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I have a pretty unique problem with my cat that I can't find any solid information about online! He's a year old indoor cat, and recently (last one or two months) he's been having trouble licking his hind legs or the base of his tail. He'll lick the area frantically, then jump as if we were surprised or in pain. I've taken him to the vet a few times but they can't find anything really wrong - he has no broken bones, he jumps and plays fine, his range of motion is fine, his appetite is fine and he poops/pees regularly in his litterbox. The vet checked his anal glands and they're fine, he also did some palpating around the base of the tail - my cat really didn't like that, hissing and growling. The best they could come up with is feline hyperesthesia syndrome, which the vet said is mostly because they've ruled other things out. Has anyone come across this sort of behaviour before?
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Dec 31, 2016 02:35
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Any advice on reducing feline car-sickness (if that's what the problem is)? We adopted a 5-year-old guy in October that has a hard time making the four-minute car ride to the vet without throwing up.
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Jan 2, 2017 16:36
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hooah posted:Any advice on reducing feline car-sickness (if that's what the problem is)? We adopted a 5-year-old guy in October that has a hard time making the four-minute car ride to the vet without throwing up. Sugi's like this, and the only 'solution' we've found is to not feed him the night before and day of a vet visit. He still barfs, there's just not much inside him to come out.
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Jan 2, 2017 20:00
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Organza Quiz posted:You could train them to come to their names being called but it's easier to link it to a more unique sound than your voice. Same theory as clicker training, in fact I've heard of people using a clicker for the purpose but that seems like overkill if you don't already have one. I've taught Gus to wave, stand, spin, and (sort of) sit, and he would hi-five except he likes rubbing against my hand more than touching it with his paw. I've also taught all my cats to come when I trill, which has come in extremely handy when I've needed to know where they were right away. Let me tell you about the time my cat rode in an open trailered boat for 200 miles, jumped out into a national forest, and I was able to call him back from the woods two days later...
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Jan 3, 2017 01:13
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What do people do for mitigating cat hair getting everywhere? My bed sheets always end up caked in fur since my cat hangs out there a lot, same for his pillows and blankets. I don't want to have to wash my bed sheets more than every two weeks, and lint rollers only do so much. I have a slicker brush, but that doesn't seem as effective at getting rid of hair than at getting rid of mats. Am I gonna be wiping down my sheets all the time now?
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Jan 3, 2017 01:22
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Get a second pair of sheets and swap them out every week. That way you can only wash them every two weeks, while having a fresh pair every week.
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Jan 3, 2017 01:30
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Huntersoninski posted:Get a second pair of sheets and swap them out every week. That way you can only wash them every two weeks, while having a fresh pair every week. I guess that'll have to do. Thanks!
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Jan 3, 2017 01:39
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Me and my wife are really upset. Around lunch today, I found my Harley Belle laying paralyzed on the floor. Her eyers were open and her pupils were slits, and she was completely unresponsive. Her eyes would dilate and constrict sometimes, and she was breathing. We took her to the vet immediately, and on the car ride she meowed once and stretched her paw out. She could move her head to look left and right, but still couldn't lift her neck or move really. We got her to the vet, they put her on oxygen and took vitals / blood. She exhibited signs of blindness, which is apparently common after a seizure. She was also twitching a little bit. We waited on the blood work, and it all came back completely fine, and negative for FIV and leukemia. Her temperature was 96 degrees, and 99-102 is normal, so that was the only thing 'wrong' with her besides the obvious symptoms. We left her at the vet, and came back to check on her ~6 hours later. She could lift her head, but she was still blind. The twitching was worse, and her tongue was hanging out of her mouth. She meowed once, and purred a little bit while we pet her. We tried to feed her, but she wasn't interested. The vet recommended leaving her overnight for observation, so we left her. I hope I'm not bringing down the thread with this, I guess I just wanted to vent. Here's a pic of my sick baby, being a diva: 
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Jan 3, 2017 02:48
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That's awful to hear. If it helps at all, my parents' cat that we got when I was a kid, Hobbes, used to have seizures of some sort--we would almost completely lose all control of his rear legs, his eyes would be dilated, and he'd be breathing hard. He's still with us today, old and healthy and it's been ages since he had an episode. It's not the same thing, but there's hope.
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Jan 3, 2017 03:56
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Look at the whiskers on her. Hope your cat is ok, maybe its just sensory overload from those things.
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Jan 3, 2017 04:53
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Hi Kitty thread! I got some After Eight mints for Christmas, has a couple tonight and put the box aside. I went to the washroom and when I came back my Stupid Kitty had knocked the box over and had a nibble of one. I'd say she ate about a pinky nail sized piece before I caught her. Do I need to be worried?
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Jan 3, 2017 05:52
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Pollyanna posted:What do people do for mitigating cat hair getting everywhere? My bed sheets always end up caked in fur since my cat hangs out there a lot, same for his pillows and blankets. I don't want to have to wash my bed sheets more than every two weeks, and lint rollers only do so much. I have a slicker brush, but that doesn't seem as effective at getting rid of hair than at getting rid of mats. Am I gonna be wiping down my sheets all the time now? I bought sheets that matched the cat. Also a squeegee.
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Jan 3, 2017 06:25
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Caedus posted:Hi Kitty thread! I got some After Eight mints for Christmas, has a couple tonight and put the box aside. I went to the washroom and when I came back my Stupid Kitty had knocked the box over and had a nibble of one. I'd say she ate about a pinky nail sized piece before I caught her. Do I need to be worried? http://m.cat-world.com.au/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cat-world.com.au%2Fchocolate-poisoning-in-cats&utm_referrer=#3004 Thats dark choc right?
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Jan 3, 2017 06:39
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Yeah dark chocolate. I know chocolate is a big deal for dogs and not so much cats but she also got some of the mint filling too, which I couldn't anything relevant about.
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Jan 3, 2017 06:58
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Its just sugar and flavoring. Mint is attractive to cats so that's probably why she went after it. Ask your vet, but if your cat isnt showing signs of distress, then dont worry too much. http://www.cat-world.com.au/chocolate-poisoning-in-cats Vomiting, which may smell of chocolate and/or contain blood Diarrhea Agitation Drooling Hyperactivity Hyperirritability Rapid breathing Muscle twitching or tremors Abdominal tenderness Restlessness Frequent urination and or urinary incontinence Get your cat to take some activated charcoal tablets but the amount you described sounds minimal and shouldnt be a problem. Just watch out for the above symptoms.
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Jan 3, 2017 10:21
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Pollyanna posted:What do people do for mitigating cat hair getting everywhere? My bed sheets always end up caked in fur since my cat hangs out there a lot, same for his pillows and blankets. I don't want to have to wash my bed sheets more than every two weeks, and lint rollers only do so much. I have a slicker brush, but that doesn't seem as effective at getting rid of hair than at getting rid of mats. Am I gonna be wiping down my sheets all the time now?
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Jan 3, 2017 11:13
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duckfarts posted:stuff to try Recommending these also. Rather than constantly dragging out or leaving out the full size 24/7 til forever, having a hand-vac makes keeping up easier during the week til you can do your deep cleans.
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Jan 3, 2017 13:59
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Quiggs update: We tried to give him fluids Sunday night per the vet's instructions, but despite his ailment, he's strong as ever. I had a good grip on his paws and his scruff, but he wiggled away and almost ended up giving my wife the needle in the foot. We decided to stop the meds since they're not helping at all and he's miserable taking them. He's drinking a bit, but still not eating. He peed in our bedroom the other night and now there's a brown stain on the carpet from the bilirubin where the pee spilled off the magazine. We're taking him on Saturday, most likely. I can't not be there. I wrote him a letter. I'm going to put it in the box with his cremains. I've been breaking down randomly, remembering watching the life literally leave Daisy's eyes even though she was drugged to a stupor, then handing her to my wife. I'm sorry to bring the thread down further, but I have nowhere else to put this. Even talking to my wife about it doesn't bring the relief I need. Daddy and his buddy: 
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Jan 3, 2017 17:10
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Sending goodvibes your way, brother. I picked up Harley this morning. She's doing a lot better; she's moving around and acting more herself. The vet gave her another steroid shot, and has her on antibiotics. Still blind, it seems, but she's home and resting at least. Gypsy is helping to take care of her. This all happened at my mother in law's house, so me and the wife are about to load up the car for the 2hr trip home.
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Jan 3, 2017 17:58
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Does the vet have any idea what caused it? Hopefully it's just sensory overload as suggested prior.
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Jan 3, 2017 18:08
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D34THROW posted:Quiggs update: I'm sorry man  Quiggs sounds like a great cat, and I'm sure he thinks daddy is a great human. Do your best to make him comfy the rest of the week. Soon he won't suffer any more. You post where you need, take as long as you need, losing a family member is never easy. We're here for you.
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Jan 3, 2017 19:04
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Hi all. New cat owner here. We adopted an adult cat from the shelter, he is between 4 to 6 years old, and was a stray prior to being brought in to the shelter. He's 13.5 pounds of pure love and joy. We got him on the 31st, Saturday, so he's still very new. He loves to be scratches on the head, belly rubs, and generally just hanging out with us in our apartment. The place we adopted him from recommended 250-300 calories per day, so we've been feeding him 3x per day with some wet food (Sheba Purrfect Proportions, which looked good from my research), each one being around 110 calories... so, I guess we're overfeeding him slightly, but I don't have any smaller portions to feed him, and he doesn't seem to like dry food at all so I'm avoiding that. I'll look into different food, though, and see if I can find a There are two minor things that concern me, but I'm not sure if I should actually be concerned or if I'm just worrying too much. 1. He started sneezing a lot yesterday, and is continuing to sneeze today. He doesn't have any discharge from his eyes or nose, and just seems to sneeze randomly. He didn't sneeze at all when we first got him, and now he sneezes one to two times per hour. Is there something I should be looking for, or is he just getting used to his new environment still? 2. He meows a lot, for seemingly no reason. Sometimes he meows next to his food bowl, other times he just sits and stares at us and meows. If I'm walking around, he'll follow me and meow. His meows sound kind of like he's anxious/nervous/something, but then I'll start petting him and he'll flop over and purr very loudly while blinking slowly, which looks to be a good sign from my research... but he'll keep on meowing. Maybe he just likes to meow? Maybe this falls under the "cats are weird" answer. I'm just a bit nervous. I mean, he seems happy. He loves lounging around, butting his head against us, and purrs a ton. He loves sleeping in the same room as us, and he is just generally a super cute lovable ball of fluff... but he sneezes a lot, and meows... Maybe I'm just paranoid. He just likes to follow us around, meow a bunch, and then eventually settle down and nap. Doesn't seem to do much else. I just want him to be a happy kitty. OniKun fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 20:02
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Coca seems throw about once a day mainly in the middle of the night. It's not a lot, and mainly looks brown and smells a lot like cat food. She seems fine the rest of the day, energetic, eats and drinks. Should I be worried and take her to the vet or is it normal for kittens to throw up a bit in a new house. Her brother Casper had no issues. They are 17 weeks, and have finished their first week in their new home. They're eating Fancy feast wet (which is what the shelter was feeding them) with some wellness core dry fit them to graze on during the day. I'm trying to transition them to well ness core wet, which has neither increased or decreased the amount of vomiting. We're about 40% into the new wet food.
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Jan 3, 2017 21:09
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OniKun posted:1. He started sneezing a lot yesterday, and is continuing to sneeze today. He doesn't have any discharge from his eyes or nose, and just seems to sneeze randomly. He didn't sneeze at all when we first got him, and now he sneezes one to two times per hour. Is there something I should be looking for, or is he just getting used to his new environment still? 1. So did mine when I first got him home. It lasted a few months but he seemed to get better and now doesnt sneeze at all unless there's a reason for it. I just started vacuuming more. 2. Some cats like attention. Meow = hey I get attention! Or he likes to meow. Sounds like a cat to me
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Jan 3, 2017 22:38
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Synthbuttrange posted:Or he likes to meow. Sounds like a cat to me If he's a Siamese or other Oriental breed (or a mix thereof) there's an excellent chance it's just this. Some cats are very talky and Oriental breeds in general but especially Siamese are known for it.
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Jan 3, 2017 23:03
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Any recommendations for cat brushes for really long haired, fluffy cats? I've got just a standard issue bristles on one side pins on the other brush (like this one). The pin side is doing the job, but I'm meeting a lot of resistance in the fur and so it pulls, which wears on kitty's patience. I've only recently started brushing him regularly, and he had a lot of mats that had to be cut out. Is anything going to make it easier on him, or do I just have to keep going at it?OniKun posted:2. He meows a lot, for seemingly no reason. Sometimes he meows next to his food bowl, other times he just sits and stares at us and meows. If I'm walking around, he'll follow me and meow. His meows sound kind of like he's anxious/nervous/something, but then I'll start petting him and he'll flop over and purr very loudly while blinking slowly, which looks to be a good sign from my research... but he'll keep on meowing. Maybe he just likes to meow? Maybe this falls under the "cats are weird" answer. I'm just a bit nervous. He looooves you! Purrs, headbutts and slow blinks are very good signs! Slow blinking means "I'm really relaxed and chilled around you, and everything's fine." Try doing it to him, see if he blinks back. As for the meows, he's just a talky kitty. And good on you for adopting an adult cat rather than a kitten. They often have a hard time finding homes compared with adorable kittens.
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Jan 3, 2017 23:03
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D34THROW posted:Does the vet have any idea what caused it? Hopefully it's just sensory overload as suggested prior. No idea really; they're just guessing seizure due to symptoms. We've got her home now, and besides being very tired she is okay. Her back leg gait is strange when she walks, I think it's due to the shots she got. She'll walk a few steps and plop over to rest, but she is following us room to room and doesn't seem to have much trouble seeing obstacles or finding her food/water.
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Jan 3, 2017 23:25
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Hyperlynx posted:Any recommendations for cat brushes for really long haired, fluffy cats? I've got just a standard issue bristles on one side pins on the other brush (like this one). The pin side is doing the job, but I'm meeting a lot of resistance in the fur and so it pulls, which wears on kitty's patience. I've only recently started brushing him regularly, and he had a lot of mats that had to be cut out. Is anything going to make it easier on him, or do I just have to keep going at it? https://www.kongcompany.com/en-au/products/cats/grooming-and-recovery-collars/grooming-and-recovery-collars/cat-zoomgroom/ seems to work fine on both my longer haired fluffballs, despite both of them having different kinds of fur. That along with my furminator / shedder brush takes care of all my cat's grooming needs. I've tried lots of other brushes/mitts/combs but those two are the standard tools I use now. The mitts are great for cleaning up furniture though!
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Jan 3, 2017 23:52
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Thanks for the reassurance. I have a vet appointment for him tomorrow at 10:30, so he'll be seen just in case. He was sneezing a lot and woke up trying to hack something up, but now he's totally fine and just ate a meal voraciously. I think I might just be a bit paranoid... he's back to purring and being a seemingly happy cat, just with a lot of sneezing.
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Jan 4, 2017 00:02
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What can you all tell me about a change in voice? We've owned Mo for a few years now, and his meow has always sounded like he lived off whiskey and cigarettes before we got him. Now, every so often, he emits this mewling, almost kitten-like sound mixed in with the regular noises. Whatever's going on, it hasn't affected his appetite or behavior that I can tell so it's not an emergency, but it's still weird as hell. Anyone have a clue what could have caused this, or what it means?
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Jan 4, 2017 00:55
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Rangpur posted:What can you all tell me about a change in voice? We've owned Mo for a few years now, and his meow has always sounded like he lived off whiskey and cigarettes before we got him. Now, every so often, he emits this mewling, almost kitten-like sound mixed in with the regular noises. Whatever's going on, it hasn't affected his appetite or behavior that I can tell so it's not an emergency, but it's still weird as hell. I'm assuming that it doesn't sound like an obstruction of any kind else you'd have mentioned that.
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Jan 4, 2017 02:01
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Awhile back I posted in this thread about my fiancee's sister's new adoptee, Hamilton. Sadly, after four months of fighting by the family, today he declined very rapidly and had to be put down. The vets believe that he had feline cutaneous asthenia and that it caused many complications for him, but the diagnosis came too late to save him. The time he had was a time of tremendous love though, which is what always comforts me when a fur baby has to move on, but poor Elena poured her whole soul into this little guy. (They're determined to get another kitty when it's time though  )Rangpur posted:What can you all tell me about a change in voice? We've owned Mo for a few years now, and his meow has always sounded like he lived off whiskey and cigarettes before we got him. Now, every so often, he emits this mewling, almost kitten-like sound mixed in with the regular noises. Whatever's going on, it hasn't affected his appetite or behavior that I can tell so it's not an emergency, but it's still weird as hell. How old is Mo? Could just be a changed coming with age. My mom's Sugi has gotten a very creaky meow as he's reached his old age, from an extremely strong one when he was younger. My own Teeko always had a meow that could be above what we could hear, but for the last few years of his life he basically never meowed at a pitch audible to humans. Lastly, OniKun, the sneezes are probably from dust or stuff in his new environment, but getting him checked is sensible. The meows are just catte functioning normally! Some cats are talkative
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Jan 4, 2017 04:46
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Mister Adequate posted:How old is Mo? Could just be a changed coming with age. My mom's Sugi has gotten a very creaky meow as he's reached his old age, from an extremely strong one when he was younger. My own Teeko always had a meow that could be above what we could hear, but for the last few years of his life he basically never meowed at a pitch audible to humans. And no it doesn't sound like an obstruction. It's just... every so often he lets out the meow that sounds like it belongs to a much smaller, younger cat. The only major thing that changed recently was getting him a water bowl with a drip fountain so he'd stop trying to get all his water from the faucet. He's been using that too, so it would seem to rule out his diet. Maybe his pitch is just changing a little as he ages.
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Jan 4, 2017 05:00
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Stupid Kitty only licked up a little bit of the filling. I found the chunk that was missing knocked under the bed, so she didn't actually eat it. Been keeping an eye on her tonight and she's been fine. Thanks for the advice guys.
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Jan 4, 2017 06:19
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Synthbuttrange posted:https://www.kongcompany.com/en-au/products/cats/grooming-and-recovery-collars/grooming-and-recovery-collars/cat-zoomgroom/ seems to work fine on both my longer haired fluffballs, despite both of them having different kinds of fur. That along with my furminator / shedder brush takes care of all my cat's grooming needs. I've tried lots of other brushes/mitts/combs but those two are the standard tools I use now. I've seen those rubber spike ones around. I'll try that. Cheers. Silly question: what's a shedder brush for?
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Jan 4, 2017 07:57
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I really wish I could just directly vacuum my cat, but she always takes off and hides under the bed when she hears it start up. I dream about buying one of those 20ft hose extensions so the noisy vacuum part will be in the other room and the hopefully less scary end of the hose can be used on her.
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Jan 4, 2017 08:32
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Hyperlynx posted:I've seen those rubber spike ones around. I'll try that. Cheers. Silly question: what's a shedder brush for? For creating a godawful mess (but the cats shed much less after). Pulls out dead/loose fur. 
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Jan 4, 2017 08:39
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Synthbuttrange posted:For creating a godawful mess (but the cats shed much less after). Pulls out dead/loose fur. strangest looking cat I've ever seen.
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Jan 4, 2017 11:02
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Hang on. If a shedder brush if for getting rid of loose fur, what's ordinary brushing for? My understanding was that was to clear out shed fur to prevent it from forming knots and mats, but if that's what a shedder brush is for then I'm confused.
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Jan 4, 2017 12:54
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From my experience: non-shedder brushing, keeps cat looking neat, collects the loosest fur, busts up knots that are starting to form. shedder brushing: Grabs pretty much everything that's ready to go, usually gets the most use when the weather changes like here it's going into summer and that picture is from Cookie starting to shed his winter coat. Not that comfortable for the cat though, they'll only put up with it for a bit.
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Jan 4, 2017 12:59
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