Postings by Sophie's Family

Cat Health > Cat has VERY irritated, itchy skin. Product recommendation?

Sophie 975203     Purred: Mon Aug 6, '12 11:32am PST  Thanks guys! I'll try the Apple Cider Vinegar or the Aloe Vera. I don't think Sophie would react well to veterinary steroid shots... She's older, and awfully sensitive. I'm not too partial to chemical treatments of ailments on my animals when it isn't absolutely necessary, anyway. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become friends [notify]

Sophie 975203     Purred: Sat Aug 4, '12 11:57am PST  My poor baby is suffering from some pretty bad itchiness. I can feel a rash under her hair, covered with hard scabs and bumps. They occur at her shoulder blades and rump area, they do not extend down her sides/legs/belly/etc. There is some itchiness and scabs around her neck, as well. The worst area is her rump and back directly above her tail. Now, she has always had sensitive skin. We switched her to a grain free, high quality food formula a few years back and she has vastly improved. She is also highly allergic to fleas, which normally cause this sort of reaction on her. I work at a dog grooming salon (recently quit) with a lot of flea-ridden pups and it is quite likely that I brought a few home around a month ago. However, I was hyper-cautious about having the animals on preventatives as soon as I started this job, and have diligently ensured that no fleas remain in my house. The animals are both brushed and bathed regularly (we go over the cat with the flea comb as well, no dirt or eggs seen). I am worried a flea did get on her and caused a reaction, but any fleas are long gone at this point. I think it is just a remaining rash. Is there anything I can do to soothe her horrendously itchy skin? I love her to death and I hate seeing her in such discomfort. Any particular shampoo, scrub, spray, additive, etc you can think of that will help kick this rash in the butt?? my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become friends [notify]

Behavior & Training > New kitty is not adjusting to her new home

Sophie 975203     Purred: Sun May 8, '11 6:34am PST  He does give her treats frequently and is very friendly towards her. If she does come downstairs they generally just say "Aww, Mimosa!" quietly and watch her timidly check things out before she darts right back upstairs again. Normally this kind of behavior changes over time, but it's been around two months since they got her. That seems like a while to me for the cat to still be SO skittish, what do you think? I feel like I should also mention this: I sleep in "her" room when I visit, and she is always very cuddly and friendly to me when I wake up in the mornings. She doesn't mind my presence and will come and sleep on my chest while I'm asleep or rub up on my face, hands, etc. However, suddenly she HATES being pet anywhere but her spine and back of her head. She will attack if you pet her on the underside of her neck, belly, or on her legs anywhere. It seems more like a warning attack though, but it still hurts. She didn't use to do this. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become friends [notify]

Behavior & Training > New kitty is not adjusting to her new home

Sophie 975203     Purred: Sat May 7, '11 9:28am PST  This isn't about Sophie, but about my dad's cat. He has two cats already, Bobby and Bobinha. They are great friends but aren't attached at the hip or anything. Both are fairly independent cats, not too vocal, clingy, etc. Bobby tends to just loaf around and play with Bobinha every now and then; he plays rough. Bobinha is fast and active, plays all day and likes to keep her people in sight. She plays nicely, mostly just chasing and batting with paws gently. They are both adults (almost 2-ish). Introduce new kitty: Mimosa. She is an extremely tiny young cat, around 1.5 years. She is playful, active, friendly, social, and grew up around other dogs and cats. She had no problems in her previous home, and was raised by the foster mom as Bobinha. She's a great cat, but seems very uncomfortable in her new home. I talked to my dad and stepmom about proper transition and they did everything pretty much right; they were very cautious and gave Mimosa PLENTY of time to adjust. We kept her separated from the other cats for the first week or so with heavily supervised and limited positive interaction. Everything seemed to be going great! She would play with Bobinha when they were together, though Bobby was skittish of her (he got over that, it wasn't too big of a deal). Eventually she was given free reign of the house. Doors were left open for her to escape to if she felt uncomfortable, but everything basically happens downstairs here. She is fed downstairs and has no problem with that, she eats with the other two cats and it's fine. But even still, a month or two after owning her, she is hiding upstairs ALL the time. She will not leave this one room other than to eat and use the box. She is totally comfortable in the room, relaxed, chill, cozy, and likes to be petted. She is fine if the other cats come in there, but does not relax outside of that room. I worry that she is afraid of my dad. She grew up with a kind of small woman who knows cats very well and probably was nice and calm with her. My dad is a tall man with a very deep voice, and he yells a lot. Not necessarily angrily, but he fusses at the computer, the TV, the kitchen, etc. in a very loud, booming voice. I'm worried it could be scaring her away from the downstairs. But even when he is not home, she remains upstairs. He works and travels (and once, when he was on a long trip, she actually DID spend her time downstairs with my step mom and the other cats, but that was the only time). He is going on a few trips soon, and I told my stepmom to see if Mimosa stayed downstairs while he wasn't around. Do you think her behavior/fear is as simple as she is afraid of my dad? If so, what do we do?? He LOVES this cat and doesn't want her to be afraid her entire time here. It's very upsetting, and he only wants the best for her. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become friends [notify]

