Conference misery::feline_v1

    I hope you enjoy your new kitty. I give my three cats a combination of
    canned and dry food. For canned food, they receive 9-Lives or Alpo.
    I only buy the varieties with 2.5% ash or less. I aslo feed them 
    premium brand dry foods (Max cat, Proplan, Iams, Triumph). My kitties
    are indoor cats so I have switch to the light kibble. 
    
    The canned food they get twice a day (morning and night), and the
    kibble I leave down all day.
    
    I can't use flea collars so I have no advice for you.
    
                                               alice

    Re .2 - Hi Alice!
    
    I have 5 cats - 4 indoor & 1 outdoor.  I feed canned & dry,
    leaving dry down all day, and feeding the canned twice a day
    at 6:30am & 6:00pm.  Fresh water available at all times, BTW.
    I feed 1 bowl of premium brand dry, and 2 other bowls of quality
    grocery store types, usually Alpo dry, 9-lives dry, etc.  I leave
    so many varieties of dry down because of *fussy* eaters.
    The outdoor cat gets fed different....she only gets fed when she
    is present, as she will get none of the food if it is left out.
    She gets a handful of dry and a can when she arrives. I sometimes
    sit with her *just* to make sure she's getting the food.
    
    Flea collars - useless, IMHO.  A good quality flea powder, and/or
    flea spray plus treatment of the house & yard work well.
    
    Lynne 
    
     

    Welcome to the notesfile and congratulations on your new arrival.
    Here are my opinions based on my seven cats:
    
    What/When to feed?
    
      I feed my crew twice a day with canned food (9-Lives), feed them a
    quality dry food (Hills Science Diet) at night and free feed them
    tender vittles during the day when we are not home.
    
    Flea Collars:
    
      My opinion is I do not like them.  (They stink!!)   I just recently
    purchased a "flea Comb" and love to comb them with that.  They love
    it too...and I do catch some fleas and at the same time it removes
    the lose hair.    In the summer we do give them flea baths with some
    "stuff" my vet gave me.    
    
    Do they know there name??
    
    Well...I agree with Nancy.  I think they all know their name...but
    if they will come is a different story.  My Tamba can be outside
    in the woods and all I need to do is call his name and he trots
    to me just like a dog.  Well the others...will just look at you
    as if to say "ya right".
    
    I hope you get as much enjoyment out of your new furface as I
    enjoy mine.    I love them dearly...they are my kids!   You might
    want to think about a "buddy" for your new baby so he won't be
    lonely when your not around.  There's nothing like two furfaces
    hugging and cleaning each other.  I just love that sight!!
    
    Sandy
    
    
    
                                                          

       Hi Mike, 
      Welcome to the world of the Feline-owned!!
    
      A couple of points...
    
      On the "Preferred cat food"....it depends on who is doing the
    "preferring"---you or the cat. I use Waynes Blue Seal dry or IAms dry,
    and we 'free-feed' this. We also give our 5 "9-Lives" canned, but this
    is only given twice a day---2 cans in the evening, 2 in the morning.
    What they don't eat fairly quickly in the morning, our Yellow Lab
    usually gets. Why she never does this at night is beyond me, but in the
    daylight she usually gets the cat dishes off the countertop and licks
    'em clean!! (Those are the two that we HUMANS "prefer")
      On the other hand, one of my cats would "prefer" to eat nothing but
    "Twinkies" and Entenmanns Oatmeal Cookies. Another would live very
    happily on the ham, chicken or roast beef that he can steal from plates
    or between slices of bread while our backs are turned. Another has a
    ball sneaking up while you are eating breakfast and drinking the milk
    from your cereal bowl... Ice Cream and/or Whiped Cream are universally
    accepted as "Kitty-staples"...
    
    
      We don't let our cats get outside except in a closed in chain-link
    fenced area, and there have been no escape attempts from there as
    yet....but then, if I were being held prisoner on that giant "Bud"
    bottle in the Bermuda Triangle that they show on the T.V. commercial, I
    probably wouldn't be too keen on any escape attempts either. These cats
    NEVER have to get up at 5:00 in the morning and go to work!!
    
      I still get some fleas...but we prefer to have the wrestling matches
    and powder them when they get them. Usually takes aobut 2, 3
    applications per summer to keep 'em down. We use "Zodiac" powder, which
    most good pet stores carry,. (One little trick...the "dog powder" and
    the "cat powder" are identical in ingredients and percentages...but the
    dog powder is cheaper because of volume sold...I checked with my vet on
    this, cause I thought there may be some unpublished differences, and he
    laughed and said that this was common in MANY items that can be used on
    both...but the companies won't TELL you that... This is for ZODIAC
    only...ther MAY be differences in other brands.)  I do not use collars
    because of the acrobatic ability of cats. Climbing around has the
    potential of them catching the collar on something and being injured or
    worse..if you DO use a collar, I'd suggest you try to find a
    "break-away" one of some sort, just in case..
    
      I'm sure you'll enjoy your new addition...we have a blast with
    ours... and with the 10 dogs it really gets to be fun...
    
    JM
      
       

    I'd be a little careful about flea products as some cats can have
    rections to them.  If you do use a flea collar, let it air out
    outside its package for about three days before you put it on the cat,
    and check periodically underneath it on the cat to be sure it isn't
    causing skin problems.
    
    If your baby is in the house, you probably want to get one or more
    scratching posts (tall and weighted enough so they won't tip over and
    scare the cat when he uses it) to protect your furniture.
    
    9 lives (one flavor especially whose name I've forgotten since I
    haven't bought it in a long time (Tuna and chicken?)) tends to
    make my cats throw up.  Apparently they're sensitive to the dye
    or something in it.  I feed mine CD which you can buy from a vet,
    because its balanced and lolw in the things that cause FUS.
    
    you might want to invest in a how to take care of your cat book....
    

	My cats being outdoor/indoors, I can tell you about collars.....
	
	Or - 101 uses for a cat collar!

	They both have them, and I keep them on all year.

	1.You may find they scratch a bit, or are a bit panicky for the first 
	week. Once they are used to them, then keep them on.    

	2. You can get ones with an elastic portion, test the "strechiness",
	if your cat does get caught on something, then the collar will come
	off, over his head.
	
	3. Collars can be "flea collars" not all of them are - check what you
	would like.

	4. You can also get ones that are reflective (flea or ordinary), so 
	your cat can be seen at night - just in case you have a crazy driver 
	in the vecinity.

	4. You can get an address-tag with the collar, so if your cat gets lost,
	the "finder" can contact you. 

	5. I have an electronic cat-flap, there is a small magnet which you can
	put on the collar, and as the cat approaches the flap, it "unlocks" it 
	for them. This stops other cats using the cat-flap. Very useful in the
	spring if you need to keep out any whole males in the area, and still
	let your cats have free run.

	And about responding to names................

	they respond very well to the sound of the tin opener, and the box
	of dried food.	

	they don't respond to - "please stop bringing in crusts/elastic bands/
	...................."
	or to the sound of the cat basket - cat basket = vets.


	I hope you have a wonderful time with your new kitty

	Heather

    Thanks _much_ for all the great feedback!  Sure are alot of
    cat-lovers out there.
    
    Just as an fyi...I took my cat to the vet last Saturday to get "it"
    checked out and found out that it's a neutered male, about 2 years
    old, and in good shape.  Surprisingly he took to the vet quite
    well...the car ride over was the worst part, boy was he crying!
    The vet gave him a rabies and distemper shot as well.
    
    Since I picked him up from an animal shelter, I don't really know
    if he ever had a name before, therefore is there a "preferred" way
    to instill in his brain what I want to respond to?  Like perhaps,
    just repeating over and over again to him the name I choose for him,
    or maybe cat hypnosis 8^)

talk to your boy, using his name often.  Start sentences with his name...
for example, "Bigboy, are you hungry?" will train a cat to understand that
that phrase means food...if you use his name during play...such as, "Bigboy,
wanta play chase-the-string?" he will begin to understand that his name is
the "common" word you are using.  After awhile, you can call him by simply
using his name.  Until he "knows" his name, avoid using nick-names or
"cuddle names" - they will confuse him.  If you name him "Freddy", for instance,
you don't want to call him "fred".

