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gradenko_2000 posted:Thank you. I will cop to being a dumbass. We're having the boy neutered tomorrow, but the girl has a slight eye issue that the vet told us to clear up first before hers can be done, so maybe in a week or so. Good stuff, you will soon have happy and much calmer cats 
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Apr 27, 2018 15:25
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Wroughtirony posted:I don't think you're a bad person. Ask your vet about quality of life measures and palliative care, and be real about your financial limitations. I love my pets as much as anyone else, but in your shoes I'd probably be weighing the same options. Others may disagree with me (I'm sure they will) but I don't feel that pets benefit from prolonging life for the sake of life the way many humans might. They can't understand their pain and they don't know what death is. And god damnit, I've had a day and I'm crying a bit while I write this because I know how hard it is to say goodbye (I lost an 11 year old cat to cancer a few years ago after electing not to do chemo) but sometimes the best thing you can do is let them stop when they can't be happy anymore. It's SO hard to decide when that is, but better a week too soon than a day too late. Good luck, and go snuggle that stinky old cat for me. Ms Adequate posted:16 is not young for a cat, and even assuming all this treatment worked as intended (which is by no means guaranteed) you might well find it's less another few years, more a few months. My mom's cat is 17 and he has tooth problems too, but they are reluctant to do anything requiring general anesthetic on a cat that old, so we're just doing what we can to get him soft food and stuff. If you are on like a real good 6 figure income or something then I would probably go for the treatment but for most of us, that would be a pretty darn big financial hit for possibly a very small gain. I agree with asking about palliative care, painkillers might be enough to keep the teeth issue at bay and give him some QoL for awhile yet, for example. Thanks for the kind words and for the palliative care suggestion. He loves hanging outside so it would be great to get him though the summer at least when he's been stuck inside for most of the winter. 
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Apr 28, 2018 03:26
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so the good news is, I got our boy cat neutered this morning, and he made it out of the operation fine. the bad news is he's still trying to mate with the girl. Should I keep both of them separate again? Does that go away eventually? At first I was just letting them be since she couldn't get pregnant anymore, but he's biting her neck hard enough to leave a bruise
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Apr 28, 2018 17:29
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He might have viable sperm for a day or two, and the hormones will also need time to drop off.
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Apr 28, 2018 18:28
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gradenko_2000 posted:the bad news is he's still trying to mate with the girl. Should I keep both of them separate again? Yep - when we got our cat neutered the vet's advice was to keep him away from lady cats for a week. Better to be careful than end up with kittens.
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Apr 28, 2018 19:54
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So we had a trip to the vet today and our girl just had blood drawn and her claws trimmed. Her last two vet trips were fine and she didn't seem to have many issues, but seemed scared this time. We went to the same office but our usual vet, who she loved, "retired" before being arrested for animal cruelty recently (he was always nice to our cat, seemed to be dogs at issue maybe?) Our cat is almost never vocal but tonight she's started hissing followed by what almost sound like "sorry" meows after she hisses. Thinking she's just upset about the trip/ not being able to claw at us? She's eating as much as she usually does it seems so far. Edit: she's also oddly sniffing at our side door and staring out a side window she usually ignores, maybe this was just a strange cat in our backyard/ alleyway that set her off. Quills fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Apr 29, 2018 |
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Apr 29, 2018 02:25
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I posted a while back about how I wanted my cats Ginny and Creampuff to blob. They just won't. Ginny will hiss, and even if CP starts by licking her head they always get into a fight that ends with Ginny storming off. They've proto-blobbed butt to butt a couple times but never full on peaceful homogenization. Its all an act. I got home from work the other day and found this in my bed:  sorry for potato phone picture, but the blinds were closed and the lights off. After they saw I was watching Ginny got hissy and stormed off. I wish theyd just do this normally when I'm home instead of fighting.
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Apr 29, 2018 03:17
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My 4.5 year old female Bengal seems to be having issues today. I'm not sure if it's my paranoia, something mild, or GO TO VET NOW levels. Of note, I already have an appointment for the vet at 5PM on Monday. That is the latest she will be seeing a vet. I'm just wondering if I need to rush her to emergency care. She's been eating about half as much as she normally does the past couple days, and today she seems to be in pain. Lethargic all day (usually quite active), refusing to leave the guest bedroom (she typically hangs around people, not by herself), walking slowly with a hunch (as if her stomach ached), and keeping her tail low and flicking it rapidly. She's still responsive and when I brought out some bonito flakes, she did her "Spin" trick like normal. She refused, however, to do "Up" where she stands on her hind-legs. Again, I already have a vet appointment in about 40 hours. But does anyone know if these symptoms cry out for urgent care?
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Apr 29, 2018 04:49
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Duct Tape posted:My 4.5 year old female Bengal seems to be having issues today. I'm not sure if it's my paranoia, something mild, or GO TO VET NOW levels. Of note, I already have an appointment for the vet at 5PM on Monday. That is the latest she will be seeing a vet. I'm just wondering if I need to rush her to emergency care. Could be as minor as diarrhea, could be severe, but cats don't like to show symptoms and can go downhill pretty quickly, so if you can swing it, err on the side of caution and get her to the e-vet. Quills posted:So we had a trip to the vet today and our girl just had blood drawn and her claws trimmed. Her last two vet trips were fine and she didn't seem to have many issues, but seemed scared this time. We went to the same office but our usual vet, who she loved, "retired" before being arrested for animal cruelty recently (he was always nice to our cat, seemed to be dogs at issue maybe?) If she's hissing at nothing that's a little weird, but otherwise this sounds like textbook annoyed catte. My guess is the vet trip itself was okay but when she got home she found that some other jerk cat was strutting by, which could easily make her feel less secure and retroactively make the vet visit seem worse. Just give her pets and cuddles and let her see things are back to normal, she should get back to normal herself pretty soon as a result. Blackchamber posted:I posted a while back about how I wanted my cats Ginny and Creampuff to blob. They just won't. Ginny will hiss, and even if CP starts by licking her head they always get into a fight that ends with Ginny storming off. They've proto-blobbed butt to butt a couple times but never full on peaceful homogenization.  More textbook cattes, and extremely gorgeous and cute ones at that!
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Apr 29, 2018 05:16
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Our rescue cat seems to be a biter. He was apparently abused by his previous owner. I think it is part how he learned to defend himself, part not having learned biting is not ok as he was taken from his mom waaaaaaaay too young (2 weeks or so) and part being a super playful 8 month old. He'll bite when obviously trying to play with us but also pretty much any time we try to pet him. Any tips on trying to get him to stop? He's cuddly and sweet a lot so he's not scared of us, just seems to really dislike being petted.
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Apr 29, 2018 13:52
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Maybe don't pet him until he lets you know he wants to be petted? And if he starts to go for you then jerk your hand away and don't pet for a while. It took a really long time before one of my cats would let me touch her, and since she'd mostly grown up without much human interaction her idea of a polite way to tell me to go away was to smack my hand with her claws. Two years later we have a system worked out where I move my hand towards her and if she wants petting she tilts her head down for scritches and if she doesn't then she doesn't and I leave her alone. She's also learned that I'll stop doing whatever it is if she even raises her paw a little bit so she doesn't actually have to swipe to get her point across.
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Apr 29, 2018 14:39
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Yeah we stop petting him when he lets us know he doesn't want it. The difficult part is getting him to stop once he starts. Especially when playing. He just seems to zero in on biting one of us and doesn't stop trying until we give him a sort of time out by putting him in another room for about 10 minutes.
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Apr 29, 2018 15:06
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So it’s more like playing biting? How about trying to redirect him onto biting a toy or some cardboard or something?
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Apr 29, 2018 15:27
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Moving your hand away is good, but I also let out a pretend yelp so they know they 'hurt' you. Creampuff was a lil biter when she first came to me and now shes not.
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Apr 29, 2018 19:20
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Ms Adequate posted:Could be as minor as diarrhea, could be severe, but cats don't like to show symptoms and can go downhill pretty quickly, so if you can swing it, err on the side of caution and get her to the e-vet. Took her to an emergency vet this morning. They're running a ultrasound, urinalysis, and blood work on her now. Really hope she's okay.    
