Taurine

[SpecterOhPossum]

Both on the taurine AND the amount of dry food . Are we talking just one cat here? Two cups of dry food is probably more than I fed my FOUR cats (when I actually had FOUR, AND when I fed dry food, neither of which happens now since I'm down to two cats and no longer feed any dry)

Oops! I see you've already posted since, so you're covered

Ha - yeah I was about to! Good thing we didn't, I can't imagine an obese specter! She already crushes my skull in the morning with her buff; masculine fists!

 

[Kieka]

You're a freaking godsent genius I kid you not! Dyslexia runs in our family and I very simply cannot grasp math whatsoever without assistance or a calculator in hand and am too embarrassed to ask anyone in real life these things either.

Thank you for pointing out the calories! Currently I don't measure her food, so I don't do 2 cups but was planning on it - not anymore! She's 2 years old, very active (extreme workout routine for about 3 hours twice daily), and 8.2 pounds. I've always figured that was low (I read the average was.. 10? If I remember) so I try to make her eat a little more than she would normally to the best of my ability.

Thus far I've lived in a very financially poor situation (on top of me and spec being locked in a room for basically 1 and a half of those years because my mom was abusive and explosive so I had to install a lock on our door and only go out to walk spec outside when the sun was rising; and my mom was still sleep, then to cook my food fast, and go back to hiding in the room for the rest of the day, and that was our whole reality for a year and a half. I wasn't really able to get a job as I didn't know how to go anywhere or do anything on top of not wanting to leave spec in the room when my mom could have came and did something passive aggressive and horrible to my cat or something while I was away - it was THAT bad. She'd thrown her before when I was 18 or so and she was mad about something and is VERY passive aggressive; to the point that she would beat up animals or break peoples belongings for "revenge" I guess.) Now I have a means of making light income but due to all of that, she's never seen a vet; she was definitely not my choice to own but we had no choice as she would have died without me. She's my baby, saved me from suicide in 2017, I saved her life in 2017, and now that we've moved and I'm making my own income, I'm slowly making it up to the point that I can move her onto better food; better enrichment, and spaying her + consulting a vet IRL for ways we can improve our husbandry; and giving her the best life I can. So this is why I ask such tedious questions and do as much research & over-kill on caring for her as mistakes are not affordable, but I will def take your advice and not do 2 cups, thank you! You've been the most helpful thus far in my journey for solution, usually people would criticize or attack rather than help. Or suggest I get something I can't afford yet. Yet is a keyword though - we will get there!

14 pounds is pretty whopping, by the way! I'd love to meet him. Something about naturally large cats is always amazing

Never feel bad for giving your cat the best that you can afford. As long as you provide food, love and medical care you are doing just fine.

When it comes to food, a high price doesn't mean it is better. Sometimes it just means it is just more expensive. I tend to recommend having a few dry and wet foods on your rotation and buy whatever is on sale. For dry food, mix in the new food slowly if you change from one to the other. I honestly have a 20 pounds container of dry in my garage and when it gets about halfway empty I add in a bag of something else. So my dry is always a mix to keep my crew from getting stuck on one. It works for me because there are three, harder with one. But you can manage and just get the smaller bags. Sales are your friend, I will stock up when prices are good. I probably have about 40 pounds on hand right now because everyone had a sale during prime day. There is absolutely no shame in feeding wet friskies or 9Lives. I will say I am firmly against 9Lives or Meow Mix dry and come of their wets aren't the best. Just read labels and look for meat in the first few ingredients and no corn/wheat.

When it comes to medical care, the sooner you get her spayed the better. Spaying greatly reduced cancer risks for females so it's a must on my book. Find a good general vet and let them know money is an issue. Most areas have spay clinics to get the spay done for less and my area does shot days where they off $5-10 shots once a month. So check around and see what your options are. I would start and emergency jar NOW. Your girl is young and you haven't had issues but the day will come when you need to see a vet. It's much easier to throw your spare change at the end of a day in a jar or pull $5 put when you are at the grocery store each time for a jar that you don't touch. I pulled out $5 every time I went to the grocery store to have cash for a trip one time. Barely even noticed since it was just a little each time but over six months I ended up with a good amount of spending money. Same idea with your emergency fund. Put whatever you can spare in the jar regularly so when the day comes that you have to see the vet you have the money.

If you don't have credit, also start building credit so you can qualify for credit cards or loan if you need it to. My old economics teacher recommended you get a credit card and use it for all your little expenses. Pay it off every month and you'll build credit in no time. I use my credit card for all purchases and immediately transfer the money to pay the purchase (same bank) so I get points for transactions and credit history without ever paying interest. Just be careful. This matters for cat care because there may be the time where an emergency happens but you don't have the cash. Having a credit history and good credit will allow you to do CareCredit or financing if you are in that spot.

My boy is 14 pounds but my girl is 7-7.5 pounds. Nothing wrong with be smaller. If your girl is 8 pounds at her age that is probably a good weight for her. I wouldn't worry about trying to fatten her up, that will probably happen with age. Here are my main two:

And never feel like you are pestering or over asking. We all love our cats here and understand the questions. The only thing I ask is that you stick around and keep asking. We'd love to see more of you.

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Never feel bad for giving your cat the best that you can afford. As long as you provide food, love and medical care you are doing just fine.

When it comes to food, a high price doesn't mean it is better. Sometimes it just means it is just more expensive. I tend to recommend having a few dry and wet foods on your rotation and buy whatever is on sale. For dry food, mix in the new food slowly if you change from one to the other. I honestly have a 20 pounds container of dry in my garage and when it gets about halfway empty I add in a bag of something else. So my dry is always a mix to keep my crew from getting stuck on one. It works for me because there are three, harder with one. But you can manage and just get the smaller bags. Sales are your friend, I will stock up when prices are good. I probably have about 40 pounds on hand right now because everyone had a sale during prime day. There is absolutely no shame in feeding wet friskies or 9Lives. I will say I am firmly against 9Lives or Meow Mix dry and come of their wets aren't the best. Just read labels and look for meat in the first few ingredients and no corn/wheat.

When it comes to medical care, the sooner you get her spayed the better. Spaying greatly reduced cancer risks for females so it's a must on my book. Find a good general vet and let them know money is an issue. Most areas have spay clinics to get the spay done for less and my area does shot days where they off $5-10 shots once a month. So check around and see what your options are. I would start and emergency jar NOW. Your girl is young and you haven't had issues but the day will come when you need to see a vet. It's much easier to throw your spare change at the end of a day in a jar or pull $5 put when you are at the grocery store each time for a jar that you don't touch. I pulled out $5 every time I went to the grocery store to have cash for a trip one time. Barely even noticed since it was just a little each time but over six months I ended up with a good amount of spending money. Same idea with your emergency fund. Put whatever you can spare in the jar regularly so when the day comes that you have to see the vet you have the money.

If you don't have credit, also start building credit so you can qualify for credit cards or loan if you need it to. My old economics teacher recommended you get a credit card and use it for all your little expenses. Pay it off every month and you'll build credit in no time. I use my credit card for all purchases and immediately transfer the money to pay the purchase (same bank) so I get points for transactions and credit history without ever paying interest. Just be careful. This matters for cat care because there may be the time where an emergency happens but you don't have the cash. Having a credit history and good credit will allow you to do CareCredit or financing if you are in that spot.

My boy is 14 pounds but my girl is 7-7.5 pounds. Nothing wrong with be smaller. If your girl is 8 pounds at her age that is probably a good weight for her. I wouldn't worry about trying to fatten her up, that will probably happen with age. Here are my main two:

View attachment 298674 View attachment 298675 View attachment 298676

And never feel like you are pestering or over asking. We all love our cats here and understand the questions. The only thing I ask is that you stick around and keep asking. We'd love to see more of you.

True, I've been raking all catfood brands and found quite an alarming number that A, didn't have all of the things cat's actually needed or used things that are toxic to cats, or B, was just overpriced for lackluster ingredients like chicken. It's insane. Before that I was convinced price=ingredients but I think that's.. not so true anymore. That's a good idear!! I typically buy 4 months or so in bulk online because I live in the sticks and my money is made online, but as of late, I had to give all my digital money to someone in return for phyical money of which I can't really use until someone lets me drive with them and load it onto a card. True that about friskies, or purina! Purina is pretty cheap but they do have some diamonds in the rut; like "Purina Naturals Cat Chow Grain Free" is what I'm weening her off of, but it's pretty good for purina. Just hard to track down online. 9lives.... that brands a shitshow, you're right. Our neighbor fed that to his indoor/outdoor cats and kittens and literally all of them had bloody disrhea, the mom's anus prolapsed(?) and overall it was screwing them up. I heard that they left shards to bone in the mix and it cut up the insides of a few cats - not sure if that's true but I've seen it's damage!

yes, I know! I'm just very weary of others with her and we have to wait until fall in order to travel with her anyways, she can't stand the heat out here and will start panting when nervous & hot and I don't want to start that again. We're also 9 miles away from the vet and I'm scared about taking her back when she'd already gone through surgery, but we'll cross that bridge.. But! in the meantime, I'm saving money and I'm going to get her a roomey cage for after surgery, and a onesie instead of an E-cone. I'm also calling around and reading reviews on the veterinary offices to see which is best, but I'm unsure right now. I'm actually very proud of spec's immune system or whatever as literally the only problems she's ever had were over heating because of her 3 layered snow coat, and little stomach bug spells like three times, that's it! But I would like to see what a vet thinks, she also was having some teeth issues but I started brushing her teeth daily with water & C.E.T and now her teeth are drastically improving, one of the most dawning things about vets is that I don't really love the idea of them sticking chemicals in her as she's naturally in good condition & I'm afraid their chemicals will make her sick

your cats are like little super models - and holy smokes - his size compared to her in the picture is breathtaking! Yeah, I think this is specs regular weight because it never moves much; she'll go to 8.4 to 8.2 and that's all, good to know there are other little girls out there!

Thank you! I will try to remain active here, you've helped a ton!