AnnaKarpik
Queen of all she surveys
I feel for you both, I do. We're in the same place; Konjo died on March 28th. She was born in this house.
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I feel for you both, I do. We're in the same place; Konjo died on March 28th. She was born in this house.
AnnaKarpik
Queen of all she surveys
I've popped in to ask the cat people what, if anything, we should do about James.
James is 15 now and for the first time ever, the only cat in the house. He has always been an independent sort of a cat - he was brought up by his all but feral mother - and one that dislikes being picked up or touched. Since Konjo, his companion cat, died two weeks ago he's wandering around mewing and positively snuggling up to anyone who sits still long enough.
Do we think he needs a friend? We would happily take on another cat, or two, but wonder about the timing. Should we do it sooner rather than later or the other way round?
James is 15 now and for the first time ever, the only cat in the house. He has always been an independent sort of a cat - he was brought up by his all but feral mother - and one that dislikes being picked up or touched. Since Konjo, his companion cat, died two weeks ago he's wandering around mewing and positively snuggling up to anyone who sits still long enough.
Do we think he needs a friend? We would happily take on another cat, or two, but wonder about the timing. Should we do it sooner rather than later or the other way round?
moose
like some cat from Japan
I made the mistake of getting Stan a friend, because I thought he'd like one - and they hated each other on sight. 
We have daily snarl-fests and hissy fits, and it now means poor Stan's confined to downstairs, curtailing his freedom. I wouldn't chance it, personally.
We have daily snarl-fests and hissy fits, and it now means poor Stan's confined to downstairs, curtailing his freedom. I wouldn't chance it, personally.This happened to us as well. The interloper kitten grew up to be much bigger than the original cat as well so there was much jostling for territory. Now that the original cat, Cilla, has gone we are letting Mousch be an only cat, and she's much happier and friendlier.I made the mistake of getting Stan a friend, because I thought he'd like one - and they hated each other on sight.
I wouldn't risk getting another cat, particularly given James' age.
izz
Increased Leisure Citizen
There are arguments against it but I would speak to your local animal recue and see what they think - it may be they can work out who would be a good companion animal for James and it may well be they could arrange a visit from one just to see how it would go. I don't know what your rescue is like but ours would jump at the chance. They may be able to tell you when would be a good time to adopt another animal as well.
As an aside I want to recommend Happy Landings in Somerset, to anyone within reasonable distance of it, the people are very knowledgeable about their animals and animals in general and will do all they can to make sure their rehomings go well.
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
^ This.
Some will take to it, some won't. It's all about the personalities of the cats involved.
I know there's no way I would have been able to introduce another cat into Charlie's life, regardless of the cat. But your James has known another cat companion and presumably enjoyed the friendship, so if there is another perhaps slightly older cat who also is in need of a companion and isn't particularly territorial, they might find some common ground. It's likely to be harder with a younger cat. It all depends.
Some will take to it, some won't. It's all about the personalities of the cats involved.
I know there's no way I would have been able to introduce another cat into Charlie's life, regardless of the cat. But your James has known another cat companion and presumably enjoyed the friendship, so if there is another perhaps slightly older cat who also is in need of a companion and isn't particularly territorial, they might find some common ground. It's likely to be harder with a younger cat. It all depends.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
indeed.
you can't expect a cat get on well with another cat just because they are both cats...
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
I am glad I got my second cat despite her not getting on with my first cat. They don't actually fight and will share a room no problem, so, although we haven't given Perry a new friend, we have at least given Moonie a new home. I think Perry does protect the tiny thing from the enormous neighbourhood cats too.
Schmetterling
I saw something nasty in the woodshed!
Lotte in the bathroom sink.
Mogden
I like tea
Got back after an amazing night out last night to discover Flinty had passed I am yet to confirm the timeline with best mate Mogden as she was popping in for me. I was worried as I wasn't feeling it last night other than horrible horrible guilt. It looks like she just laid down for a kip and didn't wake up. I keep flitting between she was waiting til I wasn't there and Oh my God why did I leave her. But having returned home from a first day at work it's hit me like a freight train
I am yet to confirm the timeline with best mate Mogden as she was popping in for me. I was worried as I wasn't feeling it last night other than horrible horrible guilt. It looks like she just laid down for a kip and didn't wake up. I keep flitting between she was waiting til I wasn't there and Oh my God why did I leave her. But having returned home from a first day at work it's hit me like a freight train 
trabuquera
Modesty Bag
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
Oh Mogden, I'm so sorry. What very sad news.
I'm struggling to know how to phrase this without sounding awful but I think most here will understand: when their time is up, this is what we all want for them, isn't it? For them to get comfy, curl up, and go to sleep. That makes it no easier, I know. Particularly considering the shock of it all. I hope that in time you're able to find some comfort from it though.
Thinking of you <3
I'm struggling to know how to phrase this without sounding awful but I think most here will understand: when their time is up, this is what we all want for them, isn't it? For them to get comfy, curl up, and go to sleep. That makes it no easier, I know. Particularly considering the shock of it all. I hope that in time you're able to find some comfort from it though.
Thinking of you <3
purenarcotic
Conveniently Pocket Sized
Oh Mogden, I'm so sorry
Mogden
I like tea
Although I seem cheerful elsewhere on the boards the loss of Flinty is still breaking my heart. Thank you all for your support. Frankly I'm terrified about what might happen next year as I seem to be losing one of mine every year Given how I wished so very hard that both Meg and Sachin would just slip away rather than the trauma of having them PTS at the vets it seems strange that I find this so difficult but I was not expecting it. She was rolling round on the dining table just last week showing me her belly to rub like a 9 year old kitten.
Given how I wished so very hard that both Meg and Sachin would just slip away rather than the trauma of having them PTS at the vets it seems strange that I find this so difficult but I was not expecting it. She was rolling round on the dining table just last week showing me her belly to rub like a 9 year old kitten.
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
The weekly quest to find wet food that Peggy likes continues.
Fucking kangaroo. Seriously. I've never had kangaroo (nor do I want it). But apparently we must serve it up to our feline overlords.
She hasn't tried it yet. No doubt it will be met with derision.
I also got her a stuffed heart toy thing that is filled with spelt, valerian, lavender and aniseed. She very much likes it. She's not as huge a fan of catnip as Charlie was. She kind of takes vague interest, and if it's strong enough might have a bit of a roll around near it, perhaps the odd back-leg-kick at whatever is doused in it. This valerian toy thing though, she was quite taken with it. Lots of licking, lots of rolling around, lots of rubbing her ears on the floor next to it (her favourite pastime), and eventually using it as a pillow. I've taken it away now so it can dry out (ew) and I'll keep it in its little plastic baggie so it retains its scent for longer.
--
I've been meaning to ask but keep forgetting: she has this weird behaviour that she's been doing a bit more recently... sometimes after I've given her some wet food, she scrapes at the floor near it as if she's trying to cover it with cat litter. Sometimes it's after she's eaten a bit of it, sometimes she'll continue eating a bit after too. I haven't been keeping note of which foods she does it with most frequently, but there seem to be quite a few so it's not related to just one smell.
Now, it's not hurting her or anything, it's not a massive problem, just a bit concerned because it seems like behaviour related to stress, and I don't want her to be stressed!
I don't try to force wet food down her. For the most part, I try to leave feeding her until she's hungry, then I'll give her a bowl of wet food, and usually add some water because she mostly likes to just lick up the sauce (if any meat goes in that's a bonus) and as she doesn't drink a great deal I want to make sure she's getting some moisture in her diet. She rarely finishes more than half a bowl of wet, and often only manages about 1/4. I'll top her up with biscuits if she still seems hungry but is resolutely refusing wet. I try to keep feeding time stress free. I don't make her wait until she's unhappy. I leave her to it. She does it in different places, for example she has her breakfast upstairs (lady of leisure) and she'll often do it up there, and sometimes she does it downstairs where she has her other meals. I've tried moving the bowls somewhere else but that doesn't seem to matter.
Any ideas?
I might plug the feliway in downstairs again, see if it makes a difference.
[she likes the smell of the kangaroo, eating it is another matter]
Fucking kangaroo. Seriously. I've never had kangaroo (nor do I want it). But apparently we must serve it up to our feline overlords.
She hasn't tried it yet. No doubt it will be met with derision.
I also got her a stuffed heart toy thing that is filled with spelt, valerian, lavender and aniseed. She very much likes it. She's not as huge a fan of catnip as Charlie was. She kind of takes vague interest, and if it's strong enough might have a bit of a roll around near it, perhaps the odd back-leg-kick at whatever is doused in it. This valerian toy thing though, she was quite taken with it. Lots of licking, lots of rolling around, lots of rubbing her ears on the floor next to it (her favourite pastime), and eventually using it as a pillow. I've taken it away now so it can dry out (ew) and I'll keep it in its little plastic baggie so it retains its scent for longer.
--
I've been meaning to ask but keep forgetting: she has this weird behaviour that she's been doing a bit more recently... sometimes after I've given her some wet food, she scrapes at the floor near it as if she's trying to cover it with cat litter. Sometimes it's after she's eaten a bit of it, sometimes she'll continue eating a bit after too. I haven't been keeping note of which foods she does it with most frequently, but there seem to be quite a few so it's not related to just one smell.
Now, it's not hurting her or anything, it's not a massive problem, just a bit concerned because it seems like behaviour related to stress, and I don't want her to be stressed!
I don't try to force wet food down her. For the most part, I try to leave feeding her until she's hungry, then I'll give her a bowl of wet food, and usually add some water because she mostly likes to just lick up the sauce (if any meat goes in that's a bonus) and as she doesn't drink a great deal I want to make sure she's getting some moisture in her diet. She rarely finishes more than half a bowl of wet, and often only manages about 1/4. I'll top her up with biscuits if she still seems hungry but is resolutely refusing wet. I try to keep feeding time stress free. I don't make her wait until she's unhappy. I leave her to it. She does it in different places, for example she has her breakfast upstairs (lady of leisure) and she'll often do it up there, and sometimes she does it downstairs where she has her other meals. I've tried moving the bowls somewhere else but that doesn't seem to matter.
Any ideas?
I might plug the feliway in downstairs again, see if it makes a difference.
[she likes the smell of the kangaroo, eating it is another matter]
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Most cats do the covering leftover food thing (in the wild they would naturally bury anything they didn't eat)- the fact you notice her doing it is probably because she is leaving food rather than scoffing it all? It's not particularly related to stress, just instinctive behaviour for them to cover anything that may start to smell high and attract larger predators/scavengers if left out - cats may be at the top of their own food chain, but they can also be prey to larger animals or face challenge from other cats or similar size predators encroaching on their territory, and have instinctive behaviour that minimises the risk of them attracting attention.
With my lot, I prefer them to eat wet as it is better for them - but Radar isn't mad keen on wet, he'll usually eat about 30-40g of wet a day. I put a bowl down for each of them in the morning. I then give them some dry in the evening. He eats more dry. Jakey is the other way round and barely touches dry, he likes wet food. So with Radar, I offer him both every day, giving wet when he is at his hungriest in the morning. I've tried hundreds of wet foods, and he will lick the gravy off and eat a small amount of food. I'll keep offering him wet every day for his whole life, but I can't force it down him - as long as he's eating, that will have to do, if that makes sense.
With my lot, I prefer them to eat wet as it is better for them - but Radar isn't mad keen on wet, he'll usually eat about 30-40g of wet a day. I put a bowl down for each of them in the morning. I then give them some dry in the evening. He eats more dry. Jakey is the other way round and barely touches dry, he likes wet food. So with Radar, I offer him both every day, giving wet when he is at his hungriest in the morning. I've tried hundreds of wet foods, and he will lick the gravy off and eat a small amount of food. I'll keep offering him wet every day for his whole life, but I can't force it down him - as long as he's eating, that will have to do, if that makes sense.
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Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
Thanks epona.
I did wonder about that. Since I know big cats certainly won't (can't) eat a whole kill in one go, and will save it for later, sometimes for days. But I'd also heard regular cats in the wild will hunt and eat several times a day, so I wasn't sure.
When I got Peg, the people at the shelter said she wasn't very fond of wet. And indeed, she loves her biscuits but trying to get wet food into her is a struggle. Like Radar, she licks the sauce/gravy and for the most part leaves the rest. The only exception is tuna (of course) but even then she doesn't always clean her plate (I only give her a couple of teaspoons worth of it every couple of weeks, whenever I'm having any).
But, mindful that cats need moisture in their diets, and particularly because she's 11 now, I figure it's worth persevering. I add water, as I said, so at least that gives extra gravy/sauce for her to lick up, meaning extra moisture. When she first moved in she wouldn't drink any water at all. Then after having several different bowls, cups, and glasses in various places she started drinking a bit every day from a mug on the side in the kitchen and a glass on the windowsill in the back bedroom. In the last few weeks she's stopped doing that though, but has decided standing in the bath and asking for the shower to be turned on is a better alternative
Problem is, she's very awkward about actually getting in there. She loves the bathroom and dashes in as soon as I'm anywhere nearby, but then stands there mewing at me for ages as if she wants something, but won't jump in the bath (and she hates it if I pick her up and put her in there). Or she just rolls around on the floor, which is another favourite pastime. Anyway, at the moment she's jumping in the bath at least once every couple of days, and lapping at the running water for about a minute. I'll just have to hope that's enough for her. (I tried a water fountain and she was having none of it.)
I still get the feeling I'm not providing something she needs. She often seems like she's asking for something, but I don't know what. I've never adopted an older cat before, so even now several months later it's still difficult, wishing I'd known her while she was younger so I could learn her likes and dislikes while she was developing them.
--
In other news, she's not doing that mouth thing as frequently now. And that has seemed to coincide with me being able to grow her grass indoors again now the weather's a bit better. She really does love her grass. Now, perhaps it's just a coincidence, but thinking back the mouth thing seems to have started when the grass stopped growing. Maybe it helps clean her teeth? idk. She still does it sometimes though. She did it today when we were playing with feathers, and she brought her paw up in that typical "get it out of my mouth/off my face" way I swear there's something going on, but the vet didn't find anything so...
I did wonder about that. Since I know big cats certainly won't (can't) eat a whole kill in one go, and will save it for later, sometimes for days. But I'd also heard regular cats in the wild will hunt and eat several times a day, so I wasn't sure.
When I got Peg, the people at the shelter said she wasn't very fond of wet. And indeed, she loves her biscuits but trying to get wet food into her is a struggle. Like Radar, she licks the sauce/gravy and for the most part leaves the rest. The only exception is tuna (of course) but even then she doesn't always clean her plate (I only give her a couple of teaspoons worth of it every couple of weeks, whenever I'm having any).
But, mindful that cats need moisture in their diets, and particularly because she's 11 now, I figure it's worth persevering. I add water, as I said, so at least that gives extra gravy/sauce for her to lick up, meaning extra moisture. When she first moved in she wouldn't drink any water at all. Then after having several different bowls, cups, and glasses in various places she started drinking a bit every day from a mug on the side in the kitchen and a glass on the windowsill in the back bedroom. In the last few weeks she's stopped doing that though, but has decided standing in the bath and asking for the shower to be turned on is a better alternative
Problem is, she's very awkward about actually getting in there. She loves the bathroom and dashes in as soon as I'm anywhere nearby, but then stands there mewing at me for ages as if she wants something, but won't jump in the bath (and she hates it if I pick her up and put her in there). Or she just rolls around on the floor, which is another favourite pastime. Anyway, at the moment she's jumping in the bath at least once every couple of days, and lapping at the running water for about a minute. I'll just have to hope that's enough for her. (I tried a water fountain and she was having none of it.)I still get the feeling I'm not providing something she needs. She often seems like she's asking for something, but I don't know what. I've never adopted an older cat before, so even now several months later it's still difficult, wishing I'd known her while she was younger so I could learn her likes and dislikes while she was developing them.
--
In other news, she's not doing that mouth thing as frequently now. And that has seemed to coincide with me being able to grow her grass indoors again now the weather's a bit better. She really does love her grass. Now, perhaps it's just a coincidence, but thinking back the mouth thing seems to have started when the grass stopped growing. Maybe it helps clean her teeth? idk. She still does it sometimes though. She did it today when we were playing with feathers, and she brought her paw up in that typical "get it out of my mouth/off my face" way
I swear there's something going on, but the vet didn't find anything so...
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
It sounds to me as though you are bending over backwards to make sure she has everything she could possibly need, I really wouldn't worry on that score, any cat would be blessed to have you in charge of their care!
Since the main benefit of wet food is getting them to ingest more water whilst eating, if she's eating the gravy then that's something, and adding water to it is not a bad idea. Have you ever tried heating some wet food, letting it cool and serving it at body temperature (about 40 Celcius)? It's a tip that is often given to people who have cats with poor appetites.
Since the main benefit of wet food is getting them to ingest more water whilst eating, if she's eating the gravy then that's something, and adding water to it is not a bad idea. Have you ever tried heating some wet food, letting it cool and serving it at body temperature (about 40 Celcius)? It's a tip that is often given to people who have cats with poor appetites.
