Should Men Living Alone Get a Cat?

[turbo]

Surely you jest; it's also appropriate food for serial murderers and futuristic genocidal mechanical abominations.



Now I'm sure you're joking.

You'll drag home, across broken glass and dirty syringes, a deceased animal you just find lying around and then, when, unbeknownst to you, its disparate organs tumble from its bloated, disease-ridden corpse, faithfully trot back to the pile of dead plague rats in which you found the carcass to retrieve them?!

You goon!

My wife was the the child of Depression-era parents, as I was. You don't ever, ever discard any usable portion of an animal. You would not have wanted to join me and my family on the farm when it was time to slaughter hogs! Tiny little kids could be trusted to haul buckets of intestines to the kitchen for cleaning and sausage-making. Only "big boys" could be trusted to lug wash-basins of blood to the kitchen. That was a rite of passage!

Spill that blood in the gravel drive, and you'd better figure out how to hitch-hike home and hide for a few days. After your mother got through thrashing you, your aunts, great-aunts, etc, would be waiting for their turn to get at you. Blood sausage was huge here.

 

[FlexGunship]

You goon!

My wife was the the child of Depression-era parents, as I was. You don't ever, ever discard any usable portion of an animal. You would not have wanted to join me and my family on the farm when it was time to slaughter hogs! Tiny little kids could be trusted to haul buckets of intestines to the kitchen for cleaning and sausage-making. Only "big boys" could be trusted to lug wash-basins of blood to the kitchen. That was a rite of passage!

Spill that blood in the gravel drive, and you'd better figure out how to hitch-hike home and hide for a few days. After your mother got through thrashing you, your aunts, great-aunts, etc, would be waiting for their turn to get at you. Blood sausage was huge here.

I see...

I understand the mechanics of gutting an animal (something that I find practical and useful and would like to actually practice), but...

...I don't know, man. Blood sausage? What are you, a Klingon?!

 

[AlephZero]

I don't know, man. Blood sausage? What are you, a Klingon?!

I'm beginning to wonder if you ever ate anything that didn't come from a supermarket.

(But even if that is true, there are millions like you, so don't worry about it)

"Nice looking" cuts of meat just taste bland compared with the rest of the animal. About the only thing that I really don't like is tripe. (Look it up, if you don't know what part of the animal that is).

The local "using up unspeakable bits of pig" delicacy in my part of the world was "chine" (but the wikipedia page on "stuffed chine" is a feeble modern imitation of the real thing).

Take the neckbone, backbone and spinal cord of your pig, with whatever meat is left on them after you have butchered up the main cuts. Coil them up and tie them into a muslin bag. with a LOT of herbs. By weight, you want about 5% chopped rosemary leaves, 20% chopped parsley, and 75% pig. Slow-cook for about 48 hours, till the bones etc have reduced to a jelly. Leave to cool and set. It will keep without being refrigerated for months. Serve it cold and sliced. Warning: this is a VERY acquired taste - if you think using that much parsley and rosemary in a recipe is insane, then it's not for you!

 

[Ms Music]

OMG you got one! She is adorable!

Yikes. Everything I've read about cats says they get all of their nutrition from meat

Actually, not quite true. Cats get grains and greens from the stomach contents of the rodents they eat, and generally do quite well with some vegetable and grain. I had one cat that ate spinach and chard. My current cat *cough* excuse me, my BROTHER's cat that is always in my house (lucky cat has two houses) eats kale chips, cooked kale and collards, fresh catnip, and yesterday I caught him eating my lemon grass. Until he choked on it, that is. Too tough, so the dumbut was gagging and I had to pull it out of his mouth. Letting her have cooked or raw meat is great for her, but find greens that she likes. Turbo's cookies would be great, also. Cat grass or wheat grass that she can nibble when she wants are good ideas.

Also, someone suggested catnip. I don't know the *why* behind it, but I have always heard (even from the vet) that you should not give a cat under a year old catnip.

And if you choose to go the natural food way, they don't need sugar and salt. People food has too much.

One question - the video was dark, was she actually RETRIEVING?

She is an adorable cat, and you sound like you are doing very well with her.

 

[rhody]

OMG, I did that to Pixel, but I made it disappear into her cat cave. That was a mistake. She was mucking about in there (removed all of her other toys) for a good five minutes before setting up shop just outside and staring into it.

I didn't really want to encourage that type of disappointment, so we played a bit more and I just ran up her up and down the steps in the same pattern until she got bored. Then it was okay to stop and she went back to normal cat activities.

Incidentally, I have a weird problem...

