HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ARL00SJB@UNCCVM.UNCC.EDU
Subject: Re: Purring as a sign of illness
Organization: UNC Charlotte
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 19:08:30 GMT

In article <1992Sep29.144343.9532@cbnewsh.cb.att.com>
sbp@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (Sue Price) writes:
 
>>>this little cat's loud purring and wanting to be held through his
>>>illness has mystified and touched me. Has anyone else had a cat
>>>who purrs when he is sick?
>I don't think it has to be either/or.  Sometimes purring means contentment,
>other times it can mean submission.  I have read that purring is the
>equivalent of smiling in humans.  People smile when they are content, or
>when they are nervous/submissive.
>
>--
>
>Sue Price
>sbp@hound.att.com
>
I had a little black cat who was spayed.  After the operation, we
brought her home, still slightly groggy from the anesthetic.  We
tried to put her in her box to recover, but she would have none of
*that*, thank you very much.  She'd get out of the box and totter
across the room to me, and try to climb up on my lap.  Of course,
I couldn't let her jump up, so I carried her back to her box.  After
two of those trips, during which she was purring just as hard as
she could, and salivating all over me, since she was still partially
"under", I just kept her in my lap.  That made her happy, and she then
curled up and went to sleep, still purring.  She maintained this
behavior for the rest of the day, and she didn't seem to be recovering.
I looked at the stitches, and noticed that they seemed to be "weeping".
We took her back to the vet - turns out she was allergic to the (you'll
pardon the expression) "cat gut" that they'd stitched her up with,
and was into a severe infection stage.  They took care of it.  The
whole time she'd been lying on my lap, she'd purred, even though
the vet said those stitches must have been hurting like anything.
 
--Jean
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jbrandt@NeoSoft.com (J Brandt)
Subject: Re: Missing Cat in Locked Apartment
Organization: NeoSoft Communications Services -- (713) 684-5900
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 04 Oct 1992 11:16:11 GMT

In article <1992Oct1.192511.28877@awdprime.austin.ibm.com>, betty@funky.austin.ibm.com (Betty Riggle) writes:
> A long time ago, I lost my cat Spot in my house.  Since she is an indoor/outdoor

Your story reminded me of the silly thing that my kittens do.  My computer
desk is L-shaped, with a large, hollow post (about 15 inches wide) at the
bend of the L.  There is a little square hole (about 4 inches wide) on top
of the desk that leads down into the post.  So the post is about 15 x 15 x
30, with a little hole in the top.  My two kittens (they are about 5
months old) love to jump down through the hole and play in the post, but
they couldn't get back out again.  The first couple of times they got
stuck, I had to take everything off the desk, lay on the desk, and stick
my arm down through the hole, find and grab a kitty by the back of the
neck, and then pull her out, only slightly battered (the desk is very
large and can't be moved except by taking it apart).  I covered the hole
but the kitties ended up spending huge amounts of time removing whatever I
put over the hole.  Finally I came up with a scheme that makes all of us
happy: I tied a large piece of coarse nylon netting to my computer and let
it drape down into the hole.  Now, the kitties think my desk is a
playground and they constantly jump into the hole and climb out again. 
When they do it at night, they sound like rodents in the wallboards.
 
-- 
Jaclyn Brandt
jbrandt@NeoSoft.com
--
From: 22302LMK@MSU
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Should we get two male kittens?
Date: 1 Oct 92 20:27:36 GMT
Organization: Michigan State University

I have had bleu and he is about two now and I recently adopted Tucker who is
about 5, no problems. If anything Bleu has given tucker some spark. They play
a bit rough, but no problems


Lisa
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats,rec.pets
From: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Subject: Re: HOME NEEDED NOW!
Reply-To: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Distribution: nj
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 20:53:46 GMT

In article <2AC9EF42.22226@ics.uci.edu> tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore) writes:
>In <1992Sep30.131640.4801@cbnewsk.cb.att.com> nastasi@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (joseph.l.nastasi) writes:
>
>>EMERGENCY: Very loving, formally abused cat must be adopted before
>
>Not to make light of this poor cat's situation, but what is "formally
>abused"?  

