HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: vicki@steam.atd.ucar.edu (Vicki Holzhauer)
Subject: Re: "Soft Paws" (covers for cat's claws)
Organization: Atmospheric Technology Division/NCAR Boulder, CO
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 22:47:05 GMT

In article <1992Sep29.121836.14801@watson.ibm.com> dzenz@vnet.ibm.com writes:

>Other than the "Soft Paws", does anyone have suggestions on how to
>protect furniture from scratches due to cat's claws? 

I have a similar problem ... Zarabeth's new "hobby" since I moved into
my condo in July of attempting to pull all the threads out of my
carpet, one by one, usually at about 3 a.m.  (She's letting me know
she wants out and expressing her displeasure at the fact that I never
let her out after I've gone to bed because I'd stay up worrying about
her. :-)

I've tried spraying an organic anti-pet spray on the carpet.  That
works for an evening but needs to be re-applied the next day after she
does it again.  (I've stopped using it because of its potential
negative effect on the carpet.)  I've tried pepper on the rug (no
success).  So far the only thing that works is keeping a fully loaded,
high-powered water pistol next to my bed and soaking her.  I wonder if
anyone has any other tricks I could try?

I guess I should be grateful that she's gotten over her random
urination phase since we moved.  Better to have a dethreaded carpet
than an ammonia-scented one ... :-)




--
Vicki Holzhauer, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Boulder, Colorado / / / /  vicki@ncar.ucar.edu
From: feldman@flash.crd.ge.com (Sandra F Feldman)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: toxoplasmosis
Date: 5 Oct 92 13:49:18 GMT
Organization: GE Corporate R&D Center

Does it make more sense to test multiple cats or one human?  Seems to me that
if any of my cats have toxoplasmosis, I have proabably already had ample
opportunity to catch it.

Sandy
From: lianne@bcarh17e.BNR.CA (Lianne Raley)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Top 10 signs you've gone to a bad veterinarian
Date: 6 Oct 92 15:25:41 GMT
Reply-To: lianne@bcarh17e.BNR.CA (Lianne Raley)
Distribution: world
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

Fortunately I've found a wonderful vet for my cats! But I think 
these are sure signs that you'd better get a second opinion :)

    Top 10 signs you've gone to a bad veterinarian
   (From "Late Night with David Letterman", Sep 30/92)

10. When you hand him your cat, he asks uncomfortably, "monkey?"
9.  Two weeks later, your dog coughs up a rubber glove.
8.  Big sign in visiting room, "No pets allowed."
7.  Diploma looks a lot like menu from Chinese restaurant.
6.  Always saying, "I've got a tick bomb in my pants."
5.  Sends you card every spring:  "Time for your dog's annual
    neutering."
4.  First question:  "What ails your varmint?"
3.  He has a lot of posters up advertising cockfights.
2.  He himself wears one of those big funnel-shaped dog collars.
1.  He bites.

     (c) Copyright 1992 by Worldwide Pants, Inc. and NBC
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lhuffman@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Grooming elderly longhair
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 17:43:57 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.121512.1@kean.ucs.mun.ca>, bjames@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:
> Help needed!
> 
> My mother's ancient cat is coming to spend a month with us again.  
> She is a frail thing with long hair which she is incapable of grooming
> on her own.  Her mother (and mine) does not manage to keep her fur from 
> becoming tangled and knotted and we spend the whole of each semi-annual 
> visit (mother goes touring the grandchildren) working on the problem.  
> 
>..... 
> She is an indoor cat and seems to take stress poorly -- stops eating if 
> mother leaves her overnight, hides out in our basement for the first day or 
> two when she comes to stay with us, will not voluntarily enter a room where 
> children are present.  We have a cat of our own, but he is a big, healthy 
> shorthair with an uncomplicated psyche.
> 
> 
I had a Persian for 17 years and had the matting problem for every day of her 
life. I would offer the following suggestions:

First, I found that as Pittising got older, her world needed to shrink and she 
felt more comfortable in 'smaller' surroundings, so I made a place special
for her in a room where she could retreat. I had an upholstered chair in a 
corner away from the door that I placed a folded 'cupped' blanket on. SHE told 
me that's where she felt most secure because that's where I'd always find her.
So watch your cat and see where's she's telling you she'd like to be; it 
sounds like she's having trouble with too much sensory stimulation and her 
poor old body is unable to handle it.

 
Second, even though she looked ridiculous, I shaved Pitti. (Picture an enourmous
head with spiked hair on a bony, skinny body.) I got a regular people-hair 
electric clippers and my son held her while I shaved through the knots. It took
patience and a good bit of time but Pitti always felt so much better after 
that. And becuase she was old and it did feel good evey time we got through
a knot, she began to tolerate it.

Other than regular brushing which Pitti WOULD NOT allow, I can offer no solution
for the knots. It seems the knots form in the fine undercoat, so deep brushing 
is what does the trick for the knots but freaks the cat.

Perhaps others have more suggestions on the knotting problem. My solution after
Pitti died was to get a Siamese...
From: alclark@RWASIC27.AUD.ALCATEL.COM (Amy L Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: cat story
Date: 2 Oct 92 21:37:00 GMT

Okay, since it's 4:15 p.m. on a Friday, and I'm really burned
out on work, I'm going to tell another story.  Hopefully you
don't consider it wasted bandwidth.

When I was in college, I lived in a miniscule apartment with
"comtemporary castoff" furniture as the decor.  I tried to
cover my only table with a lace type tablecloth and decorate
the top of this table with plants, knick-knacks, and such.
Well, every night about 10:00 my kitties get the "crazies"
and chase each other around whatever dwelling we happen to
be occupying at the time.  On this particular night, I wasn't
home and didn't return until late in the morning.  I walk
into the apartment through the front door and immediately spy
an overturned plant on the floor.  "OOOH, Mommie's mad," I
yell into the apartment.  You guys (two cats, Baggy and Donchu)
knocked my plant onto the floor.  I walk further into the
apartment and notice only one cat twining around my ankles
with his innocent "who me?" look on his face.  I walk into
the bedroom and spy the lace tablecloth which was located
under the plant now located on top of the twin bed.  The 
tablecloth is actually trembling which is pretty hard for
an inatimate object to do.  I look on the other side of the
bed which had about a one foot space between it and the wall.
There's Donchu, crouched between the bed and the wall
trying not to move, breathe, or otherwise stir the air
because if he does, this MONSTER, this TABLECLOTH  which
has been following him around all night will lurk behind
him and dodge his every step.  So I discern that Donchu and
Baggy were playing "zip around the apartment", Donchu ran
under to table, got his collar fastener hung in one of the
lace eyelets, tried to rid himself of the HORRIBLE PINK
MONSTER which (to him) had this deathgrip on his neck by
jumping over the bed.  All it did was HANG ON even HARDER!
So Donchu decided (in typical cat fashion) to stay as still
as he could until the MONSTER went away.  I removed the 
tablecloth from Donchu's collar and eventually was back in
my normal state with two cats winding their bodies around my
ankles.  I couldn't punish Donchu for tipping over the plant
since it was well after the fact, was an accident, and he
was already basically punished by the MONSTER!
BTW I stress (since some of you my worry with the recent collar
thread occurring on the net) that the tablecloth was caught
in the fastener of Donchu's collar and in no way was around
his neck or pulling the collar tight enough to hurt his neck.
I always try to keep blind pulls, cords, etc away from the cats
so that there will be no chance of them getting tangled in the
cords.

Amy
(who just remembered how well cats can communicate by
recalling another incident besides this one)
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Wisdom needed: cat peeing blood
Date: 5 Oct 92 14:36:08 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Oct4.124553.4704@wetware.com>, diana@wetware.com (CatWoman ) writes:
> adwright@iastate.edu () writes:
> 
> ] What is the purpose of the DL methionine?
> ] Some urinary metabolite that helps?
> ] Is the L form not better? Or is it that
> ] the DL is  cheaper, since it is synthetic.
> 
> You're asking the wrong person here - I'm no chemist,
> just a long-time cat-person who seems blessed with
> cats that get FUS.
> 

I'm not a chemist, either.  But D,L-methionine is an amino acid that
happens to be relatively acidic, and can be excreted in urine when there
is too much in the diet.  So the extra methionine "goes through" the cat
into the urine and makes the urine acidic.  The acidic urine helps
keep crystals from forming (urinary calculi), and may help keep bacterial
populations down, heading off bacterial cystitis.

One of the alternative urinary acidifiers is ammonium chloride.  My guys
think ammonium chloride is something fit only for dogs, people and other
lower life forms.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: pjohnso@polaris.unm.edu (Paddy Johnson CIRT)
Subject: Help! Cat Damage!!!
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 03:36:46 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Help! Help! Help!

My cat (and I mean he is really mine today, instead of the family's)
knocked the speaker to my daughter's stereo off the top of a tall book
shelf.  It snapped the cord in two.  I took the speaker apart (and glued)
the speaker case back together.  I reconnected the cord pieces by twisting
them together and wrapping in with tape.  Now the speaker won't make
play with any volume (critical to a teenager) and it sounds scratchy.  I
realize that this is probably not the correct group for this, but I have
faith in rec.pets.cats readers that someone will be able to give me some
advice.  What did I do wrong?  What do I need to do?  Will it hurt her
"stereo" if we play it this way (my 12 year old son assures me we will, but
since it is his sister's I have my doubts).  Can you buy just one speaker 
if it needs to be replaced?
Gary (THE CAT) and I fear for our lives.  Please help!

Zoe J
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dzenz@catskill.kgn.ibm.com ()
Subject: Re: failure to use litterbox
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 12:55:48 GMT
Reply-To: dzenz@vnet.ibm.com
Organization: IBM T. J. Watson Research
Followup-To: Dave Zenz 

In article <92269.082807TMH1@psuvm.psu.edu>, <TMH1@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
|> I'd like to hear more about cats who stand in the box put urinate outside of
|> it.  One of my two 14-year-old cats (I think the male) seems to "miss" from
|> time to time -- he seems to pee horizontally and hit the wall behind the
|> box.  A box with a lid was *not* a good solution, as then the urine would
|> run down the side of the lid and get trapped in the seam between the lid and
|> the bottom.  Currently I'm using a large recycling bin I bought at Wal-Mart,
|> which has a higher wall in the back than in the front, and that works most
|> of the time.  But every so often he still misses.
|> 
|> Is it really just an aim problem, a sort of carelessness?  Or is he trying
|> to tell me that there's something about being in the box that makes him
|> uncomfortable or skittish?
|> 

My two cats (both males) have some aim problems with the litterbox they use
when they're on vacation with my wife and I in Maine. The box they have
at home has a lid, but the one we use in Maine does not. I think that they
are use to having a lid, and as a result, they sometimes end up missing when
using the box without a lid.

I would suggest that you shop around more for a litterbox with a lid. The
one we use at home does not have the exposed seam you are mentioning. The
lid actually has a channel that the box fits into, any misses are simply
redirected into the box.

Dave Zenz
From: eric@chemeng.ed.ac.uk (Eric S Fraga)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Help!  New Kitten.....
Date: 29 Sep 92 12:27:48 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University Chemical Engineering Department
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3

: ehp@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU ("Didi Pancake") writes:
: |>I'd never seen that before. But I never found any "baby" kitty teeth lying
: |>around...do they have their own Tooth Fairy...what does she or he leave
: |>them?

we've got two baby kitten fangs in a wee box.  cutest things...  can't
remember where we found them however.
-- 
.......oo...ooo..o..o.o...o.o....oooo..oo...o.....o.....ooo..o..............
 Eric S Fraga, Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Edinburgh
 phone: +44 (31) 650 5065/4866, eric@uk.ac.ed  or  na.fraga@na-net.ornl.gov
From: rwessman@prodhp.oracle.com (Rick Wessman)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Cat sitter needed
Date: 30 Sep 92 21:24:04 GMT
Distribution: ba
Organization: Oracle World HQ, Redwood Shores
Originator: rwessman@prodhp.us.oracle.com
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by an unauthenticated user
              at Oracle Corporation.  The opinions expressed are those
              of the user and not necessarily those of Oracle.


