Maybe MPU needs a sibling forum: CPU (Cat People Universe)?
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Don’t do flea collars. My first cat ended up with a sore all round her neck within days of getting a flea collar. More recently flea collars were reported to have killed over 1000 dogs and sickened many people. Instead discuss flea control with vet if the cat goes out. If it doesn’t go out it’s a non issue.
Three pandemic cats searching for a fly behind the shades.
The one on the right came first, and the two sisters on the left came about a month later. It’s taken several months for them to all adjust but all are now agreeable. One has had recurring issues with UTIs & is now on a prescription diet.
The cat tree in this photo is something I’d definitely recommend.
Also a plant sprayer loaded with water to correct unwanted behavior.
Be patient - the two tabbies were street kittens and it took 2-3 weeks before they’d leave the downstairs bathroom voluntarily.
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She just needed somewhere safe for the first few days, the floor is easy to clean in case there were accidents, and it’s small so it’s easy to find her. She’s started exploring the living room today though!
Of course, the cat tree is being ignored at the moment, but I expect she’ll try it out later!
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She’s doing really well! I’m officially fostering her with a view to adopting, and we’ll see if it works out. My place isn’t perfect for pets, but she’s settling in nicely and seems to have decided I’m a good human (based on her attempts to trip me up while I was making my lunch today!). I did buy a cat tree already, so we’ll have to see 
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Every cat ever born knows the sound of a can opener. 
I think they invented cans and can openers not humans. Even the feral cats we have had in the past knew that sound.
For feral cats we’ve usually found them outside and start leaving a bit of food. Then we sit in the ahy stack (the feral cats are always in the hay) and just watch. FI I happen to find a juicy mouse or something, even to the point of catching one in the garage leave it as a present near whichever hole the cat has decided is home. When the cat will come out and watch you never look it in the eyes and get down as small as possible, sitting or crouching and hold a hand out fingers down and do not move. The cat will eventually come up to sniff. Do that enough days and offering a treat afterwards, usually left near the cat burrow works. We don’t have any cats now but that’s how all the feral cats were tamed and eventually became totally inside cats.
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Cats have some crazy hardwired firmware that makes them want to get underfoot; I guessed this was something to do with kittens and their mothers. But they don’t understand that a human foot stepping on them is going to cause damage. So it’s on you to do what it takes not to step on your cat - very hard given how fast they move.
Another issue is water. My last cat had a kind of Maslow’s hierarchy of water. Cat water, although refreshed multiple times a day, was easy to obtain and therefore worthless. Dog water was also easy to obtain but provided a chance to exhibit disdain for the dog by washing her paws in the water and then walking round the house leaving drippy pawprints. I called this Lady MacBeth Syndrome. The highest quality water was Person water, found in mugs on nightstands in bedrooms. We had learned to keep the bedroom door shut, but she used every ounce of feline cunning to break into the bedroom and get the Person water. Unfortunately her cat face was just the right size to fit into my water mug and I found it moved over the edge of a thick stone coaster, ready to spill on my phone charger.
So I had to switch to anything with a lid or a straw instead of an open mug.
What was delightful - a cat finds value in places in your home that you never appreciated. Windowsills, lamp tables, little spots of sunlight at different times of day. Enjoy!
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The solution is obvious. You simply neglected to drink regularly from the cat bowl to demonstrate its importance in the hierarchy.
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JJW
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I loved that. One can extrapolate that to many many other items. Cat toys etc.
We once thought abut creating an alarm clock that was the sound of a cat getting ready to hack up a furball. Guaranteed to raise any cat servant from soundests of sleeps, especially when it is close to your ear.
I really miss not having cats. But we’ve always waited for the cats to find us. I guess we are no longer worthy to be a cat servant. It’s probably the guard dogs. I am sure they exude a no felines welcome aura. That is keeping our sheep safe from the predatory mountain lions we hear screeching rather frequently and that have killed neighbors goats and sheep but it does mean no self respecting feral cat will apply for the job of domesticating these unruly humans.
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OMG …this. Our black cat is tiny and she’d basically attempt to herd my by running at an angle under my feet. Luckily I never stepped on her but almost had a few spills. My other cat doesn’t want contact until she deigns it appropriate.
What a beautiful kitty, Rosemary!!!
She’s not hiding in a closet so she’s adjusting. Any change in their environment is upsetting. Set out a soft scarf where you’d like her to hang out.
Kitties are just like kids. It’s easy– you bribe them! They are crazy for treats but may be finicky about the brand,
And just like behavior modification (which I loathe), you can give less as time goes on.
You may have to let her know a few times what you’d like her to do but she’ll get the hang of it. Sign language. Chin and behind the ear rubs…
Also lots of praise because she deserves it! She’ll come around.
Toys? Milk rings, little balls to bat around, fishing pole toys, little stuffed animals and my own invention- a CRAZY BOX.!
Lots of luck with little Smudge!
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You’d be surprised, Rosemary! Cats are naturally shy.
Agreed but right now there are too many dangers to cats inside and a cat outside here has a limited lifespan with the guard dogs. I know whe we are ready or just before we are ready a cat will find us or I’ll stop at the local thrift shop (that is a benefot for the local shelter) and a cat will latch on to me.
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In the figurative sense we can hope.
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JJW
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sometimes not 
A friend had a cat named Velcro.
If she/he ever gets pancreatitis, I have lots of advice for that! Let’s hope you never need these advices…
We have 2 sisters named Tigger and Rafiki but they are also known as Chaos and Mayhem… I do have a few gadgetries to share…
- We have a water fountain in our bathroom which is motion activated to minimize noise and wear. Last fountain we bought didn’t last a year. It stops after 10 min of motion inactivity.
- I get a push notification when one gets stuck in the walk-in closet. I have a motion sensor and a door sensor for that one.
- We live in a condo. I managed to connect a fan to the building exhaust system (you need permission and a fire stopper to do so). The fan is above the litter box. It is motion activated and stops after an hour of inactivity. A light turn on as well of course… can’t let them live like cave cats
We are going to move to a house soon with wild life around so I’m working on tracking them if they get out of the house… I haven’t found a satisfying solution for that one yet!
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If you are anywhere near coyotes (as in anywhere in North America) DON’T let them out. They will become a snack. Coyotes re even in cities so urban is not a guarantee they will be safe from predators plus traffic and other hazards.
If you insist then you can get GPS locator collars
https://www.telonics.com/index.php
No pricing is on their site because so much depends on the species
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Hey thanks! I’ll check it out. Yes, we plan not to let them out. They are condo cats. Our home is designed with airlocks (two doors to get out) just for them (!) but we have one patio door so I want to make sure I can find out quickly if they get out.
Thanks again!
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How squishy! I thought I was seeing double! You’re very lucky.
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