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Thinking about adopting a cat, sometime next week. It'll be the first time I have ever owned a pet so I really have no idea how adoptions work. Obviously, I want the cat to be as pain-free for me as possible (no peeing on the carpet, scratching the furniture, etc). I’ll probably get an adult but is there any way to predict how a cat will act just by being with it for a couple minutes at the adoption agency? I’ll ask the people there for help in picking a cat for me. Anybody try out self-cleaning litter boxes? Most of the reviews for them have below 4 starts, thinking about buying this one: http://www.amazon.com/Brilliant-Pet-SX3-ScoopFree-Self-Cleaning/dp/B000ELUQQS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330031012&sr=8-2
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Feb 23, 2012 22:04
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Thinking thursday is when I pick my cat up, just thinking of what I still need to buy. Do I really need a bed for it and how important is a scratching post?
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Feb 29, 2012 08:00
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So I just got a cat from the local cat shelter on Saturday. The cat kinda smells funny and I'm afraid of giving it a bath right away because a) it's still getting used to my new place and b) i've never given a cat a bath before. Has anybody taken their cat to a grooming place or something?
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Mar 5, 2012 19:29
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2508084 posted:You can use waterless shampoo. Ah ok, this is exactly what I need.
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Mar 5, 2012 20:14
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Geno posted:So I just got a cat from the local cat shelter on Saturday. The cat kinda smells funny and I'm afraid of giving it a bath right away because a) it's still getting used to my new place and b) i've never given a cat a bath before. Has anybody taken their cat to a grooming place or something? I cleaned my cat so its smells much better but I just realized the main culprit is its breath. It smell awful and I was wondering how some of the products are on amazon (some dental water, special foods, etc.). The cost of dental care for a cat seems anywhere from $100-300 which seems a lot.
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Mar 6, 2012 08:46
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Enelrahc posted:I'd assume you are taking your new kitty to the vet for a wellness check-up since you just got it (if not, you should!). The best thing to do is ask your vet about it as many different things can cause stank breath, and none of them are diagnosable over the internet. Good luck and post pics of your new buddy asap! On this note, what's the best way for finding a good vet around my town? I can try yelp but most of the reviews for the top-reviewed doctors seemed more skewed than usual.
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Mar 6, 2012 18:00
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Any tips for getting a cat into a carrier? I had the cardboard carrier that I got from the adoption center. I had no problems with it when I was given the cat but when I needed to take it to the vet, the cat kept crying and eventually broke through the carrier. I had to cancel the vet appoinment as a result. I bought some Petmate carrier and since my vet's date on Tuesday, I want to try and get the cat used to it. http://www.lnt.com/show_product/11442-503830/?utm_source=gan&utm_medium=k76919&utm_term=11442-503830&utm_campaign=affiliate e: i put its feeding dish in the carrier, closed it and didn't seem to notice. Geno fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Mar 12, 2012 |
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Mar 11, 2012 21:54
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Any tips for a cat that doesn't bury their poop/pee? I swear for the first day or so, it was burying its poop but it either barely buries it or doesn't bother to at all. I've had no problems with it using the litter box. fwiw, i'm using Omega Paw as a litter box and Precious Cat Ultra Premium Clumping Cat Litter. i'm trying to remove the cover and see if that works but didn't last night. should i try and switch litters to see if it changes?
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Mar 15, 2012 17:32
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So the past day or two, I've been getting some small, itchy red circles (~a millimeter in diameter) on my hands after getting my cat. They disappear after an hour so it's not too big a of a deal but it's definitely not something that happened when I got my cat (about a month ago). All the shots on the cat are up-to-date with that last one being FVRCP, i think, about 3 weeks ago. The cat hasn't acted unusual at all, he rarely scratches himself. fwiw, i am allergic to cats but the allergies have resided for a couple weeks. Geno fucked around with this message at 06:30 on Apr 3, 2012 |
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Apr 3, 2012 06:27
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where's a good place/site to get a bowtie like this one? 
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Apr 12, 2012 22:00
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I usually feed my cat in the morning once-a-day. It's a 13 lbs. cat so it loves to eat. Lately, it's been getting all crazy and hyper about an hour before I normally wake up because it's probably hungry. Yesterday, it's been putting its paw on me and stuff so nothing too big but today, it gave me two swipes with claws out and one of them actually hurt. Any suggestions? Should I switch its meal time to more afternoonish?
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Apr 20, 2012 22:40
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the sneezing is fine and it's just the cat adopting to its new home. my cat did that for like the first three weeks but it hasn't sneezed since. as for making it lose weight, that's tricky. sometimes, i'll put its food in a high place, like on top of a fridge, so it'll get exercise. i also got the PetSafe Slimcat so it'll eat slower. not sure if it's worked. http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-SlimCat-Food-Distributor-Ball/dp/B0018CG40O/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1335470938&sr=8-7
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Apr 26, 2012 21:10
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my cat will stop whatever he's doing and come to the bathroom if he hears the bathroom seat get lowered (i'm a male).
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May 29, 2012 03:48
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the first 3-4 days with my cat were absolute HELL with my allergies. i had a bottle of 3 year old allegra lying around and decided, "what the heck?" popped one in and BOOM, allergies gone. i still wake up with my nose runny but that's probably because i haven't cleaned the bed sheets in months  if you don't want to pop pills, you could try getting some nasal spray. flonase, which is prescription, does wonders for me during the allergy season (dunno about cats) while all the OTC sprays never worked.
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Jun 1, 2012 06:48
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how is World's Best compared to Schweat Scoop? i want a flushable litter and i currently use Schweat. it doesn't seem to clump very well and it sometimes gets stuck to the litter box. it smells like rear end every time i go near it and i clean the box about once a month. also, my cat doesn't bury its poop.
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Jun 1, 2012 23:22
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toplitzin posted:Anyone try the following? yeah, some of us around here have it. i've had no problems with it being my first litter box. my cat doesn't bury its poop so i can't tell if it's because the litter box is too small for him.
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Jun 4, 2012 17:10
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toplitzin posted:Do I need two for two cats, or will one large be fine? Is there a rule of thumb for "Litterbox Placement and your happy home?" a large one should be fine but sometimes, cats want their own litter box so YMMV.
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Jun 4, 2012 17:35
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just be a badass and get the litter robot.
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Jun 4, 2012 20:40
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Cpaka posted:My kitten loves him some wet food. He'll munch on wet+dry mixed together without too many problems, but a bowl of just dry food ends up as a "LOL LOOK AT ALL THESE LITTLE FUN TOYS IN THIS BOWL THAT I CAN THROW AROUND THE FLOOR!" spaz-fest with him literally scooping the kibble out of the bowl and actively throwing it around the floor, sometimes using all four legs. How the hell can I get him to eat his dry food and not think that it's super-fun play-time? I can't really continue going home for lunch every day to feed him in the afternoon, and I can't exactly leave out a bowl of wet food all day for him to munch on. Try something like this: http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-SlimCat-Food-Distributor-Ball/dp/B0018CG40O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339455414&sr=8-1&keywords=cat+feeder+ball i use this with my cat and since he's a fatty, he has to use it. i put the ball in the bathtub since the specs of food can come out of the ball and make your carpet/floor dirty. every time i take a shower, all the dirt from the food comes right off.
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Jun 11, 2012 23:58
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Shebrew posted:I have a question! I just moved with my cat, Po, to a new apartment across the country. I kept her more or less secluded to my room at first, so I had her litter box and food/water in here as well. She's finally getting increasingly more confident and is now wandering out of my room into the rest of the apartment by herself (the new apartment is MUCH bigger than my old one). You could slowly move the litter box each day to the place you want it to be.
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Aug 27, 2012 21:26
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My cat sleeps with me and if he sees my body moving under the covers, he thinks it's something and starts attacking it with his claws and mouth. It rarely hurts but it does get annoying with me trying to sleep. I yell and him and he quickly runs away but he still does it every night. Any tips?
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Oct 31, 2012 21:06
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Anyone here have a problem with being allergic to cats? I've been allergic to cats since I was young and couple years ago, I lived with someone who had two cats. The first week sucked but after that, I was fine where I wasn't feeling any symptoms at all. I got my cat in March and like before, I had symptoms for the first couple days and was fine for awhile. About a month ago, my allergies started flaring up again. I would wake up with my nose just runny and I could feel my breathing suffer a little. I got an air purifier for my bedroom and it's helped a lot however, the problem still persists in my living room and kitchen. I'm thinking about getting a cleaning lady to for my apartment but they have deep and light cleaning. I'm assuming the deep cleaning uses some type of chemicals and I have no idea if they're harmful for my cat. Should I just err on the side of caution and just stick with the light cleaning?
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Nov 26, 2012 19:54
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I switched from dry food to wet food and I noticed my cat doesn't drink as much water anymore. Should I be concerned? I've added water to his wet food and he'll devour it all.
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Feb 4, 2013 20:44
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Any have experience with buying a used Litter Robot? Been seeing some on CL the past couple days around $40-70, which is a steal for how much a new one is.
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Aug 9, 2013 18:04
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Last night, right when I was about to go to sleep, my cat just pooped in his litter box and he came out just somber/sad. His tail was down and there was something off. He would cry randomly and this is the way he sat: http://i.imgur.com/tclDvX6.jpg I fed him and he ate but it was strange to hear him cry. This is probably the second time that this has happened in the past two weeks. He would also only cry when I was near him or petting him. Once I fell asleep, I didn’t hear him crying or anything overnight. The next morning, he was chill as usual but I have no idea why he’s crying. The last vet check up was about a month ago and the vet didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
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Sep 17, 2013 19:32
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Ratzap posted:Is he neutered? Does his bum smell or sensitive close to it? I'm thinking maybe impacted/infected anal glands, that's fairly common and I remember my girl cat was not happy when she had it. Basically though, vet if you're worried or it happens more. Yeah, he's neutered. He did appear to lick near his anus/tail a lot. Maybe he's constipated? There appears to be less poop than before. The only thing I've noticed with his diet is that he eats a lot slower than before. Last year, he would devour a can of food but the past month or so, he eats like 1/4 of it at first but he does eventually finish it within a couple of hours and will always run for food/treats.
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Sep 17, 2013 23:15
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Geno posted:Last night, right when I was about to go to sleep, my cat just pooped in his litter box and he came out just somber/sad. His tail was down and there was something off. He would cry randomly and this is the way he sat: Update: He didn't use the litter box much for the first days but everything went back to normal a day or two later. Yesterday, he ate a canned of wet food and some dry food. Last night, he used the litter box a bunch while I was sleeping. I could hear him doing his scratching after using the litter box. Thought it was weird but whatever. I clean his litter box just to make sure there's nothing wrong. His poop looked a little grayer than usual, same color as when I first started feeding him wet food. Come home today and after I feed him some dry food, he starts using the litter box often, like 4-5 times in 1 hour. I think its diarrhea or something but there isn't much in the litter box. Just some piss stains. I clean the litter box again. About an hour later, I notice he's gone and find he's peeing on my suitcase. He's NEVER peed anywhere other than a little box. I quickly clean up and close the door so he can't get in there again. Leave house for some errands for an hour, come back and he's back in the litter box 3 times in like 20 minutes. One time, I notice him standing in the litter box but peeing right outside it. Other time, he pees inside the litter box like usual. Guess it's time to go to the vet? Geno fucked around with this message at 06:11 on Sep 27, 2013 |
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Sep 27, 2013 05:59
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HelloSailorSign posted:
He just tried to go pee. Heard little chirps but it was really subtle for a cat who's meows/trills a lot.
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Sep 27, 2013 07:04
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HelloSailorSign posted:Short answer: yes. Went to the vet this morning. Vets say my cat has a condition called cystitis. Not sure what the cause is. Supposed to give him a dose of phenooxybenzamine and some buprenorphine. Vet bills came out to $456.84. Something called Geriatric Profile is the bulk of that cost. 
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Sep 28, 2013 02:08
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HelloSailorSign posted:If they didn't explain the geriatric profile, it's basically a whole slew of bloodwork. The normal "geriatric profile" contains: CBC (complete blood count, looks at red cells and immune cells and sees how many and how they look), Chemistry (checks liver enzymes, kidney levels, protein levels, electrolyte levels), urine analysis (bacteria? Inflammation? Crystals?), and thyroid check. It's all valuable stuff for an older kitty. Thanks for the info. Just talked to my vet. She said from the urinary analysis, my cat is lacking a bit in the water department and will need to eat just wet food for at least a week. I'm curious if I should put in water in the wet food or should it already be enough? Generally, my cat will try the litter box first and if he can't go there, he'll go somewhere on my kitchen. The good thing is that he does urinate easily instead of straining and getting a droplet or two out. Any tips for trying to make him stick to the litter box?
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Sep 29, 2013 00:31
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Ratzap posted:I can't help with the litter tray but do you have a pet drinker (or pet fountain)? The encourage cats to drink more as the moving water (and some have coolers too) seems to be more appetizing to the cat than a static bowl. They're not too expensive and the extra drinks help cut the risk of kidney problems as well over the long term. Hmm no. I have one of those generic bottle feeders that I bought when I first got my cat.
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Sep 29, 2013 01:03
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HelloSailorSign posted:If they didn't explain the geriatric profile, it's basically a whole slew of bloodwork. The normal "geriatric profile" contains: CBC (complete blood count, looks at red cells and immune cells and sees how many and how they look), Chemistry (checks liver enzymes, kidney levels, protein levels, electrolyte levels), urine analysis (bacteria? Inflammation? Crystals?), and thyroid check. It's all valuable stuff for an older kitty. So my cat's been fine the past couple days. He's been peeing in his litter box and doesn't seem to strain anymore. My vet recommended he only eat wet food. I don't recall how long he should be strictly on wet food but I'll have to give my vet a call. Before this urine problem happened, he would usually devour all the wet food AND the dry food I gave him. Now that I give him the wet food, he eats maybe half of it then leaves it. Yesterday, he ate maybe one full can when he's supposed to eat 2-3, according to the can's instructions. I tried putting water in it, heating it up, etc. but no avail. He'll drink the water out of the can but leave the food out. If I give him dry food, he'll eat it for sure and he's always begging to get some dry food. I'm worried since he hasn't eaten much but at the same time, he's only supposed to eat dry food. Maybe give him dry food with a lot of water in it?
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Oct 9, 2013 04:15
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HelloSailorSign posted:Excellent to hear urinary problems are better. Talked to my vet, she suggested I not feed my cat Purina dry food at all (even with water). She suggested me getting some prescription dry food which is like $18 for 4 pounds. I'll try this for now..maybe find a cheaper dry food online later? Hummingbirds posted:Don't feed your cat 2-3 cans a day. One can sounds fine. My cat eats 2/3 of a can a day (in two separate meals) along with less than 1/4 cup of kibble a day. Check the nutrition thread for more info. My cat is a fatty around 15 pounds so he needs a lot of them cans.
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Oct 9, 2013 23:34
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Geno posted:Talked to my vet, she suggested I not feed my cat Purina dry food at all (even with water). She suggested me getting some prescription dry food which is like $18 for 4 pounds. I'll try this for now..maybe find a cheaper dry food online later? Any advice? I’ve heard about putting ice cubes in the food so he can try to lick it but I dunno what else to do.
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Oct 17, 2013 01:13
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Huntersoninski posted:
I've replaced his water bowl like 3 times and used a fountain and nothing's worked. I'll try putting a water bowl in different places around the house.
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Oct 24, 2013 22:33
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Since my cat had urinary problems and the vet suggested I feed him the Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d stuff, I’ve run out of the 4lb bag and need to order more. I have no idea how long I"m supposed to feed him this stuff but he likes to eat it so I'll just continue. Where’s the cheapest place to buy this stuff? Petsmart seems to have the best deals. My vet charged $18 for the 4lb bag and Petsmart has 8.5/17.6lbs for $36/60. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12947858&lmdn=Brand&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo
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Nov 14, 2013 20:15
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cheerfullydrab posted:So Monday is my birthday, but I celebrated today with my friends. One of them got me a cat as a present. He's between 4 and 5 years old and an indoor fellow. I love cats and growing up my family had 12 (at different times). I've seen a cat have to get used to a new house. My question is, is there any way I can make it easier for him that I may not know? I don't have anything from his former life. Your family had 12 cats? Holy poo poo. When you first get a cat to a new house, you want to start small and keep him in one room until he's comfortable then move onto two rooms, etc.
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Nov 16, 2013 09:29
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My cat can't seem to jump on the table where her food is anymore. I was out for the weekend and put out some wet food on the table. I come back and see he hasn't touched the food on the table at all so something's probably wrong. I try and put some food/treats on the table and he makes it about half way before falling off. He seems to have trouble getting on my bed too which isn't that high. He's walking fine and there doesn't seem to be any limp or anything. He just used the litter box and looks fine there. When I got him, he was around 14-15 pounds and I just weighed him and he's around 17 pounds. He's always been pretty fat but never had any problems with movement until today. He's around 7 years old.
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Feb 23, 2015 03:40
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My cat started sneezing the past couple days. He was really tired on Tuesday but his energy levels are back to normal except sneezing a couple times an hour. I just took him to the vet last week where I paid $400 for shots and blood work and I hope I don't have to take him back for this. Would the vet ever just give me some antibiotics without me having to take my cat to the vet? ughhhhhhh
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Nov 4, 2016 03:00
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 07:33 |
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Cat was really lethargic last Wednesday and wasn't eating. Took him in Thursday morning and they diagnosed him with a fever with an unknown cause. His energy levels are back to normal and he started eating more on Saturday but not as much. He's never been much of a water drinker and I'd have to put water in his food to make him drink water. Now, he just went to the litter box 3 times in 10 minutes and I didn't see any urine. FML. I gave him some dry food + water and he drank the water so I'm hoping it'll make a difference. Geno fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Apr 26, 2021 |
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Apr 26, 2021 17:51
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