|
Hello, ye olde catte thread! Today is a special day, you see, for today is the ninth birthday of my very special Jackie-cat. This marks.. well, almost 5 years that she's been my cat. Here is an obligatory picture very recent pic - Jackie just chilling out:  Since she's a fellow New Englander she tries to adopt a bit of a tough-girl persona when she knows she's being photographed. Seriously - she'll be looking all sweet but the moment you take the pic she'll narrow her eyes and flex her claws, *just* like in this pic. Note the extreme polydactylism - she's got 7 on each of her front paws, but actually 8 when you include the dewclaw. She's got an extra toe on her hind paws too, making for 26 total. Lotta toes on this cat. But she is extremely peaceful - I only clip them so they don't get ingrown, I really don't mind if they all get razor-sharp because she wouldn't scratch me in a million years. She is a very silly cat. And a bit fat, even though she has recently gone on a diet she still weighs a rather corpulent 13.4 pounds. That said, she weighed over 17 pounds when I first got her and was unable to groom herself, so things have greatly improved for the better since then :3  This is a me catching Jackie in a rare candid moment! Normally she just freezes up and gets all tight and uncomfortable when she notices the camera. I think it is bad associations from her previous owners who used to just film her with their phones while she'd be howling and hissing while being mercilessly attacked and scratched and bitten and bullied by the other cats there (Jackie never fought back she would just moan and hiss and cower). I honestly think there's some bad association there became camera time is never happy time... Like this pic:  Not quite sure what's going on here.. I think this might actually be mid-play because she will sometimes bear her teeth like that when I'm stroking the side of her face or when she is rubbing up against things, I'm just not quite sure how I caught it in this pic! I don't think is the beginning or end of a yawn, which looks os
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2015 22:43
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 25, 2024 23:26 |
|
|
Tendai posted:Can you feed them in separate rooms with a door between them to give Wolfgang more time, maybe? Either that or buy one of those fancy electronic feeders that only opens for a certain cat, but it seems like the former would be the easiest try and then if that doesn't work, try the other. I could give it a shot. I'm in a small apartment, so I could only really shut him in the bathroom. Not sure how happy he'd be about that, but I could try it. Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2015 23:12
|
|
|
I figured I'd update on the other cat with a feeding tube around here. Hers had been in for two weeks now and while she nibbles a few pieces of Kitten Chow or Greenies, it's not enough yet. And not drinking means we still give her fluids; she's really calm about the needle. I, on the other hand, am the exact opposite of calm. My stomach is in constant knots and I fear that any little trouble with the tube is going to continue to cost more than we can afford. My wife is running a small fundraiser but it's not going too well. No recent pics because she's at the vet today and everything else is on my wife's phone. I'll edit one in later.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2015 19:29
|
|
|
Mocha's kidneys are failing. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2015 22:45
|
|
|
The Cat Nutrition megathread linked in the OP appears be gone/missing (I get a database error when I click it). So, hopefully you guys can help me. Right now, my cat is eating Merricks wet food, and Taste of the Wild dry food. But he seems to be getting an allergic reaction to one of them (localized, constant scratching beneath his ears). We've visited the vet twice now, and we've ruled out paraistes. Are there any foods out there that cater best to cats with possible food allergies? JohnnyCanuck posted:Mocha's kidneys are failing. I hope your making your pal as comfy as possible. This type of thing is never easy. It's such an emotional rollercoaster.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 05:58
|
|
|
