More idiotic cat questions

[The Snark]

Okay. Our adoptee has been seen by two vets. I was left with the impression she is smarter than both of them. She is now 2 lbs 1 ounce. One vet stated she is between 2 to 4 months old. The other vet said she is 3 to 6 months old. She was around 4 ounces a month ago. How old is she really?

What the heck is with this biting? During the entire day she is docile and loves petting. In the evening during romp time, about a 2 hour period, with any attempt to touch or pet her she turns into a salt water croc that has been on a very prolonged diet. Then come bed time she is all cuddles again.

She tends to laze and sleep the entire day when on her leash. Hardly moves at all and we have to take her over to her pile for potty breaks. When off the leash she seems to think all of northern Thailand is her playground and is impossible to keep track of. Is this normal?

Neither vet found worms but gave her worm medicine anyway. I had a local hospital run a parasite test where they found unidentified parasites. (Probably feline specific and out of their knowledge base). Are all vets this moronic? Keep giving her the full 4 month course?

 

[tarantulagirl10]

All cats are individuals so it's hard to say how old they are if you don't know. As a general rule a 2 pound cat is about 2 months. They also look at their teeth and get an idea of age, but that isn't an exact science either. My "kitten" is almost a year now. She has calmed down a lot BUT has a few times during the day and at night where she goes a little nutty. She runs as fast as she can all over the house, up the stairs, back down the stairs, through the kitchen, into the living room, across the sofa, leaps to the recliner bites and scratches things along the way. They have their little spurts of insanity. During these times she gets this wild look in her eye and if I try to pet her she will bite at me. It's all in play. Much different than a cat that is really mad and wanting to bite. I just usually leave her be and let her get it out. It's all normal. I don't know what they found as far as an unknown parasite, but did they send a sample off to the lab for testing? Veterinarians go to school for the same amount of time as a regular physician and have to learn about MANY different species instead of just one. They are human so they aren't going to know everything. I can't remember ever finding a parasite that myself or the Vet that I work with could not identifiy but if we did, I'm sure we would be sending it to a lab that could. Its sounds like you are enjoying your little friend. Cats are a lot of fun

 

[Thistles]

In my experience, yes, vets are typically morons. I have only encountered one vet that I really liked, and that was Dr. Stahl. He's a very famous exotics vet and I was fortunate enough to live near his office. I've had vets tell me that a septic snake had been burned and that I should apply ointment. That same vet later attempted to euthanize that same snake by freezing it. I've been told that adult cats don't get ear mites. It took me 20 minutes to persuade that vet (different from the snake vet) to do a scraping, which of course confirmed my mite diagnosis. He then offered me a job. Hah. I've seen vets (again, different vets) leave an injured dove without food, water or treatment for 2 days in a row. I'm pretty down on vets in general. I guess I just think they should act like they actually care about animals and that seems to be the case only rarely.

I'd keep her on the dewormer. Given her history, it's a safe bet that she has some sort of nastiness going on. Also, it is very common for cats to become limp and lifeless when they first experience a harness. They eventually get used to it, but almost every cat will first freak out, then collapse. It can be pretty funny... They are also nocturnal and sleep for at least a good 2/3 of the day if not more.

Oh, and watch her teeth. Usually they start to lose their baby teeth when they are around 3-4 months old and the process is finished by 6-8 months. It's hard to tell her age based on size and weight! I have a cat I got at 6 lbs and the vets told me he was 2 years old. I doubted it. Sure enough, within 3 months he was 13 lbs and still fit. He wasn't fat; 6 lbs still hadn't come close to his adult size. He's 18 lbs now and definitely a fatty though.

 

[The Snark]

The description of your cat is apt to this one's antics. I'm not at all sanguine as to this sort of behavior. Some animals have grumpy dispositions, some are moody, and some just have bad days, but these antics seem reminiscent of some kid going rampant through their high school armed with automatic weapons for a fun lark. I did 14 days in a hospital once with cellulitus from a cat bite and it can darned well keep those fangs to itself.

The vet's lab tests turned up nothing and they prescribed worm medicine as a precautionary measure. The human hospital feces exam came back 'indicated'. I don't expect the vet path lab employees to be as well trained or as diligent as a certified hospital. One needs to take into account third world 'professional' qualifications. 4 year college graduates here seldom make the $10 a day minimum wage.

Honestly, I don't think I like this cat, or cats of this age in general if this is normal conduct. Abrupt turn arounds in mood and disposition on a regular basis indicate a psychosis. These allegedly cute antics are trying and disconcerting. Either you are or you aren't, cat. Quit being an ***hole and a nasty b*tch.

Thanks for the info, BTW. I'm really trying to understand this animal but the more I observe it, the more it appears to be an aberration, well outside of and highly destructive of natural ecosystems.

My only other close contact with a cat was a friends I took care of. It was calm and sedate from square 1 as a kitten. It grew 2 pounds a year and never quit growing. It never went to claws and fangs. When it got in fights it charged head butted like a bull. It once sent a large racoon sailing over 15 feet and in a full tilt run blew a cat flap door off it's hinges on many occasions. I was expecting something along those lines, a presence and personality, in this creature. It doesn't look like that is going to happen.

 

[Thistles]

All cats have different personalities. Loving, clingy, independent, moody, energetic... I have 3 currently, but over the course of my life I have lived with 10 different cats. Each one has been completely different! I have one now that has that Jeckyll and Hyde psychotic streak. I love him, but he'll go from purring to biting in a heartbeat. He attacks my hair when he wants me to wake up and feed him. He also follows me around the house like a dog. When I was a kid, my mom's Siamese was also extremely unpredictable, except that you could count on getting a new scar if you touched her belly. The other 2 I have now are very loving but painfully shy. It took Jane a good week to become reacquainted with my sister after a 4 month separation. She wouldn't leave the closet when my sister was in the apartment. I should mention that my sister saved this cat's life! I have had another one for 12 years, and in all that time the only injury she has given me was when I was holding her and my mother switched on the vacuum. She climbed me. Owwwww.

You never know what you're gonna get with a kitten! The 3 I have now were all "rescues" and with the exception of the one who was supposedly 2 yrs old and actually wasn't, they were adults when I acquired them. I don't like kittens. They're stinky and nutso and you never know what you're gonna get.

I don't like domestic cats in general as a species because of the extreme damage they do to local ecology. I do feel sorry for them, though, and my old lady cat is my favorite animal in the world. In the US alone we euthanize over 11,000 dogs and cats every day. That's just sickening. What's even worse is how preventable the whole problem is.

 

[The Snark]

Nuts

Looks like all this might be academic. Came home to find it off the leash and in a coma. Only cause I can think of is I found a shed baby krait skin in the yard the other day though why one would be out during the day is weird. Found what might be a bite on it's chest with minor localized edema. Small kraits leave only tiny punctures. Got cat on subcu IV drip under observation right now. Vitals very suppressed bespeaking a neurotoxin. Fingers crossed. Hope the snake is alright.

 

[Thistles]

Oh, no... best of luck to the little booger. I'm so sorry.

 

[The Snark]

Hrrm

Upon hearing of the cat's little spot of trouble, The Boss (dingbatus flakyus) informed me she thought she glimpsed a black and white banded under the clothes line around dawn today. She wants me to dig it up and relocate it. Like that is ever going to happen. If it has got down into the termite tunnels, likely, it would be like going Geoduck clamming with a teaspoon. I'll just wear my boots out there. No change in cat condition.

 

[Crysta]

sorry to hear about the cat (( its a shame she couldnt have been kept inside.

 

[Shrike]

Bummer, sorry to hear about the cat.

 

[The Snark]

The cat looks like it will survive. Has twin scratches on it's chest but no deep punctures. Had some major seizures but they have tapered off to spasms. Some 36 hours in the coma it showed some signs of reviving so we put a fish under it's nose which it licked. It was a little hilarious when I carried it out to it's sand pile for potty duties. First the digging and preparation included it falling over about 20 times. Then the flood went on for a solid 5 minutes. (It had over 1/2 liter fluids on board.) It is back to romping again with the added acrobatic maneuver of turning a somersault and ending up on it's back after most dashes. That doesn't seem to bother it or slow it down at all.

 

[Thistles]

Ohhh! I'm glad she pulled through! Youtube was made for videos of uncoordinated cats embarrassing themselves... just sayin'

 

[Mara]

Happy to hear the little one is getting better!

 

[pitbulllady]

What you described of the cat's behavior is typical of cats growing up. Cats, and many dogs too, go through an adolesent period similar to human teens, in which drastic mood swings are the norm. Cats also bite when they play, and you have to actually teach them that biting is not acceptable. It doesn't matter what kind of cat, either, since I've raised many a wild cat species and they all do the same thing, only when a 200-lb. tiger cub is going through this stage, it's a bit more "interesting" than when a house cat is hitting the "terrible teens". The animals are actually practicing their killing technique on YOU and on each other, as play. Give her a tap on the nose and firmly tell her " NO BITE" when she gets too rough, and stop the game. She will eventually grow out of it. As a general rule, though, most cats do not like having their bellies touched and will bite and scratch if you do that.

pitbulllady

 

[The Snark]

Warning, some may suspect feline abuse 'ere.

I'm not sure this cat is even the same species as what people have described to me as normal cat and it's behavior.

-You WILL get mercilessly bitten and climbed on until you step on the cat. It then rolls on it's back whereupon one is required to rub it with the bottom of your shoe/foot. It is best to do this while the cat is near a ledge or step as your life is forfeit if you dare stop or until...

-It falls off the ledge, step, other. It's a complete clutz when it's brain is preoccupied. On a visit inside the house, NOT recommended, it paused to scratch an ear and took a header down 7 stairs. I suppose it has added this to it's somersault gymnastics.

-Not recommended because it STINKS! 15 minutes in the house and the whole place is redolent of catreek. This is not a clean, fastidious animal. Mom's pigs smell better.

-It is nuts, or some kind of fruit. I noted the boss picking it up and dangling it by it's hind legs. I attempted to tell her that wasn't acceptable. She held the cat up high that way and was able to stroke it front and back while the cat purred, happy as a clam. She then demonstrated a use for the cat. Dangling it by it's hind legs she would hold it's head over the various cat toys, rubber bands, dust balls and whatever was on the floor. The cat instantly grabs the objects which she then relieved it of and put away. Made picking up the house before vacuuming a breeze. Unfortunately, once you are done with catdangle you can't put it down. Your ankles are forfeit.

-Don't wear a skirt around the cat. It climbs, inside and out.

-It buries it's food, unearthing it, nibbling then reburying it. Repeat until gone.

-Post snakebite it started growing white hairs. Most of the black fur is now salt and pepper. Weird.