HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ailsa%ailanth.uucp@wang.com (Ailsa N.T. Murphy)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Crippled kitty
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 17:45:20 EDT
Organization: Ailanthus Project

FHSKRS@BYUVM.BITNET writes:

> If it didn't heal itself, did the cat learn to adjust?  Have you had
> experience with a cat with 3 legs?  Captain Midnight is getting around
> by using the "elbow" on her right front leg; the rest of the leg drags.
> She looks like she's crawling.  It's pretty heart-wrenching!  Any advice
> or consolation you can offer would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks in
> advance.

we had a tripod cat when i was a kid.  archie fell asleep in someone's car
engine one winter night and got caugfht in the fan belt.  my mother said that
he woudl have to be put down, but my dad and teh vet decided to save him
instead.  he spent the rest of his life going about on three legs and did fine.
granted the rest of his life was only three or four years, but he had been a
grizzled old tomcat when the accident happened anyway.

                                                -ailsa

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
                    ailsa%ailanth.uucp@wang.com
 I wish her insight to battle love's blindness            ________
 Strength from the milk of human kindness         Silence \      / Action
 A safe place for all the pieces that scattered      =     \    /    =
 Learn to pretend there's more than love           Death    \  /    Life
                                  that matters               \/
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: K_LEPA@unhh.unh.edu (Kristen   Lepa)
Subject: Re: Should I get a second kitten?
Organization: University of New Hampshire
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 17:36:27 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.12

In <lis.715821943@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu> lis@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu writes:

> The thought of getting a kitten has become stronger lately, but before
> I do anything, I thought I'd ask you guys.  Here's my story.
> 
> I've had Boopsie for a little over a year, when she followed me home.
> I currently live alone in a small one-bedroom apartment.  Two rooms, a
> kitchen and a bathroom (not much room to separate two cats should they
> not get along)  I'm also not the neatest of people (understatement!)
> so the room is even scarcer, but everything is cat toy material.
> Unfortunately, my job has moved farther away, and I don't have much
> time to spend with Boopsie.  She has begun licking spots on her feet
> raw, and I suspect it may by psychological.  Boopsie has always been
> an only cat, however, when I vacationed in NYC she stayed in an
> apartment with a kitten.  The kitten was sick, however, and stayed
> locked in a room.  However, whenever the kitten cried, Boopsie ran to
> the door like a concerned mother.  
> Anyway, I've been thinking of getting Boopsie of getting Boopsie a
> kitten so she won't be alone so much of the time.  But I'm not sure
> I'm a good mother for the cat I have, much less whether I can handle a 
> second kitten.  But the more I look at kittens, the more I want one.
> I really do think it would be good for Boopsie to have a friend/surrogate 
> daughter.  But you guys seem to be authorities, what do you think?
> -- 
> --------------->Elisabeth Anne Riba * lis@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu<---------------
> "I want to be Robin to Bush's Batman."  Dan Quayle
> Quick!  Notify DC.  I think it's time for another 900 number poll.
> "We are enjoying a sluggish economy & not enjoying it very much."  --Bush



Yes!  I would definitely get another cat!  Not only will you give your 
lonely cat something to do, but you have the chance to save a life.  Go to
your nearest animal shelter and save a kitty life today! 

(and make sure they're neutered soon...please)

	-Kristen
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Another cat?
Date: 11 Sep 92 19:15:53 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <2428@devnull.mpd.tandem.com>, jill@mpd.tandem.com (Jill Jones) writes:
> 
> I've been lurking for a while, and I've always loved cats, so last week I
> went to down to the animal shelter and adopted a couple of cats.  
> Now I'm looking for some advice.  ...  Maggie spent the first 48 hours 
> crying and sitting/playing/sleeping _on_ me whenever I was there, but 
> now she's a little tornado.  Unfortunately, Abigail isn't interested in 
> playing with her, and, as nearly as I can tell, Abigail stays under 
> something (bed/sofa/desk) when I'm not there.  She is beginning to be a 
> little more sociable, but nothing dramatic. ... 

IMHO, three cats are more fun than two, four are more fun than 3...
(with Charlotte's kittens, I'm up to 10 at the moment).

HOWEVER, you've only had these two together for a week, and Maggie isn't
going to settle till she's 8 months (or a year or so...).  Abigail, however,
may warm up sooner, but she probably isn't going to be as much fun for
Maggie as another kitten.

A couple of questions to think about -- you sound like you've already
considered the financial end--
   Will you be able to stand *2* tornadic kittens?  Will Abigail?
   Will Maggie be severely disturbed by not having a real playmate?

I really don't know the general answer to the last question... I haven't
had a single kitten in years, though I've often had several in various
stages of kittenhood (and of course, DumDum, who still acts like a kitten
at age 9).

Kay Klier    Biology Dept  UNI
From: joanm@moe.coe.uga.edu (Joan Maxfield UCNS)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Goodbye Thomasina-the-cute
Date: 13 Sep 92 19:50:21 GMT
	<1992Sep11.165450.10061@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>
Organization: College of Education, University of Georgia

I tried to send you some mail but it bounced, my gnus program is being
odd.  I just wanted to say how sorry I am for you.  Consider yourself
hugged!  Amos and Angelica send kitty cuddles too!

Joan
Organization: Electrical & Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 15:58:36 -0400 
From: "Kathleen M. Saxon" <km3v+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Feline Hangover (Story)

Hi gang!

This story showed up in a local paper and was given to me by a friend.
Hope you enjoy it.  Printed without permission.(Long)

HOUSE CAT SUFFERS NASTY FELINE KIND OF HANGOVER
Dwayne Pickels
Tribune-Review

I always thought animals were smarter than most people when it came to things
like substance abuse. Then I met "Jagular"

"Jag" as he's known, is a far-from-ordinary house cat who belongs to a friend
who claims the name comes from fabled Pooh folklore (as in Winnie the...)
I call him "Jag the Wondercat," since it's a wonder he's still alive.

When he's not turning his gray matter to mush, typical afternoons of
feline fun for Jag include strolling slowly through the backyard - just
out of reach of the neighbor's garages, to my friend's frequent worry
and amusement.

Jag begrudgingly shares his "kingdom" with a wiry 11-year old female cat
named "Kibbel" which was named by my friend's 11 year old daughter who
had trouble pronouncing "Tribble" when the two were baby and kitty
together.

But this sordid tale is about the true, self-proclaimed king of the
roost, the mighty Jag.

And, oh, how the mighty have fallen. Poor Jag recently learned the hard
lesson of the "party animal," it is possible to have too much of a good
thing.

Jagular has always sported a somewhat "dopey", dazed expression. That's
not to say he's not intelligent, though. He just looks that way. Jag
presumably has at least some smarts. After all, he doesn't like me one
bit.

It seems in his rovings around the house, he discovered the secret
location of a supply of kitty contraband (A.K.A. catnip) and made a
mental note - which I'm sure took a lot out of him. He then waited until
my friend left and set out to treat himself to a decadent night of
unbridled debauchery.

He got wasted.

Stoned, blitzed, buzzed, zonked, bombed, totaled, snookered, corked,
tipsy-whatever term for inebriation hums your kazoo- he was found lying
face down in an open bag of catnip. Later (when he came to), he had a
three day hangover bigger than he could shake a dead mouse at.

This is Jag.
This is Jag on drugs.
Any questions?

Here's one  -why do you think they call it dope, dope? He should have
just said "no". He was groggy for a while, and held a severe grudge
against the world. He was later seen muttering "please don't talk so
loud" and "get off of my couch,"
not doubt wishing they made kitty-sized sunglasses as he spent three
days with bent whiskers and ice on his fuzzy head.

If Jag could read, I'm sure he'd add this piece of public humiliation to
the list of reasons why he doesn't like me. But then, I'm sure he was
well pampered for his little bit of self-induced pain and suffering,
which is more than I get when I end up in his condition. I get no pity.

I hear he's fully recovered, though I doubt he has repented. My friend
will just have to find a new place to hide the "stuff."

But if I learn where that is, I'll be sure to let Jag know. "Here
kitty-kitty-kitty......"








Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: karenr@geronimo.sps.mot.com (Karen Ramondetta)
Subject: Re: Little Black Spots
Reply-To: karenr@geronimo.sps.mot.com
Organization: Motorola, Inc.
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 21:53:10 GMT

In article 6667@iscsvax.uni.edu, klier@iscsvax.uni.edu () writes:
>
>> I have two cats, both about 2 years old.  They both have little black spots
>> on their noses, lips and skin around their eyes.  One of them had these spots
>> when I found her as a stray.  The other didn't have them when I got him 2 years
>> ago, but does now.  They are very small, and almost look like dirt but don't 
>> come off.  My sister, the hypocondriac, thinks it's melanoma.  I thought maybe 
>> just aging.  Has anyone seen this type of thing before? Should I have been at 
>> the vet weeks ago?  They are both very healthy indoor cats otherwise.
>
>Are these orange cats?  Or have some orange on them?  Kitty-freckles are
>*very* common in orange cats. "Hyperpigmented lesions" in vet parlance.
>More common as they get older.
>
>Kay Klier  (who also has freckles, but is not an orange tabby)



Yup, both of them.  They'll be relieved to hear this, I've been scratching their 
noses to make sure it isn't hard core dirt.  I think they kind of like that though.
Thanks!
Karen
From: gt1167b@prism.gatech.EDU (Christie Shackelford)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Tail stood up straight, what's up??
Date: 6 Sep 92 02:46:04 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

I think that the tail up position is definitely a friendly
greeting message.  When I call Fermi, she almost always
will flick her tail up when she hears her name.  In a few
seconds, it starts to return to its original position, but
she'll lift it back up if I call her again.  This works over
and over.  I really like it.

-- 
Christie Shackelford
gt1167b@prism.gatech.edu
Meow!
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Yet another kitten story
Date: 10 Sep 92 09:47:29 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

Charlotte's kittens are just beginning to open their eyes (day 9).  Mark
held the one whose eyes _are_ open up to the mirror, and the kitten
hissed!  Mark was _very_ surprised.  Max (Mark's fat cat) still says
he doesn't have the time of day for those little %^&@#s.

Kay Klier
From: vickie@sybase.com (Vickie Shields)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Possums and cats
Date: 11 Sep 92 17:02:09 GMT
Organization: Sybase, Inc.

There's also non verbal communication, like "hello" by raising your
chin sharply and briefly.  Or "we're close friends" by blinking your
eyes very slowly.  Or (sort of verbal) very soft grunt like mother
cats make to their kittens which communicates reassurance to cats.

I'm new to this group -- we finally got it here.  Has a list of
communications between us and our cats been assembled before?  Most
will be subtle and hard to describe.  Subtle, in fact, is how I give
a one word description of what cats are and dogs aren't (I've revelled
in both for years).
From: emilio@acupain.UUCP (Elizabeth Milio)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Why do cats like paper?
Keywords: I don't really know
Date: 4 Sep 92 14:24:40 GMT
Reply-To: emilio@accurate.com.UUCP (Elizabeth Milio)
Organization: ACCURATE Information Systems, Eatontown, NJ

Hi everyone

I HAD to put my two cents in...
My two kids, Allegro and Mimi, tell me that they not only like to sit on
paper, but they prefer printed paper because:

1.  I have to pay attention to them if I want to read it
2.  They enjoy spreading the newsprint around the house

And Allegro, who also enjoy turning pages of magazines, books and
newspaper, tells me that he likes to read!

Liz, owned by two cats
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: mmilicevic@spike.psc.scarolina.edu
Subject: Re:  Enough!
Reply-To: mmilicevic@spike.psc.scarolina.edu
Organization: Univ of S Carolina College of Sci and Math
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 92 05:54:38 GMT

CATS SLEEP AT NIGHT IF YOU FEED THEM PROPERLY. READ MY ARTICLES ABOUT FEEDING
AND THEY WILL SLEEP. I have two 4 month old kittens and they play like crazy
but when I go to sleep they go too with me and sleep all night long. 
TRY TO FEED THEM LATE JUST BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP.

Good luck, MLADEN
From: v384rv4k@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Lynn Harper)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Corn cobs and fate (2 stories)
Date: 11 Sep 92 17:57:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

1.  I'm living three hours away from my boyfriend while I 
am in law school.  Every couple weeks Minn Kota (blue
mackeral tabby) and I drive to his house for the weekend.
Last winter he warned me before I went that he had a
kitten that he had found a couple days before.  I was
worried about the ramifications.  It was a sweet little
female gray longhair.  My SO got her shots and was taking
care of her ear mites.  We went out to dinner one evening
with friends, one of whom turned out to be looking for a
female gray longhaired kitten!  She already had two cats.
So the kitten went to live with them and was named Isabella.
We get pictures of her occasionally.  Since the woman who
took her is a vegetarian, she gets vegetables, along with
regular cat food.  I must have been fate.

2.  On my last visit, we found some delicious silver queen
corn at the farmer's market.  A couple hours after our
first corn feast, I found Minn Kota in the hallway, chomping
on corn cobs that he had dragged from the compost tin in
the kitchen!  A day or two later he threw up and there
were recognizable chunks of corn cob.  Crazy cat.

Lynn (oops, I meant to say, "IT must have been fate.")
P.S.  what exactly is "sisal" anyway?
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: katbea@auto-trol.com (Kathy Beatty)
Subject: Re: Sitting on paper and laps
Organization: Auto-trol Technology Corporation -- Denver, Colorado
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 04:05:16 GMT

mas@calmasd.Prime.COM (Marisa SorBello) writes:
: Anyone else have a
: cat who doesn't like bare skin?
: 
I've never had a cat who LIKED sitting on bare skin. I've always
wondered why, too. By their behavior, it seems like it might feel
"creepy" to them, or something like that.


Kathy
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: rdkjonaa@nyx.cs.du.edu (Richard Kjonaas)
Subject: My poor flowers
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 03:29:24 GMT


Why is it, My cat won't leave our flowers alone? He is 1 year old neutered
and well fed. 
When we get up in the morning, he has leaves all over the floor, From the
plants in our bay window. I was told by my neighbor to dab the leaves on
our flowers with Tobassco Sauce. Has anyone ever tried this? Does it work?
Will it harm the plants?
PLEASE HELP....THE PLANTS WERE BROUGHT IN FOR THE WINTER TODAY!
Thanx
Richard Kjonaas                 rdkjonaa@nyx.cs.du.edu
Moorhead, MN                             OR
                                  plains!milo!rkjonaas
From: stanton@athena.cs.uga.edu (Catherine Stanton)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Another cat?
Date: 14 Sep 92 02:12:46 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

In article <1992Sep13.223803.17283@rigel.econ.uga.edu> hughes@dogwood.botany.uga.edu (Wayne Hughes) writes:
>In article <1992Sep13.044625.21746@usceast.cs.scarolina.edu> mmilicevic@spike.psc.scarolina.edu writes:
>>MAKE SURE ONE THING WHEN YOU BRING IN YOUR NEW CAT. DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION
>>TO THE NEW ONE. ALL YOUR LOVE AND PETTING SHOULD GO TO THE OLD CATS, DO NOT 
>>EVEN NOTICE THE NEWCOMER. I KNOW IT IS HARD BUT THEY WILL GET ALONG THIS WAY
>>AFTER ONE WEEK. IF YOU PAY GREAT ATTENTION TO THE NEW CAT THE OTHER TWO WILL
>>BE JELOUS AND YOU'LL HAVE A PROBLEM.
>>
>>GOOD LUCK, MLADEN
>
>  I don't agree with this, and please take your caps lock off, it's the
>  rude equivalent of shouting.
Yes Wayne has a good point.
A) Caps Lock is really obnoxious...I'm sure you can handle capitalizing
only the first words of sentences.

B) I'd hate to be a new cat in YOUR home Mladen.  Seems to me that you
simply don't have a grip on how to love more than one or two cats at
a time.  You can't just IGNORE a living creature to pacify the rest
of the house.  For one, that's giving in to the other cat's jealousy
and the equivalent of saying "I love you more than...(new cat)"  If
that is truly how you "love" your cats let me rephrase my first sentence
of this paragraph, I'd hate to be any cat in your home.  It is a good
idea to separate the new cat from the old ones but this cat is making
an incredible adjustment and if anything *all* cats deserve a bit mroe
attention than usual to make the transition easier.

"DO NOT EVEN NOTICE THE NEWCOMER AT ALL"???? That's heartless and cold...
who taught you how to care for animals???

Catherine Stanton
>
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats,rec.pets.dogs
From: phz@cadence.com (Pete Zakel)
Subject: Re: dog and cat problem
Followup-To: rec.pets.dogs
Organization: Cadence Design Systems
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 20:18:01 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.140002.24372@linus.mitre.org> pdsmith.mitre.org (Pat Smith) writes:
>Oh - I know about the stubborn husky - this is my second male.  He is 
>definately Alpha Wolf or so he thinks and its a constant battle with him on 
>some issues. He has been thrown out by the scruff of his neck more than once.
>He is smart as hell and he knows it.  Our lastest behavior over
>the cat food is he eats with the cats fine till his food is gone and then
>stands guard all evening in front of the cat bowls and will not permit them
>to feed.  He hasn't eaten cat food in 3-4 days but assumed this guard post
>duty.  The cats try to eat but just give up.  He doesn't growl at them he just
>paces in front the the bowls and they do not cross the picket line so to speak.

Well, your first order of business is to take away his Alpha Male role.  This
is fairly easy to do -- if he gives you *any* shit when you discipline him
(including not responding to commands INSTANTLY), alpha roll him immediately!

Basically, to alpha roll him you should be at his side.  Quickly reach under
his belly, grab his opposite foreleg, push him onto his back with your
shoulder, use your leg to hold him down if you have to, put your hands on
his throat and apply some pressure (don't choke him, though, unless you have
to), look him in the eyes and GROWL at him.  Don't let him up until he lies
quietly for a few seconds and drops his eyes.  DON'T DROP YOUR EYES, make sure
he drops his first.

I had some problems with our Husky (was my wife's husky before we were married)
pushing Crasher away from her food (Crasher is a border collie mix) and eating
it after he finished his own food.  I only had to alpha roll him twice, and
now he waits until she is finished before he gets at her food.  I feed the
dogs before I feed the cats, and if I catch Wolf getting at Crasher's food
before I think she's done all I have to do is bang on the window and he moves
away and waits.

Before I alpha rolled him, he wouldn't pay any attention to me.  Now he KNOWS
*I'm* the alpha!

I'm of the opinion most discipline problems with dogs partly result from the
fact that the owner has not established that s/he, and not the dog, is the
alpha.  If that is not established, one is almost *guaranteed* to have
discipline problems.

Note that followups are set to rec.pets.dogs.

Any corrections to my description of the Alpha Roll are welcome.  I learned
the technique from reading the net, and I'm glad someone else posted it!

-Pete Zakel
 (phz@cadence.com or ..!uunet!cadence!phz)

Fortune's graffito of the week (or maybe even month):

		Don't Write On Walls!

		   (and underneath)

		You want I should type?
From: stanton@athena.cs.uga.edu (Catherine Stanton)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Enough!
Date: 15 Sep 92 00:54:09 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

In article <1992Sep14.200021.5604@evolving.com> mmf@evolving.com (Mark Frazier) writes:
>david@master.uchicago.edu writes:
>: 
>: Are you really serious about giving them up because they keep you up ?
>: If they are that disruptive, why not just close the door to you bedroom ?
>You've never tried this with a part-siamese cat, have you? Mr. Schnookums
>is part siamese. When we close the door to the bedroom, he "rattles" it.
>He knocks on it. Occasionally, he takes a full run down the hallway and
>body slams it. Sometimes this gets the door open!
>
Okay I have a solution to one of your problems.  I keep Steve IN my
room at my parent's house rather than out and he likes to rattle the
door as well.  Get a washcloth.  Fold said washcloth in halves or 
thirds depending on the thickness you need.  Stick said washcloth
IN the door frame as you are closing the door.  This creates enough
tension to make the door sturdily held in place and at least invulnerable
to the paws of a 15 pound cat.  As for the full run down the hallway
and body slamming it...Hmmm maybe you could foam pad the bottom of
the door.

=)

Cat Stanton
From: mverman@msus1.msus.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Crippled kitty
Date: 10 Sep 92 19:40:51 -0600
Organization: Minnesota State University System


> About 6 months ago, our male cat broke his right hind leg at the hip joint.  
> We decided to leave the leg alone as long as it wasn't painful and he seems 
> to get around fine.  However, the leg has definitely atrophied.  Are we
> delaying the inevitable that the leg will have to be amputated? Or will 
> the degeneration level off at some point?  Is their a risk of arthritis or
> infection if it is left alone? 
> 
> 
> Keith
If the cat suffer wounound to the leg -- bite/puncture/scratch/burn/etc --
it could get infected.  If the cat's sensation is deficient, it may not 
lick at the wound or complain, so you would be less likely to notice it.
Therefore it's important to check the leg regularly for sores, etc.
From: snoopy@spacemanspiff.den.mmc.com (Cindy Newell)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: How NOT to impress your girlfriend
Keywords: catz, flames, oops
Date: 14 Sep 92 22:00:27 GMT
Organization: Denver, Colorado

In article <1782@shaman.wv.tek.com> robd@orca.wv.tek.com writes:
>

[Story about Smokey smokin deleted]
>
>Final Score:
>
>Smokes tail: No apparent damage. I don't think she even knew what happened.
>Girlfriend:  Still in the mood for a bubble bath...but either the cat or
>             the candles have to go!
>Me:   Wiser....and still chuckling.....
>
>
>          +====================================================+
>          | Robert Dixon, Reliability Engineering Proj. Leader |


Thanks for the laugh, I think my coworkers think I am psycho!



-- 
 Cindy Camp - Usual disclaimers apply   |  Just waiting for a good quote
 Martin Marietta  (303)977-9804 	|  or lyric right now.
 snoopy@spacemanspiff.den.mmc.com  or	|  
 cnewell@azum.den.mmc.com		|  
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats