Cat Chat Feline Forum

Personally I would ask for a urine test - especially if you have any suspicions that your cat might be drinking more than normal.

One thing all 3 vets did agree on - as far as Blackie is concerned - is that he should have a blood test every 6 months and a urine test every 3.

I've had 3 different opinions from 3 vets since Blackie was diagnosed with early stage CKD in March 2015. The vet who gave me the diagnosis advised I should feed Blackie with RC renal food a couple of days a week. Another vet, at our usual clinic near our home in Kent told me this wasn't any good - ...

I couldn't agree more with what Cussypat wrote about how important it is to have blood tests before any surgery or any other time when a cat becomes older. If the vet we took Blackie to for removal of an upper canine hadn't suggested he should have a FULL blood test in view of his age (12 at that ti...

Hi Cussypat ... that's an idea I hadn't thought of. We have a whole box of this type of glove (left over from when Mum had carers at home), so will give that a try later today. Oh the indignity of it all - being held in my arms so OH can spray him underneath where his fur is missing/thin. Oh, the sh...

Thanks for the replies. Haven't long been back from the vets to pick up Blackie's latest blood + urine results and had a word with her about how much Blackie gets stressed by this treatment. A shrug of her shoulders and a look on her face was enough to tell me that though she understood/sympathised,...

As Blackie's fur mowing hasn't ceased - if anything it has got worse, the vet prescribed a steroid spray to put on his bare skin - something called Cortavance. After checking with the vet that it didn't present any risk if he tried licking it off and it was suitable for cats (the label says its for ...

I never realised that being worried went with the territory of being a cat owner until we adopted my Mum's cat 3 years ago. He's also black, now 13, not a lap cat and mostly aloof unless he wants to be let out or fed. I was very worried about putting Blackie into a cattery the first time because he ...

I'd certainly agree with the vet about measuring protein in the urine because it was this measurement in Blackie's last urine test that came back not as good as the previous test 6 months earlier, even though the blood test stated 'no abnormalities found'. Our vet may well change her diet advice whe...

We were lucky enough to catch Blackie's CKD at a very early stage (Stage 1) due to him having to undergo blood + urine tests before an anaesthetic to have an upper canine removed. We were then advised to put him RC renal food per week - the problem with that was Blackie would only eat it in 'fits + ...

Some weeks ago, while discussing Blackie's diet with the vet, she advised me not to feed him with many fish pouches - and preferably none. After his diagnosis of early stage CKD last March, I subsequently mentioned to her if it was ok to give Blackie Plaque-off in an effort to help keep his teeth cl...

meriad I'll be calling in to ask the vet again about prescribing the Medrone tablets she gave him last year which worked. Felix AGAIL is a big fav with Blackie too. He lived on Felix (all varieties) when he was with my mother for 10 years and didn't seem any the worse for it :D The only food advice...

Sorry, but I can't remember if you've tried Cystophan/Cystease for Blackie? It might help his bladder and also has L-tryptophan which helps them deal with stress? xx We almost lost Blackie when he had his first bout of FIC and after the 2nd one 2/3 months later, that's when he was put on 1 x Cystop...

One of the first things I'm going to stop are the Hills urinary stress kibbles ... they smell very strong even to me and I haven't got the greatest sense of smell. He only has less than half a doz/day but think I may have been overdoing it as they are the only thing that distracts him from scratchin...

In all honesty, I was bemused by the vet prescribing Metacam. As far as I could tell the skin didn't look inflamed or broken - yet anyway! When I queried the use of it last year for this problem, I was told that quality of life was more important. In the end, after the failure of Metacam, she prescr...

Took Blackie to the vet again yesterday about his belly licking + biting fur off top of his right hind leg. 2 weeks ago we discussed possible causes and after checking for fleas/flea dirt, ear mites, we both agreed the most likely cause was stress. He has no bladder issues, his coat is glossy, eyes ...

Hi Julie ... only just seen your post today. Name of litter is 'Mikki Cat Litter Granules' . I bought a couple of bags so that his tray was well covered and can only think that as its a similar colour to the Catsan clumping litter that's always in his tray, Blackie decided to provide the necessary. ...

We've now progressed to a small bald spot on one of his shoulders :roll: The cat tunnel was a disaster .... for a start it was a lot bigger/longer than I thought it would be so I knew Blackie wouldn't take to it. He didn't - not even putting some of his favourite treats in it did the trick. He did e...

Wholeheartedly agree with lilymitz because when we adopted Blackie from my mother, he too was a spiteful, hissy-fit cat who wouldn't interact with anyone, except my mother when she had food on her plate. I believe Mum used to fall over him - and I know she used to tread on him because she was so uns...

Jan, I forget - you haven't cat proofed have you? could you? Poor Blackie - and poor you. Watching a stressed cat and not knowing how to fix the problem is really horrid. No, we haven't cat proofed. I've thought about it from time to time but Blackie is a cat that loves to wander where he wants to ...

My OH recently told me that when Blackie has come into the kitchen for food and I have to go outside to the garage to get another box, he miaows as if I'm not coming back. This isn't normal for him. Of course this is easily remedied - make sure I have an extra box in the cupboard. The vet said there...

I didn't realise until yesterday how much fur Blackie had licked off until I held him up to have a look. Not only was his belly sparse but there was fur missing further up underneath his body and the top part of one of his legs was furless as well. . Off to the vet we went yesterday evening, and I h...

I buy Ipakatine online from Viovet and add it to Blackie's normal wet food (Felix) along with added warm water. The renal food was suggested initially but I had a heck of a job getting Blackie to eat it for more than 2 days - even mixing it with his normal food. As said by others, best to check that...

My heart goes out to you PrincipessaP ....not least because Blackie (13) was diagnosed with CKD almost a year ago, and even though told it was Stage I, I cried my heart out when I got home thinking he would be dead within a few months. I was in a stressed state for quite a while as I tried to find o...

Thanks Helen + Vivan for your interest in this ongoing saga! Well ... it was worth the wait. Vet phoned yesterday to say that Blackie's urine results were exactly the same as last July - which were fine in all respects. Her only comment was that the current treatment for his Stage I CKD is obviously...

Have bought and sold the T-shirt on Blackie's scratching episodes! On one occasion, when the vet didn't want to give him an anti-inflammatory, she suggested I try putting a small dab of Vaseline on the bald spot which he had scratched raw. Unfortunately that didn't work for Blackie, but might be wor...

After a 3 month delay, I've finally managed to get this urine sample from Blackie :D This morning he provided what I and the vet have been waiting for. Even the vet threw up her arms when I walked into her clinic and shouted 'Hooray' :lol: Katkor was useless - I had to buy another non-absorbent litt...

Before taking him to the cattery, vet advised not to stress him once in his pen - he'd be stressed enough being caged up, so I put a 2nd tray in his pen with his normal litter. No prizes for guessing which he used - right on cue - only this time with his back to me. I've been texting every other day...

Thanks again to those who have added more suggestions. Did think of buying a solid based basket to go with the vet's suggestion of putting plastic in the bottom. As Blackie hates those carriers (howls non stop), I went into a charity shop on Sat just gone as they had some really nice ones in there g...

Thanks for the replies + helpful suggestions. I had considered the idea of putting something under him while he was having a pee in the garden - especially when I see him standing on all fours spraying his urine against a bush (usually when its pouring with rain and/or the earth is very wet). Helen ...

The vet - and I - have been waiting over a month now for Blackie to 'do the necessary'. Original intention had been for the vet to take a sample direct from his bladder when we took him a month ago for a follow up on one of his scratching episodes ( :roll: ). But as we parked the car, Blackie 'let g...