Hector Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 We have had 10-week-old Skiziks for 5 days now. I appreciate the great help I got from this BB on the first couple of days he was here, because caring for a sick kitten was new to me. His diarrhea is cured and his stool is normal. His appetite is good and he is now eating 3 oz. of the canned Science Diet kitten food per day (thanks smileyzookie!!). He is getting along just fine with our 3-yo BC/Sighthound-X Bailey, and 10-yo Sheltie-X Sadie. Skiziks is right at home with the dogs, showing no fear at all. I keep a close eye on them, but it is working better than I ever imagined. It is quite a sight to see 77-lb. Bailey and 1.5-lb. Skiziks standing nose to nose. I would like to get a picture of that but Bailey is camera shy and quickly leaves if he knows I have the camera out. I will have to get sneaky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie_Girl Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Hector, that is great news! Sure glad Skiziks is fitting in! But what else would you expect from a Border Cat! LOL I know I will get some grief from some people but, I will advise to get him de-clawed when you neuter him. When I asked my old vet about that with Sammy when he was going to get neutered. I was afraid of him not being able to defend hisself etc. Good ol Dr. Bizzini said, well, its up to you, but I will tell you, I have 10 cats at home, and they are all declawed. They catch mice, birds, climb trees, and still fight amongst themselves. But I don't have shredded furniture or scratches on me. So, because I trusted this man so much, we did it. Sammy is almost 19yrs old. He was a great mouser, climbed trees, and caught a few birds! And many of my dogs were thankful. As was I. Good luck! He is a very lucky fella to have found you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 DixieGirl, I'll try not to give you too much grief, but I strongly disagree with declawing. Cats generally do defend themselves by kicking with their hind feet so they don't need their front claws for that, but declawing amounts to at least partial amputation of the toes. I would rather live with the occasional scratched furniture or scratched self (which, incidentally, can be abated by simply clipping the nails as you would your dogs' and helped by supplying the cat with appropriate things to scratch) than cut off the tips of a cat's toes. Just my opinion of course, but I do have six cats all with the claws they came with living in the house and my furniture (mostly antiques) is not shreeded to bits. Hector, I'm glad he's settling in and doing well with Bailey. I hope you can get some pictures to share. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitch Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 I agree with Julie on this one. I have a real problem with amputating a cat's toes just to save my furniture from scratches. Simply train the cat not to scratch the furniture. It isn't hard to do - I have 3 cats and they know not to scratch my furniture. They have scratching posts throughout the house which they use. I have an old house with tons of wood trim, wooden stairs, railings, etc and there aren't any scratch marks. I do have to trim one of my cats' claws, not because he scratches, though. He is a Maine Coon cat (to the best of my vet's knowledge) and they tend to grow long curved claws. This cat tends to get stuck on things (the rug, window screen, cat bed, etc)if I don't keep them trimmed. It is really easy to trim their claws though - easier than with a dog, that's for sure! Hector - glad the border kitten is doing well. I loved the picture of him on your lap: Yep, just a few more days and I'll have him completely wrapped around my little paw... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileyzookie Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 LOL that cat is so dang cute, but maybe I just like Border Kitties Im so glad the food worked out for you! I sent off some coupons yesterday morning to you. So you should get them soon I expect. I definately recommend fixing him. Our cat Rohan isnt fixed (my husband doesnt want "half a man" cat :mad: - dont get me started). He was great till he got older now he cries looking outside, I think we have a little girl kitty outside somewhere. And, he's got a real attitude, and pee's on things when he's mad/getting revenge. All of this Im sure could have been helped if not prevented by fixing him. I do disagree with declawing though. I trained him what he can and cant scratch on. A spray bottle filled with water works nicely on days he decides he knows whats best Good luck!!! Keep us updated, and we always need more pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrie Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Keep the claws intact. Sam respects Molly's claws and keeps out of their reach when he tries to sniff her butt. Not all the swats are to make Sam behave some are just to get a game of chase going. Molly doesn't just run she turns on him and off Sam goes with her in pursuit. The claws also come in handy when children get too pushy. Granted you don't want anyone or your things clawed but if kitty is treated appropriately then it will not happen. LOL Well not often anyway. Molly used to get on top of the couch above Jared's head and she would reach down and poke him on the top of his head with her claw. Jared was 2 and Molly was about 3 or 4 months at the time. Yep, a kitten who likes to aggravate her person ( she was gotten for Jared). She still plays like a kitten and wraps around the legs at times but usually no damage done. I'm usually the victim of the leg/ankle wraps. As for the furniture, squirt bottles/guns do wonders. If possible get a scratching post and rub cat nip in it, kitty should be all over it and will learn to only scratch there. If it is like Molly this trick will not work. Molly rarely bothers the furniture, she prefers trees. Enjoy the little guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 I am against declawing as well. Removing the last bone from each leg is well, just not something you do. I have seen cats recover from this, and it is not pleasant. I use slip covers on my furniture to protect from dog hair and cats claws, works like a charm. Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileyzookie Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Originally posted by karrie:Molly used to get on top of the couch above Jared's head and she would reach down and poke him on the top of his head with her claw. Jared was 2 and Molly was about 3 or 4 months at the time. Yep, a kitten who likes to aggravate her person ( she was gotten for Jared). I had to laugh LOL My mom told me when I was a baby we had just gotten our cat Marvin (yellow tabby and the 1st cat I remember). When I was learning to walk, mom said I'd stand up and take a step and the cat out of no where would show up and run at me. He'd stand on his back feet and push me down and go hide. Then when i'd get back up, here he'd come again to push me down. lol And they wonder why I have issues!!! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Originally posted by Kitch:I agree with Julie on this one. I have a real problem with amputating a cat's toes just to save my furniture from scratches. So do I! Over here you can get all sorts of artificial "scratching trees" if you can't let your cat outside. I'm sure you can find those in the US as well. Glad the little cutie is doing better! He looks a lot like our cat, btw. Only smaller and cuter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted May 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 That's good advice an de-clawing. You are confirming my intuitive feeling to NOT get Skiziks de-clawed. And I will start using a spray bottle to discourage climbing on one chair that he has taken a liking to. And I will get him neutered. Now that his health has greatly improved, he is a lot more lively. Today he has been playing on his Tower, as shown in this picture. There is a 6-inch hole in the top round platform so the kitty can climb from the next-to-top platform to get to the top. But Skiziks has decided he likes the direct shortcut. From the next-to-top platform he reaches one paw out, buries it in the side of the round top platform, then pulls himself up and over the outside of the top. He did that twice while I was watching. His agility amazes me, but then I am not accustomed to cats. He spent two hours sleeping on that top platform. It is about 54 inches high -- well above the dog's reach, and that is part of why we chose that model tower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileyzookie Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Did you just go buy that for him? LOL! I know our tower was like $119.00 I hope yours wasnt that much. ALthough for all the use he gets out of it it is the best item we've bought for him ever. It is out of Rivens reach, even if she's standing up stretching trying to get him (which happens often) I just took a picture of ours. I woke him up from his nap on the kitchen floor and put him up there.. that explains the irritated look he's giving me LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Wow, great tower! I echo all the others about declawing, I volunteer at a cat shelter. Poor kitties. If scratching IS a horrible problem, there is something called "soft claws" or "soft paws" (I forget which) they're caps that go over the claws. They need to be replaced every month or so, but they protect you and the furniture. Here, I've given up on our couch thanks to Zoe peeing on it in the beginning, so I don't really care if the cat uses it. And we leave him alone if he gives you THE LOOK (the evil get-out-of-my-face look). Hehe. That is one darn cute kitten though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy525 Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 We do not declaw. We taught the kids instead how to avoid getting scratched, by avoiding annoying the kitty! And watching for kitty warnings (tail switching, ears slightly back, a certain look in their eyes) These are late signs that an attack is about to occur. We have no furniture issues, the cats prefer the "carpeted" fireplace overlay my husband made to cut down on ER trips. It works great as an ER avoider and very large kitty scratching post. Some cats are more likely to use their claws than others, it just depends on their personality. Our cat that likes people the best is the one most likely to scratch. Whereas the cat that appears to detest us would never scratch, she is very docile. You can pick her up, and she will make it obvious she hates this by her facial expression, but she would never scratch you for it, the claws stay in. Sparkle, on the other hand, if you pick her up when she doesn't want you to will HURT you. If you are going to clip, I would recommend starting early to get him used to it while he is small and impressionable! We haven't noticed any loss of climbing, etc. ability by clipping. As to agility, just wait until he jumps to the top of your fridge from the floor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted May 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Thank you all once again for the information. I am continually surprised by the extent of practical knowledge that people on this BB are so willing to share. It is really helpful for a person like myself who, in this case, is a total novice with kitten issues. Skiziks' appetite has dramatically picked up. When I got him on Sunday he was feeling so bad from the diarrhea that I had to feed him with a dropper. Then Monday he ate about 3/4 of an ounce of canned cat food, and the amount has increased each day. Today within a 24 hour period he has eaten 5 oz. of the Science Diet canned kitten food. I can tell a difference in the way he feels when I pick up him -- he isn't so lean and boney feeling. And now he is acting like I expect a healthy kitten to act. It is so much fun to watch him play. A few minutes ago he was playing with the shoe laces on my boots by the back door. He was batting them around and pouncing on them and generally letting those shoe laces know who is the boss. Wow Tammy, that will be amazingly cool when he is able to jump from the floor to the top of the fridge. His agility and coordingation are already pretty good so I look forward to watching him get better and stronger. smileyzookie - Rohan's tower looks very nice. Those aren't cheap but Skiziks sure likes his. We paid just over $100 for it, but I'd say it is worth it, considering the way that Skiziks has taken to it. -------------------- Hector, Dad to Bailey (3 yo BC-Sighthound-X) Sadie (10 yo Sheltie-X) and Skiziks (10 week old Border Kitten) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Ahh, but watching the kittenish not-quite-great reflexes and coordination is so funny. but they definitely love their cat towers. Also, I don't know if you've seen any in the stores, but look for things that look like corrigated cardboard strips glued together. Cats LOVE them, and they're pretty cheap. sprinkle some catnip in them (which may not work for kittens, more for adult cats) and it's a dream come true. My Jojo runs over to his cardboard scratcher every time I come in the kitchen, just to scratch and play. Another thing the cats seem to love are window seats. If you don't have anything on which the cat can perch (like the back of a couch) and look out the window, you can buy some that just clip to the window frame. Jojo spends hours just sitting there, swishing his tail at the evil birds and squirrels outside. He loves window-watching. Clipping won't hurt the nails at all, but keeps them at least a little less than razor sharp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Hmm....I see "canned food". If I were you I'd mix canned & dry foods (unless he has a hydration issue). My cat is required to stay on wet foods due to urinary issues, but canned food is murder on his teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrie Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 Dry is best. You may know this but just in case. NEVER give a cat an aspirin. It will kill them. A family I knew when I was a kid, bought a beautiful very expensive Persian kitten. It got a cold, sneezing or something so they gave it a baby aspirin. Result was kitty died. I always keep this in mind if I drop a pill of any kind. I don't want the kids, dogs or cat to find it. Now on the lighter side, catnip mice + kitten = one very active drunk kitty. LOL trust me funny stuff to watch. If either of you crochet or knit be prepared for a slow up in your knitting but tons of enjoyment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy525 Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 Karrie, you are a knitter?? Me, too. Plenty of times Sparkle has been required to leave the area if I really wanted to knit, usually only having 15 mins or so to work on it, I decide to be selfish and stick her in the garage for my 15 minutes of knitting peace. Also, I know a dog who ate an advil tab, then spit it out, but had significant kidney damage just from the coating!! Hector, there are several plants that are toxic to cats as well. As kitties are far more likely to chew your plants than dogs (at least at my house) I would be checking out the plants in your house. Philodendron (sp?) and poinsetta come to mind, I am not sure what others. We have no surviving plants inside anymore anyway, so I have lost track of which ones are toxic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrie Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 I'm learning knitting. I can do the garter stitch but the pearl stitch is getting the better of me. I've been crocheting for yrs, nothing too fancy. I know what you mean about time to do it. Molly likes to get the yarn and if she has it too long either it gets cut in two or becomes 1 or 2 ply when it used to be 4ply. I think the funniest thing is watching her take my ball of yarn all over the place. Only problem is I have to rewind it all back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 About the canned vs. dry - canned IS harder on their teeth, however cats tend to not drink as much water (as say a dog), usually because they're exceptionally picky about what water they drink, so the canned food can help keep them hydrated. Something I learned at the cat sanctuary. I have dry food down all the time for my Jojo, and give him bit of canned food at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileyzookie Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 In my opinion, on a kitten THIS small and sick, you'd be more worried about keeping him hydrated and eating than his teeth. Am I right about cats losing their baby teeth, I think they do? I dont advocate canned long term, but for a small kitten who's been sick, particularly dehydrated from all the potty trips, I think canned is a good option. I also think that kibble is a good option once kitty is healthy for a small period. Thats just in my opinion. Im no vet. But I did spend a lot of time there with Rohan. I guess Hector, use your judgement, it is after all you who has taken on the duty of daddy to this BC kitty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderlicious Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 I've nursed quite a few tiny kittens and really think smileyzookie is right, though I am not a vet either. Keeping the kitten hydrated and nourished is important. Kittens do lose their baby teeth but even when feeding my kittens canned food, I never noticed problems with their teeth. They got started on dry food after the little needles fell out. Re: Declawing.. I wouldn't declaw. There are so many painless alternatives. I clip my cat's front claws twice a month and they are dull enough not to hook into everything, but they're still there for hunting and defense purposes. Cat claws are easy to clip compared to dogs because the quick never really grows out. You just clip off that little bit of dead excess claw and then file it down for a second to smooth it. Good for you for taking Skiziks in, he's an adorable little Border Cat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy525 Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 Another cat note: Cats can climb down from trees on their own. Even when they are hysterically meowing for you to rescue them, if you leave them alone, they can get down. (as long as they have their claws) We have had countless experiences supporting this theory. This after the last hour spent consoling my children of this very fact when their most beloved feline, Sparkle, went up WAY higher than she should have. The consolation did no good, after their father and I said, no way are we climbing a ladder after that cat, we walked over to the other side of the property with, uh-oh only 3 children and a dog. The other child (5 y.o.) had run over to my dad next door to beg HIM to retrieve the cat. When we turned back around, here comes my dad trudging with the big ladder. Cat is rescued, although she was not in the least grateful and scratched the bejeebies out of my poor dh. I still think she would have made it down fine on her own, she was halfway down when we got there!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrie Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 Now Tammy I hate to break it to ya but I was given a cat who meowed backwards and was dumb as a door nail. He went up the tree but couldn't get down. He LOVED tuna and didn't come down for it( 3 hours waiting). I had to climb the tree and retrieve him. The poor fellow just went higher and on thinner branches. I finally got him but danged if he didn't repeat the episode all over again a couple of days later, same tree no less. I'm very grateful Molly figured trees out all on her own. Well, expect the time she got out on too thin a branch and kept meowing for me. I wound up with one inch thick mud on my shoes and she used me as her launching ladder to avoid all the mud. As in I grabbed the branch and was reaching for her and she jumped over my arm onto my back and really launched off my back to the grassy area. I would have been fine with that if she hadn't used her claws. Thankfully the grass is now growing into that area of the yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileyzookie Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 Karrie Im sure glad you're able to climb trees. I'd fall flat on my butt or be stuck up there with the cat too afraid to move. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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