12?! wow

hehehe, the cat frightended of its tail sounds so cute!
i bet its annoying..but it sounds cute :D

You might try biting it back but you never know for sure how it will interpret that. The best would be immediately after it bites you. I have one cat that actually likes being under the blankets. He pushes his way under them and stays there until he overheats. Lots of cats are afraid to be covered up but he thinks it the greatest thing ever. They are all different.

Your kitty had to go through the door every living creature must pass through. He may have understood it better than you and his looking at you was his way of saying "I'll be waiting for you on the other side." I lost 2 last summer and my grief still comes back from time to time. Yet I believe this with all my heart: God has a place reserved in eternity for all His creation. Here's a good verse that is rendered well in the New Living Translation, Job 12:10 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+12&version=NLT I have owned animals that dearly loved me better than many humans who could have done better. Do not grieve (be hopeless), mourning is OK (being lonely for those passed) but grief is a bottomless pit invented by Hell itself. Jesus wept when he mourned over Lazarus, but He knew the victory over death would be His and in the resurrection there will no longer be grief. Jesus wept us and our misunderstanding of eternity. I am a firm evangelical who doesn't condone "contact" with spirits. "For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus" 1 Timothy 2:5

I contact this animal communicator occasionally to communicate with my cat more substantially than I can on my own. She's so good at this that it seems she must be living here with the cat. Reason I mention that here is that she can communicate with animals even after they've progressed on beyond life here on terra firma. Again, she does this so well that I feel she really knows the cat. In communication with my deceased cat friends it eases the loss for me to be able to communicate with them in this way.
http://www.talktoanimals.com/

I had my cat for 18 years and he was my best pal. He was a feisty thing that either loved you or hated you and nothing could change that once he made up his mind. By the end of his 18th year it was becoming clear that he was not well, he barely ate and slept all the time. He has also stopped grooming, which for him was unheard of. We finally faced the fact that the time had come to say goodbye. Try as I might I could not face that and my husband and Mom took him in. My husband, God love him, went into the room with him, held him and told him it was going to be alright. He petted and stroked him until he went to sleep. Paul, my husband, said that it was very peaceful. I cried for days and after 9 years the memory still brings tears. They aren't pets, they aren't disposable, they are part of the family. I believe there is a special place in heaven that all the creatures we shared our lives with reside. When we pass over we will be reunited with them. My sympathy for your loss, but know that you will see him again. God Bless
Renee

I can feel your pain and in tears as I write this.  I lost my dear 8-year-old Marley to cancer back in September.  I, too was careful about what he ate.  I only had a week to prepare.  I begged the emergency vets to do everything they could to try to save him but to no avail.
Haloviper, I wish I could give you a much-needed hug.  Please visit petloss.com, they were such a great help to me, I'm sure you will find lots of comfort there.  On Monday nights, we light 3 candles for our departed pets.  This happens at 10pm eastern time and you follow along with the moderator, EdW as he conducts the ceremony.  It's really beautiful, make sure you have tissues handy.
But don't wait until then, go there now, there is always someone on the chat site to speak to, who understands what you're going thru.  The PetLoss website is a beautiful place to be in your time of need and I know that you need it now.

(free comercializing) but its very touchy

I know how you feel we just lost our 19 year old cat. he had a mass around his bladder and had kidney stones among other things. We took him to the vet and he staid for a week, then we brought him home for hospise care. Today we are holding El Ray's AKA Lymberg's funneral. Bummer to the highest levels of catdom. The cat was around longer than I am so he and my family grew up with him.

I know how you feel. Licorice was always with me, waited for me to come home and pretty much was always by my side when we were together. It was hard and this time I really don't think I want another cat. I just don't  think I could feel the same way about another one.

I know it's so hard to lose a pet like Licorice. You had such a special relationship, and developed your own routines together, but there are so many cats who would make loving pets, and while they will never replace Licorice, you'll love them for themselves, and they'll love you unconditionally! You can honor Licorice in your heart by giving a needy cat a wonderful home. And if you live alone, you could even get two cats to provide companionship for each other while you are at work. Even if they are not best friends, our three cats provide each other with diversion and entertainment and the security that things are "normal" in our absence.

Haloviper,
It's me again.  Listen to your heart, your dear Licorice will always be with you in spirit.  My Marley's spirit told me, before he was 2 months gone, that there was a kitty at the shelter who needed me.  The feeling was too strong to ignore.  I came home with a 17-year-old who I named Sunshine.  I could feel his paws gently caressing my aching heart and he brought Sunshine (back) into my life the day I got her.  She was Marley's choice.  She'd been given up by (I suppose) an elderly person who could no longer take care of her.  She'd been at the shelter for 2 months.  During those 2 months was when Marley showed signs of being sick.  She'd been overlooked all of that time because of her age.  She is such a joy!
Please, just listen to your heart.

TschNJ, I loved your post! Great advice for heartbroken Haloviper. Your Sunshine is a very lucky cat! We talked my father-in-law into taking in a very old cat that had been rescued from a liquor store parking lot during a cold winter (well cold for So. Cal. anyway). He loved her, and gave her a wonderful retirement, but only had a couple of months with her before she died peacefully, curled up in her favorite spot under the bench in his bedroom. It was so much better for her than her temporary situation, living alone in a basement room to keep her safe from the rescuer's two cats, who looked at her as an interloper. Our own cat, Gizmo, had been living at our vet's for a year(!). He'd been dropped off by some kids who threatened to leave him in the parking lot if they didn't take him in. He'd been taken home by one of the vet techs, but it didn't work out (he was timid and even cried and flipped out when you clipped his nails). When we took Monty in that last time, they asked us if we needed any kittens. We still had our older female, who had been devoted to Monty, and we thought she would need feline company, but a kitten might be too much (for all of us!), so they showed us an adult. Gizzy was so affectionate, we just knew he was a nice cat. So we made arrangements to come back for him the next day. I think that Gizmo was just waiting for us to come along when the time was right. I do wish I'd found him sooner, though. He had to live with the wailing of scared cats for so long, although they told me he got lots of attention from the staff.

I wish more people would consider taking older cats rather than kittens. When my last older kitty died early last year from kidney failure, I grieved his loss, but I also knew I would get another cat, because I need their love as much as they need mine. I'd thought about raising a pair of kittens, but then I learned about 3 older females who were about to lose the only home they'd ever known. When I met them, Matty, a skinny little girl, jumped on my lap, purring like ma and didn't budge until I had to leave an hour later. I think it was fated. I adopted Matty and her litter sister, Brina, and they've been with me since last April. The third cat went to another home. My girls are the sweetest, most affectionate furchildren you could ever hope to meet. They have no antisocial habits and are really very civilized. It's true that no new pet can replace one you have lost, but they sure can help to fill an aching void in the human heart. Now I'm working on switching them to a homemade, raw diet, because I think it's their best hope for continued health and longer life. So far they're in good shape for their 13 years, and I hope they'll be with me many years yet. Kittens are always so adorable, but they take time to teach and socialize, plus you have the expense of neutering and kitten shots. Fortunately for us all, my girls adjusted surprisingly well to the shock of a sudden change in owner and living space, and now they act like I've always been their human, and spend many hours with me. Matty purrs so loudly she sounds like a two stroke dirt bike, while Brina has made herself my furry foot warmer with a nice vibrating massage feature :-). I can't imagine life without a few cats in it to love.

What a wonderful story! All three of you are in a win-win situation!

 I don't think you have to worry about the diet you fed your cat. You were obviously taking very good care of him if he lived to 17! Cancer of any kind can just happen. My first cat died of cancer when she was only 14. I was so happy when my next cat made it past that age. He finally ended up with diabetes and kidney disease. We kept his diabetes under control with food and insulin shots and he eventually succumbed to the kidney disease at the age of 18.  All of our cats are rescue cats and each one has their own health quirks. I'm just so glad that you and your cat were able to enjoy 17 wonderful years together!

I am so sorry for both your losses. I still get surprised by grief for my Mistral, even though she passed away almost 2 years ago. *hugs to both of you*

Thanks for the hug! We lost Monty about the time you lost Mistral. Even with three cats to love now (we found our second, Gizmo, at the vets' the night we lost Monty), I still think often of Monty. He was a special cat. As they all are in their different ways. Hugs to you for Mistral, too.

Thanks

I have always found that if you loudly express pain such as saying OW and then gently picking up the cat and taking them off your lap or what have you they do stop. Cats understand pain and generally won't hurt you on purpose. They will even set different limits with different people. One of my friends plays really rough with my male cat and gets clawed to pieces but the same cat keeps his claws to himself with me. It does require reinforcement at times and if their claws are too long it an be impossible for them to not claw on accident.

I have a cat who LOVES to tread her claws, on my stomach, my thigh, and some other even more tender places.. It is an instinctive, inborn behaviour, and so far as I know you can't stop it. You might try gently placing this cat onto a very soft surface when she does it, and she might learn to do it there instead of on you. One cat of mine loved using a squishy soft afghan. But I found it easier to learn how to trim my cat's claws and now it's no problem at all. And there's one other method, I'll get to.

Claw trimming is not hard, should be worth trying. Proper cat claw clippers are not expensive, there are a few types, costing around $10. Get a pair you can handle easily, I like the small scissor types, personally. Begin by gently handling the cat's paws, until she lets you do it without protest and isn't worried by it. When she's good with that, gently press one toe to push the claw out. If she isn't thrilled with that, go back to handling her paws, reward her for that and try another toe the next day. Patience is the key, because using force will not get the results you want. Using gentle patience and treats to reward wanted behaviour, while you completely ignore unwanted behaviour, works best. Keep each session short, five minutes or so and try to always end on a positive note, even it you end up going back a step sometimes.

When the cat is used to having the claws pressed out, and is relaxed, then make the first try to snip off a tip. Take off only the sharp tip at first - not more than a 1/16th inch or so. Reward the cat if she allows this, and if she's relaxed, maybe try another. But be guided by the cat, always quit while she's happy.

One thing.. unless the paws 'n claws are white, you cannot see the 'quick', or nerve and blood vessel, in each nail. For safety's sake, remove only the sharp tip off any claw the first half dozen times. With regular trims, the nerve & vessel will retreat higher up the nail. After that you'll be able to remove some of the curved part of the nail behind the tip also, leaving a straighter stub. If there are ragged edges, and the cat is tolerant, you might be able to trim them off, but I usually leave that to my cat to take care of. I check all the nails once a week and trim only those that need it.

If you happen to nick the quick, you'll know ! It hurts, it bleeds, and the cat will yank her foot away and likely try to take off. if she doesn't take off, leave the nails, and try to get the cat in a good mood before you stop. Not always possible, but try. Some cats will hold grudges for things like this and it can make future trimming tough, might have to start over. So it's best to go slow and only snip the sharp tips. Styptic pencils will stop the bleeding, assuming the cat allows you to use one. Mine hate the styptic pencil more than the occasional short trim. If you do nick a nail, don't touch it again until it has healed, it will be sore for a week or two.

The other solution I've learned about works great, but costs a lot more. They are soft vinyl nail caps for cat claws. Petsmart has them, likely online sources too. Glued on with an instant type [crazy] glue. If the cat allows you to handle the paws and claws, you can put the caps on quite easily. I've used them, they were great. My cats never even noticed they were there. They last between 3 to 6 weeks, longer in some cases. Nail caps have rounded, blunt ends so the cat can scratch or tread on anything, and do no harm. Mine cost about $18. + tax [Canadian $ ] for a pack of 40. They come in a few colours, and you need the right size. Petsmart exchanges if you get the wrong size. My 8 pound and 12 pound female DSHs both took Medium.

If I can ever get the right pics taken, I'd like to do an 'ible on how to trim claws, or put on nail caps. Just a bit difficult, only me trying to do both tasks at once.

yeah, that's always a tough one. some cats do it more than others. it can be a comforting thing for them to flex and curl their paws, as if they were kneading their mother's belly while nursing. some cats never lose that.  The cat doesn't mean to hurt you, so I would just try to find a way to distance your flesh from his claws. Try a folded up blanket or a thin pillow, something the cat likes, and put it on your lap before the cat jumps up. Let the cat know it's his blanket. I hope that helps!  (and kudos for helping out a hardworking feline!)

put some mustard or chilli sauce on your hand and try it again. it's the simple thing that if biting you results in a disgusting taste, they won't do it. works for catipillars.

When the cat bites, you slap the cat and say "ow ow ow".  Keep slapping until the cat  lets go.

After a while, when the cat bites, and you say "ow" the cat assumes the whooping is coming and it stops biting.  Mine never lets go, it just stops trying to draw blood.

As to how to keep it from biting in the first place, good luck.  I think most cats that have given up biting have assumed that soon you will be dead and that soon it will be able to eat you, so the cat chooses to wait rather than be active in killing you.

Cats are pretty creepy.  They all just lie in wait so they can take over the world.

Have a nice day.  Gotta love cats.  I thank my  lucky stars my cat is not a puma or mountain lion.

Dude! Yor comment was exactly what I needed tonight! One minute I realize how bad it's gotten; I'm lookin' at cat stuff, and then next minute; laughin' right out loud. Thx

Lightly!!!! flick it's nose. It will annoy the crap out of it.

bite he's ear when he bites( hard enough to hurt not harm) seriously it sometimes works.

Is it certain ares like his stomach? My cat always bites when you rub her belly. (She isn't prego.)

Most cats' stomachs are too sensitive to rub. Sensory overload is one of the main causes of non-play related biting. One of my cats is so sensitive in general that she's only safe to scratch around the head since even petting her back can overload her quickly. If I'm paying attention I can pet her and even rub her stomach lightly...but I have to be watching her closely or she'll wrap around my arm with all her teeth and claws. As long as I don't move my arm she won't break the skin and will release me after a few seconds.

***Note: if you can ignore the automatic reflex to jerk away then 9 times out of 10 (with most cats) they won't break the skin. Yes, this takes a long time to get used to but it does help a LOT if you can manage it.

Slowly desensitizing a cat helps vet visits go better-carefully watch the cat and only touch as much as they let you before stopping-don't wait until they go to bite to stop. Start close to their back and slowly work your way towards the stomach, it can take weeks before they are desensitized enough to allow you to pet their belly. And make sure to learn your cat's body language. I started touching my cats' bellies as soon as they let me pet them (they were abused ferals...it took FOREVER to just pet them...but definitely worth the effort). The boy now loves to have his belly rubbed and will "ask" for it by draping over your hand so it's in just the right spot...even if it does tend to look slightly obscene. His sister still overloads easily with just a hand down her back but will often do better with a belly rub than with regular petting. She has her own way of asking for a belly rub that is suspiciously like her overload warning...brat.

try puting your hand into a fist or stiffen your hand so the cats teeth are at your palm. it doesn't hurt and it annoys the cat enough to make it stop. just be careful of the claws.