HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: vicki@steam.atd.ucar.edu (Vicki Holzhauer)
Subject: Re: Cat doesn't trust children
Organization: Atmospheric Technology Division/NCAR Boulder, CO
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 17:24:31 GMT

In article <2487@cronos.metaphor.com> pstevens@Metaphor.COM (Paul Stevens) writes:
>My cat Tara, a middle-aged (7.5 years) Siamese-Balinese mix, has always
>had this mistrust of children that borders on mortal terror sometimes.
>I am pretty sure that she never had any bad experiences with kids.
>There's just something about them that scares her.


Abigail (16) has never trusted children.  She came to me as a stray
when she was somewhere between 6 and 9 months old.  The family who had
taken her off the street had several children, dogs, and cats (and had
room for no more!).  Perhaps she was mistreated by children; I'll
never know.

Whenever I have young guests, she runs and hides under the bed.  Two
of my friends are daughters of friends who are now getting a bit older
(10 and 12).  With patience and a bag of Tender Vittles or can of
Pounce, she can be teased out a bit.  (There's something to be said
for a moist food addiction ... :-)

The funny thing is that she likes my three older cousins, whom she met
when they were adults.  My youngest cousin is now 24, but when Abigail
first met him, he was 10.  She *remembers* that Rick used to be a kid,
and he's the only cousin she won't come out for.  Rick has taken care
of my cats for as much as week while I've been on vacation and has
only seen Zarabeth for the whole week.  Abigail just sits under the
bed glowering at him and probably mumbling about how he used to be a
kid.

She, too, is a very affectionate (in-your-face :-) cat with people she
loves and trusts.




--
Vicki Holzhauer, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Boulder, Colorado / / / /  vicki@ncar.ucar.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: piltch@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Nancy Piltch)
Subject: Re: Marking---Can it be corrected?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 28 Aug 1992 17:18 EST  

In article <1992Aug27.180946.6309@iscsvax.uni.edu>, klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes...
>In article <92240.084238U39730@uicvm.uic.edu>, Norma Kateeb <U39730@uicvm.uic.edu> writes:
>  He has been repeatedly
>> marking his territory in one particular room of the house.  She is now


>> The dilemma is --If she takes Topaz back and finds homes for the
>> other 2 cats, can Topaz be corrected of this bad habit?  Does anybody

There may be hope. I got my cat as a 10-year old (the cat, that is, not
me) who had to be taken out of a three cat household for exactly the same
reason. He has never sprayed since being separated from the other cats.

>One thing that *should* be tried is a progestin treatment, which will stop
>marking behavior in about 50% of the cats undergoing treatment.  Tranquilizers
>work on about 50% of the territorial cats, too... so *I* sure wouldn't
>give up without a several-month trial of both treatments.  If her vet

My cat was one of the ones for whom neither progestin nor tranquilizers
worked. He was also one of the ones who developed the rare but possible
side effects to hormone treatment, so you should be aware that there
can be problems. 


Nancy Piltch            piltch@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov
NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland Ohio 44135

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dovebar@wam.umd.edu (M.)
Subject: Speaking of biting felines...
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 12:41:59 GMT

This is the new cat owner again (well, as of six months) - thanks to
everyone who offered suggestions after my first posting.  We 
adopted a male stray who was around 1.5 years when he "found" us
and we took him in (in early January).  According to both the
vet and people who have far more experience taking care of cats,
he was exceptionally good-natured for an unaltered male.  He
was eventually neutered (sorry, kitty), and of course retained
his general mellowness and good humor.  He's a huge cat, and
extremely strong (he likes to stalk small dogs and go after
other cats), but he never uses his very sharp claws on people,
except by accident (your hand gets in the way of him batting at
a string, for example).  There is only one semi-aggressive thing
he does, and from talking to other cat owners, this isn't so
rare.  Someone will be petting him, and of the sudden he'll
reach around, hug their hand/forearm with his front paws (it
looks like he's giving them a hug, and his claws are not
extended), and grip on their hand or forearm with his teeth.
He will also occasionally be batting at their limb with
his back legs (kicking, like a rabbit - again, his claws
aren't extended).  None of this is particularly painful -
in fact, the kicking back legs almost feel like he's *petting*
you or something - but the biting *does* hurt.  He'll sorta
just sink his teeth in until you manage to get him off, or
he decides to himself.  

This reminded me of the "feline problem" thread because he
would do this while you were petting him, and after you
would touch a certain spot, which could be between his two 
front legs (which puts you in a great position to be "hugged")
or perhaps another spot, which doesn't seem to be particularly
fixed.  Afterwards, you just continue petting him, and he's
fine.

Any insights?  Thanks!

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: kgs@panix.com (Karen Schneider)
Subject: Why Do Cats Sit on Paper?
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 01:15:52 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC


This has probably been addressed before, but why is it that
cats will zero in on the teensiest piece of paper and plop themselves
down on top of it?  Not that I'm complaining--it's just that after
twelves years with His Royal Highness I'd like an answer, and he's
not forthcoming...

                   
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
K.G.Schneider

"Prudence keeps life safe, but does not often make it happy"
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: gibbsm@ll.mit.edu (MargARET D. Gibbs)
Subject: Re: Flushable Litter Isn't
Organization: M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 14:59:21 GMT

In article <1992Aug24.140233.19146@novell.com> mlinda@novell.com (M'Linda Taylor) writes:
>Well, I kind of do both.  I cut off the top of the jug (so I could get
>the "stuff" in) and bag it up.  What I'm going to change to is something
>I learned from a friend who breeds Shelties.  She keeps a pail with a 
>lid on it lined with a plastic bag and puts the "presents" in there.
>When garbage day rolls around she ties up the bag and tosses the weeks
>worth of "stuff".  I figure on keeping the pail in the garage and using
>the jug to transport stuff from the litter pan (and backyard...I'm getting
>one or two Shelties) to the pail.

This is similar to what I do:  I have a diaper-pail and put a plastic
grocery-store bag in it, into which I scoop the clumps and "presents".
On garbage day, I tie it up and put it out with the rest of the
garbage.  It works out really well, especially because it's the type
of pail where the lid opens with a foot-lever, so I can keep my hands
free for other "things" :-).  I recycle the plastic jugs in which 
the litter comes.



-- 
Margaret D. Gibbs		"Practice random kindness and 
Assistant Staff			 senseless acts of beauty"
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
gibbsm@ll.mit.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ehp@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU ("Didi Pancake")
Subject: Re: Naming cat behaviors
Organization: University of Virginia
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 20:35:55 GMT


Ah, remembered another one... whenever any of my cats gets a major case
of the munchies or gobbles, I refer to that animal as "as pig in a cat
suit."

--
|  Didi Pancake         |     "How do you kill mud?"                     |
|  ehp@virginia.edu     |           --Dean Jagger in "X the Unknown"     |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  All the usual disclaimers about the origins of these opinions apply.  |
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: tastewar@athena.mit.edu (Tom Stewart)
Subject: Re: Why Do Cats Sit on Paper?
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 11:40:22 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.011552.16719@panix.com> kgs@panix.com (Karen Schneider) writes:
>
>This has probably been addressed before, but why is it that
>cats will zero in on the teensiest piece of paper and plop themselves
>down on top of it?  Not that I'm complaining--it's just that after
>twelves years with His Royal Highness I'd like an answer, and he's
>not forthcoming...

Sorry, I don't have the answer to your question, but our two are
the same way, one more than the other.  I think that they don't
like to be associated with the background (floor, table, bed), but
prefer to be on some"thing" (piece of paper, 5"x5" wedding album,
piece of clothing) in the foreground (can't think of better terms).

Marion seems to like the challenge of fitting her butt on the 
smallest scrap of paper (or whatever) and fitting herself in the
smallest boxes.  She's a cutie!
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: judy@evolving.com (Judy Bettinger)
Subject: The latest addition to our household, part II
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1992 14:43:50 GMT
Organization: Evolving Systems, Inc.

Just an update on the Felix and Bast saga:

Felix is scratching less and grooming less, and has begun to 
grow new fuzz on his belly.  I'm hopeful that the fleas are
gone and he's healing.  He's also become playful again and is
eating well.

Several people also wrote to say that they'd had good luck
with adult cats becoming friends.  Last night I woke up 
finding my feet pinned.  Well, the nights here are getting pretty
chilly now, and Bast likes to crawl under the covers and sleep
at our feet when it gets cold.  Felix was on top of the covers,
also by our feet.  So, we had a great cat-pile.  I doubt either
one realized that the warm lump in the bed was That Other Cat,
but everybody was happy!

Thanks again to everyone who wrote!
-- 
Judy Bettinger (judy@evolving.com)            < |/
Evolving Systems, Inc.                         :o<)
Denver, Colorado                              < |\
From: gibson@dl5000.bc.edu (Rene Gibson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: How about kitty noises?
Date: 4 Sep 92 17:55:07 GMT
	<1992Sep3.060214.1720@walter.cray.com>
Organization: Institute for Space Research, Boston College

In article <1992Sep3.060214.1720@walter.cray.com> bonni@snoid.cray.com (Bonni Ensminger) writes:

> My cat also makes a noise I don't think I can describe very well.  It's the
> 'aren't I so cute you want to give me anything I want' noise.  It's kind of
> a meow and a purr mixed together, similar to a pigeon cooing.

Both of mine do this, although one is particularly good at it.  I call it a
purred meow.  They usually do this when they're *REAL* happy.

Rene
--
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: trish@tronsbox.xei.com (Trish)
Subject: Re: Problem with Feline
Organization: Xanadu Enterprises Inc.
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 03:28:13 GMT

In article <19873@plains.NoDak.edu> myhre@plains.NoDak.edu (Robert Myhre) writes:
>...The female is about 1-1/2 to 2 years old and not yet spayed (next
>week though).  Anyway, she has this tendancy to sit on your lap
>or next to you acting all really lovey, butting heads, etc.  However,
>some times when a person is petting her she will turn around and
>bite for no apparent reason.  She doesn't even give a customary
>growl or flick of the tail warning.  Has anyone else experienced
>this or may know what is causing it?  My wife is getting a little
>tired of being bitten from petting her.  Thanks
>
>Robert Myhre

Robert,
One of my four cats bites when he is being petted and he is really
getting into it.  The first time he did I was so mad because I thought
he did it out of anger but the next time I realized he was purring and
very happy -- he usually just licks the petter's hand but sometimes he
will just put his teeth on the skin.  He has never punctured the skin
or even left a mark -- just enough that you know what he is doing.  I
now make sure I am prepared for it -- i.e. long sleeves or towel over
bare skin or I just put up with it or I don't pet him.  I don't know
if this is kind of biting your cat is doing but i thoguht I would
share it with you.


-- 
"Anything not nailed down is a cat toy." (By ? -- from a button I own)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 UUCP: trish@tronsbox.xei.com  			OR : uunet!tronsbox!trish
                         Xanadu Enterprises, Inc. 
                  -- Sells lingerie and adult novelties.
                  -- For further information send email.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: kudra@hubcap.clemson.edu (sallie j kudra)
Subject: Re: Goodbye Thomasina-the-cute
Keywords: I'm in shock.
Organization: Clemson University
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 20:29:16 GMT


You got it.  Great big hugs from me and my girls.  Hang onto to the fact
that she didn't suffer long.

Sallie, owned and operated by Arielle, Melanie and Cali

PS  She will be with Daniel and Tree two of my boys who were the loves of
    my life.


*****************************************************************************
 You may be right, I may be crazy                 | Sallie Kudra
 But it just may be a lunatic you're lookin' for  | kudra@hubcap.clemson.edu
                         Billy Joel               | kudra@clemson.clemson.edu
*****************************************************************************
From: diana@wetware.com (CatWoman )
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Leaving cats alone.
Date: 26 Aug 92 23:43:01 GMT
Organization: Castle WetWare MouseCatcher

ericj@hwcae.Honeywell.COM (Eric Jacobsen) writes:

] jim@n5ial.chi.il.us (Jim Graham) writes:
] 
]    > Regarding the tipping the water over problem: We always leave the
]    > toilet seats up so that if something does happen the animals have an
]    > emergency water supply.  I know this sounds gross, but a lot of
]    > animals drink out of the john anyway, and as long as the bowl is clean
]    > there shouldn't be a problem.
] 
]    yes, there is (or at least, could be) a problem....  what about all
]    the cleaners that you use in the toilet bowl? 
] 
] Ooops! That's completely correct. I didn't mention it since we don't use
] tank additives or chemical cleaners for specifically this reason. Ya 
] never can tell when somebody's going to decide the water in the john
] looks better than the water in their bowl. 
] 
One other cautionary thought on this - if you have hard
water, and your cat has a tendency to FUS problems, you
probably should restrict the tap/bowl water consumption
completely.  I had to do that - I was letting the kitten
drink out of the tank (no chemicals there), and she came
down with a case of FUS.  So - close the tank, mop the
tub and washbasins, and only allow them access to the 
distilled water.

Diana
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: shan@niwot.scd.ucar.edu (Val Shanahan)
Subject: Re: Problem with Feline
Organization: Scientific Computing Divison/NCAR Boulder, CO
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 17:23:52 GMT


My just-turned 19 year old cat, Daisy, used to do this on a regular basis
and still every now and then.  I don't REALLY know what it's all about, but
I have always called it her screaming orgasms.  I can be petting her just
the way she likes, and she is enjoying every minute of it, suddenly, she
spins around, screaming, and lashes out with her claws.  Just as suddenly
as it happens, it is also over, and Daisy is ready for more petting.

Val

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: sauer@bluemoon.rn.com (John Tipshus)
Subject: Cat named Elvis shakes leg (too much).
Organization: Blue Moon BBS ((614) 868-998[024])
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 16:25:17 EDT

My friend Steve named his male cat Elvis because it kinda shakes its 
left hind leg a lot.  Well, now Elvis is licking that leg and doing a lot 
of shaking.  I mean, this kitty might have a problem or something.  

Anyone hear of this before?  Steve seems to think his cat IS Elvis 
incarnate, but I believe there may be some sort of medical explanation.

Thank you for your consideration,

     John

//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.//.
         John Blase Tipshus           osu-cis!n8emr!bluemoon!sauer
         Worthington, Ohio            sauer@bluemoon.rn.com
.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\
From: hannah@pomponio.ai.sri.com (Marsha Jo Hannah)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Naming cat behaviors
Date: 1 Sep 92 21:23:39 GMT
	<berthiau.714874628@iros1> <1992Aug27.135016.23602@linus.mitre.org>
Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
In-reply-to: pdsmith.mitre.org's message of 27 Aug 92 13:50:16 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.135016.23602@linus.mitre.org> pdsmith.mitre.org (Pat Smith) writes:

 herd of elephants - when the two cats race upstairs - it sounds like a herd
 of elephants.  Amazing how much thundering noise 2 8lb cats can make

Our calico, Squirrel, does this, except mostly going downstairs.  We
say that she has her army boots on, again.

 dog cat - a cat that comes when called and has a husky dog tail (wraps around 
 and touches her head) and fetches

Our male cat, Fats, is sometimes called "puppy-cat", because he goes
for hikes with us.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lruben@persian.csd.sgi.com (Lara Ruben)
Subject: Re: furballs
Keywords: vaseline
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Distribution: US
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 20:19:52 GMT

>What is the recommended dosage for vaseline for furball removal.
>How much and how often??


I've never heard of giving vaseline as a furball remedy- I've always used
Petromalt.  You might have a hard time getting your cat to eat the
vaseline, whereas Petromalt has a strong smell that my cat really loves. 
I
give him about 1-1 1/2"of the stuff right out of the tube every day until
he's back to normal, and then give it to him a couple of times a week.

Good luck!
-- 

===================================================================
                          
Lara Ruben                      Silicon Graphics, Inc.
(415)390-5335                   CSD Finance
email:lruben@csd.sgi.com        Mailstop 12L-130                        
                        
===================================================================
From: mas@calmasd.Prime.COM (Marisa SorBello)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Sitting on paper and laps
Date: 4 Sep 92 17:43:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: calmasd.4979
Organization: Computervision, San Diego, CA

I had no idea Sachia was so ordinary when it comes to sitting
on paper!  (Of course, she's extraordinary in other ways.)

Another thing I find odd is her lap preferences.  She curls up
in my lap all the time, except when I'm wearing shorts.  Then I
either have to slouch so she's at my waist, or lie down with her
on my chest.  I think she's afraid of sinking claws into bare
skin or something, since she also won't let me hold her when I
first get up in the morning -- I have to put a robe on first.
Of course, she thinks nothing of ripping my right hand and
forearm to shreds during playtime (that's OK, the nerve endings
are dead after 10-1/2 years with Sachia).  Anyone else have a
cat who doesn't like bare skin?

-- Marisa
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: 6845400@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM
Subject: Re: Goodbye
Organization: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 92 18:02:50 GMT

IT"S VERY,VERY hard when you lose someone you love, I too had to have a cat
put to sleep a couple of months ago, I had had her for 12.5 to 13.5 years.

You maynot have friends where you are right now but you do have friends on the
net and they are only a computer away.

Sincerely,

Kathy
------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
From: mlinda@ca.novell.com (M'Linda Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Goodbye Thomasina-the-cute
Keywords: I'm in shock.
Date: 3 Sep 92 13:27:04 GMT
Reply-To: mlinda@ca.novell.com (M'Linda Taylor)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Novell, Inc., Austin, Texas

I guess I'm mostly a lurker....but there are those of you who
have seen me sign off with "Mom-cat to Rio-the-LOUD and
Thomasina-the-cute".

Last night at 11:00 Thomasina began having moderate problems
breath so I called the Emergency Clinic who said to bring
her in if she got any worse or was running a fever.  As soon
as I tried to take her temp. she collapsed and began choking.

I rushed her to the vets who said it was major bad news.
A undetected cardiac problem, he didn't know if she would
make it through the night.  He put her on oxygen and a
VERY slow i.v. (her lungs were *full* of fluid).  She perked
up enough to purr when I gave her a good cuddle prior to
going home to try and get some rest....and to wait.... They
had me sign a authorization to put her down if it got too
bad.  An hour later I got the call.  My little girl had had
a rapid decline and was not going to make it.  She was
suffering too much to wait for me to drive across town to
be there for her so I told the vet to give her a hug and
tell her what a GOOD girl she always was and then I said
a prayer and asked that two of my other cats (Cindy and
Kiran) meet her at the gate.

She was only two and gave me sooooo much.  She'll never
follow me into the bathroom to protect me from the bath
tub again or save me from the man eating rubber snake.

I have to go now....it's time to stop crying before
some one at work freaks out.  There was just no
warning.  From the time she started having problems
to the end was only 2.5 hours.

Time for a net *hug* folks, I just moved here and don't
have any friends yet.

M'Linda


************************************************
*           - Lonestar -                       *
*Internet: mlinda@novell.COM                   *
*UUCP: {ames,sun,apple,amdahl}!novell!mlinda   *
************************************************

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Subject: Re: Litter box problem
Reply-To: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 20:07:43 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.182510.16930@pbs.org> jlecher@pbs.org writes:
>She uses the box just fine, but hasn't seemed to have grasped
>the concept of digging beside the solid waste to cover it over.
>No, she stands ON TOP of it, getting her feet really icky, then
>proceeds to track the mess all over the house! She plays with
>Sherlock, getting it all over him, and then she has the NERVE
>to meow pitifully when my boyfriend holds her in the sink to
>wash her feet off! 

<nostalgic sigh>

This sounds *exactly* like Boots was when she was little! Well, I'm not really
all that nostalgic about it; it was hell while it lasted. You're right, it's
amazing how pitiful they sound when you wash their feet. It took two of us to
do it: Dale to hold her and me to wipe her paws with a wet paper towel (or
rub them under running water).

She did eventually figure it out. You might want to try to catch your kitten
while she's pooping, wait quietly until she's done, then help her move her
paws in the right way to cover it up. We did that, and I don't really know if
it helped or not. Also see if you can get her to watch Sherlock, who presumably
does the right thing. Young kittens do learn by example.
-- 
Ruth Milner                          NRAO/VLA                  Socorro NM
Computing Division Head      rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu
From: feldman@flash.crd.ge.com (Sandra F Feldman)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: strange cat behavior
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:44:21 GMT
Organization: GE Corporate R&D Center

[Siamese cat sucks on his tail. Why is it discolored?]

I've read that the color of Siamese cats depends on their body temperature.
That's why the points are different colors, and they darken with age.  If he
sucks on his tail a lot, it probably has been exposed to a higher temperature
than a "normal" tail.


Sandy
(who owns four short hair "mutts" and one maine-coon-like mutt and hopes she
hasn't gotten Saimese cats confused with some other breed.)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats