Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[smittykins]

Today’s is Shadow’s fourth Gotcha Day!(Then she’ll be five at the end of the month.  It still seems like yesterday.)

Edited August 8, 2022 by smittykins

[peacheslatour]

39 minutes ago, smittykins said:

Today’s is Shadow’s fourth Gotcha Day!(Then she’ll be five at the end of the month.  It still seems like yesterday.)

She looks so soft and silky! Do you brush her a lot?

[smittykins]

I actually need to buy a brush(she sometimes gets hairballs, even though she’s a shorthair).  And BTW, the sleeping-in-the toybox thing lasted about two days; she was like “OK, Mom posted this on Facebook, I can’t do it anymore.” 🤣

Edited August 8, 2022 by smittykins

[SJC]

All five furbabies !
Left to right:
Cindi Lou, Jojo, Seba, Dixie & Cheeto.

[oliviabenson]

1 hour ago, SJC said:

All five furbabies !
Left to right:
Cindi Lou, Jojo, Seba, Dixie & Cheeto.

But where do the humans sit? Lol looks like the cats own all the furniture lol.

such cuties ❤️

[SJC]

We share the furniture. 😂

[Scarlett45]

3 hours ago, SJC said:

All five furbabies !
Left to right:
Cindi Lou, Jojo, Seba, Dixie & Cheeto.

I think I noticed Seba (on the arm), first, and went “wait, there are more??”

[SJC]

20 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I think I noticed Seba (on the arm), first, and went “wait, there are more??”

Lol🤣

[Scarlett45]

Bag love forever and ever. 

[EighteenTwelve]

Quirk gave me a very angry lecture yesterday afternoon about the weather.  This morning she toned it down to the usual lecture about how she was STARVING because she hadn't eaten in YEARS (she ate all of her dinner last night when the weather broke, so not buying that one).  Meanwhile Lily spent yesterday afternoon sleeping on the side of my desk because she couldn't be in my lap (too hot) but she really wanted human contact.  Everybody is much happier today.

[supposebly]

3 hours ago, EighteenTwelve said:

Quirk gave me a very angry lecture yesterday afternoon

I don't see a picture!

[EighteenTwelve]

This is from June, but it's the best recent picture I've got.  I was laughing too hard at the lecture to take pictures.

[peacheslatour]

5 minutes ago, EighteenTwelve said:

This is from June, but it's the best recent picture I've got.  I was laughing too hard at the lecture to take pictures.

Darling! Which is which?

[EighteenTwelve]

Quirk is the grey one, Lily is the orange one. 

[Mindthinkr]

My cats have been vomiting lately. No change in their environment or food. Any ideas on something to soothe their bellies? Their kibble is Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and they usually like Fancy Feast wet food. I had to change the sheets twice last night as their preferred place to leave their deposit was on the bed when I am in it sleeping. During the day it’s been floors and thankfully not my rugs. They will be 19 in October. They are indoor cats. Of course if it doesn’t resolve or they stop drinking it will be a trip to the vet. Thanks. 

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

My cats have been vomiting lately. No change in their environment or food. Any ideas on something to soothe their bellies? Their kibble is Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and they usually like Fancy Feast wet food. I had to change the sheets twice last night as their preferred place to leave their deposit was on the bed when I am in it sleeping. During the day it’s been floors and thankfully not my rugs. They will be 19 in October. They are indoor cats. Of course if it doesn’t resolve or they stop drinking it will be a trip to the vet. Thanks. 

Hairballs maybe?

Hi furry ones!

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

My cats have been vomiting lately.

Regurgitating food shortly after eating, throwing up hairballs, or vomiting partially-digested food?

Is it unusually hot in your area like it is in so many?  Even without dangerous overheating, they tend to puke more when they're fine but warmer than usual.

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

My cats have been vomiting lately. No change in their environment or food. Any ideas on something to soothe their bellies? Their kibble is Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and they usually like Fancy Feast wet food. I had to change the sheets twice last night as their preferred place to leave their deposit was on the bed when I am in it sleeping. During the day it’s been floors and thankfully not my rugs. They will be 19 in October. They are indoor cats. Of course if it doesn’t resolve or they stop drinking it will be a trip to the vet. Thanks. 

Almost too many possibilities to list.  If it's both cats, then it's likly either viral or somthing they both got into they shouldn't have.  Are they mischievous chewers?  Perhaps they need a probiotic added to their routine?

