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Crazy Cat Lady


dominicansoul

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You are right in that cats can live in groups but they don't need to. Lions have prides but it isn't a pack the way that canines have packs - it is more of a 'civilization'. (my old vet assistant training coming in here as well) and they live together through cooperation rather than domination. I think if you feel your cat needs a companion, then you are the best judge of that, especially since you have a breed that know you a lot about.

I don't know what to suggest about the exercise though.Since my cat is still basically a kitten, she is insanely energetic and she not only uses her cat tree that has many different levels, but she has basically turned every part of my flat into her private playground. Las night she was keeping me awake chasing the cord on the roller blind. I would no sooner get her away from one noisy activity when she would be on to the next. So finally I had to banish here to the living room/kitchen area and shut my bedroom door. I woke up to find she had literally shredded a cardboard box that I left out for her to play in. Instead of going in and out like I thought she would, she clawed and chewed away at it until little bits of cardboard littered the floor. Every day is a new delight! LOL

 

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dominicansoul

My kitties have a game I've named "carry the carcass."  I throw a wadded up paper ball on the floor and the three of them slowly stalk it until they attack.  Then they take turns carrying it around the house in their mouths.  IT's really cute, until they start eating it and that's when I have to take it away from them.. lol...

The kitties had their vet visit on Saturday.  The white specks are dandruff, and the vet said it's becuase of dry skin.  He said if you wash them in dawn, it makes their skin dry out, and unfortunately, I've been using a flea comb on them dipped in Dawn liquid. :(  So I basically gave them dandruff.  But thanks be to God, there are no signs of fleas!

 

Next month they have to get fixed.  The males are already showing interest in Cuddles.  I only hope they don't impregnate her before they can be fixed! :o

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My kitties have a game I've named "carry the carcass."  I throw a wadded up paper ball on the floor and the three of them slowly stalk it until they attack.  Then they take turns carrying it around the house in their mouths.  IT's really cute, until they start eating it and that's when I have to take it away from them.. lol...

The kitties had their vet visit on Saturday.  The white specks are dandruff, and the vet said it's becuase of dry skin.  He said if you wash them in dawn, it makes their skin dry out, and unfortunately, I've been using a flea comb on them dipped in Dawn liquid. :(  So I basically gave them dandruff.  But thanks be to God, there are no signs of fleas!

 

Next month they have to get fixed.  The males are already showing interest in Cuddles.  I only hope they don't impregnate her before they can be fixed! :o

I had no idea one could accidently give a cat dandruff. Good thing you found out!

I like the 'carry the carcass' game. My bella has taken to chewing up and shredding bits of cardboard box all over the house.The vacuum cleaner is getting a workout.

When they get fixed, keep an eye that they don't pull out the stitches- that's what Bella did and it put her back in the clinic (before I adopted her).

 

sick cat.jpg

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IgnatiusofLoyola

My kitties have a game I've named "carry the carcass."  I throw a wadded up paper ball on the floor and the three of them slowly stalk it until they attack.  Then they take turns carrying it around the house in their mouths.  IT's really cute, until they start eating it and that's when I have to take it away from them.. lol...

The kitties had their vet visit on Saturday.  The white specks are dandruff, and the vet said it's becuase of dry skin.  He said if you wash them in dawn, it makes their skin dry out, and unfortunately, I've been using a flea comb on them dipped in Dawn liquid. :(  So I basically gave them dandruff.  But thanks be to God, there are no signs of fleas!

 

Next month they have to get fixed.  The males are already showing interest in Cuddles.  I only hope they don't impregnate her before they can be fixed! :o

I'm glad your vet was able to diagnose and treat your kitties' skin problems so easily. Sometimes it's much harder. My late older male had skin issues on and off, especially when he was younger. 

My current kitty came to me with a vomiting problem that turned out to be discomfort from a skin allergy. My vet was able to treat the allergy with low doses of cortisone, but after 9 years we STILL don't know exactly what caused the skin rash. I got one clue when, after going 5-6 years without an outbreak, my kitty developed the skin allergy and started vomiting a week or two after the death of my older male cat, whom she adored. Stress? After treating again with cortisone the rash (and vomiting) went away and so far, hasn't returned. 

My vet and I have also learned over the years through blood tests that my cat has an overly active autoimmune system. So my cat gets no shots (even rabies shots, which are required by the county where I live. My cat has never gone outside, so her chances of being exposed to rabies are virtually nil. Obviously, if any active rabies cases were reported in my area--there haven't been--my vet and I would reassess.) Instead of shots, whenever my cat is due for necessary shots (distemper, etc), we do something called "titer tests" instead. These are blood tests that test the cat's current level of immunity for the specific cat disease(s). So far, her titers have been so high (probably from vaccinations before I adopted her) that my cat would have a severe allergic reaction if she were ever vaccinated. I am SO lucky to have an outstanding vet!!

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TheresaThoma

Having a good vet is crucial. We had a vet that was super honest with us, which was great as our kitties got older. In particular when we were trying to find out why my 13 year old kitty was suddenly loosing a ton of weight. They did the basic tests which came back clean and so she said that the most common thing to not show up on blood tests would be cancer. It might be something else and we could try steroids but to completely rule out cancer we would need to do an ultrasound which was rather pricey. She left it up to us and we decided to go with the ultrasound. It was pancreatic cancer which there is no treatment for. The vet told me to take my kitty home and keep her comfortable as long as possible. That was for about another 2 weeks and then I had to put her down. The vet and the staff were so good during this (my mom was out of town so I had to go by myself). 

Also not many vets would be ok with having all three of our cats come in at once. My kitty in particular did not like the vet and would cry growl and hiss the whole way there, they whole time there and the whole way back. The other cat would just whine and hunker down and the third would purr. Once the vet had to turn on water and hold the cat near the sink to get her to stop purring so she could listen to her heart and lungs!

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I got my cat from the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and they have a great vet clinic.The only problem is that they aren't close to me and I don't have a car so rely on public transport.There is a vet clinic right up the road from me and I have heard good things about them but until I see for myself firsthand, it will be hard to know. And I have no idea if they are expensive or not. But so close! The convenience might just make them my vet of choice, if they seem even halfway decent. I figure most vets must love animals, right? I wanted to be a vet when I was young, but well,you know how things never turn out how you expect! 

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  • 2 weeks later...
dominicansoul

Well....I went and set up the appointment to get my kitties fixed next month.

 

:(  I don't know why that makes me so sad...

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IgnatiusofLoyola

Well....I went and set up the appointment to get my kitties fixed next month.

 

:(  I don't know why that makes me so sad...

As a Catholic, you are open to life, and you wouldn't have an operation solely so you couldn't have children. 

Unfortunately there are far more cats than there are good homes for cats, and many cats without homes are euthanized each year (or starve to death), so the most humane thing we can do is to neuter or spay our cats.

It also may make you feel bad that your little girl cat will never be a mother. However, you are probably also prolonging your little girl's life by having her fixed. My little girl cat had two litters, and the second time, during delivery the first kitten out was too large to easily get through the birth canal. The delivery not only required a vet's help but caused my little girl a lot of pain. Thankfully, she had no long term health effects from this (although the kitten died in the birth canal). But, if a vet had not been there, she would have died, too.

 

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dominicansoul

im a bit frustrated because phatmass wont allow me to attach pics.  i have the option to use a url, but lots of my pics are files :(

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AccountDeleted

im a bit frustrated because phatmass wont allow me to attach pics.  i have the option to use a url, but lots of my pics are files :(

I don't understand. When I click on reply, the window allows me to type text, but there is also (in the grey area below the white area) a paperclip and the words, 'Drag file here to attach or choose files...) and if you click on choose files, you can browse through your computer and find a pic to attach. Phatmass didn't used to have this feature (it used to be necessary to put the pics online first) but now it does - it's great. Maybe try again? This photo is my Bella (9 months old now) and my arm  :) .

 

Bella02.jpg

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IgnatiusofLoyola

Just like me, my cat dislikes having her picture taken. Whenever I have tried to take pictures of her, she has managed to move, or do something else to wreck the picture.

So, the two of us will remain "mysterious." :cool:

 

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