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#571
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Alison Smiley Perera wrote in message ...
In article , Katra wrote: Sorry for the long defense, but that was a pretty ugly accusation. Collectors are horrible..... It was meant to be an ugly accusation. In animal circles, calling someone a hoarder is not to be undertaken lightly. It probably shouldn't be done at all over the internet since number of animals and other "quantitative"/descriptive characteristics have nothing to do with whether a person collects or just has a lot of pets and rescues. However, the illness/compulsion side of collecting leads the afflicted person to claim loud and long that no matter how less-than-ideal the circumstances might be for the animals in their care, at least they are better off than dead or in a shelter. This warped outlook can come across online, and definitely rings a bell with some of your protestations. There are far worse things than death. I know that. I understand... and am taking precautions not to become a "collector". My situation is probably borderline, but I am NOT asking for help or donations. My offer for you to visit was serious, ask me by private e-mail. I'm not trying to hide, the posting e-mail works. Gets me spam, but I don't care. Come see me. Most of my kitties are healthy. Only some of the older ones have problems, but heaven knows that is normal, and my vet gets to see and treat them. I'm also willing to give them up to very carefully chosen homes... I'd like to get down to under 20, but understand that I am attached to most of them. They have names and are individuals, not "just cats". Naturally, I'd be picky, but I WILL give them up. However, the rest of your descriptions, and your candid admission that you've got enough/too many cats, show that you have enough perspective on the matter to rule out this serious mental illness. Maybe though, you'll recognize some of these warning signs when you are trying to explain what a good cat owner you are in terms numbers of cats and dollars spent on them, and understand why this isn't impressive to some of us. -Alison in OH I know it's not impressive, damn it. And I'm not asking for sympathy. I try my level best to take care of these cats and am taking further steps to improve both the kitty and the human condition. :-) Again, come visit me. I have nothing to hide!!! I'm not a friggin collector; And I don't want to become one. I've already recognized the possibilty, and have said no to many cats. sigh There was a beautiful green eyed, blue short hair tom that got abandoned at the hospital where I work recently. Goddess knows I was tempted! I did feed him, he dissapeared after about 3 days. I'm hoping the shelter did not pick him up. New Braunfels shelter is notorious for destroying both domestic and wild animals. :-( Very heartless manager. He was so sweet..... K. |
#572
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Alison Smiley Perera wrote in message ...
In article , Katra wrote: Sorry for the long defense, but that was a pretty ugly accusation. Collectors are horrible..... It was meant to be an ugly accusation. In animal circles, calling someone a hoarder is not to be undertaken lightly. It probably shouldn't be done at all over the internet since number of animals and other "quantitative"/descriptive characteristics have nothing to do with whether a person collects or just has a lot of pets and rescues. However, the illness/compulsion side of collecting leads the afflicted person to claim loud and long that no matter how less-than-ideal the circumstances might be for the animals in their care, at least they are better off than dead or in a shelter. This warped outlook can come across online, and definitely rings a bell with some of your protestations. There are far worse things than death. I know that. I understand... and am taking precautions not to become a "collector". My situation is probably borderline, but I am NOT asking for help or donations. My offer for you to visit was serious, ask me by private e-mail. I'm not trying to hide, the posting e-mail works. Gets me spam, but I don't care. Come see me. Most of my kitties are healthy. Only some of the older ones have problems, but heaven knows that is normal, and my vet gets to see and treat them. I'm also willing to give them up to very carefully chosen homes... I'd like to get down to under 20, but understand that I am attached to most of them. They have names and are individuals, not "just cats". Naturally, I'd be picky, but I WILL give them up. However, the rest of your descriptions, and your candid admission that you've got enough/too many cats, show that you have enough perspective on the matter to rule out this serious mental illness. Maybe though, you'll recognize some of these warning signs when you are trying to explain what a good cat owner you are in terms numbers of cats and dollars spent on them, and understand why this isn't impressive to some of us. -Alison in OH I know it's not impressive, damn it. And I'm not asking for sympathy. I try my level best to take care of these cats and am taking further steps to improve both the kitty and the human condition. :-) Again, come visit me. I have nothing to hide!!! I'm not a friggin collector; And I don't want to become one. I've already recognized the possibilty, and have said no to many cats. sigh There was a beautiful green eyed, blue short hair tom that got abandoned at the hospital where I work recently. Goddess knows I was tempted! I did feed him, he dissapeared after about 3 days. I'm hoping the shelter did not pick him up. New Braunfels shelter is notorious for destroying both domestic and wild animals. :-( Very heartless manager. He was so sweet..... K. |
#573
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"Cheryl" wrote in message ... (D. Stephen Heersink) wrote in : I've always declawed my cats because they are always indoors and if I don't, they will claw the furniture and me. Since I have expensive furniture and don't want scars on me, I've found the declawing a cat is the best way to accomplish our mutual goals. You appear to think forums such as this are only read by people in N America. That is not the case and everywhere else declawing is considered barbaric. Get a clue. Scars on you; what a wuss. Furniture is more important? Get a fish. ****head. -- Cheryl And, of course, many of us in N. America also consider declawing to be barbaric. The irony of D. Heersink's message about "expensive furniture" is that cats should be more important than furniture but the two actually are not mutually exclusive. I have very good furniture and two cats with claws (plus previous cats with claws), but no scratches. As someone else mentioned, the only scratches I get are on window sills (easily repaired). I do have scratching posts that get mangled, but that is their purpose! MaryL Photos of Duffy and Holly (pictorial history of my blind cat Duffy's integration into our household): Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54 Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56 |
#574
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"Cheryl" wrote in message ... (D. Stephen Heersink) wrote in : I've always declawed my cats because they are always indoors and if I don't, they will claw the furniture and me. Since I have expensive furniture and don't want scars on me, I've found the declawing a cat is the best way to accomplish our mutual goals. You appear to think forums such as this are only read by people in N America. That is not the case and everywhere else declawing is considered barbaric. Get a clue. Scars on you; what a wuss. Furniture is more important? Get a fish. ****head. -- Cheryl And, of course, many of us in N. America also consider declawing to be barbaric. The irony of D. Heersink's message about "expensive furniture" is that cats should be more important than furniture but the two actually are not mutually exclusive. I have very good furniture and two cats with claws (plus previous cats with claws), but no scratches. As someone else mentioned, the only scratches I get are on window sills (easily repaired). I do have scratching posts that get mangled, but that is their purpose! MaryL Photos of Duffy and Holly (pictorial history of my blind cat Duffy's integration into our household): Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54 Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56 |
#576
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In article ,
) wrote: My cats get about 6 ounces of premium (ie calorie-dense and highly digestible) canned food each per day, or sometimes 3 oz canned and 1/8-1/4 c. kibble. But I don't have 36 cats to feed. If I did I think I'd go to a good yet economical brand of kibble (Sensible Choice comes to mind) and fill the bowl once per day, probably in the evening, with an appropriate amount for the number of cats to be fed. Then once per day I'd feed each animal an individual portion of canned food. So I'm to set up 36 dishes??? Um, okee. Right now, I have 10 cats that need their own dishes. The rest share 5 "community" pans. There is always plenty left for the ones that wait for the others. The canned feeding thing lasts thru the night which is why I do it at night while we are asleep... That way they have at least 6 hours to finish it off, and it actually takes that long. It's what I'd do if I were you, and it's what many people who keep dozens of cats well do. I know of a woman who exclusively rawfeeds I think 20 or so cats. Twice per day she puts down 20 or so paper plates. It's doable, and it's optimal, but I know it's time-consuming so it might not work for your lifestyle. After 6 hours do you really think that food is still good? I pick up plates after 20-30 minutes max, and my boys learn to eat their portion in that time frame. By learning how to do a simple physical at home for your young healthy cats (here from a vet school curriculum http://education.vetmed.vt.edu/Curri...ct/Techniques/ index.htm and here from a pet first aid site http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...&S=0&C=0&A=292) you might not even have to bring them in more than every few years. The physical is the most important part of the visit though, and not everyone wants to risk skipping it. Exactly. :-) I get the cat physical done with the vaccinations, along with any needed bloodwork. But why the vaccinations? If a cat was immunized with last year's vaccination, why on earth do you think she's magically lost that immunity at precisely a one-year interval? Chances are, she hasn't considering that current studies show protection against challenge with street virus after SEVEN years. So, you are simply injecting an antigen--which rouses the immune system only enough for the ALREADY EXISTING antibodies to spend themselves neutralizing the threat--and an adjuvant--a nasty chemical cocktail that's been implicated in everything from cancer to immune disorders: hypo-, hyper-, and autoimmune diseases. After a lifetime of vaccinations what do you think you're adding to your 9+ year old cat's health by injecting them with this admixture over and over and over? If your vet's client education puts the emphasis on the exam, that's great. It probably also means he's putting the bulk of the cost on the professional service of administering the physical, and minimizing markup on the vaccines, which means that you won't put much of a dent in your annual bill by reducing them. But you might find less-immediate benefits, reductions in your cats' HYPERIMMUNITY to flea saliva, or your cats' HYPOIMMUNITY to ringworm fungus. -Alison in OH |
#577
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wrote in message om... Arjun Ray wrote in message . .. In , Alison Smiley Perera wrote: | My cats get about 6 ounces of premium (ie calorie-dense and highly | digestible) canned food each per day, or sometimes 3 oz canned and | 1/8-1/4 c. kibble. I have 4 cats, ranging in weight from 9.5 to 12.5 lbs (the smallest is heavy for her apparent size, the largest light for his.) I split 3 cans of Wellness per day for them, with occasional dry food snacks (either California Natural or Petguard Premium.) Of course, they inhale the crunchies, but they don't seem hungry and they are all maintaining their weight - even my CRF cat. | Since this will undoubtedly raise your food bill I'd like to offer | some unsolicited advice on reducing your vet bill concurrently. | [Good links omitted]. There are other factors worth considering. Feeding cats good food is not necessarily a full increase in cost. Cats generally eat *less* when fed good food than when fed junk, because their dietary needs are met by less. That is, you don't give cats the same *amount* of good food as the junk they were eating. This is a savings. Further, good food will have a beneficial impact on overall health, which will result in fewer trips to the vet. Another savings. Penny-pinching on something as basic as food is a classic case of penny wise, pound foolish. Agreed... I've read about that aspect. Better quality kibbles equals less food consumption, also usually equals less litter consumption. (less poop). Do you thing the sales people at Petsmart will be any help??? There is usually one of the rescue volunteers there on Saturday, and one of them is a vet. I know how y'all feel about vets knowing about nutrition, but this neat lady is also a rescuer. Maybe I can consult with her..... K. I have also found that my cats eat far less food now that I have changed to premium food (canned Wellness and canned Felidae plus a small amount of dry Wellness). Their coats are much better, and their optimum weight is being maintained. Concerning your question about Petsmart: I like many of the products at Petsmart, but my experience has been that many of their employees know very little about cats or even about their own supplies. I buy products there but do not count on them for advice (and I order my cat food through the Internet). MaryL |
#578
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wrote in message om... Arjun Ray wrote in message . .. In , Alison Smiley Perera wrote: | My cats get about 6 ounces of premium (ie calorie-dense and highly | digestible) canned food each per day, or sometimes 3 oz canned and | 1/8-1/4 c. kibble. I have 4 cats, ranging in weight from 9.5 to 12.5 lbs (the smallest is heavy for her apparent size, the largest light for his.) I split 3 cans of Wellness per day for them, with occasional dry food snacks (either California Natural or Petguard Premium.) Of course, they inhale the crunchies, but they don't seem hungry and they are all maintaining their weight - even my CRF cat. | Since this will undoubtedly raise your food bill I'd like to offer | some unsolicited advice on reducing your vet bill concurrently. | [Good links omitted]. There are other factors worth considering. Feeding cats good food is not necessarily a full increase in cost. Cats generally eat *less* when fed good food than when fed junk, because their dietary needs are met by less. That is, you don't give cats the same *amount* of good food as the junk they were eating. This is a savings. Further, good food will have a beneficial impact on overall health, which will result in fewer trips to the vet. Another savings. Penny-pinching on something as basic as food is a classic case of penny wise, pound foolish. Agreed... I've read about that aspect. Better quality kibbles equals less food consumption, also usually equals less litter consumption. (less poop). Do you thing the sales people at Petsmart will be any help??? There is usually one of the rescue volunteers there on Saturday, and one of them is a vet. I know how y'all feel about vets knowing about nutrition, but this neat lady is also a rescuer. Maybe I can consult with her..... K. I have also found that my cats eat far less food now that I have changed to premium food (canned Wellness and canned Felidae plus a small amount of dry Wellness). Their coats are much better, and their optimum weight is being maintained. Concerning your question about Petsmart: I like many of the products at Petsmart, but my experience has been that many of their employees know very little about cats or even about their own supplies. I buy products there but do not count on them for advice (and I order my cat food through the Internet). MaryL |
#579
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From: )
I'm not a friggin collector; And I don't want to become one. I've already recognized the possibilty, and have said no to many cats. sigh There was a beautiful green eyed, blue short hair tom that got abandoned at the hospital where I work recently. Goddess knows I was tempted! I did feed him, he dissapeared after about 3 days. I'm hoping the shelter did not pick him up. New Braunfels shelter is notorious I know how hard it is to say no. But you have to keep in mind that you, as only one person, cannot save them all. It is in the best interests of the cats, both the abandoned ones, and the ones you already have, for you to not take any more into your home. ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm |
#580
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From: )
I'm not a friggin collector; And I don't want to become one. I've already recognized the possibilty, and have said no to many cats. sigh There was a beautiful green eyed, blue short hair tom that got abandoned at the hospital where I work recently. Goddess knows I was tempted! I did feed him, he dissapeared after about 3 days. I'm hoping the shelter did not pick him up. New Braunfels shelter is notorious I know how hard it is to say no. But you have to keep in mind that you, as only one person, cannot save them all. It is in the best interests of the cats, both the abandoned ones, and the ones you already have, for you to not take any more into your home. ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm |
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