Conference misery::feline_v1

    Well, maybe Hamilton has not sprayed yet but give him time.  VERY few
    whole male cats don't spray.  You didn't mention the type of cat he is;
    I hope he is a purebred and you are breeding him to improve a specific
    breed, rather than to just make more kittens.  But, that is a whole
    'nother subject.
    
    As for your other question, I have never owned a rabbit, so have no
    idea how they fit in with cats.  I suppose if you start them early and
    introduce them slowly they can adjust to one another.
    

    We've had a rabbit in our house for at least 4 years now.  He does
    enjoy playing with our two cats.  They used to chase each other back
    and forth through two rooms but lately the cats don't want to play so
    Rabbit (that's his name) will run circles around the cats and they just
    watch him.  One of the cats enjoys going into the rabbits cage when
    Rabbit is hopping around the rooms.  Have to watch those wires though.
    Rabbits love to chew.

    My rabbits (2) share the barn with the horse.  My 4 cats
    are housecats, so they all have had *little* contact with
    each other.  The times I have brought them out to let them
    run around in the barn, they have shown *the hunter interest*
    in my bunnies.
    However, I do have "Moochie", an orange marmalade who visits
    and mooches a meal.  She hangs out in the barn, and doesn't
    bother the rabbits at all.
    I love bunnies, and they can be litterbox trained.  They will
    and do chew wires, table legs, etc.  The rabbit pellets are
    very inexpensive, too.  
    
    Lynne  (P.S. - I know of a noter who has some baby bunnies for
    adoption-send me mail if you are interested)
    

    Re: .1
    
      Hamilton is a solid black Persian. The woman that sold him to me said
    his father has never sprayed either. Maybe that's because she has two
    females that she mates him with?
    
      Anyway, when I was about 10 or 11 we had two cats, a dog, a rabbit,
    a hamster, pet mice, a turtle and a Guinea pig. They all got along
    fine, but the cats were females and had been spayed. I don't remember 
    what sex the rabbit was. Also, the rabbit only lived in a hutch in the
    yard all summer, but when winter came he stayed indoors (no cage) and
    was paper trained. My hairdresser keeps her rabbits indoors and takes 
    care of them the way we do with our cats---no cage and the run of the
    house! But she doesn't know much about cats.
    
      Does anyone know if there's a "Rabbit" notefile????
    
    Thanx,
    b.r. & Hamilton
     

    There was a "Small Animal" one, but I think it's gone now.
    
    Lynne

      My sister has two rabbits that get along great with her Maine Coon,
    who weighs 24 lbs!  The rabbits were aquired when the cat was 3 years
    old, but they all get along well.
                                     Denise

    I know someone who breeds himmies  (a form of Persians) and her stud
    cat has the run of the downstaris all day long (thefemales have the run
    of the upstairs) and he also doesn't spray in the house. They have
    magicly trained him to spray in only one spot, and that is against a
    sheet of plastic in their enclosed porch.
    
    Deb

    So far Batman doesn't spray and he's 21 months old and he's now
    sired 5 litters (almost - 3 are immenant).  Also , so far Shadow
    who is 8.5 months old (still young, I know) shows no interest in
    spraying.  I'd let Batman run around the house but he attacks the
    other cats and tries to drive them off.  Another whole male behavior.
    
    Nancy

Many whole males will choose a spot in their territory that they use for 
spraying behavior and use only that spot.  It isn't that uncommon for a male 
to do that.  That is why it was so easy for me to deal with Kalliste's spraying
in his stud room.  He had two favorite spots, and I would just hang a hospital
chuck (the blue plastic thing with absorbent material on one side) in his spots
and he would just spray on them.  I learned this trick from a breeder of Russian
Blues.  Worked like a charm.

But, there are still other undesirable behaviors that whole males exhibit, just
as Nancy pointed out.  There is more than one reason for confining a whole male.

Jo

    Does that blue plastic stuff come in rolls big enough
    to wrap around the *outside* of my house?  My neighbor
    now has two whole males marking my foundation. (sigh)
    
    Lynne :-)

My neighbor's whole male is marking my house too, but I can't really get too
upset cuz all my Birman girls are in season inside.  I may just attach a chuck 
to my front door and see if he uses it. :^)  These neighbors won't consider 
neutering this boy since he doesn't spray in their house.  All my efforts to 
change their minds have failed.  :^(

Now you know what they mean when they say "spring is *in* the air" :^)
I don't think that they make the chucks large enough to do your whole house in!
The ones I use are about 2 ft x 2 ft square, one side is blue plastic and the 
other is absorbent material like a diaper.  

Jo

    Maybe I'll put one on each of the whole males, like a diaper! :-)
    

    re: .12 - just buy them "stud pants" ;-)
    
    Jo, where do you get the chucks.  (Just in case)  My cattery is
    the back bedroom and if someone decides to start spraying I'm
    going to need to move FAST to avoid having the room ruined.
    

I get the chucks from a friend who works in a hospital. :^)  But, you can buy
a similar type thing at the drug store.  There is a product called Depends (I 
think), that is for incontinence in people.  You can pull the pleats out fairly
easily and then use those.  Or, buy the old style disposable diapers and pull 
the pleats out.

I use masking tape to attach them to the wall.  It doesn't leave a sticky mark
on the wall like other types of tape do.  I used to use those Feliners on the
walls, but the adhesive that comes on them will be on your wall forever.

Jo

    Are you talking about Chux?  They are available, brand name or
    generic, at most full-service pharmacies, and they come in
    several sizes.  If you get the kind that are *meant* to be
    placed under a bed-ridden patient, then there won't be any
    pleats to worry about.  If your local pharmacy doesn't carry
    them, they can probably order some for you in their next
    delivery from one of their distributors.
    
    Great for birthing boxes, carriers, etc.  (although for
    birthing boxes, I usually keep a stack of clean flannel
    type clothes...nicer for Momcat to make a nest with.
    
    	Pennie
    

Chux, Chucks, whatever they are called, that is what I use. :^) But I usually 
get them from a friend and didn't know that they were available for sale at 
drug stores or pharmacies.  They work great, I do know that. :^)

Jo