# Doubts about getting a cat.



## Gracie (Jul 29, 2014)

If I am doubtful...is that a sign I am not ready for another furkid?

I got an email from someone at the pound after I contacted them about adopting a cat..MAYBE. They said I need to keep the cat locked up for 2 weeks until it knows this is home. And when it does learn this is home, I can let it outside but I MUST bring it in at dusk to "keep it safe from Coyotes". I have a 6 foot fence. I also am surrounded by people with very large dogs in their own yards. Plus I have doggie doors everywhere...so if I brought it in that means I would have to lock the doggie door to outside..which means the dogs cannot go to the bathroom in the middle of the night if they are so inclined. And that also means I would need a catbox. I have had 2 cats over the past 30 years. Two. And they did NOT use litter boxes. They went outside to potty. So now I am all hesitant to go further with this because these recommendations are not what I want to do. Does this mean I would be a bad cat mom and maybe I shouldn't do this?


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## Gracie (Jul 29, 2014)

I think I just talked myself out of this.


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## Gracie (Jul 29, 2014)

Just talked to hubby. He said he doesn't really wanna deal with another furkid but would go along with it if I insisted. 

I changed my mind. If I am supposed to have another critter, it will find ME. So...no cat.


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## jon_berzerk (Jul 29, 2014)

sometimes it just isnt meant to be


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## Gracie (Jul 29, 2014)

I wonder if they give that advice/rules to potential pet adopters? It's kind of a turn off.
Of course i could ignore that advice, but..it was enough to make me rethink the whole thing. I feel good about changing my mind, anyway. I don't want the stress of loving another animal that depends on me and me not being the healthiest person any more. And the cost of vets, persnickety on what they will eat, worrying about them. 

No. I don't need another furbaby. I have two still. And the new roomie is moving in Sept 1st with her little dog. That's enough.


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## TheOldSchool (Jul 29, 2014)

¡¡¡&#647;&#7433;&#623;&#623;&#592;p &#647;&#592;&#596; &#592; &#647;&#477;&#1508;


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## Esmeralda (Jul 29, 2014)

Gracie said:


> I wonder if they give that advice/rules to potential pet adopters? It's kind of a turn off.
> Of course i could ignore that advice, but..it was enough to make me rethink the whole thing. *I feel good about changing my mind*, anyway. I don't want the stress of loving another animal that depends on me and me not being the healthiest person any more. And the cost of vets, persnickety on what they will eat, worrying about them.
> 
> No. I don't need another furbaby. I have two still. And the new roomie is moving in Sept 1st with her little dog. That's enough.



That's the key: if you feel good about your final decision, then it's the right decision.  

Cats will climb 6 foot fences and get out of your yard.  You have to keep the dog doors open, so it will get out at night and may 'travel.'  With coyotes and lots of other dogs in the area, plus whatever traffic there is, the cat is not safe.  You could try it and just let it be an indoor-outdoor cat and see what happens. It could work out fine.  I would listen to the advice from the pound and also use my own common sense to make a decision.  

I used to let my cats roam, but now I realize they have a longer life span if they are indoors, as long as there are dangers out there for them.  One of my cats was killed by a car. Another got a gum disease from something she ate while roaming, and it was incurable. She had to have a medication the rest of her life but eventually died of it.  The last cat I had was indoor/outdoor for about 9 years, then he lived inside with a terrace being his outdoor place.  He lived to be 16.


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## Politico (Jul 29, 2014)

Gracie said:


> I think I just talked myself out of this.



Glad to hear it. Responsible cat owners don't let them outside.


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## Gracie (Jul 29, 2014)

Whatever.


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## saveliberty (Jul 29, 2014)

There are five strays in my neighborhood.  I put out 2% milk and a bowl of food everyday.  I can pet all but one cat even though these are feral ones for the most part.  Some mornings there are no cats, some days two.  I have had all five once or twice.  Then we have to make little dining areas, so they don't fight.


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## Zoom-boing (Jul 29, 2014)

saveliberty said:


> There are five strays in my neighborhood.  I put out 2% milk and a bowl of food everyday.  I can pet all but one cat even though these are feral ones for the most part.  Some mornings there are no cats, some days two.  I have had all five once or twice.  Then we have to make little dining areas, so they don't fight.



