HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: scarfone@rorschach.webo.dg.com (Steve Scarfone)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Diagnosing cat Allergies... Help!
Date: 5 Oct 92 20:43:57 GMT
Organization: NSDD, Data General Corp.

Hi...

My girlfriend _really_ wants to get a cat, but I know that I'm
allergic to them.  I've read in the FAQ about the different kinds of
cat-allergies that people have (allergies to saliva, types of hair and
"time-sensetive" allergies) and this leads me to a bunch of new
questions....

Can just any allergist diagnose exactly what kind of cat allergy I
have?  Should I look for a specialer-specialist?  I've spoken to a few
doctors (not allergists) and the FAQ knew more about cat allergies
than they did.  I'd hate to pay for a specialist only to have him
shrug his shoulders...

Can anyone reccomend an allergist who can do this kind of testing in
the Boston area?

Anybody got any cat-allergy stories with happy endings?  If someone
has had similar allergy problems in the past, we'd really like to hear
of it.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Please mail responses to me.  If there's interest, I'd be happy to
post a summary to the net.

Steve
Steve Scarfone            "... conveniently ignoring the fact that anything he 
steve_scarfone@dg.com	    could do in BASIC he could do in machine language,
==============================not that he would want to, which is the point."
From: emilio@acupain.UUCP (Elizabeth Milio)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Cats Purring
Date: 2 Oct 92 18:51:24 GMT
Reply-To: emilio@accurate.com.UUCP (Elizabeth Milio)
Organization: ACCURATE Information Systems, Eatontown, NJ

In reply to the question "why would cats purr when they walk into a room,
plop down next to you, at night etc. etc. "

I always thought it was because they are content and happy and love you :-)

Just my two cents.
From: joanm@moe.coe.uga.edu (Joan Maxfield UCNS)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: kitty food! ick
Date: 29 Sep 92 00:08:53 GMT
Organization: College of Education, University of Georgia


My sweet kitten Angelica is really starting to become a people cat.
Why, just this morning I think she could tell that I was tired and was
planning on sleeping in.  The dear decided to get me breakfast in bed!
I just wish I could have told her I really don't like live chipmunk!

Anyone got any ideas on how to get a chipmunk out of ones bedroom?  It
ran under the bed and hasn't come out (I removed the kitty from the
room while it was still live and kicking so I don't think it's dead
under there)  I put some peanut hearts in a box and had to go to work.
I'm hoping he'll come out from where ever he is and get in the box all
by himself.  And I thought the dead chipmunk in the living room was
bad!

Joan
Organization: University Libraries - Technical Service, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Date: Mon,  5 Oct 1992 08:15:53 -0400 
From: "Susan R. Wagner" <sw39+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Has my cat gone mad?
	<1890@shaman.wv.tek.com>

>>In article <1992Oct2.160156.13567@cs.yale.edu>,
>>loosemore-sandra@CS.YALE.EDU (Sandra Loosemore) writes:
>> From: loosemore-sandra@CS.YALE.EDU (Sandra Loosemore)
>> Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
>> Subject: Re: Has my cat gone mad?
>> Date: 2 Oct 92 12:01:49 GMT
>> Organization: staff hacker @ Yale Haskell project
>> 
>> My guy Nerf chases his tail too.  He *really* likes to chase my other
>> cat's tail better, but sometimes he spots his own tail out of the corner
>> of his eye and gets confused....
>> 
>> -Sandra
 
>I've seen Muffin get the silliest look on her face sometimes when she spots
>her tail & then goes after it.  She seems to get rather annoyed because that
>thing keeps following her...;}
> 
>					Peggy

Our cat Jester chases his tail on a daily basis.  He'll be sitting on
top of the couch and notice his tail between the back of the couch and
the wall.  He will actually stalk his own tail.  He dives and crams his
face into the small space and then looks confused when he can't find it
anymore....of course when he dives, the tail follows and is now behind
him.  Very funny!!!

