People Food For Cats

Stumbled on a new "gourmet cat food" that we had to offer to Miss Picky Eater, and she loves it. It is quite expensive though, so she will not get a regular diet of Petite Cuisine Gourmet Cat Food. True to it's hype though, it does not have a raunchy smell, which made me wonder if Miss Picky Eater would even try it. But she loved it.

Their website is offering a "Free Sample" BUT you have to pay $5.00 shipping. You can buy 6 cans in the store for that $5. Of course, if you could not find it and wanted to try it, perhaps - still a bit steep for something that is "free".

The best litterbox

Or so it's advertised. It's called the Smart Cat Box and it is really one of the best we've used. We ordered a new supply of safflower seeds and an extra urine collection box and it arrived last night. This weekend I want to attempt to clean the current "litter" though because according to the directions, it should last a month or more.

It will be easier to wash "cat litter" in the warmer months - I'm not sure how we will fare using the bathtub. But I do want to try.

Snoopy accepted this litter box immediately, and it's amazingly easy to keep clean and it does not smell.

Another thing that I read on the Smart Cat Box site is

Clumping litters typically contain sodium bentonite which can be toxic to cats, causing muscle weakness and lethargy.

This could be another reason Snoopy is more agile and awake these days. Food for thought.

Too much time

I caught up a bit today and I've spent some time (too much time) surfin' on Petfinder.com and there are way too many adoptable cats right in my neighborhood. I'd be really afraid to walk into one of those shelters.

I must have looked at this boy at least a dozen times and I wonder if he's still there. He is a "special needs" cat though and on a special diet and while I'd love to help him, I think I need a "healthy" cat for my sick ones companion.

It is safe to look at cats on the computer screen. For now I will avoid actually walking into one of these shelters because I know I can not leave empty handed.

Update on Snoopy is still the same. She is doing very well. Eating, sleeping, and all that - oh yes, and purring ... a LOT!

Bird TV

Today Miss Cat is busy - she is watching Bird TV. With all the new snow the birds are dive bombing the feeder and when they leave the trees they cause mini-avalanches. It is most entertaining today for a Curious Cat. I am happy that she has decided to enjoy such things as birds and squirrels and the occasional feline visitor that peers in the door. Or the dive-bombing bird that actually crashes into the glass door (as just happened!)

She won't set one foot outside the door though. We could leave the slider wide open and she'd just sit there - she's the consummate indoor pet. Once we were bringing her back from the vet and Don opened the cat carrier in the yard, thinking she'd run right in the house. But she fooled him and ran under the deck. I thought we'd never get her out - and when she did come out she was filthy and covered with spider webs! So I'm just as happy that she prefers the indoors.

Cat in a basket

What is it about being inside something - preferably a plastic basket of some sort? She loves it. She likes to "ride" in her basket. As for the plastic laundry basket, she loves to have it turned upside down on top of her, encasing her in a little plastic jail. This is a strange cat.

She's doing well though. It's obvious she feels much better. She's not running through the house playing by any means, but she's not slinking around hiding under furniture and she seems to love to have all the attention. Who knew?

It's not always "all about ME", Snoopy

He's back! This is no stray, but an outdoor cat that my neighbor recently confessed to be feeding. I had to confess right back that we are feeding him, too.

Since we have lived here we have had a few of these cats who come and look in pitifully and that we have fed. One of them came for six years and I will admit that I cried the day I saw him laying dead on the side of the road. He'd almost become "our" outside cat because we fed him every single day that we were available for six years. We named him "Moocher". He would see my car turn in from the road and he'd race me home and roll on the driveway waiting to be petted. I miss my "Moochie" still.

Now this cat has been regular for the past month or so - I've dubbed him Moocher II. I'm not sure if he'll last as long as his predecessor did, but if he comes, we'll feed him.

Three in a row

Another good day with the kitty. She is eating well, not hiding under the bed, and using her litter box!

I feel weird monitoring a cat's bathroom habits, but I think it is necessary with this cat.

She's becoming so much more personable. I can only imagine that a lot of her grouchiness was because she didn't feel good. Wish she could have told us.

She still needs a good haircut. We plan on letting her settle a bit more and then we'll bring her in for her lion's cut. She'll have really short hair then, but at least it will be short all over and not just in spots like it is now.

She's sleeping on the sofa right next to where I am sitting and looking very regal. I think she is convinced she is royalty!

Peek-a-boo

She loves boxes and this one is just right. I still need to figure a way not to get the glowing yellow eyes. If you look closely, you can see where her front legs were shaved for the IVs at the hospital.

We had a very good day yesterday, and she's been up and eaten a good breakfast today. I hope we have turned a corner and she will continue to thrive.

Up and down days

So the cat has good days and bad days. Yesterday afternoon when I walked up to the back door she was sitting right there looking out. Then she was very social, and very hungry! She devoured an entire can of cat food and then was looking for more.

This morning she was hungry again. I've taken to giving her a whole can of food and if she doesn't eat it all, putting it back in the can for the next meal. But when she is feeling good there are no leftovers for the next meal.

So the picky eating is directly related to her moods OR how she feels. I guess that should not be surprising.

She actually ate some Petromalt which she's been refusing. She really hates the Metamucil added to her food, so I hope she will at least accept some Petromalt daily until she gets to be more "regular".

She loves to get inside boxes and last night she spent some time inside the packing box that the new litter box came in. We saved that for her since it is large enough for her to fit into comfortably. I took some pictures which I need to take off the camera and post.

I *think* of getting another cat. But for now it is only thinking. I am not really ready for any added responsibility right now, and I am sure Don agrees on that point.

Nothing new but that is good

Everything with Snoopy appears normal. She was a bit "shy" after her trip to the vet and her experience with the "big needle" on Sunday night. She didn't come out and join Don on the sofa after dinner.

Instead she picked up a very strange hiding spot. We have a "cat condo" similar to this one that Rusty used to hide in. We actually have a double as well as a single. The single is slightly larger and this is where she parked herself. I think this was the first time she could fit in there.

She's lost weight - and that likely may be the reason her blood sugar is lower. At the rate she is eating she may lose more weight. She's extremely picky. She was always the "Mikey" cat in that she'd eat anything (and lots of it).

Powered by ScribeFire.

How true is this?

What is up?

Just got this email from Don

I'm back from the vet and so is Snoopy. Her blood sugar was 124, which is excellent, especially considering that she hasn't had insulin for several weeks. She doesn't have to go through the 3-test curve because she isn't on insulin injections. And the Dr. checked her for constipation/opstipation and she doesn't have either. I asked about the laxative and the Dr. said that he'd rather have her get a natural aid including metamucil, petromalt, and laxatone. He thought she looked "good", but has not received any reports from Tufts.

I just asked him what the vet said about feeding her and he replied that we should "give her food she likes".

SO she is really going to feel "special" now.

I guess I will quit fretting, and let the cat be a cat.

Fluids again

The cat is obviously not hydrated enough - so tonight we popped out the second bag of fluids and just gave her 100 ml. She is so not happy with me right now - but she will get over it and (hopefully) feel better.

I am hoping the vet will have a better solution tomorrow, but who knows. She is very picky about eating but I think that may be a result of her problem right now. Once she's not so stopped up she will likely be more amenable to eating and I can sneak the metamucil into her food.

I don't know. It's discouraging just when she seemed to be doing so well.

I am a little bit worried

Snoopy is constipated. She's used the litter box three times but has very small hard dry stools. She is refusing Petromalt or catfood with Metamucil mixed in. She has outsmarted me again.

At least she has an early appointment with Dr. K tomorrow. I told Don to tell him and ask if he can give us something to give her similar to the Lactulose she got at Tufts.

She is improved, but this cat is not well. This may be a chronic ailment and we will need to figure out how to work with it. We can't afford to let her ever get back in the same situation she was a few weeks back.

