TVCH FORUMS HOME . JOIN . FAN CLUBS . DONATE . CONTACT . CHAT  
 Wikia  Quick Links   TOPICS . TREE-VIEW . SEARCH . HELP! . NEWS . PROFILE
Archive through June 03, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Apr. 2007 ~ Jun. 2007: Hairball Haven (ARCHIVES): Cats (ARCHIVES): Archive through June 03, 2007 users admin

Author Message
Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 5:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Grace, I wasn't talking to you. Taterhead was the one doing the flea baths.

Taterheadtwo
Member

09-29-2005

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 11:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Taterheadtwo a private message Print Post    
i wasnt giving them all the time, probably twice a year when i saw they were scratching some, even though i couldnt see fleas, and didnt feel them on my bard legs, etc.
i just didnt want them to have itchinging/ just saw they were scratching more, and wnated ot comfort them. and i am sorry but i just cant hire a taxi and take them to the vet, again the town i live is not very pet freindly , and those dozen are so times i have gone to the vets, i just didnt see results/ i think its better i rely on knowledge and not just blind trust of a vet.
yeah im probaably weird and bitter, but for 13 years i have suffered myself alot of healh promblems and pains, lots of limatations, and the cats have been a pure blessing and joy. i so wish i could adford the best for them, but i cant, and my gut tells me if i wouldnt have adopted them they would of been put away, again where i live answer is to ignore pet population and mostly destroy all sheltered pets. i love my cats, ( im not trying to get points here 0 just i make a effort to clean out their 3 litter boxes dailey, i strain the litter into a clean container dailey,i check my cats for clean eyes, ears, and noses ( again my special needs cat has one side of her nose closes up, she doesnt fight me when i go to clear the buggers out, infact she will lick my hand when i dont and take a deep breath, and i have fresh water out and i change it dailey including washing out the container..
and yes i know everyone one who reeds this forums does also,,, becuase we love are little friends, but most of the popeulation cares little about pets, so easy to toss them outside through scraps let them drink out of mud holes etc.

i am gonna try different dry food, see if i can get her coat to shine fell healtheir, and even though its breaking her heart ( she has been at myside for 6 hours now, she stoped her whinning , but she doesnt understand what happened to her dry food bowls, ( i am down to 2 bowls one has the dry food all 3 will eat and one has some canned food ) lol label saided premuinm seafood , yet the cats hate it, but hey they are gonna have to eat it till its gone, they again perfered the pouch foods, and only ate a portion and it used to just dry out.. but im gonna ration it into 3 parts a day and put out fresh wet each time and seal up the remaining till latter.

again im not gonna give them a bath ( truth is when i have treid so called shampoed lotions, they stunk was hard to breathe around them,lol.

coastacat i do appreaicate you, and im not very good at expresing my words good, i do thank you, but i do want it knowned i dont give them alot of baths. i do check their eyes ears, noses almost dailey, sigh they wont let me really check their teeth, anbd i do clip their nails about every two weeks, lol, they have home made cat gyms in everyroom, i have to watch where i walk by are will get a cat swipe,lol are a leap onto me and spring board off, sometimes in a private place, groin are face,lol.

well sorry if i rambled on.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 3:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
A DOPEY PIC! YAY!!!!!!!

more more more!


Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 6:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
LOL!!!

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 7:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Dopey is the first kitty I ever saw on TVCH. Me wuvs Dopey!

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 7:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
aahhh he wuvs ya back!

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 8:06 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Dopey is a sweetheart!

Sunshyne4u
Member

06-17-2003

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 8:23 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sunshyne4u a private message Print Post    
If you dont see Flea dirt (feces will look just like flecks of dirt) you dont have a flea problem.

In my opinion an animal shouldnt be treated with poison for no reason.

I'm with Costa. Cats shouldnt be bathed unless extenuating circumstances.

i dont see how having Skin allergies means that baths are needed. no question that The shampoo would make things worse.

Dry itching skin looks the same regardless of the cause.

I understand the frustration of trying to figure out What is causing the problem.

Whiskers PEED on my bedroom wall last night. Walked by two absolutely clean litterboxes to do it too.

he is driving me nutz. you cant trust him and Crawling around scrubbing on my hands and knees is Impossible for me to do most days (disabilities)

taterhead, I hate to say it but, Quality of life. Maybe kitty is miserable enough to be let go? sounds like the cat was horribly tortured before you got it and No doubt has psychological problems from it. That is why I dont like young kids and pets in the same house when Adults wont supervise.

I also wish the SPCA could really wack a huge $$$$$ cruelty charge on some of those people. putting stuff up a cat's behind...good lord!

Taterheadtwo
Member

09-29-2005

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 9:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Taterheadtwo a private message Print Post    
again i am not the smartest person i know, but in the past when i had more than one cat that was scraching some, i assumes it was due to fleas are something, even though i ewas seeing any, are i was scratching getting bites, i SURE didnt want something to be cuaseing them to scratch enough where i was noticing a patern, so that the only reason i in the past gave them a bath, since upon researching it, i know ctas do better when they groom bath themselves.

and again i the one who is missing some teeth, surely thats nbot a reson to put her down? ( susnshyne4u ? ) she cant use what teeth she has to groom normally so she pulls out tufts of hair to where she is having bald spots . i have rations her food, she , n they are all on a diet now, instaed of open plentiful bowls of dry food, i put out small portions , many times a day, enough for a ninle on a saucer so its easy to get to, and then when eaten add half a handful a couple of hours later.
and when i go to the store i will by a different brnad of dry ( instead of the diet type i will get one for healthy coats, etc and ytry that. bu i am certiannly not gonna put her away for bad groming???

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 7:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
There are other options besides putting a cat "down." There are shelters who will take in special needs cats. If you don't have one near your home, you should see what else is in the area. I adopted Costa from Friends of Cats here in the San Diego area. They are a no kill shelter, privately funded. They take in quite a few "issue" cats -- ones with personality or psychological problems, ones with long term diseases, and so on. These cats are allowed to live out their lives in this shelter. And most of them look quite content. So look for other solutions. Because they ARE available.

FWIW, cats only use their teeth when they are grooming their nails. They rarely use teeth to groom their fur. That's what their tongue is for, and it's why it's so scratchy. A cat's lack of teeth most likely will not affect her grooming patterns OR her eating patterns (as others here have attested).

If you stop free feeding, you still have to monitor the amount of food. A cat should NEVER be fed more than a cup of food a day, and most cats are less than that. If your cat weighs about 10 lbs, it should get 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food. Depending on the food. And there WILL be directions on the bag. So if you stop free feeding, be sure to measure the food. Putting small amounts out all day long could equal more food than they used to have.

Taterheadtwo
Member

09-29-2005

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 8:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Taterheadtwo a private message Print Post    
and hiw would givving her to a no kill shelter help are bennifit her? explain that,<55>

if i trully knew a better home, ( richer ) owner would takae her and love her, let her be her, of course i would, i know i love her,put up with her pooting ( farting) when she gets excited , thats part of why i named her pooh bear, she has a body of a bear, and the 2 others are more panther like longer.

no i took it to mean i failed her so ship her out to a caged shelter, ( again my hats off to any no kill shelter , but to put a shetled cat into a larger building, being caged, alot of noise and caos, does not help long temr are short term, the best solution is for me to take care of her needs, ( why i asked for help findiing one of those cones ) but looking at the posst, i am made out to be unfit, yeas i gave them a bath more than ocansion, yes i take a wet cloth and wipe clean their buts quite ofter, i also clean and clip their nials, ( found a splinter ij one once, bet she happeir i did .
that ) yes i was worng ill responsible for allowing her to be obese now have a few blading spots, yes i will put her on a doiet, but wont limited to a set amount only, ( wonder if the owener does that to themselves ) will just set out enough not alot of dry food,
<55>

i saw something not normal like a cat scrathcing a litle more than normal, and one cat to start haveing thining hair and even a a couplemof balkding spots , and wanting to see , understand and help allow cat to again have healthy fur life.

i have taken each all the ca6t sevral times to the vets, beside the basic shots, i ditn get anything, ( the obese 16 months ago got sick, wouldnt eatc after 2 day took her to the vet, he didnt see any blockage, gave her s ahot and said give it a couple of more days, if not better, ( i broutgh her home,a dnad gave her water through a eye dropper, she let me, but didnt eat for 2 more days, she wanted to be alone under the bed, i climb under the bed many times, and talked to her, se wouldnt look at me, but i saw her tail swishing, she knew i cared. she came back anbd ate again, and we where even gette best of freinds, till then she didnt like to rest in my lapp, now sh does it more often.


i jys cant see the reasoning for suggesting to maybe put her waay are a shelter becuase i gave her a bath, overffed, allow her to pull fur out of her skin?

<55>

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 10:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Taterheadtwo I applaud you for trying to take care of a disabled kitty along with 2 healthy ones. You are doing your best, and it sure is a hell of alot better life than your kitty would have had before you, IF she would have had a life.

We had problems when we got Zippy. Eddie is a big boy and at one time we had put him on Restricted Diet food, which turned him mean. We put him back on Iams Less active and he gained back to 14lbs [before diet was up to 16 lbs] and has stayed the same. Then we got Zippy, 4 weeks old. He would not eat his kitten food he wanted Eddie's less active food. Eddie would not eat kitten food, and as big as he is he's a push over so would just back off and let the itty bitty kitty eat his less active food. We tried separating them but Eddie has never been one to sit down and eat all his food in one sitting, so finally when Zippy was 3 months old with the vet's approval we switched them to Iams MultiCat food. Works for normal and fat kitties. Eddie didn't gain weight and Zippy was a healthy kitten. At 1 year old Zippy started getting BIG but he has huge feet so vet said he's gonna be a big cat. We switched back to Iams Less Active and Eddie is 14 1/2 lbs and Zippy is 16lbs and vet says both are healthy.

Kitties are ok on dry food. We never fed Eddie wet food until he went on his diet and we would give him a tablespoon or two of wet food as a treat a couple times a week. Zippy has never been able to tolerate wet food. Since the pet food scare there has been no wet food or kitty treats for kitties in our house.

No matter what food you decided to try it will take a while to transition. You probably should decide on one food and that's the only food you keep out. Don't worry if your kitties pick at it for a couple days, and cry. YOU are the boss. THEY will eat what you put out when they are hungry and soon they will eat when you feed them.

God Bless you for there for your kitties.
God Bless your kitties for being there for you.

T

Sunshyne4u
Member

06-17-2003

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 9:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sunshyne4u a private message Print Post    
taterhead, I think you misunderstood my intent.

You are the specialist in what makes Kitty happy and what makes it miserable- not us. you describe a pretty unhappy cat but maybe something is lost in translation.

I personally dont believe in putting animals down. I would love my animals to go naturally if possible.

only you can judge how miserable your cat is. If it is itchy, I cant see how putting on a collar 'cures' anything.

Pulling out clumps of hair is harmless. Scratching is harmless too, unless the skin is being broken and getting infected.

I hesitate to suggest this since I have trouble holding a comb somedays BUT maybe a good thorough brushing each day. It is amazing how much hair comes out each time.

each time you notice Cat starting to Chew Scratch. just run the comb A few times over the 'itchy' spot.

Works for my cats.

My cats are now on Senior 7+ "science diet" and now they only eat around 1/2 cup a day. The old stuff was eaten until it was gone. Often more than a cup a day per cat.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Friday, June 01, 2007 - 9:42 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
Our cats had only dry food for years. We had to watch them eat because one cat (the overweight one) would inhale her food (literally almost, I don't think she chewed it) and go after the other cat's food. For many years we fed them this way twice a day and would watch while they ate and pick up or distract the heavier one until the lighter one was finished eating. Yes, it was time consuming, but it was the only way. We did this for at least 10 years, maybe closer to 15 years. We couldn't leave food out for them. (After all those years, I finally realized that if I spread the dry food around on the floor, it would take her as long to eat all that food as it would take Cashmere (the skinny one) to eat hers out of her bowl. Then we didn't have to guard them anymore. After awhile though, Oreo would leave the food on the floor and go after Cashmere's bowl, I guess she didn't want to work as hard for it anymore! But, Oreo was like a dog and we could just sternly say her name or look at her and she wouldn't go near Cashmere's food. She always went and checked out Cashmere's dish when Cashmere was done. (These memories make me smile! It is nice to be at this point instead of so broken down always about missing them. I still do that a lot though even after 14 and 16 mos. sigh...)

Oreo had dry and flaky skin for at least her last 10 years no matter what food or med she had. She wasn't itchy though. The vet actually discovered her thyroid problem when she lost too much weight too quickly.

Our dog had itchy skin for awhile, it was an allergic reaction to some ingredient in her food. I think it might have been lamb, but, I'm not sure. It stopped when she didn't have that food anymore. I had heard of several other dogs having skin allergies caused by that same food ingredient.

Tater, I would really caution you that if you are going to switch food and they (or even one) don't take to it, I would switch gradually. Wean them on to the new food little by little. Some cats are very particular and cats have been known to starve themselves. They will not necessarily eat when they are hungry enough like dogs will.

Tater, Cashmere used to call and cry a lot. Lots of meowing, I could always tell when she was asleep because there was quiet. This didn't start until she was maybe about 16. The vet and I realized she was losing/lost her hearing. The vet said that it is common for cats that are deaf to meow a lot. She would always quiet down when I would hold her and carry her. An interesting thing I learned is that cats meow to call their humans, not other cats. So anyway, maybe your cat is just really needy and also hard of hearing maybe. It doesn't mean there is suffering going on with all the meowing/calling. Also, cats don't have the sense of time we have. So, it's not like it would be with a human baby calling and calling because she's hungry or needs cuddling. Hang in there.

You too Sun, hang in there. Cashmere had a terrible peeing problem. When we moved from our apt. to our house she became a garage cat with access to the outside. After we got raccoons a couple of times, we had to close up the cat door. I'd leave the door between the kitchen and the garage open a lot. During her last couple of years she'd really run into the house as soon as that door opened. She'd make such a cute little noise too! She continued to pee in the garage on plastic bags or dirty clothes all her life. (We almost never left any of those things around for her and always watched her if she was in the house.) We found she'd crawled up high in the garage rafters and was using the toilet up there. (Also the litter box too.) She never really stopped that habit. Good luck.

Sunshyne4u
Member

06-17-2003

Friday, June 01, 2007 - 11:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sunshyne4u a private message Print Post    
thx for your encouragement.

always watched her if she was in the house

I cant watch Whiskers continuously. I have to sleep or go to the bathroom or Shower and I cant constantly be picking him up and putting him in his room each time I turn my back to do dishes or phone someone.

Besides, he is blatant. Will often catch my eye and stare me down as he is liberally watering the wall-the DVD- the Computer - the kitchen counters - side of the bed - the Bathtub (if it was always inside the bathtub I think I could live with it)

She'd make such a cute little noise too!

Whiskers will make a little pppppp-ert sound and then a squeek. I figure it is cat for "thank you" when I let him in or out.

Its funny the noises they make and often just when certain things happen- like the door opening.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Friday, June 01, 2007 - 12:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
My little girl and little man both make completely different cat sounds. He's a definite meow-er (and very demanding, too!). She's more like a mmmmrrrrr? sound.

Sunshyne, have you thought about trying kitty pheromones? Something like Feliway? Sounds like your little brat just needs an attitude adjustment! (Especially if he does it while being watched!)

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Saturday, June 02, 2007 - 11:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
I adore all the different sounds that different cats make! Just having the two cats, until recently).. Critter has a loud purr but she also will lay a wonderful trilling sound on top of purring. Hard to describe but it is like a burbling sound that is very pleasant and usually happens when she seems particularly content, often when her ears are stroked in a way she loves. She has done this since I've had her and I love hearing it. She makes the ack ack sound when she sees birds outside, that comes with the mouthing that I've read is a mimic of what she would like to be doing TO the prey. The funny thing is I've observed her making that noise while sprawled upside down.. not at all in a position to catch a thing. Her meows have always been single meows. A few years ago she started rarely doing the lound caterwauling, just once in awhile, usually in the upstairs hall, where it echoes, but as she aged, lately it is happening more often and is quite the sleep disturber. I figure it has to do with her hearing or when she seems lost and might be looking for me. Sometimes, mostly I'm in bed, nearby, but sometimes I'm way downstairs.

I've experimented and for some reason, if I make a loud shhhhing noise, she stops.

Angelina purred loudly, even louder than Critter. She sometimes single meowed, but really often it was double or even triple.. very cute.. she'd walk up and say mrow mrow mrow. She also pronouced it Browww most of the time. Almost like singing.

The neighbor's cat, Coco, a black medium haired male has the highest pitched little falsetto meow.. very funny.

I really do love cats :-)

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Saturday, June 02, 2007 - 11:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Oh one little tip from my brother. When they still had Benny, he had irritable bowel syndrome all his life, and later other ailments, but basically they always needed to monitor his water consumption, so my brother got a wide mouthed liquid measuring cup (the one that is about the size of a small sauce pan) and he'd fill it to the same place each time and keep a log of how much Benny had consumed each day. They used that data, and so did their vet. In his later years he got subcu fluids every other day, that my SIL administered. Their catsitter was able to do that as well when they were gone. I've done that myself in past years for one of my cats when she was sick and dehydrated and of course we used that technique with young puppies when they were dehydrated.

Karen
Member

09-07-2004

Saturday, June 02, 2007 - 11:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karen a private message Print Post    
I swear, one day I am going to find a way to record the sound that my sweet Sofie makes when she purrs, and put it on the mp3 player for when I'm trying to sleep. At night, she curls up on my chest and gets into this deep rumbling prruuuurrrrlllllh-ing sound, I swear it sounds like her lungs are going to pop out, like it's gotta hurt. She starts to drool and do the kneading with her claws on my chest... I love to bury my head in her belly when she's purring like that...

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Saturday, June 02, 2007 - 11:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
OH, a wonderful thing is to take a stethescope and listen to your cat purr through that! My parents had a cheap stethescope and I ended up with it. .and WOW!!! I also love to just put my ear on Critter's fluffo belly and listen too.

Prisonerno6
Member

08-31-2002

Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 5:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Prisonerno6 a private message Print Post    
Mommy, Mommy, stop working and pay attention to me!!!!

attention

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 6:42 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
LOL Prisoner! That is definitely the "I'm too damned cute to be ignored" demand for attention!!!!!

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 7:26 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ophiliasgrandma a private message Print Post    
Please keep Ophelia in your thoughts. She's in the midst of some rip-roaring diarrhea. Doc said to put her on chix breast. She has an appointment Tuesday 8am. She is feeling fine, eating, drinking, playing and all that jazz. ???

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 8:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
OG, poor Ophelia! I hope the diarrhea stops soon. I'm glad she is feeling ok and acting normally! Is the chicken helping?

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 8:30 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Oh, poor Ophelia!! I hope she does better soon!

Did the doc suggest rice? I know it works for dogs.