Heya! This is my female domestic longhair kitten, she’s approximately 5 months old and I’ve had her for almost 2 months! This is my second time having a pet cat, but the first time where I’m the primary owner (my first cat was a family cat I had while growing up).

I’ve been stroller and harness/leash training her, but I’m really struggling to decipher her body language here when I take her out in the stroller.

For some background, she’s fully used to the harness, only gives minor pushback occasionally when putting it on (wiggles away), and enjoys jumping in and out of her stroller (I keep it inside the house so she could become accustomed to it and can enter and exit freely when she’s playing etc. She really enjoys (I think) walking around outside on her leash, and wants to explore deep into bushes and stuff, but I have her on a short leash, it does not extend or anything, because I don’t want her to go where I cannot reach her. And when I say walking around, I mean staying in the same 15 foot area and slowly sniffing and walking from place to place.

Now onto the dilemma: she gets excited when I ask her if she wants to go for a walk outside, jumps in her stroller and everything, but I seriously cannot tell half the time if she’s enjoying it, just wants to get out and walk around, or is super stressed out and overstimulated. Most of the time she sits/stands on the stroller with 1 or both front paws up to watch things go by. She does not like when I put the stroller cover up (I think) and tries her best to squeeze her head out the sides, so most of the time I keep it open because my hypothesis is she doesn’t like feeling trapped. (?) The problem is, off and on throughout the walk she will try her darndest to get out of the stroller, to the point where I have her strapped in with 2 separate hooks/leashes that are attached to the inside of the stroller, and yet somehow she will literally crawl out of the stroller and HANG from the damn thing!? Like literally hanging by the harness. At first, I figured I’d let her learn the hard way and let her hang on the outside for a few seconds before plopping her back in (it is NOT by the neck, it’s a full body harness) but I kid you not she SLIPPED OUT of the harness that was already pretty damn snug. And on top of that, she will occasionally meow. Like sit and meow and look at me like I’m torturing her. And it sounds so sad, so I feel awful like is she not enjoying this? Should I stop? Please advise 😅

I’ve attached a video mashup of both her sitting in the stroller calmly, and also the meows she does at me.

**edit to add, sometimes she pants too, but I can’t tell if maybe she’s just hot? She’s only done it after we’ve been out for at least 20 minutes and it’s been a hot day both times I’ve seen her pant

I couldn’t leave her there so I brought her home with me. Shelters aren’t picking up so I will have her for another day at least. I’ve never had a cat of my own so I’m looking for advice on how to keep her cozy safe and healthy until she gets looked at. We’re getting food and litter…anything else that’s critical?

UPDATED POST HERE!!

Never been a cat person myself, but I heard about this distribution system? My wife and kids have really taken to it so looks like we may be adopting a cat lol. Only issue is that we are leaving Saturday for a week. Any advice on what to do? My wife wants to take it to the vet to get checked but I'm also weary about spending money on it just for it to be gone when we come back. We do have someone that would be willing to shelter it while we're gone though.

UPDATE: We took Milo (what my kids decided to name him) to the vet, no chip, but they said even though he appears to be in good condition it doesn't show signs of having a previous owner. I posted on a local Facebook group for lost pets, nothing yet. They estimated he's a year old. He got some vaccines, dewormer, now he's chilling. We are going on vacation Saturday for a week and while we're gone he's going to stay with my wife's friend who has experience sheltering cats.

yesterday when i came home one of cats greeted me by screaming when i entered, so far so good. its usually because he wants food, the litterbox is full ... normal cat things. he didnt run to the room where i keep the cat stuff, but to the living room. he has a bed there on top of a low side table, which now lay on the floor. so he ran there and screamed again, when i came in and looked at him, he jumped on the table, lay down, closed his eyes, jumped down onto the floor, screamed and lay there on the back. then stood up and ran around his bed on the floor.

so am i going crazy or did my cat tell me that he fell down from the table while sleeping? did anybody else ever experience something like that?

edit: ok, wow lol i didnt expect such a response. i cant possibly read all of your comments, but thank you for putting me at ease, i really did not know cats can do that. i had cats for my entire life and this is the first time something like this happened. also, thanks for the awards!

I have a 12-year-old cat who generally hates people food. Today I opened up a box of muffins, and I’ve never seen him respond like this before. I spent the entire time eating it having to hold it away from him with his beans in my face, and I feel so bad. Would an elder cat be able to digest part of a muffin?

Hi! My cat is roughly 4months old. Usually when she does this, I hiss and pull my hand away and give her a toy, but when I’m away for a couple hours sometimes I come back and it’s really all she wants to do — what js this behavior? Is she teething or was she weaned too quickly maybe?

My grey boy is a little over a year old and he is overly aggressive, I feel, with my almost 9 year old female tortie. He is heftier than her too. They will get into these tumble scuffles at like 3am too almost every morning and I end up having to place him in the bathroom to cool off for a couple hours before I bring him back out.

My wife and I are heartbroken and need an honest perspective before we make a final decision today. We’ve had our 4-year-old cat, Cookies, for three years. He has always been a sweet, calm lap cat, but since bringing our newborn daughter home eight weeks ago, he has developed stress-related inappropriate urination, specifically marking walls when I return from work.

The situation is complicated by the fact that our daughter has a medical condition requiring a strictly clean environment. While Cookies is affectionate with us, he has an established aversion to children, often hissing or swiping at our guests' kids when they get close. Our vet confirmed this is entirely behavioral stress and warned that his dislike of children likely won't change.

We’ve tried enzyme cleaners and pheromone diffusers, but with a medically fragile infant and significant professional pressure, we have zero bandwidth left for a complex behavioral overhaul. We love him deeply, but he is clearly miserable, and we are at our limit. We have a surrender appointment today at a reputable no-kill shelter. Are we making the right call for his well-being and our daughter’s health, or is there something we haven’t considered?

-- update 1

Update: Thank you all so much for your advice and perspective. When it came down to it, I just couldn't bring myself to surrender him today. To answer a few common questions: the very first thing we did was reach out to family and friends, but unfortunately, no one is able to take him, even temporarily. After reading through all your comments, we've decided to cancel the appointment, give Cookies a bit more time, and look into trying Prozac to see if it can help stabilize things. We know it's going to be a tough road ahead, but we aren't ready to give up on him just yet. Thank you again for the support.

-- update 2/context

I wanted to provide some extra context and answer a few common questions from the comments. First, we live in the DFW area in Texas, and yes, Cookies is neutered. Our history with him goes back to when we used to cat-sit him for a close friend. Eventually, that friend started dating someone who was severely allergic to cats. I told him he should probably just dump her (just kidding, they’re engaged now!), but my wife and I couldn't bear the thought of Cookies going to a shelter. We took him in, even though we were living in a tiny apartment at the time and had to vacuum multiple times a day just to manage the litter. In fact, when we moved into our current apartment, we specifically chose this floor plan with Cookies in mind—making sure it had a massive laundry room just to comfortably fit his litter box and setups.

Fast forward to today: having a newborn is overwhelming, and I honestly stopped having the time to play with him like I used to. That’s when the subtle signs started. He stopped grooming himself as thoroughly and left a couple of poop stains on our bed. Because we place our baby girl on the bed constantly, we had to make the tough call to lock him out of our bedroom. At the time, I didn't realize he was deeply stressed; I mistakenly thought he was just unhappy with his litter box. Hoping to fix it, I bought him a brand-new one, which ironically seems to have triggered even more stress and started the territorial spraying. Now, the routine is heartbreaking. I come home completely exhausted, play with him for a few minutes, and head into the bedroom to change and see my daughter—only to walk out to the smell of fresh urine. It started as a once-a-day occurrence, but it has now escalated to 4 or 5 times a day. We are dealing with a massive accumulation of stress on both sides, which is why we reached our breaking point today.

hello! this is my cat peel, he is the most beautiful thing on earth. i take him on walks (in my yard) regularly using a wrap-around harness, he loves it and theres never been issues. today a car pulled into our driveway, a friend that i didnt know would be coming over, and the sound scared peel so he ran into a big cluster of bushes to hide. in his frantic flee he completely pulled out of his harness, and i rushed to grab him but he was so scared and was squirming and scratching me, so for a moment i scruffed him so he'd stop struggling and i could pick him up and take him back inside

im worried that i damaged our relationship, or his trust in me. it was only for a second or two, just enough time to pick him up and secure him. i feel bad that he was even in the situation, i feel horrible that the car scared him so badly, and that i had to scruff him

do you think it will all be okay? i dont want him to think i purposely scared him or hurt him or anything like that

he doesnt seem injured, he's walking just fine and i checked to make sure his neck wasnt hurting too. does he need a vet just in case? im sorry, i love him and he is my best friend and im just worried. please let me know

edit: thank you all so much for the kind words and reassurance and advice regarding my sweet boy !!! as a pet parent the anxiety can get to you too much sometimes😭 after the incident, he seemed to keep his distance from me for a little while, but it didnt take too long for him to return to his normal, loving, clingy self :)) he's asleep next to me as im typing this! he has also received lots of extra pats and treats as well

a specific comment mentioned having him in a more controlled environment outside, like a screened in porch or catio, so he can still have fun outside but if he gets scared he cant get lost or hurt, and he can hopefully get desensitized to the scary sounds with time. that was very smart and im going to look into building him a catio now :)) AND i'll look into a better harness too, in the mean time!! thank you so much again everyone !! 🧡

Genuinely at a loss here. I have 2 cats. They are both about 6 months old. The other day I thought it would be fun to put some cat tv on for them. you know, there's like youtube channels of things moving fast, ants, toys, fish, etc. in order to attract cats

One cat was mildly entertained. My other cat got fucking addicted. She sat beside the tv and would not move for anything. Eyes completely fixated on whatever was coming up next. ok, cute. TV off now kitties!

Cat would not move. she sat there staring at the blank screen for who knows how long.

Now she sits on that spot on the table by the tv constantly. she basically only goes down to poop and eat. All other hours of the day, she's waiting for Cat TV.

It's been about a week. she used to play with her sister, she used to aggressively chase toys. She has lost all interest. Even as I type this, she has once again just climbed up to her spot. Her sister wants to play, and she's just ignoring her now. it's breaking my heart. is this just a waiting game? Will she ever forget about the goddamn youtube shit?

Hello, first time cat owner.

When I got out of the bathroom and went to pet him, he started biting me.

He was playing with his toy right before I started petting him, so that’s why I’m confused. He also doesn’t really bite down fully, it’s more like he rests his teeth on my skin. It feels sharp, but it doesn’t really hurt.

His ears are also turned to the side and I know that’s something they usually do when they fight.

Is this something I should be worried about? This isn’t the first time he’s done it, but it’s the first time I’ve been able to get it on video.

I finally convinced him to let me do a trial period with his beautiful baby. And it took a lot of convincing for that to happen as he was so against cats. The cat loves him more than me (of course) and he will play with the cat and the cat to play with him. I vacuum every day, have a nice e litter, and use the oder sprays. I try everything in the book to combat the cat hair ! Even with all the effort that he sees me putting in he still says “Oh we’re gonna give him back at the end of the week, right?” He works long hours and I’m home alone a lot which is why I would want a cute furry friend.

(Edit) - I didn’t really expect this post go off as much as it did! I barely have anyone comment on anything I post lol.

-I have a full time well paying job
-I used to have dogs my whole life, the oldest one lived till 21
-I used natural cat safe cleaning stuff
-Yes I have saving on my own end
- I’m not 21 (so please stop dming me asking if I’m in collage with a 35yrs bum bf)
-Sorry if I phased it weird, English isn’t my first language
- I hate the term “ trial period “ because the organization found him from makes everyone do it to make sure they are a good fit. No I didn’t adopt him.

UPDATE IN THE COMMENTS
https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/WfwiwSxNSz

He does this a lot. Starts chewing the air around. Here he is with a (fake) plant.

