Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[isalicat]

I understand not wanting to let cats (or dogs for that matter) out unsupervised, particularly at night, if you live in a neighborhood with predators (especially coyotes). But otherwise it seems unnatural to confine any animal indoors for its entire life, and I'm especially personally annoyed at people who get cats, declaw them for the sake of preserving their furniture, and then leave them alone all day long when they are at work or whatever, and then come home, pay 5 minutes attention to the cat and that is about it. Why not get a robot pet of some sort instead? A living being is not a toy and needs to have an actual life just as much as we do. Catios seem a very reasonable compromise if the available outdoor space is simply too perilous but otherwise I wish people would just not take on any sort of pet as a sort of indoor ornament. (Or thing to carry around all day long which we have increasing numbers of around here - the tiny dogs that are toted everywhere including into supermarkets and restaurants - yuck!)

[Mountainair]

Our cat was always indoor/outdoor. When we got Jack Russell's that could also get into the litter box we had to start putting her outside. We had to put her down last month at the age of 15. Our family is still reeling from that- my oldest son (8) took it the hardest and is only just now beginning to come to grips with her loss. 

Around the same time we made the decision to put the cat down our 15 year old Jack Russell started having pee accidents in the house. They have only gotten worse- about 20 accidents per day so we took him in to the vet last week where he was diagnosed with Kidney disease and also had elevated liver enzymes come back in his blood work. He gets around ok (his back legs fail him someimes), he still eats, drinks tons of water (due to the kidney issues)and sleeps most of the time but it's starting to become a lot of work to keep my floors cleaned and am constantly doing laundry to keep up with "pee" rags. Most people I talk to think we should go to diapers for him, my husband thinks we should get puppy pads and while neither are a huge investment of money I don't know that he would even use the pads (he pees wherever, whenever) and I just hate the thought of putting him in diapers. I'm currently trying to wean my two year old human off of diapers and I just never imagined I would have to do this with our family pet. Either way it sucks because I know we are going to be dealing with another loss soon and my oldest child is going to be a mess again. 

The vet said we could have him tested for Cushing's Disease (he meets all the criteria for it) but that it is a huge investment and won't really prolong his quality of life in the long run. Has anyone had their pets go though this?

I added a picture of our sweet Layla- may she R.I.P

[HazelEyes4325]

55 minutes ago, isalicat said:

I understand not wanting to let cats (or dogs for that matter) out unsupervised, particularly at night, if you live in a neighborhood with predators (especially coyotes). But otherwise it seems unnatural to confine any animal indoors for its entire life, and I'm especially personally annoyed at people who get cats, declaw them for the sake of preserving their furniture, and then leave them alone all day long when they are at work or whatever, and then come home, pay 5 minutes attention to the cat and that is about it. Why not get a robot pet of some sort instead? A living being is not a toy and needs to have an actual life just as much as we do. Catios seem a very reasonable compromise if the available outdoor space is simply too perilous but otherwise I wish people would just not take on any sort of pet as a sort of indoor ornament. (Or thing to carry around all day long which we have increasing numbers of around here - the tiny dogs that are toted everywhere including into supermarkets and restaurants - yuck!)

To be fair, I'm home practically all day, so my cat is not alone (sometimes I think she wishes she was, but that's a different story) and she gets a lot of playtime with me and then when the kids get home.  She is also not declawed--which is another disagreement between my husband and I (and fortunately I have won that one!).  We did have some problems with her scratching the furniture when she was younger, but I've found some natural repellant spray and a few well-placed scratchers that have effectively stopped all that.

[AgentRXS]

8 hours ago, isalicat said:

. But otherwise it seems unnatural to confine any animal indoors for its entire life

Sometimes it is up to the cat. Diamond does not like to go outside unless it is about 70 degrees and breezy. Living in FL that's 3-4 months a year and that is if we have a nice season. She's a diva and thinks the world should revolve around her so if I let her out onto my patio at this time of year, she goes out for a minute, looks at me as if to say "You already know it is way too hot for my liking. What were you thinking?" and runs back in.

