Pet Advice Thread.

[Eilonwy]

So, things were going very well with the two cats and then something happened (I'm not sure what--probably a combination of several things) and now we are back to the beginning. Robin goes into attack mode whenever she sees Riley and Riley runs, so her chase instinct kicks in and she goes after him. Robin is back to being sequestered in the bedroom. I let her out and monitor her, which is probably aggravating the problem, but I'm not sure how else to supervise when both cats are moving around and there are no doors that I can shut to lessen the space they have to navigate through. I got the crate back up from storage and will see if putting Robin in it helps to lessen the tension when the cats see each other. I've tried distracting her with food and toys, but once she's seen Riley, she stays focused on him and the ears go back and the tail starts lashing.

Both cats have issues and it's unfortunate that their issues mesh in such a way that this is the dynamic that results. I've been working on building Riley's confidence, and it has improved, but not to the point where he will stand his ground against Robin. And I'm also dealing with some restrictions that Taran wants me to adhere to that make it a bit more difficult to deal with the cats.

I've ordered some Feliway to try. It didn't work on my previous cats, but maybe it will help in this situation. I've also ordered a harness and leash and will see if I can train Robin to wear it. That will give me more options as far as controlling her chasing instinct and possibly getting her outside to exercise.

 

[Eilonwy]

[MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION], please tell me if this is a viable plan. When the male cat is settled in a favorite spot, i take a position nearby while my boyfriend lets the female cat out of the bedroom. I monitor the female cat's body language. If she stays neutral or friendly while in close proximity to the male cat, they both get rewarded with a bit of catnip, she's allowed to explore a bit more, and then I return her to the bedroom for play or brushing. If her body language is threatening, i return her to the bedroom immediately and leave. In either case, we try again in a couple of hours.

I'm hoping to gradually increase the time the female is allowed to explore after a friendly or neutral encounter.

The male's confidence is increasing so that he isn't bolting when he sees her. It's been difficult to work with them because they trigger the worst in each other: his timidity triggers her aggression and her aggression triggers his timidity. I haven't been able to find a reward that is distracting enough.

A separate question: the male was meowing outside the female's bedroom door last night. Why is he doing that?

 

[Amargith]

[MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION], please tell me if this is a viable plan. When the male cat is settled in a favorite spot, i take a position nearby while my boyfriend lets the female cat out of the bedroom. I monitor the female cat's body language. If she stays neutral or friendly while in close proximity to the male cat, they both get rewarded with a bit of catnip, she's allowed to explore a bit more, and then I return her to the bedroom for play or brushing. If her body language is threatening, i return her to the bedroom immediately and leave. In either case, we try again in a couple of hours.

I'm hoping to gradually increase the time the female is allowed to explore after a friendly or neutral encounter.

The male's confidence is increasing so that he isn't bolting when he sees her. It's been difficult to work with them because they trigger the worst in each other: his timidity triggers her aggression and her aggression triggers his timidity. I haven't been able to find a reward that is distracting enough.

A separate question: the male was meowing outside the female's bedroom door last night. Why is he doing that?

It sounds like a good plan, but its hard to tell at this point. I'd have to see their body language.

You'll find you won't have to fully start from the beginning after what happened, but it does mean you have to take a few steps back and go at their pace even moreso. Here are some ideas you might find helpful:

- Prevent staring. That is basically the start of any escalation. You'll find that one cat starts fixating on the other, and they'll crouch, ready to move at any time. One way to do that is to provide distractions ( fishing rod toys, food, etc), but another way is to actively prevent it with a piece of cloth or carton to put interrupting their line of sight momentarily as you distract them with something else.

- Keep up the playtime with the male cat especially (and let him catch, catch that toy! Particularly in the places where he gets attacked, so that the context of that room also shifts to him being the one that controls that space!) but if at all possible with the female cat as well so she can take her aggression out on something!

- Feliway is a tool, an aid that is a great support for therapy, but is the equivalent of a band-aid. When you need stitches, it's not going to be enough basically

- Keep doing the scent swap/switch rooms to prevent anyone feeling cooped up or trapped in that room as well as making sure that they get really familiar with each others smell - without negative associations.

- I don't know where you are in the process but if the two cannot eat yet next to each other, you may want to take a pair of socks, put them on your hands, pet each cat with one sock (especially along the chin and cheeks) to get their scent in there, then put it under the other's food bowl to really associate their smell with something good. The next step is to make them eat in the line of sight of the other with a safety door/mechanism in between to avoid negative associations, and to bring them a little closer each time they relax and aren't fixating on each other. In some cases, it can help to do this with a level change, where you feed one cat on a counter top and the other underneath on the floor (usually the one that gets hunted on top, especially if they like to hide high up and feel safer there), and then bring the levels down until they're on the floor with the other one.

- Meanwhile, see if you can give them different escapes. If that hallway you're talking about is like one straight narrow road, its...well, a killing zone instead of a home. If at all possible, you want to at all time provide escape routes by adding vertical territory and alternative routes. Think closets, scratching trees, but also weight bearing shelves that they can get up on, jump from place to place and get out that way. You'll find that the scaredy cat very much relaxes if he knows there's a way out.