Pixel plays very well. I wasn't sure I wanted her to get used to playing with a person's hand, but she does a good job: she will open her mouth but won't bite (like a dog), and she'll bat at your hands with her claws tucked safely away. If she starts to get overly frisky, I just say (in a stern voice) "hey, be nice" and apply firm pressure to her belly; she calms right down. So far we have had zero biting or clawing incidents while playing.

However, I think she will ONLY bite when she's eating hard food which brings me to my problem: she won't eat treats. I think she loves the smell and taste, but she just gnaws on them a bit, and them spits them out. There aren't even tooth marks on them! She'll pounce them, bat them around, put them in her mouth and (basically) suck on them and spit them back out. This is true of both the salmon ones and the lamb/chicken ones.

Nice to see Pixel and you and get used to one another, and she is getting to know her limits based on your guidance. My cat will not bite unless you bat at her rump or get too aggressive, she will mouth your hand with her teeth but not hard. She will not bite hard at all and as long as you stop she quits right away. Not a toughie at all.

You mentioned her "cat cave", so I thought I would show you what I use instead. Call it an improvised sleeping perch, comfy as heck, on top of a knee wall shelf.
I wasn't going to include the close up, but I took about six pictures and caught her eyes just right. I liked the contrast between that cobalt blue iris's and black of her fur and pupils so I thought I would throw that in for you.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7858/luna2j.jpg http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/4526/luna1z.jpg

Rhody...

 

[Stephen Tashi]

The fact that a cat doesn't eat treats shouldn't worry you unless its a problem with teeth. With a ktten, it probably isn't. But, for the future, remember that it's hard to detect discomfort in cats. They can be in pain in not show it. They can have very bad dental problems and not show it. (Just as in humans, bad breath is a symptom.)

My current guest cat had to have all but 6 of her teeth removed because her gums got such deep pockets in them that the nerves were exposed. Until the vet discovered this, nobody who was around the cat noticed that she had any problems.

 

[lisab]

The fact that a cat doesn't eat treats shouldn't worry you unless its a problem with teeth. With a ktten, it probably isn't. But, for the future, remember that it's hard to detect discomfort in cats. They can be in pain in not show it. They can have very bad dental problems and not show it. (Just as in humans, bad breath is a symptom.)

My current guest cat had to have all but 6 of her teeth removed because her gums got such deep pockets in them that the nerves were exposed. Until the vet discovered this, nobody who was around the cat noticed that she had any problems.

Excellent points. Cats are notoriously picky eaters. If a cat doesn't care for a particular treat, it just means that cat is being a cat.

Animals will not normally show that they are in pain. Until they were domesticated, showing pain was like telling whatever predator was nearby to "pick me, I'm weak!"

I hope your guest kitty is better now!

 

[Deveno]

Thin-sliced heart (beef or venison) sauteed in butter with a little onion is food for the gods! If you have never had it properly prepared, you just don't know.

My neighbor likes shooting deer and he is REAL squeamish, so I have to go gut out his deer for him whenever he kills one. In return, I get to take home the heart and the liver, and he brings me some steaks after the meat-cutter packs them, and some ground venison from time to time.

When I bring home a heart and a liver like that, my wife and I plan our next few days' meals around those organ meats. One time, a couple of decades back, I dragged a deer home (about 1/2 mile uphill) and my wife asked "where is the liver?" I had to trudge all the way back down there and recover it to keep her happy.

quoted for truth.

i'm a steak man, myself, except for heart. i make some sauteed mushrooms to go with it, and have a special spice i use only for heart: sea salt, green peppercorns, garlic, and cardamom (the mix goes in a pepper grinder).

 

[FlexGunship]

I'm beginning to wonder if you ever ate anything that didn't come from a supermarket.

Sure. Wild blueberries. Caught fish. A Snickers bar I found on the ground (still wrapped).

Warning: this is a VERY acquired taste - if you think using that much parsley and rosemary in a recipe is insane, then it's not for you!

Yeah, I'm 26, I don't think I have enough time left in my life to "acquire" that particular taste.

OMG you got one! She is adorable!

I know, right?

Actually, not quite true. Cats get grains and greens from the stomach contents of the rodents they eat, and generally do quite well with some vegetable and grain.

See that's what I had thought, but never saw it written anywhere. I figured that maybe the partially digested grains were better than raw gains.

Also, someone suggested catnip. I don't know the *why* behind it, but I have always heard (even from the vet) that you should not give a cat under a year old catnip.