P.S. - the fastest way to associate a cat with his name is to use food...they
learn that REAL quick.

    Sorry, but I've used that method.  Yes, they understand their name
    completely.  But responding to it is another story!  As I say, 
    
    "Dogs come when called, Cats take a message and get back to you."
    
    Good luck with your new baby!!  He sounds wonderful!
    
    Holly
    

of course, I did not mean to imply the cat will always come when called...
when food is in order, they will usually CHECK if it is of a quality to
be considered worthy of their attention, but lest I mislead you....cats don't
come when you want them to - they find us when they need some service or
attention taken care of...sometimes, it happens to be when we call and we
develop illusions that we have some level of control over them....merely
coincidence.

    OK, thanks...I'm just about to open a can of chow for him, so
    I'll use the name I've chosen.
    
    Another question, he climbed up into my waterbed last night and
    started "padding down" the covers before he lay down?  What would 
    that indicate?  He also purrs alot, is that a sign of contintment?

    Padding down is either nest building or a throw back to
    nursing behavior.  Padding down and purring are signs of a happy
    cat.  (This reminds me of when I was first acquired by my first
    cat, who kept rubbing against me and everything else in sight
    to mark us as his property -- I though he was in misery from some skin
    problem and took him to the vet, sigh.)
    
    I hope you have a mattress pad on your water bed so you don't get
    claw leaks.
    

>    I hope you have a mattress pad on your water bed so you don't get
>    claw leaks.
    
as a waterbed owner I would like to second this quite strongly...and learn
to clip your cat's claws on a bi-weekly schedule...and, if he goes outside, be
careful of your waterbed frame becoming a "home" for fleas...they LOVE the
nice warm places like that to breed.  If he stays inside, you can keep
fleas off him much easier than if he wanders free - and I KNOW that the fleas
can become permanent residents in the waterbed frame if not well controlled..
I never completely rid my bed of them until I moved into the current house - 
took down the bed for two months while we moved and I got my room set up.
In our case, we used to have a dog that brought fleas into the house (until I
learned to treat the yard on a regular schedule) and they moved into the
waterbed frame from the felines who slept with me.

    RE: .13 & .14
    
    Yeah, he's been rubbing against _everything_ in my apartment
    so I guess that means he likes the place!
    
    I don't have a pad on my bed at the present time, but tomorrow's
    pay day, so I think I'll invest in one!
    
    On fleas for a minute, I did invest in a good brand flea collar
    so (hopefully) that's keep 'em off him.
    

    .13 - "I though he was in misery from some skin problem and took him to
    the vet, sigh."
    
    That really made me chuckle.  The first day I had Nymets he decided to
    "bury" his food after he was done eating.  Well I thought he had to use
    the litterbox so I scooped him up and put him in the box.  He jumped out. 
    I put him back in.  We went through this a number of times before I
    figured he didn't have to go.  The next day one of my co-workers
    explained what he was doing.  
    
    I would also suggest getting a cat care book.  There are things you
    should know about being a cat owner that you won't learn unless someone
    tells you or you read it.  Very important things like what you can and
    cannot feed them, common household cleaners that can be deadly to them,
    house plants that are dangerous, etc.
    
    Congrats on acquiring your new friend.  It's obvious from your asking
    questions and immediately taking him to the vet to be checked that you
    will be a wonderful Dad.  Did you name him yet?
    
    Terry, Nymets, Hoover & Sidney
    
    P.S.  I feed mine IAMS wet and dry.  
    
