Stephen Tashi said:
So she's long haired. Does she have thick legs and big feet? I'm cat sitting such a cat - a Norwegian Forrest cat. They are very talkative.
I doubt TV will keep a cat company. Cats have exceptional hearing. It might mask sounds that disturb her if there are any.
Does she have a good "perch" in front of a window? Most cats like to look out windows, especially if they can see other animals outside. Don't open the window unless you're sure she won't claw through the screen. The ideal window perch would also be a place where she would feel hidden.
She doesn't have thick legs or big feet, and other than one yelp when she ran from the sound of heat (take
that thermodynamics) she's never said a single word.
I bought a simple cat cave with a bed on top the day I got her and placed it next to the window part of the sliding glass door that leads to the patio. I have chipmunks that run through there so she should be entertained.
Math Is Hard said:
Hey Flex, have you seen these Cat Exercise Wheels? I always wanted to build one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_2qYNadEYg&feature=related
Hmm, no... looks more like someone's cray idea for perpetual motion. "You just put the cat in here..."
AlephZero said:
Cats are naturally nocturnal animals. Given warmth and shelter, they are quite content to sleep all day.
Pixel will soon figure out where is the warmest place in the apartment (apart from yourself!), at which point your best option for a quiet life is just let her "live" there and reorganize the rest of the house for human use.
She hasn't really picked a place. I've decided the sound of the front door frightens her. I can usually find her hiding upstairs under a wooden plank (not comfy or cozy, and not even well protected), or under my bed (well protected, but doesn't seem comfy, maybe cozy). She'll come trotting out though if she realizes its me walking around. If I'm around, then her favorite place is either on the stairs, in front of the TV, or
directly under my feet.
rhody said:
I wouldn't sweat the TV or radio, Flex, Aleph is right, being left alone they alternate between sleeping and eating and patrolling their territory, that's their job and they are damn good at it. If you have any bugs or crawly things scurrying about, you won't for long. Don't forget about changing the litter with a scoop to filter it every two days, you want to start on a good foot. Be aware of things that might disagree with her. My cat eats dry food, dry treats with occasional table scraps, small amounts. Since she is long haired, think about hairball food as well, you will find them about when she coughs them up. Not to worry, no big deal. As for toys, stuff you make and invent is just as good as store bought stuff. I made an aluminum ball out of tin foil and get a lot of mileage out of that.
I left the radio on today. She just enjoys watching TV with me so much that I can't help but think she gets something out of it. I ordered some Baby Einstein DVDs for her (kidding). If I sit down for Dirty Jobs, she'll come to my lap for some petting, but ultimately set up camp on the arm of the chair and just watch. She doesn't attack the screen, or get startled by noises... she just watches. We watched the whole lightning-rod-installer episode together.
I've been cleaning her box after every, uh, incident. She's very polite about not scattering the litter everywhere, so I try to be polite about keeping it clean for her. I wouldn't want to use a half-flushed toilet; especially if I had to stand in it to use it. Besides, she's just barely learning to use it (at 4 months old) so I don't want to give her any excuse not to.
She
looooooves her ball. An aluminum foil ball might even be better! I have a video of us playing fetch that I'll share in my next post.
rhody said:
She will sharpen her little claws on carpets, etc... you can't stop it, usually when she is having a cat crazy moment when running around the house like being chased or chasing an imaginary predator. A loud "No" with a stomp of your foot will usually stop the scratching. I have posts where she can scratch if she wants. You can buy trimmers to trim the needle sharp claws, but if she is going outdoors I would suggest not doing it. That is her only form of defense, in addition to being able to launch herself four feet off the ground when frightened. I know people who have declawed their cats. I think it is cruel personally, would never do it myself. If ripping up furniture becomes a problem, you can install an electric fence indoors. I am told they work well, however, I don't need one myself.
I'm not worried about her claws, she's been doing fine with the scratching post I've given her. We have had a few incidents, but I think some of them are because her claws aren't long enough to actually help her climb. She sort of scrambles up the side of the sofa. Every time she does it, she has the goal of getting to the top, so I don't bother punishing her for it.
I clap my hands loudly if she's doing something I want to discourage. The only bad behavior she really has is she plays with the tag on my subwoofer power cable which I think is dangerous. I clap my hands to stop her, wait for her to run (or sulk) away, and then give her a toy to play with instead.
I don't want her to think playing is bad, I want her to think playing with that specific tag is bad.
I have absolutely no plans to declaw Pixel ever, but I specifically avoided the Cocheco Valley Humane Society because you must sign a form promising never to declaw your cat if it's adopted from there. Just my stupid libertarian ideals... it's going to be
my decision not to declaw her.
rhody said:
Aleph is right about finding warm spots too. If my heat mats for plants are exposed, she will skootch into protect my pepper plants. Not that the hottest pepper plants need any protecting, they can fend for themselves quite nicely.
Oh yeah, you being a techie guy, they love laser pointers, you can be sure Pixel's cerebral cortex is properly programmed with horizontal and vertical movements of the pointer (healthy cat brain).
Rhody...
Maybe I should get something then, there's really no "warm spots" in my condo. I leave the curtain open a little which warms the floor in the morning, but does nothing in the evening. I have a laser pointer, but it's... hardcore... I wouldn't want to risk burning her little kitty paws or retinas. I'll buy a few cheap ones from Wal*Mart next time.
TylerH said:
You should get some catnip and see how your cat reacts. Not all cats respond to it, and even most that do don't go entirely crazy, but you never know.
I think one of her shelter toys had catnip in it. It wasn't my plan to give it to her until she was comfortable in the house. I hate being dragged to an unknown place and drugged.
