| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 2309.1 | Good luck - cats are wonderful | WITNES::HANNULA | Cat Tails & Bike Wheels Don't Mix | Mon Mar 20 1989 10:12 | 34 | 
|  |     Regarding food -
    I have found that every pet owner and every vet has slightly different
    opinions as to what food is best.  Therefore, I rely heavily on
    the advise given to me by my own veternarian.  If I can't believe
    my vet about food, how can I believe him when it comes to serious
    medical problems?  
    
    You said your vet recommended the Hill's products.  They can be
    purchased at most feed stores or pet stores.  Erickson's in Acton
    carries them.
    
    Re cat trees -
    Cat tres can be purchased at many pet stores, as well as at many
    cat shows.  I personally do not own any - I have other things I
    let myu cats play with and scratch.
    
    Re natural living -
    I also like to let my cats live a natural life.  However, by the
    fact that our cats are no longer wild, and have been domesticated,
    there are times when human intervention is necessary.  I think you
    may have a problem with fleas come this spring and summer.  I have
    adopted a flea maintenance program which involves flea collars,
    regular flea baths, and routine flea bombing.  
    
    I sincerely hope that you do bring your cat in for regular veternary
    check ups.  There are some diseases that cats can pick up that are
    transmittable to human.  Since Puma is a house cat, you should take
    the responsibility to immunize him yearly, and have him neutered.
    
    Natural living for cats is wonderful.  Yet as a responsible pet
    owner, it is your responsiblity to assure that the natural environment
    does not cause your cat any harm or pain.
    
    	-Nancy
 | 
| 2309.2 | Oh, to be cat owned | MARKER::REED | A laugh a day keeps the blues away | Mon Mar 20 1989 15:29 | 26 | 
|  |     
    Congratulations and welcome to feline notes.  I agree with Nancy
    on the flea prevention (HA!)/removal, immunizing and neutering.
    The neutering you may want to consider sometime soon with Puma being
    an indoor/outdoor kitty.  He may start to disappear for days at
    a whack when any female comes into heat in and around your area
    and he will probably start to *mark his territory* both inside and
    outside.
    
    The only other thing you might consider is grooming Puma once in
    a while.  Brushing/combing, especially during the change of seasons
    helps rid them of their shedding coats and helps you minimize kitty
    fur covered clothing, furniture, bed, and puked up hairballs.
    
    As far a cat trees and scratching posts go, I saw a nice 3 ft. rug
    covered one at Erikson's Grain Mill in Acton today for $15.  A friend
    of mine who owns Pets Plus in Tewksbury, MA has someone who can
    probably make them to order.  Their phone number is: 508-658-0860.
    I have also seen these items for sale in the various cat magazines.
    (My two tend to go for the scratching posts with rug and sisal rope
    covering.)
     
    Well, I hope this helps.  Please enter any stories, poems, antics,
    problems, solutions, etc. in this file.  We love to hear kitty chat.
    
    Roslyn, Escho and Brandy
 | 
| 2309.3 | you can learn a lot from the magizines | VAXWRK::SKALTSIS | Deb | Mon Mar 20 1989 15:33 | 8 | 
|  |     you might want to stop at your local newsstand and pick up a copy
    of the cat magazines like Cats and Cat Fancy. They discuss a lot of
    issues regarding food, FUS, disease and behavior, and they have a
    directory of ads for cat products and catalogues that you can send
    for, and just looking at them can give you ideas of what is available,
    what the costs are.
    Deb
 | 
| 2309.4 |  | CIRCUS::KOLLING | Karen, Sweetie, & Holly; in Calif. | Fri Mar 24 1989 21:21 | 7 | 
|  |     I think grooming is a good idea too.  Puma will consider it
    petting once he gets used to it, it reduces the chance of hairballs,
    and it's a good way to notice body problems early.  About letting
    Puma go outside;  I don't want to start the huge argument that that
    topic always involves (there are plenty of notes already in here about
    it), but you might want to consider how safe that is.
    
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