Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[walnutqueen]

Cats (and kittens) should always have access to a litter box.  And water. (And, in my opinion, food - unless otherwise indicated by a vet or obesity).

[bmasters9]

11 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

Cats (and kittens) should always have access to a litter box.  And water. (And, in my opinion, food - unless otherwise indicated by a vet or obesity).

That is true! While they're at their playtime, if they show signs of needing to go to the bathroom (or needing a drink of water), they're going right back to the cage where their litter box and water are (and playtime ends right there, on the spot). 

Edited June 24, 2018 by bmasters9

[riley702]

Would it hurt to have a box where they're playing?

[bmasters9]

1 minute ago, riley702 said:

Would it hurt to have a box where they're playing?

There's an idea! I still have to learn to read the signs, though.

[walnutqueen]

31 minutes ago, bmasters9 said:

There's an idea! I still have to learn to read the signs, though.

Cats are not like dogs, and "learning to read the signs" can lead to kidney disease and/or behavioral problems.

They need an accessible litterbox.  As they grow, they may be reluctant to share said litter box.  Each cat should have a separate litterbox  ...  ;-)

[Mindthinkr]

@MargeGunderson Mindthinkr kitties send purrs and get well soon wishes to the Gunderson kitties. 

[bilgistic]

@MargeGunderson, I love that Kitty Gunderson the "Younger" is 18! You're obviously doing something right to have taken care of them into their senior years. How old is KG the Elder?

You may already be doing this for KGE--I gave my late kitty girl Cosequin for arthritis (glucosamine and chondroitin, the same stuff people take for arthritis), and she did really well on it. It's available over the counter. It's fairly inexpensive online ($20 or less); PetSmart really upcharges it in-store. 

We send healing purrs!

[Petunia13]

This broke me. 

[walnutqueen]

16 minutes ago, Petunia13 said:

This broke me. 

Ask me again why I hate people.

[AgentRXS]

I was ok with it until the ending. WTF? Why would a shelter electrocute a dog? Sorry, as an Animal Control Officer/shelter worker I found the ending super offensive...

[riley702]

It was the previous owner, I thought.

[Mindthinkr]

I didn’t watch it (I get nightmares when I see bad things happen to defenseless animals) but find it very repulsive that people can have disregard for animals, their care and their lives. 

[bilgistic]

51 minutes ago, riley702 said:

It was the previous owner, I thought.

I don't think it's supposed to be the same guy. Their hair is drawn differently. I had to know.

The cartoon depicts a very realistic situation EXCEPT for the last bit--what @AgentRXS said. I'm going to assume the illustrator did it for sensationalism, but it's irresponsible and disturbing at best and dangerous at worst.

[walnutqueen]

So very glad I didn't watch it - I am murderous enough as it is. 

My fellow man aorta consider it dumb fucking luck that I am a recluse.

[MargeGunderson]

Kitty Gunderson the Younger has returned home. She was glad to see us and to sit on “her” chair again. She has anti nausea and pain medication to take for the next few days, and we are to discontinue her Prednisone. Her pancreas and kidney function are almost back to normal. She’s already begging for cat treats so her appetite has returned. I’m going to work from home the next couple of days to keep an eye on her.

Kitty Gunderson the Elder ( @bilgistic, the Elder is 22 in August), is also feeling good. The evil Green Mousie was lured out from under the television cabinet during the night and met a sad end on the living room rug. She also came upstairs and on the bed this morning, but was nice enough to let me sleep a little longer (after making sure I knew she was there and that she is A Very Fierce Hunter of stuffed mice). 

So much for a quiet weekend! Thanks for all of the good thoughts you all sent their way.

[walnutqueen]

Such good news, @MargeGunderson!

[tiftgirl]

@MargeGunderson I am so happy/relieved for you all!

[Bastet]

Great to hear about the Kitties Gunderson!

