HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: amyk@netcom.com (Amy Kurtzman)
Subject: Re: Why do cats......
Keywords: cats, litter
Organization: Amy's Boca-By-The-Sea Resort (sm)
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 15:03:54 GMT

>jrc@IEDV4.acd.com ( Janis Clark ) writes:
>
>>This is along the same line as the postings recently about why
>>cats like to sit on paper.  Why do cats have to use a litter box
>>the moment you are done cleaning it?  I have two 4 month old kittens
>>(whom I am convinced are monkeys in kitten's clothing) that watch
>>anxiously as I scoop the litter box, or replace the litter. As soon
>>as I finish, put the rim back on, and step back, they immediately
>>get into the box to inspect and use it! I have had several cats over
>the years, and they have all done this.

Mine do this too! We think it is because we are stealing their
"treasures" and they have to create new ones for the box as soon as
possible.


-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amy Kurtzman                   |  "By August I'll be just a puddle."
amyk@netcom.COM                |     
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: fun cat books
Date: 8 Oct 92 01:43:34 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Oct7.223900.22400@a.cs.okstate.edu>, hamon@a.cs.okstate.edu (HAMON SHARON ANN) writes:
>>James Herriott has a wonderful children's book out called "The Christmas
>>Day Kitten".  The perfect gift for all you cat-lovers to buy your
>>children or nieces and nephews for Christmas!
> 
> I found it rather sad, actually.  Did anyone else?

Yup.  Cried.  But I'm a real softy (soft-headed, some would say ;-) ),
and Lassie had to be banned at our house when I was a kid because I'd
get so upset.  I guess I saw the first couple of minutes of Bambi,
but my mother hustled me out when she figured out what was coming...
and Thomasina haunted my nightmares for weeks.  Guess that's why
I'm a botanist?!?!?

Kay Klier
From: sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu (Maven o'Mirth)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat in Tree, 3 Days
Date: 13 Oct 92 05:31:31 GMT
Organization: Seattle University, Seattle WA

In article <1992Oct12.163258.10253@ncar.ucar.edu> vicki@steam.atd.ucar.edu (Vicki Holzhauer) writes:
>In article <1992Oct12.141531.6935@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> tzing@nyx.cs.du.edu (Tom Zing) writes:
>>
>>A cat is up in this tree and has been there 3 days.
>
>Cats usually come down on their own when they get hungry and/or
>thirsty enough.  Try putting food and water near the bottom of the
>tree.

This is not a flame, but this *can* be incorrect.  If the cat has not come
down and is visibly distressed about being up in the tree, it may indeed
have gotten itself into a position that it feels it cannot get out of.  I
had to climb up a roofing ladder a good 30 feet to get my cat Mittens
(RIP) out of a tree after he spent 3 days up there.  He had gotten out on
a branch and either couldn't or was afraid to turn around.  He yelled for
me once I started calling him and didn't stop until two hours later when I
got him down to the ground.  If the cat hasn't come down *yet*, please do
something to help it--better safe than sorry, and you can only rely on
instinct so far.

:) Poor thing.  It will love you for helping it, I'll wager.

--
Sheryl Stover				|  How passing fair is youth,
*>sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu<*		|  Forever fleeting away;
and Hemingway, feline philosopher	|  Who happy would be, let him be;
Watch this .sig for news of the		|  Of tomorrow, who can say?
upcoming album from Seattle's 		|	-Lorenzo de'Medici
premier band, the Medici!		|
From: alclark@RWASIC27.AUD.ALCATEL.COM (Amy L Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: cat's perception
Date: 9 Oct 92 15:00:36 GMT

I read the post about the kittens not having a very good concept
of "up" and not seeing people as being attached to their own feet.
This reminded me of something I once read.  An article stated that
dogs had a very good vertical type eyesight and could follow an
object moving vertically better than they could when the object
was moving side to side.  On the other hand, the article stated
that cats didn't have very good vertical perception and that the
cats were much better at tracking an object that moves side to
side (thus enabling them to better catch mice, bugs, etc...).
My cats seem to be more interested in their toys when I swing
these toys from side to side than when I "bounce" these toys
up and down.  Any thoughts on this subject?  Anybody try the
same experiment on their babies?
From: nlp@pacvax.pacersoft.com (Nancy Pilsch)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Declawing older cats - long, of course ;-)
Date: 12 Oct 92 21:44:18 GMT
Followup-To: rec.pets.cats
Organization: Pacer Software, Inc.


DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!
Declawing a cat is like amputating down to the first knuckle for humans. 
It hurts!!  Their claws are part of their paws.  When a cat stretches their
claws stretch too.  I have one cat with claws and another that was declawed
by the previous owner.  The one with claws has been trained not to scratch
anything but his scratching post.  All it takes is a squirt bottle with
water, and alot of patience. 
Regarding the post about Persians and other breeds of the like not being
like other cats:  That is the biggest piece of rationalization I have ever
heard in my life.  It just sounds like you are trying to make yourself feel
better for hurting your cat.  I'm not saying you don't love your cat, but
the truth is, you did hurt her!  Yes declawed cats adjust eventually, but
you should try adjusting to having no fingernails or fingertips!
From: mgaudrea@afit.af.mil (Michele L.D. Gaudreault)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: fun cat books
Date: 7 Oct 92 17:47:46 GMT
Organization: Air Force Institute of Technology

In article <BvAtpw.JvI@encore.com> dmillard@encore.com (Debbie Millard) writes:
>In article <1832@shaman.wv.tek.com> peggys@orca.wv.tek.com writes:
>>I just realized that with all the talk about fun cat books there has been no
>>mention about any of James Herriot's books, the All Creatures Great & Small
>>series.  

James Herriott has a wonderful children's book out called "The Christmas
Day Kitten".  The perfect gift for all you cat-lovers to buy your
children or nieces and nephews for Christmas!
From: avi@rix.Corp.Sun.COM (Ann Adamcik)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Help needed to save cat's life
Date: 14 Oct 1992 17:25:25 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: avi@rix.Corp.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: rix.corp.sun.com

In article 1812@udel.edu, rob@apache (Rob Jarman) writes:
>there's noone around to catch him. He has had diarrea lately, which could
>be his food, but I'm not sure about that. The diarrea is slightly bloody. 
>Personally, I think this is the reason he's not using the litter box.
>Well, he does use it, he just uses the tub and floor also. 

Have you taken this cat to a vet?  If he has bloody diarrea, he's obviously
sick and needs to be treated, not thrown out into the woods.  

If the litterbox problem is an ongoing one (i.e. not just related to his
recent diarrea) you need to look for possible causes and perhaps retrain
your cat.  It could be that his litterbox isn't kept clean enough, or that
he needs more attention.  Have you tried moving the litterbox into the bath-
room for a while?   Have you tried the suggestions in the FAQ section on 
litterbox problems?

-Ann
From: greg@mobius.viewlogic.com (Gregory Larkin)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Need help - traumatic flea removal situation
Date: 14 Oct 92 13:34:35 GMT
Article-I.D.: viewlogi.1992Oct14.133435.19491
Organization: Viewlogic Systems, Inc.
Originator: greg@mobius



Hi there,

This is my first post to this group because my girlfriend
and I just became the proud owners of Morsel, an ~8 week
old male kitten!  That's the good news!

The bad news is, we got him from a farm where he had been
"dropped off", and as you might expect, he has fleas.  We took
him to the vet two days ago, and he pointed this out to us.
We both grew up with cats, but don't remember having this
problem, so we have some questions about the flea removal
procedure.

The vet gave us some Ovidrol (sp?).  It is a spray that
contains chemicals that look like an organic chemist's
shopping list.  I am quite concerned about the toxicity
of this stuff.  Last night, we (all 3 of us) had a harrowing
experience while applying this nasty stuff.  The kitten had
to be turned over so we could spray the belly, and that did
not go very well.  We tried to dry him as much as possible,
but I am afraid that he licked some of the spray.  Will this
hurt him?  The label has warnings against ingestion for
*humans*!

Can anyone recommend their preferred method of flea removal?
I have read the FAQ on fleas.  I am mostly interested in the
actual removal from the kitty.  We will cover the other
areas (vacuuming, etc.).

Morsel seemed very annoyed with us after the event, and it 
really broke our hearts.  We tried to keep him occupied 
until bedtime, and that helped a little.  He seemed somewhat
normal this morning, luckily.

With all of the problems, though, I have to say that the
spray worked really well.  We picked about 7-8 live fleas
off of him last night and several more showed up on his
sleeping towel this morning.  

Sorry for the long post.  We would really appreciate any
help with this!  (Email is fine).

Thanks,
-- 
              Greg Larkin, Software Engineer, Waveform Analysis
                 Viewlogic Systems, Inc.  Marlboro, MA 01752
                            greg@Viewlogic.COM
From: krw@prg.ox.ac.uk (Kenneth Wood)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: COVERED LITTER BOXES: Summary
Date: 12 Oct 92 10:06:53 GMT
Distribution: rec.pets.cats
Organization: Oxford University Computing Laboratory

Before I summarize the answers to my questions about covered litter
boxes, let me express a big THANK YOU to all who replied.  It always
makes me feel part of a big, friendly community when I get replies
from all over the world.

The general consensus on covered boxes is that they are a Good Thing,
and having bought one myself now and tried it out for a couple of
weeks, I agree.  No more litter sprayed halfway across the city.

Nobody reported any problems in getting their cats to use one, even if
the cats had previously used ordinary boxes, and ours took to it
immediately as well.  (Hilary still opts for the bathtub now and then,
but she always did!)

Whether the opening is hooded, flapped, or just plain open, reports
indicated that a bit of litter still finds its way out of the box and
onto the floor.  However, the general containment is excellent in all
cases, so the choice of box needn't rest on the type of opening.  (We
use a little square of carpet just outside the hole to help get the
litter off of the cats' feet before they take it around the flat.
Others suggested a small aluminum foil baking tray or even a normal
uncovered litter box in the same position.)

Most people felt that the filters helped to contain the odour, 
although one person said the filters were more of a cat toy than
anything else (something new to shred!) and another said that 
after a very short period, the used filter becomes more of an
odour-creator than the cats.  We've only tried ours with the filter
in place, and so don't have any grounds for comparison.  We have
virtually no odour problem at all, but I think that's as much due
to Science Diet and clumping litter as to the box.

Thanks again for all the helpful replies.  I hope this summary
proves useful to a few potential covered-box converts.

Cheers,

Ken
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats,rec.gardens
From: brad@cmptrc.lonestar.org (Brad Barton)
Subject: Re: Herbal repellants?
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 13:57:16 GMT
Organization: CompuTrac Inc., Richardson TX

In article <1992Oct15.150334.2380@zia.aoc.nrao.edu> rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner) writes:
>In article <ejmdwbu@Unify.Com> ceb@dbrus.Unify.Com (Caroline E. Bryan) writes:
>>
>>Can you recommend something to repel spiders?
>
>A cat! :-)

I've never seen our cats chasing Spiders, but cockroaches and crickets beware!

(And they leave their little bodies as a warning to others of their ilk near
the doors)

--Brad
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lhuffman@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: sad realities of cats running free
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 11:14:21 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.184646.19809@linus.mitre.org>, pdsmith.mitre.org (Pat Smith) writes:
> As a tribute to the poor cat that made a bad decision Monday 10/5 in Vermont.
> We tried to stop for you kitty but you ran directly in front of our car going
> 55 mph. We hit the breaks as we saw you
> dart out but it was too late. The thud brought tears to our eyes.  More tears
> came as we thought about your owner when they learned of your demise. I then
> though of my own dear cats and am glad I made the decision to keep them inside
> where they are safe from the automobile.  
> 
> This was the 1st animal my husband has hit and it was a tough experience.  So
> for all you animal lovers - keep your loved ones safely in your home and spare
> yourself the heartache of learning of their death and spare folks like us who
> were victims of circumstance just like the kitty. 



Amen.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: ahill@boi.hp.com (Andy Hill)
Subject: Re: Cat Door Recommendations?
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 02:13:56 GMT
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: ahill@boi.hp.com
Organization: LaserJets by Bill & Dave
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3

Don't speak up all at once, folks.  Haven't heard a thing, and I'd love to
hear some suggestions.

Thanks!

--
Andy Hill
ahill@boi.hp.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jeffp@wsuaix.csc.wsu.edu (Jeff Parke;S10000)
Subject: Re: cat and baldness!?
Organization: Washington State University
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 92 19:00:38 GMT

In article <1992Oct8.161854.7422@iscsvax.uni.edu> klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>hui@shiva.trl.OZ.AU (Alvaro Hui) writes:
>> 	I read an article last night on a local newspaper that
>> someone has done a research on baldness in men (or human). He
>> concluded that cat usually carries a virus which will cause
>> baldness in men!! He said baldness has long been assumed to be
>> a generic-related "disease" but he found that it is also pets
>> related.........
>
>Well, I take all research stories in newspapers with a grain of
>salt... actually more like a 50-lb salt block!  But I'd love to
>know more... does the story mention the name of the researcher or
>where this study took place?

I come from a long line of cat-haters who were all bald.  My father's father
never had cats and he was bald.  My father, a lifelong pigeon raiser, has
never let a cat in the house, and he is bald.  I am bald and began being
so long before I had any cats.  Since I've had cats, I've noticed my hair
coming back.... ;-)

-Jeff
---------------------
Jeff Parke <jeffp@vcs10.vetmed.wsu.edu>
also:   jeffp@WSUVM1.bitnet     CIS: 71511,1512    AOL: JeffParke
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine class of 1994
Pullman, WA  99164-7012
From: churley@warren.med.harvard.edu (Carol Hurley)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat in Tree, 3 Da
Date: 13 Oct 92 19:25:55 GMT
Followup-To: rec.pets.cats
Organization: Harvard Medical School

In article <1992Oct13.021945.22188@rose.com>, greg.grainger@rose.com (greg
grainger) wrote:
> 
> T(>A cat is up in this tree and has been there 3 days.

> Go and get that cat! Do not wait! Some cats become so frightened by the
> climb back down that they WILL NOT come down on their own.
> 
> Any teen-agers in your neighbourhood tha would enjoy climbing a tree with
> adult sanction?
> 
>
My cousin(ex-housemate) had a cat that climed up a tree and got stuck on a
neighbors roof.  After trying everything to get him down.  A 17 year old
boy/man from the neighborhood was only too pleased to show off to my cousin
and I.  He climbed the tree(about 10-20 feet up and almost a straight
climb) and lowered the cat down to us.  We were quite happy, and he was
quite pleased with himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carol Hurley
churley@warren.med.harvard.edu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: cat and baldness!?
Date: 8 Oct 92 16:18:54 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

hui@shiva.trl.OZ.AU (Alvaro Hui) writes:
> 	I read an article last night on a local newspaper that
> someone has done a research on baldness in men (or human). He
> concluded that cat usually carries a virus which will cause
> baldness in men!! He said baldness has long been assumed to be
> a generic-related "disease" but he found that it is also pets
> related.........

Well, I take all research stories in newspapers with a grain of
salt... actually more like a 50-lb salt block!  But I'd love to
know more... does the story mention the name of the researcher or
where this study took place?

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
From: art30358@nusunix1.nus.sg (NG HWAI AUN)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: REQUEST:  Cat Magazines
Date: 7 Oct 92 18:30:08 GMT
Organization: National University of Singapore
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]


Over here in Singapore, there are no cat magazines available.  Could
some kind soul provide me with the names and addresses of the more
popular magazines around?  Thanks.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lhuffman@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Why do some mother cats eat their newborns?
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 18:19:47 GMT

In article <1992Oct16.140651.11685@ultb.isc.rit.edu>, kjc7435@ultb.isc.rit.edu (K.J. Cater) writes:
> Several years ago, I helped a young mother cat deliver several newborn
> kittens.  It was a normal labor and the mother came through quite well.
> However, I had to look away for a minute when the phone rang, and when I
> got back to her, the kittens were gone!!  She had EATEN them!!
> 
> I've wondered for years after this heartbreaking episode...WHY do cats
> do this?  Anyone else had this happen?
> 

In my years of experience working with rescue groups in Baltimore, I have 
learned that a mother cat who is stressed, scared or feeling unsafe, as most
of the alley strays do, eat their newborns because it is their decision
that the current environment is 'not safe' for their young. Basically it's
a protective instinct.
From: litzell@catawba.sybase.com (Chuck Litzell)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Manx personalities
Keywords: tailess wonder puss
Date: 12 Oct 92 22:07:49 GMT
Reply-To: litzell@catawba.sybase.com (Chuck Litzell)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Sybase

We had a manx in our family when I was growing up, for about 15 years.
After Bobby, I thought cats with tails were pretty odd looking, and I'm 
still not quite used to them. Ben, who lives with me now, is bound to 
lose his tail. He gets all of him inside the door except his tail and 
then plops down. One day, I'm going to forget that he has a tail and 
slam the door.

