Archive through November 06, 2003
TV ClubHouse: archive: Cats (ARCHIVE):
Archive through November 06, 2003
Sia | Monday, October 27, 2003 - 12:54 pm     GORGEOUS, big fluffy kitty, Srobb!!! I love him!!
SBG, my two females started fighting each other back in 1988 after they were spooked by a stray tomcat who hissed at them through my patio screen door. The vet put them on "Ovaban," which seemed to take care of the problem. He called it a "mood-altering drug," but this was in the city and my country docs where I live now tend to not prescribe meds like this for such a condition. I certainly hope things improve between your boys!!!
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Djgirl | Monday, October 27, 2003 - 01:39 pm     The continuing saga of Doyle... So, I had moved his litter box to the "pee" spot in the livingroom to try and retrain him - not a problem had no accidents or problems with his box there. So, Saturday afternoon, I moved his box a whole 6 feet in the hopes of moving it back downstairs - who wants a litterbox in their livingroom??? I heard him using it, not a problem right??? Wrong! Yesterday morning, I got up and came out to the livingroom only to be greeted to a nice pile of #2 in the "pee" area. I grabbed the tinfoil and masking tape and taped off a 4'x4' area of carpet - I'm covering the whole darn thing! Yesterday afternoon was the first investigation and he was not impressed, ran away right away. This morning? There are kitty prints all over the tin foil, and Tim had seen him scratching at the corner of the foil that is against the wall - trying to get rid of it. Thankfully, there weren't any accidents this morning, but I haven't been home yet, so I can't release my breath yet... |
Djgirl | Monday, October 27, 2003 - 01:57 pm     Further to above - I just spoke with my vet who is going to do another urinalysis on Doyle to see if his bladder infection has returned, and if it hasn't she's going to try behavioural modification meds to try to stop the problem - keep your fingers crossed! |
Calamity | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 01:26 pm     Good luck, Djgirl. Is Doyle your only cat? As for me, I’m almost afraid to start writing this because I’ll just keep going on and on and on… I took Casper, my 18-year old cat, to the vet yesterday. For a little over a week she was eating only a very small amount of food at a time although on a couple of occasions she ate almost as much as she usually did. I’m a vegetarian but became so concerned that I bought her some meat and cooked it for her. She loved that and scarfed down every piece I gave her. Have repeated that at several meals now. Anyway, other than the eating, everything seemed normal with her. My main concern was her kidneys (I know that's a common problem with elderly cats) but the vet checked a urine sample and said it looked okay. Besides Casper being an old kitty and a bit bony, everything was looking fine. And then the vet suddenly said she felt a mass - thought it was Casper’s spleen. They took an x-ray and while it was difficult to see because Cass has so little body fat, there does appear to be something in the area of her lymph nodes (in her abdomen). The vet said it was probably a tumor. I asked if that meant cancer and she said, “more than likely”. When Casper was 10 she had radiation treatment for her thyroid and she recovered 100% from that but the vet said now with her age and the mass being in the lymph nodes, neither surgery nor radiation really was an option. I was upset and struggling to stay calm. I asked if it was causing her any pain and the vet said that usually that type of mass doesn’t seem to cause pain. So I asked what to do now and what to look for. You have to understand, for an 18-year old cat, Casper’s doing pretty darn good. She’s alert and reasonably active. She is a little messy with the litter box sometimes but nothing major. Her ears, eyes, teeth, etc. are in good shape. I say all this because I don’t want people to think Casper is infirm or unable to care for herself. The vet said the best thing to do was to keep her strength up and make sure she stays warm and extra comfortable now that winter is approaching. Feed her what she wants, just make sure not to overload her system. She also prescribed a liquid vitamin and gave her a shot to stimulate the appetite. Then she tells me she found a tapeworm and thinks Cass may have an infection from it and gives me an antibiotic to give Cass twice a day. A small flicker of hope burned in me and I asked if the mass in her lymph nodes could be swelling due to an infection. She said it could be. She didn’t say it in an absolutely, positively, definite tone of voice but neither did she say it in a doubtful tone as if she was just trying to humor me. My dad’s house is right by the office so I’ve brought Casper there. I live a half-hour away from work and rather than making her go back-and-forth, I’ve decided to leave her at my dad’s during the week and bring her to my house on the weekends. That way I can check on her during the day, give her her medicine and vitamins, and try and coax her to eat, plus I hope the visits will give her some healthy stimulation. And so far today I’ve been able to get her to eat a fair amount and she has been happy for the extra company. I’m not sure why I’m rambling on about this but…I’ve known Cass since the day she was born and even named her myself. Her mom was a stray who took up temporary residence at our house. We found homes for the mother cat and the five other kittens but kept Casper, the last-born, and she’s always been wonderful. I know she’s an old cat but even so the news about her possible tumor hit me very hard. (I say possible because I refuse to give up hope, no matter how deluded it may be.) I just have to keep reminding myself that Casper is not really “failing” at this point and who’s to say how things may turn out. Heck, another vet told me Casper had liver cancer and I should have her put to sleep because “ten is pretty old for a cat”! Well, it turned out not to be liver cancer and she’s still here over eight years later. Sorry for the length and thanks for reading. (Sorry for the white frames around the pics too. Guess I didn't edit them that well.) Casper as a kitten - about a month-old, I think?
Almost a year-old here
Her sweet sixteen portrait
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Froggiegirl621 | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 01:50 pm     My heart goes out to you Calamity! I have an "elderly" cat too, he just turned 16. He lives at my parents house since my BF (whom I live with) is allergic. He is my baby...my pride and joy! He's a big guy too, about 25 pounds. Every time I see I am constantly reminded that I may not have many years left with him at all. The thought of not seeing him, hugging him, loving him, just kills me. No one will ever be able to replace him. Having animals is hard, having them pass on is harder, but it is something we knew going into it. We knew they wouldn't live forever. I hope things work out for you Calamity...Casper sure is a cutie!!! Keep us posted...God bless. |
Djgirl | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 01:59 pm     Calamity - I sympathize!!! You do what you feel is best for Casper - She's beautiful!!! To answer your question, no, I have another cat - Willow "The Attention Hog". She was a stray that ended up on my porch on the coldest night of 2001 and has been with me ever since. They have a very hostile peace between the two of them and fight for attention, but otherwise basically avoid each other. Doyle has had a breakthrough though! I have locked him by himself to get a urine sample to take to the vets using the "no-absorb" litter (one night upstairs with a "new" litterbox, and last night in the basement with his regular litterbox). Both times, I haven't gotten a urine sample, but he hasn't gone anywhere else either - he held it (!) until I put out the regular box the next morning - no accidents!!!! I have been soooo impressed! Let's keep the fingers crossed that this is working (ie, the tinfoil on the floor, and the box upstairs for now) Well, I'm off to the spa for a reflexology treatment - time to treat Mama!!! |
Gidget | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 03:55 pm     Hi Calamity. You sound like a great cat mom. Your story about Casper undoubtedly will touch everyone in this thread who loves their babies. 18 is well advanced for a cat but if Casper is enjoying a good quality of life, take this time to love him even more. The love of a cat is a beautiful thing. |
Calamity | Friday, October 31, 2003 - 01:18 pm     Thank you for the kind words Froggiegirl, Djgirl, and Gidget - give all your cats a hug from me and Casper! Casper's doing about the same. When I stopped off to see her before going into work this morning, she ate just a tiny bit of food. But at lunch time, she had a fair amount of boiled chicken that my mom brought over for her. She really seems to perk up the more people that are around. It's just difficult because I look at her now and can't help thinking , "What if something suddenly happens?". Guess I shouldn't dwell on that though. But it's hard. Djgirl: Congratulations on Doyle's breakthrough! Hope this means he's gotten over (or at least is getting over) his problem. We once went through something similar and ended up giving the wayward kitty his own litter box (seperate from the one our other cats were sharing). We set it up in a large cage and made him stay in there overnight. (There was also a bed and water dish in there for him.) We'd leave the cage open during the day. Gradually he took to thinking of that litter box as "his" and would only use it and we didn't have to lock him in at night anymore. Good luck, again. |
Hippyt | Friday, October 31, 2003 - 06:17 pm     My new kitties! OK,not really,but aren't they cute?
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Daydreamer | Saturday, November 01, 2003 - 02:16 pm     Awwwwww, I want them!!! |
Sia | Saturday, November 01, 2003 - 07:51 pm     T, look how fat their little bellies are, like they just gorged on milk! Verrrry cute!!
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Sia | Saturday, November 01, 2003 - 08:05 pm     My five-year-old took this photo tonight. Tori's growing all the time:
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Halfunit | Sunday, November 02, 2003 - 01:30 pm     Now, I realize I bought the extra armless loveseat to put under the window for the cats to be able to look out, but...
...sheesh...I didn't think they'd ALL use it at the same time for a nap.  |
Gidget | Sunday, November 02, 2003 - 05:11 pm     Jake selecting a good book  |
Gidget | Sunday, November 02, 2003 - 05:18 pm     And a little snack  |
Gidget | Sunday, November 02, 2003 - 05:18 pm     Life is good  |
Sia | Sunday, November 02, 2003 - 09:59 pm     Bee-yoo-tiful kitties, Gidget! I LOVE your pictures; keep them coming. I'm so proud of you for figuring out your scanner!!!
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Meridian | Monday, November 03, 2003 - 10:04 am     Calamity: I'm sorry to hear about your Cass. My Riley had a fast growing tumor in his kidney and had to be put to sleep a few weeks ago. My elderly cat (15) has a cancerous growth in her jawbone. However, like your Cass, Delphine still eats, acts frisky, and generally shows no signs of suffering. I can't imagine letting her suffer, not even for a day. The vet believes we have to take this a week at a time. Have you come to any conclusions about Cass' care? |
Calamity | Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 01:26 pm     Meridian, thanks for asking about Casper. I'm so sorry about your Riley and will keep my fingers crossed for Delphine. The vet's supposed to call me today. Casper got sick a few times over the weekend and I suspected it was from the antibiotic. I called the clinic and they said to stop giving her the medicine for the time being. The vet might just give her a couple of injections instead. I'm also going to ask her if we should consider taking Cass to the fancy vet hospital (our regular vet is sort of "country-type doctor", she treats farm animals in addition to dogs and cats and doesn't specialize in advanced care). On the one hand I want to do whatever we can for Cass but on the other I don't want to subject her to all types of unnecessary and/or unhelpful tests, procedures, etc. The good news is her appetite has been pretty good and she's been acting quite frisky and contented. You can't count Casper out - she's a tough old kitty cat! She sprang up to see me as soon as I arrived at lunchtime today and began begging for food. |
Denecee | Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 02:31 pm     Hi all! Love the cat pics! So sorry about Meridian & Calamaty' sick babies. There is this tiny little black cat hanging around outside my work. I doubt she even weighs 7 lbs. She already has a litter!!! She can't be but 9 months old! Her kittens appear to be about 5 weeks old. I was petting her & felt her tummy, it feels like she is pregnant again!! I can't be sure yet. My co-worker is leaving food out for her. She is such a sweet cat. Oh no! That's exactly what I said about Thomas! Our newest member to the clan. Don't worry Smartiepants, I won't bring her home! |
Denecee | Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 04:07 pm     About that little black cat... we haven't seen her kittens in a week... do you think she has them hidden?... wouldn't they follow her around?... we are almost positive she is pregnant... and it's cold outside...poor little girl kitty...dang it! |
Ruiner | Wednesday, November 05, 2003 - 07:45 am     Calamity - sorry to hear Casper's not 100%. I've been following your story and Casper's very lucky to have a good friend!! Your question about seeing a specialist...I would highly recommend it! I would consider an ultrasound. It's a very diagnostic procedure. The ultimate plus to it is that it's non invasive!! The worst Casper would have is a bald belly....depending on her tempermant she might be offended...lol! Another plus is that the Dr performing the procedure would have the option of a fine needle biopsy of a suspect organ. Sounds alot worse than it is and from my experience most cats tolerate it well. I had this procedure done on my 'lil ole man'. We found, based on the biopsy, that he has a 'hardened' liver vs a cancerous liver and are treating him accordingly. He's eighteen and holding his own! Denecee - check in your area for a cat rescue society. There's always someone who will come and capture the little girl, and her litter!! The worse they'll do is capture her, have her spayed, and release her. The best case is they'll capture her, the kittens and find them homes!!! It doesn't hurt to check around, ask your vet about it...you'll probably be happily suprised!! Meridian - my heart goes out to you about Riley! I'm sure he had a happy life with your family. I understand how tough it is to lose a member of the family... Delphine sounds like one tough old lady! I only wish the best for her, and you... ...and finally... Deej - what's new with Doyle!?! Is the little guy 'behaving' himself? Let us know, k... ...and finally, finally... I'll fill you all in later about the continuing drama in my cat family... |
Sia | Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 04:00 am     I'm so sad this morning. As my husband was leaving for work he found our seven-year old outdoor tom-kitty Fury dead beside our driveway. He'd been struck by a car. The kids were so sad and crying as we tried to get ready for school. Here's a picture of dear Fury:
He was a good cat, never any trouble, a good hunter, and he always ate everything he caught unless it was a rat. He was dumped here when he was a kitten. I was pregnant with my son at the time, old Fur's been with us for almost eight years. He was shy of the kids, but always let me pet him. Sometimes he'd surprise me in the yard by jumping into my lap when I sat in a lawn chair. He was no suck-up, my Fury, just a big, tough, hard-bitten tomcat who never caused a bit of trouble. The best mouser, he caught small vermin every week, from baby rabbits to mice, chipmunks, squirrels (Eeek! I couldn't get him to quit that!) and ground moles, even two young weasels!! |
Pamy | Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 05:13 am     Oh Sia my heart goes out to you. I am so sorry. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. |
Bobbie_552001 | Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 05:53 am     Awwww Sia. Many hugs going out to you this morning. They become such vital memebers of our families, and when they are gone we grieve them the very same way.... {{{{Sia}}}} |
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