HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hughes@yingyang.ral.rpi.edu (Declan Hughes)
Subject: Automatic Cat Door Source Wanted
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 01:08:13 GMT


  I am looking for a cat door with a magnetic lock that opens when
the cat approaches if the cat is wearing the supplied magnet. Can
anyone recommend a model, and source, that they have used and found
to work well ?

Declan Hughes
hughes@ral.rpi.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: schlumpf@uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu ()
Subject: Has my cat gone mad?
Reply-To: schlumpf@uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu ()
Organization: Materials Research Lab
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 15:24:13 GMT



We noticed the STRANGEST behavior in out 1.5 year
old Siamese today. She'd get up in my chair and 
chase her tail...around and around and around she'd
go. Just chasing that tail like it was the dog's or 
something. She's NEVER done this before, even
on catnip. She hadn't had any catnip (except
what was left of the carpet after last time) that
I knew of. Is this just to be attributed to a Siamese
or has my cat gone bonkers? She's fairly normal
in other respects although we really think a Siamese
is a different species than any other cat! She doesn't meow, 
well, not a REAL meow anyway and she's a wimp cat,
puts up with anything we do to her (roll her up in a ball,
push her over, hold her on her back, hold her upside 
down (well, head lower than tail)). We noticed she's
been chasing the new puppy's tail a lot lately. Actually,
she'll sit and chew on it if he stays still long enough.
Nothing is funnier than watching a Siamese cat
chewing on a 9 week old black German Shepard's 
tail!! And then when he whirlsaround she bites his
ears (she's declawed)..he learned to respect her
FAST. Yet, he still doesn't respect Dante, the other
cat who has his claws. Any way, I digress...so
has my cat gone mad???

Kay Schlumpf & the Quartet from Hell (as my sister calls
them)
From: DBBARBER@MACC.WISC.EDU (Deborah B. Barber)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Necessary Dental Work or SCAM? Need advice
Date: 2 Oct 92 13:35:00 GMT

After a recent teeth cleaning, my new vet told me that 2 of my cat Zuni's
teeth have broken off due to cavities at the gum line.  Now, it is supposedly
necessary for me to have dental x-rays for her, to determine if the roots
of the 2 missing teeth remain; and if so, they must be surgically removed
to prevent infection.
 
Z is 4+ years old.  She has had regular cleanings.
 
Do folks with more experience of cat dentistry think this diagnosis and
suggested treatment sounds logical?   Or should I be suspicious that the
teeth were broken DURING the recent cleaning?  Is this a routine problem/
condition?
 
Let me be clear here--I am not kicking about expense (or not much); just want
to make sure that my cat is getting quality care for a necessary condition.
 
Thanks in advance.
 
Deb Barber
standard disclaimer here
From: davek@informix.com (David Kosenko)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Update: Missing Cat in Locked Apartment
Date: 1 Oct 92 19:18:15 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

Ann Roberts writes:
[in reference to a lost cat]
>
>And I wouldn't give up too soon.  When one of mine escaped, I carried
>flyers around the neighborhood, checked the SICSA and shelter every
>2-3 days (and gave them a picture of the cat), and ran an ad in the
>paper.  Three weeks later, someone found the cat (10 houses down the
>street) and checked the newspaper and my ad was still there.  Tom is
>now safe at home.


Back when I lived in my 3rd floor apartment, the girl who lived in the other
apt. on the floor had to move (it was a no pets place and she had 2 cats
that my landlord tolerated until one got sick one day and peed in the main
hall, stinking the place up like you couldn't believe. Anyway...). About
a week before she moved, one of her cats disappeared (they were indoor/
outdoor cats).  Needless to say, she was quite upset and had posters out,
etc..  Several weeks after she had moved, I came home to find her long-lost
kitty sitting in front of her door, waiting to be let in.  I got her new
number from directory assistance, and called her to tell her that the cat
came back, and was quite upset that she didn't bother to leave a forwarding
address.  She was there in a flash to gather up her prodigal cat (and very
happy to do so).

So if you have any neighbors from your old neighborhood that you can contact,
you might ask them to keep an eye out for your wayward kitty (though with
all his/her friends at the new place, I'd be inclined to think that he/she
would stick around the new house - probably just scoping the neighborhood).

Good luck!
Dave
-- 
Disclaimer: These opinions are not those of Informix Software, Inc.
**************************************************************************
The heart and the mind on a parallel course, never the two shall meet.
						-E. Saliers
From: das@voodoo.boeing.com (Deb Schwartz)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: cookies
Date: 6 Oct 92 20:18:55 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Yet Another Graphics Project, Bellevue, WA

I vote that the recipe be added to the FAQ.

Debbie Schwartz // das@voodoo.boeing.com  // or uunet!bcstec!voodoo!das 
    "organic is close to godliness, but like godliness, can have
     drawbacks like the busload of nuns that were wiped out by a
     run-away truck full of organic produce." - Suzanne McCaffrey
From: kanner@Apple.COM (Herbert Kanner)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: more quarantine questions
Date: 30 Sep 92 05:19:03 GMT
Organization: Development Systems Group, Apple Computer

In article <1992Sep28.095524.7817@ac.dal.ca> hecate@ac.dal.ca writes:
>Is it still a six-month quarantine period in the UK?
>It has always seemed to me to be a ridiculously long
>time to quarantine an animal, especially if said
>critter has all the vets certificates proving rabies
>vaccinations etc etc. Why the length? Three months
>would surely do?
>
>I ask because there is a small chance that I may study
>in England at some point in the future, and I refuse to
>go anywhere without my cats!
>
>Julia Holland
I lived in England for 7 years and because of the quarantine gave my
cats away and got new ones in England. To the best of my recollection,
they might have had a shorter quarantine, maybe not, but what I do 
remember for sure was that the "impossible" happened during my stay
there: a dog, after six months of quarantine, wound up rabid. They had
not previously believed that the incubation period could ever be that
long. There was also quite a circus, because they rounded up everybody
who had a weapon and attempted to kill every loose, wild, non-human
living creature in about a square mile where that dog had wandered.

-- 
Herb Kanner
Apple Computer, Inc.
{idi,nsc}!apple!kanner
kanner@apple.com
From: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Kitten with a Fat Lip
Date: 5 Oct 92 23:15:39 GMT
Reply-To: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Distribution: usa
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM

In article <1992Oct5.200043.20761@ncar.ucar.edu> vicki@steam.atd.ucar.edu (Vicki Holzhauer) writes:
>so it was quite noticeable.  I have no idea how she got it, but she
>does run into things from time to time, in her haste to get from Point
>A to Point B.  Maybe she bumped it on a wall or something.

Boots had trouble learning about the sliding glass door at the front of our
house. It took her three or four times of

   run-run-run (up the walk) jump (up the step) BONK!!!

before she clued in.

She never seemed to hurt herself, which was good because I nearly wet myself
laughing at the noise it made and the expression on her face. :-)
-- 
Ruth Milner                          NRAO/VLA                  Socorro NM
Computing Division Head      rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lhuffman@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Dangerous Cat Parasite
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 17:10:05 GMT

In article <1992Oct1.140134.14953@csd.brispoly.ac.uk>, th2_oate@csd.brispoly.ac.uk (Tom Oates) writes:

> Finally, there's toxoplasmosis which is only a risk to pregnant women
> - it can cause miscarriages. The risk is easily avoided: pregnant women
> should avoid cleaning litter trays/faeces if at all possible. If this isn
> not, they should use gloves, and afterwards wash hands in disinfectant. 
> Like toxicara canis, the risk is small - but it does exist.
> -- 

I would like to add that there is a test for toxoplasmosis in cats.  Working 
in rescue organizations I have seen so many, many sad cases of animals being 
given up because the woman got pregnant and the doctor scared the daylights 
out of her by telling her the cat was endangering the fetus.  If your cat 
tests positive then precautions must be taken. However, if the cat is 
negative, then there is no need for alarm.
From: betty@funky.austin.ibm.com (Betty Riggle)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Missing Cat in Locked Apartment
Date: 1 Oct 92 19:25:11 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: IBM AWD Austin, TX

