My cat Tippy was gagging on something at five in the morning. So we did the Heimlich on…
Your Tippy needs to be seen by a veterinarian. Signs of weight loss, vomiting, and decreased eating and drinking are serious signs. Cats that also lose weight rapidly, especially if overweight, are at risk of developing a type of liver disease. In this case, the hairball may have been a symptom rather than the problem. Many cats with disease of their intestines may have increased hairballs because things aren't moving through well. I worry at this point that Tippy could be significantly dehydrated and need fluids to help. Your veterinarian can help you find what out what is going on and give Tippy medicine to settle his stomach and hopefully get him back on the right track. Good luck and keep us posted.My cat has been meowing one or two times like a kitten while he goes to the bathroom…
I don't believe I would consider this normal; especially if it is a change for him. I would try to figure out if he is doing this when he is urinating or defecating. If it is while urinating, a urine sample should be checked if it has not already been done. Some cats will vocalize with feline lower urinary tract disease. If the meowing is with his urination, you may also want to rule out a bladder stone through an x-ray. If it happens during defecation, I'd want to be sure he's not constipated or having anal gland issues. This is always tricky, symptoms can come and go and conditions like lower urinary tract disease or a bladder stone don't show up on a normal physical exam and need more investigating. Even with this said, you can talk with your veterinarian further. Certainly if he felt your cat was fine, he likely is. But if you're still concerned or the issue is ongoing, it may be worthwhile to pursue it further.Is it safe to treat my cat’s cold with vitamin C?
Before giving your cat any over the counter treatment, including vitamin C, I would contact your veterinarian. Vitamin C can be used for a "cold" but it is not done so commonly. Vitamin C has been used as a urinary acidifier as well, so I would use very cautiously if there is any history of urinary issues.Some cat's can get pretty severe upper respiratory infections and one of my concerns is that your cat may need additional treatments. Another concern is whether this could be another condition that mimics a cold. Hope this helps.
Our city water was found to have very large amounts of Uranium in it, the city officials…
This is a fabulous question! Unfortunately, none of us know the health effects of drinking water with above "normal" uranium levels in our pets. The effects are sometimes studied in wildlife but to my knowledge no studies have been done in our pets. To be as safe as possible, I would not allow your pets to drink the water if you have been advised not to. If your pets have or develop any health issues, I would share this uranium level information with your veterinarian. This issue may have surfaced recently as the Environmental Protection agency has changed their regulations on what is considered a safe uranium level in water. Even at just above normal uranium levels, drinking water at this level daily is considered by officials comparable to getting an x-ray taken once a year. An x-ray once a year is relatively safe for your pets but again to be safe it will not hurt to continue to use filtered water. For more information, your local veterinarian may be able to help you or you could talk to your local EPA office or water provider.I am feeding my three cats Purina Indoor Formula and for my male cat I am mixing it with…
All Purina Cat Chow brand dry cat foods, including Indoor Formula, undergo extensive nutritional testing to prove they are both nutritionally complete and balanced and safe to feed to cats. Included in these tests are AAFCO nutritional tests and urine pH testing to evaluate the urine pH of cats fed Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula. All urine pH test results show that Purina Kitten Chow yields a urine pH in the range that has been shown to be helpful in promoting a healthy urinary tract. Purina O.N.E. brand Urinary Tract Health Formula is usually recommended for cats that have had previous issues with urinary tract health. If your cat has not had any previous urinary problems, Cat Chow Indoor Formula might be a good choice.It should be noted that although diet can have an effect on urinary tract health, many other causes have been identified that have no connection to diet. These include things like infections (either bacterial or viral), trauma, stress, obesity, and even congenital abnormalities. Even certain types of cats are more prone to urinary tract problems. Urinary tract problems can be common in neutered male cats between the ages of 1 and 6 years of age. These cats are usually indoor cats that are fairly inactive and overweight. So although diet is one of the factors involved in promoting a healthy urinary tract, many other factors are involved that have nothing to do with diet. If you are concerned about the health of your cat when feeding a particular diet, it is recommended you speak with your veterinarian to discuss alternative dietary options.
There is a stray kitten I have been feeding. She came to my attention because she cries…
It’s hard to know what’s happening. If the kitten was dropped off and did not grow up with the older cat—is a stranger to the stray cat community in that area—it’s a normal cat behavior to chase strangers away. So the adult cat may be intent on chasing away this kitten, and only hesitated because you were nearby. Alternately, the adult cat might be the stranger, and is simply able to bully the younger.We adopted an adult male Birman cat from a shelter about five years ago, named Jasper…
How funny! Cats tend to chatter at birds, squirrels and other critters or items of interest that cause them frustration. If Kitty can’t reach the butterfly outside the window, she’ll chatter. My cat Seren often “tells on herself” by chattering before she jumps onto a forbidden area, so we know to stop her. I’m not sure why Jasper chatters at your daughter. But perhaps if she “belongs” to the other cat and he knows that she’s forbidden/out of bounds, he’s feeling a bit frustrated by any interaction and so chatters.I have two cats, Stinky is five and Smokey is six. About a year ago, I started fostering…
Without seeing the actual interaction and based only on what you’ve told me, my knee-jerk reaction is—Stinky is a normal cat, acting in a normal catlike way. It is his home. He’s being protective of his territory. And my heaven’s, he has been extraordinarily tolerant of having “strange cats” come in and out of his territory. Frankly, I’m amazed that you’ve not had more aggression issues, particularly when you’ve repeatedly put him in a confrontational situation he’s already told you he dislikes.Cats do not normally simply “accept” a strange cat coming into their territory. For them to accept a new kitty takes time—I’m not talking hours or days, I’m talking WEEKS.
Carrying Stinky into a room and placing him next to a cat he doesn’t know and/or dislikes basically invites a fight. Repeating this time and again helps Stinky practice so all it takes is the mere sight of the strange cat for him to feel upset.
Cats cannot “think straight” when they’re upset. He cannot learn when he’s feeling angry, upset or frightened. So carrying into a room forces him into a situation he cannot control, and he reacts (fights, chases, growls, etc) to make the situation more comfortable…makes the other cat go away, out of his trigger zone.
What to do, what to do—well, at this point, all you can do is manage the situation. Stinky simply can’t continue to be forced to face strange cats that he’ll end up attacking. That’s not good for them, and it’s awful for him. So call it a day with him, and let Stinky relax in a room or area of the house that’s off limits to the other cats. If he and Clancy get along, they can be kept together for the time being.
Rehome the foster cats as soon as you can. It appears you have two choices. Either find Stinky (and his friend Clancy) a new home, where they won’t have the constant disruptions. Or keep Stinky, Clancy and Smokey (your original gang), and give up bringing in foster cats. Your first loyalty must be to the existing cat-friends. Certainly you can ask the veterinarian if Stinky’s health possibly influences his attitude. But drug therapy only works in conjunction with behavior modification and environmental management. From what you describe, drugs alone won’t fix this issue. Good luck!