Questions tagged [cats]
Small, furry (usually), domesticated members of the feline family.
3,341 questions
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Why does my cat keep patting my face?
My cat has a habit of randomly patting my face - sometimes when I am sleeping, or when he is snuggled in my lap, or when I am sitting somewhere. I can't really find a pattern to it, and it is somewhat ...
user53
70
votes
12
answers
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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 ...
- 1,818
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votes
19
answers
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How can I fix my relationship with my 7 month old cat after I've constantly abused her the past month?
My kitten is 7 month old, and I...
[Content Warning: Descriptions of animal abuse behind spoiler]
Now she won't move around me, being highly cautious to every move and every sound. I feel so bad ...
- 741
59
votes
1
answer
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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 ...
- 1,459
58
votes
6
answers
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What is this street cat asking for, with continuous meowing?
There's this cat in the neighborhood which doesn't have an owner, and I suspect she has never had one since she's very cautious and doesn't get very close.
I left her food sometimes: lately for about ...
- 703
54
votes
6
answers
33k
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Can cats safely eat raw meat?
Is it safe to feed my cat raw meat, or should we cook the meat first? Or should we stick exclusively to factory produced cat food instead?
- 3,271
50
votes
12
answers
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Overly friendly stray cat wants to come in our house
We have a beautiful Calico stray cat outside our house. We played with her one day and she just followed us home from about half a mile away. We've been feeding her every day since then.
But every ...
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47
votes
8
answers
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Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
My girlfriend and I received a kitten last night from a neighbor whose cat had a litter. It's my first cat (first interactive pet), but she's had experience in the past. According to our neighbor, our ...
- 573
46
votes
6
answers
24k
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How do I "apologise" to my cat?
How do I apologise to a cat / undo accidental actions?
Let's say, I'm going to the bathroom at night, my cat tries to weave between legs and accidentally got kicked. Or, I'm drinking water, the cat is ...
- 595
46
votes
4
answers
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Is blinking slowly at cats a way to tell them that you love them?
When I was talking to my wife last night, it came up that blinking slowly at a cat is supposed to be a way to tell them that you love them. She said that when she tried it with her parent's cats, one ...
- 15.6k
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votes
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Does purring tire cats?
Hope it doesn't sound like a silly question.
Context: My cat is not the most affectionate cat in the world. But sometimes she comes to search for love and to play. When I pet her, obviously, she ...
- 605
42
votes
8
answers
7k
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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 ...
- 8,263
38
votes
6
answers
29k
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My cat is not eating or drinking anything after the death of the fellow cat
It's been three days since one of my kittens died. And since that day my other cat is not eating or drinking anything. I am afraid that he will get weak and ill. Please suggest to me what to do to ...
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38
votes
5
answers
10k
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What to feed kittens that are only a few weeks old? (Their mother died)
There are 2 kittens outside our house, only a few weeks old (perhaps a month) but their Mom died in an accident. Now there is no one to take care of them. We have decided to step in and take care of ...
- 1,199
38
votes
3
answers
28k
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Why does my cat put toys in my shoes?
My cat has a few favorite toys that he goes nuts for. More specifically: a plastic ball with a bell inside and a small stuffed mouse.
From time to time when I put my shoes on in the morning, I'll ...
- 1,818
37
votes
10
answers
23k
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Cat is tipping over bed-side lamps during the night
I've had my newest cat just a couple months. This is a female spay DSH tortie, shelter rescue, estimated age 1.5 years.
I have small tables at each head corner of my bed, holding various things on ...
- 1,477
37
votes
3
answers
38k
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Why do cats lick plastic bags, and is there any harm in it?
Most of my cats (past and present) have liked to lick plastic trash bags and grocery bags. Assuming that they are not tearing off bits of plastic and swallowing them, but just licking, is there any ...
- 8,263
34
votes
7
answers
14k
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How do I get my cat to wear a tuxedo for several hours?
My cat is quite dapper and handsome, so when we sit down for a candlelight dinner, he should have the proper attire. Therefore, I would like for my cat to wear a tuxedo.
What is the best way to ...
- 9,013
34
votes
5
answers
159k
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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 ...
user6796
34
votes
2
answers
3k
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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 ...
- 9,121
33
votes
6
answers
49k
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Cat meows for wet food in morning despite dry food being available
My kitty has been waking me up early every morning begging for wet food. He has dry food available but obviously prefers the wet. I've tried ignoring him, but he will meow for over an hour straight ...
- 433
33
votes
8
answers
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My cat gets angry and scared at me if I stand
I recently (3-4 weeks ago) adopted this cat and she was incredibly scared at first. With time she warmed up to me, but she is only happy if I'm sitting down or lying down. As soon as she notices I'm ...
- 521
32
votes
6
answers
2k
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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 ...
- 885
32
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10
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5k
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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 ...
- 1,788
32
votes
9
answers
20k
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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 ...
- 4,233
32
votes
4
answers
7k
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How do I keep a cat out of my Christmas tree?
It's that time of year when many of us put a pine tree up in our living room and decorate with lots of shiny objects and string-like items. It seems that many cats find this combination to be almost ...
- 20.4k
32
votes
2
answers
2k
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How do you safely evacuate with cats?
Every now and then when some natural disaster hits, I see stories in the press about abandoned pets or people being turned away from emergency shelters because they have pets with them, and I think: "...
- 8,263
31
votes
5
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How can I stop my cat from eating too fast and throwing up?
My cat loves his canned food that he gets every morning, and he gets right into it the moment I put the dish down. Normally, this is no problem - he eats, I get ready for my day, everything is ...
user53
31
votes
2
answers
721
views
Is dry food better for pets’ teeth?
I had always heard that dry food was better for my dog and cat because it helps keep their teeth clean, I even remember TV commercials about dry treats that would clean the dog’s teeth.
In the ...
- 29.4k
30
votes
6
answers
12k
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My cat demands a lot of attention
I adopted a 7 year old female cat several weeks ago through an organization at a pet store. She had a litter of kittens when they found her who were adopted and she ended up at the pet store to get ...
- 301
30
votes
3
answers
8k
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How to keep my cat stress free during periods of constant 90dB+ sound?
In India today and tomorrow is the festival of Diwali. It is the festival of light and banned firecrackers over 90 dB sound are all too common. It can be compared to war zone in Syria with constant ...
- 4,233
30
votes
8
answers
182k
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How long is a cat's memory?
How long do cats remember places and people? I will leave the house in the next months for half a year or so. Will my cat remember me when I get back?
- 1,573
30
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3
answers
5k
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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 ...
- 8,263
29
votes
8
answers
7k
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What to do when moving next to a bird sanctuary with a loosely-domesticated cat?
I'm about to move and a really promising location in a new city and it's surrounded by a large forest and bird sanctuary. That's great to me, but to my cat I suspect it will mean the beginning of his ...
- 483
29
votes
3
answers
9k
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How to let an indoor cat have some outdoors time safely?
I have two indoor cats that have an abundance of energy and some behavior problems. I have read that allowing the cats outside occasionally can help with this behavior. Additionally, both cats ...
- 3,493
28
votes
11
answers
14k
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My cat seems to dislike the idea of a morning walk. Should I continue?
In recent days I've been trying to develop a habit in my cat of a morning walk with me.
It is to be noted that letting the cat alone outside to roam independently is not an option. Here there are ...
- 4,233
28
votes
6
answers
112k
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Why does my cat bring me her toy?
A few times every week, I have noticed that one of my cats would bring me her stuffed mouse-shaped toy with catnip inside it.
The living room with all the toys is downstairs, in contrast to where I ...
- 1,200
28
votes
8
answers
44k
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How can I keep my cat from climbing on my desk?
My cat loves to climb on my desk at home. Problem is, he is constantly knocking things off (he broke a cup and a couple other things this week), and messing up stuff on my desk, bumping my monitors, ...
user53
28
votes
4
answers
143k
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What happens if cats drink coffee?
I was drinking my coffee the other day and I accidentally spilled some on the floor (a couple of drops).
My cat licked them. I don't really think this is a big deal because it was only two drops, but ...
- 1,573
28
votes
3
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1k
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How can I train a dog to behave with a cat?
I have witnessed my neighbor's Golden Retriever misbehave with their Persian Cat. He puts the cat's tail in his mouth like a toy, removes much of the cat's hair with his mouth; essentially, he ...
- 2,117
27
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4
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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 ...
user53
27
votes
4
answers
16k
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How can I tell if my cat is happy?
As a cat owner, I'd of course like to know if my cat is happy. However, most known indicators don't really apply; purring seems to happen for a variety of emotions, meowing vary greatly between ...
27
votes
3
answers
7k
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end-of-life infinite cat treats?
My cat is dying (very severe kidney disease) and has days or weeks left. She's not eating regular food (wet, dry, whatever) at all.
Is there any reason not to give her lots of treats? (I mean, not so ...
- 391
27
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5
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Is it okay to feed my cats canned tuna?
I opened a can of tuna today and my cats went absolutely insane over the smell. I let them have a very tiny piece and they absolutely loved it.
What I'm concerned about is that it's canned tuna. ...
- 15.6k
27
votes
2
answers
5k
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Active wildlife outside the window- Good or Bad for Cat psychology?
At my current house, there is an active community of wild creatures in the backyard, including a variety of birds, chipmunks and squirrels, rabbits, a groundhog, and butterflies by day and lightning ...
- 1,477
27
votes
4
answers
54k
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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 ...
- 371
27
votes
1
answer
3k
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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 ...
- 20.4k
26
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5
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How can I measure the weight of my cat?
I want to measure the weight of my cat in order to see if he is healthy according to his BMI. So I want to know how can I measure the weight. What is the correct way?
- 925
26
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7
answers
108k
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How can I prevent my cat from extending his claws when being petted?
When I pet my cat, he often curls his toes, and extends / retracts his claws. I guess it's a sign that he enjoys getting petted, however this is not something I appreciate when he's lying on furniture ...
- 1,788
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votes
3
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30k
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Why does my cat wash her paws in her water?
My cats' self-filling water bowl has started getting dirty rather quickly since we got a new kitten (who's now about 6 months old). There's quite often a bit of cat litter at the bottom of the bowl, ...
- 743