HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hannah@pomponio.ai.sri.com (Marsha Jo Hannah)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Question about older cat howling
Date: 15 Sep 92 23:10:48 GMT
Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
In-reply-to: gibson@dl5000.bc.edu's message of 14 Sep 92 16:42:14 GMT

In article <GIBSON.92Sep14114214@dl5000.bc.edu> gibson@dl5000.bc.edu (Rene Gibson) writes:

   My mother ... has an 18 year old cat who's in reasonably good shape. ...
   The problem is her howling.  She waits until my parents go to bed at night,
   then, a half hour later, she starts howling at the top of her lungs.
   Someone gets up to tell the cat to be quite and she's fine for another 2 
   hours or so.  Then it repeats.  If someone takes the cat upstairs with them,
   it still happens, because she waits a bit, then goes downstairs to try again.
   This only started 6 months ago.  And it almost always happens at night.  
   Everyone wonders if she's senile
   ....   My parents hoped this was just a phase, but
   it seems worse lately.  Does anyone have any ideas?  Does anyone have a
   cat that does/did this?

   Rene

In his book, _Do_Cats_Need_Shrinks?_, Peter Neville addresses exactly
this problem (among many others).  He sees it mostly in elderly cats
of at least part-oriental breeding.  It seems that they get
disoriented at night, and need someone to reassure them that their
people are still there.  Sometimes, leaving a nightlight will help.
Or, closing the cat into the bedroom with the people, so it can't get
"lost".

One of our neighbors had an elderly cat that did this.  Bar-room (in
livingroom) would wake up Maureen (in bedroom) by howling; Maureen
would call to her; Bar-room would find her way to the bed, then be
quiet for a few hours more.  In a sense, it is just a phase, which
passes when the cat ages enough more that it no longer cares whether
it is lost....

Marsha Jo Hannah
From: levine@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (Lenore Levine)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Outdoor Cat has fleas
Date: 9 Sep 92 16:54:06 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

Slinky, my favorite outdoor cat, has fleas.

Questions: Would a flea collar help? Should I ask his owner if I can
buy him one?

If I cuddle him am I in danger of giving fleas to my own cat? (Please
tell me a way that I can continue to cuddle him. He's awfully hard
to resist...)

Lenore Levine
levine@symcom.math.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: pamcu@sco.COM (Pam Custer)
Subject: Running (Cat) Hooves
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 1992 20:40:46 GMT


Does anyone notice that when their cats race through the house playing, they sound like a herd of elephants? It's amazing how loud those little paws can sound. (Of course, the floors are wood. Maybe that's why it sounds so loud!).

pamcu:) (Loving owner of Max and Zoe-holy terrors)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Crippled kitty
From: <FHSKRS@BYUVM.BITNET>
Date: Tuesday, 8 Sep 1992 08:00:51 MDT
Organization: Brigham Young University

The little black stray that I adopted two weeks ago (named Captain Midnight)
was hit by a car last Tuesday.  The good news is that she had no broken
bones and no serious internal injuries.  The bad news is that there was
some nerve damage and she has no feeling and no mobility of her right
front leg.  The vet said all we can do is wait and see; it might be
temporary due to the trauma and clear up by itself.  If it doesn't improve
after a few months, he recommended taking off the leg.  He assured me
that animals can learn to adapt quite well and don't have psychological
problems about the loss of a limb.  (Maybe they don't but it's tough on the
owners!)  Do any of you have any experience with a similar injury to
a cat?  Did it clear up?  How long did it take to see improvement?
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.
From: ailsa%ailanth.uucp@wang.com (Ailsa N.T. Murphy)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Goodbye Thomasina-the-cute
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 03:11:04 EDT
Organization: Ailanthus Project

gck@hector.uucp (24641-kemmerling) writes:

> In article <24547@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Sid
> > I tried twice to finish reading your post.  It took some doing but I
> > it all the way thru.  It's hard to read with tears running down your
> > Have a big hug from all of us (Kepurr/Muffin/Tigger/Teal/Yogi)
> >
>
> Ditto.  :-(
>
> Gayle and Boo
>
likewise from ailsa, jim, katy, marion, littlest, silver, puggle, C,
pascal and ada  (listed chronologically...)  i sent mail the day i read
the post, but it bounced...   i cried when i read it, though...  B(  i
hope that it feels a little better now...

                                             -ailsa

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
                    ailsa%ailanth.uucp@wang.com
                                                        ________
And when they came to cut the forest,           Silence \      / Action
They cut my heart, they cut my bones.              =     \    /    =
                                                 Death    \  /    Life
                   -Cecelia Ostorow                        \/

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lexier@fraser.sfu.ca (Lyle Lexier)
Subject: Re: Crippled kitty
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 05:45:21 GMT

rkn3u@kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU (R. Keith Norwood) writes:

>>In article <lexier.716059103@sfu.ca> lexier@fraser.sfu.ca (Lyle Lexier) writes:
>>
>>Quite frankly, if there is essentially no progress at all over the next several
>>months, it is probably best to amputate. It is hardly being done "for no reason
>>at all". I don't believe that potential future guilty feelings of the owner
>>are a good reason to saddle the cat with a useless limb for the indefinite 
>>future. The cat will get over the loss sooner than the human(s) will.

>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

Hello Keith,
 
Wait for a year or two to see if the leg gets better or not.  The leg might
actually heal and the sensation will come back in your cat's leg.  So ONLY
amputate the leg as a last resort ONLY.  Be patient for your cat's recovery!
 
Lyle Lexier

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Lyle Lexier        | There should be no discrimination against any person   |
|lexier@fraser.sfu.ca | for his/her race, sex, or sexual orientation.          |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: gibson@dl5000.bc.edu (Rene Gibson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Why Do Cats Sit on Paper?
Date: 8 Sep 92 13:07:32 GMT
Organization: Institute for Space Research, Boston College

In article <1992Sep6.153454.4128@auto-trol.com> katbea@auto-trol.com (Kathy Beatty) writes:
>
> coimay@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu ( LAURA CARRIERE) writes:
> : Okay, here's my theory.  I call it the Special Theory.
> : 
> : Cat walks into a room and wants to sit on the floor.  My, what a lot of
> : floor to chose from, thinks Cat.  Where shall I sit?  Hmmm, there's a
> : spot over there that's different, it has newspaper on it.  Now, if that
> : spot's different, it must be special and since I'm the most Special
> : Creature on the planet, it must be meant for me.
> : 
> : Now, this theory can (easily) be proven be covering the entire floor of
> : a (small) room with newspaper, leaving only one or two unpapered cat-
> : sized spots.  Add one cat.  Observe where the cat decides to sit.
> : 
> : No, I haven't done this and no, I'm not planning to, but it would be
> : interesting.  :-)  :-)
> : 
>
> If anyone is taking bets, I will bet this theory is correct.
>

There must be a corollary that explains why my cat would crawl under the
paper to sit.

Rene
--
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Captain Midnight
From: <FHSKRS@BYUVM.BITNET>
Date: Friday, 11 Sep 1992 07:34:00 MDT
Organization: Brigham Young University

Thanks to all who replied with words of encouragement about nerve damage
and 3-legged cats.  Here is an update:  It's now just over a week since
the accident, and Captain Midnight is getting around pretty well, though
still using her "elbow".  She's felt well enough to play and uses both
front legs to capture balls, fur mice, etc.  The front right paw still
drags and droops, but the last few days she has been licking it.  I'm
hoping that means that the feeling is coming back, though I know that
may be a false assumption; Kit-Kat will lick anything that is warm and
has fur or hair:  Minou's head, my arm, my head....

Thanks again for your support and concern.  I'll post further updates
as the situation warrants.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: katbea@auto-trol.com (Kathy Beatty)
Subject: Re: Happy Birthday!
Organization: Auto-trol Technology Corporation -- Denver, Colorado
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 03:25:46 GMT

tastewar@athena.mit.edu (Tom Stewart) writes:
: Just wanted to proclaim a public Happy Birthday to our two cats,
: Robin and Marion.  We adopted them 4 December 1991 and were told
: that they were "about 3 months old."  So, while we do not have an
: exact date, we are celebrating today.  Happy Birthday, Robin and
: Marion!!!
: 
Good idea! I want to wish a happy birthday to Alicecat (note that
her name has evolved from just plain Alice). I got her on Feb. 3rd,
and the vet estimated she was born in Sept., so Sept. 3rd is as
good a day as any!


