I adopted them

[waterflow]

The two cats that were dropped off have stayed. I have been feeding them but have decided to make them my cats. Which is really strange. I never would have thought I would have cats for pets. Am really just a dog person. I bought my first ever cat liter box, cat liter (can not believe how expensive that stuff is), cat food dishes and the ever famous liter scouper. Almost forgot that too. Now will be the task of training them and me. Not sure if I can liter train them so they can be in the house or me for having them in the house without freaking out. I have a fear of cats which I know is stupid but I do have it. Not sure why. I don't know what to do about their shots. Not sure if they had them already and what all they need. I do know rabbies and the one for leukimeia but that's all. Does anyone have any cat information or tips they can share with me? Guess I am officially the crazy old cat lady. Now all I need is the rocking chair and shawl.

[ICNDonna]

Actually all you have to do is to pick up the cat and set it down in the litter box --- that shows it where it is --- the cat will almost always go right back there to do its thing without any other training.

Donna

[meme]

Yeah, litter box training is usually really easy. Scooping it out is the not fun part (I'm lucky b/c my dog has a taste for cat turds, so she eats them before I can scoop them out ) I have found though, for easy catbox cleaning line the bottom with a newspaper and then use the cat pan liners. Its so easy, just tie the sack and dump the papers! Have you named them yet?

[Sarojini]

Cats are indeed pretty easy to teach to use the box... I remember setting a cat down next to the box and showing him myself how to dig in the litter ... LOL He watched me like I was totally crazy but he got the hint and used it after that!!!

[leelee88]

Yup there all right, Cats are very easy to train, even when they are small, its like they just know what to do and where to go.. I just wish it was so easy for dogs...

[Trishann]

Hi Waterflow, I always been afraid of cats. I get really nervous being around cats. When I was young my grandmother had wild cats and they were mean as ever.

My mother-in-law had a cat for awhile, this cat wasn't bad at all, but I never could stop that fears about being around cats.

Sounds like you already got attached to them, yep I can see you spoiling them too.

Just wanted to pop-in and say "HI".

[waterflow]

Had no clue it was that easy to litter train a cat. Seems it will take longer to get them in the house then what I had thought. Put food down on the porch floor but she would not go in far enough so I could close the door. Of all times when I want her to come all the way in. Will give it a try again but think I will wait until she is sitting in front of the door. She came in yesterday with no problems.

Meme, that's funny. My dogs liked to eat deer doo and even roll in it. One time I had just cleaned them up from their rolling adventure. Let them go and they went right back into it all messy and stinky. Maybe your dog thinks he is earning his keep that way. You don't have to buy so much cat liter or spend time cleaning it out.

Trishann, I never had a cat attack me. That would make it even worse so I know how you feel. I was born with 3 fears. Needles, cats and walking over a bridge on the sidewalk.

Yupe, named them Patches and Garfield. Yes, I am a Garfield nut. He sort of looks like Garfield but doesn't eat like him. Patches has her head in her dish and all I can see are her ears. Garfield eats like a Queen. Slow and proper.

[SandyRN]

I have 5 cats and have had many over the years since I moved out of my parent's house. You might try leaving the door open for a while and put their food just within their site. They sound like they may be a bit feral which is going to make them leery of people. Or they may have been abused....any number of things.

You definately need to get their rabies shots at the very least because if you claim the cats are yours and they bite someone, they will put the cat to sleep if there is no proof of rabies vaccination.

Also, you can buy some "Pounce" treats and lure them in the house with those...or catnip. I've never seen a cat that didn't love a tub of some good catnip. Buy the kind that is in a little tub, open it up, and let them smell it outside. I bet they'll come in to munch on it.

It might take some time but they'll get to know and trust you eventually. You did a good thing by taking in those cats. I'm the queen of strays, and still have that dog that showed up when we were putting up our Christmas lights. She's part of the family now, and spoiled rotten!

[Trishann]

Waterflow you sound like my daughter when it comes to animals. My daughter has gerbils. She named one spike because his hair sticks up and the other digger because he digs all the time.

They are older how and one has inflammation infection. She thought it might had been cancer and would have to put it down. She cry so hard. Spike is having surgery today to drain out the fluid and is on antibotics. She is still stress out from this, she just loves those little things. She is such an animal lover. But I can understand, those little things caught my attention and they are so loveable.

Spike gets mad when he has to take the antibotics. You know that little thing has an attitude. It is like after the antibotics is given to him, he is like "Don't bother me, I am mad, you can touch me later and then I will be loveable. You just wouldn't believe they had an attitude.

You cats probably will too. You will get to know their personaility. Yep they will have their own thing going.

Hugs, Trishann

[traceann]

Oh Mary, how great! I love my kitties! I have but one now, but in the heyday, I had 6.

I love the scoopable litter too - I used to use the regular stuff, and I have a box upstairs and one in the basement - well, hauling a 25 pound bag of litter up 2 sets of stairs got really old. Especially the day I was carrying a brand new bag up the stairs and it ripped - all I could do was watch helplessly as it poured down the stairs, like a waterfall or a slinky!! LMAO!! Then all I could do was laugh - what else was I gonna do, lol. But I thank my lucky stars it was CLEAN litter, so could have been much much worse!!!

As the rest have said, patience is best with these in-their-own-time critters, lol. Sounds like you are already building up trust with them as it is!! And yep, the first time you take them to the vet, and can't answer the shot question, lol, they'll probably give them their healthy-cat rounds right then.

So, I guess we should get a couple rockers, cause I always teased I was going to be the crazy old cat lady on my street - my best friend and I decided we'd live together - me and my cats, her and her: guinea pigs, horses and Prairie Dogs.

Oh I had gerbils too! I loved mine, they are just so darned cute. Told hubby I wanted hamsters, lol. Why, I don't know, just they are cute too and I always wanted a Habitrail for them...lol.

Congrats on the new "babies", lol!!

P.S. I too am a Garfield fanatic, I really loved Nermal, lol - off to Abudabi he'd go.....

[Trishann]

Hey Tracey, I'm not for sure what a habitrail is, but when my daughter first got the gerbils, she went all out and got a gerbil cage which was half plastic and half wire with tubes, it was so cute. The gerbil hate it. The draft was to much on them and they chew the plastic tubes up and hurt themselves chewing on the wires. Even the plastic bed hut, they chew it.

My daughter decide to buy an aquarium and you can buy a top mesh lid. Also you can buy clamps to keep the lit lock. She bought the plastic tubes that they can't chew and rearranged them inside the aquarium. She uses boxes for the bed and give them paper towel to make a bed, and paper plates, toliet paper rolls to chew on. She uses critter care bedding to cover the whole bottom of the aquuarium. Other stuff seems to give these little creature breathing problems.

You might already know all of this but I thought I would tell you just in case. We had no ideal about all of this stuff at first and my daughter wasted her money on all of things fanstany things.

Hugs, Trishann

[Trishann]

Hey Waterflow how is Patches and Garfield doing? Did they finally come in the house or are they still shy about it?

Sending hugs, Trishann



Tracey, I forgot my daughter also put an wxercise wheel in it. She cut the back tip off of it and double tape it the the aquarium. They love it. They don't like the wire ones to well, but the plastic one that in not enclose. She buys the better one and tape it to the aquarium so it won't be so noisy.

My daughter want me to send you a picture of them, but I don't know now. So after she gets home from school, she will send you and Waterflow one.

Hugs, Trishann

[Bessie]

Waterflow,
You are such a kind soul
I know those kitty cats just love you to pieces!!!

You are always doing the nicest things for people......I just love that you knit those little hats for the babies and now adopting those kitty cats......you are the best :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[traceann]

Oh Trishann, mine loved the wheel!! LOL Gosh, this has started me thinking of how long ago it was when I had my gerbils - I was in 3rd grade! My first ones were the class pets I took home for summer and then, a few years later after I lost them (they passed away) I got some more. They are just so cute!

Yeah, a Habitrail (I think I am close on the spelling) is the whole cage out of plastic and you can buy all kinds of connector tubes and make a huge cage out of them by connecting them to other ones etc, my girlfriend had one for her hamster way-back-when and it was so cool,lol. Hubby isn't a big fan (way too funny) so, I guess I won't get my hamsters any time soon, lol.

I think the aquarium is the best way to go, my girlfriend has them for her Guinea pigs, and they work great. She also used one for her hedgehog when she had him. I can't help it I love all kinds of critters,lol. And do send pics of them, I am dying to see them now!!!

Hey Mary, how's the new adoptees?????

[Trishann]

I did not know how to make the pic smaller so if you follow the link you should see it, Trishann's daughter.

http://x2b.xanga.com/c6188a277933132.../z22395077.jpg
http://xfb.xanga.com/737d42f33123211.../z78613608.jpg
http://x82.xanga.com/9a0d53f36073311.../z78613513.jpg

These are my daughter's gerbils. Gray one is spike and the brown one is digger.
Tracey, I don't know if hamster chews on the tube or not. I just know the gerbil do. Have a nice day.

Hugs, Trishann