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Cats And Human Food- HELP!

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QtHotChick - 05 Jun 2006 07:05 GMT
I recently adopted a 4 week old male kitten and have no experience in raising
one. I have the same problem, where the kitten would not stop chasing after
my food, and it got more and more aggressive towards getting into my food. I
tried saying no, but it would just coming back for it, that I would usually
lock the kitten in its carrier until i finish eating them let it out. Can
kitten eat human food? Isn't it harmful for the kittens? I thought human food
is bad for their health and shorten their life span. Other problems with
chewing or bitting lightly on human body parts sometimes, get a little antsy
when i file their claws after clipping them, and get rough when i wipe it
with a damp cloth. Any idea how i can fix them?
Debbie Wilson - 05 Jun 2006 10:24 GMT
> I recently adopted a 4 week old male kitten and have no experience in raising
> one. I have the same problem, where the kitten would not stop chasing after
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> when i file their claws after clipping them, and get rough when i wipe it
> with a damp cloth. Any idea how i can fix them?

It is best not to let your kitten eat human food - most of it will not
harm him (some will - e.g. onion, garlic, chocolate) but it isn't the
best diet for a young kitten, and it also creates bad habits of begging
for food. It is a good idea to gently remove him while you are eating
and either put him in a different room with his litter box and his own
food or briefly put him in his carrier, and move him where he can't see
or smell you eating. They are like young children at this age and very
persistent so you have to be very patient until they get a bit older and
calm down!

It is very important you don't let him get into the habit of biting or
chewing too hard as it will become a problem when he is older - is this
while he plays with you? At this age they really, really need the
companionship of other kittens to learn how to play nicely, they learn
from each other what is OK and what is too much, so if you have only one
kitten he won't learn in the same way. Is it possible for you to adopt a
littermate to keep him company?

If not, then if he bites you while playing or while you are stroking
him, then every time it's too hard, say 'Owww!' in a loud high-pitched
voice, as if you were another cat complaining, and take your hand away
so he doesn't have contact with you. Fold your arms up so he realises
you don't want to play with him if he bites. Praise him when he stops
and is calm. Get a soft stuffed toy that is about the same size as him
or a little bigger, and replace your hand with the toy so your kitten
can wrestle and bite the toy as if it was a pal. But the very best
answer is to get him a companion to grow up with, as they learn so much
from each other at this age. 4 weeks is really too young to be away from
the mother and litter mates so you have to help him finish his growing
up in a cat-like way :-)

Hope this helps

Deb.
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"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) - 05 Jun 2006 17:30 GMT
> It is best not to let your kitten eat human food - most of it will not
> harm him (some will - e.g. onion, garlic, chocolate)

Are you sure about the garlic?  They used to sell garlic &
brewer's yeast tablets as a homeopathic flea remedy for pets
(cats and dogs, both).   I haven't bought them in years -
they weren't too effective when the cats went out, and now
they're indoor-only, they don't acquire fleas.  But my cats
never showed any adverse effects to the tablets - some
actually seemed to LIKE them.
Matthew - 05 Jun 2006 18:04 GMT
>> It is best not to let your kitten eat human food - most of it will not
>> harm him (some will - e.g. onion, garlic, chocolate)
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> cats never showed any adverse effects to the tablets - some actually
> seemed to LIKE them.

I found some information on it but it is old Mike Richards, DVM 11/15/2001
the use of garlic, as well as onions, shallots, and chives, has been shown
to cause damage to feline red blood cells which can result in hemolytic
anemia and eventual death. Raw garlic and onions can also cause ulcers and
irritation of the mouth, esophagus and stomach.

But I have seen in some ingredients of cat food and other pet products that
contain garlic.  It must be the amount given to the animals at any certian
points of time
Debbie Wilson - 05 Jun 2006 18:11 GMT
> Are you sure about the garlic?  They used to sell garlic &
> brewer's yeast tablets as a homeopathic flea remedy for pets
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> never showed any adverse effects to the tablets - some
> actually seemed to LIKE them.

Well, it is used in a number of herbal remedies for pets, etc., but it
is in the same genus as onions (Allium sp.) and does contain the same
harmful substance, but in a much lesser amount, so I suppose it doesn't
rate as highly as onions on the danger scale, but would have the same
toxic effects (destroying red blood cells) if enough of it was eaten.

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/humanfood.htm

FWIW, onions and garlic belong to the family Liliaceae, and you may
recall the scare last year about lily pollen causing the death of a
Siamese cat who was unfortunate enough to brush against it and wash it
off her fur. Obviously a family of plants that just doesn't'go' with
felines!

Deb.
Signature

http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

mlabofski@yahoo.co.uk - 05 Jun 2006 19:42 GMT
Why on earth would you clip and file a 4 week old kittens claws?

> I recently adopted a 4 week old male kitten and have no experience in raising
> one. I have the same problem, where the kitten would not stop chasing after
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> when i file their claws after clipping them, and get rough when i wipe it
> with a damp cloth. Any idea how i can fix them?
Adrian A - 05 Jun 2006 23:08 GMT
> Why on earth would you clip and file a 4 week old kittens claws?

Don't forget it's troll season.
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Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

 
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