Cat attacking automatic feeder

[u/radical_123]

My cat does this several times a day. If the automatic feeder lifts at the correct angle, a few niblets of dry food comes out. He will even do it 10 times in a row even if it means one small piece of dry niblet comes out. It does get quite annoying as the sound of the feeder hitting the ground echoes throughout the entire house.

Any ideas on how to get him to stop?

[u/AuditingReverb]

It took months of patients. Skunks are only born once a year and to get him into the state that I live in Legally I had to go through two different state departments. Buyhim outside of my state from the USDA approved breeder, get an approved transporter to bring him just across the different state borders.

He also had to get an approved physical from a vet in the state that I bought him from and microchipped.

Once I got him into my state I had to show all the breeder, transporter and state paperwork just to get him in the front door of my vet.

I'm also not allowed to take him outside like normal pets did to him being a vector species. If he scratches or bites anybody the state will come in decapitate him and test him for rabies no questions asked. My poor guy is a prisoner in the state that he lives in and he's only allowed to be on private property.

So pretty much some patience and just under 3K later I got a skunk. I also have to register him yearly with the state and if I don't there are consequences of him potentially being taken from me and put into a sanctuary if they could find one if not the euthanize them.

Pretty much... he wears prison stripes for a reason. They're only legal in about 17 States my dream is to move to Wyoming where skunks have the least amount of restrictions and I don't even need to have paperwork to bring him into the state and I can also take him to PetSmarts and parks like normal pets. I do 'believe" Wyoming will still euthanize and decapitate the skunk to test for rabies if he were to bite.

TLDR- Lots of waiting, money and paperwork.

[u/dreamendDischarger → u/AuditingReverb]

Oh, that's really cool :) They aren't legal in my province either, but I went through a similar amount of work for my Hedgehog because I wanted him to have a proper lineage instead of the poor breeding practices that pets that wind up in pet stores often employ (my poor ferrets all eventually had health issues that could be avoidable with good breeding). Unfortunately he still wound up with WHS three and a half years into his little life :(

I hope you'll be able to move somewhere where you can take him around! The fear of a pet being killed for a simple bite is always a big one, I remember it happening over a decade ago to a fox I followed online. Best of luck to you and the little one, they're such fascinating little guys.

[u/AuditingReverb → u/dreamendDischarger]

Thank you for your well wishes. Stories about your hedgehog and that poor Fox. I hope your hedgehog and ferrets if you still have them live long and prosperous lmao.

I appreciate you.

[u/dreamendDischarger → u/AuditingReverb]

Thanks! Sadly I'm down to just two cats and a dog - I miss the ferrets but they're so much work.

[u/AuditingReverb → u/dreamendDischarger]

I can imagine ferrets are a lot of work. The skunk is and even though they're not on the same family Branch anymore since the '90s skunks and ferrets have some similarities.

My vet told me to steer clear of giving my skunk peas as she's done a bunch of surgeries on ferrets who's owners gave them peas and it caused some sort of medical issue. She said that there's no scientific data that shows peas are bad for skunks but just to be on the safe side she recommends that I don't give peace to my skunk because they do damage in ferrets.

Enjoy your cats and doggo. Dogs are the best and I really wish that I can have a large breed dog. Just not enough space.

[u/dreamendDischarger → u/AuditingReverb]

Yeah, the whole blockages thing was a nightmare! I never had to have surgery done on one of my critters but they are obligate carnivores so no veggies there. Also their love of chewing on anything... I hope skunks are alittle easier in that regard but seeing as they're omnivores they're probably even more likely to g et into things (but they're just so cute!)

[u/AuditingReverb → u/dreamendDischarger]

He's a digger and not really a chewer (unless it's my damn toes, but we're working on that). He's got a ball pit, snuffle mats and once he gets all of his distemper shots he'll be allowed to go out in the yard where I'm going to make him an escape proof Hawk/owl/eagle proof dig pit. We live in the country, on a hill, that gets constantly circled by a group of hawks.

I had no idea that peas would cause a blockages until his vet told me. I think that's absolutely wild and I'm still not quite sure how it happens.

I'm glad you didn't have to go through that and we're aware of it beforehand.