Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[wilsie]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Sadly, we had to put Nathan down this morning. At about 5:30 am he started howling and when we got up to check on him, he was dragging himself across the floor with his front legs. Our regular vet is closed on Saturdays so we took him to a different one. They said he had a blood clot in his back and was in a lot of pain. So long old pal.

I'm so sorry. I hope you find peace in knowing what a good life he had because of you.  And comfort for sweet Elizabeth and all of you.

[peacheslatour]

2 minutes ago, wilsie said:

I'm so sorry. I hope you find peace in knowing what a good life he had because of you.  And comfort for sweet Elizabeth and all of you.

Elizabeth has never been a lap cat but today she has been back and forth between my lap and Nathan's blanket. I can't explain to her but somehow she knows.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Sadly, we had to put Nathan down this morning. At about 5:30 am he started howling and when we got up to check on him, he was dragging himself across the floor with his front legs. Our regular vet is closed on Saturdays so we took him to a different one. They said he had a blood clot in his back and was in a lot of pain. So long old pal.

I'm so sorry to hear about your sudden loss.  That is what happened to my friend's cat; we knew it would be coming at some point, as it was the inevitable end result of the form of cardiomyopathy he had, but still devastating to see it happen to him.  I know how horrible a sight that was for you.  You're in my thoughts this weekend.

3 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Thank you friends. Elizabeth has been sitting, staring at the front door like she expects him to come back. 😥

It's so hard on them when their buddy just doesn't come home, but having watched Bandit go through both scenarios -- Bailey never coming home from the hospital and Chester being euthanized at home while Bandit was in the room and could smell the pheremone that lets members of the same species know a death has just occurred -- it was just two different ways of being very upset.  It hurts to see them grieve while you're doing the same.  All you can do is help each other through these terrible early stages of grief.

Edited February 4, 2023 by Bastet

[peacheslatour]

Quote

It's so hard on them when their buddy just doesn't come home, but having watched Bandit go through both scenarios -- Bailey never coming home from the hospital and Chester being euthanized at home while Bandit was in the room and could smell the pheremone that lets members of the same species know a death has just occurred -- it was just two different ways of being very upset.  It hurts to see them grieve while you're doing the same.  All you can do is help each other through these terrible early stages of grief.

This vet actually said that cats (and I'm sure, other animals) understand death and asked if we would like to bring her with us but we were just too upset.

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

This vet actually said that cats (and I'm sure, other animals) understand death and asked if we would like to bring her with us but we were just too upset.

They do understand; it was very obvious the moment Bandit smelled the pheromone when Chester was put to sleep.  But it's not like it brought him some great peace compared to the confusion he felt when Bailey just disappeared.  He wasn't confused, and he wasn't searching, which is why we let him stay in the room, to avoid that, sure, and we're grateful, but he was still terribly upset. 

(In fact, he was so distraught for so long we ultimately took him in for a full battery of tests to make sure there wasn't a physical at play beyond the emotional; there wasn't, as we figured, and we put him on Prozac.  It kicked in - it takes time in them as it does us - to regulate his grief response to return him to his usual Dito self, and then not even a month later was killed by car [of course, our fault for giving him outside access that wasn't strictly supervised; I've written previously about the specific circumstances why].)

Bottom line: You didn't deprive Elizabeth by not including her (especially because you'd be bringing her to the vet, rather than it happening in her home).  There's no right or wrong way.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Bastet

[ABay]

Girl Cat seemed to adjust pretty easily when Grumpy Old Man cat left us. He was ill for some time before so I figure she knew what was up. She seems content as an only child.

[peacheslatour]

4 minutes ago, ABay said:

Girl Cat seemed to adjust pretty easily when Grumpy Old Man cat left us. He was ill for some time before so I figure she knew what was up. She seems content as an only child.

I hope Elizabeth adjusts well too. I do not see any more pets in our future until my DH retires. I'm just too disabled to deal with another kitten. An older cat would be fine though.

[SuprSuprElevated]

5 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Sadly, we had to put Nathan down this morning. At about 5:30 am he started howling and when we got up to check on him, he was dragging himself across the floor with his front legs. Our regular vet is closed on Saturdays so we took him to a different one. They said he had a blood clot in his back and was in a lot of pain. So long old pal.

Oh peaches, I'm so sorry~

 

[WendyCR72]

6 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Sadly, we had to put Nathan down this morning. At about 5:30 am he started howling and when we got up to check on him, he was dragging himself across the floor with his front legs. Our regular vet is closed on Saturdays so we took him to a different one. They said he had a blood clot in his back and was in a lot of pain. So long old pal.

I'm so sorry, @peacheslatour. 💔 😢

[badhaggis]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I hope Elizabeth adjusts well too. I do not see any more pets in our future until my DH retires. I'm just too disabled to deal with another kitten. An older cat would be fine though.

I'm so sorry. I hope you and Elizabeth bring great comfort to each other. 

When you are ready I'm sure there are many older cats available.

Virtual hugs my friend.

[isalicat]

I'm so sorry about Nathan! I adopted my Louis at age 13 (well, he adopted me) from the local county shelter and we had 6 years together (although the last one was fraught as he was getting very incontinent). He was very mellow, in huge contrast to my two three year old sibling cats I have now that are still basically acting like kittens (chasing each other around and wrestling all over me at 6:30 AM every bloody morning), so I understand why you may not want a kitten again any time soon. But there are so many older cats stuck in the shelters waiting for someone...for when you are ready. And in the meantime, may the memory of Nathan's happier days be a blessing.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, badhaggis said:

When you are ready I'm sure there are many older cats available.

Yep.  On a given day, shelters are sadly either full of them, or euthanizing them nearly as soon as they come in; it just depends on location and circumstances.  They are less likely to be adopted, so more in need -- and so, so grateful to have a home.

Shelters put as many kittens into foster homes as possible, but then when the shelter cages are full because kittens just keep coming and coming, those more-adoptable kittens are prioritized and the older cats are the first to go.  It's horrible; several million cats (total, including kittens, who are not safe from euthanasia in many locations) are euthanized each year in U.S. shelters simply because there are that many more of them than there are homes (exacerbated in some areas by piss-poor policies).  (Shelter dogs have tragic numbers, too, just not quite as bad as their feline counterparts.)

I once adopted a six-month old cat, and twice a kitten came into my life, once via a feral cat and once via a friend's neighbor's kid mistreating the remaining runt of their cat's litter, but otherwise my family has only ever taken in adults.  To be clear, I am not disparaging adopting a kitten; if you do, you are saving a life, period (either that particular kitten's if they were in danger of euthanasia or another cat's if adopting them opened up space to keep another).  I just know adults have a harder time, so that's who I choose to focus on when the time comes.  But I'm not selfless enough to adopt a true senior; I want to be, but so far I've never been able to bring myself to adopt a, say, 14-year-old, knowing our time will be limited.  Again, I want to be, because however long that time winds up being, I gave a loving home to someone who otherwise likely would have lived out life in a cage before being euthanized.  I'm just not there yet.

Adopting adults means I pay a price for it in terms of having less time with each cat before the inevitable heartbreak.  Riley was probably around six when I adopted her, which would make her thirteen now.  I've lost a couple of 13-year-olds.  I've lost several 16-year-olds.  (Just like with people, a healthy diet and regular medical care can only improve longevity odds; there's no accounting for genetics or chance.)  I hope I've got another five to seven years with her, but I know that's not something to count on.  The thought our time together could be in its final chapter is something I just cannot dwell on, though; I adopted a cat no one else wanted and have had the absolute best time with her.  She makes me happy every single day (and, with chronic depression and anxiety, that's no small feat).

When the next time comes, it'll be another adult.  (Beyond any principle, my kitten days are long behind me; they don't require as much energy as puppies, but still -- nope, I can't hang.  At that age you should get two [unless you have an existing cat who will welcome this youthful exuberance], and kittens are the most adorable things possible in this world, but nope for living with their shenanigans.)  But, I gotta say, if when that time comes the shelter has a bunch of kittens and a three-year-old, so the three-year-old is the one who needs me most, I won't complain at increasing my odds.