Ella likes to go out but I can't trust her not to run off and my apartment building is located on a fairly busy street corner and it isn't fenced in. So she goes out very rarely but I will open the windows often so they can get the smell of the outdoors. 

Edited August 23, 2018 by AgentRXS

[Bastet]

I disagree with both the "No cat should step paw outside unless it's in a catio!" and "No cat should spend their whole life imprisoned indoors!" hard-line stances that refuse to take individual circumstances into account.  My approach has always been if the cat a) wants to go outside in the first place and b) can do so safely (e.g. someone is there to supervise or they're the rare type of cat who will actually stay in the yard), then getting some outdoor time is a bonus they should have.  But if safe outdoor time is impossible, then too bad for Kitty - she/he can look out the window. 

Maddie and Baxter were indoor only the first several years I had them, because my condo had no outdoor space beyond a "patio" so tiny it wasn't worth going out on.  Once we moved into this house with a yard, I gradually started letting them outside, supervised in the front yard and semi-supervised in the back yard (they would almost always stay put, but wanderlust hit every once in a while, so I never went more than half an hour without checking on them -- stunningly for cats, they would reliably come when called, so if they had hopped a wall, they came right back when I summoned them).  No front yard time after dark, period, and every minute of any nighttime back yard excursions were supervised.  Just in case.

Riley is indoor only; she's too skittish to be trusted outside in any way other than with a harness and leash, and she objects to even wearing a collar, so the risk is too great -- indoors it is.

[HazelEyes4325]

The other aspect of this is that, when we adopted our cat from an amazing shelter in our area, we had to agree to 2 things:

1 - We would not declaw

2 - Our cat would be indoor-only

As I said, I'm fudging on the second just a bit.  For the most part, Alice wants to sit inside unless it is between 75-80 degrees and sunny.  Where I live, that's the exception to the rule.  She does have a window perch, which she quite likes, and plenty of places she likes in the house.  

[EighteenTwelve]

I live on the second floor, and one of my living room windows opens directly onto a large but not screened-in porch with two huge pine trees in front of it.  About once a summer I open the window and let the cats go out on the porch with me.  Lily wanders all over the porch and leaps up on the railing, thereby giving me heart attacks because I keep thinking she wants to climb into a tree, and Snip sits in the open window making little confused noises. 

[JTMacc99]

I prefer that Luna stays indoors for various reasons, including the fact that I don't want her hunting all of the songbirds that hang out at my feeders. She does like to make a run for it sometimes if the door is open long enough, and given that dogs are constantly coming in and out of that door, she has her opportunities.

I had mentioned Labradors on dog shaming calendars. I did save my favorite one. This guy has no shame, and like I said above, seems like he's having a pretty great day:

Edited August 23, 2018 by JTMacc99

[DeLurker]

He does not look ashamed at all...I'd guess having to get his picture taken and wear a sign for a minute is a small price to pay for such a yummy heist.

[theredhead77]

The kitten-cat and cat-cat escaping is my worst nightmare. I thought declawing was banned about a decade ago because it's inhumane.

Reasons house cats should not be outside: https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/indoor-cats-vs-outdoor-cats/

Reasons big cats should be outside: they are WILD ANIMALS and belong in the wild.

On another topic: @JTMacc99 still waiting for that video!

Also: a friend is coming to visit for the weekend. The kitten-cat has been very brave with the pet sitter but I'm wondering how long it will take him to come out for my friend.

[Mindthinkr]

53 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

I guess it is a cat tree because random cats/kittens just show up and she keeps them. 

That’s very kind of her. 

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, stewedsquash said:

Eh, she has spent her life making my life a daily living hell but she is nice to cats and dogs. I have learned how to deal with her lunacy so I can cope.

Lol...are you my daughter? JK

[bilgistic]

I am cracking up!

I accidentally hit the Google Assistant (home) button on the home screen of my phone. (It records voice requests: what's the weather, order socks, etc.) At the same time, I had a mug in my other hand. Little Girl kind of walked into the mug from behind/beside me-slash-I brought my mug hand down at the same time and accidentally bonked her in the head. Google recorded what I said and tried to search for what I wanted...I'm howling!

Edited August 24, 2018 by bilgistic

[AgentRXS]

In case you needed a pick-me-up....Have you ever seen a look of such joy?! It was a mutual love at first sight between us, but I can't have dogs and she's been claimed by another. Tomorrow she gets spayed and then I assume she will be picked up by her new owner sometime over my weekend.

(Nope, my attack by a Rottweiler did not deter my love of the breed one bit. They are my breed of choice.)

[Mindthinkr]

Agreed she is a pretty Rottweiler. One of these days (when I stop traveling so much) I’m going to add a dog to my clan. 

You always overcome so much. You are a hero. 

[theredhead77]

On 8/23/2018 at 10:49 AM, theredhead77 said:

 

Also: a friend is coming to visit for the weekend. The kitten-cat has been very brave with the pet sitter but I'm wondering how long it will take him to come out for my friend.

About 24 hours! New record!

[DeLurker]

My cat has absolutely no reservations about meeting new people.  He's pretty certain they are there to admire and pet him.  Within minutes of meeting most people, he'll flop over in front of them looking for a tummy rub.  Since I am not terribly social, most people he encounters have already been thoroughly vetted but still...

[raven]

It's National Dog Day!  Where we going?

[bosawks]

Alli’s going to the beach!

[Moose135]

18 hours ago, bosawks said:

Alli’s going to the beach!

Looks like she's having a blast! We're spending a week in the Outer Banks next month, renting a house on the beach - a dog friendly, no leashes required beach.  Denali is already getting excited about going!

[bilgistic]

20 hours ago, bosawks said:

Alli’s going to the beach!

I wish my life was half as good as Alli's! Will you adopt me, @bosawks?

On 8/25/2018 at 11:58 AM, DeLurker said:

My cat has absolutely no reservations about meeting new people.  He's pretty certain they are there to admire and pet him.  Within minutes of meeting most people, he'll flop over in front of them looking for a tummy rub.  Since I am not terribly social, most people he encounters have already been thoroughly vetted but still...

Little Girl is completely fearless. She loved up on the cable guy a couple weeks ago. She should've scratched him, since he didn't actually fix the cable.

[bosawks]

@Moose135 needless to say, pictures please.

@bilgistic adoption has to be vetted be Alli and she’s a merciless grader....

[DeLurker]

@bilgistic - I've already called dibbs for being reincarnated as one of @bosawks pets!

[bosawks]

I have to keep her happy or she’ll throw me over for my visiting mother...

[bilgistic]

My niececat, Tigger (my sister's cat), broke her leg today. She was chased(?) by my sister's much younger and much bigger dog to/at the bottom of the stairs, and maybe got her claw stuck in the carpet when trying to get away from the dog. The dog is actually quite good natured (though she needs obedience training) and wants to be "friends" and near the cat all the time.

Tigs has a spiral fracture and is in a cast (splint/wrap). She's almost 20 years old and the vet said she's doing pretty well otherwise. Her kidney values are slightly high, as would be expected at her age. The vet said she was slightly dehydrated and has hyperthyroidism. She eats only dry food. She drinks a lot of water. My sister says Tigger won't eat wet food, but I implored her to try again with different foods and plain chicken broth. She won't listen.

Tigs is the last of the four original cats my sister and I had at the same time. I had my female calico cat who was born in 1998, and my sister got a female grey/brown tabby, Sierra, about the same time. We all went to the beach together and the cats were BFFs after one day of growling. They were so cute and funny together.

My sister got Tigger shortly thereafter. She moved here and lived somewhere that wouldn't allow cats so I kept her girls for awhile. My cat was so happy with her friends/”cousins". They all hung out together and I made real progress with Sierra's feral-ish personality. She became loving. Then my sister moved and took the girls. My girl was sad and lonely, and I got Bilgisticat. She was not amused at the boy interloper.

I think Sierra died before my girl did. She died in September 2015. Bilgisticat died last September. Tig Tigs is the last one. She's a tough old girl.

She's on pain meds. She's really unhappy, as one would expect. My sister and niece are going out of town this weekend and are having Tigger boarded, thank god. They're to do weekly vet checks/rewraps of the cast. I tried to impress upon my sister the importance of keeping a steady amount of pain meds going.

Here's the most heartbreaking picture ever, followed by a picture of her dog sister trying to just be near her on another day.

Edited August 30, 2018 by bilgistic

[Bastet]

Oh, poor Tigger!  That is not a happy face.  I'm glad you emphasized the need to stay on top of the pain, because these first few days are when she'll really need it and they don't tend to show the full extent of their pain/illness, so just going by how she's acting could easily lead to unnecessary pain via under-medicating her.

Did the vet put her on methimazole for the hyperthyroidism?  Most cats are easily regulated on it, at least for a while, and at 20 "a while" would last her all the time she needs; getting those thyroid hormone levels under control would ease a good bit of strain on her poor old body, which now also has to recover from this fracture.  

These "kids" and their freak accidents!

[bilgistic]

No thyroid med yet. I encouraged my sister to ask the vet about it next visit. Tigger's under six pounds, which is less than Bilgisticat was at his lightest with kidney disease, IBD and pancreatitis.

My late female cat had hyperthyroidism, and she gained weight after I got her on methimazole. She was on it for years and did very well. She was much younger at diagnosis, though. Ugh.

My sister isn't a "cat mom" like I am. She's a human mom. Heh. We are very different in that way. I'm not saying one way is right or wrong.

She's also in the process of losing her job. She was given a three-month notice a couple weeks ago. She knew it was coming because the company is a mess. So, not that an accident ever comes at a good time, but now really wasn't a good time for her cat to break her leg.

Edited August 30, 2018 by bilgistic

[bilgistic]

Tigger is on gabapentin, which is kind of surprising. I always expect buprenorphine for the first-response pain control. But, then...she'll be healing for a while. I'm having to dial back my "I'm not a vet but I played one for the last two years of Bilgisticat's life."

She's getting around better already, making it to her water bowl and just sticking that cast leg out to the side. She looks like she's relaxed her hips and body quite a bit, which will definitely help with pain.

Poor, sweet baby. I would curl up in the floor next to her.

Edited August 30, 2018 by bilgistic

[theredhead77]

I want to snuggle the kitty!!!!!! I had a Tigger, too!

[bilgistic]

Tigger's been dropped at the vet for the weekend boarding and care while my sister and niece go to Kentucky for my niece's BMX meet. My sister said she cried when she dropped off Tigger. I can relate, since I cried every time I dropped of my cats to be boarded!

Edited August 30, 2018 by bilgistic

[bmasters9]

My kittens (Harry, Sally and Wilma) were recently freed from their cabin fever (I forget when we did it), and no longer stay in the kennel. They run loose, unsupervised around our garage; so far, they have not been destructive. I think their cabin fever might have been the root cause of their original meanness and destructiveness; now as they've been freed from it, Sally has rubbed up against me and purred on several occasions. 

I also gave them a sifting litter pan, which they have used quite extensively; it has made the litter job easier on me, in that all I have to do is pour the litter with the kittens' output (said litter being in the top gray tub) into the white sifting tub (sifting tub being together w/the bottom gray tub), and sift the litter through that sifting tub into the bottom gray tub; the output stays in the sifting tub, and I can then put that output into a plastic bag to dump into the woods later. I then put the gray tub into which the litter was sifted on top of the sifting tub, and put the empty gray tub under those two tubs, therein alternating tubs between recycling operations. 

Before, when the kittens were younger, we had to use aluminum pans for their litter and output, and not only did the kittens make messes with it, but I had to make sure that I got every single piece of output out, including stuff that I didn't even know was there; you don't know how aggravating that was!

All in all, the kittens are much happier since we made those changes, and I think they'll grow up to be happy, well-adjusted adult cats.

Edited September 6, 2018 by bmasters9

[isalicat]

Halp! Some cat advice needed! My Louis (orange tom aged somewhat past ten, we aren't sure how old as he adopted us from the local animal shelter 1-3/4 years ago and they had not a clue - my vet says maybe 12...) has developed some sort of skin irritation on his lower back - it looks dry and flaky and is clearly itching or bugging him. I have extensively checked for fleas as he does go out in our garden but there is no sign of them (and the vet checked him about a month ago when we brought him in and boarded him for four days and got his teeth cleaned). I've not encountered this before in a cat - is there anything topical I can apply? I'm open to any sort of home remedy or thing I can buy as I would like to avoid bringing him into the vet again if possible - he is so hideously gripped when we try to get him into the carrier (clearly had a horrible experience before we met him involving a cat carrier) and he is still a bit skittish since coming home from being boarded (I'm sure he wondered during those four days if we had given him up, poor boy). No sign of bleeding or serious redness on the skin at all - more like very dry and a bit scabby even though he can't actually scratch it. Any thoughts ?

[DeLurker]

@isalicat - I was hoping there would be some helpful responses to you.  I'm afraid that I don't know enough about cat ailments as to what could be the cause or a possible solution, and I would be hesitant to take a guess since it might make things more aggravated for your poor guy. 

I wonder if corralling him in a bigger container, like a banker's box, might be easier than putting him in a carrier?  Or you might try purrito'ing him.  First, though take the top half off the carrier and remove it altogether, then place the purrito into the bottom of the carrier and quickly have someone else secure the top back on.   @bilgistic - think this might work?

[isalicat]

Thanks, DeLurker! I'm going to give it a few more days, since he is eating normally and otherwise seems absolutely fine, and then try your method for getting him in the carrier (the top half does come off) and see what the vet says....oy vey! this cat will have spent more time at the vet's than my previous three cats combined already! First with the teeth cleaning (he has had to have it done twice now in 1-3/4 year and last time had to have two teeth pulled) and now with whatever this skin thing is. Do cats get mange? Is it possible he contracted it at the vet hospital when he was boarded? (he has absolutely no other contact with other cats or dogs otherwise)

[Mindthinkr]

7 minutes ago, isalicat said:

Do cats get mange? I

Yes, cats can get mange also known as feline scabies. It’s highly contagious. Try looking up some OTC natural treatments but if it’s a pronounced problem it may require the assistance of a veterinarian’s medication. 

Besides animals humans can contract it too. It might be a different form or variation but keep on it and get it before it escalates. 

[bilgistic]

It could be dandruff or perhaps an allergy presenting symptoms. Little Girl is allergic to a lot of proteins (chicken, beef, etc.) and the symptoms present as scabby, flaky spots in her "armpits". I'd definitely suggest getting Louis in to see the vet.

The best way I've ever gotten my cats into their carriers is FAST and with a sneak attack. I sit the hard, plastic carrier on its back end on the bed so it's near my stomach height when on end. Leave the carrier door open. Grab the cat and drop them in the carrier butt first. They're not going to be happy and you may lose some blood on your shoulders, but it's the most effective way that I've found. They'll have no time to figure out a way to get out.

[AgentRXS]

It sounds like it could possibly be ringworm to me and he could also pick that up in boarding if exposed to another cat that had it OR if he's ever had it before, it can reoccur from stress.

If you can attach a photo, I can tell you what I think it is from working at an animal shelter and seeing all sorts of skin conditions, but it is really best to take him to a vet for a skin scrape.

Edited September 3, 2018 by AgentRXS

[DeLurker]

Kook and Catty Face sleep in my room.  I usually keep the door open because Kook is sometimes still up when I go to be because my son is still up so his job is not yet done (much to Catty Face's dismay).

Even if the kids get up earlier than I do, the cat and dog stay in my room because they* don't think it is time to go downstairs until I do.  This morning I slept in to the unbelievably late time of 10:30 (!!!) - this hasn't happened in decades - and they both just hung out waiting for me to get up.  They both know I need to make my coffee before they get breakfast, so even on this very delayed morning schedule, they didn't push their luck.  Impressive!

*Sometimes Kook does go downstairs early because there will be the urgent need to bark at something.

[ratgirlagogo]

I have a dumb question, forgive me.

For those of you who grow catnip - how in the hell do you do it?  If you grow it outside, don't the outside cats destroy it?  If you grow it inside, don't your inside cats destroy it?

[DeLurker]

My efforts to grow cat nip ended badly as do all my efforts to grow any kind of plants. My accidental catnip grows fabulous as long as I neglect it completely (some spilled seeds from plants I was trying to grow; a year later they start growing like mad). 

It is just in an outdoor planter with a pineapple plant.  It is dropping seeds and if a hardy enough newbie survives a couple of months of neglect, I’ll transfer it to a pot.  I have a few and I rotate them in and out of the house.

Kook doing hard time for excessive barking at a neighbor up to obvious no good as evidenced by a skateboard.

 

[Mindthinkr]

14 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

I have a dumb question, forgive me.

For those of you who grow catnip - how in the hell do you do it?  If you grow it outside, don't the outside cats destroy it?  If you grow it inside, don't your inside cats destroy it?

I just buy the seeds (Amazon has them all year but they’re a little pricey). I just put about 10 seeds in a small pot with regular potting soil, water it in well and then just wait. Once they’re an inch tall I sometimes have to transplant a few (same pot just spaced better) so they aren’t growing on top of each other. I’ve grown it both inside (winter or as Christmas presents for other kitties) and outside and never had a problem with other cats or critters. I agree with DeLurker that less is more with catnip. It’s basically a weed and other than watering when dry, neglect suits it well. 

I’ve seen cats that like to eat it once it has a bunch of leaves. You might have to grow it up on a surface your cats can’t reach. I’ve had other cats who like to rub against the pot so it needed to be anchored well so I wasn’t cleaning up a mess. Some cats just like to sniff it and now my girl cat just isn’t interested in it (grown fresh, dried or store bought) at all. I have a small throw rug and baby boy likes me to put a teaspoon of it (dried) on it so he can roll around on it and then beat the crap out of the rug. It’s actually pretty funny to watch. The rug is pretty indestructible and if he’s going to target anything in the house I prefer him to do it to the rug. 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Mindthinkr
Added a thought.

[MargeGunderson]

@ratgirlagogo, a few years ago my mother-in-law sent me home from a visit with a very nice catnip plant about 6” in diameter. I planted it on the hill in my backyard, a foot or so from the retaining wall. A couple hours later, one of our neighborhood cats came by. KC (short for Killer Cat), a 22 pound female who liked to sun herself on our stone retaining wall, discovered the catnip. She proceeded to eat most of it and roll around in the rest. Then threw it all up on the retaining wall in what I  figure is the cat equivalent of a hangover. Fortunately both plant and KC recovered, and KC visited the plant regularly to nibble delicately at the leaves. Also, a few weeks later she left half a frog at our back door, which was a sign of great respect (KC only allows her humans to come near her, but eventually allowed me to get within 2 feet and tell her what a beautiful kitty and a fierce hunter she is). 

I also have 3 large catmint plants in my flower garden and while they are occasionally nibbled, apparently there is a mutual understanding with the neighborhood cats that if they exercise some restraint they can snack freely.

[bosawks]

Happy Labor Day from my muddy & wet animal to yours!

Edited September 3, 2018 by bosawks

[Moose135]

Our guilty pleasure TV watching is the old episodes of Shark Tank on CNBC.  We can leave it on all evening while we're doing other stuff or just chatting.  Some of the stuff is great, some of it is odd, but it's always entertaining.  Last week, we saw a pitch by a husband/wife team for frozen yogurt treats for dogs - "The Bear and The Rat - Cool Treats for Dogs"  The Bear and Rat were nicknames for their two dogs.  It was all natural and healthy stuff, they were very enthusiastic, but were too early in their company to land a deal from any of the Sharks.

As I often do with these old episodes (most are 3-4 or more years old) I googled the product, to see if it was still around or what ever happened to them.  Not only are these folks still around, the treats were available at one of the grocery stores my girlfriend frequents.  Last week, on my way over to her place, I stopped by to pick up a few things, and see if it was in stock.  I picked up a 4-pack of bacon & peanut butter flavor (it also comes in banana & peanut butter and pumpkin & cinnamon flavors).  Let me say it was a huge hit with Denali!  For the first one, I held the cup for her, and she slurped it up in no time.  Gave her another a couple of days later, and just let her deal with the cup herself.  She carried it into the living room with us, licked about half of it, then managed to get the rest of it out of the cup and ate it like it was a big cookie.  How she didn't get brain freeze from that, I'll never know!  She had another last night, again she carried it into the living room with us - we were having dessert ourselves - and she dove in nose first and didn't come up until it was done.  It's almost like Doggie Crack for her!

[MargeGunderson]

Denali is the total package - beautiful and smart!

[JTMacc99]

Catnip is insanely easy to grow and once it is established, there will need to be a LOT of cats around to destroy it. Even then, it would grow back. Plus, deer hate it. Bugs hate it.

[EighteenTwelve]

Never make plans with cats in them.  You can plan around cats, as I do when I go on vacation and make sure they get fed, but any plan directly involving a cat won't work.

Lily has kidney disease.  We're trying to figure out whether she has kidney disease too advanced to do radioactive iodine.  To figure that out, I need to send in a urine sample.  It's supposed to be easy: put special litter in litterbox, cat uses litterbox, urine beads up on litter, human picks up urine with provided pipette, puts it in provided vial, mails vial back to vet's office for testing. 

Of course it won't work that way, because the kit doesn't provide enough special litter to cover the bottom of the litterbox.  So I ordered a 2-lb bag from Amazon, which I'll get next week.  The plan was to shut Lily, food, water, and the litterbox in my office today and come home to find the litterbox used so I can collect the sample, stick it in the box overnight, and mail it in the morning.  But it's so humid today that the office door won't shut, and it's going to be humid until Friday.  I don't know whether I'll come home and find the litterbox used and no idea which cat used it, or whether I'll find the litterbox untouched and Lily in the living room.

In any case, never make plans with cats in them.

[Mindthinkr]

@EighteenTwelve I’m sorry to hear that Lily has poor health. I hope it’s easily treatable. 

Good luck getting the sample. It sounds as though it’s been frustrating so far. 

[EighteenTwelve]

I came home and found the litterbox untouched. Twenty minutes later, Lily came and meowed at me, which means “Clean the litterbox.” So I got a sample, and I have more litter coming next week in case I need a better one. But I stand by my original statement: never make a plan with a cat in it.

[bilgistic]

My niececat, Tigger, is doing splendidly! She spent the long weekend boarded at the vet while my sister and niece were at a BMX tournament out of town. Tigger is now getting around with very little problem.

My sister put this set of barriers(!!) at the top of the stairs, yet found Tigger in the downstairs bedroom in the morning! Somehow, she had gotten through the vacuum and baskets and scaled the baby gate and rappelled down the other side!

Here's the sweet girl with her stylish color-coordinated cast from her stay at the spa this weekend. My sister said, "She looks like a pirate with a peg leg and her bum eye." Poor baby! I love her!