Cat Chat Feline Forum

I love how you've thought about this and are trying a carefully planned method to introduce Opie. Unfortunately cats don't usually work that way. The moving back and forth to different parts of another cat's territory then home then back again is likely stressing her out more than a move. You need t...

Hi, unfortunately no you can't use extensions for the simple reason that you couldn't keep the bottle upright. Therefore it would not diffuse correctly. Also Feliway burns hot so there would be a fire risk. Other products that burn less hot might be less of a risk but regardless, any of these produc...

It sounds to me like he is telling you loud and clear he isn't happy with your living arrangements. If you can't change the environment, then letting him go somewhere that suits him better isn't giving up, it's doing the right thing for him. However if you could change the environment but had other ...

The bottom line with any medication, regardless of how time-critical and life-saving, is that if the cat won't take it nicely and you are not prepared to really really upset them to force it into them, they won't be taking it. And the nicest, gentles, most cooperative cat can get fed up of being &qu...

As fjm says the kidneys are a bit of a weak point in cats and reducing kidney function can make them feel really lousy, so a simple blood test can give you the pointers you need, whether she is indeed on the path to a better place or whether a simple change of diet, a supplement or medication, or ev...

Ah. Sorry for your job, I hope you get something soon. Never underestimate how much your cat can pick up from you, or how much it can affect them. We are their world, especially if it's just the two of us, and they rely on us for everything. I know I'm not the only one here who has been quite shocke...

Understood - but as a young kitten she needs to learn to fully retract them, it takes time, and it's much better for her if she has them intact to do that. Trimmed claws can get away with slack retracting gear! As for length, a cat's claws are not like our nails that keep getting longer and they don...

Oh good, and lovely that you've taken him on to at least nurse back to health and rehome, not abandon.

I'm less concerned about the kitten being normal than why it seems to be a problem for you. It's been a long time since I had a kitten but they sleep a lot and all the time they are awake they are fun, they are interesting, they are learning about the world and bonding with their family, all through...

Have to agree with fjm and Ruth, and add from experience two notes - Firstly an 8 year old adoptee who wasn't used to doing his claws himself and so the half-soft tissue used to build up under his dew claw which I had to scratch out on a regular basis, otherwise this can lead to ingrowing and is oft...

Certainly sounds positive.

Just a thought about the stress aspect, have you been feeling stressed out by all this, could that be what she is picking up on?

They like to keep us on our toes! We have a lovely 8-9 year old black cat who has been camping outside the block of flats for months now. All through the winter he slept on a pile of wet leaves until first we gave him a cardboard box and then he took up residence under my husband's van. His "ho...

Hi, I'd love to, but please understand at this point all we know of you is this one post. Would you mind please giving us a little more detail about who you are, on whose behalf you are doing the research, etc? In this day and age I'm cautious about clicking links, hope you understand! I'll be more ...

I think plastic absorbs and keeps some residue from the washing up liquid, if I remember right. For that reason I don't use any detergent whatsoever on cat food dishes, just boiling hot water and let soak until it's cooled enough for my hands, wipe with a cloth that is only for cat dishes, and rinse...

Laujo wrote: ↑Fri Aug 26, 2022 9:20 pm Me again - I am potentially an idiot as I just realised that the vet may have shaved her neck to take blood on Wednesday.

Been there and done the same, before I found out they now do neck! You are not alone.

How is Madam now?

At my vets they always mark the syringe before handing over the drugs, whether it's your first bottle or your 50th. They have now even got the hang of me giving Molly a half dose for her actual weight (3kg) and mark where that is rather than the full-dose-for-her-ideal-weight (5kg). If they don't do...

Chip feeders can however come with stainless steel bowls rather than plastic. Expensive, but also should stay cooler and be easier to clean hygienically, no microscratches.

Kidney food is often reduced protein and the balance made up with either carbs or fat. Cats don't metabolise fat the same way we do so don't have the same problems with it, so this is actually fine - unless they have GI issues and pancreatitis of course! So you're dealing with two issues that want o...

I'm sorry you're not going to like this but personally I would not continue to put an animal through life like this with seizures and constant vet visits, I would let him go peacefully.

What age are these kittens and is the same colour liquid coming out of both ends? I'm not clear from your post if they are doing both or if you are unsure which end it's coming out of. In weight, how much chicken and how much dry food - roughly - like, about the same, or just a few biscuits and most...

A cat that has bad diarrhoea might also have bad stomach cramps and be more comfortable in a hunched or sitting position. Also, it could be pain making him turn so wild so suddenly.

Hoping you can get to the bottom of his issues.

You do need to talk to your vet. There could be a medical reason for this aggression, or maybe the cat will settle down but is that a risk you can afford to take? A cat can easily blind a dog, or a dog can retaliate and kill a cat - doing nothing and leaving them all with full access to each other c...

How old is she? When mine get to around 12 I usually have them have a dental and full blood screen and I pretty much expect to see some loss of kidney function by then without feeling that it's making a dent in their life expectancy. I'm not "right" it's just my own personal kind of shorth...

You're right about not using hands as playthings, but the more kitten gets used to hands handling gently the better and to my mind that can include gentle physical touch. Hard to describe what I mean, contact where the whole hand with the palm and fingers splayed to make it as large as possible and ...

Try not to overreact to early signs of kidney failure. We used to refer to Chronic Renal Failure CRF whereas now we call it Chronic Kidney Disease CKD. Kidneys can lose two thirds of their function before any signs show at all. Before vets got in house testing and when the only test was urine, it wa...

I'm on my 9th cat and this is the first time I've had any weight issues with free feeding. Cats naturally regulate their own food intake, though some things (like being indoor) can throw them off course. It's not guaranteed to work but for some cats it takes a period of adjustment before they realis...

Hyperthyroidism is the first idea that comes to mind with ravenous hunger plus dramatic weight loss, did you simply get "all fine" or did you actually get any numbers with things like T4 ? My guess if HT is ruled out and they want a scan is to rule out any tumours, they can be hungry. As f...

Ok have you tried leaving a bowl of food down all the time? Cats naturally eat many small meals through a 24 hour period and though some get on with set meals for some it can unbalance stomach acid ... just a thought.

What is the cat vomiting - is it the food, or a hairball, or just bile, water or foam? Does your cat go outside and eat grass? Hairballs have an important role to play in a cat's digestive system, for this reason personally I do not agree with these so-called hairball preventing pastes and foods. Th...

It's been 35 years since I last had a kitten, just one, and she was Quite A Character to put it mildly. But more recently I got two adult rescues and a few months after one incident in my life triggered an extremely difficult time with crippling depression and anxiety. I'm not sure the kittens are t...