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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 23 of 23. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by emmanuel98 on September 18, 2011, at 18:12:46
Three weeks ago, my husband brought home a pair a kittens from the animal shelter. At first we locked them in a room to keep them safe, especially from the banisters from which they could fall a long distance. We visited their room frequently. The male, at first, hid under a desk and would not come out to be petted, but the female was very affectionate.
Now they are out all the time. The male has become very social. But at night I have to close my bedroom door because otherwise the male will spend half the night walking all over me. He will put is nose up to my nose to wake me up, so that I pet him.
I feel guilty for closing them off like this, but they are so social and want so much affection, that it's impossible to read or be on the computer or nap or sleep. I had never had pets before. Is it okay to close them out like this. They seem okay with one another. They don't cry. And they will actually sleep in my husband's bed and stay still through the night. Just me, for some reason, they want to wake up.
Posted by Solstice on September 18, 2011, at 19:58:46
In reply to Kittens, posted by emmanuel98 on September 18, 2011, at 18:12:46
If they use the litter box and don't tear things up - I'd just close my bedroom door at night so they can't wake me up. How old are they now? They are young, so are likely quite active. Kittens (and cats) can make games out of just about anything! I wouldn't worry about them hurting themselves. Kittens/cats are exquisitely agile, and have an uncanny ability to right themselves and land on their feet. If you keep them indoors, you'll probably soon see what I mean. I had a cat that loved to get on the top of the refrigerator and crouch under the overhead cabinet. It's like he thought he was in a secret place, watching everything going on. I never actually saw how he got up there, I'd just find him there. I had another one that would jump up on these wire shelves I have in the laundry room - where I'd fold and put the kids' clothes. That's where she liked to sleep - and she was pretty small when she started jumping up there :-) We called her Brat - she was such a comical cat.
I'd encourage the socialization with humans. It's a lovely trait for a cat to have. They'll probably eventually settle down.. and it's wonderful to have a cat that likes to curl up against you (or on you) while you watch TV or read. Right now they want to play - but the crazy-kitten stage won't last too long.. and you want to be left with a cat that really likes his humans.
Solstice
Posted by emmanuel98 on September 18, 2011, at 21:15:40
In reply to Re: Kittens » emmanuel98, posted by Solstice on September 18, 2011, at 19:58:46
Thanks. They're twelve weeks old today. They'v become almost unbelievably social, more like dogs than cats. They always want to be in the same room as my husband or I and will crawl all over us or soemtimes (when they're tired) just hang out on our laps or shoulders. I don't want to discourage this by locking them out of my room, but sometimes they drive me nuts.
Posted by Solstice on September 18, 2011, at 22:46:55
In reply to Re: Kittens, posted by emmanuel98 on September 18, 2011, at 21:15:40
> Thanks. They're twelve weeks old today. They'v become almost unbelievably social, more like dogs than cats. They always want to be in the same room as my husband or I and will crawl all over us or soemtimes (when they're tired) just hang out on our laps or shoulders. I don't want to discourage this by locking them out of my room, but sometimes they drive me nuts.
It won't discourage their sociability if you prevent them from waking you up during the night. They'll hang out with you when you're awake.. and probably get a better 'you' if you get your sleep. I don't know about you, but I get pretty cranky if my sleep gets interrupted a bunch.
You'll probably really enjoy them when they get a little older. Two of my cats, I used to say that they were dogs in cat bodies :-)
Solstice
Posted by floatingbridge on September 19, 2011, at 0:13:26
In reply to Kittens, posted by emmanuel98 on September 18, 2011, at 18:12:46
e, this brings back memories of my cats, kittens, a boy and a girl the same age.
I recall locking them out of our room some nights so the wouldn't romp across the bed, chasing each other while we slept. Our kitties had a very different idea of what night was for than we did.
One, the male, would go to the foot of our bed, stand underneath the covers kicked loose during the night and playfully bat our toes around 6:00 a.m. It was a shocking way to wake up.
Awww. I hope you and your husband have so much fun and comfort with them. And while the kitten thing is zany, it can also be taxing (at least for me) at times. Thing is, they mature so quickly, I find myself still returning to the memories of some of their hijinks. Have fun. :-). Good advice, I think, from Sol.
Catnip?
Posted by ron1953 on September 19, 2011, at 11:29:04
In reply to Re: Kittens » emmanuel98, posted by floatingbridge on September 19, 2011, at 0:13:26
My guess as to why they wake you up instead of your husband: you're the one who feeds them. You should enjoy the kitten stage as much as you can while it lasts. As full-grown cats, they will most likely not be nearly as annoying as when they were young, and may even have quite different personalities as adults. From my personal experience, most adult cats are quite aloof compared with kittenhood.
And relax, dogs and cats can be rather annoying and have to be cordoned off from time to time; it's not harmful. In fact, it may be good trining for when you're away from home.
Posted by emmanuel98 on September 19, 2011, at 21:09:56
In reply to Re: Kittens, posted by ron1953 on September 19, 2011, at 11:29:04
oddly it's my husband who feeds them. The male crawls all over me while I'm on the computer and I keep peeling him off, but, of course, unlike a dog, he doesn't learn or care. But tonight I said to him, I'm going to have to put you out. And he stopped. Laid next to me and let me pet him. Did he understand? Cats are interesting creatures.
Posted by floatingbridge on September 19, 2011, at 21:24:55
In reply to Re: Kittens, posted by emmanuel98 on September 19, 2011, at 21:09:56
>Cats are interesting creatures.
Aren't they? Are they your first? The male sounds like a love bug. I had a sweet boy once. He lived to be 17. Saw him jump from a still stand to the top of our refrigerator once.
Amazing.
You know they have a different skeletal system than most mammals? I think that their joints are fluid as in not as mechanically fixed as ours (or dogs). Wish I could recall the proper terminology....
Posted by emmanuel98 on September 20, 2011, at 19:43:34
In reply to Re: Kittens » emmanuel98, posted by floatingbridge on September 19, 2011, at 21:24:55
I've never had a pet before. They're great. The female has just figured out how to jump from the top of the kitchen chair to the countertop, which is dangerous, because she can walk over the stove and sink. We moved the chairs, but it didn't matter. She just figured out how to jump further. I said to my husband that all this means is we will have to stay in the kitchen when something is simmering on the stovetop.
They are almost unbearably cute. I was angry at my husband when he announced that he had unilaterally adopted kittens, but now I worry about them and talk to them. Today I got home from work and laid down on my back on the couch and they both fell asleep on top of me. I was afraid to move and disturb them. But it was so relaxing, I felt like I had taken a valium
Posted by ron1953 on September 21, 2011, at 14:14:33
In reply to Re: Kittens, posted by emmanuel98 on September 20, 2011, at 19:43:34
A squirt of water is a good way to help train the cats on what not to do. I think being on countertops and tables should be discouraged. Keep a spray bottle or water pistol handy at all times.
Posted by Dinah on September 21, 2011, at 23:07:15
In reply to Re: Kittens, posted by emmanuel98 on September 20, 2011, at 19:43:34
Pet therapy is the best sort.
Posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 1:11:50
In reply to Re: Kittens, posted by ron1953 on September 21, 2011, at 14:14:33
> A squirt of water is a good way to help train the cats on what not to do. I think being on countertops and tables should be discouraged. Keep a spray bottle or water pistol handy at all times.
I've done this when desperate. But my experience is that all it teaches that cat is either to not jump up when you're around or to not jump up when you're around and have the water pistol handy. At this point I think I'd only use it for an urgent situation like breaking up a fight.
Posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 1:47:36
In reply to Re: Kittens » emmanuel98, posted by floatingbridge on September 19, 2011, at 0:13:26
> One, the male, would go to the foot of our bed, stand underneath the covers kicked loose during the night and playfully bat our toes around 6:00 a.m. It was a shocking way to wake up.
Oh! That brings back memories of my cat's younger days. When I got her I'd been catless for years and therefore forgotten certain cat basics. The very first night I was lying in bed starting to fall asleep when there was a sudden motion, a weight on my feet, and the feeling of millions of little claws (ok 3 or 4) piercing the sheet and then my feet. My instinctive jerk (and screech) thrilled her. Every night after that I'd lie in bed in absolute torment trying not to move my feet even an inch because she was lurking there just waiting to start the game again.
A decade later she takes a halfhearted swipe at my feet maybe once a year at most. For old times sake I guess. And since it's so rare I indulge her by deliberately moving them around as tantalizingly as I can.
In the early years thick covers over my feet helped a lot.
Posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 2:16:13
In reply to Re: Kittens, posted by emmanuel98 on September 20, 2011, at 19:43:34
> I've never had a pet before. They're great. The female has just figured out how to jump from the top of the kitchen chair to the countertop, which is dangerous, because she can walk over the stove and sink. We moved the chairs, but it didn't matter. She just figured out how to jump further. I said to my husband that all this means is we will have to stay in the kitchen when something is simmering on the stovetop.
>
> They are almost unbearably cute. I was angry at my husband when he announced that he had unilaterally adopted kittens, but now I worry about them and talk to them. Today I got home from work and laid down on my back on the couch and they both fell asleep on top of me. I was afraid to move and disturb them. But it was so relaxing, I felt like I had taken a valium
Cats are really wonderful that way. I think part of what makes it so magical is that they're so obviously relaxed by being with us too. It's flattering and addictive.But they do get into places they shouldn't - especially when they are young. It's like having a toddler that can reach up to the ceiling. I swear kittens can levitate. If you have breakables around the house that you love you may want to put them away for a few months.
