Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[bilgistic]

At his first vet visit, Bilgisticat's vet asked me, "Are you sure this cat is a boy?" as she was feeling for his nuggets. I told her that the shelter had told me he was male. After another few seconds of feeling, she said, "Oh, yeah, there they are!"

@riley702, that first picture should be your Christmas card!

[BlindMan94]

My guide dog, Victory:

[/img]

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, BlindMan94 said:

My guide dog, Victory:

[/img]

What a beautiful dog, @BlindMan94. Such soulful eyes!

[BlindMan94]

10 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

What a beautiful dog, @BlindMan94. Such soulful eyes!

 

Thank you! I've only had him since July.

[DeLurker]

He's gorgeous!

[isalicat]

So what do you all think? Just got a reminder from my vet that Louis the cat is due for a rabies vaccination at the end of the year (which is when the shelter from whence he came gave him all his shots and chipped him). I have read that cats are often over vaccinated and don't really need an annual dosing anymore than we (humans) need an annual tetanus vaccine, for instance. Louis has no contact with any other animals of any kind and I am reluctant to stress him out by putting him in the dread carrier. Furthermore I know the vet is going to want to do blood work as one of his kidney readings when he had his check up at adoption time was very slightly off (but I was told that was nothing to worry about as he wasn't eating properly - for him - in the shelter and not getting enough hydration).  However, if the resident catexperts here think its a good idea I will do it...

[Bastet]

Booster vaccinations are generally unnecessary, and annual doses are definitely overkill.  Dr. Jean Dodds is leading the charge against over-vaccination of pets, and there's a lot of good information on her site.  You can have a titer test done, to see if he still has adequate antibodies, but if he was just vaccinated a year ago, I wouldn't bother - that's something to do when it's been five years or so (or if you're in a jurisdiction that requires animals be "up to date" on rabies vaccinations and accepts titer test results in lieu of booster shots).

[bilgistic]

It is generally true that indoor cats are overvaccinated. If your vet offers it, you can ask for a titer, which is a test that measures the amount of the antibodies in the blood.

I definitely wouldn't recommend vaccination if his kidney values are "off" (vaccines can endanger an already compromised immune system) but I'd urge you to keep an eye on his kidney values and behavior. Lots of water drinking, for example, can indicate issues.

And what @bastet said, above!

[theredhead77]

I don't typically give my kitties boosters. I had to before I moved but I won't be getting them annual boosters here. The kitten-cat has some major allergy issues that require a steroid shot a few times a year. It's not that great for him so I don't want to stress out his system more than needed.

[walnutqueen]

Just to chime in, my vet also doesn't believe in "over-vaccination" and advises against the feline leukemia vaccine if there's no risk for exposure.  Even rabies vaccines are only recommended every 3 years.

Checking your cat's kidney functions, on the other hand, is something I would consider.  Kidney disease is no joke, but if caught early and treated appropriately, can spare you and your cat from a long road through hell.

My Babalu's tests (he gets them a lot, since he's now a "senior" and a diabetic), came back with elevated creatinine levels, indicating the early onset of kidney disease.  My vet prescribed medication, and we just had our 6 week follow up appointment; his levels were back to perfect and I am the most relieved and grateful cat-Mum on the planet.  I've lost too many cats in too few years to take any chronic disease lightly.

[AgentRXS]

Here's a pic of a  baby hedgehog from the hoarding case at my job. Yes, he's sticking his quills into my fingers. No, I didn't mind a bit. I would never own one, but I think they are neat little creatures.

[walnutqueen]

1 minute ago, AgentRXS said:

Here's a pic of a  baby hedgehog from the hoarding case at my job. Yes, he's sticking his quills into my fingers. No, I didn't mind a bit. I would never own one, but I think they are neat little creatures.

That's the thing about rescuing animals - they don't necessarily have to be cute to be worth saving.

[bilgistic]

That IS a baby!

[BlindMan94]

19 hours ago, DeLurker said:

He's gorgeous!

Aw, thanks! Have to keep him in best condition. :)

[DeLurker]

My poor cat is miserable.  My Mom and nephew visited earlier in the fall and brought her cat Fluffy with them (car trip).  Fluffy and Sir Robin are not exactly pals (Fluffy's choice) but spend an enormous amount of energy stalking and hiding from each other.  Mom flew in again about mid- November when I had to go back to CA to handle some legal matters with the ex.  Sir Robin spent several days looking for Fluffy (who did not fly out) and finally accepted it was just my Mom this visit.  She left yesterday morning and now my cat keeps wandering around the house looking for her and meowing sadly (which is what he did when I was away for the trip).

It appears I need to get my cat another cat to keep him company.   But then I will convince myself I need to get another dog to keep my dog company. 

[walnutqueen]

23 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

It appears I need to get my cat another cat to keep him company.   But then I will convince myself I need to get another dog to keep my dog company. 

And so it goes (or starts, if you will).  I am twirling an imaginary mustache at the thought of you considering a move towards multiples of the pet variety.

It is probably just as well that I live in poverty, or I'd have eleventy billion pampered and much loved critters ...  ;-)

[Jaded]

Chewy shipped out an auto delivery order without notifying me at all. Their price is higher then Amazon and I can't really afford the total of the Chewy order right now. I've never had a company that did auto delivery orders not notify someone before an order shipped. I'm so frustrated with myself for not remembering to cancel the AD beforehand. :(

[Mindthinkr]

15 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Chewy shipped out an auto delivery order without notifying me at all. Their price is higher then Amazon and I can't really afford the total of the Chewy order right now. I've never had a company that did auto delivery orders not notify someone before an order shipped. I'm so frustrated with myself for not remembering to cancel the AD beforehand. :(

Maybe they will allow you to return it if it wasn't damaged or opened. Try getting in touch with their customer service when you call to cancel. 

[Bastet]

Unless the Petco effect has already taken hold, Chewy's customer service should help you out if you explain the situation -- take it back, give you a price adjustment, probably whatever you want (within reason).  They are highly invested in keeping customers happy (as an independent company, anyway - again, the Petco buyout may have changed that).

[Jaded]

 I appreciate that they are going to try to get the shipment back to them. What I'm kinda miffed about is that it seems to be a known issue. I haven't seen them mention this issue on their social media or anywhere else. I sent them pics of Captain again. I'm not sure how to deny a package when it gets delivered since the delivery guys basically dump and run so fast. Maybe a note on the door? This situation is making me feel kinda dumb even though I know I'm not.
 

Quote

Hi there *****,

Thanks for reaching out. I'm so sorry you hadn't received the Autoship reminder notification. It sounds like there's a bug within the technology system as you're not the first customer I've spoke to about this, I have contacted our IT department and they're certainly looking into this. 

Looks like our lightning-fast warehouse has already shipped out your order. I have however, put in a request to send it back to us, and if the request doesn't go through please deny the package on delivery. If all else fails, please let us know and we will take care of you.

I've refunded a total of ***** to your ******, which you'll see back in 3-5 business days depending on your bank or lender. If there is anything else we can do, please reach out to us. We're always here 24/7 to lend a helping paw! 

Feel free to send in some photos of your furbaby, we always love meeting our VIPs (Very Important Paws). 

Happy paw-lidays, 

******

Edited November 30, 2017 by Jaded

[isalicat]

Thanks for all your swift responses re: the rabies vaccination for Monsieur Louis. I am actually not worried about his kidney function at this point as the vet said that when they did the blood work (this was done before they did his teeth cleaning, which required anesthesia) that the variation on the test was extremely minor and just to watch his behavior for stuff like you mentioned (excessive water drinking). In actuality he has a fresh bowl of water provided each and every day that he entirely ignores - the vet had me put him on a wet food only diet and told me that he would most likely get all his hydration from his food, and so apparently he does. He won't even go for dripping water like other cats....

I am very glad not to have to get him into the carrier and the car for an unnecessary shot, so he and I thank you again!

