New kitten....questions & advice (merged)

foreign_correspondent

I agree with that - animals and children are two different things, with different needs, but in both cases it is imperative that we understand their needs and act accordingly. If we care about them in any real sense we should respect what they are.

I am not keen on carrying a cat around in a jumper just because we find it 'cute' - much like handbag dogs it does not recognise their needs as animals. I also can see no benefit to the cat of being hairless (especially in our climate) and it seems to be a weak and sickly breed that is bred just because it looks 'different'.

It would be just as innapropriate, clearly, to let a baby or child swim in ponds, drink water from puddles, gnaw on bloody raw bones or to leave it unattended in a basket in the kitchen for a few hours whilst we go out to work! Makes for a nice life for a dog though!

In_Search_Of_Me

the problem with these cats is that they have to have a jumper as no hair to insulate and same with bath as other poster mentioned...not saying I would treat a cat as a child (they are very different of course!) or that I would agree with any cruelty to animals or chidren but my point was just because you dont want that kind of cat/having to care practically in that was doesent necc make it "sick"!! A term which could be quite hurtful/offensive to the recipient...anyway...I'll slink off now...

foreign_correspondent

Dont slink off! :-) - I can see why they need a jumper - but why would you specifically want a cat because it needs to wear a jumper, when most cats are born with beautiful, thick fur and are quite able to keep themselves warm? - these cats are being bred specifically for this quirk of hairlessness which seems to me to be an impairment for the cat.

MrsE_2

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Dont slink off! :-) - I can see why they need a jumper - but why would you specifically want a cat because it needs to wear a jumper, when most cats are born with beautiful, thick fur and are quite able to keep themselves warm? - these cats are being bred specifically for this quirk of hairlessness which seems to me to be an impairment for the cat.

Cat allergies are usually caused by cat hair, they are popular with people who would like a cat, but are allergic.

On a similar note people who like certain breeds of pedigree cat often get a bit of stick on MSE, like its wrong to want persians & now Sphinx & other unusual cats, & that moggies are the best. BUT the same pressure isn't put on dog owners, people happily discuss different dog breeds without the majority jumping in insisting that only mongrels should be had

UKTigerlily

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Dont slink off! :-) - I can see why they need a jumper - but why would you specifically want a cat because it needs to wear a jumper, when most cats are born with beautiful, thick fur and are quite able to keep themselves warm? - these cats are being bred specifically for this quirk of hairlessness which seems to me to be an impairment for the cat.

Exactly, I mean my Dog wears a Coat when out cause she needs one so I can imagine that breed of Cat needs one which is fine but to want a cute Cat because it can wear a jumper etc was how that post came across to me, I may be wrong in which case I apologise but it screamed at me of someone who wants a Cat to baby. Wanting to carry Dogs about & dress animals up is what is sick to me, animals are not kids.

I do think it's a terrible thing when Breeders of both Cats & Dogs breed unhealthy animals, how dare they mess with nature, a Cat shouldn't be hairless, afaik this isn't something that just happens? I think Cats that are are bread to get this 'look'? May be wrong.

I can see how pedigree Dogs & Cats are attractive, I love Norwegian Forest Cats, Maine Coons, Birmans & Ragdolls but wouldn't have any that were from a Breeder only Rescue ones (And not if they had health issues due to crazy breeding such as some Persians, Sphinx etc)

Buttonmoons

It makes my skin crawl thinking of that cat leaving greasy smears all over....

Some pedigrees are gorgeous, I saw an ad for a burmilla cat and OH had to practically wrestle the phone out of my hand, so gorgeous. I don't think I would ever buy one, because most of them are high maintenance, can't beat a regular ol' moggy!

Got a quick Q, my cat is just over 1, and since being neutered she has piled on weight, she's a long cat but supposed to be slender, when she got weighed at the vets after getting done she weighed 3.7kg and I was told to get her too loose a bit, well she's put ON weight, I think it's because she isn't as active and ALSO she has been pinching food! Before she got done, you could thrown prawns, chicken, beef at her chops and she would turn her nose up, but NOW she is constantly on the mooch, I mean I just GIVE her a sachet of food and she is back in the kitchen howling her face off at me, she constantly just sits and stares at me until I make eye contact and thats her mewing again. She nicked a pancake off my DD! I've seen her hoovering up all the crumbs my daughter has dropped. She is out of control!

How do I make her loose the beef? She looks quite silly being fat, esp when she is sitting down, her belly has a life of it's own.

I give her 1 1/2 sachet of cat food and a handful of biscuits for during the night. I don't think that's excessive?! I think it's because she is super lazy.

UKTigerlily

Personally I see much more pressure on Dog Owners, but that may be cause I own both Cat & Dogs & use Dog forums & such idk?

foreign_correspondent

Re: cats and dogs - I do tend to prefer mongrels and moggies, but I would never get an animal that wasnt rescued anyway Mrs E, whether it was pedigree or not - and its not just cats that suffer from being bred for looks.

I think anyone who is concerned with animal's welfare cannot ignore that some breeds of dogs and cats are made more likely to suffer by being bred for certain looks - from alsatians, with their sloping back ends to pugs and bulldogs with their respiratory problems, and dogue de bordeaux with their horribly short lifespan, I cannot feel that crating animals with such inherited health problems caused by breeding for certain features, which is for the benefit of humans, not the animals (does a cat or dog give a monkeys about how it looks?) does not raise ethical issues.

UKTigerlily

Buttonmoons wrote: »

It makes my skin crawl thinking of that cat leaving greasy smears all over....

Some pedigrees are gorgeous, I saw an ad for a burmilla cat and OH had to practically wrestle the phone out of my hand, so gorgeous. I don't think I would ever buy one, because most of them are high maintenance, can't beat a regular ol' moggy!

Got a quick Q, my cat is just over 1, and since being neutered she has piled on weight, she's a long cat but supposed to be slender, when she got weighed at the vets after getting done she weighed 3.7kg and I was told to get her too loose a bit, well she's put ON weight, I think it's because she isn't as active and ALSO she has been pinching food! Before she got done, you could thrown prawns, chicken, beef at her chops and she would turn her nose up, but NOW she is constantly on the mooch, I mean I just GIVE her a sachet of food and she is back in the kitchen howling her face off at me, she constantly just sits and stares at me until I make eye contact and thats her mewing again. She nicked a pancake off my DD! I've seen her hoovering up all the crumbs my daughter has dropped. She is out of control!

How do I make her loose the beef? She looks quite silly being fat, esp when she is sitting down, her belly has a life of it's own.

I give her 1 1/2 sachet of cat food and a handful of biscuits for during the night. I don't think that's excessive?! I think it's because she is super lazy.

Awww! They do have a tendancy to gain weight when spayed as it can slow their metabolism & increase appetite apparently. What you give her doesn't sound excessive, mine has two pouches a day (200g) which is half what the manufacturers would like you to believe they need! Dry can cause weight gain, maybe just stick to the wet?

Have you increased her activity? Could you hide her dry food so she has to work to get to it? So treat balls, roll it up in loo rolls etc etc? 3.7 isn't big for a Cat but they're all different, mine looks thin @ 3.87kg & is best at 4kg. I'd try to increase her activity levels & stop her having tit bits from the plates first off then see how she goes?

foreign_correspondent

Buttonmoons - are there ways of exercising cats? Is she an indoor cat? maybe its worth getting her something to play with or chase - and I think if she is fat, reduce her food by 1/3 for a few weeks and see if that solves it - it should do!