They gave it to her at the shelter in a toy, but it's all dried up. She doesn't need catnip to go nuts when she's in hunting-mode.

And if you choose to go the natural food way, they don't need sugar and salt. People food has too much.

Don't make it sound like I'm going granola, here. All things being equal, I'd rather have her just eat a turkey rather than processed turkey by-products.

One question - the video was dark, was she actually RETRIEVING?

It's a ball. It has a big tag on it and see carries it by the tag... like the tail of a mouse.

She is an adorable cat[...]

I know, right?

Call it an improvised sleeping perch, comfy as heck, on top of a knee wall shelf.

You should slip a pea under there and see if she can still sleep.

I wasn't going to include the close up, but I took about six pictures and caught her eyes just right.

Yikes, keep her away from the tomcats.

The fact that a cat doesn't eat treats shouldn't worry you unless its a problem with teeth. With a ktten, it probably isn't.

I took a video last night of her playing with a treat, pouncing it, gnawing it, sucking on it, spitting it out, playing with it again, launching a surprise attack, and chewing on it before finally spitting it out in one piece.

I'll upload it tonight. Can't do it at work.

 

[rhody]

Flex,

I wandered into this, and thought it was worth sharing, you need 47 minutes to watch it:

It is one of the only animals to domesticate itself.

and

Turkey may be the place where cats were first domesticated.

National Geographic - Science of Cats (2008)



Rhody...

 

[Ms Music]

I know, right?

You sound absolutely smitten!

Don't make it sound like I'm going granola, here. All things being equal, I'd rather have her just eat a turkey rather than processed turkey by-products.

Nothing granola in turkey. It is great for her. Several of my friends feed their cats nothing but raw meat.

I think you are doing a purrfectly fantastic job with her. She picked the right human.

The reason I asked if she was retrieving, it is hard to tell if she is bringing the ball down stairs to play with and you are taking it, or if she is returning it for you to throw again. If she is bringing it to you to throw again, that is quite a unique cat!

 

[FlexGunship]

The reason I asked if she was retrieving, it is hard to tell if she is bringing the ball down stairs to play with and you are taking it, or if she is returning it for you to throw again. If she is bringing it to you to throw again, that is quite a unique cat!

She drops it and then runs back to the first "hidden" step. For the purpose of the video I tried to watch her which disrupted our normal play. Usually I'm hidden from view, and I toss the ball over the side of the steps towards the loft at the top. She wrestles it to the bottom and when she's done, she runs back to that step. I've been trying to reward her for bringing it closer to me, but it's hard because she wants to play again right away.

Now, if I just STAND in the spot in the living room (I don't have to look at her, say "ball" or "play", or even have a toy in my hand) she'll run to that step and look up the stairs waiting for a toy to fall from the heavens.

 

[zoobyshoe]

The best cat toy is a bunch of tissue paper tied to the end of a string which is tied to a stick. You work it like a fishing pole, and I, therefore, call this activity "cat fishing". When you dangle the lure in front of them or drag it on the floor they go into bird or mouse catching mode.

Once they "catch" the lure they'll lose interest in it. You let the lure "play dead" for a bit then try to escape, like a real mouse or bird would.

Bird mode is the best. You make the lure fly around closer and closer to them, tantalizing them. When they jump at it you pull it away. Tease them like that for a while, and you can work them up to jumping higher and higher, trying to catch it. After you feel they've put enough effort into jumping for it, you let them catch it and tear into it.

The more they claw pieces off the lure the more strands of tissue hang off it. They seem to like it more this way. There is some clean-up involved afterward.

A 1/4 inch x 4 foot dowel has the right springiness for the stick. I think they cost 75 cents.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Yes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDlaJlb1ezg

 

[rhody]

Jimmy,

The advertising folks who produce the skittles commercials are ODD to say the least.

Rhody...

 

[DoggerDan]

Rhody, I liked the comment in the National Geographic about the cat being the only pet that domesticated itself.

True, unless you count bedbugs, lice, mites, and fleas as pets. Perhaps the cat is simply the most welcome and cuddly of the five?

 

[rhody]

Flex,

So, Pixel update, and Pixel, Flex update please, (assuming she walks on the keyboard, hehe...) How is her personality, sleep cycles, eating, etc...

Rhody...

 

[FlexGunship]

Flex,

So, Pixel update, and Pixel, Flex update please, (assuming he walks on the keyboard, hehe...) How is his personality, sleep cycles, eating, etc...

Rhody...