[Bastet]

Chronic kidney disease is very common in older cats, and by the time you see symptoms the majority of kidney function will be lost (hell, by the time the BUN, creatinine, etc. show up as high values in the blood work, the majority of kidney function will be lost), so an annual senior blood panel and urinalysis is a good idea, to monitor kidney and liver function, thyroid hormone levels, etc. -- most of the common chronic ailments in older cats can be managed for quite a long time, but starting early helps.  (Some vets and owners recommend every six months for seniors, but I don't find that necessary unless there's a specific disease being monitored.)

A lot of cats don't drink water, getting all their water from food instead (which is how it is in the wild; you don't generally find cats drinking from streams); that can be a problem for cats who eat dry food, but many cats on a wet food diet stay perfectly hydrated without ever drinking extra water, because the moisture content in many of those foods is around 80%.  Some cats who don't drink out of a regular water bowl will drink out of a fountain, enticed by the moving water, but Louis doesn't seem to get the allure of dripping water.  No bother; as long as he's adequately hydrated via his food, he can just ignore the daily offering of fresh water to his heart's content.  It's not like you can guilt him into drinking it by telling him there's a drought and he's wasting water.

[Bastet]

And speaking of Chewy.com, they're having a big sale on cat condos.  Those suckers can be expensive, so if you can't build your own, finding one on sale is the next-best thing.  It doesn't look like there are many color options, but they have a pretty decent variety of sizes.

[walnutqueen]

My cats all drink - water, milk, tuna & wet food juicies; whatever.  Ferals, barn cats, indoors, alike - they all slake their thirst, a little or a lot.  Just goes to show, even the "experts" don't know it all. You need to know each animal as an individual, so you can be the expert when they digress from their "normal".

Every senior cat I've had has experienced chronic disease issues, which are easily diagnosed and managed for years with some seemingly expensive vet tests & frequent visits.  Far less spendier that all the drugs & interventions once a disease goes south.  Your cat will hate the carrier & the bi-annual vet visit a lot less than when you have to do that every 3-5 days for months on end, like I did, with one recalcitrant diabetic (who, at long last, is stable and healthy).

[Bastet]

28 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

You need to know each animal as an individual, so you can be the expert when they digress from their "normal".

That's why I like annual wellness exams that include blood work and urinalysis; normal is just a range, and there can be a problem before something turns up as outside of that range, so it's nice to be able to track changes from year to year.  If a value is still "normal" but has been steadily increasing or decreasing, that progression is a more important indicator than the number being within the lab's range.

Most of my cats have drank at least some water, and we had one when I was a kid who was incredibly enthusiastic about it (to the point you'd have sworn to look at him drinking that he had kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes, but he had none of them).  My vet has five cats, none of whom she's ever seen drink a drop.  My friend has one who'll only drink out of a fountain, one who'll drink out of a bowl, and one who has never let a sip of water past his lips.  Another friend adopted two cats last year, and freaked out that neither of them ever drink water; it can be alarming to people when their cat doesn't drink, but it's common, so not anything to worry about unless she/he is dehydrated or suffering other ill effects. 

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

That's why I like annual wellness exams that include blood work and urinalysis; normal is just a range, and there can be a problem before something turns up as outside of that range, so it's nice to be able to track changes from year to year.  If a value is still "normal" but has been steadily increasing or decreasing, that progression is a more important indicator than the number being within the lab's range.

Most of my cats have drank at least some water, and we had one when I was a kid who was incredibly enthusiastic about it (to the point you'd have sworn to look at him drinking that he had kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes, but he had none of them).  My vet has five cats, none of whom she's ever seen drink a drop.  My friend has one who'll only drink out of a fountain, one who'll drink out of a bowl, and one who has never let a sip of water past his lips.  Another friend adopted two cats last year, and freaked out that neither of them ever drink water; it can be alarming to people when their cat doesn't drink, but it's common, so not anything to worry about unless she/he is dehydrated or suffering other ill effects. 

Annual check-ups are a very good thing, but once your pet reaches senior status, it's time to ramp up the schedule to at least every 6 months.  They age a lot faster than humans.  ;-)

I know the particularities (and peculiarities!) of all my critters - even the wild ones.  All it really takes is paying attention.

[bilgistic]

My girls were completely unimpressed with their late "brother's" fountain, and it's a pain to clean, so I finally just put it up. He drank from it a lot because of his kidney disease, but they are seemingly disease free (lord, please), so they get enough moisture from their food. I leave out a bowl of water, but it's largely ignored.

