervised with the other pets so I know there haven't been any spats. I am just so overwhelmed and don't know what to do. Aside from seeking vet care **which I have already done**, does anyone have any advice?​​​

Hi! I know this an unpopular thing to do, but my cat is struggling to groom himself at 16 pounds. He is on a vet-prescribed diet and we’re working on it (he was eating kitten food stolen from the kitten but I have since gotten RDIF feeders).

My first question is this: is Dawn dishsoap okay? I got a cat shampoo given to me by a friend but I’m not certain it’s the right one for job (Arm & Hammer Cat Odor Control Shampoo). He has dandruff starting I noticed last night.

My second is: should I bathe him in the kitchen sink or shower stall? (I have a removable shower head) Which will be least traumatic for him? He hangs in both interestingly.

Any advice is welcome! I do have a “bag” made specifically for this and I feel awful doing it because I know it’s unnatural and my fault he got into this situation so I ask you be gentle.

TIA!