October 10, 200916 yr A girl, black & white....hummm....that's pretty obvious.... Chanel? Amicalement
October 10, 200916 yr James May? That's funny! Well pelottomia means fearless in Finish. I kind of like the sound of it. You could call her pelo for short.
October 30, 200916 yr Ok people, really need some advice. Rainy season just started with a vengeance here in Tel Aviv, and I found the little kitten who is often sitting at the bottom of my building, alone, crying its eyes out soaked and shivering. He came crying up to me and climbed all the way up my clothes and sat on my shoulder, parrot style. So it looks like I've accidentally adopted him. I'm really not sure how long I can keep him, and I've never had a cat. I live alone, and do have to go away from time to time. I don't know how old he/she is - let's say it's he for now, but he's pretty small - I can sit him on my hands if they are cupped together. He's a street cat, and is happily lapping up some warm milk. I am going to see if he can/will eat cat food later - I don't have access to kitten food over the weekend, so I'll try him on some cat food and make sure the pieces are small enough. My hope is that I can get him well enough that he can go back to living outside - there is plenty of food around, and cats make a good living here in Tel Aviv! But I'm worried that he really won't know how to fend for himself. Obviously I'd still put food out for him, but I really don't know how it would go. Anyway, I have no cat stuff, and don't really know anything about this, so any advice that you have would be greatly appreciated! Photos of the little cutie later. edit: oh, and he's pretty dirty. any ideas on that one?!
October 30, 200916 yr Try bathing him. It works well for some cats. If it's an absolute no, then he'll clean himself up on his own soon enough. Cat food is fine for now. Get a litter box and some clumping litter ASAP. For now just give him food, warmth and love, and let the other stuff work it's way out.
October 30, 200916 yr All of this is good advice. There is a good chance the kitten has worms or other illnesses. Take him to a vet for a checkup. Most cats choose their owners and it looks like this one has chosen you. Keep him inside (outside cats have a much shorter lifespan that indoor cats), take good care of him, give him lots of love and you will be rewarded with a loving, entertaining companion. P.S. You've greatly increased your karma points, don't toss them away.
October 30, 200916 yr Author You don't need cat stuff -- mine likes to destroy plastic bags and corrugated cardboard, so leave plenty of that around. (Be careful with the plastic bags at first -- some cats are stupid enough to suffocate themselves.) Indoor/outdoor cats -- let him out whenever he asks, unless you want to truly adopt him (I'd recommend it, of course). In which case, get some kitty litter and a pan, and place him in it at least once (so that he knows it's "his"). Get him neutered when he's old enough -- do this even if you intend to set him wild again. I was told that stateside the rule of thumb is when his balls drop. 12 hours at a time is a good rule of thumb. We've accidentally locked kitties in all sorts of rooms, and they can usually hold it until they're discovered. I wouldn't do that on purpose to an indoor/outdoor kitty, but you can train an indoor/outdoor kitty to use litter. But then he might become an indoor kitty. I've said before the big difference between dogs and cats is (1) you can't litter-train a dog, and (2) that middle of the day walk -- cats don't need one. If you're going away longer than a day, I'd find someone to watch him. Re: cleaning/dirt -- it's usually a sign that the cat isn't feeling good if it doesn't clean itself, but some outdoor cats are dirtier than indoor cats. I'd follow the advice above -- make sure it feels better, and then if it still doesn't clean itself, then don (rust-proof as well as claw-proof) armor and bathe it. If it's young enough, it can be taught to bathe. YouTube - brunello1997's Channel Take him to a vet -- will probably need deworming, rabies vaccination, and whatnot. And yes, pictures, please!