Susan and Jester


Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: baskin@ralvmm.vnet.ibm.com (Brenda Baskin)
Subject: Re: Kitten with foot fetish
Date: Tue, 06 Oct 92 16:53:13 GMT
News-Software: IBM OS/2 PM RN (NR/2) v0.14 by O. Vishnepolsky and R. Rogers
Reply-To: baskin@ralvmm.vnet.ibm.com
Organization: IBM T. J. Watson Research

In  <1992Oct2.184714.633@netcom.com>  wd6cmu@netcom.com (Eric Williams) writes:
> Murphy is a 7-week old orphan longhair found in the parking lot at
> work a week ago.  He seems happy now, but has acquired an annoying
> and potentially dangerous obsession for my feet.  He will follow them
> around, crouch between them when I stand still, climb on top of them,
> sharpen his claws on my shoes, etc.  I have to check every time I
> take a step that I'm not about to crush him.  I've never raised a cat
> before and would like to know if this is normal behaviour for small
> kittens.  Will he grow out of it?  Should I train him to avoid feet
> and, if so, how?

The best way to train a kitten to avoid feet is to pick it up with the
top of your foot and toss is lightly a few feet a way.  You can do
this while walking or standing still.  The kitten will learn that
playing with a foot will result in 'getting the boot'.  Good luck!

--
BB in NC
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A well expressed opinion is better than a poorly formulated fact.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Nasty Tapeworms-
Date: 6 Oct 92 16:17:04 -0500
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <lswan.34.0@ucsd.edu>, lswan@ucsd.edu (Swan, Lyn) writes:
> 
>>Droncit tablets, obtained at the vet and given in two doses two weeks apart 
>>whenever tapes make their appearance, cost about $1.50 apiece and are the 
>>remedy of choice for tapes.
> 
> I've been told that these pills cost about $12-$13 each from the vet.  Is 
> this just another S. California rip off?  Could someone else please comment 
> on cost in their area?

About $1.50-$2 each around here, too.  But some vets charge a fee to make up
the prescription, so one Droncit will cost $5, as will 3 tablets.  But 4
tablets are $6, 5 are $7.50....

FYI, you can also obtain a prescription from a vet and then mail order it
from a veterinary supply house.

Kay Klier   Biology Dept  University of Northern Iowa
From: marie@guppy.ai.mit.edu (Marie Lamb)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: "Soft Paws" (covers for cat's claws)
Date: 29 Sep 92 16:37:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: life.28570
Reply-To: marie@ai.mit.edu
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory


In article <1992Sep29.121836.14801@watson.ibm.com>, dzenz@catskill.kgn.ibm.com (Dave Zenz) writes:
|> 
|> Other than the "Soft Paws", does anyone have suggestions on how to
|> protect furniture from scratches due to cat's claws? 

This is what worked for me.  I put double-sided tape (sticky on both
sides) along all the edges of the furniture being scratched (in my case,
a brand new sofa and loveseat :-(), and I also put one of those
cardboard scratching pads next to each piece of furniture.  My cats
wouldn't/couldn't scratch the furniture because of the tape, so they
would scratch the pads instead.  After a couple of months, I removed
the tape--so far so good, they haven't gone back to scratching the
furniture.

Hope this helps,
Marie
From: jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Why do cats purr?
Date: 1 Oct 92 20:15:32 GMT
Reply-To: jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin)
Distribution: rec
Organization: COMANDOS Project, Glesga Yoonie

OK, so why does my cat *not* purr?  Muriel (so-called because she's grey,
an allusion that will be lost on most readers outside Scotland) can only
summon up a very faint purr for a few breaths.  She also has a very soft
meow.  Is this some sort of mutation affecting the vocal cords?  She's an
odd-looking cat: a silver tabby with a head and paws that look too big for
her body - rather ghostlike, as if she was a black-and-white photograph of
a tabby with the eyes and nose coloured in.  She seems happy and healthy
otherwise.  She came from the pound, so I have no idea about her genetics
or early history.

-- 
--  Jack Campin    room G092, Computing Science Department, Glasgow University,
17 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RZ, Scotland   TEL: 041 339 8855 x6854 (work)
INTERNET: jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk or via nsfnet-relay.ac.uk    FAX: 041 330 4913
BANG!net: via mcsun and uknet     BITNET: via UKACRL    UUCP: jack@glasgow.uucp
From: U58100@uicvm.uic.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: HOW LONG CAN A 9-WK. KITTEN BE ALONE?
Date: 7 Oct 92 03:43:43 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago

I *thought* that eight weeks old was a sufficient age that a healthy kitten
could be left alone, but Hendrix is pretty rambunctious and unfortunately
i work almost 12 hours a day sometimes, though i try to come home for lunch
to play and feed him, which usually works out fairly well, and we play
for about an hour at night.  Then someone who is *apparently* knowledgable
about cats said that they have to be 6 months old before they're moved
and that *if* i am going to be away for many hours of the day that it is
actually *kinder* to the cat to lock it in the bathroom with plenty of
toys, food, et.al.  Theoretically he's supposed to feel more "in control"
of his domain or territory...  Intuitively this sounds a little strange to
me, but then, I'm just a paltry human.  Any comments?
 |Laura Bootsie Boutwell
 |the queen of ennui
From: ken@ece.orst.edu (KEN MCCRACKEN)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat door for sliding door, not secured.
Summary: Seen one?
Date: 29 Sep 92 21:29:14 GMT
Article-I.D.: ece.ken.7
Organization: Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, OSU

In article <1992Sep27.065630.20434@sq.sq.com> dak@sq.sq.com (David A Keldsen) writes:

>My girlfriend lives in a large apartment building, with a balcony.
>The cat's litterbox is on the balcony, so she leaves the sliding
>door to the balcony open a bit for the cat.  However, this causes
>a bit of a draft (rather an understatement in the middle of a Canadian
>winter).

>Before I make a custom cat-door for her (that doesn't require glass
>cutting...I was thinking of a strip of plexiglass with a hinged bottom)...
>has anyone seen something suitable in the commercial arena?

>Regards,
>Dak
>-- 
>David A. 'Dak' Keldsen of SoftQuad, Inc. email: dak@sq.com  phone: 416-239-4801
>"It is well known that _things_ from undesirable universes are always seeking 
>entrance into this one, which is the psychic equivalent of handy for the 
>buses and closer to the shops." -- Terry Pratchett, _The Light Fantastic_

Yes, but it was almost twenty years ago!  I had one for our two terriers.  
It was a very simple design that used small extruded aluminum rails as a 
frame, and thin sheets of fiberglass between them.  The door itself was 
thick mylar, rigidly fastened at the top, and with a magnetic latch at the 
bottom.

Seems like it was about $35 in one of those 'strictly mail order' catalogs 
that used to come in the mail all the time, right between the see-thru 
umbrellas and the stick-on return address labels.
From: carlson@horus.cs.odu.edu (Gary Scott Carlson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Drumming the Cat
Date: 30 Sep 92 19:14:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: horus.CARLSON.92Sep30141440
	<1992Sep24.222159.7413@u.washington.edu>
Organization: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

lcornell@milton.u.washington.edu (Linda Cornell) writes:

   >: I am curious... how many other people have cats who like to be drummed?
   >(deleted)

   My Merlyn (RIP) adored being "drummed".  He would stay put as long as you
   were willing to pound on him, drooling and purring the whole time.  I did
   this to my neighbor's golden retriever one day, and she yelped and gave me
   one of those "what did I do wrong this time" looks....I felt terrible...
   but Merlyn never could get enough!

   Linda 
......................................................................
	I have a calico (named Prissy by my daughter) who likes to be
thumped pretty hard like a dog while she walks around my legs.  I never
tried ''drumming'' her!  She's also the onliest cat I've ever had who would
let me rub her tummy and pet her legs right down to the nail-ends.  Real
lovey cat.  The other cat, Callie, likes the computer -- walk on keyboard,
watch and swat at the mouse cursor.

	BTW - I don't know how many men read this NG, but few seem to post
to it.  Let it be known that I *love* cats, and enjoy this NG thoroughly
when I have time to read it.  I also copy select articles for my sisters,
who have more cats than I do.  

	Another BTW - one sister has an old male cat, Rufus, who became
diabetic.  They thought he would have to be put to sleep, but he has been
getting insulin shots at home and has recovered remarkably well.  There is
hope for diabetic cats, then.  This same Rufus still ''rules the
(farmhouse) roost,'' where my sister also keeps two german shepherds as
watchdogs in addition to 4 or 5 other cats.  Well, when she got the latest
pair as pups, they walked up to Rufus, hoping to find a victim.  Instead,
he stared them down, and when one made a move toward him, he stood up and
pummelled him thoroughly.  No claws, but Rufus hit him so hard that the
thumps could be heard at quite a distance.  It was reported to me as quite
a sight.  Never a dog chases or molests a cat at that house!

-----------
| _    /| |    | Time traveler:  Why is the food 
| \'o.O'  |    | so lousy and the service so bad?
| =(_|_)= |    | A: The waiters know in advance what 
|    U    |    | kind of tip they'll be getting.
-----------    	    
    - Bill sez "Ackphtth"     
 
      	 >>>>>>------------>  	   gary		;*)
From: exuptr@exu.ericsson.se (Patrick Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: cat and toilet paper
Date: 25 Sep 92 19:17:59 GMT
Organization: Ericsson Network Systems, Inc.
X-Disclaimer: This article was posted by a user at Ericsson in North America.
              The opinions expressed are strictly those of the user and
              not necessarily those of Ericsson.

In article <1992Sep22.082436.1@opal.tufts.edu> gbelli@opal.tufts.edu writes:
>In article <1992Sep18.205149.11884@cbfsb.cb.att.com>, joni@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (joni.dunlap) writes:
>> 10 hours a day and would hate to deprive him. You know the weirdest thing
>> about it is that Puttie is declawed in the front and the toilet paper
>> looks as though it has claw scratch marks in it. Any answers as to what is
>> going on here?

Probably using he back claws like rakes.  I've seen Lafayette do this.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    "This must be Thursday.  I never could get the hang of Thursdays"
                                                       - Douglas Adams
  - Patrick Taylor                                       (Arthur Dent)
    Ericsson Network Systems
    exuptr@exu.ericsson.se                       "Don't let the .se fool you"
    or exuptr@ZGNews.Lonestar.Org, exu.exuptr@memo.ericsson.se
From: hartlemp@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Michael P Hartley)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: cat sleeps in bad place update
Date: 2 Oct 92 18:16:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: mentor.BvIArp.J9y
Distribution: usa
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center


   Well, foil in the box worked.  I tried first a flat piece of foil 
on top of the box, and he thought it was great.  I'm still finding 
little chunks of foil all over the place.  Then I tried crumpling the
foil, then putting it in the box.  Chutz jumped in, let out sort of a yelp,
and jumped out.  He hasn't gone under the desk since.  I think that it was
a static charge from the carpet, and the foil grounded him :)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lhuffman@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Cat dead, to do?
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 13:29:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep27.072943.4343@u.washington.edu>, moe@rainier.lib.washington.edu (Joe Shippert) writes:
> 
> After being gone for about 36 hours (longer than ever before) I felt
> silly calling the lost pets hotline but the recorded message described
> my cat perfectly (she's the only black manx in the neighborhood) found
> dead less than a blockk away from my house.
> 
> I wanted to see her one last time but the guy at the shelter said they 
> just keep them all in barrels and I'd have to go through all the other 
> dead animals to find her.
> 
> She was only 16 months old. All I can think of is her lying dead in a 
> barrel covered with other dead pets.
If it's not too late, can you offer a donation for them to get her out and
box her up so you can bury her. Whenever any of my babies dies, he or she goes
under the cherry tree in the back yard, so whenever I need to grieve I have a
place to go to do it. 

Or, if that's not possible, do you have a picture ( or a toy or a collar or 
blanket she used) and could you have a small ceremony alone or with friends 
telling her good-bye? 

And a last suggestion - your next cat maybe needs to be kept in - 
FOR YOUR SAKE...    I miss every one of my cats, so I am very selfish, I want 
them with me to the last minute nature programmed into their bodies.

