HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mpiet@is.morgan.com (Mark Pietrasanta)
Subject: Dry food only okay?
Organization: Morgan Stanley - IS
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 20:50:13 GMT

Does anyone know if there is anything wrong with feeding only
dry food to cats?  I have two male cats, Kafka and Spock, and
they are both healthy.

I hated the smell of wet food, and someone suggested that, while
they're young, try feeding them as little wet food as possible.  So
I did.  Now they happily eat dry food all day.  They are both about
3 years old.

My question is, are there any side effects?  They don't appear to
have any urinary problems, as the litter box is plently full.

Does this cause more, uh, solid waste?  My cats do seem to go to
the bathroom alot.  I have to clean the litterbox daily, and
friends of mine (with one cat) clean it every three to four days,
and that's not even necessary with them.

Looking for advice (please e-Mail me if possible).


Thanks,
Mark Pietrasanta - mpiet@is.morgan.com
* * * * * * * * *

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from
mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein

----------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: These responses are my own and in no way reflect the
            views of my employer.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Organization: The American University - University Computing Center
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 16:01:18 EST
From: <SPOLINS@auvm.american.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject:       corregated cardboard scratchers

Have you tried those corregated cardboard cat scratchers that are supposed to
have the catnip scent?  I got one for my guys a year ago and they wouldn't even
 look at it.  Now all of the sudden one of them loves it.  When she's not
scratching it she sleeps on it.

Susan Polinsky
The American University
Washington, D.C.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: maxfield@athena.cs.uga.edu (Joan C. Maxfield)
Subject: Fur mousies (was Re: Cats Under Beds)
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 00:58:29 GMT

That man with 2 sigs! erc@unislc.uucp (Ed Carp) writes:
>Speaking of fur mousies, how many people have given their feline friends those
>damned things?  Every cat I've ever known goes absolutely NUTS over those fur
>mice!  I can't understand it - maybe it's the way they smell or something...

	I think I was the one that started the whole fur mousie thing.
I keep reading how everyone else has broken down and gotten their cat
one and how much the cat loves it.  Well, I guess Amos and Angelica
read it too because they don't seem too interested anymore :(
I picked up the forgotten mousies when vacuuming and hope that absence
will make the heart grow fonder.  However, I did leave one of the
great big ones on the floor because Spot the neighbors cat (as opposed
to Spot the cat from hell that my old room mate had, who has moved and
become the nicest cat in the world, go figure) likes to come over
during the day and kill it over and over.  I'll forget he's there
because he just goes under the table and gets the mousie and lays
there kicking it and biting it, for HOURS!

Joan


-- 
J. C. Maxfield				maxfield@athena.cs.uga.edu
DISCLAIMER:  I don't speak for the University, but they often speak for me!
From: rhart@haas.berkeley.edu (Richard Hart)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Neutering question (Fait Accompli)
Date: 21 Nov 1992 21:18:50 GMT
Organization: Haas School of Business, Berkeley
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: haas.berkeley.edu


To conclude what has turned out to be a more controversial question
than I intended...

Hobbes did get his little operation yesterday and he did stay
overnight at the vet. He seems none the worse for wear, perhaps a
bit more cautious than usual. The vet did a very tidy job of it,
you really wouldn't even notice anything had been done. I did have
a vet do a real hatchet job once (sorry to you men reading this!)
so I was a bit concerned about that. But no, Hobbes will still look
pretty for the judges when he grows up and enters the "Family Pet"
category (how do you type a "black humor" smiley?)

Hobbes doesn't even seem to have any hard feelings towards us.
From: spp@zabriskie.berkeley.edu (Steve Pope)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Neutering question
Date: 16 Nov 1992 23:41:33 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley -- ERL
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: zion.berkeley.edu

barlow@prodigal.psych.rochester.edu (Rebel) writes:

> spp@zabriskie.berkeley.edu (Steve Pope) writes:

>>Your vet has learned much from watching cats over
>>the years.
>
>>He's learned to fluff up his invoices.

>I am personally offended by this reply which
>suggests that the only thing the vet cares about is his paycheck....

I did not mean to offend anybody, and apologize.

But...

*I* never get offended when a customer suggests my pricing
is inflated.  Quite the contrary: if a customer accepts
my price without complaint, I am unhappy with myself cause I figure 
I must have left some money on the table...

>Steve, the question I would ask you is does the amount of money for
>your pet matter that much to you. You would expect an overnight stay in
>the hospital if YOU had major surgery, why shouldn't your cat expected
>the same? This just buggs me alot...in league with people who think
>33 cents a can for food is WAY too expensive for a cat!! Please!

Fair question.  To answer it, if there's an amount of money
I wouldn't spend on my cat Mosis, I haven't bumped up
against it yet.  Example: we got the little guy a teeth
cleaning here a few months ago.  Having heard that ocassionally
a cat will die in anethesia, we talked about this with the
vet to see if this risk could be reduced.  We ended up paying for: a 
blood workup two weeks before the cleaning, to rule out 
kidney/liver dysfunction; and another precautionary blood workup the 
day of the cleaning, in addition to the usual cleaning and anesthesia 
charges.  The total came to well over $200.

In other words, I'm as much of a sucker as the guy who
paid for overnight boarding to get his cat neutered.

But that doesn't mean I can't accuse the vet of chiseling...

Steve
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: burtle@dahlia.cs.uiuc.edu (Bill Burtle)
Subject: Re: rubber bands and milk rings
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 04:46:01 GMT

collene@unisql.UUCP (Collene Pearce) writes:

>So, my question is -- is there anyone out there who has (or knows of)
>a declawed cat which still plays with things like rubberbands and milk
>jug rings?    These are Tamora's favorite toys and I want to know if she
>will still be able to play with them after being declawed (if that 
>becomes necessary).  I suspect not, but am hoping she could.   

>Perhaps it would depend on the procedure used?   My vet will use 
>whichever procedure I request.    What do you think?   Will she be able 
>to play with them in any manner (now she picks them up with her mouth and 
>slaps them with her hands and then chases them; repeat)?  Do you know 
>another kitty who does?

Moses was declawed a few years ago, and he still goes wild when I 
toss a milk ring, or offer any other toy.  The declawing doesn't seem
to bother him at all; in fact he doesn't seem to really notice that
he has no claws.  (not intended as a "flame") : I still recommend declawing
as a last resort though.  I read this suggestion about clawing couches
somewhere, probably on this group:

hang inflated balloons around the area the cat scratches.  when one of 
them pops, the cat will be so terrified and emotionally scarred that it
will avoid that couch (or that behavior) from then on
From: angie@moose.cs.indiana.edu (angela allen)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Help with pads of cat's feet
Date: 20 Nov 92 16:58:14 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Indiana University

ren@Turing.ORG (Karen Prestemon) writes:


>The pads of my kitten's paws are very dry and have begun to crack!  Poor
>kitty!  Anyone have some advice of what I can do for her?

Make sure she's getting enough oil in her diet? Maybe you could
occasionally rub Vaseline on her paws --- good for the skin, and the
hairballs!

--angie
From: mverman@msus1.msus.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: travel
Date: 22 Nov 92 01:36:59 -0600
Organization: Minnesota State University System

In article <zari.721876018@yacht>, zari@ee.fit.edu (Kevin Zari) writes:
> I am going to take my 6 month kitten to NY with me via Delta .
> I have the kennel and all, but because of the route taken, my kitten will be
> in it for at least 6 hours. What can I do to make the trip more comfortable
> for her? 
> Should I line the kennel with towels, or something soft?
> What about food, water , etc.
> If I feed her, will she pee or deficate in the kennel?
> 
> Please, any experience or knowledge would be appreciated..
> please email me at zari@ee.fit.edu
> 
> thanks
> 	kz
> 			OH YEAH, I'm leaving on the 25th of Nov.
> 			So please reply before then

Hi!  Northwest airlines has a brochure -- Priority Pet -- which contains a
wealth of information about air travel with your pet.  give them a call or pick
one up from a NW office or desk.  1-800-225-252.

although your cat is very fastidious,  six hours is a long time to hold it in, 
whether she has eaten/drank during the trip or not.
is your kennel large enough for some small litter pan?  highly recommended.

pet supply places sell grids for the bottom of the kennel, so that if the pet
urinates, it passes through and the pet doesnt end up sitting in its own urine.
the brochure suggests black and white(no coloured ink) newspaper or litter. 
disposable pans are sold in pet shops.

a towel on the bottom of the kennel sounds cozy, but awful if the cat pees on
it and then has to sit with it for 6 hours.

good luck and send the newsgroup an electronic postcard of your travels!


... Shu
From: loosemore-sandra@cs.yale.edu (Sandra Loosemore)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Welcome to the First Cat (Socks)
Date: 17 Nov 1992 08:22:09 -0500
Organization: staff hacker @ Yale Haskell project
	<1992Nov17.034317.11743@Cadence.COM>
NNTP-Posting-Host: functor.systemsz.cs.yale.edu
In-reply-to: phz@cadence.com's message of Tue, 17 Nov 1992 03:43:17 GMT

So far nobody has brought up the key political issue of our time with
respect to Socks:

Does he "just say no" to catnip?  Or maybe he just doesn't inhale!  :-)

-Sandra
From: jshouman@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Joan-Marie Shouman)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: DEPRESSION??? (HELP!)
Date: 15 Nov 92 00:03:58 GMT
Distribution: rec.pets.cats
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

My cat Ari has been kind of lifeless since I started graduate school.  He's
physically healthy, so I presumed he was bored now that I'm not home as much.

So I decided to get a little playmate from the humane society to keep him
company.  It seemed to make sense...

Well, we brought Tasha (4 mo. old black tabby) home today for Ari, and Ari
could basically care less.  Tasha has so far hissed at him (quite a bit),
ignored him, sat within several inches of him, and once tried to scratch him.
Ari just sits there like usual -- he could care less.

So maybe he didn't want a playmate -- maybe he's not bored, but depressed.
I'm really starting to worry about Ari -- he's about 2 1/2 years old (too
young to be acting like an old cat, right??) and looks kind of sad.

Do some cats suffer from depression like people?  What should I do??
I already spoil him rotten and try to get him to play, all to no avail.

Please, Please give me some advice.

(email preferred, but posting's o.k.)

Thanks in advance

Joan

-- 
___________________________________________________    	      
Joan-Marie Shouman	      |non cogito ergo	   
(jshouman@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu) |non sum :)	   
___________________________________________________
From: larryw@sun.lclark.edu (Larry Westdahl)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Psycho Cat
Date: 21 Nov 92 21:39:37 GMT
Article-I.D.: lclark.1992Nov21.213937.1778
Distribution: usa
Organization: Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR


Here's another question.  What's going on when my cat stops in her tracks,
gets that Anthony Perkins look in her eyes, then darts around the apartment
at top speeds, comes to a complete halt, then starts up again?  She behaves
as though she is chasing (or being stalked by) some invisible creature.
Is this just temporary hyper-active-kitty-neurosis or what?

- Lawrence


-- 

_____
larryw@lclark.edu | *L.Westdahl is a caring nurturer, a member of several
writer, musician  | twelve step programs, but not a licensed therapist.
From: hcrain@convex.csd.uwm.edu (Helen C Crain)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Fur mice
Date: 19 Nov 1992 14:43:45 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: hcrain@convex.csd.uwm.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.30
Originator: hcrain@convex.csd.uwm.edu

Joshua loves a fresh fur mouse and ignores the older ones.
I stopped buying them when the dealer told me that they were
rabbit skins.  Never thought about that.


-- 
Helen C. Crain             hcrain@convex.csd.uwm.edu 
UWMilwaukee Nursing                   Wisconsin, USA
"There is more of good nature than good sense at the
bottom of most marriages"    HD Thoreau
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: hyler@ast.saic.com (Buffy Hyler)
Subject: Main Coon Breeders in San Diego County?
Reply-To: hyler@ast.saic.com
Organization: SAIC
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:52:59 GMT

Does anyone know of a Main Coon breeder in San Diego county?  We have
one phone number from the back of the Cat Fancy magazine for a place
in Coronado.

My parents recently lost their magnificent indoor/outdoor mouser cat.
They are now looking for another cat and have been checking the local
Humane Society on a regular basis.  What they are looking for is a
large frame playful outgoing laid back type cat.  Color is not that
important, temperment is definately important.  They are also looking
for an indoor/outdoor type (San Diego is a mild climate) who might be
willing to take care of the mouse population and send a warning to the
rabbits who invade the lawn.  (As my father puts it, a working cat who
enjoys people).  My parents are both home the majority of the day and
really miss having their cat companion.  They have three dogs but say
it is not quite the same and the dogs won't deal with the mice.

Anyway, they have also been reading up on different breeds of cats and
I mentioned the Main Coon to them having read all the wonderful stories
about them on the net.  So now they are interested in seeing if they can
get a Main Coon locally.  They are specifically looking for pet quality,
not show.  They also are not necessarily interested in a kitten.  They
like the idea of adopting an older cat whose temperment is well known.
Their previous cat was adopted this way.  (And my mother says she isn't
quite up to trying to figure out "where did that kitten hide him/herself
today!")

So, if anyone knows of a local kitty who fits those qualities that needs
a wonderful home, please email me.


---
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Buffy Hyler (hyler@ast.saic.com)
SAIC, Campus Point
San Diego, California
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: gibbsm@ll.mit.edu (MargAret D. Gibbs)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Fur mice
Date: 18 Nov 92 14:08:39 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: MIT Lincoln Lab, Lexington, MA

In article <1992Nov18.003337.5059@unislc.uucp> erc@unislc.uucp (Ed Carp) writes:
>
>Speaking of fur mousies, how many people have given their feline friends those
>damned things?  Every cat I've ever known goes absolutely NUTS over those fur
>mice!  I can't understand it - maybe it's the way they smell or something...

Well, I bought a few fur mice, after reading on this newsgroup how
everyone's cats went nuts over them.  My three ignored them for the
most part.  Their favorite toys include pingpong balls, a "Kitty Tease",
and one of them likes milk-jug rings.

-- 
Margaret D. Gibbs              "Practice random kindness and 
Assistant Staff	                 senseless acts of beauty"
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
gibbsm@ll.mit.edu
From: John.Seboldt@f31.n282.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (John Seboldt)
Sender: FredGate@tdkt.kksys.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: What To Name A White Mal
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 14:26:00 -0600

On 11-10-92, Kenneth Hall wrote to All:

>------------------------------------
The exact quote that you are referring to is know in the musical 
"Cats" based on the poems of T.S. Elliot in "Old Possums Book of 
Practical Cats."

"The Naming of Cats"

The naming of cats is a difficult matter.
It isn't just one of your holiday games.
At first you may think I'm as mad as a Hatter 
  when I tell you a cat must have THREE different names:

(Break from the poem, memory core failure...)

Name 1:  Everyday name

Name 2:  The Name given to the breed

Name 3: The name that the cat gives to himself that he keeps to him 
        self and will never reveal.


>------------------------------------

Name no. 3... is that the origin for that private name cats have in the 
book "Tailchaser's Song"?

[If you haven't read the last-named book, y'all should!]



 * Freddie 1.2 * "Mao."  "Mousie Dong". -- B. Kliban

 * Origin: Dark Knight's Table (1:282/31)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ses3n@fermi.clas.Virginia.EDU (Sharon Elizabeth Silverman)
Subject: No more Odes!
Organization: University of Virginia
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 00:56:38 GMT


A big furry THANK YOU to all who sent me the Ode to Spot.
Please don`t send me any more copies! :-)
				Sharon & Fluff

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: hagel@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Cat out of control!
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:45:52 GMT

In <1992Nov20.133416.29132@wetware.com> diana@wetware.com (CatWoman ) writes:

>larryw@sun.lclark.edu (Larry Westdahl) writes:

>] There is a lovely cat living in my apartment, but she does two things that
>] drive me up the wall.  First, she does not eat out of her bowl.  She ficks 
>] the pieces of dry food on to the floor and then eats some of it, leaving the
>] rest all over the place.  

Some larger pet stores sell plastic trays about 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 feet square
with about a 1" rim all around.  They are priced at $6 or $7.  One of these
does a good job of controlling similar messes in my kitchen.  And it pops
right into the dishwasher for cleaning.


Crystal Hagel
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ac94691@dunix.drake.edu (The Dark Kitty)
Subject: Re: My roommate broke my kitten's leg!!!! 
Organization: Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 20:24:52 GMT

In article <721600329snx@n5ial.chi.il.us> jim@n5ial.chi.il.us (Jim Graham) writes:
>if it were me, and someone deliberately did that to Smokey, I'd return
>the favor...to them.  no smiley intended or implied here.  there'd be a
>human going to the emergency room, too.  I'm not a violent type at all,
>but push me past the breaking point (*VERY* hard to do, but deliberate
>violence to a cat such as that is an instant way to smash that breaking
>point to little pieces), and you'd be better off trying to stand up to a
>full-strength tornado....

Hmmm...I've been seeing an interesting pattern in some of these
responses.  I AGREE absolutely that the abuse of any animal just because
it made a mistake is inexcusable.  But I've repeatedly seen people
saying they'd do the same thing back to the abuser!!!

To use a cliche:  Two wrongs do not make a right.  It's not ok to
hurt a kitten but it is ok to seek revenge by committing a similar
crime against a human?

I think if a similar thing happened to me, I would either move out or
(if my name was on the lease) I'd ask the other person to move out
with a 30 day notice.  In the meantime, kitty would stay elsewhere in
case the roomate tried to retaliate by hurting or killing the animal
further.

But I would not hurt the abuser.  Come now.  Anger is perfectly
acceptable.  But as Gandhi said "An eye for an eye and the whole world
is blind."  Taking revenge for such a crime only lowers oneself to the
level of the scum who committed the crime.

Just my 1.78882928883383929229292923838375491033883 cents worth  =-)

Anthony Clifton
From: star@ut-emx.uucp (Susan Catharine Starrett)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: eulogy/poem requested
Date: 18 Nov 92 22:48:35 GMT


My kitty companion of twelve years, named Moon-Pie, died a week ago.
I would appreciate any nice poems, etc. that you might have that
would be appropriate to include on a notice informing her many 
human friends about her death.

Thanks.
Susan
From: lyndap@Novell.COM (Lynda Peterson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat out of control!
Date: 23 Nov 92 19:42:37 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Novell, Inc.

> rest all over the place.  Second, when I come home from work, I can't  
walk
> across the room without the cat running in front of my feet.  I nearly
> trip over every time, and I'm afraid I'm going to step on her one of 
> these days.  Now, I know that cats only do what they want to do, and  
that
> I'd have better luck trying to squeeze water from a rock than I would 
> trying to train her to do anything.  So, what do I do????
> 
My cat walks with me (in front of, between my legs) all the time. I just  
learned to walk slooowwweerr around her. No kitty crashes!! They do learn  
after being stepped ona couple of times, though.

lyndap@novell.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: young@serum.kodak.com (Rich Young)
Subject: Re: Confused about worms...
Originator: young@sasquatch
Reply-To: young@serum.kodak.com
Organization: Clinical Diagnostics Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 21:22:00 GMT

In article <19NOV199210074848@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov> afdenis@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (Stephen Dennison) writes:

>In article <1eeoe9INNgol@FUNCTOR.SYSTEMSZ.CS.YALE.EDU>, loosemore-sandra@cs.yale.edu (Sandra Loosemore) writes...
>>Just one more note: My vet said that the worm tests they run on the
>>stool samples DO NOT detect tapeworms.  If there is any suspicion that
>>the cat has tapeworms, they just give it the tapeworm pill anyway.
>> 
>>-Sandra
>
>Isn't that because a tapeworm is a permanent resident and doesn't exit the 
>cat's body on the feces express ? 

	Tapeworms shed segments regularly which can look like pieces of rice
	which stick the the anal area.  But they don't ALWAYS shed segments,
	and I understand that the most reliable way to detect them is by
	dilution of stool material in water and subsequent examination for
	eggs in the resulting watery mixture.  Corrections welcomed.

>On a lighter note, they say a tapeworm is the *perfect* pet ...
>goes where you go, eats what you eat ... etc. :-)

	AR-R-R-GH!!!!


-Rich Young (These are not Kodak's opinions.)
From: arkoff@sun.lclark.edu (Gary Arkoff)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Help! Znoober keeps knocking over the garbage!
Date: 23 Nov 92 07:25:07 GMT
Article-I.D.: lclark.1992Nov23.072507.2285
Organization: Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR

The title says it all.  My cat has taken to knocking over the garbage at
night.  What can I do to stop her?  Please respond by email as I rarely
have time to thoroughly read this group (though I wish I did).

-Gary and Znoober

-- 
I like pork.  Especially pork chops.  *An anymonous student comment made
                                      *on the comment board in the cafeteria
Gary L. Arkoff  arkoff@lclark.edu     *at Lewis and Clark College.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats