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So I finally have the chance to raise a kitten, my gf has wanted one for years and now that we live together I feel confident enough in our combined abilities to raise this little guy. We found a 6mo old grey guy kitten who was in the local foster program and scooped him up. He's a dream, he was abandoned very very early and was bottle fed and handled extensively in a foster home vs a shelter. He's very sweet and cuddly with his obligatory moments of cat frenzy. I have a question though, and the only time I had a cat is documented here in this thread. That cat was 1 1/2 years old when I got her and it was a foster, she was basically adult so she never had any crazies and was generally a slow cat. My question is: how can I prevent him from incriminating himself? We'll be playing and having a great time, and then he'll take the toy to murder it somewhere and I'll find him laying all over, say, a surge protector chewing the toy. His focus is completely on the toy and he doesn't chew the wires, but he inevitably will end up gnawing on one of them due to what I imagine is a bit of over stimulation. What I'll end up doing is picking him up and put him on his scratch lounge and he'll resume is murderous activity in the safety of the designated area. He does this with many of the places I have deemed unfit for play. I'm not rude about it cause I know he'll take it personally but we are beginning to edge on the territory of "I know you don't like this, giant leg monster." It concerns me only because I'm the one in this house who "understands" cat behavior to the point that I pay attention to his rebelliousness, not that I engage him in play for it but that I see him accidentally doing a thing I don't want, my gf tends to hand wave it off, but she also is a bit weak in her ability to deal with his craziness. I've said a whole lot of nothing so here's some pictures of this little monster named Tesla.
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 15:32 |
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# ? May 28, 2024 06:38 |
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Blimpkin posted:
Do you really think he is doing these things to be rebellious? Or is that just the word you chose? Because he's just being a kitten. He's also being a hunter. He is killing his prey in what he deems a safe location. My suggestion is if you don't want him laying on certain items when he plays, then make sure he cannot get to them or make sure they aren't hidden behind some large object. This may require you to move things around. Also, if your surge protector is warm? Cats love a nice warm spot. So a surge protector behind a computer is like their own private heater. Ciaphas posted:My cat Hope has developed the irritating habit of leaping on top of my computer to rest and warm her tummy. While that's funny and cute as hell, it causes huge problems with compy if she's carrying static from walking on the carpet (read: all the time). Obviously a spray bottle is a no go near a computer; any alternatives to telling her bad move and getting her to stay away? We put an empty box on top of our computer. It isn't particularly heavy, but when our cat is scouting his spot in our computer room, he sees the box and leaves. I personally wouldn't want double sided tape on my computer case.
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 16:14 |
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Huntersoninski posted:I don't know if you can tell a breed mix by looking, but thick lines and swirls sounds like a classic tabby marking - smaller stripes are "mackerel" tabby markings: http://messybeast.com/spotted-cats.html He is just the strangest cat.
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 17:05 |
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Barrista posted:Do you really think he is doing these things to be rebellious? Or is that just the word you chose? Because he's just being a kitten. He's also being a hunter. He is killing his prey in what he deems a safe location. Oh I know, he's a kitten. He's learning and operating on instinct. I don't run over there screaming "NO!" I just mean to inquire ways to mitigate future behavior if I let it go. There are only three areas in the home that are as kitty proofed as possible but he's small and energetic so he can get to these spots. I'm a very supportive cat dad and maybe my phrasing reflected a human tendency to assign intent. It does feel personal sometimes though.
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 17:11 |
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Mezzanon posted:My mom took him home and put him in a nice warm cat-bed with some food and he was so exhausted that he fell asleep with his face in the food dish. He ended up losing the tip of his tail, and the tips of his ears to frostbite. And all the skin on the pads of his paws sloughed off so he walked around like a little tenderfoot. As soon as he was able to stand under his own strength my mom called me to come and have a look at him. As soon as I picked him up he curled into my chest and purred and I knew right then that he was my kitty. So after dome de-worming, and some shots, and an FIV test he came home with my girlfriend and I and he's been the best cat ever since! Give your mum a hug, she's a good person and starting down the path of the 'cat lady' by the sounds of it. My old girl started out like that and is now running a cat rescue Unfortunately though that story is far from uncommon or unique. Anyone working with rescues will tell you any number of horror stories involving animals. Mostly it's just disinterest shading to callous neglect but every now and again you run into a real cruel bastard. What breaks my heart is how the cats/kittens stay so friendly and seek out human contact after suffering terrible abuse for most of their lives. I'd say look after Buster but you probably know how special he is (black cat power!).