I worry about my stove/countertop too. I try to minimize attractions up there. I keep the tasty houseplants somewhere else. And I put her down whenever I catch her. I try to be careful nothing on the stove can be knocked over. And since my electric stove stays hot so long I put a pot of cold water over any hot burner while it cools down to block it.
As other people have said it's fine to lock them out of your bedroom at night. When they are older they may even be able to learn not to go wild while you're sleeping. And it's fine to lock them out when you're working or concentrating as long as that's not most of the time. They won't suffer since they have each other but you don't want them learning to do without you either. And you'd be amazed how quickly you learn to type while arching your wrists around a cat. Or hunching one shoulder up to make a better perch. And lifting up the tail that blocks that one part of the screen you need to see will become almost automatic. So will saving your work often after the first 3 or 4 times they sit on the delete key. :-)
Have you discovered free cat toys yet? Crumpled junk mail. Uncrumpled non junk mail. Paper grocery bags. Shoe boxes or any other kind of boxes. Milk jug caps. Pens. Wristwatches. The jewelry that you just put down for a minute. Even cell phones. (A flashlight for checking under furniture helps.)
I wouldn't trade my grown up cat for the world but I envy you your kittens too.
Posted by floatingbridge on September 22, 2011, at 8:41:44
In reply to Re: Kittens » emmanuel98, posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 2:16:13
Oh, Jane, everything you wrote brings back such memories.
Yes, the feet thing became such a habit with our male kitten. He did outgrow it. I had a certain skirt I worn then that triggered him to bat it, tiny claws out. It was exasperating. I stopped wearing the skirt. I don't think I would make the same accommodations for a dog, but dogs require different concessions.
We had one cat toy that we bought. It was cheap and like a thin fishing rod with corrugated cardboard dangling from the end. We would whip it through the air and the male, when he was an adolescent, would do real back flips trying to bat the end.
We did find the corrugated cat scratchers one places on the floor invaluable in saving our furniture. Do you know the ones I mean?
Posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 9:03:05
In reply to Re: Kittens » jane d, posted by floatingbridge on September 22, 2011, at 8:41:44
> We had one cat toy that we bought. It was cheap and like a thin fishing rod with corrugated cardboard dangling from the end. We would whip it through the air and the male, when he was an adolescent, would do real back flips trying to bat the end.
>
> We did find the corrugated cat scratchers one places on the floor invaluable in saving our furniture. Do you know the ones I mean?I do like the fishing rod toys. Any my cat is a sucker for the little fur toy mice. We play catch with them. I forgot about string with a big knot tied in the end in the free list. Something about those knots....
I have a couple of the cardboard things. They are great. Though they haven't saved the furniture. But then my furniture isn't really worth caring about. Emmanuel - these are great. They are flat - about 10 x 24 x 2 inches tall at a guess. And they are made of what looks like a gigantic piece of corrugated cardboard sliced off and placed so the corrugated end is up. Cats love to scratch all the little holes and they often come with catnip you can drop into the holes to drive them even crazier.
Posted by floatingbridge on September 22, 2011, at 9:37:29
In reply to Re: Kittens, posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 9:03:05
> > We had one cat toy that we bought. It was cheap and like a thin fishing rod with corrugated cardboard dangling from the end. We would whip it through the air and the male, when he was an adolescent, would do real back flips trying to bat the end.
> >
> > We did find the corrugated cat scratchers one places on the floor invaluable in saving our furniture. Do you know the ones I mean?
>
> I do like the fishing rod toys. Any my cat is a sucker for the little fur toy mice. We play catch with them. I forgot about string with a big knot tied in the end in the free list. Something about those knots....
>
> I have a couple of the cardboard things. They are great. Though they haven't saved the furniture. But then my
furniture isn't really worth caring about. Emmanuel - these are great. They are flat - about 10 x 24 x 2 inches tall at a guess. And they are made of what looks like a gigantic piece of corrugated cardboard sliced off and placed so the corrugated end is up. Cats love to scratch all the little holes and they often come with catnip you can drop into the holes to drive them even crazier.Jane, I did edit out the earthier details from our experience with the cardboard floor cat scratchers, which I highly recommend. Our male cat, when we would sprinkle the catnip into the scratcher would eventually urinate on to it. Just that scratcher. No where else. We could only figure he was so overcome that he would mark it as his own.
So we went through them a bit more quickly than the average household. I think he was eccentric that way and does not represent the average cat. So don't worry, e!
Posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 11:49:11
In reply to Re: Kittens » jane d, posted by floatingbridge on September 22, 2011, at 9:37:29
> Jane, I did edit out the earthier details from our experience with the cardboard floor cat scratchers, which I highly recommend. Our male cat, when we would sprinkle the catnip into the scratcher would eventually urinate on to it. Just that scratcher. No where else. We could only figure he was so overcome that he would mark it as his own.
