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Maximusi
Nov 11, 2007

Haters gonna hate
Just read this incredible story about a dog rescuing a bag of cats.

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/16198791/2011/12/06/dog-rescues-bag-of-kittens

It's very :unsmith:

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Zinc Teeth
Jul 11, 2008

Maximusi posted:

Just read this incredible story about a dog rescuing a bag of cats.

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/16198791/2011/12/06/dog-rescues-bag-of-kittens

It's very :unsmith:

Yeah, it's just a fact that dogs are better people than people. Someone go adopt and spoil those kittehs.

Skabanero pePPers
Jun 20, 2011

What the math
Oh my god they got run over by a car :barf:.

Poor kitties...

I worked at an animal hospital a couple years ago and this happened.

They named the kitten 'Zippy' since it was found in a ziploc bag. Poor cat is going to have to deal with that for her entire life but at least she's alive and purring :unsmith:.

duckfarts
Jul 2, 2010

~ shameful ~





Soiled Meat

Maximusi posted:

Just read this incredible story about a dog rescuing a bag of cats.

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/16198791/2011/12/06/dog-rescues-bag-of-kittens

It's very :whoptc:... :unsmith:......................:whoptc:
I believe this is a more accurate description of the story.

E: :whoptc:

hog wizard
Feb 16, 2005

by angerbeet
Is it unethical to have fish for the cats' amusement? I was shopping in PetCo today (only to take advantage of my Wellness coupons) and I saw a set up for a little aquarium. I thought to myself, hey, my cats would have fun looking at some fish.

I grew up having large aquariums with fish, frogs, crayfish, and whatnot. It was a blast just checking them out throughout the day. I haven't kept an aquarium in over 10 years, however.

The aquarium lid would be closed and it would be in an area where the cats can't knock it down. The cats would have no access to the fish other than through the glass. I would completely do everything needed to take care of the fish. The only thing is that fish would really be there for the cats' entertainment.

Now that I've typed this out, it kind of does sound unethical. Probably, I don't know.

Edit: I was thinking of getting something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-01205-1-Gallon-Aquarium-Black/dp/B0036S4Z5O/ref=sr_1_31?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1323325106&sr=1-31

Edit 2: Scratch that. That aquarium sucks.

hog wizard fucked around with this message at 07:21 on Dec 8, 2011

hailthefish
Oct 24, 2010

hog wizard posted:

Is it unethical to have fish for the cats' amusement? I was shopping in PetCo today (only to take advantage of my Wellness coupons) and I saw a set up for a little aquarium. I thought to myself, hey, my cats would have fun looking at some fish.

I grew up having large aquariums with fish, frogs, crayfish, and whatnot. It was a blast just checking them out throughout the day. I haven't kept an aquarium in over 10 years, however.

The aquarium lid would be closed and it would be in an area where the cats can't knock it down. The cats would have no access to the fish other than through the glass. I would completely do everything needed to take care of the fish. The only thing is that fish would really be there for the cats' entertainment.

Now that I've typed this out, it kind of does sound unethical. Probably, I don't know.

Edit: I was thinking of getting something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-01205-1-Gallon-Aquarium-Black/dp/B0036S4Z5O/ref=sr_1_31?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1323325106&sr=1-31

Edit 2: Scratch that. That aquarium sucks.

If the fish are safely out of reach of the cats and properly cared for, I don't see why it would be unethical. I guess it might be a little mean for the cat. But aquariums are not plug-and-play, they're a hassle to do right (I've never had one, though, so I may be 100% wrong).

Bodhi Tea
Oct 2, 2006

seconds are secular, moments are mine, self is illusion, music's divine.
Hey guys,

I recently started giving my cat a new brand of dry food and shortly after he developed symptoms which appear to be colitis: gel-like poop & sleeping a lot.

I went to the vet for vaccinations and told him about it. He said to just stop giving him that food and prescribed a probiotic. It's been about 3 days since we stopped giving him the dry food and I'm strictly giving him the wet food that he did very well on previously. His poop is still watery and gel-like in consistency.

Advice?

Bahunter22
Jul 3, 2010

hog wizard posted:

Is it unethical to have fish for the cats' amusement? I was shopping in PetCo today (only to take advantage of my Wellness coupons) and I saw a set up for a little aquarium. I thought to myself, hey, my cats would have fun looking at some fish.

I grew up having large aquariums with fish, frogs, crayfish, and whatnot. It was a blast just checking them out throughout the day. I haven't kept an aquarium in over 10 years, however.

The aquarium lid would be closed and it would be in an area where the cats can't knock it down. The cats would have no access to the fish other than through the glass. I would completely do everything needed to take care of the fish. The only thing is that fish would really be there for the cats' entertainment.

Now that I've typed this out, it kind of does sound unethical. Probably, I don't know.

Edit: I was thinking of getting something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-01205-1-Gallon-Aquarium-Black/dp/B0036S4Z5O/ref=sr_1_31?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1323325106&sr=1-31

Edit 2: Scratch that. That aquarium sucks.

As long as you keep the fish safe and secure, I think its fine. We had a 55 gallon community tank set up for a long time and that was where we could always find the cat; checking out all the fish. Now we have a small 20 gallon and while they still enjoy it, its kind of out of their reach to see the fish. The youngest cat does get psyched for fish food though so I guess that counts?

El Gar
Apr 12, 2007

Hey Trophy...

Bodhi Tea posted:

Hey guys,

I recently started giving my cat a new brand of dry food and shortly after he developed symptoms which appear to be colitis: gel-like poop & sleeping a lot.

I went to the vet for vaccinations and told him about it. He said to just stop giving him that food and prescribed a probiotic. It's been about 3 days since we stopped giving him the dry food and I'm strictly giving him the wet food that he did very well on previously. His poop is still watery and gel-like in consistency.

Advice?

They have cat probiotics? That seems a little fishy. I could have sworn they were snake oil medicine.

SupahCoolX
Jul 2, 2005

El Gar posted:

They have cat probiotics? That seems a little fishy. I could have sworn they were snake oil medicine.
I have a cat that has always had a sensitive stomach (many foods give her mushy stools), and my vet gave her a probiotic when she was younger. But in her case it has just mainly been a matter of finding a food that agrees with her (grain-free and such seem to be the worst for her, unfortunately).

Josh Lyman
May 24, 2009


Josh Lyman posted:

Leo appears to have stopped drooling, but CJ dropped some pure diarrhea in my bedroom today. Later on, I found some semi-dried diarrhea on my luggage, presumably from before when I caught CJ pooping, and even worse, it has white strands in it, likely worms.

The kitties don't go outside, so it only seems possible that they got fleas from our piece of poo poo roommate and his Australian shepherd who's supposed to be on flea medication but he's a piece of poo poo roommate who doesn't keep up with it.

Vet appointment made, plenty of money to be wasted. God drat it. :smith:

Well, it turns out both kitties have worms, as well as earmites and of course fleas. We got some de-worming tablets to give them, plus ear drops, and we've started them on monthly Revolution.

As suspected, piece of poo poo roommate stopped giving his dog Frontline about 3 weeks ago, and even if my kitties are free of ear mites, his dog will undoubtedly infect them again later on, though supposedly Revolution will help with that.

Total bill: $278. :suicide:

So really, moral of the story, don't have piece of poo poo roommates that don't take care of their pets.

Enelrahc
Jun 17, 2007

Bodhi Tea posted:

Hey guys,

I recently started giving my cat a new brand of dry food and shortly after he developed symptoms which appear to be colitis: gel-like poop & sleeping a lot.

I went to the vet for vaccinations and told him about it. He said to just stop giving him that food and prescribed a probiotic. It's been about 3 days since we stopped giving him the dry food and I'm strictly giving him the wet food that he did very well on previously. His poop is still watery and gel-like in consistency.

Advice?
Sometimes if the intestinal flora is disturbed, then it can take a little while for all to go back to normal. If you're concerned, then call your vet up and ask for his/her advice since s/he has recently seen your cat and would want to know if there were problems still.

Cat probiotics. (for El Gar)

El Gar
Apr 12, 2007

Hey Trophy...

Enelrahc posted:

Cat probiotics. (for El Gar)

I didn't doubt that they existed, though thanks for that link cause I didn't actually find anything as on-point as that product site. What I was doubting was that they worked at all. I was under the impression that probiotics was a thing they came up with 100 years ago, never proved, and people just kind of still believe it's a real thing.

Enelrahc
Jun 17, 2007

El Gar posted:

I didn't doubt that they existed, though thanks for that link cause I didn't actually find anything as on-point as that product site. What I was doubting was that they worked at all. I was under the impression that probiotics was a thing they came up with 100 years ago, never proved, and people just kind of still believe it's a real thing.

They work if given properly. We all have resident flora in our intestines and when it gets disrupted through illness or otherwise, it gives pathogens the chance to enter through the GI wall and cause problems. Probiotics outcompete the bad pathogens for the chance to hang out in the wall of the intestine basically.

Bodhi Tea
Oct 2, 2006

seconds are secular, moments are mine, self is illusion, music's divine.
Thanks for the replies.
I think I'll wait a few days and if it hasn't cleared up, I'll call up the vet.

ChaiCalico
May 23, 2008

How much tuna is too much for a cat? I usually eat it as a snack and surprise surprise my cat goes crazy when I open the can. The first time I gave her a quarter can, now just 2 teaspoons. I don't plan on doing this more than 3 times a week, is that too much?

Its normal tuna in spring water drained.

Serella
Apr 24, 2008

Is that what you're posting?

madpanda posted:

How much tuna is too much for a cat? I usually eat it as a snack and surprise surprise my cat goes crazy when I open the can. The first time I gave her a quarter can, now just 2 teaspoons. I don't plan on doing this more than 3 times a week, is that too much?

Its normal tuna in spring water drained.

Quarter can is definitely too much, but a teaspoon or two every few days isn't a problem. Too much would be an issue since it's not a good meal replacement (doesn't have the proper nutritional balance), but a little bit every once in a while is fine.

a false
Mar 5, 2009

I DECIDE
WHO LIVES
AND WHO DIES
First, let me post this with the caveat that I am :siren: NOT SOLICITING POTENTIAL ADOPTERS IN THIS THREAD, :siren: just looking for some advice.

Okay, so here's the situation. I'm a college student living in an apartment with two other college students. One of the original roommates moved out and a new guy moved in. The new guy and his boyfriend bought in a cat that had just had a litter of baby kittens! Yay! We were so excited! Adorable baby kittens running around all the time! Me, the guy who moved in, his boyfriend, the other roommate, and his girlfriend all decided we were going to keep one each, one of the new roommate's friends agreed to keep two, and we had a number of offers up in the air about any that may have been left hanging.

Fast forward a little bit. New guy and his boyfriend broke up, the boyfriend took the mother cat with him and didn't take a kitten (this left the babies with some suckling issues, no huge deal though as far as I know). So that leaves one unclaimed. That's ok, we have people interested. Still works, right?

Fast forward a little bit further. They're getting older and bigger and have started to get a little rowdy. The friends who said they would take two actually did and me and the new guy are both still resolved to take one apiece but the roommate and his girlfriend have called their participation off. To make matters worse, everyone who was sort of on the fence about adopting has also backed out.

I'm up for keeping one more to give mine a companion whenever I move on from this place but the other roommates are getting restless about having more than just a couple wild kittens running around (including the guy who brought them all in here and was clearly not prepared for this whole ordeal). The new guy told me tonight that tomorrow he plans on doing something with the ones that aren't claimed, but I don't know what he means by that and I'm sure I've done more research myself into options - and there aren't many.

I've looked up no-kill shelters in the area, or at least tried to, and there aren't any that I've found. Even if I keep a second one myself, that still leaves two up for grabs and with all the research I've done I'm still not sure what the best option is. I posted a Petfinder classified and told the new guy to bear with me at least for the time being but I'm not sure I trust him not to just leave the others on the side of the road somewhere.

So my question in simple terms is: have I done enough? Is there some magic solution I'm missing out on? Since the kittens weren't mine to begin with should I just suck it up and not feel guilty whatever happens? Any advice would be appreciated.

edit: oh yeah, and what ages can the rowdiness be expected for? I'm fully okay with waiting it out as long as it lasts myself, but if the answer is favorable I might be able to convince the others too.

edit 2: ok so upon talking to some other people, the aforementioned roommate's girlfriend does think that she is keeping one and has a friend who seems reliably interested and she's going to lean on her about this. She also has a friend who works at a place that she seems to believe is a reliable rescue that could help if it comes down to that. I'm keeping the classified up as a fallback option though and would still like to hear any relevant advice. Thank you!

a false fucked around with this message at 06:47 on Dec 9, 2011

a false
Mar 5, 2009

I DECIDE
WHO LIVES
AND WHO DIES
Oh, hey, also, here's another couple questions not related to the first one(s).

1. Christmas break is coming soon so I want to go home. I believe the same can be said for my roommates. They can bring their kittens home without issue, but I'm not sure if I can. Back home at my family's house we have two adult cats, one 6 and one 7 years old. The 6 year old one is usually very gentle, but the older one can be a nasty vicious beast at times, especially to other animals she hasn't met before. She was a hissing scratching machine when we first got the younger cat, but because they weren't too far apart in age it wasn't such a big deal. More recently, my derelict grandfather had moved into the house with his dog and she hissed at that thing plenty but they never came to blows because she was terrified of the dog (the dog was bigger than her) and would just run away and hide. For the kitten, I wouldn't anticipate the same treatment. This is a big rear end cat, and very strong too.

I should PROBABLY be able to find a sitter for the kitten, but if I can't, what's the best course of action here? Should I be afraid for the kitten's safety if it comes into the house with the big cats? If I don't have any choice but to bring him home, should I make sure that they stay separated at all times (doing this would be difficult given certain circumstances)?

2. Whenever I try to leave the apartment at present and no one is in another room actively distracting the kittens, all five of them bum rush me and try to come with me to class. The one door to the apartment is at the bottom of the stairs, so I usually have to bundle them all up in my arms, run up the stairs, dump them on the couch or something, run back down the stairs, check over my shoulder to make sure they haven't followed (which they usually have), and repeat this whole process until I know I can safely exit without them trying to squeeze out themselves. Needless to say this gets pretty exhausting and overly time consuming, especially when I'm in a hurry to get my rear end to school. What I tried today was bringing something down the stairs with me that they like to chase and then tossing it up the stairs which gives me enough distance to safely escape if they follow it, but they don't always, not all of them at the same time at least. It's weird because I never had this problem with my two cats who live back at home - they were always too scared of getting kicked or closed in the door to get really close when someone was trying to enter/exit. These ones, not so much - they're really good at and really insistent about trying to squeeze through doors while people are going through them (and, for that matter, getting in between people's feet while they are walking). Is there any better way to keep them from trying to escape?

ChaiCalico
May 23, 2008

Is putting an air freshener in the litter box room safe? It would be out of cat range.

PolarKitt
Nov 6, 2011

Woof

madpanda posted:

Is putting an air freshener in the litter box room safe? It would be out of cat range.

Baring in mind that if a cat wants something it can be very hard to make sure it's out of range but if you're absolutely sure it's out of range it may be safe depending on multiple things. Sprays can bother a cats nose and lungs, think about what happens if you spray something and how it might affect your nose and how you might cough well cats are obviously more sensitive in that area. If you're more interested in a plug in then also be careful. My own cats managed to knock the bottle out somehow and got covered in the liquid causing irritation to their skin and it can contain toxic chemicals that if licked can obviously cause ill effects. I guess it really depends on what sort of air freshener you're on about, could you be more specific?

I would suggest looking at alternate litter first, we used to have problems with the smell, we tried a very very cheap litter and it's better than the more expensive one. It's still clumping and there's literally no smell unless you're sitting next to it cleaning it out. My next suggestion would to go to your local pet store and ask for recommendations as they'll more than likely carry a pet safe form of air freshener since quite a lot of households, I imagine, don't want the smell of litter wafting through the house.


a false I'm sorry but I can't offer much advice really other than the rowdy behaviour depends on each kitten but as you'll have noticed in the OP, kittens are asses. They may grow out of it when neutered/spayed, maybe when they're a bit older and some cats are just crazy forever. As for taking them home, if you do end up taking 2 which as you'll know is a good idea, the elder cat may bully them a little but they'll have each other to play with and may ignore her. If you can send a blanket or towel smelling like them on ahead to your parents so she at least knows their smell then try supervised visits when you go, if you can't find a sitter. Just let her be in the same room as them with you. Gauge how she reacts to them, if it's violently with claws and teeth then separate and find a bathroom/spare room to put the kittens in if possible but if it's just hissing/growling and batting with her claws in try not to freak out, unless you have a few weeks to introduce them properly there's going to be a bit of hysterics from the elder cat. It's different with all cats but whenever a new kitten/cat comes into the house I sit in the room with them all and if there's no serious violence going on and the kittens are of a good size I just let them act it out. For me it's always resulted in the new animal being accepted within 48 hours but I imagine I'm just really lucky with my cats. Good luck with it though and I hope they all find homes, I'm glad the guy who wanted the two actually took the two, that must have been a huge weight off your mind.

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

My two month old cat likes to lay in my lap when I am at my computer, which is wonderful and good(except for the nailing me in the balls, but we are both working on that....). I like to eat at my computer desk and generally eat every meal at home there. I usually just pick her up and drop her down when she climbs up when I am eating, but she always tries to climb back up, sometimes with her claws, which hurts. I've not had trouble teaching her to stay away from things I don't want her near, but how do I teach her not to climb up when I am eating? Futile activity?

Edit: Christ sake, she just drew blood for the first time AS I typed this..... cut my hand trying to make a mad dash up my lap. Putting softpaws on her tomorrow.

ChaiCalico
May 23, 2008

I was thinking of those cone shaped ones that are kind of a wax on the inside. I do use fresh step scented right now because its what the foster was using, but that is going away on next litter box change because the scent is overpowering to me so I can't imagine the cat enjoys it.

Trying an unscented one from a different brand next.

Its the fresh poop smell i'm trying to ward off. It's usually gone after 5 minutes or so.

I realize this could also be a diet thing, I've been slowly weaning her off fancy feast by mixing in Innova. Tonight was just Innova/Blue buffalo mixed and the bowl is clean as usual.

El Gar
Apr 12, 2007

Hey Trophy...

madpanda posted:

Is putting an air freshener in the litter box room safe? It would be out of cat range.

My mother's house is lousy with those gel/wax air fresheners that go in your outlets and her cats are fine and have been for over a decade.

My cat eats relatively high quality food and her poo poo still stinks. The secret has been quick management. We deal with it asap and then spray a little air freshener, not unlike you would if it was yourself going to the bathroom.

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:

madpanda posted:

I was thinking of those cone shaped ones that are kind of a wax on the inside. I do use fresh step scented right now because its what the foster was using, but that is going away on next litter box change because the scent is overpowering to me so I can't imagine the cat enjoys it.

Trying an unscented one from a different brand next.

Its the fresh poop smell i'm trying to ward off. It's usually gone after 5 minutes or so.

I realize this could also be a diet thing, I've been slowly weaning her off fancy feast by mixing in Innova. Tonight was just Innova/Blue buffalo mixed and the bowl is clean as usual.

I would go with new litter. If your cat accidentally ingests the citronella or oil kind it can be deadly. The fumes can quickly do damage to their lungs also if it gets knocked over on them.

El Gar
Apr 12, 2007

Hey Trophy...

Am I really reading in this thread where people are being told not to have air fresheners in their house because of their cats?

PolarKitt
Nov 6, 2011

Woof

Diogines posted:

Softpaws.
All my cats bar Scar behave, they know that if I push them off my chair while I'm eating they should stay off but Scar has the persistence of a demon, I'm constantly pushing him off while I eat, it's become kind of natural reaction now to just nudge him with my elbow. As for claws, I learnt that hissing whenever claws were used on me, on accident or not taught my cats that claws were bad, they only use them if they're climbing the chair but they rarely use them now, they love their scratching post but know to keep claws in so perhaps try that? Or making a sucking hissing noise like the ones we make when something hurts.

Perhaps keep a pet carrier near your computer? And if she is set on getting to your food just put her in there for a few minutes while you eat, put some treats in there and hopefully she'll learn. Also of course try clipping her claws but make sure to know how to do it properly and as a precaution if you can keep some quick/quik/kwik stop powder around incase you hit the wrong bit and she starts bleeding everywhere. It's basically a powered or sometimes gel that stops the bleeding. It's used a lot for birds since they don't have a lot of blood to lose before they die. Otherwise maybe you just have a buttface cat.

madpanda posted:

Cone
Ah I see, while google is no help at all in finding pictures I know basically what you mean. Are you sure you're going to be able to keep it away from the cat? They absolutely can't be chewing on it. The one we use clumps a lot when wet so it has to be refilled quite a bit since you're pulling out lumps of wet patches but in return it doesn't stink AND we know we're getting the majority of the urine out which is obviously a good thing. You may have to sacrifice something to find a litter that keeps the smell low. The main problem with near to the ground outlet ones is the cats face, if they go rubbing it all over it could cause issues and it's better safe than sorry, it's the ones that include liquid that are the problem. Especially since they can over heat quite quickly if left on constantly so the cone is probably your best bet.

El gar thank you for making me remember not all outlet ones are liquid :3: also I don't think it matters if the cat ate nothing for the most amazing smelling things, poo poo is poo poo. We can eat the greatest things ever and our poo poo still smells.

Also I think it's more certain air fresheners, like the liquid ones or pot pourri are actually toxic and like I said earlier in this post, better safe than sorry considering cats are assholes and will eat anything. Also to be fair, all situations are a case of "My cats have been fine for 20 years"
"My cats looked at it then ate it then died a painful death" in most situations there will always be someone who has NEVER has problems but it doesn't mean that it's not likely to happen so it's better to make sure you're going for the safest option.

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:

El Gar posted:

Am I really reading in this thread where people are being told not to have air fresheners in their house because of their cats?

You really aren't.

I'm sorry that you have some kind of creepy vendetta against everything that I post, but we just had a post not so long ago about a kitten knocking over and ingesting one of those oil/liquid type air freshener wells and almost dying. It ended up hospitalized for quite a while with pneumonia.

No one said not to have an air freshener in the house, just not directly in an area highly traveled by cats, and not this specific kind.

Cats and their inability to handle essential oils is pretty well documented due to their high risk for liver toxicity.

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

El Gar
Apr 12, 2007

Hey Trophy...

RheaConfused posted:

You really aren't.

I'm sorry that you have some kind of creepy vendetta against everything that I post, but we just had a post not so long ago about a kitten knocking over and ingesting one of those oil/liquid type air freshener wells and almost dying. It ended up hospitalized for quite a while with pneumonia.

No one said not to have an air freshener in the house, just not directly in an area highly traveled by cats, and not this specific kind.

Cats and their inability to handle essential oils is pretty well documented due to their high risk for liver toxicity.

You missed the part where they said what type of air freshener they were gonna use and how it wasn't this type you are bringing up for no reason.

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:

El Gar posted:

You missed the part where they said what type of air freshener they were gonna use and how it wasn't this type you are bringing up for no reason.

Well, "cone shaped with a kind of wax" is not very specific. There are lots of cone shaped air fresheners that have stuff in them that are bad for kitties. Off the top of my head, I know air wick brand is one and I believe that Glade has something similar. So, I was just putting it out there that some kinds are bad for kitties. So that if the poster decides to get some, he/she knows what to avoid. I believe the post I referred to from before involved one of those scent diffusing vase things. Better to be safe than sorry.

Bahunter22
Jul 3, 2010
It really depends on the cat. I use the auto spray, plug in scented oil air fresheners and the Renuzit cones that sit on a table (depends on what is on sale that week) for years and I've not had any problems with any of my three cats. I've even got them sitting/plugged into the bottom outlet in their litter room in plain view and sat the cone on top of the windowsill next to the box and still nothing. They might sniff it initially to check it out but then leave it alone. You really won't know if you need to be concerned until you've seen how your cat responds to it.

Puddles
Nov 25, 2005
HAI ^^
So, I don't know where to ask and don't think starting a new thread is appropriate, so I figured I'd try here.

My girlfriends cat has been sick, for the last 1-2 days (not sure) -- it's been weak, moving slow, not eating as much etc. It was taken to the vet today and diagnosed with kidney failure... it will be in the vet for the next day or two for fluids and medicine.

I was wondering at what rate symptoms possess and if she caught it in time... and prognosis.

I don't have much experience with cats and don't exactly have a full story, thanks for the help :)

e: the cat is about 6 years old and generally healthy otherwise.

Puddles fucked around with this message at 08:44 on Dec 10, 2011

PolarKitt
Nov 6, 2011

Woof

Bahunter22 posted:

You really won't know if you need to be concerned until you've seen how your cat responds to it.

The problem with that is, what if the initial response is the worst sort and you end up having to rush them to an e-vet all because you weren't concerned until afterwards? As I've said, Lucian managed to chew on a covered plug in oil one and then somehow got it all over his back half resulting in what looked like a very painful skin irritation/burn for a week. The only luck there was he apparently didn't get any in his mouth. Before that I'd never had an issue with any 7 cats and never expected it WOULD cause an issue.

In a similar story one of the other fosters for cats protection ended up with a cat burning its side because it rubbed against a plugged in one that had heated up to a ridiculous heat because people think it's fine to leave them turned on all day every day.

My question would be to you, what happens if your cat walks past as it auto sprays? Or a cats behaviour changes as they often do for multiple reasons? It's not a matter of it not having happened it's a case of given the circumstances the likelihood of an issue arising is why we ask for advice, to find the safest way possible. We want/advice on one that is least likely to eventually cause an issue no matter how many years your animals have been fine. All animals are fine until they're not and that's how you turn into someone who tries to make others be as safe as possible. You say something is fine and are adamant on it, until it goes wrong and then you try and teach others to be safe but are faced with others going "But mine have been fine so there" There are many reasons that air fresheners are dangerous to both humans and animals however animals are smaller than children and can't handle it like we can which is why most air fresheners DO say on the back to keep out of reach of children and pets. Also as a general rule anything that isn't an item specifically for animals, if it says keep away from children the same rule goes for animals.

I'm not trying to have a go, I don't think you should not have or do something because of maybes but you SHOULD always try and be as safe as you can be, BECAUSE of those maybes. You have to have a balance there.

A simple internet search of air fresheners and their dangers are shocking and some of the studies would make you think twice. Article 1 Article 2 My point in linking those is simply if there are acknowledged effects on humans then animals, given their small size are more likely to develop health issues and you should never just assume something is fine because there hasn't been any effects as of yet. However on the same note we still use scented candles and canned air freshener, we just make sure the animals aren't in the same room at the time and we give it a good 10 minutes to settle, if you notice any time anything is sprayed the cats will blink a lot and shake their head as the particles land on them. All in all the original question asker did say the cat wouldn't be able to get at it so I don't see any problem really.


Puddles Chronic or Acute? Chronic is terminal but Acute depending on the severity it's possible for cats to regain kidney function, Acute is basically a sudden onset Things that can cause it I hope the kitty only has acute and is fine :ohdear: good luck!

McKracken
Jun 17, 2005

Lets go for a run!
Is 6 months the appropriate time to transition kittens to adult food?

My 2 kittens are doing excellent with their socialization and no longer exhibit any feral behavior. Took them to vet last week, estimated age at 10 weeks, which puts them at around 6 weeks when we first caught them. Everyone is healthy and flea-free and they spend their time fluctuating between lights out kittenpile napping to furiously chasing each other around in circles.

I'll try and get some pictures of them being ridiculously cute in action to share with the thread.

fine-tune
Mar 31, 2004

If you want to be a EE, bend over and grab your knees...

McKracken posted:

Is 6 months the appropriate time to transition kittens to adult food?

I always thought if you had a food that said something like "For all life stages" or "Cat & Kitten Food" (Innova EVO says the latter), you were good to go whenever they would eat it. Kitten specific foods are higher calorie and have smaller pieces, though (so free feed maybe?).

ChaiCalico
May 23, 2008

http://www.amazon.com/Renuzit-Adjustable-Cone-Air-Fresheners/dp/B002NM3VP4

These are what I am talking about. There is a small "shelf" which has some flourescent lightning, that is never turned on, about 10 feet off the ground right outside of the cat bathroom. I planned on putting it in there.

I know cats can get to some high places but I really don't see her getting in there at all.

I was more concerned with having it in the air.

I can just deal with the smell or hopefully the new litter will help a bit. I just figured I would check to see if someone else had a solution to it.

shady anachronism
Oct 14, 2006

Where's my goddamned milk?!

Puddles posted:

So, I don't know where to ask and don't think starting a new thread is appropriate, so I figured I'd try here.

My girlfriends cat has been sick, for the last 1-2 days (not sure) -- it's been weak, moving slow, not eating as much etc. It was taken to the vet today and diagnosed with kidney failure... it will be in the vet for the next day or two for fluids and medicine.

I was wondering at what rate symptoms possess and if she caught it in time... and prognosis.

I don't have much experience with cats and don't exactly have a full story, thanks for the help :)

e: the cat is about 6 years old and generally healthy otherwise.

Definitely work with your vet. Ask them whether it's chronic or acute, and what to expect over the next months/years.

I have a 16 (almost 17) year old cat with chronic kidney failure, and I remember when he was diagnosed, we had a rather difficult talk with the vet. But all in all it's better knowing, because we've been equipped to deal with it. In terms of time, the vet said he didn't know as it's different for different cats. He said it could be months or it could be years. That was almost a year ago, and our guy is doing ok with prescription food and regular checkups.

RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:

Puddles posted:

So, I don't know where to ask and don't think starting a new thread is appropriate, so I figured I'd try here.

My girlfriends cat has been sick, for the last 1-2 days (not sure) -- it's been weak, moving slow, not eating as much etc. It was taken to the vet today and diagnosed with kidney failure... it will be in the vet for the next day or two for fluids and medicine.

I was wondering at what rate symptoms possess and if she caught it in time... and prognosis.

I don't have much experience with cats and don't exactly have a full story, thanks for the help :)

e: the cat is about 6 years old and generally healthy otherwise.

There is a really great thread about kidney failure in kitties around here, but I can't seem to find it. Perhaps someone with archives could find it for Puddles?

Serella
Apr 24, 2008

Is that what you're posting?

RheaConfused posted:

There is a really great thread about kidney failure in kitties around here, but I can't seem to find it. Perhaps someone with archives could find it for Puddles?

Life with a kitty in CRF

Doesn't require archives to view.

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RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:

Serella posted:

Life with a kitty in CRF

Doesn't require archives to view.

Great! I went back as far as I could and didn't find it, must've just missed it. Thanks, Serella.

Puddles, take a look, there's all kinds of good info about kitties in various stages of CRF.

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