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Questions tagged [cats]

Small, furry (usually), domesticated members of the feline family.

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27 votes
4 answers
54k views

How can stop my adult cat from urinating in inappropriate places?

My 8 year old cat has recently began urinating in inappropriate places. How can I correct this behavior? At first he started urinating on the floor, in a small area in the basement. I moved a litter ...
Tester101's user avatar
  • 371
27 votes
1 answer
3k views

Recommendations for introducing kittens to adult cats

We have two older cats and are considering getting a couple of kittens. Our cats are on the older side, 15 years, but are still active and spunky. If we did bring in some kittens, what are some ...
Joanne C's user avatar
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24 votes
4 answers
48k views

How long can a healthy cat go without food?

I am trying to change the kind of food my cat is getting, and he is refusing to eat it. He is completely healthy, he passed his last annual physical without issue. If I give him some of the old ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
189k views

How can you tell if a kitten will have long or short hair?

This weekend I visited a friend who had a new kitten (about 8 weeks old). The kitten has a fuzzy coat, but most kittens seem to have a fuzzy coat from what I can tell through internet searches. We ...
Zaralynda's user avatar
  • 20.2k
10 votes
2 answers
75k views

How do I stop my cat from peeing on rugs and linens?

We have two cats who are litter trained, but one of them occasionally pees on rugs or linens instead. According to my fiancée, the cat was accidentally toilet trained on a towel as a kitten, and now ...
B. Szonye's user avatar
  • 275
7 votes
2 answers
18k views

How do you determine the gender of a kitten?

I was looking at a litter of kittens, and it looks like they are all girls. Is that possible? How can I tell for sure what gender the kittens are?
James Jenkins's user avatar
10 votes
5 answers
138k views

How can I get my cat to stop nursing from its mother?

My cat is 9 months old, and she still likes to nurse from her mother. I've been stopping her (also punishing her by removing her from the room we are currently in. Is this a bad way to react?) when I ...
Dioxin's user avatar
  • 1,204
17 votes
3 answers
148k views

What should I do if my cat stops eating and starts hiding more?

My cat is usually really social. Loves to be cuddled, loves being around people, always crawls in my lap. Today, though, he spent the day hiding in my closet and in his cat tree. He didn't really eat ...
user avatar
70 votes
12 answers
82k views

How should I discipline my cat for bad behavior?

There are a couple of things that I try and prevent my cat from doing: jumping up on the kitchen counter and being mean to the dog (who is obedient and minds his own business). It's easy to catch him ...
JohnB's user avatar
  • 1,818
30 votes
3 answers
5k views

How do I discourage my cat from biting?

I adopted an adult cat from a shelter. The cat had been seized (along with 20+ others) by Animal Control from a hoarder and there is no prior medical history. Age estimates range from 3-6 years and he ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
19 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to get cats to coexist in peace?

My cat is a big neutered male and my sister's cat is a small female. Both cats are three years old. When my sister is away on holidays I have to take care of both cats. Unfortunately, they hiss at ...
Athari's user avatar
  • 1,788
17 votes
5 answers
31k views

How can I move houses with a friendly feral cat I care for?

I have been feeding a friendly feral cat for the last 10 months. He began visiting us when he was well into his feline teens, so to speak (so he can forage food for himself). He is not exactly a lap ...
Alpha Proxima's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
938 views

Recommendations for introducing adult cats to newly adopted adult cats

Recommendations for introducing kittens to adult cats covers a lot of good information about introducing new kittens to a cat household. However, we've just adopted 2 older cats (11 and 13) into our ...
Beofett's user avatar
  • 9,121
5 votes
1 answer
114k views

New cat is hiding and not eating

A couple days ago, I adopted a cat from a lady off Craigslist. We went to go pick her up, and everything seemed fine. Now that she's home, I'm worried. She hasn't eaten, had water, or used the potty ...
cheyenne carr's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
116k views

Strange dark scabbing near cat's nose

My male cat is about 10 months old and I noticed a strange dark spot forming in/around his nose the past couple days. Originally I thought it was simply Feline Acne, as he had some on his chin that ...
fivefivefive's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
3k views

Can I give my cat human medicine?

Is it safe for me to use human medicine on my cat? Are there occasions where it is OK to give my cat human medications?
user avatar
18 votes
1 answer
2k views

Are onions dangerous for my cat or dog and why?

Someone advised me not to feed my cat or dog foods which include garlic or onion, as they are bad for my pets and can make them sick. Is this true? How would it make my cat or dog sick?
user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
4k views

What should we look for in a kitty companion for our rabbit?

We have a neutered male dwarf rabbit who's about 18 months old. He's been an only pet for almost his whole life. He has a big cage to hop around in, and for the most part we leave its door open, ...
hairboat's user avatar
  • 1,228
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

How should I react to two fighting cats?

Several questions have addressed how to get cats to get along together. How to stop two male cats from fighting How can I encourage two cats to get along? How do we handle two female cats in the ...
Zaralynda's user avatar
  • 20.2k
32 votes
10 answers
5k views

Putting a cat into a carrier

It seems to be close to impossible to put my cat into a carrier. I'm not sure whether he is afraid of closed spaces or doesn't like being restrained or what, but it requires two people to put him into ...
Athari's user avatar
  • 1,788
23 votes
2 answers
4k views

Is there benefit to feeding my cats cat food that incorporates fruits and vegetables?

At the pet store this weekend, we were approached by a sales representative marketing a "gourmet" pet food brand. One of the biggest selling points was apparently that the food contains "wholesome ...
Beofett's user avatar
  • 9,121
13 votes
4 answers
67k views

At what age cats should stop biting and scratching games?

I have a Maine Coon kitten who is 1.5 months old. When he's playful, he starts biting and scratching whenever he sees your arm next to him, and any hand movement is like an invitation to bite. Trying ...
coverback's user avatar
  • 767
11 votes
5 answers
253k views

How can I stop my cat from removing her cone?

I just got my cat back from being spayed. She's got the stitches, and she's supposed to wear the cone for a week to stop her from licking them. Problem is, we've gotten the cone on her four times ...
fbueckert's user avatar
  • 331
32 votes
9 answers
20k views

Can I feed my cat whenever she wants?

My cat does not have any specific schedule or amount for eating. I feed her dry cat food available at market. Whenever she gives me a particular call, which I know is her "please feed me call", I ...
Sonevol's user avatar
  • 4,233
27 votes
4 answers
2k views

Can I feed my cat a vegetarian or vegan diet?

I have a few friends who are vegetarian or vegan, who have considered putting their pets (mainly cats, which is why I specified in the title) on a similar diet. I feel like that might not be good ...
user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why are cats released as part of "spay and release" programs?

There is a feral cat in my neighborhood, It will not come near anyone, but will eat food if placed out for it. Someone mentioned a program called "Spay and Release". It seems like the idea is to ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
890 views

Should I feed my cat milk?

My cat seems to enjoy a bowl of cow's milk. I have noticed some runny stools, since I have been giving him milk. Could the milk be causing this? We are thinking about getting another cat (as a kitten)...
user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
1k views

How do I motivate a cat to drink more water?

When one has determined that a cat is drinking too little water, how can one stimulate him to drink more? I don't mean medical or other immediate cases, so syringe is out of the question, I mean to ...
coverback's user avatar
  • 767
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

Cat pooping outside of litterbox, but not always

I got my cat about 2 years ago, rescued from the PETA equivalent (SPA in France). He was around 3 at that time, based on his teeth length. He was quickly adapted to the apartment and the litterbox. ...
Topper Harley's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
40k views

Black dark spot on kitten's face

I found this spot on my 7 week old kitten, it doesn't seem to be painful. I tried to clean it using H2O2 solution - it went away, but 5 days later appeared again together with a new spot on the nose. ...
Sameh's user avatar
  • 211
34 votes
5 answers
159k views

Is it ok to pick my adult cat up by the scruff of the neck?

We have a 18 month old male, neutered cat. (His full name is Mr Sid Cuffuffle- Sid to his friends - no lie!) A mother cat carries her kittens by the scruff of the neck, as the skin is very loose. I ...
user avatar
32 votes
6 answers
2k views

When is declawing a viable option for cats?

We recently acquired a kitten, and we've found that in playing with her we tend to get a lot of scratches, often severe enough to draw a bit of blood. These scratches are not hostile in nature, but ...
Gigazelle's user avatar
  • 885
23 votes
12 answers
311k views

How do you clean poop out of a long hair cat's fur?

I have never had a long-hair cat before. We just picked up two that we rescued, and brought them home. One of them pooped in the carrier during the drive home. There is now poop in her fur. I ...
Beofett's user avatar
  • 9,121
22 votes
2 answers
6k views

How can I make one of my two cats eat less?

I have two indoor cats. One of them is pretty fat and he eats and sleeps a lot. The other one is more slim. I have tried to make the fat cat eat less (since my other cat doesn't get that much to eat, ...
martin's user avatar
  • 477
16 votes
11 answers
104k views

How can I get my cat to not be afraid of me?

We recently got an 8 month old cat from a breeder, it had lived its live in a cage with the rest of the litter up to that point. The car journey home was about an hour and the whole time I had my hand ...
mluisbrown's user avatar
14 votes
6 answers
8k views

My cat suddenly stopped using the litter-box to defecate

I have read this question, but no answer seems to help here. My cat is an eight-year-old neutered male, and I have had it for five years. He has always used the litter box, but sometimes defecated ...
Lazuli's user avatar
  • 181
12 votes
8 answers
141k views

Why does my cat bite my face while being affectionate?

My cat is very very tame, she socialized well with kittens, as soon as she was old enough I got her and she's a happy cat or so it appears. I've tamed her very thoroughly, so I can hold her upside ...
J.Todd's user avatar
  • 1,128
9 votes
2 answers
922 views

How does early desexing affect my cats?

There's a lot of information online debating the optimal age to de-sex a cat. We adopted two 16-week-old kittens, a brother and sister, from a shelter. They were already desexed. I am wondering ...
user avatar
8 votes
5 answers
139k views

Made my cat scared of me, need help

Unfortunately I've messed up and don't really know how to remedy the situation, I need some suggestions and help. The situation is as follows: my in-laws are vets and do a lot of pro-bono work. One ...
James Junghanns's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
5k views

Moving houses but we feed two stray cats

We've been feeding two stray cats for about 2 months now - a male and a female. We also have cat of our own who is indoors most of the time. The female one was pregnant when we started feeding her and ...
electrophile's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
736 views

How can I indicate where my kitten is supposed to do her business?

I got a very young kitten about a week ago. From the previous owner, she was litter trained, and only had a couple accidents. I get her home, and I can't seem to get her to use her litter box at all....
fbueckert's user avatar
  • 331
8 votes
1 answer
7k views

How much space do cats need when living indoors?

When keeping pets that live in terrariums or aquariums, it's common to consider the minimum amount of space they need in their enclosure in order for the animal to be happy. I was wondering if there ...
Spidercat's user avatar
  • 15.6k
7 votes
3 answers
630 views

What is most appropriate age to neuter/spay a cat?

What is the most appropriate age to neuter or spay a cat? Does gender, way he behaves, time of year, anything else affect it? There is a related question, which I think should be linked, but doesn't ...
coverback's user avatar
  • 767
7 votes
3 answers
18k views

Can I bathe my cat with shampoo?

I have a cat that's almost six months old and she really needs a bath. She's allowed to go outside so she sometimes comes back inside dirty. Are there any problems relating to bathing her that I ...
Anju Aravind's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
8k views

How to stop a 12 week old kitten nursing . Hurting mom

I'm having the same problem as outlined in How can I get my cat to stop nursing from its mother? My kitten is about 12 weeks old, and is still nursing. The mom tried pushing it away, but the kitten ...
Amber's user avatar
  • 51
4 votes
1 answer
3k views

My kitten kneads and sucks on our blanket but why

I have a male kitten and I found him and 3 sisters of his abandoned. They were starved so badly they couldn't last a full day. All of his sisters died so we got him a friend. They play a lot then they ...
Shelby Salinas's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
19k views

I need help rebuilding my cats trust after abusing them multiple times

Before I start I want to say I am now on medication and have received professional help. It is not an option for me to rehome these cats as I will explain later. To start off i am 16 and still live my ...
user18775's user avatar
59 votes
1 answer
87k views

How much purring is too much purring?

I have an adolescent cat that I adopted as a kitten. For some time now I have noticed that he is purring a lot. I know that when giving affection this behavior is normal but my cat seems to start ...
Lix's user avatar
  • 1,459
42 votes
8 answers
7k views

How do I give a cat a pill?

The problem of pilling a cat is well-understood, but I've found its solution to be evasive. I understand that in principle I should be able to open the cat's mouth, toss a pill in (or use my finger ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
34 votes
2 answers
3k views

How can I help my obese cat lose weight?

My oldest cat is obese. She was a rescue (as were my other cats), and was recovering from starvation when we adopted her. Ever since, she's had food issues. She gets noticeably stressed whenever ...
Beofett's user avatar
  • 9,121

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