THE NEW CAT ROOM! (or the Cat Room #2)

Hyperthyroid comes to mind as a possibility. Is Dante an older, maybe skinny guy with a ravenous appetite? Hyperthyroid cats can also become more cantankerous and unkempt...

0 Replies

patiodog, Mikey has been diagnosed as hyperthyroid. He hasn't lost an ounce. Eats the same amount as always (a lot), and is perfectly kempt. He's also a bit more active and verbal. Hey Mikey. Shut up.

msolga, Not gonna argue. If you wanna think that the monster cat is smart, be my guest. I wish you could see him at this moment--lying jackknifed on the couch, looking very cute. Big feet sticking out. Big head up and gazing out the window. What a guy.

0 Replies

Roberta wrote:

msolga, Not gonna argue. If you wanna think that the monster cat is smart, be my guest. I wish you could see him at this moment--lying jackknifed on the couch, looking very cute. Big feet sticking out. Big head up and gazing out the window. What a guy.

Awwwww!

See! He's clever enough to have charmed you .... again!
All is forgiven, you fabulous big critter!
(Now that's an achievement! :wink: )

0 Replies

msolga wrote

Quote:

So, did it eventually work, Dorothy?

Nah, they just ate it and crashed out on the sofa.

x

0 Replies

Ragman wrote:

Regarding this feline dietary issue and older age cats: I feel positively that having fed my cats at least for 90% of their lives with dry food (low-ash etc) that it helped to contribute to them being 19 and 17 yrs respectively. However, so many variables come into play with the different breeds, activity levels, who knows?!

Of course, keeping them mainly as in-door cats most of their adult lives helped, as well. I feed them small bits of chicken from my plate to their dishes roughly 2 tablespoons-full, periodically. Mainly, nowadays to my large cat (16-18 lbs) I give 1 to 1.5 oz. of canned tuna or tuna juice fairly often but not at the exclusion of dry food. My little cat rejects tuna , but will only sip tuna juice a little. In her younger days, she used to eat tuna gingerly, but now must not think it agrees with her condition.

I seriously think love and paying keen attention to their "talking" to us helps a great deal too. Oh, that biggest ingredient...LOVE makes such a difference! That's the 2-way street.

our last 2 cats both lived to this age - one only ate a very few cat biscuits and mainly tinned food and the other loved her biscuits and also ate tinned food.

I think as long as the food is good quality the nutritional benefits are ok - biscuits are great for their teeth but the dry food only diet is a risk if they don't drink enough. They do then suffer kidney problems.

Cats are pretty good judges of what they need I think - unlike dogs who will wolf anything! my neighbours brainless red setter wolfed a packet of frozen chips (french fries to the US) and an entire loaf while her back was turned - cats have more sense - go for the chicken Twisted Evil

Our current 2 are given a mixed diet of biscuits and cat food for one (he likes the fishy ones) and chicken for the spoilt little madame as she won't eat cat food Evil or Very Mad

My parents overstuffed and adored cat lived to the same sort of age as well on a diet of top quality tinned food and biscuits plus all sorts of unsuitable treats from them - toffee, custard .....

oh .... and they were all indoor/outdoor cats like mspoppy

0 Replies

Ragman, positive thoughts are coming your way from Dante, Sally and even Fred--hi fred.

Dante is very large, his coat is beautiful and he looks the picture of health. His large appetite will have to be kept in check or he will turn into a balloon.

Don't read this next sentence unless you have a tough skin and are used to reading about the horrible things in the world. The lady who was keeping Dante before I came along, told me that they don't allow any black cats to be adopted in October because of Satanists who use them as religious sacrifices. Even the pound won't allow them to go out.

Why do some people have to be so insanely ugly and sadistic? I'm still reeling from the news. It is almost beyond belief, except that those things do happen.

Sigh.

0 Replies

thanks for your kind wishes for Sugar. She's hanging in there so far. The Vet will be evaluating her on Monday... another blood test to see how advanced her kidney problems are.

She's a mere shadow of her old self but has not lost her personality. She can't jump up on my recliner or climb up the coffee table to bed but she does ask me until I lift her up.

Hope that I can get her to eat something besides licking tuna juice and a tiny nibble of tuna....soon. She's 6 lbs..all bone. I have learned to push IV fluids...not a fun routine.

Keeping fingers crossed.

0 Replies

Ragman, Your mention of IV fluids brought my beloved Miranda's bout with kidney failure rushing back. Daily IV fluid. Many pills. She lasted a long time.

I'm hoping for the best for you.

0 Replies

Thank you very much for your kind thoughts.

Sugar is eating a little better in the last 2 days. Perhaps the IV fluids helps her out more than I thought.

0 Replies

fingers crossed for you tomorrow at the vets

0 Replies

if any of your cats are frightened of firewords they'd be ready for the asylum here! We've had Navratri, Diwali, Eid and now Bonfire Night Sad

2 months of firewords all night every night.

Luckily ours aren't too bothered.

0 Replies

9 lives
The results at the Vet's were very positive. Most of the bloodwork number for kidney function have improved greatly, except Creatinine. I'm pushing her IV fluids more regularly almost daily now. The bloodwork showed that even the anemia they spotted is getting better.

It really IS true...cats DO have 9 lives. She is starting to regain some weight in the last few days, but she is still so thin -- it's scarey. she seems to want to eat and I've changed her to some Kidney specialized diet (the Vet GAVE me some cans). She loves it. so does Bonkers too! LOL

She's not out of the woods, but she's heading in the right direction ..at least for now. At age 17 ..and having kidney disease ... it's not promising for the long range. I'm just hoping that the time she has left has some quality to it. I'll do my best to see that she has what she needs.

0 Replies

Wonderful news, Ragman. Older cats do become delicate, but they still have so much love to give. Yours are very lucky to have you to take care of them.

Dante and Sally went to the vet's yesterday. They are both in good health. He examined Dante first, then Sally. While Sally was up on the examining table, Dante jumped up to see what was happening. They have become such good buddies.

The vet said that Dante needs to lose weight, about five pounds. He doesn't have worms, he just has a king-sized appetite and he whines as if he's starving to death when it is time for a meal.

The two of them have added so much to our lives. We are very lucky.

0 Replies

Re: 9 lives

Ragman wrote:

The results at the Vet's were very positive. Most of the bloodwork number for kidney function have improved greatly, except Creatinine. I'm pushing her IV fluids more regularly almost daily now. The bloodwork showed that even the anemia they spotted is getting better.

It really IS true...cats DO have 9 lives. She is starting to regain some weight in the last few days, but she is still so thin -- it's scarey. she seems to want to eat and I've changed her to some Kidney specialized diet (the Vet GAVE me some cans). She loves it. so does Bonkers too! LOL

She's not out of the woods, but she's heading in the right direction ..at least for now. At age 17 ..and having kidney disease ... it's not promising for the long range. I'm just hoping that the time she has left has some quality to it. I'll do my best to see that she has what she needs.

Oh my! Hoping for you both!

0 Replies

Sally and Dante sleeping each others bed;

http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0VAD8ArYZAEVE35gqCXfrkDuuDB1*cuu8m14tjlbbzZLzImC!Dwj8rTzq3jtgdgdZawReeJv4WgXR7BWO2SD*A8PyZgF*bpQna!D8ArS7OUgJxEMU4egaJibidbM528q3/dante%20plus%200011.jpg

Dante guarding Sally;

http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0TgCRAp4YFt5E35gqCXfrkJb6hGtfuWv94nyvNHWHa3emlgRnzy6No4IjgbIGmo!QaQBN5mjflfeHxt!MxR6tD2bG!*upXHAMxBcgDrxHnAu3GOjV2LPyHg/dante%20plus1.jpg

0 Replies

Naaah, dogs are warm little buggers. Screech used to curl up near Boo when the nights got cold.

0 Replies

Diane wrote:

...The vet said that Dante needs to lose weight, about five pounds. He doesn't have worms, he just has a king-sized appetite and he whines as if he's starving to death when it is time for a meal...

Leave poor Dante alone. He's not plump, he's fluffy. 'Atsa good boy. (pat, pat)

(If you want to make your life truly miserable, just try putting a cat on a diet.)

0 Replies

That's VERY good news about her regaining her appetite, Ragman! Give her an extra treat or two for me.

0 Replies

Ragman, Thrilled with the good news from the vet. I was optimistic (cautiously so) because of the good results I had with Miranda.

Diane, Loved seeing the canine/feline duo. Forget about the diet. Cats don't diet. Cat's ain't fat. Don't risk your life and limb with some cockamamie diet. Let the cat eat. The voice of experience here. I put Mikey on a diet. (What was I thinking?) He attacked me in my sleep! Not once. Not twice. But three nights in a row. My response? No more diet. Let him eat until he explodes. He hasn't exploded yet. He's leveled off at a charming 24 pounds. (He's about 3-4 pounds oveweight; he's a big guy.)

Vivien--Miranda and Patty were worried by fireworks. Mikey doesn't give a damn. Explosions? Not a problem. Cars backfiring? Who cares? Sirens? What siren? He's not fearless. Just insensitive to sounds, I guess.

0 Replies

Is Dante bigger than Sally, Bob/Diane? They look great together!

Next week we are celebrating 6 years of living with Nisse and Mysan. How could I ever live without cats?!

And no diet for Nisse, either! I think he looks very good :-)

0 Replies

THE NEW CAT ROOM! (or the Cat Room #2)

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know