Cat Chat Feline Forum

Was the bald spot in the same area as the flea drops were applied? If so, I would suspect a reaction to some ingredient in the spot-on; if not it is possibly simply coincidence. Pippin-cat reacts very badly to spot-on treatments and to surgical spirit - it starts with redness and hair loss and devel...

So true! I had to explain to the vet that Sophy's miserable aspect and diarrhoea when Poppy was very ill was very probably related to my stress - and the speed with which she recovered once Poppy was out of danger and I began to relax confirmed it. Then there was the occasion I convinced myself she ...

Yes - this pandemic has certainly made us appreciate the small things. We had a family Skype yesterday and me nephew was saying what a lovely day it had been - he bumped into an old friend while walking and they had a long natter, masked and distanced, and then he did a bit of essential shopping and...

I am so sorry - what a terrible shock. I don't know about brain tumours in cats but have had some experience in humans - at the end came some confusion, then increasing sleepiness until sleep took over completely. Has the vet talked to you about what to expect, or is the shock still too overwhelming...

That's good - not long at all. We actually managed a "proper" walk today. Only a mile, but met several dogs and their humans and were able to stride along under blue skies and sunshine without fear of slipping on ice. It seems to have been slippery for weeks!

Love it - obviously inspired by the Wise Men of Gotham fencing in the cuckoo!

Brain and scent work may help. When I have had to crate rest my dogs Hunt the Treat has been a godsend - tiny 1 kcal treats hidden in low places, so no jumping but lots of sniffing to find them. Sniffing is both fun and tiring. Trick training, choosing tricks that won't stress his joints, could also...

Damn - when you were all psyched up for it, too. How well is the dog coping with restricted exercise? When Poppy was so ill a year ago she really didn't want to do more than sniff around for 10 minutes, and then get back in the warm car. But she was happy - eating well, cuddling, not in pain, and I ...

I am so sorry - it is always hard to lose a beloved cat, and saddle thrombosis is so sudden and so traumatic. But even in your panic and anxiety you acted fast to do the very best for Phoebe, and thought of her and not yourself. She knew you were there holding her, and that she relaxed shows her com...

I've found it takes a minimum of two months of vet prescribed treatment for all the four legged animals in the house plus vacuuming, combing, etc to break an infestation, and sometimes three or four months. It's important to continue to let the treated animals into all the areas where they may have ...

I would leave her be, and definitely not block her access to her chosen safe space or try to drag her out. Make sure she has food, water, tray etc and let her decide when and how to come out. Spend time in there just sitting - especially sitting on the floor - and taking quietly or reading aloud she...

In the UK even groomers are allowed to operate when it is necessary for animal welfare, so I find it hard to understand how a vet can refuse to help. I think you need to emphasise that the cat is in pain and needs a shave down, either at the vet's, or with sedation provided by the vet.

I knew one opera lover who called her cat Figaro, just so she could call him in at night - "Figaro! Figaro-FIgaro-FIGARRRRO!"

I have definitely always needed to try names on an animal to find one that fits, although I start with lots of ideas from books and other sources. I have had a Shouna (from her registered name), a Toby, Minou, and Rosie (came with that name). Pippin and his brother were meant to be Pippin and Merry,...

They used to - quick release ones for safety, of course. But they lost so many that I rather gave up, especially once they got too old to catch as many birds - it was mostly to placate the neighbours that I belled the cats.

I think I would start with a black light to find all the pee spots, remove everything removable, and clean very thoroughly with an enzymatic pet urine cleaner. Then review the number and positions of the trays - at least 5, positioned so that they cannot be blocked by other cats. But it sounds as if...

I adopted an adult cat who had been hand reared, and was overly dependent on human attention - she would launch herself into a lap while the human was still standing, and sent more cups of coffee (and glasses of wine) flying with sudden head butts than I can count. I managed it in the end by weaning...

Excellent advice - just what I need to know! We have very soft water here, so lime scale deposits are less of a problem. I think I need something that goes through the dishwasher - I made the mistake of buying a food processor that doesn't, and have regretted it. Damn thing seems to spend half it's ...

Tilly likes drinking from a dripping tap, and it is reaching the point where putting in my lenses and cleaning my teeth means constantly removing her from the basin. I think she might like a fountain, but I am a bit reluctant. I find the sound of running water has an unfortunate effect on my bladder...

I had a tiny gumboil above a crowned tooth - no pain, pretty obvious the root canal had fractured where a metal post was put in years before, only obvious symptoms a tiny lump and an increasingly wobbly tooth. It took me a long time to summon up the courage to have an implant, the first stage of whi...

Sobering thought indeed. I did a tot up, and even with Pip's radio-iodine treatment and Poppy's days in intensive care and considerable blood tests and drugs total, the last few years have not yet reached what the insurance would have cost me. Still worth insuring in the early years while it is chea...

I am sorry - yet more anxiety. I hope whatever is causing the symptoms proves treatable, and the heart issue stays stable.

You did what was needful to avoid upsetting him with constant medication, so don't feel guilty. I would try providing him with some similar hiding places - perhaps leave a low drawer half open and line it with comfortable bedding, or tuck some boxes with holes cut out into corners. He will probably ...

Good to get firm answers, either way, and in one trip rather than several. Hyperthyroidism can be odd - some cats have symptoms quite the opposite of the "norm".

Pippin had high blood pressure and a very rapid heart rate as a result of hyperthyroidism - curing that brought everything else back to normal. He was on medication for it for a while, though, because of the risk of blindness and further damage to the heart muscle. Hyperthyroidism would explain the ...

Make a small room cat safe and comfortable, put food, water, tray and a warm bed in there, put the cat in and shut the door. Then go to bed. He is probably on a bit of a high from the drugs, but you need to sleep, and at the moment you are probably each keeping the other awake. If he has been fine f...

Thanks for a good laugh out loud! Happy Christmas, all.

My sister and I are in a support bubble, and I am about to travel down to her house for Christmas. My bag is packed, so is the dogs', the immediate food and medicine bag for the cats is ready to hang on neighbours' door (together with a bottle of wine and home made Christmas biscuits) and more cat f...

I've not seen as much research into neutering in cats. The work on dogs is extremely interesting - the balance of pros and cons is far less clear than we used to be led to believe. And, of course, it is far easier to manage dogs in season than cats - only twice a year, to start with! - so there are ...

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Out of interest, do you know how old he was when he was neutered, if he was? There is some evidence that neutering before the growth plates have closed can predispose to cruciate ligament problems, as you probably already know.