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Does anyone have any advice on pill pockets that might work for a cat who doesn't like the Greenies pockets? The vet just started our cats on antihistamine tablets for allergies, but one of them doesn't seem to like the Greenies (the standard chicken kind) at all. He won't eat them voluntarily and will spit them out when we attempt to force-feed him; he's a skittish cat by nature anyway, and we worry this is causing him undue suffering. Obviously, we'd like to find a brand/flavor of pill pocket that he might like enough to eat on his own, although any other advice to make pill-giving painless (and, y'know, actually get the pills in him) would be very appreciated. In case it's relevant: he's a 5-year-old DSH, and his name is Luke. He's a dapper little fellow, even if not terribly well-photographed here:  Thanks in advance for your help!
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Apr 6, 2012 09:44
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Anyone know anything about congenital pulmonary defects in cats? We took our cat Luke (8 years old, standard domestic shorthair) into the vet for a leaky eye and reduced appetite, and the vet noticed he was breathing heavily and did X-rays, with a tentative diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. I've had a terrible time finding any information about this or what it might mean online, and the vet didn't say anything about future directions besides that we should do what we can to keep him eating, since he also came into the vet dehydrated. At this point, we're mostly concerned about a long-term prognosis and how we can improve Luke's quality of life. We plan to consult with the vet again after the long weekend, but it'd be good to know more even before then.
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May 23, 2015 07:58
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HelloSailorSign posted:Unfortunately there isn't a lot out there on BPD in cats; and there's no specific treatment, either. The trouble comes when bubbles form in lung (called pulmonary bulla) that can rupture and lead to air escaping the lungs and being in the chest, but outside the lungs (pneumothorax); also from just having a wonky respiratory system (as your cat probably has). Some papers talk about that if problems arise then surgery is required to remove the problem lung lobe with the ruptured bulla. I appreciate this, and I agree that I don't think BPD is behind this (and am a little disappointed the vet didn't really address the issue we brought him in for). It sounds like this is just something we should be aware of as part of his health makeup and be ready to get him to the vet if he starts breathing poorly?
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May 25, 2015 21:34
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On the subject of (extremely) sick cats: one of our cats (the same one I posted about a couple of weeks back, who has bronchopulmonary dysplasia) went back to the vet today, and new X-rays reveal there's a large mass in his lung, one that wasn't visible at all two weeks ago. There's not really much we can do for him besides pain management, and I imagine we'll probably be euthanizing him within the week, before he has to suffer much longer. His quality of life is already low -- he's breathing hard, not really eating, and mostly hiding. It's not really a surprise at this point that his health issues are end-of-life, even if it's still hard to deal with it. I apologize if this is a crazy cat lady question, but does anyone know a decent way to keep a nervous, timid cat happy and comfortable on a final vet journey like this? Luke is incredibly timid, and while I could bear taking him to the vet otherwise, I'm not sure I can deal with the thought of dragging him out of a hiding place, into the carrier, and into the car just so he can die in an environment he clearly fears. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like our vet offers house-call euthanasia. Is there anything we can do? Obviously, we'll be there to comfort him when it actually happens, but I worry that's not going to be enough, and I really can't bear the thought of his dying terrified.
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Jun 2, 2015 19:41
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Huntersoninski posted:Can you afford the services of a vet that comes to your home for euthanasia? I know a couple vets in my area do - if your vet doesn't offer that service they could maybe send a referral to another vet in town who does. Yeah, I'll call them and see if they can do any referrals for in-home. Barring that, TolltheHounds's pre-sedation seems like it'd help a lot. Thanks. EDIT: And for the record, no, I don't plan to put this off any longer than I have to. I'm going to talk to my boyfriend about the situation tonight and see what he wants to do/if he wants to take a half-day off work to be there, but after that I figure we'll make plans ASAP, because the last thing I want is to dither over it and let Luke suffer. Antivehicular fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Jun 2, 2015 |
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Jun 2, 2015 19:54
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Yesterday my boyfriend and I brought a new cat home. Introductions to our other cat have been going well (a little hissing from our new girl, but our 6-year-old dude has been a perfect gentleman), but a new problem arose tonight. Rosemary, our new kitty, is a medium/long-hair with a lot of fluff, and that fluff is leading to butt hygiene problems. Tonight we got to attempt to cut some crap out of her butt fur, which was exactly as much "fun" as it sounds, and we've already caught her butt-dragging to try and clean herself off. She's a very sweet cat, but this is a bad situation for us and for her. To echo the old thread title: what can we do to get our cat to clean her butt better? She's still pretty young, about 14 months old: will she get better at hygiene as she ages, or is this a long-term problem for cats with longer fur? (Neither of us have owned a long-haired cat before.) Should we be getting her butt fur groomed regularly? As penance for asking a butt-hygiene question, here are some photos of Rosemary exploring our place:  
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Jul 1, 2015 08:04
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cash crab posted:I agree with the trimming. Also, occasionally wipe the area with a damp paper towel; I did this with one of the girls and she eventually picked up on how to do it herself (that or she was sick of me doing it).
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Jul 1, 2015 19:30
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We also know some folks who have a cat on kitty Prozac (or kitty Valium, I forget which), and it's taken her from "basically intolerable" to "a bit of a cranky old lady but happy and comfortable enough." They have a pharmacy custom-formulate it into a cream they can rub into her ears, which seems to work well.
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Jul 4, 2015 06:29
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meristem posted:Tinycat update. I'm not a vet, but he should have nictating membranes/clear "third eyelids" that means he doesn't technically need to blink. I'd talk to your vet about it if you're concerned, though?
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Jul 7, 2015 08:12
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Does anyone know the likely prognosis on feline bladder stones? One of my parents' cats is going to be operated on for those quite soon, and I'm a little worried about him. He's a terrible little furgoblin, but, y'know, he's a family furgoblin. In better news, Rosemary the Butt-Cat is coming up on her two-week move-in anniversary and has not had a butt incident since! She is sweet and lovey and apparently attending to her hygiene properly. Good cat.
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Jul 12, 2015 06:33
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my cat is norris posted:Hi! I don't know about long-haul travel, but my cats seem very happy with our new soft-sided carrier, one of the ones that look like a modified duffel bag. I don't think they have built-in food/water receptacles, though, which I imagine is an issue for you. Antivehicular fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Aug 11, 2015 |
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Aug 11, 2015 19:39
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demota posted:Thanks for the sympathies, everyone. I looked it up and this kind of reaction happens 0.24% of the time. Which is not the same as 0%. I'm really sorry for your loss. To echo Britt Burns, why not adopt a kitten or older cat who's already been fixed? Most animal shelters will have their animals spayed or neutered before they're sent home with adopters, and any of them older than a couple of months will probably be fixed before you even meet them. That way, you can adopt an animal with no surgery on the horizon and hopefully be less anxious.
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Aug 16, 2015 23:09
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kreyla posted:Guys, GUYS. I just got my first post-graduate-school job, which means that I FINALLY can have kitties of my own! I am so excited. SO EXCITED. I have lurked in this thread for many years learning about how best to spoil me some kitties. My Amazon wishlist of supplies will finally be purchased! Congrats on the job! As for cats, I'd lean towards the shelter, personally, as long as it's not a totally awful distance away. Farm cats might work out if they're kittens, but older farm cats are likely to be relatively poorly socialized and probably worse indoor pets than shelter cats would be. (I assume you want indoor pet cats? If you're getting a rambling farmhouse and want mousers, that's a different story.) Shelter cats will also have been seen by a vet and possibly pre-fixed/wormed/etc., which I can basically guarantee farm cats won't be.
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Sep 22, 2015 04:01
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IuniusBrutus posted:I've had her for just over a week now, and am taking her for her first vet appointment tomorrow. She's very comfortable around me, but super skittish and scared in general. What is the best way to get her into her carrier for the appointment? I have a hard-sided one that opens on top. Should I put her in there with her shelter blanket? Or is it best I don't in case she has an accident? And should I lure her in with food, or just drop her in through the top? She doesn't like being held, but doesn't fight. Just don't want to stress her out more than I have to. Unless you have a lot of time to kill or an unusually pliable cat, I would probably just pick her up and not try anything fancy with lures. Leave her blanket in for comfort; if she does have an accident, it can always be laundered and given back so she can re-scent-mark it. I wouldn't worry a ton about an accident, though -- most cats will be irritated or anxious about the vet visit, but few will actually lose continence because of it.
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Oct 14, 2015 05:23
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SynthOrange posted:Counterpoint: Cookie pooped himself on the way back from his first vet visit. Oh, sure, it can happen. My boyfriend's family cat apparently used to spend every car ride frantically ejecting matter from every possible orifice. It's just not universal, is all!
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Oct 14, 2015 05:45
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Puppy Galaxy posted:I came home an hour ago and can't find my cat. He's indoors and I live in an apartment with two roommates. Every time I shake his treat bag he comes running from wherever he is, but not tonight. Bedroom doors are open. Hiding spots checked. All very strange. Hope he's not dead!!!! The last time this happened around here, he turned out to be sleeping in a paper bag. Diagnosis: cat.
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Nov 15, 2015 07:37
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Deteriorata posted:There's a good chance Tinycat had a genetic defect that made him susceptible to respiratory infections and other health issues. You're not a magician or a god. You did what you could. You gave him as much happy life as you or anyone else was able. Seconding this. It sounds like the deck was stacked against Tinycat from the beginning and that there was nothing to be done except to give him a good life, which you did. You got him through some very rough times and let him live long enough to explore, play, and be loved, and that matters.
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Dec 5, 2015 06:57
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Organza Quiz posted:Pepper is short for Peppermint! It would be Pepper and Cammi or something usually. It's true that Pepper and Peridot sounds really good though. My parents had a Cammie-cat for ten years, although for her it was short for Camellia. Good cat, good name.
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Jan 12, 2016 07:21
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Sypher posted:Well, I am officially a cat owner. I adopted the cat I posted a couple pages back. I went out and got all the supplies and brought the cat over approximately 4 hours ago. Some cats are naturally very hide-y, but pretty much all cats will hide when they're in an unfamiliar place -- you may just have to see how it goes. Right now, you probably want to give her a little time, but later you can work on encouraging her to be out more. Is there any way you can make the recliner inaccessible to her? Unrecline it and move it it so it's up against the wall/other furniture, maybe?
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Jan 30, 2016 00:49
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Blackchamber posted:Been wanting to find a cat for a long while, finally moving into an apartment building that allows them, and so I started looking more seriously: man this is tough. I feel bad reading the stories about where these cats are coming from, or how long they've been waiting to be adopted, lots of sob stories that make me want to adopt all of them. Of course I can't, and I don't want to pick a cat based on pity. Its kind of discouraging and it almost makes me want to stop looking. The best idea is just to meet the cats in person! Most humane societies will let you walk in and hang out with adoptable cats, and you won't really know if you and a cat are a good fit together until you've spent a little time together. You may also want to talk to a shelter employee about your needs/desires re: cats and help them guide you towards cats with appropriate personalities.
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Feb 17, 2016 12:05
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Mister Kingdom posted:Speaking of the Humane Society, what's the procedure in getting a pet there? I've heard stories of them being overly particular in who they let adopt. It varies by individual shelter, but by and large the questionnaires are designed to weed out people who can't cope with basic needs of a cat. The only question I remember off the top of my head was "how will you deal with a cat scratching furniture?", where they were basically just looking for confirmation that you won't declaw. (I think our answer was "we don't care, our couch is old and crappy anyway," and they let us adopt.) We didn't have any problems, but I imagine it depends a lot on location and situation -- I've heard college-town shelters can be very picky because they're concerned about students who may not be committed to animal care and/or may be more likely to abandon a pet when they move.
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Feb 17, 2016 13:51
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Tar_Squid posted:Anyone got some advice for someone dealing with a grieving kitty? I had to put down one of my two cats a few weeks ago. I still have her sister, and she doesn't seem to like playing by herself anymore. She's nearly 14 now, so she spends a lot of time napping but I can't be home all the time when she's awake. Should I go find some new toys for her, or just let her adjust to her new life as a solo kitty? You can definitely try some new toys (a few cheap, novel cat toys can't hurt), but it may be best to just give her some time. Is she actively engaging in a lot of howling or other bad behavior, or is she just a little less active than usual?
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Mar 10, 2016 22:57
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DoubleDonut posted:I adopted two adult cats on Monday and I think I'm regretting it. I think I'm just not really as much of a pet person as I thought I was. I don't really have any specific problems with them, I just suddenly don't think I'm ready to be spending decades of my life with them. Taking them back to the humane society if they're not working out is actually the least lovely thing you can do. It might not hurt to give it another week or two, but cats get returned all the time; as long as you make it clear that it's just you and not a temperament issue with the cats (which can get them flagged "special needs" and complicate re-adoption, depending on your humane society's policies), it's not going to be a huge issue. Humane societies understand that sometimes this doesn't work out, and returning them there (instead of dumping them in a parking lot or rehoming them on Craigslist or whatever) is the responsible choice if you decide you don't want the cats.
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Mar 25, 2016 10:47
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JohnnyCanuck posted:I am mildly concerned that newcat has buttworms Go to the vet? I haven't personally dealt with worms but I'm led to understand that de-worming is mostly just "get a pill, cat passes the worms, we're done here."
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Apr 3, 2016 08:01
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Cornwind Evil posted:So I recently was reminded of the existence of this video. Cats can just straight-up go nuts like that when they see/smell a stimulus that threatens or frightens them, which seems likely to have happened outside where they were filming. A few years ago, one of our cats saw and smelled a neighborhood feral through an open, screened window, and he spent hours in a total yowling rage, attacking us and the other cat -- just taking out his anger and distress on every target possible. I posted a PI thread about it because I was so freaked out by it, and all the responses were basically "cats do this, give him time."
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Jun 10, 2016 01:49
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Pollyanna posted:What is an appropriate space to keep a cat in, in terms of square feet and ceiling height? I'm worried that my tiny studio is too small for a cat to be comfortable in. At least, he seems kind of uncomfortable in this area, considering that he runs around at night all the time and meows/semi-claws at the walls. This can be pretty normal cat behavior, or it can be boredom -- it's an open question. I'd guess it's less a problem with the size of the environment and more an issue of limited stimulation. Are there vertical surfaces where he can jump and roost? Windowsills, bookshelves, cat trees, etc. -- places where he's allowed to go and hang out. Cats are really more motivated by vertical spaces on different levels than they are raw horizontal area, in my experience. Also, how are his other stimulation options: scratching areas, toys he can play with independently, stuff like that.
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Jun 12, 2016 04:04
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m.hache posted:I understand the initial sentiment for this if it was going to be a solo pet, but wouldn't the loneliness thing be offset by the fact that there's a dog? (3.5 year old Lab/retriever) The big reason for that is that another kitten (or a cat) will teach a kitten cat etiquette in a way that humans or dogs really can't. By all accounts, it's much easier for a kitten to learn things like "being bitten hurts, so bite gently when you play" through play with a companion than through a human's attempt to get it through to them. As has also been mentioned, kittens will also be more alike in energy and activity patterns than a dog or human will be, so they can entertain each other when you and the dog aren't up for it. On top of that, a lot of kittens in a shelter will come in bonded pairs from litters, so being open to two kittens may broaden your options for adoption. Most shelters will try to place bonded littermates together first.
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Nov 16, 2016 04:12
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Yeah, I'd focus more on ensuring that the cat messing with the tree can't result in a disaster, because there's probably no way to be completely sure that the cat won't mess with the tree. My big recommendations would probably be to avoid fragile and/or dangerous ornaments -- nothing glass, and nothing heavy/sharp enough to cause damage if it falls -- and anything like tinsel that a cat might be tempted to eat. Plastic and cloth ornaments on a fake tree are probably your best bets.
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Nov 27, 2016 07:59
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Tiny Deer posted:Yeah, I was just concerned she was maybe disturbingly small...I can feel her ribs, but not sharply, more like the back of my hand. I've heard that's about right. This sounds about like the guidelines for healthy cat weight. Check with your vet if you're unsure, but if she's eating and drinking well and active/energetic, she's probably just a small cat.
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Nov 30, 2016 07:04
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Yeah, no part of this is going to be easy. We had to put our 8-year-old cat, Luke, to sleep after a very fast-progressing cancer diagnosis, and one of the things that haunted me for a while afterwards is if it was right to give him pain medication before the appointment, because the pain meds made him more aware of where he was, and he hated the vet so much. (We couldn't arrange for a mobile service, unfortunately, which is a major regret of mine.) I know it was better that he was in less pain, but it's always hard to feel at peace about end-of-life decisions for an animal, since they can't communicate their wishes.
