Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hyperthyroidism is usually very treatable by drugs, diet or radio-iodine treatment. It is very common in older cats, and most respond well to treatment - don't panic too much just yet. If you search the forum you will find lots of information, experience and advice.

Could even be intersex - it does happen. More likely all will become clearer as s/he matures a little, though. And it is very easy to misread sex in kittens if you are not familiar with them, especially if the whole litter are females - I know ! (I was only 12 at the time, and there was no internet ...

Four months is not long for a such hurt to begin to heal. Is it your first such loss? It never gets easier (in fact I sometimes think each one is harder than the last, as it brings those griefs back as well), but I think you do learn ways of coping. For me, once the first shock is past, it is a new ...

I would try one flavour for a week or two, and if that goes well introduce another in the same way as the first. If you are watching for intolerances as well as reaction to fat/richness levels almost any change of ingredients could trigger a reaction. Amongst things that are known to cause problems ...

If she is not vomiting that is very good news - it could simply be that everything is settling down and healing, thanks to the steroids. When Poppy was so very ill in the acute phase of liver failure I knew when she was feeling nauseous as she didn't want the lick of dog toothpaste that is their aft...

I think it rather depends on how much variety they have had over the years. If their digestive systems are used to a wide range of foods they are much less likely to suffer upsets from a change of diet than if they have had just one formulation all their lives. And I am with you on getting more rela...

Chicken makes most things better, my cats and dogs tell me! But I think the OP's cat can't/won't eat it?

Canned pumpkin - 100% plain pumpkin, not the pie filling with sugar and spices - is very good for both constipation and diarrhoea, and may bulk things up just enough for him to be able to poo more easily. I would check with your vet first, and if they approve buy just one can to see if the cat will ...

Sounds like you are becoming an expert! Now just the food issue to crack...

I would try in a separate dish at first - if they like it no problem, but if they don't and the food is mixed both have to be chucked.

I don't know about veal, but I don't think I would risk it.

I have found the occasional tick on the cats. A study has shown that cats tend to be less affected than dogs, but do get them: https://veterinary-practice.com/article/are-we-underestimating-tick-borne-diseases-in-cats The biggest difference is that cats seem to have a natural resistance to Lyme dise...

Is she using specific spots? Incontinence bed pads can be useful if so - or cheap washable waterproof backed mats. My dogs and I have an agreement about a hideous imitation sheep skin in the bathroom for those 3am emergencies...!

Is there a reason for not spaying her? It does not sound as if she is ever going to be reliable as a breeding queen, and it would remove the risk of an ooops litter taking you by surprise. Pseudopregnancy is so common in dogs as to be practically normal, but I understand it is quite unusual in cats....

Is it the food, or the amount he eats at once? Feeding just a little at a time may help - otherwise I would talk to your vet about alternatives.

Well, I would check with the vet - perhaps the idea is to prevent him pawing at his mouth - but I would think any benefit would be minimal. If the vet considers a collar necessary he may do better with a soft donut type collar, if he is so good at removing the plastic one.

I'm not quite sure why he would need a cone after dental surgery - usually the cone is there to stop a cat licking a wound, but that does not really apply with tooth removal...?

Should my cats head be held up when using syringe like u would with pills? One video says to, others say not to incase she doesnt swallow the liquid and kind of inhales it the wrong way? Ideally I would say a slight tilt - enough that the liquid doesn't run straight out again, not so high that the ...

I put it into the cheek pouch as far as possible, rather than between the teeth, and shot it in fast rather than giving him time to think about it. We did both end up sticky a few times till I got the knack, and he was getting grumpy after a couple of months of twice daily treatment. Fortunately rad...

My bed rarely gets made - by the time I get to it there is always a cat curled up blissfully asleep and I don't have the heart to boot them off!

Pippin is easy, so my method (find cat, place left hand on cat, use right hand to squeeze contents of syringe into cat's mouth, offer cat chicken in compensation for the indignity) probably seems nirvana to you! One thing I have found is that it is sometimes easier to get a slightly larger quantity ...

I am so sorry - you do have the comfort of knowing you did your very best for him. Perhaps talk to a reputable rescue near you about getting a health tested kitten - there are so many needing homes, and you would have the reassurance that they are not already suffering from a serious disease or heal...

If you are in the UK try the PDSA; if elsewhere try rescues etc. This kitten sounds extremely unwell and needs help.

I suspect last time she was still in pain and feeling lousy from the remaining diseased teeth - now they are gone she is able to eat without pain for the first time in months and is feeling the difference. Many years ago one of my cats was involved in a traffic accident and needed surgery. He had al...

Mine have always been free to sleep where they like, which when they were young meant my bed. I will admit there are times I regret being so laissez faire - mostly around three or four am when a cold wet cat arrives complaining loudly about the weather outside and demanding the dogs and I budge over...

She is probably out and playing by now, but I always think it is a good idea to keep kittens and puppies company for their first few nights - leaving Mum and siblings is a big wrench, and to then be all alone in a strange place must be very scary. I would put a tiny dish of interesting food where sh...

I have a family of blackbirds - multi-generations now - who nest in the tangle of clematis over my front porch. They raid my neighbours' hanging baskets for coconut fibre for nest building, then steal the cats' food off the windowsill outside the cat flap to raise their brood, so rarely have to go m...

Could it be metrobactin for giardia/clostridia that is being referred to? The bill seems extremely high, even for extensive testing, though.

Sophy recovered completely, although if she jumps awkwardly it can trigger an episode of sciatica that requires attention. I would restrict jumping and climbing, even when she thinks she can manage it - with Sophy it took three weeks of keeping her either in a crate or on a leash, and not letting he...

Pro-Kolin is only a tenner for the small tube from PaH, although you may need to order in advance, and it's cheaper from some other online sites. I have found the paste useful stuff to have to hand. I got Vetzyme B plus E tablets for Poppy to plug gaps in the home made hepatic diet I worked out for ...

Unfortunately not, although I find Tilly does eat more if I leave it out for a few hours. Have you tried the digestive pastes? They have helped Poppy's tricky tum - I am currently using the Logic one, but one of the meat flavoured ones like Pro-kolin may be easier to squirt into a cat (although Pipp...