Cat Forum / General Topics / May 2006
teeth
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pinksmurff - 14 May 2006 02:48 GMT My kitten is about 13 weeks.. she is always biting.. do kittens teeth like babies?? what can i do to make her stop biting so much??? and she has alot of catnip toys. can too much be harmful??she also eats whenever she wants and she's gettin big fast.. Is that bad??
 Signature ashley
Anna - 14 May 2006 04:08 GMT >My kitten is about 13 weeks.. she is always biting.. do kittens teeth like >babies?? what can i do to make her stop biting so much??? and she has alot >of catnip toys. can too much be harmful??she also eats whenever she wants and >she's gettin big fast.. Is that bad?? Her baby teeth will start falling out at about 12 to 16 weeks old. Don't let her bite your hands as if they're toys or she may grow up and continue to do this is an adult; use toys instead when she starts biting. Make sure there is nothing on the toys that can come off and that she can swallow such as eyes, tails, etc. If there is, remove them. No, the catnip toys aren't harmful. As she is only 13 weeks old, she should be eating her kitten food whenever she wants. Kittens grow extremely fast so that is why she seems like she is getting big fast. No, it is not bad, it means she is growing which is good; she will be full grown when she is a year old. Feed her the kitten food until she is a year old, then switch to adult.
pinksmurff - 14 May 2006 17:52 GMT i havent noticed any of her teeth fallin out yet.. i dont let her bite me.. my boyfriend lets her bite him. another question i have is that she is mine and my boyfriends cat, so sometimes she goes and stays at his house.. is that bad for her in any way?? its a wierd question but i cant word it right. im sure you know what im talkin about. i feed her alley cat. is that a bad choice of food? i will remove anything on her toys that can come off.. o and she also will sneak to my dogs food and eat his food. is that bad?? Is feeding her human food bad? I was feeding my nephew the other day (baby food) and she kept licking the rag.. is baby food bad for her?? sorry im askin so many questions, i just dont wanna harm her in any way.. i love my kitty.. thank you for all your help. ashley*
>>My kitten is about 13 weeks.. she is always biting.. do kittens teeth like >>babies?? what can i do to make her stop biting so much??? and she has alot [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >which is good; she will be full grown when she is a year old. Feed her the >kitten food until she is a year old, then switch to adult.
 Signature ashley
Anna - 15 May 2006 00:08 GMT >bad for her in any way?? its a wierd question but i cant word it right. im No but when she gets older she may not want to go in the car anymore to travel to his house; some get scared of it.
>sure you know what im talkin about. i feed her alley cat. is that a bad That is not a good choice of food; it's not high quality at all. Get Iams Kitten food or Purina Kitten Chow or any other higher quality kitten food. The cheaper the food is that you feed her, the more you have to give her. With a top quality food, less is needed to provide good results. Also, she will have more medical problems in the future if fed poor quality food. A better food makes a healthier cat.
>choice of food? i will remove anything on her toys that can come off.. o and >she also will sneak to my dogs food and eat his food. is that bad?? Is If she's just sneaking over there once in awhile, that is not bad. If you get he a better food, she may stop doing this. Also, make sure her bowl isn't empty so that she doesn't have to sneak over and eat his.
>feeding her human food bad? I was feeding my nephew the other day (baby food) >and she kept licking the rag.. is baby food bad for her?? sorry im askin so Human treats should be kept to a minimum so she doesn't get fat in the future. Baby food is an okay treat as long as it doesn't have onion powder in it.
Here is a list of questions regarding pet food and nutrition that may help you (by Animal Nutritionists):
http://www.petdiets.com/default.asp?Menu=FAQs&PageName=/faqs/default.asp
Also, call your vet if you have any questions about your kitten's health. Don't forget to get her spayed by 5 1/2 months old at the latest.
RichC - 15 May 2006 03:15 GMT > Baby food is an okay treat as long as it doesn't have onion powder in it. What's wrong with onion powder?
Matthew aka NMR - 15 May 2006 03:21 GMT >> Baby food is an okay treat as long as it doesn't have onion powder in it. > > What's wrong with onion powder? Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate can cause anemia in cats if consumed Yes, onions can be toxic to dogs and cats. In dogs, onions can cause a fatal anemia and it does not matter if the onions are raw or cooked. A small amount of onion can harm a small dog - the larger the dog the larger the amount it takes to make a dog sick. Cats too can get very sick and even die from consuming onions. For that reason, pet owners should be careful that their animals don't eat onions
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/protect_your_pet_from_common_household_dangers/
pinksmurff - 15 May 2006 14:40 GMT WOW!! thank you very much. i never would have thought that onions could be fatal.
>>> Baby food is an okay treat as long as it doesn't have onion powder in it. >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/protect_your_pet_from_common_household_dangers/
 Signature *ashley*
pinksmurff - 15 May 2006 14:39 GMT ok thanks.. i will get her new food today.. her bowl is NEVER!! empty. its always at least 1/4 full.. what wet food do you suggest?? i got her whiskas before..thank you very much. i will look at thost questions.. *ashley
>>bad for her in any way?? its a wierd question but i cant word it right. im > [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >Also, call your vet if you have any questions about your kitten's health. >Don't forget to get her spayed by 5 1/2 months old at the latest.
 Signature *ashley*
Matthew aka NMR - 15 May 2006 15:03 GMT Ashley that right there everyone has their opinion on experts and everyday folks. Best thing to do is name brand kitten food or cat food. Take each one look at the label and compare. Some of the off brands even are compatible. The cats at our shelters don't always get name brand but we make sure they get nutrional value some how some way even if we have to give them kitty vitamins( which is always done and under the guidance of a vet )
Some reading for you since you got a new kitten this is a gentleman's sit Named Phil who hangs out in rec.pets.cats.health+behav most informed non vet that I have dealt with http://www.maxshouse.com/Database_toc.htm
also
http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/general-care.shtml
> ok thanks.. i will get her new food today.. her bowl is NEVER!! empty. its > always at least 1/4 full.. what wet food do you suggest?? i got her [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >>Also, call your vet if you have any questions about your kitten's health. >>Don't forget to get her spayed by 5 1/2 months old at the latest. Beth - 14 May 2006 09:04 GMT > My kitten is about 13 weeks.. she is always biting.. do kittens teeth like > babies?? what can i do to make her stop biting so much??? and she has > alot > of catnip toys. can too much be harmful??she also eats whenever she wants > and > she's gettin big fast.. Is that bad?? I agree...DO NOT LET HER BITE YOUR HANDS NOW!! I made that mistake and had to retrain my cat to not bite/scratch at me as if I were a toy when she got older. She's two now and while she doesn't "attack" like she used to, I still get bit and scratched when we're playing sometimes...and I have some scars to prove it:) It may seem cute now and it doesn't hurt when they're little, but when they're adults, it hurts like hell! :) You don't want to have to retrain her. Break the habit now while it's easy to get away and just don't let her do it. Beth
pinksmurff - 14 May 2006 17:56 GMT O IT HURTS NOW!! i wouldnt wanna see it when shes older.. i got some scars too.. i love her tho.. thank you very much for your advide.. if you dont mind me asking how did you *retrain* her? *ashley
>> My kitten is about 13 weeks.. she is always biting.. do kittens teeth like >> babies?? what can i do to make her stop biting so much??? and she has [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >just don't let her do it. >Beth
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Beth - 15 May 2006 04:44 GMT >O IT HURTS NOW!! i wouldnt wanna see it when shes older.. i got some scars > too.. i love her tho.. thank you very much for your advide.. if you dont > mind me asking how did you *retrain* her? > *ashley Well, I actually came on here and asked for advice and then I used it:) Step one: Become aware of her behavior when she's ready to "attack." If she isn't in attack mode now, then you're lucky:) Mine will do one of two things. She will be in a playing mood and will hunch down, put her ears back, and have one paw up. That tells me that she'll attack if I try to pet her. Or, she flops over on her back so I'll rub her belly. After a minute or two of some good belly rubbing, she tenses up and latches on with her teeth. So, just get used to whatever her behavior is before she does her biting/scratching/attacking. Step 2: As simple as it sounds, learn to move more quickly. I used to absent mindedly pet my cat. Bad idea. Now, the only time I do that is when she's come to me and is sleepy and just wants some love. When she's playful, keep an eye on her. If she does attack, remember that she thinks she's playing. She wants attention. I think that yelling no at the cat counts as attention, as it seems to have no effect. When you get out of her way, ignore her. Get up and move away. Let her come back to you and make sure she's calmed down before you pet her. The ignoring has worked for me. Water bottles and saying no...those do nothing. The cat wanted attention and by George she was going to get it! So, when I took it away, she changed her behavior. And step 3: When she does actually get you, cry/meow. If you don't sound insane, you aren't doing it right:) I thought it was a crazy thing to do, until I tried it. It took a few times, and I even did it when she had only tried and missed when I was first making an effort to stop being clawed up. The noise signals to her that she hurt you. She doesn't know otherwise. When I first did it, she had scratched/bit me. She latched on like a piranha and did that kangaroo thing with her feet. When I made the noise, she froze, looked at me, licked the spot she had bit/scratched, rubbed her head on my hand and left. It freaked her out. She now knows it hurts! She rarely gets skin now, but if she does, I still make the noise and she stops. Granted, mine was a little far gone to completely retrain. But, when she does manage to actually bite/scratch me now, she doesn't do it as hard and I don't bleed nearly as often as I used to! Usually, I only get a red mark that is gone in a little while. I know this is long, but I hope it helps! Good luck with your furbaby!
Beth
csmit41@kc.rr.com - 14 May 2006 14:42 GMT To address the weight issue, it's difficult to answer having not seen your kitten. Best thing for your kitten is Kitten Chow or another high calorie kitten food. Kittens need kibble AND wet food to make sure they get enough calories and a varied diet. I used to put a bowl of kibble out with a couple of tablespoons of wet food mixed in. It made the kibble tasty and they would get enough moisture along with enough calories. If you are concerned about weight gain just go to the vet, usually having a cat simply checked out is a reasonable cost. Only a vet could answer your weight question since he's the medical expert and he can examine your kitten.
When my kittens would teethe, I would make sure to play with them everyday with toys that were soft yet firm so they could gnaw on the toys and have fun at the same time. Yes, they teethe similarly to babies. I imagine it would be painful whenever any animal had teeth cutting in through their gums. If you want to get good chewing toys, don't just look in the cat toys, try out the dog toy section as well. There are smaller toys available that are good for cats too. Just remember that kittens' mouths are pretty small. Smaller rope toys in the dog section are appropriate. And to add some comfort, you can put a couple of toys in the freezer to make them cool and it will help soothe their gums when they gnaw on them.
As for overdosing on catnip... no, catnip is not toxic to cats. They don't overdose and become ill. What will happen if they are "overexposed" is the catnip won't affect them as much... they become immune to it to some degree. Catnip toys will eventually lose their potency and it is normal for a cat to not react as strongly to a toy that once drove them nuts. I prefer catnip toys that have refillable pockets to them so you can put fresh catnip inside whenever the potency dissipates. I have read several webpages about catnip and asked my vet. What seems best is to buy little tubs of catnip and keep it fesh longer by putting it in the freezer or refrigerator and only using catnip every once in awhile like a special treat, not as an every day thing. This ensures that your cat will react to the catnip every time it is introduced and not become "immune" to it.
Plus, not every cat reacts to catnip the same way, some eventually stop reacting to catnip at all and that's normal. Many cats never react to catnip. That's normal.
Also, if you ever simply give your cat some catnip straight from a container, it's normal for them to eat it.
There are many many websites to investigate for tips and hints about cats and rearing them. Go surfing :) Good luck with your kitten!
> My kitten is about 13 weeks.. she is always biting.. do kittens teeth like > babies?? what can i do to make her stop biting so much??? and she has > alot > of catnip toys. can too much be harmful??she also eats whenever she wants > and > she's gettin big fast.. Is that bad?? pinksmurff - 14 May 2006 18:01 GMT she gets so naughty when she plays with her catnip toys.. she climbs everything.. when i gave her wet food, she got diareeha.. like i said before in another reply to someone that she always eats my dogs food, which we mix with wet food.. so should i start mixing it again?? what kind of toy do you suggest putting in the freezer?? i will take your advice definately.. thank you so much *ashley
>To address the weight issue, it's difficult to answer having not seen your >kitten. Best thing for your kitten is Kitten Chow or another high calorie [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] >> and >> she's gettin big fast.. Is that bad??
 Signature *ashley*
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