New cat owner....poop and general health questions

[tammyp]

Good to hear he had a poo, but sorry to hear he's straining.  Best case scenario, the dry poo has now passed and the rest will be easier.  Do you mix in a little water with his canned? Bad luck about pumpkin and vomiting...do you think it was a definitive cause/worth trying again?  I don't know what is in canned pumpkin (Australian), so i'd make sure there are no other ingredients.  I steam and mash my own, then put 1/4tsp blobs into the ice tray so I have them if/when I need.

Water fountain is good - it attracted my cat.  I was sceptical of the electric hazard too, but the directions made clear it was all good.  We stopped the fountain simply because the type we had needed filters that you had to change every few days and the cost was not good.  Without the filters, the water went bubbly and slimey within a day.  But that's just one fountain...maybe you can start a thread on fountains people recommend in your country?

A little cooked chicken (human grade) is good for a few days.  Found it is best to boil it rather than microwave as microwave cooks unevenly.  I would avoid the beef just at the moment.  Chicken is easier to digest.  Once he gets into a healthy phase you can try the beef and see if he goes well with it.  And give him the fresh meat raw as soon as he is over this phase - it retains far more nutrients and moisture.  Freeze for 3 days first to be super safe that all bugs are killed off.

Yes, cats seem to like fish!  We should only feed fish at most 2 times a week as it lacks taurine (this is in meat).  Raw fish also has an enzyme that destroys thiamine, but cooking it neutralises this enzyme.  And deep sea predator fish have a heavy metal risk.  But I do use tuna packed in WATER when I need to stimulate appetite, and its nice and easy to add more water to it, which my cat laps up with relish.  Even if you split a can over 2 meals, you can add water to the 'dried out' bit and it is nicely revived.  For that matter, if you are eating tuna, you can always give him the juice - a good way for more hydration, but make sure it is not packed in salt or other flavours!  I don't feed tuna in oil - there is too much oil, and my cat doesn't like it.  My breeder has suggested adding a 1/2tsp of olive oil to Kato's wet food in times of constipation; this is just a small amount in comparison to what a tuna in oil can will have- but read that site I sent you as this will only work for certain causes of constipation.  Another good fish to feed once per week is sardines - again, packed in fresh water.

Good to hear he is playing!!  Give him a real toy to 'kill' toward the end of the elusive laser light play, and he will be much more satisfied 

 

[dianajune]

Tammy,

I'm happy to say that since my last post, Pumpkin had another poop, and a decent one at that!  At least five times what he had last night, w/o any straining!  The laxatone must have finally kicked in.  He seems more playful this morning and chased his laser light again (not much, but it's a start).

I ordered another toy for him and it should arrive in today's mail. It's a battery-operated wind up cat toy that I hope he'll chase all over my small apartment.  We don't have much room here, so I try to get him to play as much as possible. He could use the exercise.  I'm looking for another apartment and hope to be in a larger place soon, with plenty of room for the both of us.

Pumpkin has a couple of large catnip rats that he used to toss around,but he hasn't paid them much attention lately.  I've had them for awhile.  Can catnip wear off after awhile?  It may be time to get him another one.  

I didn't know that raw chicken would be safe for him to eat as long as it's frozen first.  Does this pertain to other meats as well?  I don't have any chicken on hand but can get some.

The canned pumpkin I gave him had no other ingredients.   He made it clear he doesn't want to try it again, so I don't want to push it.

Thanks for listening!

Diana

 

[kalpanakitteh]

Yeah Pumpkin!

I know from personal experience how strange it is to be giddy with relief at seeing an overdue cat poop in the box.

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about raw, I do know that catnip does in fact wear off after a while. Sometimes crushing or squeezing the catnip-filled toy will release more of its scent and get the furry one going. But periodically, I have to buy new ones. I've also read and seen for myself that even with non-catnip toys, rotation is necessary. They get bored with the same-old same-old. I second the earlier suggestion from tammyp about having a physical toy to bite and wrestle with at the end of laser light play. I remember reading that they frustrated and disinterested in they never get a hold of their "prey".

I very highly recommend the Cat Dancer. Its cheap and has proven irresistible to my cats and great for really exercising them. BUT, a word of caution, at the beginning each play session with the Cat Dancer, count the little brown paper rolls to make sure none are missing, (1 on handle, 5 on end = 6 total). Be sure to really check the 5th one at end. The very strong wire that composes the body of the toy is twisted around that one only once. (The manufacturer should really wrap it around 2 or 3 times). It is very strong wire, and usually hold that end one just fine, but once I checked and that paper wad had fallen off and the pointy wire was exposed. Obviously that's not something I wanted to be waving at the cat. I carefully threw that one out and replaced it, thankfully they are cheap. After a lot of  vigorous play, some of the other paper rolls can fall off. I even had one little brown paper "cigar" fall off after just a few uses, (must have been a dud). At the time, Mithu has been exhibiting some Pica behavior and it became this huge quest to find the darn thing and examine his poop to see if he passed it! Wow, this is not sounding like a recommendation. And yet, it is.

I mention all the toy stuff, b/c I know that when something is amiss with the beastie, (or when I'm worried it is), I'm always relieved when I see him really playing, running and jumping around.

Also, my cat happens to love plain canned pumpkin, but I noticed he preferred one brand over the other. Strangely enough, he preferred Libbey's to the fancy organic stuff.

 

[raintyger]

Good to hear Pumpkin is pooping! And you are lucky that hand stimulation seems to help!

Although raw food is in general a better diet, right now I don't know if you should switch to raw food. Kitties on raw food will have bowel movements less, that's just how it works. I have a kitty working through constipation problems right now, and I don't want to switch her to raw food just yet because I want to establish what her normal bowel movement pattern is. That way I will know if it has been too long, even considering she is on raw. For now I would try to get her eating wet food as much as possible.

The water fountain I bought did have some precautions about electrical hazards, but no more than what I would expect from any electrical product. You do have to clean it regularly to keep algae and other growth out. If you get one, make sure the store will accept returns of used products if the pet doesn't take to it. My kitty did not, and I was fortunate that the store took it back since I had bleach cleaned it and dried it thoroughly. To get more water into my kitty I just add water to pate style wet food.

 

[tammyp]

Yay!! Great news!  

What Raintyger said about settling into wet (canned) food and no kibble, before attempting a full raw transition seems sensible to me.  If you want to give say one meal raw, the rest canned, I'm pretty sure that would be ok poo consistency/frequency wise too.  On the cat front here, we feed 1 meal canned and 3 meals raw each day (I have a super athlete!), and the reason we keep one canned meal is because we found it helped with the poos.  Having said that, were we to persist with full raw, the cat's digestive system would adapt well...it takes a little time.  There is reason to suggest that transition to raw should be done from a canned diet, and not to feed both raw and kibble due to the chemical changes that occur in the gut being in direct conflict (kibble=alkaline gut, meat=acidic gut).  But that is just for your interest and for the future once these immediate issues are settled!  Oh, and yes, freezing for 3 days will make any raw human-grade meat safe (except for nervous system tissues like brain if you are in a country exposed to mad cow disease, as these cannot be killed off even by cooking - most likely you won't even be able to buy them due to the danger to people).

And yeah, as Kalpanakitteh answered, catnip has a shelf life.  Given that you are in America?? I think these 'nips' would be really interesting to try and allow variety too.  (Unforutnately, strict quarantine laws in Australia mean I can't try them).  http://www.wayofcats.com/our-shop

And if you are looking for toys, our best ones are things involving a human on the other end 

  We vouch for 'Da bird', then make our own things to put on the end - simply unclip 'Da bird' and clip on (or tie on - or bandaid on!) something else.  Fave at the moment is the plastic milk ring from the top of the milk bottle!  Also, good value and very robust are the hex nanobugs - meant as toys for people, these are fascinating and safe for cats, and awesome if you need to occupy the cat but don't have the energy (won't work on carpet though).

I hope things just keep getting better and better!!

 

[dianajune]

Yeah Pumpkin!

I know from personal experience how strange it is to be giddy with relief at seeing an overdue cat poop in the box.

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about raw, I do know that catnip does in fact wear off after a while. Sometimes crushing or squeezing the catnip-filled toy will release more of its scent and get the furry one going. But periodically, I have to buy new ones. I've also read and seen for myself that even with non-catnip toys, rotation is necessary. They get bored with the same-old same-old. I second the earlier suggestion from tammyp about having a physical toy to bite and wrestle with at the end of laser light play. I remember reading that they frustrated and disinterested in they never get a hold of their "prey".

I very highly recommend the Cat Dancer. Its cheap and has proven irresistible to my cats and great for really exercising them. BUT, a word of caution, at the beginning each play session with the Cat Dancer, count the little brown paper rolls to make sure none are missing, (1 on handle, 5 on end = 6 total). Be sure to really check the 5th one at end. The very strong wire that composes the body of the toy is twisted around that one only once. (The manufacturer should really wrap it around 2 or 3 times). It is very strong wire, and usually hold that end one just fine, but once I checked and that paper wad had fallen off and the pointy wire was exposed. Obviously that's not something I wanted to be waving at the cat. I carefully threw that one out and replaced it, thankfully they are cheap. After a lot of  vigorous play, some of the other paper rolls can fall off. I even had one little brown paper "cigar" fall off after just a few uses, (must have been a dud). At the time, Mithu has been exhibiting some Pica behavior and it became this huge quest to find the darn thing and examine his poop to see if he passed it! Wow, this is not sounding like a recommendation. And yet, it is.

I mention all the toy stuff, b/c I know that when something is amiss with the beastie, (or when I'm worried it is), I'm always relieved when I see him really playing, running and jumping around.

Also, my cat happens to love plain canned pumpkin, but I noticed he preferred one brand over the other. Strangely enough, he preferred Libbey's to the fancy organic stuff.

I'm careful about the toys I allow Pumpkin to use.  The cat toy section of Walmart has alot of toys I wouldn't consider giving him.  Many are small enough to be choking hazards.  They have many teensy mice, plastic balls with jingle bells, etc.  I'd hate to think of what would happen if Pumpkin swallowed something like that.

The catnip rats are very large.  The body of each rat is at least 5-6 inches long, not including the tail, which is even longer.  The ears and feet are sown in very securely.  So are the eyes and whiskers.  No plastic parts whatsoever.  I'll buy him a couple of new ones after we move.  Which, hopefully, will be in the next month or so.

Diana

 

[dianajune]

Good to hear Pumpkin is pooping! And you are lucky that hand stimulation seems to help!

Although raw food is in general a better diet, right now I don't know if you should switch to raw food. Kitties on raw food will have bowel movements less, that's just how it works. I have a kitty working through constipation problems right now, and I don't want to switch her to raw food just yet because I want to establish what her normal bowel movement pattern is. That way I will know if it has been too long, even considering she is on raw. For now I would try to get her eating wet food as much as possible.

The water fountain I bought did have some precautions about electrical hazards, but no more than what I would expect from any electrical product. You do have to clean it regularly to keep algae and other growth out. If you get one, make sure the store will accept returns of used products if the pet doesn't take to it. My kitty did not, and I was fortunate that the store took it back since I had bleach cleaned it and dried it thoroughly. To get more water into my kitty I just add water to pate style wet food.

Pumpkin had another decent poop today.  I would say it was the size of a small log!    I'll keep giving him the Laxatone until the vet says otherwise.  He goes in for a distemper booster next week.

I'll keep him on his current diet until I can establish a pattern like you said.  He seems to like the Purina One Healthy Metabolism over Meow Mix, which is unusual for him. Maybe it's just as well, because this new one is a better choice.  I'll keep giving him both until the dry Meow Mix runs out, then he will have Purina One dry and Meow MIx canned.

I'll check out the water fountains next time I go to Wally World.  I remember seeing the upright water dispensers but not electric.  I'll have to check again.

Diana

 

[dianajune]

Yay!! Great news!  

What Raintyger said about settling into wet (canned) food and no kibble, before attempting a full raw transition seems sensible to me.  If you want to give say one meal raw, the rest canned, I'm pretty sure that would be ok poo consistency/frequency wise too.  On the cat front here, we feed 1 meal canned and 3 meals raw each day (I have a super athlete!), and the reason we keep one canned meal is because we found it helped with the poos.  Having said that, were we to persist with full raw, the cat's digestive system would adapt well...it takes a little time.  There is reason to suggest that transition to raw should be done from a canned diet, and not to feed both raw and kibble due to the chemical changes that occur in the gut being in direct conflict (kibble=alkaline gut, meat=acidic gut).  But that is just for your interest and for the future once these immediate issues are settled!  Oh, and yes, freezing for 3 days will make any raw human-grade meat safe (except for nervous system tissues like brain if you are in a country exposed to mad cow disease, as these cannot be killed off even by cooking - most likely you won't even be able to buy them due to the danger to people).

And yeah, as Kalpanakitteh answered, catnip has a shelf life.  Given that you are in America?? I think these 'nips' would be really interesting to try and allow variety too.  (Unforutnately, strict quarantine laws in Australia mean I can't try them).  http://www.wayofcats.com/our-shop

And if you are looking for toys, our best ones are things involving a human on the other end 

  We vouch for 'Da bird', then make our own things to put on the end - simply unclip 'Da bird' and clip on (or tie on - or bandaid on!) something else.  Fave at the moment is the plastic milk ring from the top of the milk bottle!  Also, good value and very robust are the hex nanobugs - meant as toys for people, these are fascinating and safe for cats, and awesome if you need to occupy the cat but don't have the energy (won't work on carpet though).

I hope things just keep getting better and better!!

My baby had a huge poop today.  He's getting better & has more energy.  

His toy came in yesterday's mail, but I need to buy one of those teensy screwdrivers to add the battery!  Pooey....I was so looking forward to Pumpkin trying it out.  I put it in front of him anyway and he pawed around with it.  I think he realizes it looks like a multi-colored hamster!      I saw the hex nanobug online.   He would love it but my tiny efficiency apartment is carpeted.  I'm not sure that the battery-powered hamster will work here, but once we move I can use it in our new home.  

How about remote-control toy cars?  Would Pumpkin like that?  

I checked out that website and found one toy I think he will enjoy.  Stinky Sox sounds like something he'd go for.  I'll place and order and let everyone know how it works.

Pumpkin is moving away from the Meow Mix kibble.  He prefers Purina One for now.  It looks like that is what I'll stick with once the Meow Mix (original dry) runs out.