Our family has expanded again.

[ForeverAutumn]

We brought Neko home from the shelter yesterday. Neko is a domestic medium-hair kitty. He's only 10 months old and was full of playful energy at the shelter. He's gone into hiding since we brought him home, but we did manage to introduce him to Brandy before he went into hiding and the introduction went very well. Brandy has been keeping an eye on him, but is giving him space and, so far no ears have gone back and there has been no hissing or swatting. Both cats have friendly and laid back dispositions so I think that they will be fine together. We're hoping that Brandy has been telling Neko that we're good people. :yesnod:

I'll post a picture as soon as I can get one. It may be a week or so as Neko appears to be much more cautious towards us than Brandy (who slept in our bed the first night) was. But he's solid black with just a little white spot on his tummy. Even his lips and nose are black.

If anyone has any suggestions about how to reach out to a shy kitten without freaking him out, I'd appreciate it. He is normally a well socialized cat. While we were in the shelter looking at the different cats, Neko climbed into my lap and curled up to sleep. That was the deciding factor. So I know that he's friendly...just scared. When I put a couple of treats in front of him this morning, he just moved deeper into hiding. I don't want him to get too used to his hiding spots, but I also don't want to force things and freak him out even more.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Remember that cats are territorial, and Neko may be thinking that he's invading Brandy's space, so he retreats. I forget, is Brandy a male or female? If a male, that's all the more reason to believe that Neko's concerned about the territory that is your home.

Another thing about cats is that they're curious as heck, which is another reason why I think he'll be okay eventually. Dismiss the notion that he may get used to his hiding spots.

[JSE]

He'll come out soon. Just takes a little time to get used to things, other cats, people, etc.

Anyway, congrats on the new kitty. Looks like he found a great home. :yesnod:

[bfalls]

Maybe he's waiting to see what camp you're commited to, analog or digital. Some prefer nice, warm tubes to solid-state. Other prefer towers to bookshelf speakers. You didn't interview him prior to adoption? Cats have their standards.

[GMichael]

Congrats FA. Kitties are cool. Just give him time. It won't take long. Make sure he has access to food and water and he'll come around on his own. I bet you'll see him poke his head out tonight. Little by little, he'll come out farther and stay longer. Enjoy.

[kexodusc]

If anyone has any suggestions about how to reach out to a shy kitten without freaking him out, I'd appreciate it. He is normally a well socialized cat. While we were in the shelter looking at the different cats, Neko climbed into my lap and curled up to sleep. That was the deciding factor. So I know that he's friendly...just scared. When I put a couple of treats in front of him this morning, he just moved deeper into hiding. I don't want him to get too used to his hiding spots, but I also don't want to force things and freak him out even more.

First, congrats on the new cat-buddy.

I asked my wife (keeper of our 2 cats) for advice. She says food is a good bribing tool, but mostly you just have to give the kitty time to adjust. Moving is VERY stressful to a cat.

It's a good idea to try and meet him in private, so nobody else around, no noise, and don't close the door so he feels trapped. He'll come out eventually. Talk to him. He's probably more worried about being in the territory of the other cat than anything - which could be adding to it. But he'll adapt.

Of course if you're really in the mood to do some cat-cuddling early, you can always do what my wife did - dope them on catnip and take advantage of their lowered defenses.

[GMichael]

First, congrats on the new cat-buddy.

I asked my wife (keeper of our 2 cats) for advice. She says food is a good bribing tool, but mostly you just have to give the kitty time to adjust. Moving is VERY stressful to a cat.

It's a good idea to try and meet him in private, so nobody else around, no noise, and don't close the door so he feels trapped. He'll come out eventually. Talk to him. He's probably more worried about being in the territory of the other cat than anything - which could be adding to it. But he'll get adapt.

Of course if you're really in the mood to do some cat-cuddling early, you can always do what my wife did - dope them on catnip and take advantage of their lowered defenses.

Predator! :mad5:

[Auricauricle]

Congratulations on the new addition, FA....I suggest putting Neko (where'd the name come from, BTW?) in a box with a couple o' toys (an odd sock, e.g.). Give him a chance to get sorted out and let him explore your place at his leisure--not too much attention to be overly arousing but what he is comfortable with; if he comes to you, approach him at his pace and style. 10 moths is a bit old for socialization, so make sure you establish where your perimeter will be: Is he going to be an indoor or outdoor cat, will he have his own bowl, will he have his own box, etc? He will have to develop trust, but it will be rather slowly, and he will make a few mistakes along the way. He will test your limits occasionally, and may occasionally act incongruently (bite unexpectedly). Just keep your environs stable and don't force yourself upon him. Remember, he's been in a chaotic environment and will have to learn a new ball game....Hope this helps.

[RoadRunner6]

FA, hope you enjoy your new kitty.

BTW, in case you did not know, Neko is the Japanese word for cat. It is pronounced like neh-coe and not knee-coe and rhymes with echo. My wife is Japanese and uses the word neko frequently when she sees a cat.

RR6 :D

[Auricauricle]

Arigato gozaima****a, RR! I used to have a Japanese friend who had a cat named "Kolo"....

[GMichael]

The people on this forum know too fracking much. I always feel so uninformed after I've read a thread.
Sorry for my rant. Back to the kitty talk. Move along, move along. Nothing to see here.

[Auricauricle]

So Decker, how d'you like the view from up here...?

[Rich-n-Texas]

FA, hope you enjoy your new kitty.

BTW, in case you did not know, Neko is the Japanese word for cat. It is pronounced like neh-coe and not knee-coe and rhymes with echo. My wife is Japanese and uses the word neko frequently when she sees a cat.

RR6 :D
I used to luuuuuuuuv those Necco Wafer candy discs. Rarely would you see me without them when I was a little kid. :biggrin5:

[RoadRunner6]

To be precise, and make GM feel even more uninformed, The Japanese usually add the suffix and term of endearment chan after a pet's or child's name (and sometimes very close friends or spouse). Chan is pronouned chawn and rhymes with lawn. So FA's kitty would be called Neko-chan in Japan. My wife has a stuffed animal that is a cat and she calls it Neko-chan. FA's other cat would be called Brandy-chan. My wife's name is Noriko and her mother, very close friends and I call her Nori-chan. Hope you got all that Mikey-chan. :crazy:

Sayonara,
RR6-chan

[GMichael]

To be precise, and make GM feel even more uninformed, The Japanese usually add the suffix and term of endearment chan after a pet's or child's name (and sometimes very close friends or spouse). Chan is pronouned chawn and rhymes with lawn. So FA's kitty would be called Neko-chan in Japan. My wife has a stuffed animal that is a cat and she calls it Neko-chan. FA's other cat would be called Brandy-chan. My wife's name is Noriko and her mother, very close friends and I call her Nori-chan. Hope you got all that Mikey-chan. :crazy:

Sayonara,
RR6-chan

Oh yeah, well my wife is from the Philippines and I asked HER what THEY call cats.
She said, yum. I asked her to translate that for me. She said that they are delicious. Yuuummmmmmmm.

:7:

[RoadRunner6]

I used to luuuuuuuuv those Necco Wafer candy discs. Rarely would you see me without them when I was a little kid. :biggrin5:

I was raised a devout Catholic (now I am a devout atheist) and wanted to be a priest (until I got to be about 12 years old and figured out why Little RoadRunner got so big when I sneaked a peak at a Playboy Magazine ,,, :D ) when I was a young boy. We kids used to pretend celebrating Mass and would use Necco candies as the host for communion. They were so much tastier than that unleavened bread!

RR6

[RoadRunner6]

Oh yeah, well my wife is from the Philippines and I asked HER what THEY call cats.
She said, yum. I asked her to translate that for me. She said that they are delicious. Yuuummmmmmmm.

:7:

(my friends at work from the Philipines say it tastes like chicken)

I suggest you don't have her explain to FA and all us other pussy (cat) and chicken lovers about balut.

RR6 :D

BTW, Maligayang President's Day to your wife.

[GMichael]

I suggest you don't have her explain to FA and all us other pussy (cat) and chicken lovers about balut.

RR6 :D

BTW, Maligayang President's Day to your wife.

We went to Sea World a couple years back. As everyone else was going ooooooooh & aaaaaaaaah, she was going yuummmmm.
What's wrong with the treat with feet?

I'll tell her.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I was raised a devout Catholic (now I am a devout atheist) and wanted to be a priest (until I got to be about 12 years old and figured out why Little RoadRunner got so big when I sneaked a peak at a Playboy Magazine ,,, :D ) when I was a young boy. We kids used to pretend celebrating Mass and would use Necco candies as the host for communion. They were so much tastier than that unleavened bread!

RR6
Okay don't ask me to call you by your screen name ever again. :arf:

[RoadRunner6]

I'm not so sure that FA's going to be real happy when she gets back from playing with Neko-chan and sees what has happened to her thread.

I think I'll try to soften her up a bit with some cute kitty pictures.

RR6 :smilewinkgrin:

[RoadRunner6]

Soften up FA ... attempt #2

[Rich-n-Texas]

I answered her questions in my post #2. The rest of y'all were just riding my coat tails. :rolleyes:

[GMichael]

Ditto

[JSE]

I was raised a devout Catholic (now I am a devout atheist) and wanted to be a priest (until I got to be about 12 years old and figured out why Little RoadRunner got so big when I sneaked a peak at a Playboy Magazine ,,, :D ) when I was a young boy. We kids used to pretend celebrating Mass and would use Necco candies as the host for communion. They were so much tastier than that unleavened bread!

RR6


RoadRunner6 huh?

Is there some hidden meaning there? :skep:

Maybe just a little? :D

[Rich-n-Texas]

Typical Cartman retort. :nonod:

[JSE]

RoadRunner6 huh?

Is there some hidden meaning there? :skep:

Maybe just a little? :D


Sorry FA! :rolleyes:

[RoadRunner6]

OK FA, this is my last attempt!

[RoadRunner6]

RoadRunner6 huh?

Is there some hidden meaning there? :skep:

Maybe just a little? :D

Well, I had considered RoadRunner8 but I try to be modestly humble.

RR6+

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks for all the advice guys. The cat was originally named Nico. I don't like it but I hate to change an animal's name. So I settled for changing the spelling to Neko (like in Neko Case). Both of our cat's are boys and Brandy is twice Neko's size, at least. So I can understand why Neko might be intimidated by him but, as far as we can tell, Brandy is just ignoring him.

Neko was hiding in the basement when we went to bed last night. He was hiding on the main floor when we got up this morning. We were out for a few hours this afternoon and when we got home we found him hiding on the second floor. So it looks like he may be exploring when we're not home and then hiding when we are. He has his own food, water and litter box in the basement for now. Once he's comfortable we'll move it all to the main floor with Brandy's stuff. As far as we can tell, Brandy is just ignoring him.

Thanks for the pictures RR6, they are very cute!

[GMichael]

Thanks for the pictures RR6, they are very cute!

Hmphft.....

[ForeverAutumn]

Hmphft.....

Sorry GM. My sincerest apologies. I didn't notice that one of those pictures was posted by you since there was no half-naked cheerleader or bartender to be seen.

Thank you!!! :yesnod:

[GMichael]

Sorry GM. My sincerest apologies. I didn't notice that one of those pictures was posted by you since there was no half-naked cheerleader or bartender to be seen.

Thank you!!! :yesnod:

Thanks,
I think.

[JSE]

JSE tries his own............................Hmphft.....:idea:

[GMichael]

JSE,

I thank you for saying the things I wanted to say but was too afraid of FA to do so.

[ForeverAutumn]

JSE tries his own............................Hmphft.....:idea:

I got nothin' for ya.

:crazy:

[JSE]

I got nothin' for ya.

:crazy:


Sometimes less is more! :biggrin5:

[ForeverAutumn]

Sometimes less is more! :biggrin5:

I think that was RR6's point.

[GMichael]

I think that was RR6's point.

Hey! We'll have none of that on FA's thread!

[Auricauricle]

At least she's talking to you guys....

[Rich-n-Texas]

What am I, chopped freakin' liver?!?!?!?!?!

:incazzato:

[Auricauricle]

Jeeze, man, roll one up and simmer down....!

[ForeverAutumn]

At least she's talking to you guys....

...something about cats liking chopped liver...

Geez, I said "Thanks for all the advice guys". You are guys, right? I didn't realize that I had to name each and every one of you individually. :frown5:

[Auricauricle]

He started it....I'm just....Well, y'know, he....Um....

[RoadRunner6]

You guys are slow learners. She's obviously a sucker for cute kitty photos.

RR6-

[kexodusc]

Anyone else notice the banner/advertising software is feeding "NEKO AUDIO" stuff with a little silhouette of a cat head?

Creepy.

[GMichael]

You guys are slow learners. She's obviously a sucker for cute kitty photos.

RR6-

Aaawwwwww......

[GMichael]

Anyone else notice the banner/advertising software is feeding "NEKO AUDIO" stuff with a little silhouette of a cat head?

Creepy.

Uhm... yeah... a bit...:skep:

[ForeverAutumn]

Anyone else notice the banner/advertising software is feeding "NEKO AUDIO" stuff with a little silhouette of a cat head?

Creepy.

LOL. I was just going to post the exact same observation.

A little update for those who care. I was woken up at 6:00am by the sounds of a cat under my bed, crying. Brandy, who was up on the bed jumped down and the two cats wandered off and I could see them hanging out in the hallway outside our bedroom door checking each other out. Brandy ran downstairs and Neko followed with his tail high in the air.

I could hear him crying downstairs though so I went down to feed them both (even though it was too early!). Neko ran off and even though I tried to follow him with a bowl of food, I had no luck and he eventually ran back upstairs under the bed. So, off I follow with the food and put it in the bedroom doorway and wait in the room across the hall to see what will happen. Brandy came up and started to eat the food so I moved the bowl to under the bed where Neko could have some privacy and kept Brandy away. When the crying stopped, I went to get the bowl and found that Neko hadn't eaten. So I look under the bed and there is no Neko. I turned my head back to the door and saw Neko and Brandy wandering off back towards the stairs. I WAS DUPED!

I took the food bowl and put it downstairs next to Brandy's and went back to bed. When we got up an hour later, both bowls still had food and Neko was nowhere to be found. I'm sure that the second I left for work Brandy ate Neko's food. But there's a bowl of dry so if he's hungry he'll eat that.

At least he seemed to be happily roaming around the house with Brandy, as long as Hubby or I aren't around...then he runs and hides. He'll have 10 hours with just him and Brandy in the house today so, hopefully, he'll spend the time getting more comfortable.

[GMichael]

LOL. I was just going to post the exact same observation.

A little update for those who care. I was woken up at 6:00am by the sounds of a cat under my bed, crying. Brandy, who was up on the bed jumped down and the two cats wandered off and I could see them hanging out in the hallway outside our bedroom door checking each other out. Brandy ran downstairs and Neko followed with his tail high in the air.

