Congratulations on your addition

I have a cat, TJ, who loves cuddling with Gonzo. They cuddle all the time and he always kneads and suckles on him. One of my other cats Kirk always chases Jean-Luc around. It's so cute to watch them get along. Glad you found a friend for Hugo.

I have to mention though, you should do research before you declaw your cat. There are a lot of cons and no benefits for your cat. It's actually illegal in most countries or considered very inhumane. She may start biting, because you took away her defence, she may start peeing on things because she can no longer mark with her paws, she may stop using the litter box because she can no longer dig properly, she may stop using the litter box because during recovery it hurts too much, her personality may completely change. It's the same as pulling a dogs teeth because they are teething. Sounds ridiculous right? When you declaw they aren't just pulling out the nail. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". It is the equivalent of having your fingers amputated at the joint under your nail. If scratching is a problems there are a lot of humane ways to deter it. There are also soft paws, which are caps that go over the nails. I recommend you read through this site: What You Need To Know About Declawing - Declawing.com

 

I really appreciate you giving me this alternative to consider. I would hate for her personality to change. She hasn't began scratching on anything, I even got her a scratching post. I saw the claw caps, but I wonder how well they work/stay on. If I don't have to do it, then I wont. It would keep her happier along with my check book.

 

Also my first cat was completely declawed. This wasn't my doing, we got her like that. An man she could bite. When I was little my hands were covered in bite marks from her. I was appalled that she was completely declawed. An now that I read that article alot of her quirky behavior makes more sense. Thanks again for the link!

 

No problem . As for the caps, they stay on really well actually. One package lasts about a month, then they fall off as the nail grows. If you cat doesn't scratch there won't be any reason for them though. I used them on a foster cat because she used her nails whenever she was scared, which was almost all the time. She would dig her nails under our skin and we'd have to pull them out carefully.

 

ditto on the declawing... when i had roommates with cats who liked to claw furniture i found that spraying it down with bitter apple every other week kept them from doing it (my roommates were unwilling to do anything to solve the problem themselves) i also made sure to have tons of scratching posts and cardboard scratchers and such spread all around in every room of the house. luckily, my cat is REALLY good about not clawing furniture (he as other bad habits though, don't worry!) so i don't have to spray anything now that i don't have the roommates anymore.

anyway, she is adorable! i had a female tuxedo kitty when i was a kid, she had such a great personality! sounds like your mae does too! so great to find a kitty who wants to be friends with your pup!

 

I'm currently rubbing Mae down with a towel in my lap after a bath. Hugo is being nosy and she keeps trying to rub her head on his face. He keeps jumping backwards LOL! He has no idea what she's doing. So entertaining

 

she let you give her a bath? omg! that's impressive!

you should probably get some video of that happening btw, otherwise we aren't going to believe you!

 

Shockingly enough she was super calm. Right after I took her out and began to dry her off she started purring. I wish I would have video tapped it! Too late now she's off giving herself a second bath

 

My cats are more like dogs in personality than my older dog (who acts more like your typical cat). My dog doesn't care for attention and does his own thing. My cats follow me everywhere and are always underfoot or on my lap.

My first dog (many years ago) hated cats. I found a kitten in the barn and introduced them carefully. Suddenly they were best friends and would play together.

If started early in life and with warm water most cats will let you bathe them. All my cats will take baths, let you clip them for hair cuts, and have their nails trimmed. Now they aren't so fond of other people or going places but that is because I didn't socialize them like I do with a puppy! So my fault there.

As for clawing furniture- make sure to get the cat used to having it's claws handled. Toe nail clipping will save your skin, and your furniture. People are lazy and can't be bothered to clip their cat's nails and that is why they get their claws removed. If your cat does claw the furniture you can get a cheap throw to put on top of the chair. They also sell furniture covers.

I'm not so sure your cat was abandoned vs wandering off! She sounds like someone raised her really well!

 

My cats are more like dogs in personality than my older dog (who acts more like your typical cat). My dog doesn't care for attention and does his own thing. My cats follow me everywhere and are always underfoot or on my lap.

My first dog (many years ago) hated cats. I found a kitten in the barn and introduced them carefully. Suddenly they were best friends and would play together.

If started early in life and with warm water most cats will let you bathe them. All my cats will take baths, let you clip them for hair cuts, and have their nails trimmed. Now they aren't so fond of other people or going places but that is because I didn't socialize them like I do with a puppy! So my fault there.

As for clawing furniture- make sure to get the cat used to having it's claws handled. Toe nail clipping will save your skin, and your furniture. People are lazy and can't be bothered to clip their cat's nails and that is why they get their claws removed. If your cat does claw the furniture you can get a cheap throw to put on top of the chair. They also sell furniture covers.

I'm not so sure your cat was abandoned vs wandering off! She sounds like someone raised her really well!

This!

I can't imagine someone abandoning her. She is so well behaved and obviously treated very well. It's clear she grew up around dogs. She loves to be picked up and cuddled. She is much like a Ragdoll in the sense she just flops when you pick her up.

 

So excited for you! Sounds like a perfect fit!

Also glad to hear you've decided not to declaw!

 

Yay on the no declawing. I follow something called the Paw Project, which talks about all the problems that can follow declawing. It shows how it is not just the removal of the claw, but basically removing one of the bones in the toe. It would be like you cutting off your fingers at the knuckle below your nail. I personally have 6 cat trees for my kitty, as well as trim his nails. He doesn't scratch on anything he isn't supposed to because he has plenty of other outlets. The trees also give him his own personal space free of any dogs if he starts to feel overwhelmed by them. Cat shelves work just as well for that reason if space is tight, or a tree isn't aesthetically pleasing for you.

I also want to mention that cats, while similar to dogs, benefit greatly from an all wet diet. They are biologically designed to get their moisture through what they eat, not through drinking, and thus can never make up the deficit through drinking alone if on kibble. Even the cheapest canned food is better than the most expensive dry food because of this. Feeding a moisture rich diet will help prevent a large array of problems, mostly caused by the chronic dehydration. If you want to learn more, check out catinfo.org.

 

Thank you for the information!

I made an appointment with the vet to get Mae checked out. She seems to have a swollen toe. The hair is gone off of it and its rather deformed looking. I hope its nothing serious

 

Ditto too on no de clawing! My two cats NEED their claws to stretch, run, and once in a blue moon tap a unruly dog on the nose....no harm, no yelps!

 

I know the website can be a bit overwhelming, she writes a lot, but I have found the best thing for a cat is to just prevent as much as possible. They are a pain to medicate, at least compared to a dog. Most cats won't eat a treat with a pill hidden inside. Plus, just like dogs, they are really good at hiding illnesses. Sounds like you have a real gem though who might be more tolerant than most.

As for her toe, it sounds like it could be broken. Does it seem recent? Good luck at the vet, I hope it is a simple fix!

 

Well last night was an interesting one. This was the first time Hugo let her cuddle him. She basically hugged his back legs all night. But when she first jumped into bed and cuddled near my face I went the smell of urine about made my eyes burn.

So i pick her up and sniff her bum and sure enough I about fell over it was so strong. So around 2am we had a another kitty bath. She settled back into bed and cleaned herself till she fell back asleep.

Around 3am she got up and starting being frisky. Running around making lots of noise out in the living room. Which was keeping Hugo and I up considering we are used to silence (besides him snoring) . So I closed the door. Around 4am I wake up to Mae howling at the door, so I open it and she bolts for the bed and immediately crawls next to Hugo.

I had an appointment with the vet at 8am. But since I didn't sleep well I slept through my alarm. Mae was up against me by the time I woke up (9am) and sure enough she smelled like urine again. So naturally I do what everyone does when they have a question, google :thumbsup:.

There's a good possibility that she has a UTI. Which would explain why she goes to the litter box alot. I've been noticing that she frequently is using it. Or maybe she is peeing on herself because she is nervous and still getting used to her surroundings? I'm pretty much convinced shes settled in. Hugo is the one still adjusting.

I have an appointment at 11am today, thankfully they had an opening. I just had to share my night with you all! I'll let you know what the vet finds about her pee problem and her toe!

 

I'm sure it is a UTI. Cats are clean creatures! They hate getting dirty or smelling bad. One reason why I prefer my cats. My dogs like to be outside and always find something to roll in! The horse manure pile in particular. They love eating horse manure too!

Urinary issues are very common in cats. Now I'm off to take a nap. My puppy had me up all night. She didn't want to sleep alone and is too young to let out of her crate. :eyeroll: Of course, now she is sleeping away.

 

Well we just got back. Apparently its not a UTI. He said her urine is very potent but not infected. Maybe it's just going to take a few washings to get the urine smell out of her coat. The vet said he couldn't smell anything but boy I can. Its super strong to me.

 

The love!!!!

 

Congrats!!!

Last week, Roman just used his own body (what me & hubby calls self sacrificing) to block another doggie from chasing and snapping after Pepper the cat. Earning a nose bump (we all witnessed it) and a kiss from Pepper.

Real cool!

I think now Pepper the Cat now appreciates Roman for how good a dog he is.