TheCatSite.com Forums

Home alone, or off to Prison

marmite — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:54:45 GMT

Howdy,

I have two cats, a four year old and her kit at 3 years old.
They are both indoor cats, but the older one did spend the first year of her life outside.

The young one is scared of most things, when we have to take her to the vet she shakes like a jelly, whilst the older one is fine.

We are going off on holiday for 14 days next month; we have left them alone for about 10 before, with people coming in and feeding them. Problem is they get bored. They don't do any damage, but they don't like it.

So I am considering sending them off to a cattery, but I am not sure which is the lesser of two evils. I am sure the older one would be fine, but it would show her the outside world again. The young one would probably adjust within a week, but then she too has experienced the outside, only to be deigned it on her return.

Any advise please?

Thanks.

Not receiving emails with PMs

Pami — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:46:49 GMT

I havent changed any of the settings (although I have checked to make sure I am supposed to receive an email) and I am not getting any emails for any PMs I am receiving for the last 3 days now.

Never had a doubt

Skippymjp — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:26:06 GMT

Numerous Christian organizations, apparently fearful that they won't be allowed to dictate laws anymore, merely decide to announce they they are above the law. :rolleyes:

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31736

Pledge sweeper

pushylady — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:21:15 GMT

Anyone tried it? It's supposed to pick up as much pet hair as 45 lint roller sheets! Sounds like something I could definitely use, if it works!

After 4 long months he's back

glenman12 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:43:38 GMT

I had posted my story in a couple of threads here but I think it deserves its own thread. This is about not giving up hope, even though I pretty much did.

My male cat Kelly got out of the house on July 20th. It couldnt have been at a worse time. I was leaving for the airport in about 5 mins the morning he got out. I did a quick search but with no luck. I did call the chip company, Home Again and reported that he was gone.
I got back late the next day and made up posters and put them on all the mailboxes in my townhome subdivision. I called our animal hospital and alerted them and also called several animal shelters. When I got home from work a few days later there was a message on my machine from a lady who saw a cat fitting the description hiding in some bushes about a block and a half away from my house. I went there daily at different times of the day but could never see him.
A few more days went by when another lady called and said she saw a cat fitting the description behind her house. She was actually able to take a picture of him. I went to her house and saw the picture. It looked a little like him but the picture was grainy so I couldnt be sure. I decided then to get a live trap from animal control. We set it up the next night. At 4:00AM the next morning she called me and said that the cat was in the trap. I ran over to her house and, to my disappointment, it wasnt my cat. I took the trap back the next day.
For the next several days I would leave the overhead garage door open overnight. I would put out food and water. Almost every morning I would check and the food was eaten. One night my son came home from work and as he pulled onto the driveway he saw a cat run out of the garage. He said he was pretty sure it was our cat.
I then decided to try the live trap again. I had to know what was eating the food even if it wasnt my cat. I baited the trap with food for 10 nights in a row and got absolutely nothing. At this point about 2 months had passed so I then began to start to lose hope. I was trying to get myself to the mind frame that I wasnt going to see my cat again because thats what I thought. But for some reason I couldnt bring myself to throw out his things. I just packed them up and put them in the garage.
As the days passed I thought about him less but I knew I would never forget him. October passed. November was passing. Then yesterday Nov 19th my phone rang at 9:45AM. I could see on the caller ID that it was our animal hospital. I figured they were calling me to remind me that my cat was overdue for his yearly shots. The vet who called identified himself and asked if I was Glenn. I said I was. He then said, "we have your cat". I almost dropped the phone, I was dumbfounded. It turns out he had made his way over to the subdivision just to the west of mine. The lady who brought him in to the vet had been feeding him for over a month but couldnt bring him in the house because her husband was allergic to cats. She could see he was friendly and on this day finally decided to take him in and see if he was chipped.
Surprisingly he had only lost 1/2 pound but did have fleas. The vet said he would treat the fleas, give him his shots and that I could pick him up later that afternoon. I picked him up and brought him home. He is eating like a horse and sleeping a lot. I know he has been thru a traumatic experience so Im going to just leave him be and let him get used to things here again at his own speed. I can tell he is still a little confused with what is going on in his life now.
So thats my story. I wanted those who have missing pets to read and know you cant give up hope like I did. I know every missing pet wont return and I thought mine was going to be one of those. But here he is, sleeping next to me on the couch.

Glenn

Pooping outside the box (I've tried EVERYTHING) :(

kaihire — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:24:58 GMT

Hi everyone. I'm at my wits' end and I hope that this place can provide some more ideas for me to try.

Here's a little background:

I adopted Luna, a 10yo Himalayan, last year. I don't know much about her past life except that she was abused (she's missing almost all of her teeth because they were kicked out of her head) and not very well tended (she arrived with horrible dental problems on top of the broken-off teeth, matted fur, a positive heartworm screen, and the absolute worst case of ringworm I have ever seen). So far the heartworm appears to have either been a false-positive or something she was just exposed to, because her health is fine. The ringworm is long gone, she's been properly vetted, her fur is now glorious, etc. She's a healthy, happy kitty. The only problem she currently has is a recent diagnosis of acanthomatous epilus in the gingiva by her lower incisors; she had an excision and for now, it hasn't recurred. I know it's a matter of time, especially at her age, but I want her to have the best quality of life possible.

Luna was understandably VERY shy when she first arrived. I live alone in a large studio apartment in a quiet building. It took me months of treats, gently pulling her out of hiding to hold her, etc to finally bring her around. She's much more gregarious now--she'll jump up to join me on the couch, purrs up a storm when she's held, rolls over for belly rubs, and keeps up a constant stream of conversation with me. She still feels more secure in "secluded" places to spend the night, but usually likes to find places where she can keep an eye on me, in case any treats fall out of my pocket. ;)

Luna has always peed in her box religiously. In the time I've had her, she had one accident in which she urinated on the couch (a loud noise outside startled her) and when we moved apartments half a year ago, she pooped the first day in the middle of the floor. However, she's intermittently been pooping outside of the litterbox (literally right outside it) for a while, and for the past three weeks, it's been daily.

Luna eats a high-quality high-protein/low-carb wet food (Solid Gold) and gets a few Tbsp of dry (also Solid Gold) as a treat in the morning. I give her Greenies treats, a few a day. Her bowel movements are regular and of appropriate consistency, and very low-odor (yay for good food).

I have tried just about everything. She's obviously been to the vet, who said it wasn't any health-related cause. I added a second box, tried switching litters, spent a week dumping out and putting in brand new litter every day and scrubbing the boxes clean in between (horribly expensive--and it didn't work). I use a nonscented clumping litter, which she likes the best out of the litters I've tried (I can hear her digging in it much more than she did in the others). I clean the boxes twice a day. She'll urinate in both boxes, but will defecate on the floor like clockwork. This is almost always when I'm asleep (a present in the morning) or in the afternoon when I'm not home (a present after work). I have tried scrubbing the tile where she's pooped with enzymatic cleaners and citrus oils; I've tried moving one of the boxes OVER the spot she pooped to see if she'd poop in it instead.

Nope. She just finds another patch of floor.

I heard that as cats get older, their joints can get stiff. One of the boxes has VERY low sides. The other has higher sides, to encourage her to have privacy. I've tried both low and high depths of litter in both boxes. Nothing is working.

I thought maybe it was because she'd peed in the box, but often there'll be a pee clump in one box, the other box will be empty, and poop on the floor. Sometimes both boxes are completely clean and untouched, and there's poop on the floor.

She's pooped in the boxes in the past, at least almost consistently. Now she's not anymore. The ONLY thing that changed is that my partner, who lives overseas, was home for a week about a month ago. Luna was fine (she loves my partner), but since then has pooped in her boxes literally once. I don't know if she just misses my partner (or just having someone home during the day), but I can't help that situation.

Please, please, please help. :( I'm going through boxes of gloves and cleaning products, and I just want my kitty to poop in the box again. Is there anything else I can try? :rbheart:

poor starving boys

pushylady — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:46:14 GMT

Usually, the first and most important thing we do in the morning is feed the cats. However, this week they have both been forgoing breakfast for the sake of watching the little squirrel who has discovered the bounty on my balcony. It's quite amazing that they both rush to the window when I let them out, and neither are interested in food until Mr Squirrel leaves! :lol3:

RIP Ty

mews2much — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:48:11 GMT

I am sorry to have to post this.
Ty had to be pts today because there was no hope.
He was loved by all of us and will be missed.

Somepics of Candy

Ruthyb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:36:44 GMT

Here are 3 pics of my kitty Candy, she has recentely been diagnosed with the feline equivalent of downs syndome- she is 6 years old and such a cutie and very special to me.x

This one is so funny, I didn't realise till after I took the pic she had her tongue out:lol3:

I found out who the whisker chomper is!

Jupeycat — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:22:13 GMT

A few months ago we took Emmy to the vets for her check up and the vet wanted to know why her whiskers had been cut on one side of her face - we'd only noticed it ourselves that morning and had no clue how it had happened. Last week we found out who the culprit is - Jupey!!! One minute he was washing her face and the next he was going in for a major chomp!

So tell me, who has a cat or cats that bite off their other cats' whiskers?

Neuter, Spray, and Vacination questions

uluagirl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:03:50 GMT

Dear forum friends,

To make the story short, I took Mei mei and Coffee for the physical examination prior to neuter and spray yesterday and the front desk gave me an estimate of "extras" I have to pay prior to their surgery. The clinic request that both of my cats need to be tested for FIV and FeLV ($128 more) and that mei mei needs to receive both the intranasal FVCRP and injectable FVCRP on the day of surgery.

Turns out even I have purchased the Neuter Now certificate for both cats ($90) that is supposed to cover their neutering, I still have to pay $300 extra to proceed with the surgery. I called the other clinic which also participated in the Neuter Now program sponsored by the state and the Humane Society, they are going to charge $250 more for each cat.

I am a graduate student and I really don't have savings hanging around to spend. On top of that, I am curious why the vet needs to give Mei mei the same vaccine on the same day through different means. They said since mei mei has not been up to date for vaccinations, she needs the intranasal one to protect them (Yes, protect them). Then the injectable one is for her.

Is the FIV test and the double vaccination a common procedure in her case or I am just paranoid that the vet tries to get more money? I actually like the clinic and the vet since she only sees cats and was very friendly. The only thing is the front desk is very firm. Basically I just have to let them do thoese procedures and pay more money to have my cats fixed. Could you give me any thoughts?

Thank you

height = attitude?

killerapple — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:37:07 GMT

I apologize if this is a stupid question in advance.

I have 2 pet cockatiels and I know that if they are up too high, they do get an attitude that they are dominant over you - that they are the flock leader. I was wondering if this also applies to cats.

We got this scratching post/stand for Batman (7 months old) that actually goes all the way our 7 foot ceilings - it has the base and then 3 perches he can sit on and a rubber thing that does stick to the ceiling so it can't topple over. I got it so he could have some vertical climbing space. If he's on the top perch, he's basically slightly above our head level!

He likes to get on that top perch, wait for us to walk by, then smack us in the head. :rolleyes:

I thought this was cute at first, but I am wondering if it's going to give him an attitude?

Before we had this huge post, he would hide behind something, wait for us to walk by, then smack us in the leg. 90% of the time his claws are not out and he's probably just playing, but I want to make sure this isn't an issue.

Here is the post - this was taken the 1st day and he wasn't quite comfortable with it. Now he is usually on that higher perch. It is quite safe in case anyone is wondering. :)

Let me know if this tall stand is a bad idea or if he's just having fun. :)

Drywall From China

SwampWitch — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:25:22 GMT

Evidently it's in a lot of homes now and is making people sick. (This drywall was also imported to Vancouver so Canada's not immune.)

The problem is enormous. It’s estimated that as many as 100,000 homes across the country, built between 2004 and 2008, could have defective and potentially dangerous Chinese drywall.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33622643/

From US Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Residents reported premature failures of central air conditioning system evaporator coils located indoors in the air handling unit and intermittent failure of appliances and/or electronic devices. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) staff inspections have noted corrosion of bare copper electrical wiring and the presence of sooty material on electrical wires (CPSC, 2009). Tarnishing and pitting of other metallic surfaces have also been observed in the affected homes in Florida and Louisiana by state and federal investigators.

Consumers in affected homes have reported various health-related symptoms including persistent coughs, bloody and runny noses, headaches, difficulty in breathing and irritated itchy eyes and skin. The most common symptoms reported among children (< 18 years of age) were respiratory infection, headache, dry cough, nosebleeds and eye irritation/redness. For both adults and children the most common“other” symptom reported was allergies/sinus/congestion. Many of these residents reported that the symptoms lessen or go away entirely when they leave their homes and return when they re-enter their homes (CPSC, 2009). In an informal survey of more than 400 callers to LADHH, the most common complaint reported was the presence of sulfur-like or other unusual odors.

http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/TabC.pdf

I can see that USCPSC would test for sulfur and chemicals that could be causing the problems, but no one seems to realize that the problems might be from a chemical or additive nobody's thought to test the drywall for!

Reminder Lessons From My Cats

GloriaJH — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:16:30 GMT

Today, through my own fault, the washing machine leaked all over the laundry room floor. I had to take the cat litter cabinet, and many other things, out into the hall in order to get to all the water under and behind the machine. What a mess! Stuff all over the place! Ugh!

While I was grumping about all the mess I couldn't help but notice that the cats thought all this "new" relocated stuff was the greatest fun to climb over, and play around - including the new location of their litter pan. :rolleyes:

Lesson:
- sometimes my mess is someone else's fun - it's fun to share
- not to take life so seriously - it can be fun if I'll let it,
... so I should be glad for the opportunity to laugh at those silly, delightful cats showing me the way to a better day :)

They remind me about so many things about life - I'm blessed to live with these lively reminders - stress is a killer and the cats certainly remind me about what is truly not a big deal. :)

Cats refuse to eat canned food

Nekochan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:07:57 GMT

Anyone have any advice on how to get a cat to eat canned food?

I have 3 cats who refused to touch canned food. They were from the same litter. I try to put out canned food, put them in front of it to show it to them, put it on my finger to try to get them to lick it off, but they refuse it. I even tried putting it on top of the dry food but they just stopped eating it when I tried that.