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Steroids are most certainly contraindicated in eye ulcers. Get a vet that isn't momentously retarded.
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May 13, 2013 03:27
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 00:54 |
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We've covered driving with cats, but how about flying? I'm moving from New England to Florida in a few months, and I've been considering flying my cat over instead of taking him with me when I drive. Jetblue allows small animals, so that's good - but I am worried about his anxiety, him making noise, getting him sedated or at least calmed down, etc. Are there medications or anything I can do to help him calm down on the plane/car ride? And I'll also have to get a solid crate for him...
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May 22, 2013 18:46
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I'm getting ready to take my cat on a fun fun airplane ride.  He already whines constantly when he's in his carrier. I'm taking JetBlue, and they have somewhat stringent standards for how big the carrier can be... I got the one they sell on their website, and poor Jet can't stand up in it  I think he fits if he lies down, but it might be uncomfortable for him...Basically, I need to: 1. Ask vet about sedatives/medications to make him less anxious 2. Make sure Jetblue knows I'm taking a pet Also, I'll be introducing him to the family dog. Double :shepface. Blake, the dog, is like 12 years old and a lazy old fart, but he is a whippet. I know that dogs can sometimes bark at cats and whippets may have prey drive, but is that the case when you're indoors? I'm honestly more worried about Jet than Blake here, he does have somewhat sharp claws and I don't know how he is with dogs.  What would be the best way to introduce them? Do the whole quarantine-for-a-week dealio, switch off on who's allowed free reign, etc?
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Jun 22, 2013 22:45
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Finally the message is out there, cat poo poo really DOES lead to crazy cat ladies!NPR posted:
All hail our cat poop parasite overlords  Is this really that big of a deal? Obviously there's the whole worry about "cat poop parasites are hijacking our brain to MAKE us feel less scared of them", but should we break out the anti-poop parasite vaccines and medicines now or is the cat poop -> schizophrenia coincidence just a coincidence? --- As for cat pills, I've had success just wrenching my cat's mouth open and shoving the pill into the back of his throat. It's mostly worked so far. edit aaahhhh I just tried to give him a pill and that fucker made me eat my words.  WHY WON'T YOU OPEN UP KITTY.
Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 12:45 on Jul 10, 2013 |
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Jul 10, 2013 12:28
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Catte on route to the airport, will post trip report and scratches later. JET ON A JET PLANE
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Jul 21, 2013 11:35
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I have a black-haired cat that seems to be shedding a lot of dander. Like, I can see a whole bunch of little white spots all over him like dandruff snow.  Is this typical for black cats or should I be changing his food or something?Also, I'm getting ready to introduce my dog to my cat. The dog is a 12-year old whippet, neutered young and basically the laziest thing ever. The cat is 4 years old and I honestly don't know how he'll react. What's the basic idea with a cat+dog introduction? My worries is that the dog is significantly larger than the cat, so I'm scared of the cat getting hurt. Plus, a whippet is predisposed to chase after running targets - and the cat does run around a bit when he's bored... Is this doable or am I hosed?
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Jul 22, 2013 00:36
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I've come to a rather hilarious impasse with introducing the cat and the dog. The cat is extremely curious, and the dog is extremely shy.  Jet, the cat, is interested in Blake, the dog, and seeks him out to  at him for a bit. Blake, though, is weirded out by this and moves away, almost as though he's scared by him. Pretty submissive behavior.Is this normal for dog-cat introductions? It seems really strange and the opposite of what I expected. Blake is a whippet, if that helps.
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Jul 24, 2013 14:34
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Sometimes when I'm petting my cat and I start rubbing his stomach, he whaps his feet onto me, latches on (lightly) with his claws and bites me sort of. Is he playing or telling me to gently caress off? His ears and whiskers are all forward and after a second or two he starts licking instead, which I think means he's cool with it - but obviously I don't want to piss him off.
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Aug 14, 2013 16:46
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Awesome.  It's not a big deal if I continue harassing him like that, then?
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Aug 14, 2013 18:34
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My cat likes chewing on plants and leaves. We set up a Christmas tree in the living room, and he's taken to chewing on the branches and needles. Are pine trees/sap/needles toxic to cats?
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Dec 10, 2013 03:32
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Oh gently caress I might just wrap the trunk/lower part up in foil then. I don't think he's been chewing on it much anymore, but I don't wanna risk it.
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Dec 10, 2013 23:38
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I'm worried that Jet's not taking being around my family very well. My brother and sister keep picking him up a lot and I know that bothers the hell out of him (I try not to do it very often. emphasis on the "try") and he's started to run away from us whenever we come around to pet him Is he gonna be permanently pissed off at me now, or will he get over it? How do I get him to come out of his shell a little? Also he doesn't sleep on my bed at all anymore  I mean, the one at my parents' house is a twin bed from when I was like 11, so it's way small - but he's not even on it when it's empty. I miss my bed kitty At least he sleeps under it when I'm in my room and when I'm sleeping...
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Dec 25, 2013 09:25
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We moved ages ago, though. Back in August, and I'd only had him for four months before then. He's spent his time ever since lounging on the cat tree and chasing the balls I throw, so I don't know if it's the change in environment that's doing it - he's usually pretty good about that. I think it's mostly cause there's more people around. He's fine when he's ignored to do his "hunt all the balls!" thing, but when he's got 3-4 people trying to pet him at once he gets skittish. Plus, he's got a whole lot more to do in my relatively huge parents' house, so maybe he just gets distracted from loving me  Good to hear that he won't hate me forever if my siblings keep picking him up, I'm gonna make sure they stop that.
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Dec 26, 2013 01:04
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 Update! Jet is still alive and Jet is still adorable. It's been over a year since I got him and I swear he's been the best thing to happen to me in years. Jet catte best catte 
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May 29, 2014 23:42
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How often should you change the litter? I've been having problems with a really gnarly litterbox smell (which isn't helped by the bucket of clumps next to it), and I make sure there's always fresh litter in it, there's deodorizer in it, it's cleaned out, etc. - but over time, it just gets gross. Is buying a new box of litter like every month or so typical?
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Aug 11, 2014 17:59
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Goddamn. I have completely failed to do that correctly. A complete change every week, then? About how much litter should be in a litterbox? i tend to fill it up about 5-6 inches high.
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Aug 11, 2014 19:13
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If it's not deep enough, then the piss clump gets stuck to the sides and bottom of the litterbox. Do they make a non-stick spray for litterboxes? The bucket of clumps is loving gross. That will have to go.
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Aug 11, 2014 19:23
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I have learned a lot about cat poo poo today. I think I'll try out World's Best once I get off from work tomorrow. Thanks guys!
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Aug 12, 2014 05:24
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I'm considering getting some shelves for my cat to climb on so he can get to some of the higher windows in my apartment (I'm in a New England basement apartment). What are people's experiences with them? What are good brands to look at?
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Jun 17, 2015 03:38
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Goddammit, Jet has a dingleberry stuck to his butthole. I tried holding him down to nab it and take it off, but for one, he hates me poking around back there (can't imagine why) and second, it feels a little bit "stuck" to his butt. I don't want to try and remove it in case it turns out it's actually attached to some string he ate or something, and pulling on it would rip open his intestines. I'm considering just watering his butt but he won't stand still long enough for that, I don't have a spritzer, and I'm apparently not allowed near him for a while, anyway. Is there an anti-dingleberry formula or something out there? It'd be simple if it was stuck to his butt fur, but it's actually stuck to his hole. I cannot believe I just wrote this post. Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Aug 7, 2015 |
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Aug 7, 2015 19:46
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Speaking of cat piss, I changed the litter recently, and overnight my cat pissed outside the box, onto the floor. This is the second time it's happened immediately after changing the litter. I'm worried that this might mean something, but he never pisses outside the box except for when I've just changed the litter. Is he just confused about where his pissbox went, or is he protesting against me changing it? Or is this symptomatic of something worse? Cleaning up cat piss loving sucks. edit: To clarify, this is the same kind of litter (World's Best), just having dumped the old stinky litter out and replaced it with fresh litter. I do nice things and this is how I am rewarded 
Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 13:11 on Aug 31, 2015 |
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Aug 31, 2015 12:41
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So I live in a small studio apartment with one cat. For basically the past year or so, at night, my cat tends to run around and yowl very distressed-like, climbing up walls and chairs and the like, mostly at the front door. I can't let him out or anything because there's no way for him to get back in, and he hasn't really been outside the apartment for months. Is my cat actually in pain/distress/going insane? Is it possible that he's having cabin fever due to the small apartment or lack of stimulation? How can I tell that what he's doing is just him being a cat instead of actually being in distress? Cats are hard I just don't want him to be in pain or something
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Mar 23, 2016 04:32
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I'm more worried about the pent-up energy and cabin fever thing. I feel like he's in a more mental/psychological pain, really, which is why I called it distress. Maybe I'm projecting onto him, but it's a very small apartment, and I feel like being confined to that space 24/7 is taking its toll on him. I can't prove it, but it seems like that to me. Am I overthinking it? Incidentally, how much litter should go into a litter box? Is it a depth of 2in, 1in, 3in? I've never been able to figure out how to minimize having to change the litter so often with not having the litter be ruined by stinky, broken-up urine clumps and with not having litter tracked everywhere (oh my god so much litter tracking). I'm just sick of vacuuming the bathroom floor three times a day.
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Mar 23, 2016 05:06
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toe knee hand posted:Could you get him a harness and take him for walks? I've taken him out before. We're in the middle of the city, so he tends to get the leash caught under fences and there's not many places for him to go, anyway. There is a park nearby, so maybe I'll try there instead of right outside the apartment - but I don't think he'd tolerate me carrying him long enough to walk there.
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Mar 23, 2016 05:13
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That doesn't quite explain the yowling that sounds like he's being murdered, though. As long as he's not in distress, I guess it's fine, but it sure sounds like he's in pain or something. It's almost like a scream. As for the litter box, I will never enjoy it. I have yet to find a setup that doesn't inevitably result in gross, wet, ruined litter and tile grout turned brown-orange by litter being tracked everywhere. I need to find a box that makes it easy to replace the litter, sift out the piss and poo poo, and not immediately become a mess. Hauling a massive bag of litter both into the bathroom to place and out of the apartment to throw away is something I want to do as rarely as possible. Just adding new litter ends horribly, though. Maybe I'm just bad at litter boxes, I don't know.
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Mar 23, 2016 21:27
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duckfarts posted:WOOD PELLETS, SON This was from a while ago, but I'm intrigued. Does the wet sawdust dry out eventually? Is tracking really that unlikely? I think it is, since the cat never directly steps in the sawdust and the pellets are pretty big (though that doesn't preclude my rear end in a top hat cat from throwing them everywhere anyway). The box looks pretty small, does a cat fit comfortably in it? EDIT: More questions - what kind of litter do you use with it? Does it work with any old wood pellets, or do you need special types of litter? How well do pellets break down when wet? Will they break down to dust completely, or is it possible for a pellet to only partially dissolve? If so, how does that work with litterbox cleanliness and odor? EDIT2: oh my god there's a commercial for it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x_K2ocK5Cg Also, apparently you have to buy specialized paper trays for the sawdust? I don't wanna have to do that, so can I just reuse one over and over? Also, do dissolved pellets fall into the tray on their own when pissed on, or do you have to sift the box to get the dust to fall down? And how often do your cats kick the pellets out of the box and get the entire loving bathroom covered in litter god loving dammit ugh Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 15:11 on Apr 6, 2016 |
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Apr 6, 2016 14:22
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duckfarts posted:that commercial is loving awesome; japanese cat ladies approve Huh, I am actually excited about getting a litterbox. I think I might invest in one of these, thanks! That specific box isn't on Amazon and I think it's a little too large for my bathroom, though, so if I can't get a hold of it I might invest in a similar one http://amzn.com/B001411SK0 tidy cats tho Although, now that I think about it, there's one small problem. What happens if the cat gets the runs? It works in the ideal scenario, sure, but does it handle kitty diarrhea? Ideally that should never happen or there's a bigger problem, but I can't help but wonder how that should be handled.
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Apr 7, 2016 23:13
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about pee pee poo poo doo doo ka ka
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duckfarts posted:This is 2 days of dust from 2 cats, all gonna get flushed: Hmm. I'm wondering if it's possible to use a thin trash bag or other plastic bag to cover the tray, kind of like what this guy does? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-EansLmxfU edit: fuuuuuuuck rakuten doesn't ship to the US  So I might have to think of alternative boxes. The Breeze system is the closest I can find, but I'd have to confirm that it works with wood/pine pellet litters, since it apparently doesn't do the sawdust thing and just lets pee soak into the pad at the bottom (which is gross as gently caress). This thread seems to suggest that you can use the wood pellets with the box, but I'm not 100% confirmed on that. It's an acceptable substitute, but the problem is that my current litter box only barely fits into the little nook next to the toilet at about 14.5-15 inches wide, and the 16.5 inch wide Breeze system probably won't fit I really need a bigger apartment or a better place to put the litter box, but there's precisely zero other places it can go - I live in a little studio, and the nook next to the toilet is the only good one I've found. What a loving pain.But, if it somehow does fit, it'd be a good substitute. I hope. Just to make absolutely sure - pine pellet litter reduces the smell of urine, correct? Wet sawdust will just smell of wood/pine? Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Apr 10, 2016 |
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Apr 10, 2016 11:23
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There's also a height limit and my cat does tend to spray litter loving everywhere, but don't worry about it, I'll figure something out. I'd prefer pullout trays, but top trays like those might work too. I'll experiment and see, and worse comes to worse, I'll just find another place in my apartment to put the litter box (eugh). If I do need to put the box far away from the toilet, I'll need something like a Litter Genie to place the poo poo in.
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Apr 10, 2016 12:19
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Well, I mean, this is what I've got to work with:     (excuse the poor anti-tracking job) Not a whole lot of space to put a box. The one I have, 15" W x 18 7/8" L x 11 11/16" H, just barely fits thanks to the bowl and the little water spout next to it. I do have space next to the cat tree and scratching post right now, but that's usually where the reading chair goes. I'll figure something out. v vAlso, it's looking like at least two inches of depth for (the current clumping) litter is best. At around 1 inch, piss gets stuck to the bottom and hell begins. Problem is that it lasts way longer than two weeks, and litter apparently needs to be changed every two weeks - which I think is insanely wasteful and a huge pain in the rear end. Also also, Jackson Galaxy has a video on litter boxes and I don't think the advice is very good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzliLSt7myE Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 13:07 on Apr 10, 2016 |
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Apr 10, 2016 13:02
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I don't mind the advice about the number of litter boxes and the type of litter box to use, the cat doesn't really have any problems with the litter. It is mostly that I have problems with the litter, yes, and I'm kind of squicked out by the idea of having a poo poo and piss box either near my kitchen or near my bed. The whole "you need to have piss and poo poo boxes in your living room!" part is what bothers me. It might be exacerbated by the relatively little space I live in, but it's the most convenient spot for me when I have to think about dumping piss clumps and turds into the toilet. There is a spot that the reading chair usually occupies that I can co-opt for the litter box, and I might put the new one there instead. We'll see.
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Apr 10, 2016 17:39
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Jet's been vomiting bile (and a small bit of food) for the past half hour. Not non-stop, but more than 5 times. He has never done this before and I'm worried that it might be a sign of something bigger. He definitely looks like he's still kinda nauseous, although he can still climb up on his cat tree and the like. He's moving a little more tenderly than usual, and as far as I can tell he was normal just a couple hours ago. He's going to the vet tomorrow, which is good timing - I'll bring it up with them. Is this something to worry about heavily, or is he going to be okay until tomorrow? edit: It looks like he's back to normal, although the carpet won't be for a little while. He's jumping around and not hiding or anything anymore. I'm considering working from home today to monitor his situation, especially since he just ate again. Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 14:20 on Apr 25, 2016 |
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Apr 25, 2016 13:34
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Well, it looks like Jet has elevated proBNP levels (~1200 pmol/L) along with his possible heart murmur, so he might be at risk for heart disease.  The vet suspects hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but we'll need an ultrasound to completely diagnose him. I knew about his heart murmur, and he always seemed asymptomatic to me, but with the lab results coming back that high I'm really worried about him. I'm not really ready to think about him going away.Anyone else have cats with (probable) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? How did things work out? It doesn't seem like there's any one prognosis for cats like those, so I have no idea what happens next.