What Cats Do For Us

Warm our laps.
Give us someone to talk to.
Help reduce high blood pressure.
Bring the winter air inside, nestled in their coats.
Create a kindred feeling with other "cat people."
Turn common household objects like bottle caps into toys.
Make us more aware of birds.
Donate their services as alarm clocks.
Display daring acrobatic feats right in front of our eyes.
Contribute to living a longer life.
Make a window sill more beautiful.
Keep mice on the run.
Make us smile.
Inspire poets and playwrights.
Teach us how to land on our feet.
Let us indulge our desires to really spoil someone.
Make our homes warmer.
Remind us that life is mysterious.
Share with us the all-is-well experience of purring.
Instruct us in the luxurious art of stretching.
Show us how to lick our wounds and go on.
Give us cool cartoon characters.
Make even an old worn couch look beautiful.
Open our hearts.

From Iams Pet Food Company

The longest short week ever

This is a three day work week that seemed like it was at least 6 days. I am thankful it is finally Friday.

Snoopy continues to thrive. She is eating us out of house and home. Actually, she is probably just getting a normal appetite back. According to the tiny cat food cans, a cat of her weight should eat 3 cans a day. She used to eat a half a can of canned food, but two big scoops of dried foods. She's only eaten canned since her episode and yesterday she ate two full cans. She polished off a can this morning, so she's on track to eat two today as well.

I have been catering to her and giving her different foods at every meal to keep her interested. If we are going to continue to try and keep her well by diet alone, I need to do some research on what types of canned foods have the least amount of carbohydrates. I am convinced that carbs are poison for cats.

She had another "negative" urine test this morning. This is still so mysterious!

Testing strips

Last night late, Don did a second test strip with fresh urine and it came back "negative". That is great news. I am tempted to cancel the BG curve appointment because I think she has a stress induced high BG reading at the vet's office.

We will see.

At least now we can furnish the vet with fresh urine that he can test, and we can closely monitor her at home.

She's accepted the new box so far, but she's only urinated in it - today should tell the tale of how well she will accept it otherwise. She certainly did not like using the cystals, so we may have to keep out two litter boxes and just cover the second one most of the time.

I am encouraged about the "diabetes" though. I've done a bit of research and maybe she never had full blown diabetes at all. If she did, she is certainly in remission now.

One of my cat lover friends at work who has several Rags swears that it is a miracle - she offered up prayers to some saint back when Snoopy was in the hospital. I will not discount that, either.

Powered by ScribeFire.

New litter box

It arrived this afternoon. So we filled it with its "litter" - safflower seeds! Brought it downstairs and replaced the other litter box and then I took Snoopy down to explore. She stepped right into it, and then she squatted and peed! No big deal. I did a test strip but I didn't have a watch to time the results. I think it came out normal, but it did darken up over time. But you are supposed to take the "reading" at exactly 10 seconds. At any rate it was not alarmingly dark, IF it was dark at all, so we'll test again tomorrow.

She has an appointment with her regular vet on Monday for a BG curve. I am wondering if she doesn't have some sort of stress related reaction though that may make those tests inaccurate.

And she has fallen in love - with the cardboard box the litterbox was shipped in - her new bed!

Isn't she pretty?

I swear she is starting to like having her picture taken. I wish her eyes didn't glow like that. If I don't use the flash though there is not enough light here to take a decent shot.

I still want my Digital SLR - maybe next Christmas. Or maybe my birthday?

Maybe I should set myself a goal and use that as a reward for reaching it. I am always motivated by rewards. Food for thought for sure.

Happy New Year

We slept very late today and Snoopy did not wake us. She did sit in her normal spot though - waiting and waiting. She was ravenous and ate almost a whole can of Fancy Feast Savory Salmon for breakfast and then begged for some more. I opened a can of Wellness Salmon & Trout and she gobbled down a big tablespoon full of that.

Her every other day litter box usage seems to affect her appetite. I wish she'd "go" daily, but for now I won't be alarmed with the every other day routine.

We picked up an inexpensive pet carrier for her yesterday at Bldg. 19 - I think it will be easier to transport her in this rather than the big old Pet Taxi carrier.

She will get a trip to Dr. K as soon as we can schedule it. Don is wondering if perhaps we can get her haircut there, too. She is so scruffy still.

For now she is enjoying another day being spoiled rotten. It is hopeless to get her back to being "just a cat". She is convinced she is a princess.