I suspect the poster meant "formerly abused", i.e. before it came to him. If
you say it quickly they sound very similar, and he may never have seen the
word written before (though "formally abused" doesn't make much sense when you
stop to think about it).
-- 
Ruth Milner                          NRAO/VLA                  Socorro NM
Computing Division Head      rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu
From: sw39+@andrew.cmu.edu (Susan R. Wagner)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Update: Wisdon needed: cat peeing blood
Date: 5 Oct 92 12:28:03 GMT
Organization: University Libraries - Technical Service, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Well, just to let everyone know,  my friends cat Malcolm has recovered
from his bout of peeing problems.  I presume it was an infection since
they have not had to make any dietary changes (at least none they told
me about).  They say he is feeling better and going to the bathroom
regularly.  Thanks for everyone's concern and advice.

Susan and Jester
From: Greg_Goss@mindlink.bc.ca (Greg Goss)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: cat and toilet paper
Date: 27 Sep 92 08:20:26 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

My cat started to play with the toilet paper, and making sure that the roll
showed no loos end to play with solved the problem.  After a week or so, she no
longer tried to play with it.

My TP is placed so that it pulls from the back.  If she pulls on the outside,
it will spin, but not release an edge to play with.  Eventually, boring.

.../greg

--
"say NO to four-line sigs"     greg_goss@mindlink.bc.ca
From: btarbox@sw.stratus.com (Brian Tarbox)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Update: Missing Cat in Locked Apartment
Date: 29 Sep 92 15:23:32 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.

>It looks (from this site anyway) like Mary never posted a followup
>after she found her cat. She emailed me and some others and told us
>the cat came home :-)
>
>(I know you guys worry!)

The net breaths a sigh of relief!
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jpk@Ingres.COM (Jon Krueger)
Subject: Re: failure to use litterbox
Reply-To: jpk@Ingres.COM (Jon Krueger)
Organization: Ask Computer Systems Inc., Ingres Division, Alameda CA 94501
Date: 28 Sep 92 04:22:22 GMT

TMH1@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
> 14-year-old cat (I think the male) 
> sometimes seems to pee horizontally
> and hit the wall behind the box.

Sounds like FUS, check with your vet.

-- Jon

--
Jon Krueger  jpk@ingres.com  
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lusty@lusty.tamu.edu (Lusty Wench)
Subject: Re: Claw questions
Organization: Me
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 12:04:55 GMT

In article <5282@sumax.seattleu.edu> sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu (Maven o'Mirth) writes:
>
>Two questions for the net: 
>

[question about claw chewing and comment about claw clipping deleted]

>Any advice on whether this
>will be a problem?  I ask mostly because I have these mental pictures of
>Hemingway running full tilt across the apartment, leaping up to climb the
>futon, and falling flat on his behind when he discovers his claws are
>gone.  Any experiences with cats learning to deal with clawlessness?

My first kitty, Artemis, was also a climber.  She regularly climbed the
curtains in my apartment (they went practically to the ceiling), and
she also climbed my blue jeans somewhat regularly.  As she became
bigger this wasn't so cute any more ;).  Anyway, she was declawed as
soon as the vet was willing to perform the procedure.  After her paws
had healed and she felt like climbing again, she only leaped up to
climb the curtains once.  She quickly discovered that didn't work
any more.

An older cat might have more problems.  My mom's kitty was declawed
when she was at least 4 years old and she had some trouble adapting
to the lack of claws.

Diana
From: davek@informix.com (David Kosenko)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Missing Cat in Locked Apartment
Keywords: lost/stolen cat?
Date: 1 Oct 92 19:03:34 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <60590@mimsy.umd.edu> costello@cs.umd.edu (Lisa A. Costello) writes:
>In article <mary.717306763@ferkel> mary@ferkel.ucsb.edu (Mary Cardenas) writes:
>>Help!  After counting my cats (I always do this)
>>this morning, noting they were all there, I
>>left for work.  When I came home this afternoon,
>>I was missing one.  Notably:  one Seal Point
>>[stuff deleted]
>>Anyhoo--does anyone have any idea what i should do?
>>Could he have been stolen (the screens are remarkably
>>easy to open from outside)?  HELP.
>>
>>mary
>
>Was there anything else missing from your apartment?  