HER personality is evolving nicely. She plays a little rough sometimes, but we have a clear understanding; when I say "hey, be nice" in a stern voice she calms down right away. She might still want to play, but the teeth and claws go away. When she gets worked up though, she'll play for a lot longer than I can. We play hide-and-seek, we play fetch, and we play... uh... spaz-o-kitty (that's when she runs around attacking random toys).

She's a wicked cuddler, too. When I go to bed, we have a routine: she jumps on the bed and attacks my feet for a while, patrols the room, then patrols the house, and about 30 minutes later she curls up at the edge of the bed. Sometime after I fall asleep she moves in and lays right next to me, sometimes under the blanket. Once 4AM rolls around, she lays on the pillow next to my head and grooms me for a while until she falls asleep again. When I wake up, she jumps down and patrols the house again before settling in for breakfast.

She also enjoys treats now. I had to cut them up into smaller pieces and now she enjoys them. Clicker training has started but is going slow.

I think she's teething. Is there anything I can do about that? I gave her a Bic pen (internals removed) and stuffed it with treats so she'd chew on it, but she doesn't really do anything other than carry it around. I tied a big piece of rope to her kitty palace and she'll gnaw on that for a while, but I feel like she wants something more.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Flex, I didn't read the whole thread, so maybe you already know about life as a cat slave, but if this is your first cat, life as you know it just ended.

You might as well have gotten married and had a kid.

You sound like someone I would trust with my cats. [You can't get a higher compliment from me... just ask my cats!]

 

[FlexGunship]

Flex, I didn't read the whole thread, so maybe you already know about life as a cat slave, but if this is your first cat, life as you know it just ended.

You might as well have gotten married and had a kid.

You sound like someone I would trust with my cats. [You can't get a higher compliment from me... just ask my cats!]

I know, she won't let me play XBox much anymore.

 

[rhody]

I think she's teething. Is there anything I can do about that? I gave her a Bic pen (internals removed) and stuffed it with treats so she'd chew on it, but she doesn't really do anything other than carry it around. I tied a big piece of rope to her kitty palace and she'll gnaw on that for a while, but I feel like she wants something more.

Glad to hear SHE is settling in nicely, I changed my post above, and you may want to do the same, I had it right the first time and then changed it to a "he". Oh, well, it is fixed now...

I did a little research on teething issues here.

A kittens begins teething at between the ages of 15-17 weeks old so your cat is now around that age,and all the permanent teeth are through by 6 months and fully developed at about 7 months old,first teeth to be changed are the central incisors so yes its normal its happening as it should for him, then the next teeth to come through are followed a week later by the laterals and then the fangs change at 4 and a half months, the tip of the permanent canine appearing at this time; these fangs, the largest teeth, are fully erupted at 7 months of age, so it sounds like its all going as it should for your cat, but don't give him any bones to chew on though as its dangerous as for cold rags no need kittens cope well and many owners don't notice until some new teeth are through,they don't make a fuss, and once teething is over and he has all his new teeth he will have as follows, (adult cats have 30 teeth altogether), 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars and 4 molars.

Rhody...

P.S. When you say, we play "fetch" what exactly do you mean ? I have never seen that except for stage trained cat entertainment acts ?

 

[tashalustig]

Hi as a cat slave i feel for you cause these furies to demand a lot but are worth it. Teething wise if you have any questions let me know i have many cats and foster them have been through teething many times lol

 

[FlexGunship]

Glad to hear SHE is settling in nicely, I changed my post above, and you may want to do the same, I had it right the first time and then changed it to a "he". Oh, well, it is fixed now...

Too late to edit. Sorry Rhody.

I did a little research on teething issues here.Rhody...

P.S. When you say, we play "fetch" what exactly do you mean ? I have never seen that except for stage trained cat entertainment acts ?

She still likes to gnaw on my finger, so I let her until she gets rough and then say in an unfriendly voice "hey, be nice." It's always worked, so I'll stick with it.

Fetch is when I throw her ball, she goes to get it (usually doesn't play with it much), picks it up by the giant tag on it in her teeth, and carries it back. She will either drop it and get back in position for me to throw it, or she'll lay on the ground in front of me and look at me until I take the ball... then she'll run and get in position.

 

[tashalustig]

Too late to edit. Sorry Rhody.



She still liked to gnaw on my finger, so I let her until she gets rough and then say in an unfriendly voice "hey, be nice." It's always worked, so I'll stick with it.