     

    here's another dumb thing I did with my first cat -- I didn't have
    the litter box far enough away from his food and water dishes --
    I thought six feet was fine.  Well, he ignored the litter box and
    went elsewhere in the house until the light dawned on me and I moved
    the box to another room;  after that he always used it.  We (I)
    should start a list: Ten dumb things every new cat owner should not
    do....
    

    If you read "The cat who came for Christmas" you'll find a wonderful
    chapter on naming cats.  I've always found it to be a joint effort
    between myself and the cat.  Usually I'll pick names that I think are
    appropriate and the cat lets me know whether or not the name is
    acceptible.  In some cases the cat has been known to tell Jack (my
    husband) its name.  Bob did that and so did Jasmine.  
    
    Occasionally I have decided upon a name without consulting my cat
    and I have been told in no uncertain terms what a mistake that is.
    For example,  I named one of the kittens from Halie's last litter
    "Putiput's Angel Eyes".  HA!  That one should have been named "
    "Putiputs I'm NO Angel"!!!!  She demonstrates that daily!  ;^}
    
    Have fun with your new friend and feel free to ask questions
    any time.  I also think it would be a good idea to invest in a 
    book or two.
    
    Other important things to know include - 
    
    * string, thread, elastics, yarn, embroidery floss etc are VERY VERY 
      dangerous to a cat and should never be left out.  At best it can 
      require surgery, at worst ingesting such things can be fatal.
    
    * when to take the cat to the vets: - if it stops eating, seems
      listless, is running a fever 
      IF the cat stops using the litterbox or goes there frequently 
      without producing urine, or if the urine has blood in it.  
      All of these symptoms indicate a urinary track infection and in 
      the case of a complete blockage, it can be quickly fatal.
    
    
    Nancy DC

things your cat will ingest for no apparent reason:

My cats have swallowed the following:

	wrapping ribbon like that which is used on christmas and birthday
	presents - grosgrain ribbon is particularly tasty - this can kill
	a cat if not detected, so be aware.  Remove all ribbons upon entry
	into the house - keep bows, etc. safely locked away until the
	package has been removed from the house.  I cannot stress this
	strongly enough...Hannah almost required abdominal surgery after
	we stored a package up in the top of a closet - she got to it and
	ate several feet of ribbon.

	photographs - not eating, exactly, but certainly nibbling around
	the edges and licking the surface, causing the photo to stick to
	strange things....I'm sure the chemicals aren't good for the cat,
	and your picture album begins to look very seedy if you don't
	keep the photos away from the felines.

	milk products - not surprising, eh? well, your surprise comes after
	the cat eats/drinks the stuff and gets the worst case of diahrrhea
	that you have EVER SEEN IN YOUR LIFE....Cow/goat/etc. milk is NOT GOOD
	FOR CATS.  At the very least, it will replace food that the cat
	needs for good nutrition....usually, it will make a cat sick and can
	lead to enflamed intestines.  Yes, they will lap up a saucer of milk
	with gusto - but it still isn't good for them.

	as mentioned - rubber bands and string are, of course, potentially
	deadly and the little darlings will snarf them up in a moment...
	did I mention bath soap?  No?  Well, it IS an effective treatment
	for constipation, but then, my cats have never been constipated...
	they will lick bath soap if they can get to it...

	Your cat, of course, will offer up a whole list of NEW things we
	never imagined a cat would eat....looking forward to the data.

    My cats really like Icicles from the Christmas tree.
    
    SueJ

    Shhhhh.... my cats have NEVER thought of trying to eat bath soap!
    So don't you tell them about it, OK?
    
    JFCL will eat anything that remotely looks like food, especially if it
    is "people food" - sunflower seeds, matzohs, grapes, breakfast cereals,
    etc.  Nebula also eats pieces of string (didn't stay down long!) and
    aluminum foil (ditto - whattamess!).  We're real careful about aht
    kinds of non-food we leave where the cats can get at it.  Both of them
    would also eat all the leaves off of my pony-tail palm, if they could
    get at it - that one plant has to stay locked up in the one cat-free
    room of the house.

    Hmm. soap huh..  Happy and Preschie have never eaten soap, but I did
    come home one nite to find that  they had managed to get the cap
    of the toothpaste and had "sampled" some of it. They were
    also covered from head to paw with the stuff..!! YUCH.. 
    We er um "visited" Kitty Kamp that nite.. just to make sure
    they were all right. The "on call vet" chuckled thru the whole
    visit.. They were fine, no upset tummies etc..
    Kate, Happy, and Preschie..

    This reply was very slightly reworded at the request of the moderators.
    My appologies for my mistake.
      Nancy
    
================================================================================
Note 4500.1                         Cat info.                            1 of 22
CRUISE::NDC "Putiput Scottish Folds DTN:297-2313"    80 lines   1-APR-1991 08:04
                             -< My thoughts..... >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Congratulations on your new family member.  You'll have to 
    introduce him/her in note number 2 when you've named him/her.
    
    I think you'll find numerous opinions on each of those questions
    so I'll offer you mine.
    
    - What's the "preferred" tyepe of cat food, dry or the canned stuff?
    
    I feed both.  I also stick to the "premium" cat foods like Iams,
    Hills, Proplan etc.  For Canned I feed Old Mother Hubbard and if
    I run out I'll sometimes supplement with 9-lives and alpo canned.
    
    I believe that if you feed canned alone you miss out on the teeth
    cleaning properties of dry food.  Dry alone can give you a diet 
    too high in calories and potentially too high in ash/magnesium
    which has been implicated in FUS (Feline Urologic Syndrome -
    or Urinary track infections/blockages).  
    
    If you do want to stick to one type of food only then I'd go
    with a dry only diet with PLENTY of fresh water.
    
    - How often should a cat be fed?
    
    I feed my cats twice a day.  Around 5:30am and 5:30 pm.  They get
    canned in the morning and dry in the evening.  I am a breeder and
    I leave food available all the time for the pregnant queens or
    those with kittens and I leave food available all the time for the 
    kittens too.
    
    I have two reasons for not "free feeding" my other cats.  First,  I
    currently have 11 adults (2 kittens and another litter on the way
    any moment).  With that many cats I couldn't tell if someone was
    "off their feed" if I left food out all the time.  Secondly, I have
    two cats that are overweight and if I leave food out all the time
    they'll just eat more.
    
    With one cat you can free feed if you like, but if you think you might
    get more then I'd suggest you feed them twice a day.
    
    - What's the best brand of flea collar?
    
    I assume you intend to let your cat out.  You should know that a flea
    collar will NOT prevent your cat from picking up fleas and bringing
    them into your house.  There are some good notes on handling fleas on
    an on-going basis.  Techniques include regular flea-baths, flea sprays
    and treating the house and yard.  
    
    Even if you keep you cat leashed, as I do, it can still pick up 
    fleas in the yard (sigh).
    
    If you are going to use a flea collar, pick a GOOD brand like Zodiac
    or VetKem.  In general, the supermarket type flea collars and flea
    sprays aren't as effective as the better types found in vet's offices 
    or grooming shops. 
    
    - Should flea collars be worn all year long?
    
    I'll leave that to the folks who have indoor/outdoor cats to answer
    definitively, but I would think it depends on where you live.  In
    a colder climate like New England, the fleas become dormant in the
    winter so you may not need one.  In warmer areas like California,
    fleas are a problem year round.
    
    - Do cats really respond to a "name"
    
    I think ALL cats know their name.  Whether or not they respond to
    it depends on the cat ;^)   I know mine all know their names.
    Bumpy will, however, ignore me. Of course, if I had a name like
    "Bumpy-tail" I'd probably ignore it too.  (I didn't name her)
    The rest of the cats all respond to their names.
    
    I think cats are VERY intelligent and understand a great deal
    of what I say.  Especially things like "Are you hungry?".
    "Want to go out?"  (Mine are leash trained.) etc
    
    They aren't so good a things like "Get out of that plant!!"
    
    Nancy DC
    

    my cats likes to eat nylons.....don't ask me why....I should buy stock
    in the stuff....Everyone once in a while I'll forget to put them away
    and I'll come home and there are holes in the toes......Bummer....
    
    michele

    A few more questions on my newly acquire kitty....which btw, I've named
    Sphinx, 'cause when he sprawls out on the carpet, or the couch, he
    assumes the "stance" of the Great Sphinx in Egypt.
    
    - How do you tell if a cat has a fever?
    
    - I put one of those name brand flea collars on him, and also wrapped
      a piece of electical tape around a portion of the collar, writing in
      permanent ink my home phone number...could the tape be harmful?
    
    - He grooms himself alot, which I guess is a trait of the species.  
      Is there something I should add to his food, on a "regular" basis
      to counteract the possible ingestion of his cat fur?
    
    - There's the possibility that I may be moving soon from a fairly
       urban environment to a more rural scene.  Is there a "recommended"
      method to acclimate cats to new living environments?
    
    - I picked up a package of catnip today, and filled an old sock with
      and (as I speak) he's having one helluva time with it!  Can a cat
      get too "high" of this stuff?
    
    
    I gotta tell ya' this little guy is sure a pleasure to have around!
    
    If only he wouldn't stick his wet nose in my face at 6 o'clock in the
    morning when I'm still sleeping, and having him softly purr "feed me"- 
    "feed me"
    
        8^)
    ....8^) 

    Re: Is there something I should add to his food, on a "regular" basis
          to counteract the possible ingestion of his cat fur?
    
    There are a couple of products you can buy from your
    vet's office (just stop by, don't need an "office visit" to
    do this);  the one I give my babies is Laxatone.  I give each a
    little dab once a week.  Holly loves it and will lick it off my
    finger.  Sweetie and Little Bit don't like it, so I dab it
    on their paw top and they proceed to lick it off to clean themselves.
    

If you can get Sphinx accustomed to being brushed, this can help reduce how much
fur he swallows.  (I think it's inevitable he will swallow some.)

As for the tape, I'd feel sort of uncomfortable about it, but maybe I'm worrying
too much.  Anyway, I would go buy him some Hartz Bizzy Balls (package of three
for $1.29 or so).  On the back there should be a form you can use to order a
name tag that hangs on his collar.  (You see, when he gets upset because he has
a name tag on his collar, you can distract him with the bizzy balls :-)

Glad he's enjoying the catnip ... I don't think he'll do any harm to himself.
Usually by the time they're at the point of overdoing it, they don't have the
coordination to keep doing :-) :-)

My favorite catnip story:  One day I bought some "top notch, premium quality"
catnip mice and gave one each to Mickie and Winchester.  Well, they were in
kitty heaven about this! :-)  After about ten minutes of each playing with a
mouse, they decided it was time to play-fight.  So, they started from opposite
ends of the room and ran toward each other.  When they got to the middle, they
both raised a front paw to swat one another.  The problem was that they weren't
in any condition to balance on less than four paws :-)  They both fell on their
sides, and then they just lay there for a while like sleepy drunks :-)

                                           - Ken

    Boston Pet also has order forms for tags etc.  I dont' think the
    tape will do any harm unless it starts to come off.  The only
    effect I can think of is that it will decrease the effectiveness
    of the collar because you are covering up some of it.  no biggie.
      Nancy

    RE: .28
    
    What/where is Boston Pet?

    Boston Pet is a chain of pet stores.  I know there is one in
    Waltham.  Perhaps if you call them they can tell you where
    there are other stores.  You have to go into the store to
    place the order for the tag.  Else I'd just pick up an
    order form for you.  
      Nancy DC

    I always enjoy reading notes about new babies...brings back such
    memories.
    
    I have a question out there which was briefly mentioned in the
    beginning of this note - and that is with regards to kneading and 
    purring.
    
    Otis only purrs at 3:38 a.m. when he wants something to eat.  He'll
    'bump' his head against mine and purr and I pour a bag of Tender
    Vittles in a bowl by my bed (which he chomps on) and then goes back to
    sleep for another 2 hours until I have to get up).  He has NEVER 
    kneaded anything.  He follows me everywhere and will rub against my
    ankles and when I sit down to eat or read the paper he will lay on
    my feet - but he's just not verbal.
    
    I often wondered about the lack of purring - and just thought perhaps 
    he wasn't the cuddly (lap cat) kind of cat that I was used to living 
    with  - but then I began to wonder if something was wrong with him.  
    
    Has anyone had a cat that never kneaded only purrs for about 3 minutes
    once a day?
    
    M
    

    
    Re:  Don't worry.  Bailey hardly ever kneads any more and he purrs for
    about the same length of time that Otis does in the morning and then in
    the evening and in between if I groom him. He's content to be near me or
    next to me and usually doesn't sit on my lap unlesss I am grooming him.
    He meows once a day when I get home from work and that is it.  He does 
    however run around and squeal like a pig when he gets and occasional
    burst of energy and it is pretty funny to watch.  He is just not a
    verbal cat which if A-O.K. with me!

    out of my seven...I have a couple that purr up a storm, one that loves
    to give head butts, two that chirp like a bird (this is not a purr),
    one that purrs with a growl, and one that is lovey but won't purr.
    
    Oops...I also have three that kneads on any afghan!!!
    
    Different personalities!!!!
    
    Sandy

    RE: .30
    
    I called the Boston Pet in Waltham, and they suggested the closest
    one to Westboro/Marlboro area was the one at the "Fair" in Millbury.
    Which I visited yesterday, and ordered a ID tag from them.  Cost me
    $5.00

    Glad Boston Pet was able to help  :^)

RE: Note 4500.31 by CSSE::MANDERSON 

> Has anyone had a cat that never kneaded only purrs for about 3 minutes
> once a day?
    
My Daisy is a fairly unaffectionate cat; she's in an affectionate
mood if she doesn't walk away when I try to pet her.  What I've
noticed is that she does purr sometimes, but I can't hear it. If
I put a finger on her throat, I can feel the purr but I can't hear
it.  You may find the same thing with your cats.

In addition, my male cats, who are very affectionate and purr enough
to shake the rafters, don't knead me.  They do lie on their sides
and make kneading motions in the air when I rub their bellies, but
they have never kneaded me.  I have a very old, moldy sheepskin rug
whose sole purpose is to be kneaded by Daisy.  She walks up to it
in a very business-like manner and starts to knead on it for long
periods of time.  But she doesn't knead me and she doesn't do it
on this poor sheepskin as an expression of affection or contentment.

Pam

    Isis purrs very very softly and so does Dundee.  For the longest
    time I thought Dundee was very unhappy because he never seemed
    to purr.  
      Nancy

    My new kitten, Callie shakes the house!! I can hear her purrrrrring
    from across the room! She's so cute, too...I love a kitty that just
    looks at you & starts it's motor running! ;*)
    
    Tabitha has a real soft purrrrrrrr, tho. It's hard to tell when she's
    purring, but you can tell by the "hi eyes" she gives that she's just as
    content as can be!!
    
    Bon

    
    My Jasmine never purred when she was a kitten.  Just recently has
    she started to purr.  It is very soft though.  I love it when she 
    kneads!  She gets this look on her face like she's in a trance.
    
    Michele & Jasmine  %^) 

Hannah purrs....it is just so quiet that you cannot hear it unless you are
holding her chest right to your ear....a position that Hannah discourages.

You cat may very well be purring away and just not making the normally expected
level of noise.

    If Rusty is purring, you know because the whole house is
    shaking! :-)   
    
    But, if his brother, Pepper, is purring, you have to get
    really close to hear him.
                 
    Lynne

    When our little Ebony was a kitten, she had the biggest
    purrr I'd ever heard!  You could definitely feel it in
    the floor if she was lying down...
    
    These days she hardly ever purrs, and when she does it's
    a soft little purling...
    
    --jim