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Apr 29, 2016 19:39
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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.
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Jun 12, 2016 04:01
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Jet got an ultrasound yesterday, and it confirmed that he has thickened heart walls. They said they didn't really see a heart murmur (which I've been notified of before with other vets), but coupled with his elevated protein levels and the results of the echo, Jet definitely has some form of heart disease. The good news is that they said they didn't find any actual complications at this point in time, and that he's asymptomatic - so as of right now, he's okay, but they want to check up on it in 6 months to make sure that it isn't progressing. I've had him for over three years and have known about the heart murmur for about as long, and he's never really shown any symptoms at all - a small barfing session once a year or so, but he's active and has acted normally for that entire time. I'm torn between not worrying about it because he shows no symptoms, and worrying about it because oh god my baby. I don't really want to think about his mortality right now because even though he's seven years old, that's still pretty young for a cat, and he's probably gonna be around for at least another six years. Still hurts to think about, though.
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Jun 24, 2016 16:14
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Braki posted:Step 1: Don't panic. Following up on this post - the echos confirmed the thickened walls, so it looks like it is the worst-case HCM scenario. Judging from your post about its progression, it's like living with a bomb. Normally I'm happy-go-lucky about this stuff, but the fact that it's impossible to pin down a prognosis is loving me up. What do I do now? If nothing, then it's just make sure his remaining time is as nice as possible, then?
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Jun 24, 2016 17:24
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Braki posted:It's not the worst case scenario! Far from it! He has what sounds like mild HCM, asymptomatic, no medications indicated, no arrhythmia, and no significant secondary left atrial enlargement. In the world of veterinary cardiology, that is about as boring as it gets. That is good news! Yeah, I know he's in a relatively good position right now - the diagnosis just kinda fucks me up, because I feel like I've only had him for a very short time even though it's been over three years. Thinking about the long term ramifications and the fact that it can worsen at any point in time is what's getting to me But I know he'll be okay.The murmur is apparently difficult to notice too, so it isn't severe or anything. Crossing my fingers, but for now, it won't help to worry. It'll be fine.
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Jun 26, 2016 00:53
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Jet has a pretty noticeable one and he's a boy (I assume, I haven't asked him for his pronouns), so I don't think it's related to spaying. He's also not fat or anything. It's a normal part of their anatomy and there's supposedly some evolution-related reason for it.
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Jul 3, 2016 15:27
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Cat food talk has reminded me that Jet has been on Science Diet for the entire time I've had him. When I first got him, I tried to switch him over to Blue Buffalo wet food, but he had absolutely no interest in it - then again, that was right about the time he was adjusting to the apartment. Should I try again? Would it be such a benefit to switch to BB wet food as to be worth it?
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Jul 15, 2016 13:39
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 00:54 |
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So I finally bought that pine litter + pellet litter box combo for Jet, cause I'm sick of him tracking little particles everywhere. Here's my current setup:  That's about an inch's worth of Feline Pine, on the Tidy Cats pellet box. Some small bits of the pellets fall down through the holes, but the vast majority don't, which I assume is what I'm looking for. The plan is to transfer some of his turds to the new box and just keep piling them there until he gets the message, while quarantining the old box. Or maybe I'll just throw it away, it's gotten pretty awful. duck farts, is this the kinda setup you were talking about? I saw that the Tidy Cats box/system was almost identical, but needed standard pellets instead of the piss pads. What's the idea, remove the turds and stir occasionally to get the pellets to dissolve? Will this work? Just don't piss on the floor while you're getting used to this, cat
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Aug 3, 2016 01:49
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