Your daily cat and kitten news

[pogofish]

Ugh. There is an intensely disgusting cheesy smell coming from Ken's rear end (not a euphemism, it's not his arse). Google suggests a problem with his anal gland. He doesn't seem bothered - no excess licking or any scooting - so I guess I have the enviable task of monitoring the smell over the coming days.

Male cats do have glands in their anus that are associated with producing the particularly pungent urine they use for scent-marking.

They are also prone to blocking-up and stinking to high heaven, also they do occasionally infect/abscess if left too long. So periodically, vets need to give them a squeeze to clean them out.

The first time a vet did this to old BD, his face was an absolute picture. The next times, the vet had to move very fast to remain un-lacerated - I could barely hold him still when the finger went-in!

 

[pogofish]

One vet I used to work with used to say that squeezing cat and dog arses on several continents had paid for his world travels and provided him the opportunity to set-up his new life as a writer!

 

[High Voltage]

Looked spaced out for a while but looking better now, phew!
Really worried about her having a hypo, especially in evening as out of hours vets is in the valleys!!

How much insulin is she on?

And how much food is she meant to eat?

 

[story]

Male cats do have glands in their anus that are associated with producing the particularly pungent urine they use for scent-marking.

They are also prone to blocking-up and stinking to high heaven, also they do occasionally infect/abscess if left too long. So periodically, vets need to give them a squeeze to clean them out.

The first time a vet did this to old BD, his face was an absolute picture. The next times, the vet had to move very fast to remain un-lacerated - I could barely hold him still when the finger went-in!

Good grief.
How common is this problem? I’ve lived with plenty of male cats and I’m very relieved that I’ve never encountered it. I‘d heard of it but assumed it was rare and-or something to do with something specific and thus fairly simple to avoid.

polly I really really hope it’s something that both explains all the smell issues, and also is self limiting and not a lifetime/lifestyle thing

 

[story]

That's a beautiful pic.

I like it too although I wish it was better quality. My phone camera is fairly shit at night, as evidenced by photos of our late night strolls passim this very thread.

The platform is a fairly recent thing I made because he does like to hang out on top of the gate post occasionally. I’ve boosted him up a couple of times and he really likes it but it’s not yet worked it’s way into his regular routine. I may provide a cat ladder but I don’t want all the neighbourhood cats to avail themselves of the privileg.

 

[High Voltage]

For the first time ever me and Mrs Voltz successfully pilled Casper. That's 2 out of the 7 doses administered

He's eating and drinking well and, thank goodness, the sneezing seems to be less frequent and his eyes are less goopy

His brother (Clive) seems hell bent on restoring any weight he imagines he's lost in one sitting so finally, by the end of the week at the very latest we should see normality returning, just FiFi less

And again one final thanks for the support, condolences and generosity, it really has meant a lot

 

[LeytonCatLady]

I like it too although I wish it was better quality. My phone camera is fairly shit at night, as evidenced by photos of our late night strolls passim this very thread.

The platform is a fairly recent thing I made because he does like to hang out on top of the gate post occasionally. I’ve boosted him up a couple of times and he really likes it but it’s not yet worked it’s way into his regular routine. I may provide a cat ladder but I don’t want all the neighbourhood cats to avail themselves of the privileg.

No, it's lovely! It would make a good picture on a card.

 

[pogofish]

Good grief.
How common is this problem? I’ve lived with plenty of male cats and I’m very relieved that I’ve never encountered it. I‘d heard of it but assumed it was rare and-or something to do with something specific and thus fairly simple to avoid.

polly I really really hope it’s something that both explains all the smell issues, and also is self limiting and not a lifetime/lifestyle thing

I've only had two male cats, well three but the first one went completely feral - a preventative squeeze-out was pretty-much an annual thing with them. Another time with BD, a vet commented it must have been a while as he showed dollop on his finger that would probably have made Dr Pimple-Popper proud! He was a bit smelly by then.

Maybe it tends to affect neutered cats more because they aren't quite so prone to scent marking compared to their un-neutered counterparts, who tend to be at it constantly, so there is less build-up?

 

[seeformiles]

Thought this was a lovely story of inter species harmony

Dog leads owner to cat stuck 100ft down Cornish mine shaft

Daisy the dog "went berserk" and led her owner to where missing cat Mowgli was stranded.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Orang Utan]

Thought this was a lovely story of inter species harmony

Dog leads owner to cat stuck 100ft down Cornish mine shaft

Daisy the dog "went berserk" and led her owner to where missing cat Mowgli was stranded.

www.bbc.co.uk

This led me to this rather disappointing story, considering the headline:

'Sausage dogs' gather at RSPCA St Columb to help rescue dog

About 60 dachshunds and their owners gather to raise money for a dog in Cornwall.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[seeformiles]

This led me to this rather disappointing story, considering the headline:

'Sausage dogs' gather at RSPCA St Columb to help rescue dog

About 60 dachshunds and their owners gather to raise money for a dog in Cornwall.

www.bbc.co.uk

Ha! Much as though I like the idea of sausage dogs cooperating en masse, it wasn’t as sad an outcome as I was expecting

 

[ddraig]

How much insulin is she on?