Fetch is when I throw her ball, she goes to get it (usually doesn't play with it much), picks it up by the giant tag on it in her teeth, and carries it back. She will either drop it and get back in position for me to throw it, or she'll lay on the ground in front of me and look at me until I take the ball... then she'll run and get in position.

bless she sounds like what we call cat-dogs there are a few breeds which act like dogs, mine too play fetch its very cute and quite an achievement with cats as they are not ones to be obedient. Teething wise there is nothing to be done with cats really they have to get through it, they don't lose the canines until around 5-6 months and then they normally end up swallowing them or you'll find them around the house. Would love to see a pic

 

[zoobyshoe]

Flex, I didn't read the whole thread, so maybe you already know about life as a cat slave, but if this is your first cat, life as you know it just ended.

This is an exaggeration. He has merely moved from a Democracy to a Catocracy.

 

[tashalustig]

This is an exaggeration. He has merely moved from a Democracy to a Catocracy.

Nice coining of terms there and really are humans that much better to be around

 

[netgypsy]

Secure men have cats because they know they are "real men" and their choice of pet doesn't alter that fact.

You can cut a cat's nail with either a pet nail cutter or the larger human nail cutters. Push on the toe pad to cause the nail to show and cut the hook off without going too close to the nerve. It's painless like cutting your own nails. the first few times it's a good idea to wrap the cat in a towel or bathmat to secure them so you don't cut the nail too short. Better too long than too short. Get the cat a scratching post also. they actually like pizza boxes to scratch on too. To quote a friend " only two things purr, cats and women" and cats are cheaper to support.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

You can trim the tips of a cats claws but you should keep in mind this has an effect on their behavior. If they get used to having trimmed claws they learn to use their claws more vigrously since the claws are less effective. If a cat is used to trimmed claws and its claws are allowed to get sharp, you will see it get its claws stuck in things since it has forgotten the consequences of not keeping them retracted. It may also learn that it's OK to keep its claws out while it's sitting on your lap since you won't react.

Cats with trimmed claws can't effectively protect themselves from other animals or climb to escape danger.

 

[tashalustig]

i have quite a fees cats and i have always trimmed their claws, although i recommend only trimming the tips off it is extremely easy to hurt them my cutting too low.
My cats have never got more aggressive from it though they are used to it now and a treat afterwards always helps

 

[netgypsy]

It hasn't changed our cats behavior either. All our cats are indoor. There are places where you can have an outdoor cat that aren't as risky but the lifespan of an outdoor cat is usually quite short and you have to be sure to get the shots for leukemia, treat for fleas and so on. And you can give your indoor cat fleas. A family member went to visit a friend who had a German shepherd and the dog had fleas that got into the friend's car. They were carried back to his house and he had a terrible time getting rid of them because it was before Advantage had come out.

And speaking of cats not giving a guy the right image, a REAL man can wear pink and own all the cats in the world and the women will still find him very attractive.

The female is hard wired to find a protector for her and her future children. This doesn't mean to do things for her. It just means you have her back if she ever needs it. So if you project a quiet confidence along with a great sense of humor you're well on the road to being irresistible. I once knew this really skinny kid, 110 pounds fully dressed, maybe 5' 5" tall the girls were absolutely crazy about. He was never without a girlfriend. He was considerate and spoke their language and made them laugh. And I might add, all the physics majors I used to hang out with were also never without girlfriends and one of them made the skinny kid look like a body builder.

 

[tashalustig]

lol yeah there is nothing wrong with men having cats and not sure how that stereotype began tbh what is it about a cat that promotes femininity?!

there are some extremely camp men with big dogs doesn't help their image they are still camp

 

[Stephen Tashi]

My cats have never got more aggressive from it though they are used to it now

There is a difference between "getting more aggressive" and "using their claws more aggressively". When a cat wants to run quickly, it has a sense of how far it should extend its claws to get traction. A cat with trimmed claws will extend them more since it has learned that it gets only a little traction from dull claws. If you stop trimming its claws, it will misjudge how far to extend them. It must re-learn what to do with its claws in various situations.

 

[Dembadon]

...

there are some extremely camp men with big dogs doesn't help their image they are still camp

What are "camp men?"

 

[netgypsy]

If the hooks are just removed the claws still grip. They just don't shred furniture. I haven't noticed cats using their claws when they run. Interesting. I'll have to watch some videos of them. A family member adopted a declawed cat and he would ball up his paw and sock a dog or cat that came too close.

 

[tashalustig]

What are "camp men?"

Well from having a very camp brother i would say he is just like the stereotype so think Will and Grace the annoying gay friend of Will's. I don't really know how to word it for you, camp men even seem to have a different tone in their voice much like a young girls the walk is very feminine as in a catwalk walk