One of them (I suspect the mischievous daughter) has created the "fun" "game" of slapping the window blinds as soon as dawn breaks. It happens to also sound like the horka-horka-horka noise before a hairball or vomit comes up, so it's doubly alarming. I can't toss her out of the window seat because that's the girls' main cuddle spot and me hollering "No!" from my warm bed isn't working. Raising the blinds means a lot of light from the tennis courts will come into my bedroom despite my having curtains. These are first-world cat problems.

[bosawks]

Happy December from Drunk Santa!

[Granimal]

7 hours ago, isalicat said:

Thanks for all your swift responses re: the rabies vaccination for Monsieur Louis. I am actually not worried about his kidney function at this point as the vet said that when they did the blood work (this was done before they did his teeth cleaning, which required anesthesia) that the variation on the test was extremely minor and just to watch his behavior for stuff like you mentioned (excessive water drinking). In actuality he has a fresh bowl of water provided each and every day that he entirely ignores - the vet had me put him on a wet food only diet and told me that he would most likely get all his hydration from his food, and so apparently he does. He won't even go for dripping water like other cats....

I am very glad not to have to get him into the carrier and the car for an unnecessary shot, so he and I thank you again!

I am also an "avoid the carrier at all costs" cat-owner, as my cats have been through some stuff, and are pretty sensitive.

Unfortunately, where I live cats need to have their vacs up to date. I have no choice in the matter, but I don't like it. My baby reacted badly to his first round, and has had slight on and off FHS (which COULD be unrelated).

I used to have a fabulous vet that would come to my home to see both kitties, but she moved. I used a cheaper in-home service and they were terrible, but gave my cats the three year vaccines(?) They really walked in and walked out and handed me paperwork. My baby usually gets sick after vaccinations, so my previous vet used to space them out and do one of them as an intra-nasal spray. Anyways, I have my doubts as to whether the last mobile vet I used bothered to even give them shots, since they just barged into my home and two seconds later found me and handed me the paperwork. It was...very odd.

[Jaded]

When I got Captain almost 2yrs ago he didn't have any white hairs peeking through his black coat and his estimated age was 3. I started noticing him getting white hairs in his coat earlier this year. I need to ask the vet to look at his teeth for an estimate I know. I guess I'm wondering if he could be a senior or near it. 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Jaded

[AgentRXS]

Yeah, most shelter/rescue vet techs will age a cat at 3 since it's a safe age to assume for an adult cat. Chances are if he has white fur growing he is probably an older cat.

If his teeth are slightly discolored yellow, he could be be between 3-7 years of age. If they are very yellow, then he's likely older than 7. Of course, it he's had a good cleaning either before or since you got him, that distorts that method.

[riley702]

We are renaming Opal/Opie Finnegan, and he will be called Finn unless he's in trouble. They've all been climbing the Christmas tree and have been getting light sprays from the water bottle as we tell them "out". Might as well start the discipline now.

Edited December 1, 2017 by riley702

[bilgistic]

Climbing the Christmas tree is the most fun for kittens! My childhood cat did it a couple times and then gave up (turning it over once gave her a good enough scare that she didn't do it again) and just started sitting under it, basking in the heat of the lights and enjoying a occasional drink from the tree stand water. We couldn't hang delicate ornaments on the bottom quarter of the tree because she would bat at them. She was a silly girl.

[isalicat]

Well, now I feel guilty for not wanting to take Louis in for blood work even if he doesn't need vaccinations so I guess I will do that early in January around the anniversary of his adopting us....if his kidney functions are all good then maybe we won't do this more than once a year and I won't let them guilt me into unnecessary vaccinations...I hope.

[Mindthinkr]

I have no choice but to yearly vaccinate my kitties. We have to pay a yearly tax per animal and with the tax you have to give proof of vaccination. You get mean lettters in the mail if you don't have it completed. I have no idea what their follow up to nonpayment is after that because I usually comply and pay the tax on time. In my last home I had to make a special trip to the town clerks office. In my new city the vet collects the tax for the city. (Plus the fee went up from $10 per cat to $50 per cat annually) I wonder why the big difference and what the money is used for. If it helps animal control or a shelter I'm ok with it. 

