Two difficult to care for cats

[streambeck]

Thanks, I just hit up the Nutrition board asking for recommendations. And thanks again to everyone. I hope to come back with better news about my living situation.

 

[addiebee]

I also know that Dr. Elsey's makes a senior litter. I love the Precious Cats clumping... I think it's the best scoopable clay litter on the market. I am also wondering if some of Dr. E's "Cat Attract" additive or litter would help with the reformed outdoor kitty's box compliance. He's the 14 year old, right?

 

[ldg]

Originally Posted by streambeck

I'll definitely look into the black light. As for what I've been trying to use, has anyone heard of Nature's Miracle Advanced? Comes in a red bottle? It's tough to tell if it's having the desired effect just because the cat continues to pee in the same places, but if the second litter box has the desired effect, I'll try and go to town on the carpet, I just want to know if I have the right stuff (one of the ingredients is Bio-Enzymatic Odor-Lock).

We never had good success with Nature's Miracle. I've never tried Nature's Miracle Advanced.

 

[streambeck]

Well, with the second litter box and mats in place, I went out last night, then came home and went straight to bed without doing further cleaning. When I woke up this morning, there wasn't a single grain of litter on my bed or on the carpet. Chandler used both litter boxes liberally last night, and the mats prevented the litter from getting around, and I guess Zeppy had room to avoid stepping in anything, so it worked like a dream. Both of the litter boxes were pretty full up though, the ideal would be to have a third one, honestly, but I just can't figure a way to have enough room for one, having two in my kitchen is already taking up a bunch of space, and I'd prefer not to have one in the living area.

One thing though, Chan clearly used the litter boxes for peeing last night, and I can tell there weren't any new surprises on the carpet, but this morning, after I cleaned out both litter boxes, and he knew they were clean, he just decided to pee on one of the mats. I mean, it's definitely ideal to the carpets and kitchen floor, I just thought it was odd because he happily used the boxes last night, and they were cleaned this morning.

Also, Zep won't use the steps, I think he prefers waking me to get my attention. He didn't used to have a problem getting up, but I think he depended on his claws a lot, and I had to get them trimmed because he kept getting caught on things.

Anyway, thanks to the advice I've gotten here, there's already been a noticeable increase in mine and the cats' quality of life, at least so far, so I just wanna share my gratitude with everyone. Less smell, less mess, everything is definitely more manageable, and now I'm less scared to leave my apartment for chunks of time, so thanks again.

 

[ldg]

Thank you for being dedicated to these older kitties.

I'm so glad to hear things are improving!

Quick idea for the steps to the bed... boil a little bit of chicken (with nothing) to use as a treat. It shouldn't upset his tummy. Tear off a few little bits (put the rest in the fridge to use over the next couple of days), and get on your bed. Put a little bit down on each step - as he eats and goes up, use the "chicken treat" to lead him up to the bed, and praise him along the way. Do this several times... and maybe he'll catch on.

 

[addiebee]

Originally Posted by streambeck

Well, with the second litter box and mats in place, I went out last night, then came home and went straight to bed without doing further cleaning. When I woke up this morning, there wasn't a single grain of litter on my bed or on the carpet. Chandler used both litter boxes liberally last night, and the mats prevented the litter from getting around, and I guess Zeppy had room to avoid stepping in anything, so it worked like a dream. Both of the litter boxes were pretty full up though, the ideal would be to have a third one, honestly, but I just can't figure a way to have enough room for one, having two in my kitchen is already taking up a bunch of space, and I'd prefer not to have one in the living area.

One thing though, Chan clearly used the litter boxes for peeing last night, and I can tell there weren't any new surprises on the carpet, but this morning, after I cleaned out both litter boxes, and he knew they were clean, he just decided to pee on one of the mats. I mean, it's definitely ideal to the carpets and kitchen floor, I just thought it was odd because he happily used the boxes last night, and they were cleaned this morning.

Also, Zep won't use the steps, I think he prefers waking me to get my attention. He didn't used to have a problem getting up, but I think he depended on his claws a lot, and I had to get them trimmed because he kept getting caught on things.

Anyway, thanks to the advice I've gotten here, there's already been a noticeable increase in mine and the cats' quality of life, at least so far, so I just wanna share my gratitude with everyone. Less smell, less mess, everything is definitely more manageable, and now I'm less scared to leave my apartment for chunks of time, so thanks again.

I would still try Cat Attract litter or additive or perhaps the Senior Litter all produced by Dr. Elsey's. Most big box pet stores carry the products. Now, let's get Chan's poo under control!

And yes - w/food especially at their ages, transition needs to move sloooowly. Over the course of a month. Some probiotics would help with the transition. Benebac or Probios gel helps to regulate the gut.

I also agree that Costco's Kirkland Cat Maintenance food is quite good for the price. Here is its $15 for 25 lbs!

There isn't much in the way of decent cat food in your average grocery store, BTW. I think the one Sharky recommends to people who are limited that way is Purina Naturals. She is pretty much the best source for this info btw. She is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful re: feline nutrition.

ETA - Oh - re: Chan's poop issues - you should look for food w/no dyes, additives, by-products, artificial preservatives... and hopefully no corn, wheat or soy. Those are likely culprits in food intolerance which can cause the runny poop. There are others - chicken, fish, beef... sigh... you name it. I know MY boys cannot eat ANYTHING with soy or I KNOW IT!!

 

[bunchie62]

Originally Posted by streambeck

So for the last year I've lived with a roommate, but I spent the entire time saving up for my own place and searching for something affordable. At pretty much the exact same time as I finally moved into my own place, my family moved from their house to the east coast, and not wanting to risk the cats not making the trip, I got stuck with them. I'm good with pets, and these two cats have been in my family for an eternity, so I didn't mind.

Anyway, one of the cats is 19, the other is 14, and although the landlord liked me enough to bend the rules and let them stay with me, he was very clear that I wasn't to let them out, so as not to give the impression that he'd be okay with anyone having pets.

The 14 year old eats as if every meal is his last, so I have to sit with him every time I feed them so that the older one can get some before he finishes the job. He also has an eat to poo ratio of 1:1. If he uses the litter box (which he does literally about 6 or 7 times a day) and I don't clean it before the older one uses it, the older one will step in it and track it everywhere.

14 urinates where he pleases, 19 tracks the litter and poo all over the carpet and all over my bed. 19 can't get on the bed on his own, so he'll scream at me until I pick him up, which happens maybe 8 times every night when I sleep. I have to set my alarm for all hours of the night to clean the litter box so as to try and avoid the poo tracking, which always ends up happening anyway. Both make a point, when they throw up or cough up a hairball, to do it on the carpet instead of in the easily cleaned kitchen. I spend hours every day cleaning, and I'm too embarrassed to have friends or a girl over.

This weekend I spent the night out. I made sure the cats had eaten, used the litter box, and everything was impeccably clean. I was gone for 14 hours, and when I came back, I returned to a complete wreck. I spent eight hours and a few hundred dollars cleaning. Since then, I've literally been sapped. I can't imagine having to do that, having to spend hours every day cleaning, to be too embarrassed to have people over.

Since the eight hour clean-a-thon, I got one nights sleep, and woke up to the same old mess. Since then, I just kind of collapsed. I stopped cleaning, I've slept maybe an hour in the past few days, I've hardly eaten, I've barely left my place for fear of new messes, and since I live in filth anyway, I've even found the need to shower less pressing. It all feels so futile. I clean for hours, every day, and then it's just the same story. My bedding will always have crappy litter on it, there will always be the smell of pee I can't find, I'll always need to pick 19 up on the bed, always have to clean the litter box several times a day. I'm just losing it, I don't know what I can do. I don't want to give the cats that have been in my family for years to some random stranger, I don't feel justified putting them down. I'm just, I don't know, I'm losing my mind. What can I do?

Just as a note, both cats have gone to the vet recently, and I give them their medication. They don't have any pressing medical issues, and the medicine is mostly preventative.

I am writing this with a bit of hesitation but I couldn't help but notice a few comments in your post. Please allow me to preface by saying that while I am a newbie on this site, I've had a kitty family for over 20 years. FWIW, I also have a PhD in Psychology and for those who are not aware, much of human research began with the study of animal behavior. I feel therefore, I am humbly qualified to make the following observations regarding your difficult situation. And so that you are aware, I am presently having challenges with a new rescue and have sought help thru the collective wisdom of this site's participants too. I presently have 9 cats.

What struck me is that while you kindly agreed to take on your family cats, it seemed like it an undue burden. You were looking forward to having your own place and now have this huge responsibility of caring for two senior kitties. Your comment that your are "stuck with them" and "you didn't mind taking them" along with a long description of the toil involved in their care tells me that perhaps they are not in the most receptive environment. Cats are highly perceptive. It is possible that they are not only adjusting to a huge transition but reading that perhaps, you view them as an imposition in your new situation.

I admire you for the kindness you've shown in trying to make a home for them but the reality is, perhaps, that you planned for a very long time to have your own place and your independence,despite your loyalty to your family, this is not working out.

In reality, you might want to invest some time looking for a good rescue situation in which both kitties would be adopted together. I am also curious as to why they couldn't survive a move. I have moved kitties from coast to coast and from north to south.

If you truly wish to work thru the defication, urination and feeding issues, it will take a quite an effort to do so. If you don't see that you are up to it, the kindest thing to do for your kitties is to find them a better home.

 

[bunchie62]

Following my post, I do admire your efforts and so hope this works out for you. Senior kitties are often difficult to transition. I just adopted a senior rescue and it is hard to make her world comfortable.

 

[streambeck]

I said in an earlier post that it was important to me that my feelings of burden didn't translate into how I treat the cats. It's true that, even being a pet lover, I was really looking forward to being in a position where I was on my own and without responsibility to anyone but myself, just for a little while. And truth be told, and I absolutely don't mean any disrespect by this statement, and it's honestly not something I personally believe in or judge anyway, but I feel like there's a stigma that comes with being a young guy that lives alone in a studio apartment with two cats. I was looking forward to dating, having friends over, and in all ways other than financially, living relatively carefree.

Are the cats kind of a burden? Yeah, definitely. Is this my ideal situation? Definitely not. But I feel like, to the extent that I've had cats, including these two, in my life, and for the majority of my life, that I'm pretty well suited to treat the situation with care. These cats don't understand my situation, and they aren't to blame either, so I make all the effort to treat them with nothing but love. I know that treating them with some kind of indirect spite would be terrible for them. When I feel overwhelmed, I never take that out on the cats or treat them differently as a result.

At the age they're at, and the fact that of all the cats I've ever had, these two in particular have been companions in a sense, I wouldn't want to risk them being separated from each other. In a way, too, Zeppelin was always mine. I'm, to this day, even after I moved from my family's house, the only human that Zeppy is comfortable with. He literally despises everyone else, including other family members. I had to drive home frequently after moving to help take him to the vet, or give him medicine, or even just hang with him when he wasn't feeling well.

I mean, it comes down to the fact that while this isn't my desired situation, I would feel far more regret giving them up than I would feel burden keeping them. I don't know that I could trust someone else to give them their medicine the right way, to calm them down the way I know how to, etc etc. If I felt at all like I was showing my exhaustion in the way I treat them, or if they felt uncomfortable because of the way they were perceiving me, then yeah, I'd look into something else, but I'm confident I'm doing right by the cats so far.

As for the traveling thing, when they went to the vet, although there are no pressing medical issues that aren't already being treated, there could be complications from flying, and at Zeppy's age, I think a five day cross country drive is about the worst thing I could do for him. I took the cats in out of respect for my family's needs, but I'm keeping them and caring for them out of respect for them, as pets I've had for years.

 

[cococat]

Originally Posted by LDG

Obviously I didn't read through all the posts as thoroughly as I thought I did.

No worries!
This happens to me all the time

 

[cococat]

Originally Posted by Bunchie62

What struck me is that while you kindly agreed to take on your family cats, it seemed like it an undue burden.

On the suggestion of giving them up, I am sure he has considered that option, as it seems to be the first consideration in this society...most people will easily give up under circumstances like this. He is trying to make a serious effort, and here he is on a cat board seeking advice and trying to make this work out for him and the cats. And I respect him a great deal for that. That is more than a lot of people try to do, so many people just give up their pets left and right for much more trivial reasons, that is why petfinder, rescues, shelters, etc. are filled with so many pets oftentimes they get put to sleep due to lack of good forever caring homes. Just because something is a a bit of an undue burden doesn't mean many people won't rise to the challenge in life when living beings are involved, even it is not convenient for them to do so.

I do understand the suggestion though and think you are kind and your heart is in the right place, however, senior kitties, especially given issues like this if given up to another home, rescue, or shelter don't have the brightest future with the current pet overpopulation crisis.

 

[ldg]

Streambeck, it's not an ideal situation, and that's why I admire you all the more for making the commitment you have.

It's clear you're trying to do the right thing for the kitties despite your circumstances, and I hope we've been able to help - and will continue to be able to help.

 

[streambeck]

Thanks for the support, guys.

Now for another issue, but this one is more general cat health/comfort related. I'd create a new topic on the health board, but this topic feels pretty well established.

The apartment I live in is boiling hot. Like, the last few days in particular have been hell. There's no central air, and the fans I have set up end up blowing room-temperature air. The cats are definitely struggling with the heat. I mean, even I am kind of struggling with it. Anyway, Chandler goes under the bed for hours on end, which is unlike him, and Zeppy will actually start panting, which always kinda freaks me out. The only thing I can think to do is cool down a rag and rub down their faces. They're both surprisingly receptive to this, but I'm wondering if there's anything more I can do about this. If I'm out, I have no way of knowing if they're struggling with the heat.

I don't have any methods beyond the fans of trying to keep the apartment cool, but I'm just curious if this could be a serious problem and if there are better ways to prevent any problems.

 

[strange_wings]

If they get hot enough and can't cool down, yes, it can be a problem. Just like it can with people.

Where are you at that it's so hot right now? Depending on how much hot weather you have left you could look into getting yourself a window AC unit. Where I live it gets excessively hot and that can kill, so I don't underestimate the dangers of getting over heated.

Meanwhile make sure they have plenty of fresh cool water available and you only need to dampen their ears and paws as this is where they can lose some heat. If you have tile or linoleum you could mist it down and turn a fan on it to cool the floor - if they'll lay on it. You could also lay out some icepack/cold packs if you think they'll lay on or near them.

Fans really don't cool, though. They just move air around and that moving air feels cool on our exposed skin. I doubt it has as much affect on a fur coat.

If you have a thermometer for the cats you could keep an eye on their temps.

 

[ldg]

Rubbing alcohol on their ears will cool them down even faster. But this is temporary, really - I don't think it's a good idea to use it often. It will dry out and irritate the skin if used too frequently. Water is better, but if they seem really hot, the rubbing alcohol every once in a while might not be a bad idea.

And lots of cool water - you can drop ice cubes in the dishes as often as you think of it.

 

[streambeck]

I live in LA. Look it up, right now, it's literally 110+, it's out of this world. My apartment isn't even getting cold water, to give the cats drinking water, I literally just put a bunch of ice in a bowl, and it melts in almost no time. I'm just concerned, there's pretty much nothing I can do but ride out the heat wave. The vet didn't have any legitimate advice, I'm just icing up rags and rubbing the cats down, but this is seriously out of control. Even if I wanted to take the cats in, the inside of my car is an oven right now.

I don't know, hopefully this'll pass soon, but this heat wave is hard enough on me, I'm just seriously worried about the effect it's having on them.

 

[ldg]

all of you make it through OK - and it lets up soon! I can't imagine being in LA (or a lot of places out west!) without air conditioning.

 

[bastetservant]

I've been reading your story from the start, and I'm so impressed with you. You are such a caring and ethical person to do what you are doing. I'm sure it is very difficult, and you deserve lots of praise, gratitude, and appreciation from the rest of your family for taking this on for them. And the kitty angels won't forget you.

What a disaster the heat is in LA! I, too, couldn't live without air-conditioning. But it's the end of September! This is unreal. It should ease up soon.

These trials you are going through with the elderly cats, and the heat, well "this too will pass." You received a lot of good advice here. I have been using Feliway diffusers with my brood just the last few weeks, and in the room with a new adoptee, and they seem to be helping everyone cope. The new one finally came out to see me and be petted tonight, after a week under the bed (confined to the guest room).

I truly believe in good quality cat food. I think it is a wise investment, in the short and long run. But I agree that change will need to be very slow with these older cats. Maybe only 1/4 part new food to 3/4 parts old kind of food the first week. And then gradually up the proportion of better food.

You haven't written today, and that somewhat concerns me. You are on my mind, and I'm sure those of others here. I care about what you are going through and the welfare of your animals. You are probably saving their lives, and giving them the best lives they can have right now.

Aging is very hard. I have an elderly mother. It's difficult to be old, and difficult to deal with those who are old, no matter what your species. I'm not looking forward to it myself.

But, you are young, and should be able to be more carefree. It's good you came here for support and advice. I hope you can find some respite from this care-taking responsibility at regular intervals. You deserve it!

I have to say, that when I was your age, a guy as caring and nurturing as you would have been quite attractive to me, as long as his apartment didn't smell like cat liter box. Actually, at my considerably older age, that still would be attractive to me. But then again, I only like people who like cats an awful lot. No one else do I relate to at all.

Best of luck to you!

 

[streambeck]

It feels like the worst of it is over. It's still hot here (particularly in my apartment), but the cats and I managed through the 115 degree weather, and we're all more comfortable now. I'm definitely gonna have to get an AC unit of some kind, but for the time being I think we're all alright. I got really worried for a little bit, but Zeppy has a cooler nook now (my bathroom), and Chan isn't burrowing under my bed or breathing heavily anymore. For now I can go back to trying to get the perfect set up for keeping everything clean.

Thanks again for the support.

Oh, and unfortunately I've yet to meet the girl that appreciates the care I give the cats haha. In fact, every girlfriend I've ever had has either been allergic to cats or was an unrepentant dog person. As long as I can get to a point where the apartment can remain clean without constant supervision and where the cats are happy and healthy, I'll manage, that has just been an uphill battle so far, but we've definitely made progress.

 

[bastetservant]

Well, you just haven't found the right girl, yet. Keep looking.

Glad things are improving.