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 17:33 |
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Oh, I think it's a good time to share my cat-acquiring story. She climbed up a branch (or pole, if that's more clear) we had to let our old cat out of the window for a walk. She was a kitten of some early, but apparently pole-climbing age, althought it was the middle of the summer - and my birthday, so the taking-in was not out of pity but the sense of cuteness, perhaps. And, I believe, next day I traveled away on an overseas trip, leaving this kitten in the capable hands of my relatives... In other words, I think that was pretty retarded on my part, but kind of in line with my normal behavior at the time. Although I'm not sure what I would have done differently today, except for the fact that I've abandoned the idea of overseas trips. Anyway, she's eaten all the grass I planted for her, which consisted of three pots. And it's kind of not in a hurry to grow back. It's a bummer because she really enjoys eating it.
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 18:16 |
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Mezzanon posted:I Can't believe those people were going to just straight up let him die. That's some loving bullshit. Agreed. There's a special place in Hell for these idiots. Good on your mom for rescuing him and both of you showing him the love and care he deserves.
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 18:22 |
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I'm in the market for the best flea prevention medication for my cat, a 12 year old female. We've had her for 7 years. In a house we previously rented, we allowed her to go outside while supervised in our fenced-in back yard, and even though we used Advantage, she managed to get a bunch of fleas. That was a couple years ago. We now live in another house that also has a back yard that's totally fenced-in by 7 foot fences, so we would like to let her sit out there with us. But we're not going to do it unless we can get some good flea prevention stuff for her - she's totally flea free and so is our house and furniture. We've talked to other cat owners who have said things about pills and about some kind of something you put on the cat's food, but googling is turning up nothing but endorsements for Advantage and Frontline. So my question is, is there anything actually better than Advantage or Frontline? Or are these people blowing smoke? Thanks.
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 18:37 |
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Fatfat survived her third cat cancer surgery! She's high as a kite. No pictures at the moment to protect the dignity of the guilty. I have her secluded in the master bedroom so that she and Poyo won't wrassle over dominion of the ~heated cat bed~ duckfarts bought them. (Best Santa!)
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# ? Dec 30, 2014 20:23 |
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Sub Par posted:I'm in the market for the best flea prevention medication for my cat, a 12 year old female. We've had her for 7 years. In a house we previously rented, we allowed her to go outside while supervised in our fenced-in back yard, and even though we used Advantage, she managed to get a bunch of fleas. They might be referring to Comfortis which is a good flea preventative that is an oral medication. Revolution is another topical flea preventative that I like as it also covers heartworm.
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# ? Dec 31, 2014 01:50 |
Cat won't shut up Shut up cat!: http://youtu.be/rrxMjzeXRco Cat broken
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# ? Dec 31, 2014 02:38 |
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Blimpkin posted:My question is: how can I prevent him from incriminating himself? We'll be playing and having a great time, and then he'll take the toy to murder it somewhere and I'll find him laying all over, say, a surge protector chewing the toy. His focus is completely on the toy and he doesn't chew the wires, but he inevitably will end up gnawing on one of them due to what I imagine is a bit of over stimulation. What I'll end up doing is picking him up and put him on his scratch lounge and he'll resume is murderous activity in the safety of the designated area. Your cat will always incriminate himself. He doesn't care. gently caress the police. He's a natural born killer, and he's proud of it. No court in the country would convict him, evidence be damned! Unless you meant Incinerate or Electrocute. In which case, buy a Ssscat and/or use double sided tape to make the surge protectors as unappealing as possible.
