Recent Content by arlo haarsma

Thank you so much Callista.  I appreciate the advice.  I will implement several of those ideas together.  We are currently in the process of constructing a ramp up to a perch by a window.

oh thank you purrfectlycat....I love the kind words.  I had always wanted to be a writer but I was never sure I could make the grade.  It is good and motivational to hear these things from you. L...come on...really?  spatula joke?  lol...thank you - you rock

It was around 3 in the afternoon that I woke up ready for a new day.  I had been getting up earlier these days most likely due to the stress of leading this group on this adventure to "who knows where".  I stretched my front legs out far in front of me and made a huge yawn...phew...a few more...

I am still deciphering you post LDG...lots of questions there.  I think our biggest hurdle for my wife to overcome is that she almost lost our Shih-tzu to bladder crystals, and the operating doctor told her in order to maintain the health of the animal it hust adhere to an expensive script...

i am familiar with haptic lipidosis.  It is a rapidly growing field of study in humans now secondary to the explosion of obesity.  In humans it is studied in patients with NAFLD.  Funny how people and cats have interesting unique things in common and then other things we are vastly different...

I would contact my vet to be sure.  I found a couple of peer reviewed studies on refeeding syndrome in cats and although not as severe as in humans it is still a concern and can be life threatening.  I urge you to not allow momma cat to eat whatever she wants and as much as she wants until you...

I only know about human physiology, but you may want to google "refeeding syndrome" as it is a very real concern in humans.  Not sure about cats, but here is the premise.  A person starves for a long period of time so the body compensates in a nearly magical way maintaining nutrient levels...

yikes...Cher is on 100% kibble...I see what you are saying and where this could go.  Water is so important.

thank you for the advice about starving a cat into eating.  I never knew that before.  Good to know.  Apparently cats do not ahve the same glycogen stores we do.  Cher is on dry kibble btw.  We decided not to feed her wet food when we got her as she was used to dry kibble.

"Is that it?" pleaded the wide eyed kitties?  They were like clay in my paw.  I sat there silent and watched the campfire glow in their eyes.  The crackle of sap popping in the fire played off the silence wonderfully.  "There is more but you kittens must be getting bored with an old cat's...

:(  I am not good with happy endings...I write music too and all my music is sad no matter how happy I start out with.  Kind of how I am wired...No I am not EMO or anything I just express negative feelings easier - I find them more evocative.  I could sit here for an hour trying to write a happy...

as an obligate carnivore would a cat not be able to live completely nutritionally sound on meat forever?  If that is so than the only nutrients we would have to really worry about getting into the cat would be the nutrients found in meat.  Cats must be able to make the rest of the nutrients from...

Cher is between 5 and 7...closer to 7 according to vet....and now she eats iams for old cats.

amen - speak great wisdom yes they do