HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Help my cat is skinny!
Date: 17 Apr 92 12:58:55 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

(S. Mudgett aka little gator) writes:
> this could be worms, or any number of problems both minor and serious. 
> specifically it sounds like it could be either hyperthyroidism, which
>  typically happens to older cats, but he may not be as young as you
> think he is.  it would be best to get him and checkup, and be sure to bring 
> along a stool sample so they can check for worms.

Since I've not had any experience with hyperthyroidism with my crew, I
grabbed _The Complete Book of Cat Health_, (Wm. R. McKay, Elizabeth
Randolph.  1985.  NY. Macmillan) and looked it up.

Shamelessly reproduced without permission: Table 9, p. 203

Historical and Clinical findings in Feline Hyperthyroidism

Clinical Finding                     % of cats
------------------------------------ -----------
weight loss                             95
increased appetite                      85
hyperactivity                           75
rapid heart rate                        65
frequent urination/frequent thirst      60
vomiting                                55
heart murmur                            50
diarrhea                                35
increased fecal volume                  30
decreased appetite                      20
panting                                 20
muscle tremors                          15
congestive heart failure                10
difficult breathing                     10

Kay Klier   Biology Dept  UNI
From: IO81409@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (Ailsa N.T. Murphy)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: A CAT IS NOT AN "it"!!!!
Date: 17 Apr 92 17:08:28 GMT
Organization: University of Maine System

i never refer to my cats as "it" altho i may use that for a
cat that i see on the street, despite the fact that my
family INSISTS that altered cats are genderless.  i generally
ask my mom if her hysterectomy made her genderless...

                                    -ailsa
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder)
Subject: Re: Cats and toilets (was Re: Anybody toilet trained a cat?)
Organization: Why?
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 20:38:36 GMT

In article <1992Apr16.160629.2333@zia.aoc.nrao.edu> rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner) writes:
>Along similar lines, I was talking to my brother about this a week or two ago,
>and he said some friends of his have a cat that has learned how to flush the
>toilet (doesn't use it, just flushes it). It apparently only does this when 
>it's bored, because they didn't know about it until one of the neighbours in 
>the apartment building asked them why their toilet flushed repeatedly while 
>they weren't home. This cat would just sit on the seat pressing the handle 
>over and over again, presumably so it could watch the motion of the water 
>(that's what our two like about the toilet).
>
Only problem that I could see with this is that a very bored cat could
make the water bill go sky high:(  Assuming that you had to pay for
utilities...
How easy is it to train a cat to use the toilet AND flush?

-Steve-
From: guy@accept.ec.bull.fr (Guy Collombat)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Persians
Keywords: Persians
Date: 15 Apr 92 05:52:52 GMT
Reply-To: guy@accept.frec.bull.fr (Guy Collombat)
Followup-To: rec.pets.cats
Organization: Bull S.A. Echirolles


My cat is a Persian Cream Silver Blotched Tabby Gold Eyes
His Name is Gipsy de la Guerinette
He is 9 months old.

I would like to have informations about Persans in USA because I read on his
pedigree he has American blood. 4 generations ago one of his ancestors was a
great champion of USA. The name of this Champion is Majololi Mateo of Paco Tico.
I though he was a Californian. But a few weeks ago a friend bring from Austin a
"Blue Bonnet", a typical Texan flower. And my Gipsy played with the flower all
the night : imagine the result :-) . Now I suspect my cat to have Texan blood .


-- 
Guy Collombat .
Bull Unix Center . Echirolles . France
EMAIL : guy@accept.frec.bull.fr
From: bonnie@earth.njit.edu (Bonnie MacKellar)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: keeping cat in yard
Date: 14 Apr 92 13:20:35 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

