HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dblackbu@carr11.alleg.edu (David Blackburn)
Subject: Re: Deaf cat in bathtub.
Organization: Allegheny College
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 15:57:40 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.044034.16362@tms390.micro.ti.com>  
david@tms390.micro.ti.com (David Thomas) writes:
> (stuff deleted) 
> I would like to know if any of you have experience with deaf cats.
> -- (more stuff deleted)
> David Thomas  Texas Instruments  (david@wotangate.sc.ti.com)   
(713)-274-2347

	I had a cat that was deaf. He was a white male DSH, and the vet  
said that congenital deafness is common in such cats. (not a white-colored  
breed or albino). The vet said he'd probably be run over young, due to not  
hearing cars, but he lived to be 13+, until last March. He did have a very  
strange yowl as does David's Flipper, but a few interesting traits. For  
instance, he really enjoyed being vacuumed! Most cats dislike it, but with  
the upholstery brush, Mr. Cat (what's the point in a name, we decided)  
would lie down, present belly, etc. I guess it was better than a regular  
brush.
     	Another funny story: the dog learned that she could scratch on the  
corrugated aluminum bottom panel of the screen door, making a loud noise,  
to be let in. One day (before the cat door was installed) Mom saw Mr. Cat  
doing the same, silently with his fuzzy paws. After she quit laughing she  
let him in. 
	This cat of course could not hear the usual food-preparation  
sounds, so was not such a pest as hearing cats. Also he was easy to sneak  
up on. One thing I loved to do was take a scrap of chicken and hold it in  
front of his nose while he was sleeping. It was clear that the smell made  
it into his dreams because he would start twitching and sniffing, then  
finally wake up and accept the treat. 
	Last memory: He was once confronted by a large (unfamiliar) dog.  
He was close enough to a tree that he knew the escape route, but he made  
no response to the dog's barking. The dog obviously expected the cat to  
flee in terror as all other cats would, but Mr. C. stood there, casually  
sniffing as if to say "who is this idiot" before casually sauntering off. 

Thanks, David, for reviving some memories of the cat that helped me  
through my teen years. :-)

Dave
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ericj@hwcae.Honeywell.COM (Eric Jacobsen)
Subject: Re: Conversations with cats
Organization: Honeywell, Air Transport Division; Phoenix, AZ
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 01:06:55 GMT

In article <Bu2Fxv.66K@cmptrc.lonestar.org> carter@cmptrc.lonestar.org (Carter Bennett) writes:

   Kepler and Einstein and I will have these conversations, too.  After doing
   it regularly, we seem to have an elementary form of communications going.
   Now that I think about it, it amazes me how specifically we can communicate
   with these utterances.  In a way, it's much like the way one can train
   animals to respond to English commands, but we're using THEIR vocal
   patterns instead of mine.  That may make all the difference, since they
   are cognizant that I'm actually trying to communicate and not just making
   noises like the TV.  Rarely does a "comment" in feline go unanswered.

   It's very difficult to describe the inflexions and dynamics (some are 
   rather subtle differences from other phrases), but they have taught me 
   several phrases (or perhaps I should say we've agreed to a few specific 
   meanings).  Just off the top of my head, I'd guess that we have about ten
   "words" in our vocabulary - some of which can be strung together to form
   "sentences."

   Has anyone else done this?  Has my potato been bakin' too long?

Our cat makes a funny, quiet, "umf" kind of sound that I've never heard
any other cat make. She generally does this when she's on the bed with
us or in some other situation where she's content and we're all together.

When she first started doing this I'd do it back (it's easy to imitate),
and now this is an easy way to communicate "I like you and I'm glad
you're here". This has come in handy a few times to calm her down when
she's nervous or pestered about something. It's also part of our normal
morning getting up ritual and we both do this and rub cheeks. It's
pretty cool and I've really enjoyed being able to communicate with an
animal on their level.

Sounds like you have a good vocabulary with your animals, and I think
we have three or four sounds with our cat that we can communicate with.

--
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
* Eric Jacobsen        Honeywell Inc.                           *
|     1-602-436-3941   Commercial Flight Systems, Air Transport |
* HVN       436-3941   US Mail: P.O. Box 21111, MS 2Q34C1       *
| FAX 1-602-436-1310   Phoenix AZ 85036-1111                    |
* INet: ericj@hwcae.honeywell.com                               *
| UUCP: uunet!hwcae.honeywell.com!ericj@uunet.uu.net            |
* The opinions expressed are my own and therefore better        *
| thought out than my employer's.                               |
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
From: lsnow@ncrclm.ClemsonSC.NCR.COM (Linda Snow)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Possums and cats
Date: 10 Sep 92 21:25:51 GMT
Reply-To: lsnow@ncrclm.ClemsonSC.NCR.COM (Linda Snow)
Organization: NCR E&M CLEMSON Liberty, SC

In article <1992Sep5.162444.1@master.uchicago.edu> das@voodoo.boeing.com writes:
>In article <2978@voodoo.UUCP>, das@voodoo.boeing.com (Deb Schwartz) writes:
>> freaked out, having never seen a possum before, but Seattle is overrun
>> with wildlife, and I see them walking around the streets in my neighborhood
>> at night all the time, and even sometimes during the day.  I never let my
                                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Well you obviously know more about your neighborhood than I do, but
if I saw a possum walking around in the daytime I'd be very wary.  Possums
are nocturnal creatures, as are raccoons.  Around here there are quit a few
rabid animals, and people are told if they see wild animals around human
habitation or out in the daytime they may be rabid.
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: FLEAS - Tried everything, failed
Date: 11 Sep 92 12:57:01 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

colten@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (marc.colten) writes:

At this point, you should be bringing out the Big Guns-- and the
one I've had the most luck with is Paramite Dip, obtainable from
a vet.  Shampoo with anything, dip the cat (it has to soak the skin),
and then dry.  If the cat should OD, the first symptoms will be
lack of coordination and/or drooling.  Atropine can reverse the
symptoms magically, I'm told-- though I've never used it.  That plus
the flea spray in the building, plus maybe one more dip (wears off
after about 6 weeks) has *always* done it for me.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
From: das@voodoo.boeing.com (Deb Schwartz)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Possums and cats
Date: 4 Sep 92 18:22:08 GMT
Organization: Yet Another Graphics Project, Bellevue, WA

I asked:

>cats out at night, but I am wondering: are possums at all aggresive towards
>cats?  If a cat approached a possum, would the possum run, attack, or 
>'play possum'? 

My mother told me that she was over at her neigbor's the other day, and
a large possum ambled acroos their lawn.  The neighbor's cat, who was about
1/3 the size of the possum, walked up to the possum, sniffed it, then
did a 'Halloween cat' arched-back fluff-up and hissed.  The possum promptly
keeled over, 'playing possum'.   This, combined with Kay's posting about
possums, makes me feel a lot better about cat/possum safety.

Debbie Schwartz // das@voodoo.boeing.com  // or uunet!bcstec!voodoo!das
From: fosterak@iies.ecn.purdue.edu (Anita K Foster)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Griffin's new toy
Date: 16 Sep 92 02:10:50 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network


My 5 month old kitten, Griffin, has discovered a 
new toy (like he really needs one).  

I have had damp clothes the last few times I have
done laundry and I have a wooden dry rack to hang
them on.  Griff thinks this is a kitty jungle gym.
I have seen him doing chinups and swinging from
rung to rung.  Since its not terribly stable, he
occasionally tips it over.  When this happens he
leaves the bedroom and tries to blame it on Percy, 
the 2 1/2 year old window fungus.

Negotiations have been going strong since I got
Griff in July and the "no pick on Percy" zone has
expanded slightly from the kitchen window and under 
the bed.  Unfortunately, by the time they have
completely defined their areas we will be moving 
and they will have to do it all over again.

Anita (mom to Griffin, terror on wheels and
   Percy, too cool to cuddle, kitties)
From: andrewr@ultrix.EBay.Sun.COM (Andrew Roach)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Catproof kitchen !!
Keywords: Cat Intelligence
Date: 9 Sep 92 22:28:23 GMT
Reply-To: andrewr@Eng.Sun.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: ultrix


	Our 12 week old siamese is a kitchen closet raider !!!!

We returned home the other day to find all 3 cats missing. After searching in
the obvious places, I heard a thumping sound coming from one of the kitchen
cabinets.

I open the door an out pop the cats !! They gave me that old "who me" guilty
look and walked off to their favourite couch.

I assumed that one of the two 6 month old Black ASH's had worked out how
to open the doors, but I was wrong.

An hour or so later I heard the thump thump again and went into the kitehcn to
take a peek. There was the little siamese kitten trying to open the door. He'd
pull the door back about an inch an let it go; when the door thumped shut he'd
try again. Each time he'd repeat the action slightly faster than the time
before. Eventually he managed to get the door to sort of bounce open and in
he'd go !! From inside he'd call to the two females and push the door open
from the inside. They would then both climb into join in the fun.

Now the question is: Are Siamese sparter that other breeds ? or is this one
gifted ? or are the two ASH's just dumb (after all in 6 months they'd not
managed to get in even once.

Anyway all the doors now have kiddie locks and the cats are once again safe
from the nasty stuff that lurks beneath sinks etc

Andy
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jonathan@chpc.utexas.edu (Jonathan Thornburg)
Subject: adult spayed female + adult spayed female -- will it work?
Summary: Can two adult spayed females live together?
Keywords: cat female spayed only two move long distance apartment small fight
Organization: U of Texas at Austin / Physics Dept / Center for Relativity
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 18:57:51 GMT

I am presently the long-distance owner of one cat, Mortina II.
I am contemplating acquiring another cat to live with me, but
the chances are that sooner or later Mortina II will also have
to move in with me.  The problem is that both cats in question
are adult (presently 3.5 and 8 years respectively) spayed females.

What are people's experiences with introducing two adult spayed
female cats?

Our past experiences have been very bad -- (the late) Mortina (I)
was badly harrassed by two other spayed females (mother & child,
no less) who we looked after for a year some time ago.  I don't
know if they would have killed her, but on a number of occasions
they chased her all over "her" outdoors and up a tree before we
intervened.  At that time Mortina (I) was ~4 and the other two
cats were ~2-3 and ~10.

The present cats are all older, which hopefully would mellow them.
But both are and we believe always have been only cats.  Moreover,
both presently live in rural indoor/outdoor settings, but there's
a good chance that they'd be living with me in a small city apartment.
If this does happen, it will be an "airplane" move for both cats.
If it doesn't, then the new cat and I would be making an "airplane"
move back to Mortina II's home.

Is this an impossible situation, doomed to fail?  Or will they
adjust to each other after a week of hissing, and settle down to
seeing who gets the best and who gets the next-best 1/3 of my bed?

[I'm presently separated from my news host by an unreliable long-
 haul network, so if you could, please E-mail me a copy of any
 posted replies at the temporary address below.  Thanks 1.0e6.]

- Jonathan Thornburg and Mortina II (alas 4000km away on an island in Canada)
  <jonathan@geop.ubc.ca> through 25/Sep/92, then
  <jonathan@einstein.ph.utexas.edu> or <jonathan@hermes.chpc.utexas.edu>
  University of Texas at Austin / Physics Dept / Center for Relativity
  and (for a few more months) U of British Columbia / {Astronomy,Physics}
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat-compatible plants (FAQ?)
Date: 14 Sep 92 20:30:14 -0500
Distribution: world
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <16262@bcars664.bnr.ca>, lianne@bcarh17e.BNR.CA (Lianne Raley) writes:
> I seem to recall reading that cactus plants (cacti?) are poisonous
> to cats if they eat them. Of course, who would want to bite something
> so spiny? 
> 
> Can anybody else comment on this? I've avoided cacti for this reason.

Cacti are edible (i.e. non-poisonous) but fairly obnoxious.  

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  (& Director of the Herbarium)  UNI
From: nathan@charles.ucdavis.edu (Nathan Rollins)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Largest Cat Breed
Date: 15 Sep 92 08:23:02 GMT
Organization: Bohemian Inebriation Association
Originator: nathan@charles.ucdavis.edu


 We were having a discussion the other day as to what breed of domestic
pet cat tends to grow the largest. (by weight and size) Someone said Bengals
but a book i have says that while they are large, they are not as large as
the largest domestic cat, (which it did not specify)
 Anybody know of an answer to this? I'm looking for breed averages, not
individual cats... 

  -otter
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Hartz Blockade???
Date: 14 Sep 92 20:33:53 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <16862B0A8.SDOGGETT@cmsa.gmr.com> wonders about
Hartz Blockade:

Hartz Blockade was reformulated after it killed quite a few animals with 
chemicals that were OK separately, but not together.  My recollection of
the new formula is that it is DEET, which repels ticks but not fleas.
Despite Mfr.'s claims.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept UNI
From: linda@frcs.Alt.ZA (Linda Jacobson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Why do cats like paper?
Keywords: I don't really know
Date: 8 Sep 92 18:37:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: frcs.1992Sep8.183751.22871
Organization: Onderstepoort School of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria

Thus spake emilio@acupain.UUCP (Elizabeth Milio):

I'm sorry, I must take exception to this discussion. My burning
question, which is not being answered (sob) is: why does my cat sit on
the paper I am WORKING on? And why does he wait until I have arranged
everything properly and am concentrating well and have only just
started getting some work done, before appearing as if from nowhere,
leaping thunderously onto my desk and stretching himself languorously
across the ONE piece of paper I am using? And why does he wait till I
am using the computer to come by and take a stroll between the
keyboard and the screen? Or ON the keyboard (granted, it keeps us in
the habit of saving everything instantaneously...)?

Cynics among you might say it's just to get attention. Ha! Try
persuading him to sit on my lap when I'm watching TV. Try persuading
him to come anywhere near me when I want him there, in fact...

Oh, another thing. Why does he get his paws muddy whenever possible
and then ensure he WALKS across THAT piece of paper (even when I am
not there)?

Yours sorrowingly 
Linda
(and Thud - a wonderful creature, if perplexing)
From: david@master.uchicago.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Catproof kitchen !!
Date: 11 Sep 92 22:59:14 GMT
Organization: University of Chicago, Department of Anatomy

In article <lasuk7INNmt9@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, andrewr@ultrix.EBay.Sun.COM (Andrew Roach) writes:
> 
> 	Our 12 week old siamese is a kitchen closet raider !!!!
> 
> We returned home the other day to find all 3 cats missing. After searching in
> the obvious places, I heard a thumping sound coming from one of the kitchen
> cabinets.
> 
> I open the door an out pop the cats !! They gave me that old "who me" guilty
> look and walked off to their favourite couch.
> 
> I assumed that one of the two 6 month old Black ASH's had worked out how
> to open the doors, but I was wrong.
> 
> An hour or so later I heard the thump thump again and went into the kitehcn to
> take a peek. There was the little siamese kitten trying to open the door. He'd
> pull the door back about an inch an let it go; when the door thumped shut he'd
> try again. Each time he'd repeat the action slightly faster than the time
> before. Eventually he managed to get the door to sort of bounce open and in
> he'd go !! From inside he'd call to the two females and push the door open
> from the inside. They would then both climb into join in the fun.
> 
> Now the question is: Are Siamese sparter that other breeds ? or is this one
> gifted ? or are the two ASH's just dumb (after all in 6 months they'd not
> managed to get in even once.
> 
> Anyway all the doors now have kiddie locks and the cats are once again safe
> from the nasty stuff that lurks beneath sinks etc
> 
> Andy


	I don't think it has anything to do with the one cat being a siamese.
I have a generic DSH that learned how to open cabinets.  The others either
don't know how or wait for her to do the work (and take the rap !).  she's
more spastic than the others, and gets more flustered when she is without food
for "long" periods of time (like, say, five minutes.)

						-David
						 University of chicago
From: syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Sid Yearick)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Roses
Date: 15 Sep 92 11:10:34 GMT
Reply-To: syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Sid Yearick)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD


Lynn

I lost your mail address, please send me email, I have information for you. 


Sorry to post this here, but this is how we touched base early.  

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
               /|              []   syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil
            ` o.O '            []   Sid Yearick
            =(___)=            []   David Taylor Model Basin Carderock Division
               U               []   Naval Surface Warfare Center
          ACK!THPTPHH!         []   Bethesda, Maryland 20084-5000
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: margaret@infonode.ingr.com (Margaret Wiginton)
Subject: Finicky Felines Fasting
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 17:41:31 GMT

Sorry if this is an FAQ, but...

For a long time, I gave my two cats Iams (canned).  They *loved* it.
Then, suddenly, one day it was NO MORE IAMS IN A CAN.  They wouldn't touch
the stuff.  It was just as well, because, at about the same time, 
I adopted a third cat, and, for odor control, began feeding them
Iams dry.  They *loved* it.  (Less litter box odor, too.)

Now, (several months later) out of the blue, its NO MORE IAMS DRY.  
I've tried a couple of other brands of dry food, but they don't like 
them much, either.  (I KNOW they're holding out for canned food.)  

So what should I do?  Ignore the problem and stop catering to them?
Rotate brands of food (Iams one month, something else the next)?
I refuse to give them canned food -- P.U.!  I confess I did mix some
Tender Vittles in with their dry food this week and they really liked
it -- but I would prefer that they have a better-quality food.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

-- 
___________________
Margaret Wiginton
margaret@msw104i.b24b.ingr.com

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats,dc.general
From: msmam@super.org (Margaret A McGarry)
Subject: Need home for cat
Organization: Supercomputing Research Center (Bowie, MD)
Distribution: dc
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 18:29:46 GMT

We have a really nice grey tabby tom, about a year old,
hanging around our building.  He's very friendly and in
reasonably good health for a stray, but needs a home
as soon as possible.  There are a small number of people
working in this building and no one here is able to take
him.  There are no other buildings, and, therefore, 
people, in the area.

If anyone can give this guy a home, knows of someone
who might be able to take him, or knows of a no-kill
shelter in the area, please send e-mail to Marge at
msmam@super.org.

Thanks in advance--

Marge
From: hughes@dogwood.botany.uga.edu (Wayne Hughes)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Any help for a drooler?
Date: 14 Sep 92 23:04:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: rigel.1992Sep14.230434.26137
Organization: Botany Department - U of Georgia, Athens

In article <1992Sep14.214448.3947@zia.aoc.nrao.edu> dbriggs@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Daniel Briggs) writes:
>I don't think there is any particular help for this problem, but I thought
   [gross drooling description deleted]

   Does he have bad breath or other evidence of tooth problems?  Although
   you say he's a young cat, drooling can be a result of tooth or gum
   disease.  Our much older female maine coon had some drooling problems
   until she lost most of her teeth, then both the drooling and 
   bad (very bad) breath cleared up.  That's not to suggest you get
   all his teeth pulled, but there may be a fixable problem that
   might be related to the drooling.
   
   On the other hand, some cats are just like that  :)

   Wayne
From: ccspjs@gdr.bath.ac.uk (Pete J Suters)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: More strange behavior with prey
Date: 15 Sep 92 13:07:37 GMT
Organization: Bath University Computing Services, UK

In article <1992Sep14.210225.11488@ncar.ucar.edu> ilana@kiowa.scd.ucar.edu (Ilana Stern) writes:
>Description of kitty violence ahead.  If you are bothered by cats being 
>hunters, skip this.

>Friday morning, as I left for work, I noticed Elvie had flushed out a
>large mouse (actually, a rat) in the back yard.  He was doing the usual
>cat thing:  prod it with a paw until it runs, then pounce and bite, then
>back off and prod it some more.  The rat had a few bits of fur missing
>but was still giving Elvie a good workout.
>
>He tossed it up into the air, and when it landed on the patio he jumped
>onto it and *rolled* back and forth over it.  Then he grabbed it in his
>teeth and did it again:  toss, pounce, roll.  At first, it seemed as
>though he was trying to play with it, and disappointed that it wasn't
>"playing back."  

  I remember reading somewhere that the 'playing' with the prey actually
serves a purpose.  While the poor unfortunate mouse or whatever is
still alive, the cat will go through this throwing ritual, letting
the prey run a bit, and then catching it again.  Apparantly, this
is meant to cause the prey to produce a lot of adrenalin, which
somehow tenderises the meat!
  It sounds like Elvie was a little confused, but the rolling may
have been a way of tenderising the meat further!
  Mind you, our Roo hasn't a clue about hunting.  She'll catch
a mouse or a vole (or even a bird), and then bring it into
the house alive, and let it go!!  As a result, we've become
excellent bird shepherds!!

pete j suters ---- bath university ---- email: p.j.suters@uk.ac.swurcc 
 ___  ___    /-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|___)   |   /  "I've got this new girlfriend.  She's like a fine wine.
|       |  / She's covered in dust and lives in a cellar" -- A.Sayle 
     (_/  /=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=