I could hear him crying downstairs though so I went down to feed them both (even though it was too early!). Neko ran off and even though I tried to follow him with a bowl of food, I had no luck and he eventually ran back upstairs under the bed. So, off I follow with the food and put it in the bedroom doorway and wait in the room across the hall to see what will happen. Brandy came up and started to eat the food so I moved the bowl to under the bed where Neko could have some privacy and kept Brandy away. When the crying stopped, I went to get the bowl and found that Neko hadn't eaten. So I look under the bed and there is no Neko. I turned my head back to the door and saw Neko and Brandy wandering off back towards the stairs. I WAS DUPED!

I took the food bowl and put it downstairs next to Brandy's and went back to bed. When we got up an hour later, both bowls still had food and Neko was nowhere to be found. I'm sure that the second I left for work Brandy ate Neko's food. But there's a bowl of dry so if he's hungry he'll eat that.

At least he seemed to be happily roaming around the house with Brandy, as long as Hubby or I aren't around...then he runs and hides. He'll have 10 hours with just him and Brandy in the house today so, hopefully, he'll spend the time getting more comfortable.

That's a good start. He'll come around. Looks like he's already entertaining you though.
Good kitty.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Like I said in POST # 2...

Another thing about cats is that they're curious as heck, which is another reason why I think he'll be okay eventually.
I know it's hard to do, but sometimes you just need to leave the kitty to his own devices. IOW, don't force the issue. While I don't recommend it, cats can go a few days without any food, and in my experience, when Thelma eats Louise's food, it's not long before Louise starts whining for some of her own.

Trust me dear sweet FA, I've had my demon cats for 10 years, and experience has taught me well. ;)

[GMichael]

Did somebody just say something?

[Groundbeef]

FA,

Didn't you just adopt a different cat no too long ago? I seem to remember a discussion about it, and your guinea pigs.

Remember, if the # of cats in a home out number the humans you run the risk of being called "the old cat lady".

I sure hope we don't read a story about the woman in Canada with 2 guinea pigs, and 57 cats.:eek6:

[Ajani]

FA,

Didn't you just adopt a different cat no too long ago? I seem to remember a discussion about it, and your guinea pigs.

Remember, if the # of cats in a home out number the humans you run the risk of being called "the old cat lady".

I sure hope we don't read a story about the woman in Canada with 2 guinea pigs, and 57 cats.:eek6:

That's why I prefer dogs... I can have a whole pack of them without being labeled a crazy cat lady.... ummm... crazy dog guy... ummm.. whatever

[Ajani]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

You're welcome! I'm always happy to be of assistance...

[Worf101]

Gol Darned Flea Barin' Varmints!!!!!

Da Worfster

[Rich-n-Texas]

Did somebody just say something?
SEE?! :incazzato:

[GMichael]

Hello? Is there somebody out there?
Did anybody else here something?

[Rich-n-Texas]

That's why I prefer dogs... I can have a whole pack of them without being labeled a crazy cat lady.... ummm... crazy dog guy... ummm.. whatever
Friend of yours?...

Twenty-two dogs found confined to a single station wagon were seized by the SPCA of Texas this morning and taken to an animal shelter in McKinney, SPCA officials said.

Investigators from the SPCA got a tip about a car parked along an unmarked road near the police station in Pottsboro, which is in Grayson County about 80 miles north of Dallas.
When a Grayson County constable attempted to serve a warrant at the car, a woman in the car locked the doors and refused to come out, said Maura Davies, an SPCA spokeswoman. Inside, 20 adult dogs and two newborns — appearing to be Papillons and long-hair Chihuahuas — were crowded in among blankets, a pot of water and waste. Investigators don’t know how long the dogs had been in the car.
“We could smell ammonia from urine a few feet away from the car as we were approaching,” Davies said. “It was utterly filthy.” ...

[ForeverAutumn]

Like I said in POST # 2...

I know it's hard to do, but sometimes you just need to leave the kitty to his own devices. IOW, don't force the issue. While I don't recommend it, cats can go a few days without any food, and in my experience, when Thelma eats Louise's food, it's not long before Louise starts whining for some of her own.

Trust me dear sweet FA, I've had my demon cats for 10 years, and experience has taught me well. ;)

Thanks Rich. It's just hard for me to hear an animal crying because he's hungry or lonely and ignore it. Especially early in the morning when I want to be sleeping! :mad5: I know that Neko ate last night. So he's not going to starve to death yet. I am happy that he and Brandy seem to be getting along fairly well though. It's obviously an adjustment for Brandy too. He was blocking the kitchen door this morning. I think that once Neko understands the boundaries that Brandy is setting we'll all be fine. :)

[ForeverAutumn]

FA,

Didn't you just adopt a different cat no too long ago? I seem to remember a discussion about it, and your guinea pigs.

Remember, if the # of cats in a home out number the humans you run the risk of being called "the old cat lady".

I sure hope we don't read a story about the woman in Canada with 2 guinea pigs, and 57 cats.:eek6:

Hi Beefy,
Yes, we adopted Brandy on January 4. He came from a house with 80+ cats and it was obvious that he was lonely so we decided to get a second cat. Neko came from the same house and they both spent a few months in the same adoption shelter. So they are both used to having other cats around. I suspect that's one of the reasons that they seem to be getting along so well (its only the humans that Neko hides from).

As for the # of cats in the house. We agree with you; two is our limit. There was another cat in the shelter (Jack) that Hubby and I both liked also. I mentioned the possibility of taking both Neko and Jack but Hubby shut that idea down real fast. Two cats, two guinea pigs, two humans. That's it.

[GMichael]

And they came forth in pairs. So it was written.

[Rich-n-Texas]

And they came forth in pairs. So it was written.
:lol:

If you hadn't said it, I would've.

[GMichael]

When does it start raining?

[Ajani]

Friend of yours?...

And I would've gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for those kids and their damn dog!!! :mad2:

I said I could own a pack of dogs... not lock a pack of them in a parked car....

[kexodusc]

Hey FA,
Your situation doesn't sound too much unlike ours. Our cat Nacho eats Maple's food every day if I don't pay attention. Nacho came from a crappy store where every cat had to fight for every scrap of food and he eats it like it's the last day on earth. Which is fine, except Maple doesn't get much some times. She's also smaller than Nacho and for the most part just lets him get his way (unless she's sleeping in her favorite spot). Just keep an eye on that - you don't want Brandy getting too fat at Neko's expense.

But other than that...they'll figure it out. It's not a bad idea to try and preoccupy Brandy somewhere while you make friends with Neko one-on-one. But yeah, like it's been said, don't force the issue. He'll come around and before you know it you'll posting cute cat stories here.

[Groundbeef]

Hi Beefy,
He came from a house with 80+ cats and it was obvious that he was lonely so we decided to get a second cat.

I had to read that twice. It made me smile both times. If he was lonley in a house of 80, I guess you will need 90?

[GMichael]

THAT'S a lot of ..............

[Groundbeef]

How'd she get all those dogs in that little Catillac?

[ForeverAutumn]

Hey FA,
Your situation doesn't sound too much unlike ours. Our cat Nacho eats Maple's food every day if I don't pay attention. Nacho came from a crappy store where every cat had to fight for every scrap of food and he eats it like it's the last day on earth. Which is fine, except Maple doesn't get much some times. She's also smaller than Nacho and for the most part just lets him get his way (unless she's sleeping in her favorite spot). Just keep an eye on that - you don't want Brandy getting too fat at Neko's expense.

But other than that...they'll figure it out. It's not a bad idea to try and preoccupy Brandy somewhere while you make friends with Neko one-on-one. But yeah, like it's been said, don't force the issue. He'll come around and before you know it you'll posting cute cat stories here.

Brandy is supposed to lose 3-4 pounds, so eating for two is not in the cards for him. He's actually not an overeater. I suspect that his weight is more from poor quality, inexpensive food when he was in the cat house. I'm sure that when you're feeding 80 cats, you worry more about cost than nutrition. He's already lost weight being with us.

Neko was hiding in a room last night and Hubby went into the room and just sat on the couch and quietly read a book for an hour, just so that Neko would get used to him. Neko never came out of his hiding spot. I'll probably do the same thing tonight if he's still in hiding. We're not going to force anything. He has a lot to get used to. Plus we have to consider Brandy's feelings too. He's a very needy cat and may not take well to having another cat earning his human's affections. We don't want to do anything that will get Brandy upset with Neko. So many egos to balance.


He came from a house with 80+ cats and it was obvious that he was lonely so we decided to get a second cat.


I had to read that twice. It made me smile both times. If he was lonley in a house of 80, I guess you will need 90?

LOL. That's not what I meant! :crazy:

[Groundbeef]

LOL. That's not what I meant! :crazy:

I think thats what all the cat ladies say. I'm glad you saved the cat though. I wish we could get cats again.

But my sister is deathly ill of them. We had to find a nice home for our 2(cats) years ago when my 1st daughter was born. I keep hoping they find some sort of cure for cat allergies. They are so much easier to care for than dogs.

[ForeverAutumn]

I think thats what all the cat ladies say. I'm glad you saved the cat though. I wish we could get cats again.

But my sister is deathly ill of them. We had to find a nice home for our 2(cats) years ago when my 1st daughter was born. I keep hoping they find some sort of cure for cat allergies. They are so much easier to care for than dogs.

I have many allergies and I have asthma. Cats are actually one of my worst allergies. We took a bit of a risk getting a cat. But I take allergy medication every day, year round (for environmental allergies) and have found that being near cats no longer bothers me as long as I take my medication. There are some very good allergy medications on the market these days. Allergies can be very managable if you don't mind being a pill popper. I'm not sure that I would do it just to get a cat. But for a situation like mine it's worked out very well.

[Groundbeef]

I have many allergies and I have asthma. Cats are actually one of my worst allergies. We took a bit of a risk getting a cat. But I take allergy medication every day, year round (for environmental allergies) and have found that being near cats no longer bothers me as long as I take my medication. There are some very good allergy medications on the market these days. Allergies can be very managable if you don't mind being a pill popper. I'm not sure that I would do it just to get a cat. But for a situation like mine it's worked out very well.

My sister is well beyond the help of an alergy pill. We are talking Peanut/Bee Sting reaction here. She carries an epi-pen, and it is life threatening.

Dr's have ruled out allergy shots as well, as they are concerned they could kill her.

[GMichael]

Death by kitty?

[Ajani]

Death by kitty?

Might not be a bad way to die :devil:

[Groundbeef]

Death by kitty?

Yeah. Rough way to go.

[GMichael]

Yeah. Rough way to go.
Would suck to have that on your obbit.

Ajani, We think alike.

[Sugar Beats]

What can I say, except Richie knows cats!

[GMichael]

Richie who?

[ForeverAutumn]

My sister is well beyond the help of an alergy pill. We are talking Peanut/Bee Sting reaction here. She carries an epi-pen, and it is life threatening.

Dr's have ruled out allergy shots as well, as they are concerned they could kill her.

:yikes: Never mind!

[Ajani]

What can I say, except Richie knows cats!

Richie knows what???

Rich couldn't tell the difference between a kitty and an @$$hole!!!

[GMichael]

Who is this guy Rich (or Richie) you guys are talking about? Is he rich? Does he have a cat? Does he keep his cat up his ...?

[Groundbeef]

Who is this guy Rich (or Richie) you guys are talking about? Is he rich? Does he have a cat? Does he keep his cat up his ...?

I think he is going to be featured on this show here:

http://www.bravotv.com/the-millionaire-matchmaker

[GMichael]

I think he is going to be featured on this show here:

http://www.bravotv.com/the-millionaire-matchmaker

Sorry FA

[GMichael]

It won't be long before we see pics like........

[Rich-n-Texas]

What can I say, except Richie knows cats!
;)

Not counting FA and SB, all y'all are a buncha LOSERS!!! :dita: <== w/o the grin!

[GMichael]

P whipped!

[ForeverAutumn]

Since Rich missed the opportunity and I just can't resist a good lead-in, I must respond on his behalf. Please pretend for a moment that this is Rich's post...



Rich couldn't tell the difference between a kitty and an @$$hole!!!

I can tell that you're not a kitty!

@$$hole

:ciappa:


Now I'm FA again. Sorry AJ, I'm a sarcastic b!tch and it would be against my nature to have let that one go. :devil:

[Sugar Beats]

Good one FA! I'm sure Rich appreciates it!

[GMichael]

Good one FA! I'm sure Rich appreciates it!
What happened to Richie?

[Rich-n-Texas]

Yeah, what FA said Bonehead! :prrr:

Thanks for getting my back FA. ;)

[Worf101]

As the husband said to the crazy cat lady...

"There's one too many pussies in this bed dear!"

To paraphrase..

"There's on too many pussies in this thread dears."

I love cats and they generally love me. It's my lungs and asthma that doesn't love them... Breathing is a hard habit to break..

Da Worfster

[GMichael]

Hey FA. Has there been any progress? What stories do you have for us today?

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks for asking GM.

Neko is slowly coming around. He’s spending most of his time under our bed when we’re around, but there is definitely evidence of him playing with our stuff when we’re not there. Last night Hubby, Brandy and I were in the living room watching TV and we could hear Neko running around upstairs. But as soon as Hubby or I went upstairs, he’d be back under the bed before we got there. We were happy to hear him running around on his own though. Neko was eating treats out of Hubby’s hand last night (still from under the bed) but wouldn’t let anyone touch him yet.

Brandy sleeps on our bed at night and for the last two nights Neko has ventured onto the bed to see Brandy, who seems to enjoy licking Neko’s head. Last night Brandy was lying beside me and Neko came up and lay down with his head on Brandy’s chest. It was so cute. I decided to risk petting him and he couldn’t get enough of it. He was rubbing his head all over my hand and then starting just rolling all over me. After a couple of minutes he curled up beside Brandy and the three of us lay there for a few minutes until Neko decided to go back under the bed for a while.

Then early this morning he came back up on the bed and let Hubby pet him for a while. I guess we must seem less threatening when we’re lying quietly than when we’re looming 5.5 feet over him.

When we finally got out of bed this morning, he was back under the bed and just poked his head out every now and again, which he hadn’t done before. Then Brandy walked by and Neko ran out and chased him while we were walking around! Brandy ran downstairs and Neko ran back under the bed and that was the last that we saw of him.

He’s obviously starting to trust us and I’m hopeful that by the weekend he’ll be ready to venture out on his own while we’re home. In the meantime we take his food to him under the bed to make sure that he eats, and he appears to be using the litter box when we’re not around.

We’re very busy for the next few days and won’t be home much until Sunday. So Neko will have a lot of time to continue to get comfortable in the house without feeling threatened by us.

[GMichael]

Good story FA. Thanks for sharing. Looks like things are progressing at a normal pace. What you are describing is generally what I've experienced with new cats. Glad to see that he's found a good home with people who care enough to be patient.

[Ajani]

Good story FA. Thanks for sharing. Looks like things are progressing at a normal pace. What you are describing is generally what I've experienced with new cats. Glad to see that he's found a good home with people who care enough to be patient.

There's nothing I hate more than patiently waiting for Kitty...

[GMichael]

I don't think we are talking about the same thing anymore.

[Ajani]

I'm a sarcastic b!tch

No need to apologize... we accept you for who you are, here at AR...

[GMichael]

Everybody take cover!

[ForeverAutumn]

No need to apologize... we accept you for who you are, here at AR...

Thanks AJ. It's nice to be accepted. :smilewinkgrin:

[ForeverAutumn]

Good story FA. Thanks for sharing. Looks like things are progressing at a normal pace. What you are describing is generally what I've experienced with new cats. Glad to see that he's found a good home with people who care enough to be patient.

Thanks GM. There really wasn't much of an adjustment period with Brandy, he made himself at home pretty much right away and slept on our bed the first night, so it's nice to know that what we're experiencing with Neko is normal. I think that having Brandy around is actually making it easier for Neko to adjust since they seem to be getting very comfortable with each other and it appears that they actually like each other! I doubt that Neko would be venturing onto our bed at night if Brandy weren't already there.

[GMichael]

Different cats have different personalities, just like people. Some make friends faster than others.
I think that it was good that you brought Neko home so soon after getting Brandy. Often, the older cat will not accept a new cat in the home and make it tough on them. But with Brandy being new as well, he is a little more accepting. You never know though. Brandy might have been just as accepting years from now. I bet that by the weekend, Neko will be following you around.
Don't forget the pics.

[ForeverAutumn]

Both Brandy and Neko came from a house with over 80 cats and then lived in a shelter for several months. I suspect that they are used to cats coming and going.

Regardless of that, we are making sure to give Brandy a lot of attention to reassure him that Neko's presence will not take away any of our time from him. When Neko got treats last night, so did Brandy. We're working very hard to make sure that there is no reason for either of them to be jealous.

Brandy has one particular toy that he is very attached to and carries around the house in his mouth. It will be very interesting to see how he reacts when Neko wants to play with it. Although we did buy some new toys that we'll give them when Neko is out of hiding. We thought it would be a good idea to have some toys around that don't already have Brandy's scent on them.

[Groundbeef]

If cats were guinia pigs, FA's house is going to look like this pretty soon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o31rT0QilvI

[ForeverAutumn]

If cats were guinia pigs, FA's house is going to look like this pretty soon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o31rT0QilvI


Awwww. Look at aww de liddle peeggies! Dere so cuuuuuuute!

I can't imagine cleaning that pen. I know how much poop only two of them can create in a day! :eek:

[Rich-n-Texas]

Awwww. Look at aww de liddle peeggies! Dere so cuuuuuuute!

I can't imagine cleaning that pen. I know how much poop only two of them can create in a day! :eek:
That's crude and un-lady-like. :nono:

;)

[Groundbeef]

Awwww. Look at aww de liddle peeggies! Dere so cuuuuuuute!

I can't imagine cleaning that pen. I know how much poop only two of them can create in a day! :eek:

I think its at a petting zoo. But I wouldn't want to clean it up either.

Ours have a pretty good size pen, it's 3'x3'. Thats plenty of room for both of them. We also have about 2" of pine shavings in there.

[Rich-n-Texas]

New dentures beefy?

[GMichael]

What? No kitty stories or pics today?

[ForeverAutumn]

LOL. No pics yet, but soon.

Neko is getting much braver. He's ventured out on his own a few times, but doesn't stray too far from the bedroom. We saw him coming down the stairs last night, but he changed his mind about 3/4 of the way down and ran back under the bed.

I was trying to lure him out with treats last night and was having moderate success. Then Brandy walked into the room and Neko came running out to greet him and was all over him and then me...ice broken. :) Brandy wasn't very happy about me petting Neko and started to swat and hiss at him. But then last night they slept beside each other on the bed.

This morning Neko was roaming around while we were getting ready for work. Brandy was happy to let him roam, but anytime he went to make contact with Brandy, he got a good swat. Brandy went downstairs and Neko went back under the bed. It's almost like Brandy is Neko's safety net.

Hubby said that he understands Brandy's actions...that Neko can be annoying. Early this morning Brandy woke Hubby up and wanted some attention. As Hubby was petting him, Neko came up and started jumping all over both of them. Hubby said that even he found it annoying. Brandy got pissed off and jumped off the bed to get away.

It's obvious that Neko loves Brandy, but I think that the jury is still out as to how Brandy feels about Neko. But it still hasn't even been a week. I'm sure that he'll adjust with a bit more time...at least I sure hope so!

[ForeverAutumn]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that when Hubby and I got home late last night, someone...I'm not mentioning any names...had been up on our dining room table and tore a few pieces out of our centrepiece and knocked over a candlestick.

Now we can't prove who did it, but in the seven weeks that we've had Brandy, nothing like that has ever happened.

Hmmm....

[GMichael]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that when Hubby and I got home late last night, someone...I'm not mentioning any names...had been up on our dining room table and tore a few pieces out of our centrepiece and knocked over a candlestick.

Now we can't prove who did it, but in the seven weeks that we've had Brandy, nothing like that has ever happened.

Hmmm....

We had trouble with our current pair with that when they were younger. We tried everything, even the water pistol trick. Nothing worked. Every day when I got home from work, there were cat hairs on the table. Then one day, I cracked. I took out a few sheets of paper and put them on the table. I wrote on each of them with a magic marker. NO CATS ALLOWED. GET DOWN! THIS MEANS YOU. I know, totally ridiculous. I cracked under the pressure. But that night when I got home I found, one sheet had been moved, but no hair. From that day on, neither of them jumped up there again. Can only assume that they either slipped on the paper or didn't like the sound it made. Job finished though.

It's normal for the new (younger) cat to idolize the older cat, while the older cat is annoyed by the younger intruder. Don't know of anyway to fix that other than what you've already been doing. Keep giving Brandy lots of attention. Especially when Neko is mugging for it.

I expect pics by Monday.

[ForeverAutumn]

We had trouble with our current pair with that when they were younger. We tried everything, even the water pistol trick. Nothing worked. Every day when I got home from work, there were cat hairs on the table. Then one day, I cracked. I took out a few sheets of paper and put them on the table. I wrote on each of them with a magic marker. NO CATS ALLOWED. GET DOWN! THIS MEANS YOU. I know, totally ridiculous. I cracked under the pressure. But that night when I got home I found, one sheet had been moved, but no hair. From that day on, neither of them jumped up there again. Can only assume that they either slipped on the paper or didn't like the sound it made. Job finished though.

Or, while you were at work everyday the cats were learning how to read. :)

[GMichael]

Or, while you were at work everyday the cats were learning how to read. :)

And how not to shed?:nonod:

[JSE]

We had trouble with our current pair with that when they were younger. We tried everything, even the water pistol trick. Nothing worked. Every day when I got home from work, there were cat hairs on the table. Then one day, I cracked. I took out a few sheets of paper and put them on the table. I wrote on each of them with a magic marker. NO CATS ALLOWED. GET DOWN! THIS MEANS YOU. I know, totally ridiculous. I cracked under the pressure. But that night when I got home I found, one sheet had been moved, but no hair. From that day on, neither of them jumped up there again. Can only assume that they either slipped on the paper or didn't like the sound it made. Job finished though.

Or you can try a Scat Mat, http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752972. A couple of zaps and Neko won't get on the table ever again.

We had to use a Scat Mat on my 97lb dog. Nothing was safe on any counter top. She chewed several remotes, cordless phones, a couple of my wife's Coach bags, scissors, food, shoes, tennis racquet, etc, etc,. A couple full power zaps did the trick.

I tried it on myself before I tried it on the dog. It was not painful but it was not comfortable by any means. I can't touch the counter tops either now? :confused5:

JSE

[Groundbeef]

That scatmat is nasty. We had one for a while, because the cats were scratching at the door constantly. It can deliver a non-lethal jolt, but WOW don't step on in it barefoot!

Here is FA walking her piggies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xuD3KwJI8s&feature=rec-HM-rn

[kexodusc]

I was trying to lure him out with treats last night and was having moderate success. Then Brandy walked into the room and Neko came running out to greet him and was all over him and then me...ice broken. :) Brandy wasn't very happy about me petting Neko and started to swat and hiss at him. But then last night they slept beside each other on the bed.

This morning Neko was roaming around while we were getting ready for work. Brandy was happy to let him roam, but anytime he went to make contact with Brandy, he got a good swat. Brandy went downstairs and Neko went back under the bed. It's almost like Brandy is Neko's safety net.

Hubby said that he understands Brandy's actions...that Neko can be annoying. Early this morning Brandy woke Hubby up and wanted some attention. As Hubby was petting him, Neko came up and started jumping all over both of them. Hubby said that even he found it annoying. Brandy got pissed off and jumped off the bed to get away.

It's obvious that Neko loves Brandy, but I think that the jury is still out as to how Brandy feels about Neko. But it still hasn't even been a week. I'm sure that he'll adjust with a bit more time...at least I sure hope so!
You might as well be describing how our old cat Nacho (male) reacts with Maple (younger female). Exactly. But funny thing, if we sneak up on them, he'll be licking her head and cuddling up with her until we walk in the room, then he leaves, sometimes whacks her first, as if to say "I don't like you". Cats are weird.

[Sugar Beats]

You might as well be describing how our old cat Nacho (male) reacts with Maple (younger female). Exactly. But funny thing, if we sneak up on them, he'll be licking her head and cuddling up with her until we walk in the room, then he leaves, sometimes whacks her first, as if to say "I don't like you". Cats are weird.


Funny Kex, as I read your comment, I thought I know some people that act like that too!

[ForeverAutumn]

You might as well be describing how our old cat Nacho (male) reacts with Maple (younger female). Exactly. But funny thing, if we sneak up on them, he'll be licking her head and cuddling up with her until we walk in the room, then he leaves, sometimes whacks her first, as if to say "I don't like you". Cats are weird.

Yep. I've caught Brandy licking Neko's head too. I tried to get Neko to come out again tonight and once again he wanted nothing to do with me until Brandy showed up. And then Neko was all over me and Brandy walked off all in a huff. Two minutes later, Brandy came running up the stairs with his favourite toy in his mouth. A sure sign to me that I was to leave Neko and come play immediately!

[ForeverAutumn]

Here is FA walking her piggies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xuD3KwJI8s&feature=rec-HM-rn

If I put my piggies on the ground like that, they'd freeze in fear and never move an inch.

[ForeverAutumn]

Neko is finally starting to come out from under the bed. He won't venture downstairs when we're home yet. But somehow all of Brandy's toy mice are finding their way under the bed and I doubt that they're walking there on their own. We had a nice mousey play session this afternoon and I managed to get a few pictures. But he doesn't like to stay still for very long so most of them are blurry action shots. LOL. Here are a few of the better ones.

I like to call this one, The Walk Of Shame...

[ForeverAutumn]

Cat On The Move

[ForeverAutumn]

Time for my Close-up

[kexodusc]

He's a scrappy lookin' little guy. Is he all black or is there some brown and other colors too?

[ForeverAutumn]

He's a scrappy lookin' little guy. Is he all black or is there some brown and other colors too?

He's a little scrappy looking sometimes. He's probably the runt of the litter, is my guess. He's all black with just a splash of white on his belly and the underside of his tail. You can see that he'll be a nice looking cat when he fills out a bit and loses the kitten look.

He was walking around upstairs like he owned the place this morning so he's slowly coming along. We call him the Upstairs Cat now, because he still won't come downstairs while we're home.

I think that he has an eye infection and we're taking him to the vet tonight, so we're going to lose some trust points for a few days.

[Rich-n-Texas]

He's a little scrappy looking sometimes. He's probably the runt of the litter, is my guess. He's all black with just a splash of white on his belly and the underside of his tail. You can see that he'll be a nice looking cat when he fills out a bit and loses the kitten look...
Is he on a special diet FA? I'm curious as to what is recommended in cases like this, where your new companion is the result of a rescue.

[Groundbeef]

Is he on a special diet FA? I'm curious as to what is recommended in cases like this, where your new companion is the result of a rescue.

I think that "Eukanuba Pet Rescue Formula" is what is what the vet orders. That, or any other balanced dry cat food.

[Groundbeef]

Daily video.

Dramatic renactment of FA's new cat trying to eat at it's old home. Played by 3 guinea pigs as the cats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q85Tq3C6Bcc

[Rich-n-Texas]

"Eukanuba Pet Rescue Formula"
No such thing smart guy.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Daily video.

Dramatic renactment of FA's new cat trying to eat at it's old home. Played by 3 guinea pigs as the cats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q85Tq3C6Bcc
This is a cat... C-A-T cat thread chucklehead.

[Groundbeef]

This is a cat... C-A-T cat thread chucklehead.

Well, I used to have a cat. And, as noted, they were guinea pigs playing out the part of the cats.

Thats why it was a dramatization. Good Lord. I thought you were smarter than Pix...

[Rich-n-Texas]

I got the connection. I also know that cats hunt G. pigs.

:ihih:

[ForeverAutumn]

Is he on a special diet FA? I'm curious as to what is recommended in cases like this, where your new companion is the result of a rescue.

I actually did a lot of reading about cat nutrition when we brought Brandy home as he was overweight, but he isn't an overeater. Plus, there's a lot of pet foods to choose from and I wanted to be sure that my cats are eating healthy. What I discovered is that cats have absolutely no nutritional need for grains. All they need are protiens and vegetables (for the fibre). Most commercial cat foods have lots of inexpensive grain filler in them which overloads a cat with carbs which, of course, causes them to gain weight. I suspect that coming from a house with 80+ cats, they were getting fed whatever was cheapest. So, I put my kitties on a grain free diet with the vet's blessing.

The wet food that they eat is Wellness. The dry food was originally also Wellness, but Brandy would sniff it and walk away. The vet told me that cats choose their food by smell and if they can't smell it they won't eat it. So I'd put a treat in Brandy's food and then he'd have no trouble eating it. When I needed a new bag, I switched to a brand called 'Before Grain'. I could tell as soon as I opened the bag that it had a stronger smell and getting Brandy to eat it wasn't a problem.

Neko doesn't eat the dry food, so we give him a slightly larger serving of wet food to make sure that he's getting enough calories for a growing kitten.

We also thought that Brandy had a problem with his hip (probably caused by his weight). The vet suggested adding some Glucosimen (people take it for arthritis and joint pain) to his wet food. We've been doing that for about two weeks now and he doesn't appear to be experiencing the hip pain anymore. Plus he's lost a half pound from the change in food.

Sorry if that's more information than you wanted.

Our cats eat better than we do.

[ForeverAutumn]

Daily video.

Dramatic renactment of FA's new cat trying to eat at it's old home. Played by 3 guinea pigs as the cats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q85Tq3C6Bcc

That's hilarious! Nice looking piggies. The Brown pig, um, I mean cat wins!

[Groundbeef]

Neko doesn't eat the dry food, so we give him a slightly larger serving of wet food to make sure that he's getting enough calories for a growing kitten.

Our cats eat better than we do.

