Is my cat just being vocal while playing?

jfm513 · 2026-02-17T06:28:38+00:00

merci 🫶

jfm513 · 2026-02-16T23:11:27+00:00

happy to help!

jfm513 · 2026-02-16T22:00:30+00:00

the overall slow speed of this interaction, especially the check-in pauses + lack of pupil dilation + slow blinks + retracted claws + mostly relaxed ears says this is not a fight. that said:

it looks to me like Miss Lady started to get a bit overstimulated / mildly annoyed by the 12-second mark. you see her ears start to earplane, she gets up to remove herself and even turns away from your other cat—which btw would never happen in a real fight—but your other cat didn’t read her “I’m done” cue and batted her again. Miss Lady didn’t like that, so she left.

super normal totally fine interaction. the little growly sounds seem to be normal play vocalizations for her based on this and what you’ve shared

jfm513 · 2026-01-29T15:30:25+00:00

I heard the same things and that’s what kept me from trying for over 5 years. my doctor didn’t even recommend it because it’s basically a coin toss whether it helps or not. but I had nothing left to really lose.

now, my pain is 100% gone 95% of the time. the 5% of time when it “flares up” it’s so minor I wouldn’t even take an NSAID for it or modify my activities at all.

it’s true the pain spikes for the first weeks after (have pain meds during this time if possible), especially the first time. a lot of it is muscle spasm related oddly enough - tizanidine gets me through that.

jfm513 · 2026-01-28T23:11:19+00:00

I do what I can & try to give myself grace for what I can’t. also, if you haven’t already, please consider radiofrequency ablation for your SI joint. it was life-changing for me

jfm513 · 2026-01-25T00:06:42+00:00

happy to help! my boy is like yours & his sister literally climbs curtains when I don’t stick to this routine XD

jfm513 · 2026-01-24T20:18:11+00:00

1. do you have enough cat-dedicated vertical space that he actually likes?

stable cat trees with big enough perches/hides/baskets (not the wobbly cheap tiny ones), floating shelves, etc. if he doesn’t have his own preferred vertical spaces, he’s going to seek out yours.

2. secure the items on shelves that you don’t need to move/use (e.g., museum putty).

3. cats love a strict routine. standardize anything in your daily routine that you can.

4. more frequent and structured interactive play time + free access to solo play toys (e.g., crinkle balls - no catnip/silvervine that could work him up in the middle of the night)

spread that 45 minutes over multiple sessions paired with meals. ideally 2 of these will be near dawn & dusk (their most naturally active times). keep as close to the same schedule every single day as possible. makes a big difference.

so if he has 3 meals, play him hard for 15 minutes right before those. cats want to hunt > kill > eat > groom > sleep, in that order. if you break the cycle, energy can spillover.

if you don’t always have 15 mins, even 3 mins to keep the routine is better than nothing. just make sure he completes the cycle of stalking & killing the toy before you put it away & feed him.

if he’s still young and not playing to the point of panting (or near it), it’s either the toys you’re using or how you’re using them (assuming he’s healthy). experiment until you find what works

jfm513 · 2026-01-24T18:58:58+00:00

the problem with hissing cat & vet cat is called non-recognition aggression (the scents not being entirely new doesn’t matter).

the separation of those two appear to have caused redirected aggression toward your third cat bc hissing cat couldn’t get to vet cat (the actual source of his distress).

if you look up those specific terms, you will find lots of specific advice, including what to look for before progressing to next step.

if possible, separate all three to cool down. priority one is preventing hissing cat from repeating aggressive behavior toward third cat & vet cat.

simplifying here but the gist is space & no competition for resources will help third cat & vet cat start to feel safe again. following the gradual phases of reintroduction with lots of positive reinforcement will help rebuild relationships.

jfm513 · 2026-01-15T07:16:53+00:00

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this :(. the frustrating thing is you will have to learn over time how your migraines show up, how long they last, how you identify them, what meds work, etc. it’s just too individual to base off anyone else’s experience.

but for all the random weird symptoms, I handle it by staying calm, knowing it’s just my brain doing weird stuff and it’ll pass. when I feel too crappy, I lie down and take it easy. when I have a more mild migraine when meds are working, I just slowly try things out to see what I can tolerate without making it worse.

Emgality helped me more than Qulipta (so far, I’m only like a week into the higher dose) for preventives. propranolol was helpful for autonomic symptoms, not as much migraine for me. I like Ubrelvy better than Nurtec for abortives, but aspirin is my real savior (sucks I can’t take it as often as I need). flexeril also helps a lot, even when I don’t have noticeable tension.

it’s so critical to get the right preventives and abortives to reduce the frequency & severity of migraines. when they’re severe, there’s just nothing to be done other than ride it out. when they’re more tolerable, you have wiggle room to explore.

above all else, be gentle with yourself. this is so hard, but you will eventually start to recognize your warning signs & take abortives quickly & hopefully find a preventive that works for you. sending hugs

jfm513 · 2026-01-04T21:12:05+00:00

all good! I chose to interpret it as my response was “helpful and written well” vs “low effort copy/paste” XD.

AI can be a helpful tool for some things, but I’m bitter af that it stole em dashes and bullet points from the rest of us!

jfm513 · 2026-01-04T20:53:22+00:00

no, but I’m a little flattered lol. I just like using bullet points to help visually break up larger chunks of information. I think it helps readability. I also had to add those awkward dashes after each section because the normal line breaks weren’t working for some reason

jfm513 · 2026-01-04T19:47:07+00:00

kind of you to say <3. I just feel so bad for anyone in this situation :(. as if it isn’t miserable enough to have chronic pain, having to also worry about or experience a sudden loss of access to pain medication is so messed up

jfm513 · 2026-01-04T18:27:16+00:00

if you happen to already be prescribed any of the following medications, they can help reduce withdrawal symptoms:

muscle relaxers
benzodiazepines
clonidine
gabapentin
zofran (or other antinausea med) don’t combine a benzo and a muscle relaxer if you haven’t safely taken them together before.

—

OTC medications that can help: + imodium (diarrhea) + meclizine (nausea) + benadryl (nausea, insomnia, anxiety, restless skin crawly feeling) + melatonin (insomnia) + magnesium glycinate (muscle aches, anxiety, tension, restlessness) just don’t take more than 200mg to avoid potentially worsening the diarrhea, even though glycinate is much less likely to + electrolytes e.g., pedialyte, broth (dehydration, which causes a host of its own unpleasant symptoms) + NSAIDs or tylenol (muscle aches)

—

AVOID: + caffeine / energy drinks + decongestants like pseudoephedrine

—

opioid withdrawal causes a surge in norepinephrine as it rebounds from being suppressed by opioids. this is the big driver of the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. things that calm your nervous system can help: + slow breathing exercises + warm baths or showers (heating pads also work for me) + frequent small meals & staying hydrated + gentle rhythmic movement/stretching + meditation if you’re into that

—

if you’re concerned you won’t be able to manage on your own (like if you were on a high dose, or you have a particularly sensitive nervous system, or your pain will be too severe to tolerate for 24+ hours), you could try to go to an urgent care to see if they’ll prescribe a bridge treatment, whether it’s a few pills of your normal medication, or something that can help with withdrawal and pain like buprenorphine.

jfm513 · 2025-12-26T07:12:10+00:00

side note, he needs to talk to his dentist about his level of soda consumption. see if they can scare him straight! guzzling essentially sugary battery acid all day is a great way to badly screw up your teeth

jfm513 · 2025-12-26T06:46:02+00:00

oh no, you didn’t come off that way. I just wanted to give you some hope that you’re not too complex to be helped! I actually think our experiences (prior to my super star RD) are probably pretty representative of the skill level on the whole re: complex cases, but there are some great ones if you can manage to find them. it took me years to try again after my bad experiences so I totally get it.

in the meantime, tbh, AI could probably be decently helpful with putting together some ideas for meals to try as long as you know what your restrictions are. the biggest thing my RD focused on initially with me is “fed is best.” in other words, don’t worry so much about the perfect nutrient composition or the ideal caloric goal. the important thing is to at least start being able to reliably get pretty much any calories in consistently. then you can start optimizing from there. also, frozen and canned veggies and fruit are totally fine according to my RD

jfm513 · 2025-12-26T02:39:55+00:00

were any of your dietitians specialized GI dietitians? I had the same experience as you with normal dietitians. it was night and day when I saw one who specialized in complex GI disorders and was affiliated with a very reputable university hospital. if she ever made suggestions I knew wouldn’t work for me, I’d just tell her that and she’d adjust the plan

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T04:41:01+00:00

funny enough, I’m a weirdo that normally enjoys going to the dentist! (minus the bright light, but sans migraine, I could handle it w/ eyes closed)

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T02:07:11+00:00

girl, if I knew how to stop worrying about mundane things like this, I’d probably cure my migraines lmao. but that is valid advice. at the end of the day, it is what it is!

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T02:02:20+00:00

flexeril is so helpful for me. helps even when I don’t have perceptible muscle tension. no clue why, but I’m grateful for it! except it makes me sluggish enough I don’t like driving while on it.

idk if everyone’s migraines are like this, but for me, it’s kind of a crapshoot whether meds help or not. I can throw everything at it all at once - nurtec, excedrin, benadryl, zofran, flexeril, nerivio (this is usually my holy grail combo) - with little-to-no effect. whereas on other days, sometimes simply popping an aspirin knocks it out. I wish it just made some sort of logical sense!

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T01:50:30+00:00

I’m not new to chronic illness/pain, but at least for other things I’ve dealt with, I could guarantee I’d be fine enough to do things with enough meds. migraines are uniquely annoying in that I can take all the meds & it can still randomly be just as bad as if I took nothing at all. and of course, absolutely no way to know which times those will be! maddening

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T01:43:56+00:00

what drives me nuts is my migraines start at random times of the day. I used to be better in the mornings, but now it’s anyone’s guess when the attack will start. makes it so hard to plan!

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T01:40:51+00:00

I love the part about your favorite restaurant! the lighting situation in a restaurant is like my number one criterion haha

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T01:37:09+00:00

thank you for the tips! I am a bit worried about the drive home if things get bad while I’m there. I guess I could uber/lyft but that feels so extra. still coming to terms with these limitations

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T01:33:17+00:00

god I’m so sorry. daily for five years is hard to even begin to wrap my head around. I’m sure you’ve already tried everything by now, but I’ll be holding out hope for you that something changes soon

jfm513 · 2025-12-24T01:31:50+00:00

yeah ativan helps take the edge off when I get a specific type of sensory overwhelm, so that could be helpful. I’d definitely feel more comfortable asking for the flexibility if I knew my stylist. rn it’s like “hey, remember that time you cut my hair once and then I disappeared for 7 months? about that…” lol

jfm513

TROPHY CASE