[JenBurdoo] NOT an advantage, mind you...

[JenBurdoo]

My cat, Rupert, rarely cleans himself as cats normally do. Yet this inability is actually useful to me and helps me deal with one of Rupert's other problems. How?

[klondike mary]

Is Rupert's problem physical or psychological?

[JenBurdoo]

Is Rupert's problem physical or psychological? Both are relevant, but I think it'd be normally classed as physical.

[klondike mary]

Is Rupert a FAM or a FAF? I(I know Rupert is a male name, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.) Relevant? Breed (if any) relevant?
My son has a bad-tempered polydactyl cat. Is R polpactyl? Is he (assuming 'he') missing something or does he have too much of something?

[JenBurdoo]

Is Rupert a FAM or a FAF? I(I know Rupert is a male name, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.) FAM. Relevant? No. Breed (if any) relevant? No.
My son has a bad-tempered polydactyl cat. Is R polydactyl? No. Is he (assuming 'he') missing something or does he have too much of something? Physically speaking, neither.

[Earnest]

Does he try to clean himself in some other way? If so exploiting some surface/object?
Is he allergic to something? Does he relevantly clean more often than other cats?
Is Rupert's other problem connected to: sight? Fear? Food? sleep?
Does he need medicines? Pills? Is the veterinary helped too by the way Rupert clean himself? Are little kittens relevant? IS Rupert the only ne cat you have? Is he old? Young? Relevant? Is he sterilized? Relevant? Inflammations relevant?

helps me deal with one of Rupert's other problems --> in the sense he avoids to do something that otherwise would require you to pay attention? Or maybe in the sense that he naturally helps himself by cleaning in a different way than other cats? Does he relevantly play with toys? scratch? Relevant his race? Relevant where you live? (E.g. you live in an apartment and he like to go on the window risking his life) Meowing relevant? Mirrors relevant? Is the problem of Rupert related to way he clean himself? Had he cleaned as other cats do, would he have had the other problem?

Does it help you in the moment in which he cleans himself with the other problem? Soon after? Before? In another moment? E.g. when he cleans himself he leaves spots on his skin or somewhere else...

[JenBurdoo]

Does he try to clean himself in some other way? If so exploiting some surface/object? No to both.
Is he allergic to something? Does he relevantly clean more often than other cats? No to both.
Is Rupert's other problem connected to: sight? Fear? Food? sleep? No to all.
Does he need medicines? Pills? This. Is the veterinary helped too by the way Rupert clean himself? No. Are little kittens relevant? IS Rupert the only ne cat you have? Is he old? Young? Relevant? Is he sterilized? Relevant? Inflammations relevant? All else irrelevant.

helps me deal with one of Rupert's other problems --> in the sense he avoids to do something that otherwise would require you to pay attention? No. Or maybe in the sense that he naturally helps himself by cleaning in a different way than other cats? No. Does he relevantly play with toys? scratch? Relevant his race? Relevant where you live? (E.g. you live in an apartment and he like to go on the window risking his life) Meowing relevant? Mirrors relevant? All else irrelevant. Is the problem of Rupert related to way he clean himself? No. Had he cleaned as other cats do, would he have had the other problem? Yes.

Does it help you in the moment in which he cleans himself with the other problem? No. Soon after? Before? In another moment? E.g. when he cleans himself he leaves spots on his skin or somewhere else... To be clear, it is that he doesn't clean himself that helps me.

[Earnest]

Does it help you giving pills to him? Does he need to take one pill per day? Two pills? More? Relevant?
Is it relevant which is the specific problem of Rupert? Does he clean himself at all? Rarely? Taste of the pill relevant? Swallowing the pill relevant? Had he cleaned himself normally would you be able to give him the pill? Anything related with fur? Skin? Eyes? Hears? Digestion? Incontinence? Throwing up? Breathing? Swallowing?

Do you serve the pill with food? Can the pill be dissolved in water/other liquid? Do you need to relevantly clean Rupert? Can the pill be absorbed? Is the pill to be swallowed? Shape of the pill(s) relevant?

By not cleaning himself, does he avoid to touch relevant body parts? To smell something? Would he need to clean more often than other cats? If so, due to his disease?

[trebor]

Does Rupert have a diagnosed mental condition? Is he just...uh...kind of dumb? Is he quite the opposite, and rather smart?

Does him not grooming himself result in there being more hair around the house? Fewer hairballs? Does he have an issue with his mouth/jaw? Neck? Front legs? Back legs? Tail? Spine? Stomach? Digestion issue? Upper half of his body? Lower half?

[JenBurdoo]

Does it help you giving pills to him? Yope. Does he need to take one pill per day? Two pills? This. More? Relevant? An aspect of this is relevant.
Is it relevant which is the specific problem of Rupert? Yes. Does he clean himself at all? Rarely? This. Assume not at all for purposes of the puzzle. Taste of the pill relevant? Swallowing the pill relevant? Had he cleaned himself normally would you be able to give him the pill? Yes, but... Anything related with fur? Skin? Eyes? Hears? Digestion? Incontinence? Occurs relevantly when not medicated. Throwing up? Breathing? Swallowing? None of the others.

Do you serve the pill with food? Can the pill be dissolved in water/other liquid? Do you need to relevantly clean Rupert? Can the pill be absorbed? Is the pill to be swallowed? Shape of the pill(s) relevant? None relevant. Assume an ordinary pill stuffed down his throat, at high risk to the owner's skin and flesh, as other cat owners here will be aware.

By not cleaning himself, does he avoid to touch relevant body parts? To smell something? Would he need to clean more often than other cats? If so, due to his disease? Rupert rarely cleans himself, but on the occasions he does, he does it generally like other cats. He has undiagnosed mental and physical issues beyond the one relevant to this puzzle, which are probably responsible for his odd behavior.

Does Rupert have a diagnosed mental condition? The diagnosed condition (which is relevant) has elements of both a mental and physical condition. He also has a number of other conditions that are technically undiagnosed because we can't open him up to be sure. Is he just...uh...kind of dumb? Yes, which as noted above is probably due to the other conditions. Is he quite the opposite, and rather smart?

Does him not grooming himself result in there being more hair around the house? Fewer hairballs? Does he have an issue with his mouth/jaw? Mouth. Neck? Front legs? Back legs? Tail? Spine? Stomach? Digestion issue? Upper half of his body? Lower half? None of the rest relevant.

[Earnest]

at high risk to the owner's skin and flesh --> in the sense that the cat could bite you? In another sense? Is it relevant? (sorry I do not own a cat but a dog xD)

Problem with the mouth = does he have teeth? a wound? a scar? mouth which is closed? Can he open his mouth normally? Has he got difficulties?
Do you have to clean him periodically? WAG --> maybe the fact that you have to clean him periodically build up the habit for him o be washed. While washing him, you are then able to open his mouth and put the pills in inside?

[trebor]

Is the relevant disease one that humans can get as well? Does he have cancer? Arthritis? Something wrong with his teeth?

[JenBurdoo]

at high risk to the owner's skin and flesh --> in the sense that the cat could bite you? In another sense? Is it relevant? (sorry I do not own a cat but a dog xD) Not relevant. Getting scratched and/or bitten by a cat while feeding it medicine is a cat-owner meme. Cats really don't like being fed medicine.

Problem with the mouth = does he have teeth? Yes. a wound? a scar? mouth which is closed? No to all. Can he open his mouth normally? Yes. Has he got difficulties? He doesn't.
Do you have to clean him periodically? Irr. WAG --> maybe the fact that you have to clean him periodically build up the habit for him o be washed. While washing him, you are then able to open his mouth and put the pills in inside? No.

Is the relevant disease one that humans can get as well? Yes. I'm not positive I'd call it a disease, though - more a condition, as it can be triggered by many things. Does he have cancer? Arthritis? Something wrong with his teeth? No to the others.

[klondike mary]

Sounds like Rupert has you trained! Is he your only cat at the moment? Your first cat? Have you other pets, such as a dog or budgie? Has he been - errum- fixed?

