Re: Newbie question
Great news! I am a little embarrassed to admit this but, I found the source of the pink puddle! I was washing dished last night and felt my sock get wet. I looked down and found a pink puddle but no midnight. A rink broke off of my sink and it is leaking. Somewhere between the leak and my floor, it is coming in contact with something that tinges it pink. I am so relieved. I don't regret asking because I learned a lot of great things. Thanks to everyone and I hope to be able to stick around. Maybe one day I will even be able to help answer questions! Thanks again, Jennifer
Re: Newbie question
amazing how we always blame the cats, huh? years ago, i was sitting in my bathroom one day, using the human litterbox, and something shook in another part of the house. immediately i wondered just what the heck they'd gotten into THIS time. found out later that our little midwest town had had a very mild earthquake. and the funniest part of it was that the majority of the folks interviewed on the news had thought the same thing i had--that their cats or dogs had knocked something over! On 1/20/07, Jennifer Madon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Great news! I am a little embarrassed to admit this but, I found the source of the pink puddle! I was washing dished last night and felt my sock get wet. I looked down and found a pink puddle but no midnight. A rink broke off of my sink and it is leaking. Somewhere between the leak and my floor, it is coming in contact with something that tinges it pink. I am so relieved. I don't regret asking because I learned a lot of great things. Thanks to everyone and I hope to be able to stick around. Maybe one day I will even be able to help answer questions! Thanks again, Jennifer -- Spay Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
Re: Newbie question
LOL I'm glad it wasn't from Midnight :0) On 1/20/07, Jennifer Madon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Great news! I am a little embarrassed to admit this but, I found the source of the pink puddle! I was washing dished last night and felt my sock get wet. I looked down and found a pink puddle but no midnight. A rink broke off of my sink and it is leaking. Somewhere between the leak and my floor, it is coming in contact with something that tinges it pink. I am so relieved. I don't regret asking because I learned a lot of great things. Thanks to everyone and I hope to be able to stick around. Maybe one day I will even be able to help answer questions! Thanks again, Jennifer
Re: Newbie question
They sell optional large bases, which cost $15 extra, and that is an option I selected. It is very stable. Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Declawing Creates SUFFERING, Please don't declaw! http://www.pawproject.com/kona.html
Re: Newbie question
LOL! That's funny! Glad it wasn't the cat... though it could make the cat sick if he drinks it, so you should probably keep a towel down there to soak it up until you can get a plumber out to make the repairs! Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Declawing Creates SUFFERING, Please don't declaw! http://www.pawproject.com/kona.html
Re: Newbie question
Hi Jennifer, I'm glad you found us and so very glad Midnight found you. I take it the antibiotics were for the abscess on his tail and not because he is displaying any other symptoms of illness? Did the infection clear up okay? How old does the vet think Midnight is? Adult, healthy cats have a much better chance of clearing the virus than an older, sickly, or young kitten. Because he was a stray, there's no way for you to know when he contracted the disease. It may have happened when he got the abscess on his tail. I'm not sure why your vet is having you retest in only 3 weeks. If Midnight is in the process of clearing felv, a three week interval between testing is probably too soon to be reliable. Usually it is recommended to wait 3 to 6 months. Did the vet tell you it was a faint pos? If the vet suspects the test was a false pos, then a retest in 3 weeks makes more sense. It is also usually recommended to retest using an IFA, (not the in house ELISA). When you are ready to have him neutered, please ask us about protocols and procedures to help reduce the stress on his body during surgery. Felv cats need to be kept as stress free as possible and fed as high a quality diet as you can. I'm not sure what these puddles on the floor might be. Do they smell like urine? Has he been using his litter box? Have you noticed any straining, or does he cry when he urinates? It sounds more like it might be vomit to me. Have you mentioned the slight blood tinge to the vet? It doesn't sound right, but I'm hoping it's nothing serious. Has he been showing any other symptoms? Any coughing or upper respiratory congestion? Is he eating normally? Keep a close eye on him and see if you catch him in the act of excreting these puddles. I'm sure others will be posting soon with suggestions. Ask as many questions as you like. The people on this list are wonderfully supportive and we all know how scary this diagnosis is. Nina Jennifer Madon wrote: Hi everyone! Let me start by saying that my name is Jennifer. I am new to the whole feline leukemia situation. We had a stray cat adopt us right after Christmas. When he wouldn't go away, we decided to adopt him. He is so sweet and loving, I am so glad my husband said yes!! We took him to the vet and he tested positive. He also had an abscess on the base of his tail. We are done with the antibiotics but I still put to ointment on him. We go back next Tuesday (3 weeks after original test) for a retest. After that, we are having him fixed. My question is that I have found (about 3 times) some puddles of water on the kitchen floor. I thought maybe he was peeing on the floor but the liquid is clear with a pink tint to it. Does this sound right? Any ideas? I am very new to this so any info or tips on this or anything else is appreciated!! Thanks! Jennifer and Midnight
Re: Newbie question
You are correct about the antibiotics were for the abscess, and the vet seemed sure they were cat bites. I never heard about a faint pos., just pos. The vet guessed he is about 8 months. He has no symptoms at all. The vet said that he was shocked when the test came back pos. They didn't do any other tests or shots that day because he had a fever (due to the abscess ). As far as the puddles, they don't smell at all! He has gotten SOOO far since he has been here. He eats great. He also drinks water a lot, well a lot to me but I am new to cats. He does use his litter box, he doesn't appear to strain and he doesn't cry. Some times he walks around me and just meows for no apparent reason. I think he just wants to be held. What a lap cat! He is sleeping on the desk beside me now. He is very spunky. At night he is calm and loving, but at 5 AM, any things that moves is fair game for a pouncing! LOL. Any tips for getting him to use a scratching board instead of my couch and office chair. I am firmly against declawing him but my husband is threating it. I told him I would definger him if he did! Can you recommend a food, I am sure you would scold me over his current food. But take it easy on me, I am new to this! LOL Midnight will be neutered somewhere around the end of Jan. and beginning of Feb. I will make the appointment of Tues. Oh and stress free may be hard. We have 3 kids, but he seems to love them. They are crazy amongst themselves but the all calm down and get very gentle when dealing with him. All they know is that he is sick and very special. Thanks again Jennifer Nina wrote: Hi Jennifer, I'm glad you found us and so very glad Midnight found you. I take it the antibiotics were for the abscess on his tail and not because he is displaying any other symptoms of illness? Did the infection clear up okay? How old does the vet think Midnight is? Adult, healthy cats have a much better chance of clearing the virus than an older, sickly, or young kitten. Because he was a stray, there's no way for you to know when he contracted the disease. It may have happened when he got the abscess on his tail. I'm not sure why your vet is having you retest in only 3 weeks. If Midnight is in the process of clearing felv, a three week interval between testing is probably too soon to be reliable. Usually it is recommended to wait 3 to 6 months. Did the vet tell you it was a faint pos? If the vet suspects the test was a false pos, then a retest in 3 weeks makes more sense. It is also usually recommended to retest using an IFA, (not the in house ELISA). When you are ready to have him neutered, please ask us about protocols and procedures to help reduce the stress on his body during surgery. Felv cats need to be kept as stress free as possible and fed as high a quality diet as you can. I'm not sure what these puddles on the floor might be. Do they smell like urine? Has he been using his litter box? Have you noticed any straining, or does he cry when he urinates? It sounds more like it might be vomit to me. Have you mentioned the slight blood tinge to the vet? It doesn't sound right, but I'm hoping it's nothing serious. Has he been showing any other symptoms? Any coughing or upper respiratory congestion? Is he eating normally? Keep a close eye on him and see if you catch him in the act of excreting these puddles. I'm sure others will be posting soon with suggestions. Ask as many questions as you like. The people on this list are wonderfully supportive and we all know how scary this diagnosis is. Nina Jennifer Madon wrote: Hi everyone! Let me start by saying that my name is Jennifer. I am new to the whole feline leukemia situation. We had a stray cat adopt us right after Christmas. When he wouldn't go away, we decided to adopt him. He is so sweet and loving, I am so glad my husband said yes!! We took him to the vet and he tested positive. He also had an abscess on the base of his tail. We are done with the antibiotics but I still put to ointment on him. We go back next Tuesday (3 weeks after original test) for a retest. After that, we are having him fixed. My question is that I have found (about 3 times) some puddles of water on the kitchen floor. I thought maybe he was peeing on the floor but the liquid is clear with a pink tint to it. Does this sound right? Any ideas? I am very new to this so any info or tips on this or anything else is appreciated!! Thanks! Jennifer and Midnight
Re: Newbie question
Pink tinged watery stuff is USUALLY vomit, and it turns pink when they have roundworms. I'd have him dewormed, if you haven't already (and don't freak out too much if you see spaghetti-like worms in the pink stuff somewhere down the road). It COULD be urine, but that would indicate an infection... the only thing that turns urine pink is blood, and the only way you get blood in urine is infection (unless he's been recently cathetered, in which case it could be trauma to the urethra). You can try to see if it's pee... wait for him to go to the litterbox, and as soon as he comes out, wipe his privates with a piece of white toilet paper, if he's just peed, you should get a little drop, and if it's pink, you know that's the orifice it's coming from. I think the house retest would be OK, if ALL you are hoping to do is check to see if it was a bad result (like due to human error). If you're retesting to see if he's throw the virus off, that's too son, and as others stated, you should use an IFA test, not the in house ELISA SNAP test. The very most important thing to do to care for FELV+ cats is to feed the very BEST food you can afford. Either homemade, or premium brands like Wellness, Innova, or Chicken Soup for the Cat brands. A lot of people supplement with Lysine and vitamin C. Plus lots give low dose oral interferon alpha. here's more info on that: http://www.islandpharmacy.com/site/1420401/page/769212 http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/interferon.html http://www.amarbio.com/03productcandidate.html And here's my page with more links about FELV: http://ucat.us/FELVFIVFIP.html Here is the webpage for all of the popular treatments for FELV: http://www.felineleukemia.org/treatmnt.html Like I said, DIET should come first though! Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question
Thanks Phaewryn, I'd never noticed tinged vomit with roundworms, good to know. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Pink tinged watery stuff is USUALLY vomit, and it turns pink when they have roundworms.
Re: Newbie question
Put his scratching posts close to the places he is currently scratching, and get some double sided tape to stick on the places you don't want him to scratch, cats HATE tape and sticky stuff. They make a product specifically for this if you can't find any good double sided tape locally: http://www.stickypaws.com/ http://www.stickypaws.com/sitedirector/site/department.cfm?id=BC2D70F9-BAD4-4137-808F21F509D31AF4killnav=1 If the tape doesn't work, there's ALWAYS Soft Paws, which are little claw caps that you glue on their claws: http://www.softpaws.com/about.html http://www.softpaws.com/colors.html http://maxshouse.com/Claw%20Trimming.htm (a good site that shows nail trimming and soft paws application) a GOOD cat tree with sisal rope sections will encourage her to scratch on HER special place, I highly recommend Pussicat Cat Trees: http://pussicat.com/ This is the model I have, and my cats LOVE it, I change the shape of it every few months, as they are completely modular: http://www.pussicat.com/product_info.php?products_id=94osCsid=01784834d1aaa85d2221fd10ae3e7f60 And here, please make SURE your husband sees these sites: http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2pet=2838151 http://www.stopdeclaw.com/ http://www.declawhallofshame.com/ http://www.pawproject.com/html/cases.asp?SortOrder=2 Good cat foods: (I can tell you, my cats like the Wellness canned the best, and the California Natural Dry and Innova Evo Dry the best) http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=5brand%5Fid=9mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=6brand%5Fid=9mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=5brand%5Fid=3mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=6brand%5Fid=3mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=5brand%5Fid=630mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=6brand%5Fid=630mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=5brand%5Fid=913mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=6brand%5Fid=913mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question
Pizza crust wont hurt him if there's no garlic or onion on it. That's one of my cat's favorite treats! You can even leave a little sauce and cheese on it for him. A little belly wont hurt anything, morbid obesity can though. You just have to find a balance. A good rule is, if he starts to have trouble licking his own bum because he's too fat to reach, it's time to diet! Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question
lol that is funny. forgive the poor typing. i am one handed now, cuddle time. he loves to bite me and chew my fingers, is this like teething? [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Pizza crust wont hurt him if there's no garlic or onion on it. That's one of my cat's favorite treats! You can even leave a little sauce and cheese on it for him. A little belly wont hurt anything, morbid obesity can though. You just have to find a balance. A good rule is, if he starts to have trouble licking his own bum because he's too fat to reach, it's time to diet! Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question
I have to tell you that one of your links puts a little running cat in the top right corner... I have to wait till later to check that site out because every time I pull it up, Midnight sticks his nose to the screen. It must be a girl cat! LOL [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Put his scratching posts close to the places he is currently scratching, and get some double sided tape to stick on the places you don't want him to scratch, cats HATE tape and sticky stuff. They make a product specifically for this if you can't find any good double sided tape locally: http://www.stickypaws.com/ http://www.stickypaws.com/sitedirector/site/department.cfm?id=BC2D70F9-BAD4-4137-808F21F509D31AF4killnav=1 If the tape doesn't work, there's ALWAYS Soft Paws, which are little claw caps that you glue on their claws: http://www.softpaws.com/about.html http://www.softpaws.com/colors.html http://maxshouse.com/Claw%20Trimming.htm (a good site that shows nail trimming and soft paws application) a GOOD cat tree with sisal rope sections will encourage her to scratch on HER special place, I highly recommend Pussicat Cat Trees: http://pussicat.com/ This is the model I have, and my cats LOVE it, I change the shape of it every few months, as they are completely modular: http://www.pussicat.com/product_info.php?products_id=94osCsid=01784834d1aaa85d2221fd10ae3e7f60 And here, please make SURE your husband sees these sites: http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2pet=2838151 http://www.stopdeclaw.com/ http://www.declawhallofshame.com/ http://www.pawproject.com/html/cases.asp?SortOrder=2 Good cat foods: (I can tell you, my cats like the Wellness canned the best, and the California Natural Dry and Innova Evo Dry the best) http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=5brand%5Fid=9mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=6brand%5Fid=9mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=5brand%5Fid=3mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=6brand%5Fid=3mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=5brand%5Fid=630mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=6brand%5Fid=630mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=5brand%5Fid=913mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=6brand%5Fid=913mscssid=AMP9W4QD50BU8PD334JJWQ8QJC9X0R89 Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question
Yeah, it's pretty scary to see too, a big pile of worms in a pool of pink tinged vomit, seen it a few times... and makes me gag every time... I can assist in surgery, but roundworms make me sick! One site sums it up when it says nothing seems to inspire as much dread and loathing as a pile of roundworms left by the infected cat, another site says roundworms usually result in a panicked call to the veterinarian, LOL! I have a lump in my throat just talking about it now! GAK, blah, GAG! http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/roundworms.html http://www.dr-dan.com/roundwor.htm http://www.pets.ca/encyclopedia/roundworm_cat.htm My own horrifying experience tells me the pink tinged vomit thing... the sites don't mention it, but EVERY time I've had roundworms in a cat, the vomit has been pink tinged. http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/Photos/CanineRoundworms.jpg (and yes, they ARE zoonotic, GAK, GAG!) Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question (running cats)
http://ucat.us/smallcat.gif this one? If he likes it, you can use it to entertain him anytime you want! I have a cheetah too: http://ucat.us/bigcat.gif Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question (running cats)
LOL Midnight personally claims you as his best internet friend! [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: http://ucat.us/smallcat.gif this one? If he likes it, you can use it to entertain him anytime you want! I have a cheetah too: http://ucat.us/bigcat.gif Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question
Hiya Jennifer -- and welcome! Sounds like you've got a real snugglemuffin there :0) I bet he pulls through this. Five of my eight cats were strays...varying degrees of 'feral'...some are still very feral to anyone but me. A couple were very sick and beat up when they came to me and informed me that they would live here. Some of the best investments I ever made for the kids were those multi-leveled 'kitty condos' (you can find them on sale sometimes - also on ebay). provides kitty a great place to climb...great exercise for them...and it gives them a great place to do their clawing (which is also a scent-marking thing with them). The ones with Sisal rope are especially good. If you have places you don't want them to claw or leave their scent...Feliway spray works very well for us. It's expensive - but ' entirelypet.com' has the best price i've seen. It's a cat pheromone spray (we can't smell it - also comes in a diffuser)...but it signals kitty to be peaceful and calm and they won't feel they need to do any scent-type marking. Sounds like he has a wonderful personality. Oh - another tip...I found these flat scratching board things at PetSmart...about 2ft long and maybe 6 inches wide covered in that sisal rope. They go nuts over thosebut what really makes them go crazy is if I give them a spritz with this concentrated cat nip spray that you can find there too. Not all cats respond to catnip -- it's a gene...kinda like tongue rolling in people...some got it - some don'tbut - if you're snugglemuffin has it - he'll go nuts. Some may disagree with me -- but if you really must discipline kitty...a spritz of water from a spray bottle will usually do the trick. after one or two spritzes...all you have to do is pick up the bottle and shake it. If you are persistent...it doesn't take long to learn what 'no' means. I usually lower my voice when I use that word but I don't have to say it very often. Kiss midnight for me and please keep us posted on how he's doing. Thank you for caring enough to realize that FeVL+ doesn't diminish the value of his dear life. Even if he doesn't throw the virus, he could still have a good quality of life for a long time. elizabeth On 1/18/07, Jennifer Madon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: You are correct about the antibiotics were for the abscess, and the vet seemed sure they were cat bites. I never heard about a faint pos., just pos. The vet guessed he is about 8 months. He has no symptoms at all. The vet said that he was shocked when the test came back pos. They didn't do any other tests or shots that day because he had a fever (due to the abscess ). As far as the puddles, they don't smell at all! He has gotten SOOO far since he has been here. He eats great. He also drinks water a lot, well a lot to me but I am new to cats. He does use his litter box, he doesn't appear to strain and he doesn't cry. Some times he walks around me and just meows for no apparent reason. I think he just wants to be held. What a lap cat! He is sleeping on the desk beside me now. He is very spunky. At night he is calm and loving, but at 5 AM, any things that moves is fair game for a pouncing! LOL. Any tips for getting him to use a scratching board instead of my couch and office chair. I am firmly against declawing him but my husband is threating it. I told him I would definger him if he did! Can you recommend a food, I am sure you would scold me over his current food. But take it easy on me, I am new to this! LOL Midnight will be neutered somewhere around the end of Jan. and beginning of Feb. I will make the appointment of Tues. Oh and stress free may be hard. We have 3 kids, but he seems to love them. They are crazy amongst themselves but the all calm down and get very gentle when dealing with him. All they know is that he is sick and very special. Thanks again Jennifer Nina wrote: Hi Jennifer, I'm glad you found us and so very glad Midnight found you. I take it the antibiotics were for the abscess on his tail and not because he is displaying any other symptoms of illness? Did the infection clear up okay? How old does the vet think Midnight is? Adult, healthy cats have a much better chance of clearing the virus than an older, sickly, or young kitten. Because he was a stray, there's no way for you to know when he contracted the disease. It may have happened when he got the abscess on his tail. I'm not sure why your vet is having you retest in only 3 weeks. If Midnight is in the process of clearing felv, a three week interval between testing is probably too soon to be reliable. Usually it is recommended to wait 3 to 6 months. Did the vet tell you it was a faint pos? If the vet suspects the test was a false pos, then a retest in 3 weeks makes more sense. It is also usually recommended to retest using an IFA, (not the in house ELISA). When you are ready to have him neutered, please ask us about protocols and procedures to help
Re: Newbie question
Wow those scare me the bases look way too small, those look dangerous to me, they look like they would tip too easily. I say this because I know someone whose cat ran up one of those with the small base and it tipped over and broke the cats neck, I would be afraid use anything like that. The ones I use have bases that look much bigger and my guys still make them move when they run up them. I have them up against the wall and every time KC runs up it it bangs against the wall. We made one for my sister and the base is 38 inches wide. On the ones I have the bases are 34 and I still think those are too small that's why I have them against the wall. Next one I have I'll make too so I know the base will be big enough. Pussicat Cat Trees -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: Newbie question
Re couch protection: Get some lacy knit throws and cover the areas that he is likely to scratch--arms and exposed back. My cats don't like getting their claws hung in the throws. Trim the nails. If you never have, it is easy, especially since he is young. Get the vet to show you. Spray the couch with Feliway. It should help. You really can teach a cat where to scratch and where not to. You just have to watch and stop it now. Get a scratching post made of a material you do not have in the house. If you have carpet and get a post made with carpet you are telling him he can scratch anything that has carpet. I have a log home so Dixie gets cardboard (Wal-Mart/Target/Meijer) to scratch on and I will make her a post of burlap and jute. Obviously I don't want her scratching wood. Do not consider Midnight sick. If you do you will lose the pleasure of having him there. Dixie Louise tested positive almost 2 years ago and has no problems other than some with her teeth. Those may or may not be related to FeLV. There are some gels you can use on the teeth that my alternative vets swear by. If you start him on them now and maybe get him used to having his teeth brushed, you can head off some problems. Relish the love you are sharing. If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow man. St. Francis - Original Message - From: Jennifer Madon [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 9:10 PM Subject: Re: Newbie question You are correct about the antibiotics were for the abscess, and the vet seemed sure they were cat bites. I never heard about a faint pos., just pos. The vet guessed he is about 8 months. He has no symptoms at all. The vet said that he was shocked when the test came back pos. They didn't do any other tests or shots that day because he had a fever (due to the abscess ). As far as the puddles, they don't smell at all! He has gotten SOOO far since he has been here. He eats great. He also drinks water a lot, well a lot to me but I am new to cats. He does use his litter box, he doesn't appear to strain and he doesn't cry. Some times he walks around me and just meows for no apparent reason. I think he just wants to be held. What a lap cat! He is sleeping on the desk beside me now. He is very spunky. At night he is calm and loving, but at 5 AM, any things that moves is fair game for a pouncing! LOL. Any tips for getting him to use a scratching board instead of my couch and office chair. I am firmly against declawing him but my husband is threating it. I told him I would definger him if he did! Can you recommend a food, I am sure you would scold me over his current food. But take it easy on me, I am new to this! LOL Midnight will be neutered somewhere around the end of Jan. and beginning of Feb. I will make the appointment of Tues. Oh and stress free may be hard. We have 3 kids, but he seems to love them. They are crazy amongst themselves but the all calm down and get very gentle when dealing with him. All they know is that he is sick and very special. Thanks again Jennifer Nina wrote: Hi Jennifer, I'm glad you found us and so very glad Midnight found you. I take it the antibiotics were for the abscess on his tail and not because he is displaying any other symptoms of illness? Did the infection clear up okay? How old does the vet think Midnight is? Adult, healthy cats have a much better chance of clearing the virus than an older, sickly, or young kitten. Because he was a stray, there's no way for you to know when he contracted the disease. It may have happened when he got the abscess on his tail. I'm not sure why your vet is having you retest in only 3 weeks. If Midnight is in the process of clearing felv, a three week interval between testing is probably too soon to be reliable. Usually it is recommended to wait 3 to 6 months. Did the vet tell you it was a faint pos? If the vet suspects the test was a false pos, then a retest in 3 weeks makes more sense. It is also usually recommended to retest using an IFA, (not the in house ELISA). When you are ready to have him neutered, please ask us about protocols and procedures to help reduce the stress on his body during surgery. Felv cats need to be kept as stress free as possible and fed as high a quality diet as you can. I'm not sure what these puddles on the floor might be. Do they smell like urine? Has he been using his litter box? Have you noticed any straining, or does he cry when he urinates? It sounds more like it might be vomit to me. Have you mentioned the slight blood
Re: Newbie question
Just a word of warning: Do not let your vet do lots of vaccinations, worming etc at one time. This will put a lot of stress on Midnight's body and is not necessary. There are various opinions on vaccinations. Personally I believe, like my alterative vets, that we over vaccinate. This is particularly hard on a cat that has been on the streets and may be a throw away, is adjusting to a new life, is getting neutered, being handled by vets and their techs ...put yourself in Midnight's place and take these things very slowly. Consider what you do in light of where Midnight is going to live (entirely indoors I assume) and the chances of exposure. Please consider worming him long before you have him neutered too. Worms can cause all sorts of problems, many of which are hard to detect. If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow man. St. Francis - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 9:21 PM Subject: Re: Newbie question Pink tinged watery stuff is USUALLY vomit, and it turns pink when they have roundworms. I'd have him dewormed, if you haven't already (and don't freak out too much if you see spaghetti-like worms in the pink stuff somewhere down the road). It COULD be urine, but that would indicate an infection... the only thing that turns urine pink is blood, and the only way you get blood in urine is infection (unless he's been recently cathetered, in which case it could be trauma to the urethra). You can try to see if it's pee... wait for him to go to the litterbox, and as soon as he comes out, wipe his privates with a piece of white toilet paper, if he's just peed, you should get a little drop, and if it's pink, you know that's the orifice it's coming from. I think the house retest would be OK, if ALL you are hoping to do is check to see if it was a bad result (like due to human error). If you're retesting to see if he's throw the virus off, that's too son, and as others stated, you should use an IFA test, not the in house ELISA SNAP test. The very most important thing to do to care for FELV+ cats is to feed the very BEST food you can afford. Either homemade, or premium brands like Wellness, Innova, or Chicken Soup for the Cat brands. A lot of people supplement with Lysine and vitamin C. Plus lots give low dose oral interferon alpha. here's more info on that: http://www.islandpharmacy.com/site/1420401/page/769212 http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/interferon.html http://www.amarbio.com/03productcandidate.html And here's my page with more links about FELV: http://ucat.us/FELVFIVFIP.html Here is the webpage for all of the popular treatments for FELV: http://www.felineleukemia.org/treatmnt.html Like I said, DIET should come first though! Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
Re: Newbie question
He is giving you cat kisses. Wait till he starts licking you. By the way, don't let him lick in one place too much. I let Dixie and. very unintentionally, she took off a lot of skin. It took several weeks for the places to heal. Because I was enjoying the bath and her attention and because of the rough little tongue, I did not notice the problem until much later when they finally became very uncomfortable. Now I just move my hand every so often. If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow man. St. Francis - Original Message - From: Jennifer Madon [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 9:50 PM Subject: Re: Newbie question lol that is funny. forgive the poor typing. i am one handed now, cuddle time. he loves to bite me and chew my fingers, is this like teething? [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Pizza crust wont hurt him if there's no garlic or onion on it. That's one of my cat's favorite treats! You can even leave a little sauce and cheese on it for him. A little belly wont hurt anything, morbid obesity can though. You just have to find a balance. A good rule is, if he starts to have trouble licking his own bum because he's too fat to reach, it's time to diet! Phaewryn http://ucat.us Adopt a New England FIV+ cat: http://ucat.us/FIVadopt.html Special Needs Cat Links (and feline info library): http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html