I'm in need of a cat sitter who can look in on my little "angels"
while I'm on a business trip. If anyone knows of one who is
reliable, please let me know.

				Thanks,
				Rick

				Rick Wessman
				rwessman@us.oracle.com
				H: (415) 637-9344
				W: (415) 506-2658
From: collene@unisql.UUCP (Collene Pearce)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: The amazing standing cat?
Date: 6 Oct 92 16:34:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: unisql.3884
Reply-To: collene@unisql.UUCP (Collene Pearce)
Organization: UniSQL, Inc., Austin, Texas, USA

In article <1992Oct06.020435.32720@watson.ibm.com> yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo) writes:
>My neighbor's cat does something that I have never seen a cat
>do before now.  And I was wondering how common it is.
>
>The cat (without any training) will stand up on its hind legs
>and rub her head against your hand.  All you have to do to get
>her to stand is to put your hand over her head where she can see it.
>Is this rare or somewhat commonplace? 

My Tamora does this.  Normally, when I come thru the door in the evening,
I say "I'm home" and this is Tamora's que to sit in my bedroom doorway and
wait for me to come to her.  As I approach her, she turns her back to me and 
"stands up", in preparation for my picking her up.  I often carry her around
the house in a position somewhat like one would use for a larger baby --
I put my left arm around her below her arms and put my hand on her behind
to support her weight, then I lift her and hold her in front of me, sort of
left of center.  I used to carry my nephews like this when they were 8-9
months old, or so (you know, once their heads no longer wobbled).

Also, when I am sitting on the couch, Tamora will come over and I will put
out my hand and she will "stand up" into it, so I can scratch her head.
Tamora sometimes assumes almost this same position when she is looking out
of the window.  She will sit like this for a long time when there is 
something interesting out there.

I call this the "groundhog" or "prarie dog" position.  I'm certain that 
her low center of gravity helps her to maintain this position for long
periods of time.  ;-)


-- 

********************* #include <std_disclaimer.h> **********************
* A. Collene Pearce (512-343-7372, x114) * Organization: UniSQL, Inc.  *
*                                        * Austin, TX                  *
* unisql!collene@cs.utexas.edu           * 512-343-7297 or 7383(fax)   *
************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: mmarolda@NeoSoft.com (Mike Marolda)
Subject: Re: Invisible fences...what are they?
Organization: Neosoft Communications
Date: Thu, 01 Oct 1992 00:50:29 GMT

In article <AemNvIi00Uh701N4wH@andrew.cmu.edu> sw39+@andrew.cmu.edu (Susan R. Wagner) writes:
>Hello everyone,  I realize that most people that read this probably do
>not have an invisible fence to keep their cats in their yard, but maybe
>you know something about them.  I have seen advertisements for them, but
>never understood the whole concept of how they worked, etc.  Can someone
>explain?????  Thanks in advance.
>
>Susan and Jester

The one I've !seen consits of a wire buried around the perimeter of the
property and a special collar.  The wire acts like a low power transmitter
and the collar is a receiver.   The idea is that when the cat/dog gets
within a couple of feet of the perimeter, the collar picks up the RF 
and in turn gives the cat/dog some kind of negative reinforcement (I
don't know how painful it is).  Anyway, in theory you don't keep the 
fence on forever since the cat/dog learns not to approach the perimeter.
This seemed to work well with dogs, but I'm not sure how well it works on
cats.


Mike Marolda  (mmarolda@neosoft.com)


--
From: granzeau_c@cho006.cho.ge.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat freaks at vet's!
Date: 1 Oct 92 21:04:27 GMT
Organization: GE Fanuc Automation, North America


Thanks to everyone who wrote expressing concern, and giving advice.
It's nice to know that Willy isn't alone in his fear of vets.  I was
given a lot of excellent advice.

