| Paw Colors | Points |
|---|---|
| Grey | 0-49 |
| Red | 50-149 |
| Orange | 150-299 |
| Green | 300-599 |
| Magenta | 600-1499 |
| Purple | 1500-4999 |
| Blue | 5000-9999 |
| Brown | 10000-24999 |
| Black | 25000+ |
kashicat's Profile
Paw Level: 48
Member Since: 6 / 13 / 2008
Name: Phyl
Categories: Adoption, Behavior, Cat Care, Cat Tales, Health
About Me: I'm an editor and writer living with two feral cats in Toronto. I've had cats for three decades (six cats total, over the years). Most of them have been what I call "Cats With Issues" -- one was a black half-Siamese kitten who was so wild she scared other adults. Another was a beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat who required daily outside walks on a leash, two hours a day, every day for nine years. My current two cats were feral kittens rescued from the street, and they've been with me for seven years. Pan, the little boy-cat, wouldn't let me touch him at all for the first whole year. Even now, he only allows petting if I'm lying in bed (he sees that as somehow "safe"). So problem cats seem to be what the universe sends me. They've all been darlings, with wonderful quirks and personalities. In my profile, I list my girl-cat, Peaches, as "Calico," but in fact she's what they call a "Dilute Calico" -- she has the calico colours, but very diluted, almost pastel.
Personal Interests: Cats (naturally), mythology, anime, literature, politics
- Peaches - Calico
- Pan - Tabby
Cat Feeding
I agree that you need to find a water dish that can't be tipped. In my home, two of our water "dishes" are actually glasses (made of glass) with very heavy bottoms. Plus, the sides of the glass go straight up, rather than curving in any way. So although the cats might be able to shove the glass a little bit, it can't be tipped. If you don't want a glass, go to a pet store and try to find something quite heavy, and quite flat. That would be another case where the dish might be shoved a bit, but couldn't be tipped. In the meantime, you might try setting the water dish on some sort of small tray, so that even if it gets spilled, the water will be contained in the tray, so the cat can still drink any time it needs to. The one thing you can't do is remove the water altogether. It needs to be out, all day, for the cats to access any time they need it. Of course, then there's the fact that a few cats just love playing with water, and are going to find a way to splash it no matter what you do. The little scamps!
12 Answers | Asked By: dacat11 114
Cat Adoption
One thing that people advise is that if you're giving away the cat -- don't actually give it away for free, but charge $10-$20. If people have to pay some money for the cat, even if it's a small amount, they have a different attitude toward it. You will help to weed out people who will take a cat for free because they don't feel like they have to take care of it very well. If they have to think about it, and fork over a little bit of money, they'll take it more seriously.
12 Answers | Asked By: yolanda 2
Cat Adoption
I would suggest that adoption from a shelter is probably the best way to go as well. There will always be people who buy cats from breeders, so those cats will all find homes. But cats who find themselves lost and in a shelter may never get a home. They're the ones who really need someone to come along and take them in. My own two cats came from a society that rescues feral kittens off the streets, and then socializes them, and then adopts them out. That sort of society is another good place to find cats who would never have a good home otherwise. But feral cats require a lot of dedication and knowledge to take care of. So I would suggest trying to adopt ferals only after you've had experience raising other cats for a few years. So in my view, a shelter is a very good way to rescue cats who might otherwise be euthanized.
16 Answers | Asked By: Secilia 13
Cat Care
My boycat was about 6 months old when I had him neutered, and it didn't make any difference to his behaviour at all. He was as happy afterwards as he was before. Johnisgood2, above, is absolutely correct: it can be even more frustrating for your cat if he isn't neutered, than if he is. He'd be more inclined to fight, he'd really be wanting to get outside -- and if he did go outside, you can be sure he'd fight other males and would likely be responsible for more unwanted kittens somewhere. Far better for him to be neutered, around 6 months old, and he'll be much happier.
