Ooooops ...... one more foster!

[Fran_ki]

So so happy for wee Pugwash ! He's just a delightful wee thing.
A very patient kitty having his christmas Cape put on for santa coming ha ha.
You've worked wonders and he's looking a million times better. A little like the old story of the prince and the pauper .
Absolutely loving his photos. Thanx xx

[greenkitty]

Fusses to your brave chap. I'm sure he'll feel a whole load better with those horrid teeth gone x

[Crewella]

I really don't think he's noticed that his teeth have gone - he was trying to steal the other's biscuits last night. He is, completely and utterly, food obsessed - the nurse said that cats with malabsorption issues are often hungry, so we're trying to feed him little and often.

The best thing is that his breath is now soooo much better - you don't nearly keel over when he miaows in your face!

He's definitely found his spot on the sofa.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/ ... 040057.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JulieandBarney]

Good old Pugwash !! What a happy boy after his dental........our Barney has only 1 tooth and has terrible bad breath at times !!!!.....xxx

[bobbys girl]

He's definitely found his spot on the sofa.

I'll say he has! Bless him.

[Crewella]

Pugwash is pretty much integrated downstairs with the rest now. He's definitely a bit dotty, and completely food obsessed. If we try to eat anything on our laps, we have to lock him out or we spend the whole meal fending him off. It's not just paws reaching up - he tries to launch himself onto the plate from the back of the sofa! He's also oblivious to any other cat at that time. Merrick sits next to me, or on my lap, and gets trampled by Pugwash at the slightest hint of food - Merrick thinks he's hard and does his full repertoire of swipes, growls and hisses ...... all of which Pugwash seems oblivious to! Poor Merrick, he looks like he can't quite believe it!

At any other time, however, Pugwash is fine and backs off from any potential situation. I think the rest have got used to him, and view him as a bit of a pain, but not a threat.

He definitely doesn't hear or see too well, he often seems a bit confused, but there's nothing wrong with his sense of smell - I nearly got my nose bitten when I tried to cuddle him after eating a cheese sandwich.

So, all in all, he's nutty as a fruitcake, but has settled in OK, uses the trays, rubs along OK with the others ....... and has been a source of great entertainment over Christmas.

[Kay]

it's lovely that he's settled so well, but so sad to think what a struggle he must have had to get enough to eat when a stray - the world is a very cruel place for any animal which is old, and going deaf, and not seeing too well

I'm so glad he's washed up with you, and I guess he will not be moving on from his spot on the sofa

[Crewella]

I know Kay - the fact that he weighed 1.7kg when I got him tells you just how much of a struggle it must have been. It's horrible.

However, for Pugwash, it's turned out OK - he will definitely be here, with us, for the rest of his days.

[bobbys girl]

So pleased!

Still think he should have his own fan club.

[greenkitty]

That's lovely, I'm so pleased. I guess at his age he doesn't much care about what the others think of him

Lovely that he has a furever home with you and your gang, this old chap has really landed on his paws!

[Lilith]

Your Pugwash does remind me of my old Finn (now sadly passed on) though Finny was a ginger. Once he came in off the street after neutering, he developed the same portly build - and the same appetite. I too thought that it was anxiety about life on the street and shortage of food that caused Finn to stuff himself - he'd go to his bowl of biscuits, scoff a load, be very sick - and then go straight back to fill up! Disgusting guy - he was like an ancient Roman and the carpet was his vomitorium lol. Just had to be understanding... He had no health problems btw apart from once needing a dental and then arthritis in his final years - and he lived to a ripe old age, as I hope your lovely chap Pugwash does too

[Crewella]

My Daz is an ex stray and much the same - he has disgusting scavenging habits (and has been known to steal sausages off neighbour's barbeques)!

I think some of Pugwash's food obsession is also down to his malabsorbtion issues, the vet nurse said that cats that don't process their food properly often feel hungry even when well fed. I've changed his food from RC Sensitivity Control to RC Digest Sensitive, and he makes better (less fatty) poos on that ..... and doesn't seem to eat them ........ so I'm hoping that will help him.

[lilynmitz]

Oh my goodness, I've just been back and looked at your first pictures of him, compared with his latest - what a transformation!! I'm so pleased for this little fella - as you said at the time, he obviously wasn't coping on his own - heaven knows how long he would have had, and what an awful end to his life, if you hadn't taken him in. Well done!! Head rubs to Pugwash from my frail old-timer, Lily.

[Crewella]

I took Pugwash back for a check on his teeth today, all has healed perfectly, the vet was very happy. We also got his first vaccination done. It was a bit of a mission today, I took Basil and Daz for their booster vaccinations as well ....... I had a full male voice choir in the car!

[sarie]

Yay that's great news! Go Pugwash! He's landed squarely on his feet with you

I had a good laugh at the full male voice choir in the car though

[bobbys girl]

I had a full male voice choir in the car!

I bet you did. Tom makes quite a row on his own.

Pleased to hear Pugwash is doing well, fusses to him.x

[greenkitty]

Pleased to hear he sailed through his check up, bet he feels a whole load better now

[Camdengirl]

I keep peeking in here to keep up with Pugwash's progress, I'm thrilled he's doing so well! He must think he's in heaven! Well done to you and OH for giving him such a wonderful retirement home, it's awful to think of oldies out there in the cold and having to fend for themselves. Keep the pictures coming, I think everyone on here looks forward to them

PS perhaps you could get your three tenors into a recording studio?!

[JulieandBarney]

What a brilliant update ! You have done so much for Pugwash to make him into the lovely, HEALTHY, boy he is now.....well done to you

As Camdengirl says, the photos are always welcome !!!!

PS: Think this fella has his own little fan club going here

[Crewella]

Warning .... this will be a TMI poo-based kind of post!

The next thing to get him healthy was to get his guts sorted. He's definitely a lot better, but had kind of hit a plateau with the weight gain, and is a bit of a strange shape - his back end is still very bony, and he was doing two large yellowy poos a day ...... which does kind of mean that a large part of his food is going straight through him and he's getting little benefit from it.

We started him on RC Gastro Intestinal after the last vet visit. I'd had some of old Minnie's Gastro Intestinal dry food left so tried him on the dry, which showed a slight improvement, so got him the pouches as well - it's recommended for cats with malabsorption issues. After about four days transition, he's now only on the RC GI and seems to be only doing one (albeit huge) poo a day, and it looks much healthier. I'm sure his coat is starting to feel better too - fingers crossed that it will help him I'm hoping the next week will tell.

He and OH have definitely made it up:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/ ... 040140.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And that's OH he's looking adoringly up at .... not muggins here who takes him to the vet, feeds him, cleans his tray ........

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/ ... 040157.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bobbys girl]

Well done Muggins, he is looking great, so relaxed and at home with both of you.

[greenkitty]

Sounds like you've found the right food for him, heart warming to see him looking so much better and best of all he's pals again with your OH

[Crewella]

Every cat in this house, even Daz the mummy's boy, is well aware that OH is the cook here .... and the soft touch!

[lilynmitz]

Wow, he looks so much better, and doesn't he look happy! Lily's hindquarters have stayed very thin all the time she's been with me, (she's now 17), and getting thinner. I think it's an old age thing - she never did build up, even when her weight improved after I first brought her home. Good to hear Pugwash's guts are improving too. How much weight has he put on since you brought him home?

[Crewella]

He was 1.7kg when we brought him home, went up to about 3.5kg then was about 3.3kg at the last visit. Hence the change in diet. I imagine it took his guts a while to settle into a regular pattern, but the new food is definitely making an improvement. His coat looks darker and denser and feels better. Sounds weird, but his ears feel warmer - he's always had cold ears!

[lilynmitz]

Wow, he's doubled his weight in a month. He must have been pretty close to his final days when he found himself with you, poor lad. He's quite transformed, in every possible way.

[bobbys girl]

That's really quite a remarkable difference! Glad Pugwash and your OH are friends again.

[HRHFluffy]

He's doing so well Helen. It's amazing that he's been able to double his weight!! What a lovely life he now has. Definitely a happy and contented boy.

[Fran_ki]

Goodness , what a transformation in wee Pugwash ! He's really come on and is both healthier and much happier looking. Oh he looks a right sook with your OH now lol

[Crewella]

Thanks guys. I'm really hopeful with this new diet, not only do his poos and coat look better, but I think at last he's starting to get some covering on his spine. I've always been able to feel his spine, right down to his (ratty little!) tail, but now I swear the last couple of vertebrae are now covered - I'll keep checking and get him weighed again at his second vaccination.

I remember following the same progress with Basil, as he'd been a stray with a broken leg for several weeks when he came and was horribly underweight too. You can still feel a couple of vertebrae much further up his back, but he's a gangly sort of cat and the back end is well covered. You definitely can't feel any bones at all on fatboy Daz ..... no spine, no ribs, but surprisingly at last week's weigh-in he was 5.3kg, which considering he was 6.5kg at his fattest (and he's a big stocky late-neutered tom) is pretty good going.