melon cat posted:The Cat Nutrition megathread linked in the OP appears be gone/missing (I get a database error when I click it). So, hopefully you guys can help me. Right now, my cat is eating Merricks wet food, and Taste of the Wild dry food. But he seems to be getting an allergic reaction to one of them (localized, constant scratching beneath his ears). We've visited the vet twice now, and we've ruled out paraistes. Cat foods have half a dozen different ingredients each at least. You need to get your cat tested to find out what specific items it's allergic to, then read the product labels to see what's in them. Our cat is allergic to Lamb, Catfish, Milk, Wheat, Rice, and Pork, in that order. The brand is largely irrelevant. The contents are what matter.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 06:14
|
|
|
Deteriorata posted:Cat foods have half a dozen different ingredients each at least. You need to get your cat tested to find out what specific items it's allergic to, then read the product labels to see what's in them. And it's really odd because our cat has been eating Merricks/Taste of the Wild just fine for nearly 3 years. I guess allergies can be strange, like that.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 06:36
|
|
|
My wife saw a kitten in the middle of the road on her way to work yesterday so she turned around and scooped him up out of the road. He was still alive and for lack of a better word intact, but it was obvious he had be hit by a vehicle. The poor little guy passed on in the arms of my wife before we could get him to the vet. I arrived just a couple minutes after he had passed. We named him Max. We're waiting for him to be cremated right now so we can bring him home. We're getting an impression done of his little paw so it's going to take a couple days. Even though we only got to spend a few minutes with him we think of him as another one of our cats, as we know we would've adopted him if his injuries weren't fatal. He's going to rest on our mantle until we get to see him again. Unfortunately my wife's phone was locked in her car, she had to call me with the phone of someone who stopped to help, so the only picture we have of him is after he had passed. It's a good angle so it just looks like he's sleeping with his mouth open, but if you would rather look like I recommend not clicking. http://i.imgur.com/U8Xn2vu.jpg I just needed to tell people about him.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 22:50
|
|
|
Reik posted:My wife saw a kitten in the middle of the road on her way to work yesterday so she turned around and scooped him up out of the road. He was still alive and for lack of a better word intact, but it was obvious he had be hit by a vehicle. The poor little guy passed on in the arms of my wife before we could get him to the vet. I arrived just a couple minutes after he had passed. We named him Max. We're waiting for him to be cremated right now so we can bring him home. We're getting an impression done of his little paw so it's going to take a couple days. Even though we only got to spend a few minutes with him we think of him as another one of our cats, as we know we would've adopted him if his injuries weren't fatal. He's going to rest on our mantle until we get to see him again. Jesus, that really sucks. Poor guy. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 22:54
|
|
|
Oh man I'm sorry guys. Thank you for trying. Mocha update: Her kidney numbers are pretty much as high as they get. She has a sore on her tongue - probably because of uric acid buildup - that makes it hard for her to eat. She has another mega bladder infection, and just to cap everything off, her anal glands were impacted (and full). Vets sedated her, gave her antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids, an appetite stimulant, antacids, and expressed her anal glands for us. She's at home right now in a semi-hidden spot, and we're waiting to see if she reacts well to any/all of the meds. I keep giving her in-front-of-the-ear skritches and telling her what a good kitty she is, but guys? I don't think she's having fun being a cat anymore.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 23:00
|
|
|
JohnnyCanuck posted:Oh man I'm so sorry. Is there something that causes kidney issues like that, or is it common for older kitties?
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 23:12
|
|
|
Reik posted:I'm so sorry. Is there something that causes kidney issues like that, or is it common for older kitties? It's pretty common in older cats, unfortunately. Mocha is 14, which is on the cusp of when they start encountering health issues like this.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 23:15
|
|
|
JohnnyCanuck posted:It's pretty common in older cats, unfortunately. Mocha is 14, which is on the cusp of when they start encountering health issues like this. I know cats are almost always on the edge of being dehydrated, is that one of the reasons they develop these issues? I know dehydration can lead to things like bladder infections in humans. My mother-in-law had to give her cat Lucky fluids for years.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2015 23:19
|
|
|
melon cat posted:Good to know. But are there tests (similar to human allergy tests) for cats that determine which specific allergens cats are sensitive to? Oddly enough, food allergies usually happen after chronic exposure. Kind of like people who eventually develop latex allergies after being exposed for a long time. I do want to clarify though that there is no reliable way to test for food allergies except for a feeding trial. What I would recommend is to either choose a new food that has a completely different protein source (and no similar protein sources to what he is currently eating), or a special hypoallergenic food. Unfortunately, for a feeding trial, he needs to eat only that and nothing else for 2 months. That includes treats or human food. After 2 months, if it is a food allergy, his clinical signs should have improved or resolved.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 02:55
|
|
|
Braki posted:Oddly enough, food allergies usually happen after chronic exposure. Kind of like people who eventually develop latex allergies after being exposed for a long time. Our vet had a skin test that she used. Cost about $130 or so, IIRC.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 02:59
|
|
|
Although skin tests are considered the "gold standard" for identifying potential environmental allergens, neither skin tests nor blood tests have proven to be accurate in the diagnosis of food allergies. A food elimination trial remains the gold standard diagnostic.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 03:31
|
|
|
Braki posted:Oddly enough, food allergies usually happen after chronic exposure. Kind of like people who eventually develop latex allergies after being exposed for a long time.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 05:22
|
|
|
Look at the ingredients for both foods closely because chicken is the most common protein source in cat food and is also the most common food allergen. Ideally it would be a protein source that your cat has never eaten before, which usually means duck, rabbit, venison, etc.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 06:10
|
|
|
It might even be the veg filler, like grains, so you might have to try grainfree foods to eliminate it as a suspect. See if you cant get samplers from your vet.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 06:26
|
|
|
Tendai posted:Can you feed them in separate rooms with a door between them to give Wolfgang more time, maybe? Either that or buy one of those fancy electronic feeders that only opens for a certain cat, but it seems like the former would be the easiest try and then if that doesn't work, try the other. Tried it now. Wolfy hated being shut in the bathroom, and I know James will hate it even more
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 08:52
|
|
|
Called the vet to set up Mocha's last appointment.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 13:55
|
|
|
JohnnyCanuck posted:Called the vet to set up Mocha's last appointment. I'm so sorry. Do you have someone that can go with you?
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 15:40
|
|
|
It'll be my wife and I going. When I called this morning, the vet techs asked me not to make any decisions until I talked to the vet. She'll be calling me sometime soon and then we'll make our choice.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 16:21
|
|
|
JohnnyCanuck posted:It'll be my wife and I going. Maybe they will want to run some tests and see how the meds are affecting her kidney function?
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 16:46
|
|
|
Reik posted:Maybe they will want to run some tests and see how the meds are affecting her kidney function? Definitely possible.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 17:11
|
|
|
Making an appointment to get Rena's tube out once my wife wakes up! She's eating and drinking reasonably on her own and we hope the mirtazipine we get today will make that even better.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 17:43
|
|
|
Mocha: 2001 - 2015 She Was A Good Kitty. JohnnyCanuck fucked around with this message at 02:43 on Nov 5, 2015 |
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2015 02:40
|
|
|
Sorry.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2015 02:50
|
|
|
We found this sweet, loud, smart, little devil outside our apartment building tonight. She's got a couple scars but is very affectionate. She's also already forced us to tie shut our bathroom cabinet so she can't get into it. We will take her to check for a microchip tomorrow. Maggie, our calico, is nonplussed. Our weird orange tabby Fiona, however, is quite anxious. For now, we shall call this one Charlie.  Edit: I'm really sorry JohnnyCanuck its no big deal fucked around with this message at 03:57 on Nov 5, 2015 |
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2015 03:46
|
|
|
JohnnyCanuck posted:Mocha: 2001 - 2015 RIP good kitty
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2015 12:17
|
|
|
JohnnyCanuck posted:Mocha: 2001 - 2015 What a sweet girl. She looks just like a healthy weight version of our girl Tipper. She's easily the most ridiculous of all our cats. I wonder if it's a Lynx Point Siamese thing? 
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2015 16:22
|
|
|
Here is a bad, watermarked collage of the newest kitten we're fostering: Her name is Bunny and she has to wear a bell because she is fast and sneaky and also teaches the other kittens bad habits but I think the bell doesn't help with the last bit. Edit: Oh god I thought I timg'ed it but I was on my phone. Sorry for giant cat pic. Stanley Goodspeed fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Nov 6, 2015 |
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2015 21:29
|
|
|
Hanako has started having liquid poop explosions again. I sure don't love scrubbing the carpet every night so she's getting locked in the kitchen pantry until it stops. Hopefully it's not stress related due to Lina, because I don't want to have to keep that one in my bedroom 24/7 again. In either case I end up with a ruined carpet...
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2015 23:52
|
|
|
I'm sure this is old news to a lot of you (or maybe it isn't) but I recently read possibly my favorite Article About Cats that I've read lately. It's from last year, and was published in the NYTimes by Tim Kreider (who is a cartoonist by trade it seems often for The New Yorker) and is called "A Man and His Cat". It struck many chords of truth with me, as a Guy With a Cat - though I think the article would probably strike many chords of truth with female cat-owners, too. Regardless. It probably got posted last year when it was written, but I only just read it so I'm gonna link to it anyway: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/a-man-and-his-cat/ In other news, I haven't really been posting here too much until the recent post. If there's big news it's that we moved to effectively a smaller apartment - a large-ish efficiency that's basically one big room with a hallway that's got a kitchen and a door to what is a fairly big bathroom - but the bathroom is the *only* other room, so I am living in pretty darn close quarters with Jackie. It's a good thing we get along because we can't really escape from one another. Jackie's not the sort of cat I could shut into the bathroom. Hell, I can't even shut the door for *me* to be alone in the bathroom without her being upset. Ah well. Reading stuff like the above post makes me glad that Jackie never has liquid poop explosions, and doesn't even throw up that much or get hairballs at all - though I do brush her regularly. Anyway, I often thank my lucky stars for what an easy and communicative cat she is.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2015 00:57
|
|
|
Mustache the street cat is now facing some challenges. After the half a year now we've had her ( or however long, I don't even know anymore ) she's much more relaxed - the past few days she has actually started sleeping on the bed with us and the other cats which is a big step. She actually waits for me to get into bed now to hop up.  HOWEVER, she still has 2 problems: 1 - constantly shits over the side or front of the litter box. This is not anger, I've watched her and she doesn't seem to like touching the litter ( wood pellets ) at all whether it's a fresh box or not. She goes just barely into the front of the box, hangs her rear end out the front and unloads. This is the same litter the other 4 use without issue and I refuse to change, she will learn or go back on the streets! 2 - never stops eating. Presumably from the street days of "eat as much as you can whenever you can get it", now that she has a constant supply of food she is fat. I mean, like getting concerned probably 20lbs fat. We have 4 other cats that all eat normally ( including an old man on steroids that needs a constant supply of food ), how the hell do you control 1/5 cats' eating habits, when 1 of the MUST have a constant supply? TollTheHounds fucked around with this message at 02:08 on Nov 6, 2015 |
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2015 02:05
|
|
|
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2015 03:12
|
|
|
That's my new Facebook profile pic.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2015 08:04
|
|
|
Like Trig Discipline said in the YOSPOS cat thread, both things are true. They're just not, you know, related.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2015 08:33
|
|
|
Odin had what should hopefully be his last vet visit yesterday. We should be getting his bloodwork back today, which hopefully will be normal. They pulled his staples and removed the bandage, so now he looks a bit lopsided because you can see the half of his majestic ruff that was shorn off. He's back up to just shy of 16 pounds again, which is still a bit lighter than the nearly 17 he was last year at his healthy visit but a good weight. He's also gotten really playful again, last night he came out of nowhere to interrupt our kitten Persephone's playtime with the feather wand and chase after it in his hilariously clumsy way. It's a big turnaround in just three weeks.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2015 14:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 25, 2024 23:26 |
|
|
I'm definitely gonna call the vet but to check for experiences, has anyone seen their cat's box usage go up after dental extractions? I'm assuming it might be the meds he's on after but wanted to see what others have dealt with.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2015 17:10
|
|
