Static cats

[Sweetie's Mom]

3 of my 4 cats have static in their coats to the point where every time I touch them sparks fly. Doesn't seem to bother the cats but it bothers me. Does anyone know what to do for this?

Thanks!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

The most obvious is to get a humidifier, but that might not necessarily be the cheapest. I think others here have rubbed dryer sheets on their kitties and I know they have other methods, but I can't think of them right now.

We don't have it too bad. Just now and then when it's really dry Tubby will get a shock on his nose when he comes over and sniffs at me. I don't like it because it seems to startle him, but he really doesn't seem to mind because he gets shock, pauses for a fraction of a millisecond, then continues sniffing. :D

[Sweetie's Mom]

It's pretty dry in Phoenix most of the time so maybe a humidifier would be a good investment. My vet is no help at all. She just says well, yeah, that's what living in the desert will do. . . .

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I agree, if you're in Phoenix I would get a humidifier.

We recently went to Denver, which isn't as dry as Phoenix but is still dry, and the first day I'm there I can just about feel my skin drying out and starting to crack. I really have to slather on the moisterizer otherwise I'd be just one big flake of dry skin while I'm there. I don't know how you do it in Phoenix without a humidifier. ;) :D

[Sweetie's Mom]

Well, we have evap cooling out here also and that's awful. It keeps everything wet -- furniture, floors, pets, people, etc. There aren't many people here who use humidifiers unless they need them for medical reasons because they're icky to use. They also make noise. I had one and it freaked the cats out because of the noise. Since it was a $300 humidifier, we put it away and never thought to use one again.

I wish I could find a magic dust to sprinkle on them so they'd be static proof.

[Prairie Purrs]

Originally posted by Sweetie's Mom
Well, we have evap cooling out here also and that's awful. It keeps everything wet -- furniture, floors, pets, people, etc.

Really? I use a small evaporative cooler on wheels that I move from room to room during the summer, and I couldn't live without it. Of course, it's possible that I don't notice any undue wetness because I grew up in Illinois, Land of Humidity. :D

[Sweetie's Mom]

I grew up in Chicago, also. That's why I'm in Phoenix now - didn't like the humidity at all. All my cats know is the desert so I hesitate to create a different atmosphere for them. I'll give it some thought and see if I can find something that will solve the problem and not freak them out at the same time. Thanks for your input!

[catnapper]

We don't have this problem, but I've heard that if you rub dryer sheets over their fur, it shold sholve the problem.

Plus they'll smell April Fresh!:)

[Sweetie's Mom]

I think that could work as long as they were unscented. Gee, wonder if I can catch them all in order to rub the sheets on them. They're fast little balls o' fur! (I can just see the look my torty will have on her face.) If nothing else, it sure would be entertaining!

[catcrazylady]

We get this problem in the winter when the furnace makes everything so dry. I haven't pulled the humidifier out yet so here is what we do. Take a spray bottle and fill it with water and then pour in a little Downy. I spray a very light mist on the carpet and furniture. It really helps and it has never seemed to bother the cats at all. Smells good too! Hope that might be of some help. :) http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/smile.gif

[stacwase]

Maybe you could spray the Downy on the places where they usually sleep. That might help?

Look on the bright side - when they start getting into mischief you can just stick them to the walls. Hehe just kidding. We used to rub balloons on our heads and use the static to stick them to the walls when we were kids.

[Sweetie's Mom]

Great idea! If the sheets don't work, I'll try the spray bottle. Thanks, you guys. I appreciate the ideas. Is Lucky a tortie? Looks like my Siva who is a tortie. If so, does Lucky have an attitude?

[catcrazylady]

I'm not sure what you call Lucky but I don't think he is a tortie. Here is a better picture of him. Maggie Sue is a tortie and yes she is one oversized furball of attitude!!!

Maggie Sue
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid87/p89c14e0bedb35c3e7fd9ce0e2dcccbae/fa96529f.jpg

Lucky
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid85/p4b83ebce4b0463281c3a946efdd1323c/fabe39c3.jpg

[Sweetie's Mom]

I guess Lucky isn't a tortie. Maggie Sue has the same look in her eyes that Siva gets. Siva is a bit darker tortie with the attitude and "queen of all she surveys" attitude. I love to watch her hiss at the others when they get in her space and she doesn't want them there. She would never hurt any of them. (In fact, she runs when the intent is rougher than she likes.) But she hisses like she wants to do bodily harm to them all! Then she looks at me as if to ask "Think that was ferocious enough, mom?" It's quite entertaining.

[catcrazylady]

Maggie Sue growls like a dog all the time!!! She growls if she wants to eat out of a certain plate and someone else is there. There can be plates of food everywhere but she wants the one that is occupied. She scared poor Pete so bad the other day. I had to laugh at the scene. Pete was casually eating and Maggie walked up beside him. She stood there and stared at him and started growling. Pete's eyes got the size of half dollars and he spit out the piece of food that was in his mouth and took off running!! Maggie, of course, just walked away then. She had proven her point....I AM QUEEN!! She is such a brat! Gotta love her though!

[jenluckenbach]

I hate when I shock the cats. We have a whole house humidifier on the oil burner AND a room humidifier in the bedroom BUT still have static! :eek:

[Sweetie's Mom]

That's too funny. I guess it's their way of reinforcing their royal standing in the house.

Even with the attitude Siva's a good girl. She gets to go outside by herself (the only one of the 4 cats that I let outside) for 30 minutes in the mornings. I tell her to check back in 30 minutes and she's always at the back door in that amount of time. I've told her that if I have to go look for her, she won't be allowed out by herself. We normally would use the harness and leash to take walks together but the weather is so nice here now and I know she just wants to get away from the other 3 for a while so I let her out. So far she comes home every time I call her.

I just wish she'd let me brush her. And I need to trim around her tail a bit as it tends to get a little matted at times. But she sees the scissors in my hand and she takes off. Will Maggie Sue let you groom her?

[catcrazylady]

Maggie loves to be brushed but don't even think about messing with those nails! Geez...it's the only time she growls at me!
There is definitly something about the tortie and it's all about ATTITUDE!
Maggie also goes outside for awhile in the evenings. She usually stays close to home and just lays on the porch for a bit and then comes back in. She is very loving towards me and follows me around and meows until we have a love session. She used to like my husband until he took her to the vet to get fixed. It has been at least 18 months ago and she still has not forgiven him. I am the only one allowed to touch her. She is very gentle, kind and loving towards me. Thank goodness one of us can handle our hefty ball of attitude!

[Sweetie's Mom]

Do all of your cats get along? I have 2 who haven't gotten along for the 6 months I've had them and I wonder if it will ever change. The baby who is 6 months old insists on her kitty love hour every night. She's such a la-di-dah kitty. Her world is the inside of the house and that's it. She's very brave inside but shows no desire to go outside at all although she enjoys sitting in the window watching the birds outside. They're all so great. I guess that's why we can live with their little idiosyncracies and love 'em so much!

[catcrazylady]

I have very little trouble with fights around here. Somebody will have a moody moment now and then. On occasion some fur will fly but they always seem to work it out. The worst is Maggie, of course, and my other girl Stubby. Stubby weighs in at about 5 to 6 pounds and can whip anything that comes along. She and Maggie used to fight all the time. They finally reached some kind of an agreement and just stay out of each others space. If one accidently crosses over they do some slapping and hissing but nothing serious anymore. I'm so glad that settled down.

We have certainly strayed this post way off course!! Anybody checking in now will wonder what happened to static!!:D http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/biggrin.gif

Its nice to get to know your kitties. I'm sure you will find that any problem or situation that you come up with somebody will have some wonderful advice.

[seleste]

There's a product available from Bio-Groom called Anti-Stat spray. It's safe for cats and dogs. Non-oily so you can use it everyday. Just spray in on their coats or on your hands then pet your kitty. It is wonderful. I use it on every single cat I groom, especially this time of year.

[iloverat]

If it's really dry here, I put a bit of water on the brush or comb before I groom Briggs. Otherwise, she'll get a little shock as I brush her. We have enough trouble getting her to let us brush her that I do whatever I can to lessen the agony for her. :D :rolleyes: