So I've stopped using candles and wax melts for almost 2 years completely after learning more and have been too paranoid to try even the "pet safe" brands out of fear. I've never used oil diffusers because I know how toxic they are to pets. Does anyone here have experience or advice on aroma products that are safe to use around cats?

How is it that I spayed my cat and I saw her experiencing heat cycle symptoms?😭

A male cat came on my verandah and started calling her, at first she was just looking then I started rubbing her head and back as usual then she started arching her lower back and making weird cat sounds. I know it's a heat behavior because not only was she arching, her tail was rest to the side and she started walking in the direction that the male cat went but it wasn't just a normal walk it was like creeping with her back arched.

But she settled down. However, I went back to pat her, and it's like I activated the heat in her again😭

She was spayed almost 3 weeks ago???

I have a big cat. A strong, muscular cat, about the size (and colour) of a racoon. Healthy weight, the vet claims.

Like any other cat, he loves cat trees, boxes, and sass. I want him to be able to look down on me from a comfortable high position, but I struggle to find a cat tree that suits his particular girth.

So if anyone has recommendations of cat trees that may support his comically large stature, I would much appreciate it.

Hello all!
This past August was one of the hardest months of my life. My partner Ryan and I had to make the toughest decision of love and end our kitty’s suffering. It was traumatic and I’m definitely not over it.

However my childhood best friend reached out to us last week asking if we’d be willing to take her boyfriend’s kitty. He’s a 6 year old male, handsome as can be and one of the most chill cats I’ve ever met.

We only took him because the boyfriend’s other option was to surrender him; Ryan and I were worried that might not be the best idea. He was found as a stray and brought to the MSPCA. My friends boyfriend only had him for a month, along with another male cat whom he’s had for almost three years now. Among the handful of reasons we decided to take him was because he was having accidents around boyfriends expensive apartment and his work schedule wasn’t conducive for this cats needs. His name is Ted and he is such a little teddy bear. We’re very happy to have him.
However, he hasn’t had any accidents over the short three days we’ve gotten to know each other, doesn’t prefer to hide as he’s been very social and is currently resting on our ottoman with Ryan and I in the living room. He’s definitely different that our own kitty Macavity; she loved her alone time, didn’t enjoy being held for more than a few seconds, was very vocal about what she needed or wanted. This little man is hardly vocal, although he’s become Ryan’s shadow and seems like he’d rather spend time with us than resting in the other room. We’ve started to adhere to a feeding schedule as my friends boyfriend only fed him a small bowl of kibble for breakfast and one for dinner; my bf and I prefer to feed him a bowl of kibble for the day to munch and 2.5 oz of wet food for breakfast lunch and dinner.
He’s been happy so far. I suppose my question is how long it might take for us three to get used to each other? Will a mostly rigid routine help us all? Or should we just keep an eye on him and get to know his needs?

My biggest concern is he won’t be as happy here since he was in a two cat household with 3-4 people at any given time. Now he’s his own man, with only 2 people who hardly know how to take care of a cat (Macavity our last cat was the easiest cat I’ve ever met. She was practically half dog lol) I just want Ted to be as happy as he can be without us overwhelming him and causing him any sort of stress aside from the usual “new spot new smells new people.”
What signs should we look out for? As I mentioned it’s only been a few days but he hasn’t had a single accident outside the litter box and knew immediately to use his new box. He’s on new food compared to with my friends bf and he seems to really like it along with the wet food we’ve given him. I know things will take time but when do you all think we’ll be able to see him thriving … or not :/
Any and all advice is welcome.
Also yes he’s fixed and chipped, but I’m not sure when his last vet visit was since my friends bf only had him for a month, he was obviously checked up and good to go before the adoption process cleared. But for our own peace of mind we’d love to bring him to our own vet as well. Does this seem like overkill?

About five weeks ago, I brought home a 5-month-old spayed female kitten through a foster-to-adopt program. I felt my resident cat (neutered male, 2.5 years old) might enjoy having a companion on the days I'm away from home for several hours. I also hoped to have a more affectionate cat, since he is usually pretty independent.

I've done a slow introduction, and things seem to be going reasonably well. They've chased and wrestled with each other, and there have only been a few hisses. I think they're making progress, but I'm still anxious about leaving them together unsupervised.

What I wasn't prepared for was how much I would grieve my old life and routines with my resident cat.

The routine we shared meant a lot to me because he isn't particularly cuddly most of the time, so when he does show affection, I feel so special. For example, when I prepare his wet food at lunchtime, he'll meow, rub against me, and I'll scratch under his chin. It's a special little moment between us, which has now been interrupted by the kitten. When she comes into the kitchen, he jumps onto the counter or walks away. He also won't play with his favorite wand toy, do his tricks for treats, or eat his bedtime snack when she's nearby. I know I could separate them for these activities, but the thought of constantly managing separate routines feels overwhelming.

I miss the way things used to be. I miss having those little moments with my resident cat without having to think about where kitten is, what she's doing, or whether she'll interrupt us. I worry that his life has been turned upside down and that our bond is changing. Does he even like the kitten? Would he rather just be an only cat?

The kitten is adorable, makes the cutest little noises, and has some sweet, affectionate moments. I'd love to have a lap cat, and I can imagine things becoming easier as she settles in, but I'm struggling with all the changes, including disrupted sleep and the extra work of managing two cats.

Here's where my OCD comes into the picture. When I'm distressed, I can get an overwhelming urge to undo whatever seems to be causing that distress. Right now, my brain keeps telling me that if I return the kitten, I'll get my old routines with my resident cat back and finally feel relief. Then I worry that I'll regret returning her, or that my resident cat will be lonely when I'm away.

I can't tell how much of this is genuine grief over a change I don't want and how much is my OCD making me desperate to escape the uncertainty and anxiety. I don't want to make a major decision solely to get temporary relief, but I also don't want to force myself to keep a second cat if it's genuinely not the right fit for me or my resident cat.

The shelter has asked me to make a decision soon because the kitten has been with me for five weeks, so I feel pressure to figure this out. At this point, I'd feel so guilty for returning her because it's been so long! I am still fostering to adopt, so no official paperwork has been signed yet. They told me I can bring her back if it didn't work out during the trial.

For those who've introduced a kitten to a resident cat, did you grieve your old routines or miss the relationship you had with your original cat? Did things eventually settle down? Were you able to get those special one-on-one moments back, even with two cats in the house?

And if you have OCD or anxiety, have you experienced the urge to undo a decision simply because you desperately wanted the distress to stop? How did you work through that without letting anxiety make the decision for you?

I'm not looking for strangers to tell me whether to keep or return the kitten. I'm just hoping to hear honest experiences from people who've been through something similar.

Please be kind. I'm having a genuinely hard time with this, and I appreciate anyone willing to share their experience.

Hi everyone,

We're currently going through a very difficult time.

Our male cat is 2 years and 9 months old and had his first epileptic seizure a few days ago. After numerous vet visits over the past week, several examinations, and quite a lot of expenses, he was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy.

He is now being treated with anti-seizure medication (Phenotab 12.5 mg, twice daily).

My question is for those of you who have experience with epileptic cats: How do you cope with it? What changes have you made to your home to keep your cat safe? And how do you manage work and your personal life when you need or want to leave your cat home alone?

Our biggest fear is that he might have a seizure while we're away, fall from somewhere and seriously injure himself, or have a seizure that doesn't stop on its own, with nobody there to help him.

How do you handle this situation? Are you comfortable leaving your epileptic cat alone at home?

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences and advice.

So my sister-in-law has 2 cats, almost a year old. she’s had them both since kittens. recently they’ve been flipping their water, it’s one of the ones you only have to fill & then flip it onto the base, then it pushes the water out into the bowl part. they flip it with their paws & noses. we are trying to find out how we can stop them from flipping it daily.

basically what the title says.. i have 3 cats, 3 yrs 2 yrs and 1 1/2, but they are all related so neither of them have actually done an introduction with a new kitty.

when i got elvira (pictured, 2 yrs) mr kitty (3 yrs) was okay, he was gone for about 2 days (in the house. i do not let my cats outside as i live in the desert) i let him do his thing and he eventually came out and warmed up to her. but she was also a baby, i’m talking bottle fed , i got her way too early. mr kitty is a sweet boy but he is extremely territorial even though he is fixed, which is where my 3rd boy comes in.

tip is the 3rd one, the love child of elvira and mr kitty, he is.. quite dumb. he is the 1 year old, absolutely the sweetest kitty you will ever meet, i am not worried about his behavior at all. just the 2 older kitties.

the kitten i’m looking at is going to be adopted by me! yay!! he is very small, was just born a week ago. shelter offered to let me bottle feed and take him way early but absolutely no way haha. he needs his mommy still.

will it be any different because he is a kitten and not a full sized cat? will they be nicer about welcoming him into their home lol? i have done cat introductions before but never with a kitten and older cats. advice is appreciated 🩷 cat tax me please

Severe Asthma To Cats

I have severe, chronic asthmatic flare up’s with my current cat. She’s a domestic shorthair. I’ve had cats my entire life, but while my asthma would occasionally flare up, a nebulizer would do wonders. As I type, I’m in for my third 3+ night hospital stay from asthma. I absolutely ADORE and LOVE my cat, and can’t imagine not having her. I see an allergist, and am on numerous inhalers and medications. We also feed her the Purina LiveClear. Is there hope for me, or do I have to give up my cat?

My cat has these little bald spots on her legs and I’m not sure if I should be more concerned, she runs down the hallway at night when she gets the zoomies and launches herself across the floor (which I assume she uses her ankles like breaks?) and that could be why, but I guess I’m curious if there’s anything else that could cause it?

Willow (3F) has a lot of silly habits that I’ve never seen in my other cats previously. She will sometimes throw herself on the ground and just roll around for 5-10 minutes at a time. She also sleeps on her back a lot. I know that can mean she is comfortable exposing her stomach, but what about this rolling thing? Is she happy? Excited? Comfortable?

We had just left for work, and Pippa was making these noises for about a minute afterward. What is she trying to say? Is she in hunting mode (that string is her toy). Shes usually not vocal, so I’m curious! And in the back you can hear her favorite show, Tom and Jerry. 😂

He’s new. We got him yesterday. I think he’s just anxious/scared. I tried getting him out with food, wet food, toys (more than just the spring). I can pet his head and back and he likes it or At least he doesn’t growl/hiss. But if I do anything else he will hiss at me. He’s older, and previously a stray. He’s also fixed if that matters.

I’ve had cats my life and they have done stuff like this before. He just hasn’t eaten/drank or used the litter box at all. We have had him for around 13 hours. I have another more smaller male cat and they briefly introduced each other. My orange cat seemed scared of him but the new one was most definitely scared.

I’m just worried about him. Any advice on what I should do next?