# Our new kitty!



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Dilly is the larger kitty. He just turned 1 at the beginning of this month.

Peanut was just adopted about one hour ago at Petsmart. He is 7-8 weeks old and just the skinniest cat I've ever held. We just bathed him and he looks great.


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

HAHAHA very cute.

Here is my Satch.










jB


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

From the picture he looks like a large cat. Erica just loves big fluffy adult cats while I like the medium sized shorter haired ones. At least we have one of each now.


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## anthonysquire (Mar 15, 2006)

Do I see a hamster cage and ball in the background? I've never had a cat, but I did grow up with hamsters and they can be a lot of fun!


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I'm so glad you decided to adopt... Cute kitty!


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

anthonysquire said:


> Do I see a hamster cage and ball in the background? I've never had a cat, but I did grow up with hamsters and they can be a lot of fun!


Yes you do! That's Pickles the hamster. Erica has always like hamsters. This is her...uh...probably 10th or so. She had two but they died about a year ago. One sadly was injured when he pulled his towel through the cage and got stuck. The other of old age.



trenac said:


> I'm so glad you decided to adopt... Cute kitty!


This is the first cat my we have ever formerly adopted. Most have been the "free kittens to good homes" type of cats from farms and such. We either got them that way or the cats adopted *us*. Dilly came from a cat that kind of adopted us and my parents/sister have the other three from Dilly's litter, one from the litter before his.

Dilly has really become a good big brother. At first he hissed at poor Peanut and didn't have anything to do with him. Peanut would rub against Dilly and Dilly would just run away. Now they chase each other (hilarious watching 10lb Dilly run from tiny Peanut) and lay together. Erica and I caught them bird watching at the window side by side, Dilly sometimes cleaning Peanuts neck. They are so cute together.

Jason, Satch looks like a big cat! Love his fur color.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

I love it! This place is the best! 

I also liked your profile page very much. Good job!


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Jimbo205 said:


> I also liked your profile page very much. Good job!


Thank you. I really need to update that though. My tanks have completely changed and I added lots of fish. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow during class break...

Have a new, better picture to put up of Erica and myself. That one is about 3-4 years old.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Okay, so that means that you have been married or together 3-4 years yes?

Your picture is very nice. I don't know if it happened to you, but before getting married I was VERY skinny. That's not a problem for me any more! Luckily, I am very comfortable with my weight. 205 from 165. Only took 16 years.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Jimbo205 said:


> Okay, so that means that you have been married or together 3-4 years yes?
> 
> Your picture is very nice. I don't know if it happened to you, but before getting married I was VERY skinny. That's not a problem for me any more!


Actually we aren't even engaged *yet*. Been together for a little over four years. It's funny actually. We've been together longer than her best friend who is married, her cousin/my best friend who is getting married this Saturday, and a few of her co-workers that are younger than her. I get asked if we're married yet all the time at family functions.

Since we moved in together I have put on about 8-10lbs though. Could be a sign of things to come! Good food, really good.


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## SkinniMini (Mar 26, 2006)

What a cutie! It looks like you like grey n white cats, like I have a thing for black n white cats. It's so sweet when they hang out & sleep together, too.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Kind of ran into a problem (I think). Cat owners may be able to help.

Over the past two days Dilly has been a bit "rough" with Peanut. He'll lick and clean him like most cats do to each other but after a while, he'll clamp on to Peanuts neck. Sometimes it's light, other times it's enough to make Peanut yell. He didn't start this until a few days ago, before that he was perfectly fine with Peanut.

Is he just "playing rough" with him or attempting to hurt him? Never had a larger cat with a kitten before. We only let them together if either Erica or myself are in the room. When we leave Peanut goes into the bedroom by himself until one of us gets home.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> We only let them together if either Erica or myself are in the room. When we leave Peanut goes into the bedroom by himself until one of us gets home.


 Excellent question. I think you are both on the right track especially at this point with one cat being so much smaller than the other. Jealousy can be pretty evil with either kids or cats. I am interested in what other cat owners may say. I would definitely make sure that both cats get plenty of attention from both of you, and that they both see that both are getting attention from both of you. Cats, dogs, and kids like people tend to have a sense of 'ownership' of their favorite 'parent' and of course want all of your attention. Cats each have their own distinct personality and while they are small is still developing. Keep us up to date with how they are both doing. You may even need to ignore your tanks for a while, while you focus on 'the kids'. If you have time, more photos would be beautiful!


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

We try to give Dilly as much attention as he can stand, always have. He is one of those that rarely wants attention but when he does, you will surely know it. Peanut on the other hand wants attention all day long. Kind of like right now, he's sitting in front of the computer screen.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Does he ever curl up on the keyboard or purr on your lap? Or does he ever reach with his paw to rub your nose or chin to get your attention? Or does he rub your face or chin with his nose or cheek? 

