Adventures in cat care.

[bladespark]

One of JJ's parents' cats has a problem with a really matted coat. He also has one spot where it looks like he got injured in a fight,we're not sure, as they're something that seems to be blood matted in. But he doesn't act sensative about the area, so maybe it's something else. Or heck, maybe it's the other cat's blood. Anyhow, injury or not he needs a shave badly. He's some variety of mutt-cat but he's a massively poofy longhair, and he just can't groom himself enough to keep from getting matted. I have some nice, shiny new pet clippers, since I bought a new set for fur trimming, so we are going to shave the cat. We were going to do it tonight, but JJ's mom let him out for the night and we couldn't get him back in. (He appears to suspect our good intentions, for some reason.) But it looks like tomorrow I'll be shaving a cat. And possibly treating a cut as well, if I can find it under the fur.

Tomorrow I shall also be calling a TON of apartments. *crosses fingers* I'm actually going to get up early so I can catch the good ones early. Wish me luck!

Comments

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

ALL longhaired cats need daily brushing, or matted fur will happen.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

He's not my cat, so there's not much I can do here. (And their other longhair is perfectly fine without brushing, so I don't know about the "all" thing.)

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

is their other cat indoors? regardless, mats can happen under the top layer of the fur, making the cat appear fine, but brushing them is another story. he not your cat so i wont even get into the whole thing about how cats shouldnt be outdoors.

[jordanis.livejournal.com]

Harli, it is a great temptation to bite your head off in grand unprintable style for making that last statement. The cats in question are my family's cats. In making that comment, you imply that we a) do not know what we are doing with cats, and b) do not wuv our cats sufficiently/are not responsible enough to take care of them properly.

My response to those fantastically insulting implications is thus: take your holier-than-thou 'advice' and go jump in a lake. Off a short pier, if you like. There have been outdoor cats at this house since it was built some twenty-odd years ago. Two are dead now, happily and at a ripe old age. The current three are 12, 11, and 4, and are kept disease and parasite free.

There are dozens of outdoor cats in the area, and yet in all my years of driving these streets to school, work, the store, and everywhere else, the closest roadkilled cat I've seen was nearly a mile away. There are no coyotes. There are no creepy neighbors, as if cat-murderers lurked behind every corner like some people seem to think. The last time a neighbor's cat 'disappeared', it wandered back a few days later, well fed after mooching off some other neighbor.

You're calling me irresponsible for not applying your mindless generalities, and insulting my intelligence by implying that I need them and can't evaluate the risks and rewards myself.

In short, get stuffed, and don't you ever dare to insinuate that I do not love and take care of my cats, and do not dare to insinuate that I am too damn stupid to take good care of them, not to mention too stupid to know a goddamn fur mat when I feel one. For crying out loud, do you think I don't pet that cat? It's either that or you're calling me too dumb to know what a mat feels like, take your pick.

Really, Harli, you're talking out of your ass. You've never seen these cats, you've never met their keepers, and you sure as hell aren't a vet. You've picked up some tips off of some other cat lovers online, seasoned it with some over-reaction and opinion, and served it up as expertise. It's condescending, and it's insulting to hear you elevate your opinion on cat-keeping as right over mine. If you want to tell people how to raise their pets, go get a godsdamned veternary PhD, and then we'll talk. Until then, quit pretending you know more about it than I do.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

woah. drama much? its more a matter of my opinion and any vet and humane socity will agree.

any number of things can happen to cats outdoors. not everyone is a conderate driver. cats get hit by cars, attacked by dogs and horrible people, cats het heartworms, fleas, tape worms, cats get lungworms from eating birds and other small animals. cats get picked off by coyotes and coyotes do live in every part of the US. EVERY fucking state. even the busiest cities.

i was NOT personally attacking you, so get off your fucking high horse and get some common sense.

i wasnt calling you stupid, nor did i say that you dont love your cats. i dont even know you so no, i cant make those assumptions. i made a generalized statement and you got a bunch of fuzz up your ass about it. i didnt personally attack you or tell you to go die (like you did to me) because youre a stupid pet owner. im sure you love your cats. but i have 2 long haired cats and oddly enough, theyve never had a mat in their fur.

chill out. LOL

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I have to side with JJ on this one. You came off as really holier than thou about this. It sounds like you think you're the ultimate authority on cats. You still do. It's condescending, rude, arrogant, and annoying. JJ knows just as much about proper cat care as you do. His cats are healthy and happy.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

i didnt say they werent happy nor healthy...i just dont think that cats should be outdoors. merely my opinion. im sure his cats are well cared for. im not calling anyone a stupid irresponsible piece of shit for having outdoor cats. if his cats are fine and healthy and loved, good. we need more people who take care of their animals. if he didnt care about his cats, you guys wouldnt be taking care of the matted fur.

i just stated my opinion on the matter, i didnt accuse him of not caring for his pets. sorry if i came off sounding like an ass, it really wasnt my intent.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Well, my apologies then. It's a bit of a sensitive issue with a lot of people, I think. I mean, I've heard you rant before about how annoying it is when people tell you you're doing things all wrong with your cats.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

*nods* yeah i can understand then. i didnt mean to offend. i honestly wasnt accusing him of being a bad owner. i know not everyone shares the same belief about cats belonging indoors, but i sometimes forget that people who do let their cats out probably get alot of shit from most people. i wasnt meaning to give him shit but the whole telling me to kill myself thing was uncalled for.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Uh.... I don't see anywhere in there where he says to kill yourself. Unless you're taking the "jump in a lake" thing that way...

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

long walk off a short pier (or bridge, i dont recall).

meh. whatever. im not worried about it anymore.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Well, if you can swim, that's not killing yourself. *grins* Can you swim?

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

no.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Darn. Guess we'll have to hold a funeral after all.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Also, I do have to point out that no, "any vet and humane society" will not agree. A lot of people from PETA, for example, will tell you to put your cats out, because by keeping them indoors and owning them at all, you are abusing them! All animals should live in a free, natural, and wild state! I had two outdoor cats. My vet never said to keep them indoors. Just because your vet does doesn't mean all vets agree.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

all vets i have spoken to have said so. but yeah theres probably some vets who would say otherwise. everyones got an opinion tho.

however, if you were to ever adopt from the hmane society (ANY humane society), they have you sign a piece of paper agreeing not to declaw your cat nor allow it outdoors. i know this for a fact.

also, PETA will also tell you to never eat meat, drink milk, go fishing or watch movies that have animal actors.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Uh? Point me at something, anything, proving this "fact" of yours. JJ WORKED for a humane society. That's where we'll probably be adopting our cat from, and we intend to have it be an outdoor cat if possible.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

its the standard paper they have you sign when adopting an animal. it states that if the animal is a cat, it is to be an indoor only cat and will not be declawed....i dont have a scanner so i cant scan my copies of the contracts. i have 3, one each for Luci, Leo and Spooky. i volunteer for the humane society and ive adopted 3 cats from them. with each cat, comes that contract.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

That would prove that YOUR humane society does this, not that ALL humane societies do so. In fact, here, proof to the contrary:
http://www.mauihumane.org/Adoptions/AdoptionRules.asp

Read rule 16. In fact, I'll quote it for you:
"All declawed cats must be kept indoors only, as they have no way to protect themselves from outdoor threats."

Not all cats. All declawed cats. So if your cat has claws, you can lete the cat outside, otherwise they would have said so! So there's one. I've gone through the adoption rules and policies on half a dozen humane society websites already, and I haven't found even ONE that requires all cats to be indoor only.

Sorry, but you're full of it.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

excuse me for being misinformed....i had asked the assistant manager if all humane societies required the adopted cats to be indoors only and she said yes. i figured all the contracts were the same.

i didnt go rubbing anything in your face, you didnt need to tell me that im full of it. :( jeez, i was only going by my expeiences and what ive been told.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

If this is "only what you've been told" then don't act like it's the gospel truth. Sheesh. You wonder why JJ and I are reacting so strongly to this? You're telling us you know exactly how things are everywhere in the world better than we do. You're sitting here going "ALL longhairs must be brushed, ALL shelters require cats to be indoors, ALL cat are better off indoors." Quit saying you know ALL and maybe we wouldn't get so annoyed.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

o.0 *walks off* im dropping this topic, cos no matter what i say, it wont end well. id hate to lose a friend over something as STUPID and trivial as this tripe.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Mrf. Sorry. This just really is pissing me off here. I loved my cats. They were outdoor cats, and if I'm to believe you, I was a horrible, bad owner for letting them be that way. And sure, you didn't come out and say that outright, and you're not trying to be insulting, but... if all cats are better off indoor cats, then I was "abusing" my cats. You can't have it both ways. Either you're right, and I'm an awful person, or you're wrong, and my cats were happy.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

and ive said above at least twice now, not everyone who keeps their cats outdoors is a horrible owner. i just personally dont believe in doing so, in my opinion, theres too many things that can happen to them. but if yours lived to a ripe old age, went to the vet, were happy, well fed and cared for then youre NOT a bad horrible pet owner. i never said you were! i never claimed you were abusing your cats. in fact, no one is abusing their cats unless they are denying it medical care when needed, kicking or beating the animal or otherwise making its life hell. obviously you would not do such a thing, therefor youre not a bad owner. *I* (and others) are of the firm belief that cats *MY* cats are better off indoors.

its a belief. we could go around and around about weather god exists or not. its all a matter of belief and expeience. if your cats are fine outdoors, by all means, keep outdoor cats and i wont judge. mine would never make it outdoors (horrible neighborhood and im paranoid of them getting lungworm from eating a bird) so i keep them indoors. to each his own. ill do my thing, you do yours.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

And this isn't trivial! YOU ought to know that. Cats are people. Cats are nearly human sometimes. My cats were by babies, I loved them. There's nothing trivial about it.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

whats trivial is bickering about "he said she said you said" and the whole humane society issue.

the cats themselves are not trivial, and i never said they were.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

http://greenepet.org/adoption.html#policy

"Cats may be adopted as indoor/outdoor pets"

Hrm. Okay, I found one that does require indoors. Out of eight places, five don't mention it at all, two I have linked here, and one says indoor only. Shall I keep looking?

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

no, it seems as tho the policy varies from shelter to shelter.

[mavikfelna.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the appartment hunting and the cat trimming.

--Mav

[silveradept]

Luck in the apartment-hunting, and don't get too scratched when you clip the cat, okay?

[sulcharae.livejournal.com]

one of the things i've learned about longhaired cats just by working in petstores and at the vet's is that they have to be brushed. :/ particularly if they have coarse or oily fur. And if they dont tolerate brushing or you dont have time, it's better just to keep them shaved as a matter of course. imagine having to lick all of that. o.o;