Hi!! apologies for my bad grammar. this is Homelander. he’s a stray cat i got about 2 weeks ago i pretty much got him up to date with everything vet related he also has toys & food. he’s pretty chill and likes to play he usually is sleeping on my neck and shoulders when i wake up. if he’s not running around the apartment he is sleeping on chairs,couches. He likes cuddles. he lets me carry him like a baby all the time and i showered him once (i just needed to get the dirt from his body since he was a stray he was all muddy) he also lets me groom him with no problems (cut his nails, brush his hair) I guess my question is more what can i do to let him know he’s loved and cared for?
i sometimes think about what to do to convey that message because he was a stray cat. Any advice or recommendations? Am i doing a good job??

Update: wow i did not expect so many replies and it truly has made my day Homelander is the best cat ever he’s truly super chill and just overall a loveable goofball i’m glad to know i’m doing well by him and i will try all the advice y’all have given me i will be sharing updates and new photos of the handsome boy on the comments soon.

2nd Update: took the bell off.

Hi everyone. This is my cat, Fish. She is the sweetest cuddliest girl, although she sometimes has an issue smacking hands etc but she’s a rescue so could be past issues who knows. Anyways, she is absolutely obsessed with me.

She is by my side 24/7, I’m in the kitchen? She has her own stool she sits on. Living room? Laying on me. Bed? Sleeping on my face. Bathroom? On my lap! Just walking around doing chores? Guarantee she is so close behind me I might accidentally step on her. I obviously love her to death and embrace the cuddles but I get worried sometimes she has separation anxiety. I also work 2 jobs and don’t always get to be home with my cats all day to play with them.

Fish has LOTSSSS of energy. I try and make sure I get her running around daily so she isn’t bored + I haven’t found any other animals that really like her, even my other cat. They’ll play together once in awhile and can be near each other but aren’t “buds” I’d say. Sometimes if I don’t play with her right when I get home she will sit infront of me and meow for over 30 minutes until I pick her up and hold her or run around the house playing with her toys and wear her out. But even after that she’s right back at the meowing a couple hours later. It’s even worse when me and my boyfriend are at my house, she goes CRAZY with the meowing and trying to climb up our legs. It can be extremely frustrating sometimes cause I don’t know how to keep her entertained enough and I want to make sure she’s happy

I just want her to feel content and loved! Even as I write this she is scream-meowing at me and attempting to smack things off my coffee table to get my attention. Suggestions?

Edit: sorry if I didn’t make it obvious but I have another cat, fish is my second cat!

It's a small stitch on the side. I'm assuming she got spayed, but isn't that usually on the abdomen?

Additional info: she doesn't have any ear snips/punches. No tattoos. My town does like a free spaying and neutering for pet owners. I guess she wondered into one of those by accident and just got one done?

My roommate bought another kitten a few years ago, and my kitty really bonded to her. I'm moving away, and I'm worried my cat will be upset that she lost her buddy.

How will I know if she's upset or just adjusting to the new home? Should I get her another kitten, and if so, how long should I wait before adopting?

EDIT 7: OK, finally was able to get my post up. Here's the update with photos.
https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1td5abq/kittens_in_storm_drain_successfully_rescued/

EDIT 6: Hi all, I'm trying to post an update but the sub only allows 1 submission every 24 hours. I should hit that in just a few more hours. I'll post something asap with photos.

EDIT 5: Thank you, citizens of the Internet for all of the support, ideas, and prayers. I haven't had a bite to eat all day and will try my best to respond, but it may take me a little while to catch up. Faith in humanity restored.

EDIT 4: We got 'em out!! Jeremy, a Field Supervisor from Roto Rooter, volunteered and responded to the call. Thank goodness for his kind heart. He went straight to work. Took 3 adults to coordinate to shepherd 2 little kittens out 😃 There was 1 tiny female and 1 bigger guy. If it wasn't for the yelps of the big guy, we wouldn't have known they were down there. I will post a more comprehensive update once I have a chance to get all the photos/videos and take care of life that was on pause.

EDIT 3: Wow, thanks everyone for sending the love and support. We have a plumber who is coming onsite within the hour (he is passionate about cats). He has some specialized gear, scopes, etc. Heading to the store to pick up some tuna, fish oils, and more. We are going to try and start blocking off paths in the drains once we confirm there is no cat in order to reduce where it's running around.

EDIT 2: Calling a plumber. Turns out Roto Rooter has a free pet rescue service. Will update once we get that plan in motion. Dispatch is on it and we are waiting for a call back.

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the ideas. The local fire fighters came within minutes of calling them and the three of them tried for about 30 min, but no luck. They were really kind and helpful and I could tell everyone was frustrated by the situation. This poor cat's natural instincts for survival are working against it 😞.

--------------------

Really hoping the Internet can come to the rescue. We discovered some feral kittens in our backyard and my wife heard a meowing sound coming from the storm drain. This morning, we saw the small kittens face looking up at us from the pipe, so I can confirm it's alive.

I am trying to get it out, but it's too timid and keeps running away. It's in a 4" PVC pipe which I can get my arm into, but then it turns hard right at a 90 degree angle. It's been down there for 2 days and we hear it meowing back at us when we play a video of a mom cat calling her kittens.

I've duct taped a towel (as shown in the pics) in the hopes it will try to climb out. I also put cat food down there and will every now and then pour a little water there too. I also soaked some of the cat food in hot water and put it down the pipe, in the hopes the aroma will draw it back out. My plan is to use my BBQ tongs to grab it if ever shows up again.

Thoughts internet? 🥹 Sorry, don't know if this is the place to post or not. We aren't cat people, so have no prior experience with this kind of thing.

Okay so for some context my family and friends have been making fun of my son! He’s a beautiful handsome boy. If anything he’s just big boned.. Reddit please help sort out this debate that’s been going on for far too long.

Edit/UPDATE: Wow I really didn’t expect this to blow up like it did. Y’all came out of the woodwork on this one lol. Thank you for the awards! Wasn’t expecting that at all and it was kinda fun to see. Also, please be patient with me, it’s hard going through every comment. I’m trying my best to read them all, especially since some have given me/household very solid advice and it’s greatly appreciated💕

Also more about the boy in question, his name is Leonardo DiCatio we call him Leo for short.

Much love, will provide a proper update soon. Thanks again!

A few weeks ago me and my boyfriend adopted a 2/yo female tuxedo cat from a local shelter and besides being a bit mischievous and getting into food she has been a fantastic cat and the light of my life.

My ONLY thing is her name.

For a bit of backstory, the day we got her everything that could go wrong did go wrong. We got kitten food on accident instead of adult food, the adoption process took us SEVERAL hours, many family members had quite a mouthful to say about us getting a pet, and I was now stressing about her getting along with the other pets due to what everyone was insinuating to us. when all was said and done we didn’t get her home until nearly 1am.

Everything went perfectly smooth and she settled right in as a happy and healthy girl, but I was so wiped from the day that I didn’t put up ANY fight on her name which I absolutely hate. In the 3 seconds I left her quarantine room she knocked over an Audi HotWheels and my boyfriend was insisting we call her Audi. I immediately said no. After about 15 minutes I just kinda gave up and said we can do Audie, but we pronounce it Aw-Dee.

Everyday I regret not putting up a better fight for a different and better name because I just DESPISE her name being a MISPRONOUNCED car brand. I’ve expressed this to him multiple times but he loves the name and since it’s already set with all her paperwork, vet office, microchip, tag and she actively responds to it that it’s too late to change.

I know it’s really not that deep but I genuinely

hate her name so much but it bothers to my core😭

she’ll just randomly do this when we’re chilling sometimes. I think it’s play but like what’s going on in her little head?

Posted this video that I thought was cute and was called a bad owner. I’d like to know why this makes me a bad owner? I’d like to learn and grow. The cat seems to enjoy playing with the pup bc she always comes back and starts the play and likes the high ground.

i truly cannot believe this is my life and i need to talk about and show her off 🥹

yesterday i was going for run at my usual trail and as soon as i pulled over i noticed a tiny cat laying on the side of the road (pic 2). i immediately went up to her slowly and weirdly enough she didn’t run away at all. i followed her for a bit and she even let me pet her. i eventually got close enough to grab her but she freaked out and after following her a bit more (and having a near panic attack when she was in the road as a car was coming), i decided to buy cat food and come back to hopefully lure her in (it was obvious she was hunting for food). i found her again RIGHT away and the poor baby was SO hungry. after about 30-45 minutes of luring her, 1 failed attempt, help from a nice random guy, and multiple scratches, we finally got her in my car! she freaked out for a couple seconds in there but then calmed down and sat on the back dashboard.

i took her straight to the vet because 1. i had no idea what i was supposed to do and 2. she looked to be in rough shape. her claws & ears looked messed up, she had a bald patch on her chest, and had a bunch of ticks. the vet gave me a carrier and recommended me to pull my car in my garage and let her roam for a bit and to give them a call once she settles. after a couple hours of hiding in my garage (she loved laying under my dads toolbox), i was able to get her out, in the carrier, and brought her up to spend the night in my bathroom.

i still can’t believe how fast she warmed up. i found her at 11am, got her in my car at 12pm, letting me pet her all over by 4pm, got her upstairs at 5:30, and by 7 she was so cuddly and affectionate. she started purring and meowing and rubbing up against me i wanted to cry 😭 she’s a flopper!!! i love cat flops so much!! she used her litter box and by 10pm she was meowing to greet me and was VERY vocal about being let out of the bathroom lol. i had to put treats in her bowl so i could sneak out.

she had a vet appt today at 10 and not only is she the chillest, sweetest cat ever, she’s healthy!! i thought she was pregnant because her belly is big, but the vet said that’s from milk and she had kittens recently. i followed her to her little shelter that she stayed in and there were definitely no kittens there. vet thinks that because she’s so small (only 6 pounds!!) and young (around a year old), the kittens didn’t make it; which is sad, but i can’t help to feel a little relieved that there aren’t more stray, scared little babies roaming around outside :,(

truly i cannot believe this is my life. she is the sweetest thing ever. she loves belly rubs and is so affectionate. i felt like a monster taking her but i’m so happy and relieved. she’s so chill. she literally slept in the car!!!

anyways, done with the yapping. idc if no one reads this i need to tell anyone and everyone that will listen that this is my baby <3

ADVICE/SUGGESTIONS: anything is welcome. although this is my first cat, i did live with one for a couple months when my roommate got one before i moved out (she’s still my best friend and he’s still my baby and i miss him dearly) so i’m not going in entirely blind. i am worried about discomfort from the milk. the vet wasn’t worried and said it would dry up, but she grooms that spot the most which worries me that she’s in some sort of pain or discomfort, though she does love belly rubs and i think if she was in pain she wouldn’t want me touching it? also i would like to give her a little bath this sunday (if that’s recommended for a stray) so tips for that as well!

and while my dog lives primarily at my moms and i live primarily at my dads, any tips for introduction would be appreciated. i’m a little nervous for that but honestly not too worried because if they end up not getting along at all it won’t be hard to keep them separated when my dog stays at my dads

thank you to anyone who might have read this, so happy this is my life now 🥹

EDIT: since a lot of people are (rightfully) asking, thought i’d put it here that she does have a spay appt! she has appointments in 3 weeks and 3 months, one for a feline HIV retest for a very faint late positive she had today which the vet thinks is probably false but wants to retest just to be safe, and then the other is to get spayed. i don’t remember which is which

edit 5/6: i’m not responding or reading any more comments because the popularity of this makes me very anxious haha but to anyone yelling every which way about how i left kittens for dead and i took their mother away: THERE ARE NO KITTENS. i looked everywhere over multiple days. my cat is happy and doing great. she went to the vet again two days ago because i let comments get to me and i was reassured by the vet (after another exam and ultrasound) that she is not pregnant, she is happy, and that there is such a low chance she even gave birth to live kittens and the fact that i found nothing is a pretty big indicator of that. it’s not uncommon for cats to eat their kittens who didn’t make it. i wanted to give an update for the nice, genuinely concerned people out there. for the ones who decided to make immediate rude, unfair, and flat out wrong assumptions, i hope you sleep as bad as i did that second night with her because instead of feeling excited and happy i saved her, i felt an incomprehensible amount of guilt that i took her away from her kittens and i was wrong. i wasn’t wrong and there are no kittens. your comments will be shouted into the void because i will not be reading them. go donate to the spca and adopt a kitten instead of bashing a rando online. thanks :)