OT, Male or female cat
- Thread starter Kathy02
- Start date
Hi Kathy!
I am a former vet tech and worked in the "animal bizz" for a long time...
Male cats will NOT spray if they are neutered before they reach sexual maturity, which can start as early as 5 months, but the average age of neutering was 7-9 months--depending on the size of the kitten (size does matter here ;-)
Usually, initially, any newcomers into an established cats' home is treated like an unwanted guest. Your current kitty may resent the newbie, but in most cases, they become best buds. Kittens are pests to older animals--it is their job to taunt and annoy. They somehow charm the other pets into liking them, though. Same goes for your dog. Your dog sounds like the typical lab that thinks she is small when she is really the size of a tractor...just keep an eye on your smaller animals, and if the dog accidently gets too rough with the kitten, the kitten will definitely let the dog know who's boss.
I don't think you're crazy with the number of animals you have--I have 6 dogs and one bird. Now THAT is insane.
Enjoy!
Lisa
I am a former vet tech and worked in the "animal bizz" for a long time...
Male cats will NOT spray if they are neutered before they reach sexual maturity, which can start as early as 5 months, but the average age of neutering was 7-9 months--depending on the size of the kitten (size does matter here ;-)
Usually, initially, any newcomers into an established cats' home is treated like an unwanted guest. Your current kitty may resent the newbie, but in most cases, they become best buds. Kittens are pests to older animals--it is their job to taunt and annoy. They somehow charm the other pets into liking them, though. Same goes for your dog. Your dog sounds like the typical lab that thinks she is small when she is really the size of a tractor...just keep an eye on your smaller animals, and if the dog accidently gets too rough with the kitten, the kitten will definitely let the dog know who's boss.
I don't think you're crazy with the number of animals you have--I have 6 dogs and one bird. Now THAT is insane.
Enjoy!
Lisa
kathryn
Cathlete
Cats are self-cleaning, so unless they get into something (grease, skunk), they don't need a bath. I LOVE the smell of cat fur. Just stick your nose behind their neck and take a big wiff! Just a nice, warm fur smell. The only places they smell bad at times is their breath (some people brush their teeth...I'm too lazy) and their back end (if they just went to the pan or have gas..which many cats at the local shelter have because the food they get is not the best).
I've lived with 9 cats in my lifetime, and over that period, I've only given about 6 baths (for fleas, cat who got into oil!, and cat who just came off the streets and of unknown past).
The only other reasons for bathing a cat would be to get rid of fleas (especially on kittens) and people who are allergic, but you only need to take a damp washcloth to wipe them down and not give them a bath/shower.
What IS helpful to them is regular brushing, which can keep them from injesting too much fur and throwing up hair balls (which look more like tubes than balls to me). I found some great scalp massage brushes (for people!) in the hair care department of my local Walgreens. The cats at the shelter where I volunteer (and my own cats) LOVE these because they aren't harsh like some wire-bristle brushes can be.
I've lived with 9 cats in my lifetime, and over that period, I've only given about 6 baths (for fleas, cat who got into oil!, and cat who just came off the streets and of unknown past).
The only other reasons for bathing a cat would be to get rid of fleas (especially on kittens) and people who are allergic, but you only need to take a damp washcloth to wipe them down and not give them a bath/shower.
What IS helpful to them is regular brushing, which can keep them from injesting too much fur and throwing up hair balls (which look more like tubes than balls to me). I found some great scalp massage brushes (for people!) in the hair care department of my local Walgreens. The cats at the shelter where I volunteer (and my own cats) LOVE these because they aren't harsh like some wire-bristle brushes can be.
Hi Lisa, I haven't included that I also have a cockatiel and a Angel fish. It's getting really close to being a petting zoo over here! LOL!
So, our cats are already doing better today. The older one is starting to get close enough to sniff at the kitten. She even stays around if the kitten is in my lap so I can pet her too. But she still growls every now and then. It's not as loud as it was the first night though.
Kathy
So, our cats are already doing better today. The older one is starting to get close enough to sniff at the kitten. She even stays around if the kitten is in my lap so I can pet her too. But she still growls every now and then. It's not as loud as it was the first night though.
