tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post7407882943012712171..comments2024-03-14T03:43:02.583-04:00Comments on EPBOT: We Put The Cats On A Diet, A Tragedy In 3 PartsJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11888187687405622408noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-48104570380599705502021-05-15T10:28:08.850-04:002021-05-15T10:28:08.850-04:00My 1 year old pug had horrible diarrhea last Augus...My 1 year old pug had horrible diarrhea last August/early September. It would leave smears on the neighbor's grass in 6" diameter circles, after I did my best to clean up what I could. I actually took a water bottle around a few times to try to atone for it. While looking at a chart of dog poop consistency (yes, it exists, with a number rating. My son and I were talking about whether the poop was a 4 or a 6 for about a month), I noticed that the number 2 (number 1 was constipated) was poop on a raw food diet. <br /><br />So I buy $200 in dog food on chewy every month that covers breakfast(it's freeze-dried, so no dealing with raw meat first thing in the morning). For dinner, the dogs (we have 2) get minced vegetables, fish oil supplements, alfalfa supplements, kelp sprinkles, and about 6 ounces of raw meat. I have ordered ducks online because my grocery store stopped carrying them in lieu of turkeys for Thanksgiving, and my boy scratches his face bloody when I feed him turkey. My current favorite is Cornish game hens. If I get the big ones, they're good for 2 pugs for 2 dinners, have enough bone to keep their stool firm without having really thick pieces of bone that I worry about, and the boys love them. The one who had diarrhea still has itching issues, but generally, they're happier, play more, and best of all, my puppy doesn't run around panting when he needs to poop because it's so uncomfortable for him. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404984903925460086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-86619121334548946052021-05-03T13:31:22.082-04:002021-05-03T13:31:22.082-04:00Oh my gosh, how awful Lizard! Renee Nefe, Predniso...Oh my gosh, how awful Lizard! Renee Nefe, Prednisone makes me both voracious and angry, so I am a real treat when I have to go on it. Can't imagine being a pet with the same problems.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-76298924719913842512021-04-29T21:57:06.037-04:002021-04-29T21:57:06.037-04:00We had to stop the free feeding and switch our cat...We had to stop the free feeding and switch our cat to a prescription diet. He does not love it and we do sneak in some "junk food" as well. He lost a little bit of weight, but the best part is that he no longer has bladder crystals. <br />Have you seen the TikTok videos of people who have trained their cats to talk with push buttons? It's amazing, I wish I had thought of that because I always wonder what my cat is thinking!Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00578706259958747156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-50476374955624273372021-04-28T01:29:52.175-04:002021-04-28T01:29:52.175-04:00My cat needed insulin, she was very un-interested ...My cat needed insulin, she was very un-interested in the process and never objected. She's been gone a while now and I still miss her.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107295414753495622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-48849345173181495352021-04-27T21:59:38.707-04:002021-04-27T21:59:38.707-04:00We once put a cat door into the garage, where we k...We once put a cat door into the garage, where we kept the food for the smaller cat unit - the larger one couldn't fit through until he lost some weight. These days, we have to lock our chonk in the bathroom until the others are done eating so she won't bat cleanup for them.Moozerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03722368398183713709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-53237947634379449382021-04-27T16:07:10.971-04:002021-04-27T16:07:10.971-04:00Artemis The Cat enjoys hunting lizards here in Tex...Artemis The Cat enjoys hunting lizards here in Texas. Unsurprisingly, they aren't as fun coming out as going in, which led to rage poops, where she would poo on a bathmat while yowling as loud as she can and glaring over her shoulder at us.<br /><br />Enter Laxatone, the maple flavored petroleum jelly. Every night, before I am allowed to get into bed, she screams at me until she's licked her fill from the tube. It's less irritating than the yowl poops.FaithEllenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09608809902575585608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-13828724912585477462021-04-27T04:08:55.484-04:002021-04-27T04:08:55.484-04:0020 years ago, when we bought the house it came wit...20 years ago, when we bought the house it came with a landscaping allowance. We spent everything on 6' chain link fencing around ~1 acre of yard. Yes it is butt ugly. But have you ever seen rescue greyhounds running free? BeeeYOOtiful.<br /><br />Also we figured out how to build duct tape and infant diapers for them when they got older and had issues. Like they do The Overgrown Hobbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09806927514541692971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-88037693039076928202021-04-26T20:44:47.755-04:002021-04-26T20:44:47.755-04:00My cat Humphrey is an exotic shorthair (google it,...My cat Humphrey is an exotic shorthair (google it, I dare you not say 'awww'). His face is flat, and because of that oils and dirt collect in the folds next to his nose. So every day, I take a special little scrubby brush and feed him treats while I painstakingly clean out his squooshes.Natalie https://www.blogger.com/profile/01180037892798043894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-89687142679634253972021-04-26T19:09:43.779-04:002021-04-26T19:09:43.779-04:00We have three German Shorthair Pointers: 13yo gets...We have three German Shorthair Pointers: 13yo gets a mix of 2 different foods to go with her 2 meds and vitamins; 7yo gets to eat a different kind of food out of a puzzle bowl in the garage because he came to us with some food aggression/snarf and barf issues; 1yo eats a 4th kind of food, partly from a regular bowl and partly in a puzzle bowl to slow her down enough for 13yo to finish across the kitchen; then all three get a nightly salami treat because 13yo has thyroid and liver meds that need a little help going down and the other two quickly discovered that help came with salami. We love them so. = )Jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408730263215603015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-35480183498932812422021-04-26T16:46:14.602-04:002021-04-26T16:46:14.602-04:00my friend has the rfid bowls and had implants adde...my friend has the rfid bowls and had implants added to the cats (like an find-me implant) and the skinny cat opens her bowl and walks away so the fat one gets first dibs.Kathy Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07985702024707805018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-44465297908772241442021-04-26T14:22:34.376-04:002021-04-26T14:22:34.376-04:00So my dog Albert fell out of a tree chasing a squi...So my dog Albert fell out of a tree chasing a squirrel. The tree had fallen over a stream so he didn’t realise how high he was and neither did my husband. So he smashed is leg and we too him to the royal veterinary hospital close to where we live and they did a big surgery putting plates and screws in his leg. He’s spoilt and sleeps on our bed but due to his delicate leg we had to lift him up and down off the sofa, up the stairs everything so I slept on a mattress on the bedroom floor for 3 months waking up every time he moved slightly because I was so worried he would damage the leg while we waited for it to heal. It was awful but it was 6 years ago and he fit as a fiddle now so it was worth it :)Staciehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398200003034446854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-82062670548615385362021-04-26T12:25:39.122-04:002021-04-26T12:25:39.122-04:00That was our problem too, our solution was some ra...That was our problem too, our solution was some rather nice RFiD feeders. So chonk can eat all of her food, but can't touch the others, but she ofter stares at it longingly.IvorTangreanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14501633470000282958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-14230001267529455822021-04-26T10:01:51.378-04:002021-04-26T10:01:51.378-04:00Little Miss Maine Coon likes to sing the "Son...Little Miss Maine Coon likes to sing the "Song of the hungry cats" at 4:30am when breakfast is at 6am. "It is too early, kittens have to wait" is greeted 2x a day with glares and operatic yowls. But to get the dry biccies at night, one must "touch" (self nose boop) and then do a "tail parade" (tails up and frittering) to get said yummies.Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08156616364193925933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-22098919497959880762021-04-26T09:07:05.303-04:002021-04-26T09:07:05.303-04:00For the past few months, our cat Luna has required...For the past few months, our cat Luna has required what I have started called "breakfast pets" and "lunch pets." Our back stairs lead to a door in our kitchen with a window in it. She has always loved to pop up in the window to demand attention. But lately, she pops up every morning and noontime to demand love and snacks. We usually move her food bowls into the back stairs because our 11yo makes her nervous (he's just, you know, a clompy 11yo). But even if the bowls are already in the stairs, she still pops up because apparently, she can't have snackies until she gets love.JaimeLynn88https://www.blogger.com/profile/17160731411046245836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-68449300584329439752021-04-26T09:02:58.017-04:002021-04-26T09:02:58.017-04:00We have seven, yes...seven, furballs. Yes, I am in...We have seven, yes...seven, furballs. Yes, I am insane. <br /><br />Fry is on special urinary food and absolutely can not eat anything else. Dexter is a butterball and can only eat special urinary diet food and absolutely can not eat anything else. If either of the special food boys get their mitts on anything other than their own food, they pee everywhere in sight. Remy steals food from the first two, but he can eat regular food. We feed him the urinary food anyway, since boys are more likely to have urinary issues anyway. Being preemptive! <br /><br />Three of the four girls (Violet, Q, and Clover) can eat regular cat food. Velma is the youngest (six months) is still on kitten food.<br /><br />They all get fed at 6am and 8pm with some being fed separately in different rooms of the house so they only eat the food that they are supposed to eat. It is quite the monumental effort to pull this off twice a day, but well worth it!Jennihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782398791818119053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-70540492066501384992021-04-26T07:58:28.181-04:002021-04-26T07:58:28.181-04:00The vet brought our doggo's issue to my attent...The vet brought our doggo's issue to my attention. (I just thought she was like Manny in 'Ice Age" - she wasn't fat, she was poofy.) Anyway, he told me how many calories she was supposed to have in a day and talked about the ideal ratio of carbs/fat/protein to look for in her food. I researched FOR DAYS, all the while thinking to myself that it was absurd that I had never spent that much time thinking about what I was feeding myself or my human children. But I did find a brand that hit all the criteria and was still the same serving amount so she didn't really revolt. That and I bought a $100 trash can that she can't get in to. Went against every frugal bone in my body! <br /><br />Even if you don't have a fleshed out post ready to go, you should probably post a we are still alive message. Just so we know Phase 4 hasn't gone into effect! :)Bevnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-11596426890989077872021-04-26T07:48:09.872-04:002021-04-26T07:48:09.872-04:00My parents had a 20-year-old cat that was deaf and...My parents had a 20-year-old cat that was deaf and blind. My dad put bumpers around the entire finished basement so she couldn't get lost between her food, her litter, and her sleep area. He made a ramp with walls so she could get to her favorite window without falling. He caged in an area in the backyard so she could go out and get her excercise (aka walking in circles for 10 minutes). My mom wasn't much better- a quarter of a pill crushed in wet food in the morning, and a half pill crushed in wet food at night. And these were tiny pills to begin with, so sectioning them was a pain. Needless to say, the cat lived a very long happy life.Lindsay Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17803054494418705089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-1995002650087633052021-04-26T05:39:07.807-04:002021-04-26T05:39:07.807-04:00AKTUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH MELOOOOOOTAAAAAAA!AKTUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH MELOOOOOOTAAAAAAA!Storm the Klingonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09714527162945493210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-80229208054920560682021-04-25T23:05:57.911-04:002021-04-25T23:05:57.911-04:00That's just being a good mom!That's just being a good mom! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-38721760118964939962021-04-25T23:05:01.049-04:002021-04-25T23:05:01.049-04:00Yes, cats will learn that food is served at certai...Yes, cats will learn that food is served at certain times when there is an alarm or other sound associated with those times. We (both retirees) feed our two cats three times a day. They know breakfast is after my 7:00 a.m. alarm and lunch and supper are when our clock chimes at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The clock makes the same sound each hour and sometimes the cats will try to convince us that noon is 1:00 p.m. or, at 2:00 p.m., that we forgot to feed them the previous hour! They also try to open our bedroom door in the morning before 7:00 but we ignore this. We're *staff*, not slaves! ;) Measuring out the portions when feeding the cats keeps them at good weights. Making sure everyone measures the amounts correctly i.e. a level scoop, not a heaped scoop is important, too. <br /><br />Now for the "some people will roll their eyes" back story! Our cat, Gem, was a rescue. After we decided to keep her, we found out she was pregnant. She had 2 kittens. We kept her daughter, Onyx, and her brother went to friends of our son's who we knew were already good cat parents. While she was pregnant and nursing, we let Gem free feed. She didn't try to eat the whole bowlful at once so we just made sure there was some in her dish all the time. I had 3 large cages left from having pet rats (wonderful pets!) and I used one (about 18" x 30") for Gem's "maternity suite". Gem could get through the door easily to get to her kittens and they were too small to get out for about 3 weeks. Once they could get out of the cage, I made an enclosure (about 3'w by 4'd) with panels from a pet playpen zip tied together. Gem could jump over the sides (about 3') no problem. When the kittens were just about able to climb out, I made a roof using the rest of the pet pen and more rat cage parts. One section had a door which we left open so that Gem could still get in to her babies. She was able to jump out through the door, too. The door was in the centre of the roof and the kittens were too small to make that leap straight up. One panel of the roof we kept closed with clips so we could open it to get at the litter box and clean the floor (tiles, not carpet). Once the kittens were eating solid food, we had to keep the enclosure closed because Gem liked their food, too, and would eat it all! We had to put the food dish in the middle of the enclosure because Gem would reach through the bars and scoop the kibbles out of the dish! We kept the enclosure together to use it as "the recovery room" after Gem and then Onyx were spayed. Then we were done with this large enclosure but still needed some place to give Onyx her kitten food - out of her mom's reach! - for her first year. So I put together the smaller rat cage to use as her "dining room". We were feeding her 3 times a day by then so didn't have to worry about giving her free access to her food. The wires of the cage were too close together for Gem to get her paw through, though she did try. She also sat with her face pressed against the wires, looking at the kitten kibble...so close and yet so inaccessible...so funny! When Onyx was a year old and started eating adult food, we finally could put the cage away, out of the living room! We still supervise them when they eat because if Gem finishes first, she may push Onyx away from her dish to get what's in it. Or Lloyd, our son's cat, will eat whatever is left if either Gem or Onyx doesn't eat all of their kibble and he is a good weight without having leftovers! <br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-78110300989168801532021-04-25T22:38:13.812-04:002021-04-25T22:38:13.812-04:00I feel like we created our own monster in this: Ou...I feel like we created our own monster in this: Our cat spooks easily (or so we've told ourselves, or at least my boyfriend is convinced, either way...), or at least has a tendency to barf after eating so we have taken to creating a non spook zone/ chill zone/ keeping her appraised of her presence. So we regularly walk around humming, singing, whistling during meal time. I realized this had taken a turn when I came home one day was told the cat was eating and promptly started singing; like it was NORMAL! So if you're wondering why you hear scheduled whistling from our house twice a day just know - it must be feeding time. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-85305528510313222462021-04-25T22:35:08.627-04:002021-04-25T22:35:08.627-04:00Two years ago my sister and I purchased four pet r...Two years ago my sister and I purchased four pet rats, one of which gave birth to twelve babies. When said babies turned one, they were given birthday hats and cakes made of vanilla wafers, peanut butter, and dried cranberries. This would be insane enough on its own. For those who had lived to the age of two they got new party hats, party decorations, and human cake cut into little round rat sized cakes with actual frosting and two sprinkles stood up for "candles". Perfectly normal.Roll for Appleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15604715054965781639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-90117097877658920732021-04-25T10:20:58.613-04:002021-04-25T10:20:58.613-04:00My husband made fun of me for putting a blanket on...My husband made fun of me for putting a blanket on the dog one winter. He was shivering!Amanda Neasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15319184269627748237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-92127605749504818452021-04-25T10:19:05.597-04:002021-04-25T10:19:05.597-04:00The most ridiculous thing I've done for my cat...The most ridiculous thing I've done for my cats is to buy four (4) $180 microchip feeding bowls for them. We had a fat cat and a slim cat, but it got a lot more complicated when I took in my MIL's cats after her passing. Then I had three slim cats and a fat cat that was on the rise.<br /><br />My routine was a can of food per cat in the morning and evening, with dry food freely available because the slim cats nibbled small amounts slowly throughout the day and their weight was fine. MIL’s cats only ever got dry food at her house so although wet food is much healthier, I didn’t want to disrupt the old cats routines too much. However the easy access to high-calorie dry food was tooooo much freedom for the fat cat.<br /><br />I tried buying one feeder to hold the dry food that all three slim cats could access, but when the MIL's cats started needing special diets too, I just went whole hog and bought three more feeders to keep everyone's food separate.<br /><br />That was several years ago, and the MIL's cats were already quite old when we took them in, so LSS, I now have four microchip feeders in storage in my garage. I pulled the batteries out, packed them away with all the instructions and accessories waiting for the day when we're ready to add to the family again. (The fat cat is still around, and doing pretty well now that I don't have to balance the needs of four cats.)ballookeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02281727671694753419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-19405175505104380672021-04-24T23:38:23.775-04:002021-04-24T23:38:23.775-04:00I impressed my vet by teaching my 16 year old cat ...I impressed my vet by teaching my 16 year old cat to let me brush her teeth in about two weeks. Now, this IS likely possible in part because I weened her as a kitten, have taught her to let me Do The Thing, and also knowing she's down for just about anything as long as I give her food/treats afterwards. The hardest part was me realizing she really hated the toothpaste. I've also harness trained her. The only thing I can really complain about is her habit of eating my (four foot plus long) hair. Araviluinoreply@blogger.com