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durrneez posted:I also have a lofted bed now and cut a bunch of holes in a large cardboard box and shoved some packing paper in that and shoved the whole thing under my bed. he loves that too. This is such a good idea, I’m gonna do it.
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Dec 17, 2021 01:09
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VelociBacon posted:Huge thanks to everyone. I know a lot of this is New Cat Dad stuff but I can't help but worry. Here's a not great photo I just took while she's sleeping: Just following up my post - went to the vet today and they said everything looks great, healing really well, no infection no hernia no seroma, just a bump from the underlying sutures that should resolve in time. They removed the external sutures and I'm so relieved I could weep. She's currently doing exactly the poo poo she has been doing for the last 2 weeks since she was spayed so to her it was just a weird vet trip I guess. Time to just enjoy having a cat and not be worried about the next thing coming up. 
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Dec 17, 2021 02:16
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Adopted this little graphite beauty from the local Humane Society a few days ago:  Five month old male who was adopted twice and then returned because both homes said he started to go to the bathroom outside of the box after a month. First home had multiple animals, second home he was the only one, but no further details about either situation were available. The vet at the shelter said they can't find anything medically wrong with him. He's a ball of energy that is extremely extroverted with a strong drive to explore everything. So far he's been using the litter boxes provided to him without issue. The first two days we kept the new kitten in a separate room, now we're up to this:  The kitten will ping pong back and forth at the gate and zoom around obviously wanting to play. The adult cat doesn't seem to know what to make of this and will cautiously watch but not approach the gate any closer than pictured here. Otherwise the adult hasn't shown any typical signs of cat hostility like hissing or raised hair. Should I just be patient and wait it out? HazCat posted:Obligatory cat pic (from the very first time she realised she could control it herself and didn't need me there to spin it for her): Neo saying, "Whoa!" from the remake of The Matrix using only cats is looking pretty good. Fabulousity fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Dec 17, 2021 |
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Dec 17, 2021 02:43
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 Received this from a coworker for Secret Santa. Step Sisters.
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Dec 17, 2021 04:59
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Fabulousity posted:Adopted this little graphite beauty from the local Humane Society a few days ago:  I wonder if his earlier problems could be partly age related? Five months seems a little young to already have two attempts at adoption.When we introduced our new kitten, we waited until established cat got right up to the barrier and was sniffing her through the mesh. But he is naturally curious and maybe not every cat would go that far. I'd say if yours can get that close without visible hostility, it might be OK to cautiously remove the gate and see what happens. Just be ready to separate them if it doesn't go well, and limit / supervise their time together at first. We kept the new girl in her separate room for a few more days after the initial introduction, only letting the two mingle when one of us was home in the evenings.
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Dec 17, 2021 05:57
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I took Wolfgang for his follow-up checkup, after having teeth out. The vet says he's healed up beautifully, ahead of schedule! I also remembered to ask about that thing Wolfy likes to do, where he climbs up the ladder and rests his neck on the other side, and goes *huuk* *huuk* *huuk*. The vet's like "well, I guess he has a choking fetish. Never seen that before! Ah, cats. Probably harmless since he's doing it to himself"
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Dec 17, 2021 07:55
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Hyperlynx posted:I took Wolfgang for his follow-up checkup, after having teeth out. The vet says he's healed up beautifully, ahead of schedule! Our ginger cat, Tyrion, does that to himself on the cat tree. Sits on a platform and leands his head over the edge until he starts choking and gagging. No hairballs, no vomit, just...oblivious autoasphixiation.
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Dec 17, 2021 13:55
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edit: was a couple pages behind
Luneshot fucked around with this message at 15:06 on Dec 17, 2021 |
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Dec 17, 2021 15:04
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Fabulousity posted:The kitten will ping pong back and forth at the gate and zoom around obviously wanting to play. The adult cat doesn't seem to know what to make of this and will cautiously watch but not approach the gate any closer than pictured here. Otherwise the adult hasn't shown any typical signs of cat hostility like hissing or raised hair. Should I just be patient and wait it out? No hissing or hostility through the gate? That's very, very good! Give that a few more days and then start slowly letting them be together. You'll likely see some hissing when that happens, but that's totally normal, testing boundaries etc. Just make sure your adult always has a kitten-free place to retreat to when they're done. I think they'll be fine together!
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Dec 17, 2021 17:00
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Katya is doing something that sounds a little like he's grinding his teeth. I am a little concerned but I'm not sure.
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Dec 17, 2021 19:29
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This is Casca Casca started showing some red flags about six months ago with very frequent, but very short, trips to the litter box. Brought her to the vet a couple months ago, who did basic bloodwork, which turned back normal. Vet also noted she lost almost two pounds since her previous visit about in January. Recommended also testing for thyroid, which also didn't show any issues. Recommended I try "getting calories into her." Suggested nutri-cal, or just changing foods (nothing specific). Said next step would be imaging, but didn't outright recommend it. Casca wouldn't touch the nutri-cal. I started giving both cats wet food, and she loves to lick the gravy but won't eat any of the meat. I started giving her treats frequently, and for a while she seemed stable (at least her weight was consistent). Then two weeks ago I noticed her coat was really looking awful, and she was turning down treats sometimes. I called and asked to have the x-ray done, they scheduled it for this past monday (12/13). Vet said the x-ray showed a few small bladder stones, mild signs of arthritis, but seemed unimpressed with it overall. Said ultrasound would be the next step. She said she would contact an internist at another vet hospital and get back to me. Also sent me home with that "lab litter" stuff, apparently they just can't get any urine out of her. I tried to get a urine sample by putting her in the bathroom overnight with the lab litter (I have a second cat, no other way to control who pees where). Casca just starts to bawl like a baby. After about an hour neighbors start asking wtf is going on. So I abandoned that, since I can't be at home during the day. On thursday I called back asking for an update. Was told that the vet was out of office until monday, and hadn't heard back from the internist about the ultrasound. I left a message basically pleasing not to forget us. Last night I gave Casca some canned food, and soon she vomited at least four times, mostly on the carpet but once on hardwood floor. Entirely liquid, and when I wiped it up there was obvious blood in it (or maybe bile). Called the vet and left a voicemail (at 9:30pm). This morning (saturday) I finally could keep her company while confining her to the bathroom. After a couple hours there's a few drops of pee in there, lightly tinted with blood. I call the vet again, holding back tears, tell them what happened, and insist on being seen by someone. They've scheduled me with another vet in a couple hours. As of now I believe that without intervention, she won't make it until Christmas. AFAIK most complaints about vets are about money or bad "bedside manners". The vet I've been seeing has neither of those issues, if anything she's very empathetic when I speak with her, as if she's a good friend. But she won't loving DO anything except speculate. Again, like a friend. But that's not what we need. If they try to send her home with me today so they can run more lab tests, should I just go straight to an emergency vet? The prospect terrifies me, since I've literally never taken a pet home from an emergency vet. But I feel like that might be the only option for actual treatment. edit: maybe I should have put this in the vet thread, apologies if so. ANIME AKBAR fucked around with this message at 17:49 on Dec 18, 2021 |
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Dec 18, 2021 17:46
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Wow, that sucks, and I'm so sorry. If it were me, I'd cancel the two-hour-delayed visit and go directly to the emergency vet. This is an emergency. e: To clarify my reasoning, this has been an emergency since last night, when she vomited blood. It has been extremely dangerous since she began having trouble pee-ing. Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Dec 18, 2021 |
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Dec 18, 2021 18:44
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Arsenic Lupin posted:Wow, that sucks, and I'm so sorry.  Took Casca to vet #2. She weighed 7lbs, down a full pound from her October visit. While checking her bladder, she peed on the exam table, more than I've seen her put out in months, and tinted slightly red. He collected the urine but said it's not even worth testing (wtf). I also showed him the picture of the vomit from last night (warning, gross blood/bile), his reaction was verbatim "oh yeah there might be blood there too," but wouldn't elaborate further (WTF). Vet #2 agreed she's "fading away" but recommended against bladder surgery without an ultrasound first. He called a nearby emergency vet and arranged for them to squeeze Casca in. I just dropped her off, and am waiting to hear back. Currently trying to keep my composure at home with Arby (see fig 1).
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Dec 18, 2021 21:24
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ANIME AKBAR posted:Thanks, have a bonus Arby. Arby is a Very Good Cat. I hope you get good news about Casca.
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Dec 18, 2021 21:55
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Yesterday Casca got the ultrasound and more bloodwork done by vet #3 (the one at the ER). Bloodwork so far looked mostly normal, a couple "blips" in some things I didn't quite understand. The US showed inflammation in the GI tract and swollen lymph nodes. Vet #3 said it's likely lymphoma or IBD, only way to get a diagnosis is via endoscopy+biopsy. They said the soonest that could be done is tuesday. I said yes book it, and keep her there until then or her condition improves. Vet #3 agreed he'd rather she be put on an IV and catheter. Thankfully I have the money at this point. He called my today and said she had improved more than expected, and could be brought home that night. They did more bloodwork and apparently those "blips" went away. She's home now, definitely seems in better spirits than before, but still lacking energy overall (possibly a side effect of the meds she's on). They gave me a bag of meds to use until tuesday for the endoscopy. Here she is plotting my demise before I give her the first round of meds  Relieved to have her at home again, but am trying to prepare mentally for Tuesday. I wish I had a T-shirt which says "Do NOT ask about my holiday plans".
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Dec 20, 2021 07:38
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ANIME AKBAR posted:Casca hope she feels better soon! it's a lot of mental effort to go through this stuff, hang in there goon. i've had a similar experience once with a primary vet many years ago for my cat -- vet wouldn't tell me what to do but i decided to go straight to the emergency vet and that was ultimately the right decision. emergency vet was extremely helpful and saved my cat's life! sometimes i think there really is a disconnect between vets. it can def be hard to navigate. also my cat has IBD and so do many others so you'll be in good company there if that's the case! hunt around for a good internist when you get a second, i think that really helps to have in your pocket. my cat's internist was the first one to actually figure out what was wrong with him re: IBD.
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Dec 21, 2021 17:25
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I hope today treats you (and Casca) well.
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Dec 21, 2021 18:39
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Been looking into maybe getting cat insurance. Didn’t even knew it was a thing until recently. I’ve never really had a cat have a major issue until my last one, and it kills me knowing that if I had had thousands and thousands to spend then maybe he would have been treatable instead of put down. When they are 10+ years old it’s like ok this is sad but that’s life, but he was barely a year old. It’s still kind of messing me up and I worry about my current one coming up on a year.
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Dec 21, 2021 18:41
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The thing to know about pet insurance is that almost all providers operate under a claim/reimbursement model. It's not like going to the hospital where you give them your insurance and they work with them to negotiate a price and then insurance sends you a fully adjusted bill. Instead you pay the vet/pet hospital upfront whatever it is they want to charge you, and then you submit a claim with the invoice and if they accept it they send you money back based on your plan. As an example, Mel recently had some kind of stomach issue that I had to bring her into a pet hospital for since she hadn't eaten or drank anything for close to 36 hours. Between them keeping her overnight, tests, x-rays, IV, etc the whole thing came out to around $3200. I had to pay that to the vet right there out of pocket, and then they handed me the receipt and I submitted a claim to ASPCA. They eventually accepted the claim and sent me back the portion of that they covered, but it took almost a full month for them to process it so if I had not had $3200 to slap down I would have been hosed insurance or no insurance. 
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Dec 21, 2021 19:07
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Good luck, Casca. Vet bills are payable upfront and I know people who prefer to put the money they would have spent on premiums in a separate account. Which is fine if your pet only plans to have one major illness at the end of their life, but not so great if they come down with something in six months. Some vets (at least in the UK) have a plan similar to insurance, where you pay a monthly fee and get certain treatments free or discounted. For instance, my cat is getting a tooth out next month and there's a 25% discount for pets on this plan. On an unrelated note: why does my cat hate and attack cat brushes? It doesn't matter whether they are rubber, plastic or wooden, he will chomp down on them and get quite aggressive if I try to take them off him. He is never like this with his toys. People tell me that cats love being brushed but this one reacts like it's trying to kill him.
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Dec 21, 2021 23:39
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Lady Demelza posted:On an unrelated note: why does my cat hate and attack cat brushes? It doesn't matter whether they are rubber, plastic or wooden, he will chomp down on them and get quite aggressive if I try to take them off him. He is never like this with his toys. People tell me that cats love being brushed but this one reacts like it's trying to kill him. "Why?" Diagnosis: is cat.
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Dec 22, 2021 02:43
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My cats seems to love being brushed but weirdly seems to sorta bites the pointy wire part of the brush? She had a bunch of teeth removed before I got her so it seems like she just likes the sensation against her gums?
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Dec 22, 2021 02:53
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Every cat I've ever had has tried to chew on the bristles, it doesn't seem like a condition related thing unless the condition we're talking about is "being a cat."
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Dec 22, 2021 03:22
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Lady Demelza posted:Some vets (at least in the UK) have a plan similar to insurance, where you pay a monthly fee and get certain treatments free or discounted. For instance, my cat is getting a tooth out next month and there's a 25% discount for pets on this plan. Yeah, the Banfield family of vets has something similar. I ended up not doing it for Sweetheart because when she had some major surgery, the total reduction would've been less than 10% of the bill for something that was in the low $2000 range... and I'd have to commit to a year of $79.99 premiums. It also wouldn't cover the third-party oncologist we're taking her to after the first of the year.
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Dec 22, 2021 03:25
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I've always wondered if the cat desire to chew on brushes has to do with some sort of weird "smells like me, must eat to hide from enemies" instinct, since a lot of cats I've had will also try to eat their own shed hair, but it could also just be a novel sensation to them? Is cat, no idea.
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Dec 22, 2021 03:31
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Does anyone use Yesterday's News or any other recycled newspaper pellets? Our cat had urethrostomy about a month ago and we had to switch over. Things have been going fine but I'm still nervous about the opening healing too small since the vet said it could happen. I've been inspecting the litter every night when I clean it and I've noticed some red flecks on the litter, it seems almost like Crayola red so I think it's coming from the newspaper recycled into the pellets but that seems a really thoughtless choice on the companies part.
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Dec 22, 2021 04:32
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Hey, I have something (depressing/morbid) that's been on my mind recently that I could do with advice on. I live in a city apartment with my two cats. They're starting to get up there in age - they'd be 9 at this point. From time to time I think about what it's going to be like when eventually one of them passes away. I've made my peace with that, and try not to think about it too hard - I'm giving them the best life I can and I'm focusing on enjoying it with them. I feel better having thought it through and having made plans. The thing is, what I don't know is, from a purely logistical standpoint: what do I do if I wake up one morning to discover that one of them has suddenly died? I don't have a backyard I could bury them in, and I'm not going to just toss a beloved friend's remains in the garbage. So, assuming the end doesn't come at the vet's office, what do I do?
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Dec 22, 2021 04:52
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If the end doesn't come at the vet's office -- it probably will, alas -- you can call the vet and ask them to do the cremation. In any case, one of my cats died this spring at 18, so with any luck at all this won't be an issue for quite a few years.
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Dec 22, 2021 04:55
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Pet cremation is a business that exists just like human cremation. Like the poster above says, you can call your vet, or just Google one yourself.
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Dec 22, 2021 05:21
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Any 24 hour animal hospital should be able to take the remains. They'll offer a solo cremation (expensive) and the ashes if you want them. If you don't they claim the ashes mixed with other fuzzy critters will be "respectfully" spread at a graveyard but there's no way to confirm that so take that how you want to. They'll probably offer a ceramic paw print which is a cute memento. 9 years isn't super old either. It's pretty common for indoor cats to reach 15. Obviously stuff can go wrong and it gets more likely as the years add up but that's true for every living thing.
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Dec 22, 2021 05:44
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My local emergency vet handled the transportation of Grace to the cremation site. She had died at home so we just had to drop her body off at the vet. I collected the ashes from them a few days later.
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Dec 22, 2021 06:14
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Got it. That makes me feel better about it. Thanks folks. xzzy posted:9 years isn't super old either. It's pretty common for indoor cats to reach 15. Obviously stuff can go wrong and it gets more likely as the years add up but that's true for every living thing. Oh, for sure. An old cat of mine reached 18. It was just a passing comment by the vet about how things like Wolfy's teeth problems just happen as cats get older, and I started thinking "I don't *think* they're really that old... Are they that old? Were my previous cats outliers?..."
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Dec 22, 2021 06:26
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Cats count as "old" from about 10 years onwards, but it's not unheard of for a cat to reach 20 years, some record holders even 30+ years, cats have a weird life cycle. The expected lifespan for indoor cats is about 15-18 years.
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Dec 22, 2021 08:44
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When Sleek passed away we called a local funeral home and they also do pet cremation. Not all funeral homes do. This old fella operating the home was great and very respectful the price wasn't outrageous. We left him there and went back in a few days to retrieve the ashes.
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Dec 22, 2021 13:57
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My co-worker who came to feed my kitty over Thanksgiving commented on how playful and spray she was for being 16. My co-worker pictured a far more decrepit cat. I think sometimes about life after Pixel but I'm not worried about that anytime soon.
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Dec 22, 2021 18:41
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Macdeo Lurjtux posted:Does anyone use Yesterday's News or any other recycled newspaper pellets? Our cat had urethrostomy about a month ago and we had to switch over. Things have been going fine but I'm still nervous about the opening healing too small since the vet said it could happen. I've been inspecting the litter every night when I clean it and I've noticed some red flecks on the litter, it seems almost like Crayola red so I think it's coming from the newspaper recycled into the pellets but that seems a really thoughtless choice on the companies part. I use Breeder's Choice (an Australian recycled paper brand) and yes, it definitely has red flecks sometimes. I've checked freshly poured litter for it (because, like you, I have a cat with urinary issues, so red in the litterbox gives me a mild heart attack), and it's definitely something in the product, not something coming out of my cats.
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Dec 23, 2021 06:34
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Rotten Red Rod posted:No hissing or hostility through the gate? That's very, very good! Give that a few more days and then start slowly letting them be together. You'll likely see some hissing when that happens, but that's totally normal, testing boundaries etc. Just make sure your adult always has a kitten-free place to retreat to when they're done. I think they'll be fine together! The gates are out and the cats are doing okay. The elder cat can't handle it when the little guy charges him to play and will run off with an annoyed meow but still no hissing or violent rebukes. The kitten seems to be getting frustrated by this and isn't trying to engage in play as much anymore. Otherwise I'd describe the older cat's demeanor as cautious but extremely curious about the living dust bunny now inhabiting his world. Also the older cat is on a prescription diet of Royal Canin Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Dry Cat Food because a few years back he had urinary crystal issues. At the time the vet said the other recently deceased cat living at the house could safely eat the same food and even went so far to comment that it'd probably be good for any cat to be eating it since urine crystals are such a thing overall. The kitten got into the older cat's food and ate a bunch of the stuff and I'm hoping that's okay? He has his first vet visit early next month and I was going to ask about diet recommendations. If I need to keep both diets separate I want to start making permanent plans now.  So striking. So majestic. Edit: When he runs he does that weird kitten thing where his hips and front end aren't quite inline like he's real life trying to SR40 and it's adorable
Fabulousity fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Dec 24, 2021 |
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Dec 24, 2021 02:39
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Heard back from vet #4 (yeah, another one) today about some results for Casca's endoscopy and GI panel. The biopsy didn't come back yet, but based on the GI panel results and everything else, she's convinced the main culprit is IBD and not Lymphoma, which is a huge relief. She's also low on vitamin B12, so that's another daily pill she'll need for some time. And she'll probably be on steroid treatment for the rest of her life to manage the inflammation. But the vet said Casca also has a urinary infection which needs to be cleared up before steroid treatment can start, currently waiting on a culture to determine the best antibiotics. So poo poo's confusing but at least nothing life threatening for now. Definitely glad I pushed for the diagnostics. My main job now is to just keep medicating her and trying to fatten her up. Still struggling to pill her, she completely figured out pill pockets after one dose (she loves pill pockets, but breaks them into tiny pieces in order to find and isolate the pills). Guess I should get a pill popper, her loss. Anyways, I present to you.... Droolcula?  
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Dec 24, 2021 05:30
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Fabulousity posted:The kitten got into the older cat's food and ate a bunch of the stuff and I'm hoping that's okay? Yeah that should be fine. There's nothing dangerous about urinary food for healthy cats. Kittens should be eating mostly kitten food, the difference being kitten food is more calorie and nutrient dense (since they need to grow). But eating some normal cat food from time to time won't hurt. That said, yes, you should feed them separately, mostly so the older cat will only eat his urinary treatment food and not eat the kitten food. ANIME AKBAR posted:Still struggling to pill her, she completely figured out pill pockets after one dose (she loves pill pockets, but breaks them into tiny pieces in order to find and isolate the pills). Guess I should get a pill popper, her loss. Like I keep saying - crush them up, dissolve them in water, and squirt them into the cats' mouth with a syringe!
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Dec 24, 2021 06:02
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ANIME AKBAR posted:Heard back from vet #4 (yeah, another one) today about some results for Casca's endoscopy and GI panel. The biopsy didn't come back yet, but based on the GI panel results and everything else, she's convinced the main culprit is IBD and not Lymphoma, which is a huge relief. She's also low on vitamin B12, so that's another daily pill she'll need for some time. And she'll probably be on steroid treatment for the rest of her life to manage the inflammation. But the vet said Casca also has a urinary infection which needs to be cleared up before steroid treatment can start, currently waiting on a culture to determine the best antibiotics. For the B12 deficiency, one of our cats turned out to have a similar issue. My partner wasn't crazy about trying to give her pills every day for a month, she's indifferent to treats so pill pockets don't really work, and she's squirmy so just cramming the pill down her throat is also an ordeal. The vet mentioned that giving her a weekly shot was an alternative option. My partner got the instructions / training to do it at the vet's office last week, and will now be administering the injection at home for the next few weeks. She said it was pretty easy and the cat doesn't even seem to mind that much, compared to having a pill forced in her mouth. If Casca struggles with pills, this might be an option for you. gloom fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Dec 24, 2021 |
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Dec 24, 2021 06:11
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