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Stan and the Ranking Miss P have now lived under the same roof for a week without really acknowledging each other's presence. I suppose it's better than fighting, but I wish they'd be more sociable. :D
 
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Over the past couple of weeks I've discovered I really do quite love Peg now.

That's a nice feeling.

I think she likes me a bit too. Although that might just be because the weather has turned cold and my lap is warm.

On the rogue wee front, I've bought her a second litter tray. Both are in the kitchen (nowhere else for them), and I'm crossing my fingers that having a couple of different options for weeing if one doesn't suit her tastes on any given day might help a bit. I'm not convinced it will solve the problem though, I think it's linked to upheaval, lingering outdoor and Charlie smells, and just general insecurity. I hear that girl cats get more insecure than boy cats. I rarely trust that boy/girl stuff though, it's almost always based on someone's personal experience and biases rather than any kind of behavioural study or whatever.

Anyway, they say in a multi-cat household it's one tray per cat plus one, so in this one cat household I figure two trays can't hurt, even if it doesn't necessarily help.

It looked for a while there that she was going to prefer one for shitting and one for weeing, but it seems to have averaged out. Shame, because it would have made my naming them number 1 tray and number 2 tray more apt.

In other poo news: do other people's cats go absolutely insane after they crap? I don't remember my childhood cats being like this but they had outdoor access so I wasn't always around, but Charlie went mental after a poo, running around like the devil was chasing him, and Peggy does the same. And just like Charlie, Peggy likes to be chased upstairs afterwards. I chase her into the bedroom and she jumps on the bed, skids across it and flies off the other side, staring up at me. I walk round to her and she jumps on again, skids across, and back off the other side. This can go on for ages. Then she flies under the bed sheet like her life depends on it, and goes to sleep.
 
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TikkiB said:
He'sbeautiful. Very similiar in colour and fluffiness to my Mousch. I'd love to take him but I fear Mousch wouldn't be pleased. She's much happier being in a one cat household since Cilla died. I'd echo the reccomendation for Celia Hammond as your next stop,
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Thanks. :) Will definitely try Celia Hammond if I can't find him a home through Urban or my friends. I was secretly hoping that an Urbanite would take him and then post updates on this thread...;)
 
moose said:
Stan and the Ranking Miss P have now lived under the same roof for a week without really acknowledging each other's presence. I suppose it's better than fighting, but I wish they'd be more sociable. :D
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a WEEK pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft
Queen FiFi and the sex pests have been under the same roof since March and they have contretemps and she hates them.
 
Vintage Paw said:
Over the past couple of weeks I've discovered I really do quite love Peg now.

That's a nice feeling.

I think she likes me a bit too. Although that might just be because the weather has turned cold and my lap is warm.
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I'm so pleased to hear that :) Bit of a guilty admission here, but it took me a while to really warm up to Jakey after we got him. It's a bit odd really, because (apart from the pissing on the bed, which keeping him out of the bedrooms fixes) he's an utterly lovely, and loving, cat - really superb pet, very sweet and gentle and affectionate with a great big purr and always ready for a cuddle. I think it was because when we took him on it all happened quite suddenly and I hadn't been planning on getting another cat at all, and possibly because he's very different in personality to the other 2 (and came to us sort of 'fully formed' and set in his ways as he was already an adult, I'd only had kittens previously) as he is much more nervous and seemed to have some odd habits and foibles compared to the others.

I mean don't get me wrong, right from when we first got him I gave him plenty of affection and attention, but it took a little while for me to really get used to him and then fully love him. It sounds horrible, but I hope my explanation sort of makes sense!




ANYWAY, on another note -
Radar's annual MOT tonight - the vet (another different one, but this one is NOT a locum, they've actually finally recruited a permanent member of staff - hooray!) detected a low grade heart murmur :(

I've decided that despite having pets all my life I'm actually a bit too anxious to be anything other than shit at it, because I'm now in major worry mode. Angel said that it could just be because he was very stressed, he (-Radar, not Angel!-) was stress-moulting all over the place and alternating between rolling around on the table to try to scent mark it with his face, and trying to bury himself in my armpit and crying, even if not just stress of the visit it's very minor and unlikely to suddenly get worse any time soon, just to bring him back in at any time if we have any concerns about fatigue/coughing or signs of any thyroid issues (which there have been no signs of, his weight is stable and he kind of self-regulates his intake of food, often leaves a bit in the bowl which is a good indication that he's not constantly hungry or anything).

He's nearly 10 now, so not a spring chicken any more. Even though it's probably nothing to worry about (or at least not for the near future), I feel like crying. I adore that monstrous little cat so much :(
 
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Vintage Paw said:
In other poo news: do other people's cats go absolutely insane after they crap? I don't remember my childhood cats being like this but they had outdoor access so I wasn't always around, but Charlie went mental after a poo, running around like the devil was chasing him, and Peggy does the same.
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The only times I have experienced this is with Sonic, who has a tendency to lay on my head when I am taking a nap and lick my hair, and who used to (before we worked out a diet where it doesn't happen any more) have a bit of a sensitive tum and occasionally get soft stools - between soft stools and ingesting strands of my long hair, he would occasionally leave the litter tray with a piece of soft shit dangling from his arse on a strand of hair, and it would make him go completely insane - charging around at top speed and butt-skidding across the floor to try to get rid of it. He also (because of semi-regular soft stools) used to get anal gland issues which just added to the problem as I am sure taking a dump may have been uncomfortable at times (he used to have to have his anal glands expressed manually on occasion).

Not a lot I can do about him grooming me (I suppose I could shave my head, but the idea of him licking my scalp is quite disturbing), but getting his diet sorted to eliminate any digestive problems has helped massively and it doesn't happen these days. I think it was a wheat allergy, because eliminating that from his diet has stopped the shitting/anal gland issues completely. I've not had to wash wet shit off his legs and tail for years now, thankfully!

Sorry for the distasteful post, I find that discussing pets will inevitable turn to faecal concerns sooner or later, it comes with the territory of having pets. :hmm:

The other reason that shitting could make a cat a bit excitable is because middening is often used as a form of territorial marking? I don't know for sure whether that would cause what you have described, but just a thought. If she's a bit territorially nervous, that could explain why she dashes for the safe zone of your bed after leaving an 'obvious territorial marker'.
 
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Puddy_Tat said:
:eek:

((((Epona and radar))))
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Thanks for the brackets :) As he's insured, I am thinking about asking for further tests because if it's going to be a problem I'd rather know more about it sooner rather than later and see what, if anything, we can do to manage it. He's half Cornish Rex accidental kitten from someone who didn't spay their pet CRex that wasn't supposed to be bred from, before the breed was routinely (by responsible breeders) DNA tested for genetic markers for HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - thickening of the walls of the heart - something that used to be a problem in some Cornish Rex), so that is really worrying me right now. :(
 
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The irony is, that the only time Radar perked up during the examination was when he saw the vet's stethoscope, which he thought looked like a fun toy. He obviously remembered the fun and excitement of completely destroying in a 'let's repeatedly attack it and chew it to death' incident Nate's quite expensive stethoscope, which, if it hadn't been wrecked by Radar, we could have used to listen to his heartbeat in a less stressful environment at home.
 
Hope Radar's OK Epona

Vastra was sitting in front room upstairs this afternoon emitting odd little chirping noises, which developed into funny 'Prrmew! Prrmew!' sounds. Worked out that she was staring at seagulls weaving around outside. Had to explain that she was no match for these particularly flying foods.
 
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Cloo said:
Hope Radar's OK Epona
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Thanks :) He seems fine atm, just a big old heap of worry is in my head now :(

Cloo said:
Vastra was sitting in front room upstairs this afternoon emitting odd little chirping noises, which developed into funny 'Prrmew! Prrmew!' sounds. Worked out that she was staring at seagulls weaving around outside. Had to explain that she was no match for these particularly flying foods.
Click to expand...

I have probably mentioned at some point the time Radar decided to try to leap out of the 2" gap at the top of the window because he saw a pigeon on the roof of the block next door and got overexcited - seemed not to comprehend that he was a long way away from the pigeon, he was 3 floors up, and wasn't able to fly - no idea how he even got his head through the gap, let alone the rest of him, he was left dangling trapped at the hips in the "V" formed by the window, half in and half out, facing downwards and screaming. I had to stand on a chair and grab hold of his back legs and lift him up and back indoors to free him from his predicament. I was shaking for a good couple of hours after rescuing him, and he was terrified of going near a window (even closed) for a while afterwards.

We don't have the windows open like that any more, I honestly wouldn't have thought he would even be able to get his head through that gap until I saw it happen, and I'm not risking it again!
 
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Just caught walter playing a neighbours kitten- another tabby. Walter lost his playmate recently after a couple of (awful) housemates left with their (alright really) cat so it's good to see him making friends again rather than just fighting the neighbours... was way too cute, will try and get pics :)
 
Yes, hope things are okay as possible with Radar Epona. I've always been a paranoid pet parent with the pigs - getting things checked out "just in case," and thankfully having understanding vets that didn't think I was bonkers (and knowing how fast things can escalate in guinea pigs, too.) Now with 3 more pets, whose environments I can't control so much and knowing all the things that could happen. I tell myself it's worth it for their companionship and the sheer joy they bring, and it's true. But I know the minute anything pops up (even Breeze's tooth removal has hard going) I'll be somewhere along the lines of a basket case. I guess it's just part of the thing, but I really, really empathise.
 
Missy, one of the cats that I look after has died. She had a tumour in her throat and had diabetes for years but never complained and just got on with it. She was put to sleep today cos her back legs had stopped working on Friday and by Sunday she could barely move at all. She wasn't in any pain cos she was on shitloads of drugs.
She was lovely. I will miss her, and her brother Tubbs.
IMG_20150916_235624112_zpscn9b0cgc.jpg
 
Orang Utan - I am sorry to hear that, she looks like she was really sweet, my condolences to you.

CRI - thanks for the well-wishes, I am really hoping it was just the stress of the vet visit, but I don't know, and there's no way I can know unless maybe I take him in again in a few weeks for another listen, or maybe pay for a less-stressful home visit, or maybe some tests, I just don't know. Just so much going on in my head right now, I mean if he does have a heart condition or is in the early stages of heart failure, is there anything they can actually do about it? If not, then further tests would be pointless anyway and we just have to enjoy him while we can I suppose. I don't know, I've never been here before.

Also I hear you wrt piggies and their health, I have kept them before and only ever lost one to something other than "went quietly in his/her sleep at a ripe old age" but with the one that got ill it all went downhill alarmingly quickly (and I have also kept birds which tend to be similar, they don't often get sick but if they do it can get serious very quickly) - so I know what you mean.
 
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So sorry to hear about Missy Orang Utan . Beautiful kitty.

Epona I think if heart failure is diagnosed early on, it can be successfully treated. I saw Ella Chihuahua's foster mum at the weekend and one of her dogs, Norman, was recently diagnosed with early stage heart failure, so he's on medication, but was bright as anything. Of course you don't want Radar to be unnecessarily distressed by lots of poking and prodding. Perhaps ask the vet what kind of investigations would be involved as well as what kinds of treatments, depending on the results? It's then the weighing up of the upset caused to the animal against maintaining a comfortable quality of life for a lot longer. Aaaaarrrggghhh, there isn't a definitive answer, is there. You do what the gut says I think!
 
Poor Missy - She looks a lovely cat. :(

Now I'm out of it, my tabby has discovered my foam-lined sling. After several attempts to fit herself in it, she decided that the best way to make use of it is to sit beside it, with her tail stretched out to fullest extent in it - cosy or what!
 
CRI said:
So sorry to hear about Missy Orang Utan . Beautiful kitty.

Epona I think if heart failure is diagnosed early on, it can be successfully treated. I saw Ella Chihuahua's foster mum at the weekend and one of her dogs, Norman, was recently diagnosed with early stage heart failure, so he's on medication, but was bright as anything. Of course you don't want Radar to be unnecessarily distressed by lots of poking and prodding. Perhaps ask the vet what kind of investigations would be involved as well as what kinds of treatments, depending on the results? It's then the weighing up of the upset caused to the animal against maintaining a comfortable quality of life for a lot longer. Aaaaarrrggghhh, there isn't a definitive answer, is there. You do what the gut says I think!
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Our 8yo Chihuahua/Jack Russell has recently been diagnosed with a heart murmur at 5/5 on the scale that vets use and has been prescribed Vetmedin (Pimobendan). He's happy enough and seems oblivious to it, it is an inherent weakness in the Chihuahua breed apparently.

Sorry to hear about Missy Orang Utan. :(
 
Epona - Bobbie Boo was diagnosed with a heart murmur very early on, probably "around" the 2 years mark - he lived to the ripe old age of 20 - he had no special meds or diet - he carried probably a little bit more weight than was good for him, but he did love his food. He was definitely an eater rather than a fighter. All the vet did was monitor it on the rare occasions we took him into be seen - he really hated going to the vet, it terrified him
 
I've never had a cat without a heart murmur! Seems to be incredibly common. Both the current 2 have them, as did the previous who lived to nearly 21. They occasionally cause heart failure, but most of the time they trundle along just fine.

In other news, Stan and Ranking Miss P aren't having the romance I'd hoped - bottle-brush tails, skulking and dirty looks all round :(
 
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