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Archive through October 02, 2005

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Sep. ~ Nov.: Hairball Haven: Cats (ARCHIVES): Archive through October 02, 2005 users admin

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Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 8:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
He was fixed 1-2 wks ago. We get no discounts..we even have to pay full price to adopt an animal we have fostered for 8wks!!!!

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 8:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Julieboo a private message Print Post    
Wow! That's kinda mean. So was there any peeing or blood before the "fix." If not, how soon after the "fix" did it start?

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 8:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tabbyking a private message Print Post    
my cat got a urinary blockage/infection and peed everywhere and sometimes there was a little blood in the urine. he would pee on our bed and on soft piles of laundry. i thought it was new litter, or this or that or the other thing. he could barely urinate and it was uncomfortable for him, so he would not use the sand in the box. it cost us almost 800 bucks to have him catheterized and stay over at the vet's for 3 days. i went in every day to visit him and crawled into his cage to be with him. we changed his food to prescription diet c/d feline. he wouldn't eat it for 3 days. the vet almost had us just keep up with his whiskas so he wouldn't starve to death, but whiskas is what gave him the 'stones' or whatever. finally, he ate the c/d and now he won't eat anything else. he totally loves it. and because there is no extra crap in it, we don't get any extra crap out of him! i swear, he does one neat little tootsie roll every day and he used to go 4 or 5 times a day.
so it could be your cat has a blocked ureter like my cat did. he has been healthy and great for the 4 years since.
edited to add, that it was so bad with the cat peeing here and there and everywhere, dh was ready to throw the 'indoor-only, front claws removed, cat' into the backyard and let him take his chances! it was a very frustrating time of doing laundry non-stop! and very simple (but costly) to right it. if we had known, we would have fed him the good food from the start. it costs about 40 bucks for 20 pounds, but he only eats one cup a day and he could eat three times in whiskas because most of whiskas was filler-crud.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 8:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
It seemed to start day after the fix

Tabby, glad to hear your kitty got better, I hope ours will too

The prob is that we have spent over 2400 in animals in last year or so and we just cant afford anymore. Bill isn't wking and it's taking its toll

Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 9:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vacanick a private message Print Post    
I'm sorry to hear about your cat Pamy. I'm currently cat less but have raised 3 cats from birth to death. One of my cats starts peeing blood and it did turn out to be stones. I took him to the vet 3 times before we decided on surgery. We basicly made him into a female so the stones could pass. The surgery wasn't that expensive at the time but the appointments prior added up. He ended up living to almost 19 years old with absolutely no medical problems until the end.

Best of luck with your cat Pamy and keep us informed.

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 10:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tabbyking a private message Print Post    
pamy, our cat had been neutered, but i think it was several months before the 'stones' episode. well, at least before it became a real problem. i thought he just had accidents sometimes or was too finicky about his litterbox, etc. by the time we were ready to throw the cat outdoors, he was urinating small bits all over the place. i remember having to launder our quilt 3 times in one week and having to go to the laundromat for the over-size washer. luckily, the cat did not go on the carpet, but always on something else...maybe a pair of jeans on the floor, or the bathmat, etc. i don't think you can ever get the urine smells out of a carpet completely! so, i knew my cat was 'thinking' when he urinated, but i couldn't understand why dribs and drabbles and not using the litter box!
i don't think the little stones (basically like sand granules) would have passed or broken down in our cat. he had to be catherized. if your cat doesn't have to stay overnight, you could maybe get him okay for a couple hundred bucks. i know how much that is for a pet--dh and i are both out of work, praying that our house sells and dog needed 300 bucks at the vet at the same time my 12 year old vehicle needed 697 dollars worth of work.
seriously, my dh says no more pets once the ones we have are gone. our golden retriever is almost 14 and our outdoor cat is 11 and one indoor cat is 6 and the other is 18 months. (we got him for ds and ended up with him!) we adore our pets, but they really do cost a lot of money if they need medical attention...and it's too painful to lose a pet. they are like family. i personally don't think i could live without an indoor cat, but they are easy to leave for 2 or 3 days with them rationing their food and water and by leaving 2 newly cleaned litterboxes. dogs take a lot more commitment...but, gosh what wonderful pets!
good luck, pamy! i know how much you truly care (both in your heart and in the physical treatment) for all little creatures.

Supergranny
Member

02-03-2005

Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 10:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Supergranny a private message Print Post    
Pamy, first I would call the vet who did the neutering and explain what is happening on the phone, I also would explain your husbands not working and money is really tight. If they nicked something when they did the neutering then they should be responsible for follow up care. I think I would get real assertive cause this shouldn't be happening so soon after the operation. My feeling says something went wrong.

Good luck, let us know.

Bonzacat
Member

07-08-2003

Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 10:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Bonzacat a private message Print Post    
Hey, Pamy! I can't add to the great advice that's been given here as I have not experienced this, I just wanted to send my best and tell you my fingers are crossed for your kitty.

Mameblanche
Member

04-13-2005

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 12:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Pamy, do you have an SPCA or HUMANE SOCIETY nearby? I worked at the Toronto SPCA for a while many, many moons ago, and they were very kind to people with pets in distress. They may be able to do the medical stuff at a much more affordable rate, and maybe for free.

Another thought is that if you are an excellent, longstanding client of your vet, then they should honour a request for a compassionate discount, AND either defer payment for a while, OR at least take payment in easy increments. I've done all of this with my vet over the years. Once I got married, all bets were off, because they knew my finacial circumstances had improved substantially, but they were great when I really needed them.

I'd look into at least getting a proper diagnostic, and then you'll know what your options are. You might regret waiting, medically AND financially. And one last thought... I remember my vet telling me that cats rarely complain about pain, so its very hard for a layperson to have any clue how much pain the cat is in or how serious the situation is - or isnt. I'm not trying to freak you out or worry you more than you are... but I'd say as with any serious medical issue, immediacy is your best advantage!

Best of luck with kitty, and keep us posted.


Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 8:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Julieboo a private message Print Post    
I think Supergranny's suggestion is a great starting point.

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 8:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tabbyking a private message Print Post    
super, when our dog was neutered, he got a 'sterile abcess' (a huge balloon-size 'sack' filled with blood clots.) it was only 'sterile', in that there was no infection in it. well, duh, this poor dog could not go around bleeding into this area. he would have popped! i know it was from the neutering, the vet's office knew it was from the neutering (told me it happened 'rarely'), but i had to pay several hundred dollars for them to drain the area and then he had to wear that damn cone for two weeks.
it's not just with pets, either....
a friend took her child to have his tonsils and adenoids out and after the surgery was done, they realized they had not removed the tonsils. she had to pay a large co-pay for the second surgery a few months later when the tonsils WERE done, even though she had paid a large co-pay the first time which was to have included the tonsillectomy.
i would be too embarrassed to ask for more money for something i should have done right in the first place!!! aaargh.

good luck, pamy! you really are a sweetheart :-)

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 10:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
Vaca, we had to do that surgery to our other cat, Casper a few mo ago.

Tabby, I know what you mean, animals are such a big part of our life.

Supergran..it's the shelter vet that fixed him, they have to go by county rules(thats why we never get discounts) but Bill is taking him back there on Mon, she wasnt in on Fri.

The vet we took him to lst wk cked the surgery area and didnt see any problems with that area but he didnt do xrays

Mame, we do have humane society, I donate to it monthly, so I will ck there (thx hadn't thought of that)

Thanks everyone for the good thoughts



Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 1:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
{{{{Pamy and Houdini}}}}

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 1:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Julieboo a private message Print Post    
Hi cat owners (I will post this question in the dogs thread too, hope that is okay.)

Do any of you guys have more that one cat bed for your cats?

I know it's a "personal decision" type question, but I am seriously thinking of getting pet beds for up to 4 different rooms. Is that insane?

My pets hang out in the master bedroom at night (well most of 'em.) In the day, if I am in the den (w/computer) they hang out there and lounge on the loveseat. The cats lounge on computer desk. When I'm in the family room, they hang on the couches in there. When we are gone, they mostly like the sun in the living room and hang on the couches there.

So I am really tired of my couches getting so extra dirty or hairy from them. But would it look odd of I had pet beds everywhere? I could do sheets on the couches, but that is so not good looking.

What do you all do to keep your furniture hair/dirt free as possible?

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 1:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vee a private message Print Post    
Sigh. I wish Fioré would stick with her own kitty bed. Ha! That little blade brush that works so well on her coat works equally well on the furniture. C

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 2:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
Julie...cat bed?? you mean our bed? LOL we had to buy a cal king bed because all the cats sleep with us! We have trained them not to get on our new couch.

Bonzacat
Member

07-08-2003

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 2:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Bonzacat a private message Print Post    
Julie, we have multiple beds for our two cats. My stepmother visited recently and joked she was going to count. My reply: "Hey, it keeps them off the furniture :-)" And it does, for the most part.

Like your pets, ours hang with us in most rooms, so we have a bed for them in the office, another near the fireplace in the family room, another in the master bedroom at a window that gets afternoon sun. Also, we have French doors in the dining room and they let us know the sun was great there, so... you guessed it... beds. You can't see those unless you walk around the dining room table, so anyone coming over would never notice, unless it's for formal eating, and of course I'd stash the beds away for that.

After some experimentation, I believe that a bed here and there works better than sheets for our kitties. They know those little beds are theirs and they love them.

My cleaning lady taught me a great fur removal method: damp paper towel - just wipe and the fur moves with it.


Bonzacat
Member

07-08-2003

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 2:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Bonzacat a private message Print Post    
HA! Pamy reminds me to add: our bed, especially in the winter, is the family sleeping spot by morning... and sometimes they just want to be where you are.

But for daytime napping and evenings watching TV, they are oh, so happy in their own beds.

Bonzacat
Member

07-08-2003

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 2:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Bonzacat a private message Print Post    
Cats in office:



Puppylov3
Member

01-26-2004

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 2:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Puppylov3 a private message Print Post    
cat bed? i've got one - not one of the cats ever sleep in it. Wendy likes to occasionally sleep in the soft sided cat carrier (referred to around her as her hut). Mainly - they like the kitchen window (bay window with a window seat) and my bed (or is that their bed that they let me sleep in - I've lost track)

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 3:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tabbyking a private message Print Post    
when i got my cats a bed, they ignored it. when i got my dog a bed, one cat peed in it. nope, the cats just sleep under my bed or on the back of the couch during the day and on top of the bed at night. one on each leg of mine.
i wish i had cats that would curl up in a bed and look cute! but beds have been a waste of money for us. and the dog's bed was cedar and foam or something and i couldn't just machine wash the outer layer. it was ruined after the cat peed on it. poor dog didn't even know he had a bed it was in the house such a short time.
our cats hate change. they have been acting mighty suspicious lately with all the stuff we are moving out of the house and all the odd chores we are doing. our smaller cat has a crush on the indoor/outdoor shop-type vac...the bigger, shy, guy checks out everything that has moved an inch. he was really confused when we put our kitchen butcher block table into storage. he walks around in a rectangular pattern where it used to be. i'm sure he thinks it will suddenly reapper if he makes enough laps! every once in a while, i beg him to go the other direction because he is making me feel carsick!

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 3:20 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tabbyking a private message Print Post    
oh, and years ago i got a darling tiny calico kitty i named tess. she was maybe 4 weeks old and her mother had died. i went to dinner at friends' that night and took tess with me. i tucked in my sweatshirt and dropped her down the front! we were out for 2 or 3 hours and she was fine. the next morning, when i had to go to work, i put that sweatshirt that now smelled like me into a brown paper bag and tess climbed in and slept in it all day. no crying while i was gone. for the two years i was lucky enough to have that cutie, i would take the sweatshirt when we went traveling and she would know to curl up on it. she was comfortable everywhere we went because it was so familiar to her. i still remember that blue sweatshirt from susie's in cotati. i think the little restaurant has been gone for years, though....

Supergranny
Member

02-03-2005

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 6:23 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Supergranny a private message Print Post    
Tabbyking, I am laughing so hard...I can see those guys checking out everything. Thank you!

Supergranny
Member

02-03-2005

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 10:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Supergranny a private message Print Post    
Reading about all the sleeping arrangements made me remember an old picture of our last cat Bo. A big manx who died last year. He died like he lived, with dignity and gentleness. Not sick a day in his life he died in his sleep at 14 years old. He traveled all over the USA in our trailer and he slept on a big yellow stuffed duck. I hope you all can see this picture. I miss him so much.
Bo

Bonzacat
Member

07-08-2003

Sunday, October 02, 2005 - 10:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Bonzacat a private message Print Post    
Granny, what a sweet picture - Bo was a real beauty and his bed is priceless.

Tabby - Tess and the blue sweatshirt - I just love that. And I had a great laugh about your big cat that is walking around as if the butcher block table is still there.