Silence or death

[Thajocoth]

My mother's cat who's about 14 and a half years old will be put to sleep unless he stops being so loud. He's very good at projecting his voice, so when he decides, at 8am (and every 4 hours after that), that it's time to be fed, everyone's woken up. His meow is louder than the dogs can bark, and they're a lot bigger than he is. (It's also more piercing.) If put in the garage, he's able to generate as much noise hitting the metal door (and craps out of spite). If put outside, he knows what windows are by what beds, and therefore which ones to scream under. We're really not sure how he got into this habit, but it's been several months at least, and my mother & brother have decided that they'll put him to sleep over it. It's not possible to get a full night's sleep here currently.

I can't take care of him (the smell of his food is too problematic for me to be in the same room with), so that's not an option.

I have tried spraying him with water. That just makes him hide after screaming. He'll still scream just as much.

[Serpentine]

For the love of-. DEATH IS NOT THE ONLY ANSWER. If they've really decided they can't handle the cat, find it a new home. Better it at least get a chance in an animal shelter than be executed for whinging straight off the bat.
Other options: does it have a regular feeding time? It could be a problem if 8am is its regular feeding time, from its point of view.
My cat meows at about 9am most days. I just open the cat door for him/put him outside; that's all he wants. Looks like that doesn't work for you, though.
You can get dishes that automatically feed animals. Overfeeding may be a problem, though, so check them out.
Do you feed the cat at night? I give the cats dry food before I go to bed. There's often some left over the next day that they eat at their leisure.
It may be that it's lonely and wants company. Not much to be done about that, unless you let it in your room, if you don't already?
Ask a vet if they, or someone they know, can help.

If all else fails, please just look for someone else to take it before you kill it. It would probably get along well with an elderly person or someone who gets up early.

[Mando Knight]

If it's a fairly new development and there haven't been any recent regimen changes, you could also take him to the vet. An animal that doesn't feel well will usually try to tell you so if it trusts you.

[Kyouhen]

If the cat wants to be fed at 8am, why don't you just feed it? My cats tend to do the same thing, and they'd normally quiet right up after throwing a bit of food in their dish. I'm going to agree with Serpentine's suggestions, try to figure out if there's something wrong with the cat or if it just wants something and give it whatever it wants to keep it happy. If you can't do that then find a new home for it. There's absolutely no reason to kill a cat just because it wants to be fed.

[Lycan 01]

Your cat starts meowing loudly, so your mom and bro decide its time to kill it?


Sheesh, glad they weren't here earlier. One of our new kittens starting screaming up a storm. It just got up and started meowing louder than I thought physically possible at my parent's door. I was trying to figure out what it wanted, so I walked into another room where it could see me and tapped its food bowl. It darted in there, ate a few bites, then stopped meowing.


Apparently, cats make noise when they want food... :smallconfused:

[Catch]

Let me see if I'm understanding this right, and pardon me if I just reiterate everything Serpentine just said.

Your cat is meowing to be fed at 8 in the morning, and your mother and brother have decided to kill him instead of getting up in the morning and feeding the cat, which would prevent them from getting a "full night's sleep."

It seems like this is a recent development, so what's changed recently about the cat's feeding schedule? Animals, like people, are creatures of habit, and when their routine or environment is altered, they act out.

Also, you know there are automatic food dispensers (http://tinyurl.com/3xumx4d) on the market, yes? If no one in the house can muster themselves out of bed to feed the animal, that's an option. Alternatively, give the cat to a family willing to fulfill the responsibilities of pet ownership.

I may be badgering a bit, but pass it along to your mother and brother. If the cat is crying to be fed, feed him. He's not a toy that's "broken," they're just being thick. Would you lock a baby in your garage if it cried too much?

[Sneak]

If you can't get a full night's sleep when waking up at 8:00 AM, you're going to bed too late.

Or maybe that's just because I consider >6 hrs to be a full night's sleep...

But seriously, don't you guys have to get up by 8:00 anyway?

[Mando Knight]

It seems like this is a recent development, so what's changed recently about the cat's feeding schedule? Animals, like people, are creatures of habit, and when their routine or environment is altered, they act out.

Cats can also tell time. If 8 is food time, then 8 is food time. The only way you can convince a cat otherwise is to never feed it at 8. If you made that mistake in the past, it's too late now. 8 is food time.

[Flame of Anor]

This is a stupid situation. Just feed the cat, dammit.

And the problem with finding another home is that no one will want such an old cat. Sad but true.

[Catch]

Cats can also tell time. If 8 is food time, then 8 is food time. The only way you can convince a cat otherwise is to never feed it at 8. If you made that mistake in the past, it's too late now. 8 is food time.

It's true.

You can also ruin the trend by feeding them too early. My mom's roommate is a schoolteacher of the Ben Franklin school of waking hours, and feeds her two cats at 5am and 5pm every day. Her younger daughter has no immunity to charms of kitties (be strong!), and would feed them when she got home from school around 4 in the afternoon. So now the cats get restless and follow people around in the kitchen starting as early as 3, and even after they've been fed, will pretend like they haven't to anyone who comes home later.

Cunning masterminds.

[Ravens_cry]

I can sympathise with your mother if she has shift work, but seriously, killing the cat because of this?
Double-u, tee, eff!
You have a pet, you have responsibilities. The audacity of the idea of killing a cat just because it develops an odd feeding schedule is just atrocious. I am sorry, but there are far worse smells then cat food. Just grin and bear it.

[Thajocoth]

Scamper is a Maine Cooon, if it matters. He has seemed arthritic in the past, but this decreased when we switched from dry food to wet food for him. He's been a little crazy since Tigger died 4 years ago (orange/white striped cat, was a year younger than Scamper). The other animals are all younger and all eat only dry food. (oldest to youngest):
Tango - Dog (8 years)
Elphaba - Dog (7 years)
Oliver - Cat (1 year)


Their biggest problem with him is that the volume is... Louder than I could possibly scream if I tried to.

Scamper has never been fed at 8am. I generally, since this started, get up and put him out to try to keep him from waking my brother up, but this doesn't seem to work. Scamper's not a big fan of the outdoors. We have never appeased his pleas at that hour.

The window of time between his last feeding before bed and his first scream of the day is 4-6 hours, which is not enough for humans to sleep.

When he screams, he won't stop until he gets his way. Any human would lose their voice doing that...

His feeding schedule, ironically, went from irregular to regular. This is mostly Elphaba's fault, as she eats everything in sight and seriously looks more like a cow at this point than a dog... Ruling out anything that'll give the animals food automatically. She'll just eat it all.

Oliver is starting to pick up Scamper's habit... But he only starts meowing after Scamper does, and he still sounds like a cat. His meow, while it sounds like he's putting a lot of force into it, doesn't project far. Scamper does not sound like a cat anymore... Combine the sounds cats and cows make, like "Mrou-ooooo-OOOOOO-ooooo!!!" with the volume of... a high pitched bird. I don't know what sort of birds we used to have, like, 10 years ago, for less than a month, but the volume on them is what Scamper is reaching, and it projects VERY far.

Scamper ALSO screams went he wants attention or to go in the garage... We don't let him in the garage anymore because he started pooping in there, and when he wants attention, once he finds me, he stops meowing, jumps onto my lap and purrs. The vast majority of his screams are for food though. And, getting out the can to give it to him makes him scream rapid-fire until it's in the dish and on the floor. Also, he will not eat dry food unless he absolutely has to, and when he does, he just throws it up later.

He would not be adopted by anyone else. If brought back to a shelter, he'd sit there for a while, and just get put to sleep anyway.


If you can't get a full night's sleep when waking up at 8:00 AM, you're going to bed too late.

Or maybe that's just because I consider >6 hrs to be a full night's sleep...

But seriously, don't you guys have to get up by 8:00 anyway?

Two of us work from home. The 3rd's on summer vacation from college. It's 2am now. I'll be going to sleep soon, and I'll be the first to bed. It's just so much easier to get more work done later in the day... And there's always more work.

[Lord Seth]

He would not be adopted by anyone else. If brought back to a shelter, he'd sit there for a while, and just get put to sleep anyway.You don't know that for sure. If you have to get rid of the cat, at least send it to an animal shelter where there's a chance (however small) that someone might take it, rather than just killing it with the 0% chance that someone will take it.

[Lycan 01]

Yeah, it just sounds like he's hungry. :smallconfused:


Or sick. Change of behavior, starting to poop in the garage for no reason... I think I've heard stuff like that means it may be sick. I may be wrong, of course...

[Thajocoth]

Yeah, it just sounds like he's hungry. :smallconfused:


Or sick. Change of behavior, starting to poop in the garage for no reason... I think I've heard stuff like that means it may be sick. I may be wrong, of course...

It's not no reason... He uses poop to let us know when he's angry at us. He pooped in the garage because I put him in the garage while he was trying to wake my brother up to get food.

Yeah, he's obviously hungry, but he does not need to be that loud, and shouldn't really be hungry that quickly... Oh... What's that worm thing called? Causes an animal to need to eat a lot more, or something? Could be that... Too bad having a vet look into it isn't an option. My mom's convinced that the cat is in constant agony, and that putting him to sleep is what's best for him. My brother just wants to get a full night's sleep and doesn't care about the cat.

[Lycan 01]

A tapeworm?

Yes, it could be some sort of parasite. Have you taken him to the vet for a check up or anything, aside from discussing the possiblity of putting him to sleep? :smallconfused:


Edit: Hold on a sec, did a vet actually say they'd put the cat to sleep for them because it meows too loudly? I'm pretty sure vets can't do that over such a silly reason... :smalleek:

[Catch]

The window of time between his last feeding before bed and his first scream of the day is 4-6 hours, which is not enough for humans to sleep.

You feed him as late as 2-4am? :smallconfused:

And how often during the day does the cat get fed? Once in the morning and once at night is sufficient for a housecat, about 12 hours apart since cats are poly-phasic sleepers. It's also a good idea to feed the cats around the same time you eat, as a reminder, so around breakfast and dinner time. In my experience, cats that are extremely persistent about their feeding times (more than the average "feedmefeedmefeedmefeeeeeedme" of most cats) tend to be overfed.

Consult your local veterinarian for advice, however. They're the best with nutrition and might have some insight into your cat's strange food behavior.

[ghost_warlock]

Kennel Elphaba when everyone goes to bed, then fill Scamper's bowl. Problem solved.

[Thajocoth]

A tapeworm?

Yes, it could be some sort of parasite. Have you taken him to the vet for a check up or anything, aside from discussing the possiblity of putting him to sleep? :smallconfused:


Edit: Hold on a sec, did a vet actually say they'd put the cat to sleep for them because it meows too loudly? I'm pretty sure vets can't do that over such a silly reason... :smalleek:

They will not pay for a vet to look into it. My mom says "We paid hundreds of dollars to find out what we already knew with Tigger, and still had to have him put to sleep. I'm not repeating that mistake."


You feed him as late as 2-4am? :smallconfused:

And how often during the day does the cat get fed? Once in the morning and once at night is sufficient for a housecat, about 12 hours apart since cats are poly-phasic sleepers. It's also a good idea to feed the cats around the same time you eat, as a reminder, so around breakfast and dinner time. In my experience, cats that are extremely persistent about their feeding times (more than the average "feedmefeedmefeedmefeeeeeedme" of most cats) tend to be overfed.

Consult your local veterinarian for advice, however. They're the best with nutrition and might have some insight into your cat's strange food behavior.

Yes, and every 5-6 hours. He starts screaming after about 4 hours since he's last eaten. Half a can of catfood per meal.


Kennel Elphaba when everyone goes to bed, then fill Scamper's bowl. Problem solved.

My brother would never allow it. And we don't even have a kennel...

[ghost_warlock]

My brother would never allow it. And we don't even have a kennel...

Could also, as previously suggested, just put Elphaba in another room, where the cat's food is inaccessible.

But, seriously, your brother would rather have his sleep disrupted by a screaming cat than prevent his dog from over-eating?

[thubby]

i would be outright stunned if there wasn't a no-kill shelter in your area.

[Tyrandar]

Your brother needs a swift kick to the gut. I would be happy to volunteer for this assignment.

Though, in all seriousness, you could just put the cat's food where your bro's dog can't get to it. Doesn't seem like a very small dog from what you're telling me.

[Killer Angel]

What's that worm thing called? Causes an animal to need to eat a lot more, or something? Could be that... Too bad having a vet look into it isn't an option. My mom's convinced that the cat is in constant agony, and that putting him to sleep is what's best for him. My brother just wants to get a full night's sleep and doesn't care about the cat.


Vet. looking for worms seems one of the first things to do, but if your mother don't agree...
Well, I'm pretty sure there are automatic feeder with a timer: this should work during night. Keep separated dog and cat. Profit.

[poisonoustea]

My mom's convinced

My brother just wants to get a full night's sleep and doesn't care about the cat.
Take that cat out of your home, and give it to a family who cares :smallannoyed:
I think it's the only long-term solution.

[Serpentine]

If your mother would kill a cat before even paying for a normal vet check-up to check if there's actually something wrong, she doesn't deserve, or doesn't have the money to, own pets.

Step 1: Vet.
Step 2: Anything the vet suggests, pet therapist, something like that.
Step 3: Put out a "free to good home" ad, and/or give it up to an animal shelter.

If she is really so unwilling to even try, skip to step 3. Bumping a living thing off is never a first resort.

[Killer Angel]

Take that cat out of your home, and give it to a family who cares :smallannoyed:
I think it's the only long-term solution.

Not so easy to find someone, with a 14 and a half years old cat, and this keeping in mind that cats are often tied to the place, more than the people, so removing him from "his" place, would be painful.
The problem must (and can) be solved in their house.

(BTW: I'm not sure I like your new avatar more than the old... :smallwink:)

[Serpentine]

Cats can move. You just have to shut them inside until they get used to it. It would be better for it to be solved at home, but there are options - ASIDE FROM killing it.

edit: Maybe the cat's deaf, and can't tell how loud it's being...

[rakkoon]

Step 1: Vet.
Step 2: Anything the vet suggests, pet therapist, something like that.
Step 3: Put out a "free to good home" ad, and/or give it up to an animal shelter.

If she is really so unwilling to even try, skip to step 3.

What serp said.

People are reacting a little harsh here but they do have a point that a cat that is suddenly acting completely different should be brought to a vet first and not get the final treatment immediately.

[Tyrandar]

Maybe the cat's deaf, and can't tell how loud it's being...

I'm not sure how one would perform a kitty hearing test, but the image in my head is adorable. :smallbiggrin:

[Killer Angel]

there are options - ASIDE FROM killing it.


I think we all agree on this: no one shoud kill a animal because it's too loud (shudder). The problem is represented by OP's mother and brother.

[poisonoustea]

Leave it to a shelter... it's absurd to kill an animal to avoid responsibilities. You should at least know what the problem is, and for that you need a vet.

I doubt your brother (if I got what type of person he is - and he's younger than you, I suppose) will collaborate with you to solve the problem. You can always give it a try, but you'll have to be firm about it or you'll have no chance to change the situation.

Or, you can save the money and DIY. I think (hope) your mother can give you a ride to the vet at least.

[Savannah]

Older animal + sudden change in behavior = health problem. If your mom won't take him to the vet due to costs, you could see if there is a low-cost clinic in the area. (She does know that euthanasias can be pretty expensive, right? Might as well see if you can get cheaper health care instead.)

You say that no one will adopt him, which is a fair issue. However, you should still contact all the shelters in the area. They might have some ideas for cat sanctuaries or be able to convince your mom to take him to the vet. You could also talk to your vet directly and tell him/her what's going on.

You said that you can't take him because of the smell of his food. Can't you switch his food to something less objectionable?

Based on what I can tell from your description, you are rewarding him for this behavior. When he screams, you pay attention to him (by putting him outside). He screams when you feed him, and he gets his food. When he wants attention, he screams until he finds you and gets attention. Assuming there is no medical reason for his screaming, you can train him out of it again. Stop all rewards for screaming.

When he screams in the morning, do not respond. When you get his food out and he screams, stare at the ceiling until he stops, and only then open the can. When he starts to scream again, look at the ceiling until he stops, and only then put it down for him. Instead of getting attention when he screams for you, seek him out when he is being quiet and give him attention.

The key thing to know is, this will make the screaming worse at first. He'll be frustrated because he's not getting the reward he's used to. However, he will eventually figure out that he only gets the things he wants when he's quiet. Obviously, you'd have to get your mom and brother to agree to try this, but if you don't give in, it will work (assuming that there is no medical problem causing the screaming).

Because this has been going on for a while, you may need to take it in even smaller steps if you want to train him out of screaming. Start by ignoring the very loudest screaming and rewarding the quieter screaming.

I do not recommend doing this without first seeing a vet, as it is likely that there is an underlying medical condition. If, however, the choice is training or death, try the training.

[dehro]

you're already going to the vet to have the cat put down, unless you plan on using a brick...so you might as well ask the vet when you're there if he can give at least an idea of what's going on.
frankly, your mother sounds like she's a bit clueless..and any advice/opinion given by a vet, even without x-rays or whatnot must be better than "when in doubt, put it down"

some random suggestions of things to at least try, before going to that extreme:
feed him a double helping in the evening...cats don't eat themselves to death and will leave some for the next meal. catfood should last at least long enough for the cat to find some the next morning (nevermind the automatic food releaser...sounds a bit like an unnecessary expenditure)...combine that with starting to feed the cat where other pets can't reach it..
alternatively use some earplugs for a week or two, until the cat gets it that it won't obtain anything by screaming.
and again, at least a consultation with the vet shouldn't put you out of too much money.

[Serpentine]

Ah yes, earplugs are a suggestion that hasn't been made yet, would help with the problem immediately, and be of assistance for fixing it in the long term.

[bluewind95]

Something seems to be really wrong with that cat...

I'd really take it to the vet. It is perhaps not something deadly. And it's certainly not a mistake to try to find out what is wrong with the poor thing.

As for deafness... wait till he's sleeping and sneak up on him. If you can't, and he hears you and turns his ears towards you, he's not deaf. If he doesn't, once you get close enough make a small noise with your hands. If he doesn't turn around, well... he probably is at least hard of hearing.

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

Am I the only one who would kill the cat? Just get a new one. :smalltongue:

[bluewind95]

Am I the only one who would kill the cat? Just get a new one. :smalltongue:
Yes, yes you are.

Animals are not replaceable objects, though. :smallsigh: They're living beings with their own personalities and quirks. They also feel. And they seem to have a primitive form of thought.

[Winthur]

He's very good at projecting his voice, so when he decides, at 8am (and every 4 hours after that), that it's time to be fed, everyone's woken up.

So... cake, or death?

[Serpentine]

I hope so, and I hope you're not a pet owner.

[Boci]

Am I the only one who would kill the cat? Just get a new one. :smalltongue:

"In these dire economic times such as now, a dog is not just for christmas. Its for christmas dinner"

No seriously, don't kill the cat. If there are really no other options, find a shelter or new home.

[dehro]

So... cake, or death?

whahahaha...brill quote of everybody's favourite transvestite

[Ilena]

I have to agree, dont kill the cat, its like killing your grandparents because they are being too noisy, it really is. At least to me, but oh well. All i know is i would fight tooth and nail for an animal under my care.

[Thajocoth]

He's not deaf, but he could be hard of hearing.

Cats generally bond to a person OR place. Scamper can move no problem, as long as my mom moves with him. He's moved once before.

I've suggested to my mom that it could be a tapeworm, it could be an old feeding schedule, and he might be losing his hearing. Probably a combination of things. No response yet. Though, it's not like she's scheduled an appointment to euthanize him yet either. It's possible she'd plan to do it, and just never get around to it.

Other changes over the past year:
*He used to hump laundry at night, but we've gotten better at keeping him from having access to it. He'd only use recently worn laundry.
*My mom usually doesn't sleep here anymore, mostly sleeping at her BF's, who also has a cat and a dog.
*Oliver's only been around just over a year.
*I moved away for 3 years and came back a year ago... For a while after moving back, I got the impression that he expected Tigger to return as well.
*My dad moved out a year ago.
*The kitchen has been completely redone (floor, walls, cabinets) over the past year. A few other floors were replaced and a few other walls were painted over the past year. There's a lot less carpet and a lot more wood flooring. So if he's senile at all (which we think he might be), he'll likely be confused a lot.

I know cats hate change a lot... There are so many possible factors here.

