Impossible Cat

[orange&white]

At that elevation, you're in wine country. It's been several years back, but I remember trying a High Plains wine at a wine tasting.

 

[susieqz]

you don't give your doggie a bath?
not sure about your sense of smell.
my dogs tend to stink in a month.
drifter doesn't have to have a bath unless she wants to get on my bed.
i have seen her roll around outside.
do they like eggs?
i can give her one tomorrow if it doesn't cause tummy upset, or potty problems.

 

[orange&white]

My Corgi doesn't smell "doggie". He's had 3 or 4 baths in his 10-years. My Cairn Terrier (rest her soul) was a doggie-smelling dog. I think the healthier they are, the less they smell. My terrier had chronic kidney disease and her odor got worse over time as those organs quit functioning. She got bathed a lot more often.

Cats have almost no scent...especially in comparison to dogs.

 

[susieqz]

ok, no scent, but i don't think licking herself will get all the sand off.

one whole egg yolk per cat?
seems like a lot.

 

[maggiedemi]

I think the egg white is dangerous to cats if uncooked? Did you rub the catnip between your fingers as you sprinkle it? I guess that releases the scent or something. I sprinkled some on Demi's food last night and he was purring the whole time he was eating! Orange, no I don't think I've ever tried feeding Maggie on my lap. I'm usually busy scooping their litter boxes and doing clean up from their breakfast, so I don't really stay with them while they eat.

 

[orange&white]

ok, no scent, but i don't think licking herself will get all the sand off.

one whole egg yolk per cat?
seems like a lot.

I would just brush the sand off her instead of bathing.

My cats eat an egg yolk per week, but it's mixed into their food so essentially they are eating a little bit of yolk every day. (And to Maggie's point, you don't want to feed pets raw egg whites. There is an enzyme in raw whites that binds to biotin and makes it unavailable as a nutrient.)

Some kitties do like a scrambled egg now and then.

 

[susieqz]

i remember using egg yolks on my hair but that was topical.
used beer too.

here's a question for you guys.
could scratching have anything at all to do with a lack of confidence?
maybe with a little pocket of fear you can't see?
i notice that drifter is super confident n i bet your normal kitties are too.

i watched drifter saunter over, after she was done playing with a bug.
she got up on the deck n walked over n plopped down with her front paws on
my arm as she pressed against me.
she knew for a fact that she would get cuddled.
supremely confident.
same when she's in the house she never hides or anything.
she is totally confident in herself n in me.
i suspect , but can't prove, that a confident cat won't scratch.

what do you think?

 

[orange&white]

Cats have to scratch to wear off the outer layer (or sheath) of their claws. It keeps their claws healthy. They also have scent glands in their paws, so it's an instinctive way to leave their scent.

I do believe that Drifter is a wonderfully confident cat.

 

[maggiedemi]

I think they have to scratch their nails on something to file them down or they would get so long that they couldn't walk and they would get caught on everything. Drifter is such a good girl, she probably does all her nail filing outside.

 

[foxxycat]

try a yeoweee banana for a toy-all my cats all played with them-licking. biting. rolling around on them. I tried all the other brands-junk. Stick with yellow bananas...not sure what they put in them but my girls love them.

Honeybee rolls in dirt too. pumpkin face as well. I just brush it off them...a good brushing helps fur get shiny. It's very hard to shampoo a cat=their fur doesn't get wet as much as our hair-it will dampen but doesn't get soaking wet like ours=it dries too fast=best bet is to use a brush on drifter. you can start with an old tooth brush=that way if she doesn't like it=she can bite the brush and it won't hurt her gums. I used this on my elderly angel Floey..she hated brushings but tolerated the toothbrush - it works great for arm pits! And long enough to not get clawed.

 

[susieqz]

i'm gonna see if building confidence works for my training. i've picked drifter up a
couple of times n she wasn't pleased.
now, i'll only pick her up when i can sit right down n cuddle her.
i will attempt to build confidence in being picked up til she loves it.
you guys said most kitties don't like being carried around like a baby doll.
if i can get her to the point that i can lug her around for a long time, that will prove
confidence building works.
as far as lack of confidence causing a cat to scratch you, that may not be true.
i'm just trying to learn how a cat's mind works.
my problem is i have never known any other feral cats n my experience with normal cats is limited.
that's why i have to keep asking you questions.

 

[orange&white]

Questions are great! I'm sure enjoying your and Drifter's journey.

 

[maggiedemi]

You might be right about cats behaving better when they are feeling more confident. Or maybe when they are feeling happier too. Maggie was purring today when I was measuring out her dry food and putting it on her plate. I was like what the heck, why are you being so nice to me? She usually doesn't purr much. Maybe she's starting to like me.

 

[susieqz]

have you been stroking her, mag?

 

[maggiedemi]

Yes, she was fine with me petting her while she was eating.

 

[susieqz]

we just had another boxing match, with her next to my feet, on the couch.
no claws but i limited it.
i don't know what's with this cat.
i could have stopped with a shout, but then she'd go hide in the bathroom.
i notice when i move my legs, she gave them that evil look of hers til she went to sleep..
this is very strange.
this is the only place she does this.

 

[maggiedemi]

My cats get that evil look when they want to play and attack something.

 

[orange&white]

Farrell glares intently at my feet and legs when I move them under the covers. I believe she is assessing "Prey or human? Threat or no threat? Can I pounce or will I get scolded?"

I played "thing moving under the blanket" with her for a few weeks, encouraging to pounce and wrestle my hand under several layers of fleece blanket. That game permanently stopped when she started attacking my feet under the sheets when there was no protective layer of fleece between me and her claws/teeth.

 

[foxxycat]

when picking up cats-I always put their front paws on my shoulder and hold bum/legs with arm. They feel more in control this way. Don't pick them up and flip upside down like a baby unless of course you have a floppy kitty who likes it. Honeybee growls when I do this. Pumps HATES getting picked up but tolerates it now that we do meds twice a day. It's all in routine. Get into routine and she will be fine. Just bend down and tap your shoulder-usually I do this when they are up on the couch or object so I don't have to crouch down. Tap shoulder-they put paws on shoulder and I scoop bum/back legs with right arm and with left hand pet them as we walk through the room.

 

[maggiedemi]

I can hold Demi like a baby if he's wrapped in a blanket, shirt, or towel. I haven't tried holding them up by my shoulder yet, since I don't know if they would try to rip my face off. But I'll try it.