I get that this is incredibly frustrating and you've been at it a while - and it doesn't help when the two cats do indeed trigger each other (I have a similar problem with two of my cats - most of the time they're fine, but any changes in the territory tends to...cause them to become prey and predator - something I'm fixing myself atm, so I feel ya ) Unfortunately, you cannot force two living beings to *like* each other - you can only set the stage for them to figure out a system that works for them. Hopefully, they'll get there.

If you ever feel like you don't know where to go next and it's not getting better, I'd be happy to do an intake with you and go beyond just tips and tricks but actually put a strategy/treatment plan together. Just send me a PM



Edit: Oh yeah, and he meows at her door because that room is now part of his territory and the closed door is preventing him from visiting his turf, most likely.

 

[Eilonwy]

It sounds like a good plan, but its hard to tell at this point. I'd have to see their body language.

You'll find you won't have to fully start from the beginning after what happened, but it does mean you have to take a few steps back and go at their pace even moreso. Here are some ideas you might find helpful:

- Prevent staring. That is basically the start of any escalation. You'll find that one cat starts fixating on the other, and they'll crouch, ready to move at any time. One way to do that is to provide distractions ( fishing rod toys, food, etc), but another way is to actively prevent it with a piece of cloth or carton to put interrupting their line of sight momentarily as you distract them with something else.

Something I definitely have to work on with the female. You'll see it in the video of her below. This is from yesterday (Friday). There was improvement before I started taking the video. The male is on a favorite towel against one wall of the kitchen. The female entered the kitchen and was slightly agitated, but allowed me to distract her and laid down in another area of the kitchen. I rewarded her with some catnip, which she ignored at first, but then she rolled around in it for a few seconds. I started recording shortly after she got up from the catnip. I stopped recording because she started staring at the male. I picked her up and took her to the bedroom for a cooling off period. She wasn't happy with me.

- Keep up the playtime with the male cat especially (and let him catch, catch that toy! Particularly in the places where he gets attacked, so that the context of that room also shifts to him being the one that controls that space!) but if at all possible with the female cat as well so she can take her aggression out on something!

The male doesn't seem to have any experience with cat toys. I put a feather toy out for him to investigate, but he didn't show much interest. I'm guessing he gets most of his energy out when he's outside and sees the inside as a place of shelter and food. However, lately he is staying put when the female is around, not running or slinking off.

On Thursday when I let her out, he was in his spot in the basement, which is a bit elevated. While I monitored, she went right up to him and they touched noses, then she slowly turned her head away and went to explore the rest of the basement. He stayed calm and went back to sleep once she left. After a few minutes of exploring, she came back and started rubbing her cheeks on items close to where the male was sleeping, acting a little more agitated. After failed attempts at distracting her, I picked her up, praised her, took her to the bedroom, and played with her.

- Feliway is a tool, an aid that is a great support for therapy, but is the equivalent of a band-aid. When you need stitches, it's not going to be enough basically

- Keep doing the scent swap/switch rooms to prevent anyone feeling cooped up or trapped in that room as well as making sure that they get really familiar with each others smell - without negative associations.

- I don't know where you are in the process but if the two cannot eat yet next to each other, you may want to take a pair of socks, put them on your hands, pet each cat with one sock (especially along the chin and cheeks) to get their scent in there, then put it under the other's food bowl to really associate their smell with something good. The next step is to make them eat in the line of sight of the other with a safety door/mechanism in between to avoid negative associations, and to bring them a little closer each time they relax and aren't fixating on each other. In some cases, it can help to do this with a level change, where you feed one cat on a counter top and the other underneath on the floor (usually the one that gets hunted on top, especially if they like to hide high up and feel safer there), and then bring the levels down until they're on the floor with the other one.

They have eaten together, but the female eats fast and the male takes a lick or two and then comes back throughout the day, so the different eating styles have been an issue. I like the sock idea and will try it.

It just occurred to me to elevate the male's sleeping spot in the kitchen so that it's similar to his spot in the basement. The female seems to be less aggressive in the basement.

- Meanwhile, see if you can give them different escapes. If that hallway you're talking about is like one straight narrow road, its...well, a killing zone instead of a home. If at all possible, you want to at all time provide escape routes by adding vertical territory and alternative routes. Think closets, scratching trees, but also weight bearing shelves that they can get up on, jump from place to place and get out that way. You'll find that the scaredy cat very much relaxes if he knows there's a way out.

Working on this.

I get that this is incredibly frustrating and you've been at it a while - and it doesn't help when the two cats do indeed trigger each other (I have a similar problem with two of my cats - most of the time they're fine, but any changes in the territory tends to...cause them to become prey and predator - something I'm fixing myself atm, so I feel ya ) Unfortunately, you cannot force two living beings to *like* each other - you can only set the stage for them to figure out a system that works for them. Hopefully, they'll get there.

