Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, MargeGunderson said:

What an honor! You must be so proud. I hope you don’t forget us now that your cat is famous!

My kitties aren’t famous. All they did was nominate Cheddar for the honor of being Poet Laureate. Once he got the title we haven’t been mentioned again. Here you can see our name with their response to our request. 
 

Still we think it was pretty neat chatting with the First Dog! 
If you are on Twitter check out Cheddar. He comes up with some good poems. 

[bilgistic]

Cheddar is so cute! What an honor!

My cats have an Instagram account. Most of their pictures are of them looking adorable while cuddling or sleeping. We joke about them being "influencers". They have a whole 63 followers, most of whom are other cats.😂

 

[EighteenTwelve]

I got problems.  Somehow I have to take this face seriously and at the same time not believe it when it claims to be STARVING.

[MargeGunderson]

@EighteenTwelve,  that must take a lot of willpower. What an adorable face!

[ginger90]

Top, Nala

Bottom,  Elsie 

[Nicmar]

On 1/25/2021 at 2:52 PM, EighteenTwelve said:

I got problems.  Somehow I have to take this face seriously and at the same time not believe it when it claims to be STARVING.

he's adorable. love his face. Is he part Siamese? asking cause he's crossed eyed.

On 1/24/2021 at 8:06 PM, Mindthinkr said:

My kitties aren’t famous. All they did was nominate Cheddar for the honor of being Poet Laureate. Once he got the title we haven’t been mentioned again. Here you can see our name with their response to our request. 
 

Still we think it was pretty neat chatting with the First Dog! 
If you are on Twitter check out Cheddar. He comes up with some good poems. 

Congrats!  I take Cheddar farts alot!

[EighteenTwelve]

@Nicmar, I don’t know for sure what she is, beyond being a New York City feral who was living under a car.  She’s pretty darn cute, though.

[tiftgirl]

@Bastet, how is Chester doing?  I've not seen you mention him in awhile.  I do hope he is doing as well or better than can be expected.

[Bastet]

That's sweet of you to ask.  Chester is indeed still with us against all odds; skin and bones (he has a great appetite, but the cancer gobbles up his nutrients) and with numerous bald patches (from the steroid he needs to keep the inflammation under control), so he wears his sweater all the time, and not as talkative any more, but still cuddling and purring.  He sleeps half on my mom's shoulder and half on her face, so his weighing almost nothing does have one upside.  (Bandit also appreciates it, as Chester tends to lie down pretty much right on top of him when my mom dares do something that prevents him being glued to her.)

There are things he doesn't do any more, little Chester quirks that have slowly faded away, and we keep feeling like the time at which his quality of life is going to fall below the line is right around the corner, but thankfully it hasn't happened; his bad days continue to be few and resolve within about 24 hours. 

He'll tell us when it's time, and my parents keep a look out for that.  My mom (with whom he has been tightly bonded pretty much from the moment she lifted him out of the shelter cage) has told him many times he never has to stick around for her; she'll miss him for the rest of her life, but she'll be okay.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Bastet

[tiftgirl]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

He'll tell us when it's time, and my parents keep a look out for that.  My mom (with whom he has been tightly bonded pretty much from the moment she lifted him out of the shelter cage) has told him many times he never has to stick around for her; she'll miss him for the rest of her life, but she'll be okay.

This brought tears to my eyes.  Just the pure sweetness and love for her telling him that.

I'm glad he still has more good days than bad.  May that continue for some time.

And f cancer.

[Nicmar]

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

That's sweet of you to ask.  Chester is indeed still with us against all odds; skin and bones (he has a great appetite, but the cancer gobbles up his nutrients), so he wears his sweater all the time, and not as talkative any more, but still cuddling and purring.  He sleeps half on my mom's shoulder and half on her face, so his weighing almost nothing does have one upside.  Bandit also appreciates it, as Chester tends to lie down pretty much right on top of him when my mom dares do something that prevents him being glued to her.

There are things he doesn't do any more, and we keep feeling like the time at which his quality of life is going to fall below the line is right around the corner, but thankfully it hasn't happened; his bad days continue to be few and resolve within about 24 hours.  He'll tell us when it's time, and my parents keep a look out for that.  My mom (with whom he has been tightly bonded pretty much from the moment she lifted him out of the shelter cage) has told him many times he never has to stick around for her; she'll miss him for the rest of her life, but she'll be okay.

https://petwellbeing.com/collections/cancer-support-cat/products/cat-cancer#

What about this for Chester? You can always ask your vet about it. I'm not sure if is he on any medication.

[MargeGunderson]

Princess Parker has had a long week at work, and is ready for the weekend

 

[Bastet]

On 1/29/2021 at 8:35 AM, Nicmar said:

I'm not sure if is he on any medication.

Yes, he takes chemo, a steroid, and some supplements, but thank you for posting that - it's always good to be aware of potential aids.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Bastet

[SuprSuprElevated]

[ginger90]

My daughter sent me a video of Nala and Dubina. Grabbed a screenshot, it’s a bit blurry, there was much action!

[ABay]

Girl Cat has a wellness visit in 2 weeks (with fecal matter...yay...) and there's an ongoing problem due to Covid that I don't know how to solve. She has a bump near her shoulder blade that the vet can't find, and since I can't be in the exam room, I can't show the vet where it is. The bump is not really a problem, it's been there a long time with no change, but I'd still like him to take a look. How can I mark it? She's a black cat. So far the only thing I've thought of is putting my finger on it and trying to take a picture, but she's a wiggler.Maybe a picture of her with the approximate area circled?

[MargeGunderson]

Any chance you could put a small piece of tape on it to mark the spot? If it’s near her shoulder blade she might not be able to pull it off easily. 

[Bastet]

We had to say goodbye to my "nephew" (my friend's cat) Shermie this afternoon.  He was 20, with kidney disease and hyperthyroidism that were both pretty well managed, but something neurological happened this weekend.  We were hoping it was an idiopathic vestibular disorder, since that self resolves in a fairly short period of time, but he didn't get any better and yesterday he got worse; he wasn't fully aware of his surroundings and struggled to walk.  So today she had a vet come end his suffering.  Her husband and I were there with them, in the backyard, so Shermie's final moment was in his mommy's lap with the sun shining on him.

It was very peaceful, and unequivocally the right choice to make, but it's always hard (and very weird not to be able to hug each other).  He had been dumped by his previous owner at the shelter when he was 12.  He weighed well over 20 pounds and had to be shaved as his fur was so matted.  Due to his circumstances, he was incredibly crabby and hated everyone.  I found out about him (I can't recall how long he'd been there at that point), told her in the "people suck" context, and the next thing I know I got a call saying, "I have the cat in my car; come over tonight to meet him."  As she always told him, best impulse buy ever.

He turned into a total lovebug with an amusing touch of the grouch in him, slimmed down to a healthy size, and had a great home for eight years.  Here he is in healthy days, with the duo who will miss their cranky big brother:

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Bastet

[Growsonwalls]

Aww I'm so sorry @Bastet. I have a cat who's getting up there in age too (will be 16 this July) and it will be really hard saying goodbye to her. SHe still has a lot of spunk left thank god. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

He was 20, with kidney disease and hyperthyroidism

You had me at "...20, with kidney disease"!

My Onyx is near 15, and her kidney disease is progressing at such a rate, that I'm not sure she'll see the end of the year.  She's dropped 4+ lbs (started at 14lbs), and she is just becoming so frail.  I watch her very closely for signs that I need to facilitate the final, loving thing.  I dread it more than anything.  She has been one of the few great joys of my life.

[SuprSuprElevated]

[smittykins]

When I was in high school, we had a dog who was addicted to Beggin’ Strips.  Mom stopped buying them for awhile, but after Suzi gave her THE LOOK enough times, she caved.

[BooksRule]

Here's my pet story for the week. (Condensed version at the bottom 🙂 )

I'm always super conscious of anything 'plumbing related', due to living in a house with aging pipes. (I'm getting ready to call in a plumber to re-do the bathtub faucets and connecting pipes, which will be expensive.)  So, I was more than a little concerned when I got up yesterday morning and found a puddle of water in the kitchen in front of the dishwasher.  The dishwasher is not currently connected, so I assumed that a pipe was leaking somewhere behind the wall, but when I opened the cabinet under the sink (to the right of the dishwasher), it was nice and dry. There was also no water anywhere near the stove to the left of the washer. Curioser and curioser. I cleaned up the water, but didn't see any more leaking out anywhere. Trying to keep calm (plumbing costs!) I figured I would go ahead and have a cup of coffee and look at the spot in a few minutes to see if there was any change. When I walked over to the fridge (a few feet away) I noticed a large plastic cup (empty) sitting upright right next to the fridge. That's when I started to put the pieces together. I have a habit of setting dishes, mugs, and cups to the side of the sink, which would be right above the puddle spot.  I'm now sure that one of my cats got on the kitchen counter that night and knocked over the cup, spilling the water that was in it and then the cup bounced, landing upright a few feet away against the fridge door.  As of now, no more water found, so I'm sure that's what happened. I was never so glad that it was a mess they made instead of something more serious. 

Condensed version: Thought I had a plumbing emergency, but it turned out to be cat mischief. 

Edited February 6, 2021 by BooksRule

[supposebly]

Scully and Fox finally learned to share their new hammock. 

[supposebly]

There are two. Fox curls it elegantly around herself. Scully just let's it hang. 🙂

[isalicat]

11 minutes ago, supposebly said:

There are two. Fox curls it elegantly around herself. Scully just let's it hang. 🙂

Fox is female?

[supposebly]

1 minute ago, isalicat said:

Fox is female?

Yes, they are both girls.

[Mindthinkr]

4 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

so I took the two black kittens.

I’m so glad that you did. They say that black cats are the least adoptable. Too many people hold on to superstitions that they are somehow witches cats or bring bad luck. These two lucky girls ended up in a loving home. I’m so happy for them. 
 

@supposebly 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Mindthinkr
Not awake enough to be posting.

[Katy M]

24 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’m so glad that you did. They say that black cats are the least adoptable. Too many people hold on to superstitions that they are somehow witches cats or bring bad luck. These two lucky girls ended up in a loving home. I’m so happy for them. 

i actually don't want a black cat because on the odd occasion when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I don't turn on lights or put on my glasses, so I am not going to see a black cat trying to trip me.  I think they're super adorable,though.  Especially as kittens.

[Mindthinkr]

14 minutes ago, Katy M said:

i actually don't want a black cat because on the odd occasion when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I don't turn on lights or put on my glasses, so I am not going to see a black cat trying to trip me.  I think they're super adorable,though.  Especially as kittens.

I’m sorry. That post should have been tagged to @supposebly   
I should know better than post before I’ve had my two cups of tea. 

[supposebly]

9 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

They are beautiful.  They remind me of the two black kittens I adopted several decades ago.  A boy and a girl. 

Thank you for saying this, @icemiser69. I volunteer at our Street Cat rescue organization and fell in love instantly. I am partial to black cats since my first one was black. They do occasionally photograph badly but I don't care. I don't take great pictures either.

I am so glad I adopted them in early 2019. I'll celebrate having them 2 years on February 15. I don't know how I would survive this pandemic without them. Living alone has always been my preference but not seeing my friends and not going to work is hard. So, they provide some comic and cuddly relief. Every change I make in my condo is based on what would be good for them.

I always say, it's their place, I just live here.

[Annber03]

22 minutes ago, supposebly said:

I always say, it's their place, I just live here.

Every cat owner is nodding their head in understanding :D. Hell, I think that could apply to most pets in general :p.

[Mindthinkr]

I’m at that age where I don’t know that I’d outlive another kitten, as my cats usually live to at least 20 years old. I will go adopt an older cat or bonded pair and give them the best last years of their life. Think of all the money I will save on replacing curtains, furniture and anything else kittens see as a play thing  😹

 

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by Mindthinkr

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’m at that age where I don’t know that I’d outlive another kitten, as my cats usually live to at least 20 years old. I will go adopt an older cat or bonded pair and give them the best last years of their life. Think of all the money I will save on replacing curtains, furniture and anything else kittens see as a play thing  😹

Oh, good.  You can save that up for the 4- and 5-figure medical treatments those cats are sure to need!  But seriously, good for you for planning to do that.  I always want to but I never have the right household/pet situation to do it.  I'd have to let all the current cats "age out" and start over; there's always the troublemaker who doesn't want to deal with the new old cat.

[Mindthinkr]

51 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

You can save that up for the 4- and 5-figure medical treatments

Knock on wood 🪵 I have been very lucky and only one cat has ever needed treatment. One of my current kitties needed the iodine tx for her hyperthyroidism, but now she is cured and doing well. They will be 18 later this year. 

[Nicmar]

On 2/3/2021 at 7:08 PM, Bastet said:

We had to say goodbye to my "nephew" (my friend's cat) Shermie this afternoon.  He was 20, with kidney disease and hyperthyroidism that were both pretty well managed, but something neurological happened this weekend.  We were hoping it was an idiopathic vestibular disorder, since that self resolves in a fairly short period of time, but he didn't get any better and yesterday he got worse; he wasn't fully aware of his surroundings and struggled to walk.  So today she had a vet come end his suffering.  Her husband and I were there with them, in the backyard, so Shermie's final moment was in his mommy's lap with the sun shining on him.

It was very peaceful, and unequivocally the right choice to make, but it's always hard (and very weird not to be able to hug each other).  He had been dumped by his previous owner at the shelter when he was 12.  He weighed well over 20 pounds and had to be shaved as his fur was so matted.  Due to his circumstances, he was incredibly crabby and hated everyone.  I found out about him (I can't recall how long he'd been there at that point), told her in the "people suck" context, and the next thing I know I got a call saying, "I have the cat in my car; come over tonight to meet him."  As she always told him, best impulse buy ever.

He turned into a total lovebug with an amusing touch of the grouch in him, slimmed down to a healthy size, and had a great home for eight years.  Here he is in healthy days, with the duo who will miss their cranky big brother:

 

This made me cry!! Sorry for your loss Bastet. 😢

[supposebly]

24 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

I was sitting on the edge of the couch reading and he crept up behind me like a mountain goat and head butted me practically off of the couch.  It wasn't a little love tap, he whacked me good.  It didn't hurt, he only wanted attention, but that cat is strong.  I am a little concerned, because he keeps walking under the coffee table and lifting his had and whacking into the underside of the table so hard I can hear it from across the room.

I'm (not) sorry for laughing but that's quite a cat you have. I hope his head is hard enough!

[Growsonwalls]

My 16 year old cat has kidney disease and needs to go on a kidney friendly cat diet. 😞

[Mindthinkr]

49 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

My 16 year old cat has kidney disease and needs to go on a kidney friendly cat diet. 😞

I have a friend and her cat had the same diagnosis a year ago. The good news is that her cat adjusted to the food and is doing very well now. I hope for your kitty the same. 

[Growsonwalls]

5 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I have a friend and her cat had the same diagnosis a year ago. The good news is that her cat adjusted to the food and is doing very well now. I hope for your kitty the same. 

Aww thanks. She's an old cat and so it's not surprising but still heartbreaking. We're buying her kidney friendly wet food.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Growsonwalls said:

My 16 year old cat has kidney disease and needs to go on a kidney friendly cat diet. 😞

Sorry to hear that.  But with a diet change, and possibly subQ fluids at some point, you may be able to keep her healthy for quite some time.

I encourage you to do your research on what constitutes a kidney friendly diet.  Low phosphorus, definitively; no one questions that.  But whether it should also be low protein is disputed.  (The low phosphorus/low protein combo was based on research done on rats with the food then tried on dogs.  Rats and dogs are not obligate carnivores like cats are.) 

(I did a shit ton of reading years ago when my cat Maddie was diagnosed, as my vet said she knew the prescription food was crap but didn't know enough to recommend a way of reducing the phosphorus while better meeting her overall nutritional needs, and have kept an eye on veterinary articles ever since.  I am in the low phosphorus, moderate protein camp, so I prefer commercial food using quality ingredients along with a phosphorus binder [e.g. aluminum hydroxide].  Maddie died seven years later with normal kidney values, so it worked for her.)

There is a lot of information out there about the disease in general, so much that in can be overwhelming.  I recommend you read it in digestible chunks, but I do recommend you supplement your vet's recommendations with those of other vets and the experiences of owners.  Here is a good repository of information surrounding all aspects of managing CKD.

Good luck! 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Bastet

[Growsonwalls]

2 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Sorry to hear that.  But with a diet change, and possibly subQ fluids at some point, you may be able to keep her healthy for quite some time.

I encourage you to do your research on what constitutes a kidney friendly diet.  Low phosphorus, definitively; no one questions that.  But whether it should also be low protein is disputed.  (The low phosphorus/low protein combo was based on research done on rats with the food then tried on dogs.  Rats and dogs are not obligate carnivores like cats are.) 

(I did a shit ton of reading years ago when my cat Maddie was diagnosed, as my vet said she knew the prescription food was crap but didn't know enough to recommend a way of reducing the phosphorus while better meeting her overall nutritional needs, and have kept an eye on veterinary articles ever since.  I am in the low phosphorus, moderate protein camp, so I prefer commercial food using quality ingredients along with a phosphorus binder [e.g. aluminum hydroxide].  Maddie died seven years later with normal kidney values, so it worked for her.)

There is a lot of information out there about the disease in general, so much that in can be overwhelming.  I recommend you read it in digestible chunks, but I do recommend you supplement your vet's recommendations with those of other vets and the experiences of owners.  Here is a good repository of information surrounding all aspects of managing CKD.

Good luck! 

We're hoping to have her for as long as possible. Thanks for all this info. Pumpkin is quite a picky eater so we're worried about how she'll take the medicated food. 

Is feeding her some broiled salmon a good idea? 

[Mindthinkr]

45 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

Aww thanks. She's an old cat and so it's not surprising but still heartbreaking. We're buying her kidney friendly wet food.

The main problem my friend had (she is also a veterinary tech) was to resist the urge to give her kitty any treats or extra food. Her cat whined and there was guilt involved, but after a few weeks both came to accept their new way of life. The end result was health and a longer life span. Wishing the best for your fur family member. 
 

P.S. Bastet is a great resource and usually knows/has the best information or advice. 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Mindthinkr

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, Growsonwalls said:

My 16 year old cat has kidney disease and needs to go on a kidney friendly cat diet. 😞

My Mr Norris who passed away at the age of 20 this past June went on a kidney friendly diet and was doing well for the last 2.5 yrs of his life. It’s scary but your kitty will adjust!

[Growsonwalls]

9 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

My Mr Norris who passed away at the age of 20 this past June went on a kidney friendly diet and was doing well for the last 2.5 yrs of his life. It’s scary but your kitty will adjust!

Thanks for the encouraging words everyone. Just worried because Pumpkin was always a finicky eater. I'm just afraid she won't accept the new diet. 

[Bastet]

54 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

Is feeding her some broiled salmon a good idea? 

That's very high protein, and fish can cause problems for cats in general (although more often with males than females) so it's best left as an occasional treat.

1 minute ago, Growsonwalls said:

Just worried because Pumpkin was always a finicky eater. I'm just afraid she won't accept the new diet. 

Slow and steady wins the race; if you gradually replace a larger and larger percentage of her usual food with what you want her to eat instead, she'll probably come around. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

so I prefer commercial food using quality ingredients along with a phosphorus binder [e.g. aluminum hydroxide]. 

I feel that my Onyx is in real danger now.  I'm a bad mom I guess, but I haven't really changed her food other than to eliminate all dry supplementation, and NO TREATS (this was done when she was first diagnosed, 3+ years ago).  Her vets have never suggested any dietary changes/additions, so they haven't really helped.  In the past with another cat, I purchased the KD prescription from them, but they have never suggested it with Onyx.  She only gets canned food, but I won't pretend that it's the highest quality available, as unfortunately, budget is an issue.

I would be very interested if you're willing to disclose what commercial food you used.  Feel free to pm me, if you don't want to share it here.

 

[Growsonwalls]

This is Pumpkin isn't she cute?

[supposebly]

6 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

This is Pumpkin isn't she cute?

Very!

[Nicmar]

15 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

My Mr Norris who passed away at the age of 20 this past June went on a kidney friendly diet and was doing well for the last 2.5 yrs of his life. It’s scary but your kitty will adjust!

hey I had a cat named Mrs.Norris!