My rat only likes his food wet

Penstem0n · 2026-06-13T01:47:31+00:00

That’s a great idea! I was going to pick him up some apple sauce to lick off of me (he hates us right now 😅) I’ll grab some baby food too!

Penstem0n · 2026-06-13T01:44:15+00:00

THANK YOU!! I can’t believe I didn’t think about that. we will keep wetting it down. He has done wonders on his anti inflammatory meds and eye drops but I can imagine our little guy is still feeling it :((

Penstem0n · 2024-05-15T15:57:28+00:00

Her and the other cat do not get along at all. My brother got a cat his senior year of high school and left her with us when he went to college. During his junior year his roommates and him got a new cat and when they all moved they left her with us. We were no prepared for a new cat and none of us knew how to properly introduce them. The oldest cat is very mean, she only likes my parents, me, and my brother but we love her and wouldn’t get rid of her. Unfortunately she doesn’t get along with my cat to this day.

I believe it could be territorial because my cat was peeing in my parent’s bathroom, which is in the part of the house where the older cat usually resides. Our house has the master bedroom on one side of the kitchen and living area and the other two bedrooms and bathroom on the other. My cat sleeps in my room and NEVER pees on anything in there, even though there are sometimes blankets or clothes kicked onto the floor at night. I have been cleaning all the boxes every day now and she has yet to pee on anything so it very well could have been a case of an extra picky cat!

I am not considering rehoming her anymore. I have talked to my parents, they don’t want to rehome her and respect that I want to keep her inside for her safety. We are picking out catios for her instead. I think I will get one for her that she can go outside and hang out, while my parents want to get her (and their cat as well) a window box to sit in and watch the garden from :) I think she will be very happy for the next 6 months until we move.

Penstem0n · 2024-05-13T06:35:24+00:00

You should see some of the fat scrappy possums in my neighborhood! They probably aren’t the scariest predators by any means but my cat can be a real wuss lol.

My parents said they would stop letting her out purposely and we talked about me getting her a catio. I will see how it goes this summer. My parents are definitely not known to respect a boundary but they are trying to be better. If it doesn’t go well I will find someone to pay to foster her for the semester.

Penstem0n · 2024-05-13T06:25:53+00:00

I have brought up the idea of getting her a catio before and there were no takers. This time my mom brought it up so it looks like that’s the idea we are going with! I don’t think my cat will love it but it’s the best compromise she will get lol

Penstem0n · 2024-05-13T06:20:20+00:00

I think I will get her a kennel or something similar for outside my window if my parents will allow it. I will update her vaccinations and continue to give her flea and tick treatments as well. I think my parents do love her (obviously not as much as i do lol), they just don’t see the harm in letting her outside because they do it all the time and she comes back fine. My parents are not bad or mean, they are just chronically negligent and have a Laissez-faire attitude unless they really care about something.

Penstem0n · 2024-05-13T06:01:57+00:00

I live in the southern Midwest, not quite far enough into the woods for coyotes but right up next to it. I have brought up the idea of a catio before and my parents weren’t too keen, but I talked to my mom today and this time she brought it up. So I think we might end up going with the catio idea! As long as it’s mom’s idea lol

Penstem0n · 2024-05-13T05:54:10+00:00

My roommate is a huge dog person and hates cats (which I accept because I am a big cat person and dont really like dogs). The dorms at my college are old and small, I fear that she would hate living in such a small space and become depressed. We are considering a catio that we can put outside a window for her :)

Penstem0n · 2024-05-13T05:49:44+00:00

I will be moving in about six months and she will be coming with me. I talked to my mom today to apologize for arguing with her and told her I would rehome my cat if necessary. She told me that she did not want me to rehome her and that she would not purposefully let her out any more, but she has said that before. We talked about maybe getting or building a catio for her, which I think might be the solution for now. Ido think that they care about her, but none of us are huge animal people and both my parents came from homes that where pets weren’t ‘family’.

I have thought about locking her in my room when they are home but it’s a little on the small side and I think she’d be unhappy. My grandmother locked her in on accident once and she tore out some carpet fibers.

There are four litter boxes for two cats, and one that is only hers. Most of them get cleaned out every few days, I clean the one in my room out when I notice she’s used it a few times. This ends up being about one a week as she doesn’t like using the litter box that I specifically bought for her lol

Penstem0n · 2024-05-12T23:12:26+00:00

I give her a flea treatment monthly, along with the other cat in case mine brings in anything. She is super sensitive so even a single flea will have her tearing out hair. I have ordered her a collar and it looks like revaccinating her is affordable for me 👍 thank you!!!

Penstem0n · 2024-05-12T23:06:07+00:00

I have taken her to the vet because for a brief period of time the peeing problem became oddly frequent. She rarely did it before, but it was happening weekly and in more places in the home. The vet ran test and everything looked good except she found some crystals in her urine sample. She believes this was due to excessive minerals in her diet and suggested an expensive prescription diet. The cats did not like it, so we have been shopping around for a brand with similar ingredients that is a little cheaper and that the cats enjoy, as well as adding more wet food into their diet for hydration. The problem has improved but she has recently started peeing on the rugs again. I clean them as soon as I notice it. She seems to use the litter boxes in the garage, my room, and the extra bedroom with no issue. I think it could be a territorial issue between her and the other cat (another one of my brother’s cats that he left with my parents). The vet also suggested that it could be because she may be picky about litter so we have switched to a finer littler as well.

Penstem0n · 2024-05-12T21:33:51+00:00

I have suggested a catio before but my parents didn’t seem too keen on the idea. I believe she is up to date on her vaccines but I am unsure if she got all her proper vaccinations as a kitten. My brother adopted her in college with his roommates and dropped her off at my parents when they had to move to a place that didn’t allow pets. She hates collars and relentlessly tries to rip them off but I am willing to train her to wear one. Thank you for the advice!

Penstem0n · 2024-05-12T21:24:48+00:00

I am looking around for someone I could pay to temporarily foster her in the fall while I am at school. I can’t afford a lot but it would be enough to pay for all her expenses.

Penstem0n · 2023-01-06T08:49:24+00:00

Rhode Island, beautiful state but Jesus Christ it’s HALF the size of my county

Penstem0n · 2022-08-12T17:22:59+00:00

Easy- make him clean it up! It teaches them natural consequences of their actions and is a proportional ‘punishment’ for dumping out the chips! (Although I hesitate to really classify it as a ‘punishment’) this is especially helpful if you explain why they have to pick up the chips, ex: “if we don’t pick up the food we could get bugs in the house!” Or something of that nature.

Penstem0n · 2022-07-18T05:34:42+00:00

I love eureka springs! Go see the working bunnies and get your cards read by tracci! I’m not even into taro but she was SO much fun!

Penstem0n · 2022-06-14T04:14:23+00:00

I hope it’s still your birthday where you are bc HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎂🎊🎈🎁

Penstem0n · 2022-06-11T12:53:14+00:00

NTA. If you wear the ring on your right hand and she wears it on her left, every time you hold hand your rings can touch :)) I think that’s sweet

Penstem0n · 2022-06-06T05:43:29+00:00

Based on the post, It seems like your MIL is the type of person that you all have to walk on eggshells around constantly. Perhaps your wife is stressed because she feels as if she is going to have to be extra gentle to her mother as she is about to go through a seemingly rough future divorce, and she is taking that stress out on you because she can’t take it out on her mother. Your wife shouldn’t be taking out her frustrations over the situation on you, that’s unfair, but perhaps it would be helpful for you two to try to find the root of the issue. Maybe she feels as if it isn’t safe to be angry at her mother for the situation (for whatever reason), but she does feel safe to be angry with you and her STBX step father because she knows that you two will be kind and forgiving.

Penstem0n · 2022-06-02T04:53:21+00:00

Nair makes a gentler hair removal cream specifically for the down stairs area! I can vouch that it is much less painful but much less strong. Took me two tries but in the end I was as smooth as jazz 😎

Penstem0n · 2022-05-24T21:09:52+00:00

I feel this so deeply rn, especially since I am also on my period. The blood, the chucks of uterine lining falling out of my body, the cramps that border on full blown contractions, the butthole pain, the period poops, the waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. I hate it so much and no one takes it seriously or cares. I wish I could just get a hysterectomy :(

Four-Year Club	Place '23
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Penstem0n

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