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mistaya posted:So Sam started to have some eating trouble a few weeks ago and I took him in and turns out he has fairly advanced dental issues. I've been quoted 850-1300 dollars (depending on how many extractions are necessary). I'm not sure that I have many options as far as other vets in town but it really is a lot, and this is on top of 350 for blood work and meds to treat him pre-dental surgery. Has anyone else had to deal with this? Was it this expensive? I think 200 is going to be for more lab work because she was worried there might be cancer, which is frankly terrifying, and now my husband is giving me poo poo because if we spend a grand on the cat and it ends up he has mouth cancer... Well it's going to suck, a lot. Some tips, as our cat also has teeth issues: You want the surgery done by someone who understands what a pain cat teeth can be to extract (they tend to break apart). If they offer laser cauterization, take it. Recovery was much quicker when we did this. Get the blood work just in case. It'll be good to have a baseline if it's normal anyway. Shop around for quotes as mentioned. I think it was about $500 for a cleaning and two teeth removal with laser, at a cat specialist. Most of the cost was for general surgery stuff, and I think each tooth was only like $50 all told.
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Oct 2, 2020 17:25
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Hello Cat People. I am also a cat person  On of my lovely cats has bad breath. I know its probably bacteria in her mouth and I've bought her 'dental treats' and it got a lot better, so yeah.. I think she's got something going on in there. She eats Sciene Diet kibble and also raw tuna, which I sorta of mix together. Should I get an animal toothbrush and try to get her used to brushings? She's not the sort to be ok with it, my other cat is far more accepting of being pushed and pulled around like that. Any advice for my lovely girl with a stinky mouth?
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Oct 3, 2020 04:06
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I'm sure the answer is just patience but any tips for dealing with a super skittish rescue kitten? We took it in off of Facebook because I kind of wanted a kitten for my 1.5 year old nebelung to play with, and my girlfriend seems to think people kill black cats for Halloween. It gets along great with the other cats, eats its food and drinks water, uses the litter box. I just want to be able to pet the little bastard, but the only time I can get within arms reach is when I'm feeding it. Also I fear we may have accidentally gone a step back by letting it bond with out roommates cat first (she doesn't have a cat door for it to escape through) because he's both an rear end in a top hat and afraid of the world. I've since been trying to make sure kitten spends as much time as possible with my friendly rear end cats. Anyway, obligatory pictures   
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Oct 3, 2020 05:32
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Shroomie posted:I'm sure the answer is just patience yup
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Oct 3, 2020 05:47
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Yeah its not hiding all the time you're in good shape. I can still only pet Butters when she's in specific places. Kitty will come around.
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Oct 3, 2020 05:52
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Patience is key, yeah. If you're not already doing so, I'd suggest spending plenty of time in the kitten's vicinity just quietly reading or hanging out, not necessarily looking for interaction; it'll help establish you as a safe, non-threatening part of the kitten's world.
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Oct 3, 2020 06:31
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Vomitorium posted:Hello Cat People. I am also a cat person It kind of depends. If she's just getting food stuck in her mouth, brushing or tooth treats should help. If her gums are all red and swollen, she probably has cat gingivitis which is a sign of various infections or genetic problems. Treating it is hard, expensive and often ineffective. If you want to spend some money, you can see a vet with her. But the most effective treatments are very expensive meds or pulling all her teeth, which I probably wouldn't consider unless she stops eating or seems to be in lots of pain.
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Oct 3, 2020 07:25
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If the smell is like, really bad you should have her seen, that was the big red flag for Sam and the vet immediately started him on antibiotics and the smell went away in about 3-4 days. He still has cat-food breath but it's not rotting flesh breath, there's a big difference if there's an infection and getting that taken care of can greatly improve their QOL. I'm really smacking myself for letting that smell go for a month, I should have taken him in sooner, he was in a lot of pain and I couldn't even tell. Thanks everyone for the replies, I think I had better just stick with the vet I have even if it is more expensive, as there'd be another 2 months wait anywhere else and I just can't let this go any longer. It's a good office, and I trust them, I was just having some sticker shock. I did get an itemized list from them and it doesn't look like the worst-case price is too likely, they just weren't able to get into his mouth to make a proper estimate while it was all inflamed and he was in too much pain to let them look. He's such a sweetie usually. I had a whole discussion over the best way to give him the antibiotics and she was suggesting a shot but sounded like she'd rather do something else and I was like "I can pill him, would that be better?" and she had a really funny "You can? You're good with pilling him?" Like, my other cat will refuse to swallow until she starts foaming at the mouth so I get it but poor Sam will just take pills, or IV fluids, or baths, whatever. He'll cry a little but he never fights, and he'd never use his claws or bite. He's honestly the chillest most loving animal I've ever known. He goes in for surgery on Tuesday and I'm freaking out with worry, at least all his bloodwork came back clean so he shouldn't have any other conditions that could complicate it. I hope he'll have enough teeth left to eat kibbles, but if not we'll get more cans. I used to just use cans as a treat but getting him onto a more scheduled feeding time so he doesn't gain back all the weight he lost would be best.
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Oct 3, 2020 12:11
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Now that we have a cat grass in every room, I moved my plants inside. So far, Boo has been respectful of baby plants and only taken a few hallucinogenic noms. Pictured: Boo and Josephine, the spider plant that was six inches high this time last year when she ate so much of it I thought they would both die.   (She did take a few chomps to get turnt but in general she seems to prefer her cat grass.)
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Oct 4, 2020 10:18
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Internet, meet Marcie. Marcie is half Maine Coon and half whatever happened to be passing by. She is a cutie
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Oct 4, 2020 18:33
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MARCIE!!!
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Oct 4, 2020 19:48
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My automatic feeder arrived and we're on day two of using it. I have it programmed to dish out 1/8 cup from 7am-7pm every 2hrs for a total of 7/8. He's started inspecting it looking for ways to break in I suspect. I went with a pretty solid one so I'm hopeful it'll stay standing and be impervious to his attempts. Any recommendations for how long I should forgo wet food for? I understand he might just be a vocal cat and will always rush to me when he hears something being opened or I get up and move towards the kitchen. I don't want to deprive him of wet food if that's the case. Would it best to change up the schedule for wet food? Make it less frequent but still scheduled, a fixed time every day or occasional without a pattern? I've continued to reward him when he's quiet and it might be having some effect. A couple things that may be worth noting are sometimes when he's begging and doesn't get what he wants he'll start grooming or scratching himself. I have read that cats can become neurotic when it comes to grooming to the point that they get bald spots, I don't think it's to that degree but figured I'd ask in case it's something I should keep an eye on. The other is that he seems to hang around the door whenever I leave or at least is there when I return. If it's not for too long, like going for a walk or to do laundry, he's so close that I can hit him with the door if I'm not careful. Worried this is a sign of separation anxiety and feel guilty sometimes for leaving him alone even if it's only for a few hours at most. I have had to leave overnight twice for roughly 24hrs, once without a friend checking in on him. Been over a month since I adopted him now.  
Levin fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Oct 5, 2020 |
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Oct 4, 2020 21:08
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Corte posted:
I don't think you have to worry about him doing it after begging, unless it seems painful or really excessive. I think cats just have only so many different activities in their repertoire to switch to. Also, he's so cute! In general, you could get a little camera to check on him, for peace of mind - the Wyze wifi cameras are like $25 and work well. It's very possible he's just hanging out by the door, or hears you coming back and comes to greet you. Fwiw it sounds like you're doing a great job taking care of him. foutre fucked around with this message at 00:17 on Oct 5, 2020 |
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Oct 5, 2020 00:15
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RIP ZEEZ
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Katya puked up her breakfast kibble, she's not a puker at all so I am a little worried. Then at lunch-time she was excited for more food, but just sort of chewed it and let half of it fall out of her mouth? I put the kibble bits back in her bowl and she did finish it without puking and has had a few treats since too. She had a recent vet check-up and from what I can tell there is nothing wrong with her teeth, no bad breath either. Nausea? Stress because we're slowly packing for a move? Keeping a close eye on her today and giving her wet food tonight for extra hydration, anything else I should look out for?
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Oct 5, 2020 16:09
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InvisibleMonkey posted:Katya puked up her breakfast kibble, she's not a puker at all so I am a little worried. Then at lunch-time she was excited for more food, but just sort of chewed it and let half of it fall out of her mouth? I put the kibble bits back in her bowl and she did finish it without puking and has had a few treats since too. Cats puke. Randomly and apparently uncaused, although they will hork up hairballs regularly, too. If it's not a regular thing interfering with her health, don't worry about it.
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Oct 5, 2020 16:30
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Yeah if it just happens once in a very long while it's fine, that's cats.
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Oct 5, 2020 16:33
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InvisibleMonkey posted:Katya puked up her breakfast kibble, she's not a puker at all so I am a little worried. Then at lunch-time she was excited for more food, but just sort of chewed it and let half of it fall out of her mouth? I put the kibble bits back in her bowl and she did finish it without puking and has had a few treats since too. yeah, my cat will puke up his meal every now and then when he scarfs it down too fast. Usually happens if I'm late feeding him.
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Oct 5, 2020 16:49
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Phew, thanks guys. I'm a total helicopter cat-mom and she has never puked up her food (some grass one time), and usually scarfs it down so when I saw her struggling to swallow after chewing, sirens were going off. Obviously I'm stressed about the move too, as well as *gestures vaguely at the state of the world*
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Oct 5, 2020 17:06
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sorry to my cat for insisting to look at her teeth while she went "wtf, get off"
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Oct 5, 2020 17:08
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I had a panic attack in response to Boo coughing up a hairball last week. Like, a full-on panic attack. She was fine and didn't even barf that much! I totally know the feeling (and I'm really stressed right now,).
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Oct 5, 2020 17:15
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She has also never coughed up a hairball as a long-hair, so excited for that eventuality.
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Oct 5, 2020 17:37
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Aleta's maybe had two and I DON'T LIKE IT. Luna's a pro, however. Two yarks and it's done, and mommy has a rug to wash.
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Oct 5, 2020 17:43
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foutre posted:I don't think you have to worry about him doing it after begging, unless it seems painful or really excessive. I think cats just have only so many different activities in their repertoire to switch to. Thanks for the quick response and suggestion! I think a wifi webcam is a great idea and I'll look into getting one soon.
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Oct 5, 2020 18:03
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Harold pukes like once a week but I have yet to see a single hairball. I think he gets too excited or worked up over stuff and has a sensitive tummy 
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Oct 5, 2020 21:27
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Mel went through a period where she was vomiting regularly, and I think I figured out the cause was that she'd go over and lick her foodbowl in the middle of the night which had a couple old nasty food particles still caked on, which would upset her stomach. I started washing her bowl and putting it out of reach overnight and the vomiting completely stopped.
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Oct 5, 2020 21:53
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Hi cat thread! I was accepted to foster a single, adult, litter-trained house cat, so naturally tomorrow the rescue centre is sending me two cats of unknown age who have never used a litter tray before because they were outdoors cats. I've hastily aquired a second litter tray but I'm a little concerned that they will pee everywhere out of ignorance or upset. The rules state that cats have to be kept in one room for the first week, but it's a small box room (6ft x 6ft). For two outdoor cats that will be a hell of a shock. The plan is that after the week I'll let them have access to other rooms in the house (not outside) but if they're not using the litter tray then this won't happen. Any tips?
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Oct 6, 2020 00:40
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Lady Demelza posted:Hi cat thread! I was accepted to foster a single, adult, litter-trained house cat, so naturally tomorrow the rescue centre is sending me two cats of unknown age who have never used a litter tray before because they were outdoors cats. The odds are pretty high they'll figure out the litter boxes quickly. An easy place to dig is exactly what they look for in nature. I generally drop new cats in the litter box as the first thing when we bring them home so they know where it is and can start mapping the house from there.
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Oct 6, 2020 00:48
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There's a good chance they'll spend a lot of the time hiding from you. A small room both makes it easier to find them and might help them feel safer.
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Oct 6, 2020 02:11
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Marcie is also having problems finding the litter box. She was supposed to be litter trained but today and yesterday has just been crying at me first thing in the morning, I think to be let outside. Yesterday that led to a peeing on bed situation and this morning I am sitting in the bathroom with her and the litter trays with her yowling at me. Feel so sorry for her if she's got a day of urine on board and is just trying to hold it in. I caught her mid poop yesterday and got her into the litter tray so there's that I guess. Any tips?
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Oct 6, 2020 06:36
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She’s still puking.  She had half a packet of wet food two days in a row so I’ll give it another day to see if something was off about that. She’s otherwise alert and playful, still hungry but a little wary of eating like I would be if I had stomach issues.
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Oct 6, 2020 08:52
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Cats aren't like dogs, they don't need to be "trained" so much to use the litterbox, their natural instinct is to find someplace they can dig so they can bury their poo and litter provides that for them. Whenever we've moved I've also started off by dropping the cat in the litterbox so they know where it is, and letting them explore from there. You can do things like dig at the beans to show them "digging works here" but that's kind of it? If your fosters were outdoor kitties your main concern is probably that they're going to coming in with fleas than them making GBS threads everywhere tbqh. A small room won't upset them, you aren't being cruel by keeping them isolated for a bit, don't worry about it.
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Oct 6, 2020 08:57
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Lady Demelza posted:Hi cat thread! I was accepted to foster a single, adult, litter-trained house cat, so naturally tomorrow the rescue centre is sending me two cats of unknown age who have never used a litter tray before because they were outdoors cats. They'll adapt to the space quite quickly. Make sure any windows or nooks and crannies they could sneak out of are secure. Put out plenty of food and water as far from the litter trays as you can. I'd also throw a couple cardboard boxes in there for them to hide in, and old towels or mats for them to get their scent on. Put them in the room- right on the litter trays- and then leave them for a couple hours to acclimate. Hopefully, they get along already and that's why you're getting two. After the week is up (which honestly seems like a lot, but rules is rules) you should be able to relocate at least one litter tray, but leave the second in that room for a while longer, until you can be sure they are using the other one. When in doubt, remember- you had to be trained to use a toilet because crapping into a giant porcelain goblin is not instinctual. A cat burying its leavings is!
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Oct 6, 2020 09:26
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And if they do miss the litter box, try moving a poop into the box. They should naturally go bury the poop because a poop left out can attract predators, and they'll see that the litter is ideal for for burying poop. Sometimes boys will spray as a territory thing, but generally healthy cats do not want strangers smelling their leavings.
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Oct 6, 2020 11:50
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Since we're on the gross topics again, I also have a question. My cat sometimes produces slime from her genital area. They're big blobs about the size of a pea, look white and don't have any strong smell. They get stuck in her fur and dry into gross boogers. She's early-castrated and this has happened both before and after. She doesn't seem sick otherwise. Is this normal? Should I be worried?
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Oct 6, 2020 12:00
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pidan posted:Since we're on the gross topics again, I also have a question. My cat sometimes produces slime from her genital area. They're big blobs about the size of a pea, look white and don't have any strong smell. They get stuck in her fur and dry into gross boogers. I've had female cats my whole life and that's...... that's a new one.
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Oct 6, 2020 12:40
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Thanks everyone. The room is ready, and I'm as ready as I'll ever be.
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Oct 6, 2020 15:15
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pidan posted:Since we're on the gross topics again, I also have a question. My cat sometimes produces slime from her genital area. They're big blobs about the size of a pea, look white and don't have any strong smell. They get stuck in her fur and dry into gross boogers. Cats do have scent glands in their butts which can get clogged and gross. Normally, pooping puts pressure on them and "expresses" them but if they have very soft or runny poops they can clog up. You clear them yourself at home its very gross but you kinda pinch around their butt and pull a little Its not pleasant, and its worth talking to your vet first or looking up online how to do it. Milly had this problem and still does once in a while she'll sneeze and the glands let go and squirt some pretty strong smelling goo. Though your thing not stinking might be something different.
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Oct 6, 2020 15:17
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Maybe, since she was spayed young, they didn't fully excise the ovarian tissue and she's still having somewhat of a heat cycle as a result?
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Oct 6, 2020 16:26
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InvisibleMonkey posted:She’s still puking. Update, she wasn't finishing her food (huge red flag for this one) and seemed uncomfortable so we took her to the vet. It might be gastritis because the anti-nausea shot she had seemed to perk her up a bit and she happily ate a small portion of kibble. If nothing comes back up we'll keep her on the meds for a bit until she feels better, vet also gave us some stuff to force-feed her with if necessary. My poor baby, I hope she feels better soon. 
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Oct 6, 2020 16:48
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Kitties have arrived! One is sitting in the litter tray like it's a cat bed, ignoring the boxes and blankets provided. There is a *lot* of very miserable meowing happening.
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Oct 6, 2020 20:46
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