[The Glyphstone]

This is the sort of thread that makes me lose faith in humanity. Murdering a long-time pet because it's behaving oddly and it's an easier answer than finding out what is wrong, or just giving it away to someone?

*wanders off to GivesMeHope for reassurance*

[Thajocoth]

If he was really in constant untreatable pain, I'd agree with my mom, but I really don't think he is. And really, all I ultimately have to do is convince her that he isn't. She won't kill him just to shut him up... She thinks he's loud because he's in constant agony. It's my mom's cat more than anyone else's, so whatever she ultimately decides is what'll happen. I'll just have to make sure she has enough information to make a better decision.

[Kallisti]

What ^@company said. Except Fifty-Eyed Fred, who is admirably pragmatic and who I pray doesn't own pets.

[Savannah]

She won't kill him just to shut him up... She thinks he's loud because he's in constant agony.

That's good. However, the fact that he doesn't scream all the time and tends to scream more when he wants things indicates that he's not in contstant pain. Furthermore, cats who are in pain tend to hide it because it might make them appear weak in front of a predator.

Even if he were in pain, pain management for animals has gotten very good. A vet would be able to determine if he's in pain and how to treat it. If he's not in pain, there are ways to train him not to scream. But the only way to tell if he's got a medical problem is to take him to the vet.

[bluewind95]

Perhaps he has a stomachache...? His needing to eat so often and so... urgently is kind of odd. And he does, after all, quiet down after eating. Maybe it eases it.

Or perhaps it's just him having issues hearing and that's why he's so noisy...? Changes do bother cats a lot, but they do tend to grow used to them after a few weeks. I really recommend the vet visit.

[CoffeeIncluded]

...Okay. That is...Excuse me. I'm going to scream in a pillow for a few minutes.

Look, odds are that the cat is just HUNGRY. My dog barks incessantly at 6:30 AM because she's HUNGRY. That's when we feed her!

But if your mother doesn't want to spend the effort to help your OLD CAT, WHO HAS BEEN WITH HER FOR YEARS, AND WOULD JUST KILL THE CAT INSTEAD BECAUSE IT'S NOISY...Then your mom has probably never really loved the cat in the first place.

If your mom wants to kill the cat, then get the cat out of there first. Take the cat to a shelter.

Wait. Your info says you live on Long Island?

TAKE THE CAT TO NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE!!!! It's a no-kill shelter, they take cats and dogs of all ages, and the cats stay until they're adopted! They've had 16 year-old cats with kidney failure and behavioral issues stay at the shelter FOR OVER A YEAR before getting adopted!

I've been working as a volunteer at North Shore for almost three years now. During this time, I've only seen two animals put down. Both were old cats with TERMINAL LUNG CANCER.

If it's silence, giving away the cat, or death, bring your cat there. He'll find a home for sure, and since I volunteer there, I'll be sure to tell you when he is, okay? :smallsmile:

But if your mom's going to kill the cat for meowing, then she should have never gotten a cat in the first place.

Here's the website! (http://www.nsalamerica.org/) They just did a puppy mill rescue yesterday! They rescue abused animals! They KNOW how to deal with a cat that meows all the time!

And you know what else? The cat's aren't cooped up in the cage 24/7 either! There's an entire building where the cats that get along well with each other are able to wander as they please! The cats that DO live in the cages are given playtime every day! Right now one of the older cats, Cumulus, is staying in the Adoption Processing Room (AKA: Main), where he's with several volunteers and employees who are busy processing the adoption applications! Volunteers and employees foster older animals all the time! THE CAT WILL NOT SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN A LITTLE CAGE IF YOU SEND HIM THERE, HE WILL GO HOME WITH A FAMILY AND WILL BE LOVED EVEN AT THE SHELTER!!!

[Savannah]

Ya know, it has been clarified that the mother thinks the cat is in pain and he's being noisy because of that.

Furthermore, it's easy for us to say that it's sick, evil, etc, etc, but they have been living with this for a long time. Not enough sleep for an extended period is enough to make you overreact and not think clearly.

I'm assuming Thajocoth likes his family, so it might be a good idea to offer constructive advice without calling them despicable people.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Ya know, it has been clarified that the mother thinks the cat is in pain and he's being noisy because of that.

Furthermore, it's easy for us to say that it's sick, evil, etc, etc, but they have been living with this for a long time. Not enough sleep for an extended period is enough to make you overreact and not think clearly.

I'm assuming Thajocoth likes his family, so it might be a good idea to offer constructive advice without calling them despicable people.

In case you didn't realize, this kinda touched a nerve.

[bluewind95]

Furthermore, it's easy for us to say that it's sick, evil, etc, etc, but they have been living with this for a long time. Not enough sleep for an extended period is enough to make you overreact and not think clearly.

I own a cat. She thinks she is a wildcat and she's about as sociable as one a lot of the time. She WILL be nice with us, but she's been a handful too. And strangers are pleaded not to get close to the cat and many visitors to the house outright fear her. She also has kept us awake several nights. So yeah, I'd know what it's like to deal with a less-than-cooperative cat.

I still don't think that they're despicable people. I just think they're being a bit too fast to take the "easy" way out and think it would be better to take other steps before doing that.

[Savannah]

In case you didn't realize, this kinda touched a nerve.

I have volunteered at animal shelters for years. People not trying to train their animals touches a nerve for me, too. In fact, I didn't post for over two hours after I'd seen the OP, because I didn't want to write something emotional. I'm just pointing out that Thajocoth is trying to convince his mother not to do this, so there's no point telling him it's a bad idea.


I just think they're being a bit too fast to take the "easy" way out and think it would be better to take other steps before doing that.

According to Thajocoth, his mother thinks the cat is in pain and wants to end his suffering. I agree that there are things they can do, but all we have to go on is second-hand information. We don't know if she actually wants to euthanize the cat or is just trying to do the right thing for the cat, without realizing there are other options.

Thajocoth, you might see if you can get some of Pam Johnson-Bennett's books at your local library. She's a cat behaviorist, and there might be something in one of her books that would give you some ideas for training, or help you convince your mom to take Scamper to the vet.

[bluewind95]

According to Thajocoth, his mother thinks the cat is in pain and wants to end his suffering. I agree that there are things they can do, but all we have to go on is second-hand information. We don't know if she actually wants to euthanize the cat or is just trying to do the right thing for the cat, without realizing there are other options

I don't know if she wants to euthanize the cat. I just really think it'd be nice and good if she tried other options first. Yeah, I'd hate seeing an animal in pain. I've made that kind of decision before... but always after exhausting all other possibilities...

Like I said... not saying they're bad, irresponsible people. Just saying I think they should give the vet a try.

[Player_Zero]

What the hell did I just read?

[evisiron]

I think we can extrapolate from this thread that the OP and the brother were very, very quiet babies...:smallwink:

[raitalin]

edit: Maybe the cat's deaf, and can't tell how loud it's being...

Good possibility, when my old cat went deaf she developed a chilling death-warble.

[tcrudisi]

TAKE THE CAT TO NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE!!!!

I've been working as a volunteer at North Shore for almost three years now.

My mean thought for the day is this:

Three months from now I open up the Friendly Banter forum and see a new thread by CoffeeIncluded. It says the following:


I volunteer at a no-kill animal shelter and I definitely do not support killing animals... yet this one cat screams non-stop really, REALLY loudly and I think I'm starting to lose some hearing. Yes, I've tried earplugs. I'm actually considering sneaking in to euthanize it myself because things are really that bad. Since I'm only a volunteer, I can't move it to another shelter. Help! What are my options?

I know, I have a sick sense of humor (sorry CI!). I also lol'ed at Evisiron.

Any time I read a story like this, I immediately try to put myself in everyone's shoes so I can try to figure out why everyone is acting why they are. I don't own any animals (and likely never will) in small part because of something like this. I can understand why the family is getting upset. I know I would not enjoy getting woke up at 08:00. Heck, it's 03:00 right now and I'm just getting ready to go to bed.

Of course, I also imagine that I would love my pet if I had one. (I don't think I'm so callous that I wouldn't love it). I'm also very poor, being a college student and all, so I would not be able to afford to take it to the vet. However, I do have a father who used to own 20-30 dogs at any given time, so he would do a lot of his own veterinary work... I'm betting you might have a contact who is similar. Someone who can figure out what's wrong just because they've owned a few dozen cats. I imagine that tapeworm medicine can't be prohibitively expensive, and isn't it available over the counter? What would be wrong with just trying it and see if that causes the cat to eat less? I think that would be better than euthanasia.

[The Glyphstone]

What would be wrong with just trying it and see if that causes the cat to eat less? I think that would be better than euthanasia.

Probably a better option, but there's no guarantee it wouldn't cause problems. I don't know how tapeworm medicine works, but if there's no tapeworm, that could be quite harmful.

[Shas aia Toriia]

Err, OP, I don't think I missed, but you said you can't go to a vet.
Why is that? :smallconfused:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I honestly don't see a problem with getting up at 800. I ENJOY getting up at 800. I get up at 700 every day, get up closer to 600 some days.

[mucat]

Too bad having a vet look into it isn't an option.
Of course it's an option! If your mom will not take him to the vet, then take him yourself.

The sudden change in habits and personality make it sound very much like the cat is sick. It might be something relatively easy to treat. (Or it might not. I've known older cats whose personality changed radically and permanently, due to a stroke or other brain damage...but I hope in this case the problem is something less severe.)

As for the automatic feeders not being an option because the dog would eat them...just place the feeder somewhere the cat can reach and the dog can't. (Behind a small cat door, in a high-up location, or whatever else makes sense.) Your Mom and your brother seem to have a pattern going here of "X is not an option because it might take me thirty seconds of thought and/or a few minutes of inconvenience to make it work..."

[Serpentine]

Err, OP, I don't think I missed, but you said you can't go to a vet.
Why is that? :smallconfused:Cuz he's a people, silly :smallcool:
On that note, did you know it's illegal for anyone living in Armidale to be buried in the Armidale cemetary?

That animal shelter sounds awesome. But Coffee, I do suggest you have a look at Thac's posts earlier on the second page. I agree with you totally, but it's been made clear there's more here than "it's loud, kill it".
edit: Basically, at this point, the primary option by far is simply "take it to the vet". We can't help you with anything else, except to say "for the love of God if the only option you're considering is death at least give it a chance at an animal shelter!"

[Thajocoth]

I told my bro that he'll likely stop after a few weeks if he's sprayed when he screams, and given what he wants when he doesn't. From his response, I think he'll at least try it. He feeds the cat about half the time. My mom the other half.

As for taking him to the vet myself... It's uh... Quite a walk. That's not really doable. I have no income either, unfortunately... Working towards one.

As for taking him with me when I move:
*Domestic cats bond either to a place or a person. He's bonded to my mom.
*If he eats dry food, he will throw it up. He will also be more arthritic (we noticed an improvement in his mobility when we switched him to wet food).
*I cannot be in the same room as, or the next room over, from wet cat food. I've explained the reason for this before in this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8454158&postcount=23) post. If it was ever cooked (and therefore traveled further from the source), I wouldn't be able to be in the same house, and removing me or the cat would be a necessity.
*I am allergic to cats. (My arms and throat itch when I hang out with them.)

Really, I've got the most reason to want to get rid of him, but I don't.

[Sneak]

Why did your mom get a cat if she's incapable and unwilling to care for it?

No wonder it cries all the time.

Also, am I the only one who thinks that spraying the cat is not going to work and is just going to end up with an abused cat and a scratched person?

[Savannah]

Yeah, don't spray the cat. If he's screaming because he's getting anxious because he's becoming deaf/blind/senile/whatever, getting sprayed with water will make him more anxious and make the problem worse.

Edit: Sneak, the cat's 14 years old. Odds are the mom has had him for quite a while.

[Aiani]

I think it's commendable that you want to help this cat out even though you seem to have the least reason to want the cat. Anyway I do have some actual input as well. You're right that cats bond to people but they can bond to someone new. I know because my cat used to belong to a friend of mine. He had her for several years when he got married. His wife had a son who just couldn't play nicey with the cat and she would scratch the boy so a new home had to be found. Anyway point is I took the cat (Charisma) and although she was upset at first eventually she adapted to her new home and she is quite happy now living with me. She even adapted very nicely when I got a dog last year. I also have to keep Charisma's food out of Daisy's reach because for some reason that cat food is like candy to her. I'm just saying that animals are really adaptable.

[mucat]

She even adapted very nicely when I got a dog last year.
Of course she did. Diplomacy is a Charisma-based skill.

[Thajocoth]

I think it's commendable that you want to help this cat out even though you seem to have the least reason to want the cat. Anyway I do have some actual input as well. You're right that cats bond to people but they can bond to someone new. I know because my cat used to belong to a friend of mine. He had her for several years when he got married. His wife had a son who just couldn't play nicey with the cat and she would scratch the boy so a new home had to be found. Anyway point is I took the cat (Charisma) and although she was upset at first eventually she adapted to her new home and she is quite happy now living with me. She even adapted very nicely when I got a dog last year. I also have to keep Charisma's food out of Daisy's reach because for some reason that cat food is like candy to her. I'm just saying that animals are really adaptable.

This is great to know. There are still two other obstacles, however... Allergicness to the cat, and to the smell of his food.

Scamper is VERY smart, so I think he'll learn pretty quickly if trained. A few scenes from his life that point to his intelligence:

One time, he wanted to get into the bathroom. So he jumps onto the scratching post, puts one paw on each side of the doorknob, and moved one paw up and the other down, then reversed. The door opened. That's when we moved his food dish from the bathroom to the kitchen. (Prior to Elphy, the animals would all eat only what they were hungry for and return later. Now they all empty their food bowls, because they know it'll be gone if they don't. There was no reason to cry about an empty dish, because it'll be filled by the next human that passed by anyway.)

