Adopted a cat, what's next?

[q0192837465]

Hi all,

My mom just adopted a cat yesterday and I have no idea what to do. She got it from a friend, who got it from a neighbor who can no longer have a cat. I'm going shopping this weekend but I dun even know where to start. And what about check ups. We have no history of the cat, we dun even know how old it is. What should I do?

[becmonchu]

First off, you will need the following:

1) Litter Box
2) Litter - Clumping kind. There are many sorts...clay, pine, corn, etc (Clay can not be flushed)
3) Litter Scoop - to pic up poop
4) Food and water bowls - fresh water all the time
5) Food - since you dont know what kind of food they are on now, pic up a good quality food, no grain , fillers etc that kind of stuff... note that they will have diahhrea for the first few days to adjust to the food.

Nice to have is some toys for it to play with, scratching post of some sort for it to deter from scratching other things...

Then when you can, take it to the vet to get a checkup...

[stevelam]

do you know if the cat is fixed or not? if not, definitely get it done immediately. i hope your family realizes what kind of expenses a cat will have. any reason why you/your mom wouldn't know the age/sex/health condition/type of food the cat is used to?

[joeyjoejoe]

First off, you will need the following:

1) Litter Box
2) Litter - Clumping kind. There are many sorts...clay, pine, corn, etc (Clay can not be flushed)
3) Litter Scoop - to pic up poop
4) Food and water bowls - fresh water all the time
5) Food - since you dont know what kind of food they are on now, pic up a good quality food, no grain , fillers etc that kind of stuff... note that they will have diahhrea for the first few days to adjust to the food.

Nice to have is some toys for it to play with, scratching post of some sort for it to deter from scratching other things...

Then when you can, take it to the vet to get a checkup...

And since this is RFD... you don't have to break the bank getting stuff.

1) Litter Box -Walmart is usually the cheapest option
2) Litter - Clumping kind. There are many sorts...clay, pine, corn, etc (Clay can not be flushed) -depends on what the cat is used to. Best to do the same as the previous owner and gradually switch to what you prefer
3) Litter Scoop - to pic up poop - dollar store
4) Food and water bowls - fresh water all the time -dollar store
5) Food - since you dont know what kind of food they are on now, pic up a good quality food, no grain , fillers etc that kind of stuff... note that they will have diahhrea for the first few days to adjust to the food. -Best to stick to what the cat is used to and then ween to better stuff if it's been eating crap brands this whole time...

The dollar store may be good for lots of pet supplies (brushes, food mats, toys, etc), but AVOID THE FOOD!

A cat tree is a must. They are cheaper at Walmart, but the cheapest way is to build your own.


do you know if the cat is fixed or not? if not, definitely get it done immediately. i hope your family realizes what kind of expenses a cat will have. any reason why you/your mom wouldn't know the age/sex/health condition/type of food the cat is used to?

+1

Try to get as much information as possible from the previous owner. Doing things as similar as what the cat is acustomed to will make the transition much smoother.

Props for your mom adopting a cat!

[q0192837465]

First off, you will need the following:

1) Litter Box
2) Litter - Clumping kind. There are many sorts...clay, pine, corn, etc (Clay can not be flushed)
3) Litter Scoop - to pic up poop
4) Food and water bowls - fresh water all the time
5) Food - since you dont know what kind of food they are on now, pic up a good quality food, no grain , fillers etc that kind of stuff... note that they will have diahhrea for the first few days to adjust to the food.

Nice to have is some toys for it to play with, scratching post of some sort for it to deter from scratching other things...

Then when you can, take it to the vet to get a checkup...

Thanks, that sounds like a good start.


do you know if the cat is fixed or not? if not, definitely get it done immediately. i hope your family realizes what kind of expenses a cat will have. any reason why you/your mom wouldn't know the age/sex/health condition/type of food the cat is used to?

I just found out more.

