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So just today my 7 month old kitten vomited for the first time since I got her about a month ago. She came with medical records and a clean bill of health, but the woman I adopted her from told me she doesn't like to eat wet food. I took her at her word and just hoped that a decent dry food would be enough to keep her in good health, but I fear she may be dehydrated as a result of not having any wet food. After seeing her vomit the first time, I checked her water dish and noticed she hadn't really touched it all day. I haven't moved it or altered it or her diet (Wellness Core dry twice a day) and she has been eating as normal. My reasons for thinking her vomit is hydration related are that it is very pasty in consistency, she has been puking after she wakes up from naps and licks her lips way more than I've ever seen her, and the skin on her nape is taking about a second to return to normal. Taking this into account, I put out a few more bowls of fresh water around the apartment so she has easy access to water basically wherever she is, and I have noticed her drinking quite a bit more than she normally does and she is still super playful and friendly as always, she also isn't sleeping any more than she normally does. Am I right for thinking this is a hydration issue and that I can just start feeding her wet food with dry and hoping she takes it, or should I be going to the vet? For reference she's puked three times today, each time a few hours after eating and each time after waking from a nap.
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Feb 19, 2013 07:15
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Vomiting can cause dehydration, but dehydration won't cause vomiting. Based on your description, the cat does sound like they are dehydrated, and vomiting multiple times in a day isn't normal for any cat, so yes, you should take them to a vet. Tomorrow, if possible.
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Feb 19, 2013 07:30
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Dr. Chaco posted:Vomiting can cause dehydration, but dehydration won't cause vomiting. Based on your description, the cat does sound like they are dehydrated, and vomiting multiple times in a day isn't normal for any cat, so yes, you should take them to a vet. Tomorrow, if possible. I see, off to the vet it is then -- thank you!
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Feb 19, 2013 07:49
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quote:Jackie Cat stuff A dedicated thread might be better for kaworu's posts (although I think his real crime is in not including enough pictures of Jackie; I mean, Shifty Pony mostly posts about Sadie's poor hiding skillz but the important thing is that he(?) includes lots of pictures with every post), but as a couple other people have mentioned, there's also the issue that this thread has a bit of an identity crisis. It's ostensibly the cat FAQ but a lot of Random Nonsense-esque stuff ends up in here because the Random Nonsense thread itself is very dog lady driven for whatever reason. Of course this means that the people with cat related questions have a bunch of cat lady nonsense to wade through and sometimes their posts get lost or ignored (and I think non-regulars don't realize they're often asking questions that have already been answered many times). That said I'm not sure if a cat-specific nonsense thread would be a great idea either, especially since there's the longstanding YOSPOS catte thread already.
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Feb 19, 2013 07:57
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The transfusion is starting to wear off and our little white kitty is losing energy again. We're not going to drag this out any more and make it harder on him (or our savings). Tomorrow he gets all the tuna, catnip, treats, petting, and attention until he's totally annoyed with it. Here's some pics of the last few weeks.  He loves sleeping in my lap while I'm on the computer  Or my wife's if I have to get up  And preventing me from getting out of bed when I need to get up for work  Draw me like one of your French girls  Must lay on as many people as possible  These clothes smell like people, good enough Our gray kitty still is doing okay, he's been very very loud the last few weeks, and also not eating a whole lot. I think it may be just because of us giving extra special attention to his brother, and that his brother has been acting wildly different than he did just a month ago, not really having enough energy to play that much.
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Feb 19, 2013 08:23
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My cat is literally starving himself to death. He refuses to eat anything I put in front of him and is skin and bones at this point. I'm running out of options and will resort to force-feeding if I have to. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Feb 19, 2013 15:49
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Wildeyes posted:My cat is literally starving himself to death. He refuses to eat anything I put in front of him and is skin and bones at this point. I'm running out of options and will resort to force-feeding if I have to. Any advice would be appreciated. Is he drinking at all still? If he is, there could be a bigger issue than that Urinary thing. Edit: Regardless, this is definitely something where you ask your vet, not the internet. Slickdrac fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Feb 19, 2013 |
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Feb 19, 2013 15:55
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He went to the vet yesterday; she said the feeding thing was secondary to making sure he doesn't re-block, but I get the feeling she just didn't give a poo poo, because we didn't want to pay $500. Anyway, she said if he hasn't eaten in three days, we should be worried. It's been far more than three days. But yes, he is still drinking. Just not eating. I'm asking the Internet, because my vet has no answer.
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Feb 19, 2013 16:08
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How about with treats, will he even eat those? Only in two cases have I ever seen a cat just not eat, even with treats. In one case the cat had stomach cancer, and in the other, it was my little white kitty who had so little blood he should have been dead. Also, your vet is an rear end in a top hat
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Feb 19, 2013 16:22
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Wildeyes have you been keeping track of his weight or just judging by feel? While your vet should be taking your concerns more seriously, maybe she will pay attention if you tell her "Kitty lost 25% bodyweight plz halp!" Also probably see another vet.
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Feb 19, 2013 16:35
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I don't have a scale, so I'm just judging by the fact that he hasn't eaten, and his spine is jutting out. I really wish I could see another vet. But it's getting really hard. Again, I'm the only one who's paying anything, and I can't afford to pay hundreds of dollars again. How about syringe feeding? Anybody tried that, have some hot tips for me? Maybe a good brand of fatty wet cat food?
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Feb 19, 2013 17:04
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Wildeyes posted:I don't have a scale, so I'm just judging by the fact that he hasn't eaten, and his spine is jutting out. You can try syringe-feeding. Sometimes cats tolerate it ok, but a lot of the time they fight it. Any smooth-consistency wet food that you can mix with a little bit of water will work.
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Feb 19, 2013 17:18
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Some previous goons mentioned baby food. I don't have any experience with that but maybe they can say something about it? That would be easier to syringe I would imagine. Also, screw your vet. <  >
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Feb 19, 2013 17:52
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SpaceAceJase posted:More kitten pics! That might be the best tired kitten picture ever. LOL.
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Feb 19, 2013 20:36
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Couple quick questions: 1. I'm feeding Refurb Blue Buffalo dry kitten food. At what age is it recommended to change over to adult food? 2. As she gets bigger I'm getting more concerned about her weight and I want to make sure I'm not overfeeding her. She's about 7 months old now and is around 7-8lbs, how much would you guys recommend per day? The recommendations on the cat food bag seem like way too much. In exchange for your advice, I offer a bouncy Refurb gif. 
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Feb 19, 2013 21:04
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In my experience the recommendations from the pet food manufacturer is an overestimate. My cat's 8lbs and gets about 1/3 of a 5.5oz can of Wellness wet food twice a day. Trying to figure out an amount based on their weight isn't exactly a hard rule though: doubly for your cat that's missing an appendage, the weight would be all wrong for any calculations. Until she's an adult just don't let her get fat. Then once she's on adult food weigh her, like, weekly and just try to figure out amounts based on if she's gaining/losing weight. Each cat's different and you probably should take other peoples' "My cat weighs x and gets y" as starting points rather than rules. I think roughly one year old is the time most companies recommend the switch to adult food.
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Feb 19, 2013 21:43
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A colleague's vet hooked me up with some Nutrical (super high-calorie paste) and gave me advice on syringe feeding. Also, apparently the steroid may be killing his appetite. Fed the cat the Nutrical; was way easy. Really wish I knew about this poo poo sooner.
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Feb 19, 2013 21:59
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Wildeyes posted:A colleague's vet hooked me up with some Nutrical (super high-calorie paste) and gave me advice on syringe feeding. Also, apparently the steroid may be killing his appetite. That's good. Was the vet better? Well, you got helpful food, advice and explanations so I guess that answered my question. Glad the cat is eating 
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Feb 19, 2013 22:03
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Witchkin (giant black muscle beast) is going to the vets tomorrow for his boosters, and I've been a little concerned about him lately.. My only excuse is.. he is genuinely retarded, so I often have trouble discerning his behaviour quirks from actual problems. I'm hoping it's nothing serious. He's always been food obsessed (ex feral), but the last few weeks suddenly I can't get him to take treats from me, touch high value leftovers (beef gravy, roast turkey skin, scraps of butter I knocked on the floor, etc). He just turns his head away and looks frustrated. Still eating his biscuits like a champ.* He's been sleeping 99% of the time, in the exact same comfort spot for a few weeks, which is not normal behaviour for him - he's usually at my feet like a dog, or fussing around me, or playing with the 8 month old tortie. I put this down to the recent snow, but it's been bugging the back of my mind. He's not a potato cat. He's always been litterbox obsessive - he has to pee every time someone comes in the front door. If I go and empty the bins he will pee to celebrate me coming inside. I sometimes go in and out a few times to see how many times he will do this. Upper limit is five. Anyway I noticed he lately runs over and squats with no real outcome for a while. I thought it is because of how often he tried to pee on demand. He bit / hissed /moaned at me for the first time ever last week. For him to even complain was unique. I hope it was just grump and not that he is sore somewhere. *I live in the UK and feed Royal Canin biscuits because the vet told me to, and they seem to contain a lot of animal compared to the inexplicably expensive gross wet food. I am going to ask about diet tomorrow.  Please be my over active worrying, I hate myself right now.
