pets

[slam]

so, who else has pets out there? what kind? what are their names?

laina and i recently got an adulty kitty named neruda. it's been like 15 years since i've had a pet. i used to have severe cat/dog allergies, but it seems i'm outgrowing my allergies.

i like having a cat. it's good to have some company while i work at home. i like dogs (sometimes), but they always seem to need more attention than cats.

also, is it necessary to bathe cats? how often? any tips for us when we clip her nails soon?

[zero2056]

We have a cat.

It has no official name, and is most often referenced as Kitty.

Due to its lurking about it was once called Smeagol, general assholishness, it was called Satan, and its body type (Gordito - which means little fat boy in spanish).

When it trips me in the morning its typically known as asshole, muthafuckah', or piece-o-shit.

I've never once tried to give a cat a bath.

[whyvon29]

I have 3 cats and a dog. One cat is an old man. He's 16 or 17, named Wolfie, and the Grandpa of the group. Cranky, too. I also have two 1 year old kitties (a brother and a sister) named Sophie and Sebastian. I say kitties because they still act like kittens and probably will for at least another year. Last but not least I have a five month old puppy named Max. He is the cutest thing. Smaller than the cats, for now, a mutt, very smart, very loving, absolutely adorable. And yes, he gets along with the kitties. Except the old man, Wolfie, who hates him. :)

I don't give my cats a bath unless the have fleas or something which has only happened once. They are pretty clean animals and are always grooming themselves.

If your cat has claws, which mine do, I recommend cutting the nails every month or so. If they get too long they can get stuck in the carpet, curtains, your leg, etc. You run the risk of them getting caught by their nails and freaking out when they can't get it free. So trim them fairly often.

Good luck with the cat! Dogs are more work but also lots of fun. ;-)

[paul]

I have a zoo at my house. I've given my cats baths a few times when shedding was really bad, but it was hard and didn't help that much. Brushing your cat will help catch the fur before it sheds on the floor. Other than that, no need to bathe or anything.

[slam]

I have a zoo at my house.

yeah, what's the count now paul? 4 cats, 3 dogs, 2 rats (?), 1 turtle, 1 rabbit... am i missing anyone? :>

[hasslehound]

I have 2 chinchillas named Pico and Bear. They are pretty good apartment pets, and live a lot longer than a gerbil or hamster or some bullshit like that. They are both about 7 years old.

[paul]

yeah, what's the count now paul? 4 cats, 3 dogs, 2 rats (?), 1 turtle, 1 rabbit... am i missing anyone? :>

Um, actually 6 cats, plus Brownie, the rat. :monkey: :dog: :pinkelephant: :llama:

[paul]

I have 2 chinchillas named Pico and Bear.

That's actually really weird, because I have two sister cats named Nico and Bear.

[thatsmyDJ]

Our crack russell terror, Maggie. She's a frisbee pro.

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[Soul Queen]

Nice pict!
We have 2 kitties. I used to bath them about once a year but its not necessary. We did it to help with shedding purposes. I have some tips if you need them. Overall kitties are pretty clean.

I can't imagine not having pets.

[Ag Au]

we got a kitten this july and his name is helios. he is pretty cute, and definately a kitten. he thinks he is our gardener, and has been helping us with our apparent plant problem. zzz (he also really loves to help me type.)
i just picked him up from being boarded for the last few days while we were out of town, and i think they fed him crack while we were gone. he has been extra rambunctious and spilled our bamboo (which used to live in a pot) and its water all over the floor just a few minutes ago. so CUTE!!
he was pretty dusty and a little stinky since returning so b and i will be giving him a bath tonight. it will be his third in his short life. we are not adverse to helping him get clean. i think it will taper off as he gets older and starts taking more pride in his appearance, and stops getting on our soldering table, which means instant bath. too many chemicals that could have touched him there. but it is a two person job when we have the luxury.
and b keeps his nails trimmed bi-monthly. he is still at the "i will climb up you" stage, which short nails helps curb. only the front nails though, the backs get clipped probably about once a month.
oh look, he's sleeping now. i hope this lasts a bit!

[The Girl]

LH and I have one cat, Daisy, or as we like to call her Senior Delgato (yes, we know that is male ... tense??). She just doesn't look like a Daisy. Anyway, like most other pet owners on the board here, we think she is the best cat ever in the history of the planet. We got her from the Anti Cruelty Society. She was estimated to be about 2 years when we got her and we've had her for 2 years. She's very sweet. We don't bathe her but we do trim her nails. Usually for us it's a tag team effort, mostly because we are squeamish - not because trimming nails is a difficult task. One things about cats is they really pick up on your mood, so if you are calm, they will be calm. We've thought about getting another cat, but since she's been the sole kitty for two years, we're not sure how she would adapt to a companion. Also, she is extremely (!!) docile and a big lap cat. She follows us around from room to room and bascially uses us like furniture, so I wonder if maybe she wouldn't like a friend? My girlfriend Julie says I am reading too much into it - trying to attach human traits to her, so I'm not sure. Thoughts about a second cat and tips for incorporating one into your home (our place is about 1200 square ft)?

[Soul Queen]

I've always had kitties in pairs. I think they need companionship when I'm away at work.

If you have had your cat for awhile, and if you introduce a new kitty, you may (probably) will run into growling and hissing for around 2-3 weeks. When I first got Cinnamon, she was a tini tiny baby and my other kitty took to her right away. In a mothering sort of way. It was cute. If she thought Cinnamon was eating too much she would pick her up by her scruff and carry her away.

However, when we got our new kitty, Cinnamon did not like the company and is still a little resentful. She's okay now, but there was a month adjustment. She hissed alot and I thought she was going to traumatize the new kitten. Luckily, Lex is pretty resilient. They play with one another.

It's hard to say what the transition will be like. It all depends on the temperament of the cats.

Now that being said, I have another theory that the number of cats should never out number the people in the house. At that point it becomes cat house instead of your apartment and they rule the roost so to speak. Whyvon or Paul may have some thoughts if they think that is true. The one time I had 3 at a time it was constant kitty disaster!:ferret:

[bubz_bluez]

nice faret soulqueen

bubz