Cat is a male, fixed. Health condition is marginal because previous owner neglected him and decided to dump him when they moved away. Dunno much about the food he is used to so I guess I'll buy smaller packs & experiment. But given how he was treated, I wouldn't be surprised if he had been eating dollar store food all his life.


And since this is RFD... you don't have to break the bank getting stuff.

1) Litter Box -Walmart is usually the cheapest option
2) Litter - Clumping kind. There are many sorts...clay, pine, corn, etc (Clay can not be flushed) -depends on what the cat is used to. Best to do the same as the previous owner and gradually switch to what you prefer
3) Litter Scoop - to pic up poop - dollar store
4) Food and water bowls - fresh water all the time -dollar store
5) Food - since you dont know what kind of food they are on now, pic up a good quality food, no grain , fillers etc that kind of stuff... note that they will have diahhrea for the first few days to adjust to the food. -Best to stick to what the cat is used to and then ween to better stuff if it's been eating crap brands this whole time...

The dollar store may be good for lots of pet supplies (brushes, food mats, toys, etc), but AVOID THE FOOD!

A cat tree is a must. They are cheaper at Walmart, but the cheapest way is to build your own.

Thanks for the tips. Btw, what's a "cat tree"?

[Focus]

First make sure all the shot are up to date and visit the vet just to make sure.

Cat tree is like scratching post.

Buy a good nail clipper.

As for food, get the best you can afford. I suggest Orijen. $24 per 4lb, should last you 2-3 wk.

Buy a brush

Remember flash water every 24hr, you can reuse clean yogurt container(the big one, not the small cup)

Remember you can not force cat to do things or let you do things on them.

A lot of TLC

PM me for any further questions. Good luck.

[ix3katz]

yes, remember to get a scratching post!

also a nail clipper for ocassional grooming

catnip (optional..its like weed for cats but no side effects) and toys?

mini toothbrush + toothpaste for cats

besides buying all these things, should bring the cat to the vet sometime to check that all shots and checkups are up to date
im sure the vet can answer whatever questions u have as well :)

ps. for food, i recommend science diet .... $40 can get you a giant pack for several months! my vet recommended this actually... oh and i pick dry food instead of wet canned ones. its just easier ... unless if your cat doesn't drink water, then you might need wet food instead of dry

also try not to switch the food too often, your cat might not like it and get an upset stomach. when you're switching food, feed them part old food, part new food ...n gradually mix in more and more to prevent chance of upset stomach

AND DO NOT GIVE HIM MILK!! cats are lactose intolerant... people never seem to know this

[joeyjoejoe]

yes, remember to get a scratching post!

also a nail clipper for ocassional grooming

catnip (optional..its like weed for cats but no side effects) and toys?

mini toothbrush + toothpaste for cats

besides buying all these things, should bring the cat to the vet sometime to check that all shots and checkups are up to date
im sure the vet can answer whatever questions u have as well :)

ps. for food, i recommend science diet .... $40 can get you a giant pack for several months! my vet recommended this actually... oh and i pick dry food instead of wet canned ones. its just easier ... unless if your cat doesn't drink water, then you might need wet food instead of dry

also try not to switch the food too often, your cat might not like it and get an upset stomach. when you're switching food, feed them part old food, part new food ...n gradually mix in more and more to prevent chance of upset stomach

AND DO NOT GIVE HIM MILK!! cats are lactose intolerant... people never seem to know this

I agree with everything except your view on food. Science Diet is marginally better than the crap you find at grocery stores. It's filled with corn and grain which is not beneficial to your cat in any way.

The best diet is raw... but most people don't have the time to do that. The next best thing is going with food companies like Innova or Wellness.

Also wet > dry... end of story. A cat can live on dry food and be perfectly healthy and never develop diseases like UTI, but the reality is the likelihood of UTI is much higher for cats on a dry food only diet vs wet food. I'm a bit of a hypocrate because I do give my cats dry food. However, it's wet in the morning, wet after work, and a small bowl of dry, so they don't wake me up at 4am because they got the munchies.

