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Post by allikat on Nov 13, 2023 19:45:13 GMT
Help all you cat experts. BF's daughter's cat scarfs his food down so fast he vomits right after at least a couple of times a week. I tried to get him a slow feed bowl but daughter thought that was too hard for the cat to use. They think the cat is an idiot but I keep saying if he is hungry he will figure it out. I am just looking for advice or ideas on what to try. So far I got them to cut his food back because he was fat and eating too much lol. I try to help him stop half way through food but that is hard for me because I am allergic to cats and he really doesn't like me because I don't let him vandalize the house and I don't hesitate to yell or squirt with water. I don't think there is anything medically wrong as he has been thoroughly checked I think it is just eating too fast problem.
Thanks for any ideas, hope everyone is doing well and staying warm. I will be in and out this week and check this thread. Working on taking a load of food to food bank, a load of coats to a coat drive and a load of toy and books to the toy closet.
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Post by Pantlandia on Nov 13, 2023 21:18:20 GMT
There are several different types of slow feeders, you could try another. However, slowing them down is the point of it and he will figure it out. My cat does the same thing. I heard that if their bowls are on the floor, it's an unnatural position for them, so we bought some raised bowls and it's helped quite a bit. Gypsy only pukes about half the time now LOL (I mean, I guess half is better than what it was). Just a thought.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 13, 2023 23:25:25 GMT
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Post by allikat on Nov 14, 2023 12:19:19 GMT
Reading links now. Thanks and maybe I can sell a raised bowl to the girls, lol.
ETA: Interesting reads. I learned a lot, going to try the cookie sheet method out and see what happens. I am going to show these links to the girls. They do not play with him, he is their cat. They had to have him, we will take care of him Daddy you won't have to do anything. He had just lost his wife and didn't have the energy to say no. So he has a cat, lol. The cat is not affectionate, has torn up his walls and carpet because the girls do not discipline him mostly because they just don't care about dad's stuff. I have been disciplining the cat for the last year and a half because I cannot stand to see things wrecked and there is no reason for it. He obviously is a little scared of me and gives me lots of space, lol. I do play with him everyday and I made 6 foot tall scratching posts for him to use in the basement area where BF and I hang out, he had 2 metal poles down there and I wrapped them with rope for the cat. I am an animal lover but I have never lived with a cat so I don't know what is normal and what isn't. I did learn a lot about cat behavior from the articles, which were much better than the random few I read previously.
One more question, how difficult is it to get a cat to change where his litter box is? They have it in the kitchen and I am so grossed out by that situation and would like to get him to move his business to the basement. I read a little bit about incrementally using it but there is a flight of steps between where it is and where it should be. I know the cat is not stupid as I had them move his food bowl from the middle of the kitchen floor to against one of the walls (they were sure he wouldn't be able to find his food if we moved it). He is around 3 years old.
Thanks all for the advice.
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Post by Tabby on Nov 14, 2023 15:27:34 GMT
...they were sure he wouldn't be able to find his food if we moved it... Wow! Are you sure they were serious when they said that? That sure seems like they were just messing with you.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 14, 2023 16:09:42 GMT
You might consider putting tall cat trees in several rooms. Cats don't just limit themselves to scratching in one place. I have a really tall cat tree in the dining room, and shorter ones in the living room, office and bedroom. They're all by windows so my cats can sit on them and look out. My cats love the coir/wiregrass door mats, so I have one by the patio door on the inside for them to scratch on. I change it out by season, so it's fun for me and the cats. They also love the cardboard scratchers, which I have all over the house. These are pretty inexpensive and work really well. You can get flat scratchers, scratchers that are at 90 degree angles, scratchers you can put on the wall, corner or on door frames. You can get carpet scratchers, sisal rope scratchers, cardboard scratchers - you name it - there's pretty much a scratcher for anywhere in your house. Trixie likes to use the carpet to scratch. I don't care if she uses the heavy area rugs I have all over the house, those are pretty hard to destroy and it would take a single cat a long time to make any damage on those rugs (partly why I bought them LOL). But she also has a spot in the bedroom where she likes to scratch the bedroom carpet, which is not good. Rather than trying to stop her from doing something that is natural for cats, I'm looking for a small rug to put in the bedroom doorway that has a heavy enough texture she'll like to use it. Otherwise, she'll just move to another area of carpet. If your cat is scratching furniture, the large sheets of two sided sticky tape work really well. Scratching is normal for cats. I've found it's easier to redirect my cats than trying to stop them from doing something that's as normal to them as drinking coffee is to me As for moving the litter box: petpartnersbristol.com/blogs/news/how-to-train-a-cat-to-use-a-litter-box-in-a-new-location#:~:text=You%20could%20put%20down%20a,comfortable%20using%20the%20new%20box. If you're in a 2 story house, though, you might consider having two boxes, one on each floor.
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Post by allikat on Nov 14, 2023 17:01:53 GMT
...they were sure he wouldn't be able to find his food if we moved it... Wow! Are you sure they were serious when they said that? That sure seems like they were just messing with you. They were dead serious, they had put the bowls of food and water dead center in the kitchen since he was a kitten so he could find them, after I had stepped into the water and kicked the food numerous times I started asking to move the food and water to along a wall, 6 feet forward and one foot to the left. They were totally convinced he wouldn't be able to locate the food and water. They watched after they put food in his bowl and son of a gun he went right to it, scarfed it down and then drank his water. I was not surprised but they were amazed it was that easy, lol.
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Post by allikat on Nov 14, 2023 17:08:57 GMT
You might consider putting tall cat trees in several rooms. Cats don't just limit themselves to scratching in one place. I have a really tall cat tree in the dining room, and shorter ones in the living room, office and bedroom. They're all by windows so my cats can sit on them and look out. My cats love the coir/wiregrass door mats, so I have one by the patio door on the inside for them to scratch on. I change it out by season, so it's fun for me and the cats. They also love the cardboard scratchers, which I have all over the house. These are pretty inexpensive and work really well. You can get flat scratchers, scratchers that are at 90 degree angles, scratchers you can put on the wall, corner or on door frames. You can get carpet scratchers, sisal rope scratchers, cardboard scratchers - you name it - there's pretty much a scratcher for anywhere in your house. Trixie likes to use the carpet to scratch. I don't care if she uses the heavy area rugs I have all over the house, those are pretty hard to destroy and it would take a single cat a long time to make any damage on those rugs (partly why I bought them LOL). But she also has a spot in the bedroom where she likes to scratch the bedroom carpet, which is not good. Rather than trying to stop her from doing something that is natural for cats, I'm looking for a small rug to put in the bedroom doorway that has a heavy enough texture she'll like to use it. Otherwise, she'll just move to another area of carpet. If your cat is scratching furniture, the large sheets of two sided sticky tape work really well. Scratching is normal for cats. I've found it's easier to redirect my cats than trying to stop them from doing something that's as normal to them as drinking coffee is to me As for moving the litter box: petpartnersbristol.com/blogs/news/how-to-train-a-cat-to-use-a-litter-box-in-a-new-location#:~:text=You%20could%20put%20down%20a,comfortable%20using%20the%20new%20box. If you're in a 2 story house, though, you might consider having two boxes, one on each floor. I am thinking that adding a second one maybe the best way to start, and cross fingers he likes the new location more than the more public one, lol. I will talk to them about more scratching things, maybe just order a few as Christmas gifts. Thanks for the help, I am a bird and dog person so I am totally unprepared for the indifference of the cat world. I am starting to learn cat talk, like a wagging tail is not good and looking like he wants a belly rub is a trap that will injure me badly. And rubbing on my legs means he needs something from me, like dinner, not that he likes me. So different from dogs.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 14, 2023 17:48:17 GMT
I've never had an indifferent cat. But then, I spoil mine, play with them, talk to them, and pet them whenever I see one laying around and I'm walking by. They seem to like it when I'm on the sofa listening to an audiobook. They all gather in the living room with me and seem to listen. (They seem to like male Brit readers the best, LOL.) You're right in that most of the time, the roll over/give me a belly rub pose is a trap, but with my crew, it's playtime. They know I can't resist it, and I know when to pull my hand back. (Although Twila actually likes belly rubs, go figure.) As for rubbing on your legs only means he wants food, not necessarily. Yeah, he wants something but it's not always food. Trixie does that when she wants me to pickup her up and cuddle her, or wants me to brush her. Twila does it when she wants to be petted.