Previous house: My dad was getting ready for work. He couldn't find his keys. He was searching everywhere. Then my parents hear something tap a pair of keys. They go to the source, and Scamper's standing next to the keys. (Not playing with them, just standing there.)

Previous house: When my mom would talk to anyone in the driveway, Scamper would leap onto the door's screen with all 4 sets of claws and meow. (All of the animals seem to constantly want to hang out with my mom, except for Oliver, who ignores her and leaves thumbtacks on her chair and yarn tripwires the same color as her office's flooring...) So, we put up a half-blocking clear plastic thing over the bottom half of the door's window so he can't get a good grip. The very next time, he jumped & fell... Then he took a good look at the screen. He lept up, pulled the plastic piece right off, and repeated his initial attempt with success.

For a while, starting in the previous house, he changed his meow to have a more "Ah" sound in the middle, so it almost sounded like a kid yelling "Mom!", which was far more effective at getting my mom's attention.

As for spraying him... When I've done it, I've gotten him to momentarily shut up, and when I persist, he'll stop until I'm no longer holding the spray bottle. Then he'll resume. If I pick it back up right after, there's a 50/50 chance he'll stop again. Because I've responded in the morning with putting him in the garage, putting him outside, and spraying him, he runs and tries to hide (unsuccessfully) if he screams in the morning & I'm the one to get up.

-----

Side note: My mom has the workload of about 5 different specialists. With the number of things going through her mind at any given time... She forgets a lot that's not related to what she HAS to do... Such as the fact that there's been a 4 hour gap since the cat crying now and the last time she fed him... Or random conversations with her... But she doesn't forget things related to what she does.

[Eric Tolle]

Offhand Thajocoth, if I were you I'd be worried in case you ever come down sick, or start snoring, or something. Your mom and brother might decide you aren't worth the trouble.

And I'm of the opinion that no pets should be in that household, based on what I've seen. But at the least you need to man up and take the cat to a vet, or find a no-kill shelter. Nobody so irresponsible as to be willing to kill a cat without taking it to the vet first deserves to have pets.

[Quincunx]

Insistent yowls (of the "NEED food" rather than "you have food that I don't" variety*) = hungry.
Puked-up dry food = irritable tummy.
More volume = cat going deaf (maybe).

1 + 2 do seem to add up to a problem which will require ongoing attention, if it isn't worms, and I am discounting worms because there are other animals in the household which haven't gotten the same symptoms. If it's a dietary issue (like food allergy exacerbated by age), and you were willing to buy wet food, then I imagine the willingness would extend to supplying a special diet.** Does this cat also leave stinkbombs in the litter box?

*Much as the cat may try to tell me it's the same cry, I know better. I am also discounting the possibility of pain because the cat will quiet when threatened (squirted).

**Getting the correct cat to consume the correct food is another matter entirely.

[Thajocoth]

"Does this cat also leave stinkbombs in the litter box?" No. Just regular cat poop

"Getting the correct cat to consume the correct food is another matter entirely." This is not incredibly difficult. Scamper's alpha. He'll simply push Oliver out of the way and Oliver will let him. Oliver will go for Scamper's food if he's not around, but doesn't seem to mind eating his own food. Scamper will also push Oliver out of the way if he's still hungry when he's done... Doesn't happen very often, but I've seen it a few times. Oliver never eats all his food anyway (He's very different from the other animals in a lot of ways, this being one of them...) If Scamper pukes it up later, he'll cry to let us know something's amiss. (He doesn't like to leave messes around.)

Of course, Tango doesn't think Scamper's alpha. He's a big dog and Scamper's a little old cat. Tango will push Scamper away if he sees him try to get water from the water bowl, even if Tango's not thirsty. (It's between the dog's food bowls.) Tango seems to think Elphy's alpha though... And she knows Scamper's got claws, so it's a bit of a circle. Oliver is just... Very easily distracted, and doesn't seem to care about who's alpha. He's in constant "play" mode. Anything shiny enough or anything that moves suddenly is instantly his quarry. I remember one time, he was trying to get me to feed him and I dangled a string, he went to jump after it, but remembered and used his paw to block his sight of the string to meow at me again. (I was giving Oliver food, I just wanted to see what would happen if I distracted him while filling his dish. Though I don't feed any of the animals anymore, since we started coinciding all their feeding times (mostly... The dogs only get fed only twice a day. Oliver might too, I'm unsure. Elphy's constant eating of grass outside, and licking whatever floor she's lying on doesn't quite count. She snores while awake... It's even dietary dog food, but she's just so incredibly fat. Scampers fed either 3 or 4 times a day. I'm not completely sure which. It was 2 before my brother pointed out that the cans say to feed him 1.5-2 cans per day. At half a can per meal... 3-4 meals fulfills that.))

[Serpentine]

Wow... It seems like the cats get a lot of food. This household's cats get 1/4 of a ~400g can (or about 100g) wet cat food in the evening, and 1/2-1cup dry food (though we tend to do it when it's dark and we're tired so they often get more) late at night each. I'm guessing (hope :smalleek:) you're talking about much smaller cans, though.
edit: To compare behaviours, if it helps, if the cats are around (the younger is more often than the older) at sunset, they'll start meowing and whinging and carrying on. They don't get fed (at least by me) until they sit. The younger, in particular, will meow, especially if we get up, late at night, but often gets excited any time we happen to pass or appear to approach the food bowls, no matter the time of day. The older one often starts meowing at about 9-10am to be let out/given company, and if it doesn't happen he tends to wee on something :smallyuk: It always wakes me up, but doesn't always wake up my boyfriend. The younger will just wake you up by trying to snuggle with you. And dig his claws in.
I think the older meows and begs less with the younger around...

[mucat]

Wow... It seems like the cats get a lot of food. This household's cats get 1/4 of a ~400g can (or about 100g) wet cat food in the evening, and 1/2-1cup dry food (though we tend to do it when it's dark and we're tired so they often get more) late at night each. I'm guessing (hope :smalleek:) you're talking about much smaller cans, though.

Yes, most U.S. catfood cans are nowhere near 400g. 100 to 150g might be typical, and some brands come in smaller cans than that.

[Krade]

The vibe I'm getting here is that poor people shouldn't have pets. Personally, I love animals, but I can't and won't justify spending any significant amount of money on vet fees, especially if there's a chance the animal would need to be put down anyway. Condemning an animal to die with no alternatives isn't kosher, but if I have to chose between a pet and making rent (not to mention utility bills and food), the pet won't be coming out on top.

[Serpentine]

As much as it sucks, that might well be true. If someone cannot care for an animal, they should not take on the responsibility. If you would have to choose between giving your pet adequate medical care and paying your rent, perhaps you should consider giving up your pet to someone who can do both.

[Killer Angel]

If someone cannot care for an animal, they should not take on the responsibility.

...and if you take the responsibility, you should be ready to bear the burden, even if the animal don't suit your idea.
I love purring cute little cat.
Once, the dog of my cousin, found an abandoned wild kitty (few weeks old), without an eye and with the other eye stuck with pus (it was a virus). I took him to the vet, that saved the eye. I kept my little Odin... then I discovered he suffered from starch intolerance, and occasional epileptic crisis.
He's no cute. he's a ferocious beast that bites, scratch, and NEVER purr. He likes to play hard with his fangs, and loves to sleep or to stay near you, but you can caress him very rarely, and for few moments, 'cause he don't like to be touched, and has sharp claws.
8 years have passed, and instead having a cute purring cat, I got a psychopathic feline with health problems. I love him. :smallbiggrin:

[Serpentine]

...and if you take the responsibility, you should be ready to bear the burden, even if the animal don't suit your idea....even if that simply involves finding someone else to take it.

[dehro]

cheeky suggestion to all the catlovers in this thread.
we have a suggestion of a no kill shelter (which I assume comes with it's own resident vet)..and it's local to the cat, if I understand correctly.
we know the problem is age and possibly health related and that the "death" option is there because of a lack of funds to fish for an outcome that might very well be "it must be put to sleep" anyway.
would it be preposterous to ask for the shelter to organize a paypall account where each of us could chip in a few dollars, to cover for the vet fees necessary to at least investigate what the nature of the problem is with this particular cat?
excess funds collected this way could go to the shelter's other needs.
(it should be possible to put invoices and whatnot online, just to prove that the money actually goes where it's meant to go)

[Syka]

I'm generally of the mind that if you aren't willing to shell out for vet bills, you shouldn't have a pet.

When I got my hamster, I recognize that a vet may very well be needed one day. It's also more likely that she'll just up and die without warning (she's over 2 now), and far more likely that any vet bills will be significantly less than that I'd pay for a larger animal (even compared to a bird or ferret or whatever).

Vet bills are part of having pets in this day and age. It's one thing like what my boyfriend's family is going through with their 15 year old dog. The VET told them getting specialized medicine and surgery wouldn't be worth it. When her arthritis acts up, give her a Tylenol or whatever.

But doing it because you've been burned? If something new came up with the dog beyond the tumor (pretty sure they are benign, they seem to be common in dogs of her kind) and arthritis, they know they need to take her to the vet. I'm sure even that vet would say if there was a new symptom to bring her in.

All you guys need is a check up. If he wants to run tests, evaluate the cost and such. But you really should take the poor thing to the vet. He may just be spoiled, or he may have a health issue. You won't know until you try.

[Amiel]

Would you seriously contemplate killing something who looked like this?

http://cuteoverload.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/please.jpg?w=560&h=757


The cat is probably really lonely and perhaps even in mourning; there's no evidence to the contrary to suggest that cats and other animals cannot experience all the stages of grief.

For your mother and brother, perhaps suggest headphones and other noise cancellation devices; although I would also suggest paying more attention to the cat. Hey, it's a cat; the adoration of others is apparently its right.

[Killer Angel]

Would you seriously contemplate killing something who looked like this?

http://cuteoverload.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/please.jpg?w=560&h=757


Don't trust him. He can kill a commoner, and even a 1° lev. wizard. :smalltongue:
[/derail]

[Catch]

Personally, I love animals, but I can't and won't justify spending any significant amount of money on vet fees, especially if there's a chance the animal would need to be put down anyway. Condemning an animal to die with no alternatives isn't kosher, but if I have to chose between a pet and making rent (not to mention utility bills and food), the pet won't be coming out on top.

I understand your point, and agree to some extent, but you might want to rethink your wording on this:


The vibe I'm getting here is that poor people shouldn't have pets.

How about: "You should only own a pet if you can take care of all of its needs."

For example, my folks should never have gotten our dog. Not because we can't afford her (though she's got an adrenal gland problem and seizures), but both of my folks are small business owners and are never home, so the dog is especially nervous and has separation anxiety. It's nothing to do with money, but the dog's needs aren't being met.

[onthetown]

Sorry if this is repeating anybody, but it's a painful discussion to look over. Here's my suggestions:

1. Call the vet and ask to speak to him/her on the phone when he/she is free and see if he/she knows of any reason why this would happen.

2. Do your research. Books, internet, whatever.

3. If you don't have the money to look into it medically, then put him in a shelter. Even if you don't think he would be adopted, you have to at least give him a chance. If there are people that will adopt animals who have been beaten beyond trusting and will snap and scratch and attack to try to make them better, there is somebody who will adopt a cat who meows in the morning.

Seriously, our cats wake us up at 5am every day for food and to be let out. They are loud. They will hurl themselves at the bedroom door if we lock them out. We get up, we feed them, we let them out if they want, and we go back to bed. Usually the cats will follow us in and sleep with us for the rest of the morning until we wake up again. My mom's cat will follow us around the house and meow and meow and meow at us all day, as soon as we pick her up she quietens down. Though my stepfather has her trained that she'll get treats to shut her up now. :smallamused:

My horse has a very loud call and will neigh and neigh and neigh for his companion if the other horse's owner is out riding. You can hear my guy from across the property. He's impossible to work with if he knows that his buddy is gone. Do I put him down? No. I stay with him and I comfort him because he just misses his friend. Then his friend comes home and I can work with him.

If your cat isn't sick and you think he just wants food, then give him the food and go back to bed. Other animals can't speak to us in human-language and can get very worked up if they think something is wrong. Cats are predators and finding/hunting food is in their blood; if they're hungry and there's no food, they could easily panic and think that the prey (wet cat food, in this instance) doesn't hang around anymore. They realize that you hold the key to bringing it back.

I know you said his arthritis is bad with dry food, but what about a combo of both? We leave a bowl of dry food out for the cats to nibble on all day, and then feed them the wet stuff in the morning and evening. This appeases them.

Feeding him when he meows may be training him to scream at you, but it's a better solution then killing the poor thing. If he still screams after he's fed, there may be a bigger problem.

[Syka]

Ou, I second the idea of just calling. Right after I got Saffron I was worried she might have mites since she was scratching so much. When I called the vet, they said they'd have to see her to be sure, but small animals scratch a lot in general, and they scratch even MORE when they are uprooted. If she was still scratching a lot in a couple weeks and/or losing fur, I was to bring her in.

Sure enough, a week later it stopped (at least, at the frequency she had been doing it). When I had to go away for a week and left her with a good friend, she was scratching up a storm for a few days after I got her back.


For all we know, you could describe what he's doing and the doc will say "Yeah...just feed the poor thing." Or tell you not to give in and keep him on a schedule. Or say you need to come in for tests.

You never know until you try.

[THAC0]

I dunno about your vets, but mine only charges for actual proceedures, not for general check-ups. But that might be because I've already given them so much money...

It's worth a call.

[mucat]

The vibe I'm getting here is that poor people shouldn't have pets. Personally, I love animals, but I can't and won't justify spending any significant amount of money on vet fees, especially if there's a chance the animal would need to be put down anyway. Condemning an animal to die with no alternatives isn't kosher, but if I have to chose between a pet and making rent (not to mention utility bills and food), the pet won't be coming out on top.
Especially if there's a chance they might have to be put down? So you'll pass on the chance to actually help them, because it's not a sure thing?

If you don't want to pay vets' bills for your animals, no one can force you to. But don't spew this crap about how everyone who disagrees with you is a rich person who never had to make tough choices.

I'm poor. I've chosen a line of work which more or less guarantees that I'll always be poor. No problem; I love my job more than I love buying things.

When my pets are sick, I take them to the vet. That's what the vet is for, and it's the least I can do for the animals that have brought me so much happiness over the years. Usually, she can help them. Sometimes she can't, and if the animal is suffering and is not going to get better, then he has to be euthanized. But I don't turn around and gripe about "wasting" money on a pet that had to be put down anyway.

And yes, paying the bills that month is then a challenge. So maybe I take on some extra contract work, or I cut back on something else. So far I have never starved to death as a result, although I suppose that conclusion is subject to selection bias. (Because any pet owners who did starve due to vet bills are no longer posting on GitP).

If we are going to go around assigning "vibes" to one anothers' posts, the one I'm getting from yours is "I love animals; I just won't endure any significant inconvenience on their behalf."

[Krade]

Especially if there's a chance they might have to be put down? So you'll pass on the chance to actually help them, because it's not a sure thing? Well, I did say it wasn't kosher to not allow alternatives to euthanasia. I take that to mean that I would look (and probably find) other ways to take care of the problem.


But don't spew this crap about how everyone who disagrees with you is a rich person who never had to make tough choices.I don't recall saying this. Did I say this? I don't think I said this.


If we are going to go around assigning "vibes" to one anothers' posts, the one I'm getting from yours is "I love animals; I just won't endure any significant inconvenience on their behalf."That's exaggerating a little bit for my outlook, but I honestly don't see a problem with that even if it was to that degree. I'm sorry, but I am a human, and at no time have I ever felt that an animal's well being overrides my own. I won't say anything about the future, though, saying I never will would be pretty stupid. But right now, in my experience, I couldn't do it.

[mucat]

Well, I did say it wasn't kosher to not allow alternatives to euthanasia. I take that to mean that I would look (and probably find) other ways to take care of the problem.
Fair enough, though "I can't and won't justify spending any significant amount of money on vet fees" is a pretty severe constraint on your range of options.


I don't recall saying this. Did I say this? I don't think I said this.
What you said was "The vibe I'm getting here is that poor people shouldn't have pets." Which does tend to imply that you think all the people who are saying an owner should be willing to get decent medical care for their pets, are just saying it because they are rich enough that they will not miss the money.

If that wasn't your intended meaning, then I suppose I misread it. If it was, more or less, what you meant, then you are simply mistaken.

[The_New_Guy]

My two cents...

Re the vet option: This really seems like the best option. Take it to the vet and find out if there's anything wrong with it. If the vet says "he's got feline cancer, has nine months to live, five of which will be filled with the most excruciating pain imaginable" then you can think about putting the cat to sleep. If the vet says "he's an old cat, he has old cat problems, we can treat him but it'll cost a small fortune" you can decide then too. But a simple vet visit is (a) probably not that expensive and (b) doesn't commit you to anything. Knowing what's wrong can never hurt.

Re the cat coming to live with you: If you can put up with your own allergies (yes, they suck, I know from experience) then I would think you can probably make the wet food option work. Do you cook your own food? Cook some food for the cat too. There are some good websites online on how to do this for both cats and dogs. Alternatively you can go the raw route - but that might make some people squeamish. Ask your vet for advice.

Re those who are condemning the original poster and his family for "not being able to afford having a pet": You ought to consider how much can change in the 14 years that cat has been alive. They got got that cat BG (Before Google). There's obviously been some changes to the OP's life since then (of note, his father left and one of his other pets passed away after a struggle with illness) and while it may be hard for us to swallow people (particularily children-people) have to come before animals, no matter how much we love them. If they can not afford to pay for the cat to go on pain-control medications for the rest of its life than that's their choice and no one elses.

[dehro]

Re those who are condemning the original poster and his family for "not being able to afford having a pet": You ought to consider how much can change in the 14 years that cat has been alive. They got got that cat BG (Before Google). There's obviously been some changes to the OP's life since then (of note, his father left and one of his other pets passed away after a struggle with illness) and while it may be hard for us to swallow people (particularily children-people) have to come before animals, no matter how much we love them. If they can not afford to pay for the cat to go on pain-control medications for the rest of its life than that's their choice and no one elses.

I did suggest a collective "pitching in"...
my post has been swiftly ignored by everybody...goes to show, I reckon.

[Thajocoth]

Catfood cans are about the size of a can of tuna fish. This box is what we get: http://www.globalpackagegallery.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=16499&g2_serialNumber=4

My mom & bro seem to be trying something with scheduling and giving him the food when he's not present, then calling him to un-spoil him. (He's exceedingly spoiled.) This is a recent development. (Today, quite probably.)

EDIT: Picture of Scamper:
http://www.gamecheetz.com/Scamper.jpg

[Darakonis]

<Picture of Scamper>

Awwwwww... <3

Regarding the meowing... I've read (and experienced) that domestic cats are much more vocal than feral cats. Among feral cats, most communication is non-verbal, but domestic cats learn that in order to communicate with humans, they must vocalize.

I believe the longer a cat is exposed to human vocalization, the more it tries to sound human. Feral cat meows and domestic cat meows are often distinct.

Out of curiosity; is there, or has there been, a substantial amount of yelling in your house? Perhaps Scamper is trying to imitate the yelling. Or he has increased the volume of his meowing over time because he has learned that the louder he cries, the more attention he gets (from experience, this happens, but I've never heard a cat yell as loud as you describe. But Scamper has 14 years of experience...) Or he's going partially deaf, as has been suggested, and doesn't realize how loud he is.

I hope everything works out.

Peace,
-Darakonis

[Thajocoth]

Yeah, it's possible that he meows so loud because my mom & bro occasionally play (blast?) music while on the compy, so it's hard for him to be heard. It wouldn't be the first time he's adapted his meow to us... (I believe I noted in a previous post that, for several years, his meow sounded an awful lot like the word "mom".)

[Mauther]

If you do decide to kill the cat, make sure you make it look like self defense. Sprinkle some alcohol on the cat, maybe leave an empty bottle of whiskey by its litter box. Them put a round into the wall near where you were standing, maybe even shoot yourself in a fatty region like the thigh or high shoulder to really sell it., then deposit the gun near the cats paw (that the real origin of the phrase, btw) and tell the cops Mr Fluffy was hopped up on a catnip and alcohol cocktail and that you had to defend yourself.

Do NOT try and fake a suicide. Cats are too self centered to kill themselves. Oh they'll talk about it all the time to generate attention, but they never follow through. The police know this and they will see straight thru your plan.