[riley702]

I have a skinny, pre-lit tree about 6 ft tall in my room, and I don't care if any cat climbs it or knocks it over. It has only cloth, wooden, or metal decorations and I leave cloth ornaments hanging low so the cats can play with them. Swiffer has already staked out one side of the tree skirt as hers. My brother and SIL, however, have a 9 ft tall tree that they do not want their cats to climb because they have knocked it over before and it just about beaned someone. It also has glass ornaments. So it is secured to the wall behind it via a wire to a Command Strip with a hook, and cats are gently reminded via squirt bottle to stay out of it. Under it is fine, and the kittens are already going under the tree skirt and playing and napping. That's fine.

The kittens have been visiting my room freely and Lucy actually tries to play with them. Swiffer is still standoffish. They've also helped themselves to my girls' litterbox and Wren was playing with the water dish today. It's clear glass and she can look into it and see her foot outside of it, so that's fun.

Edited December 2, 2017 by riley702

[ABay]

Any recommendations for toys cats can play with by themselves?

Girl cat is not good at entertaining herself and I'm pooped. Her favorite toys are a stick, preferably with feathers, run under a swath of paper and a small wooden knob that rolls funny and makes noise on the kitchen tile. But she only plays with that if I throw it.

She isn't intrigued by the laser like grumpy old man cat and doesn't play with his dangling sticks. 

[theredhead77]

51 minutes ago, ABay said:

Any recommendations for toys cats can play with by themselves?

Girl cat is not good at entertaining herself and I'm pooped. Her favorite toys are a stick, preferably with feathers, run under a swath of paper and a small wooden knob that rolls funny and makes noise on the kitchen tile. But she only plays with that if I throw it.

She isn't intrigued by the laser like grumpy old man cat and doesn't play with his dangling sticks. 

This is the only toy the cat-cat loves http://www.moodypet.com/product/fling-ama-string/ 

It seems to be a very small business and their customer service has been amazing so far.

You can also get it on Amazon with Prime shipping. If you buy it I recommend buying rechargeable AA batteries, too.

[DeLurker]

1 hour ago, ABay said:

Any recommendations for toys cats can play with by themselves?

I've had a box that a package came in sitting on its side in my bedroom for a couple of weeks.  That way the side I opened hangs down (it covers the whole top - or what was the top) and the cat can go in there and spy on whoever goes in and out of the room.  That was fun for a week or so.  After that, I started to randomly put a toy or treat in there so Sir Robin keeps going to check if there is a surprise.  He'll play for quite a while with a toy he's previously grown bored with it.

He's also very fond of batting a wooden clothes pin off a surface on to tile or non-carpeted flooring.  He'll bat it around on the floor because it makes an interesting noise.   Note:  If I place it on the floor for him, it is no fun at all.

Or the old standby: Cat TV (aka fish tank).

[Mindthinkr]

[Granimal]

On 12/1/2017 at 5:49 PM, Mindthinkr said:

I have no choice but to yearly vaccinate my kitties. We have to pay a yearly tax per animal and with the tax you have to give proof of vaccination. You get mean lettters in the mail if you don't have it completed. I have no idea what their follow up to nonpayment is after that because I usually comply and pay the tax on time. In my last home I had to make a special trip to the town clerks office. In my new city the vet collects the tax for the city. (Plus the fee went up from $10 per cat to $50 per cat annually) I wonder why the big difference and what the money is used for. If it helps animal control or a shelter I'm ok with it. 

This reminds me of something from my childhood that happened when we moved from IL. Milo [last name] was summoned to appear in court to pay for a non-vaccination ticket in the county where we previously lived. Milo (RIP) was the family cat.

But yes, where I currently live- a yearly is required as well. I'm not happy about this because one of my babies has such an adverse reaction to these vaccines, and has (typical) feline herpes, and other conditions. They live inside and have yet to make contact with another cat, so I feel the county is being a bit over-zealous.

ETA: My cats get SUPER excited about their water bowl being filled. The house is kept very cold. Should I be worried that they drink (IMO) a ridiculous amount of water? One did have a bladder infection when he was a kitten, so when we adopted him at one we were advised to get him a fountain, but he's just as happy with a bowl.

Edited December 3, 2017 by Granimal

[bilgistic]

Years ago, my county sent annual postcards to bill for the licensing fee for my cats. It was $10 per cat then. I assume the county knows about one's pets maybe because the vet registers their rabies shots with the county. Well, when I was particularly poor and had to prioritize spending, I didn't pay the fees and eventually stopped getting the postcards. Luckily, no one showed up at my door or summoned me.

I'm certainly not saying everyone should do that, but my cats have always been strictly indoors.

I think we've discussed it, but if your animal is immunosuppressed (including having negative reactions to vaccines), the vet and you can decide not to vaccinate.

[AgentRXS]

Synchronized sitting LOL

[Mindthinkr]

As you all know my cats are THE loves of my life. Having a bit of a conundrum. My fatty has to be kept from eating his sisters food. He's good and voice controlled but lately he is paranoid (although this helps his health I worry about his mental well being) and now he is shying about eating. It also means that also on the sly  he might be overcompensating. The good side...since he isn't getting a "good boy" about eating, he is sticking to me like glue. Literally attached at the hip (not that I mind and love him). I want him to feel loved and he is. Changes. It benefits because he needs to lose weight and yet our relationship is changing. He sucks up a lot of my attention. It's good when I have it to give, which is a lot of the time but yet I'm scared to fail him. Owner guilt. 

Edited December 5, 2017 by Mindthinkr
Sly not sky!

[walnutqueen]

6 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

As you all know my cats are THE loves of my life. Having a bit of a conundrum. My fatty has to be kept from eating his sisters food. He's good and voice controlled but lately he is paranoid (although this helps his health I worry about his mental well being) and now he is shying about eating. It also means that also on the sky he might be overcompensating. The good side...since he isn't getting a "good boy" about eating, he is sticking to me like glue. Literally attached at the hip (not that I mind and love him). I want him to feel loved and he is. Changes. It benefits because he needs to lose weight and yet our relationship is changing. He sucks up a lot of my attention. It's good when I have it to give, which is a lot of the time but yet I'm scared to fail him. Owner guilt. 

Stop guilting yourself.  We must do the best thing for the ones we love.  If that means feeding special diets to one of the bunch, and the subsequent begging for treats that ensues, so be it.  Your cats love you, and that's a good thing.  They will be with you a little longer, which is also a good thing.

[Mindthinkr]

8 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

Stop guilting yourself.  We must do the best thing for the ones we love.  If that means feeding special diets to one of the bunch, and the subsequent begging for treats that ensues, so be it.  Your cats love you, and that's a good thing.  They will be with you a little longer, which is also a good thing.

Willing...they will be with me a lot longer. (As I try to write this while trying to appease him lol)   I used to say that she whores for attention but he has found cleverer ways of baiting. So yes, he is getting copious pets and love as we speak and I fend him off while trying to write this. 

[walnutqueen]

14 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Willing...they will be with me a lot longer. (As I try to write this while trying to appease him lol)   I used to say that she whores for attention but he has found cleverer ways of baiting. So yes, he is getting copious pets and love as we speak and I fend him off while trying to write this. 

HEE!!!  We, who have clingy cats, know how to post with a feline draping his/her body over our working parts (and keyboards).  Said the woman typing with two nearly numb fingers and a Babalu head-bumping her face whilst further disabling both her arms.  ;-)

[shanndee]

2 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

Synchronized sitting LOL

 

Nice! Diamond [aka "Not!Chelsea" in my head :) ] and her equally awesome friend (sibling?) pretending to be bookends. Awesome. :D 

[walnutqueen]

4 minutes ago, shanndee said:

Nice! Diamond [aka "Not!Chelsea" in my head :) ] and her equally awesome friend (sibling?) pretending to be bookends. Awesome. :D 

Or, would that be "Pawsome"?  ;-)

[shanndee]

Ba-dum Tish!! She'll be here all week folks! LoL! :D