Kathy
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: mmilicevic@spike.psc.scarolina.edu
Subject: Re: Cat always MEOWS !!!!
Reply-To: mmilicevic@spike.psc.scarolina.edu
Organization: Univ of S Carolina College of Sci and Math
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 04:39:34 GMT

If your cat behaves normally there is no reason to panic, she is just talking
to you. I have a siemese cat and she talks to me all the time while an
abyssinian hardly makes a sound. Don't worry, some cat are simply more vocal 
than others.

MLADEN
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: tdlg9831@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Tracey Dianne Layng)
Subject: cat allergies
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 00:24:47 GMT

Hello all.

I have been reading the posts about cat allergies, and I just found the
articlein _New Woman_ magazine October 1992. It won't be of immediate help to
those allergic to cats, but I thought it might be interesting for future
reference. 

An estimated five million Americans are allergic to cats.  But total relief may
be on the way in the form of a cat-allrgy vaccine. 

Catvax is being developed by the Immulogic Pharmaceutical Corporation (I.P.C.)
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is now being tested on humans at Johns
Hopkins University.  Tests on animals indicate that Catvax is different from
traditional cat-allergy shots in two ways. First, unlike conventional allergy
therapy, which involves biweekly or weekly injections for up to a year, the
vaccine may be able to completely prevent allergic reactions after just a few
injections.

Second, studies suggest that the vaccine will not produce allergic side
effects, such as asthma, that traditional shots often do.  Why? The formulation
of the vaccine seems to "train" the immune system to completely tolerate the
allergy-producing substance of cats, which is found in their dander and saliva.

If trials on humans prove that Catvax can indeed change the immune system's
response, "this will be an important development in allergy therapy," says Eli
Meltzer, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics in the division of allergy and
immunology at the University of California.  "We need to see, of course, how it
works in humans," he adds.

I.P.C. hopes to complete its human studies and have the vaccine on the market
by 1996 or 1997.




I won what other animals are allergic to cats.ts. Probably mice and rats.

Tracey
University of Illinois
Champaign-Urbana
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jbrandt@NeoSoft.com (J Brandt)
Subject: Cat Language
Organization: NeoSoft Communications Services -- (713) 684-5900
Date: Sun, 06 Sep 1992 22:18:40 GMT

I started reading this group a couple of months ago, when I got two young
kittens from the SPCA.  The messages are enjoyable and the FAQ has been
useful.  Thanks.
  
My two kittens are named after the Indigo Girls, whom I saw in concert
about the same time I was thinking up names.  Emily is sweet and blonde;
Amy is assertive and jumps around a lot.
  
A friend of mine, who has TEN abyssinian cats, gave me the following
advice:
  
"While your cats are young, give them regular baths.  After a few weeks
they won't mind at all and you'll be able to bathe them quickly without it
being a big deal when they are older."
  
This was about a month ago, and they already sit quietly in the tub (in
about three inches of warm water) while I soap and rinse them.  And they
smell great after they are dry.
  
-- 
Jaclyn Brandt
jbrandt@NeoSoft.com
--
From: deeds@oracle (Deanna J. Deeds)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: How about kitty noises?
Date: 8 Sep 92 17:41:37 GMT
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

James M Hoskins (jhoskins@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu) wrote:
: 
: Yes!  My cat does this too.  The pigeon cooing, purred meow is a good
: description.  I once referred to it as a kind of chortle.  Valerie of
: Alaska described this noise as "the Maine Coon Cat Chirp."
: 
Is this really the M.C. chirp?  I almost wanted to describe 
my Tuppence as mainecoon-like since she has many of the features 
but I thought she was missing the sound effects.  If this is 
it, she does this all the time!  Can anyone describe the chirp 
for me?
From: bets@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Beth Schwindt)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: I NEED A NAME
Date: 9 Sep 1992 13:05:03 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

Um, how about Marbles?

When you've had him a little while, look at the toys he plays with and
see if they give you any ideas...

Beth

-- 
The brighest day in America will be when education has enough funding and
the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a new bomber....My history
teacher (from the Wireless catalog) bets@matt.ksu.ksu.edu, bets@ksuvm.ksu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: C11815@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Josette Giacobbi)
Subject: Re: bathtubs
Organization: Motorola
Date: 9 Sep 1992 10:40:47 CDT

My cat doesn't like closed doors, so when you are in the shower he comes into t
he bathroom with you.  He will howl at the top of his lungs. When you peek out
at him and invite him in (the shower) I think he thinks we are in the rain?? I
say this because when it is raining outside and he wants to go out, he sees it
raining and we say "it's raining".  So, maybe he associates the shower with rai
josette







------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
From: gt1167b@prism.gatech.EDU (Christie Shackelford)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: bathtubs
Date: 6 Sep 92 02:33:35 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

Dixie is fascinated by the bathtub if I'm soaking in it.  She
is especially interested if I am taking a bubble bath.  She
either sits on the side of the tub and bats at the bubbles, or
puts a paw or two on my knee like she's considering coming in.
She can't seem to decide whether or not the bubble surface is
solid, too.  She fell in once because she had gotten her paws
wet "testing the water", and slipped off the side.  She's more
careful now.

She hangs around for showers too.  My curtain is clear, so she
can see me, but can't figure out why she can't get to me.  She
fell in this way once, too.

--
Christie Shackelford
gt1167b@prism.gatech.edu
Meow!

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: C11815@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Josette Giacobbi)
Subject: Re: Water Bowl Fetish (was Re: Ice cubes in water bowl)
Organization: Motorola
Date: 9 Sep 1992 13:52:03 CDT

------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: nunn@sura.net (Deborah Nunn)
Subject: Water Bowl Fetish (was Re: Ice cubes in water bowl)
Organization: SURAnet, College Park, MD, USA, NA, Earth, Milky Way
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 16:32:49 GMT

In article <1992Sep9.025904.18622@tronsbox.xei.com> trish@tronsbox.xei.com (Tris
>
>One of my four cats loves ice cubes in his water bowl.  He will bat
>them and dunk them until they melt and then he meows for more.  One
>time he decided to pick it up in his mouth and carry it onto the rug
>in the livingroom.  When he got it there he batted it around like a
>ball but got very upset when it melted.  Now occasionally I find his
>ball in his water dish -- I think he is a little confused!!

This reminds me of something which I have been really curious about.  My
Malcolm (orange tabby and white) has what I call a water bowl fetish.
He is constantly putting things in the dogs' water bowl.  The rings from
the milk containers, balls, his rolled up pieces of paper which get all
nice and soggy (eeewww!).  I don't know why he does this!  I have
watched him pick up an item, walk over to the water bowl and drop it in.
He doesn't play with it afterwards, either.  He simply looks at it for a
little while, then turns and walks away.

Any one else have a cat with a water bowl fetish?

**************************************************************************
  /\___/\                ___
 /       \              / __}
 | *   * |             / /
 \   ^   /__ _______  / /
  \_~^~_/           \/ /
   |                  /    Deborah J. Nunn       | Snail mail:
  /             /     |    e-mail: nunn@sura.net | SURAnet
 /   \/   |    _\     \    phone: (301) 982-4600 | 8400 Baltimore Blvd.
 \___/\___/\__/________|   fax:   (301) 982-4605 | College Pk, MD 20740
Deborah, I got a kick out of your article.  I noticed your cat puts things
into the "dog's" water bowl, not his own.  Maybe he's getting even!!.

josette

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: david@tms390.micro.ti.com (David Thomas)
Subject: Deaf cat in bathtub.
Summary: A "special" Bombay.
Keywords: bathtubs, deaf, sign language
Organization: Texas Instruments, Houston
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 04:40:34 GMT

TGC Special F/X Stuntman (aka "Flipper") is a two-year-old Bombay neuter we
acquired about a year ago.  He's one of six cats in our household, and we 
adore him.  Flipper happens to be totally deaf and has no equilibrium.
It's a birth defect, so he's unaware that he has any disabilities.  He is 
just as playful, affectionate, active and happy as our other cats, probably 
more so, in fact.

Now, for those who have never lived with a deaf cat, there are a few things
that require a bit of getting used to.  For example, a deaf cat generally
can't tell how LOUD his voice is, and doesn't enunciate "meow" like
other kitties.  The effect can be rather startling, particularly after 
you've just dropped off to sleep.