If you ever feel like you don't know where to go next and it's not getting better, I'd be happy to do an intake with you and go beyond just tips and tricks but actually put a strategy/treatment plan together. Just send me a PM

Thank you. I appreciate it.

 

[Lexicon]

[MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION]

Needing some help with Cricket. His ringworm came back (or was never fully gone, he may have been taken off the antifungals too early), so he's been quarantined to a large, sunny bedroom since mid-March. He has lots of toys & entertaining videos, 2 big windows to watch birds, etc. He's a Bombay/Siamese mix, though, so he's a highly social cat. I do take a half hour to an hour a day for "lap-time," before I disinfect the room for the day. We cuddle & watch TV. The only time he cries is when he hears the apt main entry door open/close, which is pretty rare.

And, that's how it's been. Til now. The friend I've been staying with is out of work for the next couple weeks, recovering from a surgery, so she's home, more. For some reason, Cricket has started meowing/howling NONSTOP. The neighbors punched the wall a few times. They're kind of obnoxious assholes themselves, so I don't care, but I'd hate for my friend to get into trouble. I dunno exactly what triggered this change. I'm home all day, making tons of noise, and he never cried like this, but with my friend home vs being at work til the evening, he just doesn't stop.

2 weeks ago, Cricket started peeing blood. Turned out to be a bad UTI. He was in a lot of pain. Literally one day after that diagnosis, my friend was hospitalized for a week. All that week, I split my time about 60/40 between the hospital & runs back to the apt 5min up the rd to check on Cricket, disinfect the room, feed/medicate him. One night, I did wear protective clothing from head to toe, & slept in the room w/Cricket because I was so worried about him.mhe was so so happy I stayed. His UTI is now resolved, & my friend's been home from the hospital for about a week & a half. I'm not sure if the UTI was a trigger for this residual stress, or if my friend's more frequent presence in her own apartment is doing it... It's bizarre.


It's clear he's highly distressed, & he does stop crying when I have that lap time with him, but I can't spend all day with him in that room. My immune system is shit, I'll just get the fungal infection myself all over again. He still plays with his toys, eats well, everything. The only change has been my friend being home, & that UTI he just had. Even when I've had visitors here during the day, usually, he doesn't cry. But the other resident being here more often, not even on the same floor as him, just has made him nuts.. I don't know what to do. Fortunately my friend doesn't mind the meowing, but none of us want the landlord getting complaints or anything.



Oh cat behaviorist goddess... Please help me fix my broken Cricket.

 

[Amargith]

[MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION]

Needing some help with Cricket. His ringworm came back (or was never fully gone, he may have been taken off the antifungals too early), so he's been quarantined to a large, sunny bedroom since mid-March. He has lots of toys & entertaining videos, 2 big windows to watch birds, etc. He's a Bombay/Siamese mix, though, so he's a highly social cat. I do take a half hour to an hour a day for "lap-time," before I disinfect the room for the day. We cuddle & watch TV. The only time he cries is when he hears the apt main entry door open/close, which is pretty rare.

And, that's how it's been. Til now. The friend I've been staying with is out of work for the next couple weeks, recovering from a surgery, so she's home, more. For some reason, Cricket has started meowing/howling NONSTOP. The neighbors punched the wall a few times. They're kind of obnoxious assholes themselves, so I don't care, but I'd hate for my friend to get into trouble. I dunno exactly what triggered this change. I'm home all day, making tons of noise, and he never cried like this, but with my friend home vs being at work til the evening, he just doesn't stop.

2 weeks ago, Cricket started peeing blood. Turned out to be a bad UTI. He was in a lot of pain. Literally one day after that diagnosis, my friend was hospitalized for a week. All that week, I split my time about 60/40 between the hospital & runs back to the apt 5min up the rd to check on Cricket, disinfect the room, feed/medicate him. One night, I did wear protective clothing from head to toe, & slept in the room w/Cricket because I was so worried about him.mhe was so so happy I stayed. His UTI is now resolved, & my friend's been home from the hospital for about a week & a half. I'm not sure if the UTI was a trigger for this residual stress, or if my friend's more frequent presence in her own apartment is doing it... It's bizarre.


It's clear he's highly distressed, & he does stop crying when I have that lap time with him, but I can't spend all day with him in that room. My immune system is shit, I'll just get the fungal infection myself all over again. He still plays with his toys, eats well, everything. The only change has been my friend being home, & that UTI he just had. Even when I've had visitors here during the day, usually, he doesn't cry. But the other resident being here more often, not even on the same floor as him, just has made him nuts.. I don't know what to do. Fortunately my friend doesn't mind the meowing, but none of us want the landlord getting complaints or anything.



Oh cat behaviorist goddess... Please help me fix my broken Cricket.

That is a complicated situation - wow. All right, it seems that his immune system being down along with the changes caused him enough stress to get UTI. On top of that, your friend's routine has changed so...everything is upside down for him right now and it's causing him distress.

My guess is he's definitely bored. Even though you went out of your way (really, out of your way) to entertain him and provide him with more, a highly social cat, a young one at that, being confined to one room...it's tough. But, that's the way it has to be. Let's look at the straw that broke the camels back.

Your friend - how are they together? Do they just tolerate each other or do they get along well normally? What is their interaction like and is your friend a cat person? It almost...looks like he's suffering from FOMO - fear of missing out. Suddenly, there is a lot more action in the house, action he'd normally get to be a part of. I can see how that would be frustrating, as such. Otoh, if your friend is making 'different' noises (maybe due to the surgery, maybe due to being home during the day instead of at night when you're more likely to sit down on the couch?), it could be that he cannot really figure out what is going on out there.

Either way, I think the key might be to have your friend go into the room with Cricket, if their immune system is up to it, and have some one-on-one playtime with him as well, so he gets that this is the new routine now.

See if you can also give Cricket some more routine again. His world has been literally turned upside down and cats thrive on routine. Make use of the Play-Food-Groom-Sleep cycle they go through and make him go through that repeatedly if you can a day. Play with him, feed him, watch him groom and settle in for a nap. Especially handy if he cries at night, but also to just shut him up during the day. Do this at the same time every day - establish that expectation and make his environment predictable again in every way. Yes, it has changed, but no, it's nothing to worry about.

And have your friend be a part of this, so he knows that this is normal - this is the way things are now and there is nothing to worry about

And as always - do not reward that meowing, so try to go in when he has a moment where he *doesnt* meow, to avoid association with meowing and your presence, coz otherwise it will only get worse!

 

[/DG/]

In need of some doggie advice

Hey guys, so I'm bumping this thread in the hopes of someone here being able to help with my doggie issue.

I have a small maltese that seems to have an issue wherein maybe once a week or more she will throw up. It is almost always only stomach acid/bile, or that combined with a hairball. So basically a great majority of the time, there is no food in it.

I'm not entirely sure why this is.

We don't have scheduled meal times for her. We just always have food out (dry dog food) for her and she grazes throughout the day. Sometimes, if I noticed she hasn't eaten in a while, I give her a treat to try to make sure she has food in her stomach, but I don't know how helpful that is.

She never appears to be in distress about it and has done this ever since we got her around 2 years ago. Hell, sometimes she will start eating her food immediately after she has thrown up.

I think part of it might be something to do with her breed or something (I have heard of other small dogs doing this), but is there anything I can give her to help prevent her from vomiting all the time?

Thanks!

 

[Lexicon]

That is a complicated situation - wow. All right, it seems that his immune system being down along with the changes caused him enough stress to get UTI. On top of that, your friend's routine has changed so...everything is upside down for him right now and it's causing him distress.

My guess is he's definitely bored. Even though you went out of your way (really, out of your way) to entertain him and provide him with more, a highly social cat, a young one at that, being confined to one room...it's tough. But, that's the way it has to be. Let's look at the straw that broke the camels back.

Your friend - how are they together? Do they just tolerate each other or do they get along well normally? What is their interaction like and is your friend a cat person? It almost...looks like he's suffering from FOMO - fear of missing out. Suddenly, there is a lot more action in the house, action he'd normally get to be a part of. I can see how that would be frustrating, as such. Otoh, if your friend is making 'different' noises (maybe due to the surgery, maybe due to being home during the day instead of at night when you're more likely to sit down on the couch?), it could be that he cannot really figure out what is going on out there.

Either way, I think the key might be to have your friend go into the room with Cricket, if their immune system is up to it, and have some one-on-one playtime with him as well, so he gets that this is the new routine now.

See if you can also give Cricket some more routine again. His world has been literally turned upside down and cats thrive on routine. Make use of the Play-Food-Groom-Sleep cycle they go through and make him go through that repeatedly if you can a day. Play with him, feed him, watch him groom and settle in for a nap. Especially handy if he cries at night, but also to just shut him up during the day. Do this at the same time every day - establish that expectation and make his environment predictable again in every way. Yes, it has changed, but no, it's nothing to worry about.

And have your friend be a part of this, so he knows that this is normal - this is the way things are now and there is nothing to worry about

And as always - do not reward that meowing, so try to go in when he has a moment where he *doesnt* meow, to avoid association with meowing and your presence, coz otherwise it will only get worse!

Amar- thanks so much for your insights & suggestions. Pardon the delay in my response, been busy/mentally drained the past week & wanted to reply when I could give some coherent feedback.

I think you're right on the money about Cricket suffering from FOMO (/fear of missing out), as far as the constant crying everytime he hears my friend existing at all in her own apartment, since she's usually gone.

She & Cricket get on very well (it's probably impossible for him to dislike everyone, he's such a social/lovey guy). A day or so after your post, my friend was increasing her post-op activity, which included supervised careful walks up the stairs, so she'd once a day get to the top of the stairs, crack the bedroom door open/say hi to the crickets/give a [gloved] pat, then go back downstairs. Shortly thereafter, we'd hear Cricket beating up his favorite jingle bell ball, happily.

My disinfecting time in the room has gotten more regular (a morning routine), where I first feed Cricket, then he lays all over me for about a half hour (we watch an episode of The Simpsons together), & he'll curl up on my lap, knead on me, nosekiss me, & groom/possibly fall asleep on my lap, at which point I sneak his topical medication onto his ears/neck/tail. When the episode's over, I open the window & sit him in front of it to watch birds while I vacuum & disinfect the room, which takes about 30-45 min. He doesn't ever get stressed over the noise, at least. Then I pat him 'bye, & go back downstairs.

The past few weeks, he'd be extra clingy when I was done cleaning/leaving. Chasing me to the door, & howling, trying to grab at me from under the door while I'd be removing the protective clothing in the hall (so as not to carry spores through the apt). However, it seems the consistency w/timing has calmed him down significantly in a surprisingly short time. No more panicky grasping under the door the second I leave. He just lays on the desk at the window, in the sun, 90% of the time.

Before that relaxed pattern emerged, he managed to dart out around me one day, & ran halfway down the stairs, but stopped dead in his tracks when my friend met him at the bottom, to stop him from contaminating the place. As soon as he saw her, he just stopped, rubbed his face on the stair rail, & ran back up the steps to me/tried to rub me, then ran back in the bedroom. I assume that was a manifestation of the FOMO, haha. Kinda translated the situation as, "I WILL FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON DAMMIT! FREEEEEEEDOM!!!!! ----Oh hai other lady! I likes you. Did u know I own these stairs?" *mark* [now somewhat satisfied about the strange noise sources] " kthxbai! --- MUM I LOVES U NO CAN HAZ A MAD" *runs back into room/rolls around, trying to look cute*


It really amazes me how sensitive cats can be to changes in their routine. It's been hard for me to think clearly some of the time, lately, worrying about/assisting my friend & also monitoring Cricket's UTI issue (he was in so much pain, not walking right... he's ok now, has a followup appt tomorrow), it was hard for me to realize on some level that schedule changes/random noises could create that much inner turmoil for him. It seems pretty obvious in hindsight.

Also (regarding positive association to meowing) - because he was on a few different short-term meds (antibiotic, muscle relaxer, & a painkiller for the UTI), his feeding times were a bit off-schedule. Some of those meds required food, & he also had dropped weight/needed to put it back on, so he was getting *extra* feeding times, which probably created a reward system in his mind for his constant yowling. He's off those meds, now, & I just increased the amounts of food I give him during his 2 normal feeding times. I appreciate the reminder about accidentally creating a reward system with food. I've been so scattered, lately.

This has gotten pretty long, & wheels are turning everywhichway in my head still to go catch up on crap I need to do, so I'll end this here, for now, & keep you posted w/his progress. So far, it seems like his anxiety is scaling back, as he adjusts to the new sounds downstairs, & gets some of his old schedule back.

Thanks again, Amar <3
(and the crickets thanks you, too)

 

[Lexicon]

Hey guys, so I'm bumping this thread in the hopes of someone here being able to help with my doggie issue.

I have a small maltese that seems to have an issue wherein maybe once a week or more she will throw up. It is almost always only stomach acid/bile, or that combined with a hairball. So basically a great majority of the time, there is no food in it.

I'm not entirely sure why this is.

We don't have scheduled meal times for her. We just always have food out (dry dog food) for her and she grazes throughout the day. Sometimes, if I noticed she hasn't eaten in a while, I give her a treat to try to make sure she has food in her stomach, but I don't know how helpful that is.

She never appears to be in distress about it and has done this ever since we got her around 2 years ago. Hell, sometimes she will start eating her food immediately after she has thrown up.

I think part of it might be something to do with her breed or something (I have heard of other small dogs doing this), but is there anything I can give her to help prevent her from vomiting all the time?

Thanks!

It might be a good idea to give her actual feeding times, so you can track on a notepad how much she eats, how often, & compare it to the times that she vomits. From my understanding, consistent vomiting in any pet can be indicative of a problem of some kind - possibly an intolerance to the food, or eating too much, or an issue unrelated to food. I've always found monitoring a pet's feeding/toileting/vomiting times helpful for establishing a pattern, or, helping a veterinarian to establish a pattern. The more specific info about their habits you can provide, the better, I imagine.

Has she been to a vet for an annual physical, yet? Getting a CBC each year is a good way to establish a baseline for their health/possibly uncover underlying issues that may arise over time. A fresh stool sample may also provide insights into some GI problems. Usually all that stuff is included in the yearly physical exam. If you bring her into the vet for the vomiting issue, the vet will probably want to do those labs, which more or less gets you the annual physical exam at a lower cost, depending on the vet (w/mine, if they're brought in for something specific, the exam fee is lower than the annual exam fee. If you get the most important labs done, it's sort of a loophole to get around the larger fee, if that makes sense. If money is an issue, at all). And, if money is an issue, you may want to google low cost vets in your area, who do it as a charity, more or less, or check w/veterinary schools, who will sometimes treat at a reduced price, while the professor either teaches or monitors a student w/an animal, sort of like dental schools. I've not taken that route before, but I've heard the option exists in some areas of the US. The low-cost one in my area has good reviews (Yelp may be a good way to locate one).

But yeah, first & foremost, monitoring/note-taking/scheduled meals (like every 12hrs 9am & 9pm or something) would be a good start.
Hope you find out what's going on with her - I wish you luck.

 

[/DG/]

It might be a good idea to give her actual feeding times, so you can track on a notepad how much she eats, how often, & compare it to the times that she vomits. From my understanding, consistent vomiting in any pet can be indicative of a problem of some kind - possibly an intolerance to the food, or eating too much, or an issue unrelated to food. I've always found monitoring a pet's feeding/toileting/vomiting times helpful for establishing a pattern, or, helping a veterinarian to establish a pattern. The more specific info about their habits you can provide, the better, I imagine.

Hmm...well it doesn't really appear to be a problem with the food. She doesn't vomit up the food. She tends to vomit up on an empty stomach. She also does so after not eating for a while. I'm not sure which is the causative agent though...vomiting due to not eating or not eating because she is going to vomit. It would be easier if she spoke English! Is there any sort of product known to settle a dog's stomach that you know of?

She seems to eat plenty, though. (Sometimes I have thought about restricting her food a bit.) Our other, older, larger dog is put on an eating schedule because she will immediately eat anything in sight!

How would we start up an eating regimen with the smaller one if she does immediately eat everything in sight (unless it is something like occasional table scraps or wet dog food )? She is happily eating at the moment.

Has she been to a vet for an annual physical, yet? Getting a CBC each year is a good way to establish a baseline for their health/possibly uncover underlying issues that may arise over time. A fresh stool sample may also provide insights into some GI problems. Usually all that stuff is included in the yearly physical exam. If you bring her into the vet for the vomiting issue, the vet will probably want to do those labs, which more or less gets you the annual physical exam at a lower cost, depending on the vet (w/mine, if they're brought in for something specific, the exam fee is lower than the annual exam fee. If you get the most important labs done, it's sort of a loophole to get around the larger fee, if that makes sense. If money is an issue, at all). And, if money is an issue, you may want to google low cost vets in your area, who do it as a charity, more or less, or check w/veterinary schools, who will sometimes treat at a reduced price, while the professor either teaches or monitors a student w/an animal, sort of like dental schools. I've not taken that route before, but I've heard the option exists in some areas of the US. The low-cost one in my area has good reviews (Yelp may be a good way to locate one).

But yeah, first & foremost, monitoring/note-taking/scheduled meals (like every 12hrs 9am & 9pm or something) would be a good start.
Hope you find out what's going on with her - I wish you luck.

No, we have never taken any of our pets to have physicals. My brother was talking about maybe taking the older one (not the vomiting one) to get a physical because she is so old, but really we wouldn't be able to afford to treat her if she had any sort of disease like cancer or anything. (We did take her to have emergency surgery before, but my parents are divorced now and money is a bit on the tight side.)

Do you know how much vet visits and tests normally go for? We live in a bit of a richer town for lack of better phrasing, so it would probably be more expensive here than many places.

Anyway, thanks!

 

[five sounds]

The ants are back...

Had ant probs last spring/summer too, but this year I'm in the upper flat and they keep going into my cat's food bowl

I ussually free feed him, started putting less in the bowl in hopes he'd eat moat of it before it was crawling with ants (ugh it's so gross they're ALL in there)

Another concern I have is that we currently have one trap set up and I'm afraid he'll eat some poisoned ants. I lost a dog to pesticides and am pretty nervous about that whole thing now.

Any advice?? I'm dumping out hella food and that shit is not cheap

 

[magpie]

The ants are back...

Had ant probs last spring/summer too, but this year I'm in the upper flat and they keep going into my cat's food bowl

I ussually free feed him, started putting less in the bowl in hopes he'd eat moat of it before it was crawling with ants (ugh it's so gross they're ALL in there)

Another concern I have is that we currently have one trap set up and I'm afraid he'll eat some poisoned ants. I lost a dog to pesticides and am pretty nervous about that whole thing now.

Any advice?? I'm dumping out hella food and that shit is not cheap

Have you tried an elevated cat bowl, like these?

Might be harder for the ants to get in there, though they'd probably still make it eventually. Another option I guess is just putting the bowl up on a table or something and letting the cat jump up there to eat. I don't know how you feel about cats on tables though.

 

[Eilonwy]

The ants are back...

Had ant probs last spring/summer too, but this year I'm in the upper flat and they keep going into my cat's food bowl

I ussually free feed him, started putting less in the bowl in hopes he'd eat moat of it before it was crawling with ants (ugh it's so gross they're ALL in there)

Another concern I have is that we currently have one trap set up and I'm afraid he'll eat some poisoned ants. I lost a dog to pesticides and am pretty nervous about that whole thing now.

Any advice?? I'm dumping out hella food and that shit is not cheap

There are anit-ant pet bowls for sale. I bought one several years ago when I lived in Florida, which is crawling with ants, and it worked well. But if you want to save some money, you can make your own ant-proof bowl by creating a moat of water around the food bowl.

Here are two examples to show you what I'm talking about: ANT-PROOF PET FOOD BOWL - All, 3 x ANTS Free Pet Bowls VIP | eBay.

 

[five sounds]

Have you tried an elevated cat bowl, like these?

Might be harder for the ants to get in there, though they'd probably still make it eventually. Another option I guess is just putting the bowl up on a table or something and letting the cat jump up there to eat. I don't know how you feel about cats on tables though.

I was brainstorming different placements for it this morning, but yeah, these ants are not afraid of heights. I'm afraid I'd just be ushering them to a new place to congregate.

 

[five sounds]

There are anit-ant pet bowls for sale. I bought one several years ago when I lived in Florida, which is crawling with ants, and it worked well. But if you want to save some money, you can make your own ant-proof bowl by creating a moat of water around the food bowl.

Here are two examples to show you what I'm talking about: ANT-PROOF PET FOOD BOWL - All, 3 x ANTS Free Pet Bowls VIP | eBay.

This is genius!! Gonna buy one today. Thank you

 

[five sounds]

There are anit-ant pet bowls for sale. I bought one several years ago when I lived in Florida, which is crawling with ants, and it worked well. But if you want to save some money, you can make your own ant-proof bowl by creating a moat of water around the food bowl.

Here are two examples to show you what I'm talking about: ANT-PROOF PET FOOD BOWL - All, 3 x ANTS Free Pet Bowls VIP | eBay.

I MADE A MOAT AND IT WORKED!

seriously thank you so much.

 

[Lexicon]

trapping a stray cat in need of vet attention

[MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION] - or anyone else with experience to offer -
(wasn't sure whether or not to post this in your cat blog, Amar. Didn't know if that's for your own musings or if it extended to people seeking advice. Didn't want to risk clogging up your blog w/unwelcome stuff if it were the former)

There's this beautiful black/white tuxedo cat I've seen around the apartment I'm staying at. He only showed up last fall, skulking around the small patch of wooded area behind the houses, cutting through yards, etc. Thought he possibly could be a stupid neighbors' outdoor cat (I live in a small city - generally it's unwise to let them be outside when the main road is 1 street away). Never got too close a look at him. Always caught glimpses when I was indoors & he was further away. I see him around at least once or twice a week.

A few nights ago he ran out in front of my friend's car/froze, definitely would've gotten hit. Still didn't get too clear a look at him.

Just now, though, I did. He walked past the kitchen window, very close. The middle of his back is utterly lumpy/deformed by matted fur. I watched him walk over to a neighbor's backyard shed & mark the foundation as he continued his rounds.

This definitely can't belong to anyone. Either he's feral, or someone moved away/abandoned him/he accidentally got outside.

I have no idea if he's social, since my contact with him has only been distant visual.


There is a no-kill animal shelter about 2 miles from here I would like to take him to. Those mats are going to eventually cause sores if they haven't already. The state of his coat is miserable.

Do you have any tips on how to catch him humanely? I can't afford an animal trap or anything. For now I was thinking I could put a little dry food near the area he just marked (assuming perhaps my neighbor's indoor/outdoor tabby won't mess w/it since it's not his territory, perhaps?). Eventually get Stray Tuxedo Kitty to eat off the back porch here (close to the shed he marked). If he's not feral/is ok with contact, I can scruff him/get him into a box or pet crate & bring him to the shelter. I've got shoulder-length industrial nitrile gloves that he can't scratch or bite through.

Not sure if this is a good tentative plan, or if something else would work. I just know those mats are only gonna get worse, leaving him vulnerable to infection &/or affect his mobility. Poor guy.

 

[Amargith]

[MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION] - or anyone else with experience to offer -

There's this beautiful black/white tuxedo cat I've seen around the apartment I'm staying at. He only showed up last fall, skulking around the small patch of wooded area behind the houses, cutting through yards, etc. Thought he possibly could be a stupid neighbors' outdoor cat (I live in a small city - generally it's unwise to let them be outside when the main road is 1 street away). Never got too close a look at him. Always caught glimpses when I was indoors & he was further away.

A few nights ago he ran out in front of my friend's car/froze, definitely would've gotten hit. Still didn't get too clear a look at him.

Just now, though, I did. He walked past the kitchen window, very close. The middle of his back is utterly lumpy/deformed by matted fur. I watched him walk over to a neighbor's backyard shed & mark the foundation as he continued his rounds.

This definitely can't belong to anyone. Either he's feral, or someone moved away/abandoned him/he accidentally got outside.

I have no idea if he's social, since my contact with him has only been distant visual.


There is a no-kill animal shelter about 2 miles from here I would like to take him to. Those mats are going to eventually cause sores if they haven't already. The state of his coat is miserable.

Do you have any tips on how to catch him humanely? I can't afford an animal trap or anything. For now I was thinking I could put a little dry food near the area he just marked (assuming perhaps my neighbor's indoor/outdoor tabby won't mess w/it since it's not his territory, perhaps?). Eventually get Stray Tuxedo Kitty to eat off the back porch here (close to the shed he marked). If he's not feral/is ok with contact, I can scruff him/get him into a box or pet crate & bring him to the shelter. I've got industrial shoulder length nitrile gloves that he can't scratch or bite through.

Not sure if this is a good tentative plan, or if something else would work. I just know those mats are only gonna get worse, & eventually cause infection &/or affect his mobility. Poor guy.

Mmm..check with the shelter. Chances are that they have the equipment you'd need to do this as stress-free as possible. Sometimes, the city also runs 'trap and release' programs, aimed mostly at keep the feral population under control and they too would be in possession of the right equipment.

Your way could certainly work, but a) you're less experienced, b) it'll take longer to get a hold of him due to your presence (vs a humane trap contraption) c) there's the risk that he won't let you near and d) the risk that something will go wrong, making it exponentially harder to get a hold of him later on.

If you are able to scruff him, make sure you have an actual pet carrier (and even those, hysterical cats can get out of, though it's rare), as a simple box won't stand a chance against a hysterical animal that is forcing his way out of whatever he feels trapped by.

If you do feel you have the time, I'd say, build up a relationship with him using food, not expecting anything and making it as predictable a routine as possible to gain his trust. And then it's a matter of not breaking it, and getting him to willingly go into a pet carrier - or, to be lightning fast as you betray his trust.

I love where your heart is at, though.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Trash Panda]

[MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION] - or anyone else with experience to offer -
(wasn't sure whether or not to post this in your cat blog, Amar. Didn't know if that's for your own musings or if it extended to people seeking advice. Didn't want to risk clogging up your blog w/unwelcome stuff if it were the former)

There's this beautiful black/white tuxedo cat I've seen around the apartment I'm staying at. He only showed up last fall, skulking around the small patch of wooded area behind the houses, cutting through yards, etc. Thought he possibly could be a stupid neighbors' outdoor cat (I live in a small city - generally it's unwise to let them be outside when the main road is 1 street away). Never got too close a look at him. Always caught glimpses when I was indoors & he was further away. I see him around at least once or twice a week.

A few nights ago he ran out in front of my friend's car/froze, definitely would've gotten hit. Still didn't get too clear a look at him.

Just now, though, I did. He walked past the kitchen window, very close. The middle of his back is utterly lumpy/deformed by matted fur. I watched him walk over to a neighbor's backyard shed & mark the foundation as he continued his rounds.

This definitely can't belong to anyone. Either he's feral, or someone moved away/abandoned him/he accidentally got outside.

I have no idea if he's social, since my contact with him has only been distant visual.


There is a no-kill animal shelter about 2 miles from here I would like to take him to. Those mats are going to eventually cause sores if they haven't already. The state of his coat is miserable.

Do you have any tips on how to catch him humanely? I can't afford an animal trap or anything. For now I was thinking I could put a little dry food near the area he just marked (assuming perhaps my neighbor's indoor/outdoor tabby won't mess w/it since it's not his territory, perhaps?). Eventually get Stray Tuxedo Kitty to eat off the back porch here (close to the shed he marked). If he's not feral/is ok with contact, I can scruff him/get him into a box or pet crate & bring him to the shelter. I've got shoulder-length industrial nitrile gloves that he can't scratch or bite through.

Not sure if this is a good tentative plan, or if something else would work. I just know those mats are only gonna get worse, leaving him vulnerable to infection &/or affect his mobility. Poor guy.

be careful about grabbing him with your bare hands. he could have any number of diseases/parasites, etc. might be helpful to have a thick blanket you can hold him with so he cant scratch you

 

[Lexicon]

Mmm..check with the shelter. Chances are that they have the equipment you'd need to do this as stress-free as possible. Sometimes, the city also runs 'trap and release' programs, aimed mostly at keep the feral population under control and they too would be in possession of the right equipment.

Your way could certainly work, but a) you're less experienced, b) it'll take longer to get a hold of him due to your presence (vs a humane trap contraption) c) there's the risk that he won't let you near and d) the risk that something will go wrong, making it exponentially harder to get a hold of him later on.

If you are able to scruff him, make sure you have an actual pet carrier (and even those, hysterical cats can get out of, though it's rare), as a simple box won't stand a chance against a hysterical animal that is forcing his way out of whatever he feels trapped by.

If you do feel you have the time, I'd say, build up a relationship with him using food, not expecting anything and making it as predictable a routine as possible to gain his trust. And then it's a matter of not breaking it, and getting him to willingly go into a pet carrier - or, to be lightning fast as you betray his trust.

I love where your heart is at, though.

Let us know how it turns out.

Cool, didn't think of contacting the shelter for equipment. I'll research today & make some phone calls tomorrow during business hours. If they don't have a trap, I do have a large/sturdy pet carrier I can use to transport him if I eventually gain his trust.

He usually seems to come through the yard in late afternoon, so I'll try to put food out around then/hang out some distance away.

Hopefully the shelter has a trap, though. Thanks again for that idea. I'll keep ya posted!