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Post by Tabby on Nov 14, 2023 18:25:01 GMT
Reading Val's last post, it occurred to me that Alli's single cat in a sorta "non-cat" home might behave way, way differently than Val's pride of three spoiled and indulged divas. Believe me, I'm not judging - I used to have little divas myself!
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 14, 2023 19:09:30 GMT
I probably didn't say it right, Tabby, but the point I was trying to make is if a cat is indifferent, it could be the cat, or it could be due to the humans and the environment.
Allikat, you might be able to get the cat to like you and be his/her favorite human. You'll need to move slow and take time, but it sounds like no one else in the house is paying the cat any attention. The cat might surprise you.
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Post by allikat on Nov 14, 2023 21:45:57 GMT
I hope so because I love all animals, I really wish he was cuddly. I would take medication if he would just warm up to me, lol. His name is Oliver and he is an orange stripe, he was supposedly found by the girls in the dark along side a country road. I am a little suspicious of this story because the girls won't walk to the end of their own driveway in the dark I cannot imagine them stopping on a dark road. I think because dad said no to animals they created a story to get a kitten. BF's wife had cats the whole time they were married, he was done with animals and told them when they got their own place they could have as many animals as they wanted. BF is allergic to dogs and sensitive to cats so I get why he didn't want any more.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 14, 2023 23:51:45 GMT
kritter may have some tips on how to soften up that cat. When Twila came here, I had to start slow. I'd walk up to her while she was in her favorite hangout spot, ask her if I could pet her, then pet her. For the longest, that was the only way she'd let me pet her. I had to move my hand slowly so she could see it all times, and I had to approach from the side - she wouldn't let me pet her straight from the front. It took a while, but now she's a very affectionate cat. She comes into the office several times a day now, fussing at me and then hops up on the file cabinet by the desk so I'll pet her. She comes into the kitchen to get brushed in the mornings (they all do actually), and she's the only one who lets me rub her tummy without attacking my hand. She also runs into the bedroom and hops up on the bed when she hears the alarm go off, to see if I'm awake and will pet her Oliver may not be the cuddly type cat, but I bet you could get him to let you pet him. Twila isn't cuddly but she's affectionate. Simon is the lap sitter, but he doesn't like to be held. Trixie isn't so keen on lap sitting but she loves to be picked up and tuck her head under my chin while I pet her. They're all affectionate, just in different ways.
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Post by chapeaunoir on Nov 15, 2023 5:45:54 GMT
If Oliver is a fat cat and scarfs his food, he may have some gastric reflux which is causing him to urp it up. I'm experienced with this because although our cats were thin, the tuxedo developed gastric reflux from her renal medication and we used to give her a little omeprazol per the vet due to her urping up her food.
Also second the raised cat dishes - that may make a big difference if indeed Oliver has some GR.
As for adapting - definitely more cat scratchers - ours were outdoors a lot of the time and honed their claws on tree trunks, but we had a number of cat scratchers because it's just natural for them to exercise their paws that way. I had a bad time keeping Jamie furry butt from clawing my reading chair and had cat post next to it, same with our big speakers - OMG, the ecstacy in their eyes when they would scratch those posts - they'd waggle their backsides while they did it, it was hilarious.
Ours caused trouble when they wanted attention - Oliver may be frustrated so maybe working with him slowly and easily will help.
I have some of this advice from the DH who is a crazy cat gent and has had five cats at a time.
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Post by allikat on Nov 15, 2023 13:55:07 GMT
Thanks all, this morning he rubbed on my legs a couple of times I think he was trying to snake a second breakfast, lol. I always hold my hand out for him to smell this morning he rubbed his face on it and let me touch his cheek and head once before he swatted at me. I am very persistent so I won't give up. Last night I was doing paperwork and going from the desk to the filing cabinet and he followed me, actually he tried to stay 2 steps ahead of me which was hysterical to watch because I would change direction and he would turn around and realize he was in the wrong place and try to correct his direction. I do talk to him and play with him so I will just keep on doing what I am doing hopefully he will realize I am not so bad, lol.
I am going to give him a raised bowl and scratchers for Christmas, maybe early Christmas so he can start using them.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 15, 2023 16:59:55 GMT
For best results, I'd put scratchers of some sort in most of the rooms. Like I said, I have multiple cat trees in multiple heights, the coir doormats in two rooms, and the cardboard scratchers in every room except the office. But they love scratching on the cat tree in the office so the lack of a cardboard scratcher in that room hasn't been an issue. Do you have any cat beds in the house? You might look into the cardboard cat houses too, like these: www.chewy.com/s?query=cardboard%20cat%20houses&nav-submit-button=You can get the scratcher houses at multiple retailers. Kritter's cats love them. I haven't tried with mine yet, but I have 2 Christmas ones to put together next weekend so we'll see.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 15, 2023 17:10:54 GMT
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Post by allikat on Nov 15, 2023 19:28:21 GMT
There are cat beds in several places. I like the idea of a cat tree, right now he likes to sit in cardboard boxes in front of the French doors. I switch out the boxes once he tears the bottoms out, I could put a cat tree in place of one of the boxes and see if he likes the view. He is a big boy, I would guess about 15 to 18 pounds so I will make sure to get a good cat tree. I am over there in the evenings and on weekends so I will make sure I interact with him as much as possible since consensus is it is time and consistency that will get my foot in the door with him. I will try to get a picture to share soon.
I really appreciate all the help. I will post updates as I figure out the cat relationship.
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Post by chapeaunoir on Nov 16, 2023 8:55:20 GMT
I think Oliver really wants your attention, and his rubbing against your legs is a marking procedure - you're part of his world now.
Cats who are kept exclusively indoors really need a lot of stimulation, similar to what Val does with her tribe. Our cats were outdoors half the time so they had all of this in their territory - they hunted and explored so didn't have a lot of need for anything indoors beyond some scratching posts, but if they were indoors a lot they'd start knocking things over and tearing things up - I once caught the two of them in one of the bathrooms - tall Jamie was stretched up pulling at the handle on the toilet, and little compact Cassie the tux was sitting on the toilet seat meowing and watching Jamie - it sounded like she was encouraging her. I'm glad they never figured out how to flush the toilet or they'd be at it all day. But I really think that cats like to be engaged with and interact - they just tend to be on a different timeline than dogs.
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Post by allikat on Nov 27, 2023 18:21:04 GMT
Ok we have progress and back slide, lol. I am making headway on the petting, I actually did the head to tail pet about 10 times the other day and I walked up while he was sleeping and announced myself and petted his head. He just kept sleeping and letting me pet him, BF walked up and asked if the cat was dead as he has never seen him accept head pets like that.
Back slide, we had one vomit after eating. I have moved him to a pie plate to spread it out and also raised the bowl about 2 inches but if the person feeding him piles it in the middle of the pan it defeats the purpose. I think one of the girls just dumped food in middle and he sucked it down like a vacuum. I re-explained to them to spread it out a little so he has to work a little for it. I also walk over and pet him while he is eating to slow him down also. Hopefully they will follow my lead but we are making progress.
Again thanks to all. I am checking out cat trees today not sure if that little house is ready for that yet, I need to purge it a little more, lol. Also checking out cat scratchers that I think will work for now.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 27, 2023 18:33:25 GMT
If he's as big as you say he is, this one is great as the center of gravity is on the base and it shouldn't topple over when he leaps on it from a dead run: www.chewy.com/frisco-57-in-faux-fur-cat-tree-condo/dp/129320It's a bit pricy but well worth the money. Mine is going on it's 4th year now. I need to rewrap one of the bottom posts with new rope, but other than that it's held up very well with 3 cats. This is the same one Kritter usually buys for her gang. IMO, you get what you pay for. I bought a smaller tree the first time, when I was in ABQ, but it wasn't as balanced as the one above it and I had to anchor it to my desk leg with bungie cords. Lesson learned. Last thing you want is a lightweight unbalanced cat tree that topples the first time the cat jumps up on it. They won't use it after that and you've wasted your money. If you absolutely need smaller, then go for this one - it's shorter but very sturdy and balanced: www.chewy.com/frisco-32-in-real-carpet-wooden-cat/dp/235514All three of my crew like this one. They sleep in in and use the scratcher. Perfect size for looking out the window. It also ships already assembled so all you do is open the box and take it out Cats are going to throw up now and then, and there's not much you can do about it. As for the petting while eating....years ago the BF at the time had a gorgeous orange cat. I used to put the cat food down in the mornings and I'd always pet him. One morning BF put the food out and Hobie wouldn't eat, he just sat and looked at BF. BF couldn't understand why and asked me if Hobie ever did that to me. I told BF that Hobie was waiting to be petted before he ate
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Nov 27, 2023 19:29:58 GMT
That is the one that I bought with the sale price this morning. The only reason I replace them is that they get a lot of traffic from my cats and look rather shabby after a couple of years.