[SuprSuprElevated]

6 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I hope Elizabeth adjusts well too. I do not see any more pets in our future until my DH retires. I'm just too disabled to deal with another kitten. An older cat would be fine though.

Just keep your eye on her. When we lost Onyx last summer, (she had been pretty ill for the final year of her life), Pearl seemed okay at first, then about 10-12 days later, I had her at the emergency vet. Left with a diagnosis of gastroenteritis, which I believe she induced by not eating. She turned her nose up at everything I gave her for probably 2 weeks, eating just enough to sustain herself.  

She eventually righted herself, and is fine now. In fact she is thriving, and has become an almost entirely different cat. Onyx was the alpha, and miss Pearl has now found her voice and her new role in the family.

Edited February 5, 2023 by SuprSuprElevated

[luv2lurk]

@peacheslatour - I am so sorry to hear about Nathan - Big Virtual Hugs! Somehow I think Elizabeth will recover faster than you and based on the descriptions you have given of her, I think she might enjoy being an only cat 😁

With regard to adopting an older cat, co-incidentally I came across this story yesterday:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/24/uk/flossie-oldest-living-cat-intl-scli-gbr/index.html

It should give hope to all!

[SuprSuprElevated]

@peacheslatour - 

As an FYI, the EVet sold me a bottle of a product calld Zylkene, a natural sort of mood booster.  I gave her one per day for most of the 30 dose bottle (held a few back just in case as it's not cheap - about $30 I think).  I believe it did help.  Avail OTC.

zylkene-for-cats

Edited February 5, 2023 by SuprSuprElevated

[SoMuchTV]

2 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

@peacheslatour - 

As an FYI, the EVet sold me a bottle of a product calld Zylkene, a natural sort of mood booster.  I gave her one per day for most of the 30 dose bottle (held a few back just in case as it's not cheap - about $30 I think).  I believe it did help.  Avail OTC.

zylkene-for-cats

I used that for a while, a few cats ago!  There's also a less expensive alternate (Calmkeen, I think).  For a while, I was getting the highest dosage capsules (like, the big dog dosage) and dividing the powder up into several days' worth of doses.

[Scarlett45]

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

Yep.  On a given day, shelters are sadly either full of them, or euthanizing them nearly as soon as they come in; it just depends on location and circumstances.  They are less likely to be adopted, so more in need -- and so, so grateful to have a home.

Shelters put as many kittens into foster homes as possible, but then when the shelter cages are full because kittens just keep coming and coming, those more-adoptable kittens are prioritized and the older cats are the first to go.  It's horrible; several million cats (total, including kittens, who are not safe from euthanasia in many locations) are euthanized each year in U.S. shelters simply because there are that many more of them than there are homes (exacerbated in some areas by piss-poor policies).  (Shelter dogs have tragic numbers, too, just not quite as bad as their feline counterparts.)

I once adopted a six-month old cat, and twice a kitten came into my life, once via a feral cat and once via a friend's neighbor's kid mistreating the remaining runt of their cat's litter, but otherwise my family has only ever taken in adults.  To be clear, I am not disparaging adopting a kitten; if you do, you are saving a life, period (either that particular kitten's if they were in danger of euthanasia or another cat's if adopting them opened up space to keep another).  I just know adults have a harder time, so that's who I choose to focus on when the time comes.  But I'm not selfless enough to adopt a true senior; I want to be, but so far I've never been able to bring myself to adopt a, say, 14-year-old, knowing our time will be limited.  Again, I want to be, because however long that time winds up being, I gave a loving home to someone who otherwise likely would have lived out life in a cage before being euthanized.  I'm just not there yet.

Adopting adults means I pay a price for it in terms of having less time with each cat before the inevitable heartbreak.  Riley was probably around six when I adopted her, which would make her thirteen now.  I've lost a couple of 13-year-olds.  I've lost several 16-year-olds.  (Just like with people, a healthy diet and regular medical care can only improve longevity odds; there's no accounting for genetics or chance.)  I hope I've got another five to seven years with her, but I know that's not something to count on.  The thought our time together could be in its final chapter is something I just cannot dwell on, though; I adopted a cat no one else wanted and have had the absolute best time with her.  She makes me happy every single day (and, with chronic depression and anxiety, that's no small feat).

When the next time comes, it'll be another adult.  (Beyond any principle, my kitten days are long behind me; they don't require as much energy as puppies, but still -- nope, I can't hang.  At that age you should get two [unless you have an existing cat who will welcome this youthful exuberance], and kittens are the most adorable things possible in this world, but nope for living with their shenanigans.)  But, I gotta say, if when that time comes the shelter has a bunch of kittens and a three-year-old, so the three-year-old is the one who needs me most, I won't complain at increasing my odds.

I couldn’t see myself not having a cat, and I plan to always adopt adults. Cavendish & Lady Reese were 7 when they came to me, and I like adopting bonded pairs. They have so much love to give and kittens are tiny bundles of terror!

I am finding I like older dogs too. After Cosmo’s time on earth I could see myself adopting another large older dog who just needs a few years of love and mellow walks. 

[peacheslatour]

17 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I couldn’t see myself not having a cat, and I plan to always adopt adults. Cavendish & Lady Reese were 7 when they came to me, and I like adopting bonded pairs. They have so much love to give and kittens are tiny bundles of terror!

I am finding I like older dogs too. After Cosmo’s time on earth I could see myself adopting another large older dog who just needs a few years of love and mellow walks. 

So true. Elizabeth just about killed me when we got her a year and a half ago. She was only 8 weeks old and she was into EVERYTHING. She ran me ragged. No, definitely an older cat is the way to go.

[Bastet]

4 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Elizabeth just about killed me when we got her a year and a half ago. She was only 8 weeks old and she was into EVERYTHING. She ran me ragged.

When I took care of my friend's cats when she had a kitten, that little guy wore me out in less than two hours!  And it was hard giving the other cats their own attention, because he wanted to be in on everything.

[peacheslatour]

25 minutes ago, Bastet said:

When I took care of my friend's cats when she had a kitten, that little guy wore me out in less than two hours!  And it was hard giving the other cats their own attention, because he wanted to be in on everything.

Yes, it's exhausting. Poor Nathan had been living the quiet, measured ife of an elderly bachelor and here came this little ball of fire upending his whole leisurely existence.

Edited February 5, 2023 by peacheslatour

[Miss Anne Thrope]

I'm so sorry to hear of your family's loss, @peacheslatour.  Hugs to you all.

[Bastet]

7 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Poor Nathan had been living the quiet, measured ife of an elderly bachelor and here came this little ball of fire upending his whole leisurely existence.

That was my friend's old man cat when she came home from the shelter with two six-month-old kittens.  They adored him - one was positively obsessed with him - but he very much did not return the sentiment.  When they settled down enough to cuddle with him, though, instead of just jumping on him and chasing him, and quit following him everywhere, he came around.  Fast forward several years, with the old man gone, and she brought home a young kitten, and now they were the ones being menaced by this terror who thought when they shoved him off them it was all part of the very fun game he was playing.  Tables turned!  Time once again took care of things; one of them still doesn't like her little brother, but the other one is buddies with him now.

Nathan didn't get that chance, and I'm not sure Elizabeth is ever going to mellow anyway. 😄 But it's great she came into your life when she did, so you don't have to go through Nathan's death without having another cat for comfort. 

After Baxter died, I realized that while Maddie had been fine with him (he was the quintessential pesky little brother; she loved him, but he bugged the shit out of her sometimes), at that point in her life it was best for several reasons that she got to be an only cat in her golden years.  I knew I was setting myself up to have an empty house one day, and it was indeed extra hard.  And then when I finally was ready to go adopt two cats from the shelter, I found scaredy-cat Riley and knew I couldn't ask her to adjust to another cat on top of everything else, so came home with just her. 

(I thought I might adopt her a sibling later, but she is SO deliriously happy just the two of us that, even though she might be okay with another cat - she'd come from a multi-cat household, after all - I ultimately decided not to change that dynamic.) 

