[Can we talk about kitties?]

:iagree: We've always had female cats. I don't know why...they've all been strays who have found us, but I've never owned a male cat until 2009 when we acquired two from two different sources. They are the best cats we've ever had by far.

 

I have always been leery of male cats do to the spraying. How young can or should you get a male fixed?

[Can we talk about kitties?]

This is my favorite litterbox ever: http://www.amazon.com/Clevercat-77000-Top-Entry-Litterbox/dp/B0002ZS20I/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1344217310&sr=1-1&keywords=clever+cat and we've had all sorts of boxes. I've had cats for the past 28 years. I like it because it's covered, but the cat isn't stuck with its head inside. No peeing on the side of the box or accidentally hanging a rump outside the hole. And they look so funny and philosophical with their heads sticking out the top as they do their business.

 

I have looked at these. We have a dog that if my dil leaves a diaper in a garbage that isn't secured.......... Mess happens.:tongue_smilie:

 

They look deep though. Is it hard to get a kitten to use them?

[Poll: Would you take one kid to a movie and leave the others at home?]

I am voting other. I think it is fine but I also think you need to be sure to do something special with the other one in near future?:D

[Can we talk about kitties?]

I have those litter boxes. Not entirely happy with them though. They seemed to work great for a couple of days and I was happily rotating and removing clumps in the drawer UNTIL I realized that the bottom of the box was not getting clean. It could have been our litter (Tidy Cat Clumping)-maybe it isn't the clumpiest. Not sure but ended up taking out the slotted tray and using it as a regular litter box. I do like that the large size is good for my jumbo ragdoll. I'm in the process of trying out that litter but haven't formed any opinions yet. It is supposed to be very good and low on dust. I am finding the Tidy Cat we get is dusty so hoping this new stuff is better. Will know more in a few days.

 

Thanks. I wondered about that. I think we will start with a plain hooded box.

[Can we talk about kitties?]

Yeah the pellets might be an issue. But I'd try them, they smell nothing like cedar chips. I actually just don't smell them at all. When we had bunnies and rats and such we had cedar and pine chips and those I could smell.

 

Hmmm. If we would go this way we would need a regular litter pan. They don't clump, right?

[Can we talk about kitties?]

The tortie and the tabby were litter mates, so they came to us at the same time. They get along okay, but the tortie is high-strung and gets upset if the tabby gets too rambunctious when playing.

 

The tortie hates the Maine Coon, who did come in later. The MC is very playful and he upsets her, she spits and hisses when he tries to play.

 

ETA: One funny thing was when the Maine Coon was a tiny kitten, he would jump on the tabby's back, who was 4 yrs old and much bigger, and bite his neck, being playful. And the tabby seemed to know the MC was just a baby and didn't like it but would tolerate it. As soon as the MC was grown, the tabby no longer tolerated his play biting and would bite him back and wrestle back. They get along well. Males seem to get along better.

 

This sounds a bit like our dogs. Our male blond labradoodle seems to always want to play when it is bed time. Our Aust. Shep. gets a bit feisty. After all she has been only napping all day. It is time for her to get some real beauty sleep.

[What is your "Go To" recipe for company?]

Do you have a recipe that you always turn to because it's fairly easy, tastes great, semi impresses your guests and always turns out great?

 

My family is coming for a visit next week and I want to have dinner ready for them when they get here. I was looking for something I could partially make ahead or maybe pop in the oven when they arrive. Any ideas?

 

I do roast with onions, potatoes and carrots. I add in a tossed salad and desert.

Enjoy your family.

[Influencing a teen daughter not to cut her hair]

JMO My dd is 12, almost 13 but has had the say over the length and style of her hair now for some time. Hair grows. I have the thinking that children/teens need to be given control over things that they can manage, learn whether they have made the correct choice or not and be given that as early as they can.

 

Which is best, your dd getting her hair cut and hating it(you have expressed your opinion and why) but knowing it was her decision or not being allowed to get it cut and feeling resentful toward you for it. She is 15 and going to be making much more important/life changing decision very soon. Maybe a hair cut that she doesn't or does like is a good start.:grouphug:

 

ETS: My dd got her hair cut pretty short a year ago May. It was very cute and to start with she really liked it. By the end of the summer she had decided she wanted to grow it out and it is shoulder length again now. She says she won't get it cut that short again. At the time I really didn't want her to get it cut that short, voice I was afraid she may not like it but she made the decision.

[CC- would this bug you or am I being too sensitive?]

Our church played clips from another PG-13 movie - this time the Lord of the Rings series - during church and there is no kids church, just nursery care. Not nice clips, but pretty graphic evil monster type clips. I spent most of the sermon outside with another homeschooling mom and two of her younger boys. #3ds is pretty visual and we keep him away from that type of stuff because it can give him nightmares. This has happened before (and we went through the right channels but pretty much got told, "there's a point to the movie clip, it's OK") - at least we got a warning beforehand this time. As in, "clips shown today may be disturbing for younger children." Yes, the clips had a point - this time spiritual warfare, but I don't like going to church only to be warned that the sermon may not be for little eyes. Big sigh...My husband doesn't see it to be too big of a deal since there is a good point made. I have trouble with all those little early elementary kids in there seeing it.

 

Beth

 

If I am being too sensitive, let me know- I won't be miffed.

 

I would not be impressed. There may be a spiritual point made but how many 4/5/6/7/8/etc. will really get that point.:tongue_smilie:

 

My dh wouldn't be bothered by it either though.

[Bit of an emotional day today]

:grouphug:

How blessed you are!

[Old fashioned entertainments]

I should have specified, "When one lives on a small lot in town on a busy street." LOL.

 

We have a very small yard but we have squeeked in a 16'X52" pool in the back and a 15' tramp in the front. My two and the neighborhood are normally on or in one or the other.:D

 

There is also eating.:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Can we talk about kitties?]

More questions, do any of you that have kitties also have parakeets?

 

Have any of you tried this litter box? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005E2S77C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

This litter? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009X29WK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

One of the issues we have in our home is chemical sensitivity so I know that we will need to get something that isn't fragranced or full of chemicals. Some of you talked about the natural wood but when we had bunnies I couldn't handle the cedar chips that we got for them so not sure the wood pellets would work for us.

[Can we talk about kitties?]

[quote=Annie Laurie;4175933

I think my cats are beautiful and they were all just homeless strays.

 

They are beautiful, Annie. Do they all get along well? Sounds like you brought them all in at different times.

[How long was your engagement?]

We became officially engaged on my birthday, Dec. 4th 1966. We married on May 27, 1967.:001_smile: It has been 45 yrs.:D

[Can you freeze nuts and seeds?]

I have done it a lot.:001_smile:

[Can we talk about kitties?]

Ragdoll rescue site: http://blog.floppycats.com/blog/ragdoll-rehoming

 

In looking there isn't anything close to us at all. They do sound like lovely cats though.

[Can we talk about kitties?]

milovaný, I would love for you to tell me how to get rid of my pesky 'center'.:tongue_smilie:

 

You all have beautiful kitties. bobbeym, I love the one of yours that is looking out the screen. It is like you can see the wheels turning wondering if he could possibly make it through one of those little holes. :D:D

[Can we talk about kitties?]

Tidy Cat scoopable litter with the teal blue, not the red, smells really good, and works great. If you scoop it once a day it never smells bad.

 

 

I highly, HIGHLY recommend you look into a breed called Ragdoll.

 

Many people in my family are highly allergic to cats, but no one has ever had a reaction to mine.

 

They do have a lot of fur, however. They need a few minutes of combing once a day or you're going to have snarls and hairballs.

 

They are really lovely creatures. You only need one. Show him where his litterbox is when you bring him home, keep him in the room with the litterbox for a day or so while he gets used to his surroundings, and he'll never forget.

 

If you're going to scoop twice a day you may only need one litterbox, but there is a guideline that you should have one more box than you have cats. You might want to consider that.

 

They look like beautiful kitties but we would never be able to afford one. The prices I saw were $850 and up plus shipping.

[Can we talk about kitties?]

What about the laundry room? Right now the baby's box is in our mud bathroom in the shower. No one ever uses that bathroom except me or maybe the guys will wash up in there.

 

Well, our main bathroom is where we lock our dogs up at night and when we are gone. Don't think that would be a good plan. There is a couple of spots but......:)

 

The only other bath room we have is our oldest son's mainly and there really isn't a place it could sit that would be out of the way for him in his chair.:tongue_smilie:

[Can we talk about kitties?]

That's exactly where ours is located.

 

YOU HAVE YOUR LITTER BOX IN YOUR LIVING ROOM!?!?!:hurray::hurray::hurray:

Ok, I can now consider this a real possibility!:D

 

We are working on my DH and my oldest DS.:glare::toetap05: Like either of them does anything for the pets we have now.:confused:

 

I can officially tell them that at least one person has the litter box in the living room though.:001_smile:

[Can we talk about kitties?]

You guys have been great. The biggest hurdle is a place to put the litter box. The down stairs in rented, our garage isn't attached, don't have any porches, have to keep the door to the utility room closed all the time, don't want it in one of the bed rooms........ Does anyone have one 'hidden' behind a chair in the living room?

 

It really is a BIG hurdle.:tongue_smilie:

[Can we talk about kitties?]

We have a cat we brought in as a stray.... and now we have 4 kittens. The kids want to keep them all but that will never happen. I do hope we can keep 2 of them though. I love having cats! We also have 2 dogs but will probably switch to just cats when our dogs are gone. Cats seem so much easier.

 

Wish you lived close to the Black Hills of SD.

[Can we talk about kitties?]

See if your local animal shelter covers spay & neuters. I get my cats & kittens from there because for the price of the adoption fee $65 the surgery is included. A free cat/kitten costs me upward of $100 to fix. Something to consider.

 

Good point. I did look at the shelter in the city about 30 miles from us. After the rally is over and you can more around a bit easier we may make a trip and check them out.

[Can we talk about kitties?]

We supposedly "trained" our cats to stay off the counter, too. We never, EVER saw them there after the squirt bottle training. One day, one of my kiddos spilled a little flour on the counter. When we came home that night, no cats were even in the kitchen, but we found a trail of flour dusted paw prints on the counters, the kitchen table, the top of the fridge, etc. :glare: The only thing they learned was to stay off the counters if people were around. Stupid cats. :D

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol: That is funny. It may well be that they just knew to not be there when people were around. At least that way they avoided the inspectors.:lol::lol:

[Can we talk about kitties?]

Thanks, everyone. You have been so helpful. I am thinking I will start looking for a kitty/kitties and see what we find.

 

If anyone else has input I am still reading.

 

I have to say many of you made me chuckle. When it comes to training cats I will say I did train the two we had to NEVER go into the kitchen nor get on counters or tables. Neither of them did. At the time we had them we were state lic. and even having animals at that time in the facility was a stretch but if the state inspector would have ever come in and found one of our pets in the kitchen or on a resident dinning table we would have been written up big time and probably had to get rid of all the pets. They trained very easily to not be there though. :001_smile: