Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[bilgistic]

Please tell me the needle was found!

[Bastet]

I remember the needle story; it happened shortly after the cat was adopted (years ago).  Hello, I am your new kitty - and I will now require thousands in emergency vet bills.

[bilgistic]

Thanks for clarifying that! I'm thinking this cat's walking around with a needle in her gut.

My late lady cat ate a fake-fur-covered mouse toy. The inner part was a plastic mouse body-shaped shell that got stuck in her insides somewhere. It was thin enough (but rigid) plastic that it wasn't showing up on x-rays. She had stopped eating. The vet did exploratory surgery and as soon as they started looking, they found the toy. Ever since, I warn everyone about them.

That was a $1000 lesson: Don't give your cat cheap toys (unless they are free cardboard boxes).

[Bastet]

Riley ate an eight-inch length of stretchy ribbon intact (it was folded in half).  Thankfully, while I didn't catch her before she swallowed, I did catch her immediately after she'd done it (she'd pulled it out of a bag, and I came in just as it disappeared), so I was able to induce vomiting (with hydrogen peroxide) and get it right back up.  I am very stingy in when I'll induce vomiting rather than taking a cat to the vet, because of the potential problems - this was only the second time in my lifetime of cat ownership; the first being immediately after consumption of a little bit of a toxic plant - but it was a scenario where that was a reasonable option, and it worked beautifully.  I gave her about half the dose for her weight, it worked in just three or four minutes, she only threw up twice (got the ribbon out in one, then followed with some foam), and she was cuddled up with me, purring, about five minutes after that.  No side effects whatsoever -- no blood, no further nausea, no appetite issues, nothing; she just looked at me like, "Well, that was unpleasant; moving on ..."

Baxter - my boy who had the proclivity for one-in-a-million incidents and illnesses - once choked on a five-inch blade of grass, and in the back-and-forth air flow of choking, sucked it up into his nasal cavity.  I didn't know any of this at first, just that he was gagging repeatedly, yet his throat was clear.  So off we went, and an x-ray showed this skinny length of something from his nose down just to his throat.  While the vet was in the next room looking at that x-ray and contemplating sticking a scope through the poor guy's nose, Bax sneezed, and this thin green thing shot about an inch out his nose, then went back in except for about 1/4 inch.  I grasped it and gently pulled, and out came the five-inch blade of grass, thankfully intact.  Sedation and scope averted, and the vet and I each had a good chuckle.  It was one of Baxter's cheapest vet visits.

Edited June 21, 2017 by Bastet

[JTMacc99]

6 hours ago, bilgistic said:

That was a $1000 lesson: Don't give your cat cheap toys (unless they are free cardboard boxes).

Luna loves her a cardboard box, or a paper bag, or a hamper. Anything where she can wait in hiding for unsuspecting prey (me, kids, Neo) to walk by. 

[DeLurker]

Made it to Florida just fine - the Kook even has started to jump in the back of car with some coaxing on the second day of the drive.  Much appreciated since the other option was hefting 70 lbs of hesitant dog.

But...he won't eat unless I hand feed him.  He's very put off by a strange water & food bowl instead of "his".  He'll drink water out of a Noosa container (I brought a few empty ones for use on the drive), but he normally drinks much more than a dinky yogurt container.

He won't even eat the cat's food from the cat's bowl.  He normally happily scarfs up any leftovers but the cat's dish is a stranger too.

I've tried different bowls for his food and water, but no success.

Any ideas good people?  Just wait it out?

Edited June 21, 2017 by DeLurker

[JTMacc99]

32 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Any ideas good people?  Just wait it out?

I can't imagine that waiting it out would not eventually work. 

Maybe you could toss some sort of treats down in the bowl during the day into the foreign bowls. Especially if it is special treats like a piece of cheese or something he loves. So it wouldn't be meal time in the bowl, but he would still be grabbing the snack out of the bowl, getting used to the new bowl during the day. 

[DeLurker]

After scrounging around in the garage & garden supplies (where household flotsam & jetsam find a final resting place), I found o dish that sorta kinda looked like a smaller version of his food dish.  I put some food in it plus some people food temptations in there, but he didn't bite.  The cat came and scarfed some pork bits I stole from leftover fried rice and later a few bites of taco beef.

