Your daily cat and kitten news

[Epona]

Cancelled Sonic's vet appointment today - I don't feel there is much point in stressing him out by taking him to the vet when they are very likely to tell me to keep an eye on him for a few days and see how it goes.

I just want to stress that he is NOT majorly sick or anything, this is about a slightly messy chronic rhinitis issue. ie he is a bit snotty! There has been some gradual improvement which is why I don't want to stress him out today with a vet visit - monitoring it at home for a few days seems to be the most sensible option.

 

[Calamity1971]

Just ordered Clives second lot of 21 tablets at North of £170 - yes that figure is correct

Seems he's almost certainly got herpes and he needs a quarter of an anti viral tablet per day for the rest of his natural if not he will loose his eyesight

We'd noticed that both his eyes were a bit cloudy and at a check up last year it was was mentioned but no actual decision made

This year different vet seemed more assured in diagnosing herpes

What's pissing me off a bit, well several things actually

No mention of any eye issues from the shelter yet he'd had quite a bit of treatment prior to us getting him.

And the drugs are also taken by humans for the same condition, are available on line with prescription for about 25% of the cost but they won't sell to me because its for a cat, even though my vet will write me a prescription and it appears that a pharmacy is licensed to supply drugs with a prescription regardless of what the end use is for it's the getting the prescription that's the control element

I use these, half the price of the vets.
Low Price Pet Care - Fast Delivery, Great Service - Pet Drugs Online

 

[High Voltage]

I use these, half the price of the vets.
Low Price Pet Care - Fast Delivery, Great Service - Pet Drugs Online

I will give them a call on Monday after work - anything that can get the price of his meds down will help

I decided when first diagnosed to give him a year on the treatment and see if there's any noticeable improvement OR even if it's just a holding treatment - a couple of weeks ago it was touch and go whether I continued with the first batch of tablets as he simply WASN'T taking them and to throw away £170+ worth of meds wasn't really an option

One of the vets at the practice has treated a cat the same way and the eye "cloudiness" cleared up, which would be a massive boost to the cat and to us - don't get me wrong, at the moment this is having no obvious effect on him and if he does lose his sight, which is unlikely according to the vet, but he could get quite impaired sight, providing it happens gradually, which it would, he could have quite a happy normal'ish life - but I'd like to give him the best chance iykwim

He seems to be settling into a routine whereby I slip a 1/4 tablet into a "nutritional supplement", and if you saw the size of his swinging belly you'd wonder why he needs that as well. It seems that not only are they supplements but they contain "something" that helps with the treatment - enzymes(?) that he needs or summit, they're "only" about a tenner for 60, so worth a punt. It's the Famciclover pills that are the eyewatering ones

 

[Epona]

I will give them a call on Monday after work - anything that can get the price of his meds down will help

I decided when first diagnosed to give him a year on the treatment and see if there's any noticeable improvement OR even if it's just a holding treatment - a couple of weeks ago it was touch and go whether I continued with the first batch of tablets as he simply WASN'T taking them and to throw away £170+ worth of meds wasn't really an option

One of the vets at the practice has treated a cat the same way and the eye "cloudiness" cleared up, which would be a massive boost to the cat and to us - don't get me wrong, at the moment this is having no obvious effect on him and if he does lose his sight, which is unlikely according to the vet, but he could get quite impaired sight, providing it happens gradually, which it would, he could have quite a happy normal'ish life - but I'd like to give him the best chance iykwim

He seems to be settling into a routine whereby I slip a 1/4 tablet into a "nutritional supplement", and if you saw the size of his swinging belly you'd wonder why he needs that as well. It seems that not only are they supplements but they contain "something" that helps with the treatment - enzymes(?) that he needs or summit, they're "only" about a tenner for 60, so worth a punt. It's the Famciclover pills that are the eyewatering ones

Is the nutritional supplement L-Lysine? That is an amino acid that is thought to help with the immune system, it doesn't do anything magic, but it may help a bit in terms of bolstering his natural defences.

In terms of getting pills into him, did you try Easypill at all? It is a smushy meat stick and you break a bit off and squish it around a pill and then hopefully they eat it like a treat.

 

[High Voltage]

Is the nutritional supplement L-Lysine? That is an amino acid that is thought to help with the immune system, it doesn't do anything magic, but it may help a bit in terms of bolstering his natural defences.

In terms of getting pills into him, did you try Easypill at all? It is a smushy meat stick and you break a bit off and squish it around a pill and then hopefully they eat it like a treat.

I've tried EVERYTHING to get the pills into him and, yes, an L-Lysine sweet split in half and the pill popped into the middle then squashed back together again seems to be the only on-going solution

Tried:-

• Easypill
• chicken
• steak
• Some highly recommended liver pate stuff guaranteed to work
• ham
• cheese
• wet cat food with the pill mixed in
• cat milk

all had initial success then stopped working after a couple of days - bear in mind the 1/4 pill is sometimes reusable sometimes not

keeping him hungry has been the most successful so far - and he is portly

 

[High Voltage]

he was >.< this far from us getting out the marigolds and giving him a suppository

but we need a low stress, ongoing, daily solution

 

[Sasaferrato]

Just had a call from the vets. Pablo was hit and killed by a car last night. Kids and wife are in bits. Fuck this year already.

So sorry to hear this. It is losing a member of the family.

 

[souljacker]

So sorry to hear this. It is losing a member of the family.

Water under the bridge now though sas, we've got another one now.

 

[Calamity1971]

Water under the bridge now though sas, we've got another one now.

Pics please. Your original ones have disappeared.

 

[Epona]

he was >.< this far from us getting out the marigolds and giving him a suppository

but we need a low stress, ongoing, daily solution

I agree, you don't want to be fighting with your cat on a daily basis. They don't all go for treats even (some do and some don't, it is not as reliable a way of getting pills into them as it would be for certain dogs for example!) I find the best way with Sonic if he needs medication is to leave him without food overnight for 8+ hours or longer if need be, but he needs to be pretty much crying for food before he is going to eat anything that I have hid medication in.

Given how bloody difficult it is to get medications into him orally, if he needed to be on anything long term I would probably ask whether injections were a possibility tbh (absolutely might not be suitable of course, depending on which medications were required, but it is possible to be shown how to administer a daily injection if need be - people with diabetic cats often prefer to give insulin by injection rather than orally)

 

[souljacker]

Pics please. Your original ones have disappeared.

Stanley!!

 

[High Voltage]

I agree, you don't want to be fighting with your cat on a daily basis. They don't all go for treats even (some do and some don't, it is not as reliable a way of getting pills into them as it would be for certain dogs for example!) I find the best way with Sonic if he needs medication is to leave him without food overnight for 8+ hours or longer if need be, but he needs to be pretty much crying for food before he is going to eat anything that I have hid medication in.

Given how bloody difficult it is to get medications into him orally, if he needed to be on anything long term I would probably ask whether injections were a possibility tbh (absolutely might not be suitable of course, depending on which medications were required, but it is possible to be shown how to administer a daily injection if need be - people with diabetic cats often prefer to give insulin by injection rather than orally)

I got him to the vet the first time, for his checkup with minor blood loss - I was, it has to be said "focussed" when it came to getting him in the cat basket

That checkup resulted in him needing 6 teeth out - and a subsequent visit - this was done with sleight of hand and a stealth placement of the opened cat basket - and a quick 1,2,3IN and done before he could leg it

So trips to the vet, a strictly on a needs must basis

The problem with have with him and his brother Casper is, neither of them were remotely socialised before we got them - it took 18 months before I could touch is brother - granted, NOW Casper is a cuddle sponge but Clive still is very wary around people in general and men specifically - there really is a trust issue and I don't want to jeopardise what I've built up over the years

 

[Epona]

I got him to the vet the first time, for his checkup with minor blood loss - I was, it has to be said "focussed" when it came to getting him in the cat basket

That checkup resulted in him needing 6 teeth out - and a subsequent visit - this was done with sleight of hand and a stealth placement of the opened cat basket - and a quick 1,2,3IN and done before he could leg it

So trips to the vet, a strictly on a needs must basis

The problem with have with him and his brother Casper is, neither of them were remotely socialised before we got them - it took 18 months before I could touch is brother - granted, NOW Casper is a cuddle sponge but Clive still is very wary around people in general and men specifically - there really is a trust issue and I don't want to jeopardise what I've built up over the years

No I meant being shown how to do injections yourself, not taking him to the vet! It is possible.

It depends what medications he is on though, it may not be suitable. But sometimes for daily medications it might be an option that should be discussed with your vet (I am not in the slightest suggesting going off piste on this, but have a chat with your vet - it is generally seen as a last resort to inject anything, only if it really cannot be done orally however, there is a risk of sarcoma - but some conditions that require daily medications are more urgent and possibly life-threatening, and if you cannot get the pills into your cat then speak to the vet about other options).

 

[Baronage-Phase]

View attachment 166121

Stanley!!

What a great name for such a darling kitten

 

[stavros]

The first killing of the year this morning. The crime itself was committed outside and cleanly, but the urge to bring the bird in, charge up the stairs and then proceed to charge around my bedroom after it was too much. It was only small, and I would need Bill Oddie to tell me if it was a baby.

 

[Me76]

With my old cat Nutta, for the last 6 months of his life he was on a daily mix of tabs. I had to get a pill box cos it was a quarter of one every day, a half of one every other day and one whole one every third day or something and I wouldn't have remembered otherwise. Sunday was always pill cutting and filling up boxes day.

We used to do a cycle of patè, brie, seriously cheddar and normal cheese. Before he ate, so he was hungry anyway. He was quite stupid though, even before the stroke.

 

[High Voltage]

No I meant being shown how to do injections yourself, not taking him to the vet! It is possible.

It depends what medications he is on though, it may not be suitable. But sometimes for daily medications it might be an option that should be discussed with your vet (I am not in the slightest suggesting going off piste on this, but have a chat with your vet - it is generally seen as a last resort to inject anything, only if it really cannot be done orally however, there is a risk of sarcoma - but some conditions that require daily medications are more urgent and possibly life-threatening, and if you cannot get the pills into your cat then speak to the vet about other options).

No, I did "get" what you meant - and, I suppose, injections would be the "nuclear" option - but even then I don't know how successful they'd be - he's not a lap cat in any, way, shape or form. Contact with him really is on his terms. The litter they came from really was, and I hate using the term because they weren't, but feral or at least semi-feral. The 6 kittens were left outside with their mum and pretty much had to fend for themselves. They were caught at about 1 year old, spent the next year in the cat shelter, imagine what state that left them in . . . I can tell you, they were very frightened cats which I've gradually built up trust with over the last 4 years we've had them.

 

[clicker]

George and Tinker trying their best to avoid the fact, that Bobby from two doors down has snuck in the middle.

 

[Baronage-Phase]

Never realised there was a curly haired cat..

Selkirk Rex.

 

[nogojones]

I use these, half the price of the vets.
Low Price Pet Care - Fast Delivery, Great Service - Pet Drugs Online

You've just saved me about £60 a month

 

[Calamity1971]

You've just saved me about £60 a month

My savings have gone down a bit as the vet has put the prescription up from £5 to £9. Tbf though it was the vet who told me about them in the first place.
That's a good saving nogo .

 

[Calamity1971]

Never realised there was a curly haired cat..

Selkirk Rex.
View attachment 166192 View attachment 166194

I thought Milly had massive arse hair. That must be a nightmare!

 

[Baronage-Phase]

I thought Milly had massive arse hair. That must be a nightmare!

Looks like they need a fair bit of brushing and detangling

How to Take Care of a Selkirk Rex

 

[Baronage-Phase]

But very cute.

 

[nogojones]

My savings have gone down a bit as the vet has put the prescription up from £5 to £9. Tbf though it was the vet who told me about them in the first place.
That's a good saving nogo .

Having read the details about prescriptions I'll have to revise that down to £30 a month, but still....

 

[Shirl]

Daft cat Madge is watching the reflection of birds on the back of the settee rather than just looking out of the window.

 

[Calamity1971]

Looks like they need a fair bit of brushing and dangling[/QUOTE]
Dangling ..

 

[Baronage-Phase]

Yeah .. lol...I spotted that a few minutes ago and edited it.

 

[Epona]

Never realised there was a curly haired cat..

Selkirk Rex.
View attachment 166192 View attachment 166194

There are multiple curly haired cats! They are all from natural mutations too, not cooked up in a laboratory somewhere (I say that because I often get into convo with some folks who think they are unnatural or something, I know that probably doesn't apply here, but still...). Cornish Rex and Devon Rex are both shorthaired curly cats originating in well... Cornwall and Devon, respectively - in the 1950s.

The genes for these breeds are NOT even alleles of the same gene in the same place on a chromosome, the mutation is not in any way linked. Both are recessive genes. Breeding a Cornish and a Devon together will result in straight haired kittens. One of my boys is a Cornish Rex cross, they are a very active breed and he is quite bonkers, as it is a recessive gene he is straight-haired, although physically and facially looks very much like a Cornish Rex.

Selkirk Rex is a long-haired curly Canadian breed, I believe the gene is dominant in this breed - it is a different gene again to C and DRex cats.

There are other old breeds that had curly hair that are now extinct too.

BTW the term "Rex" (Latin for ruler/king) originates from some daft monarch somewhere who wanted to show his rabbits but they didn't meet breed standards because they had a curly haired mutation - the show officials marked his entry cards with the term "Rex" to indicate that these rabbits belonged to the king and should win prizes just because that is how shit works. Hence it now means a curly-haired example of many breeds of animal.

 

[Epona]

Cornish Rex:

Devon Rex:

Selkirk Rex:

They each have quite a different physique and facial structure. I know for CRex and DRex, pretty much any colour and markings are allowed, including colourpoint (siamese style markings)

EDIT: I do have some lovely photos of Radar that show him looking really CRexy (but a straight hair version!), but I cannot locate them on this drive so will have to have a bit of a search around - the only ones I can find at short notice are ones of him from last year when he was looking unwell - and he is fast asleep right now so I am not going to prod him awake for a photoshoot!