Tell us how many years of cat experience you have, how many cats you have, the oldest cat you ever had?
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How old are you and how many cats do you have, how long have you owned cats?
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I am 62 and have been a dog person since I was 21. My parents had a couple of cats because we rented, they were more accepted. One cat ran away, one got diabetes, and one got urinary blockages. No one knew how bad dry food was back then. So the oldest was 12 when put down. I now care for my dad who is 92. I stay with him and there are a lot of ferals on the street. I did TNR for 5 of them and two decided to stay, they are 4 and 6 now. I love them both and so do my old 14 year old dogs. I have been out of the cat loop for many years since I always had dogs. I will be asking a lot of questions of everyone who has had cats for years.
When I moved out of my parents house at 19 and bought my condo, I adopted 2 kittens, Malibu and Tequila. Tequila *RIP* died when she was 2. Like you and many others, I used to free-feed a dry food diet and didn't realize that she had a problem and was not eating until it was too late. 3 days after an emergency vet visit/stay and a few thousand dollars later, Tequila died from Hepatic Lipidosis. I never found out the cause.
I will be 28 next month and Malibu is 8 and a half. I also picked up a stray baby kitten (Kali) a few years ago and she is now 3 and a half. I transitioned them both to a raw diet a few months ago and I feel like I am much more vigilant about their health and well-being than my 19 year old self was.
I expect (and hope) that my cats live well into their 20's. I also have pet insurance for Malibu in the event that something terrible happens, I won't be strapped for money like I was when Tequila was in the hospital. I will get insurance for Kali as well when she turns 8. Until then...
I will be 28 next month and Malibu is 8 and a half. I also picked up a stray baby kitten (Kali) a few years ago and she is now 3 and a half. I transitioned them both to a raw diet a few months ago and I feel like I am much more vigilant about their health and well-being than my 19 year old self was.
I expect (and hope) that my cats live well into their 20's. I also have pet insurance for Malibu in the event that something terrible happens, I won't be strapped for money like I was when Tequila was in the hospital. I will get insurance for Kali as well when she turns 8. Until then...
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Hmmmm..... I'm 46 (ok, that's the easy part). Now cats.
I've almost always had at least one cat, there is actually a baby picture of me sleeping in the cat's bed, while the cat was looking at me like "what the heck?".
Let's see, we had Buffy (buff tabby) and Avalanche (Odd-eyed Maine Coon), then "my" first cat was an outside cat that had a bunch of houses it would frequent. He was B&W, and came to our house to be fed occasionally, when it was raining or snowing (because he knew I would sneak him in in hide him under my covers) or when he had gotten into a really bad fight and needed medical attention. I think at one point, we had all three at the same time - I was in grade school. Then I adopted Cassie (dilute calico) from a shelter when I was in HS, she was "my" cat - she lived until cancer took her at 11.
Then when I moved out I adopted Poncho (tabby spotted mix) from a shelter, he really enjoyed going outside so we would let him but he was a hunter at heart and I think a neighbor with a bird sanctuary did something nerfarious to him - he just vanished one day. Broke my heart, he was a great cat and only a few years old.
Then when I was engaged, we adopted Lenny (tux) and Cleo (torti, who everyone here knows as Roni, that's her nickname). Marriage never happened, but when I moved out I took both cats (even tho he wanted to split them up, um - no) and just lost Len at 18 and Roni is still with me at 18.
In a nutshell: 46 yrs old, cat experience from day one, at least 7 cats that I can think of. The most was three at one point. I only have Roni now.
I've almost always had at least one cat, there is actually a baby picture of me sleeping in the cat's bed, while the cat was looking at me like "what the heck?".
Let's see, we had Buffy (buff tabby) and Avalanche (Odd-eyed Maine Coon), then "my" first cat was an outside cat that had a bunch of houses it would frequent. He was B&W, and came to our house to be fed occasionally, when it was raining or snowing (because he knew I would sneak him in in hide him under my covers) or when he had gotten into a really bad fight and needed medical attention. I think at one point, we had all three at the same time - I was in grade school. Then I adopted Cassie (dilute calico) from a shelter when I was in HS, she was "my" cat - she lived until cancer took her at 11.
Then when I moved out I adopted Poncho (tabby spotted mix) from a shelter, he really enjoyed going outside so we would let him but he was a hunter at heart and I think a neighbor with a bird sanctuary did something nerfarious to him - he just vanished one day. Broke my heart, he was a great cat and only a few years old.
Then when I was engaged, we adopted Lenny (tux) and Cleo (torti, who everyone here knows as Roni, that's her nickname). Marriage never happened, but when I moved out I took both cats (even tho he wanted to split them up, um - no) and just lost Len at 18 and Roni is still with me at 18.
In a nutshell: 46 yrs old, cat experience from day one, at least 7 cats that I can think of. The most was three at one point. I only have Roni now.
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17: had cats as barn cats and pets and just recently wanted one as a little more than that.
I started my research and now every thinks I am crazy because I feed my kitten on a schedule; demand she have the best toys, food, and care; and have a harness and leash for her. Where I live feeding above the dollar store brand is a shock. Researching litter? Ridiculed! Ha.
I started my research and now every thinks I am crazy because I feed my kitten on a schedule; demand she have the best toys, food, and care; and have a harness and leash for her. Where I live feeding above the dollar store brand is a shock. Researching litter? Ridiculed! Ha.
I'm 23. I've had cats for as long as I can remember. My mom had a cat, Hailie, before I was born and I grew up with her. She lived to be 19 and passed away when I was in 5th grade. We had another, Molly, but had to give her away due to "allergies" (bad doctor) when I was 5 or 6. After Hailie died, my parents got me a dog for my 10th birthday. She's still kickin' it at the ripe old age of 14, back home in Canada with my mom.
Now living in GA, there were 4 cats on the farm when I moved in here with my boyfriend. One has since passed away and we have kept 3 others from litters of kittens. Now they're all in the process of being spayed and neutered. So far the males and one female have been altered. Along with our two dogs, this will be it until they all go over the Rainbow Bridge.
Now living in GA, there were 4 cats on the farm when I moved in here with my boyfriend. One has since passed away and we have kept 3 others from litters of kittens. Now they're all in the process of being spayed and neutered. So far the males and one female have been altered. Along with our two dogs, this will be it until they all go over the Rainbow Bridge.
39, and I've had cats all of my life. I didn't know much about cat nutrition, behaviour, and etc until recent years. It started with my black cat developing an aggressive mouth cancer after using BioSpot and then Grey developing health conditions. I couldn't change what happened with them, but I can make a difference with these cats.
59, with six of the little kibblekrunchers. I've had cats since I was 5 or 6 anyway. The most we had at one time was eight. We feel most comfortable, both emotionally and financially, with six at a time.
Three of our cats have lived to be over 20 years old: Hydrox, Whisper, and Bootser. Bootser made it to 21 years and 6 months.
Our "kittens" will be 19 years old in February. BooBoo and Ms. Pepe were two of Whisper's last litter of five kittens and they were born in a laundry basket in our bedroom with Rick watching over Whisper and me out in the hallway with Hydrox and Banshee while Whisper was giving birth. They're the last of the litter and still doing very well.
Three of our cats have lived to be over 20 years old: Hydrox, Whisper, and Bootser. Bootser made it to 21 years and 6 months.
Our "kittens" will be 19 years old in February. BooBoo and Ms. Pepe were two of Whisper's last litter of five kittens and they were born in a laundry basket in our bedroom with Rick watching over Whisper and me out in the hallway with Hydrox and Banshee while Whisper was giving birth. They're the last of the litter and still doing very well.
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You have some longevity with your cats Winchester. What is your secret, what brand food do you feed?
Bonepicker, believe me, I know how lucky we are with the kids. Hydrox had breast cancer and had an operation when he was one month shy of his 20th birthday and came through surgery with flying colors. But the cancer came back and we didn't want to put him through another surgery at his age. Whisper died from thyroid problems and the beginning of kidney issues. Bootser, our longest living kitty, also passed from thyroid problems and the beginning of kidney issues. Whisper and Bootser were litter-sisters and I swear their longevity came from their genes and, since Boo and Pepe are Whisper's kids, I think they'll be around for a few more years yet. We hope so, anyway.
Those two "kittens" are fine with the exception that BooBoo is now deaf and we think Pepe may be going deaf as well. Boo has some allergies that we treat with a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot every 4 months or so. They both have a bit of arthritis and we're treating that with Dausuquin for cats. They run around with the other cats and play with the laser lights and with Da Bird. They do sleep a lot, though, and, as far as we're concerned, they've earned the right to nap all day if they want. Luckily, they are willing to play. And they still love their catnip yet, too; they're still more than willing to join in with the catnip parties we have regularly. We noticed that Boo doesn't seem to be cleaning himself quite as much as he used to, so I've started to use the brush on him more often than before....he still loves to be brushed (and so does Pepe). We do what we can for them.
We feed Friskies Buffet cans (1/3 of a can twice a day for each cat), Purina Indoor Dry, and Hills TD dry. Muffin gets Friskies Indoor Delights. They get dry several times a day in between their two main meals, but I don't free-feed. Bottled spring water only; we even buy the ice for their water dishes from a local ice house in town....we don't use our ice made from water in our well.
My sister currently has seven cats and her two oldest lived to be 21 years old, too, before they had to be euthanized.
She also feeds Friskies Buffet cans (1/7 of a can twice a day for each cat) and she free-feeds Meow Mix; she has eight bowls of dry food out all the time for her clan. They drink regular city water.
Those two "kittens" are fine with the exception that BooBoo is now deaf and we think Pepe may be going deaf as well. Boo has some allergies that we treat with a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot every 4 months or so. They both have a bit of arthritis and we're treating that with Dausuquin for cats. They run around with the other cats and play with the laser lights and with Da Bird. They do sleep a lot, though, and, as far as we're concerned, they've earned the right to nap all day if they want. Luckily, they are willing to play. And they still love their catnip yet, too; they're still more than willing to join in with the catnip parties we have regularly. We noticed that Boo doesn't seem to be cleaning himself quite as much as he used to, so I've started to use the brush on him more often than before....he still loves to be brushed (and so does Pepe). We do what we can for them.
We feed Friskies Buffet cans (1/3 of a can twice a day for each cat), Purina Indoor Dry, and Hills TD dry. Muffin gets Friskies Indoor Delights. They get dry several times a day in between their two main meals, but I don't free-feed. Bottled spring water only; we even buy the ice for their water dishes from a local ice house in town....we don't use our ice made from water in our well.
My sister currently has seven cats and her two oldest lived to be 21 years old, too, before they had to be euthanized.
She also feeds Friskies Buffet cans (1/7 of a can twice a day for each cat) and she free-feeds Meow Mix; she has eight bowls of dry food out all the time for her clan. They drink regular city water.
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Do your cats go out and do you feel that grain free food is not necessary for health! The reason I ask is that is what everyone talks about!
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Everyone keeps telling me the grain is what causes diabetes and blockages, do you find that to be true?
I'm 55. We always had cats and dogs growing up. I think the most cats we had at once was six. When I moved away from home, though, I had no pets for about a dozen years. Then when my young stepson moved in with us, he did the inevitable--came home with a kitten and did the "can we keep her?" routine. LOL So she was my 'only child' and best friend for 18 years. We tried over the years to take in a stray here and there but the Queen would have none of it, so we were a one cat household all that time.
It was a hard loss when she passed. Three months later, though, we were at the SPCA getting kittens. Ended up with three of them. They're all around five years old now. And then we took in four elder cats when a friend died, so we had seven for about a year. One of them has passed on, and now we have a little tribe of six--three five year olds, an eleven year old, a fifteen year old and one grand old man who's 18 and a few months.
It was a hard loss when she passed. Three months later, though, we were at the SPCA getting kittens. Ended up with three of them. They're all around five years old now. And then we took in four elder cats when a friend died, so we had seven for about a year. One of them has passed on, and now we have a little tribe of six--three five year olds, an eleven year old, a fifteen year old and one grand old man who's 18 and a few months.
I honestly don't know. I only know that we always do what we can for the furkids. We always fed Friskies cans. Always. My mom did and so does my sister. Usually it's the pate, but some of the cats enjoy the shreds and the bits and such, so we accommodate them. Not often, but we do.
Hydrox had crystals. Twice. The first time I had no idea what was going on; I just knew he needed help. Took him to the vet and he was cathed for about a week. At that point, they recommended changing his canned food to something lower in ash. Well, he wouldn't eat it. He would starve before he'd eat that food. I felt so sorry for him. What good does the food do if he won't eat it? I changed him back to Friskies and he was fine. That's when I started giving him bottled spring water, too. Nobody told me to do that; I just figured it couldn't hurt. He was fine for years. And then one morning, I ran out of bottled water. I figured one tiny little 1/4 cup of regular wouldn't hurt. And I was wrong. He immediately blocked back up. This time, though, I knew what it was, and immediately took him down to the vet. He was cathed, but not for long because I got it right away. He never had regular water after that. None of our cats do.....they all drink bottled spring water. (I don't offer distilled because distilled doesn't have any minerals in it and I feel that they need some of the minerals in the spring water. I should add, too, that spring water is exactly that; it is not municipal water that has been bottled. I've always been very careful about that.)
And despite what our vet said about him needing only the low-ash food, he lived to be over 20 years old on Friskies, all kinds of the Friskies; he wasn't restricted to just pate because he loved all the cans. The only time he had any bladder problems was on well water. I'm not saying it definitely was the water in Hydrox's case, but yeah, I'd be more inclined to think of the water as the culprit, simply because he was OK on spring water. But I don't know that for sure.
The vet knows that we give only bottled spring water to the cats. He's OK with it....I mean, he has to be at this point. Our cats are all fine. And I know that they've talked to some of their other patients about the spring water, too. They're not mandating bottled spring water, but they do suggest it.
Our cats all have blood work done annually....there's no diabetes with any of them. It's never been an issue. *knock on wood*
When we first got Mollipop as a wee kitten, I wanted to do the "right thing" by her and start her off on a good kitten food. I tried Blue Buffalo. Nope, she wouldn't eat it. I tried Taste of the Wild. Nope. I tried all the so-called premium kitten foods. And she refused them all. Sure, she'd eat them for one meal or so. But that was it. She wouldn't go back a second time. And she needed to eat. So I put her on Friskies, too. She was fine. So was Tabby when she came into the house as a kitten. It was Friskies all the way.
I know this sounds like an ad for Friskies Buffet. It's not. I'm simply telling you what we've done for the past almost 30 years now with our cats. They get canned and they get dry. It's the best we can do. The three youngsters get an annual physical; the oldsters get check-ups every six months, except for BooBoo who now goes to the vet every 4 months for seasonal allergy problems. Once they get through kittenhood, they get no vaccines other than rabies, and the only reason they get the rabies shot is because it's the law in Pennsylvania.
None of our cats go outside. I used to take hem out on leashes and harnesses, but they don't get flea stuff, so they stay indoors. I don't believe in cats being outside at all. Again, that's my decision and that's how I feel. Others may feel differently and that's OK, too.
Hydrox had crystals. Twice. The first time I had no idea what was going on; I just knew he needed help. Took him to the vet and he was cathed for about a week. At that point, they recommended changing his canned food to something lower in ash. Well, he wouldn't eat it. He would starve before he'd eat that food. I felt so sorry for him. What good does the food do if he won't eat it? I changed him back to Friskies and he was fine. That's when I started giving him bottled spring water, too. Nobody told me to do that; I just figured it couldn't hurt. He was fine for years. And then one morning, I ran out of bottled water. I figured one tiny little 1/4 cup of regular wouldn't hurt. And I was wrong. He immediately blocked back up. This time, though, I knew what it was, and immediately took him down to the vet. He was cathed, but not for long because I got it right away. He never had regular water after that. None of our cats do.....they all drink bottled spring water. (I don't offer distilled because distilled doesn't have any minerals in it and I feel that they need some of the minerals in the spring water. I should add, too, that spring water is exactly that; it is not municipal water that has been bottled. I've always been very careful about that.)
And despite what our vet said about him needing only the low-ash food, he lived to be over 20 years old on Friskies, all kinds of the Friskies; he wasn't restricted to just pate because he loved all the cans. The only time he had any bladder problems was on well water. I'm not saying it definitely was the water in Hydrox's case, but yeah, I'd be more inclined to think of the water as the culprit, simply because he was OK on spring water. But I don't know that for sure.
The vet knows that we give only bottled spring water to the cats. He's OK with it....I mean, he has to be at this point. Our cats are all fine. And I know that they've talked to some of their other patients about the spring water, too. They're not mandating bottled spring water, but they do suggest it.
Our cats all have blood work done annually....there's no diabetes with any of them. It's never been an issue. *knock on wood*
When we first got Mollipop as a wee kitten, I wanted to do the "right thing" by her and start her off on a good kitten food. I tried Blue Buffalo. Nope, she wouldn't eat it. I tried Taste of the Wild. Nope. I tried all the so-called premium kitten foods. And she refused them all. Sure, she'd eat them for one meal or so. But that was it. She wouldn't go back a second time. And she needed to eat. So I put her on Friskies, too. She was fine. So was Tabby when she came into the house as a kitten. It was Friskies all the way.
I know this sounds like an ad for Friskies Buffet. It's not. I'm simply telling you what we've done for the past almost 30 years now with our cats. They get canned and they get dry. It's the best we can do. The three youngsters get an annual physical; the oldsters get check-ups every six months, except for BooBoo who now goes to the vet every 4 months for seasonal allergy problems. Once they get through kittenhood, they get no vaccines other than rabies, and the only reason they get the rabies shot is because it's the law in Pennsylvania.
None of our cats go outside. I used to take hem out on leashes and harnesses, but they don't get flea stuff, so they stay indoors. I don't believe in cats being outside at all. Again, that's my decision and that's how I feel. Others may feel differently and that's OK, too.
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- #15
I love the idea of 2 kittens but then they all get old at the same time which can be very expensive! My friend layers his cats so they are all different ages for that reason.
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I always had dogs growing up and I did not care for cats. Back in 1996 I noticed a stray cat in my yard. I brought some food for it the next day and within a year I had a colony of 25 ferals and 5 of them were pregnant all at the same time. I learned about TNR and was able to get all of them fixed. Back in those days it was so cheap. I could not afford to do it now. I was able to tame a family of 8 of the ferals and I brought them inside. They were all red boys and buff colored and I loved them so so much. I only have 3 of them left now. Two inside and one outside feral. Muffin is 16 and was the mother of my inside cats. Muffy is her daughter and she is 15 years old. They both have kidney disease. My feral is about 14 years old. I would love to have some more red boys but getting another pet is out of the question. I have arthritis really bad and I'm barely able to care for myself.
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I am 47 live in US northeast I have been a dog person all my life till I got my first apartment no more dogs I love both dogs and cats and I have been known to dog sit for my friends dogs while she is at dog shows). I had a cat growing up my dad found in a sack on the side of the road I had her four 18 years. My first cat found me in the parking lot of my building my now ex found my avatar pic in our parking lot she almost hit her. I came out walked wright up to her saw her green eyes and she let me pick her up skin and bones we took her in this was mid Feb so it is cold here she just walked up to me let me pick her up she mine till this month when she crossed the bridge. My ex was always taking in kitten her mothers cat had. We got Mr. Tigger 6 years ago after being fixed we found out he has mega colon now we all know the issues with this I was new to this I am the one who learned no grain no by product grain free food now this was her cat I had one she had one and we where only allowed to have two cats in our apartment and here comes number 3 3 years ago I was told about his mega colon when took to the vet for two enema's because he was way backed up. I have been managing his condition now that he needs extra vet visits and food. Now that he is special diet and stuff she wants nothing to do with him he is mine and momma takes care of him. My second is my friends son cat who I have cared for on and off for three years when she could not now she instead of going to a shelter no way no how and her name is zoey and she is 6 they are both Tabbys Tigger is orange and Zoey is brown and black and tan. They are my baby's and we have moved twice in the last two month now we have our own place.
Tiggers is on grain free merrick he get miralax slippery elm with grooming and diet we can control things for him he has been to the vet twice this year for enemas
Zoey is fine no health issues just abandonment issues from being bounced from home to home now she stable with me
Oh and because I have educated myself on tiggers condition and over protective with him and his diet and trust no one to take care of him if I was to go away my brother calls me crazy cat lady I reached that status. I will say since joining this site I have learn so much on how to care for him and cats in general so I say thank you to every one
I love both dogs and cats and I have been known to dog sit for my friends dogs while she is at dog shows). I had a cat growing up my dad found in a sack on the side of the road I had her four 18 years. My first cat found me in the parking lot of my building my now ex found my avatar pic in our parking lot she almost hit her. I came out walked wright up to her saw her green eyes and she let me pick her up skin and bones we took her in this was mid Feb so it is cold here she just walked up to me let me pick her up she mine till this month when she crossed the bridge. My ex was always taking in kitten her mothers cat had. We got Mr. Tigger 6 years ago after being fixed we found out he has mega colon now we all know the issues with this I was new to this I am the one who learned no grain no by product grain free food now this was her cat I had one she had one and we where only allowed to have two cats in our apartment and here comes number 3 3 years ago I was told about his mega colon when took to the vet for two enema's because he was way backed up. I have been managing his condition now that he needs extra vet visits and food. Now that he is special diet and stuff she wants nothing to do with him he is mine and momma takes care of him. My second is my friends son cat who I have cared for on and off for three years when she could not now she instead of going to a shelter no way no how and her name is zoey and she is 6 they are both Tabbys Tigger is orange and Zoey is brown and black and tan. They are my baby's and we have moved twice in the last two month now we have our own place.Tiggers is on grain free merrick he get miralax slippery elm with grooming and diet we can control things for him he has been to the vet twice this year for enemas
Zoey is fine no health issues just abandonment issues from being bounced from home to home now she stable with me
Oh and because I have educated myself on tiggers condition and over protective with him and his diet and trust no one to take care of him if I was to go away my brother calls me crazy cat lady I reached that status. I will say since joining this site I have learn so much on how to care for him and cats in general so I say thank you to every one
I'm 55. I had no pets growing up. Well, a dog for a week or so but my brother was terrified of it, so we found another home for him.
I lived with a cat in my 30's. She, was my ex-husbands, and went with him when I left him.
So, basically no pets.
Until about 4 years ago when a very good friend was having huge life problems and asked my BF and I if we would be interested in taking in his cat. My BF, has always had pets his entire life and was eager for Casper to come live with us. Since we had been discussing getting a cat anyway, the decision was easy to make. At first, I wasn't sure how to completely handle him but eased into being a cat owner rapidly. We were lucky that he's a great cat, easy going, etc. although was already advanced in age; nearly considered a senior cat at 9-1/2. He's now 13.
We adopted a second cat 1-1/2 years ago. By then, I was becoming way more knowledgeable and incorporating her into our household went pretty well. We don't really know her age, she's a rescue. Probably around 5 years old or so. I don't think older.
I now consider myself fairly well versed in cat behavior and, on some health issues (Casper had a bout of crystals right after we got him, that was a learning curve). I can't believe I lived nearly my whole life up until a few years ago without a cat in it. Hope to have another one at some point, but right now isn't good timing.
I lived with a cat in my 30's. She, was my ex-husbands, and went with him when I left him.
So, basically no pets.
Until about 4 years ago when a very good friend was having huge life problems and asked my BF and I if we would be interested in taking in his cat. My BF, has always had pets his entire life and was eager for Casper to come live with us. Since we had been discussing getting a cat anyway, the decision was easy to make. At first, I wasn't sure how to completely handle him but eased into being a cat owner rapidly. We were lucky that he's a great cat, easy going, etc. although was already advanced in age; nearly considered a senior cat at 9-1/2. He's now 13.
We adopted a second cat 1-1/2 years ago. By then, I was becoming way more knowledgeable and incorporating her into our household went pretty well. We don't really know her age, she's a rescue. Probably around 5 years old or so. I don't think older.
I now consider myself fairly well versed in cat behavior and, on some health issues (Casper had a bout of crystals right after we got him, that was a learning curve). I can't believe I lived nearly my whole life up until a few years ago without a cat in it. Hope to have another one at some point, but right now isn't good timing.
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Actually, that sounds like ideal care! The pate foods, being mindful of minerals in well water, REGULAR check ups...that's key. Friskies is a good food, my kitties just couldn't tolerate it and 9 Lives. Any canned, actually. But dehydrating them into firmer stools with 100% dry wasn't going to be a good plan either.
Just like no one says that you should feed only mac n cheese to a child- for them to be healthy, a diet of Kit n Kaboodle dry only isn't generally going to lend to a healthy cat either. Can you feed some dry to most kitties? Sure. Mine have IBD so I don't. Just like I wouldn't force mac n cheese to someone with gluten intolerance.
I am overweight yet have a enviable lipid profile. Probably from the 1/4 Sicilian in me, because it isn't my diet and smoking and alcohol history. I have 3 skinny friends and all of them have bad lipid profiles, one is bordering on underweight and on Lipitor at 25 years old. Some things are just genetic. But just as we don't say that I should run out and eat a bucket of lard just because my lipid profile is good, I don't suggest we run out and buy ears of corn for our cats. Or a bucket of peas. Or potatoes.
I don't like what goes into a lot of commercial foods, even commercial raw. It's hard enough to trust what's on the shelves for humans! But as mentioned, we do the best we can with the knowledge we obtain from reputable sources. And we move on. Organic, BTW, isn't as safe as everyone thinks. Did you know that nicotine was an acceptable insecticide for years in organic foods? And we're STILL having reports of banned insecticides being used on organic foods? I'm not slighting every organic food out there, just saying that we're still seeing problems. All we can do is the best with what we're given.
I'm 52 and grew up with at least 2 or 3 cats in our household at all times. My father adored them. All were from unwanted neighbors litters. Torties to solid white and every color in between.
After getting my 1st job in 1979 and moving from home to Dallas, I ended up purchasing my first cat, a female Siamese who lived to be 12yrs old. After letting a couple of years pass getting over the loss of my Siamese I actually ended up adopting a doxie-mix rescue who took up all my time for the next 11 years until she passed away in 2004. Fast forward to 2013 when the pull of having another pet was really getting to me, even though we now lived in an RV and traveled in retirement, our boy Si entered the picture at a cookout on the banks of the Mississippi River. Solid black, highly talkative and injured .. I still knew he was The One. What seemed like an eternity later (even though it was only 8mos) we found the perfect kitten and companion for Si at a rescue on the Texas coast.
So we are now owned by 2 black male cats Si - 2yrs old and Monty -1yr old and getting to relive (and at times relearn) all the joy of my upbringing through them. Even my DH, who knew nothing about cats and was quite hesitant to even let us keep Si, is totally enamored with their affectionate behavior, antics and how different their personalities are.
After getting my 1st job in 1979 and moving from home to Dallas, I ended up purchasing my first cat, a female Siamese who lived to be 12yrs old. After letting a couple of years pass getting over the loss of my Siamese I actually ended up adopting a doxie-mix rescue who took up all my time for the next 11 years until she passed away in 2004. Fast forward to 2013 when the pull of having another pet was really getting to me, even though we now lived in an RV and traveled in retirement, our boy Si entered the picture at a cookout on the banks of the Mississippi River. Solid black, highly talkative and injured .. I still knew he was The One. What seemed like an eternity later (even though it was only 8mos) we found the perfect kitten and companion for Si at a rescue on the Texas coast.
So we are now owned by 2 black male cats Si - 2yrs old and Monty -1yr old and getting to relive (and at times relearn) all the joy of my upbringing through them. Even my DH, who knew nothing about cats and was quite hesitant to even let us keep Si, is totally enamored with their affectionate behavior, antics and how different their personalities are.