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Apr 29, 2018 19:23
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e; ^^^ omg she's insanely gorgeous! I hope the vet can figure everything out!! First stop with a bitey cat is to make a loud yelp when he bites, and ignore him for five to ten minutes. That typically is enough for teaching them some things are Not For Bite. Also yeah make sure he has toys and stuff he can chew on instead, so he learns some things Am For Bite.
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Apr 29, 2018 19:26
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Tests came back negative across the board: blood panel, urinalysis, x-ray. She was sent home with some anti-nausea medicine and some sub-cutaneous fluid. They said it was likely some sort of chronic bowl/intestinal inflammation disorder, but that'll require a surgical biopsy to diagnose. Meeting with her normal vet tomorrow to schedule that. They explained that some of her recent symptoms like lethargy might have been caused by dehydration, rather than whatever is causing the pain. She does seem more active now that she's got that IV fluid in her, plus she ate a pretty hearty amount when I brought her home, so those are good signs. They also mentioned that her recent symptoms might be caused by a sudden flare-up of inflammation, rather than a new condition she contracted in the last few days. Vet bills add up crazy fast. Already at about 1/5 the cost of when I got my appendectomy.
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Apr 29, 2018 23:57
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Hello I rescued a kitty a few weeks ago. Her name is Glitch  She is a cutie patootie, and she knows it   Glitch also has a permanent up-yours/gently caress-you middle toe colouration   She also has only one cream coloured paw, and the toe beans are white! Every other paw is black!  The very very tip of her tail is also cream!  I love her    Promise not to poo poo up the thread with another big pic dump like that, didn't know if there was somewhere else I was meant to post, just wanted to show her off Currently teaching her that water + baths = cool thing. Seems to be going well. She likes being in the bath + having a warm wet flannel on her + wading in paw deep water. I had a cat when I was a teenager, and I've been absolutely dying to get another one just for myself. Living circumstances /w apartment rules and the like prevented that, but I've finally got my kitty. I couldn't be more if I tried, and now I'm 'That Person' with 1000 photos on my phone.https://i.imgur.com/dnsCBbo.mp4
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Apr 30, 2018 02:40
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She's also not much of a lap kitty, but as you can see above is super good at just hanging out while I play video games on my PC. I'm assuming the lap thing is just her being a kitten who would rather be playing with bells, than chillin out and cuddlin
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Apr 30, 2018 02:44
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Woohoo welcome to tortie club. It is a good club.
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Apr 30, 2018 02:52
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WindowLiquor posted:Our rescue cat seems to be a biter. He was apparently abused by his previous owner. I think it is part how he learned to defend himself, part not having learned biting is not ok as he was taken from his mom waaaaaaaay too young (2 weeks or so) and part being a super playful 8 month old. He'll bite when obviously trying to play with us but also pretty much any time we try to pet him. Any tips on trying to get him to stop? He's cuddly and sweet a lot so he's not scared of us, just seems to really dislike being petted. My 1 year old cat was a biter for a few months after I got him. Eventually he grew out of it/ was trained out of it my me whining when I was bitten and stopping play. Now he reserves his bites for his brother.
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Apr 30, 2018 02:52
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Boogalo posted:Woohoo welcome to tortie club. It is a good club. 
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Apr 30, 2018 02:54
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Boogalo posted:Woohoo welcome to tortie club. It is a good club. I love torties so much, I cry even more than usual when I think about them 
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Apr 30, 2018 05:48
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Last September or so, I lost Mouse, who is the grey one in the foreground here:  She was never really a happy cat, so far as I could tell. I got her from a shelter because her brother (pictured behind her) was super friendly. I'd just lost my last cat, who had gone mostly blind, so I wasn't bringing in any new cats while he was around. So, I took the brother and the sister. Not sure it was the right move, as he kind of picked on her now and then. She lived mostly in a cat tree in the bedroom, pissed on a lot of things, went through some antidepressants, but also learned eventually to trust me. I'm pretty sure her last people were terrible, and she was really afraid of hallways. Suspect she got kicked or something at some point. She's the grey streak I was posting about earlier; didn't see her for weeks when I adopted her. Cancer took her young (8 years or so). I think I got it through her skull that she was loved. Didn't stop her from doing some terrible poo poo, but I think she just wanted to live somewhere with food and a window, and no noise, people or other cats. She did manage to learn to jump up on me for treats and pets though, at set times and in set places, and she did purr at that point, quietly. Anyway, I miss her. She was a good Mousie, even when she was doing bad things, and every time she came out of her shell some it was great to see. I remember the first time she wanted something, for me to open a door, I think. This demanding little miaow, and a little princess face that said "Why would you even deny me anything? Have you thought this through?" I was going to post about a new cat, since tortoiseshell came up, but Mousie deserves her own post. Here she is being cute and sideways:  My friends thought I was crazy to put up with her poo poo (literal, on the plastic-covered bed towards the end, naughty willful kitty) but I'm glad I stuck it out. Seemed like a lot of her life was crap before I got her, and I wasn't going to trust anyone else to take care of her with her issues. Goodbye, little Mouse. If there's anything after this, I hope it leaves you free from fear.
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Apr 30, 2018 06:39
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Duct Tape posted:She's still responsive and when I brought out some bonito flakes, she did her "Spin" trick like normal. She refused, however, to do "Up" where she stands on her hind-legs. A month or so ago my one year old cat got a bald-ish patch right at the base of his stupid fluffy tail - the skin wasn't red or sore or anything and he didn't seem to pay attention to it, but a couple weeks later it was clearly getting bigger and spreading up his back a little, so I took him to the vet. The vet looked at him for about 20 seconds and said it was a flea allergy - this seemed odd cos he's had a flea treatment, I've not seen any fleas on him (or me) for a year, and he's not scratching there or anything - but I'm not a vet, so went along with it. He got a steroid injection and another flea treatment. That was about a month ago, and it's gotten a bit worse, and I just noticed he's got a patch developing behind his ears on his neck. He's totally fine otherwise, doesn't pay special attention to the bald bits, and the skin looks totally fine. Is it still possible it's flea related? I remember I changed his wet food about a week or two before the bald patch appeared, is it possible it's a diet thing? Bonus pic 
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Apr 30, 2018 11:00
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Yeah, apparently it's possible for them to have food allergies. Easiest way to tell is to switch back to the food from before the symptoms a while.
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Apr 30, 2018 11:13
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Glory to Italia!
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One of our cats has taken up peeing in front of the litter box and we cant figure out why. The litter hasn’t changed and we clean it daily. So goons give me some ways to solve this problem and also make the carpet not smell like pee
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Apr 30, 2018 12:50
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Infinitum posted:Hello I rescued a kitty a few weeks ago. Another welcome to the tortie club. I hope you like lively cats because torties have a reputation for being crazy and it's not without reason. Give her time and she may get cuddly. Mine decided one day after I'd known her a while that my chest looked comfy. At least once a day for the next 14 or 15 years she'd climb up my front, flop on her back with my arm cradling her, prop all 4 paws on my chin and get her belly rubbed until either my arm gave out or my chin was shredded. She's too old and creaky these days but she still spends a few minutes every night tucked under my arm with her head on my chest when I go to bed. This is what the 19 year old version of tortie girl looks like: 
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Apr 30, 2018 13:51
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Len posted:One of our cats has taken up peeing in front of the litter box and we cant figure out why. The litter hasn’t changed and we clean it daily. So goons give me some ways to solve this problem and also make the carpet not smell like pee Have you witnessed the cat peeing? One of our cats has arthritis in her back, limiting her flexibility, so she gets in the box and squats... and pees right over the side. I finally made one of these http://catsadored.com/LITTERBOXES/LITTER_BOXES.htm She still manages to pee out the front sometimes so I put a puppy pad by the entrance. Cats 
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Apr 30, 2018 15:00
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I’ve actually got the opposite biting problem. A 9 year old cat bites more often than he used to now either as a way of saying “stop it” or as an attempt at play. If he’s riled up and jumps on the bed and I pat him on the back/side, he often wraps his paws around my arm and starts chewing. If he’s just sleeping next to me latched onto my arm and I move it around cuz it’s falling asleep, he wakes up and starts chewing. If I’m standing in the kitchen and he’s circling around me, he often rubs up against me then bites my ankles. If I tease him, he’s liable to draw blood with his teeth, if not his claws. He didn’t use to do this, but maybe he’s gotten more comfortable over time with using his teeth? Or is he just a cranky old bastard now?
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Apr 30, 2018 15:13
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Joburg posted:Have you witnessed the cat peeing? One of our cats has arthritis in her back, limiting her flexibility, so she gets in the box and squats... and pees right over the side. I finally made one of these Yeah she walks around in circles in front of the box before finding the right spot and peeing. She poops in the box just fine though so I don't know what her problem is
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Apr 30, 2018 16:02
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Len posted:Yeah she walks around in circles in front of the box before finding the right spot and peeing. She poops in the box just fine though so I don't know what her problem is Do you only have one box, or tried putting another identical one next to the first?
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Apr 30, 2018 16:43
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Maybe she likes peeing on soft surfaces. That pisser cat of mine will pee on dog beds if she’s hurting a lot. I’ve set out a stack of puppy pads and she will use that instead of the litter box sometimes.... SOMETIMES
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Apr 30, 2018 17:38
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Boogalo posted:Do you only have one box, or tried putting another identical one next to the first? We do only have the one. I know we should have two but there's not really a good spot in the apartment for a second one which is why I scoop daily. This only started in the last couple weeks
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Apr 30, 2018 18:00
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Gorgar posted:Last September or so, I lost Mouse, who is the grey one in the foreground here: Mouse was wonderful, and you are a wonderful person for giving her a loving home and being so patient with her <3
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Apr 30, 2018 19:15
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Breaking Brutus News: He has accepted a breakfast in the hallway but still refuses to enter the kitchen where his probably-brothers eat. Sources also say he is now seen hiding under the coffee table in front of the sofa as often as behind the sofa. Stay tuned for more critical updates as they come in, folks
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Apr 30, 2018 19:46
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Training Glitch to get used to baths, so every few days she gets a wash as I slowly introduce more and more elements into the mix. At first I just spent some time during the day throwing some toys in and out of the bath so she knew the bathroom was a 'fun' place. Moved on to her getting used to the sound of running water so she wouldn't freak out, and letting her lick some water off my fingers to get used to the bathroom. Then I introduced dripping water on her + a warm wet flannel to rub her down with. A few days ago we spent a little bit of time in the bath with some water down the other end she could walk over to it and dip her paws in. Today I filled the bath up past her paws and plopped her in. She jumped out once, but by the end she was purring Like holy crap if I can get her used to having a bath I will be super happy, because my old cat would turn into a weedwhacker if water went anywhere near her. I'm hoping I end up with a broke brain cat that can swim
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May 2, 2018 08:52
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You do you, but out of curiosity is there a particular reason why you want to bathe your cat?
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May 2, 2018 15:28
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is it okay to sequester one of my two cats for a while if I feel like she's hogging all the food and the other cat isn't getting a fair turn to eat? any advice on trying to shape their behavior to be better in this regard? they already have their own bowls each
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May 2, 2018 16:24
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Duct Tape posted:Vet bills add up crazy fast. Already at about 1/5 the cost of when I got my appendectomy. Yes they do. I had to cash a bond because my cats P.U. surgery was a little under $6k. Since she seems dehydrated have you tried one of those water fountains? I like This one. It doesn't have a falling stream of water that scares the cats and it's also easy to take out the filter clean the pads and add new carbon to (I just replace it with carbon that's made for fish filters (the API brand). The downside though is the bowl has to be constantly topped off with water dialy so the pump doesn't humm like crazy. But I have noticed my cat drinks a lot more water than he used to - probably because the circulation keeps it airrated or something and makes it taste fresher. I do not recommend the Drinkwell's - they are a bitch to clean with all their stupid nooks and crannies and have a tendancy to leak the gallon of water all over the place - it's not something I would ever rely on. nunsexmonkrock fucked around with this message at 19:32 on May 2, 2018 |
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May 2, 2018 18:48
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