Cat Chat (please go to cat chat 2)

[Stem Ginger]

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Does anybody have any tips on training cats? I've bell trained my cat for his meals - to help him get into a routine and to train him to come - and I've been trying to teach him to sit. It hasn't been very successful haha.

Training cats is difficult, as they aren't as motivated towards the training compared to dogs and rely less on humans in the sense of their independence, but of course it is possible.
My cat has learnt how to sit, this was accidental (I'll explain in a sec) and also to lay down (this, not so much, I just thought 'why not?!') teaching cats these types of tricks usually can be done in the same way you would teach a dog, although it will take more time as cats are less food motivated, the way my cat learnt to sit was that he used to stand up and jump on your legs, so we just kinda told him to sit and once he sat he got his food. If purposely training you cat you can also use hand signals as well as speech, therefore your cat can have both indications to do the trick (i hope this makes some sense)

[slaughter beach, dog]

Well, I think that it's okay to have a debate on this topic as long as it's kept as a debate and not an argument. Just so that the thread truly doesn't get locked. :D

One of the important things in a debate is 'attacking' the topic and not the person.
Also, keeping calm and providing facts instead of 'shouting' only gives credibility, so let's keep these in mind when discussing possibly touchy topics.

So, to other things;
When walking your cat outside in a harness, do you think that a harness with two locks or one lock and this loop for the head is better?

I've heard that a harness with one lock instead of two is more comfortable, because the strap that the neck goes through is indeed this loop and lets the cat move more naturally. The only problem is that my cat keeps escaping from this harness. He had a two-lock-harness as a kitten and he never escaped, but I'm not sure if it's affected by the shape of the harness or if it's just a new skill he's acquired. x)

I'm planning on buying a bigger two-lock-harness tomorrow and trying it out, but I'd like to hear some opinions on this.

[PopcornBush]

Can anybody give me some tips for reducing the amount of fur my cat sheds?

She is a diluted calico that is mostly white and her fur is EVERYWHERE, lol, even on my keyboard.

[Anaphea]

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Does anybody have any tips on training cats? I've bell trained my cat for his meals - to help him get into a routine and to train him to come - and I've been trying to teach him to sit. It hasn't been very successful haha.

Arty responds to vocal aids and he is quite food motivated (but if you decide to do the latter, use food/treats sparingly). If you use vocal aids, make sure to keep the same tone and make sure you're clear.

I have no idea but... Clicker training, perhaps? My dogs responded well to clicker training, but I'm not sure if cats will react in the same way?

Conclusion: Vocal aids work a treat!

[slaughter beach, dog]

Can anybody give me some tips for reducing the amount of fur my cat sheds?

She is a diluted calico that is mostly white and her fur is EVERYWHERE, lol, even on my keyboard.

I think that the cat's coat might be changing at the moment.
Diet can affect the amount your cat sheds and a good diet will give your cat a healthier coat.
You can also try brushing your cat. I brush my cat once in a while and I feel like it has reduced the amount he sheds.

[PopcornBush]

Thanks!

I will reduce her feeding amount, right now its about a full small bowl <3

Also will brush her more often C:

[critter]

Im planning on getting another cat, Its been a couple years since the passing of my cat, and I think im ready to get another. Any breeds I should look into? The only thing I cant do is shedding a lot, I get bad allergies from that.

[slaughter beach, dog]

Thanks!

I will reduce her feeding amount, right now its about a full small bowl <3

Also will brush her more often C:

I didn't mean less food, just a better quality one. ^^'

[Dream~]

@Anaphea (If you decide to read this that is)

I understand that is possible a cat is a Bengal mix. I have reason to believe that two of my cats, that I raised since they were 3 weeks old (I live in a rural area, I rescued them and there mother.), have Bengal in them: clear rosette markings, Bengal appearance and temperament. We aren't positive and probably never will be. The vet (who had knowledge with breeds) was the one who told us that she believed they had Bengal in them.

So I didn't mean to sound like it was impossible, because it's not impossible. As for the outdoor cat debate, in my own opinion I believe it is a personal preference. I can't (I would if I could) keep my cats indoors, as all of my family almost except for me is very allergic to them, and they were born and raised outdoors and happier that way. I do understand it is dangerous, but our cats have plenty of shelter and mainly stick around the house, though they are allowed into outdoor building other then the house (such as the barn and other little buildings we have.) also predators rarely come up as we have dogs that keep them away. My cats also hunt animals including rodents (we have rodent issues, even indoors.) We sort of rescued all our cats, Braveheart we found as a young kitten, Rachet and Clank we raised them since they were born to two of our cats, Shadow and Pepper we rescued them when they were 3 weeks old, and there mother. We also feed some stray cats as long as they don't cause issues with ours. It is very common in our area to have outdoor cats especially to hunt rodents.

That's my own opinion, I know everyone has different ones, but that is mine.

[Transkitty]

A study was done to see how far outdoor house cats roam. They put radio collars on the cats and studied their behaviors for two years. That study found that pet cats wandered approximately 4.9 acres per day. That's a lot of backyards! Even more amazingly is that feral cats wandered approximately 388 acres a day! Imagine how many pet cats those ferals run in to. Imagine all the fights

I will say that my opinion on barn cats is different. Barn cats are usually working cats, and they protect the farmer's livelihood. The dangers to outdoor cats are still there, but I understand that the farmer doesn't really have any other choices.

As for your family's allergies, what do you feed your cats? I ask because my roommate, Saracirce, is allergic to cats too. However, she doesn't react to the three in the house, even during seasonal shedding! A high quality diet helps reduce the amount of dander coming off of the cats as well as reducing the amount of shedding. This could be something you can look in to!