[Mindthinkr]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

Regurgitating food shortly after eating, throwing up hairballs, or vomiting partially-digested food?

Hers has mostly been hairballs and I’m going to pick up some of that malty paste (Laxatone) to give to her today hen out doing errands. His has been after eating and the food hasn’t had a chance to begin digesting. He is not prone to hairballs. Some of them look watery or foamy. They’ve just had breakfast and so far it’s stayed down. 
 

Edited to add that yesterday was very hot. It was still 97 at 6pm. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Mindthinkr

[SoMuchTV]

All this hairball discussion reminded me to post about this.  I've been getting a couple different brands of "hairball control" cat treats (Greenies and Temptations), and maybe it's placebo effect but I think they do help some.  But the last time I went to restock, there were none to be found (stores, Chewy, wherever).  There were, however, "Indoor Care" versions of those same brands that appear to have the exact same ingredients.  Anyone have any insider information on the name change?  Could they not provide studies to prove the hairball control effectiveness?  Or they wanted to claim to cover a wider audience?

[Scarlett45]

Lady Reese has a new box to love (Bath & Body Works). 

[Gramto6]

15 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Lady Reese has a new box to love (Bath & Body Works). 

Nice box!! No wonder she likes it! :)

[SuprSuprElevated]

30 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Lady Reese has a new box to love (Bath & Body Works). 

She is so sweet!  My first cat ever was a tortie, so they have a special place in my heart~

Edited August 12, 2022 by SuprSuprElevated

[Mindthinkr]

15 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

All this hairball discussion reminded me to post about this.  I've been getting a couple different brands of "hairball control" cat treats (Greenies and Temptations), and maybe it's placebo effect but I think they do help some.  But the last time I went to restock, there were none to be found (stores, Chewy, wherever).  There were, however, "Indoor Care" versions of those same brands that appear to have the exact same ingredients.  Anyone have any insider information on the name change?  Could they not provide studies to prove the hairball control effectiveness?  Or they wanted to claim to cover a wider audience?

My girl used to get the Hairball Control treats, but I haven’t seen them stocked in a month. I didn’t know the Indoor Care had the same ingredients. I’ll have to try them. Yesterday I gave her some of that hairball squeezable gel. My cats always like to keep me guessing 😂

[Bastet]

Maddie used to be the hairball queen, and what dramatically reduced those incidents was to add a little bit of psyllium (with water) to her food.  Fiber helps keep the fur moving through the intestinal tract, so it comes out in poop rather than forming a ball that has to get puked up.

[nokat]

4 hours ago, Bastet said:

Fiber helps keep the fur moving through the intestinal tract,

This makes sense, since their diet has changed from catching prey with all of its fiber to kibble. They still need the protein, but psyllium (with water is important) is non-digestible I think and so attracts water and helps move things along. Maybe added to a cat safe broth?

[nokat]

On 8/11/2022 at 4:41 AM, Mindthinkr said:

Edited to add that yesterday was very hot. It was still 97 at 6pm. 

If it is that hot and they are vomiting, I'd worry about dehydration. You said no new stressors but the heat may be one. I hope they feel better.

[Mindthinkr]

8 hours ago, nokat said:

If it is that hot and they are vomiting, I'd worry about dehydration. You said no new stressors but the heat may be one. I hope they feel better.

I’m not concerned about dehydration because the house has air conditioning and they live at a steady 70-72 degrees in the summer. They are drinking plenty of water. I’ll try the psyllium and water mix. About how much of each should I try? Thank you and @Bastetfor your suggestion. 

[Scarlett45]

My Mom got another fountain for all my pets. They won’t go near it! Okay that’s not true, they will sniff it, but won’t drink out of it.
 

They like the current fountain, and this one is bigger and fancier (and quieter). After giving it a week I took it a part, cleaned it again with soap and vinegar, moved locations. I even put a piece of jerky treats in for Cosmo- he who eats dirt off the ground didn’t want the piece of treat in the water. I then unplugged it, and he gobbled it up and sniffed then left. 
 

See! He’s drinking out of the old one  

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’ll try the psyllium and water mix. About how much of each should I try?

You can do anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 tsp mixed into the canned food.  The amount of water depends on how much your cat will accept added to the food and how much they drink on their own -- you just need the extra fiber to be consumed with adequate water, because otherwise they could get a bowel obstruction.  If they're good drinkers, you don't need to add much water to the food.

Psyllium is good because it's a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber (insoluble fiber won’t dissolve in water, so it can add bulk to the stool, which helps it move through the digestive system faster while soluble fiber will dissolve in water, so it makes basically a gel within the digestive tract, causing smoother movement).

[Moose135]

We had a group class/walk for Jake on Saturday morning. It's been ages since we've gone, between hot weather and such - the trainer we used when we got him holds these every few weeks so the dogs can work on socialization, and we can work on specific things they need.

[Suzn]

I love the "too tired to go on" pose!

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, Suzn said:

I love the "too tired to go on" pose!

He actually isn't a fan of the gentle leader, so he was rubbing his nose on the ground trying to get it off. It does make a huge difference when we're walking him, though.

[bilgistic]

Looks like a class full of the goodest girls and boys with big smiles!

[Gramto6]

I don't have photos because the kittens are very shy, but I put a couple of boxes on the front porch. Just slightly larger than shoe box size and those kittens are all over them. They even woke me up 2 days in a row climbing in and out and pushing them around. What a hoot! Cats and boxes, cheap toys!! :)

Edited August 19, 2022 by Gramto6

[Leeds]

On 8/11/2022 at 2:46 PM, SoMuchTV said:

All this hairball discussion reminded me to post about this.  I've been getting a couple different brands of "hairball control" cat treats (Greenies and Temptations), and maybe it's placebo effect but I think they do help some.  But the last time I went to restock, there were none to be found (stores, Chewy, wherever).  There were, however, "Indoor Care" versions of those same brands that appear to have the exact same ingredients.  Anyone have any insider information on the name change?  Could they not provide studies to prove the hairball control effectiveness?  Or they wanted to claim to cover a wider audience?

Can animals understand the placebo effect?

On 8/13/2022 at 4:17 AM, Mindthinkr said:

I’m not concerned about dehydration because the house has air conditioning and they live at a steady 70-72 degrees in the summer. They are drinking plenty of water. I’ll try the psyllium and water mix. About how much of each should I try? Thank you and @Bastetfor your suggestion. 

Gosh, your electricity bills must be terrifying!

[Mindthinkr]

Just now, Leeds said:

Gosh, your electricity bills must be terrifying!

I’m pretty thrifty. They haven’t gone up too much, but yes, it costs. On average I’d say they have hiked about $25/mth more than last year. There are low and high usage (peak) times. For instance I always do my laundry on the weekend because it’s a lower cost than a week day. I also don’t run the dishwasher until after 9pm when the cost lowers. 

[SoMuchTV]

On 8/11/2022 at 5:46 PM, SoMuchTV said:

All this hairball discussion reminded me to post about this.  I've been getting a couple different brands of "hairball control" cat treats (Greenies and Temptations), and maybe it's placebo effect but I think they do help some.  But the last time I went to restock, there were none to be found (stores, Chewy, wherever).  There were, however, "Indoor Care" versions of those same brands that appear to have the exact same ingredients.  Anyone have any insider information on the name change?  Could they not provide studies to prove the hairball control effectiveness?  Or they wanted to claim to cover a wider audience?

1 hour ago, Leeds said:

Can animals understand the placebo effect?

LOL, I was thinking of the placebo effect on me, as in, it seems like I'm cleaning up fewer hairballs, maybe...? If someone figures out something that has a placebo effect on cats, please let me know.

[Gramto6]

Well I learned something interesting the other day. The new guy I have to mow my yard was telling me about my neighbor across the field that "found" a dark gray cat with green eyes. Just like the one from the last litter I had here.  I had said they moved on and got some flack here that "they" knew what that meant... Well guess what the neighbor sold my kitty to someone that really wanted it!! 

I have another that is almost the same but it's eyes are bright yellow, not piercing green. I need to protect that kitty!! I expect the others found places where they can get food.

From what I am seeing this season, the 2 mama cats are starting to hiss at last season's kittens, I guess to prepare  for the new crop this year.  They are feral and will move on  but I am pissed at the guy that sold my kitty!!

Edited August 27, 2022 by Gramto6
typo

[Writing Wrongs]

I haven't posted to this thread since 2019 apparently. But I wanted to stop in because I'm feeling bummed. My parents (and my) dog, Mylie is on her last legs. She has a neurological problem that has steadily been getting worse. It started with her falling and not being able to go up and down stairs. She already had arthritis. When i pet her now, she is so bony that you can feel all the ridges of her spine.

My mom knows the vet will say she needs to be put to sleep, but she won't take her because she's not ready to let her go. I'd hate to see that too, but if it needs to be done it should be. Our other dog had the same kind of condition, but wasn't put to sleep until after she started having seizures. I don't want Mylie to go through that.

Anyway, I just needed to vent. Here's a pic of her in her prime:

[Leeds]

20 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I haven't posted to this thread since 2019 apparently. But I wanted to stop in because I'm feeling bummed. My parents (and my) dog, Mylie is on her last legs. She has a neurological problem that has steadily been getting worse. It started with her falling and not being able to go up and down stairs. She already had arthritis. When i pet her now, she is so bony that you can feel all the ridges of her spine.

My mom knows the vet will say she needs to be put to sleep, but she won't take her because she's not ready to let her go. I'd hate to see that too, but if it needs to be done it should be. Our other dog had the same kind of condition, but wasn't put to sleep until after she started having seizures. I don't want Mylie to go through that.

Anyway, I just needed to vent. Here's a pic of her in her prime:

I'm so, so sorry about Mylie.  What you're going through is the worst.

And you're not venting, you've come somewhere you can talk freely because we're strangers.  For me, that outlet used to be through writing in a private diary but therefore internalizing, which can be unhealthy.  At first I thought I was being self indulgent and whiny coming onto a public forum.  But I've had so many helpful reactions on here (including the occasional "get over yourself!" comments) that it's become a frequent resource.

Edited August 28, 2022 by Leeds
To add the word "thought"

[Writing Wrongs]

Thank you.

[Scarlett45]

On 8/27/2022 at 5:35 PM, Writing Wrongs said:

I haven't posted to this thread since 2019 apparently. But I wanted to stop in because I'm feeling bummed. My parents (and my) dog, Mylie is on her last legs. She has a neurological problem that has steadily been getting worse. It started with her falling and not being able to go up and down stairs. She already had arthritis. When i pet her now, she is so bony that you can feel all the ridges of her spine.

My mom knows the vet will say she needs to be put to sleep, but she won't take her because she's not ready to let her go. I'd hate to see that too, but if it needs to be done it should be. Our other dog had the same kind of condition, but wasn't put to sleep until after she started having seizures. I don't want Mylie to go through that.

Anyway, I just needed to vent. Here's a pic of her in her prime:

What a sweet girl. Its so hard to lose them, I understand not wanting to let go. You are not venting, that's what we are here for! We all love our pets and understand the pain of seeing them sick. May you and your parents come to the right decision for Mylie.

[JustHereForFood]

I watched a documentary on Netflix: Inside the Mind of a Cat. Interesting and cute, but maybe there's nothing new for experienced cat people.

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, JustHereForFood said:

I watched a documentary on Netflix: Inside the Mind of a Cat. Interesting and cute, but maybe there's nothing new for experienced cat people.

Oh funny coincidence I guess, but that had been in my watch list for a while, and I just watched the first half earlier today. I agree, interesting and cute. I’ll have to catch the rest of it soon. My cat was trying to act cool and not react to all the meowing. 
 

[Mondrianyone]

By additional coincidence, I watched that cat program on the same night, too. I thought I was watching the next episode of a series called The Hidden Life of Pets, but this came on instead. I wonder if cats are now in charge of programming at Netflix.

[peacheslatour]

14 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

I watched a documentary on Netflix: Inside the Mind of a Cat. Interesting and cute, but maybe there's nothing new for experienced cat people.

It really is true that you can teach cats a lot of the things people teach dogs. Our cats will sit, stay and a bunch of stuff on command. Well, I shouldn't say "cats". Elizabeth will. Nathan just gives you his usual blank stare. Poor guy, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

[Suzn]

My cats understand quite a few things...but selectively.  Freya knows full well that she is not to scratch woodwork, but often gives me a blank stare when I'm yelling at her to stop it.  Then there are the things I tell them to stop and get no response until I pick up the water spray bottle...that causes complete understanding and obedience.  Loki is good about coming to me if I say his name and ask him to come over.

[supposebly]

I watch Albert and Mia, his adventure cat. Mostly, because I'm very envious. I'm just not consistent and patient enough when it comes to training my two panthers. They're also getting a little old for that kind of thing, I guess.

Albert and Mia

[JustHereForFood]

On 8/30/2022 at 4:14 AM, SoMuchTV said:

My cat was trying to act cool and not react to all the meowing. 
 

I tried to get my cat to watch it with us, but she is completely uninterested in TV. I've been watching a lot of programs about nature lately, but nothing from it interested her.