Here's a great source to read up on cat nutrition: http://www.catinfo.org/

[hi-tech]

yes, remember to get a scratching post!

also a nail clipper for ocassional grooming

catnip (optional..its like weed for cats but no side effects) and toys?

mini toothbrush + toothpaste for cats

besides buying all these things, should bring the cat to the vet sometime to check that all shots and checkups are up to date
im sure the vet can answer whatever questions u have as well :)

ps. for food, i recommend science diet .... $40 can get you a giant pack for several months! my vet recommended this actually... oh and i pick dry food instead of wet canned ones. its just easier ... unless if your cat doesn't drink water, then you might need wet food instead of dry

also try not to switch the food too often, your cat might not like it and get an upset stomach. when you're switching food, feed them part old food, part new food ...n gradually mix in more and more to prevent chance of upset stomach

AND DO NOT GIVE HIM MILK!! cats are lactose intolerant... people never seem to know this

I don't know about that, my cat LOVES yogurt. She eats half a container and never vomits. I believe some cats may simply be more lactose intolerant than others.

[ix3katz]

^ yah they do eat / drink it ...my cat loves milk actually
but it's not good for their stomach ... highly increases the chance of diarrhea... so better not =x and milk these days = lots of sugar and what not that your cat's stomach might not take in properly

[antichrysler]

It really depends on the cat. Just like everyone said make sure you don't get cheap food. It's full of fillers and it's just not good for your cat. Better food doesn't cost much more and your cat will be happier.

I know my cat loves bbq food. He loves to eat corn on the cob, steak, etc. He also loves milk. He hasn't had any issues with it. Whenever he goes to the vet they always tell me he's perfectly healthy (aside from being slightly overweight).

Also for cat litter costco is the cheapest. The clumping kind is like $9 for 50lbs.

I actually found the best deal for a cat tree is at Zellers. They had one for $40 that goes all the way to the ceiling with 3 branches coming off it the cat can sit on. My cat loves it, he goes on the top one and looks out the patio. Sometimes he hunts my guests as they walk in the door.

Also, whatever you do, don't get your cat declawed.

[suzy.wong]

I don't know about that, my cat LOVES yogurt. She eats half a container and never vomits. I believe some cats may simply be more lactose intolerant than others.

my cat loves yogurt too, but I only give her a tiny lick from the container cover or residue ... can't take any chances of her getting ill.

[hover42]

You're well on your way to having a happy cat.:)

I've had cats for about 25 years, so here's my 2 cents:

1. Food: try to give it at least one meal a day of wet (canned) food. The portion should be between 50 and 80 grams. Male cats have a tendency to develop urinary tract infections (UTI) if fed on dry food exclusively. What I've found to work well is one meal of wet food and one meal of dry food (about 35 grams) per day. I got a cheap scale at dealextreme ($12 or so) to weigh the food; that way, the cat doesn't overeat and there's a lesser chance it will get fat. It has been said that the cheapest wet cat food is better fro a cat than the most expensive dry food.

2. Do check the cat for parasites; specifically, fleas. Fleas leave their crap in the cat's fur and this crap can be easily spotted (it has the shape of a comma, and is nearly black) especially against a white background. So, if your cat has white fur anywhere, search through it.

3. Some cats are lactose intolerant, many are not. Try by giving him 10 milliliters or so and see; if the cat starts having diarrhea, he's lactose intolerant and stop the milk.


4. Cats love to play, so go get him a sponge ball; they're great to throw against the wall and many cats like them.

5. If the cat lived outside for some time, he may have ticks. Ticks are easy to spot as you groom the cat. He may also have worms; they will eventually show up as what looks like thin and short spaghetti strands in the cat's vomit or as "grains of rice" around the cat's anus (those particles are actually live worm segments that die within a few hours once they've left the intestinal tract), so be careful when you handle them.

Cats usually love human company and will want to lie down on your thighs as you're watching TV or sleep next to you in your bed. They sometimes take a bit of time to know you before getting friendly.

If you need more advice, don't hesitate to PM me. Cats require little time and effort to keep, and will keep you good company if you so desire.

(FYI: I have 8 cats at the moment. 6 in the house and 2 strays outside that I can't let inside because they have FIV (felime immunodeficiency virus))

And, as pointed out by others: please don't have your cat declawed. This is actually an amputation of the outermost bone on the cat's fingers and can leave the cat with long-term pain and/or odd behavior.

[suzy.wong]

You're well on your way to having a happy cat.:)

I've had cats for about 25 years, so here's my 2 cents:

1. Food: try to give it at least one meal a day of wet (canned) food. The portion should be between 50 and 80 grams. Male cats have a tendency to develop urinary tract infections (UTI) if fed on dry food exclusively. What I've found to work well is one meal of wet food and one meal of dry food (about 35 grams) per day. I got a cheap scale at dealextreme ($12 or so) to weigh the food; that way, the cat doesn't overeat and there's a lesser chance it will get fat. It has been said that the cheapest wet cat food is better fro a cat than the most expensive dry food.

2. Do check the cat for parasites; specifically, fleas. Fleas leave their crap in the cat's fur and this crap can be easily spotted (it has the shape of a comma, and is nearly black) especially against a white background. So, if your cat has white fur anywhere, search through it.

3. Some cats are lactose intolerant, many are not. Try by giving him 10 milliliters or so and see; if the cat starts having diarrhea, he's lactose intolerant and stop the milk.


4. Cats love to play, so go get him a sponge ball; they're great to throw against the wall and many cats like them.

5. If the cat lived outside for some time, he may have ticks. Ticks are easy to spot as you groom the cat. He may also have worms; they will eventually show up as what looks like thin and short spaghetti strands in the cat's vomit or as "grains of rice" around the cat's anus (those particles are actually live worm segments that die within a few hours once they've left the intestinal tract), so be careful when you handle them.

Cats usually love human company and will want to lie down on your thighs as you're watching TV or sleep next to you in your bed. They sometimes take a bit of time to know you before getting friendly.

If you need more advice, don't hesitate to PM me. Cats require little time and effort to keep, and will keep you good company if you so desire.

(FYI: I have 8 cats at the moment. 6 in the house and 2 strays outside that I can't let inside because they have FIV (felime immunodeficiency virus))

And, as pointed out by others: please don't have your cat declawed. This is actually an amputation of the outermost bone on the cat's fingers and can leave the cat with long-term pain and/or odd behavior.

holy Christ! thats alot of cats!! I got one and can barely handle that.

[hover42]

holy Christ! thats alot of cats!! I got one and can barely handle that.

I know it was not your intent, but use of such religious words in this context is typically seen as unnecessary and offensive for many people. But, I digress...

Caring for more than 1 cat is not much more trouble than caring for one. Add an extra litter box and an extra bowl for each extra cat. Plus, the cats play with each other and tend to need humans less. So, overall, it's a win-win situation for all.

[Agent95]

Don't give it cow milk btw ... I heard it gives it diarheaa

[q0192837465]

You're well on your way to having a happy cat.:)

I've had cats for about 25 years, so here's my 2 cents:

1. Food: try to give it at least one meal a day of wet (canned) food. The portion should be between 50 and 80 grams. Male cats have a tendency to develop urinary tract infections (UTI) if fed on dry food exclusively. What I've found to work well is one meal of wet food and one meal of dry food (about 35 grams) per day. I got a cheap scale at dealextreme ($12 or so) to weigh the food; that way, the cat doesn't overeat and there's a lesser chance it will get fat. It has been said that the cheapest wet cat food is better fro a cat than the most expensive dry food.

2. Do check the cat for parasites; specifically, fleas. Fleas leave their crap in the cat's fur and this crap can be easily spotted (it has the shape of a comma, and is nearly black) especially against a white background. So, if your cat has white fur anywhere, search through it.

3. Some cats are lactose intolerant, many are not. Try by giving him 10 milliliters or so and see; if the cat starts having diarrhea, he's lactose intolerant and stop the milk.


4. Cats love to play, so go get him a sponge ball; they're great to throw against the wall and many cats like them.

5. If the cat lived outside for some time, he may have ticks. Ticks are easy to spot as you groom the cat. He may also have worms; they will eventually show up as what looks like thin and short spaghetti strands in the cat's vomit or as "grains of rice" around the cat's anus (those particles are actually live worm segments that die within a few hours once they've left the intestinal tract), so be careful when you handle them.

Cats usually love human company and will want to lie down on your thighs as you're watching TV or sleep next to you in your bed. They sometimes take a bit of time to know you before getting friendly.

If you need more advice, don't hesitate to PM me. Cats require little time and effort to keep, and will keep you good company if you so desire.

(FYI: I have 8 cats at the moment. 6 in the house and 2 strays outside that I can't let inside because they have FIV (felime immunodeficiency virus))

And, as pointed out by others: please don't have your cat declawed. This is actually an amputation of the outermost bone on the cat's fingers and can leave the cat with long-term pain and/or odd behavior.

Thanks for the advice.

I suspect he has fleas since he has been scratching a lot. I bought him a flea collar and I hope that'll take care of that. The vet has taken a stool sample so I guess I'll find out about parasites once the report is out. One thing I havent done is buying him toys. Those cat trees r kinda expensive. There are some scratching boards that u can hang from the door. Will those be good enough?

[DJSINR]

Thanks for the advice.

I suspect he has fleas since he has been scratching a lot. I bought him a flea collar and I hope that'll take care of that. The vet has taken a stool sample so I guess I'll find out about parasites once the report is out. One thing I havent done is buying him toys. Those cat trees r kinda expensive. There are some scratching boards that u can hang from the door. Will those be good enough?

If it's a kitten, try to train it to go poop in a toilet, they sell the kits @ petsmart... kitty litter is aweful to change barf!!

also get it used to using a scratch post (saves ur furniture..) put catnip on the scratch post to get it used to it..

those scratch things they sell on tv work very well too, they trim the cat nails and they actually work!!

[joeyjoejoe]

Thanks for the advice.

I suspect he has fleas since he has been scratching a lot. I bought him a flea collar and I hope that'll take care of that. The vet has taken a stool sample so I guess I'll find out about parasites once the report is out. One thing I havent done is buying him toys. Those cat trees r kinda expensive. There are some scratching boards that u can hang from the door. Will those be good enough?

A very standard scratching post isn't all that expensive. It's just a pole with sisal rope wrapped around and sits on a base (about a foot and a half tall). Usually around the $10 to $25 range... Petcetra has one that goes on sale regularly for around $8.

I don't know other's experienses with those disposable cardboard ones, but my cats don't care for them.

Cat trees can be very expensive and I find most of them poorly built. I might make a thread on cat tree building in the near future. It's much cheaper to do it yourself and the materials are pretty much free.

Another thing... don't go nuts buying all sorts of toys for your cat. They'll all end up under your fridge. lol Sometimes the most simplistic things are the best toys. For example, I have no carpet, so when I throw a water bottle cap across the floor it makes lots of noise and skips across. My cats love to chase them and one of them will even bring it back to me. Boxes, crumpled paper, plastic straws, etc are all inexpensive toys.

[hover42]

Cat trees can be very expensive and I find most of them poorly built. I might make a thread on cat tree building in the near future. It's much cheaper to do it yourself and the materials are pretty much free.



If you do, I'm sure it would be appreciated by a few of us cat-lovers.

[blackhawk]

Don't give it cow milk btw ... I heard it gives it diarheaa

I live in dairy country and there's a thousand barn cats within 10 miles of me that would disagree with you.

[penipitcher]

Since this is RFD, I'd seriously tell you that you don't have to spend a lot of money on cat toys. JoeyJoeJoe knows what he's talking about on that topic and about food. My cat is actually happier playing with xmas giftwrap tubes, cardboard boxes, kleenex boxes than the more expensive toys I buy her.

Food wise, yes. You'll hear all sorts of stories about how 'My cat is on -insert cheap cat food name-, and they're totally health and fine.' Ok well, some people have been smoking all their lives and they're lung cancer free. We're talking about INCREASED RISK of developing health issues in the future.

Just like people cats also have preferences. Generally speaking, stick with wet food especially for male cats (yes, the increased risk of urinary tract infection). The following brands are all grain free (free of fillers): Nature's Variety Instinct, Merrick Before Grain, Petcurean GO!. A general rule is anything you find in a supermarket is not going to be good quality. Another thing is a rotational diet. Cats can get pretty stubborn about what food their eating. You want to rotate them every once in a while with different brands so they don't imprint on one particular one in case it becomes unavailable in the future. As well, you can get a good balance of nutrients this way.

Anyways, people will offer all sorts of advice. Some good and some not as good. Do your own research, look through the advice and be your own judge.

[Eyeman]

I know it was not your intent, but use of such religious words in this context is typically seen as unnecessary and offensive for many people. .

Who cares. If people what to follow some silly superstition, that's there problem. Going holy Christ, is no different from going holy Batman or holy tooth fairy.

Just remember, you are the subject who brought it up, not me. I'm just here to defend free speech from the PC religion Nazis.

[Mark77]

The beautiful thing about cats, generally, is that, if a particular food makes them sick (ie: milk), they'll simply learn to avoid it. So you can most definitely give a cat milk. If they drink it, and it doesn't sit well with their stomach, then, very likely, the next time you put it out, they simply won't drink it.

My cat of 20 years, when he was younger, refused to drink water but always insisted on (cow's) milk. He didn't switch to water until he was 12-14. Oh yeah, and he hated liver with a passion! Everything he killed and brought home, he would eat all of the meat and bones, but managed to leave the liver. After a summer of bringing home mice, rabbits, and other miscellaneous creatures, the back deck had a dozen or two pieces of dried up liver on it!

[7KXakq]

Nail clippers - never seen these for cats and never used them (had cats all my child & adult life). IMO clipping a cats nails is entirely uncalled for and possibly inhumane (esp if not done properly).

If you think you want to use these please check OSPCA etc to see if it's even humane and/or proper technique.

Please NEVER EVER de-claw a cat - very inhumane IMO. And for a cat that goes outside you've just disarmed them - they can't effectively defend themselves, if ever needed.

My present cat, she like to 'claw' at small carpets (runners, etc). I find her shed 'nails' around from time to time - IMO this is the proper way for a cat's nails to be 'groomed' - the natural (and cheaper & simpler!) way. I toss 'em in the compost bin. Her shed whiskers I've kept in the past, since I made a wee, wee paintbrush from a pair some time ago (using nail polish I re-painted numbers & symbols on a phone handset).

Food - talk to a vet BUT BEWARE THEY WILL TRY TO GET YOU TO BUY WAY OVERPRICED 'HIGH-END' STUFF FROM THEM. Evil, evil practise IMO.

Best cat food advice I got (from an honest, non-self-promoting vet) was this: friskies & all the cheap (often highly-advertised) stuff is like feeding your cat Mc D's every day ... with the expected health outcome. My vet told me to try Performatrin, the 'house brand' from Pet Valu. My cat likes it, it's reasonably priced and healthful.

I never buy anything from the vet except prescribed meds, and their professional services.

Raw food is probably best & closest to natural but as mentioned, rather impractical.

If the cat presently eats a certain food don't immediately switch unless you like cleaning up diarrhea - do a gradual cutover. Many pet food stores will give you free tiny-sample bags of food so you can see if your cat likes something new (still, slowly migrate to new food though).
May pet food stores will let you return an opened, mostly full bag if your cat disagrees with a new food - check before buying tho.

IMO 'Science Diet', Iams et al are way over-priced.

Consider checking the label for a food that is "made in Canada" - couple of years ago with the mad-cow issue, some pet food made in USA couldn't be imported into Canada. You don't want to force a food change upon your cat because of trade disputes, border closures, etc.

Cat scratch posts, IMO, NEVER get used by a cat (my cat likes bathmats & those small carpets for scratching).

For a good cat toy consider the cheapest *catnip-filled* toy you can find (e.g. 'catnip mini-socks'). Cat will usually suckle most all the flavour & 'buzz' out of the toy. Then pick it up, let it dry out and put in a sealed container (e.g. sour cream) with some 'loose' catnip. In a week take it out and cat will go bonkers again.

Get a break-away collar, with name-tag. Fill out info. (Or micro-chip the cat if that doesn't trigger your fear of big-brother'esque 'tracking').

For cat litter, yes, clumping is best. Don't bother with 'scented' stuff - smells extra-bad when wet with pee, and the 'scent' is probably full of bad/evil/nasty/unknown chemies.

Have fun! Cat's are pretty easy to care for and if well-treated and loved are often very, very affectionate back.

Meow!

[joeyjoejoe]

Nail clippers - never seen these for cats and never used them (had cats all my child & adult life). IMO clipping a cats nails is entirely uncalled for and possibly inhumane (esp if not done properly).


I wouldn't go that far. But I can understand the problems with clipping. If cut too deep (cutting into the quick), it can be very painful for the cat and will bleed. Also cracking the nail can be bad too. But a cat with long nails can snap off or crack, which can be painful for the cat. Untrimmed nails are very sharp and even though the cat doesn't intend to scratch the leather couch, he might leave some holes.

A good pair of clippers will make cracks much less likely, but to completely avoid any cracking, you can use a dremmel drill. You are basically sanding the nail down. The hard part is getting the cat acustomed to it. There are products out there that come with guards, so you don't shave too much.

[suzy.wong]

I wouldn't go that far. But I can understand the problems with clipping. If cut too deep (cutting into the quick), it can be very painful for the cat and will bleed. Also cracking the nail can be bad too. But a cat with long nails can snap off or crack, which can be painful for the cat. Untrimmed nails are very sharp and even though the cat doesn't intend to scratch the leather couch, he might leave some holes.

A good pair of clippers will make cracks much less likely, but to completely avoid any cracking, you can use a dremmel drill. You are basically sanding the nail down. The hard part is getting the cat acustomed to it. There are products out there that come with guards, so you don't shave too much.

it's easier to clip cats nails rather than dogs, because their pink cuticles are more visible to avoid over-cutting.

[hover42]

Who cares. If people what to follow some silly superstition, that's there problem. Going holy Christ, is no different from going holy Batman or holy tooth fairy.

Just remember, you are the subject who brought it up, not me. I'm just here to defend free speech from the PC religion Nazis.

Get real! Although I'm not religious, I care enough about others to strive to not offend them. Claiming "free speech" is an easy cop-out; will you defend my right to state here that you are an a$$hole who loves to play with himself because it's the only way you get gratification and you have little knowledge of history or little common sense? Is that what you call "free speech"?

I'm pretty sure the original poster who stated "holy Christ" simply did not know it was impolite, whereas you simply want to play devil's advocate...

FYI: bad spelling: "there problem" ... hee-hee, you must be 13.

[ricsad]

I live in dairy country and there's a thousand barn cats within 10 miles of me that would disagree with you.

Cats can drink milk occasionally but don't need it. They shouldn't always be drinking milk because many are lactose intolerant. If you do feed it milk, only feed it organic milk. Non organic milk contains a lot of pus, hormones, antibiotics, etc. That's why less people are drinking milk these days and switching to organic if they like milk.