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# ? Dec 31, 2014 17:00 |
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The spots just below the tearducts of my cat get dirty. Like, the dirt got out of the eyes okay but doesn't actually go away, or so it seems to me. And I think it's only in the winter. My cat doesn't seem to mind, but it annoys me, and I'm not sure if I need to do something about that.
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# ? Jan 2, 2015 09:02 |
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One of my cat's eyes has that due to a clogged tearduct. Nothing to do about it other than let him clean it. If he's got a huge eyebooger that's worked into the fur though, then I'll intervene with a moistened towel to get it out, but otherwise he'll clean his own face with his paw often enough.
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# ? Jan 2, 2015 10:59 |
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Oh. I do that, but I also saw some kind of mosturizing drops product in an online petshop (which I don't trust). Maybe I could bother a vet with this?
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# ? Jan 2, 2015 19:23 |
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At what point is too many cats, too many cats? My wife and I are kind of crazy cat/animal people. Right now we have 4 cats (and fish, and a gecko ) and honestly, we are considering at least 1 more cat and maybe a small pathetic dog that will be easily cowed by cats. I don't think there is a concern from the physical space side of things, we have a decent sized townhouse. I'm more just worried that we have some sort of mental illness or parasitic disease that is causing this. We have no children ( and no plans for them ) so I suppose maybe we are filling that parenting need with as many cats as possible. I'm using cold hard logic to keep us from getting another one at the moment ( if only because changing 4 litter boxes is time consuming even now ) but if it wasn't already crazy to have 4 cats, I would be perfectly ok having 5+.
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# ? Jan 2, 2015 20:24 |
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Post pictures of inside your house, right now.
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# ? Jan 2, 2015 20:40 |
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blarzgh posted:Post pictures of inside your house, right now. I see where you're going with this, but we don't live in a cat-piss soaked hoarders paradise. Plus I'm at work so I can't. We change the litters ( 4 of them ) every 4 days regardless of their state - and use pine pellets so there isn't sand everywhere, vacuum every 2 days to keep the cat-hair tumbleweeds to a minimum, mop & wipe down all surfaces every 2-3 days, and keep the place neat and tidy except for when the youngest pair go nutty and take their toys all over the place. We've had family, friends, and independent 3rd parties verify we aren't living in a dump and it does not smell or look like we have 4 cats - no one actually realizes until they all come down to investigate who has arrived. The one concession we made after we bought our current place is to have all laminate flooring installed because carpet + cats = nightmare. We would legit run an actual animal rescue if we had the time/energy and space/legal zoning, but the reality is that this is not an option for probably several more years, maybe when one of us retires. So instead, sometimes we considering getting another cat from the shelter to help share their load, but I realize you can't save them all.
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# ? Jan 2, 2015 21:09 |
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TollTheHounds posted:At what point is too many cats, too many cats? My wife and I are kind of crazy cat/animal people. Right now we have 4 cats (and fish, and a gecko ) and honestly, we are considering at least 1 more cat and maybe a small pathetic dog that will be easily cowed by cats. We have 4 and honestly the thought of a 5th cat is enough to give me panic attacks. You don't mention the amount of physical space your house has. You may have the room for a 5th litter box but would you honestly have the room for the day to day movement of the cats (and hypothetical dog) that would allow everyone space if they need it, exercise, etc?
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 00:23 |
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supermikhail posted:Oh. I do that, but I also saw some kind of mosturizing drops product in an online petshop (which I don't trust). Maybe I could bother a vet with this? I find the drops just sort of make things worse, to be honest, as well as the supplements you can get for tearing. If your cat has a flatter skull shape, that can tend to make things worse, but dietary issues can exacerbate them. Corn and wheat tend to be the worst offenders to cause tearing, as can dust allergies.
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 03:52 |
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TollTheHounds posted:We would legit run an actual animal rescue if we had the time/energy and space/legal zoning, but the reality is that this is not an option for probably several more years, maybe when one of us retires. So instead, sometimes we considering getting another cat from the shelter to help share their load, but I realize you can't save them all. Why not foster cats for them, one at a time?
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 03:59 |
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Roommate had a friend's cat piss on her stuff. What's a good substance for taking unneutered male cat piss smell out of fabric?
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 05:10 |
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Unneutered? Fire.
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 05:28 |
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CommonShore posted:Roommate had a friend's cat piss on her stuff. What's a good substance for taking unneutered male cat piss smell out of fabric? Look for a washing liquid or a stain remover that said it is "enzyme" like the product below. The nappy washing area of your supermarket is a good place to start. http://www.biozet.com.au/laundry_liquid.php It may be easier to get new clothes
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 06:27 |
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So as already mentioned, my cat has basically eaten all of her grass. And what grows back, she immediately bites off very short. The other part of the context is that it's a Russian winter, so I put the pots on my computer desk under a lamp. I'm wondering if getting a small table and a dedicated lamp for it would be overkill. What I have in mind is a table just big enough to hold the pots, so the cat wouldn't be able to jump on it, so the grass has time to grow, although I'm not sure how letting my cat eat it eventually would work. I mean, if I moved a pot from the table, it's immediately a spot to jump to and eat the grass that's supposed to be off-limits.
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 06:49 |
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I might be adopting a cat from a former coworker. I was going to go to the shelter in a couple of weeks in search of an older cat, but she has one that she needs to give up. The cat is healthy, but she's unspayed and behind on her shots. I'm meeting the cat tomorrow to see how we get along, and if it goes well, I'm not sure about the least stressful way to spay her. Looks like I have 3 options: 1. Spay her and leave her in her current home until she heals a bit 2. Take her to my house, let her get used to it for a week or two, and then spay her, or 3. Spay her and then take her to my house. Option 3 seems like the most stressful option for the cat, but I could use some advice.
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 09:12 |
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supermikhail posted:So as already mentioned, my cat has basically eaten all of her grass. And what grows back, she immediately bites off very short. The other part of the context is that it's a Russian winter, so I put the pots on my computer desk under a lamp. I'm wondering if getting a small table and a dedicated lamp for it would be overkill. What I have in mind is a table just big enough to hold the pots, so the cat wouldn't be able to jump on it, so the grass has time to grow, although I'm not sure how letting my cat eat it eventually would work. I mean, if I moved a pot from the table, it's immediately a spot to jump to and eat the grass that's supposed to be off-limits. We were growing some catnip inside but the cats were destroying it, so we put it outside and the neighbourhood cats destroyed it. You're gonna have to put it in a closed room, and take it out and let the cats eat from it once a month or something.
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 15:07 |
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The annoying thing is, it used to be a non-issue in the summer, even with a single pot. But I guess letting the cat outside creates a balance I just can't fill. (Unless I cover my whole room with pots, obviously.)
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 15:18 |
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Zaftig posted:I might be adopting a cat from a former coworker. I was going to go to the shelter in a couple of weeks in search of an older cat, but she has one that she needs to give up. The cat is healthy, but she's unspayed and behind on her shots. I'm meeting the cat tomorrow to see how we get along, and if it goes well, I'm not sure about the least stressful way to spay her. Looks like I have 3 options: 1. Spay her and leave her in her current home until she heals a bit 2. Take her to my house, let her get used to it for a week or two, and then spay her, or 3. Spay her and then take her to my house. Option 3 seems like the most stressful option for the cat, but I could use some advice. I'd go with option 1. Its faster than option 2 and doesn't start your relationship by pairing you and your home with the vet and discomfort.
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# ? Jan 3, 2015 16:29 |
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Not a super-urgent cat health question, but one of our cats has been a bit lethargic these past few days. He's not completely off his food; he ate his wet food fine tonight, and I haven't seen or heard any evidence of vomiting. I took him to the vet last night after I touched him on the stomach and he cried out; he has a habit of eating plastic and I was worried about the possibility of an obstruction. The vet x-rayed him and didn't find anything but some gas and a somewhat elevated white blood cell count. She shot him up with various things (antacid, anti-nausea, antibiotics, fluids) and he was more energetic last night, but has regressed back to being kind of lethargic today. He still seems tender on his abdomen, I was petting him earlier and he cried at me again. What else should I consider? He already cost me 9 benjamins at the vet so I'd like to not take him back unless he becomes obviously worse, which he hasn't. He's wandering around my desk now like he's looking for food, but he's definitely slower than his normal self. Maybe he's just constipated? He was in for his regular checkup last week, and maybe he picked up a little cat bug there?
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# ? Jan 4, 2015 05:20 |
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The vet didn't find any infection while they were testing the blood?... The things they did seem kind of random, and in fact shouldn't there be some kind of test for whether you need an antacid? (I don't know.) Although I don't know anything and as far from being a doctor as possible while still remaining a living human being. Also, is the cat normally into belly-petting? Mine doesn't tolerate it, and would be even less happy in a weakened state. I'm assuming the vet didn't say what effect you should expect, or in what amount of time? Could you call the vet to find out if you should be worried? drat, if 9 benjamins ran away from me in the current Russian economy I'd literally be bankrupt...
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# ? Jan 4, 2015 08:33 |
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He doesn't like it under any circumstances but this was a much more angry reaction, like hissing and yowling. He threw up a bunch of dry food at 6 AM but scarfed down some wet food at 10 AM, and I found some turds in the litter box that were probably his and not the other cat's. He seems a bit more lively, but still kind of sluggish. I'm going to fill him up with Petromalt in a few hours.
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# ? Jan 4, 2015 17:24 |
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supermikhail posted:The vet didn't find any infection while they were testing the blood?... The things they did seem kind of random, and in fact shouldn't there be some kind of test for whether you need an antacid? (I don't know.) Although I don't know anything and as far from being a doctor as possible while still remaining a living human being. Also, is the cat normally into belly-petting? Mine doesn't tolerate it, and would be even less happy in a weakened state. This is actually a pretty standard "sick cat" workup and therapy for "vague illness." I don't know what was done exactly that would bring it to $900 - was it at an ER? As far as what to do from here, I would recommend getting another check up. I don't know what kind of bloodwork was done. They may need to repeat radiographs, or they may recommend an ultrasound of the belly to check things out. Are you missing any string or other long thin items? Those can be rather difficult to catch on radiographs - you might even get all the testing done and it is still unknown what is going on. Of course, this is up to you whether or not you want to watch it some more, as it might also be something benign that will resolve. There are very few GI "cat bugs" that are contagious like the GI viruses people get. More commonly, cats get upper respiratory infections when taken to vets. Edit: I don't like the vomiting. Again, you can keep monitoring him if you wish, but lethargy + tender belly + vomiting with some sort of elevated WBC that doesn't resolve with supportive care should be rechecked. I know he is eating, but cats are notorious for being difficult to diagnose. HelloSailorSign fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Jan 4, 2015 |
# ? Jan 4, 2015 17:25 |
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HelloSailorSign posted:I don't know what was done exactly that would bring it to $900 - was it at an ER? Welcome to the NYC metro area, where everything is priced Europe-style. It was not at an e-vet.
HelloSailorSign posted:Edit: I don't like the vomiting. Again, you can keep monitoring him if you wish, but lethargy + tender belly + vomiting with some sort of elevated WBC that doesn't resolve with supportive care should be rechecked. I know he is eating, but cats are notorious for being difficult to diagnose. I don't like it either, but when even a routine checkup and shots sets me back multiple hundreds of dollars and I just paid $900 for a gut x-ray and some Pepcid (and this is the third vet in this area I've switched them to, so these prices are fairly representative of the region), I don't think it's crazy of me to want to see if he will resolve on his own before I take another punch in the wallet. Maybe it sounds inhumane to those of you who live places where vets aren't insanely expensive, but I'm not made of money. chutwig fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Jan 4, 2015 |
# ? Jan 4, 2015 17:28 |
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Hello petthread, thank you for the pictures. They are all huge cuties who obviously need belly rubs. I have a big doofy 13 year old tiger striped weirdo named Tim. My girlfriend and I just moved into a new apartment, and wouldn't you know, we found fleas. It's not a major infestation, the cat has been treated, and we're keeping him out of rooms with carpets. Meanwhile. I came home one day to find that my girlfriend had rubbed a bunch of diatomaceous earth into Tim's fur. Aside from brushing and rubs, is there anything I can do to help him get clean faster? Baths seem like a really bad idea, this stuff turns to mud so fast. Tell me my big dumb goofy monster is going to be okay, please.
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# ? Jan 4, 2015 21:16 |
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Is it normal for my older cat to have thick slimy drool that hangs 2 inches down from his mouth that I have to wipe with a tissue 3-4 times a day?
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# ? Jan 4, 2015 21:29 |
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Nerdfest X posted:Is it normal for my older cat to have thick slimy drool that hangs 2 inches down from his mouth that I have to wipe with a tissue 3-4 times a day? No, it's not. It could be caused by a dental problem, probably merits a trip to the vet.
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# ? Jan 4, 2015 21:37 |
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chutwig posted:Welcome to the NYC metro area, where everything is priced Europe-style. It was not at an e-vet. For what you got, that's pretty standard pricing for most things.
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# ? Jan 4, 2015 22:04 |
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My cat has developed a small bump on the outside of her ear over the last month. it is the same color as her skin, doesn't cause her any pain, and can only be felt on the outside (i.e. it doesn't go through to the inside of the ear). it feels hard to the touch and has no hair on it. it's about the size of a human pimple (without the redness and other signs of infection that pimples have) I'm going to make a vet appointment this week, but I just wanted some instant feedback on how dangerous something like this is and whether its common or not. picture below thanks
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# ? Jan 5, 2015 06:21 |
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# ? May 28, 2024 06:38 |
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Dienes posted:We have 4 and honestly the thought of a 5th cat is enough to give me panic attacks. You don't mention the amount of physical space your house has. You may have the room for a 5th litter box but would you honestly have the room for the day to day movement of the cats (and hypothetical dog) that would allow everyone space if they need it, exercise, etc? Well, I think because 2 of them are older ( 12/16 ) they just kind of lay around most of the time as opposed to the younger siblings ( same litter - 2 years old ) which are always running around. Even then, of the 2 younger ones only 1 of them is always underfoot ( he is a flame point siamese and constantly demands attention ) and the other is nearly blind due to damaged retinas ( from a genetic defect causing lens luxation -> glaucoma in both eyes ). So unless they are all in the same room at the same time ( treats ) I sometimes don't realize really just how many cats we have and then "just one more" seems like not such a stretch. We have plenty of space I think, 1500 sqft, so apart from choke points like hallways or stairs, it doesn't feel crowded. Really, the biggest detriment is cost. I made a wise decision of getting pet insurance when we first got the kittens ( seriously, if you have kittens, get pet insurance, you never know ) and even with 90% coverage and a $200 deductible we've spent $2000+ on the 1 kitten with lens luxation ( 2x surgeries to do a lensectomy + countless follow ups and daily eye drops to control eye pressure - cost without insurance is $12000+ ), and one of the older ones has had to have 2x bladder surgeries to remove bladder stones ( and is now on urinary s/o exclusive diet, total cost $3000 at this point ). Finally the oldest one has arthritis and IBS ( irritable bowel syndrome, in a loving cat? ) so gets steroids every other day and Cartrophin shots every 2 months. That and the stigma I suppose - I'm used to the "uhhhh..." when people realize we have 4 cats, but for some reason it seems like 5 just might be the tipping point that sends us off into crazyville. I think the dog is really just a pipe dream, maybe if we move in 10 years to an actual house with an enclosed yard and more space. A dog right now would be living in hell with 4 cats, especially the older ones. I will say it is somewhat comforting to know that we're not the only people with more than 2 cats though, so thanks! Organza Quiz posted:Why not foster cats for them, one at a time? Any foster cat would become a permanent cat. It's like "try before you buy" instead of "renting", we'd ( or at least I'd ) never be able to return it. Plus it takes time for cats to work out their social structure and I'd humanize it too much as being "the new kid" and worry about it getting ostracised - I'd only really be comfortable doing that if I knew it was a permanent placement. TollTheHounds fucked around with this message at 19:09 on Jan 5, 2015 |
# ? Jan 5, 2015 19:05 |