If so, check the local pawnshops.  Your cat may be pawning your stuff to
get cash to buy Pounce, or worse yet, catnip!  Once this habit starts,
they will do almost anything to maintain it.  Cats have been known to
forge checks, pull credit card receipts from the trash and use the 
numbers when calling R.C. Steele, etc.  Fortunately, there are some
excellent rehab clinics you can send your cat to to break them of these
escalating cycles of self-destruction.

Dave
-- 
Disclaimer: These opinions are not those of Informix Software, Inc.
**************************************************************************
The heart and the mind on a parallel course, never the two shall meet.
						-E. Saliers
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: mary@flipper.zmax.com (Mary Papp)
Subject: Re: Purring as a sign of illness
Organization: Z/Max Computer Solutions, Inc.
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:42:13 GMT

I read in a book somewhere that cats purr for attention.  This is there way
of saying "Okay pay attention to me."  My cat only purrs when he is a loving 
mood (this is not often mind you), or he is in need of human intervention.
Cats who are hurt sometimes purr as they wash their wounds.

Mary Papp
Z/Max Computer Solutions, Inc.
8287 Loop Road
Baldwinsville, New York 13027
mary@zmax.com

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dschlow@epas.utoronto.ca (Deborah Schlow)
Subject: Re: more quarantine questions
Organization: University of Toronto - EPAS
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 19:13:19 GMT

Yes, the UK definitely has a six-month quarantine for pets. The
rationale is that it can take up to six months for rabies to show up
once the dog, cat or ferret has been exposed. I don't know if this is
true, but that's what they say. The British Isles are completely
rabies-free and they aim to keep them that way. The animals are taken
at the port of entry and transported to "safe homes" where they must
remain for six months. You can go and visit them. When I was applying
th Ph.d. programs, I was urged to apply to Oxbridge, but wouldn't,
because I couldn't take the cats.
From: lv0e+@andrew.cmu.edu (Lisa Laverne Vaughan)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: My cats hate me!
Date: 30 Sep 92 13:33:54 GMT
Organization: Psychology, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Thankx to everyone for some very constructive suggestions.  The <deleted> 
story for any curious readers is that my two cats who are normally subject
to my being away from home all the time, just got to spend 3 months with
my very doting mother & her 4 cats.  Upon their return to my (new) apartment,
they cringed and generally have been hating me for a month now.

The suggestions?  Most ran along the lines of just simply spend more time
with them.  One suggested that my mother visit me periodically instead of
the other way around (great suggestion, but not at all feasible), and one
person suggested that it's not my absence that's the problem but rather the
fact that I move the cats between two households on a weekly basis.  This 
happened to me quite a bit when I was a child so I dig that one.

But the best so far I've found is *BRIBERY* or something like that.  Now
when I come back to my apartment to spend what little time i have
available, I'm always armed with something like 
catnip, lunchmeat, etc.  I got popular again, very quickly...

...lisa
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: adwright@iastate.edu ()
Subject: Re: tapeworms and samples - advice sought
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 17:54:31 GMT

In <92275.081932KAJ2@psuvm.psu.edu> <KAJ2@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:

>Hi everyone.  We're having a minor kitty crisis and I'm looking for some advice
>on how upset I should be with our vet.  Our kittens (two, Colby and Jordana)
>were having soft stools, but were still active and drinking and eating just
>fine.  After about a week of this Jordana's bottom was bloody on morning
>after her BM.  So we called the vet's office.  To make a long story short
>we brought in fecal samples from both kitties and they were negative.  So
>the kitties saw the vet and he diagnosed a bacterial infection and put them
>on antibiotics and immodium A-D. That was 3 days ago.  Last night we found
>worms - little brown rice krispie size - on Colby's fur.  I'm upset that they
>couldn't find these on Monday when we brought samples in.  We spent money and
>effort treating them with antibiotics which aren't helping them.

In my experience the vet had not found anything in the stool sample the day 
before she puked up a bunch of roundworms. :(  It is not that uncommon for
them to miss. I hope you gave Colby and Jordana a droncit or something similar.

You probably know that fleas carry tapes, so you will need to deal with that.
  
>Why couldn't the vet pick this up on MOnday?  Do I have a legitimate complaint
>or could this happen with any vet.   Do I need to do anything special to the
>apartment now that they've been dropping rice-krispie worms all over the place?

>Any advice appreciated!  Thanks, Karen Jagolinzer (mom to Colby and Jordana)


>ps: our kitties are 5 month old indoor cats.















Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dblackbu@carr11.alleg.edu (David Blackburn)
Subject: Re: fraidy cat
Organization: Allegheny College
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 20:24:23 GMT

In article <1992Oct6.175307.6676@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>  
jhoskins@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (James M Hoskins) writes:
> In article <BvoG7w.MxM@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> larsenp@mace.cc.purdue.edu  
(Paul L
> arsen) writes:
> >Help, we have a real friady cat on our hands and have no idea what to do!
> >Whenever strangers come over to our house, the cat literal runs to the
> >farthest point from them!  Today, I was holding the cat and the mailperson
> >unexpectedly showed up.  The cat scrambled to get out of my arms (which I  
woul
> d
> >think would be considered safe haven), scratching me really bad in the  
process
> ..
> >She used to be ok around strangers (taking a little while to warm up), but
> >now she almost seems to be what would be termed agoraphobic in people.  She
> >is not the friendliest cat to begin with, but what she is doing now seems
> >ridiculous!  Any advice would be very helpful!
> >Paul Larsen
> >larsenp@mace.cc.purdue.edu
> 
> Please post responses to this most interesting question!  My cat is the
> same way.  Although her initial reaction to a stranger in the house is
> utter terror and a flight to the 2nd floor to hide under a bed, she will
> after about 30 minutes peep down from the top of the stairs, and finally
> enter the room with the strangers--keeping a wide berth.  I think she was
> abused as a stray-kitten.
> 
> Jim
Maybe it's too late now for your cats, but I trained my kittens to like  
strangers by having every visitor give them a Pounce treat. Now I have a  
watch-cat: A new visitor will trip over one of them. The other is still a bit  
shy. For adults with a bad history, maybe it's impossible. But if you have a  
shy cat that comes running for a treat, give it a try. Visitors should just  
shake the can or whatever, shy cat checks it out, visitor feeds shy cat,  
visitor is new friend-for-life. And of course any visitor who wouldn't do  
that, well, the cat is right to hide from them. 
--

* Dave Blackburn  dblackbu@alleg.edu  flames to self@home.dev.null *          
* Chemistry, Macs, Hypercard, cats,  <>< religion, & the Dead      *
* (Anyone else who held these opinions would be as crazy as I am.) *
*   "Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own"   *
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lhuffman@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Nerfball goes to the vet
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 11:28:57 GMT

In article <1992Sep26.003058.18227@cs.yale.edu>, loosemore-sandra@CS.YALE.EDU (Sandra Loosemore) writes:









> Well, he's back home now and is apparently feeling pretty mellow.  No
> more of those nasty hormones to worry about!
> 
> Oh yeah, the receptionist also suggested that now I should change his
> name from "Nerfball" to just "Nerf".  :-P
> 
> -Sandra

That's funny...

I'd like to just mention that hormones AND semen do not clear out of the cat's
system immediately.  There always seem to be several 'immaculate conceptions' 
occuring for mystified owners of recently neutered males and intact females...
From: alclark@RWASIC27.AUD.ALCATEL.COM (Amy L Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: collars
Date: 6 Oct 92 14:04:12 GMT

People were discussing collars for a while on the net.  These
discussions reminded me of my two kitties and their attitudes
towards collars.  Both cats stay indoors, but both wear collars
with bells and tags anyway (just in case they dash out).
People sometimes say that their cats don't like wearing collars
or collars with bells.  My two are just the opposite.  I found
this out one day.  I was going to give Bagheria (Baggy- black DLH)
a bath so I removed his collar.  Well, before I could plop Baggy
into the bathtub, I was distracted by something.  As a result of
this distraction, Baggy was left wandering around without his
collar.  He still smelled and looked like Baggy because he hadn't
had his bath yet.  Well my other cat, Donchu, (Siamese) was
walking across the room.  Baggy (sans collar) decided to follow
Donchu.  Donchu must have caught a glimpse of Baggy out of the
corner of his eye, turned around, saw this Black Cat behind him,
decided it couldn't be Baggy because the Black Cat wasn't
jingling, got scared, and hissed at this strange black cat!
I really think they were used to hearing the particular bell
sound from each other when they walk.  Donchu finally approached
Baggy and must have gotten a whiff of his friend, and decided it
really was his friend.  They were both okay after that.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: afdenis@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (Stephen Dennison)
Subject: Re: tell age of cat?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Ancient Souls Inc.
Date:  5 Oct 1992 18:28 EST  

In article <15988@mindlink.bc.ca>, Alan_Schianni@mindlink.bc.ca (Alan Schianni) writes...
>Can anyone tell me how you tell the age of a cat?
> 
>Thanks,
>Alan


Sure, Alan ... just ask it ! 

