http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html Our Multiple Cats Blog keeps you up-to-date with what's new at the website, our sanctuary and more! Subscribe here. en-us Multiple Cat Household Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:12:08 GMT Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:12:08 GMT a-house-full-of-cats.com http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/feline-diabeties.html I'm trying to find information on feline diabetes. my kitty trouble was diagnosed in april and july 8 started him on canin insulin and was hoping you had Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:12:04 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/ingredients-safe-for-a-male-cats-bladder.html I want to feed all my kitties like you do, in three sep. bowls of the Chicken Soup For The Pet Lovers Soul/ free feed. My schedule is just to busy. I also Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:57:09 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/new-kitten-anxious-ornery-cat.html Great site! We have a 2 yr old cat who we rescued from 6 wks. She has always been very anxious, skittish, and is not keen on too much touching. She is Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:19:14 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/cat-fights.html I adopted a female kitten last year and is now over a year old. I have a 12 yr. old male who had no problem accepting her. Now every night he chases Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:40:54 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/lotsofcats.html Q & A All About Living with Lots of Cats! Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:54:31 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Skunk-Wars! Last week we noticed several small skunks roaming about the kitty enclosure. We were not overly concerned as the cats didn't seem to mind them and they were causing no harm. But we could not find where they were coming in at. We could find no breaches in the fence and no hole near the fence that the skunks might be using. They were coming every night and we kept looking but could not figure out how they got in and out. One night, we were looking out the window and saw the skunks actually squeeze right through the rodent wire. We were astounded! We couldn't believe they could fit through the wire but they did, and quite easily. They simply poked their heads through and with a little push, popped out on the other side! Fascinating! Still, we weren't too concerned. After all, we do live in a rural area so skunks are not unusual. However, around 1:30 in the morning, we noticed the cats acting quite excited and nervous. We got out of bed, walked into the living room, and found 2 little skunks standing there staring at us! They had come in through one of the pet doors. We managed to shoo them back out without any spraying but this was a little too close for comfort! We closed off the pet door and went back to bed deciding that we would figure out what to do in the morning. Still, we were not overly worried. The cats were fine and the skunks were not agressive so we figured we had time. Boy, were we wrong! By morning, 2 cats had been sprayed, 2 had what appeared to be bites under their chins and 1 had a small laceration on his head, and our screened in porch AND our kitchen reeked of skunk! That was it! The skunks were entirely too comfortable here and putting our babies at risk. The Skunk War was on!!! Stay tuned for more! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:40:05 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/excellent-way-to-stop-spraying-place-treats-in-places-they-pee-works-great.html I have 16 rescue cats. After years of sray free living two of my little darlings Whisper 2 year old neautered male and Quint 2 year old neautered male Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:41:38 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/new-cat-beating-up-on-resident-cat.html We have had a new cat for 5 weeks. They were separated for 2 weeks in separate rooms. Now they are in side by side crates for 4 hours twice a day. The Sat, 26 Jun 2010 23:48:53 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/nutritional-requirements.html Hi Donna, I want to say first that i am very thankful for this website and for the time you spent in replying back to my questions. You have given me Sat, 26 Jun 2010 23:14:31 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/two-of-my-cats-are-attacking-my-older-cat-all-females.html I have a 6 year old cat, and two 2 year old cats. One weekend I had taken my 6 year old cat to my mom/dads house so she could stay the night and visit. Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:43:52 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Another-new-addition! Aquired another little kitten, 8 weeks old. The mother cat had 7 kittens and her owner was able to adopt out all but one. A boy this time, we were told no one wanted him because he was "stuck-up" and is a long hair. We are constantly amazed at how people describe cats and kittens. This little guy is very friendly and loveable! He is marmalade and white and is very curious! He wants to be where ever we are and loves to snuggle with us on the bed! He is not stuck-up at all! He likes playing with Sasha and Lucy but is a little afraid of the big cats. Completely understandable! Big cats can be scary when you are a little guy. Over the past couple of days, we have tried out several different names on him but he seems to prefer Henry. So Henry it is! Since he is a long hair and will require frequent brushing, we are already getting him used to the brush. He thinks it is a toy and loves chewing on it more than the brushing but as he ages, we know he will come to love being brushed as much as the other cats do! Will be posting pictures of all 3 new arrivals soon! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:27:47 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#More-Excitement! Have not sighted the skunk in a few nights but we may know why. Last night, we saw a racoon! Fortunately, he was outside the kitty yard but since racoons can easily climb, we watched him until he left the area. Racoons can be very agressive so he is a very unwelcome visitor! We aren't sure how to handle it if a racoon comes in the yard. The men, of course, all want to shoot it but us ladies are not real happy with that solution. We just pray that, not finding any food, the racoon will decide to forage elsewhere. We hope we don't have to start locking up the cats at night. We know they will not like that! This year has been the worst ever for wildlife coming into the area. We can't bait them or trap them because innocent cats could be hurt. We plan on putting up bright lights and hope that will be enough to deter them from the kitty yard. Wish us luck! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:11:59 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Some-Excitement! Discovered a baby (or at least young) skunk roaming around, looking for grubs INSIDE the kitty yard. We have no idea how it got in. We searched everywhere for a hole or breach in the fence but could find nothing. It could be he was small enough to come in through a gopher hole - we have lots of those! The cats didn't seem to mind the skunk, they just ignored him. And the skunk was not bothered by the cats either. We were the only ones freaking out. We were worried he would decide to come in the house through one of the pet doors! Then he would startle us, we'd scream, he'd spray, and we would have to burn the house down to get rid of the smell! Fortunately, that didn't happen. We aren't sure what to do about the skunk. Hopefully, since we don't feed the cats outside, he will decide to go and look for food elsewhere! At least skunks aren't very agressive. But they can carry rabies so we are keeping a watchful eye on his activities. Hopefully the cats will remain uninterested in him! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:58:20 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Another-Kitten! We took in a new little girl, 8 weeks old from a woman who was surprised by her cat's pregnancy. Her cat has not been spayed but is an indoor only so she didn't know how it happened. Well, turns out she also has an indoor only male cat that has not been neutered! DUH!!! Anyway, we took in the little girl because she said no one wanted her because she "wasn't cute" and was not very friendly. Boy, was she wrong! This little girl is just adorable! And very pretty! She is a tan/brown tabby with both stripes and spots! After the first day spent growling and hissing at everything (including her food - she growled as she ate!) she decided it wasn't so bad here and now she and Lucy play and sleep together like best friends. We have named her Sasha. She loves to snuggle with us and is very friendly. We intend to spoil her rotten! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:44:55 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/charly.html charly was sitting on a chair on the front porch calmly and the next minite he was floping around like a fish. when he stoped his toungh turned blackish Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:00:19 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/makeadonation.html Make A Donation to the House Full Cat Sanctuary Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:40:54 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/catbehavior.html Understanding Cat Behavior and Fixing Problem Behaviors in a Multiple Cat Household Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:38:15 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/catpee.html Cat Pee! Managing The Problem In A Multiple Cat Household Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:30:36 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/emaciated-but-happy-cat.html I'd like opinion on my cat, Zoelee. Zoelee, now 2.5 yrs, has no fat on her. When I adopted her as a kitten, she was sickly (although the shelter stated Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:37:07 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/catsupply.html Cat Supply shopping made easier! Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:17:47 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/the-pee-must-stop.html I have 16 special needs cats and they equally entertain and drive me nuts. A couple have some issues I have not been able to resolve. I'll give you the Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:57:59 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/stressed-cats.html We have just adopted a 12 year old cat from a deceased relative. The cat has settled in to our home well, she is a very relaxed cat. The only problem Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:57:24 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/hostile.html i have two female cats..both are pregnant! the other day one of them gave birth to four kittens! and my other cat that is still pregnant if very hostile Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:00:23 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#The-New-Kid! The little 5 week old kitten that was given to us by the pet shop owner is doing good. She is active, playful,curious, and no signs of illness! We have named her Lucy. We have already been approached by 2 different people asking if we woud take in kittens that their cat had after they are weaned and if they can't get them adopted right away. Of course we said "yes" (and offered to help them get mama spayed!)so Lucy may have playmates closer to her age in the next week or so. In the meantime, we will continue to spoil her rotten! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:26:57 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Baby-Update-Again Well, sad news. We lost the last baby early Saturday morning. He seemed to be doing OK, eating, peeing, nice poops, etc. but he just wasn't gaining weight. He began crying pitifully around 5:30 in the morning and passed away in less than an hour - no obvious sign of illness. We of course feel horribly guilty - like there was something more we could have done but we know he had the best possible care. It just wasn't meant to be. I held him close and let him know he was loved until he slipped away. We comfort ourselves knowing he has crossed the Rainbow Bridge and is now with his siblings. We still don't know who left them in this deplorable condition but if I ever find out, it will be very difficult not to punch them - HARD! At least these poor little babies got to know love in their short lives. These little, helpless babies touched our hearts and the sadness of their loss will be with us for a long time. Donna, House Full Cats Mom Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:18:44 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Baby-Update-Continued Well, we lost baby #4 on Sunday. We had such hope but she stopped eating and simply faded away. The sole survivor seems to be doing well. He is actively exploring and has turned away from his bottle in favor of actual food! He did this all on his own! He has food all over his face and feet after eating but he is now trying to clean himself. We still have to wipe him clean after eating but the fact that he is trying to do this normal behavior is a good sign. He'll be off to the vet soon! We also aquired another kitten. She is about 5 weeks old and just adorable! She was left at our local pet shop but she is too young for them to keep. (Kittens have to be at least 8 weeks old for them to keep and sell) They asked if we would take this little one and of course we said yes! She has made herself right to home and the baby follows her around like he is stuck to her! They are very cute together! She seems quite healthy but next week she is off to the vet for a check-up! Wish us luck! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Fri, 28 May 2010 19:38:27 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Cat-Drinking-Fountains Many of our cats prefer drinking from a water fountain. The ones we used were OK but we noticed that over time the bowls became etched and rough from the water. We were concerned that they would harbor bacteria. We found a different type of dringking fountain that is made of smooth materials. We have used them for several months and NO ETCHING! Our cats just LOVE it! Even ones that didn't normally drink from the fountains are now drinking from them. Since keeping cats well hydrated is so important to their health, finding a fountain that so many cats enjoy drinking from is great! Check it out for yourself! Just follow the link below! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Sun, 23 May 2010 17:23:06 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#More-Sad-Baby-Update---And-Happy! Well, we lost 2 more kittens over the past few days. We tried so hard to save them but the stress was just too much. Each in turn just stopped eating. Again, we shed tears, said a prayer, and sent them on their way across the Rainbow Bridge. We take comfort in knowing that they each got to know love and that they are now with their sibling free of suffering. On a happy note, there are still 2 surviving babies! One is doing very well, eating like a pig, growing, curious and wanting to explore. The other one is still very fragile and causes us concern but today he took the bottle and suckled like a champ! His eyes are infeted but are much better and he is now able to open them a little. His natural curiosity is now peaked and he is looking at everything and walking around a bit! We are keeping our fingers crossed! He is still very tiny and in a normal litter would be considered the runt. But sometimes the runts are the toughest of all! Keep them in your prayers and we will update again soon. Donna, House Full Cats Mom Sat, 22 May 2010 16:57:23 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Baby-Watch-Update---Day-2 So far so good! The 4 remaining baby kittens are coming along well. We were initially concerned about 1 of them but as of their last feeding, all of them ate like little piggies and have gotten the hang of feeding from the bottle! YAY!!! They all got another bath today as we found a few more fleas. The first bath was a quick "we gotta save their lives" bath. Today they got a real good bath and are now clean, fuzzy and flea free! They are still sleeping in the crate with the warming lamp. Betty will kitten-sit overnight on the nights I have to work. And the rest of our cat family is now quite curious about that noise coming from the crate. For now, they aren't allowed to get too close to the baby kittens but soon, if things continue to go well, the babies will go to the vet. Then we will allow supervised visits between the babies and the rest of the cats. Will keep updating. Donna, House Full Cats Mom Wed, 19 May 2010 01:04:43 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/why-does-she-do-this.html I have two older cats and we introduced a third cat about a year ago. The youngest approaches the middle cat when she is laying down sleeping by trying Wed, 19 May 2010 00:50:35 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Sad-Baby-Watch-Update As we feared, the little guy that was so weak passed away. I noticed that he was starting to seize. I picked him up, wrapped in a warm towel, held him against my chest near my heart, and murmured what I hoped would be sounds of comfort while he died. Betty and I both cried over the loss of this tiny baby we had only known for a couple of hours. We buried him in the yard under a tree (it was raining), said a prayer for him and wished him well on his journey across the Rainbow Bridge. We imagine him now safe, warm, clean, happy, with a full belly, knowing what it is like to be loved. I fight back tears as I write this. I hope he knew the kindness and felt the love we gave him before he died. I am also angry - his suffering and death was so needless! We are still praying for his 4 siblings! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Mon, 17 May 2010 23:18:20 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Kitten-Season-Officially-Here Well, kitten season is officially here at A House Full of Cats! I arrived home this morning after working all night at the hospital (I am an RN) to find a box on my porch. Inside were 5 tiny kittens about 2 weeks old, infested with fleas and very cold! I immediately washed off as many fleas as I could with warm water, stimulating them as I dried and set them up in a crate with a warming lamp and a nest of warm towels. I warmed some formula (it pays to be prepared!) and attempted to feed all of them. They were still pretty lethargic but eventually all but 2 took a couple of teaspoons of food. Safely back in the warming crate, I left them to feed the rest of the cats, who were all on their best behavior (like they knew little lives were hanging in the balance) and prayed the kittens would survive, cursing the cruelty of people! Those babies were on my porch in an open box for God knows how long! The person who left them could have waited til I came home. I would have gladly taken them in and maybe they wouldn't have been so cold! It got down into the low fifties here last night - too cold for unprotected little kittens! And the flea infestation could easily kill them. We are now on baby watch duty! Will update as the situation changes! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Mon, 17 May 2010 23:18:20 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/Multiple-Cat-Household-blog.html#Baby-Watch-Update Since my husband passed away this past November, the cats are home alone the 3 nights a week that I work. Betty, who helped care for my husband Michael , now helps me with the cats sometimes but only during the day. (She is a godsend!) We are both now on "baby watch". There is one little guy that is so weak with such pale little gums and tongue that we fear the fleas have just drained too much blood and that the cold was too much for him. We are both doubtful that he will recover. After several attempts, he is still unable to take the bottle. The little guy is so weak he can't even hold his tiny head up.The other little one that didn't eat at first has now started taking a bit of formula. We are praying for all of them still! And still cursing the cruelty that did this to them! OK, so they can't be bothered to get the mama cat spayed. That doesn't excuse leaving defensless kittens unprotected in an open box, on our porch, on a cold night for hours! Shame on them! Donna, House Full Cats Mom Mon, 17 May 2010 23:18:20 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/my-male-cat-is-a-bullie.html I have 4cats. Three males (12yrs),(6yrs),(1yr) and a 7 yr old female. The older male has been urinating on clothes that are left on the floor or a towel Fri, 14 May 2010 02:09:58 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/obsessive-grooming.html My cat is almost 13 & he has started to overgroom in a compulsive manner, leaving his tummy totally pink & he's now started on his hind leg joints. I've Fri, 14 May 2010 01:49:50 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/grown-up-cats-started-fighting-why.html hi i have 3 kittens ,sam from one mother , dey luv each oder , eat together n sleep togheter. after one year my cats are pregnant now they have started Mon, 03 May 2010 18:53:05 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/cat-scat-disposal.html I am assisting a friend with many cats. My first order of business is the litter box amply covered at your wonderful site. My specific question is how Mon, 03 May 2010 18:32:02 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/cat-besotted-by-my-cat.html This is weird. I have two 7yr old neutered boys and their 9 year old spayed mother. They're all free range cats. For the last 3 months or so, one of the Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:46:01 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/outside-pets.html rescued several cats over the years and they typically live outdoors and stay close to home. I have had two different instances where two or more disappear Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:31:45 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/outdoorcatenclosure.html Outdoor Cat Enclosure - Ours and How We Made It and Keep Our Cats Safe In It Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:18:11 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/please-help-my-cats-vomiting.html Donna- I am very upset now. As I said in my last question, my cats are on the raw meat diet, when I tried to switch back to the dry food, three out of Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:52:19 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/cat-peehelp-and-my-cat-has-stomatitis.html We have 9 cats who seem to get along very well. One of our little angels keeps urinating on our counter, desk, floor etc. It subsides for awhile and Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:38:17 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/how-should-i-know-the-raw-meat-diet-i-make-is-balanced.html Hi- I have started to feed my cats the raw meat since November 2009. I noticed their coats are softer and shiny, their eyes are bright, less odor in Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:42:23 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/spraying.html I am at the end of my rope. I have 4 cats, all female. One of them has been spraying in the house for over a year. She is 2 years old, spayed. She Wed, 07 Apr 2010 04:11:54 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/higharchy-in-multiple-cat-household.html I have 3 cats. Daisy and Max are brother and sister from the same litter. They are 4 years old and I have had them since they were born. The third cat Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:46:59 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/have-i-got-it-right-homemade-cat-food-question.html Hello again, Ive started feeding my 2 cats a mixture of 2kg of raw chicken thigh muscle, bones and skin minced with 400g of liver I couldnt get heart Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:32:26 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/two-plus-two-equals-squabbles.html We adopted my parents' two cats (Sunny and Buddy) and are trying to introduce them to the two cats we already have (Blake and Shadow). We have been at Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:36:51 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/sleeping-on-my-clothes.html Hey, My cat loves to sleep on my familys clothing and I can't figure out why! Dirty on the floor or clean and folded on the bed, as long as she can get Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:17:54 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/how-to-help-cat-with-hairball.html Hi Donna, Thank you for your response regarding my Sam who has IBD. There is another question I am a little of concern- hairball. I do give my other Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:21:11 GMT http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/furniture-scratchingblanket-chewing.html My husband and I are enjoying our 9-month old siblings (boy and girl) and have had them in our home for 6 months now. They are indoors at all times and Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:57:57 GMT