Meet Miss Piggy (Not the Killer)
So, I've had the pleasure to recently adopt this little turd. My roommate was helping out someone who was struggling with life and needed someone to foster this beauty and brought her home one day several months ago. I knew it was a temporary thing but I got attached to her and was somewhat heart broken when he returned her. Turns out, her owner, who I don't know, is a massive turd and constantly neglected her.
He recently went out of town for two weeks, keeping this baby locked in his home with no food or water. Luckily, my roommate got her before she starved to death (he broke a window so he could get her out). I can only assume she survived by drinking toilet water because when she was brought back you could see her ribs protruding from her sides.
Anyways, my roommate is allergic to her and I wasn't planning on keeping her because of some life issues I'm dealing with, but the though of her sitting in a small cage at a shelter was too much for my heart to bear and I've decided to keep her. She is actually perfect for me because she's not the cuddly type (though I wish she was) and only wants pets on her terms. She wont sit in my lap, but she will sit in a chair next to me or on my desk (but not in front of me or on the keyboard, which is nice). From my understanding, her original owner was a really bad guy into drugs (taking and dealing) and only got her for his daughter and she was really neglected, so it's amazing she sits near me at all. She also does the strangest thing, she walks up to me, growls at me and plops on her side and rolls onto her back, beckoning me to rub her belly and starts purring when I do.
Anyways, a few questions for you cat owners. What is a good brand of dry cat food that provides good fiber. I've noticed she sometimes has trouble pooping with her current food. Is it bad to feed her people food from time to time (like a slice of deli turkey, or a meatball)? I like to give her a small can of wet food once a day because she always acts like she's going to die from starvation and makes me feel bad. Is fancy feast a good brand?Any recommendations on a good, large litter box? Her current one has high walls, but I think it's too small because she gets the litter on the ground.
Also, pray for her that she finds a baby daddy soon. I want her to experience motherhood before I spay her, but I'm only giving her 3 months to have a chance at it. I'm getting tired of her in heat meowing and raising her butt all the time.
*Edit:
One more thing, what's a good brush for cats? She sheds like crazy and likes being combed, but the brushes and combs I purchased don't do a great job.
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While I understand wanting her to experience motherhood PLEASE get her spayed instead. There are so many cats in shelters and so often they get put down because there's too many because people do not spay them.
If you haven't already definitely bring the kitty to the vet to get checked out, especially if it was being neglected. Want to make sure it didn't end out with any health issues that may require a special diet. If she's been having issues pooping after having been starved by previous owner you'll want to make sure there's not an underlying cause.
Stick with cat food and cat treats instead of human foods. Deli meats often have alot of sodium/preservatives in them which aren't great for animals. I would definitely avoid meatballs since many times they will have onions in them which are on the list of toxic for cats.
As far as cat food goes Purina and Hills Science Diet tend to be good big name brands that do both dry and wet food. You want to check label for serving sizes - usually they give the daily serving size so if it says like 1/2 cup dry food for your cats weight that is for 1/2 total for the day not for every meal. It's good to stick with serving sizes to avoid cat gaining too much weight - it's difficult to get a cat to lose weight since it's not like you can easily take them for walks like a dog. Giving can of wet food a day you'll want to adjust how much dry food you give her (usually if using same brand it'll tell you how to adjust) - generally this is good to do since the wet food will help with hydration.
For cat brush I recommend a Furminator, they are awesome and remove so much excess fur.
If you like flowers/plants there is a list of plants you can Google that are toxic for cats. Lilies are super toxic, cats have ended up dying from getting the pollen on their fur and licking it off so definitely avoid having them around.
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Aww Missy Piggy is absolutely gorgeous! I'm glad you are able to give her the love and care she needs! I echo bm33's post, and will add a few as well:
I would also suggest a water fountain for her, if you are able. Pet fountains encourage drinking more water, which will help keep her healthy. In regards to human food, I would abstain entirely, as there may be ingredients in some human food that could be harmful, and in general, very high-calorie/unhealthy for a pet's diet. I admit I have given my cats all-natural, no-sodium deli chicken, but it was very sparingly, and I checked with our vet beforehand that they were ok to have it (plus at the time they were semi-feral, and it helped them get more used to us..now they get those lickable cat treat tubes once in a while, and don't miss the chicken at all lol).
Furminator is a good brand of cat brushes, and I also have the Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush which is really nice (you push the base of the brush up and it expels the hair so you don't have to pick it out). For litter boxes, larger boxes with high-walls are ideal if you are able (or even just a large box so she's not re-treading in earlier trips so much, and even with one cat, aim to clean it at least once a day). I would also get a litter mat, preferably one where the top-half is a grate and the bottom half is a solid mat (we have the iPrimo brand one, there are a few others that are similar, but believe me, they are so much easier to clean than our old one-piece mat!).
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You're absolutely correct with how many unwanted cats are in shelters. Heck, it's worse than that, many aren't even taken to shelters and are just dumped in parks. I used to live near one where people would come just to kick their pets out of their cars and drive off. Lots of cats would wander to our apartment grounds looking for food and it was obvious they weren't regular strays because they were friendly and let us pet them. They never lasted though, due to the influx of other animals that would scare them off.
I was being a little selfish because I wanted to experience my kitties motherhood more than I wanted her to😅, but yeah, it's better to get her fixed soon. I'll do it when I get paid next. I spoke to my roommate about her and he says he highly doubts she's ever been to the vet so I need to take her to get her shots and have an overall health check.
Thank you so much for the advice! Fun fact, I live in the city where the creators of the Furminator are from! I'll be sure to get it because I can make a whole new cat with all the fur she sheds on my things. Don't worry about plants, I don't have any and don't plan on getting one. I'll be more careful with what she eats, I just feel bad when I eat and she comes begging for some, so I'll have to discipline myself. I also have to put everything in cupboards or Tupperware because shes a huge piggy. I woke up the other day and found two factory sealed bags of popcorn shredded on the floor because she had a taste for it. I also caught her trying to tear into a small slice of chocolate cake that was completely wrapped in plastic wrap. Luckily, I got to her in time before she ate from it, I know it's bad for her.
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Thank you for the advice! She doesn't have a problem with drinking water. Her litter box can attest to that. I also use bottled water for her, just to be safe, but I do like fancy things and a water fountain sound like something I'd like to get her. It's gonna be hard to stop feeding her from my food when she stares at me with her dilated pupils while purring and pawing at my hand, but I will try. If anything, when fixing food for myself, I'll cook a small piece of protein without any salt or spices on the side for her once in a while. I'll make sure to ask the vet more about her diet when I take her.
I'm definitely getting the Furminator, but now I have to get the Slicker Brush because I just checked it out and like how easy it is to remove the little boogers fur from it. As for the litter box, I do want a large one with high walls, but Walmart only had medium ones and I was being too cheap to shop at the pet store. I'll do more research and check out Amazon and if I can't make up my mind, I'll go to the pet store and get one. I didn't know litter mats were a thing, but that would be really nice to have, thanks for the suggestion!
While I call her Miss Piggy now, I don't think it will be long term. I only called her this title because of how she gets into my food when I'm not paying attention. Who knows, maybe it'll stick.
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That's heartbreaking, our neighborhood is a similar area. Fortunately as large as the neighborhood is, everyone here cares for the cats in our neighborhood (and we have Trap-Neuter-Release groups come through as well that assist with making sure they get neutered, spayed, and vaccinated).
Also, I will add...as someone that has raised kittens from all ages...they are a LOT of work, and I mean a LOT. Like babyproof to the maximum, every nook and cranny they could crawl into, you have to block off. And if one or more get sick, it can be very stressful and scary, even heartbreaking.
Yeah our kitties our spoiled too and get Spring Water in their fountain (plus side, the fountain stays cleaner than with tap water). In regards to them eyeing your plate, stand firm, you're doing what's right for her (and if she gets a little whiny, a Tempations treat or two usually does the trick and keeps em happy)
In regards to getting her spayed, sometimes the ASPCA (or similar orgs) will do discounted or even free neuter/spays for pets (something we took advantage of a few times), you can check online or call a local vet, they are always happy to help give out that info!
