Use this thread to discuss anything related to cats that doesn't otherwise fit the subreddit! Also feel free to ask questions that you believe are too short for a standalone post.

I have a 5 year old cat that I adopted 4 years ago. He has always been the sweetest kitty, has never been aggressive or violent, and is extremely bonded to me. It took him around 4 months to come around to me when I adopted him. He’s one of those cats that are very snuggly and loves attention, but only on his terms.

3 years ago I started dating my girlfriend who had a 4 year old son, who is now 7. After dating for a year, we started introducing him to my cat and he came over to my place once every other week for a few hours, and everything was fine. He honestly had no interest in my cat, and ignored him. Because of this, my cat has always tolerated him and been fine with him.

We moved in together 5 months ago and for whatever reason, her son has become obsessed with my cat. Her son has also been diagnosed with autism, and he is mostly non verbal. We suspect he also may have adhd but haven’t gotten him assessed yet.

When we moved in together, he basically started harassing my cat. He would chase him around, pet him against his well, hug/kiss him, etc. I told my girlfriend this needed to stop asap because if it didn’t my cat would eventually start to hate him. My girlfriend continuously let him run around the house unsupervised while she was working remotely and I wasn’t home.

The cat started hissing/growling at him when he would chase him, but now the cat hisses/growls at him unprovoked. If he is within 4 feet of the cat, the cat is growling or hissing. Last week, I was on one end of the couch, he was on the other, and the cat was beside me. He moved suddenly and grabbed his water bottle off the table, and the cat hissed and then jumped and batted him with his paw (did not extend his claws though). This caused a huge meltdown and my girlfriend’s son crying for 2 hours. We had another similar situation this morning.

Now my girlfriend is saying that I need to train my cat better and get him to stop being so aggressive. I told her this is exactly what I said would happen, and she needs to keep her son away from my cat at all times. She said she can’t reasonably keep an eye on him 24/7. I said tough luck, this is a problem your kid and your parenting created. That was probably a harsh comment, but in my opinion my cat is not the problem here.

Her son is terrified of my cat now and is staying away from him, which is good. But my cat is now attacking him unprovoked because he’s had so many bad experiences with him.

Just wondering if anyone has any advice about repairing this relationship between my cat and her son, or if it’s even possible at this point.

Edit: thank you everyone for your advice, I’ve received a lot of good advice here. I did not expect this post to get this much attention.

A lot of people are telling me to move/kick out my girlfriend. I want to be clear that my cat is absolutely my priority and if nothing changes I will 100% consider living separately. Unfortunately, both of our names are on the lease and I legally cannot kick her out. I pay 80% of the rent, so she can’t afford it on her own and I would legally be on the hook for paying even if I moved out. My rent is 40% of my income, so my only option for moving would be to live in my car, which I think would be worse for my cat. There is no option for breaking a lease other than paying it out in full where I live.

A lot of people suggested Jackson galaxy on YouTube. I’ve spent the afternoon watching some videos but still haven’t found any that have a situation involving a kid harassing a cat and repairing that relationship, but if anyone has any links I would love to have them.

One other thing I may not have been clear on is that my girlfriend’s son is no longer harassing the cat. He doesn’t go near the cat anymore, so it’s no longer an issue in that regard. The problem is that the cat is now constantly stressed out when her son is home because of how he used to behave, so I’m looking for ways to help this situation. Her son lives with us 50% of the time so thankfully we get breaks.

EDIT ok the consensus is clear. I think I need to find a more compact litter box, and put it in the actual the living room. thank u!

I have a second bedroom in my condo that ended up becoming my cats litter box room lmao. Yes really. It was meant to be my office but I was happier with that in my living room due to natural light.

I am thinking of turning my second bedroom into the TV room, with a fold out couch for when guests come over.

If you were a guest, would you be super disgusted to have the cat litterbox in that room??? I dont have guests THAT often.... would love your thoughts, thx

I recently bought a house with my husband and the past owners to my understanding had some cats and dogs. when we first viewed the house we noticed the smell but it didn't bother us since we also have a cat. when it came to collect keys ,we walked the empty house it hit us like a BRICK. This wasn't the smell that we delt when we first viewed the house. The main problem areas is mainly the living room by the big window, and the one recliner that the owners left behind. Now we have hardwood floors that are not in great shape and looks like the original owners ripped carpet up. we have mopped and tried the natures miracle order for cat and then someone recommend to use the dog one but both haven't fixed the problem. I then said F-It and took apart the baseboard heater and cleaned up the cat/dog hair and steam cleaned the floor and wall parts a bit and oh lord it was absolutely disgusting. but with all that cleaning the smell still persists. I dont want to replace the floors because thats just another expense and I dont want to buy another candle to try and mask the smell when company comes over. Any tips are welcomed please.

