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PipeRifle posted:They make wipes specifically for what you need. Walmart has a hartz brand for a buck or two. Alcohol-free, "lick safe" and so on. Even if they aren't dangerous like other Hartz products I wouldn't buy these just to not support the company.
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Jul 2, 2012 07:31
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Lion cut lion cut lion cut My longhair has the same problem and I've been considering the lion cut. What do I need to have to take him to a groomer? Updated shots? Also, he bites, will they not take him?
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Jul 2, 2012 18:22
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Does anyone have experience owning a cat with cerebral hypoplasia? The cat my mom is curious about (and the one I think would suit her best) has it and I just wanted to make sure that there are no surprises. Sparky is awesome and I adore her (mostly because I swear she has no short term memory and an attention span that lasts about 5 seconds.) I really hope I can get her adopted out to my mom who really needs the company right now but I want to make sure the fit is a good one.
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Jul 2, 2012 18:46
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Esmerelda posted:Does anyone have experience owning a cat with cerebral hypoplasia? The cat my mom is curious about (and the one I think would suit her best) has it and I just wanted to make sure that there are no surprises. Here is the "This is Charley" video, for your viewing pleasure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJQG6V1MOVY I lack any useful experience/advice, but that video is adorable and taught me about the existence of cats with cerebral hypoplasia and helped me not shun special needs cats when I was seeking to adopt.
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Jul 2, 2012 19:56
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four lean hounds posted:Here is the "This is Charley" video, for your viewing pleasure: Sparky's symptoms aren't that bad. She wobbles a bit, her walk isn't the most graceful, but that's about it usually. It's when she's stressed that you really see it, she'll start shaking. Unfortunately Sparky was adopted about a month ago then returned to the shelter where I volunteer because the new owner "didn't have time for a cat." When she came back in she was terrified and I ended up staying an extra hour just to spend time with her and calm her down. She still hasn't quite accepted being back in a cage and that's a big part of my motivation with regards to getting her for my mom. Anyway, thanks for the video. Maybe this weekend I'll have photos of the new special kitty to share. Fingers crossed.
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Jul 2, 2012 20:24
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vonnegutt posted:My longhair has the same problem and I've been considering the lion cut. What do I need to have to take him to a groomer? Updated shots? Also, he bites, will they not take him? Unless you have the most behaved cat to ever exist, you're best going to your vet for it. I don't know if they knock cats out entirely for grooming, but they do give sedatives.
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Jul 2, 2012 22:40
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vonnegutt posted:My longhair has the same problem and I've been considering the lion cut. What do I need to have to take him to a groomer? Updated shots? Also, he bites, will they not take him? Call and ask around. If he bites then yeah you might end up needing to go to the vet instead.
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Jul 2, 2012 22:44
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Speaking of the lion cut, is that only for really furry cats or will they do it for shorthairs too? Hat is moulting and he's leaving SO MUCH white hair everywhere. I try to brush him with the Furminator every day but he HATES it and I thought a lion cut might be kinder. And funnier.
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Jul 3, 2012 22:51
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Hi guys! I think I pretty thoroughly went through the OP, but I have a quick question. I'm considering adopting a cat from a local organization through Petfinder. I've never owned a pet before (although I do love animals) and I am on a fairly limited budget right now, on average how much does it cost to properly take care of an adult cat with no serious health conditions per month, and the initial cost for giving her proper toys, a nice scratching post, etc.?
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Jul 3, 2012 23:26
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Sarah Palin posted:Hi guys! I think I pretty thoroughly went through the OP, but I have a quick question. I'm considering adopting a cat from a local organization through Petfinder. I've never owned a pet before (although I do love animals) and I am on a fairly limited budget right now, on average how much does it cost to properly take care of an adult cat with no serious health conditions per month, and the initial cost for giving her proper toys, a nice scratching post, etc.? My initial expenses were: Adoption fee: $50 Carrier: $25 Cat Tree: $125 Litter Box: $25 Scoop: $5 Litter mat: $10 Litter: $10 Bowls: $10 Month of food: $35 Da Bird toy: $10 Other toys/tools: $20 For an initial expense of $325 Every month I spend another $35 on food, $10 on litter, ~$5 on toys, for a recurring monthly total of $50. But I also expect to have a few vet trips a year and am prepared for the inevitable emergency, so it helps to mentally earmark another $50/month.
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Jul 4, 2012 00:52
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If it's a long-haired cat then you're going to want a brush to use daily or else hairballs get puked up in the middle of the night. Aside from the money you also need to allocate some time for daily care: cleaning the litter box, replacing water, filling the food bowl and brushing at least once a day. Making time for 15 or more minutes of play time daily is also recommended. Also, two cats is not much more work than one and they'll have each other to keep them company if everyone is out of the house for work during the day. And you have the potential for kitty piles. 
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Jul 4, 2012 02:16
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I think one of my cats is going into labor, and is very very affectionate/will not let me leave her side. I assumed that when the time came, she would just go to her little nesting spot (box set up in my closet) and do her thing, and she wouldn't want us humans to have any part of it. She won't let me leave her side in there though, pacing around, has been purring non stop for close to an hour now, very short breaths/has down the mouth wide open thing a bit. As I came out to write this post she's yowling and clawing at the door. Is this normal? I don't want there to be something wrong and she's all like "HEY! HELP ME" Most of what we read googling said they might get more affectionate as they got closer to giving birth, but usually just took care of the actual process themselves.
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Jul 4, 2012 02:55
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I have a cat introduction question. My roommate has a cat (Britney is a small black female, around a year) and I recently got a cat (Catalina is a medium-sized female himalayan, two years old). They're both shelter cats--Britney came from your standard pound, but Catalina was from a smaller no-kill shelter where she had lots of cat-cat interactions with other cats in her room. I tried to do all the introductions right: quarantined Catalina in my room, switched blankets and brushes, fed them on either side of the door, switched their rooms, all that stuff for about three days. Now we're at the supervised interaction stage, and it's gone moderately well. Britney is inquisitive and VERY submissive (she'll do that approach on her side thing), Catalina is grumpy and will hiss a bit but no outright hostilities for the most part. My question is, when is it safe to leave them alone together in the house when I go to work? Currently I let them hang out basically any time I am at home, but shut them separately when I'm gone for the day. Do I need to wait until they're rubbing noses and grooming each other? Is mutual detente sufficient? Are they just being nice in front of me and will be beasts once I leave? I've never lived in a multi-cat household before. Thanks for any advice!
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Jul 4, 2012 05:05
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HOLY poo poo THE CAT IS GIVING BIRTH. One kitten out, it's been maybe 20 minutes. It occasionally mews and wanders out of the box, while the mother cat has just been cleaning herself. How quickly does this thing need to start nursing? She went nuts licking it during the birth, and after about 10 mins of it sitting outside the box crawing in towels, I gently placed it back in the box with the mother cat. She's just focused on cleaning herself and gave it a few lick
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Jul 4, 2012 06:07
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htabz posted:HOLY poo poo THE CAT IS GIVING BIRTH. Also pics. And/or video.
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Jul 4, 2012 07:55
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duckfarts posted:Holy poo poo, might want to check if you need to prep stuff like warmers or KMR or something. Up to three kittens out now! The other two were nursing earlier when I checked in on her, so I'm relieved about that. I'm not sure if I'd need a warmer, it's 100+ every day here, and we don't blast the AC or anything. She has lots of blankets and I've got the ceiling fan off for now. Going to hit up petco tomorrow morning though for some KMR just in case She's kind of just sitting on them? right now. Guess she's trying to keep them warm/smother them with nipply goodness. Have taken some pics/videos, but trying to just let her do her thing with the newborns. She was super demanding that I was with her the entire ordeal, so I don't think she minds it too much, but still know this is pretty taxing on her.
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Jul 4, 2012 08:11
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htabz posted:Up to three kittens out now! The other two were nursing earlier when I checked in on her, so I'm relieved about that. I'm not sure if I'd need a warmer, it's 100+ every day here, and we don't blast the AC or anything. She has lots of blankets and I've got the ceiling fan off for now. Going to hit up petco tomorrow morning though for some KMR just in case We need a thread about this 
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Jul 4, 2012 13:10
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Enelrahc posted:If they're obviously sick (lethargic, making GBS threads water/blood, vomiting), I probably wouldn't take them. If they have a snotty nose, crusty eyes, or something like that that is obviously respiratory, that's not a deal breaker. Most kittens get those viral respiratory infections sooner or later and they will get over them with some good food and some time for their immune system to kick in. We're on our way to see the last two (the rest apparently have been given away). Wish us luck! :edit: AAAND we're back. We took the last two that he was willing to part with, and even that took some doing. My wife always plays the part of the bad cop, and we ended up with a stripy orange male, and a calico female. They are adorable, covered in fleas, and are sleeping contentedly on a pillow ATM. I flea combed them, and we've got kitten-sized flea meds for them. I'm sure they've got worms, and I'll set up a vet appt for this week or early next week. 
sharkytm fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Jul 5, 2012 |
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Jul 4, 2012 20:51
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Took in a pregnant stray a week or two back and today she started giving birth! Only the one so far. How long does it take to give birth to them all? Shes still looks like she has more in her and I thought I felt them but I'm not positive. Her legs were shaking for awhile after the first one and looked like she was gonna birth more.. but nope. Anything I should know? We got a box and lining it with some towels for them. Am I allowed to touch the baby or will the mom dislike that and reject it? I know nothing about kittens and this is my first time doing this.
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Jul 5, 2012 03:26
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Schroeder91 posted:Took in a pregnant stray a week or two back and today she started giving birth! How long has it been since the first kitten? I literally just had a stray cat give birth less than 24 hours ago. I read it could be between 30 minutes-over an hour per kitten. Ours were around 40 minutes apart. I don't think touching the kitten will ruin any bonding, as long as you aren't waiting with your palm under her when she pops it out. Give them a while to get cleaned up/dried off before inspecting, imo at least.
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Jul 5, 2012 07:34
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Lentil had a cold, wheezing all over the place, not much energy, and barely eating, so we ending up talking to the vet. She gave us a bit of antibiotic which at first we thought we would have trouble feeding to her, but its salmon flavored and she found it delicious. So we woke up this morning to find her food bowl empty and her with a crazy amount of energy, she barely kept still for pictures, just like a kitten should. Hooray!  
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Jul 5, 2012 13:43
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Hi, My cat has been acting kind of strange. He keeps mounting his half-bro and making weird cat noises. He's never been able to fully hump (because the other cat kicks him off or bites him until he stops). This happens 2-3 times a week, and it's been going on for a few weeks. Is this something to be worried about? Edit: they're both 19 months old.
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Jul 5, 2012 19:21
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Are they fixed?
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Jul 5, 2012 19:50
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I've had to take over for my wife doing the litter box for the next 9 months and well I keep forgetting because its not a chore im used to doing so I started thinking about maybe getting an automatic cleaning litterbox, for both mine and the cats sake it's a gross chore. Anyways! Is there one that people would reccomend or are they general just junk and not worth the cost?
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Jul 6, 2012 01:25
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Are they fixed? Yes. He just did it again
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Jul 6, 2012 01:33
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Hand of the King posted:Yes. Probably now that they're not kittens anymore they're working out dominance stuff. Hopefully it'll stop once they sort it out. If it doesn't I dunno, get him a blow up cat?
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Jul 6, 2012 03:07
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SmokeyXIII posted:I've had to take over for my wife doing the litter box for the next 9 months and well I keep forgetting because its not a chore im used to doing so I started thinking about maybe getting an automatic cleaning litterbox, for both mine and the cats sake it's a gross chore. Anyways! Is there one that people would reccomend or are they general just junk and not worth the cost? These seem to be either love it or hate it with people. When we had two cats, one of them started peeing on clothes/anything other than their litter box because she wouldn't go in a dirty box. There was no way to have a clean box 24/7 since we work. I purchased a Litter Maid and have been using them for ~10 years. I absolutely love it but there are things to consider. We have purchased three total. One broke after a few years and we bought a replacement. We then got a second box when we adopted the third cat. I have heard horror stories of these breaking constantly, but that has not been my experience. It took some time and work to get them use to it at first. It is not quiet when it cleans. Hennessy was absolutely terrified of it because of the sound and movement. I mistakenly just replaced the old box with the auto one and called it a day. You need to get them use to it. I brought back their old litter pan and put it near the litter maid. Every day or so, I would move it closer until they were side by side. Finally, I removed the old one and they were cool with the litter maid. Hennessy still will run over to it when it goes off and watch it - he doesn't trust it much. Blossom and Jameson don't care about it. Really depends on your cats and how long until they adapt to it. It can get annoying if you put too much litter in it or if the cats cover their poo poo and create a big imbalance that blocks the rake from cleaning it up - just need to smooth and even out the litter. The plastic poo poo holding things can last many uses - don't throw it out when you empty. I recommend getting the "mega" size or whatever, regular is really small. All in all, I love it and would not go back to the old style, but there are some adjustments you'll need to do.
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Jul 6, 2012 03:30
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sharkytm posted:Yeah, they are... glad I don't know them. First vet appt today. Praying for a clean bill of health, and no FIV or FeLV. 
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Jul 6, 2012 13:23
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Hey guys, i am getting a Sphynx,this breed of cat known as hairless(or maybe lack) I'm a cat beginner. I did some research and this is a list of things i need to take care of. Need sunscreen, body oils, coats,weekly ear wax,weekly nail clipping and weekly bath time. Did i miss something or just fine?
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Jul 7, 2012 13:54
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SmokeyXIII posted:I've had to take over for my wife doing the litter box for the next 9 months and well I keep forgetting because its not a chore im used to doing so I started thinking about maybe getting an automatic cleaning litterbox, for both mine and the cats sake it's a gross chore. Anyways! Is there one that people would reccomend or are they general just junk and not worth the cost? How much are you willing to spend? We got the litter robot back in like April so we could go away on vacation and the person sitting our cats didn't have to worry about having to clean the box all the time(my cat is fussy). It has been the most amazing thing we have bought in a long time. Not having to worry about a clean box all the time is great. We change out the bag about once a week. It's out in our kitchen right now, and with a sprinkling of baking soda in the tray you can't smell much of anything. I'd highly recommend it.
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Jul 7, 2012 16:35
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Just bought a Litter Robot myself, actually! Got a refurb for ~$250, which is the lowest I've seen them for. Hoping all the thread recommendations I've seen for them in the past few years are correct!
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Jul 7, 2012 22:50
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Bloody stool question: It was a hectic day, we just finished moving, dealing with utilities, etc.... We have 2 cats and I found what looked to be a bloody stool in the litterbox (of course I forgot to save it, it was a regular brown poop with what looked to be covered in red blood.). I think I know which cat it was as it was an unburied turd. Could this just be stress from moving, a one off type issue or is this an URGENT - I have to get my cat to the vet NOW type issue? I will be inspecting the turds in the litter box daily from now on. Edit: Also our one cat likes to hump said bloody stool cat (both males) could it be from gay cat anal penetration? Edit 2: Both cats are acting normal and showing no signs of being in pain. nunsexmonkrock fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Jul 8, 2012 |
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Jul 8, 2012 05:28
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nunsexmonkrock posted:Bloody stool question: Take the cat to the vet.
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Jul 8, 2012 15:41
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Okay, I will check litterbox after each cat uses it over next day or so to make absolutely sure that I am correct about which cat it was. It's Sunday so our vet is not open but I will make an appointment tomorrow. Anymore advice though will be appreciated. Thanks!
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Jul 8, 2012 21:30
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Do FIV+ cats require anything special? I might consider adopting one or two. On top of that, how hard is it to get a 5+ year old cat to use the Litter Robot? My previous cats (was only taking care of them temporarily) took to it immediately (one cat jumped in before I put litter in it). However I feel they were an exception to the rule. I'm looking to adopt but I'd likely only adopt an in-need cat, such as an older or FIV+. Can two FIV+ cats live together?
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Jul 8, 2012 22:00
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nunsexmonkrock posted:Okay, I will check litterbox after each cat uses it over next day or so to make absolutely sure that I am correct about which cat it was. It's Sunday so our vet is not open but I will make an appointment tomorrow. I would honestly probably just wait and see how it goes. That could completely be a stress reaction. If it continues or gets worse, or they start acting differently (lethargic, anorexic, vomiting) then bring them in. If they're still bright and alert, just watch them.
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Jul 8, 2012 22:58
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nunsexmonkrock posted:Okay, I will check litterbox after each cat uses it over next day or so to make absolutely sure that I am correct about which cat it was. It's Sunday so our vet is not open but I will make an appointment tomorrow. Still count on taking the cat to the vet, but typically if the blood is bright red, it could possibly just be from anal tearing and nothing serious, like if the stool was too big or something. Tarry black blood in the stool is generally indicative of gastrointestinal bleeding. CAT rear end: NOT OK
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Jul 9, 2012 01:48
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My mom typed this up since she has been the one most involved with this over the past few days so as a warning she types...eccentrically. Regardless, this is a serious concern for me and her since we've never had our cat act like this and it's really out of the blue. We're not sure what the hell is up with the cat at all. He has not deviated from his normal functions (how he eats, drinks, goes to the bathroom, sleeps) but he's has a total attitude change over the past few days and it's really concerning. --- Today my cat went psycho. I am somewhat baffled as to why or what made him go psycho but he is now at the vet over-nite for observation and evaluation to see if there is something we should know. Like if he is sick or hurt or just psycho. I have seen him distraught like this a bout a year ago when some crazed female cat was coming around and antagonizing him thru the window nightly. She would attack him thru the glass doors and he was certainly psycho then. You would not want to go down to check things out when she and he were having their fling thru the glass... he would hiss and growl and snarl at anything that moved in the house darkness. Being an indoor cat he likes to go out in the yard when we are all tooling around outside and he comes in when we do... So on Thursday we were out in the backyard and he jumped up behind the grill, which was the path the female cat would take into our yard to see him a year ago. And when I went to snatch him up and away from there he hissed and snarled at me. I was like whoa there dude... none of that and into the house he went. So Friday he seems a bit more agressive than normal but I figure he's just being touchy... so I avoid him to let him calm down. That nite watchin TV he is tucks himself next to me for his belly rubs and seems back to normal. Saturday he is alittle touchy but he is the kind of cat that just doesn't like other people. He has his #1 human... me and his #2 my son as his humans. Everyone else is just an inconvenience for him that he puts up with. And strangers... don't even think we have a cat since he will disappear until they are gone. So Sunday morning I am waking up and he jumps up to make his presence known and he is aggressive instead of in a tummy rub mood. I am like OK dude nothing for you... I don't reward bad behavior. So up and dashing around doing catch up chores from the week... laundry, cleaning, etc. Uot to the backyard for a minute to pull the cover off the patio set since it rained hard yesterday and I wanted it to dry out today.. Popped back in and got water for Skye's dish and also went to fill his water and he is behind me... ears back against his head, snarling, hissing and in attack mode. WTF!!! I am like WTF and I say I dont think so... and stamp my foot to distract him. Then I take a step to him... more of the same. Stamp at him again and he runs towards the stairs. Up he goes stopping and turning as he goes with the same psycho-tude. He is under the bed... his escape place. I look under the bed and he is still freaking out at me... so I decide to catch him and get him contained into his carrier. Into the Bathroom in the dark to Calm the F*** Down... Out to the yard for a few hours to do yardwork... figure he will be calm when I get back. But NOooooo he is still totally psycho. Jumping at anyone that come even close to the carrier. Ultra aggressive... WTF!!!! Off to the Vet... where he is quarantined for the nite. Tests tomorrow to see if there is anything we missed physically. Illness? or just snapped? TBC ---
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Jul 9, 2012 04:15
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thebrassthief posted:Today my cat went psycho. I am somewhat baffled as to why or what made him go psycho but he is now at the vet over-nite for observation and evaluation to see if there is something we should know. Like if he is sick or hurt or just psycho.
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Jul 9, 2012 10:08
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I checked the litter box right after he used it today, I found blood again but not nearly as much, and I saved it in 2 ziplock bags (because it got on the outside of the first one) in the fridge in the butter box. I feel a little better because it's a good bit less. It's a smallish red coagulated lump, but still concerning. I will be making a vet appointment tomorrow. I posted in LAN because we want to find a good vet that is affordable, but by the way, does anyone here happen to know a good cat vet in or near the general Uptown/Lakeview area of Chicago? As I'm typing this he's purring on my lap. He's acting normal and doesn't seem to be in any pain; downright cute really. So, I don't think it's ER worthy, especially as we're super tight on money right now. But, I do want to get him checked out soon to be safe. Even if he just crapped out a rubic's cube, he is my baby. Not much more to add except any local vet advice would be very appreciated. I'll keep you updated on his butt exam after it happens. Thanks for the advice so far, any more advice is always welcome! Edit: He's the orange one 
nunsexmonkrock fucked around with this message at 11:12 on Jul 9, 2012 |
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Jul 9, 2012 10:55
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