I am sorry for you, I could feel the pain in your words.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: iovine@columbine.cs.colorado.edu (Francesca Iovine)
Subject: Re: Purring as a sign of illness
Organization: Universtiy of Coloardo, Boulder
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 18:10:40 GMT

In article <1992Oct5.152357.14250@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> mk4j@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Mable B. Kinzie) writes:
>I've had a similar experience with my little Spike.  Last year
>when she was recovering from her spaying operation (which was
>more traumatic than I'd expected--she was frantic when I picked
>her up from the vet's) she laid on my lap and purred non-stop
>for an entire day.  It puzzled me at the time.  I imagined that
>it might be her relief that I had come and taken her away from
>that terrible place (the vet's), but don't know if that's
>anthropomophic.  
>
>Mable
>--


The opposite for my little guy, Tiger (hey, it *WAS* on the
top ten kitty name list, wasn't it??). He came back from his
operation and did not utter one little purr. He was in just
an awful way. He'll purr when i even look at him...  So, we 
were quite concerned; we thought he had lost his purrer!! 
but as the evening/next day worn on & the drug wore off, *it* came back!
- and he is purring forevermore.. 

f.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: kjt34420@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Kristin J. Thommes)
Subject: Re: tell age of cat?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 15:08:04 GMT

Alan_Schianni@mindlink.bc.ca (Alan Schianni) writes:

>Can anyone tell me how you tell the age of a cat?

Yes, if they are under a year of age you can tell based on which teeth
have erupted through the gums and also which teeth are adult and
which are still deciduous (baby) teeth.  After about a year when all
their teeth are in, a "guesstimate" is made based on the amount of
tartar present on the teeth and also on whether or not they seem to
have the "filled out" appearance of an adult cat.  (Of course, in
an emaciated stray, you can't use this as a good indicator).




--
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Kitten update 
Date: 28 Sep 92 17:11:12 -0500
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

>>> and how are your kittens btw, updates please.
>>
>>Fat! Sassy!  Still in Minneapolis, at Mark's brother's request (he had a 
>>great time playing with them last weekend).  
> 
> Aawww...don't they sound CUTE?!?  Sounds like Mark's brother may
> be a new pappa, huh?

No sale.  Lives in a rent-controlled no-pets apt :-(

However, there is a fellow that Mark works with that wants a kitten--
and it must be black, according to his wife.  Well, I have 6 black kittens
to choose from!!!

Kay
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: diana@wetware.com (CatWoman )
Subject: Re: Wisdom needed: cat peeing blood
Organization: Castle WetWare MouseCatcher
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 18:56:51 GMT


FUS is a collection of problems - hence the "syndrome"
part of the name.  It is quite possible that the
cat DOES have FUS, but doesn't have the blockage that
comes with the more advanced cases.  You will not SEE
urine with blood if they are to a point where the
bladder is full because the urine cannot be expelled.

Blood is apparently due to infection in the bladder,
and/or irritation from the precipitation of crystals
and minerals in the bladder.

My vet usually prescribes an acidifier, the DL-Methionine,
AND an anti-biotic.  If it doesn't clear up with one of
the antibiotics, she switches to another (rather like a
human doctor would with an internal infection).

Once again - be sure the food the cat is getting DOES
have DL-Methionine in it - probably a good idea to have
some of the deluxe prescription food for a while,
and access to plenty of fresh DISTILLED water - be SURE
it is DISTILLED, such as you would use for contact lenses.

Ask the vet about anti-biotics also.  Blockage COULD 
result if the infection doesn't clear up and the swelling
gets worse so the crystals build up and cannot be passed.

Diana
From: avi@rix.Corp.Sun.COM (Ann Adamcik)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat door for sliding door, not secured
Date: 29 Sep 92 23:39:43 GMT
Reply-To: avi@rix.Corp.Sun.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: rix.corp.sun.com

In article 7@ece.orst.edu, ken@ece.orst.edu (KEN MCCRACKEN) writes:
>In article <1992Sep27.065630.20434@sq.sq.com> dak@sq.sq.com (David A Keldsen) writes:
>>Before I make a custom cat-door for her (that doesn't require glass
>>cutting...I was thinking of a strip of plexiglass with a hinged bottom)...
>>has anyone seen something suitable in the commercial arena?
>
I found one at a local hardware store (Home Depot in California).  I don't remember 
the brand, but it has a thin aluminum frame, a plexiglass panel in the top, and a 
pet door in the bottom.  I think it was around $75.00 though...

Ask around at local pet stores and hardware stores.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats