HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: nvonstein@memstvx1.memst.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: cat in heat?
Date: 4 Jan 93 13:29:18 -0600
Organization: Memphis State University

In article <1992Dec31.075707.554@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>, Joseph.V.Kelly.Jr@dartmouth.edu (Joseph V. Kelly Jr) writes:
> 
> My cat is probably about 9 months old, and she's making funny mewling
> noises,
> is rolling over on the floor, and when I do the ol' *pat the cat on the
> rump so that its hindquarters go up in the air* trick, her haunches
> shoot way up into the air higher than normal. Does this mean my cat is
> in heat?
> 
> Well, I guess I'll take her in to get fixed (or broken, as the
> operation seems to render a great amount of disrepair.) Even though
> part of me doesn't wanna do that to a cat (how would I like it if it
> happened to me ?) I can't afford taking care of a whole litter of them
> at least in a humane fashion.
> 
> Anyhow, she's an indoor cat, so I don't have an immediate concerns.

I gotta tell you this story.  When I was a teenager, the father of a friend of
mine brought me a beautiful young female siamese.  Well after I had her for a
while, it seemed that she was in excruciating pain.  She cried constantly and
when I picked her up, she would stiffen her back and act like I was killing
her.  My mother said take her to the vet.  Young innocent child that I was
then, I explained my cat's behaviour to the vet and he said let's check her
over and see what's wrong.  Well, when he took her temperature, this kitty went
berserk.  She moaned deeply and stuck her rump up in the air, and I said 'see,
she's in so much pain.'  The vet smiled politely and finished the physical exam
and then said there's nothing wrong with your cat - she's in heat.  My face
turned so red and all I wanted to do was get outta there.  I still laugh about
it.  Man, I bet the vet laughed for years too.

Nancy
> 
> joe & chloe
From: dan@msen.com (Dan Sugalski)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: DECLAWING?
Date: 5 Jan 1993 21:58:56 GMT
Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, Michigan
NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.msen.com
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

Steve Pope (spp@zabriskie.berkeley.edu) wrote:

: If you live in a place where outdoor cats are not
: safe, please don't commit to a new cat with unknown
: behavior patterns on the assumption that it can
: be made happy as a pure indoor cat.  Most cats are not
: happy unless they go outside at least part of the
: time.

: Steve

Can you tell me where outdoor cats can truly be considered safe from the
dangers of cars?  My one and only indoor/outdoor cat (by household rule,
not my choice or hers) was hit by a car.  We lived in a rural area on 10
acres.  We had farms on either side of us.  There is no such thing as safe
where cats and traffic are concerned.  "Safer" maybe, but not safe.

Since then, I have had 7 indoor only cats live with me.  Five still do. 
One went to her own home when she made it clear that she wanted to be an
only cat.   The other died of Feline leukemia picked up while she was an
indoor/outdoor kitten belonging to someone else.  All of these cats are
happy being indoor cats.  The only one I even have to worry about getting
out is the youngest.  That's because Spike thinks that running through
opening doors is a great game.  No, he's not trying to get out, he just
likes to go through the door either way as it is opened.

My current eldest cat was indoor/outdoor as a kitten.  Fortunately he did
not share his mother's fate before we could move to where he could live
indoors only.  Daryl has no interest in going outside.  He'll sit at the
door and look out, but he'd rather stay in.

Karen

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: reid@tsd.arlut.utexas.edu (Robert Reid)
Subject: Re: The Sacred Halogen Torchiere
Organization: Applied Research Labs, University of Texas at Austin
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 19:04:21 GMT


The other day I walked into my room to find my cat sitting on top of
the halogen desk lamp that I have (1 to 1.5 feet tall). She was just
sitting there looking out the window. She seemed to think that that
was as acceptable a place to sit as any other.

Robert
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: vboynton@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Virginia R Boynton)
Subject: Re: Human Nail Clippers
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 23:15:02 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.133704.4826@wkuvx1.bitnet> shroymp@wkuvx1.bitnet (Mike Sh
royer ) writes:
>Hi all,
>    I lost my copy of the FAQ so shoot me if this is in there.
>Can you use regular human clippers to trim a cats nails?  I friend of
>mine said his mom used to use them when he was a kid and it didn't
>seem to bother them.

I trim all 4 of my cats' nails with my human nail clippers.  Doesn't bother 
them a bit.  You just have to be careful not to cut back too far.
From: 00cmmiller@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: early wake up calls
Date: 12 Jan 93 17:09:11 GMT
Organization: Ball State University, Muncie, In - Univ. Computing Svc's

In article <kfHM5FG00WBNM1_ncr@andrew.cmu.edu>, sw39+@andrew.cmu.edu (Susan R. Wagner) writes:
> I need advice.  My cat, Jester, has this habit of waking me up very
> early in the morning.  He goes through this routine.  First he licks my
> face, if that doesn't work he bats the blinds.  Then as a last resort,
> he bites my nose.  Pretty nice eh.  Does anyone have suggestions as to
> how to stop this habit.  I have already changed his feeding time to
> after my shower instead of right when I get up, but this hasn't helped. 
> I really don't want to kick him out all night, our room is the only
> place where we leave the heat on.  I do lock him out once he has
> succeeded in getting me out of bed before shower time, but this hasn't
> helped.  HELP!  Let me know.  Thanks
> 
> Susan and Jester


it's really easy to get your cat to quit.  just ignore him.  mine
(after we moved to a new apartment) used to wake me up three and four
times a night.  now i let her stay in the room unless she wakes me up.
she knows that if she cries, it's a one-way ticket out of the bedroom.
needless to say, she rarely wakes me up.  and if she does, out she goes.
she'll cry once she's out, but if she doesn't get a reaction out of me,
she quits.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: amyk@netcom.com (Amy Kurtzman)
Subject: Re: I need help.  My kittens like to run through my vertical blinds.
Organization: Amy's Boca-By-The-Sea Resort (sm)
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 02:48:11 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.221233.13443@leland.Stanford.EDU> muaddib@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rob Dorfman) writes:

>I have two 9 week old kittens from the same litter.  Their 
>names are Sox and Sylvie (both are male).   At night, especially
>when I am trying to go to sleep my kittens like to run through the 
>vertical blinds that cover the sliding glass doors in my bedroom
>and living room.  When they do that it makes a great deal of noise.
>I am looking for suggestions on how to get my cats to stop doing that.
>
>My kittens are very very cute and are extremely playful. :-)

What's even better is when they get the blinds twisted and stuck in
the window tracks so they are wide open and expose you while you are
not fully clothed.

There is no way to stop this. Just be grateful you do not have floor
length draperies for them to climb and shred as they claw their way to
the top. I hated the white plastic verticals that came with this
apartment until I realized they were a blessing in disguise. We have a
much better chance of getting back the refundable portion of the pet
deposit.



-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amy Kurtzman                   |  "By August I'll be just a puddle."
amyk@netcom.COM                |     
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lhuffman@stsci.edu
Subject: Feline junkies
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 19:36:10 GMT

Have you noticed, or is it just my imagination, that those treats that cats 
go wild for, such as Bonkers or Pounce, smell 

                  JUST LIKE PAINT?

I can't imagine I have a bunch of glue-sniffin', turpentine-snurffin'
pot-heads but... 

Whilst I about gag every time I open the packsge they would do anything for a 
piece. All I have to do is silently open the can and they come out from 
wherever they are, wheels spinnin'.
From: shroymp@wkuvx1.bitnet (Mike Shroyer )
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Human Nail Clippers
Date: 11 Jan 93 13:37:04 CST
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

Hi all,
	I lost my copy of the FAQ so shoot me if this is in there. 
Can you use regular human clippers to trim a cats nails?  I friend of
mine said his mom used to use them when he was a kid and it didn't
seem to bother them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Mike Shroyer                        shroymp@wkuvx1.bitnet
  Western Kentucky University         shroyer@wku.edu (don't use much)
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Feline Leukemia, stray visitor and our cats
Date: 12 Jan 93 13:07:28 -0600
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <tony.726851516@ph-meter.beckman.uiuc.edu>, tony@ph-meter.beckman.uiuc.edu (Tony Rimovsky) writes:
> 	After this cat came to our door saturday and we brought it in, we
> agonized over keeping it or not.  We already have two cats and wern't sure
> we wanted another, but over the course of the weekend we decided to keep
> her.  We kept her seperated from our other cats all weekend and took her to
> the vet monday.  She tested positive for Feline Leukemia.
...
> 
> Has anyone had any experience with "curing" a young cat of Leukimia and has
> anyone else heard about this?  What do you all think the chances are of my
> wife and I carrying the virus to our cats?  What would you do in this
> situation?  We want to give this cat a chance, but we don't want to lose
> our cats.

I really don't know what the transmission rate of FeLeuk is, but it's high.
Some of the vaccination studies I've read have had about 100% transmission
of the virus when an unvaccinated kitten is caged with a FeLeuk+ cat for
several months.

On the other hand, my Bear tested FeLeuk+ as a kitten, and has some of the
signs of a FeLeuk+ cat, including a flexible rib cage and "funny" retinal
reflectance.  But no one has been able to demonstrate the virus in the last
5 or 6 years-- and he shows no  signs of problems.  At 9+, he's well past
the prime age of dying from FeLeuk.

I've kept him, and added other cats to the menagerie over the years.  When
Bear was first tested, the FeLeuk shots were pretty iffy, and since all
my other cats were FeLeuk+ or were Bear's littermates, we didn't vaccinate
on the grounds that all the cats had been thoroughly exposed.   That was
best vet advice at the time.

There was a period where the best vet advice would have been to get rid of
Bear and any other FeLeuk+ cats, and vaccinate the rest.  Then the advice
swung to keep Bear, vaccinate everyone else, and everything is fine.  Now
some of the studies I've read suggest that Bear, who has gone from FeLeuk+
to -, is probably a carrier (i.e., he can spread the virus but won't get
sick himself).

AARGH!  Well, my "solution" is that Bear stays, everybody else gets
vaccinated, and we take our chances.   Some of the vaccination studies
I've read look like there are some good vaccines out there-- results
of a study with Ft. Dodge Labs vaccines looked very good to me. 

Maybe you can find someone who has no cats, or someone like me, who's
willing to take the risk, to be a new home for the stray.

Perhaps some of the DVM's or incipient DVM's can help more.

And no, I don't know of any ways to improve the stray's chances of
beating the virus except good nutrition and a low-stress environment.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: hirschon@ast.saic.com (Donna Hirschon)
Subject: Calico cat?
Reply-To: hirschon@ast.saic.com
Organization: SAIC
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 17:19:45 GMT


>When I was a kid back in the thirties the family always had a couple of
>cats around for pets and to keep down the mice population. They were
>light orange with random splotches of bright orange markings over the
>body. The cats weighted about eight or nine pounds when fully grown with
>a pleasant disposition.

>Is there a breed of cat that fits this description.

>Thanks, Bob

> * OLX 2.2 * St. Louis, Missouri
                                                                                                        My understanding is Calico cats have at least 3 colors - anyone agree?



Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: "barry schiele" <barry.schiele@canrem.com>
Subject: fip?
Reply-To: "barry schiele" <barry.schiele@canrem.com>
Organization: Canada Remote Systems
Distribution: rec
Date: 11 Jan 93 14:41:46 EST

RE FIP and FIP testing. I know  2 breeders who had a cat that was
positively identified as having FIP by the only sure test and that is a
tissue biopsy done post-mortem. Both these cats tested NEGATIVE when the
corona virus titre test was done. Resent articles in cat magazines i
have read also state that fip titre testing is a total waist of time and
money. It is said that more cats die from a positive test than die from
FIP.
--
Canada Remote Systems  - Toronto, Ontario
World's Largest PCBOARD System - 416-629-7000/629-7044
From: paul@sco.COM (Paul Jackson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: DECLAWING?
Date: 8 Jan 93 17:59:14 GMT
Organization: SCO Canada, Inc.

In article <1ictmoINN972@agate.berkeley.edu> spp@zabriskie.berkeley.edu (Steve Pope) writes:
>...  Most cats are not
>happy unless they go outside at least part of the
>time.

This conflicts with almost everything that I've read on the subject. Do you
have any evidence to back up this opinion?
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: vboynton@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Virginia R Boynton)
Subject: Re: I need help.  My kittens like to run through my vertical blinds.
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 16:05:50 GMT

When my cats and I go to visit my parents, I have this same problem of vertical
blind noise.  My solution has been just to leave the blinds all the way open at
night, rather than listen to one after another of my cats push them apart to 
look out the window.  Fortunately, my folks live in a fairly dark area.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: amd@space.mit.edu (Ann M. Davis)
Subject: Re: Cat insomnia ritual..Help! 
Organization: MIT Center for Space Research
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 18:19:48 GMT

>, "Tara L. Taylor" <tt1p+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:

  [story about kitten keeping owner awake]
|> 
|> P.S. I tried keeping her out of the bedroom, but then
|> she whines all night. Also, I can't resist her, she's so
|> sweet and furry.

Be persistant, it's tough, I know.  Keep throwing her out of
the room until she gets the message.  It may seem cruel, but
remember your cat will live for the next 15 years, and a few
weeks of kicking the kitty out may give years of nighttime peace.
It's worth a try anyway.

I was fortunate in that my kitty picked things up pretty quick.
She now eve lets me sleep in on weekends.


-- 

Ann M. Davis
amd@space.mit.edu			 "Choose your battles wisely"
MIT Center for Space Research		
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ramirez@julia.math.ucla.edu (Alice Ramirez)
Subject: Cat freezing its little buns off in a 63F basement?
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 16:09:15 GMT

      >So don't you all agree that it is cruel and unusual punishment 
      >for my cats to have to spend the night in 63 degrees?

Cruel and unusual punishment?  63 degrees????  Personally I consider it
cruel and unusual punishment to have to spend any time at all in a place
any WARMER than 60 degrees, unless it is outdoors.  My cats sleep with me
in the bedroom. My windows all go open as soon as I get home and stay open.
Last night, it was about 50.  Recently it's been down to 40.  I don't hold
my cats prisoner (especially right now since the bedroom door is off its
hinges being refinished), they could leave and go to a warmer part of the
house if they desired, but they don't seem to mind.  They hang out quite
happily.  I mean, at 63 it's not as if there is ice forming over the top
of their water bowl or anything.

Given the fur growing all over their bodies, I suspect they get quite
uncomfortable when it is too warm.  But I don't like the idea of banishing
them to the basement.  If you must, I'd give them a pillow to sleep on, 
some books to read and a blanket to crawl under in case your cats are more
hothouse than mine.
From: dan@msen.com (Dan Sugalski)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: getting kittens -- advice sought
Date: 11 Jan 1993 18:57:23 GMT
Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, Michigan
NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.msen.com
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

Paul Fahn (fahn@Xenon.Stanford.EDU) wrote:
: My wife and I are planning to get two kittens soon, and we were wondering:
: should we get littermates (siblings) or not? What are the advantages
: and disadvantages?

I've had very good results with having related cats, including littermates.
One advantage is that they already know one another.  I haven't seen any
disadvantages in my herd.  As long as the kittens are from a healty
litter, I'd say go for it. :)

Karen
From: lcornell@stein.u.washington.edu (Linda D. Cornell)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: help!!!
Date: 11 Jan 1993 23:40:43 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu


>Help kitty friends! I need a lot of advice and facts/figures.
>
>boyfriend - 24,  male, single, college grad, lives w/ mom, very analytical
>and logical,  NEVER EVER HAD A PET IN WHOLE LIFE.

Hmmmm....I told my then fiancee' that I had my cats before I had
him....and that I probably had better relationships with my cats than I
would with him.  We've been married for almost 10 years now, and all of us
are doing fine - the cat population has been refreshed as needed.  I just
keep telling him that they are easier than dogs or kids!  And, I also tell
him that I will continue to make a conscious effort to treat *him* at as
well as I treat my cats ;)!

Personally I think it is a developmental thing.  The only pet he ever had
when he was growing up was a turtle for about a year...winning the
affections of a turtle isn't quite the same as winning the affections of a
cat...but hey - I have the guy and the cats now - and I don't have to
worry about him trying to steal their affections away from me ;)!

Linda
lcornell@u.washington.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: hirschon@ast.saic.com (Donna Hirschon)
Subject: Re: teaching the beasts about cat doors
Reply-To: hirschon@ast.saic.com
Organization: SAIC
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 16:09:13 GMT

My cat, Tasha, figured out her pet door in about 5 minutes, but my 
mother has a dog, Blondie, who at 13 still has to have the door
left propped open, because she never could figure out how to go
through it.  I tried holding her favorite doggie treats two inches
from her nose on the other side of the door, but nothing worked.
And some people try to tell us cats are dumb!

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: diana@wetware.com (CatWoman )
Subject: Re: dry catfood vs. canned???
Organization: Castle WetWare MouseCatcher
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 00:29:59 GMT

disaacs@pietrzak.carleton.ca (Dave Isaacs) writes:

] Which is better?  I am preparing to aquired two cats (my first cats) and
] the books I have read all seem to be be all for canned cat food over dry
] (and semi-moist).  One book even said that dry cat food has been linked some
] feline disease (FUS I think), and that dry cat food's only advantage was 
] that it smells better to the owner.
] 
] I am asking this because someone posted that all their vets agree that dry
] cat food is better than canned.  So what gives?
 
Well, I'll admit that a major factor in my using
dry food is the convenience, and the environmental
aspects (no cans to recycle, etc.).  However, I
started using dry food regularly because my old-lady
cat would eat the canned too fast, and couldn't
keep it down.  I was concerned about the dry causing
or excsacerbating(sp?) an FUS problem, but the 
manufacturers of GOOD quality dry food make them
with all the same ingredients as the canned - just
the water is gone.  If your cats drink enough water,
then there should be no problem.

Generic, or even "name" brand supermarket varieties
can cause problems where the cat is prone to FUS.  If
you use one that is high-quality, you should have
no FUS problems.  If you do find problems with FUS,
switch to a brand that has "dl-methionine" in the
ingredients.

And, my favorite suggestion (works for me), make
sure there's plenty of fresh DISTILLED water available
for them to drink.

Diana
From: at881@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (N. French)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: DECLAWING?
Date: 12 Jan 1993 22:31:36 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: at881@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (N. French)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


>In article <1ictmoINN972@agate.berkeley.edu> spp@zabriskie.berkeley.edu (Steve Pope) writes:
>>...  Most cats are not
>>happy unless they go outside at least part of the
>>time.
>
Spanky and Darla have never been outside...I doubt anyone
could challenge their happiness!
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: bobd@marune.acs.ohio-state.edu (Bob DeBula)
Subject: Re: Cat survives washer!
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:27:37 GMT

In article <1iif8lINNdlu@sumax.seattleu.edu> sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu (   Wilde Dame) writes:
>
>Clio has this thing for getting inside things (I think it was once
>referred to here as the "in or on" principle).  Anyhow, I don't have a
>dryer, but whenever I close *anything* in my apartment (closet, cupboard,
>bookbag, especially refrigerator) I have to do a "Clio-kitty!" call first
>to make sure she is somewhere else.  Learned this after a friend of mine
>shut her in the fridge but I luckily opened it up right away to get out
>another ingredient for our soup.... furry things do not belong with the
>onions. :)
>

Sometimes, in our fridge, the onions *are* furry things (they don't
usually purr though :-).
-- 
==========================================================================
              Disclaimer: These are my views, not the U's

        "If it's in the paper it must be true!" --- D. Doright
From: amys@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Amy Schlotthauer)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: littermates vs. non-littermates
Date: 11 Jan 1993 15:27:30 -0600
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

whitman@watson.bms.com (Debra Whitman) writes:

>I can only tell you about littermates.  I have two cats which are now almost 
>three years old (now that I think about it).  They always clung to each other 
>when they were really little, played often together, rarely fought and alway 
>slept together.  Now older, they play much harder(almost to the point where I 
>think they are fighting) and they are not so dependent upon us...In other 
>words they don't like to be picked up and they only want attention when they 
>want it...very independent.  They still sleep together(they are neutered!)
>I love my two boys, but if you aren't ready for a lot of running around maybe 
>females would be better.  My females were, but with this bunch I didn't have a 
>choice. 
mine are littermates, too, but a brother and sister. They are the best buddies
ever, play-fight really hard, and sleep in a heap. I don't know that it is the
sex that matters, it is the personality. The female is wild, the male is a slug.
Have fun!