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Dec 12, 2016 03:51
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m.hache posted:Well, you convinced us thread. Those are some pro black fuzzes.
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Jan 7, 2017 04:17
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Feel free to vent as much as you need. Having lost a cat about a year and a half ago, I know how bad the guilt and second-guessing can be, but it honestly doesn't sound like there's anything you could have done or that you harmed Kirby in any way. It sounds like he loved and trusted you, you did your best to keep him happy and healthy, and there weren't any signs of illness that you could have noticed beforehand. Sometimes terrible things happen for no good reason, and I'm sorry this one happened to you and Kirby.
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Feb 12, 2017 08:33
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I would say to give it a shot, yeah. At bare minimum, you can at least buy the second cat some time to find a no-kill shelter or other solution, even if it doesn't work out in your home.
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Feb 16, 2017 00:59
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The Vosgian Beast posted:I recently got a new cat, and it turns out she had some serious gum disease from her short life as a kitten on the streets, and now has no teeth Probably not a big deal. Cats don't really use their teeth for eating as much as you'd think; watch one eat sometime and you'll see they're just horfing food down, no chewing. She might prefer soft wet food if she's had mouth pain, but I've known toothless cats with no problems with dry food.
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Feb 18, 2017 21:29
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Cyberventurer posted:I'm looking for a little guidance about what to do with my current cat, 4 years old. I had adopted him and another cat when they were very young (but not from the same litter), and have always been together until a couple of days ago when one of them unexpectedly passed away, and I want to know if there's any behavioral changes that I should be looking for with the one still with me. My other cat was a frequent target for his excess energy but they otherwise got along extremely well. However, I'm a little concerned because, as far as I can tell, it doesn't seem like he acknowledges that his friend isn't around anymore. Cats can react in a lot of ways to losing a cat. Were they actually a bonded pair, or were they just coexisting cats? When we lost our guy a couple of years ago, our other cat got clingier but didn't really react much otherwise; those two weren't bonded, though, and more coexisted with each other. I think cats who aren't bonded pairs can get over losing each other fairly quickly. Really, the problem is that cats don't process grief like humans, and it's very hard to tell how they do, because weird animal minds. As long as he's continuing his habits and taking care of himself, I wouldn't worry about him.
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Feb 28, 2017 06:09
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Yeah, there's no routine vet scan for something like an enlarged heart, and you can't be blamed for not having your cat X-rayed "just in case" (which would probably be an unkind thing to do on aggregate, given that most cats don't have any birth defects and don't want to undergo vet procedures). You're not an incompetent caretaker, and it sounds like you did all you could for your cat. I'm sorry for your loss, and please don't feel guilty about it.
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Mar 2, 2017 01:27
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mcmagic posted:I had a very tired cranky cat come home yesterday. He's on antibiotics and prescription food that he can't seem to figure out how to eat with the cone on but I'm very glad he's back. He's been pretty much sleeping on my lap all day. He had a super rough week and he's a little dirty from not being able to clean himself well and not being allowed to have a bath for a week but he's peeing and eating ok which is all I can ask for at this point. Poor Motor. Glad he's on the mend!
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Mar 11, 2017 03:50
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:So has anyone who's had to administer IV fluids to their cat at home found that their cat begs for IV time and is super cooperative? I would presume that the cat associates being IV-rehydrated with feeling good, because, y'know, getting rehydrated.
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Mar 12, 2017 03:35
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There aren't any good drugs, it's ringers with potassium.
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Yeah, the thing with covered litter boxes (or litter boxes that are otherwise less accessible than "big flat obvious pan of litter") is that some cats won't tolerate them or figure them out, which can lead to problems. If you can get them to work, more power to you, but you may want to have other solutions lined up for litter-trailing, like using different litter/using mats/having the litter box be on an easily-cleaned surface.
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Apr 25, 2017 02:59
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Yeah, in my admittedly-anecdotal experience, primordial pouches can be associated with obesity, but they can also just be a weird cat genetic thing. Our last cat was a lean little guy who still had a visible (and sometimes asymmetrical?) pouch until he started losing weight with his final illness; our other cat, who is bigger but still pretty lean, has only a very small one. Cats are weird, man.
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May 4, 2017 22:54
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