Choosing the Right Cat > The Savannah

Sophie 975203     Purred: Sat Dec 25, '10 1:06pm PST  Thank you very much for the informative posts Actually, I would really like to know more about the Modern Siamese and why it is so controversial. I have seen many people mention that it's a controversial breed and that it has a ton of health problems, etc, but can't seem to turn anything up when I search. If you don't want to post that on the forums, do you think you could PM me with a bit of info on the Modern? I actually like the appearance of it, but I don't want to think I'm supporting unethical breeding. I am always drawn to cats with that body and head shape (like the Cornish Rex, Siamese, Oriental Shorthair, etc). Isn't there some in-between style Siamese who is not as extreme as the Modern but not as round as the Traditional? I heard someone call it a "classic" Siamese. It has that more lithe body and wedge-shaped head but isn't as exaggerated as the Modern. So the Savannah can't compete for a Championship the same as a Persian or a Russian Blue can? If I'm understanding you correctly, the Savannah can still compete in certain classes but it can't achieve a CH or anything like that like the other recognized breeds. That's very interesting, thanks. While I get that almost all breeds are made by combining other breeds together, I still think it's strange that you can call it a breed if it can ONLY be made by crossing a wild cat with a domestic cat... It would be totally different if it originated with the two cats but could still be consistently produced without needing the pure Serval in most of the breedings. Yeah, and I know completely what you mean about the ridiculous breeding standards... I figured that was what happened with breeds like the Persian and the Munchkin (and other breeds like that). I knew about the Scottish Fold and Manx and them being bred for a mutation that occurred in a barn cat litter, which I thought was... strange, and a bit creepy, but I suppose it's just like the Rhodesian Ridgeback dog who is bred for a mutated cowlick on his back. Or the poor Bulldog who is bred despite not being able to naturally function in even the most basic ways. People are selfish and sick and it does upset me that this has spread to cat breeding, since I do love cats and appreciate how natural they usually are. They are such strong creatures who aren't too far from their wild roots that they need absurd amounts of human intervention just to survive. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become friends [notify]

Sophie 975203     Purred: Fri Dec 24, '10 9:43pm PST  Please pardon me, I'm not as well versed in cats as I am in dogs, so I hope I am not hitting some hot-button topic or a dead horse. Please take no offense to my post, if it is horribly rude or anything let me know! I am just genuinely curious and blindly diving into the Catster forums in hope someone will help educate me. I admire the appearance and intensity of this breed, and it is precisely the kind of cat that I like best, personality wise. However, I am wondering if it is really a breed at all? It was accepted as a breed by what I assume is the feline equivalent of the AKC only 9-10 years ago, but can it really be considered a true breed when it is just a hybrid? I got a little ruffled when I was reading people listing their cats as "F1" and "F3" and such. It is too reminiscent of Labradoodles and the like for me to not get upset over, especially since the Labradoodle is attempting to become a recognized breed lately... eugh, anyway, this isn't about doodles or my personal opinions on their "breeders". But if the Savannah is a hybrid cross, how can it be judged to a standard? Can you breed a SVxSV cross and get a reliable, constant, correct standard cat or will it just look like a spotty tabby after a few generations? How can it be considered a breed when it can only be steadily produced through the hybrid crossing of two different breeds of cats? Is the Savannah the feline equivalent of the Doodle to cat fanciers? Perhaps the ethics are different between the dog and cat community, and hybrid crossings aren't as much of a touchy subject. I would love for someone more knowledgeable than me to humor me and inform me a bit on Savannah breeding, genetics, and the reception of a hybrid as a breed to the cat community. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become friends [notify]

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the rapid nature of forum postings, it's quite possible our calculation of the number of ensuing forum posts may be off by one or two or more at any given moment.