[theredhead77]

On 6/19/2018 at 4:30 PM, bmasters9 said:

It's practically a furnace out there on the porch where the kittens are; Wilma and Sally are panting, and won't even drink water to slake their thirst; Harry can't keep his eyes open either! We had a fan going to try to cool them off, but it was counterproductive; it was forcing more hot air down, having the opposite effect; my mother got some ice packs to put in the cage, and hopefully that'll mitigate the heat. 

 

On 6/19/2018 at 4:44 PM, bmasters9 said:

Not an option; my mother is allergic to cats. Hopefully, it'll get cooler in the night, and that might mitigate it.

 

9 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

All in a morning's work when it comes to my kittens:

--Sally learned to arch her back, and she and Wilma went at it briefly, and I think that she and Harry did it as well, and maybe even Wilma and Harry. 

--Harry went on the floor of the porch, albeit I didn't catch it until it was much too late (at least it was No. 1, and not No. 2). He and Sally were climbing in plants, and I assumed (foolishly) that they were bent on destruction; what I should have took it as was a desperate attempt to find a place to relieve themselves. Henceforth, I'll have to learn to read that better, and take them back to the cage when they show the signs. 

 

8 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

That is true! While they're at their playtime, if they show signs of needing to go to the bathroom (or needing a drink of water), they're going right back to the cage where their litter box and water are (and playtime ends right there, on the spot). 

 

8 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

There's an idea! I still have to learn to read the signs, though.

@bmasters9 I strongly encourage you to read about how to care for cats and kittens. There are very distressing things being shared about how the kittens are being treated.

1) There are no signs when a cat has to use the bathroom. They should always have easy and unrestricted access to the litter box, food and water.

2) Why are these kittens being kept in a cage in an area that has weather extremes, or in a cage at all? If your mom is that allergic perhaps these kittens need to find a new home where they can have room to roam and play freely, instead of spending their lives in a cage, only to be let out when their hooman has time to give them attention.

[bosawks]

Foggy day at the beach today but it didn’t slow Alli down!

[walnutqueen]

53 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

 

 

 

 

@bmasters9 I strongly encourage you to read about how to care for cats and kittens. There are very distressing things being shared about how the kittens are being treated.

1) There are no signs when a cat has to use the bathroom. They should always have easy and unrestricted access to the litter box, food and water.

2) Why are these kittens being kept in a cage in an area that has weather extremes, or in a cage at all? If your mom is that allergic perhaps these kittens need to find a new home where they can have room to roam and play freely, instead of spending their lives in a cage, only to be let out when their hooman has time to give them attention.

What "she" said ^^^. (And thanks, @theredhead77, for voicing many of our concerns).

Please remind us WHY you have kittens in the first place? (with an allergic Mum it doesn't make much sense).

And then, please take our helpful suggestions to heart.  We all love our critters, and only want the very best for your poor wee kittens.

[Mindthinkr]

I am LMAO. Big boy HATES my nail file. We have had many sword fights when I use it. We just had one and now he’s hitting at the bed covers thinking that it’s there...hidden.  It isn’t. He is so big and yet such a scaredy-cat. If there’s a rumble of thunder he’s under the bed. His sister will go to the window and watch. He amuses me so much at times. I’m grateful for the gift that my cats give me in love and entertainment every day. 

[theredhead77]

I have zero tolerance for animals being mistreated and while it comes across as ignorance rather than maliciousness, it's still incredibly cruel and frankly this is how anti-social cats come about. Then they're surrendered to a shelter because they're mean, hiss, bite, don't use the litter box, aren't social.

Kitties won't shit where they eat. The litter box should be apart from their food and water. They should have a lot of space to run, jump, climb, explore, play, play-hunt and stimulation to help their kitten brains develop. They need freely given pets, freely given cuddles and freely given attention to bond with their hoomans. 

Please, @bmasters9 if your living situation means you can't appropriately care for kittens and cats, find a foster home so they can get the love, attention, socialization and care they deserve.

[Mindthinkr]

@theredhead77 I just read your review of the new Jurassic movie. Like you I am very emotional when it comes to animals and any real or imagined harm to them. I won’t be seeing the movie with my grandchildren. It would break my heart. 

Sorry if this was too off topic. 

[bilgistic]

I "caught" my girls laying like this last night on a little kitty quilt my mom made. My late girl kitty liked to lay there, too. Mama's in front and Little Girl's behind her.

[Tabbycats]

@bilgistic, Your cats are gorgeous.

The other day I found my cat Cookie looking outside the patio door at something  intently.  Her tail was swishing back and forth but she wasn't chattering, so I figured it wasn't a bird.  Once I got closer, I saw there was a chipmunk on the patio, watching Cookie as she was watching it.  Fortunately for the chipmunk, the patio door was closed; however, the intensity Cookie showed gives me hope that, should a rodent get inside our home, she will take care of the problem quickly.  (My other cat Pumpkin is more of a lover than a fighter in his older years).

[bmasters9]

Let me set the record straight on this-- I'm a responsible pet owner, and when I said that my kittens are in a "cage," I did not realize that my choice of words would be taken as negatively as it has been. It is really a "kennel" (I thought "kennel" and "cage" were interchangeable; apparently, they are not the same). They live on a screened-in porch where I let them out to eat and play during the day, then at night, I put them up, because we have coyotes in this area, and several people have lost full-grown cats to these coyotes. That's why I put them in the kennel at night; they're still on our screened-in porch, but I put them in a more secure kennel for their protection. The people who have condemned me for saying "cage" do not realize how responsible I am for my pets. Again, I apologize for saying "cage," as I did not realize that such terminology would be taken so negatively. 

The kittens' mother was run over by a car, and I adopted the kittens; had I not so done, they'd probably have been turned in to the humane society and euthanized; it was not my cat who had 'em, though. When my neighbors' cat was run over, my neighbor asked for adopters for the kittens; I took three, in the interest of saving lives.

I talked to a vet, and as soon as the kittens reach the proper weight for vaccination/spaying/neutering, they will have that done. 

[AgentRXS]

1 hour ago, bmasters9 said:

Let me set the record straight on this-- I'm a responsible pet owner, and when I said that my kittens are in a "cage," I did not realize that my choice of words would be taken as negatively as it has been. It is really a "kennel" (I thought "kennel" and "cage" were interchangeable; apparently, they are not the same). They live on a screened-in porch where I let them out to eat and play during the day, then at night, I put them up, because we have coyotes in this area, and several people have lost full-grown cats to these coyotes. That's why I put them in the kennel at night; they're still on our screened-in porch, but I put them in a more secure kennel for their protection. The people who have condemned me for saying "cage" do not realize how responsible I am for my pets. Again, I apologize for saying "cage," as I did not realize that such terminology would be taken so negatively. 

The kittens' mother was run over by a car, and I adopted the kittens; had I not so done, they'd probably have been turned in to the humane society and euthanized; it was not my cat who had 'em, though. When my neighbors' cat was run over, my neighbor asked for adopters for the kittens; I took three, in the interest of saving lives.

I talked to a vet, and as soon as the kittens reach the proper weight for vaccination/spaying/neutering, they will have that done. 

I am not judging you--I know your heart is in the right place. But some of the posts have been concerning in regards to heat, etc. Is there anyway you can put a portable A/C on the patio so that it maintains a cool temperature during the summer? Do the kittens have access to their litter box all day? You could even get disposable litterboxes if you don't want to deal with the mess of cleaning it out all the time.

Again, please don't read my post from a defensive standpoint. I am simply trying to help come up with suggestions to make the patio area a more comfortable environment for the kittens.

[riley702]

Our three 9 month-old kittens go in and out all day, but sleep in a dog crate/kennel inside at night. We really didn't think they'd still be in it, but they really like sleeping in there, so we go with it. And they are kept inside if it is raining or even close to dark, because we have coyotes around here, too.

[bilgistic]

15 hours ago, Tabbycats said:

@bilgistic, Your cats are gorgeous.

They know! ;)

[JTMacc99]

Luna the cat decided to drag a mouse out of the basement and then let it go in the family room around 9:45 last night. She enjoys a good literal game of cat and mouse. Much mayhem ensued. Eventually the mouse escaped both cat and humans into the living room where it set up shop under a couch. 

I set up a much more mouse killing trap next to that couch in a place where the cat couldn't get at it and went to bed. Disposed of smushed mouse this morning. 

I really need this cat to murder the mice first, and then present it to me. This is the second time this year.

[EighteenTwelve]

One morning years ago, Lily got fixated on the underside of a bookshelf in the living room.  I figured there was probably a mouse under it, because we get transient mice sometimes when the weather starts to get cold.  I was right, because when I came home from work, there was an ex-mouse in the middle of the living room rug.  I told Lily she was a Mighty Huntress and thanked her for not leaving the mouse in my bed.

[bilgistic]

After increasing Little Girl's steroid med for a week, her little lip inflammation is gone, so she was definitely having an allergic flare. I ordered a new bottle of her steroid and asked for a different flavor, because I was having to hide the butterscotch flavor in a rehydrated venison treat to get her to ingest it.

The pet pharmacy suggested vanilla fluffernutter or some such. They also said they could put in a "bitterness masking agent". Why wouldn't they always do that?? I'd tasted the butterscotch med and it was definitely bitter and gross.

I got the new med in the mail and couldn't smell the difference between the butterscotch and vanilla whateverthehell. There was definitely less bitterness. I offered some to Little Girl and she immediately wrinkled her nose and recoiled in a very dramatic fashion.

So I'm still having to hide the med in a treat.

[MargeGunderson]

6 hours ago, bilgistic said:

After increasing Little Girl's steroid med for a week, her little lip inflammation is gone, so she was definitely having an allergic flare. I ordered a new bottle of her steroid and asked for a different flavor, because I was having to hide the butterscotch flavor in a rehydrated venison treat to get her to ingest it.

The pet pharmacy suggested vanilla fluffernutter or some such. They also said they could put in a "bitterness masking agent". Why wouldn't they always do that?? I'd tasted the butterscotch med and it was definitely bitter and gross.

I got the new med in the mail and couldn't smell the difference between the butterscotch and vanilla whateverthehell. There was definitely less bitterness. I offered some to Little Girl and she immediately wrinkled her nose and recoiled in a very dramatic fashion.

So I'm still having to hide the med in a treat.

It's all a plot to get more treats. Smart kitty!

Kitty Gunderson the Younger figured out that the soft treat contained something she Did.Not.Want. To please little miss picky, she gets her medications compounded into a lotion that I dutifully rub on her ears twice a day, as she sits and gently switches her tail, as if to say "who's the boss?" (That's the sanitized version. She spent time on the streets of Boston and picked up some colorful language.)

[riley702]

Meds can be compounded into a lotion? Can all meds? My SIL has a cat we refer to as "special needs". She just doesn't know how to cat. She got her as an abandoned 3 wk old who hissed and spit and attacked people and other animals from day 1. She'd pick fights, stalk the kittens (so we could never leave them alone and they quickly learned to yell if she was near) and then pee on the couch, floor, or spare bedroom bed at night, but would howl if put in a crate at night. The vet said she was so anxious she'd literally give herself a urinary tract infection, so we treated that first. Then we started her on liquid Prozac about 6 months ago, and it has helped a lot. But it has alcohol in it, and possibly tastes horrible as well. Paula is the only one who can dose her, and she gags and foams. We were going to switch to pills (which she also hates) when the liquid runs out (soon). Now I'm wondering if the Prozac could be, too, to make it easier on her.

For those wondering, we'd never rehome her or take her to a shelter, because either option would end up with her being euthanized, and she's Paula's bottle baby, and she loves her.

[Tabbycats]

@riley702, I think it depends on the medication.  My cat Pumpkin has hyperthyroidism and his meds are in the form of a transdermal gel. I just rub the dose in his ears (the fur-less part).  It's more expensive than the pill form for Methimazole but Pumpkin doesn't do well with pills.  His thyroid levels are where they should be so it does work, but I think some medicines are not as effective in gel or lotion form.  It wouldn't hurt to check with the vet.

[MargeGunderson]

@riley702, what @Tabbycats said is my understanding as well. Unfortunately the compounded medicines can be much more expensive than the pill version, but for us it's worth it not to force The Younger's mouth open twice a day to throw pills down it (and we are lucky that we can afford it). The dosing can be a little tricky too - it's easy to dispense more than needed, although I've gotten better at it. We get 3 medications compounded, one for The Elder because it's only available as a liquid and is a controlled substance and 2 for The Younger. That reminds me that I need to go and order some for next week!

[Bastet]

Right; not all drugs can be compounded into a gel/cream for transdermal application.  And, among those that can, sometimes you'll find it's not as effective as the oral version of the drug.  Plus, some cats want you rubbing something inside their ear about as much as they want you giving them a pill.  And it costs more.

But - where it's available, works, you can bear the extra cost, and the cat just thinks she/he is getting a nice ear rub, it is a wonderful alternative for cats who can't be "pilled" and who can sniff out a hidden pill from across the room.

Methimazole (they hyperthyroid medication) is the one I most frequently hear about as a transdermal gel, but I know prednisolone (the steroid) is able to be compounded that way as well. 

Oh, and @riley702, I just looked it up, and Prozac can, too.  At a quick glance, I did not find any info on its efficacy at that application versus oral, but it can be done.

Edited June 27, 2018 by Bastet

[Moose135]

12 hours ago, bilgistic said:

After increasing Little Girl's steroid med for a week, her little lip inflammation is gone

And she'll probably hit more home runs this season too!

[tiftgirl]

5 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

 for us it's worth it not to force The Younger's mouth open twice a day to throw pills down it 

This makes me feel better, because one area where I feel I fail as a cat momma is getting meds into them.  Everyone says some cats are hard to pill, but I wonder if I didn't spoil them so much if it would be easier now that they are older and developing health issues.  Liquid I can do, depending on the cat, but it is still a battler.  But, I swear I've gotten a pill in Shlamey's mouth tilted her heard up and felt her swallow three times, let go and she looked me in the eye and hocked the pill up.

I got Methimazole compounded for Shlomo and he just loved that.  Which is good because he had to have it 3 times a day.  His heart meds could not be compounded but those came in a liquid.

What upsets me is when they start avoiding me after several days of meds.  That is what happened with the thyroid pills, he would just run when he saw me and that was when I found out about compounding.  

When we were still hoping Shlamey had a very bad infection, the Dr. said she would pill Shlamey herself every day if it came down to it.  She has never made me feel bad about not being able to medicate them, but I feel like I fail them.

[bilgistic]

I've never been able to forcefully give my cats pills. I can manage headlocking and squirting meds in their mouth with a syringe, but it makes them so distrustful. Giving Little Mama eyedrops was terrible. I had to sit on my knees with her between my thighs so the couldn't move. She hated me for a while.

My late girl kitty would eat her Cosequin pill whole as long as I put a little food on it. She was a cool customer.

Bilgisticat was on several meds; I hid one of them in pill paste. I had his steroid compounded into a tuna-flavored "treat" by BCP Pet Pharmacy. He loved it. I highly recommend them. They can compound lots of pet meds. I couldn't do transdermal on him because his ears would get irritated.

[ABay]

Girl cat requires a pill every day. Joy! But the vet showed me how to get her mouth open which I'll attempt to describe, and also gave me a pill shooter which helped immensely. OK, and maybe many of you already knew this but it was new to me: facing the same direction as the cat, put your thumb behind one canine and your index finger behind the other and gently pull up. Your palm will be covering the cat's eyes and the cat will struggle, but if you've already got the pill in the other hand, it's not too hard to drop or shoot it in. Sometimes my aim is off and I don't get it far enough back or centered, and if e're having a particularly feisty day, I'll just give up for that day.

Boy cat was untouchable so even if there'd been a cure for him, I wouldn't have been able to get it into him. Even sneaking things into food or treats didn't work with him more than once. I often wished all medication could be delivered in spray form.

[Mindthinkr]

After some nasty bites and antibiotics that killed my digestive system I was about to give up on flea medicine. Gratefully there’s a pet service in my area that will come and get girl cat dosed. When she first began (6 years ago) she had to wear welding gloves after a vicious chomp (and antibiotics thankfully covered by her insurance) but girl kitty has realized over the years that this is happening. I’m grateful to have the dosh have her come. Only thing is when I go away she has to send someone else (an associate) in to feed as they hear medicine lady they go into hiding. It all works out. They don’t go out anymore but they still get the med. Fleas are bad in my area. 

[Mindthinkr]

This is girl cat. It’s kind of hard to see but I was noticing her whiskers yesterday when she was up in my face. Her top ones are black and curl like a handlebar mustache. Her bottom ones are white. She also has done better on their diet plan than her brother. 

Sorry that it posted sideways. Didn’t know how to fix that on the iPad. 

[DeLurker]

There seems to be a pretty big group of black, or mostly black, cats in this crowd - yeah!  They have good homes with lots of love!

[riley702]

3 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

This is girl cat. It’s kind of hard to see but I was noticing her whiskers yesterday when she was up in my face. Her top ones are black and curl like a handlebar mustache. Her bottom ones are white. She also has done better on their diet plan than her brother. 

Sorry that it posted sideways. Didn’t know how to fix that on the iPad. 

And her bottom whiskers curl down.

[MargeGunderson]

Poor Kitty Gunderson the Elder does not like the heat. She is also suspicious of the ice pack I’ve put next to her in an attempt to help.

[DeLurker]

@bmasters9 - I was looking up some ideas as to how to keep my dog cool in the summer.  He's inside most of the summer because of the heat, but I know he misses just hanging out back sometimes.  Anyway, I came across a couple of ideas that might work for your kitties too.

In no particular order...

Have two water bowls, one that has been frozen solid so it will provide cool water as it defrosts;

Water bowls should be narrow, but deep giving the warm air less surface space to warm up the water;

Use a fan;

Put a gallon of frozen water in a cardboard box or cooler laid on its side so it creates a cooler cubby for the kitties;

Raised bedding that allow air to circulate underneath, kinda like this

There's a lot of DIY instructions out there for the raised beds.

Also, they recommend brushing your cat a lot.

I also read about a cooling mat - here's one that is from the American Kennel Club and is supposed to be non-toxic (not all gel mats are for animals who might gnaw or scratch through the exterior).  I don't have any experience with one, so I'm putting a lot of weight on the AKC labeling so probably best to do your own research.

[bmasters9]

21 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

@bmasters9 - I was looking up some ideas as to how to keep my dog cool in the summer.  He's inside most of the summer because of the heat, but I know he misses just hanging out back sometimes.  Anyway, I came across a couple of ideas that might work for your kitties too.

In no particular order...

Have two water bowls, one that has been frozen solid so it will provide cool water as it defrosts;

Water bowls should be narrow, but deep giving the warm air less surface space to warm up the water;

Use a fan;

Put a gallon of frozen water in a cardboard box or cooler laid on its side so it creates a cooler cubby for the kitties;

Raised bedding that allow air to circulate underneath, kinda like this

There's a lot of DIY instructions out there for the raised beds.

Also, they recommend brushing your cat a lot.

I also read about a cooling mat - here's one that is from the American Kennel Club and is supposed to be non-toxic (not all gel mats are for animals who might gnaw or scratch through the exterior).  I don't have any experience with one, so I'm putting a lot of weight on the AKC labeling so probably best to do your own research.

Will check out! I'm in Alabama now, but those sound like good suggestions!

[isalicat]

There are lots of rather inexpensive chairs made of netting on a metal frame available at places like Home Depot or even Walmart that make great cat/dog resting places when it is hot and they need additional circulation. In fact, my Louis the cat is sitting on one right now on my patio! We bought five of these chairs 6 years at one of those super cheap outlet stores and they have held up pretty well given that they are left outside all year round. Both our previous cat (a long hair) and the current ruler of the household really like them when its hot out as they get full air circulation while also having a back (so they cannot be sneak attacked from behind).