Old cats and their ways. Tips wanted.

[ouirdeaux]

apart from one needing a pill for hyperthyroidism, which is a nightly struggle

My cats made it to 16 and 18, but they both needed pills for hyperthyroidism. The one who reached 18 needed three a day. After much experimentation with hiding them in balls of mince or pâté, I settled on melted cheese -- pop it in the microwave for a bit, fashion six cheese balls, hide pill in one. Give a couple of empty cheese balls, then when the third is taken with the bait, swiftly hold the cat's jaw shut and tickle the throat. Then a few more cheese balls to win back lost trust.

After they're stabilised on pills for a while they can have an operation, which both of them had. Best money I ever spent.

 

[TopCat]

I hardly ever take my cat to the vet so have no idea if he has the above but he seems healthy enough. He has had two vet visits in 18 years, he savaged the vet the first time and done me the second time. This was over fifteen years ago.

 

[platinumsage]

What is this machine please?? and how accurate are the time settings?

It seems to be discontinued but there are loads on e.g. Amazon, from clockwork ones through to ones with HD webcams and remote web access.

 

[oryx]

My cats made it to 16 and 18, but they both needed pills for hyperthyroidism. The one who reached 18 needed three a day. After much experimentation with hiding them in balls of mince or pâté, I settled on melted cheese -- pop it in the microwave for a bit, fashion six cheese balls, hide pill in one. Give a couple of empty cheese balls, then when the third is taken with the bait, swiftly hold the cat's jaw shut and tickle the throat. Then a few more cheese balls to win back lost trust.

After they're stabilised on pills for a while they can have an operation, which both of them had. Best money I ever spent.

Thanks for this - it's all really useful.

I am at the stage of using liver paste to hide the pill. She got wise to this and now just... about...eats it if I stick in a Dreamie, kind of like a tuile.

Putting it in her mouth and getting her to swallow isn't an option. Adorable though she is, this cat is the most contrary and awkward cat I've ever known and has been since kittenhood.

 

[oryx]

It seems to be discontinued but there are loads on e.g. Amazon, from clockwork ones through to ones with HD webcams and remote web access.

I used to use these and can confirm they're great.

 

[High Voltage]

We tried with a couple of cheap clock work ones - the timers were rubbish and they only gave the option of one meal each feeder

With two hungry boys the timers will have to be spot on accurate as if they are even 5 minutes apart one cat will eat both, pushing the other one out, so clock work ones aren't an option

I like the idea of the ones driven by an app - would one app be able to control both?

 

[oryx]

We tried with a couple of cheap clock work ones - the timers were rubbish and they only gave the option of one meal each feeder

With two hungry boys the timers will have to be spot on accurate as if they are even 5 minutes apart one cat will eat both, pushing the other one out, so clock work ones aren't an option

I like the idea of the ones driven by an app - would one app be able to control both?

You've reminded me that I used to have cats that didn't steal each other's food.

 

[High Voltage]

Two of our three (the brothers) will go at it hammer and tongs on the landing outside of our bedroom, proper chunks of hair, the lot. Then the second I get out of bed to stop them two little angelic faces peer through the door way to check that I'm moving, then they turn around and high tail it down stairs to the kitchen ready for first breakfast

BUT

I can't give them too much as they will both bolt down the food and them, minutes later, regurgitate it - so they have to have about half their breakfast - the fighting re-commences shortly after but if I feed them too soon, again, hello Mr Breakfast

This can start any time from 5:00am onwards - so a way of feeding them without having to get up would be great and worth spending a fair wedge on

 

[oryx]

Two of our three (the brothers) will go at it hammer and tongs on the landing outside of our bedroom, proper chunks of hair, the lot. Then the second I get out of bed to stop them two little angelic faces peer through the door way to check that I'm moving, then they turn around and high tail it down stairs to the kitchen ready for first breakfast

BUT

I can't give them too much as they will both bolt down the food and them, minutes later, regurgitate it - so they have to have about half their breakfast - the fighting re-commences shortly after but if I feed them too soon, again, hello Mr Breakfast

This can start any time from 5:00am onwards - so a way of feeding them without having to get up would be great and worth spending a fair wedge on

The fighting, overindulgence and regurgitation all sound horribly familiar!

I haven't used an automatic feeder for years - mine was very analogue.

I would think there are all sorts of options now which would look positively space age compared to my c1997 one. Maybe even ones they could open with collar tags.

 

[High Voltage]

The fighting, overindulgence and regurgitation all sound horribly familiar!

I haven't used an automatic feeder for years - mine was very analogue.

I would think there are all sorts of options now which would look positively space age compared to my c1997 one. Maybe even ones they could open with collar tags.

No 3 cat has a feeder that opens with her chip - stops the two boys from "helping themselves" and as she's diabetic, with twice daily insulin injections, we need to know exactly how much she's eaten and to adjust the insulin accordingly

 

[strung out]

We tried with a couple of cheap clock work ones - the timers were rubbish and they only gave the option of one meal each feeder

With two hungry boys the timers will have to be spot on accurate as if they are even 5 minutes apart one cat will eat both, pushing the other one out, so clock work ones aren't an option

I like the idea of the ones driven by an app - would one app be able to control both?

We use this one: Automatic Timed Pet Feeder for Dogs Cats | Dry and Wet Food Dispenser with Timed Program Auto Pet Dog Food Dispenser Feeder for Kitten Puppy - Portion https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YJD11PS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_s7N1shqJhzRUt

Battery operated, and keeps good time. Has enough for 6 meals, but doesn't have an app and can't read chips etc for multiple cats.

Works well enough, and finally gave me lie ins after months of 5am wake up calls

 

[oryx]

We use this one: Automatic Timed Pet Feeder for Dogs Cats | Dry and Wet Food Dispenser with Timed Program Auto Pet Dog Food Dispenser Feeder for Kitten Puppy - Portion TDYNASTY DESIGN 5 Meal Automatic Cat Feeder, Cat Dog Trays Dry Wet Food Dispenser, Auto Pet Feeder Cats with Programmable Timer, Auto Cat Feeders - Cat Mate Feeder 5x145g : Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

Battery operated, and keeps good time. Has enough for 6 meals, but doesn't have an app and can't read chips etc for multiple cats.

Works well enough, and finally gave me lie ins after months of 5am wake up calls

That's the digital, 21st century version of mine.

My Petmate had a little clock with those teeth you push in and out to set the time.

 

[TopCat]

I am going for the feed him a sachet every time I get up for a piss in the night. He will be like a barrel given my bladder.

 

[Epona]

Now Sonic is no longer with us I am probably going to start letting Jakey into the bedroom at night so he isn't on his own (he has never been an only cat and isn't used to not having any company) but if he wees on the bed or the laundry pile he'll be back in the sitting room learning to cope with a few hours of solitude.

When we had all 3, Radar was the only one allowed in the bedroom at night - he didn't get on so well with the others and Sonic would bully him out of getting attention from me, so we let Radar in the bedroom at night (where he would be happy to get loads of cuddles!) while the other 2 were shut out of the bedroom, it all worked fine.

Worst issues I had was after Radar had major surgery, stopped eating, and was being fed by oesophageal tube for - it was over 6 weeks I think, 6 to 8 weeks - basically 5 tube feedings a day regularly spread out so I would be getting up in the middle of the night to mix food for him then syringe it into his tube and change his dressing - he got through that OK (myself less so, I got shingles probably due to the stress and lack of sleep!) but after that time he basically expected food on demand at any time he wanted it day or night and would poke me in the face repeatedly until he got fed. It didn't help that after that his stomach was the size of a walnut and it was 1/3 to 1/2 of a pouch of wet food max at any one time.

Loved that cat mind you, absolutely worth it, but my god he was a pain in the arse about food!

 

[l'Otters]

Two of our three (the brothers) will go at it hammer and tongs on the landing outside of our bedroom, proper chunks of hair, the lot. Then the second I get out of bed to stop them two little angelic faces peer through the door way to check that I'm moving, then they turn around and high tail it down stairs to the kitchen ready for first breakfast

BUT

I can't give them too much as they will both bolt down the food and them, minutes later, regurgitate it - so they have to have about half their breakfast - the fighting re-commences shortly after but if I feed them too soon, again, hello Mr Breakfast

This can start any time from 5:00am onwards - so a way of feeding them without having to get up would be great and worth spending a fair wedge on

Have you tried Feliway in a diffuser for them? Might stop them fighting as much.

 

[High Voltage]

Have you tried Feliway in a diffuser for them? Might stop them fighting as much.

I am convinced that it's become part of their morning routine

Dad's not up yet... We're hungry... Wanna fight?

Oooh! Look dad's getting up, we're getting breakfast Yaaaaay! "ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump" and downstairs they gallop like a herd of baby elephants

 

[seeformiles]

When Buttons got older she would walk into the room and demand appreciation but, if anything, the main challenge was that she slowed down a lot and we would leave out boxes and piles of books so she could still reach her favourite spots. Also, she’d get cranky since she was less able to defend her not inconsiderable territory and younger cats started muscling in. Way of the world unfortunately.

 

[kabbes]

Boo’s territory used to be 50 acres of woodland. He would sometimes not come home for days while he patrolled it. Now, he can’t be bothered to claim more than the kitchen, the bedroom and the bed by the radiator on the landing.

 

[rich!]

Ours are 16 and about 12. We reckon they need 24 hour care. Luckily I go to bed much later than my partner, and he gets up much earlier than me.

Not due to medical issues (apart from one needing a pill for hyperthyroidism, which is a nightly struggle) but due to them having well and truly made us their slaves.

The latest is them sitting, glaring, next to a bowl of bloody expensive biscuits, which have the misfortune not to be Dreamies. Oh, why did I ever get them into Dreamies?

One of mine has been on medication for a couple of years now. Easypill comes in a box of 40, and is a lifesaver done a bit at a time. I trained him to recognise the tin I would keep the made-up pill in if he didn't eat it as a place to find a tasty treat.

Now he's only on thyroid medication - wet stuff, Thyronorm, twice a day - and he seems happy for me to squirt it in his mouth. Associates "handling the medicine" with "weird tasty thing in my mouth" somehow and likes it.

 

[oryx]

One of mine has been on medication for a couple of years now. Easypill comes in a box of 40, and is a lifesaver done a bit at a time. I trained him to recognise the tin I would keep the made-up pill in if he didn't eat it as a place to find a tasty treat.

Now he's only on thyroid medication - wet stuff, Thyronorm, twice a day - and he seems happy for me to squirt it in his mouth. Associates "handling the medicine" with "weird tasty thing in my mouth" somehow and likes it.

You're very lucky! We've tried the Easypill which worked for a while...until it didn't.

Followed by liver paste, ditto.

This one is the most suspicious, paranoid, and contrary cat I've ever met, and only gentle persuasion with food will work. We thought about the medication to rub on her ears, then thought...no. She'd suss it and run a mile!

 

[Carvaged]

Associates "handling the medicine" with "weird tasty thing in my mouth" somehow and likes it.

Ah, the famous Pavlov's Cat conditioning response!

 

[oryx]

Ah, the famous Pavlov's Cat conditioning response!

I'm trying to get hyperthyroid cat to associate the successful swallowing of the tablet with a portion of Dreamies afterwards, but she ain't having it