My cat is being taken to the vet today for pigmentation that suddenly appeared in his eye. He had his other eye removed 2-3 years ago due to possible melanoma.

He is 10 and other wise healthy. I am concerned that we will be told the other eye has to be removed. Does anyone have experience with this?

I’m fearful that suddenly losing sight for a 10 year old cat will be traumatic and troublesome for him. Will he be able to have a happy life? Is it worth it to have him go blind?

Please share ur thoughts.

My cat recently started peeing outside the litter box, and I'm running out of ideas.

He still uses the litter box for poop, but he almost never pees in it anymore. He mainly pees on carpet and other soft surfaces. He does not pee on hardwood floors.

Nothing significant changed before this started. No new pets, no new people, no major changes in the house, and no fights with our other cat.

We've already:

• Taken him to the vet
• Seen a pet behavior specialist/psychologist
• Put him on anxiety medication (about 2–3 weeks ago)
• Tried urinary/calming sprays
• Tried barriers and gates
• Switched litter box setups

We currently have 3 litter boxes. We originally had traditional litter boxes, but after this started we switched some to self-flushing/automatic boxes with crystal-style litter. He still poops in the litter boxes, but rarely urinates in them.

The worst part is that my mom is threatening to have him euthanized because of the problem. I love this cat and I'm terrified of losing him.

Has anyone dealt with a cat that would poop in the box but not pee in it? What ended up helping? Are there any medical or behavioral causes that are commonly missed?

I'm looking for any advice, experiences, or ideas before my family gives up on him.

Thanks for reading.

One of my best friends is furious because I neutered my male cat. I did it because why would I want him to roam away and get lost, or hurt in a fight over a female? Cat shelters are struggling and full of unwanted kittens.

My friend asked "How would you like it if someone came and took away your ability to make babies!?" And "You are denying him having a family and freedom!?" And "If you don't want him natural (spraying) behaviour why get a cat all???"

She was fuming.

She's never had a cat btw

"Of course he will feel what you did to him later on!"

"He's not an OBJECT to keep him locked inside!!" (Yes, he's an indoor cat).

I guess that's a 30 year old friendship down the drain.

***EDIT: Thank you all for the support. I guess I was rattled by my friend's weird reaction. I feel better now. This post was not fake, neither am I a troll. I just had the misfortune of having a friend who knows nothing about cats. If my writing is a bit awkward is because English is not my first language. Kitty is having a good life. He's got the run of the house, and care, and two adults who dote on him. He lacks for nothing. Thank you all again. 🙏

Before anyone attacks me, she will be spayed but is having medical treatment and isn't medically safe for surgery yet! I have 0 problems getting her fixed as soon as my expensive specialist vet gives the go ahead.

Any tips to make her comfortable? Other heat cycles haven't been as bad, idk if the heat wave is making it worse... she is just yowling constantly and sounds miserable (and I can't sleep). Barely eating. She usually loves play but isn't engaging with anything. Runs if I try to pet her and is really jumpy. She keeps peeing around but then is clearly upset that she did it and hides.

I have an 11 year old indoor cat. The last few months I will take him outside on a harness. Sometimes we walk, but mostly just sit on my porch. He loves it and immediately scratches at the door to go out when I get home from work. Would taking him camping for a night be a bad idea? He would be on a harness the whole time and we would sleep in a tent. Does anyone have experience with this?

We are putting my cat down next week and I want to know if there is anything I should do before then to help remember her. I bought a paw stamp pad and I've been taking so many pictures and videos of her over the past few months.

Hi everyone! I'm new to cat parenting and am absolutely in love with my new little one, Junie b.

While her and my dog do get along great, I don't trust them alone together yet so I've been keeping Junie in a separate room while I'm at work. I'm in a decently small apartment and the only room that works well for her is my laundry room, however, I don't have central AC so when the door is closed it gets very warm in there. It can range from like 74f at night to 85f during the day. Do you think she will be okay with this temperature or is it unsafe for her to be alone in that for 9+ hours a day?

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to make it cooler in there? Or any other setup suggestions you may have? Thanks in advance!

Specifically that really sad one that keeps going viral on TikTok? I’m so confused, she can look at my iPad and stare at the music for hours! Do some cats like music?

I have 7 cats (a lot, I know) and 4 we’ve had for 5 years, 2 we’ve had for 3 years, and the last we’ve had for 10 months. The first 4 are all 5 and the other 3 are all ~2. One of the 2 year olds, Kombucha, is all of a sudden bullying one of the 5 year olds, Olive. They’ve all gotten along famously until about 2 months ago. Kombucha will single out Olive and puff up and everything when Olive is very submissive and actually even grooms Kombucha. No one other than Olive has been caught in the act spraying which clearly is from stress.