[JenBurdoo]

Sounds like Rupert has you trained! Is he your only cat at the moment? No, I've got two others. Mostly because of his weirdness, they avoid him, poor thing. Your first cat? Have you other pets, such as a dog or budgie? Has he been - errum- fixed? Yes, irrelevant.

[trebor]

Does he have anxiety? Is he easily frightened?

[Earnest]

Problem with the mouth = making sounds relevant? purring? chewing (i.e. not being able to chew properly)? tongue relevant? licking? whiskers relevant? is he able to close his mouth? Is it more like a psychological condition? hunger stimulus relevant? Does Rupert open his mouth gladly?

Does Rupert have gum disease?
Are the two pills to be taken together? In two different parts of the day? Relevant?

Had he cleaned himself normally would you be able to give him the pill? Yes, but... --> you should have given to him more pills? More frequently? Bigger pills? Different pills? In a different way? With some other medicinal?

Is the fact that he does not clean himself beneficial for the diagnosed mouth disease?
Had he cleaned himself, would he have had hairs on his tongue relevantly? Or maybe bacteria? Is the pill to be taken alone? avoiding interaction with something else? is dust relevant?

[klondike mary]

I know some people who had a diabetic cat, but he was pretty good about taking pills - quite unlike a cat. But you said he does not have a disease, more a 'condition.'
Is R's behavior, in this case, un-catlike? Is he more like a dog? a human? Can humans have this 'condition?'

[JenBurdoo]

Does he have anxiety? Is he easily frightened? Both irr.

Problem with the mouth = making sounds relevant? purring? chewing (i.e. not being able to chew properly)? tongue relevant? licking? Well, he doesn't lick himself much, which is relevant. whiskers relevant? is he able to close his mouth? Is it more like a psychological condition? Might be - he has a lot of issues. hunger stimulus relevant? Does Rupert open his mouth gladly? No to the rest.

Does Rupert have gum disease? No.
Are the two pills to be taken together? In two different parts of the day? Relevant? No.

Had he cleaned himself normally would you be able to give him the pill? Yes, but... --> you should have given to him more pills? More frequently? Bigger pills? Different pills? In a different way? With some other medicinal? No to all.

Is the fact that he does not clean himself beneficial for the diagnosed mouth disease? It's beneficial to me.
Had he cleaned himself, would he have had hairs on his tongue relevantly? Or maybe bacteria? Is the pill to be taken alone? avoiding interaction with something else? is dust relevant? All irr.

I know some people who had a diabetic cat, but he was pretty good about taking pills - quite unlike a cat. But you said he does not have a disease, more a 'condition.'
Is R's behavior, in this case, un-catlike? Is he more like a dog? a human? Can humans have this 'condition?' It is a condition you've heard of, and can occur amongst all species.

[klondike mary]

I note you say the problem is with his mouth, but does he have problems elsewhere also? e.g. with fur/hair? Male pattern baldness? just baldness? Cats sometimes use their paws to wash themselves with. Paw problem?

[JenBurdoo]

I note you say the problem is with his mouth, but does he have problems elsewhere also? e.g. with fur/hair? Male pattern baldness? just baldness? Cats sometimes use their paws to wash themselves with. Paw problem? No.

To be clear, he has two relevant problems - one critical that is found in many species including humans, and requires me to medicate him, and the other something to do with his mouth and the fact he doesn't clean himself.

He has many other problems, presumably all related, but irrelevant to the puzzle.

[klondike mary]

I know humans don't get hairballs (we don't do we?), but is one of his conditions digestive?
Cats get hairballs b/c they lick themselves. Is this the advantage?

[JenBurdoo]

I know humans don't get hairballs (we don't do we?), but is one of his conditions digestive? No.
Cats get hairballs b/c they lick themselves. Is this the advantage? No. As stated in an earlier puzzle, I'm pleased when he spits up a hairball.

[Earnest]

To be clear, he has two relevant problems - one critical that is found in many species including humans, and requires me to medicate him, and the other something to do with his mouth and the fact he doesn't clean himself.
--> So let's call them p1 and p2 if you agree.

Is p1 conjunctivitis (e.g. he had contaminated saliva and by cleaning himself he would rub the paw against his eyes)? diabetes? Toxoplasmosis? Does p1 occur only if Rupert clean himself? Is cleaning detrimental for Rupert's problem directly? Is it an obstacle for the cure? lines relevant? dandruff?

Symptoms of p1: diarrhea? Vomiting? fever? sneezing? abdominal cramps? dehydration? Poor sight? Feeling pain in a specific body part? Symptoms that present just under particular conditions (e.g. when he comes in contact with dust/certain types of bacteria)? others?

Symptoms of p2: related to a specific part of the mouth? Internal part of the mouth? gums? checks (internal)? tongue? teeth? external? lips? checks (external)? inflammations? drooling? cramps? tumor (hope not)? Stomatitis? Salivary disease? acid? dry mouth?
Does he maybe have some teeth more? Does he have cleft lip?

Well, he doesn't lick himself much, which is relevant -->
It's beneficial to me --> i.e. for p1? As far as I have understood, p2 (mouth related) prevents him from, cleaning himself, which is beneficial to you for dealing better with p1? Right?
If you see Rupert cleaning himself, would you stop him? It's beneficial to you in the sense that you are facilitated in doing something that helps him with p1 right? Taking the pill for p1? Or avoiding taking that pill? Is the pill for p1 to be taken only if necessary? Every day?

[JenBurdoo]

To be clear, he has two relevant problems - one critical that is found in many species including humans, and requires me to medicate him, and the other something to do with his mouth and the fact he doesn't clean himself.
--> So let's call them p1 and p2 if you agree. Sure.

Is p1 conjunctivitis (e.g. he had contaminated saliva and by cleaning himself he would rub the paw against his eyes)? diabetes? Toxoplasmosis? Does p1 occur only if Rupert clean himself? Is cleaning detrimental for Rupert's problem directly? Is it an obstacle for the cure? Thisish. lines relevant? dandruff? No to the rest.

Symptoms of p1: diarrhea? OTRT. Vomiting? fever? sneezing? abdominal cramps? dehydration? Can happen. Poor sight? Happens. Feeling pain in a specific body part? Can happen. Symptoms that present just under particular conditions (e.g. when he comes in contact with dust/certain types of bacteria)? Can happen. others? Yes.

Symptoms of p2: related to a specific part of the mouth? Internal part of the mouth? gums? checks (internal)? tongue? teeth? external? lips? checks (external)? inflammations? drooling? This. cramps? tumor (hope not)? Stomatitis? Salivary disease? acid? dry mouth?
Does he maybe have some teeth more? Does he have cleft lip? No to the rest.
Well, he doesn't lick himself much, which is relevant -->
It's beneficial to me --> i.e. for p1? Yes. As far as I have understood, p2 (mouth related) prevents him from, cleaning himself, which is beneficial to you for dealing better with p1? Right? His mouth and ability to clean himself work just fine. He just doesn't use them.
If you see Rupert cleaning himself, would you stop him? [b]No. It's beneficial to you in the sense that you are facilitated in doing something that helps him with p1 right? Taking the pill for p1? This. Or avoiding taking that pill? Is the pill for p1 to be taken only if necessary? Every day? Both.

[Balin]

Is his first problem involved with, er, the excretory system?

[JenBurdoo]

Is his first problem involved with, er, the excretory system? Not directly, but ...

[trebor]

From an earlier answer: Can he open his mouth normally? Yes. Has he got difficulties? He doesn't. So other creatures have difficulty with his mouth? Or you do? Is p2 (the problem with his mouth) bad breath? The fact that he bites? Maybe him biting instinctively makes it easier for a pill to be administered without being spit out first?

[JenBurdoo]

Sadly, I had to put Rupert to sleep a few weeks ago. I'll put this one to sleep too.




SPOILER:



Rupert had many issues. One was that he didn't clean himself. Another was that he had regular seizures. I fed him medicine regularly to prevent these. One indication that he was about to go into seizure was drooling... and had he licked himself regularly, there might have been less drool for me to spot.

[Balin]

That was a good puzzle. So sorry for your losing Rupert.

[trebor]

Oh, I’m sorry.

[GalFisk]

<i>Aww. My sympathies.</i>