Bogwoppit fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Feb 19, 2013 |
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Feb 19, 2013 22:25
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The other vet is great, but she hasn't taken a new client in 15 years. She did recommend someone to me though, one that she says cares about a little more than money. So my cat may or may not make it, but at least he's not going to waste away on my watch. That's of some comfort. She also recommended Pepcid AC to soothe his stomach, so I'll give that a whirl tonight.
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Feb 19, 2013 22:31
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Golden-i posted:Couple quick questions: Something tells me Refurb is going to be a big cat  I free feed mine dry food with a 3.5oz can of wet food split between them daily. I'd say start with what the manufacturer recommends and adjust from there based on her eating habits and weight gain. Your post reinforces how tiny my girl cat, Daisy she's full grown but only 7.5 pounds. She never grew out of that leggy teen car phase. Hoke on the other hand is 15 pounds of pure muscle 
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Feb 19, 2013 22:39
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El Gar posted:In my experience the recommendations from the pet food manufacturer is an overestimate. My cat's 8lbs and gets about 1/3 of a 5.5oz can of Wellness wet food twice a day. Trying to figure out an amount based on their weight isn't exactly a hard rule though: doubly for your cat that's missing an appendage, the weight would be all wrong for any calculations. Until she's an adult just don't let her get fat. Then once she's on adult food weigh her, like, weekly and just try to figure out amounts based on if she's gaining/losing weight. Each cat's different and you probably should take other peoples' "My cat weighs x and gets y" as starting points rather than rules. Hey Gar, we haven't spoken in a while. Just wanted to remind you that your cat is really ugly. Thanks.
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Feb 19, 2013 22:59
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I've a pisscat pickle for you, goons. My parents have a 17-year-old cat who stopped using her litter box consistently a few years ago. For a while, she used the basement floor, which is where her litter box is. About 8 months ago, she was attacked by a dog and was laid up for almost a week. Since around that time, she's started to pee on rugs around the house as well as the basement floor and her litter box. She's a little more fragile now than before the dog attacked her, but she's still spry for an old kitty and will go outdoors when the weather is nice. She uses the litterbox in the basement about half of the time, and otherwise seems to favor a rug right outside of the bathroom, which is where her waterbowl is kept. I've even witnessed her trying to poop in one of her regular napping spots, so I don't think it's one of those "nyah-nyah, I hate you so I'm going to gently caress up your stuff by pissing/making GBS threads on it" things. Is this just senility? Is it trauma from the dog attack, or perhaps decreased mobility? I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions or theories. They've tried putting litterboxes around the house and also feliway, neither of which had any effect. Tl;dr - Old cat peeing everywhere. How to stop? Chamber Music fucked around with this message at 08:36 on Feb 20, 2013 |
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Feb 19, 2013 23:58
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Blinks posted:I think Kaworu has a wealth of knowledge, helping loads of people with advice from personal experience but I do find his (always thought he was a lass!) posts about Jackie tedious. The first time it was cute but then the shine wore off and it just became "HEY EVERYONE, MY CAT IS AMAZING, READ THIS ABOUT HOW AMAZING SHE IS". Like someone else said, EVERYONE has a special bond with their animal, but don't post love letters to them in here. I've just gushed so hard over Arthur on the run up to my fiancée giving birth in a different thread, I understand it's easy to do, because we love our cats, even more so here because it gains you a wider audience. Just scroll past posts you don't like. God knows I see enough posts of the same stupid dogs over and over again, and no one gives them poo poo. All dogs are pretty boring Wildeyes posted:A colleague's vet hooked me up with some Nutrical (super high-calorie paste) and gave me advice on syringe feeding. Also, apparently the steroid may be killing his appetite. I was told by my vet steroids usually increase an animal's appetite, but IANAV so I don't know much about exceptions. Something you may want to consider is that steroids can cause stomach irritation. I've had two ferrets on steroids long-term (cancer  ) and the recommendation I was given by the vet each time was to give the meds with food, so you may want to ask your vet about that, or about antacids which may help.
Serella fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Feb 20, 2013 |
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Feb 20, 2013 01:42
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Is this what you guys mean by "let the cat choose you"? He was kinda scared of all the people around but rubbed up against the cage when I came by and stuck my fingers through. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIz4cUXNMmU He comes home tomorrow  Also, his front feet are shaped somewhat oddly. Is that what polydactyl is? Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 02:17 on Feb 20, 2013 |
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Feb 20, 2013 02:13
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I think that qualifies for sure! Grats on the cat! what a beautiful guy. He likes you! VV Cute! Pizza was tuckered out and still recovering from a URI when I met him. Accepted pets without getting up, rested his little head on my hand and fell asleep. Heart broken, paperwork submitted. Rat Patrol fucked around with this message at 02:32 on Feb 20, 2013 |
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Feb 20, 2013 02:16
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Serella posted:Just scroll past posts you don't like. God knows I see enough posts of the same stupid dogs over and over again, and no one gives them poo poo. All dogs are pretty boring This is why I kind of wish there were a cat-specific random nonsense thread. The dog people don't get why the cat people are continually obsessing over their cats being cuddly/chasing lasers/staring at birds or the importance of discussing cat rear end status, and the cat people can't understand why 50 pictures of the same dog running through snow or the continuing adventures of the dog who occasionally kills rats are so noteworthy. Pollyanna posted:Is this what you guys mean by "let the cat choose you"? He was kinda scared of all the people around but rubbed up against the cage when I came by and stuck my fingers through. Sometimes cats "choose" people by demanding attention in some way or just showing up on the doorstep one day and refusing to leave. This guy clearly likes your attention, I'd say so! When I adopted my cat she was clearly uncomfortable in the shelter environment and wasn't particularly interested in affection beyond accepting some head scritches in the little room they had for interacting with the cats one-on-one. But when it came time to put her back in her cage she reached out a paw through the bars and grabbed my hand, and that was enough for me. From the moment I brought her home she's been a total velcro lap-cat; I wouldn't be surprised at all if your guy turns out to be super affectionate too.Edit: Polydactyl means they have extra toes; the number of extra digits will vary.  Sometimes it looks like their paws have "thumbs"; if you look at the bottom of the paw you'll see extra toe pads/extra claws. Here's a few pictures from GIS.http://kittybloger.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/american-polydactyl-10.jpg http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1344/732593791_80269ab0bf_z.jpg http://cats-chaos-and-confusion.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/polydactyl-cat.jpg Robo Kitty fucked around with this message at 02:31 on Feb 20, 2013 |
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Feb 20, 2013 02:27
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Serella posted:I was told by my vet steroids usually increase an animal's appetite, but IANAV so I don't know much about exceptions. Something you may want to consider is that steroids can cause stomach irritation. I've had two ferrets on steroids long-term (cancer Re: the stomach irritation thing, that's what I was told, too. It would certainly explain why he refuses to eat. The original vet never told us that and never gave us any tips for coping with his self-starvation. I'm beginning to think she's simply incompetent.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:28
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My 10 month old is still very much an ADD kitten. He really can't sit still... except at 6:45 AM when my alarm rings and i need to get up to go to work... Then he wants to lay on my chest in the bed and is none too happy when I have to get up. Cats are weird.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:32
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Bogwoppit posted:
What happened at the vet? Witchkin sounds a lot like my Grumples and I'd definitely be worried if he changed behaviour like that.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:35
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mcmagic posted:My 10 month old is still very much an ADD kitten. He really can't sit still... except at 6:45 AM when my alarm rings and i need to get up to go to work... Then he wants to lay on my chest in the bed and is none too happy when I have to get up. Cats are weird. Cats are usually pretty kittenish until 2-3 years old or so. Have fun!  If you want to get him to sleep through the night and wake up with you, try playing with him until he's exhausted right before bed time. It may not work completely, but it should help. When my cat was a bit younger we'd play with the Da Bird every night until she was panting; that really helped knock her out enough so that I could fall asleep without her tearing around the apartment at 4 am. She's about 2.5 now and sleeps through the night with a much lighter playtime before bed.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:40
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Wildeyes posted:Re: the stomach irritation thing, that's what I was told, too. It would certainly explain why he refuses to eat. First things first, I'd check the meds to see if there are instructions on the bottle that she may have neglected to spell out. My new vet sends home a whole page of recommendations (some of them are generic copypasta for x condition or y medication while others are specific to the pet), but even if you don't get something like that, the bottle of meds itself may say to give with food. The prednisone I use does. Secondly, call and ask. Even if you just give a tech a few questions to ask the vet and call you back with answers, it could help. Not all vets are created equal in terms of service, even if they know all there is to know.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:46
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Pollyanna posted:Is this what you guys mean by "let the cat choose you"? He was kinda scared of all the people around but rubbed up against the cage when I came by and stuck my fingers through. Does... does that cat have a thumb? Oh man, it's going to be opening doors and sorting through bills before you know it!
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Feb 20, 2013 03:00
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So last night my cats encountered a racoon *through* the window. They could not touch it, but they sure saw it. Due to it, my cats freaked right out. They began growling like I never heard before and actually ended up attacking each other. Two brothers that love each other to death, so strange and scary to see them attack each other!  Apart from getting rid of these things, is there anything I can do? I've temporarily blocked viewing access of the patio door by placing a large chest and a bunch of pillows piled on top of it, but I need a more permanent solution. My landlord's been notified about the racoons and hopefully he can get rid of their nest, but wondering what I can do in the mean time. Thanks!
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Feb 20, 2013 03:03
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Robo Kitty posted:Cats are usually pretty kittenish until 2-3 years old or so. Have fun! He actually is so considerate it's funny. He doesn't bother me at all in the morning until I've woken up, then he'll jump right on my chest and stare at me. The little weirdo.
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Feb 20, 2013 03:08
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There is absolutely no easy way to deal with having to put down a not even two year old kitty. You could compress all my time in the Marine Corps, including Boot Camp, 2 deployments, and 5 years with a unit that is known throughout the entire Corps for being completely poo poo on morale and put it all into the same minute long timespan, and it would still be a thousand times easier. I have never cried like that ever or felt this upset. Still my favorite video of our little white Precious (we thought they were female at the time), and makes me sad when I see that it was only recorded a year and a half ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElXOigb6K3o
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Feb 20, 2013 03:08
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Pollyanna posted:Is this what you guys mean by "let the cat choose you"? He was kinda scared of all the people around but rubbed up against the cage when I came by and stuck my fingers through. Hey, you just posted yesterday that you adopted and returned a cat two weeks ago and you didn't think you could handle pet ownership. It's stressful for cats to be relocated. Please give some thought as to whether you're keeping this cat.
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Feb 20, 2013 04:03
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Trillian posted:Hey, you just posted yesterday that you adopted and returned a cat two weeks ago and you didn't think you could handle pet ownership. It's stressful for cats to be relocated. Please give some thought as to whether you're keeping this cat. For one, I learned a lot from my fuckup. Last time I had not given enough thought and attention to a cat that would fit the household, allowed myself to get caught up in the previous rescue's hurried and rushed adoption process, was new to the concept of cat ownership, and just did not work well enough with the cat for it to be worth it. What I did was what was best for both of us. This time I specifically worked against the factors that screwed me up last time, this time I refuse to gently caress up. Second, I get panicky and anxious when told to take care of things. I manage to take care of things just fine when it actually comes time to own up. Not everything I post on the internet reflects my actual, rational, mature feelings.
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Feb 20, 2013 04:35
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I have a quick, sort of weird anecdote/question. I was at my friend's place the other night and she gave her cat some catnip (shook a toy in a bag of dried stuff then gave her the toy). She started getting excited and silly, batting the toy around. She didn't seem anxious or unhappy at all, but for some reason, my friend's boyfriend flipped right out at us, grabbed the toy away, and told us off, saying it was animal cruelty to "get a cat high". It had never crossed my mind that catnip could be seen that way. We tried to explain that it's a normal thing to do (I don't think he's had cats, himself), and that cats like it, but he seemed completely disgusted with us and kept trying to comfort "poor kitty" (she just wanted to playfight with his hand). I really didn't know what to say. I guess I sort of see where he's coming from? Have any of you encountered something like that before?
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Feb 20, 2013 04:35
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lidnsya posted:I have a quick, sort of weird anecdote/question. Uhhh.... toking up your cat with weed'd be bad cat care in my opinion, but catnip? No. It's just a form of mint that makes them rather silly. What a weird dude.
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Feb 20, 2013 04:48
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