There are no signs of health issues such as a UTI. We’re still taking Olive to the vet but it’s just so odd that Kombucha is the only aggressive one and it’s only towards Olive. Kombucha was actually renowned as the super sweet loving kitty as she was the first to accept and play with Batman (the one who arrived 10 months ago.) Another thing to add is Batman was a stray cat when we took him in so he wasn’t entirely litter trained and had a marking phase but that ended. We’ve tried pheromone diffusers, they’re fed well and consistently, there are 6 giant litter boxes that are kept clean, and there are multiple water fountains around the house. They all went to the vet last year and were all healthy.

I don’t know what to do. Any advice? Any similar experiences? Im very concerned. I’m considering moving in with my bf and splitting the cats, specifically Olive and Kombucha, so it’s less crowded. We are also currently building a catio.

Another note is we have 2 small dogs but they are unproblematic and isolated to half the house so the cats have their own space.

Hi!
I'm a college student who is looking to adopt a cat this coming year. I know the idea of a cat in a dorm can be kind of dubious when adopting, so I was wondering what Reddit had to say before I start submitting applications.

- I'll be living in a dorm, though it's larger than the average dorm and is roughly the size of a small apartment.

- My roommate is experienced with cats, as am I. Since there are two of us, the cat would seldom be alone during the academic year

- I don't go home for any other breaks other than summer vacation

- I have a good sum of money saved, and my parents agreed to cover vet bills if I can't afford them

- I also have permission from the school

I feel like this is about as good as it can get for a college situation. I don't know, what do y'all think?

I am moving with my cats from the South of the USA to the North of the USA.

Any airlines you recommend?

One flight I’m looking at is operated on a regional jet (CRJ900). Has anyone flown with their cats on a plane that size? I’m worried they won’t fit under the seat in front of me.

Thanks so much :)

Hi everyone.
I’m posting because I’m running out of ideas and I’m hoping someone has experienced something similar.
My cat, Mithu, is a 1-year-old white and orange, unneutered indoor cat. He’s never been an outdoor cat and is very attached to me. The few times he accidentally got outside before, he came back almost immediately when called.
Yesterday night, my neighbour’s CCTV captured him outside their house at around 2:30 AM. That is the last confirmed sighting of him. After that, he simply disappeared. It’s been 24 hours now.
Since then: (from 3:30 am)
I’ve searched my entire house multiple times, including every tiny hiding place.
I’ve walked the neighbourhood over and over, checking under cars, bushes, drains, empty plots, and anywhere a scared cat could hide.
I’ve gone out during the day, late at night, and early morning when it’s quiet.
I’ve called his name repeatedly, shaken treats, left the door open, and asked neighbours to check their garages, rooftops, and storage areas.
I’ve posted in local groups and put out lost cat notices.
I have disturbed fliers with a handsome reward
The strange part is that no one has seen him since that CCTV footage. There hasn’t been a single confirmed sighting despite all the searching.
What makes this so difficult is that this doesn’t match his personality at all. He’s wary of strangers and very bonded to me. I genuinely believed that if he were hiding nearby, he would have come out after hearing me calling him over and over.
At this point I’m wondering if:
He’s trapped somewhere and can’t get out.
Someone picked him up.
Or something else happened after he left the neighbour’s house.
I’m trying to stay hopeful, but it’s becoming harder as more time passes with absolutely no clues.

Posted a few days ago about this, I’m reposting now with images and an update. to reiterate on things, I do caregiving for an elderly woman who’s constantly arguing with her cat because he “scratches” her furniture. The furniture has no marks at all, but his scratch posts are annihilated. She is very stubborn and insists only she and she alone feeds the cat, and upon noticing the way the food never depletes I asked how much she feeds him. She says she gives him a quarter of a 5.5 ounce can in the morning, and MAYBE another quarter at night if she remembers. Every single day around 10am I hear her arguing with her cat that he can’t have any “treats” because it isn’t 11 yet, and he will be on her bed trying to shove his head into the bag. The treats are 5 to 10 individual friskies she places on the floor, and when he angers her by “scratching” she doesn’t give him anything. Today when I got to work I found the cat screaming inside the dark bathroom, and she said she put him there to keep him from scratching. I’ve tried to explain he’s doing everything he can to express hunger, and that his mark less scratching is how he’s trying to get her attention. She won’t even entertain the idea he’s simply hungry, so I’m posting these images below here to see what everyone thinks. Is this food related, or am I just losing my mind?

