Archive through November 30, 2001
The ClubHouse: Archive: CATS:
Archive through November 30, 2001
Grooch | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:10 pm   Ok, MissMoon, let me ask you another question. What kind of cat furniture do you have in the apartment? My kitty wants a cat condo tree, but after seeing that they want $300 at the pet store, I'm thinking a 6 foot carpet remnent rolled up and stood on end, in the corner of the room will work just fine. |
Moondance | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:18 pm   She has requested a kitty condo... she said the morgage will be well worth it! |
Kstme | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:19 pm   Grooch...make sure the fiber is short. Cats don't like shag or long carpeting. Their "iffy" with designed stuff...you know, the long pattern and then the short pattern. They love Berber! The reason they go for our furniture is because those little claws can grasp and hold on...pulling the outer sheath off the claw...they also leave "their" scent by doing this. I have a kitty condo...got it at Petsmart for $144...it's HUGE! She eats on one level and attacks on the others...it has rope around some of the wood (better for her claws) and carpeting over the rest. Moondance...hope I didn't step on your toes with my answer... |
Grooch | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:22 pm   Well the federal reserve did lower interest rates today. Damn! This alien kitten is contolling all our thoughts. |
Moondance | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:22 pm   GREAT post Kstme... I have never understood why they use that carpet on the kitty condos...all it does is confuse them... they need wood and the wrapped rope poles like you have mentioned. My kitty condo has wood/bark... wrapped poles and string |
Moondance | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:27 pm   http://www.angelicalcat.com/products/c2m.shtml this one is close to the one I have... |
Kstme | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:34 pm   Moon...that's one awsome kitty condo!! Put some doors and windows in and I'll be right there!!! Interesting article on Berber, also...Thanks for the link! |
Grooch | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:35 pm   Let's see, the neighbor's tree died next door. Maybe I can cut it up and throw some carpted boards on top, and make my own kitty condo. Moon, your cats are really, really spoiled. |
Moondance | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:53 pm   They are rotten... all 10 of them |
Moondance | Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 01:55 pm   The carpeted part is beige and sage green... they also have a little house on top so mine is a bit taller than the one pictured. |
Grooch | Thursday, November 29, 2001 - 08:55 pm   Can female cats go into heat at 4 1/2 months? I think I am in trouble. |
Kep421 | Thursday, November 29, 2001 - 08:58 pm   Oh yeah they can!!! I took my kitty to be fixed immediately when the vet advised, but she had already come into heat which made the procedure a little more tricky (and costly!!!) Katie (my kittie) is fine though...what kind of trouble are we talking Grooch, tomcat kinda trouble? |
Max | Thursday, November 29, 2001 - 09:38 pm   Well, my cat, Squeak, is 14 years old (will be 15 in March). Recently, she started having accidents in the house, which she has NEVER done before. She's always been very meticulous about her box habits. Anyway, she peed and pooped outside the box a few times. I took her to the vet on Monday afternoon. After dropping $260 for urinalisys, fecal analysis, and blood tests, they called today and said her kidneys aren't working quite right. Poor gal is gettin' old. They said I should start subcutaneously hydrating her about every other week. That means sticking a needle into her and making her sit still with that in her for around 10 minutes each time while an IV bag puts fluid under her skin. UGH! I can't face doing that to the poor girl. Sounds like torture to a poor kitty who can't understand why I'm hurting her. Anyway, the vet said she will have good weeks and bad weeks and there's no way to know how long this has been coming on or how long it will take before her bad times outnumber her good. She's a very sweet kitty, always been good about the box, not jumping on the table or counters and not scratching the furniture. Her worst habit is hacking hairballs on the carpet and shedding everywhere. I don't know how much longer she'll be with me, but when she's gone, I doubt I'll be replacing her anytime soon.
 |
Tksoard | Thursday, November 29, 2001 - 10:22 pm   Max, I'm So sorry about Squeak!! I hope she'll be OK!!  |
Grooch | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 05:50 am   Max, I'm sorry about Squeak, too. As to Daisy, the trouble is that she is making those deep throated noises cats in heat make, and at night she gets very wacky and jumps up to the window and furiously trying to get out and meowing. She's never been outside before. For some reason, vets seem to think that you're suppose to wait till they are 6 months. I talked to my vet and she said she would make an exception for me and do it at 5 months (2 more weeks) I am going to make an appt today. I got Daisy at such a young age (guessing 2 weeks) that I can only be off by a week at the most. The vets all seem to say to get them fixed at 6 months, but when you go to shelters, it always seems to me that they fix them before you take them home, no matter what age (unless they are extremely young.) I don't know why they insist at 6 months. I want my cats fixed as soon as possible so I don't have to worry about this. |
Kep421 | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 05:57 am   Oh my, Max, I'm so sorry about Squeak... Maybe the vet can show you how to administer the iv painlessly? I know cats usually have a high pain threshold if you get it just right... They also are pretty adaptable, she just might eventually adjust to the procedure if you end up having to do it. I've lost two kitties and several dogs during my lifetime and the pain is always as fresh as if it is the first time... Did the vet say this condition is terminal or will Squeak be able to live out her natural life if you do the procedure? Oh gosh, I know this has got to be hard on you.... |
Kep421 | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 06:48 am   Max, maybe you should think about getting a second pet now. When my dog Tai Li had her cancer operation at 16 years old, the vet told me she would live pain free until the cancer returned, but that it would definately return and it was malignant. There was no getting away from the fact that I was going to lose her sometime in the very near future. I was devastated. My husband suggested I get a "comfort pet", that might possibly take my mind off my troubles. At first I was skeptical, but something about his suggestion made sense so I aquired Katie, who was meant to be my comfort kittie. While caring for Tai, Katie became my constant companion. Whenever I would get so sad holding Tai, thinking about what was coming, Katie was there cuddling and purring in my ear. She was very sweet with Tai, trying to coax her into play or curling up in Tai's soft fur to sleep. The memories I have of them two together are some of my favorites. Katie was a year old by the time I lost Tai (a week before Christmas 2 years ago), and she and I had bonded in a way I never have before with any of my other pets. I can't explain it exactly right, but its like we had a shared experience that made us closer. Katie truly was my comfort kittie and helped me through that loss. Now she is one of the joys in my life. I guess what I'm trying to say is, Katie didn't end up replacing Tai, she was more like an extension of Tai. |
Babyruth | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 07:55 am   Max- I have a friend in a very similar situation. Her elderly cat has kidney problems and needs to have the home IV fluid treatment. The first few times she asked me to help her (you need someone to hold her) because her partner was out of town and she was alone. The cat didn't seem to feel any needle discomfort whatsoever, it was sitting still that was her complaint! All you do is put a certain amount of fluid under the skin and that slowly absorbs into their systems over a couple days. Her cat seemed better with the treatments. Her vet, like yours, said that this is no cure, just something to help her quality of life a bit. I'm sorry you and your kitty are having to go through this... |
Max | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 08:26 am   Thanks for the nice messages. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. She seems to be feeling pretty good right now. I'm changing the box every day so her number of accidents will be minimal. I put another box next to it and she uses that, too. She's so meticulous about not going on the carpet that it's sweet. Even when she can't help it, she still goes on a mat I can wash. Grooch, I think vets want to wait until 6 months to spay just because it's easier for them to navigate when the cat has grown a bit. Definitely, they can come in heat earlier than that and it sounds like that's what's happening in your case. Hope she doesn't get out of the house! |
Jeep | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 10:42 am   Hi Max! I'm going thru just about the same thing now with one of my cats (I have 4). Birdie is 16 and just this past month has started pooping on the carpet. I wouldn't mind so much, but it's like water! UGHHH! Stinky clean up! I scoop litter 2 or 3 times a day anyway, so doing that more did not help. I took her to two vets (my regualr one and another for a 2nd opinion) and both said she is healthy although I'm sure she's not like a 2 year old. My regular vet suspects a food alergy, so I have now restricted all the cats to 2 foods. I usually spoil them with a "cat's buffett" and they have their choice. It's only been a week now and it hasn't helped the diarrhea much, but she has been going in the litter box more often. Still some accidents, but not as many. I hope the food thing works and it doesn't turn out to be somehting else. I have lost a cat before to kidney problems. He lived to just shy of 20 years. I gave him medicine for 4 or 5 years before he died, so it can be controlled sometimes. This was a long time ago and the IV stuff wasn't done at home then, but I would have done it, too, if I had to. I'm sorry that your kitty is not well. I love all my animals just like they were my kids and I hurt when they hurt. I'm sure you do, too. |
Moondance | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 12:18 pm   Hi Max... so sorry about Squeak ... with a special diet and sometimes meds, the situation can turn around ... here are some links that might help ... there are certain foods that help too. Cat Care Cat Health Also for anyone out there with cats, PLEASE check the labels on your cat food... NO by products ... you would be surprise how much crap they put in and the healthy foods that you think are good, are not... I feed mine ADP, Pro plan, Max cat...all have no preservatives. This is so important for good health and even more important if they have been diagnosed with a disease such as kidney failure... Sorry, off my soapbox now |
Max | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 01:39 pm   She has always had a mix of Science Diet WD and KD, half and half. Now, she's getting just KD which the vet said will help. |
Grooch | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 01:51 pm   Thanks, Max. |
Weinermr | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 05:16 pm   Max, Our cat too requires subcutaneous IV fluids. Every other day she gets 50 mL of IV fluid with Potassium added. During the summer months she was getting IV fluid every day. She would get the IV fluid with the potassium on one day, and without the potassium the next, and we just alternated day after day. Our cat is 16 years old, and has thyroid problems, as well as certain digestive problems. For years and years she weighed in the 9 to 10 lb range, but when the thyroid problems started her weight dropped and her appetite almost disappeared. After months and months of juggling meds and trying different foods she has stabilized. She now weighs a few ounces over 6 lbs, but is otherwise healthy and happy. She has an appetite, but just never eats as much as we want her to. She gets a 1/4 pill of Tapizole every night, and her IV fluids every other night. She is a very good little girl, and she whimpers a little when she knows she is off to the counter top for her IV, she doesn't really complain, and sits quietly for the process. It does not hurt her at all, and in fact stimulates her appetite, so we don't mind doing it, and she doesn't mind the treatment too much either. We love her more than anything, and she is my little girl, so I would do anything to keep her alive, healthy, and happy. Good luck with your situation, and keep us apprised! |
Weinermr | Friday, November 30, 2001 - 05:22 pm   Max, Incidentally, it shouldn't take as long as 10 minutes for the IV fluid to drip into your cat. You will learn how and where to place the needle so that it drips faster. You can also elevate the IV bag, so that will speed the process. We have it down to a science, and the quicker you do it, the happier Squeak will be! |
|