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Tamarillo posted:My old rear end cat went senile at around 16 and stayed cheerfully insane until he died at 18. He would wander the house at night bellowing because he went deaf and couldn't hear anyone (or himself). Hahahah thats amazing and hellish. 
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Feb 10, 2015 06:32
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Sounds like a thing cats do as they approach 20, my old Lucy who was recently put down, spent the last 3 years of her 19 years screaming up and down the hallway. Does restricting food intake cause cats to become more active? My 10 year old girl Ruby is having her food cut down now that Lucy is gone. We let her get fat by always having food available for Lucy, now she's getting small amounts of food in the morning and night. She hasn't gotten that much more annoying (she always looks for attention, but she gets lost in getting pats over actually telling me what she wants). She now hunts and goes looking for things to eat. She's an idiot inside cat and only manages to catch and eat flies but she is trying.
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Feb 10, 2015 07:27
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One of mine never miaowed until he got old and blind. If he got lost, or just wanted me to come pet him, he'd make noise. Now, two miaow for attention and one because he wants to play. Might not hurt to just make sure he can see and hear. I didn't figure out mine was nearly blind for a while. House was small and he got around ok.
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Feb 10, 2015 09:14
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redreader posted:We got a kitten this weekend and she's doing fine although we think she has probably-tapeworms (seen white stuff around her butt). We got her from the humane society who said that she had been de-wormed but 'next de-worming is due 2/15' so there's another one due? We emailed them to ask what's up and no answer so far, but apparently cats only get partial deworming treatment because they're too young to get it all at once. My vet advised that most kittens are born with worms, and they should be dewormed at 8,10,12,14 weeks then monthly till 6 months old and then every 3-6 months. I worm my cat monthly because I live in a heartworm area, and can't keep the mozzie out of my unit. Where I live deworming is over the counter unless you have a strange type of worm. Then it's through your doctor. From what I have read, you need to get a dewormer from the vet if you live in the US. In AUS, worming products are over the counter. The US vets tend to test poos to see if kitten have worms. While in, AUS vets deworm first, then run a poo tests if the dewormer didn't fix the problem. If cats or humans get worms, they need two treatments spread two weeks apart because dewormers only kill the worms, and not the eggs. Speak to your vet and medical people as I am not a vet.
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Feb 10, 2015 10:15
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Just wanted to say thanks for the advice there about my ex-wifes old moggy, i think we have nailed it. The fucker is at least mostly deaf. It sort of explains everything. I did various tests and stuff. His eyesight is still good, but he doesnt react to even the hiss noise. So there you go it makes sense, cant hear himself or others and given that such a large part of a cats sensory input is hearing it ... errr ... must gently caress his head up quite allot (cant think of a better way to put it). So yeah basically the girls are now going to try just being much more tactile and visual. When he isnt sleeping anyway. Im like 90% sure this is the problem. e: credits to Gorgar there, nail on the head, we never would have thought of it Seaside Loafer fucked around with this message at 10:48 on Feb 11, 2015 |
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Feb 10, 2015 18:22
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Dogfish posted:So yesterday my plant-pooping cat (who is once again out of the plants - for now - thanks to the miracle of double-sided tape) swallowed a piece of string and got to take a trip to see the vet. Luckily, no bowel issues (although we're keeping a close eye) but they did an x-ray and found what seems to be a bladder stone. The vet game him a shot of antibiotics in case there was an infection and we made an appointment for two weeks from now to talk about changing his food and otherwise managing the issue. He's had no signs/symptoms: no apparent pain, he pees fine, etc. One of our cats is prone to bladder stones. Imagine a sea-urchin sitting in your bladder - that's a bladder stone, and it would be painful & irritating as gently caress. Our cat would never display any signs of discomfort but when the stones started to become a problem she would constantly beg for tap water ( more than normal ) and eventually starts peeing blood ( constantly - like 20+ litter visits a day ). IIRC there are 2 types of bladder stones but these days it is 95% of the time...calcium oxilate? I think. They get the stones due to mineral build-up from the food they are eating - usually the shittier over the counter food is the worst. I asked my vet why do cat food companies keep making food that CAUSES these stones to form? He didn't know, he said it's easy to make the food less problematic but that probably the companies go based on flavour the cats prefer + cheap ingredients to maximize profits. The first treatment is to try and "flush" them out by loading up the cat on water. If they don't drink much water/the stones are still there but not dramatically larger, they will do sub-cutaneous fluids every other day for a week to force a ton more water through them. If the stones are still there and/or have gotten larger, the options are surgery to remove them or one of those sonic-bladder stone busting guns ( same ones they use on humans ). Anyway - over the course of 3 separate surgeries to remove the stones ( at one point she had 9 - that expanded to the size of small, sharp & spiky marbles in the span of 2 weeks ) she ( and all the others ) are now on the highest level of "Urinary S/O" index food, we aren't even allowed to give her plain cat treats. So far so good, I don't think her bladder can handle any more surgeries at this point. Depending on where you are they may have the hardcore sonic bladder-stone breaking machine thing, but nowhere near us has one and it's also incredibly expensive. It is only the one cat though that seems prone to these for whatever reason - none of the other cats have ever had issues with stones, and they have all always been on the same diets. I guess some cats just have weird biology that makes the stones form more easily. So, FWIW - make sure you don't delay getting the next X-ray as suggested by your vet, it can escalate quickly and seeing a litter box splashed with blood is terrifying.
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Feb 10, 2015 19:42
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Seaside Loafer posted:Just wanted to say thanks for the advice there about my ex-wifes old moggy, i think we have nailed it. The fucker is at least mostly deaf. It sort of explains everything. I did various tests and stuff. His eyesight is still good, but he doesnt react to even the hiss noise. So there you go it makes sense, cant hear himself or others and given that such a large part of a cats sensory input is hearing it ... errr ... must gently caress his head up quite allot (cant think of a better way to put it). So yeah basically the girls are now going to try just being much more tactile and visual. When he isnt sleeping anyway. Im like 90% sure this is the problem. Tapping the floor will seriously be their friend in this situation. We'd tap to get his attention (and thump it in the middle of the night) and it worked pretty well. Deaf cats are still pretty goddamn awesome if bloody loud and discordant at times. The longer he went without hearing the more my cat's meow warped until it was an undulating yodel that did not sound feline at all.
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Feb 10, 2015 22:32
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TollTheHounds posted:One of our cats is prone to bladder stones. Imagine a sea-urchin sitting in your bladder - that's a bladder stone, and it would be painful & irritating as gently caress. Our cat would never display any signs of discomfort but when the stones started to become a problem she would constantly beg for tap water ( more than normal ) and eventually starts peeing blood ( constantly - like 20+ litter visits a day ). IIRC there are 2 types of bladder stones but these days it is 95% of the time...calcium oxilate? I think. They get the stones due to mineral build-up from the food they are eating - usually the shittier over the counter food is the worst. I asked my vet why do cat food companies keep making food that CAUSES these stones to form? He didn't know, he said it's easy to make the food less problematic but that probably the companies go based on flavour the cats prefer + cheap ingredients to maximize profits. Thanks for the info. They did do SC fluids when we went in last week and we will for sure follow up at his appointment next week. He doesn't seem to have any discomfort or issues with urinating - goes to the litter box a few times a day, doesn't strain to pee, and no horrifying blood-splashed litter box, thank goodness. So far we just saw the one little one on the x-ray so we'll definitely stay on top of it and make sure it doesn't escalate. The vet did say that some cats are just genetically prone to stones, for what it's worth. Appreciate your input! Hope your kitty stays stone-free.