.. and then add 2 year to it ... they're such liars ! :-)

> 
> 
-- Stephen

	Though believeing in things often wounds the spirit,
	*not* believing in anything will eventually kill it.
	Therefore, *dream* ... and accept the costs as reasonable.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: pdsmith.mitre.org (Pat Smith)
Subject: Re: Invisible fences...what are they?
Organization: The MITRE Corporation
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 17:04:22 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
> 
> 
I have a dog on an invisible fence.  I am sure this could be adapted for a cat
but I would exercise some care in doing so.  The invisible fence works by 
radio waves.  You have a transmitter in some protected area such as a garage.
The animal wears a collar with a reciever with electrodes on it.  A wire
is buried around the area you want to contain the animal.  You have some
control over the signal and can set the distance from the wire the animal
will hear a tone and receive a shock.  You train the animal to stay within
this area and help them learn what to do when they get shocked.  Most animals
(dogs in my case) do well on this system.  The system however does not keep
other animals out of your yard so this is where you need to exercise caution.
You want your animal to be able to be safe from other critters and the cat
will need a tree to get up in case a dog decides to chase after it. The 
system does need routine maintenance such as replacement batteries and 
accasionaly repair if the the wire breaks (due to neighbors areating the lawn),
lightening hits (rare but they do happen). Its a good system for a dog but
I am not sure if I would put a cat on it.  I keep may cats indoors.
From: hjanssen@amiganet.chi.il.us (Hank Janssen)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Married with cats....
Date: 2 Oct 92 03:33:11 GMT
Organization: Amiga Network Information Systems

Help!

My husband and I, in marrying, became a 4 cat family.  The family's been
together for about 6 weeks now, and everybody's fine with everybody except the
2 female cats (one from my side, one from his, obviously.)  And it only seems
to be getting worse.  The older of the two seems to be content with ignoring
the younger, but the younger refuses to leave her alone.  So they end up
skulking around growling and hissing at each other, which inevitably leads to a
full blown fight (usually just after we've drifted off to sleep, of course!).

Any suggestions for getting these 2 to get along?.  I have no hopes of them
becoming bosom buddies, we'd just like to get them to a point where they'll
leave each other alone.

BTW, we'll be moving in about 3 weeks.  I'm hoping this may help, as we will be
moving into a place that's new to all of them.  This may or may not make any
difference.
-Diane

Oh, one more thing!  (Hey, we have four of them, there're bound to be problems!
 :-)  )  Any suggestions for teaching a cat personal hygiene?!?  Our younger
male (about 1 year old) *rarely* bathes, and if we do catch him licking
himself, it's usually only briefly.  He's a sweetheart, but sometimes it's none
too pleasant to be close, if you catch my meaning.

Again, thanks for any suggestions!  (Geez, what a zoo!!  :-)  )

------------------------------------------------------------------
Hank Janssen.                           IT IS BETTER TO BURN OUT
                                           THAN TO FADE AWAY.
EMAIL:  hjanssen@amiganet.chi.il.us
------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: kathrynw%radian@natinst.com (Kathryn Whitworth)
Subject: Re: upsetting behavior...
Summary: was he really him?
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 19:31:48 GMT
Distribution: rec.pets.cats
Organization: Radian Cormp.



Not to suggest you don't know your own cat, but:  could it have been a
different cat who just looked like your boy?

I still haven't forgotten that night when I got the orange tabby in for the
night, and he was acting weird.  He got on the washing machine, which he'd
never done before.

Next morning was when I discovered that no, it wasn't my Casey, merely a 
lookalike.  I felt awfully sheepish, and I'm sure the cat had grave doubts
about humans who let him in and address him familiarly without proper
introductions.

Casey was peeved at being outside all night, too.

Kathryn Roth Whitworth


Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats