72
votes
How can I keep our cats from endangering my pregnant wife?
First of all, please calm down. Your question sounds as if any interaction with your cats would potentially endanger the life of your unborn child, but that is not the case.
It's not the cat itself ...
Elmy♦
- 32.1k
39
votes
My fish are disappearing :(
The most reasonable explanation is that it died and was eaten by the other fish / snails. Note that some snails are carnivorous. Many fish are cannibalistic if the opportunity arises.
Some leftovers ...
- 2,639
24
votes
Can a cat, who only lives in a (small) flat, be happy?
We have a few existing posts about how much space a cat needs, I have included some below. Your area is large enough for a cat. But even a larger space will not be sufficient without enough enrichment,...
- 29.4k
20
votes
Accepted
Cat in a electronics hobbyist house
As background, my husband has a similar electronics hobby and I sew. We lived in a house where we did our hobbies in the living room for a few years, but eventually moved into a house large enough ...
- 20.1k
15
votes
Discouraging cat from scratching couch
You're going in the right direction, with your efforts to make the couch unappealing, and provide scratchers as alternatives. You just need to experiment a bit more to discover the right combination ...
- 16.2k
14
votes
How can I keep our cats from endangering my pregnant wife?
If my wife is pregnant, she may need to spend her days lying down on our couch - and with our second bedroom set aside to become a nursery, where will we keep the cats?
Why can the cats not be around ...
- 870
14
votes
Accepted
Discouraging cat from scratching couch
I totally understand your frustration. Cats are very independent, complex creatures. I imagine your cat is very happy, you’re providing it everything I would suggest and then some. Seriously, give ...
- 2,703
10
votes
Accepted
How to dissuade my cat from jumping on my bed?
Cats like their comfort, so this is a tricky one. Also, they don't respond well to negative training, since they are not pack animals. In this regard, they are as crafty as old men.
You could cover ...
- 1,411
10
votes
Accepted
How can I make my cat use her house during winter cold?
Cats do enjoy warm surfaces and there are a few options to entice her into her house.
Depending on what her house looks like, you can add a heat lamp, just be careful the lamp does not touch ...
- 12.6k
10
votes
Does my cat hate me now
Cats do not hate but they get scared at times when unexpected things happen and might need a bit of time to get over it.
Cats learn from experiences in the same way as you and I do and sometimes it ...
- 19.5k
9
votes
Accepted
What are some ways to increase space for cats in a small house?
Use vertical space.
Keep breakables out of spaces the cat has access to, behind door or behind glass or at great heights (some cats can jump to the top of a fridge, so that's a minimum). You can ...
- 11k
9
votes
Accepted
Neighbor's cat coming back for kitten
The main reason the mother comes back for her kitten is that the kitten is not weaned. That is, it is not finished with drinking her mother's milk and is not ready to handle the bigger world. If that ...
9
votes
Can a cat, who only lives in a (small) flat, be happy?
It is totally dependent upon the age at which you adopt the cat and current environment of the cat if the cat is an adult cat.
If you are adopting an already grown up cat habituated to outside life, ...
- 4,233
9
votes
Will a single chicken ruin my lawn?
Chickens always scratch the ground while foraging for seeds, which damages the grass. If you mow the grass too short, it will be very vulnerable and the chickens may finish it off. However, if you let ...
Elmy♦
- 32.1k
8
votes
How to dissuade my cat from jumping on my bed?
Sometimes the best path is protection. A fitted sheet can be used on top of the bed, when the cat might have unsupervised access to the bed (new or gently used). This will keep the bed clean when you ...
- 29.4k
7
votes
Combined invisible fence with bark collar?
Please, please do not buy either of these products. They are illegal in many countries and are widely accepted as problematic by behavioural experts worldwide. They can cause a lot of suffering and ...
- 1,409
7
votes
Accepted
How can I deter my cat's unwelcome guest from coming inside?
I think there are a few things you can try:
If Taby seems docile (sounds like it is), consider taking it to a local vet or shelter to scan the cat and see if Taby is microchipped. If Taby has a ...
- 2,703
7
votes
Accepted
Hound/Retriever keeps escaping
Your dog needs mental and physical stimulation!
The question should not be, "how can I physically trap and contain my dog?", rather, "why is my dog doing this, and how can it be ...
- 1,528
6
votes
Accepted
How should I build a cat tree?
I think you can make something nice and reasonably cheaply, especially if you can reclaim materials (nice way of saying find usable trash). This is also based on you having access to a few basic tools,...
- 4,464
6
votes
Accepted
How to keep a cat out of a crib / bassinet
On the one hand, there is a strong possibility that once the baby (noisy stinky thing that your cat will think it is) begins to occupy the bed, the cat will no longer want anything to do with the bed. ...
- 1,477
6
votes
Accepted
What is the minimum space to keep a cat in an outdoor enclosure?
This is my answer to your question. There is no wrong/right answer to this question.
A cat needs a place where it can keep dry and comfortable, some type of house with a roof over.
It needs space to ...
- 19.5k
6
votes
Can a bunny register the dangers of falling?
You concern is valid. Rabbits can and do injury themselves jumping from too high. I suspect that besides being able to get through the rails, there is probably also space between the steps (kick ...
- 29.4k
6
votes
How to build or find poo-pass-thru flooring for rabbits that won't hurt feet with long term usage?
In short: Every material with holes big enough for poo to fall through has holes big enough for the rabbits toes to get stuck in them. This is a high risk to get trapped and struggle to get free and ...
- 5,885
6
votes
Is my hamster tank large enough?
NO
It is not much known from the wildlife of this kind of hamster. They are called winter white, because this kind has the whole year the color of the wild animals winter fur. In the wild there were ...
- 5,885
6
votes
Mouse problem, how can I attract a cat to the area?
Get a second cat.
Cats do not like change, and that includes moving them to a new place outside their known territory. Taking your farm cat to your house may not be productive since she will need days ...
- 4,128
6
votes
Hound/Retriever keeps escaping
I can only agree with Nai54's answer. If your dog escapes your yard, it doesn't mean that the dog is bad, it means that the yard doesn't fulfill the dog's needs.
A very easy way to entertain a dog is ...
Elmy♦
- 32.1k
6
votes
Accepted
When is it safe to let my cat in the house alone or at night?
Congratulations on your new cat! It sounds like she's very comfortable in your space already, and very likely is a former housecat who was either lost or abandoned. If you have a local social media ...
- 6,134
5
votes
What are some ways to increase space for cats in a small house?
Think walls!
Put up shelves all over the place, at different levels.
I know someone who made a cat high-way in the house at about 7 feet. He put up shelves at that height in most of the rooms and ...
- 662
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible