HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats

I learned this Christmas tree water trick over 30 years ago, when my then
cat, Pepper, got into the tree stand and managed to soak the green 
felt tree skirt, which stained my mothers grey wool carpet horribly.

Before putting up your tree, place a piece of heavy plastic sheeting,
(about 3' x 3' will do) on the floor where you plan to stand the tree.

Place your tree in its stand on this piece of plastic.  Cut a circular   
piece of heavy plastic, approximately 3 feet in diameter .  Cut a hole
in the center to accommodate the tree trunk.  Cut a slit from the outer
edge to the center hole.  Place this second piece of plastic OVER the
tree stand and around the tree trunk, overlapping the slit edges.  Place
your decorative tree skirt over the now protected water container.  

This arrangements helps cut down on water evaporation , and also keeps
your kitty from pushing the tree skirt into the water (which then acts
as a wick to your carpet or floor).  A determined cat can, of course,
defeat this set up, but it should help with the incidental water droplets
that result from drinking from the tree stand, and prevent most cats
from getting in there in the first place.

Karen Robinson
From: sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu (   Wilde Dame)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Behavior problem:litter
Date: 21 Dec 1992 08:48:20 -0800
Organization: Seattle University
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: sumax.seattleu.edu

Hemingway and Clio both dig for fun, or so it often seems.  I have found
that a combination of a thin layer of litter (2") and a coarse litter (I
use Scoop Away HC--the granules are bigger and there's virtually no dust)
allows them to dig without kicking as much out onto the floor or raising
as much dust.  I'd warn you against disciplining your kitten for digging
in the litterbox, since she may come to think she is being punished for
using it and do her business elsewhere.
-- 
       Sheryl Stover  %  If you ask me what I have come to do in the world,
  & Hemingway & Clio  %  I who am an artist, I will reply: "I am here to
sstover@seattleu.edu  %  live aloud."                    -Emile Zola
From: martin@mala.bc.ca (NAME)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: jellicle?
Date: 24 Dec 92 15:57:02 -0700
Organization: Malaspina College

> Do I actually see,
>    with my own very eyes.
> A man who's not heard
>    of a jellicle cat?!
> 
> What's a jellicle cat?!!!
> 
> Jellicle cats are black and white
> Jellicle cats are rather small
> 
> Jellicle cats have moonlit eyes
> and pleasant to hear when we catterwall

I thought that Jellicle refered not to just any black and
white cat, but to those with the traditional "Tuxedo" pattern..
ie: Tom and Jerry type cat...
From: zorro@picasso.ocis.temple.edu (John Grabowski)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Friskies Tuna--Where'd It Go???
Date: 31 Dec 92 21:23:35 GMT
Organization: Temple University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]



Does anyone have any idea why supplies of Friskies Tuna have dried up 
in this neck o' the woods?  (Philadelphia area)  It's my fussy cat's favorite
food, and no store around here has stocked it for weeks.

It's also packaged slightly differently than any other Friskies varieties,
which leads me to think it is from a different plant than the rest.  Maybe
that has something to do with the disappearance?  (Wildcat strike--no pun
intended?)


John
zorro@picasso.ocis.temple.edu
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: prkenne@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (CAROL SHARP)
Subject: Re: favorite cat
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Distribution: usa
Date: 30 Dec 1992 10:51 EST  

In article <1hrsrlINN3cn@cuda.add.itg.ti.com>, middendorf@tsd.itg.ti.com writes...
> 
>my favorite type (breed) of cat is Birman mix (from the humane shelter of
>course!!! )
> 
>I would like to here stories of how you folks met your kittys.

My kitty used to be my sister's kitty.  She was driving home from shopping 
one night with her son and saw a cat in the road.  She slammed on her 
brakes but was worried she might have hit it anyway.  She and her son 
hopped out of the car to see and there was kitty on the side of the road 
looking none too healthy.  Since animal fettishes are genetic in my family 
she did the only normal thing and picked up kitty and took it to an 
emergency veternary clinic.  Turns out she didn't hit kitty but the poor 
thing had so much wrong with it that she owed the vet over $200.  Between 
that and the fact that this kitty reminded her son of MY first kitty she 
became a proud cat owner.  

A few years later, for a number of reasons I took up residence with my 
sister.  By that time she had also acquired a dog and my nephew had 
transferred most of his affections to the pup.  Well, along comes Carol, 
bearing gifts of nine lives, toys, and extra space in her bed.  Kitty liked 
all of that so well that he took to pacing between the front door and my 
bedroom door yowling whenever I was out at night.  Needless to say, my 
sister decided that kitty was going with me when I married and moved out.  
End of long "how I met my kitty" story.



            " Learn from the mistakes of others
             you can never live long enough to
             make them all yourself"

                                *Carol*
From: tim.burton@cutting.hou.tx.us (Tim Burton) 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: declawing?
Date: 2 Jan 93 03:33:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Cutting Edge - Houston, TX - 713-466-1525
Reply-To: tim.burton@cutting.hou.tx.us (Tim Burton) 

RM.Despite the fact that both our cats have all their claws, I have yet to see
  .either of them use her front feet for scratching herself (other cats/people/
  .objects, sure :-) ), or any of their claws for preening/cleaning. The latter is
  .all tongue/teeth work. Paws (not claws) only come into it for holding the
  .other one down during forced mutual washing :-).

>Desmond Morris, one of the top experts in animal behavior

RM.Sez Desmond Morris, maybe. Lots of what he says makes sense, but a lot of
  .other things are pretty farfetched. I'm not arguing about his love for
  .animals, but he sure doesn't have *all* the right answers.

RM.Incidentally, he stretches his "animal behavior expert" status to cover
  .humans, too. Try reading "The Naked Ape". Parts of it are very amusing.

   
   His next book should be: "The Naked Cat"! :)


 - Tim
---
 . 1st 1.01 #1199s . You're only young once.  You're immature forever.
                                                                                           
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Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Subject: Re: Favorite kind of cat - glad you asked
Reply-To: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 92 16:38:39 GMT

In article <1992Dec17.083614.1@stsci.edu> cmo@stsci.edu writes:
>Favorite kind? Why, 'Meezer's of course! Not because they have papers (my three
>are all rescues) or because they are pedigree, but because they are so, well,
>so SIAMESE! What have I observed in mine as general Siamese traits?
> 
[...]
>Their motto is 
>Popeye's:    " Iyam what Iyam and that's all that Iyam ".

I always felt the person who wrote the lyrics to "Lady and the Tramp" got the
Siamese approach to life right:

  We are Siamese, if you please,
  We are Siamese, if you *don't* please.

Abby is half Siamese and she has almost all the Siamese traits, including
intelligence, playfulness, sapphire-blue eyes, soft thick fur with gorgeous
markings, the conversational tendencies, and (though you only hear it fully
exercised at the vet's :-) ) that distinctive Siamese Voice.
-- 
Ruth Milner                          NRAO/VLA                  Socorro NM
Computing Division Head      rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: bron@iastate.edu (bronwyn)
Subject: Re: Cat licks plastic and likes it  
Originator: bron@tbird.cc.iastate.edu
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 07:05:42 GMT

In article <28DEC199223160353@utkvx2.utk.edu> ddenk@utkvx2.utk.edu (Deanna P. Denk) writes:
>One of our cats, Fribbles, likes to lick photographs. 

>In article <1992Dec29.003256.4582@bradley.bradley.edu>, guru@camelot.bradley.edu (Jerry Whelan) writes...
>>	My year and a half old, neutered generic black short hair has
>>started licking plastic.  

Be glad.  Be very glad.  My 19 week old (Feeper) likes licking faces. 
Anywhere.  As long as it's the face.  AND, unfortunatly, ONLY if it's
a SLEEPING face.

Four A.M. is not the best time for loving affection from my felines.

Since her diet is just fine (Science Diet Growth formula, some kitty grass
I've been growing for her, and some odd occasional treats) I think she 
just happens to like the taste, and doesn't actually need the salt/whatever.

NOW if I could just discourage her from it while not discouraging her from
sleeping with us.  Of course, I don't think I really mind.  Nermal (my
year-old cat) has become very uh.. *dignified* and *aloof* since Feeper
showed up, and has started sleeping in Siberia.  (Probably because she's
overweight and can't run away fast enough from Feepers sharp little 
"playful" claws)

OBQuestion:  Anyone have experience with the "I'm an adult cat and don't
want to play with this little sh*t" syndrome?  AND!  I've got a very
hectic schedule, and can't feed them at regular times.  I've been doing
the "open feeding" thing, but they're on different diets.  (feeper gets
growth, and Nermal is on Hills weight reducer.)  Feeper ignores the 
weight reducer stuff, but I *think* Nermal's nipping into the growth 
formula, because she hasn't dropped any weight for a while.  Any 
suggestions out there in net.land?

--
Bronwyn J Scrutton                                          bron@iastate.edu
Project Vincent                                               (515) 294-4994
                    If it's not one thing, it's Bronwyn.
From: loosemore-sandra@cs.yale.edu (Sandra Loosemore)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Meaning of tabby cats
Date: 22 Dec 1992 14:08:55 -0500
Organization: staff hacker @ Yale Haskell project
NNTP-Posting-Host: functor.systemsz.cs.yale.edu
In-reply-to: jhoskins@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu's message of Tue, 22 Dec 1992 16:06:49 GMT

jhoskins@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (James M Hoskins) writes:

   What are the characteristic, defining markings of what are
   called tabby cats?

   Also, can anyone comment on coloration and markings of "tortise-shell 
   tabbies" and "mackerel tabbies"?

If you look closely at the fur of a tabby cat, the individual hairs
have bands of color on them.  Typically they are dark near the root
and are light-colored near the tip, or have a light-colored band in
the middle.  The tabby gene controls whether the hairs are have this
banding or are solid.

Tortoise-shell refers to color, namely having patches of both red
and black (or brown) fur.

Mackerel tabby refers to the larger patterns of mottling on the fur
forming narrow stripes.  There is also a classic tabby pattern with
wide stripes, a spotted tabby pattern, and at least one breed of
cats where the tabby pattern doesn't have any dark mottling at all.

-Sandra
From: sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu (   Wilde Dame)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: A moral dilemma
Date: 1 Jan 1993 20:51:06 -0800
Organization: Seattle University
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: sumax.seattleu.edu

In article <1i26spINNonk@mailgzrz.TU-Berlin.DE> carsten@pizza.fb10.tu-berlin.de (Carsten Schultz) writes:
>In article <1i0cedINNbjt@sumax.seattleu.edu> sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu (    
>Wilde Dame) writes:
>..
>> My point is that while your support of neutering/spaying is admirable, it
>> is far better aimed at present owners of domestic cats than at strays. 
>..
>
>If I (and Webster's) understand the words correctly, it seems to me that  
>it isn't necessary to neuter/spay strays. Sterilizing should suffice.

I sincerely hope this is not all you got out of that post.  Whether you
neuter, spay, sterilize, alter, fix or break, you have to take the stray cat
out of what has become its natural environment, subject it to a medical
procedure, and then put it up for adoption, the which case guarantees the
animal death if no one adopts it, except in the case of a tiny minority of
shelters.  Cats do not overpopulate the streets here (there are places in
Mexico with few cars and poor waste disposal where it has become possible
for them to do so, and no doubt the same is the case in other places), but
they do overpopulate the shelters, making that chance of death even greater.

-- 
       Sheryl Stover  %  If you ask me what I have come to do in the world,
  & Hemingway & Clio  %  I who am an artist, I will reply: "I am here to
sstover@seattleu.edu  %  live aloud."                    -Emile Zola
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: Jack_Webb@mindlink.bc.ca (Jack Webb)
Subject: Re: House plants
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 17:22:22 GMT

> alan.b.karpe writes:
>
> Msg-ID: <1992Dec26.160348.2757@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>
> Posted: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 16:03:4
>
> Org.  : AT&T
>
> I am the new owner of a Snowshoe  kitten.  Are there any house
> plants that can make my kitten sick or are poisonous.


Cat Fancy magazine of May 1988 has a good article on cats and houseplants...

here is a list of some of the more poisonous plants.

Amaryllis               Arrowhead vine/Nephthysis       Asparagus Fern
Azalea                  Bird of Paradise                Boston Ivy
Chrysanthemum           Caladium                        Creeping Charlie
Creeping Fig            Crown of Thorns                 Dieffenbachia
Elephant Ears (taro)    Emerald duke                    Ivy (all var.)
Jerusalem cherry        Marble queen                    Pothos
Philodendrons (all)     Pot mums                        Red princess
Spider mum              Sprengen fern                   Umbrella plant
Weeping fig (ficus)


Seasonal plants that are poisonous include:

mistletoe:  berries
Pointsettia: (all, and extremely toxic)
Most varieties of plant bulbs.

there are more, but your vet would have further info.  Hope it helps!

*j*
--
WE SAIL TONIGHT FOR SINGAPORE - WE'RE ALL AS MAD AS HATTERS HERE!!

*******************Jack_Webb@mindlink.bc.ca***********************
****VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA...HOME OF THE NEUROTIC****
From: laurel.schippers@hal9k.ann-arbor.mi.us (Laurel Schippers) 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: CANNED CAT FOOD--DIFFEREN
Date: 3 Jan 93 10:51:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: HAL 9000 BBS, W-NET HQ, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Reply-To: laurel.schippers@hal9k.ann-arbor.mi.us (Laurel Schippers) 

She has Russian Blues, American Shorthairs, and Himalayans.
Personally, I like the Russians, but it really depends on what
sort of personality you like in a cat. My mom runs Tylona
Cattery; her phone # is (313) 663-7042 if you want to talk to
her about getting a kitten.  She also often has older cats (looking
for homes).
                                                             
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Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: slamkin@ollie.jsc.nasa.gov (Stephen Lamkin)
Subject: Perils of Antifreeze
Organization: nasa-jsc
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 19:53:37 GMT

The hazards and heartbreak of having free-spirited cats was painfully brought
home to me this past weekend. Five year old Little Bit, a mongrel blue point,
always liked to explore outside in our neighborhood, although she was seldom
more than 150 feet from the house. Apparently sometime during the morning,
while she was on "dawn patrol", she ingested some antifreeze at some
neighbor's house. That afternoon, my wife and two kids noticed that Little Bit
was gaging a lot, and staggering. They rushed her to an emergency animal
clinic, but she died 2 hours later while the vet worked to save her.

In talking to the vet afterwards, I found out how incidious antifreeze is
for our little friends. It's like honey to a diabetic - they grave it if
they get some. It tastes sweet to dogs and cats, and they will eat it up,
and ignore water - and it's very fast acting. The vet told me that the most
successful recoveries are those where the owner sees their pet licking the
antifreeze and brings them immediately to a vet to start treatment (or at
least within the first hour or two). By the time we see the symptoms of
gaging, staggering balance, and slow respiration, it is generally too late.

Where Little Bit got the antifreeze, we have no idea. There weren't any
indications of antifreeze pans left out at a neighbor's place, and we didn't
see any radiator spills on a driveway, although the rain Saturday night
probably washed it away, if there was any.

Now my 16 year old son won't have his Little Bit of cat to snuggle with him
in his bedroom at night, or watch after him while he sleeps. And our champion
snake and lizzard catcher isn't around to protect us from those "terrible
reptiles". We will miss her, but can find consolation with our 5 other cats
who share their lives with us, and sometimes barely tolerate us.

Little Bit came to us out of the blue, on a rainy day, and left us on a rainy
one. The heartache and hurt will take a while to ease, but the pleasant
memories of our Little Bit will always be there. You can't keep a
free-spirited cat prisoner; you have to let them go where they want - just
like children when they are grown. And occasionally there will be heartache
and pain when something hurts them, but you have to love them enough to
let them go - cats and kids are like that, but it sure can tear the hell
our of your heart when it happens.

Thanks for your time. and understanding...

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: Jack_Webb@mindlink.bc.ca (Jack Webb)
Subject: Re: Kitty has crud on head
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 00:25:22 GMT

> Nancy Milligan writes:
>
> Msg-ID: <BzqLzF.3Eo@dale.cts.com>
> Posted: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 00:14:0
>
> Org.  : Titan Linkabit Corporation
>
> My kitty has some crusty things (maybe scabs?) on his head.  I can feel
> them with my fingers, but I can't see anything (he's black and it's hard
> to peer through his fur).  They are smallish, but there are several.
> They are right up on top, between his ears.
>
> Now, I figure it could be from fighting, he does have a nice long
> scratch across his nose (I think he figures he's dashing looking
> now that he has a scar), or it might be from fleas.  He does
> have worms (the rice type that fall off the hindquarters) and I'm
> going to get him dewormed soon.
>
> He also has a persistant little bald spot between his sholders.  Sometimes
> it fills in, but he's had it for several months this time.  What
> is wrong with my little pal?
>
> BTW:  His name is Taboo, and he's a giant black kitty.  He weighs
> 19 pounds and he isn't fat, just a wee bit chubby.  His fur is
> quite sparse thought, especially in front of his ears.  It looks
> kind of funny.
> --
> Nancy P. Milligan                               npm@dale.cts.com
> Titan Linkabit                                  cts!dale!npm
>                   Gravity is no laughing matter.



Could be flea bite dermatitis ... causes bumps sometimes, and can also cause
fur loss... the only way to find out is to go to the vet.

If it is fleas, remember to treat the house... treating just the cat won't
work.  do both.

*j*

--
WE SAIL TONIGHT FOR SINGAPORE - WE'RE ALL AS MAD AS HATTERS HERE!!

*******************Jack_Webb@mindlink.bc.ca***********************
****VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA...HOME OF THE NEUROTIC****
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: npm@dale.cts.com (Nancy Milligan)
Subject: Re: Catproof couches?
Organization: Titan Linkabit Corporation
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 22:21:54 GMT

I've heard of a couple of clever solutions for getting a cat to stop
scratching a sofa.  One is to spray something really smelly (like
perfume, or orange oil, or camphor) on the corner where they scratch.
They don't like getting their paws stunk up with the smell.  Another
suggestion had to do with taping balloons all over the corners where
they might scratch.  If they should happen to do it:  POP!

I've been really lucky.  Probably because all my kitties have been
indoor/outdoor cats, they've never scratched my furniture.

By the way, I manage to trim my monster's (19 pound kitty) claws
by doing it when he is sleeping.  I just very quietly, easily
hold his paw and press his toe until the claw pops out.  Then I 
quickly snip and go to the next.  I can usually get 1 paw done
before he wakes up and protests.  Then I let him go back to sleep
and I get the other paw.

Rather than trying to trim it way down, just snip a little off and
do it more often.  It's less traumatic on you and the cat.  Of course,
your mileage will vary depending on the personality of your cat.

--
Nancy P. Milligan 				npm@dale.cts.com
Titan Linkabit					cts!dale!npm
		  Gravity is no laughing matter.
From: kimd@gizmo.usc.edu (Kim Daugherty)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Xmas tree is Down
Date: 22 Dec 1992 10:09:40 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: gizmo.usc.edu


In article <gfB81By00WB481uF88@andrew.cmu.edu>, "Louise B. McFeaters" <lm00+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
|> 
|> 
|> Yes, the Christmas tree has been knocked over twice by my 4 month old
|> kitten, and I was wondering if there was a surefire way dis interest the
|> cat in the tree. Any suggestions? Thanks for responding
|> 
|> 
We couldn't keep our kittens out of the tree at all.  So we installed a ceiling
hook and tied the tree to it.  Works like a charm.

-- 
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Kim Daugherty                   | PhD program in Computer Science   |
| kimd@gizmo.usc.edu              | University of Southern California |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
From: mpg@Think.COM (Michael Gallagher)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Trimming claws
Date: 29 Dec 1992 23:03:30 GMT
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: quicksilver.think.com

I have found that my two cats each have a preferred position for being trimmed. One (who has a strong resemblence to a Chartruese) prefers to be on her back, lying in my lap facing me. The other (a proper little jellicle cat) prefers the same position, but facing away (this gives her an advantage in the "bat-at-the-shiny-toy" game).

Both prefer to have their tummies rubbed until they become sleepy, prior to the trimming.

I have also trimmed feral cats for the local Humane Society. If they are tame, the above works nicely. If not, I wrap them in a soft towel and find a paw at a time.


-- 
         Michael Gallagher
	____________________________________________________________
 _____ /The misspellings and opinions in the above message do not  / _
  ___ /necessarily reflect those of my employer, (or anyone else  / ___
   _ /for that matter). :-)                                      / _____
    /___________________________________________________________/ 
                       	        	           mpg@think.com


Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: hubcap@hubcap.clemson.edu (System Janitor)
Subject: Re: favorite cat
Organization: Clemson University
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 20:29:53 GMT


???

Al is my favorite cat, of course.

-Mike