Also, be warned, she may need to wear a cone or inflatable donut for a week or two after the spaying to prevent her licking the sutures...for our most recent kitties, they got toast (2 ripped it off immediately, Spot was a champ and rocked the look):
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OMG Spot is adorable! I want toast for my kitty (actually, I want a whole wardrobe for her but she may kill me in my sleep so I'll refrain from it) . When I get my kitty spayed, will I have to give her wipe downs to keep her clean? Are there special wipes for cats? Or is it okay for the duration of her healing not to bathe? I don't think she'll struggle too much with a cone, I recently got a cheap collar from the Dollar Tree, just to test out her reaction to it and she was very positive. Didn't struggle with it at all and seems to actually enjoy the bell. I've removed it since I learned it's not a break away collar and will be ordering better ones from Amazon (okay, okay, I want a fancier one that show cases her majestic beauty).
Yea, you're completely changed my mind on kittens. I've had lots of cats growing up, but they all lived outside and their mothers did all the care taking, we just fed them, pet them and tied bologna to a string and made them chase it. I couldn't handle them now with my old age (I'm not that old, under 40, but life has been hard) with how you put it, and I am a worry wart and don't need to think about them when I'm at work. When things get better, I will consider getting Miss Piggy a new friend, but they'll be at least 8 months old.
Thanks again for the advice.
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Happy to help <3 I know the feeling, I wanna dress mine up, and they would be very upset if I did...they'd give me Sadako's Condemned glare, times 100 lol
In regards to post-spay, the vet will give you a list of post-care instructions (what to do, what not to do, and what to keep an eye out for, and they can answer any extra questions you may have!), but the main things are to not fuss with the area at all while the incision heals (goes for both you and her), and not let her jump, run, or play too much for the first week or so.
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Thanks again! 💜
I'll make sure my room is cat proof when she gets spayed and have her confined to it until she heals. She'll be giving me the stink eye because she likes to go outside for about 20 minutes a day, but oh well, I think I'm going to force her to be a full on in door cat ( Wasn't too fond of her going outside, just felt bad).
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My sister had a cat that got pregnant before she had a chance to get her fixed because she got out of the house while in heat. Then she got pregnant again not long after because she got out of the house while in heat again before my sister could get her fixed - you are supposed to wait a certain amount of time after the kittens finish weaning to get the momma cat fixed. My sister thought free kittens to good home would be easy but instead she had a difficult time finding homes for the kittens, ended up keeping a bunch herself since she never found homes - which ended out costing a whole lot more money when you need to get 5 cats fixed and vaccinated instead of just 1. Kittens were super cute but actually having kittens that young in the house was super stressful. The momma cat chose shelf with sweaters to give birth. My sister was so worried about the kittens falling and getting hurt, momma cat just kept bringing them up there anytime my sister tried to move them somewhere safer.
If you are really interested in experiencing kittens that young I'd recommend try volunteering for a rescue, maybe even foster a pregnant cat. You'd get to experience pregnant cat/kittens but have a shelter that is planning to handle vet stuff and get them adopted out.
My old cat I constantly had to take people food away from him. I had to keep Twizzlers out of reach because he'd go crazy for them. Found that out after he went digging through bowl of candy for trick or treaters looking for the little Twizzler packets. There was also a time I made pizza bites, had plate on side table next to me cooling while I played a game when all of a sudden I heard something small fall on the ground - my cat had reached up and grab one off the plate, hadn't take a bite yet because he realized it was too hot. If I was eating a ham sandwich he'd try to take a bite out of it while I was taking a bite. They can be pretty ridiculous. 😂
Definitely keep some kitty treats handy for those sad kitty eyes when you're eating. Toss kitty that instead of people food, kitty won't realize your not eating same thing and hopefully let you eat in peace for a few. I do not recommend teaching your cat how to open treat jars, no matter how cute it is - I did that and my cat ended up opening them when I wasn't around and eating the whole thing, went from haha cute to oh no... 😂
I saw recommendation for fountain - if you do chose to use one be sure to change the filter regularly and follow the cleaning instructions for the tubing. Also be sure to clean the cats water bowl regularly to prevent bacteria build up - can get like a slimey texture in the dish, sometimes it can become pinkish which can be bad for their health.
Oh for litter there are SO many different kinds now - I used to work at a petshop and it's crazy how many there are. Some cats are fine with changing litter, others are not fans at all if you try to change it. There was one litter I never heard a complaint about and it was the World's Best cat litter. I didn't use it - my cat was 15 when I found out about it and was set in his ways. 😂 All the customers though that did use it thought it was the best cat litter. It wasn't as dusty as the clay litter, it clumped really, and it's flushable.
Oh and I forget to mention before - scratch posts, super important. There's different types because cats can be picky. My cat would only go for the carpeted ones, he hated the rope ones or cardboard ones. He also would tear up furniture if you didn't keep scratch post near - he destroyed corner of my roommates couch in college because her friends would move the scratch post away from the corner and he'd go to town on it until the post was moved back.
Keep an eye on sales at petshops. When I worked at petshop (was one of the big name ones) around Christmas one year they did single day sales. One day was like 50% or 75% off cat trees - those are the ones the cats can climb and they can be anywhere from $100-$300 depending on the size so a sale on those like that is huge. Every few months they'd do 50% off sales on Seresto collars (really awesome flea/tick collar that lasts 8months) so instead of being $80 would be $40.
Oh and something to make your life much easier - get a carrier your cat can walk into herself and spend time training her to think it's a happy place. This will make taking her to vet SO much easier. My cat loved his carrier, he'd go lay in it just because. Have carrier open all the time, put treats in there randomly so cat wants to go in. I used to take my cat with me when I'd go over someone's house randomly, just so he'd see getting in carrier didn't always mean vet it'd mean he got to come with me when I went somewhere so he was always good getting in.
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You've definitely convinced me to not let her get pregnant, that's for sure. As much as I'd love to have a fluffy mini-version of her, I don't have it in me to deal with the issues you brought up. My mind and body can't take much after I get home from work these days, and dealing with potentially 6 little fur monsters is sounding more and more stressful, something which I have had enough of in my life. I'll wait until after I win the lotto to have more than two kitties (I plan to eventually adopt one more so my cat can have a friend when I'm not home). And, if I am honest, it's hard for me to trust people from what I've experienced (I drove a taxi and did rideshare for 14 years), and I've seen humanity at their lowest and I would just make an excuse to not give the kitties away. I did some research and they do have places in my city that will help with covering the costs of vaccinations and spaying. It'll break my heart to take her to the vet so I'm forcing my roommate to take her while I pay for it. It will work out great because he's the one who brought her into my life, and he's retired with lower income than me, so they'd definitely help with reducing the fees.
I'm going to wait on the fountain until I'm ready to get another cat. Currently, I'll just make sure to change her food and water after washing her bowls every evening. As for the litter, we started with the cheapest one, but there was too much dust and it didn't do much in regards to smell so I upgraded to one of the Arm&Hammer options. It does a really good job at clumping, though I'm not sure about it's flushability. I care more about reducing dust and it's (I think) something like 99% dust free, though I saw an option that says they have one that's 100% dust free that I will try out. Sure, it's more expensive, but its only a once in a month purchase and I'm giving up my daily coffee/lattes and unhealthy snacks (it's a process, but I am having good progress, though it's so hard, maybe I'm a cat 🐱) so it'll even out. I like the one I have because it's great with dealing with smells, except for the times the little piggy jumps on my desk and farts (it's so disgusting, but she just looks at me like ha ha). She didn't have a problem with changing the brands either, thank God.
I'll definitely be getting a nice sized carrier and a blanket for her. I'll keep the blanket in there and sprinkle some treats on it to encourage her to sleep in there sometimes and get used to it, but I'll make sure my roommate takes her to the vet so she can hate him and love me 😈. Thanks for the advice, I haven't thought about it at all. The good thing about this kitty is that she is very docile. She's never bitten me or scratched me except for one time when I really pushed her to and even then, when I say "ah" she looks at me and immediately stops, understanding that it's no longer playing and I'm in pain. She's such a good girl. I love the fact that she lets me hold her like a baby and giver her belly rubs. All other cats I've had when I was young would turn my hand into Swiss Cheese when I even thought about touching their tummies.
Thanks for the advice, especially about the spaying and waiting on deals for the cat trees and collars. I will wait for Black Friday and Christmas to buy her a cat tree. Currently, I'll just collect the Amazon boxes my other roommate gets since he's always ordering stuff online and use them to make her a little condo that she can climb on and look out the window.
The hardest thing is going to be not sharing my food with her, but I will stand firm and make sure to keep treats for her. I found these little salmon tubes called Puree made by Pure Balance (distributed by Walmart) that she loves. So I'll give her one before I eat and try not to feel guilty.
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If it's clay or the plastic bead litter it won't be flushable. The World's Best is I think a corn based litter so it's all natural which was why it's flushable. Litter is made from so many different types of material now, it's crazy.
Vet is definitely not a fun time for kitty cats. At first she'll have to go a bunch because boosters but after that it should be once a year visit for check up/yearly vaccines (or in case of some every 3 years). It's not unless cat develops health issues or when it gets older that visits end up happening more often.
Definitely good idea to wait on sale for cat tree. I had the small $20 cat posts that my cat loved and then splurged on the cat tree once it was on sale. He still went for the small posts to scratch but loved his cat tree to hang out on.
If she goes anywhere you don't want, like counter or something, double sided tape is awesome to put down to deter her. They sell wide rolls of it at pet shops in the cat section. Can also put it places she goes to scratch if it's like a door or something. It's one of those things that won't hurt her, cats just tend to not like sticky feelings on their paws so it'll get them to leave whatever it is alone.
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I figured I'd give you both an update on Miss Piggy. So far she's doing well, but everyone I know thinks she's already pregnant 😭. I was ready to get her spayed and everything because there is a charity in my city that helps cover the costs and I really didn't want to be responsible for multiple little furballs. It's just the signs are there, her nipples are hard/swollen, and her tummy is sticking out from the sides. At first, I thought she just got fat because I've been over feeding her treats, but she hasn't gained much wait on her body, just her tummy. She's also been having trouble finding comfortable sitting positions and ends up propping up here rear body with her feet while sitting.
I'm going to confine her to the house for the next month just to make sure whether or not she's preggo. If she gives birth, I'll post pics of the little furballs. Pray for her plz and pray if she is preggo, that I find good families for the kitties.
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I'd bring her to vet to make sure she's pregnant and it's definitely not something else. Also check in on her health to make sure she has healthy kittens, especially if she had been neglected prior to you getting her.
If she is pregnant you can try reaching out to some local rescues for advice on getting them placed into good homes.
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Why have seen this thread not before now?
I love Miss Piggy and think it’s wonderful you adopted her, even with your own struggles - a pet is a family member and can help you through this in their own way after all!
(i haven’t read the whole thread though I must admit, only really the OP and glanced over the rest, and as I am not a cat owner I don’t have much advice on that front anyways)
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I second bm33.
If she is pregnant, have a vet confirm it, and that she is healthy and everything looks ok so far. And while, yes, it could be something else...but even if it is something else causing these symptoms, a vet should see her still for diagnosis and care, as it could be a range of things.
If she is indeed pregnant, let them know you are new to cat care, and especially pregnant cat care, and caring for newborns, they will assist you with information as best they can (and don't be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they may be silly to ask).
Also, as bm33 suggested, reaching out to local pet rescues, or asking the vet if they can help you get in touch with rescues or good fosters, is a very good idea to make sure they get good care and a happy forever home.
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Non-cat owner or expert here but there's this one youtube channel, "Girl With The Dogs" that does animal grooming (don't let the name fool you, she's groomed disabled ducks on there before). She's from Canada but goes through the grooming process, from trimming nails (if you have to) to bathing, drying, brushing, etc (bathing + drying being useful if your cat can't clean themselves properly for whatever reason). She also goes through her tools quite often and links them.
Even if you don't take any advice from her, she grooms fluffy animals so you should watch her anyway
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Way ahead of you. I loved the duck in the wheel chair! Of course, my favorite videos are the angry cat ones.
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