When he was still less than a year old, Flipper discovered a feature of the 
bathtub that only he could appreciate.  Standing motionless in the middle of 
the empty tub, if he bellows at the top of his lungs, he can _feel_his_voice_ 
through his feet!  This must be terribly exciting, because he then runs 
around the tub trying to catch the vibration.  He then stops, waits a few 
seconds, and lets out another yell.  Flipper does this strictly for his 
own entertainment and will stop if distracted by a human or another cat.  
Fortunately for us, Flipper doesn't do this in the middle of the night.

I would like to know if any of you have experience with deaf cats.
I have heard that they can be timid.  Flipper is shy with visitors in 
the house, but he likes cat shows!  

What about sign language?  How many signs does your cat recognize?  Do you
use a standard sign language or invent gestures?  Flipper recognizes about
three signs ("Hello", "Come Here", and "Good Boy").  Come to think of it, 
none of them are related to food.  That's probably unusual in itself.

Finally, does anyone have a cat with the particular syndrome that I have 
described: total deafness and lack of equilibrium?  We believe that it is 
the result of a cranial trauma at birth, and not caused by a pre-natal
infection or genetic defect.  All the other kittens in his litter were
normal.  To the best of our knowledge, there have been no incidences of 
neurological defects in his pedigree.
-- 
David Thomas  Texas Instruments  (david@wotangate.sc.ti.com)  (713)-274-2347
From: gt1167b@prism.gatech.EDU (Christie Shackelford)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: bathtubs
Date: 6 Sep 92 02:33:35 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

Dixie is fascinated by the bathtub if I'm soaking in it.  She
is especially interested if I am taking a bubble bath.  She
either sits on the side of the tub and bats at the bubbles, or
puts a paw or two on my knee like she's considering coming in.
She can't seem to decide whether or not the bubble surface is
solid, too.  She fell in once because she had gotten her paws
wet "testing the water", and slipped off the side.  She's more
careful now.

She hangs around for showers too.  My curtain is clear, so she
can see me, but can't figure out why she can't get to me.  She
fell in this way once, too.

-- 
Christie Shackelford
gt1167b@prism.gatech.edu
Meow!
From: syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Sid Yearick)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Question about older cat howling
Date: 14 Sep 92 17:26:37 GMT
Reply-To: syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Sid Yearick)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.pets.cats, gibson@dl5000.bc.edu (Rene Gibson) writes:
>My mother asked me to ask this question for her.  She has an 18 year old
>
>The problem is her howling.  She waits until my parents go to bed at night,
>then, a half hour later, she starts howling at the top of her lungs.  She
>knows where my parents are (or she should since that hasn't changed in 18
>years), but she howls in the livingroom while they're in the bedroom.

>Since my parents' heating is forced hot air, the echo through the heating
>ducts has a nice effect  :-].  My parents hoped this was just a phase, but
>it seems worse lately.  Does anyone have any ideas?  Does anyone have a
>cat that does/did this?
>
>Rene
>--

Kepurr does this (9 year old tiger male).  When we go away on the weekends
and he is left with the other four he lets me know about it the night we
get home.  He will wait until everyone is in bed and then start downstairs
in the basement.  I yell at him and he comes back with a meow that sounds
like "Mom?".  Give me a break, he knows where we are and he will be peaceful
for awhile then he will start in again.  Since my daughter has been staying
home on the weekends he has stopped the yelling.  I have no idea why he does
this.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
               /|              []   syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil
            ` o.O '            []   Sid Yearick
            =(___)=            []   David Taylor Model Basin Carderock Division
               U               []   Naval Surface Warfare Center
          ACK!THPTPHH!         []   Bethesda, Maryland 20084-5000
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
From: BTAYLOR@MACGATE.CSUCHICO.EDU (Beverly Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re:  Enough!
Date: 12 Sep 92 03:39:01 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico

In article <1992Sep11.170403.1@master.uchicago.edu> ,
david@master.uchicago.edu writes:
>						 University of Chicago

I have to agree with David.  I have 7 cats and no one in the house could
sleep at night if we didn't close our bedroom doors.  Besides, that's
what makes cats so wonderful.  So, my vote is to shut the door, unless
you don't have one.