But finally hunger got the better of him and he caved last night.  So pretty much he hadn't eaten since Sunday AM to Wednesday night.

He still had a little hesitancy eating today, but that just meant he had a few bites, walked away to contemplate while eyeing the dish suspiciously, and then came back to finish a few minutes later.

[riley702]

Whew!

[Mindthinkr]

@DeLurker I had pretty much the same diffulties when I just moved my two cats into a new house. Granted it was a set of the normal dishes but the carpenters and painter made unfamiliar noises, scared them and they were loave to eat at times. We are just getting towards what will be our new normal. 

Could it be the location of where you are feeding? My cats wanted a good view of all incoming sides. Where they chose isn't too inconvenient and I'm happy to make allowances. Have you tried more than one spot? 

 Fingers crossed that it will straighten itself out soon. 

[JTMacc99]

Dogs are just goofy sometimes. 

[DeLurker]

Things have pretty much settled down.  The cat is fine and the dog is now used to the different house, different routine, my Dad's wheelchair, ... Mom likes the Kook very much.  She has suggested I leave him here and find myself another dog.  I was really surprised because he is much bigger than any dog we've had previously, but he is well behaved and calm.  I told her that I don't think i could part with him, so she's asked me to keep my eyes open for a similar dog with a similar disposition.  I told her I would, but really she's got her hands full with my Dad.

But Dad likes the Kook too - he likes it when the dog comes up to his wheelchair and he pets him and talks to him.  It might not be a bad idea for my Dad to have a dog to keep him company, but probably not one as big as mine. 

[walnutqueen]

50 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Things have pretty much settled down.  The cat is fine and the dog is now used to the different house, different routine, my Dad's wheelchair, ... Mom likes the Kook very much.  She has suggested I leave him here and find myself another dog.  I was really surprised because he is much bigger than any dog we've had previously, but he is well behaved and calm.  I told her that I don't think i could part with him, so she's asked me to keep my eyes open for a similar dog with a similar disposition.  I told her I would, but really she's got her hands full with my Dad.

But Dad likes the Kook too - he likes it when the dog comes up to his wheelchair and he pets him and talks to him.  It might not be a bad idea for my Dad to have a dog to keep him company, but probably not one as big as mine. 

My Mum spent 6 months in Hospice, and found delight in many things I sent her, and many things people did for her.  But her greatest comfort and joy came on the "animal comfort" days.  NOTHING feels as good as fur under your fingers and a soft head laying gently in your lap.

[Mindthinkr]

I have volunteered for Hospice. Here's the length that they went to to give someone their dying wish. This man wanted to see a horse. He basically couldn't travel but they got him into a wheelchair and brought a horse to him. Oh the joy on his face. The smile lasted for days. The horse was pretty big too...@16 hands. 

I can't even count all the times that my fur babies have given me comfort. They can reduce elevated blood pressure, put a heartbeat into good sinus rhythm and break up someone's depression. Love pet therapy  

. @DeLurker your Dad is going to miss Kook when y'all leave. Better begin to find a substitute! 

[harrie]

16 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I have volunteered for Hospice. Here's the length that they went to to give someone their dying wish. This man wanted to see a horse. He basically couldn't travel but they got him into a wheelchair and brought a horse to him. Oh the joy on his face. The smile lasted for days. The horse was pretty big too...@16 hands. 

I can't even count all the times that my fur babies have given me comfort. They can reduce elevated blood pressure, put a heartbeat into good sinus rhythm and break up someone's depression. Love pet therapy  

. @DeLurker your Dad is going to miss Kook when y'all leave. Better begin to find a substitute! 

The horse rescue where I volunteered brings horses to area senior living facilities on a regular basis. They're a great hit; the residents love to meet them, feed them treats, etc. 

Very glad everyone is settled in, @DeLurker.  Sorry that your parents want to steal your dog!