Kathy
Lisa, I beg to differ
>Male cats will NOT spray if they are neutered before they
>reach sexual maturity, which can start as early as 5 months,
>but the average age of neutering was 7-9 months--depending on
>the size of the kitten (size does matter here ;-)
I have a male cat who was neutered at the shelter when 12 weeks old. He definitely sprays! It's not all the time, just when for some reason he feels his territory is threatened. We brought in a fan to help ventiulate an area where the carpet got very wet, and chemicals created nasty odors ( loooong story ). The fan was kept in my grandma's garage where a neighborhood ( neutered ) male had access to it. Max apparently considered this an invasion, and sprayed the heck out of the fan and surrounding area. It was nasty! Once we got the fan out and the spray neutralized, he was fine and didn't do it again. It wasn't the 1st time he did something like that. Sadly it probably won't be the last. It's a good thing he's so darn cute! }(
So, anyone know of any reason for why he periodically pees in my daughter's high chair? ARGH!
>Male cats will NOT spray if they are neutered before they
>reach sexual maturity, which can start as early as 5 months,
>but the average age of neutering was 7-9 months--depending on
>the size of the kitten (size does matter here ;-)
I have a male cat who was neutered at the shelter when 12 weeks old. He definitely sprays! It's not all the time, just when for some reason he feels his territory is threatened. We brought in a fan to help ventiulate an area where the carpet got very wet, and chemicals created nasty odors ( loooong story
). The fan was kept in my grandma's garage where a neighborhood ( neutered ) male had access to it. Max apparently considered this an invasion, and sprayed the heck out of the fan and surrounding area. It was nasty! Once we got the fan out and the spray neutralized, he was fine and didn't do it again. It wasn't the 1st time he did something like that. Sadly it probably won't be the last. It's a good thing he's so darn cute! }( So, anyone know of any reason for why he periodically pees in my daughter's high chair? ARGH!
kathryn
Cathlete
RE: Lisa, I beg to differ
>So, anyone know of any reason for why he periodically pees in
>my daughter's high chair? ARGH!
Well,since we can't ask him directly (we could, I suppose, but I don't think he'd tell us), I'd say it could be jealousy (he wants the attention you are giving to your daughter)? Try to keep track of when he does it, and what was going on right at the time (especially dynamics between you and your daughter, or you and the cat, or your daughter and the cat).
>So, anyone know of any reason for why he periodically pees in
>my daughter's high chair? ARGH!
Well,since we can't ask him directly (we could, I suppose, but I don't think he'd tell us), I'd say it could be jealousy (he wants the attention you are giving to your daughter)? Try to keep track of when he does it, and what was going on right at the time (especially dynamics between you and your daughter, or you and the cat, or your daughter and the cat).
kathryn
Cathlete
>So, our cats are already doing better today. The older one is
>starting to get close enough to sniff at the kitten. She even
>stays around if the kitten is in my lap so I can pet her too.
>But she still growls every now and then. It's not as loud as
>it was the first night though.
Kathy,
That's very good progress, and I would take it as a sign that they may become very good friends in no time at all! I'm sure it helps that you can give them both attention at the same time (the petting). I've also read that it's important to keep contact with the original cat even when you are giving attention to the new cat (by talking to her while you pet the new guy, saying her name). I even do that when my oldest ("mama's boy") cat, who is very jealous, gives the evil eye to another cat I'm giving attention to. I start talking to him, and the homicidal (felicidal?) look in his eyes turns into a friendlier look!
>starting to get close enough to sniff at the kitten. She even
>stays around if the kitten is in my lap so I can pet her too.
>But she still growls every now and then. It's not as loud as
>it was the first night though.
Kathy,
That's very good progress, and I would take it as a sign that they may become very good friends in no time at all! I'm sure it helps that you can give them both attention at the same time (the petting). I've also read that it's important to keep contact with the original cat even when you are giving attention to the new cat (by talking to her while you pet the new guy, saying her name). I even do that when my oldest ("mama's boy") cat, who is very jealous, gives the evil eye to another cat I'm giving attention to. I start talking to him, and the homicidal (felicidal?) look in his eyes turns into a friendlier look!