NO DOGS ALLOWED!!!!

[Catmom]

Date: 8/27/2005 4:11:33 AM
Author: Kamuelamom
MMM, here are some head bonks for Scotty to add to the pot!

I was sad to read of his condition and do hope he feels better...fat boy. You all are scaring me with talk of letting your cats outdoors vs. not...and I do let mine out but Missy tends to really stick around, and Rusty is just beginning to get the groove of going outdoors for short periods of time. They mostly stay under the house.

Catmom, I couldn''t believe that you had a 19 y/o cat! The oldest cat I''d ever had was 14 yrs, but tragically she was killed by DH when he ran her over. She was going downhill, couldn''t move quick enough to get out of the way, and his truck got her. I''d had her more than double the years I''d had him at that time so it was real sad and he felt so bad.

Kmom,

Yes, I''m very, very lucky that the majority of my cats have lived into the 18-19 year range. I do not mean this in a b*tchy or snarky way at all........but I believe that they live this long because I never let them outside except for short periods on a leash. I had one cat that managed to sneak outside and was "lost" for several hours. She did eventually come back and we were so happy until a few weeks later when she started to lose weight. She was such a fat and sassy cat and she just kept going downhill. Our normal vet couldn''t figure out what was happening, nothing showed up in tests. He suggested that we take her to a "specialty" clinic and they did exploratory surgery and found tumors covering every inner suface of her body. She never came out of sugery. She was only 1 year old. To this day I wonder if she came across something when she was out that caused this. Would she still be alive today if she hadn''t gotten out? Health wise she was perfectly fine before she got out. I beat myself up about this all the time.

 

[FireGoddess]

Well, I just found out my very first kitty, the one I brought home from the pet store I worked at while I was in high school 15 years ago just had to be put to sleep.

He was more my parents' cat since he lived with them, and had become my dad's baby. The cat got mean in his older years, but with my dad, never lifted a paw, so to speak. He just started losing weight and my mom took him to the vet thinking cancer maybe? But it wasn't, and his bloodwork came out fine. The vet told them he seemed to be recovering and might be well enough to go home the next day. A few hours later he had a seizure at the vet's...and they were told he was really bad and they needed to come say goodbye.

How long (on average) do cats live anyway? Chloe hasn't been to the vet in 3 years - she's strictly indoor, but you better believe she's got an appt for this morning!! I guess she IS a senior....she's 9.

 

[moremoremore]

CMom, That is so sad

but you did nothing wrong. There is nothing that the cat could have picked up that would have caused tumors in such a short period of time. Don't beat yourself up.

K-Mom, my heart is breaking for you.

I've only had Scotty for about 3 years or so and he's my furry child. So I can't imagine how hard it is for you. You just need to think about the AMAZING life you gave your kitty. Who knows what kind of life he could have had without you. And he lived a good solid life span (I think around 15 is average maybe?). The kitty didn't suffer and you did the right thing. It should make you feel better to know that...

I wasn't taking my cats every years either but now I will. If all three test positive, every 6 months...Scotty can't stop eating so he may explode before that....

K-mom, without judging b/c I love ya

, you should be scared

. Cats should not be let outside unattended and without a leash. It takes some saliva to get FELV which is a death sentence and one bite to get FIV which is feline aids. That's all it takes. Even fleas carry disease. There are so many dangers out there. Vets will tell you, don't let cats outside. Even when I adopted my cats from the shelter that was trying to get rid of them LOL, they wouldn't have let me have them if I was going to let them out. It is VERY dangerous out there. They will cry and cry at first. They will cry some more. They WILL get over it. As a matter of fact, my FIV reasearch indicated that indoor FIV cats will live longer than cats who go outdoors. Keep them in.

 

[Kamuelamom]

Catmom, hugs & head bonks. Like MMM said, I don''t think that that one trip outside could''ve caused that. Forgive yourself and move on. Kitties rule don''t they!

Firegoddess, I''m so sorry about your family cat. It''s tough when they go down like that. My dad was so such a cat lover, like yours. Long ago, he had two siamese mix brothers once, and one night a stray dog got his favorite one. It was heartbreaking to hear about having to take him to the vet in the middle of the night, knowing that he would not even survive. My dad was crushed.

MMM, thanks for your compassion about Sweetie (14 y/o) and yes, I hear ya and appreciate where you''re coming from regarding letting them out. I have heard this from others too but in all honesty it is just not realistic for them not to go out at all in my family. My DH won''t put up with the litter box forever, it''s understood that once Rusty''s trained, she will also be let out to do her business then return. It''s just how it has to be in my household.

I know it must kill you to hear that but I don''t really have a choice if I want to keep pets. It''s a compromise between me/kids and DH.

But the good news is that he is finally "liking" Rusty. ANd since we''ve brought her home, Missy wants to go out more often than ever. She has little as possible to do with Rusty and still finds her quite annoying, but at least she let''s Rusty give her head bonks now.

The cat I mentined earlier was raised in apts when I lived on another island. She''s the one I mentioned earlier that I was forced to declaw because of tearing my sisters furniture. When I moved back here, I had the cats shipped once we got settled. They became in/out cats (partly because of DH and partly because of my ignorance) and sure enough, they became much more vulnerable, having to put up with strays in the neighborhood and no front claws.

It''s no wonder their health declined quite rapidly, all told they lasted only about another 5 years after I brought them here. I think had they remained indoors they would have lasted longer.

Tough call. Bad things bring good things, and out of all that I have the coolest cat I''ve ever had (Missy), nothing against the ones I mentioned, but Missy is a true doll.

She is much more short tempered now because of Rusty, but I think she''s still cool. Rambunctious rusty is another story.

 

[FireGoddess]

Well...I''m a little freaked out after taking Chloe to the vet this weekend...just called for the urinalysis and bloodwork tests and they said she has a little bacteria in her urine (no real surprise since this cat is prone to UTIs and kidney stones) but not too bad cuz she hasn''t been crying when she urinates or anything. . . . . . . but they said her white blood cell count is pretty low and they are concerned it could be FeLV or FIV. Which I think is kinda odd since she''s never been around any other cats since I had her and she was negative for FeLV when she came home from the pound. I couldn''t find any documentation from the pound about FIV so I suppose she coulda had it way back in 1997 and they never tested for it? Were they testing for it/ vaccinating against it back then??

Anyway, I should have the test results for both FeLV and FIV tomorrow....I highly doubt it''s FeLV with the documentation I have...but I will be so livid if they didn''t do FIV testing or shots or something and they coulda back then and it turns out she has it. I''m so confused!!!! I''m sure they did those blood tests back when she was really sick with kidney stones and they were trying to diagnose her....could no one have done an FIV test in freaking 8 years?!?!?!?!!? AGH!

BREATHE....till tomorow...

 

[moremoremore]

K-Mom, I totally understand. It's not always black and white...you do the best you can with the situation you're in....

FireG- I'm SO sorry to hear this. Well, she could simply have an infection and that's the reason for the low white cell count. And don't panic. Have you called the shelter to see if they tested for FIV back then? Even if they did, like with Scotty, they come back negative if they were newly infected. But Scotty is doing great, and life goes on with FIV...The fact that you've kept her indoors is a great thing...She doesn't have FELV b/c she hasn't been outside in so many years..and to be honest, FELV cats don;t live that long. They die pretty quickly after being infected

. At worst, it could be FIV, and in that case, that kitty can still live a good life...Does she get eye infections? Are her gums really bad? Those are symptoms of FIV. Ten bucks says she has a little infection and some antibiotics will take care of it! Also, I found out that once a cat is vaccinated for FIV, they always test positive. So you should ask for a Western Blot test if it does come back +. Head bonks coming your way. Keep us posted!

 

[FireGoddess]

Thanks for the head bonks mmm. Will definitely keep you posted as things progress. If the FIV ELISA comes back positive I will definitely request confirmation by Western blot.

I''m hoping you are correct and the low WBC count is a result of the bacterial infection. She''s never had an eye infection and her teeth are okay. She needs a cleaning and they say she''s got a little gum disease in the back, which is why I had the bloodwork done this weekend so they''d have recent results before she had to be knocked out to get her teeth cleaned. She''s never had a dental visit so it''s high time. I am hoping the gum thing is just a result of that...but I guess I''ll know more tomorrow.

If at worst it''s FIV I think it''s just the initial shock that will bother me. She is already 9 and other than the intermittent bacterial infections is super happy all the time and looks nice and healthy. If she truly has FIV then she''s had it for 9 years...and she''s been fine. Can''t complain about that in the slightest.

 

[AndyRosse]

Oh, FireGoddess, no matter what the results are, she is going to continue to be happy and healthy because you love her and will just do whatever needs to be done to keep her healthy!

Keep us updated.

 

[FireGoddess]

Well PHEW - Chloe does NOT have FeLV or FIV. Apparently having a low WBC count may just be the way she "is" and is likely why she is prone to UTIs. I'm going to pick up her clavamox for the bacterial infection today, but at least otherwise she's okay.

Yay purry fuzzy kitty. *head bonk*

 

[AmantdeChat]

Head bonks, leg rubs and purrs to all the kitties out there! Jasmine and Flash sends their best wishes to Scotty and Chloe.

Sorry to hear about your first kitty Firegoddess. My Jasmine just turned 14 and Flash is 13. They are both totally indoors and have never been allowed outside (except once when Jasmine's curiosity got the best of her and she went in the garage, freaked out and ran to the front door wanting in!!!

). Anyway, indoor cats almost always live longer than their outdoor counterparts, but my grandmother had a siamese that lived for 20 years and she was indoor/outdoor.

Stretch4: That story about the bandage chasing Rascal was great! I could just picture him freaking out and trying to get "away" from it. Sounds silly that the vet would put a bandage on fur?!

As far as food is concerned, right now my cats are eating dry Science Diet Nature's Recipe, but I planned on switching back to Iams because they do not seem to like the Science Diet as much. Plus the fact that when they throw up the Natures Recipe (not often, but enough to make a mess) it really stains the carpet. Can't pick the tile to throw up on, Oh No, let's throw up where it can really make a mess and make mom mad!

ETA: Good news FireGoddess! Give her hugs and kisses from all of us!

 

[AndyRosse]

LOL AmatdeChat, who knows why the vet put a sticky bandage on fur! All I know is that next time, I will stay at the vet''s office for 20 minutes and then have them take the bandage off. No more chasing kitty around, upsetting both him and me! It''s just like the time when they put an e-collar on him and told me that if he couldn''t eat with it on, that I could take it off, let him eat, and then put it back on. Like I could EVER be able to put it back on him! Rascal is definitely not a very cooperative kitty. I know for a fact that if he could talk, he would honestly tell everyone I was just his servant.

FG, very happy that Chloe is okay!

Clavamox has been Rascal''s drug of choice too for his two past infections.

 

[Blue824]

FG -- I'm so glad to hear your Chloe is ok!

Ok, so today I scanned a couple pictures of my cat Rockie's litter of kittens.

Just some background, we live about 20 mi outside of chicago, but maybe a mile or two away, there is a family that began an animal shelter on their property, so sometimes you find animals in the area that were dropped off because the owners are too embarrassed to surrender them directly to the shelter. Its sad, but we think that's what happened to our Rockie because her owners found out she was pregnant. It was 7 and playing in the backyard with my brothers when she came up to us and we started petting her and feeding her and she stayed outdoors until my parents decided it was ok and we took her to the vet and found out she was pregnant! They wanted my mom to terminate the pregnancy, but she was full term, and sure enough 5 days later she gave birth in our garage haha. The vet was like two, possibly 3, kittens, because she was SO skinny and probably hadn't been eating in a while, but she had 5! It was quite the experience for my brothers & I. We kept one, Lambchop (hey, I was 7, give me a break!) and we kept Rockie. The other four were adopted in pairs, so here are a couple pictures.

All of them cuddling in a bean bag with their mom!

 

[Blue824]

All of them except our runt posing.

 

[Blue824]

There were three boys: Pickles (had a huge dark oval on his back, like a pickle...), Lambchop, and Coon
Lambchop was the runt of the litter and came about an hour after the others. Like we saw the kittens, went out for a while, came back, and there he was. We had to put him to sleep because of an illness when he was 8, unfortunately.

And two girls: Winnie & Tigger

They were all so adorable. Pickles & Coon were adopted to gether by one family and Winnie & Tigger were adopted together by one of my teachers.

 

[moremoremore]

So glad for you fire....!!! The infections will do that to the blood count...so I''m so happy for you!!
Scotty gets his Wetern Blot results today but I''m ok with it. We''ll keep him healthy. He''s gained weight and looking good!!! Scottie is like a greased pig when I go to give him his clavamox too...but he''s such a foodies, he doesn''t seem to mind when he realizes it some form of sweet tasting food LOL

And blue,...... those are soooo cute. I especially love the odd man out LOL... I can hear it now, the other kitties making jokes, "Hey, he DOES look like the milk man doesn''t he!"

 

[moremoremore]

Well, scotty is 100% positive. I''m going to have the other 2 vaccinated. Hope they aren''t already +. Sigh.

 

[Rockchick]

Date: 9/2/2005 2:00:48 PM
Author: moremoremore
Well, scotty is 100% positive. I''m going to have the other 2 vaccinated. Hope they aren''t already +. Sigh.

O no.. so sorry to hear that....

 

[fountainfairfax]

Oh MMM, I''m so sorry to hear about poor Scotty''s health problems and his FIV diagnosis! I had been off line for a little while and missed these posts. I''ll be sending him some kitty-cat mushes and head bonks. I hope that you & Hubby are holding up ok, like everyone has said, FIV cats can live very long lives- I just hope his eyes and teeth don''t give him any more trouble

and let us know how your other babies are doing. my Ella and Joffers bite each other like crazy, so I know what you''re going through with Mr Vinnie.


FireGoddess- I''m so sorry to hear about your first kitty

It sounds like he had a wonderful life with your parents and that he was very loved. Even when we don''t get to live with our pets they are still our babies and I''m sorry to hear of your loss.

Over the years my parents ended up with 2 cats and one chinchilla that at the time my sister & I were unable to take with us when we moved. When we were able to take them my parents wouldn''t let us, they were such a part of their lives. My parents spent a fortune to keep my sister''s main coon cat healthy during multiple stomach blockages and actually took my chinchilla for oxygen treatments when he got pnuemonia. When these beloved babies passed away my parents mourned as much as we did. and they still have my brain damaged calico Crazy Daisy because my mother felt she bonded with their cat and that change would be traumatic for her. she hisses everytime they talk to her and has shredded their couch and just say "poor Daisy"!

 

[Blue824]

MMM, sorry that Scottie came up positive, everything I''ve read and heard about FiV+ cats is pretty encouraging though, proper care and lots of love and they''ll be happy for many many many years! Have you heard back on the other cats yet?



Other random tidbits, has anyone ever been to this adorable site? The Daily Kitten

ALSO, if your cats are anything like mine they shed like there''s no tomorrow...a pet bed lasts, at most, a month. Then they have too much fur on them. I do try to clean the fur off to prolong the life of the beds, but it never works well. Well, last week I was in Bed Bath & Beyond and saw this rubber thing that said "removes fur" on it so I was like $6, might as well give it a try....and it works! I ran it over a couple of their fleece beds I was on the verge of throwing out and it got off sooo much fur. Anyway, just thought I''d share it...its nice because it is rubber and you can reuse it so it''ll last much longer than the sticky lint rollers! Sweepa Rubber Broom it shows squeegee-ing a car and other things, but I''ve only used it on fur so that''s the only thing I can attest to.

 

[AndyRosse]

Thanks for the product suggestion Blue!! Rascal is such a fussy kitty that even though I buy the same exact bed, he only wants to sleep in the original. So you can only imagine what the purple bed looks like now!! I will most definitely have to try this out!

 

[FireGoddess]

So sorry to hear about the Western blot confirmation MMM. That''s a bummer, but I know Scotty will live a life of luxury with such loving parents. I hope his eyes and teeth stay well. Did you have the other 2 kitties tested already, before vaccination?

Chloe is through week 1 of Clavamox. All the coaxing in the world isn''t getting her out from under the bed to get this morning''s dose. This next week is going to be a pain, I can already see!!! I think it''s as traumatizing for me to catch her as it is for her to be caught.

She doesn''t trust me for weeks afterwards. She''s like, "Are you calling me to trick me in to being caught, or do you just want to brush me...which I would REALLY love?"

Blue, what cute kitties!!!! I want to head bonk every one of them and pet belly fur!!!!

FFF, it really is true that pets become a part of the family, like any other human. My dad still hasn''t said a word about Midnight to me. I don''t think he can. He''s too upset about it so I''m not sure whether to bring it up with him or not. Chloe "sent" them flowers and I spoke to my mom about it but the cat was my dad''s baby...I think it hurts him alot. At least there is another cat in their house to lighten things somewhat. When DH was still just my fiance, he said he was going to accidentally leave the door open so Chloe could "roam free" (ie. run away). I said if she goes, you go...since she was here first. That ended that discussion permanently.

Of course he was joking, but now he just adores her...after all, she curls up in his arm to sleep at night.

 

[moremoremore]

Thanks guys! Scotty's four remaining teeth are lookin good LOL although he's a little skinny still...what are ya gonna do...I just don't think about it...The others are going in on saturday...

I'll try that rubber thing! I LOVE my babies, but the hair is just too much to deal with sometimes...I have to keep a sheet on our loveseat and rip it off when company comes and designate that as the clean chair LOL... For rugs, a damp sponge is the best...comes off in clumps!

Fire- I can't go after scotty at all...he can feel the anxiety in me before I give him his meds and then if I grab, he's gone...I get the dropper filled...then I feed him without approaching him (he's circles like a vulture)...Right when I put the food bowl down, I go right behind him and put him between my knees and hunch over him with my arms around his sides...There's no escape!!!

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 9/7/2005 2:03:37 PM
Author: moremoremore
Fire- I can''t go after scotty at all...he can feel the anxiety in me before I give him his meds and then if I grab, he''s gone...I get the dropper filled...then I feed him without approaching him (he''s circles like a vulture)...Right when I put the food bowl down, I go right beding him and put him between my knees and hunch over him with my arms around his sides...There''s no escape!!!

MMM, that is exactly how I have to grab Rascal! It''s the only way that works.

FG, two weeks of having to give medicine two times a day seems like forever! And it never failed that when I wanted to get Rascal to give him the meds, he would take one look at me and high tail it under the bed. I''ve been so desperate to get him that I have actually taken a full size bed apart. But he just learned to not run under that bed, but instead to hide under our queen size bed, which I couldn''t take apart by myself if I wanted.

 

[FireGoddess]

I wish Chloe was a foodie....then I could do the MMM and Stretch method of medicating!!! She can completely tell I''m stressed out about it...just like the mornings I used to have to take her to the vet....they just sense these things and disappear.

At least I have DH now, who can hold the entire mattress and box spring up while I get under it and get the cat. It''s not pretty. Before I met him, I would have to pick the mattress and box spring up and lean them against the wall...and chase her around the room. Now with him it''s much easier. This morning he tried to coax her out from under the bed and she tried to escape on the other side...where I was standing out of site and grabbed her. Poor thing. I hate these weeks when I have to give medicine and she doesn''t really trust me. I wish she could just know that it''s for her own good!!! 13 more doses to go...!!!

 

[AmantdeChat]

MMM: Sorry to hear about Scotty. Head bonks and leg rubs to you both!

It''s so funny to hear how you guys corral your fiesty kitties. Fortunately for me I can crawl under the bed to get them. That really freaks them out!

It''s funny, but Jasmine will run for a little bit and then it''s like she just gives up and lays down so I can pick her up. Of course, there is plenty of whining and complaining the whole time, but it sure helps when I need to get her.

 

[AndyRosse]

FireGoddess, isn''t it strange how they just sense when you want to give them meds or take them to the vet?! I always try to "act normal," but somehow kitty knows. I have actually cancelled vet appointments at the last minute because I can''t catch Rascal! The vet must think I''m crazy LOL. One vet told me to lock him in the bathroom because there is nowhere to hide and then go and get the cage. Of course, I tried it, but let''s just say it didn''t work as I had planned

. And the cage is a whole different problem. It never fails that if you bring Rascal towards the small cat cage, all four legs go out sideways. So he gets to travel in a medium sized dog cage...this definitely confirms to the vet that I have a screw loose somewhere in my head

.

 

[Blue824]

Date: 9/7/2005 5:12:59 PM
Author: Stretch4
FireGoddess, isn''t it strange how they just sense when you want to give them meds or take them to the vet?! I always try to ''act normal,'' but somehow kitty knows. I have actually cancelled vet appointments at the last minute because I can''t catch Rascal! The vet must think I''m crazy LOL.

Haha, I have to do that OFTEN! Or I make an appointmet for one and bring in a different one...this past appointment time I was SO excited because the two younger ones that are harder to catch were both around so I got them in their respective carriers and called the vet to beg them so I could bring in two. I couldn''t pass up that opportunity. I think they have to be used to that stuff by now! Or so I hope!

 

[FireGoddess]

I''m glad I''m not the only one! I''ve never had to cancel an appointment, but there were times I''ve caught Chloe and had 5 minutes to get to the vet, practically in tears! I can''t imagine catching more than one. She''s bad enough. I really do hate that ESP they have on those mornings of vet appointments...I mean, how do they KNOW??? I''ve been calm, cool, collected, hid the carrier in the bathtub the night before when she wasn''t around so she wouldn''t see it...still, those mornings...she stays way under the recesses of the bed.

It''s a good thing for her she''s cute.

 

[canuk-gal]

HIH:

Blue--what adorable little fuzzballs!

MMM--so sorry about Scottie''s diagnosis: and with chasing him around to medicate--he is a scallywag!

cheers--Sharon

 

[radiantlover]

Hi!

Everyone's cats are sooo cute...I love them all!

I just wanted to post some pics of my 2 babies...this is Princess (she's 3yrs old) and we got her at the SPCA when she was a little kitten:

here's another of her...she has gorgeous green eyes! (Please don't mind the bed and our chair/bedside table...my BF and I just moved in to our 1st home together and didn't have the chance to buy furniture when we took this picture...but we now have bedroom furniture!)

And here's Damian (2yrs old) and we got him when he was a little kitten from a friend's co-worker who's cat gave birth to 7 kittens (he's also my avator):

I love them so much! My family and friends think I'm crazy. I even have pictures of them framed all over the house and at work.

My BF won't let me get another cat since Damian and Princess would be jealous.

Radiantlover