[Bastet]

I can’t believe the anniversary is already here, but it was one year ago today that I walked into the shelter looking for two cats to take home, and came across what seemed to be a cage empty of anything other than a box.  It turned out that box contained a huddled ball of feline fear, and had for five months despite socialization efforts.  Knowing a) I had to take her, and b) I couldn’t ask her to adjust to another cat as well as me, I adopted the six-year-old cat who would be named Riley and headed home.

Here we are a year later, when she’s still very much a one-person cat, but is not afraid of people who come over – she just doesn’t want anything to do with any of them (other than her grandma, in limited circumstances) and will hide away in another room until they’re gone.  A cat after my own heart, really.

Other than the misanthropy, she’s such a different cat than the one I met in the shelter; she just needed a home environment in which to thrive.  She is the cuddliest cat I have ever had, and so happy – all I have to do is look at her to instigate purring, talking to her kicks it into high gear, and she gets so excited by snuggles she drools.  Sudden movement will still startle her sometimes, but she relaxes within seconds.  She’s far from in love with the vacuum, but she just ambles to another room or jumps up on something and observes; like with people, it’s annoyance now rather than fear.  I can hold or even carry her for about a minute, and she wiggles to get down (sometimes giving me an “I love you, Mom, but enough with the holding” head butt first) rather than getting her Freddy Krueger on.  I can trim her claws now, so she couldn’t do as much damage, anyway (I'd never had a cat whose claws I couldn’t trim, but it took about six months with her!).  She still doesn’t like a fire in the fireplace, so she’ll only curl up on the "fire cushion" (floor cushions in front of the living room fireplace, where Baxter lived every evening in winter) when there’s no fire, but I’m hoping one more winter will ease her into it.

I would never have believed she’d come this far in just a year’s time; I am so proud of her.  I look at her now, running around the house, talking to me while I get her food ready, sprawled out on the bed baring her belly to the ceiling fan, etc. and it’s almost surreal to remember the early days when she’d dive back under the office couch any time I left the room for more than a minute and she’d spend most of the night in bed with me, rolling around and purring, but then go crawl back under that couch to get some sleep, the couple of weeks when she'd started napping “above ground” during the day but slept so uneasily (sometimes literally with one eye open) because she wanted to be alert to danger, those weeks and a couple more I spent poaching chicken breasts just for her and cutting up more raw chicken liver than I care to see in my life, because adding those two things and baby food to everything was the only way I could get her to eat, or the months on end I had a litter box and her food bowl in my office because she wouldn’t go to the other end of the house without me.

Here she is doing her daily basking in the sun (in front of windows I need to paint, if I can ever get her out of the way):

 

 

[harrie]

@Bastet, happy anniversary - and kudos for the time and patience you have devoted to Riley. I hope you have many happy years together.

I love her "Damn paparazzi!" expression.

Edited June 24, 2017 by harrie

[DeLurker]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I am so proud of her.

I'm so proud of you for picking the cat that probably had very few options for adoption and working with her to overcome unknown odds to become a happily cared and content roomy.

[Bastet]

19 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

I'm so proud of you for picking the cat that probably had very few options for adoption and working with her to overcome unknown odds to become a happily cared and content roomy.

Aw, thank you.  I'm in email contact with the shelter volunteer who worked with me when I adopted Riley, giving her occasional updates that she shares with the others who had taken care of Riley.  I emailed her today, since it's the anniversary, and she wrote back a nice note about how much they appreciate me, for taking a chance on her and giving her such a good home.  I really like that, but, as I told her in response, I appreciate them -- I'm just taking care of one cat with a few special needs, while they're taking care of dozens, with all manner of needs, on any given day.  We all done good.  :-)

1 hour ago, harrie said:

I love her "Damn paparazzi!" expression.

Yep - she'd bathed, gotten all those paws and tail arranged in the appropriate pile, and settled in to sleep, and then here came Mommy and her camera.

[Mindthinkr]

@Bastet You are a true animal angel. Congratulations on your first Anniversary together and wishing you many more happy years together. 

[walnutqueen]

So, my Mum knew me SO well,  I often shared with her my embarrassment about not remembering a single human being's "death date" (I think I still remembered SOME of my relatives' birthdays); yet every pet's passing is ingrained in my brain forever.  I have a very weird notion that she waited to die on one of the two seminal dates we shared - 9/11 (yeah, that fucked up our last vacay together), and 11/22 - the day JFK died and I was sent home from (Canadian, eh!) school.  She KNEW I'd be guilted out for eternity if I remembered my cats' days more than my Mum's.  Thanks, Mum - you always did your best to look after me ...

 

ETA - wrong thread, but I will let my mistake stand, because my Mum's ashes are right next to all the Kitty Cremains, and someone, somewhere will need to dump my ashes down a surgical drain (thanks, Greys Anatomy). if they cannot co-mingle all those effim ashes and drop them in a PNW waterfall or ocean.

Edited June 25, 2017 by walnutqueen
I am a maroon

[bilgistic]

The Cat Carpenter's website was shared with me on another social media...medium. He makes all kinds of catios--clever and well-built creations, plus pictures of cats in their new habitats! He's in Austin.

[DeLurker]

^^Those are great!

[Mindthinkr]

@bilgistic Thanks for the clickable link. Those are neat places for kitties to hang out in. I know people moving that are now too scared to allow their cats out due to traffic, coyotes, bears and fear of them getting disoriented and lost. I'm going to pass that information along. Nifty idea. 

[JTMacc99]

As I watched Luna launching herself up on the valances this morning to get up to the high windows, I started to think that I should probably put up some shelves for her. Not quite a catio, but something like it. In the show My Cat From Hell, Jackson refers to this as setting up a cat superhighway.  

She would probably appreciate it, and it would allow me to hang up the valances again that are currently sitting in a pile of Luna wreckage until I figure out how to anchor them in a way that can hold a 10 pound cat flying into them from some launching point 4-6 feet away.

[bilgistic]

Bilgisticat jumps on my back/shoulders from the floor(!!). He needs kitty shelving.

[ABay]

Boy cat with one of his favorite toys--the dangling sticks--post 17th anniversary catnip.

Edited June 30, 2017 by ABay
Wow, that's a lot bigger than I thought it would be!

[EighteenTwelve]

Changing the subject, but I want to be happy because I'd been worrying about various cats for three weeks: Lily is the poster child (confirmed by blood test yesterday) for well-controlled feline hyperthyroidism.  Hooray for methimazole!  And she didn't need any more teeth pulled, just needed a piece of tartar knocked off.  Just as well for all of us, because her 11th birthday was on Wednesday and dental surgery would have been a terrible birthday present.

[Mindthinkr]

Just thought this was too cute. I had a pet little green turtle until my parents heard that they carried salmonella. I used to catch flies and dig worms for it. 

[bosawks]

Happy glorious 4th from Alli and special guest star Rory!

[bilgistic]

Very festive!

[spiderpig]

Anyone have any personal experience with animal friendly hotels within driving distance of the SF Bay Area?  Carmel is famously animal friendly.  Would appreciate any personal feedback.

[isalicat]

Almost all Motel 6 (6 Motel?) are happy to let you bring your animal if you don't mind being a little downscale. If you want something a bit more upscale, I would try Google. However, having researched motels lately in my area (central coastal California), I can tell you they are all getting pretty pricey! Good luck and safe travels!

[Mindthinkr]

Very sorry to share this. Discontinue if you don't want to read bad news. 

Last night a pack of wild dogs got into my daughter and SIL's hen house. They lost over 140 chickens (5 varieties). They were like family pets. You could hand feed the roosters. Her husband won't be home until tomorrow and today she faces the task of cleaning the mess. We are heartbroken. I was literally out furniture shopping and had to come home as my stomach just turned over. She doesn't want me to drive the distance to help or see it...it could turn into a cry fest. The dogs kill and marauder for sport. A few of the little ones got eaten (the rest were just killed for sport) but she thinks a fox might have come in for a snack after the kill was over. Very sad. 5 lived and she'll try to protect them as best she can tonight. Pack dogs return once they've found a good sporting opportunity. Thank you for allowing me to vent. 

