Your daily cat and kitten news

[Vintage Paw]

She could still be picking up "other cat smells" and is marking her territory - Rusty (Hellspawn beast, from Hell) took to weeing at the top AND bottom of the stairs EVERY. FUCKING. NIGHT. for far too long - but it ran into months and possibly years - she had unlimited access to outside - and this was the problem - outside had unlimited access to inside, and there was an interloper and Rusty was protecting her territory - Bob just couldn't be arsed, so protection duties of the "hoomans" fell to her

I think this is the most likely thing. My doormat is brand new, so shouldn't smell of Charlie. And Charlie didn't especially spend any time by the back door where she most recently weed, so I wouldn't have thought she was drawn particularly to that area, but it's possible the general smells of him could trigger stress on occasion, and the back door that leads to the place where interlopers could potentially come in would be a good place to mark, in kitty logic. It's entirely possible there's been a cat coming in the back yard, and she has uber super smell ability and can tell it's been there. The way she's been sniffing at the door cracks suggests something along those lines.

She went in her tray yesterday and this morning as normal. She seems chilled out.

I've been furiously going round in various corners with the feliway.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Poor Missy (my friend's cat). she has a cancerous tumour in her throat, which is why she's wheezing so much and breaths with her mouth. The vet removed some of it yesterday and she seems ok but she's very squeaky - she sounds like Gizmo from Gremlins, which is very cute but also distressing. You couldn't even stroke her before as purring made her throat swell even more, causing her breathing difficulties (how sad is that? purring being bad for a cat ) but now she breaths better so you can cuddle her again. I'm looking after her for a week as my friend is going on holiday, but i'm worried the poor kitty may snuff it while i'm looking after her.

This is what happened to Charlie. A massive tumour in his throat affecting his breathing, purring set off hiccups and coughs that were very distressing. Sadly for Charlie trying to remove it paralysed his larynx, and in addition the cancer had spread into his lymph system, meaning it would be cropping up elsewhere. We had to let him go.

If Missy is doing better after the surgery though I'm sure she'll be fine during your week with her. If you were looking after her for 6 months then I'd expect something to happen (not necessarily losing her, but her needing continual treatment, her tumour changing in some way, etc) but a week is nothing and cats are tough little shits.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Please give Missy a little stroke from me, if she's amenable to it.

 

[Epona]

When Jakey first came to live here he sprayed our bedroom curtains. Several times. And he still has a penchant for pissing on our bed or on a pile of laundry. He just seems to be kind of wanton as to where he pisses - we cope with it because we adore him, and we have a washing machine that can take a duvet.
Female cats are just as likely to mark their territory as males, and are often more protective of their territory.

I do wonder whether she smelled Charlie (bless him) around the place and needed to make it hers. If that makes sense.

 

[Orang Utan]

I can't get these pills down Missy
I have to get them down! They're for her thyroid.
Shit, I have to do this every morning! Aaargh.
Have to give her steroids twice a day too and stab her ear and get enough blood out of it to test for insulin. Then inject her with insulin.
But all that's easy compared to getting her to swallow a pill!

 

[trashpony]

Have you got one of those pill dispensers? I have to say you're very brave looking after a cat with such complex medical needs - I'm not sure I would

 

[Orang Utan]

Nope. Been trying to just get her gob open and stroke her throat til she swallows but that's easier said than done.

 

[trashpony]

Nope. Been trying to just get her gob open and stroke her throat til she swallows but that's easier said than done.

Have you tried wrapping her in a towel? Squeeze jaws open, close shut after dropping pill down her throat. Clamp shut until she swallows. That's what I do. It's a bit brutal but it's the only way it works for me

 

[High Voltage]

Sorry OU can't help on this - me and Mrs Voltz are a bit wussy when it comes to forcing meds into cats - we always look for an easier option

For example, pills covered in "that magic liver paste" that gets mentioned so many times, which Bob refused - so we ended up with smallish pieces of chicken with a slit cut into it and the pill inserted into that

And on the subject of giving meds to "reluctant" cats - we'd be fine and dandy with FiFi but the boys would be a massive struggle - neither of them are catch holdable of to put into a towel to medicate - so what are your various magic ways of getting hold of a cat - say, to put into a cat basket for a vet trip - we can get them into their safe room but actually catching hold of them is a nightmare

 

[Vintage Paw]

On the subject of that magical liver paste I touted far and wide:

Peggy doesn't like it.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

We have major trouble getting Trillian to swallow pills too OU, in fact her worming pill is really quite out of date as a result The pill dispensers are invaluable. Otherwise speed is of the essence - I'd say that I try and use speed over towel wrapping these days. I did find that during the few weeks I had to administer twice daily pills that she got better towards the end of it*. Not sure if she had just become resigned to it or whether I got much more skilled in doing it.

*It didn't last

 

[Vintage Paw]

OU, I can only suggest - if the manual method isn't working at all - trying any and all available yummy foods. Butter, cheese, marmite (some cats adore it and it won't hurt them in the slightest in small amounts), various pates or meat spreads, cheese spread - basically anything that you might be able to stuff a pill into that a cat might see as a fun and tasty treat.

If you really do end up not being able to get it into her, depending on how bad her hyperthyroidism is, a week will likely be too long for her to go without the tablets without some adverse reactions, which can be anywhere from slightly elevated hormone levels leading to increased appetite and weightloss and maybe vomiting etc, to stark changes in her heartrate and liver enzymes that can be very dangerous.

 

[bi0boy]

We have major trouble getting Trillian to swallow pills too OU, in fact her worming pill is really quite out of date as a result

For worming they have spot-ons nowadays, which can be done when they're asleep.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

For worming they have spot-ons nowadays, which can be done when they're asleep.

I think that only works for certain types of worms. We're on advocate spot-on for fleas and some worms (which yes, is much easier to administer), but she still needs a 3 monthly worming pill for a specific type of worm.

Anyway, this thread inspired me to give it another go. 5 minutes later we have one wormed but sulking cat.

 

[trashpony]

I think that only works for certain types of worms. We're on advocate spot-on for fleas and some worms (which yes, is much easier to administer), but she still needs a 3 monthly worming pill for a specific type of worm.

Anyway, this thread inspired me to give it another go. 5 minutes later we have one wormed but sulking cat.

Yes I use advocate and also have to give them worming pills. I luckily have cats now who go limp in your arms whenever they need treatment. And the meds that Bubbles is on for his tracheal infection are liquid which is a huge relief. I hate giving pills to cats (probably not as much as they hate having them)

 

[Vintage Paw]

I don't really know the difference between the various flee/worming meds. Ted gave me a dose of Profender for Peg. She's an indoor cat, so he says just this one dose should be fine to clear her of anything that might be lingering (which it doesn't look like there is anything) and then it's probably not necessary to do it again unless there's any kind of worry. I rarely flead or wormed Charlie for the same reason.

 

[marty21]

Puisin being more affectionate

 

[oryx]

Nope. Been trying to just get her gob open and stroke her throat til she swallows but that's easier said than done.

I used to crush the tablet between two teaspoons and put it in a small amount of food, waiting until the cat was hungry.

If you use this method do not let the cat see what you're doing. It will KNOW and will not eat the food.

 

[izz]

We have major trouble getting Trillian to swallow pills too OU, in fact her worming pill is really quite out of date as a result

Broadline Spot-On Solution for Cats from £18.18
good for fleas, lice, ticks and worms. I ensure target cat is asleep then warm it to blood heat before applying to nape.

e2a sorry I didn't read rest of thread before I posted.

 

[Orang Utan]

I used to crush the tablet between two teaspoons and put it in a small amount of food, waiting until the cat was hungry.

If you use this method do not let the cat see what you're doing. It will KNOW and will not eat the food.

yeah, this worked, though i was told that she wouldn't eat it

 

[marty21]

Mrs21 is a big fan of cat toys , from the sofa I can see 6 there are many others around the flat . She once ordered a cat toy rat , when it came it was actually bigger than puisin who was scared of it we took it to the charity shop who were a bit surprised but took it as there must be someone out there other than mrs21 who would buy it.

 

[High Voltage]

marty21 and Mrs 21 - might I suggest "feathers" as sold by that fine purveyor of accoutrements for the sophisticated feline

These will be destroyed in a matter of seconds by an enthusiastic cat attack - but they are cheap - get the 3 pack

And these, whilst appearing expensive will last and last and last - our 2 boys have barely got through half destroying the first attachment and they've given it a damn good go

 

[marty21]

marty21 and Mrs 21 - might I suggest "feathers" as sold by that fine purveyor of accoutrements for the sophisticated feline

These will be destroyed in a matter of seconds by an enthusiastic cat attack - but they are cheap - get the 3 pack

And these, whilst appearing expensive will last and last and last - our 2 boys have barely got through half destroying the first attachment and they've given it a damn good go

Mrs21 is a lurker on the thread and thanks you for your suggestions she added that puisin is not a sophisticated feline and has a stolid penchant for 'mousy' toys . Although I'd like to add she recently bought a little mouse sized hedgehog which moves , this has yet to be tested.

 

[Bakunin]

Mrs21 is a lurker on the thread and thanks you for your suggestions she added that puisin is not a sophisticated feline and has a stolid penchant for 'mousy' toys . Although I'd like to add she recently bought a little mouse sized hedgehog which moves , this has yet to be tested.

We will want pics. And video, obviously.

 

[Vintage Paw]

I bought Peggy 'da bird' from Amazon. It is very much loved.

 

[oryx]

yeah, this worked, though i was told that she wouldn't eat it

Really glad it worked. Most cats are like the Borgias in Renaissance Italy when it comes to the possible adulteration of food.

In today's DCAKN, our ten year old, well-built younger cat was terrorised by next door but one's kitten coming into the back garden.

She is uber-wuss puss.

Next door but one's kitten is gorgeous - looks like she is wearing eyeliner and is friendly and sweet.

Wish her owners were as nice but they are a strange, anti-social lot. All their cats (they have four at least) are adorable though.

 

[CRI]

Peg just did another rogue wee. This time 3 feet away from her tray in the kitchen. She didn't make any attempt to go to her tray, she just went straight by the back door, then scraped at the door mat a couple of times. WHYYYYYYYYY?

Her tray is clean, she's had no problems using it or with the litter before. She's meant to have been an indoor cat, so it'd be strange if it's her wanting to go outside to do it. I can't let her out round here, there's a busy road just 4 doors down, a busy car garage directly opposite, the only green space is across that busy road.

What's going on?

Just a thought, but might she need a bigger litter tray? When we got Breeze, we started with the small tray we'd had for Herbie, which she'd mostly use, but there were still a few episodes on the front door matt. Got a larger one and that seemed better, but I noticed she struggled a bit to use it, so finally just opted for a big plastic box - like an underbed storage box. It's not elegant, but for Breeze, it seems being able to get completely inside the litter tray, tail and all, is the key to a comfortable and pleasant toileting experience. No mistakes since then.

Herbie had been a "hoverer" so even a kitten size litter tray would have done for him. Different cats, different requirements I suppose.



Someone's about to get a whack here

 

[trashpony]

I'm trying to get a video of the puppy doing that stupid 'play with me' dance that puppies do in front of the cats. And their fuck off and die faces. It's very funny

 

[CRI]

I'm trying to get a video of the puppy doing that stupid 'play with me' dance that puppies do in front of the cats. And their fuck off and die faces. It's very funny

Yep, I've seen it about 10 times today (and they don't grow out of it!)

 

[dolly's gal]

ok so the situation with the cat-lady lodger has got bad. I have asked her many many times to stop feeding the cats when she is there, and she says she isn't, but she clearly is, just in secret. she keeps cat treats in her bedroom and when she's not there at the weekends, both cats try and open the draws she keeps them in. anyway, it's becoming more of a problem because:

a) I don't know how much food the cats have been fed so i'm feeding them less than i would because i don't want them to get fat, but i don't know how much she's been feeding them so they could - theoretically - be going hungry
b) pip, the big tom-cat, has become really aggressive. he is always whining for food and when you don't give him any he hisses and growls at you (which is pretty much the entire time)
c) he's started bullying winnie, the small girl cat, really quite badly, i assume because there is now competition vis a vis food.
d) he's stopped using the cat flap - i think this is because he can't get through it because he's put on weight
e) he is not affectionate with us at all any more. stays out of our room, sleeps in lodgers room, on her bed
f) oh and she's told me she's going to steal him (she said it in a jokey way, but still)

i don't know what to do really, other than say if she doesn't stop feeding them, i'll have to give her notice. really unpleasant situation to be in advice/thoughts welcome

p.s. for those who didn't see my original post, she has six cats at her home (she only says with us monday-friday), and i'm not joking, they are obese!