Herd your cats here

[the_geneticist]

Thanks, OneMoreYear. Everything's all quiet with them at the moment. Everyone's asleep in a sun patch.

In answer to your previous question, no, when the Larimar cats knead, they're all in.

Nebo113, I hope Shebah is doing better!

Who knew about feline hissy fits!  Wow!  The Shebah produced real poop sometime last night, but I am still going to talk with the vet today.

The medication used for anesthesia in humans is often constipating.  Is that true for cats too? 

[smallcleanrat]

Larimar, how are Calico and OrangeGuy doing?

OneMoreYear, Ricochet sometimes sounds like the cat version of me. Very indecisive, always wants to keep the option to back out quickly. Is this new behavior? Maybe she's testing out the idea of being a lap cat?

Maestro used to sit on my lap when he was tiny, but he doesn't do it anymore. He will still jump into SO's lap, so I was left wondering what was wrong with mine. I think it's that his grownup frame doesn't settle as easily in my lap whereas SO's lap still has sufficient surface area to serve as a stable place to relax. They look like such good friends on the couch together. Maestro enjoys TV if there is a lot of action onscreen, so the two of them will watch sports with similar expressions of rapt attention.

Instead of my lap, Maestro has been using the top of my desk chair as a perch when he wants to hang out with me. Sometimes I get a paw patting my head as if he's saying "Good human."

[mamselle]

I had a cat that would tangle her claws in my hair when I wasn't looking...they're so sweet!

M.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I am hiding under the electric blanket and I am flanked by cats!

[Puget]

I am hiding under the electric blanket and I am flanked by cats!

Why of course-- what could be better than being under an electric blanket with a human hot water bottle to boot?!

We are arrayed before the fire as usual each evening. A little while ago both cats somehow crammed themselves into one basket (which is hardly large enough for Panther Boy by himself), with their paws around each other, and were licking one another's faces. That just never stops being adorable.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I am hiding under the electric blanket and I am flanked by cats!

Why of course-- what could be better than being under an electric blanket with a human hot water bottle to boot?!

We are arrayed before the fire as usual each evening. A little while ago both cats somehow crammed themselves into one basket (which is hardly large enough for Panther Boy by himself), with their paws around each other, and were licking one another's faces. That just never stops being adorable.

Awwwww. The day that happens here, with any of our cats, will be the day Hell freezes over. It's hard enough to get them to lie next to each other.

[Charlotte]

I have a question and I'm hoping someone here has some advise! My dog has been on flea prevention ever since she was a puppy but not the cat since she is indoor only. My best guess is that my dog brought a flea in from outdoors and the flea decided to jump to my cat.

I treated the cat with the treatment you put on the back of their neck and the fleas did not leave. I tried to wait out the flea treatment but it seemed to be getting worse. I put a flea collar on the cat, made certain the dog had no fleas (no sign of them on her), vacuumed the whole house, washed every washable thing in the house and sprayed carpeted room, bedding, and cat's favorite places to hang out with flea killer that says it kills eggs, larvae, and adults. I also use a flea comb on the cat multiple times a day.

They are still coming. I see them mostly on her, but every now and then on the furniture.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to interrupt the flea cycle? I'm getting tired of washing everything every couple days and I know the fleas must be annoying the cat! I guess the flea collar isn't working so what do I use instead? A bath is out of the question unless I want to be murdered and I don't think I could get a pill down her. I also know cats are sensitive and don't want to harm her with too many chemicals.

If I keep up this routine of washing the washables every couple days, vacuuming daily, combing her daily, and spraying the chemicals every two weeks then will they eventually go away? I've been doing this for two weeks so I'm wondering if I need to change something.

[mamselle]

Sounds like you need to flea-bomb the house.

A serious infestation really only does go away with a systemic intervention like that.

One summer....oh, boy.....I've just repressed it, but that's really the only thing that worked.

M.

[nebo113]

Thanks, OneMoreYear. Everything's all quiet with them at the moment. Everyone's asleep in a sun patch.

In answer to your previous question, no, when the Larimar cats knead, they're all in.

Nebo113, I hope Shebah is doing better!

Who knew about feline hissy fits!  Wow!  The Shebah produced real poop sometime last night, but I am still going to talk with the vet today.

The medication used for anesthesia in humans is often constipating.  Is that true for cats too?

Unfortunately, yes.  And I probably waited too long to intervene.  And she was switched to all wet food when she is accustomed to dry in the morning and wet at night.  Too much change and trauma for an elderly feline.  Talked with vet and she cleared us for travel (and addition of dry food and two more days of laxative), which I will do on Thursday.  Be assured that I will not be joining family/friends for turkey, but relocating to winter quarters.  About an 8 or 9 hour drive, which will include stops for canine and me to pee; drive thru food and/or an egg salad sandwich.  Have a decent size hard sided carrier for feline, with pee pads and soft bottom.  Can ya'll tell I'm a bit anxious!?!?!?

[mamselle]

Do you possibly have a leash and harness for her to be able to let her out along the way?

I seem to recall someone, maybe it was InfoPri? who annually went from "Somewhere Warm" to "MyCity" with kitties and had a whole rigamarole worked out for them.

The thing was not to ever let them out of the car before the leash was on, that much I do remember...and there was often much yowling at the beginning of the trip.

M.

[the_geneticist]

I have a question and I'm hoping someone here has some advise! My dog has been on flea prevention ever since she was a puppy but not the cat since she is indoor only. My best guess is that my dog brought a flea in from outdoors and the flea decided to jump to my cat.

I treated the cat with the treatment you put on the back of their neck and the fleas did not leave. I tried to wait out the flea treatment but it seemed to be getting worse. I put a flea collar on the cat, made certain the dog had no fleas (no sign of them on her), vacuumed the whole house, washed every washable thing in the house and sprayed carpeted room, bedding, and cat's favorite places to hang out with flea killer that says it kills eggs, larvae, and adults. I also use a flea comb on the cat multiple times a day.

They are still coming. I see them mostly on her, but every now and then on the furniture.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to interrupt the flea cycle? I'm getting tired of washing everything every couple days and I know the fleas must be annoying the cat! I guess the flea collar isn't working so what do I use instead? A bath is out of the question unless I want to be murdered and I don't think I could get a pill down her. I also know cats are sensitive and don't want to harm her with too many chemicals.

If I keep up this routine of washing the washables every couple days, vacuuming daily, combing her daily, and spraying the chemicals every two weeks then will they eventually go away? I've been doing this for two weeks so I'm wondering if I need to change something.

You might want to ask your local vet if the flea population in your area is resistant to the active ingredient in the medication you used.  Might need to switch to another formulation. 

[Larimar]

Sounds like you need to flea-bomb the house.

A serious infestation really only does go away with a systemic intervention like that.

One summer....oh, boy.....I've just repressed it, but that's really the only thing that worked.

M.

+1 to this. Unfortunately, if you don't get them all, they will come back.

You might want to ask your local vet if the flea population in your area is resistant to the active ingredient in the medication you used.  Might need to switch to another formulation. 

This is a good idea too.



Calico and OrangeGuy both seem to be doing better. Calico goes to the vet for a follow-up tomorrow. Thanks for asking, smallcleanrat.

[OneMoreYear]

OneMoreYear, Ricochet sometimes sounds like the cat version of me. Very indecisive, always wants to keep the option to back out quickly. Is this new behavior? Maybe she's testing out the idea of being a lap cat?

It's a little like she's thinking "OK, OK, this is good, I'm liking this, yes, I'm purring . . .  DANGER WILL ROBINSON!"  She is incredibly fast, and we don't stop her escaping (unless she's trying to bolt out the door; we'd never find her again). This particular type of kneading is new; yesterday, while I was grading in the kitchen, she had her back paws on the kitchen table and was kneading my lap. She got spooked when my SO came in to the kitchen (any unexpected movement while she is attempting to interact is cause to flee) and bolted pretty quickly.  I don't think she'll ever be a lapcat, and we don't expect her to, despite my want of one.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Somebody was bad today. Elder evil cat managed to open the baby gate and get Eldest evil cat's food. He's not supposed to eat it because he's on a special diet and she isn't.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Double-post.

Youngest evil cat is watching TV again. It's so funny. She's parked right in front of it, watching attentively.