[peacheslatour]

Quote

 

Nathan didn't get that chance, and I'm not sure Elizabeth is ever going to mellow anyway. 😄 But it's great she came into your life when she did, so you don't have to go through Nathan's death without having another cat for comfort. 

He really didn't because she wanted him to play with her so badly but he was just this old guy who wanted to sleep in sunbeams. She has mellowed a little but then again she is a tortie... And a Maine Coon which means she is still not an adult yet. 

Edited February 6, 2023 by peacheslatour

[Scarlett45]

@peacheslatour I am just now seeing that you lost Nathan, I am so sorry, it never gets easier but I am glad you have Elizabeth to comfort you.

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

@peacheslatour I am just now seeing that you lost Nathan, I am so sorry, it never gets easier but I am glad you have Elizabeth to comfort you.

Thank you. She's a little better today. She was very distressed on Saturday.

[JustHereForFood]

My condolences, @peacheslatour . I am sure your Nathan felt very loved and happy with you.

[Mindthinkr]

[SJC]

On 2/4/2023 at 11:04 AM, peacheslatour said:

Sadly, we had to put Nathan down this morning. At about 5:30 am he started howling and when we got up to check on him, he was dragging himself across the floor with his front legs. Our regular vet is closed on Saturdays so we took him to a different one. They said he had a blood clot in his back and was in a lot of pain. So long old pal.

Sending you a big hug. 😘

[SuprSuprElevated]

[badhaggis]

16 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

We joke that Fuzzybutt says that to me all the time along with "I do what I want!' as she flounces out of the room. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

[SuprSuprElevated]

Best boat ride ever!

dolphins!

 

[proserpina65]

Since watching House of the Dragon, I've started giving my cats commands in High Valyrian, mainly "obey" and "be calm".  While it did slow them down a little at first, surprisingly they still don't actually listen to me.  Of course Vhagar didn't listen to Aemond, so what did I expect?

Edited February 8, 2023 by proserpina65

[peacheslatour]

Well, Elizabeth has seen another cat. There was a beautiful, young cat at our window this morning and she was going crazy! She tried to dig her way through the glass. The cat saw her too and was very curious about her. It got up on the fence and they were putting their paws on the same spot on the window like they were giving each other high fives. She then tried to dig her way through the front door. We never see cats outside around here but at least this one had it's address and phone number on it's tag. My husband said it also had one of those GPS tracking devices on it's collar. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

These kit kat photos are everything!

cutest-kitten-in-the-world-who-is-living-the-good-life-and-making-us-a-little-envious

 

[Scarlett45]

My heart just swelled 4 extra sizes today, my god daughter who is 8, wanted to know next time I was out of town could she take care of my cats. 
 

Her Mom told her that I do have someone (my sister’s caregiver) who walks Cosmo and feeds the cats when I’m out of town and that’s her responsibility but she would ask. 
 

I told my god daughter that it would be amazing if she could have “cat enrichment time” with Cavendish and Lady Reese next time I was out of town, and since Cosmo gets personal walks they should get personal play time. I told her we could talk about it and come up with a schedule and a price (a chance for her to earn money for her piggy bank). 
 

That’s so sweet!

[Moose135]

Who needs the Super Bowl when you have Joey in the Puppy Bowl?

 

[peacheslatour]

Lol, Elizabeth has a new routine. I've mentioned that she was never a lap cat but since we lost Nathan, every morning now, when she sees me sit down on the sofa with the newspaper,  she immediately gets in my lap. It's become an everyday thing now.  She's so funny (and heavy!).

[Gramto6]

I don't remember if Nathan was a lap cat or not, but if he was, maybe Elizabeth thinks it is now her "job' to be the lap cat!  😸

[secnarf]

I recently adopted two new kitties following the death of my last cat in June.

Meet Ginny:

And Luna:

They are thought to be cousins, found as part of a cat colony. They have been in the shelter's care since April - nobody wanted to adopt them because they are shy, especially Ginny. They are so sweet and gentle, and love their treats!

We have had lots of issues with Luna having coughing fits and Ginny having vomiting/diarrhea and problems with her eyes, but these things are for the most part settling out.

This is their favourite way to sleep:

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, secnarf said:

I recently adopted two new kitties following the death of my last cat in June.

Meet Ginny:

And Luna:

They are thought to be cousins, found as part of a cat colony. They have been in the shelter's care since April - nobody wanted to adopt them because they are shy, especially Ginny. They are so sweet and gentle, and love their treats!

We have had lots of issues with Luna having coughing fits and Ginny having vomiting/diarrhea and problems with her eyes, but these things are for the most part settling out.

This is their favourite way to sleep:

I love the way they sleep. My cats do NOT cuddle which I think it’s odd because they’ve been together their entire lives. Luna has such expressive eyes. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, Scarlett45 said:

I love the way they sleep. My cats do NOT cuddle which I think it’s odd because they’ve been together their entire lives. Luna has such expressive eyes. 

Before Onyx died last year, my 2 had been together for 16+ years, since they were cagemates at the local shelter when they were 6-ish wks old. I have a couple of photos of them laying/sleeping against or very near each other, but it was not the norm. Perhaps ^those two are doing so as sort of security, since they are in a newer environment. Hopefully it will continue, but it may not.

[supposebly]

My bonded pair (7 and 4 years old) used to sleep together more but their previous co-beds have become a little small, so they don't it much anymore. 

Maybe I should get them a bigger bed. 😉

[oliviabenson]

2 hours ago, supposebly said:

My bonded pair (7 and 4 years old) used to sleep together more but their previous co-beds have become a little small, so they don't it much anymore. 

Maybe I should get them a bigger bed. 😉

Yes please do!

[Guest]

15 hours ago, secnarf said:

I recently adopted two new kitties following the death of my last cat in June.

Meet Ginny:

And Luna:

They are thought to be cousins, found as part of a cat colony. They have been in the shelter's care since April - nobody wanted to adopt them because they are shy, especially Ginny. They are so sweet and gentle, and love their treats!

We have had lots of issues with Luna having coughing fits and Ginny having vomiting/diarrhea and problems with her eyes, but these things are for the most part settling out.

This is their favourite way to sleep:

Ginny’s expression: “What? I didn’t do anything! What do you mean ‘Where was I just before now?’ I was here, I was right HERE this whole time, and I have no idea what made that crashing sound. Geez!”

Luna’s expression: “Ginny did it!”

[supposebly]

On 2/11/2023 at 9:19 AM, supposebly said:

My bonded pair (7 and 4 years old) used to sleep together more but their previous co-beds have become a little small, so they don't it much anymore. 

Maybe I should get them a bigger bed. 😉

I guess my bed will do too.

[Mindthinkr]

My kitty is scratching herself and leaving scabbed areas. I’m wondering if some oil would help the areas from being so itchy. Does anyone have a recommendation? It isn’t fleas.

[Scarlett45]

31 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

My kitty is scratching herself and leaving scabbed areas. I’m wondering if some oil would help the areas from being so itchy. Does anyone have a recommendation? It isn’t fleas.

Is she allergic to something? Any new things in her environment? My cats have liked the fish oil you squirt on their food as a topper. This one.

[Leeds]

6 hours ago, supposebly said:

I guess my bed will do too.

They are beautiful but obviously aren't really cats otherwise your headset would have been destroyed.

[Bastet]

14 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Is she allergic to something? Any new things in her environment? My cats have liked the fish oil you squirt on their food as a topper.

Yeah, whenever I have a cat who might need some anti-inflammatory help for whatever reason, I first see if fish oil added to the food will do the trick.  Not any pet-specific formula, just the fish oil capsules you'd get for yourself at the drugstore -- I poke a hole in a capsule, squeeze the appropriate amount onto the food, and then hold my nose and swallow the capsule with some water.

Better to treat orally than topically with cats, since putting something on their skin is just going to make them want to lick it off.

Growing up, we had a cat who in her later years would get hot spots on her skin that she would scratch so badly she'd open the skin.  Even with lots of tests and rule-out/rule-in experimentation, we never could find the source, so we unfortunately couldn't eliminate it and had to give her steroids when it would flare up, as she needed a strong anti-inflammatory.