38
votes
My old cat died and I don't know how to deal with it
Loss of a pet, for some people can be no different than losing a family member. The effect may be more intensely felt by children and teenagers compared to adults. Therefore, grieving after a pet is ...
- 4,774
21
votes
Can two cats live in one room?
You have a cat, you both are going to be working more and you have an allergic roommate? I'm sorry, but are you sure it's a good idea to get a second cat?
I understand it looks like choosing between ...
- 311
18
votes
Should a puppy with its first vaccinations meet a dog that’s not fully vaccinated?
I'm sorry but the answer is no, you shouldn't have them meet yet. In fact, non-vaccinated young puppies should be kept away from other dogs as much as possible until they have received all of their ...
- 1,566
18
votes
Accepted
Do stray mother cats hate their kittens after they grew up?
This is natural behavior for cats. The kittens are now old enough to live on their own and the mother chases them away for several reasons:
This is the territory of the mother. If she doesn't chase ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
17
votes
Can two cats live in one room?
It’s a difficult question; neither choice is clearly right or wrong.
I would lean toward getting him a friend now, and the same age or younger. The smaller the newcomer, the less your existing cat ...
- 4,148
14
votes
Can two cats live in one room?
I wouldn't recommend it.
The advice on how much space you need per cat is pretty variable, from one bedroom per cat to various square footage per cat. And even then, you might have trouble with ...
- 16.3k
13
votes
Why are my tomcats leaving me?
Because that is the natural behavior of cats. A cat family will not live together after the kittens grow up.
The reason is that every cat wants to have their own territory, especially the male cats. ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
9
votes
Can two cats live in one room?
Strongly advise against it. Cats need space. Research how much territory a cat has in nature (male and female differ a great deal here) and you'll realize just how tiny even a large house is to a cat'...
- 593
9
votes
Accepted
My old cat died and I don't know how to deal with it
I acknowledge you are hurting.
"Dealing" with Bee's death amounts to staring in the face the unavoidable (and unbearably cruel) fact of life that those we love die, and eventually we ...
- 106
8
votes
Male kitten (7 months) attacking female kitten (3 months)
Cats are very territorial creatures, and while they can (and do) form social bonds with other cats, they don't naturally live in social groups in the same way that dogs do in packs. When Pablo sprays ...
- 5,480
8
votes
Accepted
Which pets should populate the house first?
I think the most important aspect here is: Supervise all contacts between both groups of pets.
In my experience it doesn't matter which pet was where first. What matters is how each individual reacts ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
7
votes
Accepted
my cats won't play together (not neutered or spayed)
There are some things to consider when having a multi-cat household, especially if she's never grown up with other cats.
1) Make sure they each have their separate food and water dishes, place water ...
- 12.6k
7
votes
My dog tries to eat my chickens and fights with my cat
You need to be aware that German Shepherd dogs are working animals. They are bred to herd animals, protect farms from intruders and help police officers and soldiers with their duties. These are no ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
7
votes
Found our indoor cat after two months. Why do our other cats hiss when they see him? They were best of buddies for three years
Cats identify each other by scent a lot more than by sight, and after a cat has been gone for two months he will have picked up a different smell that the other cats do not know.
One can often see ...
- 19.6k
7
votes
My old cat died and I don't know how to deal with it
Others have answered what to do, and what to avoid from others; and also what is happening, and that it has to happen. I can't offer anything over what they've said about that. But I would like to ...
- 171
7
votes
How to help my cat with severe anxiety that I may have caused?
First let me address your former behavior. Yes, that is considered abuse. It's very good that you yourself identify it as abuse, as well. That shows a level of self-reflection and understanding that ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
6
votes
Struvite crystals
To prevent crystals stay on the veterinary diet your vet recommended. I've had people complain that it's expensive and go back to superstore cat food only to return with another blockage. These diets ...
- 12.6k
6
votes
How to punish an aggressive misbehaving puppy?
3 months old is really young. It sounds like she has a lot of energy, which is normal for a puppy of her age, and wants to play with everyone. The problem is that she doesn't understand what ...
- 71
6
votes
my cats won't play together (not neutered or spayed)
Being that both cats are not neutered, the need for more space between them is greater than if they were. I agree with all of the suggestions made by @RebeccaRVT, but keep in mind they might not do ...
- 3,027
6
votes
Why do my two cats use one litter box for pooping and the other for peeing?
Wild guess -- the boxes are side by side? My friend had the same situation as you do. One day she sent me an unrelated photo, and I saw her litter boxes side by side. Cats view side by side boxes as ...
- 101
6
votes
Accepted
Small dog is scared of my cat
You should show him that nothing bad happens when he's close to the cat. One approach that worked well for me was to sit down with the scared animal (in your case the dog) and pet it. Then call the ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
6
votes
Does my dog want to play with the cat, or kill it?
What you describe is not a wish to kill. As you correctly guessed, it's a natural interest in another living creature and maybe a wish to play.
Signs that your dog wanted to kill the cat
She wouldn't ...
Elmy♦
- 33.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Can two male neutered cats stay together?
Cats are not small dogs and can't be treated the same way; where dogs are generally social with one another, adaptable, and can easily be moved between locations for petsitting and quickly introduced ...
- 6,487
6
votes
New cat absolutely wants to get out of safe room, but doesn't get along with resident yet
Cats are intensely territorial, and an unknown (and much larger) predator has invaded your resident kitten’s territory. He/she is scared and angry, but probably mostly scared. Hissing is a way for a ...
- 4,148
5
votes
Older male cat being very aggressive with younger female cat
So, my guess is Mr. Old Grouch feels threatened. Some of it could be his age; a bit of dementia creeping in. Miss Kitty is threatened as well, obviously with all the "terror."
Not much can be done ...
- 1,210
5
votes
How do I help my adult cat accept the young dog?
I had to handle the introduction of a small cat to a big dog. Now I am introducing that cat, that is grown-up, to a puppy.
The trick, from what I got, is slow and controlled introductions.
Always ...
- 253
5
votes
I'm moving and have stray cat I don't want to leave behind. But he won't come inside at all
The fact that he never comes inside makes me suspect that he has a home somewhere else. If the cat doesn't enter your house, then I don't think it considers itself to be living with you. Taking the ...
- 5,626
5
votes
How large of a space do cats need before being introduced to full house?
It depends on the cat.
In our case, we took in two very shy cats who had little experience with being a house pet (they were freshly retrained feral cats - but "feral" is really not ...
- 5,626
5
votes
How to deal with a "hell hound"?
I would strongly advice to search for professional help. Reading through your text displayed a multitude of red flags and showing a lack of proper understanding for your dog's behavior.
For example, ...
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible