Cat Chat Feline Forum

Pip used a tray without problems when he was confined after radio-iodine treatment. The instant I released him he wobbled out into the garden via the newly installed ramp and the tray was forgotten. I keep one in the cloakroom near the front door, but it is rarely used, even in bad weather. I have t...

I would invest in an enzyme spray that you can use on any areas that she has peed on to break down the urine and remove any smell, and an extra latch for your bedroom door. Choose one that can be opened from either side - you don't want to feel panicky that you might get locked in. It is possible th...

I am so very sorry, Mangocat. Mollycat has said it all so well - you never get used to saying goodbye, and every time you hope for the miracle, for a few more months, weeks, or even days. But there are ways of making it just a little easier. Writing a list of the things that make up your cat's quali...

If the carpets are already beyond saving then I would try earplugs and ignoring him.

I would check from different angles, and if the difference continues get your cat checked by your vet, Tabbatha02. It could be a sign of things beginning to go wrong with the eye, and most problems are more easily solved if caught early.

Lovely to hear a happy-ish update - sad that Bonnie's time with you was months rather than years, but as you say, they were very happy months.

I tried umpteen renal foods till I found one Tilly would eat, and I still supplement it with home cooked chicken and beef, with a little ground eggshell to get the calcium balance right. Tilly is on Purina Pro-plan renal - the sachets are slightly higher in protein than most. It would not have been ...

Good point, Kay. Mine learned when kittens that the rattle of the biscuit box meant treats, and then associated the treats with their names. Their recall is now probably at least as good as the dogs', as long as they are awake and in earshot, and it can be a really useful thing to be able to do.

Perhaps putting something that smells of home in an unobtrusive place near the door might help - litter from his tray, or some of the vacuum bag contents. Cats use scent as well as sight to find their way around, and their sense of smell is far better than ours.

I think you need to find a vet you can trust and take your cat soon. It may well be that he is beginning to fill out - the boniness is lost muscle, which takes longer to recover - but it sounds from your mention of low phosphorus food that he has kidney issues as well as hyperthyroidism, and he may ...

Took me ages to work out how to get just the right amount out of the syringes, and even then it is much easier squirting it onto food than straight into the mouth. At first I didn't realise the twizzly wheel controlled the dose, and got the stuff everywhere... After a bit of price comparison I bough...

Poppy is taking metronidazole with steroids, and has a failing liver. It is used for infections and for some parasites, but is also known to have a generally soothing effect on the small intestine, and a few days on it gives her several further days of comfort. I am trying it in conjunction with Pro...

Have you discussed Metronidazole with your vet? At the moment it is the only thing that is helping Poppy's digestive system. Vet said to use it for 24-76 hours as needed for its soothing action, rather than a full antibiotic course of 10 days. Might be worth asking about.

As Mollycat says - mats, and can cause serious skin diseases if left. Cutting them out is very risky, even with a cooperative animal - you risk cutting the skin as well - so the only solution for bad matting is a shave down, which may require sedation. I suspect his sensitivity to brushing is due to...

Can you trap and neuter them? Or arrange for a charity to do so? That would at least prevent innumerable kittens.

I think you made exactly the right decision. Holly was not eating, such moving as she did sounds as if it was from discomfort, and she was unresponsive - everything says to me that she was telling you it was time to let her go. Vets do not make these decisions lightly, and yours would have been focu...

Sophy refused outright to go past the patch of shade by the field gate, even before it got really hot - sometimes dogs have more sense than their humans! We all got a solid 9 hours sleep last night, Poppy's tum was much improved this morning, and the cats had found cooler indoor spots to snooze by 7...

Poppy's is all part of her liver failure - careful diet and judicious medication are holding it at the moment, thanks. We haven't even attempted walking today, although it is cooler here in the North-West than further South, just pootled around the garden - even at 7am it was incredibly humid. The c...

On Sunday night Poppy-dog's tummy was playing up, and we made several trips up and down the stairs in the early hours, so last night I was sleepy by 9pm and went to bed early. At 11pm the thunder and lightening started - Sophy-dog hates it, so when hiding under the duvet was no longer enough for her...

It sounds to me like a game to wake you up. Can you limit him to carpet free rooms at night for a while? Or try wide packaging tape along the join between carpet and skirting board - ugly, but bearable for a few months to break the habit.

Mine would push small objects around when they were young, especially pens and reading glasses which, once on the floor, inevitably got chewed by the dogs who were then still pups. Less so these days - Pippin struggles to get up onto tables etc, and Tilly's energies are concentrated on hunting, alth...

I tried half a dozen different foods for Tilly before finding one she likes (Purina Pro-Plan sachets and biscuits), and for a while she was reluctant to eat anything, even old favourites like chicken breast. I ordered a range of flavours and textures online and tried her with tiny quantities. I soon...

That was exactly the thought in my mind!

I tend to work on the principle that the less there is to go wrong, the better. As the old saying goes, to err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer.

I think any sudden, inexplicable change in behaviour warrants a vet check, especially when it includes scratching and chewing, which can be signs of pain. At 14 a full check up and blood panel would be a good idea in any case - there are lots of conditions common in older cats that are very manageab...

I have remembered an old treatment for fading puppies which may be worth a try - do consult your vet first: https://papillonclub.co.uk/beef-liver-r ... g-puppies/

I am so sorry that what should have been a happy time has proved one of extreme anxiety instead. Without extensive - and expensive - tests it is hard to know exactly what is going on, and tests would probably make no difference to the treatment. Your vets have given her an antibiotic against any bac...

Your call, I think. If she gobbles it and then regurgitates, or has a tummy ache, she may refuse to eat it in future. I would wait fie or six hours after the first portion and then offer a slightly larger one - perhaps just before bed. If all is still well in the morning a similar size for breakfast...

You could try associating the tumble dryer with treats - drop a few some yards away from it, and let him decide whether to approach, and gradually move the treats closer over several days. If he does not want to get that close move further back and start again. Once he is happy close to the silent d...

I think they were Thrive: https://thrivepetfoods.com/thrive-prorewardr-100-liver-dog-treats. I am wary of commercial treats these days, so mostly make my own, though. I would try her with very tiny scraps of raw or cooked liver - preferably beef. Think half a teaspoonful at first, and check with you...