General Chat

For those that followed this thread over the last couple of days, the cat's real Mum has just phoned asking if we'll take her back. She has a labrador and a jack russell who does not get on with the cat, and she thought the cat would be better off with us as we had cared for and loved her so much. Trouble is, the kids are already excited about the kittens we will be looking at next week, and I think I would rather start afresh with a couple of kittens of our very own. What do other people think? Liz x

We have always had cats and as to changin the litter tray, well we do it every day , but if he leaves you a li'l 'pressie', remove it a.s.a.p. or it'll make your house stink :-o

Thanks Carol. I was hoping that there may be another solution - I removed the liner and litter today and it was an enormous great bagful which I could hardly get in the dustbin. So I will have to cope with 7 per week then. Oh dear... I did remove the 'solids' this afternoon as soon as they were deposited. Yuk!! Liz x

Hehe, that's one of the joys of havin a cat :-)

I use litter pearls in our cats litter tray,It only needs emptying once a month :-))). All we have to do every day,is scoop the poo out lol. It doesnt smell at all because the pearls absorb any liquid waste.It costs about a fiver for a 4lb bag. Anna :-)

I've never heard of litter pearls, might tell hubby about them, cos we go through a lot of cat litter!

That sounds like a good alternative - I will look for them next time I am in Pets at Home. Liz x

Liz, our local garden centre stock 'covered over' ones, i.e. they're like a little shelter, with a flap at the entrance. Very discreet! We have 5 cats, and 3 of these litter boxes, and as they're only used at night, if at all, we seldom have to change them. x

Hi, welcome to the world of cats!!lovely animals, we have two and two litter trays, they tend to use one for wee wees and the other for no 2slol I change theirs everyday(fresh litter) and empty them as soon as they have osed them, theres never any smell, we keep ours in the front patio. Good luck Roxanne x

Thank you all for your advice. He/she really is a lovely cat, we will find out tomorrow when I take him/her to the vet's! He/she adopted our friends a week or so ago, but despite their best efforts, her owners could not be traced. As our friends have dogs, they felt they couldn't keep him/her. I do feel sad that there is a family somewhere who has lost him/her, and I admit to being a bit scared that the vet will find a microchip and we will have to give him/her up, even though I know that sounds really mean and selfish. We have only had him/her a day, and he/she is part of our family already! Liz x

If you line the tray with apad of newspaper then you can add a thin layer of cat litter & this will be suffienct.(tip from my vet). Then you only need to renew when you feel needs it. We just been away for a week & have two cats who normally GO!! outside, The tray only has been used for WEE!! * & now we back can dispense with. A tip we got was to put the tray nearer each day to the outside access & then fainnaly you can dispense with it

Hi Shirley, Our friends did let the cat out when they were looking after it and it never soiled the house so I think it is used to going outside. I have not let it out yet as it has only been with us 24 hours and I am terrified of it getting lost again until it is used to us. Any tips on avoiding losing a cat? How long should we keep it inside for, and if it runs off, how does one get it back? Liz x

Hi Liz, we were advised by the RSPCA and Cat Protection League to keep ours indoors for at least a fortnight - to let them know where Home is, lol. To avoid losing a cat - firstly, MICROCHIP it! lol. It's so sad when a cat is found which obviously has a home, but it's not been microchipped. There then follows rounds of phone calls, printing notices, etc. when this little 'piece of rice' could have been put in just under its skin. Let Puss out just before feeding it, and the old wives' tale of putting butter on its paws does work too. Then when it's in the garden, tap a saucer with a fork to let it know that grub is up. It'll get used to the sound, and associate the saucer and fork with something nice!! I'm typing this, but somebody might have beaten me to it! That's my contribution for the minute, anyway. x

That tip about letting them out before food works well. Mine comes running if he hears the cat biscuits. The Cats Protection also advises not to let your cat stay out all night. I have alwasy ijsisted Sam comes in before dark and he seems happy enoiugh most nights to do this. What they get used to I suppose. We have a litter tray for just in case but it is very rare for him to use it. Better that than the floor though - cats are usually very clean and won't do that. So oce your new freidn starts going out you will find he/she won't need the dirt tray. Sounds like this cat has found a lovely new home though. Hope it's good news at the vets Jane Jane

You can buy little pooper scooper things (like big draining spoons) and only remove the offending area of litter! Still recommend the tray is disinfected at least once a week. The white crystal/pearl litter can be bought in Sainsbury's. Like people have said, it absorbs odours and probably needs replacing about once a month - although numbers twos need to be dealt with separately on a regular basis! Cats/kittens should stay in their new home for at least two weeks to ensure they return home. Kittens should not be allowed out until they have had their booster injections and, particularly in the case of females, been neutered! Your local CP branch can help with the cost of neutering if you're on benefits. Cat should also be microchipped whenever possibly - preferably this should be done when they are being neutered. Jan

ours are microchipped too. when we first had both cats ,years apart, we were told to keep then in for at least two weeks so that theyknew the house & all the familiar smells, Both cats go outdoors for their ablutions!! one goes further afield than the other,but when we go away we put a tray down so if they are in then if they want to GO then there is somewhere for them to do so. We have someone too to let them out & to feed them. It works better for both as they get stressed being put in a cattery as they both feel we have aabandoned them & they get confused as they miss us. Shirley

Oh Liz, whilst on the subject of grub and poops - although our cats like pasteurised milk, we don't give it to them often as it upsets their tummies. Re the litter boxes, need I say more! ... The large supermarkets do a special cats milk substance. Years ago, when I had other cats, I was recommended a powdered milk called 'Lactol'. It's used as a substitute for mothers' milk in kittens/puppies, also as a gentle drink when feline (or canine) appetites are lost. I really would recommend it. All the cats that I've had since that have all loved it, including a very young kitten that was found abandoned and unweaned. x

Thank you all for your advice. I certainly will keep her in for 2 weeks, and will ask the vet tomorrow about microchipping - I really hope she hasn't already got one though! I don't like the idea of her being out at night at all, so I will try and get her used to coming in (when she eventually does go out lol). It is so funny, my daughter has made her beds all over the house out of old cushions, blankets, beanbags etc, but will she lie on them? No chance! She takes up position on my expensive Laura Ashley cushion on the settee. We put her in the garage last night, with a pile of bedding, some water and her litter tray (not all in the same corner) and she seemed fine. I expected her to cry but she didn't. We have a connecting door through so its not as if she is far away. Liz x

Liz........... She sounds like my four cats. They just lie wherever they want to. Have bought a couple of cat baskets, one a few years ago and one recently when we got a new kitten, but neither was ever used except the one for the kitten which was used for about 2/3 days. I change my cat litter daily but that's because one of my cats won't go, out except very occasionally in the summer when it's dark and that's usually only for about 1/2 an hour. Just remember to keep an eye on the water bowl especially in hot weather. Most of all enjoy you cat. Let us know what you are going to call her. Juliexx

I love cats, have had 3 of my own to date, but grown up with them all my life. My current puss is Lilly and it is her birthday today. I also have a website for pets. http://groups*msn*com/FisFelinesandFriends replace * with . You can all join if you wish. I do my tree as well as run my site about pets. Fi