Archive through January 02, 2003
MoveCloseDeleteAdmin

TV ClubHouse: Archives: Cats (ARCHIVE): Archive through January 02, 2003

Meggieprice

Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 10:36 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Julie I am sending you hugs and love. I know how hard this is. I know you will find comfort at the link Twiggy gave. I will say a prayer for you and just know your sweet kitty is at peace.

Meggieprice

Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 10:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Julie I am sending you hugs and love. I know how hard this is. I know you will find comfort at the link Twiggy gave. I will say a prayer for you and just know your sweet kitty is at peace.

Sia

Friday, December 20, 2002 - 06:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Julieboo, I'm so sorry for your loss. You made a difficult decision, and I know it wasn't easy. Your kitty loved you, sweetie, and she held on as long as she could. You did the loving thing by letting her go.

Rig

Friday, December 20, 2002 - 08:10 am EditMoveDeleteIP
This is not me in the picture, but I like it.

Rig

Friday, December 20, 2002 - 08:14 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Oops! Here it is.
7

Karuuna

Friday, December 20, 2002 - 01:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Julie, I am so saddened to hear about Pochontas. It sounds like she was a wonderful and giving little kitty. I'm sure she's at peace now, a well-deserved rest. :)

Thanks for all of you for checking in about Stryder. He's been about the same the last few days. The anti-inflammtory makes him really groggy and not a happy camper. I only give it at night, but he seems to still be rather out of it in the mornings. By evening he's perkier and a bit like his old self. He only eats a little, but I think (like Moon said) the medicine ruins his appetite.

He still won't drink at all on his own. I tried cutting back on the syringes of water, but he didn't drink at all for 24 hours, so I went back to giving him water a few times a day. Maybe when he's thru with the meds he'll start drinking on his own again? He never drank much to begin with, but nothing at all can't be good for him!

So, we're just in "maintain" mode until he's thru with the meds and we get his bladder rechecked in the beginning of January.

Mystery

Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 10:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Julie, I'm so sorry for your loss. I've been working at my computer all day (all month! it seems like) and I was going to play for a while, that's why I came here, but after reading your story I'm going to sign off and go sit with my cat who has been waiting patiently for me this evening!

Webkitty

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 09:54 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Question: does anyone have one of those automated cat boxes? Pros/cons?

We have two cats, one box is in an upstairs closet that we don't use, same for the downstairs one. They both get changed once a day. We use liners, and I get the litter at Dollar General, a buck a bag, so I go through a bad a day, half for each box. (their spoiled and whine if I forget)

Petsmart has the automated boxes for 99.99. I guess you have to use the clumping kind of litter for the automated boxes, which is more expensive, but I would pay the xtra if I didn't have to change the boxes every day!

The guy at Petsmart said some people swear by them but others don't like them. (or their cats don't) Anyone?

Halfunit

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 10:01 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Never tried one for my cats, they don't look big enough (one of my kids is 20#). However, the daughter of my dad's girlfriend uses one and she loves it.

I use a plastic cement mixing tub/tray from the local d.i.y. store. It's 4 times as big as the largest plastic cat box, 1/2 the price, and all three cats use it.

Too bad you can't "rent" those automatic cat boxes to see if you and the cats like it!

Squaredsc

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 10:06 am EditMoveDeleteIP
im so sorry julie, just read your posts. ((((Julie)))))

Webkitty

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 10:11 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I know Half! Its a big investment if it doesn't work out. (well, not that big, but big enough!)

I forgot to check to see if they run on batteries or what, they must. But then there are those to figure in the cost, ack!

Calling MsMoon! lol!

Webkitty

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 10:16 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Kar, glad to hear Stryder is doing better (responding to your post in my folder) Your a good mommy! I hope your feeling better too, and the New Year is healthy for your whole family.

Babyruth

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 10:20 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Julieboo, I'm sorry to hear about Pocohontas.:(

Kar, I'm sorry to hear your kitty seems to be going through a scary time with his health, but glad things seem to be improving. Does the vet know that Stryder still isn't drinking? It's terribly important that he not get dehydrated, especially while on medication. I would keep up with the syringes if I were you. Your vet may even suggest short term subcutaneous hydration til Stryder is drinking on his own again. Sorry if this has already been discussed...I haven't gone back and caught up on all the posts yet. Hugs to you and Stryder.

Hugs to all the sick kitties and their "Moms and Dads".

My own Jessie-cat is still doing ok on the sub-q fluids and lower protein foods, but she has no muscle mass and hasn't regained any weight. Some days she has enough energy to jump up on the bed and follow me around the house, other days she just stays cuddled up on her polar fleece bed on the couch until she hears the can opener. She moves pretty slowly and seems to have some trouble getting around.
Just when I start to wonder if she's in pain and if I need to think about doing a final kind act, she then has a perky day. So I'm just watching her closely and trying to keep her as healthy and comfortable as I can. Her good days no longer outnumber her poor days, but seem to be running about even.

Twinkie

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 10:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
{{{{BIG HUGS}}}}} to all sick babies and their mommies and daddies.

Moondance

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 12:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
{{{MsJessie}}}

I have 2 of the Littermaids MsKitty and they are GREAT. I have had them for a few years ... got one when they first came out, now I have 2. I got a great deal at one of our pet places... Anyway the only thing I would suggest is the receptacles you need to buy can get expensive so I take a plastic grocery bag (you know the ones that multiply behind you frig) and line the plastic receptacle and then you just have to remove the bag and toss!

Sure does help with the scoop-elbow (much worse than tennis elbow!)



edit- just saw your question on batteries... it runs on batteries and electric... I just use the electric adapter that comes with it.

Ginger1218

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 01:02 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Julieboo, I just have read of your poor sweet Cat. It must made me cry. On November 21st I put my Mitzi to sleep. It was a devastating decision. I know how you feel. I hope you feel a little more at ease, knowing she is not suffering anymore. My heart is with you. I pray for all the sick kitties and their people.

Webkitty

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 02:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks MsMoon

I think I might try it. I'm wondering if it would work using regular litter. I've never used the clumping kind.

Btw, they LOVE their new fountain watering dish!
I knew China would, she loves running water, but P likes it too.

Babyruth, I hope Jessie feels better {{Jessie}}

Moondance

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 02:36 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Nope gotta use the clumping... clumping is GREAT though! Cedar Fresh is good:)

Babyruth

Monday, December 30, 2002 - 03:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Awww, thanks so much for the hugs and good wishes for Jessie, everybody. I'll pass them on to her. :)

Litter Tawk: (sounds like a name for a tawk show)
I swear by Feline Pine. Smells like fresh cut pine, no dust, no tracking, never like urine or poop(or worse yet, those overly fragrant deodorizers). My cats love it, and when it's ready to be dumped (and the poop has been scooped out), I use it as mulch.

Karuuna

Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:00 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
After having done much better for a week or so, poor ol' Stryder is back to having blood in his urine for the last two days. We go back to the vet tomorrow morning.

He's eating nothing but the special diet food. Could drink a bit more water I think, but the last few days he's been drinking more and more on his own, so I had been feeling encouraged.

If the special diet doesn't work, are there any other alternatives to kitties with this problem? I hate having to keep him enclosed, but otherwise he urinates all over the house. I miss my cuddle buddy.

Webkitty

Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:13 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Hi Kar, yes there is, don't give up!

I felt bad for posting this before when you first asked for help, but there is an operation he could have.
It worked like a charm for my cat. He never had any problems after that.
This was years ago, so maybe there are new alternatives now. (I will pray for you that there is, I mean it)
MsMoon?

Calamity

Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Karunna: I'm sorry if you've mentioned this already...was your cat checked for diabetes? My family had a large male cat who developed a problem with spraying and crystalized urine. We found out he was diabetic and his problems were related to that. I don't want to imply that those symptoms must be from diabetes but it is worth looking into, especially since you mention that Stryder has been drinking more water lately.

Hope things turn out alright!

Karuuna

Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Webkitty - I'd gladly pay for an operation. The diet management is very difficult, since Stryder loves to eat, and the only way I can keep him from eating the dogs' food or the other cat's food is to pen him up when I feed everyone else -which I *absolutely* hate.

Calamity - there is a possibility, I think, thanks for suggesting that. Stryder has been overweight since he was about 8 months old. The vet told me that he was "at risk" for diabetes because he put on weight so easily, and since he was a cat that seemingly never gets enough to eat. I'll be sure to ask the vet about that possibility. What do they do for diabetic cats?

Webkitty

Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:35 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Kar, I know what you mean about Stryder never seeming to get enough to eat. My P is that is like that too.
I demanded that the vet test him for tape worms! (he didn't have any)
He's 16lbs, and I asked my vet about putting him on a diet, and he didn't seem too concerned about it. Now I'm questioning that.....
Calamity, good point. It probably only takes a few minutes to have the diabites test, right?
Is Stryder neutered? Does he ever go out?

Calamity

Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
We had to give our cat (Stacey) an injection of insulin twice a day with his meals. It wasn't bad for him or us once we got used to it. Other than that he ate a normal diet and lived pretty much a regular long life.

He went into insulin shock a couple of times and the vet said we should give him Karo (sp?) syrup when that happened. It was very upsetting to see him so disoriented.