They really are the best. I have very fond memories of Charlie and Pippin which we had before we had our four children. They were from the same litter, and they were just wonderful. 

Sometimes while we slept one would curl up by our neck and pur or curl up behind our back. And when they thought we should wake up and feed them, they would softy meow and twitch their tails under our nose. They were both wonderful. Brothers they were.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Peanut really loves to crawl around on the keyboard. Must be the feeling of the keys or something he likes. Pull him off and he jumps right back on. Kind of a problem when I'm trying to play Battlefield 2.

If he wants attention and you are laying down, he'll rub (more like slam) his head against your cheek/mouth area. He doesn't give any "hints".

His favorite thing to do is lay down in this certain spot on the couch. He picked out the perfect area because when one of us lays down he is positioned right next to our shoulder. I'll come home to find him sitting there and waiting. Accidentally fell asleep on the couch one night and woke up to find Peanut sleeping right next to me, curled up to my body. Dilly was sleeping on my legs too.


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## SkinniMini (Mar 26, 2006)

My two wrestle alot.
Tucker is my big male, like the size of a Maine **** cat, & Mini is a petite little girl...they usually start out with grooming each other, looking all sweet & it turns into a wrestling match more often than not. Mini will sometimes hollar & hiss like she is going to die, but eventually they lose interest in the match & go lay down again. The matches are funny to watch, & no one ever gets hurt. I can tell that they are not really angry with each other, just blowing off steam. I did see them fight seriously once, I think it was a case of re-directed agression from a strange cat at the window sill. That was bad, & they were freaked out for days. If you've ever seen cats seriously fight, you can definitely tell the difference.
Here's a pic of a classic match..








And here they are, in love again..








There is a good cat forum online, 
http://thecatsite.com/
The forum is easy to find, there's alot of great info, & alot of knowledgeable people.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> Kind of ran into a problem (I think). Cat owners may be able to help.
> 
> Over the past two days Dilly has been a bit "rough" with Peanut. He'll lick and clean him like most cats do to each other but after a while, he'll clamp on to Peanuts neck. Sometimes it's light, other times it's enough to make Peanut yell. He didn't start this until a few days ago, before that he was perfectly fine with Peanut.
> 
> Is he just "playing rough" with him or attempting to hurt him? Never had a larger cat with a kitten before. We only let them together if either Erica or myself are in the room. When we leave Peanut goes into the bedroom by himself until one of us gets home.


 Skinnymini, what do you think? Playing Rough? or attempting to hurt him?

(The photos of Tucker & Mini are wonderful! They remind me of Pippin & Charlie.)


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## Script404 (Jun 30, 2006)

We introduced two kittens to an older female cat and at first they ddint get along, but once they made friends, we'd sometimes see the neck biting happening, when one of the kittens which was a tom got older and ended up being the biggest cat he'd start doing it. I think its just a sorta dominance thing, with the cats sorting out who's who in the group, for the most part its not a harnful as its might look with the noise, (compared with the damage a really annoyed cat can do), but we would usually break it up. The cats get on fine now they've shared a house for 5 odd years, but even so you get a cat in a bad mood that'll just take a swipe at one of its group mates. Cats can be really awkward at times, for no other reason than they are cats.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Like men and women minus the dishware.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

SkinniMini... They look and sound like the purrrfect couple!


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Here's a picture of Peanut with his big brother. Peanut looks up to Dilly like an idol or something. Dilly is really starting to become more friendly and playful. We put them in the same cage to and from my parents. Both times they laid side by side and slept the whole way.










Peanut decided the water dish was too far of a walk. So he decided to take a drink from my 1g. Thirsty little guy!


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

Very cute! Congrats on your new kitten and I'm glad the introduction process went by without the usual bickering that happens when a new cat joins the family.

And regarding cat's drinking from our aquariums; they actually prefer drinking running water as opposed to stale water in a bowl.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Peanut doesn't mind water one bit. He may actually enjoy being wet as he stands in his water dish when drinking. He loves drinking from the water hose too!

Dilly on the other hand will not go near running water at all. He may drink from the aquarium (when the filter is on) if he is extremely thirsty. That cat freaks out when we turn on the water to do the dishes.


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## SkinniMini (Mar 26, 2006)

Jimbo-I'd still keep a close eye on those two characters!
Trenac-Thanks!
Burks-It's cool to see them getting along like that-I bet you won't have any problems with those two Keep us up to date, I like the pictures!


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## Script404 (Jun 30, 2006)

Heh my cat used to drink out of the fishtank, then the Oscar bit his tongue, after that he used to drink with one paw raised just incase it tried again.


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## nailalc (Mar 17, 2006)

> And regarding cat's drinking from our aquariums; they actually prefer drinking running water as opposed to stale water in a bowl.


My parents have a cat at their house who has them (the humans) trained to turn a sink on ever so slightly, so he (the cat) can jump up and get a drink. When he (the cat) is done, they (the humans) return to the room and turn the water off.

Sad.....


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

nailalc said:


> My parents have a cat at their house who has them (the humans) trained to turn a sink on ever so slightly, so he (the cat) can jump up and get a drink. When he (the cat) is done, they (the humans) return to the room and turn the water off.
> 
> Sad.....


Why is it sad? I think it's still better than stale water. If you notice, your cats usually don't drink that much water when it is in a bowl - it can last a couple of days before you have to refill (and when combined with dry food, lots of cats usually end up with diabetes by the time they are old). But that's why they invented the DrinkWell, and why good vets don't recommend dry food. 

Kibble is basically sugar-coated (too much carbs, too little protein) and that's why cats prefer it to wet food, it's like giving them the choice between vegetables and candy. If you want to extend your cats' lives and prevent them from having urinal tract infections and diabetes, start giving them flowing water and give them a strictly can-food (moist) diet. I recommend the brand Wellness, as it contains nothing but pure meat, no by-products or fillers such as rice, corn, etc.

HTH.


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## Ajax (Apr 3, 2006)

Raul-7 said:


> Why is it sad? I think it's still better than stale water. If you notice, your cats usually don't drink that much water when it is in a bowl - it can last a couple of days before you have to refill (and when combined with dry food, lots of cats usually end up with diabetes by the time they are old). But that's why they invented the DrinkWell, and why good vets don't recommend dry food.
> 
> Kibble is basically sugar-coated (too much carbs, too little protein) and that's why cats prefer it to wet food, it's like giving them the choice between vegetables and candy. If you want to extend your cats' lives and prevent them from having urinal tract infections and diabetes, start giving them flowing water and give them a strictly can-food (moist) diet. I recommend the brand Wellness, as it contains nothing but pure meat, no by-products or fillers such as rice, corn, etc.
> 
> HTH.


Oh yeah, my cats have me trained as well  One will actually sit in the bathroom and cry until I come turn the water on for him! I tell him he's a water addict, and it's not healthy for him to sit by the sink all day long waiting for water. He'll end up wasting his life away! :lol: He doesn't seem to care though, and I oblige his addiction.

What you said about wet food is actually contrary to what I have been told and experienced personally. The cats I had growing up were all raised on wet food, and not one made it past it's 11th birthday. I remember several visits to the vet for UTIs, and one died at 8 from diabetes. Most had no teeth left by that time either. My vet told me it was because of the wet food that this happened. A use it or lose it occurance I imagine because it doesn't take much in the way of chewing for wet food.

The last 3 cats I've had that were fed dry food all lived to be 15 or older (one lived to a month before his 19th b-day). They all had their teeth when they passed. I also haven't had as many problems with UTIs or diabetes (one female did develop a UTI twice). They have all stayed much slimmer, and don't put on the skirt as I call it because they get too fat.

I'm not trying to be argumentative just relaying my personal experience of a diet comprised primarily of dry vs. wet food.


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## nailalc (Mar 17, 2006)

> Why is it sad?


It's sort of a figure of speech. It's ironic or funny to me that for thousands of years humans have been training or domesticating animals to serve them in for a purpose (ex: agriculture) or for shear pleasure (i.e. pets) and now, after watching for a period of 5+ years, I have seen a case of reverse domestication.

During the beginning years of it's life the cat was 'trained' to do many things: use the litter box, stay off tables and chairs, stay out of a certain room, etc. This training was complete and the cat learned all of these behaviors. Now in it's 'retirement' years, the cat has in a way domesticated my parents. If it wants water, it stands near the bathroom door waiting for fresh water out of the bathroom sink, when it wants back into the house the cat will push a porch swing so it hits the house exterior and makes a loud noise and then waits by the door, my parents then come to the door to let it in. My parents see and hear these cue's given by the cat and respond to them as such. It's in that way that it's sad, funny and everything else to me....


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Erica's family has a cat that will sit at the bathroom sink until someone barely turns the water on. He absolutely loves water from the sink!


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

I love the way animals communicate. My family does not have any cats or dogs at the moment (I have enough excitment with 4 wonderful children), but have tried my best to share with my children how cats and dogs communicate. 
I have never been bitten by a dog, and have no fear of them. 
My second boy has such a magic touch with animals I think he might become a vet someday. The dogs that most owners would say are not good with kids, he has on their backs while he rubs their tummy. 
Of course, I have also taught them to never approach a pet without the owner nearby or the owner's permission. 

Before kids, Charlie and Pippin were just so wonderful. I am so glad that we still have photographs for the kids to look at. 

I love it when my younger sister bring her dogs with her and her husband to visit. It is a blast. The dogs and my kids and all of us look forward to it.


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

Ajax said:


> Oh yeah, my cats have me trained as well  One will actually sit in the bathroom and cry until I come turn the water on for him! I tell him he's a water addict, and it's not healthy for him to sit by the sink all day long waiting for water. He'll end up wasting his life away! :lol: He doesn't seem to care though, and I oblige his addiction.
> 
> What you said about wet food is actually contrary to what I have been told and experienced personally. The cats I had growing up were all raised on wet food, and not one made it past it's 11th birthday. I remember several visits to the vet for UTIs, and one died at 8 from diabetes. Most had no teeth left by that time either. My vet told me it was because of the wet food that this happened. A use it or lose it occurance I imagine because it doesn't take much in the way of chewing for wet food.
> 
> ...


That's interesting! I was lead to believe that wet was better for various reason, but primarly for what I stated above.

Here's the link-
http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9107



nailalc said:


> During the beginning years of it's life the cat was 'trained' to do many things: use the litter box, stay off tables and chairs, stay out of a certain room, etc. This training was complete and the cat learned all of these behaviors. Now in it's 'retirement' years, the cat has in a way domesticated my parents. If it wants water, it stands near the bathroom door waiting for fresh water out of the bathroom sink, when it wants back into the house the cat will push a porch swing so it hits the house exterior and makes a loud noise and then waits by the door, my parents then come to the door to let it in. My parents see and hear these cue's given by the cat and respond to them as such. It's in that way that it's sad, funny and everything else to me....


LOL. Sorry I didn't get it, I guess I wasn't getting the connotation you had. :lol:


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## nailalc (Mar 17, 2006)

> LOL. Sorry I didn't get it, I guess I wasn't getting the connotation you had.


Not a problem, I've got to remember that some things do not translate very well over the internet....


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I love your gray and white pair, they are so pretty.  Your little kitten reminds me of my Daniel when he was little. Daniel turned into a 15 pound (not overweight) bully boy. He's mostly good, but as he's heavier than all my other cats and he has a thick coat for protection, he will occasionally take out his frustrations on one of the other cats.

My most recent feline addition, Kevin, also insisted on running water in the bathroom sink. Problem was he'd jump up and into the sink when I was using it and nearly got hit with toothpaste a couple times. I also forgot to turn off the water a few times and it ran all night (too much waste there). So I bought my crew of 5 cats a Drinkwell fountain and they are all drinking more now than with a bowl. Still have a couple bowls out for the dogs and they drink there occasionally too. 

Cats definitely have their own personalities and likes/dislikes which makes life so much more interesting.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Bad news. Little Peanut is *really* sick right now. We sent him and Dilly home with my sister last Monday due to our apartment complex being sprayed for insects. On Thursday we get a call Peanut isn't acting right. We get home Friday to find he has zero energy. Poor guy can't even hold his head up if you pick him up. Checked his stool and sure enough there were roundworms. Our only guess is he got them from him mom as no other cats he's been in contact with has them (they've all be treated recently) and he's never been outside.

Today he is a little worse to about the same. If he needs to use the bathroom I have to take him to the litter box. He jumped off the couch before I could get to him and he now walks with a limp. Pain seems to come from the muscle area near his shoulder so I doubt anything is broken. Probably sprained due to not being able to properly catch himself. Doesn't look good for Peanut but hopefully whatever he has isn't fatal. Doctor start him on Nemex Friday but he isn't getting better. Taking him to a different vet in about six hours (earlier appointment possible).


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

That must be really disheartening seeing the little guy suffer, I really hope he pulls through quickly.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Found out Peanut isn't as bad off as I suspected. Turns out the case of roundworms (which he had BEFORE we got him) got to the point his immune system was weakened and he caught a respiratory infection. Basically a one-two punch. After a shot of much needed vitamins and antibiotics he's doing much better already. Perked up and is actually running around the apartment, something he hasn't done since Thursday. We just have to give him antibiotices twice daily for 7 days and go back in for a checkup.

Sad part is he may have suffered life-long nerve injuries when he jumped off the couch. Doctor thinks he may have hyperextended his shoulder which damaged some nerves. Before today he was putting zero weight on the leg, now he is putting partial weight. We should know the extent of the injury in 6-12 weeks. I know how it feels, I have nerve damage in my right hand from football due to a severe hyperextension.

Edit: I know he's feeling better now. He went from not moving for 12+ hours to jumping on my lap, then to the computer desk, and then getting a drink from my tank. The old Peanut is slowly returning. He scared the heck out of me!


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I'm so glad to hear Peanut is feeling better and I hope the nerve injury is not too bad. Hopefully he will be able to use his leg more as the initial injury heals. Best wishes and sincere hope for a speedy recover.


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

Good grief, the trials our pets put us through! I feel for you and wish Peanut a long and loved life.


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