October 30, 200916 yr Thanks for all the responses guys. First off I'm just trying to see if he can can adapt to life here or not. Every time he sees me, he starts crying like he's in danger. He comes up to my trousers and stars to crawl up them if he can. If I get him all the way up, he walks around my shoulders around the back of my neck, taking a good look at my ears on the way (I'm afraid he'll bite them) and then goes back down, only to repeat. It's like he needs something (mother probably) but can't find it. It's really sad. The other problems is that he doesn't quite understands that my hands aren't for eating. He wants to use them as a play toy. I hope. I can't really tell if he's angry at me for stealing him, but the way he bounds up to me, it really doesn't seem like it. I guess I don't really understand kitten behaviour, and want to know everything is ok.
October 30, 200916 yr He's just adjusting to a very foreign environment for him. He'll soon come to understand you represent only good things. The biting is a common thing among kittens. There is a lot of good info on the web for training cats and getting through the adjustment period. He'll soon show you lots of love, and no I don't think he fears you, he just wants to know what's going on. He'll adjust quickly, you'll see. I think that pet relationships brought on by circumstance can be the best kind. He won't forget that you helped, maybe even saved him. Do get him to a vet soon.
October 30, 200916 yr I think that pet relationships brought on by circumstance can be the best kind. He won't forget that you helped, maybe even saved him. On that note, I would suggest that if you have problems in the near future please dont let him loose in the street. Go to an animal shelter. I planned this over our latest rescued cat and got cought finally loving, and keeping, the dam beast.... Amicalement
October 30, 200916 yr On that note, I would suggest that if you have problems in the near future please dont let him loose in the street. Go to an animal shelter. I planned this over our latest rescued cat and got cought finally loving, and keeping, the dam beast.... Amicalement Hi Genetic, There are no shelters for cats in TA that I am aware of, because the city is totally overrun with them, and for the most part if they survive to adulthood, they survive quite well. They are usually well fed, and at the worse, tolerated. So that wouldn't be an option here. He'd have to go back to where he's been living, which is in the garden area of the apartment building I live in. I can still make sure to leave him food, etc, and even leave him some kitty furniture. The only issue is it being in other cat's territories, but as no-one from this building really feeds the cats, no cat that I've noticed really seems to have claimed it.
October 30, 200916 yr Hi Genetic, There are no shelters for cats in TA that I am aware of (...) Bonjour TheSloth, In what kind of barbaric city do you live.... Joking aside, your climate is so much better for the ones loose in the streets. Interesting to see that kind of cultural difference since it seems that in general you adopt informally these free cats by feeding them. I can see why this is not a priority to create animal shelters. Here in North America we forget too often that our animal shelters are a last 30 days delay before mass euthanasia. I dont know you at all but despite your lack of experience with cats the fact that you are thinking about getting ''kitty furniture'' for a street cat showed that you have an interesting potential as a pet owner. Amicalement
October 30, 200916 yr Author The biting thing is normal. He's not trying to eat you, that's just the way cats play -- it's part play, part establishing relationship. Some play rougher than others. Since your hands are your livelihood, I recommend teaching him that you don't play that way, so that it doesn't escalate. The most important thing is to stop him. I scold mine when he gets too rough, but I let him bite me when he only does it gently. He's learning -- he bites without getting too rough more frequently. And it's not just breaking skin -- if he breaks skin, you definitely need to stop him, that's usually too far even for a cat. What I mean by "too rough" is when it "stings" afterwards. I've seen a study that said cats who are played with roughly tend to be rougher when they grow up. I want a gentle cat, so I try to expose him to as little roughness as possible. But he's a male kitten, so there's also a certain amount of him naturally being that way. It's also a bit of a dominance thing -- he's trying to gain dominance of you, so by not letting him bite you, you are partly telling him that you're boss. I say "partly", because you're not biting him back. That's just a length I'm not willing to go to, to let the cat know I'm boss. Besides, eyes too close to paws. You also need to learn to clip his claws. Good luck with that. Do it early, so he'll get used to it. About once a week, depending on growth rate. Just blunt them, and make sure you don't cut his flesh. Edited October 30, 200916 yr by Dusty Chalk
October 30, 200916 yr Ok, here's the little flea and tic infested bugger on one of his regular climbs: And he has arrived at his final destination! The towel is for neck protection, and makes a good climbing aid! What's the deal with the fleas/tics (little things running around all over him)? I've seen things ranging from a special comb (can't get that until Sunday) and a good shampoo wash (he screams bloody murder and generally goes a bit nuts in water - I'm too much of a pussy!).
