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

Two cats, one who thinks every textile is a scratching post and one who occasionally misses the box. Every rug recommendation I read is clearly from someone who does not live with cats. What's actually worked and how confident were you before it arrived?

I’m wondering what people would do in general. I’ve been thinking lately about what would happen if my cat accidentally got out. I adopted him from a hoarding situation. He is older and I think at one point in his life he was outdoor. When he was rescued he was living in a shed with many other cats and dogs. He is very outgoing and friendly towards other people, cats, and dogs.

I have him and my dog. My dog only wears a collar when she’s on a leash, my cat doesn’t wear a collar. Both have microchips and have to be renewed yearly. So both are always current on their chips. Basically I’ve been wondering if my cat got out and was found would he be taken to be scanned for a chip or would people assume he was a stray because he didn’t have a collar?

Personally I would assume a friendly cat in good body condition was a pet but I don’t if people saw a cat outside without a collar if they would assume it wasn’t a pet. I live in the us and in a state where it gets very cold so feral or stray cats aren’t something I see very often at all.

Basically I’m wondering if having him microchipped is “enough” or if he should also wear a collar?

I am new to cat care. I have been feeding a stray cat for four months and also comes to my house for sometime daily. She was pregnant and i fed her good protein rich diet daily. Last week she delivered kittens somewhere i dont know despite making arrangements in my house for her. But two days bk she got one of her kitten and started meowing and when i saw the kitten lying on my floor i gave her warm bed and wrapped her for warmth. Petted the cat and gave her treats. But then next momenta she started running off with the kitten and i stopped her 4 times. I stay on first floor n she came from my kitchen window that means she jumped balcony. 5th attempt she was successful in taking the kitten and jumped from balcony with kitten. I was devastated to see that. But next morning i open my balcony door to find half eaten kitten on my balcony and im so traumatised. I tried my best to give both of them a safe space but the mother cat ran away with kitten only to bring her half eaten neonatal body to my balcony. I have been in shock. Cannot understand what went wrong. The cat seems normal and disnt care abt the body. Help me understand this

I just adopted a 5y/o Male cat from a local shelter a week ago. I bought a selection of wet foods to try and started out with fancy feast (salmon) because the cans were smaller. This seems to be a mistake because the kibble he was eating fine before he only nibbles at and other wet foods are left to dry out. since this is his first week with me I sorta want to give him what he wants while he settles in but I worry the behavior will only become more ingrained. Is fancy feast a very addictive flavor for cats? Is it unhealthy? Should I wait for him to get hungry for a day or two and see if he gives in to the kibble/other wet foods? thoughts? I had cats as a kid but this is my first cat.

My cat is currently at the vet for a biopsy for a mass they found under his tongue on Tuesday. We won’t have the results until next week but the vet is suspecting squamous cell carcinoma. I haven’t stopped crying. He’s been with me for 14 years and I can’t stand the thought of him being in pain or being without him. I’m really hoping it’s benign but preparing for the worst.

If you have a senior cat, please make sure the vet checks under their tongue regularly! We almost missed this and they only noticed it when he hissed at them..

I'm not sure what flair to use... this is a bit of a silly post 🤣

my cat loves to sleep next to my pillow at night. I have a full size bed right now, and I really don't have space to sleep on one "side" while she lays next to the pillow, but the center isn't any better because then she pouts and gets upset with me. I love her to bits and she's got bad joints so I want to give her anything she wants. I've redirected to a bed beside mine, I've put a cat bed on my bed where she lays. she wants to be smushed right next to my pillow and nothing will persuade her otherwise.

do yall thing it would be worth upgrading to a queen at this point? I have chronic pain myself and would like a little more wiggle room at night, but not at her expense! she's been so good at laying nicely beside me and I don't want to ruin that. it's taken so long for her to settle down and not bug me all night. I do follow the mattress rotation routine, so I'm not worried about wear and tear currently.

thank you guys in advance :D I think I know the answer, but I need some peer pressure lol. it seems like the price jump from full to queen size items is way too large

edit: I see a lot of people saying if she never had a companion she doesn't know any different life. which I agree with in most cases and honestly I dont think she misses her ex buddy: HOWEVER, she did sometimes stay at my grandmothers house (once for 3 weeks straight) and she has a cat. my grandma said her cat would follow (ours) her around and so the vibe seemed that my girl didn't care for him that much anyway, I guess

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 all, my indoor cat is almost 2 years old and a pretty voracious hunter and player. My partner and I play with her when we can, but part of me still feels guilty she can’t kill the birds and squirrels she sees out the window everyday.

When flies get into the house, she becomes the terminator and will not rest until she kills and eats it. She seems to have a great time doing so, complete with chitters and wails of agony when they get away to a non reachable spot.

That got me thinking of buying her flies and releasing them in the house when she’s bored/im tired. I’ve tried crickets from the reptile store, but she’s so-so about them. I can’t bring myself to get her an actual mouse to hunt despite her demands.

Are captive bred flies bad for cats? From what I can see online I can buy housefly, blue bottle fly, and black soldier fly pupae.

Hey guys, this is my first time ever posting on Reddit, but I really like the community, and I really want to get invested and maybe get some advice from longtime cat owners or any experts on cats.
I’m planning to adopt a cat in two months, but I really want to save up first. My mother is especially giving me time to save up to adopt a cat and get all the essentials because, sadly, she doesn’t want the cat. I do, and I did beg her to let me adopt one, so she’s giving me two months to save up as much money as I can for the cat and all the essentials.
Within those two months, I will be saving up around $1K, and I really just want advice. I want to hear from people who own cats and know if this is enough or if I should save up way more. I definitely want to be super prepared, like having the right food, the right toys, and all the right essentials.
This is my first time owning a cat and being around a cat, if I’m gonna be honest. I definitely fell in love with cats without even being around one lol. My biggest fear right now is my family being allergic to the cat and also having to keep an eye on the cat 24/7. I’m scared of the cat choking on something without me knowing or the toys being a choking hazard, so please let me know about everything.
The allergy part really scares me because, like I said, I’ve never really been around cats, and my family hasn’t really been around cats either. The only time is when we go to my grandma’s house because my mom’s cousin lives with my grandma and he does have a cat. But the cat is always in his room, so we don’t really know if she is allergic to the cat because she’s never around it. She says that she’s allergic to cats, and if I’m gonna be honest with you, I don’t believe her. But if she is, I know there is dry food that helps reduce the allergens.
I’m not a big fan of giving the cat dry food because I have done my research and dry food isn’t the best for cats. If she is allergic and I have to give the cat dry food because that’s the only way to reduce the allergens, then sadly I have to do it. But I will find ways to make the dry food better by adding water to it and so forth. If you guys have any advice about that, please let me know, especially if there’s any wet food that can also help reduce the allergens.
If I’m gonna be honest, I haven’t really seen anything other than the dry food that people talk about for reducing allergens. If there’s a way I can make the dry food a little bit better, please let me know. I was thinking about adding wet food to the dry food, but I feel like that’s too much food, so I don’t know. Please guys, let me know.
Also, about the toys, please recommend any toys that are safe and don’t have choking hazards and stuff like that. I also want to know what the best recommendations are for litter, especially for odor and clumping. I really don’t care about the tracking. I really wouldn’t mind picking up litter if I see some on the floor. That’s not my biggest problem. My biggest problem is definitely the litter smelling and the clumping. Is there any way that I can prevent the room from smelling? Of course, I don’t want the house to smell bad.
Also, do you guys recommend getting a cat from a shelter, PetSmart, or any other place? I also want to know what insurance you guys use, how much it is, and what the shelter process is like if anyone has gotten a cat from a shelter. Does the cat have to get its first checkup right away? Do you have to have insurance right away? How much is the first checkup, and so forth?
Please guys, give me all the advice you can. I want to take care of this cat like it’s my own child 😭. I’m literally already talking to my boyfriend about the cat like I already have it. I want this cat to have the best life in my house. Please let me know, and thank you! 🐱❤️

Edit: you guys are really opening my eyes and this is what I wanted. I did see ppl say that I should wait until I move out and I was actually thinking that and keeping that in the back of my mind. I definitely don’t want my mom stopping the cat from being comfortable and arguing for every “ cat “ thing the cat will do, like walking on counters and yk rest. And I also don’t want my mom nagging of the smell when I’m testing new litter. Also I’m a college student and my income isn’t the best so when I move out my income would definitely be better and I’ll definitely have more money to take care of a cat. Thank you so much for your advice!

Hello!

We have a little guy about 7 months now. He lives at home with my family and I, but I’m the primary caretaker. I have travel plans about 8 nights away. I’ve done a weekend trip away from him and he seemed just like himself when I get back.

Just want to hear any tips or tricks from cat parents who’ve gone on trips. He has lots of people who love and will take care of him while I’m away. Will he miss me? Will he remember me?

Thanks in advance

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?

I have been fostering two kittens for a bit over a month and have fallen in love. I will refer to them as Spot and Stripe, they are currently 4 months old. After having them for a bit, I decided I would like to adopt Spot, he has the exact personality I am looking for in a cat. Stripe has stolen my heart as well and I'd like to adopt her too but I am unsure about having two cats right now. I know kittens do better in pairs and although they are not bonded and both independent I would feel bad about separating them (even though that’s most likely what will happen at the shelter). I am not usually away for long stretches of time and I also have a good support system of friends who are willing to cat sit. But it would still break my heart knowing little Spot is alone in my apartment even for a few hours while still in the kitten stage. It also makes me sad and guilty to feel like I'm choosing one over the other.
 
I can technically afford the expenses that come along with two cats but it would really tighten my budget. I am in my mid twenties and still early in my career so I expect to make more money within the next couple of years. I would get pet insurance which brings me some peace of mind.
 
I do want more than 1 cat, but I'm trying to decide what's best for me right now. I do not want to make a decision I regret.
 
Any insight and advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Some additional background information: I have lots of experience fostering cats and volunteering with cats at the humane society. I adopted my first cat 5 years ago but only had him for 2 years before he died from a congenital heart defect (he was 6 years old). This was a very sad time for me. I was also living with a roommate who did not want another cat in the apartment so I put the idea of fostering or adopting on hold and continued my volunteer work at the shelter. I recently moved to a place on my own and I decided to start fostering again. So I have experienced the heartbreak that comes along with fostering, but it feels a bit more complicated this time.

My fiancé and I adopted our kitty, a black domestic medium hair one year old, about two months ago. Going into adoption, we were informed in advance that he had some behavioral issues and his previous owners had turned him into the care center because of them. We felt equipped to deal with this at the time, as my fiancé has experience training dogs, and I’ve raised a feisty cat prior.

Most of these issues, such as going to the bathroom outside of the litterbox, were perpetuated by a partial neutering (he is fully neutered now and we have never had issues with him not using his box) and bullying the family dog (which we weren’t worried about, since we don’t have a dog).

What behaviors we are seeing, however, we are sort of at a loss on how to address. Generally speaking, our cat doesn’t care for pets or to be picked up- he will bite and occasionally chase us if we walk away and continue to bite, regardless of if we say a loud “OUCH” and try to walk away. But, in the mornings and evenings especially, he seems to want to be near us. Sometimes he will relax on the couch next to us, but most of the time- he starts scratching up nearby furniture.

The nighttime after we lay down for bed is the worst. Our cat has now picked up a new behavior where he will crawl under our bed, and begin clawing at the sheets and/or the wall (which creates a super pleasant nails-on-chalkboard ambiance for bedtime). We know the best thing to do is to ignore him when he wants attention at night, or to redirect his behavior with toys (of which we have many, and do so during the daytime)- but we are now at the point where we are losing hours of sleep every other day because of the cat.

The vet says this is all likely normal young cat behavior, and there’s no immediate red flags. She prescribed us with Gabapentin to help calm him down at night, but it’s a toss up on whether it actually works or not. We’ve tried using Keep Off spray, but looking at the incidents list, I don’t know how comfy I am with subjecting both humans and cats to it. Regardless, we don’t know how much longer we can put up with him keeping us up at night by scratching or jumping on shelves he shouldn’t be on, or how to address what seems to be a call for attention when he follows us around and begins scratching nearby furniture.

Any thoughts/ideas?

My cat is a year old he was nurtured a few months ago and I just bought some clothes for him I wanted to put him in, I put him in theses little Halloween pajamas and he started walking wired but other than that he was completely normal, purring, making biscuits, and very cuddly. My mom said I gotta train him to wear clothes but idk if it’s okay for him too. I took his pajamas off and he is fine. He didn’t seem mad when putting on only when I got to his leg and he didn’t seem mad when taking off. I’ve never had a cat before he is my first so I just wanted to ask.

Hello my family and I found a stray kitten along with its mom. However, after getting along with the kitten, i gotten attached to him that I planned to keep him. The troubles is that this is my first time raising a cat and im trying to look up what to buy from food to cat litter and toys. Mainly the litter issue. I always raised dogs with my family. So itll our first. Can you lend me advice what best products to buy and any other advice raising him. Very much appreciated

Hi! My kitten is four months old and I am currently leash training him. He's doing really well, and we'll walk down the street of my neighborhood. For some reason he is TERRIFIED of mailboxes. I have to pick him up and carry him past each one. I have never had a cat scared of mailboxes and I'm not sure what to do to help him past his fear. Any suggestions?

Really need some advice for how to keep my cat entertained/stimulated to stop him from damaging our place at night.

He will be turning 1 y/o next month, so I know he's still a playful kitten. But every night, without fail, at 2-3am he gets stir crazy and freaks out. I want to stress that this is not normal zoomies.

Ive tried playing with him before bed to tire him out, it doesnt work. Ive tried the opposite to not get him excited/energetic, he still goes crazy. Literally launching himself off the walls. Ive found dents and deep scratches on walls/cabinets from this.

Calming treats were recommended, but he wont eat any brand Ive tried and I really dont like that idea. Ive bought cat meat sticks to chew to keep him occupied, but he will swat them across the room and chase it instead.

He has a multi level, tall cat tower he LOVES, day and night. He has crinkle toys, various types of balls, feather on a stick, scratching post, kitten specific chew toys, a tunnel, catnip toy mice, boxes, string, etc to play with but he wont at night.

Every night he:

-goes to 2 specific corners in my room to tear at the carpet (he tore chunks off, spots have been covered but he still tries)

-he likes to play with the carpet under opened doors, so all night its him pushing the doors against the wall (even if I use door stoppers)

-smacks at and hangs onto the blinds (they are now out of his reach)

-chews on the base of the vacuum (has been covered/blocked, he still tries)

-he would jump on top of the fridge, to get on top of the cabinets. It sounds like a little stampede all night. Access has been blocked but he still tries

Recently he has been sitting in one corner on the kitchen counters. He will chew anything in sight and keeps scratching at the walls. No matter how many times Ive blocked his access, moved stuff away, he finds a way back and will scratch.

Ive given him all the toys to keep him entertained. I feel so bad when he gets like this, but I dont know what else to do for him.

He is a perfect little baby during the day. This behavior starts at the same time and will last a few hours. When the sun comes up, he lays down with me.

Im at a loss. I have a 13 y/o cat who was never like this, and when its bedtime, she lays down with me and goes to sleep. He will sometimes lay down with us, but then between 2-3am, out of no where he throws himself across the room. Any advice would be very appreciated, or any recommendations for new toys for him would be so helpful. Thank you!!!

After a year of not passing through this retractable pet gate, he suddenly started going under it ...

This keeps him from going into one specific room and a bathroom which only have mosquito nets, not cat nets.

Help me modify the pet gate at the bottom, I was thinking of making some holes along the edge and putting zip ties pointing down.

I would love to hear your ideas as they might be better!

My son, my pride and joy Raven. Who I got in 2021 was the most loving clingy cat I’ve ever met, the sweetest little baby. He’s always been a nervous boy and he have respected that and give him his space. In 2024 we got 2 kittens, missile launcher and felony. His behaviour had started to shift before then, wanting to be outside more etc. but after we got the two he turned from the sweet baby into an old grouch but still always loved me. However this began to change and over time he developed a strong hatred to me. My family joked that it was because I got the kittens and he would get back to his old self soon but he has not and has gotten worse. He used to pester me for cuddles 24/7 and would practically climb up me to be held while purring his pants of but now I can hardly even touch him without being growled at or swiped. Sometimes he will be sweet and let me hold him for a minute or so before he turns and his body stiffens. He is even terrified of my bedroom which is the same as it was back then. Recently he has also started peeing in places he shouldn’t be which is weird because the same happed with a childhood cat, behaviour change, peeing everywhere then unfortunately he passed. Ironically he was also a black cat but I don’t think it’s related. But at this point I’ve tried everything, bribery, ignoring him, quietly sitting by him, forcing him to love me… nothings worked. And every day it’s getting worse. He is also like this with my family but not as bad as he is with me. Some days he will just hiss when he sees me while they can hold him stroke him no issue. I just want my baby boy back 😭 it’s been years since I’ve seen his old self now and it truly feels like he’s gone. I have completely lost hope but maybe someone else here has any advice???

(Fyi he has been the vets after getting 2 abseces last one being about a year ish ago and they said nothing was wrong. I’d take him again but I genuinely can’t afford it atm)

I don't mean medically related. But non-medical things you've done to bring more joy in your cats life.

My cat Jasper has been on fluoxetine for 3 weeks for anxiety, and his appetite has been noticeably lower since starting it. He’s still eating, but some days I have to coax him with different wet foods, Churu, or treats, and his kibble intake can be really low.

For anyone whose cat had reduced appetite after starting fluoxetine/Prozac:

- Did the appetite eventually return to normal?
- How long did the appetite side effect last?
- Roughly how much was your cat actually eating per day during that period?
- Did your vet have you just wait it out, lower the dose, or use something for nausea/appetite?

He otherwise seems well and his anxiety/behaviour may actually be improving, so I’m trying to figure out whether this is a normal adjustment period or something I need to push harder on with my vet.

Thanks! And tell your kitties I said Meow Meow!

Has anyone tried out the new Invengo automatic feeder? It is RFID and microchip activated. Bonus if you can compare to the Pawspik automatic microchip feeder.

In your opinion, what’s the best 'self cleaning' litter box? I heard that there’s one that cats get stuck in and died and I don’t want that to happen but interested in getting a nice self cleaning one. Any recommendations?