The last time I changed mine out was during the big freeze which I think was 2 or 3 years ago. I have two others that I bought on sale earlier plus one tree that Val gave us so now I am ready for the changeover. Very sturdy trees that can take a running leap from 12 pound cat without tipping over.
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Post by allikat on Nov 27, 2023 20:18:14 GMT
Val, I was looking at the second one, I thought I could put it in front of the French doors in the kitchen where he sits all the time. Right now there are cardboard boxes there that he claws and I routinely replace.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 27, 2023 20:58:28 GMT
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Nov 27, 2023 21:04:35 GMT
Chewy also has cash back today at Be Frugal.
I got the gray one with the 25% off not that I needed to mention that because by now everybody should know that I can not pass up a bargain especially with cash back.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 27, 2023 21:06:19 GMT
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Nov 27, 2023 21:27:27 GMT
Totally overloaded with toys here. I think these cats have the winter blues. all they do is sleep and eat. Chance gives the trackball a go every now and then but that is about it. The Temu cat beds are a hit.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 27, 2023 22:06:59 GMT
Ok we have progress and back slide, lol. I am making headway on the petting, I actually did the head to tail pet about 10 times the other day and I walked up while he was sleeping and announced myself and petted his head. He just kept sleeping and letting me pet him, BF walked up and asked if the cat was dead as he has never seen him accept head pets like that. Sounds like no one really tried to pet Oliver until you.
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Post by chapeaunoir on Nov 28, 2023 8:08:01 GMT
I used to give the cats a pet when I put the food down for them, but they'd tear into it like a pair of hyenas so I'm not sure they noticed lol, but I think they'd like it because their tails would go up a bit. They hunted for some of their food, as well, so their food consumption would go up and down - we fed them working-cat Friskies bought by the case at Sam's Club but when they got quite elderly they got picky due to renal problems. Then the fun began.
Oh, and they were klutzes with toys - I got them the cute trackball on the disk and they were nonplussed by it. It didn't matter how much I showed them, they'd just stare at it, then Cassie would paw at it a bit. I think I finally mailed it to Kritter for her gang. But bottle caps - OMG BOTTLE CAPS!!!! I'd throw one of the plastic caps from a bottle of water into the bathtub and Cassie the Tux would explode, flying around in the bathtub after that thing, and the more noise she made clattering and batting it around, the better she liked it. She also used to curl up on one of the kitchen chairs and start chasing her tail - she'd start rocking the chair and if she could make it slam rhythmically into a table leg that was GOLD. Then she would start yelling. Sometimes we'd be upstairs and hear some uproar downstairs and it would be Cassie, slamming her little rubber ball or bottle cap around, running her head into the wall and jolting chairs. I really miss those hilarious cats. But at any rate, toys come in all shapes and sizes.
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Post by allikat on Nov 28, 2023 19:21:08 GMT
Yesterday I came into the house and said hi Oliver will you come see me and he trotted over and stood in front of me. Girls were amazed and then he meowed at me a few times, didn't want any pets but hey I cannot complain he came to me and talked to me lol.
This morning he was really hogging the food so I petted him a few times and that didn't stop the sucking noise that was happening so I pulled his food onto the counter for a few minutes to give him a pause. Not sure if that is a good answer but I hope it gave him a chance to relax. I will get an update in a little while whether he puked again or not.
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