>
> So we went through them a bit more quickly than the average household. I think he was eccentric that way and does not represent the average cat. So don't worry, e!
>Well I think the catnip isn't really necessary with those. While my cat doesn't do that she's such a catnip fiend that I limit it. I worry she'll fall off the furniture when stoned if not supervised.
Posted by floatingbridge on September 22, 2011, at 13:39:48
In reply to Re: Kittens » floatingbridge, posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 11:49:11
Jane, I had a boy cat who would get mean when he got stoned--whatever it is that catnip does to most cats. We'd give him his catnip in a separate, out of the way room, or else he'd fight the other cats, steal their stash, and bat at nearby human ankles, claws extended.
He was something. All black. When the vet would give him his shots, they had a special protocol. Two people would hold him down, count to four, inject him, then in unison let go and back away. He'd turn wild, snarling and writhing on the table. A first for our vets. He was a cat though, liked to be stroked, liked his little favorite spots in the sun. Just wild.
Posted by fayeroe on September 23, 2011, at 0:18:39
In reply to Kittens, posted by emmanuel98 on September 18, 2011, at 18:12:46
Posted by 10derheart on September 23, 2011, at 3:22:01
In reply to Re: Kittens..so glad you got two to play together! (nm) » emmanuel98, posted by fayeroe on September 23, 2011, at 0:18:39
Posted by Solstice on September 23, 2011, at 10:18:21
In reply to Re: Squirting cats, posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 1:11:50
> > A squirt of water is a good way to help train the cats on what not to do. I think being on countertops and tables should be discouraged. Keep a spray bottle or water pistol handy at all times.
>
> I've done this when desperate. But my experience is that all it teaches that cat is either to not jump up when you're around or to not jump up when you're around and have the water pistol handy. At this point I think I'd only use it for an urgent situation like breaking up a fight.Yeah.. I've never found water squirting to be very effective either.
Here are some alternatives:
1. There are commercially made cat repellants. The avoid certain odors. Citrus is one of them. Maybe you could keep a bowl of stuff on your table and include a lemon or lime, opening it.
2. Cats are very picky about what they put their feet on. You *could* cover your table with strips of tape that is sticky side up. Maybe leave spots on the edge big enough for a plate (so you csn keep using it). After the cat has done that a time or two, they'll avoid the table like crazy. You just have to leave the tape up long enough for the cat to try it when you are, and aren't there - I'd say a couple of weeks- and then take it off gradually - around the edges first and work toward the middle. Maybe leave some tape hanging off the side of the table will startle his memory about what might be up there if he jumps :-)
4. Works in flower gardens too. Broken up pine cones will keep neighborhood cats from using your garden as a litter box. I use lava rocks that lay amongst my plants. Cats hate the hard, rough and pointy surface.
Posted by Solstice on September 23, 2011, at 10:32:22
In reply to Re: Kittens » emmanuel98, posted by jane d on September 22, 2011, at 2:16:13
> I worry about my stove/countertop too. I try to minimize attractions up there. I keep the tasty houseplants somewhere else. And I put her down whenever I catch her. I try to be careful nothing on the stove can be knocked over. And since my electric stove stays hot so long I put a pot of cold water over any hot burner while it cools down to block it.I really doubt a cat would even attempt to get on something hot. Their senses are much more acute than ours - and I've just never experienced or heard of a a cat jumping onto an operating stove top.
> As other people have said it's fine to lock them out of your bedroom at night. When they are older they may even be able to learn not to go wild while you're sleeping.I think uninterrputed sleep at night = better cat-mom. If you kind of like their early morning shennanigans, when you first awaken you could let them in and get back in bed, so they (and you) can enjoy a prolonged waking period with kittens nibbling your toes and nuzzling your ear :-)
And yes, after they get through kittenhood, they will sleep as much, or longer, than you - and won't be inclined to disrupt anybody's sleep.
> And you'd be amazed how quickly you learn to type while arching your wrists around a cat. Or hunching one shoulder up to make a better perch. And lifting up the tail that blocks that one part of the screen you need to see will become almost automatic. So will saving your work often after the first 3 or 4 times they sit on the delete key. :-)Ha!! You are so right! I don't know - maybe it's seeing the activity of fingers typing, or seeing your attention so devoted to a screen that makes it so irresistable to them :-)
> Have you discovered free cat toys yet? Crumpled junk mail. Uncrumpled non junk mail. Paper grocery bags. Shoe boxes or any other kind of boxes. Milk jug caps. Pens. Wristwatches. The jewelry that you just put down for a minute. Even cell phones. (A flashlight for checking under furniture helps.)
My cats' favorite 'free toys' are bags and boxes. Bring home groceries in paper bags, or get something from amazon, an it's *party time* !!Solstice
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