October 30, 200916 yr Ok, here's the little flea and tic infested bugger on one of his regular climbs: And he has arrived at his final destination! The towel is for neck protection, and makes a good climbing aid! What's the deal with the fleas/tics (little things running around all over him)? I've seen things ranging from a special comb (can't get that until Sunday) and a good shampoo wash (he screams bloody murder and generally goes a bit nuts in water - I'm too much of a pussy!). I can't see the pics. The best thing for fleas and ticks IMO is a medication called Advantage. You can buy it from online pet pharmacies much cheaper than a local vet, in this country anyway. One application will last about a month, but if he's kept inside you likely won't need to reapply. Advantage for Cats - Buy at PetShed and save $$$
October 30, 200916 yr What's the deal with the fleas/tics (little things running around all over him)? I've seen things ranging from a special comb (can't get that until Sunday) and a good shampoo wash (he screams bloody murder and generally goes a bit nuts in water - I'm too much of a pussy!). One of our cats totally does that too when given a bath. Since your guy is young, you can probably manage a bath without too much issue. If you want to give it a try here are some tips: -Get the bathtub area ready before getting him. That means get a bucket of warm water, a smaller cup/bowl to pour the water with, and the shampoo and towel laid out. -Place one hand under his torso while you use the other to rub shampoo/clean/pour water on him. Be careful not to douse water on his face, although you can wipe his face if needed. Speak to him in a calm voice while washing him so that he knows its okay. -Long-sleeve shirt may be a good idea since it's your first time.
October 31, 200916 yr Second try with the pictures... Ok, it's not working. How do you get the appropriate link to link to mobile me gallery photos?
October 31, 200916 yr Second try with the pictures... Ok, it's not working. How do you get the appropriate link to link to mobile me gallery photos? It's not possible to hotlink MobileMe photos. Switch them over to Flickr or Photobucket.
October 31, 200916 yr It's not possible to hotlink MobileMe photos. Switch them over to Flickr or Photobucket. I find it faster to email iphone photos to myself, then drag them to my desktop and upload them in my gallery here.
October 31, 200916 yr Congratulations! Our cat Enigma adopted us pretty much the same way. She jumped on Bonnie's back in the garden. Dusty's right. It's a very good idea to avoid accidentally teaching him that your hands are toys, lest he get excited and bite you too hard. Kittens tend to bite or grab everything with their mouths. He needs to learn to do it g-e-n-t-l-y. Kitten claws are razor sharp, too. They climb all over you. Then they start to lose their balance and grab on with their claws. No human gets through kittenhood with losing a little blood. We started trimming Jazz's claws quite early and it took her a longer time to learn to retract her claws when she kneads then it did for Toots, for whom we started trimming claws later. I have no idea of there was really a cause and effect relationship. (The critter will knead you as he would his mother to start the flow of milk. It's adorable, but a little tough on clothes and skin with claws extended.) Considering the amount of cat handling expertise required to do it without causing a row (and more human bloodshed) I might not rush the claw trimming. Once you have food and a litterbox in hand, it sounds like your next stop should really be the vet. He or she should have a lot of good advice. Then enjoy the love. The little guy chose you. He'll be your friend for life.
November 1, 200916 yr All my cats have been strays who decided I was the one. I've never once looked for a cat, never really wanted one, but the ones that adopted me have been great little critters, and real blessings (lots of love). I can't imagine my home without them. Congrats, Mr. Sloth, on being chosen. Get to a vet, get a couple toys, and the basics (food and litter box) and you've got a wonderful friend.
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