When we adopted our 2 cats as kittens they were "wet food only". That had to stop for two reasons.

1)Its terrible for their teeth.

2)It's just gross to get it out for them, it stinks, and you have to clean it up when they are done.

Here is how were made them transform from wet food to dry food. We started with 100% wet food diet.

Then, we mixed in approximatly 10% dry food. We kept that percentage up for a couple of days. Then we mixed in approximatly 20% dry food. Every few days we upped the percentage.

After 2-3 weeks we had both of them eating only dry food. Of course we used the better stuff (without all the fillers). The vet was happy, we were happy, and the cats didn't seem to mind.

You could also mix in a tiny bit of cat nip to further entice them.

Good luck!

[ForeverAutumn]

When we adopted our 2 cats as kittens they were "wet food only". That had to stop for two reasons.

I don't want Neko to stop eating the wet food, but I do want him to get a balance of both. Thanks for the tips!

[Groundbeef]

I don't want Neko to stop eating the wet food, but I do want him to get a balance of both. Thanks for the tips!

Could you expand? Why wouldn't you want your cat off of wet food? Not to get all preachy and stuff, but wet food is really bad for the animals teeth. An occasional moist treat is ok, but wet food is terrible for long term tooth health.

Just more curious than anything else.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I get my cat's teeth cleaned at the vet yearly.

In Thelma's case, I have to feed her wet food only, in order to keep diabetes from returning. She's lost a few pounds as recommended by the vet on the wet food. The trick was in finding the proper daily amount to feed her. Her weight seems to have stabilized at about 10.6 lbs which is good for her.

In conclusion, if my vet prescribes Hill's Science Diet M/D in the can, that's what she gets.

BTW, some cats are pre-disposed to poor tooth health from birth, as is Louise's case.

[Groundbeef]

I get my cat's teeth cleaned at the vet yearly.

In Thelma's case, I have to feed her wet food only, in order to keep diabetes from returning. She's lost a few pounds as recommended by the vet on the wet food. The trick was in finding the proper daily amount to feed her. Her weight seems to have stabilized at about 10.6 lbs which is good for her.

In conclusion, if my vet prescribes Hill's Science Diet M/D in the can, that's what she gets.

BTW, some cats are pre-disposed to poor tooth health from birth, as is Louise's case.

Don't get me wrong. If the vet prescribes wet food, that's what they should get.

And some older cats need it if they have trouble eating etc. But in FA's case, it's a pretty young cat. Just wondering why she wanted it to stay on wet food.

[ForeverAutumn]

Could you expand? Why wouldn't you want your cat off of wet food? Not to get all preachy and stuff, but wet food is really bad for the animals teeth. An occasional moist treat is ok, but wet food is terrible for long term tooth health.

Just more curious than anything else.

The wet food is much higher in moisture so that there is less opportunity for dehydration since cats tend not to drink a lot. It's also less processed than dry food. I'm a believer that domesticated animals should eat as closely to their wild counterparts as they can. It's what comes naturally.

I'm not convinced that a wet food only diet is bad for their teeth. I had a cat for 21 years who ate nothing but wet food and never had a problem with her teeth. From the reading that I've done, it seems to be more a matter of opinion than science when it comes to dry vs. wet. At least I haven't been able to find anything conclusive either way. If you really want to ensure clean teeth, you should be brushing them regardless of the type of food they are eating. If your cat will let you brush his teeth that is. :p

Our vet recommended a small feeding of wet food in the morning and evening with dry food to graze on during the day for Brandy. I'll ask her about food for Neko tonight and let you know what she says.

[Groundbeef]

Our vet recommended a small feeding of wet food in the morning and evening with dry food to graze on during the day for Brandy. I'll ask her about food for Neko tonight and let you know what she says.

Oh, I see. I had just heard that wet is bad. I see your point about natural food. I guess the best thing would be fresh steak!

I don't think I can find a guinea pig acting the part of a cat eating filet mignon however. I'll do some searching...

[ForeverAutumn]

Oh, I see. I had just heard that wet is bad. I see your point about natural food. I guess the best thing would be fresh steak!

I read about people who feed their cats what they called a 'raw' diet. Basically, they make their own cat food out of raw meat and fresh veggies. That's just too much money and work for me.

When Brandy was throwing up (from a kitty virus) I read that I should be feeding him a mixture of cooked white rice and Groundbeef! :yikes: We just gave him smaller amounts of wet food to ease digestion and so that he would leave a smaller mess on the carpet if he threw up again.

[ForeverAutumn]

And some older cats need it if they have trouble eating etc. But in FA's case, it's a pretty young cat. Just wondering why she wanted it to stay on wet food.

Well, it turns out that Neko has gingivitus (among other things), which may explain why he won't eat the dry food.

We took him to the vet because I thought he had an eye infection and I noticed this morning that his throat glands seemed swollen. Unfortunately, I was right. He has an eye infection, swollen glands, a possible respiratory virus, worms, gingivitus and, not surprisingly, a fever! Just when he finally came downstairs on his own today, we have to isolate him from Brandy for a week! So he's locked in the den on his own. The vet sent us home with eye drops, antibiotics, worm pills and flea treatments for both Neko and Brandy. Although I checked Brandy's fur and, so far, he appears to be flealess.

What a night! Neko came with six weeks of free pet insurance. I'm hoping that at least some of this will be covered. :mad2:

I asked the vet about what kind of food we should be feeding him. She said that for now we should give him whatever he'll eat (wet food) and that we'll talk more about food once Neko is all better. Poor Neko!

[Rich-n-Texas]

That's quite a laundry list FA, you've got your work cut out for you. I hope everything works out for the best hon.

[GMichael]

Sorry to read about Neko's ailments FA. But he's got a good mom. She'll take care of him.
Thanks for the pics. He's cute, in a scruffy kind of way.
Our cats get a mix of dry & wet food. Mostly dry though. The wet is just for a treat now and then.

[Groundbeef]

I also know that cats hunt G. pigs.

:ihih:

Not all of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqsP9qLmjY4&feature=related

[ForeverAutumn]

We took him to the vet because I thought he had an eye infection and I noticed this morning that his throat glands seemed swollen. Unfortunately, I was right. He has an eye infection, swollen glands, a possible respiratory virus, worms, gingivitus and, not surprisingly, a fever! Just when he finally came downstairs on his own today, we have to isolate him from Brandy for a week! So he's locked in the den on his own. The vet sent us home with eye drops, antibiotics, worm pills and flea treatments for both Neko and Brandy. Although I checked Brandy's fur and, so far, he appears to be flealess.


It gets worse.

The vet just called. Neko tested positive for feline leukemia. This is a fatal virus in cats and is contagious. So now we have to take Brandy in for testing on Thursday and cross our fingers that he doesn't have it. Since they came from the same shelter there is a good chance that Brandy may also have it.

We have to make some decisions about Neko. There is a 30% chance that he can fight the virus and revert to negative. We would have to have him retested in four months. If he continues to test positive he has a life expectancy of about five years. And I'm not sure how much in vet bills. This sucks!

[GMichael]

So very sorry FA. I am sure that he will win this battle. He's young and strong.

[Groundbeef]

It gets worse.

The vet just called. Neko tested positive for feline leukemia. This is a fatal virus in cats and is contagious. So now we have to take Brandy in for testing on Thursday and cross our fingers that he doesn't have it. Since they came from the same shelter there is a good chance that Brandy may also have it.

We have to make some decisions about Neko. There is a 30% chance that he can fight the virus and revert to negative. We would have to have him retested in four months. If he continues to test positive he has a life expectancy of about five years. And I'm not sure how much in vet bills. This sucks!

Wow, FA that is terrible news. I realize that it is difficult to equate life with cost, but I would want to know how much the potential expense would be.

Does the waiting 4 months incurr any expense? If it's just a wait and see period I would probably wait. Then after the re-test make some decisions. If it's not a painful way to go, you could let it run it's course.

However, if it's rough sledding the whole time until the inevitable perhaps you should enquire about putting Niko down. It's not any fun with a sick pet. I agonized about putting down a hamster with a huge tumor. In the end, it was the right thing to do for the animal.

[GMichael]

My last cat of 10+ years tested positive for feline leukemia. They told us that cats of his age rarely get better and end up just spreading it to more cats. It was a very bad day for our family. My wife still refuses to get close to out current cats. She doesn't want to get emotionally involved and then have to put them down.

[Groundbeef]

My last cat of 10+ years tested positive for feline leukemia. They told us that cats of his age rarely get better and end up just spreading it to more cats. It was a very bad day for our family. My wife still refuses to get close to out current cats. She doesn't want to get emotionally involved and then have to put them down.

Thats the rub. As good and loving as animals are, they really tear at our hearts when it's time for them to move on.

I was suprised that I choked up when I was delivering our eulogy to Cinderella (guinea pig) that passed last fall. Pets are such good things, but they really create a bond that is hard to describe.

[ForeverAutumn]

Wow, FA that is terrible news. I realize that it is difficult to equate life with cost, but I would want to know how much the potential expense would be.

Does the waiting 4 months incurr any expense? If it's just a wait and see period I would probably wait. Then after the re-test make some decisions. If it's not a painful way to go, you could let it run it's course.

However, if it's rough sledding the whole time until the inevitable perhaps you should enquire about putting Niko down. It's not any fun with a sick pet. I agonized about putting down a hamster with a huge tumor. In the end, it was the right thing to do for the animal.

I agree with you GB. The risk in keeping him is that even if Brandy is negative and we can vaccinate him, the vaccine is only 80% effective. So there is still a 20% chance that Brandy can catch it and I don't want to take that risk. If they are both positive that's another issue. Then it becomes a matter of how much medical attention they'll need.

I've talked to my Hubby and Brandy stays regardless of the outcome. We're too attached to him (and he to us) to let him go now. Neko's future is up in the air. We wouldn't put him down though. There is still a 30% chance of recovery so we would return him to the shelter where they can foster him out to a home without other cats until he can be retested.

I've left message for the woman who runs the shelter to call me. Aside from the question of what to do about Neko, she needs to know that this virus may be spreading through her shelter right now.

[ForeverAutumn]

Brandy's test came back negative for Feline Leukemia. We took him for the first of two vaccinations this morning. He's now sleeping peacefully in the warmth of a sunray.

Neko has responded well to the antibiotics and is doing very well. You would never know now, from looking at him, that he is sick. We discussed our options with two different vets and have come to the conclusion that we just can't keep Neko. Even if he can fight the initial virus and revert back to negative, there's a good chance that he will still carry the virus. If he stays positive, we're in for a lot of vet bills leading to his inevitable death, most likely within 2 - 4 years.

It's breaking my heart and I have shed many tears over the situation this week, but we just can't keep him. Life has not been fair to this little kitty! :sad:

[JohnMichael]

FA I am glad to read that Brandy's test was negative. Poor Neko is proof that sometimes life is not very fair. Like many damaged creatures of this earth at least Neko was shown love and happiness.

This thread started while I was pet sitting. Pets can teach you a lot and a lot about yourself. One 14 year old dog with cataracts and hearing loss. One kitten intent on the destruction of the known universe. Since I live a pet free life but like animals I was awakened many times by the antics or mishaps of the pets.

The kitten likes to jump on any table with small items she can bat off with her paws. In the morning the cat would stand on the toilet seat with front paws on the vanity while I shaved. She also liked to climb between the shower curtain and liner and swat my legs during the shower. She can be so sweet sitting in your lap and purring while you pet her and then turn and bite so hard she draws blood. When in a hurry to get to work she would jump in the pantry or a closet and I would struggle to get her out. She would have as much blood on her fangs as I had handfuls of fur. When I stop to visit we glare at each other.

The dog is more emotionally needy than I am. She wants someone showing her affection 24 hours a day. She had a skin irritation and was digging at herself constantly so I restarted her prednisone. The prednisone made her ravenous and I had to eat meals with one hand on the fork and the other keeping the dog away. I became a little smarter and would stop for dinner before I returned home. The poor dog who can not hear or see very well still likes to bark on occasion just like when she was young. The former good watch dog now only alerts us of imaginary visitors in the middle of the night.

Of course during this time I had a raging infection from some dental work and was in pain and miserable. What sleep I could have was very important. Not being used to all the sounds of a strange house and strange pet behaviors sleep was at a premium. When I woke up and my lower face looked like the Elephant Man's I was even more concerned. When the dog would not lick my face I thought uh oh.

Like I said I learned a lot. After giving the kitten a treat of canned cat food wash your hands before picking your nose. Elderly dogs love to have accidents on their owners area rugs that I just washed. No point in spending hours trying to figure out how the dog can lick itself.

Now I know I am meant to enjoy others' pets and not have any of my own.

[ForeverAutumn]

Like I said I learned a lot. After giving the kitten a treat of canned cat food wash your hands before picking your nose. Elderly dogs love to have accidents on their owners area rugs that I just washed. No point in spending hours trying to figure out how the dog can lick itself.

JM, thanks for the laugh! It is badly needed this weekend.

I'm sorry to hear about the pain from your dental work. I hope that you're feeling better.

[Auricauricle]

I'm so sorry, FA!

Sometimes these little reminders of life, y'know...?

[kexodusc]

Brandy's test came back negative for Feline Leukemia. We took him for the first of two vaccinations this morning. He's now sleeping peacefully in the warmth of a sunray.

Neko has responded well to the antibiotics and is doing very well. You would never know now, from looking at him, that he is sick. We discussed our options with two different vets and have come to the conclusion that we just can't keep Neko. Even if he can fight the initial virus and revert back to negative, there's a good chance that he will still carry the virus. If he stays positive, we're in for a lot of vet bills leading to his inevitable death, most likely within 2 - 4 years.

It's breaking my heart and I have shed many tears over the situation this week, but we just can't keep him. Life has not been fair to this little kitty! :sad:
FA it's pretty hard just to read this so I can't imagine how hard it's been on you guys. Wish I could say something good here but sometimes life just sucks ass. It's not fair that despite the best of intentions you're forced into a no-win situation.

I'm glad to hear Brandy is ok.

[ForeverAutumn]

If someone had told me when I started this thread that it would end like this I would have never believed it.

We took Neko to be boarded at a vet clinic tonight. The woman who runs the shelter that we adopted him from made the arrangements for us. They will keep him at the clinic for observation for a few days and if everything looks okay (i.e. he's not a mean cat) they'll place him in a home/shelter with other positive cats. The Vet Assistant that took him from us tonight told me that they know of a few homes where people look after positive cats.

I think that we all need some time to get over this whole ordeal. We'll probably still get a second cat but not right away.

Thanks to everyone here for your advice about cats and support when things went downhill. You all made this much easier for me.

[GMichael]

I am so sorry FA. This must be very hard on you. I wish that there were some magical words that could be said to make it all better. Only time will help. It's the tough times like this that help us to appreciate the good times more. Look forward to those times.

[Rich-n-Texas]

You did the right thing FA. Parting with Neko would've been much harder had he been a member of the family for a longer period of time. Go forward and appreciate the time you have with Brandy.