Cat-O-Rama

My cat Lancelot is at least 19. Hes from the Humane Society, so we’re not sure. I’m a little lost on what food to be feeding him. I’ve bought him some Wellness canned, but I think it has a pretty high protein content, and I’ve heard thats not good for old cats. If anyone has advice or suggestions that would be great. Heres a bit about Lance.

- Barn cat - now lives in the garage in his own house with a heating pad. (he won’t stay in the house)
- Has had a stroke, which he recovered from miraculously well
- Has lost an eye
- Missing two of his fangs (abcesses a long time ago)
- Almost totally deaf
- urine has lost its smell
- loose bowels
- consistant runny nose
- can still beat up the dog when she gets too nosy!

I include the above because he is a cat that never seems to say die, and our vet jokes that he probably never will. He is one of those cats that just seems to endure. But he is obviously losing weight, and I’m always concerned about him being comfortable as possible. He loves wet food, but will still eat any kibble even though he can’t chew it. It just doesn’t bother him. Dental work is no longer an option because his excessive age makes it too high risk for surgery.

As well, if anyone has been in a situation like mine - did you have your cat put to sleep? I’d rather Lance be able to pass away on his own and keep him comfortable until that time. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain. But his health problems seem to be mounting up.
I should add: Getting him to eat is never a problem. Boy loves his food!

Since he’s so old, make sure he gets a lot of water, most older cats lose kidney function and having them on a dry food diet only makes things harder for them. Switch to canned, for the extra moisture. Keep with high protein (low protein makes the body work harder, causing stress). NO milk though, that causes diarhea in way too many cats.

Low protein diets used to be recommended, but new research indicates high protein, low fat and low carb is much better for elderly cats. And extra water intake.

I have a 19 year old 1/2 siamese who has impaired kidney function, but he’s doing well with ‘cat food soup’ and an assortment of baked chicken and raw ground turkey. When his appetite gets too low I use meat baby food to get him eating again. He’s stable. He pees three times a day so I know he’s getting enough water in him.

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and notice I didn’t say the Dark Side, so I’m not talking about Star Wars here.

-Occulty

Suggested Cats:

# Health > Dental
# Science & Mathematics > Medicine
# Health > Diet & Fitness
# Home & Garden > Decorating & Remodeling
# Science & Mathematics > Biology

Pros- Guilt free sex, never having to talk to yourself after "sinning", and the ability to see a shoddy piece of literature for what it is.

Cons: Fewer bake sales, and no free babysitting on sunday morning.

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Due to a recent rescue of a darling little Himalayan with more problems than a 80 year old man on life support, I’ve decided to start up a blog to document his struggle through all of the challenges he’s faced.
The only problem, I’m having writer’s block coming up with a title!

I need some help! I’ll definitely give credit where credit is due once I choose a title.

Now, some background information:

Our little kitty, Melvin, came to us by way of Craigslist from an accidental litter between two purebred Himalayans. His previous owner was caring, but somewhat unaware of all the underlying problems her two cats had.

When we got him, he was very sleepy, and slept around 22 hours a day. He was also extremely tiny. We figured that he was drowsy due to how tiny he was and thought nothing of it. But one thing I did notice was that he didn’t eat nearly enough for a kitten that had been "weaned".

I tried to feed him as much as possible, even resorted to a bottle, but he still only took down about a tablespoon a day. Then the diarrhea hit. As soon as that came along, we rushed him to the vet.

The emergency vet took one look at him and said "abandoned kitten?" thinking that he was younger than he is. I told her that he was actually 2 months old and she was shocked. Melvin weighed only 9 ounces on that day. He had severe emaciation and dehydration and on top of that, a terrible ear infection. He was given a dextrose solution as well as an injection directly into his skin to aid with the dehydration and then fed Science Diet A/D. The vet gave us the food, some syringes and sent us on our way. Our instructions were to give him 40 to 60 ccs a day. That wasn’t going to happen. He could only get down about half of that, so he returned to the vet.

Through some research and a few tests, the vet came to the conclusion that our little Melvin has dwarfism! Now, this is the same gene that causes "teacup" Persians to be so small. It is NOT something that should be bred! Not only that, his mother rejected him and his previous owner had no clue that Melvin was sneaking food from her dish to stay alive. Melvin is only going to get to be about 2 to 3 pounds when completely grown, and all the while, he is going to have to be monitored and cared for due to the many intestinal problems he may have. All this PLUS the constant requirements of grooming he is going to need. And on top of that, he has crossbite AND overbite, so he’ll need to have dental visits often.

Anyways, he’s getting better. He no longer sleeps all day, in fact, he’s a wild little guy and runs rampant through the house. Of all of our cats, he’s the most easily entertained.

I want this blog as a personal account to the dangers of owning anything "teacup". That cats should be bred for health, not looks. Also, Melvin is such a fighter, he deserves to be shared with the world.

Here’s him after a much needed bath (He came to us completely covered in dried milk and mats):
http://i39.tinypic.com/20k4tug.jpg

And here he is after he was brushed and blowdried out: http://i39.tinypic.com/2qv5lsm.jpg

Anyone have a good title for my blog?
Also: Melvin is up to 12 ounces, now. His tummy stays full and he eats like a pig. He can finally eat on his own and is doing great with the litter box. All in all, he’s becoming an amazing little kitten.

I really like just, "Miracle Cat".
That’s what drew me in to click on this question! Haha.

I also recommend something like:
Melvin the Mini-Miracle
Mighty Melvin, the Mini-Miracle, and his Story of Hope
Melvin: Tiny, but Tough
Mighty Little Melvin the Himalayan
The Story of Melvin; the Lucky Little Miracle Cat.

Hmm. Haha I can’t think of any more. But I love your idea. What a poor little guy! He really is a fighter!

=)

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I’m only 16 years old, and I already feel like my health is failing me! It first started about a year ago when I got a plantar wart- no big deal. A year later, I have about 20, and despite freezing, duct tape occlusion, salycilic acid… nothing has worked. Now I have similarly shaped wart-like growths on two of my fingers. A few months ago, I started getting a severe pain in my lungs about 4-5 times a week. It’s about 15 seconds of debilitating pain, where I have to crumple in a fetal position to get some comfort. Today at the dentist, he told me I have a new dental condition where I have tiny pin-prick shaped holes on my molars. He said he’s never seen it before. To add on to all of this, I get migranes about 4 times a month, and tension headaches when I don’t have a migrane. I’m not even sure where, or how, to start treatment. I’ve had an echo to check for heart problems, an MRI and CAT scan for my headaches, and I still don’t have an answer. Maybe someone has a theory/hypothesis?

If they still make Vertego..get it for your plantar warts. You apply it directly. We had great luck with one on my daughters foot after trying everything.

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A couple of weeks ago, I was experiencing symptoms like vertigo & feeling dizzy & having loss of balance. I went to the ER, & the doc did a CAT scan. He found nothing wrong, & he gave me anti-dizziness meds. For the past 3 days, my jaw has been hurting, & it pops easily. & it feels like my jaw alignment is out of place (I used to have braces), & it feels like my jaw is about to break when I bite down on food. I’ve also been experiencing tooth-grinding AKA bruxism. Ever since yesterday, I’ve been feeling occasional spasms of sharp pain in my ear. Do you think I should go to the doc. tomorrow? My health insurance doesn’t cover dental expenses, so I think I might be out of luck with that.
The pain is in the RIGHT ear.

Well, TMJ refers to the temroral mandibular joint, located just above and foreward the ear. most dentist wont tell you because they probably dont know…. Orthodontics, most commonly known as braces….. Can cause you to have TMJ. So you have fixed one problem (crooked teeth) and caused another (TMJ). Most TMJ problems can be relieved by using a splint.
Possibility #2 : Third molar (wisdom teeth) also located near the ear. The best thing to do is see your dentist for Xrays.

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My kitties are both about 9 months old. The female weighs 8 pounds (she has a small frame) and the male weighs 10. They are both spayed/neutered, of course.

I feed them about 1/8 cup of Wellness Core dry formula in the morning, and in the evening they will get about 2 oz of canned food. I rotate between Wellness pouches (grain-free), Evo, Felidae, and Evolve. They get 1-2 CET dental chew treats daily.

They are normal in terms of activity level. They play with each other, and every other day I’ll play with Da Bird with them until they’re panting. They are 100% healthy.

I ask this because on the little poster at the vet’s office, the picture of the kitty at the "healthy" weight has an underside that tucks back up as it reaches its hind legs (http://www.cathelp-online.com/health/bscore.php). My cats definitely don’t do that, but they don’t bulge out like the "overweight" cat, either. Basically it just looks like their tummy goes straight across, but there’s definitely a little bit of flab. Am I doing something wrong, or is this just because they were fixed?
http://www.cathelp-online.com/health/bscore.php

Is the link.

One of the main ways that your veterinary staff knows if your pet is overweight is based on its ribs. Rule of thumb is that if you can clearly see them, it’s underweight, and if you have to really dig to find them or can’t feel them at all, it’s overweight - with varying degrees on both ends of the spectrum. The ribs should be easily palpated but not outwardly visible. A lot of cats seem to have that little bit of extra tummy-skin, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re overweight. Check their ribs. It sounds like you’re doing everything right, but if you’d like a little extra peace of mind, ask your vet at their next visit if they seem to be at healthy weights.

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I had a gift vocher for 25.00, the dental forumlar was on special for $83 for a 15kg pack, which actual only cost me 58.25. My dog has no allergies that I know off and i had completely rung out of the other food i normally feed her-was feeding her mixed vegetables, rice and meat, and she was starting to chew our garden plants and we are in rental!! So that not a good idea. I did no slowly switching foods

She had NO dirreah,
She actually producing less stool and there not smelly.

ADVANCE PRODUCT BENIFITS

contain Selected oils for healthy skin and coat

Reduces the risk of Lower Urine Tract Disease

High Quality Ingredients

Promotes Dental Health

Promtoes healthy bacteria which results in firmer fewer stools

Developed By Waltham

Developed in australia for Australian Dogs & Cats.
Here is a link
http://www.advancedpetnutrition.com.au/product.aspx

Please Note i will be feeding whatever on special as money is tight!! However I will be using premium brands-EVEN THOUGH I AM STRUGGLING TO AFFORD THESE BRANDS! Measly 535 disability pension and OWE MUM OVER $6000+

At this Petstore-they ADOPT OUT LORT SMITH ANIMAL SHELTER CATS, DOGS, OCCASSIONAL RABBITS & BIRDS. So i DON’T FEEL BAD About supporting them.
I also get a 25 discount voucher if i spend just over $400. This petstore DOES have Royal Canin and Eagle Pack Holistic and Eagle Pack Original. However it is currently out of my price range. If one of the brands does become on special however I will defiantly give them a try.

Please Note that I AM australian and WE DO NOT HAVE HUGE RANGE OF HOSTIC FOODS, WE HAVE MINIMAL RANGE AND MOST ARE ONLY AVAILABLE AT PETSTORE THAT SELL PUPPY MILL/KITTEN MILL ANIMALS. AND I REFUSE TO BUY AND SUPPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY.

This is the one and only petstore I will buy my pets food from
http://www.petsathome.com.au/adoption

I got the large/giant breed formular.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOOD WAS ON DISCOUNT FOR $83 for a 15kg pack, I used a $ 25 gift voucher, which actual only cost me 58.25.

If your dog does okay on it then it’s good. At $5.15/kg or $2.50/# it’s well out of my price range. I’ve never heard of the product.

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Just thought I’d share (for those of you who maybe weren’t aware)

Have a good night everyone! ~KJ

Adopt-a-Rescued-Bird Month: January

Adopt-a-Rescued Rabbit Month: February

Pet Dental Health Month: February

Spay Day USA: February 22

Adopt-a-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month: March

National Professional Pet Sitters Week: March 6-12

National Poison Prevention Week: March 20-26

Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month: April

Tag Day: April 2

Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week: April 17-23

Be Kind to Animals Week: May 1-7

National Dog Bite Prevention Week: May 15-21

Disaster Preparedness Month: June

Adopt-a-Cat Month: June

Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month: June

World Pet Memorial Day: June 12

Take Your Dog to Work Day: June 24

National Homeless Animals Day: August 20

Pet Memorial Day: September 11

National Farm Animals Awareness Week: September 18-24

Adopt-a-Dog Month: October

Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month: October

National Veterinary Technician Week: October 16-22

Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month: November

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week: November 6-12

thank you for loving animals I wish more people did. I’m at my limit and cannot provide for more. 5 cats, 2 dogs 3cats were rescue and both dogs were rescue.

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