Cat advice: Companion kitty for senior cat?
sas95
16 days ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (16)
sas95
16 days agoRelated Discussions
The new kitty cat plans to stay
Comments (28)The crossed eyes are not a problem! The vet says she is part Siamese so that also explains the long neck, the tightrope walking and the purtling talk. It doesn't explain the white fur with ginger colored markings. Several things are going on with her, right now. The major thing is the neutering will be a bit later. I'm not sure of the vet's reasoning but since she is not having long periods of heat, we will go along with it. The next thing, of equal importance is she got a dose of Revolution. This is supposed to take care of things like heartworms, fleas, some kind of tick, ear mites and who knows what else and it is used once a month. It is supposed to be applied to the back of her head. I am not sure we can tolerate just how sick she got. I guess it wasn't so serious as all that but she was obviously miserable for three days so I am wondering if it is worth it. Have any of you used it on your pets? Should we continue with it? The vet says she did have ear mites so her ears were irrigated again. She seemed a lot less upset about it this time. There were no baleful looks or vocal outrage and no cowering in the corner although she did get down on the bench again. Everyone got through it without scratches this time and they clipped her claws, just in case. Hopefully the second treatment and the Revolution will take care of them. Once again, I carried her in the mesh softside hamper. It is so much easier than trying to get any cat in one of the regular carriers. I do need to figure out a better closer though. She can get out much too easily. Once again, people thought it was such a good idea for a small pet. I think this must be one of those ideas that lots of people get at the same time. I have never figured that one out but it does happen to me fairly often. Has it ever happened to you? I guess the next problem to solve will be getting her teeth cleaned. She has some obvious tarter and it must be uncomfortable. Do they give her an anesthetic? Should it be done when she is neutered? How the heck do you brush a kitties teeth? I bought a tooth brush and toothpaste (tuna flavored)but I've never had to do this before. I think it may take both me and DH to accomplish this little task and DH gets pretty stressed trying to do anything like giving medication. This could definitely be a snapshot opportunity. How come all cats will sit on anything you are trying to read? I'm not sure how it could be genetic but every cat we have had would do it. Ginger now has added getting between me and the keyboard. More often, it is sitting or laying ON the keyboard. It makes such amusing noises and I make some unusual noises as well. She has changed the settings on the screen so often I have given up changing them back. There are three labels for "My Network Places", the icons are now on the left instead of the right, "Desktop and "My Documents" are right under the icons and everything else is scattered all over the place. No more clicking on something without looking on this screen. Half the time I lose most of the task bars, which can be very interesting. Thank goodness for "Computers for Dummies". She doesn't care so long as she can get scratching and head rubs and she can rub against my face, or sit on my hands. And of course there are those delightful noises. Oh, I forgot about the tightrope walking. The laundry room is a great play room. Not only can you curl up in the freshly dried clothes, you have all sorts of places to hide and climb. Getting to the shelves up really high was fun until you jumped and the rod for hanging stuff was too full. It wasn't much fun getting out from under all those clothes. It's lots of fun to sick your head in the washer while it is filling with water and during the spin cycle you have to sit on the lid. Mom won't let you get into the dryer with the wet clothes even if it looks like great fun. The best thing though, is to climb on the 3 section laundry sorter. While the top of the metal frame is fun it is much more challenging to walk on the fabric walls that separate the bins. Even if you fall you can't get hurt. Sandy...See MoreCat stairs/ramp advice?
Comments (8)My little kitty with a front leg missing, didn't have any problems at all with jumping up on anything she wanted to jump on .... at least waist high. She also used to tight-rope walk along a long metal rod suspected at least twenty feet above the floor above the staircase in our old pre-civil war house .....where star bolts had been put in to reinforce the brick walls. That used to scare me, but evidently she felt sure footed enough to lift that one leg up and have no legs on the front to keep on the rod. She was also our best mouser. IOW the amputation didn't leave her any different than the other cats. If she does have osteoporosis however, you are smart to want to provide her with ramps so she won't be prone to breaking the only leg she has left in front. That is an issue. My DD's tripod cat has a rear leg amputation and she fell a long ways one time and injured her only hind leg. She had to be confined to a cage for total rest for two weeks, and thankfully mended. Had she not..she'd have been totally immobile and not had a good outcome. She is BTW still cranking, is prolly sixteen and doing fine....See MoreSenior Cat Has Ear Infection
Comments (9)The one question I have about this thread is - do these vets actually identify specific bacteria that actually need to eradicated with antibiotic or are they just guessing and throwing a drug at a problem (like happens with humans overprescription of antibiotics). If the latter - look at systemic issues. My cats both had brownish discharge and constant scratching of ears until they were diagnosed with hyperthyroid and treated - then it completely cleared up. Ear discharge is on no lists of hyperthyroid symptoms , but yet since hyperthyroid speeds everything up and throws body metabolism so out of whack - its not unreasonable to conclude there was a connection. Agree that using ANY reported toxic substance on or around cats should be scrupulously avoided. Consider that cats are doubly at risk - because of their habit of obessively licking and cleaning themselves they are going to ingest far more of anything than another animal woud....See MoreWill my older cat prefer one new kitty or two?
Comments (4)I have an older cat and we lost his brother a few months ago. I and am considering getting either one or two new cats. If I do this, what is the best method to introduce new cat(s) into the house? We have had a number of guest dogs and guest cats visit for weekends during my cat's life and we have usually just brought them into the house and let them meet my kitty right away and soon afterwards they have coexisted peacefully. I don't know if I should try a new method for bringing in any new kitties? I have heard things like put the new cat(s) in a seperate room and let them smell each other. I have heard things like exchange smelly blankets during this process that smell like each other so they can get used to each other's smells. I'd appreciate any tricks of the trade you recommend!...See Moresas95
16 days agogsciencechick
16 days ago
Related Stories
PET PLACESPet’s Place: Mister Kitty Likes Being the Only Cat at Home
An Ohio couple and a cat settle into their new home after years of traveling and moving
Full StoryMOST POPULAR7 Ways Cats Help You Decorate
Furry felines add to our decor in so many ways. These just scratch the surface
Full StoryPETSReaders Share Options Galore for Cat Litter Boxes
Houzzers recommend their cat box solutions and customized hacks
Full StoryPETS10 Tips for Keeping Indoor Cats Healthy and Happy
It's National Cat Day: Ask not what your cat can do for you (because it will ignore you) but what you can do for your cat
Full StoryPETSConfessions of a New Cat Parent
Here’s what I learned about adoption, litter box setups, cat hair management and the joy of feline companionship
Full StoryPETSHouzz Pets Survey: Who Rules the House — Dogs or Cats?
New data shows that pets make people happy, and pet owners love spending big to return the favor
Full StoryPETSHouzz Call: Send in the Design Cats
Post your best photo of your cat at home, in the garden or with you in your studio. It could be published in a featured ideabook
Full StoryPETSSo You Want to Get a Cat
If you're a cat lover, the joys outweigh any other issue. If you haven't lived with one yet, here are a few things to know
Full StoryPETSHow to Find a Rescue Cat That’s a Good Fit for Your Household
Australian TV’s emergency veterinarian discusses what to consider before adopting a cat and introducing it to your home
Full StoryTHE HARDWORKING HOMEA Laundry Makes Room for a Diva Cat
A South Carolina laundry room was designed to be sophisticated and functional, but when a kitten arrived, whimsy emerged
Full Story
Bunny