Original problem:  Cat gets extremely agitated at the vet.  Last time
                   in, they weren't able to give him his shot.

Suggestions: (In order of popularity)

  1.  Make sure to drive Willy around more to get him used to the car.
  2.  Go with the full tablet of acepromazine.
  3.  Find a "cats only" vet. 
  4.  Find a vet who will make housecalls.
  5.  Try to keep Willy away from dogs in the waiting room.
  6.  Start clean at a new vet in hopes that he won't be as scared.

I probably should have mentioned in the original post that the car is
not the problem.  He goes on car rides at least once a week, and
while he doesn't love it, he has gotten accustomed to it.  And he
definitely does not associate car = vet.  Still, it's good advice,
and I encourage everyone to follow it.

As far as I can tell, there are no "cats only" vets in the area (if
anyone in Charlottesville knows of one, let me know).  There is one
vet listed in the phone book who will make house calls.  I will call
her if I have to, but I'm afraid of the cost, the inconvenience (of
having to take time off of work), and the distance -- I'm not sure
she services this area.  It's nice to have the option to try it if I
need to.

I will try to keep him shielded from dogs in the waiting room, but
I'm not convinced it will help.  He used to be terrified of dogs, and
I'm sure that caused part of the problem initially, but now that he
has his own dog, he doesn't get so scared.  We've had several dog
friends visit without unduly upsetting him, and he even initiates
play with the dog next door.

And so, I have decided to try again with a full tablet of
acepromazine.  I'm also taking him to a different vet this time, in
hopes that he won't associate *this* vet with the bad things that
happened at the other vet's.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  I'm
not having his records transferred though, since I have a feeling
that he won't be fooled -- a vet is a vet.

Finally, someone mentioned that their cat started hating the vet
after getting his feline leukemia shots.  That's *exactly* when it
started with Willy!  I knew that was when it started, but I thought
it was just one shot too many, or since there were actually two shots
within a couple of weeks, that going back to the vet that soon was
what did it.  I had no idea fel leuk shots were so painful!  Has
anyone else had the same thing happen?

Thanks again for all the help.  His new appointment is this coming
Saturday, so wish us luck!

Caroline                               granzeau_c@cho000.dnet.ge.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dmillard@encore.com (Debbie Millard)
Subject: Re: Why Do Cats Lick Humans?
Organization: Encore Computer Corporation, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 18:28:19 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.205513.25152@delfin.com> brad@delfin.com (Brad Heckman) writes:
>I've asked many people experienced with cats and gotten inconsistent
>answers.
>
>I've checked several books on cat behavior and none have mentioned
>this.
>
>No, I haven't asked any vets (I keep forgetting).

Because we do not have satisfactory hygeine practices.

Debbie M. who belongs to 3 human bathers: Calli, Cissy & Timmy
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo)
Subject: The amazing standing cat?
Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1992 02:04:35 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

My neighbor's cat does something that I have never seen a cat
do before now.  And I was wondering how common it is.

The cat (without any training) will stand up on its hind legs
and rub her head against your hand.  All you have to do to get
her to stand is to put your hand over her head where she can see it.

Is this rare or somewhat commonplace? 

-- 
Ralph Yozzo (yozzo@watson.ibm.com)  
From the beautiful and historic Mid-Hudson Valley area of NY state
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: wb9omc@dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu (Duane P Mantick)
Subject: Re: Wisdom needed: cat peeing blood
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: 29 Sep 92 22:38:04 GMT

[stuff about cat peeing blood deleted]

Is this an older cat?

Reason for asking - we lost an older cat to kidney troubles.....and she was
known to have some very thick bloody urine that made her rather
uncomfortable.  She'd try and try to use the little box and didn't get much.
The vets gave her some medication that relieved the immediate problem,
but her kidney disease finally caught up to her.

She had other symptoms at the late stage of the game - progressively worse
eyesight with obvious clouding of the lenses of the eyes for example.

I would think that their vet would check for possible kidney problems.....

Duane