[bilgistic]

I'm so sorry, @Mindthinkr.

[riley702]

Oh, that's horrible. I'd be tempted to be waiting for the dogs with a shotgun.

[Mindthinkr]

They have a few dozen eggs in the incubator...I hope they haven't lost the heart to raise them. My glass is half full (or so I keep telling myself).

[Mindthinkr]

Good news.  The kiddies went to their new vet today (she was great) and no diabetes for the big boy who's only pleasure since being denied the ability to go outside and hunt is food and copious amounts of attention. I'm grateful for a better ending than the day started out as. His diet is working but according to the vet he is big boned and never going to be stealthy. 

[AgentRXS]

That is horrific (re: the chickens) @Mindthinkr. I don't know how structured Animal Control is where they live, but it maybe worth putting in a complaint so the dogs can be caught. I'm so sorry.

[Lisin]

Sorry for bad news everyone but Zooey the sweet tripod kitty passed away just now. She was fine this morning and then just went quietly this evening surrounded by her people which is all I could ask for I suppose. 

[Mindthinkr]

@Lisin I'm very sorry to hear about sweet Zooey. She went happily if she was surrounded by her loved ones. 

[JTMacc99]

Sorry to hear that @Lisin

[harrie]

@Lisin, I'm very sorry for your loss. 

[DeLurker]

@Lisin - sorry for your loss.  

[Jaded]

@Lisin, so sorry for your loss. 

[AgentRXS]

@Lisin I'm so sorry. RIP sweet Zooey.

[walnutqueen]

23 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Very sorry to share this. Discontinue if you don't want to read bad news. 

Last night a pack of wild dogs got into my daughter and SIL's hen house. They lost over 140 chickens (5 varieties). They were like family pets. You could hand feed the roosters. Her husband won't be home until tomorrow and today she faces the task of cleaning the mess. We are heartbroken. I was literally out furniture shopping and had to come home as my stomach just turned over. She doesn't want me to drive the distance to help or see it...it could turn into a cry fest. The dogs kill and marauder for sport. A few of the little ones got eaten (the rest were just killed for sport) but she thinks a fox might have come in for a snack after the kill was over. Very sad. 5 lived and she'll try to protect them as best she can tonight. Pack dogs return once they've found a good sporting opportunity. Thank you for allowing me to vent. 

How awful for your daughter and those sweet chickies, @Mindthinkr.  She must be devastated.  :-(

 

14 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Good news.  The kiddies went to their new vet today (she was great) and no diabetes for the big boy who's only pleasure since being denied the ability to go outside and hunt is food and copious amounts of attention. I'm grateful for a better ending than the day started out as. His diet is working but according to the vet he is big boned and never going to be stealthy. 

That really IS good news.  Diabetes can be so difficult to regulate in cats, and it's awfully hard to deny them their favorite treats.  I love that your new vet described your cat as "big boned".  ;-)

 

5 hours ago, Lisin said:

Sorry for bad news everyone but Zooey the sweet tripod kitty passed away just now. She was fine this morning and then just went quietly this evening surrounded by her people which is all I could ask for I suppose. 

My sincere condolences for your loss, @Lisin.  I know there's nothing I can say that won't sound trite, but from my own experiences, it is fortunate that she passed relatively quickly and peacefully.   My thoughts are with you and your sweet Zooey.

[bilgistic]

I'm sorry, @Lisin. I wish you peace. Be gentle with yourself.

[Bastet]

@Lisin, I'm so sorry to hear about the sudden loss of Zooey.  I'm glad she was at home with her people, but very sad for your family's loss.

Condolences to @Mindthinkr and family as well on the deaths of all those poor chickens.  I'm glad to hear, however, that your big-boned cat's blood glucose is at a normal level. 

[raven]

20 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

The kiddies went to their new vet today (she was great) and no diabetes for the big boy who's only pleasure since being denied the ability to go outside and hunt is food and copious amounts of attention.

I'm glad you got good news,  Very sorry about the loss of your SIL's chickens.

@Lisin my condolences to you about Zooey.   Going peacefully, surrounded by love is indeed all you can ask for when it happens.