But back to Bobby. This cat was the most affectionate cat I've ever met.
He'd go from house to house just to visit the neighbors. We lived in one 
of those small towns (Hudson, OH) in a time when someone was usually
home all day and neighbors up and down the street knew each other well (and
knew everybody else's business, too). Bobby would spend a while sitting on 
a lap in one house, then move on to the next. Everyone knew him and loved 
him. My dad, who hates cats, even liked him. We had him for 15 years. If 
Bobby's an example, Manx have great personalities!

- Chuck
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dougb@ecs.comm.mot.com (Douglas Bank)
Subject: Re: Phone hating cat
Organization: Motorola., Inc.
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 20:05:21 GMT
Followup-To: rec.pets.cats

In article <4erKyjG00WBM01ZvFY@andrew.cmu.edu>, Jean Andrews
<ja23+@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
> 
> My cat Mac hates when the phone rings. 

Funny, our older cat always thinks it's for her.  If she is upstairs
she will run into the guest room (the other phones don't ring) and sit
by the phone.  If she's downstairs, she'll go sit on top of the answering
machine.  She hasn't mastered answering it yet......

---
Doug Bank                       Private Systems Division
dougb@ecs.comm.mot.com          Motorola Communications Sector
dougb@nwu.edu                   Schaumburg, Illinois
dougb@casbah.acns.nwu.edu       708-576-8207
From: jmorris@spider.co.uk (John Morris)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Has my cat gone mad?
Date: 16 Oct 92 11:25:59 GMT
Organization: Spider Systems Limited, Edinburgh, UK.

In article <1992Oct15.112034.3685@memstvx1.memst.edu> nvonstein@memstvx1.memst.edu writes:
>
>BTW, one of my kitties is handicapped.  His name is Elvis - his front paws did
>not form properly - just didn't bud out like they were supposed.  Don't pity
>him - he can jump as high as anybody else, when he runs, the back legs are like
>turbos and the front paws scoot ahead of him - he is really fast.  He also sits
>up like a rabbit for long periods of time.  He's spoiled, independent as hell,
>and he has my heart.  Anybody else have any handicapped cats?
>
>Nancy VonStein

Of our three "bedroom cats" one, Lucky, is completely blind. He developed
some infection as a kitten, and has no eyes at all, just sockets. The vet
advised us to have him put to sleep, but...

Three years on, he is a loving, playful cat. Loves to dive after feet rubbed
noisily along the floor. Sneaks under the covers at night to snuggle up.
Completely clean - never misses the litter tray (better than some our sighted
cats in fact!) It took a lot of patience at first, but now he is gives the
sighted ones a run for their money in the rough and tumble of play. You would
even believe that he could see, except that he panics as soon as he gets away
from his familiar territory. So he is a permanent bedroom resident. 

John.


-- 
-John Morris-Spider Systems Ltd-031 554 9424-jmorris@spider.co.uk-GM4ANB@GB7EDN-
From: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us (S. Mudgett aka little gator)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Organization: gators 'r us
Subject: Re: Declawing older cats
Reply-To: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us
X-Software: HERMES GUS 1.03 Rev. Apr 14 1992
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 1992 08:16:40 -0500


>Bruce Tachoir <KGBAT@ASUACAD.BITNET> wrote:
>> Has anyone ever had to have an older cat declawed? I have two cats, Apollo -
>> a gray tabby going on 10 years of age and Opie - an orange tabby going on 8
>> years old. Their scratching has gotten progressively worse and I'm afraid
>> I must have their front claws removed. I'm interested in all experiences and
>> points of view, specifically: What are the dangers of surgery for cats of
>> this mature age?
compared to a young cat: the anesthesia risk is greater, the bones heal more
slowly, there will probably be more bleeding and pain.
-- 
-- little gator aka s. mudgett     email: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us
-- friend of a gator is a friend of mine
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lyndap@Novell.COM (Lynda Peterson)
Subject: Re: cat's perception
Organization: Novell, Inc.
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 16:29:23 GMT

We used to live in a basement apartment. My kitty used to hang out in the  
window by the driveway. She never seems to get the idea that those neat  
black cirular things were what was taking us away from her. No matter how  
much we yelled or moved as we drove by, she only had eyes for the tires.  
Yet she somehow knew our truck and was waiting for us when she saw us  
coming home. Go figure.

lyndap@novell.com