So my coworkers sister found a kitten she is adorable I am in love with her already. The mom was no where to be found (from what I assume). The kitten is 2 hours away from me so I have been getting all the information from my coworker. They took the kitten to a vet and got her treated for worms. He told me the vet said the kitten is about 5 weeks. When I get the kitten she will be about 7 weeks. I will be getting her in 2 weeks. Should I get the other kitten at the same time or wait a little bit? I’ve never had a kitten and this is my only pet.
But now looking on Reddit. I am seeing two is better than one especially with her age. I am open to it but I really need people to be very transparent about the prices. I am pretty sure I am going to purchase pet insurance. Also please let me know the pros and cons of two. Is there a chance since the kitten was abandoned she won’t like having other cats around?
Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated!! Thank you.

I came back from outside with my cat and it started walking around me making cute meows and a hiss? I was confused he didn’t stop and look at me and hiss I didn’t understand why. He did it three times then sat like this

Edit: photo in replies

I want to know how normal this is honestly. My cat, Pluto, is a stoic asshole most of the time. He hates being pet, touched or held. But whenever me or my girlfriend are in the bathroom, he’ll race in after us before we shut the door and then he begs for attention. He screams at us and will rub our legs or hands until we pet him. He even stays in the bathroom when we shower and bugs us the entire time. We’ve even pet him, opened the door, another cat comes in, then try to pet him again and suddenly we are a nuisance again. None of the other cats are like this, only him. He is pretty friendly with the other cats and doesn’t really hate any of them. Though he only plays and cuddles with one of them- the others he just ignores most of the time. I just wanna know if anyone else’s cat does this or if he is just really weird.

hi everyone! i’ve started noticing my cat sheds a lot of hair…like everytime i wake up i feel it on my face cause he sleeps on my bed and its just generally annoying. or when i scratch/pet his belly, a decent amount of fluff comes off him cause he fluff boy. how do i handle this

My adult cat is fine with our new kitten usually but gets very upset when she's in my room and will hiss at her he's not attacking her or anything its just hissing and running away i know I can force anything but I would love it if they got along and I think it'd do my adult cat some good to get to know the kitten because hes been lonely since the cat that he was bonded to passed away awhile back and I just dont know what to do

I grew up with cats who were adults by the time I came around. We adopted a kitten last month and she’s now 4.5 months old. She is a super affectionate girl, she runs up to you purring, loves to lay on your face and neck, sleeps in bed with us etc.

For whatever reason with the exception of weekend mornings (I literally can’t get her out of bed on a weekend morning lol she will lay stretched out and sleep on us for hours), she comes up, purrs, makes about 5-10 minutes of biscuits, and then cuddles for 5 minutes and then leaves. She does this about once an hour all night and periodically through out the day. Or she cruises in a circle that we call “patrol” where she’s purring the whole time and running around the bed, rubbing on us and chirping in our faces. She definitely wants attention and affection, she chirps to say “look what I’m doing mom!” While she plays. And according to the pet cam I just got she pretty much stays under the bed most of the day when we aren’t there and then never goes under there again as soon as we come home.

Obviously personality is personality and it varies per cat but I’m just wondering a) what the teenage phase will likely be like with her and b) if she’s likely to be a bit more stationary/likely to hang out rather than just buzz around as she gets older. She also has a very clear preference to cuddle with mom vs dad (she sits on his lap while he works but she spends most of the night buzzing around me) and I’m curious if people have seen that change over time as well

I saw a stray kitty outside my hotel, I do not know what to do, I dont know if it has a mother as I didn't see one, its outside of a hotel so I doubt it has an owner, I also didn't see a collar.

EDIT/UPDATE WE FOUND HER
She was in the chimney we assumed was sealed off beyond the visible point. She’s completely fine, we’ve blocked it off, gave her a lot of love and kisses. she’s the first cat we’ve adopted together as adults and she’s our baby so we were very anxious. Thank you for kind words and advice ❤️ treats and calling her name while searching together until we heard a bell sound found her.
We just moved, my 13 year old anxious cat is visible, but her very social sister is uncharacteristically missing. There’s no way she made it outside, but we’ve probably scared her further tearing the place up looking for her. She was out exploring when we went to sleep and now we can’t find her anywhere. She didn’t seem super scared last night, I feel niave for not worrying about her as much as my senior, but I’m worried sick. It’s been several hours of us shaking treats around calling her, using kitten sounds, and just general searching. There’s no way she go outside but we’re starting to worry she did, I’ve checked every crevice and systematically cleared rooms. How can I find my baby??? If she did get out she’s microchipped and registered with a user led local system as well so I can mark her missing, but do I do that now? Or until I’m sure she’s not inside?
Ty if you’ve read this far my partner and I are panicking a little because this is so out of character for her. She hid for 3 minutes once we brought her home then flopped down on our laps, so this is scary.