Herd your cats here

[Volhiker78]

Sad news. We lost elder evil cat and I am crushed. He was such a good boy.

I am sorry for your loss. 

[OneMoreYear]

Sad news. We lost elder evil cat and I am crushed. He was such a good boy.

I'm so sorry to hear about elder evil cat, EPW. The time we have with them is never enough. Gentle scritches to you and yours.

[apl68]

Sorry to hear that Evil Cat is gone, EPW. 

A piece of wisdom my father shared with me and my brother when we lost a dog when I was about eight--losing pets is a part of having them.

[MarathonRunner]

Sad news. We lost elder evil cat and I am crushed. He was such a good boy.

So sorry for your loss. My deepest condolences. May you treasure good memories of elder cat.

[Harlow2]

So sorry, EPW.

[smallcleanrat]

epw, I'm so sorry for this sad news.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Thanks everyone. It's just been so empty and quiet over here. :) He was a very loud man cat (when he was young and old and everything in between).

SO and I are considering getting a kitten or two for youngest evil cat. I think she's been confused and a little lonely without her 'boyfriend.' I put that in quotes because she drove him nuts with her unwanted affections.

[MarathonRunner]

Thanks everyone. It's just been so empty and quiet over here. :) He was a very loud man cat (when he was young and old and everything in between).

SO and I are considering getting a kitten or two for youngest evil cat. I think she's been confused and a little lonely without her 'boyfriend.' I put that in quotes because she drove him nuts with her unwanted affections.

We got a kitten for our tortie when it was clear she was mourning the unexpected loss of our rescue. When we lost eldest cat, we didn't, as our remaining cats seemed fine. A kitten can definitely help in some circumstances, especially if a cat is used to having a playmate and no longer has one. All the best to you.

[Harlow2]

Just got back from the vet with Little Cat. She's been dropping weight since Christmas but has otherwise been OK--eating, singing, playing, etc. as always.  She got blood work done and has thyroid problems.  So, out with ALL the treats--she lives for Temptations treats--and cat food, both wet and dry. She can only have the Rx food (dry and wet). We'll take her back in 8 weeks to see if it's working; if not, we might have to add a pill once or twice a day. 

I'm glad it can be managed, and that she's overall in good health/has her normal good quality of life.  We lost Fela before Christmas; I'm not ready to lose another pet right now.  She is 17, though, but the vet said she should have a number of good years left, esp. since she's an indoor, pampered cat.

Not sure if it's available near by, but the radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism is well worth it.  One (expensive!) week at a radiation clinic, needing to scoop & flush cat litter for a few days, and that's it.  And since it's a cure, she can eat whatever she wants after a few weeks.

Ulysses was just diagnosed with hyperthyroidism on Tuesday. She'd been slowly drinking more and peeing more, and when I got home from vacation drank nearly a quart. Hungry, too.  For now we are doing the meds; but I'm considering the radioactive iodine treatment so I can travel without burdening the neighbor who is willing to catsit. So following everyone's experiences with interest.

[AmLitHist]

Harlow, we have to take Little Cat back in late June to see if the diet is working for her hyperthyroidism. She went a few days last week where she wouldn't eat much at all; now she's eating the special kibble again. She doesn't feel quite so bony as she had, but she's still way underweight.  I hope we can avoid the twice-daily pills (for the sake of not having to aggravate her with them--I wouldn't mind doing it so much, but I know she'd be pissed every time).

They say the radioactive iodine works, but we just can't see doing it in our case:  she's 17; it costs a small fortune which, honestly, I just don't have; and we'd have to go to Mizzou or U of I to have it done at their vet school (a couple of hundred miles, plus the trauma to her of being away from us for a month).

Good luck--I hope it works out for you and Ulysses!  (How much drama is the medication, by the way?)

[Harlow2]

ALH, for right now the meds are going splendidly (but this is our fist full day). Ulysses loves peanut butter, and the tiny pills are easy to hide in a dollop.  This morning I just popped one in her wet food, and she gobbled up the teaspoon full of food containing the pill before getting the rest. Fingers crossed that that will last. The pills are a dollar a day (generics should be cheaper; got these from the vet) so probably cheaper than custom food. 

There's also a gel that can be applied to ears 2 X day; don't know cost. I'll try that if her appetite wanes.  Ulysses is 7, so considerably younger than Little Cat.

[Puget]

I got back from a week long trip last night. Despite having their usual cat sitter who they adore, they have been letting me know they missed me. So much so that Panther Boy really needed to wake me up with loud and persistent mewing at 5 AM to pet him. Early to bed tonight. . .

[FishProf]

Thor and Loki's 4am parkour workout was interrupted by a cat fight w/ Nox <4feet from my head.  A thrown pillow broke that up.

Parkour resumed.
Then a steel-cage death match took place ON MY BACK at 4:30 am.

At 5, parkour had resumed and was capped off by using my foot hanging off the end of the bed as a launchpad.  Cue cursing, and bleeding.  So I had to get up and tend to a 2 inch cut and its attendant blood.

I love my cats...I love my cats...I love my cats...

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Thor and Loki's 4am parkour workout was interrupted by a cat fight w/ Nox <4feet from my head.  A thrown pillow broke that up.

Parkour resumed.
Then a steel-cage death match took place ON MY BACK at 4:30 am.

At 5, parkour had resumed and was capped off by using my foot hanging off the end of the bed as a launchpad.  Cue cursing, and bleeding.  So I had to get up and tend to a 2 inch cut and its attendant blood.

I love my cats...I love my cats...I love my cats...

:D Ha! Youngest evil cat does parkour every day (bouncing off walls, over gates, etc.).

[OneMoreYear]

Thor and Loki's 4am parkour workout was interrupted by a cat fight w/ Nox <4feet from my head.  A thrown pillow broke that up.

Parkour resumed.
Then a steel-cage death match took place ON MY BACK at 4:30 am.

At 5, parkour had resumed and was capped off by using my foot hanging off the end of the bed as a launchpad.  Cue cursing, and bleeding.  So I had to get up and tend to a 2 inch cut and its attendant blood.

I love my cats...I love my cats...I love my cats...

:D Ha! Youngest evil cat does parkour every day (bouncing off walls, over gates, etc.).

Oh, this explains what Richochet is doing when she is racing around the house, bounding on the furniture! Though, she usually ends up somewhere very high, peering down at us like a gargoyle. She does not have a parkour partner, as Ninja looks at her like she's insane.

After 8 years, I can report that Ricochet may have figured out how to sit next to people on the couch. She had explored hanging out by my feet and was getting pretty good at lap-standing. But, this week, she has actually snoozed next to me on the couch and allowed petting. Apparently what she needed was a large stack of papers, about as tall as the couch arm. She now apparently thinks this is "her spot." So, now I cannot organize the large stack of papers on the couch because the cat needs to sit on them.