You're not doing the cats any favors by putting out milk, cats don't digest the lactose very well, upsets their stomachs, gives them diarrhea.  They'd do better if you just gave them water.

Cats and Milk: Lactose Intolerance and Other Dietary Concerns

If you're putting out dry food for them, also not doing them any favors.  Cats can't digest the carbs (read the label, dry cat food is crap, mostly corn and "by-products").  Good canned food is fine, or fresh chicken/beef.

http://www.catinfo.org/felineobesity.php

If possible, try to trap the cats and have them neutered spayed ... or your 'five' will soon be 'fifty'.


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## Gracie (Jul 29, 2014)

Cats are a pain. I will miss the two I had and have no more.
One lived to 23. The last one was 11 years old. Both were indoor/outdoor cats. 
Keeping them locked up is about as bad as getting a dog and keeping it chained up to a tree and a dog house.


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## Zoom-boing (Jul 29, 2014)

Gracie said:


> *Cats are a pain*. I will miss the two I had and have no more.
> One lived to 23. The last one was 11 years old. Both were indoor/outdoor cats.
> *Keeping them locked up is about as bad as getting a dog and keeping it chained up to a tree and a dog house*.



Clearly you're not a cat person!  

Uh, no.  Where'd you get that idea from?  They have an entire house to roam in, people to play with, cozy places to snooze, food, water, safety, they live longer ... sounds pretty good to me.


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## hjmick (Jul 29, 2014)

Get a dog.


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## Mr Natural (Jul 29, 2014)

hjmick said:


> Get a dog.



Cats a for people who really want a dog but don't want the bother.

Let's face it, as much as I love dogs, they are a lot of work.


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## NLT (Jul 29, 2014)

cats are the debil!!


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## hjmick (Jul 29, 2014)

Mr Clean said:


> hjmick said:
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Yeah, but look at that face...


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## Mr Natural (Jul 29, 2014)

hjmick said:


> Mr Clean said:
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Well worth all the trouble.


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## Gracie (Jul 29, 2014)

I am a dog person. The two cats I had chose me by finding me. I loved them both. Pretties was my last cat. Unless another one finds me. I won't go looking though.


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## saveliberty (Jul 29, 2014)

Zoom-boing said:


> saveliberty said:
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> > There are five strays in my neighborhood.  I put out 2% milk and a bowl of food everyday.  I can pet all but one cat even though these are feral ones for the most part.  Some mornings there are no cats, some days two.  I have had all five once or twice.  Then we have to make little dining areas, so they don't fight.
> ...



Actually these cats ahve no problem with digesting milk.  I think that is crap science personally.  Also, I have had several cats live over 16 years on dry food, so I don't get that either.  These are not my cats, they can eat where ever they find food, yet its my house.  They are being helped out in the wild, whatever happens happens.


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## Luddly Neddite (Jul 29, 2014)

saveliberty said:


> Zoom-boing said:
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"crap science"? Really, cats lack the enzymes to digest cow's milk just as humans do. 

They're not baby cows and there's nothing in cow's milk that a cat needs or that benefits them. (Same with humans but that's different thread) And, 2% is just a waste of money. Give them water. 

Feed high quality food. If they're strays, their nutritional status is probably pretty poor. When I have fed ferals, I mix a high quality kitten chow (for the ^protein and ^fat) with a high quality dry adult cat food.  

And, although I used to be against TNR (trap, neuter, release), I now see that it works and keeps the colony healthy and stable. 

If you do have any altered, be sure to have the vet notch the ear so you don't keep taking the same ones back to the vet. 

Also, any kittens should be taken in by about 5 weeks so they can be tamed for placement. If you wait, they are doomed to a feral existence.

If you find yourself losing patience, remember that they didn't do this. They were abandoned by humans. Otherwise, they would be living a healthy life inside someone's home. 

Cats that go out usually live much shorter lives than inside cats.

Keep them warm in winter and give them good shade in summer and good for you for taking them on. 

A sad fact is that "stray" dogs and cats don't know they're strays.


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## saveliberty (Jul 29, 2014)

You do realize milk has proteins, calories and calcium?  All important things for a cat.  I look at coat condition as an indicator of general health and all of these cats have improved coats.  Hey, I have managed to keep a 16 month old three-legged cat alive.


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## Mr. H. (Jul 29, 2014)

If you do get a cat, name it Doubts.


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## Zoom-boing (Jul 30, 2014)

saveliberty said:


> Zoom-boing said:
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If they're wild cats how do you know the milk isn't giving them the runs and dehydrating them?  

Oh, cats can live a long time with dry as their diet ... but their health, skin, coat will suffer.  My old cat (16) ate Hills Science diet for years (hairball control) ... he was constantly itchy, scratching, dander, dull coat.  Got him off of dry completely, he eats good canned now (not grocery store crap) plus I give him omegas 3 and 6.  He's still skinny as a rail but no dander, shiny coat, all the scabs under his now-no-longer-itchy chin are all gone.  And the only time he throws up now is when he noms on a plastic bag ... cause he didn't like that particular flavor for dinner!  lol

eta:  what Luddly said?  Yup, 100%.


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## Zoom-boing (Jul 30, 2014)

hjmick said:


> Mr Clean said:
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If I ever have a Papillon I'm naming him Steve McQueen, even if it's a girl.

He is adorable, hj.


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## hjmick (Jul 30, 2014)

Thank you kindly, ZB. At night he sleeps on a pillow between the top of my head and our headboard. Well, when he's not curled up against my chest...


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## Gracie (Jul 30, 2014)

Fatty was an indoor/outdoor cat. He drank milk and hard food until all his teeth had to be removed...then he got chewed up "chicky" hubby gnawed on for him or I gnawed on for him..and Fancy Feast. He was outside during the day to soak up the sun...and at night when HE chose to come in, he slept in my bed, on my pillow, holding my thumb with his big paws. He lived to 23 and had to be put down due to bone cancer.
I will not get another cat. Period.
And I find it extremely sad that even cats locked up in the pound cannot find a forever home due to people who INSIST they are treated the way THEY want them to be treated and if not..then the one adopting must be a horrible person. Wrong.

Meh. Pfffffffft.


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## Sallow (Jul 30, 2014)

Get a cat and a dog!

I have both!


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## Gracie (Jul 30, 2014)

I have two dogs. No cats now that Pretties is gone. I think I am fine with what I have. I think about getting another fur kid from time to time and almost act on it..but then I talk myself out of it. The night I contacted that gal about the cat...I wound up crying myself to sleep, missing her and Gracie both. I don't think I am ready yet. If ever.


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## saveliberty (Jul 30, 2014)

Okay gang, I can stop feeding them if you think I'm doing harm.


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## Ropey (Jul 30, 2014)

^






But they're so much fun to watch.


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## Luddly Neddite (Jul 30, 2014)

saveliberty said:


> Okay gang, I can stop feeding them if you think I'm doing harm.



You can't mean this. 

Please don't stop feeding them. Just don't give them cow's milk. As Gracie said, it has been implicated in tooth loss, among other things.


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## Gracie (Jul 30, 2014)

I didn't say that.


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## Noomi (Jul 31, 2014)

Cats are awesome companions, Gracie.


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## Gracie (Jul 31, 2014)

Yeah. But. No.


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## saveliberty (Jul 31, 2014)

Dog or cat, if it grows some love in the world, it is a good thing.


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## Zoom-boing (Aug 1, 2014)

This deaf guy taught his cat to sign for "food".


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## Kooshdakhaa (Aug 2, 2014)

I've had as many as seven cats.  I'm down to five.  Down to four dogs.  Four dogs and five cats.

I'll never have another cat again.  I'll never have a little dog again.  I'll never have a male dog again.

Why?  The cats just don't contribute anything.  Their fur gets all over the house.  I'm tired of cleaning six cat boxes every day.

The little dogs pee and poop in the house and seem impossible to break of that habit.  Have to have puppy pads out for them all the time.  I tell them, these are PUPPY pads, not adult dog pads, but it's that little-dog thing, just keep peeing and pooping in the house.  I'm sick of it.

Male dogs...always lifting their leg and peeing on things.  Even if they do it outiside, they pee on stuff in your yard.  I suppose if you got them as a puppy you could train them to only go in one area of the yard.  I took care of someone's large male dog for a while and he peed on my yard furniture, garbage cans, etc. out in the yard.  Couldn't touch anything without realizing it was all sticky and stunk of dog pee.

No more cats. No more little dogs.  No more male dogs.  I could tolerate all this stuff when my Greta dog was alive because she contributed enough joy and fun to the household to make up for it, but without her around my tolerance isn't what it used to be.


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## Kooshdakhaa (Aug 2, 2014)

And I'm lucky with my cats...they all use the litter box, even though most of them are strays I took in off the street.  They're very good about that. But in the past I've had the ghastly experience of having cats who pee around the house. Every time you take in a new cat you're taking the chance they're going to pee in your house.

And dog pee smells like a spring breeze compared to cat pee.


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## Grandma (Aug 2, 2014)

Cats usually stop peeing all over the place once they're spayed/neutered.


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## Kooshdakhaa (Aug 3, 2014)

Grandma said:


> Cats usually stop peeing all over the place once they're spayed/neutered.



That is a myth.  And I've never owned a cat that wasn't spayed or neutered.


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## Gracie (Aug 3, 2014)

Fatty never sprayed anywhere. Gosh I miss him. But he is long gone. I will see him again some day..along with all my other furbabies. 

I have decided that when the two I have left go over rainbow bridge..I will be done. I don't go anywhere...I stress over them all the time....but when none are left..then maybe I can stop worrying so much.


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## MDiver (Aug 3, 2014)

My girlfriend has two cats and having been over to her house many times, it convinced me to NOT own cats.  They jump up and lay on all surfaces (including food preparation areas, dining tables, couches and any other surface that they can reach.  You will find their fur/hair wherever they walk or lay and no matter how meticulous you are about changing their litter box, or vacuuming, your house will smell like, cat.  You won't notice it because you live with it, but guests do, although they won't say anything out of politeness.  I recommend a stuffed animal.


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## theDoctorisIn (Aug 3, 2014)

Kooshdakhaa said:


> Grandma said:
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No, it's not a myth. It's just not always the case.

My experience with boy cats (I've had a lot of them) is that they stop spraying when they're fixed - if you wait too long, they'll sometimes continue spraying.


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## jon_berzerk (Aug 3, 2014)

our cat uses the toilet 

for number one and number two 

her cat box is for emergency only 

she is a great cat


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## theDoctorisIn (Aug 3, 2014)

jon_berzerk said:


> our cat uses the toilet
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I've always wanted to train my guys to do that, but I've never had the time (or patience).


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## Gracie (Aug 3, 2014)

With Pretties...she just started using the shower to pee in. She would sit right over the drain hole. She pooped there ONCE. Me gagging probably gave her a clue that was not cool, and she never did it again. Even when it rained...she would go out and head for the eaves of the house and do her business there. But sometimes...she would head to the shower if it was really cold outside.


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## jon_berzerk (Aug 3, 2014)

theDoctorisIn said:


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it is pretty easy 

but  does it takes both 

 it is well worth it


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## theDoctorisIn (Aug 3, 2014)

jon_berzerk said:


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It would probably save time in the long run, to not have to clean the litter boxes every day.


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## Gracie (Aug 3, 2014)

How do you train a cat to go in the toilet, Jon?


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## protectionist (Aug 3, 2014)

theDoctorisIn said:


> Kooshdakhaa said:
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This is true. And the male cat urine in the litter box no longer has that strong odor either. That's because after neutering, they no longer have the male territorial hormone (where the bad smell comes from)

http://www.usmessageboard.com/pets/340452-take-home-a-stray-cat.html


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## theDoctorisIn (Aug 3, 2014)

Gracie said:


> How do you train a cat to go in the toilet, Jon?



Slowly moving and raising the litter box up next to the toilet, then moving it onto the toilet, then putting saran wrap and litter over the toilet, until eventually you take the saran wrap away, and they just go in the toilet.

Or so I've read.


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## Luddly Neddite (Aug 3, 2014)

protectionist said:


> theDoctorisIn said:
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It starts as a response to hormones but the problem is that by the time he's neutered, the behavior has become habit. Sometimes the behavior does not stop. 

Spay and neuter early. There's no reason to wait until 6 months, the first heat, after a litter or any of the other myths that make the rounds. 

Because anesthesia is so much safer nowadays, some vets s/n puppies and kittens at 2 months or 2 pounds. IOW, a gsd at one month is plenty big enough to alter while a kitten is big enough at around 14 weeks.


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## Kooshdakhaa (Aug 4, 2014)

You can actually buy a device to help you train your cat to use the toilet.  It works a lot better if you have a second toilet in your house to use for the training phase.

The thing fits over the toilet seat and is basically a toilet-seat-shaped cat box thingy.  It has plastic rings that can be punched out.  First you get the cat comfortable getting up there to do its thing using cat litter. Then, you punch out the middle circle so now the cat is going there, but can see through to the toilet.  Gradually you punch out more pastic rings until the cat has naturally begun straddling the toilet to go. At some point in this process you discontinue using cat litter!  Then you completely remove the device and voila! the cat has learned to use the toilet. 

I tried it once with a cat and it was working, but then I discontinued the training, I don't remember why.  I only had one cat and it was no big deal to pick out a litter box for one cat every day.  It was about the time they came out with clumping litter, which made it really easy to maintain a cat box!


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## Kooshdakhaa (Aug 4, 2014)

Ah, here you go...

Litter Kwitter - The Original Cat Toilet Training Kit

Actually, this looks more like the one I used:

http://www.citikitty.com/


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## Kooshdakhaa (Aug 4, 2014)

theDoctorisIn said:


> Gracie said:
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I don't think saran wrap would be strong enough.  The cat might break through and it would traumatize them and they'd never want to go near the toilet again.

Better to get one of those plastic devices.  Worth the money, probably.


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## Zoom-boing (Aug 4, 2014)

A male cat that has been altered will spray and it does stink.  Maybe not stink as bad as if he hadn't been fixed, but it stinks.  I know because my 16 yr old male started marking the curtains about six years ago, when the feral cat population started to grow.  I've washed them so many times they are starting to fall apart.  

Just discovered a litter of brand new kittens under one of our bushes.  Born yesterday, as we saw the mom on the new neighbor's patio Saturday.  Thought she might be his but when she stood up and we saw she was full of kittens . . . she's wild.  One little guy wander out and was squealing.  Found the litter and put him back.  Just now the dog was whining at the front door.  The mom moved the kittens under the porch (which is latticed off, she found the one  loose spot).  Kittens are far under, tucked into a corner.  

<sigh>


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## saveliberty (Aug 4, 2014)

Kooshdakhaa said:


> theDoctorisIn said:
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...then how do you teach them to put the lid down?


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## Dot Com (Aug 4, 2014)

if the incoming roommate is bringing a dog & you didn't tell them you might get a cat, that might be  a serious issue.


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## Kooshdakhaa (Aug 5, 2014)

Dot Com said:


> if the incoming roommate is bringing a dog & you didn't tell them you might get a cat, that might be  a serious issue.



Why? I've had as many as five dogs and seven cats living in the same home.  And five of those cats were strays I brought in off the streets. And two of my dogs were dobermans..one of them would let the new cat know she was boss of the house by snarling at him a few times and that would be the end of it.


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## Kooshdakhaa (Aug 5, 2014)

saveliberty said:


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Ha ha, don't know about that, but I have heard of them being taught to flush. Seriously!


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## Gracie (Sep 21, 2014)

Well...I took the plunge. Meet KiKi. I got her today. 7 weeks old. Hisses at Karma but she is a brave gal. Hisses at me too, but she likes to sit in my lap and purr. Teeny tiny motor she has, lol.
Her coloring is beautiful...smokey gray body but black head and legs.


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## ricechickie (Sep 21, 2014)

Very sweet.


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## Gracie (Sep 21, 2014)

She is very beautiful. But..no shots, not fixed. Yet. Oy. money.


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## protectionist (Sep 28, 2014)

Gracie said:


> Well...I took the plunge. Meet KiKi. I got her today. 7 weeks old. Hisses at Karma but she is a brave gal. Hisses at me too, but she likes to sit in my lap and purr. Teeny tiny motor she has, lol.
> Her coloring is beautiful...smokey gray body but black head and legs.


The picture is missing.


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## Gracie (Sep 28, 2014)

I took it down because she is gone back to the people that gave her to me. 
Meanwhile...I have a guy that is moving and is wanting a home for his cat...that LOVES his chocolate labs, is 2 years old and is named Garfield. I take Karma on Wednesday to meet Garfield. If they bump heads...I will bring him home.


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