I need some advice on keeping my cat in the yard.  I live in Hoboken,
which is an urban, brownstone kind of environment.  We have a backyard
which has a high fence around it.  My cat cannot get up the fence,
so in theory, she should be safe in the yard.  The backyards on our
block are completely closed off from the street, so there would
be no danger even if she did get out of the yard.
My problem is this : there is a tree at the back of the yard which has
one branch that overhangs the next yard.  My cat goes up the tree,
gets scared, and jumps off the branch into the next yard.  Then,
she can't get back over the fence into the yard.  Even though it is
safe back there, she gets scared because she can't figure out where she
is or how to get back home.  I have to go knocking on all my neighbors
doors until I get access to whichever yard she chooses to hide in.
Luckilly, my neighbors are all nice cat owners themselves.
In a cat magazine, I saw an ad for some kind of netting thing that
can be put on a tree to prevent a cat from climbing it.
Has anyone tried anything like that?  Does it work?  Is there 
anything else I could do?  I rent, so it can't be too drastic (my
landlords live upstairs).
Summer is coming, and I can't keep the cat inside because that would 
essentially mean that I could never go out either.  I have been keeping
her inside lately because I got sick of bothering the neighbors.
SHe has been so frantic to go out that she gets up on the stove next to
the back door and tries to turn the door knob.  Once summer comes,
and I just have the screen door open, she will have no problem
figuring out how to open it (she also knows how to open the bathroom door!)

                          
                                    thanks for any advice,
                                    Bonnie MacKellar
                                    bonnie@vienna.njit.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: shan@niwot.scd.ucar.edu (Val Shanahan)
Subject: Re: Anybody toilet trained a cat?
Organization: Scientific Computing Division/NCAR, Boulder, CO
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 18:19:21 GMT


	Several years ago I bought a kit to toilet train my cats.  At the time
I had three cats.  All of the cats DID learn to use the toilet and it was a
fairly easy, painless procedure to teach them.  Everything was going great
until Daisey, the slightly mentally retarded old lady, nearly fell in.
After that, she was afraid of the toilet, and started going on the floor where 
the litter box used to be.  I had to put the box back, and eventually all three
went back to using it.  Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.  I always said I
would try again after Daisey passed on, and fortunately, I haven't had the
chance to try again (Daisey is now 18 years and 8 months old).  Now Monster is
pushing 14 years and will probably not cooperate anymore - she has gotten so
set in her ways and those ways are sometimes a little bitchy.  If your cats
are young or pretty easy going, I'd say go for it, no litter box is a joy.

Good Luck, Val, Daisey, Monster, Mad Max, Tyson and Lady (the dog who thinks she is a cat)
From: hamon@a.cs.okstate.edu (HAMON SHARON ANN)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: cat hates being brushed
Date: 10 Apr 92 16:05:39 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Oklahoma State University, Computer Science, Stillwater

>My crew otherwise love being brushed.  Picking up a slicker brush 
>guarantees that you will be mobbed by cats in need of kitty-love.

I also use a slicker brush on Mini and Sebastian.  Both of them love it.
It makes Mini so frisky that you'd think that she'd been at the catnip!
One time I clipped her nails and brushed her during the same sitting, and
she got so excited from all the attention that she stood on her head!
The way she accomplished this acrobatic feat was by running at top speed
for the armchair, leaping at it and doing a half-flip, and landing on her neck
and shoulders with her rear end supported on the arm of the chair!  

***************************************************************
*      /|   aack! * Sharon Ann Hamon (hamon@a.cs.okstate.edu) *  
*  \'o.O'         *                  (uccxsah@osuvm1.bitnet)  *
*  =(___)=        *                                           *
*     U           * and "Mini" and "Sebastian"                *
***************************************************************
From: ckw0@aber.ac.uk (Carl Keri Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: How much food should a cat eat?
Date: 7 Apr 92 21:16:08 GMT
Organization: University of Wales, Aberystwyth

I do know one exceedingly fat cat - she appears to have swallowed a football
as she is basically a fairly small cat who puts weight mainly on her belly.
Her problem is that she is owned by a a 92 year old lady whose memory is 
completely shot - she does the same things 40 times a day, the same 
conversations, same routines, endlessly, and one of these routines if feeding
the cat.  She gets highly upset if you try to tell her that the cat has already
been fed 10 times this morning and thinks you are lying to her, but if you 
manage to get through to her that its her memory at fault she gets horribly
depressed, but fortunately she forgets this too pretty quickly and soon starts
happily feeding the cat again.  

This poor cat manages to get through about 3 tins of cat meat every day, in 
lots and lots of small meals, and never turns anything down.  She seems to be
quite happy with the situation though :-)  I wonder who will outlive who?
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                                      | ckw0@uk.ac.aberystwyth               |
| "Per Ardua Ad Overdraft"             | ckw0@uk.ac.aber.cs                   |
|                                      |      tardis ?                        |
From: kji+@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU (Kathi Iannamico)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re:HAVANA, not...
Date: 17 Apr 92 17:08:24 GMT
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Originator: kji@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU

hanavana, hanava, or whatever else I wrote.

(Re:Maine Coons/Hanava Browns)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: king@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (joyce.l.king)
Subject: Re: Real fur mousie toy
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 18:28:48 GMT
Summary: TRACK-BALL!!! Buffer loves it...and so does the ferret

In article <56873@cup.portal.com>, amy@cup.portal.com (Amy Marie Kurtzman) writes:
> The other toy I was considering is a a donut-shaped gizmo
> that has a ball in the donut part, with holes cut out along
> the side so the cat can bat at the ball. Does anybody have
> one of these? Does your cat seem to like it?
> 
>
My cat loves this toy so much I got one for my mother's cat.  I
didn't bother to buy one for my sister because her cats are quite
old and two are sickly (enlarged hearts).  When my sister went on
vacation, my mother moved into her house to cat sit and brought
her own cat and the toy.  All three of my sister's cats, including the
old, infirm, ones, got a lot of play out of the track ball.  The vet
thinks the exercise was good for the 17-year-old who tends to retain
water.  She has lost weight and seems more alert.

Buffer, my cat, plays with it until he gets tired, and then he falls
asleep in the middle of it.  Gumby ferret likes it, too, but she has
a problem with not being able to get the ball out of the track so she
can hide it, so she gets frustrated and loses her temper.  She goes
after the ball for a long while, and then she hisses and hops side-
ways across the room and slinks under the couch to sulk.  Then Buffer
gets to play with it a while.

I recommend the toy!
  
-- 
                       Joyce Andrews King
From: sw39+@andrew.cmu.edu (Susan R. Wagner)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: FUS diet
Date: 10 Apr 92 12:48:43 GMT
Organization: University Libraries - Technical Service, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Just a thought, would giving occasional treats of orange slices cut up
be equivalent to the 100 mg vitamin C tablets?  Also, did your vet
recommed this for your cat who does not have FUS?  Does anyone know if
you were to give orange treats to a male neutered cat who does not
suffer from FUS, would it cause any problems or just help prevent future
FUS?  Just some thoughts and questions.  The vitamin C is something I
never thought about.  Very interesting!

Susan and Jester
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: GE.SAW@forsythe.stanford.edu (Sally Waddell 3-3554)
Subject: Vet recommendation in Oregon
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 21:23:20 GMT

Friends,

Does anyone have vet recommendations in the Oregon City, Canby, area
of Oregon?  My mom lives near the Clackamas Community College, so
somewhere within reasonable driving distance to CCC.  She's going to
watch my babies for six months while I'm out of the country.

Please email as I'm don't have time to monitor the bb right now.
Thanks in advance.

And thank you all for the advice and anecdotes you've shared.
Unfortunately, I soon will be net-less :-( -- I'll miss you !!

-sally
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: bobd@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Bob DeBula)
Subject: Re: Thumper
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 16:18:57 GMT

In article <1992Apr10.222454.4149@tellab5.tellabs.com> pauls@tellabs.com (Paul Silver) writes:
>
>My cat does this too, only she thumps it against the walls, against the
>garbage can, against me, etc.  It seems to occur when she has her
>night time crazies.  She gets that look in her eyes, gets all nervous,
>thumps her back foot, and takes off running.
>

Obviously this cat is "kick starting" itself! :-) :-) 

Whump! Whump! Whump! PURRRRROOMM!
-- 
==========================================================================
              Disclaimer: These are my views, not the U's
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ijr@canard.waterloo.edu (Ilana Jayne Rosenshein)
Subject: Re: cat doors
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 22:32:47 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.123758.1@hamp.hampshire.edu> dwhitney@hamp.hampshire.edu writes:
>
>We live on the end of a short, dead end street and have 50 acres of woods
>behind our house so all the cats are IO cats. With the door in place
>we don't have to worry about storms catching them unawares and we've never
>had another cat try to come in that way.
>

My parents have a 'cat door' leading to their back porch, but they now
have to keep it latched, because they went out one morning and found
a skunk, instead of our cats.

Does anyone have any suggestions of how to keep other small animals
out, while still allowing easy passage for the kitties?


Thanks in advance,

Ilana
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder)
Subject: Re: cat hates being brushed
Organization: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston VA
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 17:11:46 GMT

In article <yqrj06h.cap@netcom.com> cap@netcom.com (Caroline Smrstik) writes:
>[stuff deleted]
>with Ralph. And if anyone has *other* ideas for a more pleasant brushing
>experience, please post as I could use a few!
>
Could it be the type of brush you're using? Maybe you could try another
type of brush. I've seen brushes that have teeth(?) with rounded ends
that might be more pleasing to kitty skin.

-Steve-

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: sas3h@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU (Sheryl Anne Smoot)
Subject: Re: comforting cats in car?
Organization: University of Virginia Computer Science Department
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 22:16:31 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.180144.9137@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, luck@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (DeAnne Luck) writes:
>    My question is this: does everyone keep their cats in a carrier Of
> some sort while traveling in the car?  We have kept ours in carriers,
> but during a recent trip to the (nearby) vet, we decided not to get the
> carriers out and just hold them.  The effect was remarkable!  They usually
> cry continually, after calming down from the near-screaming-from-fright
> stage, and sylvester usually has a very messy accident.  This time, they
> were very calm and only meowed a little bit.  Even though we try to talk
> soothingly and put them where they can see us in the carriers, holding
> them seemed to calm them 200% more. Do other cats react this way or do
> we have the world's worst scaredy-cats?
> 
> DeAnne & Kevin
> Sox & Sylvester
> luck@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu

I keep my cat in the carrier only on trips when we are NOT going to
the vet.  I do not want her associating the carrier to the vet.  She
used to hate the carrier, but now she'll get in without a fuss and
will sleep most of the time.  

When we go to the vets, I try to go with more than one person.
The passenger will hold Kitty wrapped in a blanket so that she
can not use her claws to inflict bodily harm.  But, she cries and
struggles a lot.

When I am alone and going to the vet, I do not have much choice
except to let her free in the car.  Unfortunately, this causes
many problems.  FIrst of all, she hides under the car seats.
Unfortunately, she is not dumb enough to believe me that if she
comes out from under the seat when we get to the vets, that she
wont have to go.  THerefore, I have to drag her out.

ALso, one time we were in an RV and Kitty was aboard and loose.
She ended up walking on the dashboard, across the drivers lap (just
so she could look out of the window), and under the pedals.  Bad
idea.

Just my $0.02.

-- 
##################################################################
##                         #                                    ##
##  Sherry Smoot           #    University of Virginia          ##
##  sas3h@Virginia.EDU     #    Charlottesville, VA             ##
##                         #                                    ##
##################################################################
From: rlt@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (R.L.Taylor KB2OOA)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: A hard decision - Help
Date: 17 Apr 92 14:21:22 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T

In article <814@hsdndev.UUCP> churley@warren.med.harvard.edu writes:
>How do you decide what to do when you have a very sick cat.  My cat was
>attacked by a large animal (most likely a dog).   He's had surgery twice and
>the vet says his prognosis is good, but he has tissue dying and it may take
>several more surgeries before he's well.  My problem is I don't know if I can
>afford to continue.  I've already spent a lot of money and hate to give up when
>I've invested so much.  I am very attached to this animal and don't know if I
>can (mentally)  have him killed.  Shit, I am so bummed, if it weren't so damned
>expensive the choice would be easy.  Has anyone else been in this situation
>before?  What did you do?

I've been in a similar situation twice.  The first was when one of my cats,
Simon, had a bladder stone.  His prognosis was good, and I went in hock to
the tune of about $900.  4.5 years later, he's still doing fine.

The other was a horse, who (by the time we had an accurate diagnosis) had
a very poor chance of recovery, even if she survived surgery (which was
also very doubtful).  It would have cost around $6000, which I didn't have.
If there had been a reasonable chance, I probably would have borrowed it
somewhere, or at least tried.  As it turned out, there wasn't time.  She
started deteriorating very quickly, and the only choice was to end her
suffering.

As for what to do in your case, I can't say.  Each situation is different,
and only you can make the final decision.  I wish I could be more help...
One thing I always keep in mind is that I've always done the best I could.
It's not always enough, but you shouldn't blame yourself if there's nothing
more you can do.  Animals are very forgiving, and I think that, if they
understood, they would agree.  But see if you can work something out with
your vet.  I paid for Simon's surgery with my Visa, rather than keep the
vet waiting for her money, but she did offer to work out a payment plan.
Maybe yours will, too.  In any event, good luck to you and your cat.

Roberta
...and the menagerie
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jonathan@chpc.utexas.edu (Jonathan Thornburg)
Subject: Re: Cat bringing home unwanted rodents
Followup-To: jonathan@einstein.ph.utexas.edu
Summary: she's trying to look after her human "kittens"
Keywords: mouse bird shrew hunting
Organization: University of Texas at Austin / Physics / Center for Relativity
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 18:00:24 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.164900.11368@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> esh2@po.CWRU.Edu (Evelyn S. Hlabse) writes:
>... [kitty bringing home "presents" for humans] ...
>How do I get her to stop this revolting habit?
>She's well fed and doesn't eat her victim.

In article <1992Apr8.230756.20646@m.cs.uiuc.edu> noe@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Roger Noe)
replies:
>...  This is the
>nature of the most domesticated of wild animals and the wildest of
>domesticated animals, one of the best predators on land.  She's just
>trying to please you by delivering prey, perhaps because you seem such
>an inept hunter yourself.  She expects you to lick her face in thanks,
>and then devour the lower life form.  The least you could do is pet
>the kitty, say "Thank you, you're such a GOOD killer!" and then
>dispose of the carcass discreetly.  ...

I second these comments.  (Both of our cats (spayed females) have
behaved the same way.)  Kitty is being a good parent, trying to look
after her human "kittens".  Unfortunately, for some inexplicable :-)
reason said kittens are lousy hunters, who can't even seem to catch
their own rodents, so she has to do it for them.

She doesn't eat her victim because it's not hers any more -- it's
yours.  *You* are supposed to eat it [*] :-)  You should at least
thank her profusely for the lovely mouse/bird/shrew/squirrel/etc,
and compliment her on her prowess as a hunter and her find qualities
as a parent.

As to disposing of the "present", I suspect that making sure kitty
doesn't see you burying it in the "graveyard" is just being
anthropomorphic.  But I do it all the same...


[*]	Note there are human cultures in which rodents are a
	delicacy.


-- 

- Jonathan Thornburg <jonathan@einstein.ph.utexas.edu>
  University of Texas at Austin / Physics Dept / Center for Relativity
  and (for a few more months) University of British Columbia / Astronomy
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: danr@ais.org (Daniel Romanchik)
Subject: Re: cat hates being brushed
Organization: UMCC
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 92 02:49:00 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.153350.27905@usho93.hou281.chevron.com> hwire@gruc07.nor.chevron.com (Robyn E. Williamson CTN-592-6174) writes:
>
>Ralph (Kitty Ralph, Ralphie-poo) hates to be brushed.  I use a small 
>wire bristle brush I bought in the pet store.  George (Georgie Boy)
>doesn't mind the wire bristles.

Try using a different kind of brush.  My cat, Chispa, doesn't like to
be brushed, but he loves to be combed with a cheap flea comb we bought
last summer.

Good luck, Dan
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats