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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Saturday, October 15, 2005 - 9:43 pm
My friend has 3 cats and the first two he adopted together from an elderly lady or after she died (I forget the exact story, but they came from a home they had been in together.) A couple of years later and semi-adult (not sure how old, but she was older than a kitten but still seems youngish) ended up as a stray on a friend's porch. My friend took her in. Now the male and the newer female get along fine. Three years later, the older female still hates the younger one! They basically live OK together, but sometimes he still has to separate them when they get in spats and are being naughty. He'll take turns on which one gets a time out. Tiger just plain hates Zhaa Zhaa! When I was a kid, I was always collecting strays and adding to our pet kingdom and some would get along, and some wouldn't, but back then we used to let the cats out so when they were inside, they'd just basically ignore one another, but not fight. Shadoe - Your kitties are gorgeous!
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Hypermom
Member
08-13-2001
| Saturday, October 15, 2005 - 11:13 pm
Lizzie, yep, Anabelle's fur is very soft right now. It's that sweet baby fur. Shadoe, your babies are beautiful.
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Shadoe
Member
11-04-2004
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 5:40 am
I am sorry to hear that a few of you have some unaccepting felines, then again I see cats as pretty opinionated animals, and if they don't like something or refuse to accept something, you will definitely be told in no uncertain terms. Each one is a unique individual with their own quirks - just like people! I try to respect that in each one. Just take the food as an example. Booboo is tiny, older, and quite slim. She will eat only 2 kinds of dry biscuits and drink ONLY cold water. I was frantic when I ran out of her favorites and could not locate more bags in the store; she refused to eat until I got the proper ones. Shadoe, on the other hand is approaching the shape of a football; there is NOTHING she will not eat or at least try. For some reason, she refuses to eat banana, but everything else has been fine with her. Lettuce is ok with or without dressing, but grapes must have the skin peeled off. She has become quite demanding, expecting at least a small piece of all that I eat - just to try it out. I get the tap of the right paw on my wrist, just to let me know she is waiting for her share While they are both quite healthy with nice shiny coats, I dread what the vet will have to say about Miss roly poly Shadoe at her next checkup!
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 10:12 am
I made a folder for Lizziedi, she posts her a lot but had no folder...pls go give her the TVCH family welcome! thx!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 12:57 pm
Typo goes in on Tuesday for a check on his incisions. We've decided to take Bopper and have his bloodwork done and, if it comes back okay, we're going to have them tackle his mouth. I'm reasonably certain that his mouth is hurting so much that he wants no real part of eating. Despite his age, we know he has a strong heart, so I feel pretty confident of him coming out of the anesthetic. I know he's 15, almost 16, but there's no reason he can't be around for a few more years. Bopper was totally accepting of Typo. Of course, he was also totally accepting of Punk and Speckle. Speckle, on the other hand, liked Punk, but is just now (since 1994, mind you!) just starting to tolerate Bopper's presence. She has no desire to see or hear Typo and would really just as soon that he go far far away. But I just keep the faith that she will get a grip on reality soon.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 1:28 pm
LK.. I thought Speckle was new to you when I met her in Vegas? 2004? And my two still are not accepting of each other. I thought maybe with me gone to Nashville they'd sort of feel each other out (not competing for me) but the catsitter observed the body language, dagger-stares, unfriendly meows (not sure it ever got to the hissing-growling-chasing) that can occur at times when Critter goes after Angelina and chases her upstairs) She suggested learning the Tellington Touch method of massage and I've ordered a book. There really is a reason why some cats (and dogs, too) are tagged as needing to be an "only" in a new home..
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 1:31 pm
Oh and I've learned, just tried it one night, that when Angelina has been pushed to the limit and then I cannot approach her because she'll hiss and BITE, that if I can cover her, I have a better chance of picking her up.. one night she was attached to the back of my chair like velcro, hissing up a storm and trying to bite if I approached and I finally took a throw and covered her and was able to detach her from the chair and carry her upstairs. And recently she was telling me I couldn't pick her up to take her from my bed to her bedroom but she was on a cat pad and I rolled her up in that like a burrito and she settled down nicely.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 2:06 pm
LK, I hope all goes well w/Typo! Sea, it is so hard when they don't get along..sending good thoughts that they will realize it is better to be friends!!
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 2:33 pm
sounds kind of like swathing a newborn sea. she doesn't know how to calm herself when she gets upset.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 3:20 pm
Yeah.. hard to say what happened to Angelina before she was brought to the rescue.. she's been estimated to be 4 or even 6 years old.. is missing some teeth and has a little tear in one ear but otherwise in excellent shape but definitely on the defensive with cats and with people. And yes, it seems to calm her down in an amazing way. I'm not sure she wants to calm herself.. she seems quite adept at biting!
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Taterheadtwo
Member
09-29-2005
| Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 7:18 pm
my middle cat, i got form petco ( form a local shelter, she was a firebox wanting to see people, , sniff, and meowing, i went into the room and picked her up and saw, she had a wound, gash on her neck and was missing one of her large teeth, yet she was a loving , outgoing, cat... she is my favorite now, she loves to come talk to me, and when i cut the other two cats nails, she is so protective, trying to nip my ankle to leave her sisters alone.. ans she will go to them all the time and lick their fur, coats, bonding.... the only promblem, is she is a different bread then the other two, more stockier, not as fast, and dont like to climb go high like the other two, and .. sigh she eats all the time, weighs 26 pounds.... i am fat and i hate depriving her of food, she is very picky, i have like 5 different dry foods, she wont touch and mixed can foods she wont touch, so she will only eat her favotie one at that time, but she eats a liltle every hour are so.. i try to used her favorite toy several times a day to get her to run and chase it to give her exercise.... the other two dont overeat, i put out the food all day all the time , and fresh changed water a day... i have heard that when you only put out food once are twice a day , it will increase chances on intestinail and possible blockage, i dont know.. but we all love at cats..... but heres the main reason i am posting i have three females all fixed when they were kittens.. but i notice alot of time when they come by and want a back bone scrath, they put out a order?? is that normal?? maybe like a fermone are something... and lol.. the one that is overweight, i call her pooh bear, because hers really smells bad,lol she will look around to see who did it, and the other two cats will run out of the room,lol, but she is still a sweety
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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 5:25 am
Tater, from my experience, that's a pretty natural reflex/reaction of all cats when they're stroked by the back bone. Some of them are sensitive about it and will get more than a bit peeved when you do it but then others, love it. My current kitty Misha is pretty tolerant of having her belly rubbed, almost like a dog. I had other cats that would go into attack mode as soon as you touched their tummies! If you're worried about your cat's weight you can try to just put a certain amount in her bowl several times a day. I've always just left out dry food and when I saw my kitty was getting a bit chubby, I just didn't automatically fill it when I would see it was empty and make her wait a little bit. She's fine and at least her weight is stable. I also have her on weight management food even though some would say she's not fat at all, but she's a Siamese and should be on the sleeker side and I just didn't want her to get over-weight, not really worried about looking sleek!
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Taterheadtwo
Member
09-29-2005
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 7:11 am
my biggest worry is in the long run, i dont want to make her last years ( hopefully way down the road, harded for her, dont want her to have like arthritis are aches becuase i didnt take better care of her long term, right now shes about 2 yrs old and still more active then the other two.. i read and heard cats sleep 16 are more hours a day,lol, mine dont maybe about 10 hours, they sure do plop down and stare at me to entertain them all day long,lol. each like a different activity, wears me out.and each has a different personality, unfortunanty one the youngest likes to be alone most of the day, and mostly wants me to reasure her im here by stoping and scratching her back when she trods be me several times a day. the chucky one, like me to hide a toy so she can go find it, then she will hide it and bug me till i find where she hide it, she hides it too good some times, i never find it. : O( so after hours of not finding it and her meowing hours, she will fall asleep and then next time all over with another toy...but overall they are so fun and caring. and they expresions on there faces speak thousand words sometimes,lol
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 8:44 am
Yes, you can also try a lower calorie food which gives the hungry feline something to chew on.. I would ask your vet about that odor.. interesting. As for tummy rubs.. some cats become sexually stimulated after awhile and they'll show you by biting.. usually means time to stop rubbing. Others, however, seem to just feel vulnerable, so you don't get in as many tummy rubs with them.. Angelina is one of them.. and she may be missing a few teeth but she's quite capable of (and willing to) bite.
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Redstar
Member
07-08-2005
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 9:00 am
I am LOL at the mental image I have of an "Angelina Burrito." I can see the menu advertisement now - "The burrito that bites back!" Thanks for the lift my spirits needed on this hectic Monday.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 9:32 am
Bopper's still not eating. I called the vet to add him to Typo's appointment tomorrow, but they want to see him today at 10:30--as in less than an hour from now. Bill's not here--he's gone for the day at a convention in town. I pray he doesn't die while he's at the vet's. If he doesn't get to say goodbye to him, I don't know what he'll do. But, then again, if he is going to go, it is better for him to be there, where someone can do something, right? Sea: nope, we had Speckle in 1994. It took her 18 months before she acknowledged that Bill existed.
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Saxywildcat
Member
05-30-2005
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 10:05 am
Hey Lkunkel: Your bopper is on my mind today. Please let us know how things went!
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 10:22 am
Oh Lk...so sorry to hear about the kitties troubles. I so hope all will be ok. Tater, I do think it's good to think about the future health of pets. If you're worried that a cat being overweight will cause arthritis, I do not know if that is a contributing factor or not. I have 2 19 year old cats both with bad arthritis. The cat that has it bad in her back was always on the light side, I don't think she ever weighed more than 10 lb. If so, she's been under 10 for the past 10 yr. or so. (actually under 8 lb. for the past 2-3 yr.) She is a pretty active and restless cat. You'd never guess she has arthritis. It is in her back, it showed up on an xray...I think. The other cat was overweight for many years. Not tremendously overweight though, just a big tummy, the vet used to stick a needle in there every so often to make sure nothing was wrong. Her thyroid problem cured that. Her arthritis is bad in her back legs. She hobbles around some. A baby aspirin every 3 days helps. She used to take some dog med., but we had to take her off that last spring. Now that the litter box is back to normal, she'll probably go back on the dog med even though it will speed up the kidney failure a bit. She is so old, I want her to be as comfortable as she can be. Until the thyroid problem with the one cat, they used to get fed twice a day. We'd have to watch them eat so that the overweight cat wouldn't eat the other cat's food. She used to practically inhale her food, barely stopping to chew, and go for her sister's food. She was on lower calorie cat food. Now it is a concern that they don't lose weight. (They are both in kidney failure, but not suffering. They do tend to lose weight with kidney failure.) I leave it out for them all the time and make sure they don't run out. They are both on high calorie food.
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Redstar
Member
07-08-2005
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 10:52 am
A Bouquet of Catnip for Bopper
I hope he feels better soon!
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Taterheadtwo
Member
09-29-2005
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 11:59 am
woo hoo i didnt it , i out stared that darn cat... now poor bopper i hope she gets batter too, let us know more when you cam... and thx i wont put her on a diet, they are such fun and companship, just want them to be healthy and happy all their lifes, thx guys/gals
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 12:21 pm
Okay, back from the vet. I do love these guys: they let him stay in his carrier since it's soft-sided, opens from both the top and front, and smells like mom, dad, and his siblings. Bopper is getting two blood panel work-ups. The one should be ready later today, the one not until tomorrow. The exam showed still a healthy heart beat, slight constipation, very little dehydration (vet's comment: he's a solid guy, isn't he?), weight maintained still at 13.X pounds. As I wrote this, the vet called. Bopper has a raging infection and he is lightly dehydrated. Because of that, his kidney cell count is on the higher side of normal, but not so high as to indicate renal failure. The thyroid test will come back tomorrow. The last possibility is his teeth. (Which is PROBABLY what it is, but she isn't committing herself until she sees all of the tests. If it is the latter, then we have to decide whether or not we put him under anesthetic, given his age, after the infection clears up. Now, OTHER than this problem, he is pretty healthy. I know the risk of putting him under at his age is him not waking up, but doesn't that involve cats who don't have as strong of heart beats? I hope... Thanks for all the support. Speckle and Typo know it's serious--they're actually close together on the bed.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 1:14 pm
I hope they can clear up Bopper's infection and that he can get his teeth cleaned too. I am amazed at Ms Speckle.. she certainly., when I met her, seems very youthful.. I thought she was a senior kitten!! I mean in age, of course they are kittens in spirit.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 1:19 pm
Sea: Me too. Bill calls Speckle his little immortal. Actually, I'm waiting for her to decide to play with the little guy. He wants to play with her so badly. I think Typo is getting the hang of walking on the leash. I bought him a new harness--sturdier than the other, and bought a retractable leash. He wasn't thrilled with it at first, but we went outside, and he seemed curious. I didn't keep him on it that long, given that he is a kitten, but we'll do a little every day.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 6:07 pm
Just heard back from the vet: She definitely almost positively thinks it is his teeth. Apparently he's less than cooperative when being force fed. (She now understands what I meant when I said that he fights too hard to control.) So it looks like we'll be doing the teeth thing. Someone reassure me that anesthetic will be okay for a 15yo, strong-willed male.
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Monday, October 17, 2005 - 6:11 pm
LK, your baby will come home in fine fettle, but probably minus a few teeth. Although my 12 year old female Siamese is quite a bit younger,she has been having anesthetic for dental work every year of her life with no ill effects.
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