r/CatAdvice

I posted about a month ago regarding my cat who was stalking my 4 year old around the house.

After someone commented that he was treating her like another cat, I realized I had literally never had a solo cat before. (Which I knew, because I’d been trying to get a bonded pair to begin with. But it made me realize that despite knowing cats well, I don’t know solo/unbonded cats.) I renewed my attempt to get a second cat and we managed to get one from our local shelter just a few days later. He’s a bit older than I’d oringly been looking for, but I think it’s perfect.

New cat is probably 2-3 years old (resident cat just turned 1.) After a reasonably slow introduction, they are now buddies! New cat (orange tabby) will play and wrestle with the resident cat (grey cat), and I think is also teaching some of the manners he missed out on learning very early in his life.

Resident cat still has some undesirable behaviors, but it is SO much more manageable. He has completely stopped stalking and pouncing my daughter.

Despite all the play we were giving him, he was very bored and needed a cat friend!

my cat is very very affectionate. i adopted her about a year ago and she is now 3 years old. she has to be at my side 24/7 and when i had 2 cats she was very easily jealous.

in the 6 months i have noticed maybe once a month i will wake up to drops of foul smelling liquid near me in bed. i believe this is from her expressing her anal glands on my bed. it happens mainly after i am away for more than 24 hours. i know i shouldn’t do this but i cannot take her with me all of the time. if it is longer than 48 hours i do have someone come and check on her.

i had been gone for a couple days and had to leave her alone. i got back late last night and woke up at 5am to the fluid on my pillow and sheets near my face as it has been before. this time though it ended up on my face. i imagine i touched the pillow and spread it on my face while i was asleep. honestly it was very difficult for me to not be upset about it. she is my baby and i hate to be upset about her. is there a way to prevent this in the future? i will try to not leave her alone so long. i’ve talked to the vet but they didn’t really have much to say. i guess i’m also wondering has anyone else experienced this?

I have a beautiful 5-year-old grey tabby who’s usually super clean… but the other day we were hanging out with my sister and her very elderly schnauzer (20 years old). Unfortunately, the dog has incontinence issues, and somehow my cat ended up smelling like straight-up dog pee 😭

I waited a whole week thinking she’d clean herself and the smell would go away… but nope

About a year ago, I took her to a cat salon, but she got so stressed afterward that an old ringworm spot (from when I rescued her at 3 months old) flared up again. So I really didn’t want to put her through that again

I decided to be brave and bathe her myself.

Good news: she didn’t scratch or bite me (honestly, she would never).

Bad news: she is now VERY mad at me and giving me the coldest shoulder imaginable

I feel like the worst mom ever, should I have waited more for her to clean herself? I was a bit desperate because the smell was becoming very pungent

I take off my kitties collar every once in awhile because I assume it gets a bit uncomfortable from time to time. I take it off around once every month and imagine it kind of like taking off your bra after work. When I took it off today he started purring and cuddling with it, he's orange so he's a bit stupid- Is there any other reason for this behavior? I'm not worried about it, just a bit curious what would make him obsessed with his onsent like that. Can't he smell himself? I have a video if anyone's that interested, it's not letting me put it. He wears his collar almost 24/7. Should I wash it? There's also a bell on it, so that might be why he thinks it's fun to play with. Thanks for the help!

I don’t have a cat yet , but I’m looking to adopt one in the future. I know cats don’t traditionally go on “walks” outside and I’m seeing online sources say it’s a little unnecessary to do so.

Maybe I’m projecting my own human-ness onto a cat, but I feel like I’m going crazy when I spend too long in my little apartment. I need to be outside, reconnect with nature, explore and see the fullness of the what the world can offer.

Do cats feel this way too? Would they ever get bored sitting inside all day, thinking “damn, I’m stuck inside these four apartment walls. I wish I could go outside and explore the world.” I know this is a totally silly question but I’m really trying to put myself into the shoes of a cat right now.

Hi, I have an almost 5 year old male cat I’ve had since he was 3 months. He’s my baby. Spoiled, he does scratch and bite my hands/ankles but that’s my fault for playing with him as a kitten that way. He’s a handful with that, plus waking me up in the middle of the night, and he just runs the house. But I’m completely okay with it. I love how crazy he is.

I feel bad though because I learned you should get 2 after I had already had him. I personally do not want another cat, I love our bond and it just being us. However I work 4 9 hour shifts a week and occasionally go out for a few hours. I try to do everything in the same day so when I’m off, I don’t leave my house to be with him. I base my entire life and schedule around him. Sometimes all I do is just work for the week. I try not to leave my house for more than 40 hours a week.

However, I still worry he’s lonely/stir crazy since he acts crazy but I wasn’t very strict with him so he knows I have no boundaries. I do NOT mind his behavior at all. He’s my best bud and we cuddle and play fight. But I’ve been debating the last year if he would benefit from a friend. Once again, I personally don’t want another one but I would if he needs it. He does get spoiled with churros, fancy feasts, etc. he’d definitely have to cut back on those if he gets a friend.

So basically am I being a selfish owner by not getting him a friend? I feel I might be selfish because I don’t want another cat and I don’t want to ruin the bond we have. But if it’s better for him, I will do it. Looking for advice because I’ve just been struggling and feeling so guilty when I leave the house or just in general that I need to know he’s okay alone or he’s not so I need to look for a friend.

Thank you!

Not advertising here, just a genuine question wondering if there would be interest in this..I'm thinking of launching a monthly cat-themed snail mail club — cute letters, stickers, art prints, all cat-themed. Would anyone actually subscribe to something like this?

Hello, we’ve had Espurr (1yF) for 9 months and Shinx (4moM) for 3 weeks. Their introduction has been slow & going well so far—they play & sleep together & are fed separately but at the same time.

Before getting Shinx we had been feeding a stray cat we named Umbreon for about 2 months. Umbreon seems to be an adult male, although we’re unsure how old. We have gone out there when he’s eating & he rubs his head on us & lets us pet him. He comes to get food & water about twice a day although he has always seemed to be well fed, even before he started to come around.

Recently, we’ve been thinking about adopting him or at least taking him to the vet to get neutered & vaccinated. I’m wondering though, since we recently got Shinx, is it too soon to introduce another cat to our house? I don’t want to stress the others, but I want to take care of Umbreon. Or perhaps, I should focus on getting him neutered & vaccinated & let him be outside?

Coming here bc I’m at a loss for what to do. I’ve had my cat (m4) since he was 7-8 months old. He has always been vocal and I let my current roommates know that prior to moving in. After move in, he became even more vocal, specifically in the mornings. I have tried feliway like my vet recommended with little to no impact.

He gets fed at 7:30 every day and becomes vocal around then until afternoon. I can open windows, put on bird tv, play with him, but he just wants to walk around yelling. He does not show signs of stress and it’s nothing medical, just yapping and wanting attention I can’t provide nonstop while I get ready, though I often take breaks or include him in my morning routine. My roommates hate that he talks all morning, they both “sleep in” everyday, around 8:30/9 am. I try to keep him quiet until they are awake, but once they are awake they still can’t seem to stand it. I have a spray bottle for when he is being truly bad and use it sparingly, but they have started using it on him just when he talks. I asked them to not do that, but just came home to the spray bottle being taken out of its place and presumably used on him against my request.

I’m just feeling at a loss. I hate the idea that they mistreat my cat while I’m out of the house, it makes me sooooo deeply upset. I do my best to show my cat love and affection and play, mornings are just the hardest time to get that in. We have a close bond and I care about him so much.

What could I be doing to help him? Is it normal that he is this vocal? Am I missing something? Am I right to feel it’s unfair for them to be annoyed just by him talking during the day considering I let them know he was vocal before moving in? I am to the point I am willing to break the lease and move into my own place, potentially get a second cat if it means my cat has a better life. Is that doing too much?

Hello fellow cat lovers!

I need help, I am moving into a new apartment and am having trouble with choosing a litter box.

At first I used a plastic one with a lid because my cat is a D1 kicker and the smell wasn’t to bad but was still strong and I would always be busy and wouldn’t clean the litter daily after every use.( I know my poor cat) I would wait a day and clean it in the morning,so I switched to a auto litter box specifically the petpivot I was influenced by tiktok. that was better about having a clean litter box my cat could use but the smell is horrible and it just smears the actual pee and poop around the top.

Recently ive seen videos about stainless steal and I would better take care of the litter(scooping daily this time) but i don’t know if i should just buy a better litter robot. Honestly I dont want to trust tiktok about any more litter box related things because I cant really tell which are genuine videos trying to help or ones trying to make money.

Pls give me any suggestions on litteboxes. I want my cat to be comfortable. I would also want recommendations on air purifier or anything to help with litter smell because I know the litter box can only do so much to prevent it.

I would like to start off by saying I do not have time to "leave it out" and let him get used to the carrier.

I have an appointment tomorrow to get my male cat neutered, I have been plain ignorant and not gotten him fixed, which led to him breeding with my unfixed female cat and it was a very traumatic experience where she lost her litter of two. This happened on Friday and the same day I made an appointment to get him fixed, before I go get her fixed after she is healed up. (I want to express I realize this is 100% the consequences of my own actions and I regret every way I handled this situation)

I had to cancel my appointment today and switch it to tomorrow because this morning he would not let me grab him and put him in the carrier. He climbed out of towels, clawed me, fought, yowled... It was a scene.

He lets me pick him up, but no matter what I do he gets out of my grasp whether wrapped in a towel or not and I feel defeated.

I have had the carrier set up since about October and I was able to get him in it one time back then, but never again. After I trapped him the first time I think he got traumatized by it.

I am in a desperate situation where he NEEDS to get fixed ASAP because not only does he pee on everything, but I cannot let my female cat go through what she went through again. They have been completely separate since Friday.

I appreciate any advice.

I have had my baby since he was a wee kitten I rescued off the street. He was neutered at about 7 months old. He is very clingy and affectionate and playful he’s always slept in my bed. He was an indoor / outdoor cat for about one year untill I moved back to the city 6 months ago which is where the problem began. He pearly sleeps with me but At about 6 am everyday he aggressively attacks me on my head arm or face biting as hard as he can and sinking his claws into me. I know he’s unhappy cooped up in the apartment because he cries. he has so many toys and I play with him everyday and i thought he was getting used to being an inside cat again.

My husband had this cat since she was born and she is about 11 years old. They have been together every night of her life up until recently. My husband joined the Navy and left for boot camp about a week and a half ago. every time I turn off the lights and start getting ready for bed she starts screaming over and over. If I acknowledge her she screams more. If I somehow manage to ignore her long enough she eventually stops. This was not an issue before he left. I gave her some time thinking she would stop eventually But she hasn't. I always make sure she has fresh food and water before I go to bed and I've emptied the litter box a few times since he left so it's not to bad. I've tried bribery to stop with canned tuna it didn't work. I don't know what else to try to get her to stop so I can sleep.

I have had a cat (3F) for 2 years now. She is normally very affectionate and loves attention; she used to cuddle with me every single night, all night while i slept and was just always around me. I adopted a new cat (10.5M) around 3 weeks ago, and he sleeps with me every night. Problem is, my first cat doesn’t sleep with me at all anymore. She also doesn’t lounge on my bed or the windowsill next to my bed at all, and these were her two favorite spots. The two cats sort of get along; they can sleep on the bed together but don’t really get within a 6 inch radius of each other. she still runs up to greet me when i come home and enjoys me picking her up and everything, but my bed used to be her number one resting spot and now i feel bad because it seems like she completely lost that. she usually hates sleeping without me. I genuinely just thought she’d like a friend, but clearly i was wrong because now i feel like i just damaged our super close bond. What should i do? did i make a mistake adopting another cat? will this get better?

I know there are threads on this but my cat is nervous by nature (so this may be an important detail) and I am not knowledgeable in litter trays

Cat is generally wonderful in nature, very sweet and is pretty much obsessed with me (and I am obsessed with the cat!), but sorting litter tray etc has been a time consuming issue. Cat has a litter mat (which came from the rescue centre, fluffy - I’ve read that a silicon one is better?) and I’ve trialled a plastic litter tray, stainless steel and an enclosed one (wouldn’t go near the enclosed one - I use the steel and plastic)

Ever since day 1 (about two months ago) cat kicks litter everywhere. Which in itself is not an issue but she’s taken to kicking the poo out now which lands on the mat - I’ve just cleaned up the poo now, including some on the mat, and I cleaned that mat not even 12 hours ago and I’m going to have to clean it again! Not sustainable! I haven’t scolded her and I won’t - she is that nervous that she will barely go out to the garden and barely makes a sound when she tries to miaow

In terms of emptying the tray, I do a full change every 7 days and I clean it - in terms of when she has weed or pooed I sort this as soon as I can! Is this correct or do I need to do a full clean more often?

What am I doing wrong? What sort of litter tray wouldn’t make her feel claustrophobic but doesn’t require me constantly washing things? Would a high rise stress her out? And/or is a silicon mat the way to go? Thanks in advance

Not sure this cat sub will help. There are a lot of assumptions made about cat behavior.

For clarity, I've been a cat haver for 26+ years and a Bengal owner for 20+. I've consistently kept four Bengals, outside of mourning periods, because I've found it's better when there's not an odd man out. The way it's worked out, I've always had a set of older ones and a set younger ones (4-10 years variation).

Tanoshii just turned five. She's a gigantic 16lb bengal, spayed female. She's always been a big easy going teddy bear. All are spayed, all are Bengals, all are female. Her friend, Ayame is a 4yo, 5lb little runt I got at a discount because she was shy and neurotic. They are besties and sleep in the bathroom cabinet together, where Tanoshii dragged her bed. Had to remove all the stuff.

I got two bengal sisters (Miku and Yuuki) in Nov 2024, after my two older Bengals-Mizuki and Hanako - passed in September (they were 15 & 18)from cancer/older age.

Miku is smaller and more annoying in that she opens doors, leaps 5' from the counter to top of the cabinets, knocks shit off the mantel, knocks pictures off the wall (but strangely my favorite, God help me). Yuuki is rangier and more of a typical cat. She doesn't really act out, makes biscuits, chirps and seems rather innocuous.

Most of the time they all get along. Either by just ignoring each other,. Bumping noses. Laying beside each other in front of the fireplace. Peaceable Kingdom and all.

But once or twice a day, Tanoshii will just randomly attack Yuuki. It's a Tasmanian devil whirl across the room, screeching, spitting, sounds of furey and LOUD ANGUISH. Yuuki has little scabs from the attacks.

I know the consensus about water bottles. But it's legit my only way of breaking this up. I can yell or stomp or chase after them, but it won't stop until I squirt the bottle.. And then, if I don't squirt Tanoshii a couple more times, she'll just go right back to it. I have to drive her off and distract her from her deathly(!) intent.

Like, I don't understand what is setting this off. Because five minutes earlier, they can be sitting right beside each other, chilling. And I've seen it start. Yuuki sitting by me on the couch (an example, not the usual scenario) and I'll see her tense up, and then I see a Tanoshii tail, stalking back and forth like... Jaws circling, right below the couch.

I don't get it. It's only this cat attacking this other cat.. Never happened before.. And they sometimes actually cuddle. I'm just baffled.

And yes, my cats have plenty of play, toys, energy outlets, etc. I work from home. The attacked cat doesn't go around giving off weak vibes or being a scaredy cat.. She's the most normal of all my cats. Tanoshii does weigh almost twice as much as she does, but Yuuki is actually the 2nd largest cat.

Halp!

When I'm sleeping, she will get on my face and sleep, if i take her off she will go to my arms, or to my chest, or my neck, or anywhere that's on my skin. If it's not bed time and i'm just chilling, she will also do the same thing. Keep in mind my bed is large and there are so many spots she could go to but she chooses my body as her personal bed and toy, ALWAYS. She won't play if I leave her alone, she'll wait until I'm there so that she plays. The kitten was not abused or anything, so i'm confused as to why she could be so clingy.

P.S : she is a very talkative kitten (constantly does small meows when shes about to be fed and is happy) and would meow and do the rrrrr vibrations so much the moment she gets into my arms.

My family’s cat “Phoebe” and I were playing with a string toy when all of a sudden one of her claws got caught in it. I hadn’t realised before I yanked it back to continue playing when she let out a bit of a screech. When I got up to try and untangle her she got startled and her running away from me put her in more pain. She ran behind the couch and finally the toy fell off but whenever I go to check on her she avoids me. Now she’s a bit of an antisocial cat, a bit of a menace if I’m being real, but she’s always had a soft spot for me and would let me rub her briefly before becoming overstimulated. Anyways how can I apologise to her in a way she’d understand?

My family’s cat “Phoebe” and I were playing with a string toy when all of a sudden one of her claws got caught in it. I hadn’t realised before I yanked it back to continue playing when she let out a bit of a screech. When I got up to try and untangle her she got startled and her running away from me put her in more pain. She ran behind the couch and finally the toy fell off but whenever I go to check on her she avoids me. Now she’s a bit of an antisocial cat, a bit of a menace if I’m being real, but she’s always had a soft spot for me and would let me rub her briefly before becoming overstimulated. Anyways how can I apologise to her in a way she’d understand?

We're a peaceful household, no kids or mammalian pets to make noise for her. Current plan is set her up in one room and let her just figure it out and let her get more comfortable with us over time, but I would like to try and take steps to encourage her to come out her shell.

She doesn't bite/hiss or anything, just gets a bit frozen with fear when near humans. Any advice relating to this, or cat ownership in general, would be amazing :]