And how much food is she meant to eat?

0.6 to start, got to go in for a day next week for them to monitor and do a "glucose curve"
Vet weirdly didn't say how much she should be eating, we told them what they eat and said to split that into 2 feeds
2x85g packs + biscuits is what they were/are having

 

[pogofish]

Aww mate - such a distinctive looking girl, I've said before I always thought she had the look of a wildcat about her, it's the tabby markings along with the white chops, something a bit primeval about her.
Almost looks at odds with her comfy in a domestic setting but what cat can resist a duvet?
Horrible that their lives seem to go by so fast. Gorgeous girl.

Thanks - yes, despite her looking so wild, it was her truly sweet, sociable, friendly and home-loving nature that made her so special to everyone who met her.

I suppose it was because she was so young that the bad times she went through before we got her didn't leave as much of a mark on her as they did on her older sister. She could only bring herself to bond with a couple of people and really only myself for any significant degree of trust - and that took a long time.

Once we got them, nobody ever hurt, starved or otherwise misused them again.

 

[polly]

Cheese arse update! Much less smelly. My son, who is a bit of a cat whisperer, suggested it might be connected to the fireworks. Apparently cats sometimes release some of this awful stuff when they're really scared And it takes a while to clean off. I'll bear in mind that they might need emptying occasionally though. Bleurgh.

 

[Epona]

Good grief.
How common is this problem? I’ve lived with plenty of male cats and I’m very relieved that I’ve never encountered it. I‘d heard of it but assumed it was rare and-or something to do with something specific and thus fairly simple to avoid.

polly I really really hope it’s something that both explains all the smell issues, and also is self limiting and not a lifetime/lifestyle thing

I've had 3 male cats and only one ever needed his anal glands emptying once - that was after he'd been through a dietary/digestive issue which resulted in soft stools for a period of time.
Usually, the anal glands empty naturally when a normal firm stool passes through the anal sphincter - that pressure will also empty the anal glands.
If stools are soft they don't provide that same stimulus. Another factor can be obesity, if a cat is very obese they cannot clean their rear end properly themselves.

I wouldn't say it is a very common problem though, I've only had it be an issue once - I'd be looking at diet and stool consistency for a long term solution (after getting the vet to empty them).

 

[Dystopiary]

Look at all these black & white cuties! A hat trick!

Can I haz Weetabix?

View attachment 399084

Lil’ Bob helping Mrs SFM do her work and looking gormless

View attachment 399085

Stargazing.

View attachment 399099
View attachment 399098

 

[Epona]

Cheese arse update! Much less smelly. My son, who is a bit of a cat whisperer, suggested it might be connected to the fireworks. Apparently cats sometimes release some of this awful stuff when they're really scared And it takes a while to clean off. I'll bear in mind that they might need emptying occasionally though. Bleurgh.

Releasing scent from the anal glands when scared is definitely a thing that certain species of mammal do - mustelids most famously, but cats do similarly have scent glands that they use for communication and marking.

 

[polly]

Releasing scent from the anal glands when scared is definitely a thing that certain species of mammal do - mustelids most famously, but cats do similarly have scent glands that they use for communication and marking.

I know that's not their primary function but read somewhere that cats can let some of the stink go when they're scared or "very happy". Tbh they didn't seem particularly scared by the fireworks but they shit regularly and it's normal, and the smell has almost totally disappeared this evening, so I'm going with the theory that doesn't mean I have to squeeze their arses

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Look at all these black & white cuties! A hat trick!

don't you mean a cat trick?

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Coquettish Lilith.

 

[ddraig]

Did the 2nd jab after having to catch her and she's run off outside, sitting in garden, looks ok ATM
So nerve wracking

 

[ddraig]

Sisters last night, Misty has done a runner after her jab again this morning!

 

[fucthest8]

Really feel for you ddraig the responsibility is wearing, especially with outdoor cats. More power to you.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Lilith all cosy.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Can I haz cheezon totes?

 

[ddraig]

Really feel for you ddraig the responsibility is wearing, especially with outdoor cats. More power to you.

thanks mate, appreciate it, yes wearing indeed, and with 2 as well, got to stop her eating Kizzys food!

 

[seeformiles]

Sisters last night, Misty has done a runner after her jab again this morning!
View attachment 399247

From other people I know with diabetic cats, they get used to it after a bit but those having to administer them certainly felt like bastards to start with. I don’t envy you though.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Did the 2nd jab after having to catch her and she's run off outside, sitting in garden, looks ok ATM
So nerve wracking

Poor girl. It's horrible but she'll soon get used to it as routine.

 

[seeformiles]

New box

 

[LeytonCatLady]