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Feb 11, 2015 04:09
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My cat has what looks like a few scabs and balding area on his right eyebrow. It doesn't seem to bother him, but the scabs mixed with the balding is very concerning. I'm going to call a vet as soon as they open (it's 6:23 AM), but does anyone have some possible insight on what it is? It's the same guy I used to talk about who lost his appetite and was lethargic, and both of those symptoms appear to be going away (we figured it was probably stress, we changed him to a better food and got a new kitten around the same time.) He only used to eat a spoonful of cat food at a time, and now he eats half a can in one sitting, and is generally more active. I don't have photos because my phone is unfortunately the worst camera I have owned in years, and since this cat is black it would just be a blur.
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Feb 11, 2015 14:25
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Hi Cat thread! My girlfriend and I adopted our first cat on Sunday and we're head over heels with her already. She's a 3 year 7 month old little love that we got from the Animal Rescue League shelter. I wish I had some stories to tell but her adjustment period to her new home was exactly 0 minutes. I opened up her carrier and she cooed, lept out, and prompty ignored the hours of work we did setting up a "cat room" and promptly began roaming her territory and scent marking everything, which seems to be her favorite activity. She "gets" it and is already a member of our family. By the first night she was following us around the apartment, rubbing our legs every chance she gets, and hanging out with us in the living room. She's slept every night at the end of our bed and sleeps through the night with us (or does her own thing when she wakes up). She's just a little treasure. Super confident, friendly cat who adores us and loves to receive attention/love/pets/rubs. So far she hasn't responded at all to treats, and doesn't seem super food motivated (which is good). My only small issue with her is that she doesn't seem super into playing. She really likes the laser pointer, which is fun, but doesn't really "end" properly. I got her to play with a ribbon a little bit last night, but I really want to get her into a routine where she plays, "kills," then eats her nightly wet food. Any tips for cats who aren't into toys? I tried putting the red laser dot on a toy mouse, but she just ignores it and looks for the dot. Anyway ya'll just want pics I'm sure Introducing Miss Phryne Fisher (Fry-Knee).   Also if anyone doesn't own the scratch lounge she's laying it, I've never seen any cat just adore something I bought for them so much. Within 3 minutes of taking it out of the box she was owning the hell out it and rubbing everywhere. Amazing purchase, she loves it.
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Feb 11, 2015 16:35
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Get one of these and the cat will probably go nuts over it. It's the only toy that has worked with both cats in my house, everything else we've tried has had fairly meh results.
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Feb 11, 2015 16:40
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Thanks, I just ordered one. I probably should have just nabbed it, I've seen it get good reviews everywhere. We're running out of the sample bag of food the shelter gave us, and the new food we're trying won't be here until Saturday. I guess I should try to pick up a small bag so we can mix it with the new stuff. I doubt she'll be picky but I don't want to just change her diet. 
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Feb 11, 2015 17:33
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My cat has zero interest in pretty much every toy, with the exception of Da Bird which he loses his goddamned mind over. Everyone I've recommended it to has had positive results as well. That thing is magic.
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Feb 11, 2015 21:20
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I have a cat who doesn't care about Da Bird and I may be the only one. She does love the mouse toy that company makes though.
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Feb 11, 2015 21:40
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Sponge update: I soaked the sacrificial scouring sponge in bitter apple two nights ago and put it on its usual spot next to the faucet. Yesterday morning the sponge was in the sink. This morning it was on the kitchen floor. I sprayed more bitter apple on it before I left for work. Already a vast improvement over finding it in my bed, but hopefully she'll leave the drat thing alone entirely.
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Feb 11, 2015 21:43
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Your cat is really just trying to tell you to wash the dishes better. Have you tried listening to her?
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Feb 11, 2015 21:51
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Does she leave bits of sponge all over, try to eat it, or otherwise make a mess? If not, why not give her one or two of her own, and then keep the one you're using in a caddy under the sink or just switch to something else?
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Feb 11, 2015 21:56
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Do you cook greasy food? Maybe the sponges are just delicious.
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Feb 11, 2015 21:57
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Thanks, hopefully Da Bird works. At least I can exercise her with the laser pointer, but I know it's not the best thing for them. If this cat doesn't go for the bird I'd be surprised. The ribbon was pretty good, and her new favorite activity if she can remember to stop patrolling and marking her territory is sitting in the windows watching outside. All of the windowsills in my place are at waist height (we're a half story up) and a solid 4" deep, so they're all natural cat perches. I cleaned them all with diluted vinegar before she arrived and she's started owning them too. I think she likes the bird thing overall. We put on one of those Cat TV videos of birds (I was 100% skeptical and assumed it was BS) but she stopped and watched it for a while. Do cats like those? I could easily put those on while we're home cooking/reading for her if cats actually watch them. edit: We adopted her on Sunday and got to spend Mon & Tue with her all day due to snow. This is my first time apart and I miss her little face already 
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Feb 11, 2015 22:07
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Zaftig posted:Sponge update: I soaked the sacrificial scouring sponge in bitter apple two nights ago and put it on its usual spot next to the faucet. Yesterday morning the sponge was in the sink. This morning it was on the kitchen floor. I sprayed more bitter apple on it before I left for work. Already a vast improvement over finding it in my bed, but hopefully she'll leave the drat thing alone entirely. If the bitter apple doesn't work, try hot sauce next. Our cable chewer doesn't mind bitter but hates spicy.
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Feb 11, 2015 22:08
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She does rip apart the sponge. I don't think she's eating them, but she's dragging them all over and shredding them- it's tiring to sanitize/replace them all the time. I thought it might be whatever's on the sponge, too, but she goes after them when they're new or recently sanitized (before dishes are washed with them). Bitter apple works on all the cords she's tried to chew, but I'll try hot sauce if she keeps going after the sponge. Drythe posted:Your cat is really just trying to tell you to wash the dishes better. Have you tried listening to her? Given her other habit of climbing into the sink to lick any dishes I leave in there, this is probably right. My favorite was when she dropped a wet sponge on my lap when I was reading in bed- clearly I should be scrubbing! She also likes to climb on the table/my lap when I'm eating and try to eat off my plate, so apparently she thinks I'm fat, too.
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Feb 11, 2015 23:32
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I dunno if anyone here would even care but just in case I made these for the YOSPOS cat thread because I need practice with Illustrator.   
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Feb 12, 2015 00:14
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xie posted:Thanks, hopefully Da Bird works. At least I can exercise her with the laser pointer, but I know it's not the best thing for them. If this cat doesn't go for the bird I'd be surprised. The ribbon was pretty good, and her new favorite activity if she can remember to stop patrolling and marking her territory is sitting in the windows watching outside. All of the windowsills in my place are at waist height (we're a half story up) and a solid 4" deep, so they're all natural cat perches. I cleaned them all with diluted vinegar before she arrived and she's started owning them too. Check out YouTube. They've got a bunch of Cat TV videos you can test. Our cat doesn't care much for the birds, but is absolutely mesmerized by the white mouse.
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Feb 12, 2015 00:35
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xie posted:
Mine doesn't like treats either. Keep trying different brands until you find one they like, then pray they dont discontinue the brand ( this just happened to me). Positive re enforce all behavior you like. Try playing fetch even if they dont bring the ball or object back.My little one with paws doesn't like the lazor but will run like crazy after a ball with a bell in it. The blue bunny fucked around with this message at 14:17 on Feb 13, 2015 |
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Feb 13, 2015 14:14
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Play styles vary, too. Luther brings me a toy because fetch needs to happen or because he wants me to lob the toy under or behind an obstacle so he stalk and pounce upon the thing that had the audacity to try and hide from him. If I choose wrong, I am rewarded with a blank stare. He cycles through favorite toys: floof balls, padded balls, mousies, and found objects. Whenever I unbox something, I give him any parts of the packaging he can safely play with. By "give," I mean that he steals it as I open a package or he goes shopping in the bin. Some of the star toys include entire cardboard boxes, milk jug rings, shoe strings, bits of cardboard, and a piece of plastic strapping tape. BTW, netting from bags of fruit are very hard to throw effectively.    Da Bird sets his head on fire, but even more so if we play where he has the traction to do rad stunts and sweet karate moves on a rug instead of wood floors.
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Feb 13, 2015 15:15
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She's easy to reinforce because she's such a happy cat, and is touch/love motivated more than food or play. She also hasn't done a single thing that is "bad" or we need to discourage other than jump on the counter, which I'm not dumb enough to start that war, I'll just wipe it down every day with diluted vinegar to keep it cleaner. I replaced her temporary litterbox/litter last night with new unscented and a permanent box. She jumped in it and checked it out & started using it with no fuss last night. Play is OK, she doesn't play for long periods of time but will chase the ribbon (still waiting on Da Bird). No interest in toy mice, she does play with a milk ring sometimes. I'm not worried about her, she's clearly over the moon happy, I just want to re-inforce the feeding ritual. I left a few treats out last night (she has no food down at night) so she could eat them and get used to the flavor. She'll eat one or so but then just walks away from them. Last night she did eat them though, so she doesn't hate them. I've been feeding her 30 minutes after we wake up (and often after I shower and make coffee), so she doesn't make the Wake Up Humans -> Food connection as strongly, and she seems to let us sleep through the night. Then I pick up her dry food when we get home (~645pm) and play with her/feed her around 930-10pm. Seems to work well. We moved the blanket at the end of our bed last night (it's HUGE) and tried to put down a small towel but instead she didn't sleep with us and whined this morning until we put it back. Once I did she hopped on the bed & started kneading it. xie fucked around with this message at 15:40 on Feb 13, 2015 |
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Feb 13, 2015 15:27
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^ Get a cheap laser pointer, I've never seen a cat that hasn't gone bonkers for one. I have no idea how introducing my kitties is going, since they have upgraded from staring and hissing to just outright smacking each other and occasionally hissing. The kitten does nothing but chase the older cat around and piss him off. I'm not sure if this is just a "wait it out until she gets bored of him" sort of deal or what. She doesn't seem to be trying to hurt him but any time he tries to walk past her she takes a swipe or tries to pounce on him and he's getting more aggressive about smacking her back. Just stop being dicks for a minute, guys
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Feb 13, 2015 16:55
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Octolady posted:^ As long as the claws aren't out, don't worry about it. It's what cats do. If they're drawing blood you have a problem. Otherwise, it's social interaction however it may appear.
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Feb 13, 2015 17:17
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Octolady posted:^ We have one, it's her favorite toy. But with a laser pointer she doesn't get to catch/kill anything at the end, and it doesn't lead into feeding very well. She also gets sort of confused rather than "killing" the prey and then just relaxing over her kill. It's great for exercise but not for dinner, basically. But she goes insane over it.
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Feb 13, 2015 17:19
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Some cats are unable to see colored laser pointers. My bf's pack of Maine Coon mixes (all littermates) can't see a red one, at least. They seem immune to nip, too. Big floofy freaks are all, "HOLY poo poo AN ACORN. I'MMA KILL IT SO HARD," followed by a monkey-run feint at the wily nut.
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Feb 13, 2015 17:27
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I had my two at the vets this week. Oli has a heart murmur (he's 15) so I'm waiting on an appointment with a cardio vet to get diagnostics done. Buffy, 16, was in for a dental (which made me nervous as she's getting on a bit to be unconscious) and while she was out they were to remove a lump on her cheek. It's been there for years with various vets saying it's just a fatty cyst but she's been scratching the top off it (also missing and scratching her ear) lately plus it's grown a good bit over the years. No teeth removed, they just cleaned off the plaque to find nice healthy molars and the lump came out in one piece. The vet said it was pretty vascular which she reckoned would have made it pretty itchy. Now I just have to wait for the biopsy results   On the plus side, senior wet food and Orijen have brought her weight down from 4.95kg to 4.3kg over 3 years. Oli lost less weight as he's not as active, between his arthritis and the heart murmur he doesn't feel like leaping around. Edit: she ripped the stitches out and is back in getting more put in. An overnight stay and she can come home tomorrow with a cone of shame (if they can get one to stay on her). Ratzap fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Feb 13, 2015 |
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Feb 13, 2015 17:27
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Why don't vets use super glue? I mean, it works on us...
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Feb 14, 2015 04:16
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Deteriorata posted:As long as the claws aren't out, don't worry about it. It's what cats do. If they're drawing blood you have a problem. Otherwise, it's social interaction however it may appear. Hmm, thanks! I was just worried about it escalating into fighting cause they just chase and hit each other all day. I have to admit I haven't really been feeling the new cat was "my cat", but today he came up to sit on my desk right in the way of everything and snuggle under my chin, and it just hit me. "Yeah, this is my cat" ed: I hope your kitty gets better soon Ratzap
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Feb 14, 2015 04:24
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toplitzin posted:Why don't vets use super glue? I mean, it works on us... The vet tried tissue glue as she called it yesterday when I took Buffy back in. She had it back open seconds after going back into her carrier, that's why we opted for fresh stitches. She now has 6 stitches instead of 3 and the vet told me she knotted them 7 or 8 times each to try and ensure they hold. She had a cone on when I went to pick her up but she pulled it off inside the carrier while I was paying the bill  However she said it's sealed up nicely and healing fast. I'll keep an eye on her in case she scratches at it again because I don't think I have much hope of keeping the cone on her. With some treats and nice food she'll go to sleep for most of the day, cheating but whatever helps. We talked some more about Oli too. Apparently his murmur is 'about a three' on some scale which she says isn't something to panic about especially since he's not in distress or anything so I'll wait for the local guy to be available in a couple of weeks. There's a cat clinic and a teaching vet school I could get him to pretty much instantly but it's a lot more expensive.
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Feb 14, 2015 11:55
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I've been treating my cats with Advantage for a while now, but my vet seems to think Revolution is better... but I'm not sure if there's a legit advantage (no pun intended) with Revolution over Advantage, or if the vet's merely plugging a product for $$$ reasons. And on a related note, what are your favorite/cheapest places to get your flea meds? I had been doing PetCareRx.com because I usually have a $10 off coupon lying around, but I was wondering if anyone's found a cheaper place.
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Feb 15, 2015 04:44
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I've been treating my cats with Advantage for a while now, but my vet seems to think Revolution is better... but I'm not sure if there's a legit advantage (no pun intended) with Revolution over Advantage, or if the vet's merely plugging a product for $$$ reasons. It all depends on the area you live. Fleas can have built up a resistance against either product. Do your cats have fleas?
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Feb 15, 2015 10:36
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Assuming you're talking about regular Advantage or Advantage 2, the main difference is that Revolution also protects against heartworm disease. Advantage Multi also does heartworms. If you live in an area with heartworm disease, you should pick a flea preventative that prevents heartworms even if your cats are indoors only. All it takes is one mosquito bite, and there is no treatment once a cat is infected.
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Feb 15, 2015 19:03
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We use Revolution, and have for years. I have no complaints. It's about $8 per dose from the vet, which is expensive, I guess, but then our cats don't ever have fleas or other parasites bother them so it's worth it, IMO.
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Feb 15, 2015 19:14
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Arriviste posted:Some cats are unable to see colored laser pointers. My bf's pack of Maine Coon mixes (all littermates) can't see a red one, at least. They seem immune to nip, too. Big floofy freaks are all, "HOLY poo poo AN ACORN. I'MMA KILL IT SO HARD," followed by a monkey-run feint at the wily nut. Had no idea. This might be why my cat seems totally disinterested when I'm trying to get him to chase the laser pointer. He always just looks at my hand instead of the dot. Should I try a green laser pointer? I hear those are more powerful and I don't want to blind Mr. Cat.. :/ Would be nice to get some other toy he'll play with.
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Feb 16, 2015 16:10
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My brand new shelter cat has viral herpes. You better be glad you're adorable and a perfect match for my first cat, spud. My mom seems to think viral herpes is less like an occasional sinus infection and more like feline leukemia though.
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Feb 16, 2015 16:59
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