Need to get rid of cats at any cost (desperate) pregnant wife!?
My wife is pregnant, and our upstairs neighbor will not stop feeding the cats. She has been feeding them for years now and there are between 10 and 30 on the property at any given time. several have been run over, or caught in fans and driveshafts of started cars even after we started honking horns before starting the vehicles. Our landlord will not allow animal control or any agency on property, if someone forced their way on we would surely be evicted. I have plead with the woman upstairs, I have begun removing the food as soon as she puts it out, and the cats are not leaving. The cats COATED a 4x15 foot gravel area with feces inside of a month. We have paid for injured and poisoned kittens and cats to be put down at the vet. I have tried spraying cat repellants, removing food. The woman upstairs claims the urine and feces and feral cats pose no danger to a pregnant woman. I cannot stress how bad the situation is, made my wife wear an organic vapor mask/leave the house/shower when the lawn was mowed. CLOUDS of fecal dust rose from sections of the lawn. My wife is at her moms now but cannot stay long, finances prevent us from being able to even consider moving. I don't think trapping is reasonable for the number of cats involved... Any help, ideas suggestions, anything. Please? I don't think I would be able to live with myself if anything happened to her or our child.
What do cat lovers think of the negative associations that are often made between cat ownership and poor mental health?
I wasn't aware of those negative associations, but now that I am, frankly, I'm inclined to take them with the grain of salt they're not even worth.The Huffington Post article you cited contains this quote:"Cat ownership in childhood has now been reported in three studies to be significantly more common in families in which the child is later diagnosed with schizophrenia or another serious mental illness"What the studies actually found was there might possibly be a link between contracting Toxoplasmosis in childhood from exposure to Toxoplasma gondii (a parasite found in some cat's feces), and later developing cysts on the brain.One of the researchers went on to say:"T. gondii gets into the brain and forms microscopic cysts. We think it then becomes activated in late adolescence and causes disease, probably by affecting the neurotransmitters" [1]This research is a long, long way from proving cause and effect. In fact, it's more likely that cat owners (along with millions of others, pet owner or not), will acquire toxoplasma from eating undercooked meat or unwashed veggies at some point in their lifetime.How do humans get Toxoplasmosis from their cat? By swallowing the parasite contained in contaminated cat feces.This could happen by touching or ingesting anything that has come into contact with cat feces that contain oocytes (the eggs of the parasite, which the cat sheds for a short time after usually only the initial infection) or by cleaning a litter box containing contaminated feces with an open wound (T. gondii cannot penetrate intact skin).We don't have much to worry about if we're sensible and wear disposable gloves and/or wash our hands after cleaning a litter box. However, if you're pregnant, let someone else handle that chore. It has been linked to birth defects and miscarriages.If your cat goes outdoors, eats raw meat, or hunts for its food, the risk of it having picked up T. gondii is far higher according to a study done of hundreds of cats in Finland. [2]So, I'd be more likely to attribute any concerns I may have over the state of my mental health to my cats staging a sing-a-long at 3 am or not noticing the recent meal and bonus hairball on my favorite chair before I sit down.Of course, if I start to acquire more and more of these delightful creatures, then there may be something to get excited about, but that would be hoarding, not schizophrenia.[1]There's A Link Between Cat Ownership And Schizophrenia[2]Feline toxoplasmosis in Finland
Wife is pregnant, cat is peeing in weird places...?
My wife is 4 months pregnant, and ever since we found out our male cat has been peeing (on occasion) in unusual places, ie, the floor, on the bed etc... He's NEVER done anything like this before... Could this just be him picking up on her hormonal changes? Please help us! We've had him for 5 years and it would be a shame to have to get rid of him...
Why do people hate stray cats?
Sadly, a lot of people hate cats and I do not understand why. They keep themselves just as clean as house cats unless they are sick! Humans kill thousands more birds and wildlife with their poisons, air pollution, hunting, etc. A lot of wildlife just dies when humans decide they need to take over the habitat to build houses, malls, drill for energy, wind tunnels, freeways and the list goes on. Do folks realize how many birds crash into buildings with reflective surfaces, are hit by cars and have their legs ripped off by traps intended for mice? Cats fall far from competing with humans in destroying wildlife.Now lets talk about why those cats are out there alone with no food or medicine! Humans are just not very responsible with their pets. When I was working at the shelter perfectly domesticated, unfixed, 9 month to 1 year cats would be brought in as strays. Why? People would get that cute little kitten. When the kitten reached sexual maturity owners would find out how much it costs to spay a cat and out the door the young cat would go. Everyone knows cats can care for themselves (not true) and who cares about breeding? They will not even think about how many kittens their cat might parent. Then there are people who keep the cat as indoor/outdoor but never get it fixed. So we end up with a lot of sick, hungry cats/kittens out on the street struggling to survive. Unless humanity gets a conscience about how we think of and treat both wild animals and feral I do not see a good solution to this.
Is it ok to feed feral cats?
Of course, infact its a good act to feed d hungry animals. Its not their fault that they were born as feral cats n not Persian cats. They do deserve food, care n love.
My Cat is Deathly Skinny?
My cat is 1 year old, Her mother was a rescued cat and the owners of her mother didn't know she was pregnant until the mother cat, all of a sudden had kittens. My cat has always been kind of anti-social and loves to hide and sleep. I didn't think this was a problem until she stopped eating and drinking. My Fiance and I did get another cat and we had introduced them 2 weeks ago and she disliked him wayyy more than we though she would, she started hiding and not drinking or eating once we had him around her. She would come out at night for a while and eat and drink, but then she stopped coming out for good. We were very worried last night because she is so weak and can barely walk around. She won't eat, she won't drink all she does is pee when I put her in her box. I bathed her today to make sure it wasn't something on her skin or fur. All she wants to do is hide in the closet and sleep. She is bones right now. Her spine is popping out. I know all I need to do is get her to eat and drink and she will feel better. My Fiance is out right now getting Chicken baby food and I have been giving her water through a dropped every couple hours, she is no longer dehydrated but she is very malnourished. She needs to go to the Vet, but neither of us can afford to take her, she are totally broke. I am doing everything I can to help her. I blocked off the closet also so she couldn't hide int here and not get fresh air. I opened the screen door and have her sitting next to my chair, the breeze is nice and theres some sun light there. I feel terrible because I have no money to take her to the vet. I am struggling to make my rent. Hopefully what I'm doing will tide her over until We can take her to the Vet. Please pray for Baby Ruffles. She needs it right now. Suggestions and prayers are always welcome. Thanks Everybody! Signed, -Scared and waiting.
Is there something psychologically wrong with people who prefer cats to dogs?
Why does it even have to be an either-or situation? Fact is, I prefer SOME dogs over SOME cats and I prefer SOME cats over SOME dogs. So in picking out pets for myself, I chose the types of dogs that fit my personality and lifestyle best, and I chose the cats that fit my personality and lifestyle best. And interestingly enough, I routinely have people that tell me they aren’t a fan of dogs, but if they could have a dog just like mine, they’d get one in a second (hint, a lot of that has to do with the fact that I actually spend TIME training and socializing my dogs so they are a pleasure to be around). Likewise I specifically go to rescue groups and find cats with outgoing, friendly personalities, and so many visitors to my house are often surprised that my cats aren’t hiding under the bed but are the first to come and greet people, don’t scratch up my furniture because I provide them with better alternatives, like to visit nursing homes or go to pet stores on a leash and harness and are basically just a lot of fun to live with.Other people like to keep even more unusual pets like rats, snakes, lizards, pigs, hedgehogs, birds, etc. I would never question anyone’s sanity for what is simply personal preference in terms of what they find best compliments their life (those that keep wild animals that can seriously harm you as pets notwithstanding).