A long time ago, I lost my cat Spot in my house.  Since she is an indoor/outdoor
cat, I was not sure where she was exactly.  I looked and called for 2 days and
could hear her but couldn't find her.  I checked the attic and the roof, under
all beds, in cabinets and closets, and every room.  In each room I would call
but never got an answer.  Finally, I found Spot.  She had climbed onto the 
bookcases in one room (the study) and managed to fall behind.  The bookcases 
made an L shape as they met in the corner, this left a small amount of room in 
the corner.  The bookcases were too close to the wall for her to get out of 
the corner  and too tall to jump back up (without the aid of whatever allowed 
her to get up on top to start with).  For whatever reason, she would stop 
crying whenever I enterred the room -- Mommy is coming to get me out so I'll 
just wait quietly.  Of course I had to remove everything from one of the 
bookcases so I could move it to get her out.  We were fine even if I did tend 
to call her stupid for not telling me earlier where she had been.
   So check for strange and unexpected locations and don't expect an answer
when you call -- untill they get hungry or too scared or upset.
   PS.  I've also lost Delilah when she would get in the lining of the
boxsprings under the bed.  You could see a lump in the lining as it hung
down from the boxsprings and it would move if you pushed it.  

Betty
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: bicker@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (The Resource, Poet-Magician of Quality)
Subject: Urination Problem...what could it be?
Reply-To: Brian.C.Kohn@att.com (The Resource, Poet-Magician of Quality)
Organization: The Internet
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 12:33:00 GMT


!bicker is recovering from feline hyper-thyroid.  He's on tapazole
(15mg/day) and vitamins to try to help him get above the 7 pounds he
weighs now to the 12 pounds he should be at.  He cannot eat cat food
that is placed on a plate on the floor: it has to be raised 3-4" off
the ground (no problem...not that I know!)  This supposedly indicates
some back or neck pain (source: unknown.)  

He's been leaving his droppings in the floor for the past few weeks,
which hasn't been much of a problem since it was hard as a rock and
dry.  Last weekend he began urinating on the floors...very careful to
hit dead center of a vinyl floor--not getting anywhere near the
carpeting.  (Thank you !bicker!)  I tried getting him a new litter box
on my vet's recommendation.  Today he hit the litter box again, but it
looked like a disaster area.  Instead of a nice defined clump, it
looked like he couldn't control the direction and it looked like the
force of the urination was much stronger than normal.

Is this indicative of anything well-known?

-- 
Brian Charles Kohn               using !bicker's account
Poet-Magician of "Quality"       E-MAIL: bicker@hoqax.ATT.COM
    'Hope, not fear, is the most positive advocate of action.' - S.R. Lawhead
                   Stamp Out "SO": "RP" = "Romantic Partner"
From: kjenks@krakatoa.uucp (Kenneth C. Jenks [GM2] 483-4368)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Proban for Fleas?
Date: 26 Sep 92 22:04:16 GMT
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office

In article <1992Sep22.182952.6984@iscsvax.uni.edu> klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>In article <1992Sep22.215725.12189@sura.net>, nunn@sura.net (Deborah Nunn) writes:
>> In article <BuwpuD.IC@news.concord.wvnet.edu> dan@krider.concord.wvnet.edu (Dan Krider) writes:
>>>Does anyone know how safe Proban is for cats? My vet gives it to his cats  
>>>but says it is only approved for dogs. I am thinking about giving it to my  
>>>cats and was just wondering. 
>> 
>> DO NOT GIVE PROBAN TO YOUR CATS!!  And, BTW, I'd change my vet if my vet
>> was giving it to his own cats.  Proban is a systemic poison which is
>> specially formulated for dogs.  It would be like dipping a cat in a flea
>> dip which said "dogs only".  Cats and dogs are different.
>
>Apparently Proban is licensed in Canada for use on cats.  Don't know if
>there is a different dosage recommended.  Personally, I wouldn't use it.
>
>Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
>
I overheard my vet talking to the dog owner in the next cubical about
Proban (ProSpot), The vet explained that the flea had to bite the dog
to get the poison, so it didn't help keep the dog from flea bites, and
that it killed the dog slightly slower than the fleas.  It sounded 
logical to me!!
(You might say that my vet doesn't recomend the stuff :)).

Lisa Jenks on Kens account
Instant gratification takes too long
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Flea season part II
Date: 29 Sep 92 21:58:52 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

ken@ece.orst.edu (KEN MCCRACKEN) writes:
>>Flea season doesn't end, it just slows down considerably in cold weather.
>>And it may not slow down at all in a house if you aren't working on flea
>>control measures.  I used to celebrate the first hard freeze (0oF) by
>>draining all the pipes, turning off the furnace, and leaving the windows
>>open all night.  Did a remarkably good job, but not 100%.

> Remarkable!  I never would have considered going that far, but I can imagine 
> how satisfied you must feel after having gone that extra 'few degrees' for 
> your cat(s)!

Actually, it has more benefits than that.  It also stopped the Indian Meal
Moths and the Confused Flour Beetles in the kitchen... No more high-
protein pancakes!

> I get my flea-killing satisfaction with needle-nosed pliers.  I've been 
> working with the dumb things for 35 years, so I feel confident enough to 
> pick the fleas off my kittens with them.
> 
> They make such a satisfying crunch when you slowly squeeze those handles!

Ohh!  Wicked! Delightfully wicked!

Kay
From: lianne@bcarh17e.BNR.CA (Lianne Raley)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Help!  New Kitten.....
Date: 28 Sep 92 13:21:32 GMT
Reply-To: lianne@bcarh17e.BNR.CA (Lianne Raley)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

In article <1992Sep20.170926.15595@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>,
ehp@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU ("Didi Pancake") writes:

   stuff deleted

|>She's about 3.5 months old now, and I just noticed that her "adult" fangs
|>are beginning to grow in. I remember being totally freaked when Correy's
|>did this because he appeared to have "double" fangs for about a week and
|>I'd never seen that before. But I never found any "baby" kitty teeth lying
|>around...do they have their own Tooth Fairy...what does she or he leave
|>them?
|>
|>--
|>|  Didi Pancake                 |   Order is half of life...            |
|>|  ehp@virginia.edu             |      ...the other half is more fun!   |
|>|-------------------------------|                                       | 
|>|  All usual disclaimers apply  |                    --German Proverb   |
                         
My vet explained that the teeth are so small, that they'll either swallow
them, or they'll fall into the carpet and get vacuumed up. They're likely
to fall out while they're eating (because of the movement in the mouth) 
and then swallow them with their food.

I've only found evidence of this once - my husband was playing with our
kitten on the bed one morning. He had his hand underneath the sheets and
Salvador would pounce on it, then chew it while kicking out with his 
hind paws (the bunny technique). Suddenly my husband yelled for me, and
when I went in there was blood all over the sheets. His tooth had come
out while chewing and drops went flying everywhere. Salvador wasn't the
least bit concerned; I was, since I had to scrub the sheets :( .
From: shroymp@wkuvx1.bitnet (Mike Shroyer )
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Should we get two male kittens?
Date: 27 Sep 92 16:26:41 CDT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

In article <1992Sep27.183220.28952@chesapeake.ads.com>, jclose@chesapeake.ads.com (Jeff Close) writes:
> We're looking at some kittens at the shelter.  A pair of males were available
> and we were wondering if anyone has problems raising two males together (or
> any other combination, for that matter).  We've had cats, but not more than
> one at a time.
> Thanks for any suggestions.

	Speedy(1 Yr.) and Willie(5 Mths.) are both males and I have had no
problem with them so far (Willie is going to be neutered Friday so I'll see if
that changes).  Before I got Willie I lived with a roomate who had a
3-year old female(spayed) and a male the same age as Speedy and they
had no problems either.

Mike

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Mike Shroyer                        Western Kentucky University  
  shroymp@wkuvx1.bitnet               shroyer@wku.edu (don't use much)
                                                                            
    HELP SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BANDS ... GO TO THE SHOWS AND BUY THE ALBUMS
From: Valaria_Vorlop@mindlink.bc.ca (Valaria Vorlop)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Pine Shavings as Litter
Date: 26 Sep 92 20:21:43 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada

Can anybody tell me, is there any reason NOT to use pine shavings as cat
litter? My cats are not at all particular, they have used clay, clumpy-stuff
and paper type litter with equal reliability. I get HUGE bags of pine shavings
at very low cost for litter in my mouse cages and it would be much less
expensive than the cat litter I buy. BTW: careful about CEDAR shavings, they
release toxic fumes when very wet.

Please reply via E-mail, as I do not read this group...I'll post the results
once I have a verdict. Thanks!
--
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Valaria_Vorlop@mindlink.bc.ca    I cried because I had no shoes
or:      a4080@mindlink.bc.ca         Until I met a man who had no feet.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*                          - ???
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lyndap@Novell.COM (Lynda Peterson)
Subject: Re: Kittens and water don't mix
Organization: Novell, Inc.
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 21:26:56 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.164134.26564@rsg1.er.usgs.gov>  
ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder) writes:
>   Long, cute story about kitties and water deleted.

My cat (then, kitten) decided early on that toilets, showers and bathrooms  
were no place for her. I used to live in an apartment where the toilet and  
shower was separated from the sink and mirror (student living). One  
morning while applying a daily dose of beauty, Boo decided to try jumping  
on the toilet. Let me just say that she didn't get wet because she was  
just barely big enough to stretch out all her paws on the toilet seat and  
keep herself from falling in.

     _____
   /   O   \
  |  \ | /  |
  |    |    |
  |  / " \  |
   \_______/

She only come in the bathroom now when I am in there and she is still very  
afraid of the bathroom rugs and toilet. :-)
From: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Subject: Re: Invisible fences...what are they?
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Reply-To: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Organization: ICS Dept., UC Irvine
Date: 30 Sep 92 18:16:00 GMT

In <AemNvIi00Uh701N4wH@andrew.cmu.edu> sw39+@andrew.cmu.edu (Susan R. Wagner) writes:

>Hello everyone,  I realize that most people that read this probably do
>not have an invisible fence to keep their cats in their yard, but maybe
>you know something about them.  I have seen advertisements for them, but
>never understood the whole concept of how they worked, etc.  Can someone
>explain?????  Thanks in advance.

I don't know that they're used for cats, I've only heard of people
with dogs using them.  Basically, you have a special collar.  The
fence is wiring buried around the perimeter of the property.  The
collar will deliver a shock to the wearer when it gets too near the
boundary (buried wire).  Most models have a warning beep before
shocking.  You can't just put them on and go, you have to train the
dog where the boundaries are and make sure it understands what is
going on.  The collars are typically huge, I can't imagine they would
fit a cat (but maybe there are different sizes).  I don't know if you
can train a cat like you can a dog about property/territory limits.

In addition, they provide no protection against someone or another
animal coming *in* and harrassing/infecting/whatever, your animal.
Also, if your animal happens to break through the fence, then it will
be discouraged from coming back in -- proximity to wire only is
indicated, there is no directionality.

--Cindy

--
   Cindy Tittle Moore & Noisy Underfoot (bird watcher extraordinaire)

I post the rec.pets.cats FAQ (in two parts) every 25 days.  To get the FAQ:
ftp to pit-manager.mit.edu and look under /pub/usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/*
(part1, part2), or send email to mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu with
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part1
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part2
in the body (leave subject line empty).  Send contributions and comments
to me; send questions not covered in the FAQ to the newsgroup.
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Max vs. Charlotte's Kittens
Date: 1 Oct 92 17:02:52 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

Well, Charlotte's kittens can now scale the walls of the clothesbasket,
so they have a new home in the bathtub.  That'll keep 'em contained for
another week or so!

Mark had them out last night -- they're now starting to travel in pairs
rather than the whole herd-- and four of them came up to Max, who was
rolling and demanding bellyrubs.  Of course, this looked like a light 
lunch for kittens (Max is 14 lbs, Charlotte is 6), so they all piled on
top...

Max swatted one pretty well, and all four of the kittens puffed up
and turned into halloween cats and hissed him thoroughly.  Max retired
in confusion.  Kittens retired to Charlotte.  Kay got a phone call, 
"You got any homes lined up yet????"

Kay Klier
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: thuyan@ravel.udel.edu (Thuy-An Hartman)
Subject: Re: Fur disappearing!!
Keywords: Cat is licking fur off?
Organization: University of Delaware
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 21:20:39 GMT

My cat has also been losing fur, but on either side of his rear end.  I
was wondering if it could be because of his food.  We have changed him
to cat food for less active cats (about 6 months now) and I was
wondering if perhaps the food might be missing something he needs?

Please send e-mail.
Thanks, Thuy-An 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: schumach@convex.com (Richard A. Schumacher)
Subject: Re: Cat dead, to do?
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 22:54:50 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

It's hard. Some closing ritual may help: after Kitty had
been missing a month, I played the Gayneh ballet suite by 
Aram Kachaturian (from the 2001 soundtrack; the prettiest
melancholy piece I know) and said goodbye.