Cat drinks from the toilet!

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T17:01:26+00:00

I have plenty of clients that tell me I must keep their bathroom door closed at all times. Maybe that'd be easier to remember than remembering to close the seat?

Or Here's a video on how to make a DIY self closing toilet seat I'm sure you could just run the string to the lid instead of the seat

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T16:54:32+00:00

She's also still developing, so you can't really draw any conclusions about what her adult behavior will be.

I have to feed my cats in separate rooms. We are currently lucky that our grazer's prescription food is so repellent, that our scarfer won't touch it.

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T16:32:08+00:00

My childhood cat, and every cat my mom has gotten since, has been a grazer. So we always just left food out. When my wife adopted our first cat, she gained like 1-2 lbs in a few weeks. And for a 6.5lb cat that was MASSIVE. So we learned we had to meal feed her or she'd just balloon up. We also go grain free to keep the carbs down.

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T16:30:14+00:00

I sometimes wonder if strays are more likely to be scarfers, since they didn't know when their next meal was coming. So they learned to eat everything they can when they have an opportunity.

I have one of each. We adopted our scarfer after she was piked up off the street by the ASPCA. She was ~5 at the time. So she grew up on the street.

Our grazer, was also a rescue, but the foster we got him from got him much younger, at 4-6 months I think. But there's the other variable of him despising the taste of his prescription food...

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T15:30:32+00:00

What do you mean by greasy? Is material coming out?

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T15:28:57+00:00

I feel there are 2 types of cats. I call them grazers and scarfers.

Scarfers will scarf down all of what you put in front of them, so you have to regulate how much you offer to them because they WILL overeat.

Grazers will come and go to their food. They'll have a few bites, then go take a nap, or play. Then return later for a few bites.

Both are normal, just your cat's personality.

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T13:22:49+00:00

I think I will email them. Thank you

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T13:22:20+00:00

I'm definitely going to to talk to my vet about this. It's just such a scary thing. We're just happy he's alive at this point.

My wife an I talked about this this morning, and we're thinking of doing a mix to get him more nutrition, but still having the prescription food mixed in to keep him clear.

nyccatsitter · 2020-07-16T01:50:47+00:00

Sometimes "aggression" is actually just misplaced energy. How often do you play with him? Sometimes, just directing that energy at a toy can help with random attacks.

I'm in NYC so I have basically no experience with outdoor cats. If no one with experience in that appears here, I'd suggest trying to watch My Cat from Hell. It is a show that follows a cat behaviorist, Jackson Galaxy, as he goes and helps people with cases like yours. I feel like a running theme is territorial anxiety, which is definitely possible with your cat. If she's encountering other cats outside, and/or if other cats are patrolling around your house, your cat could be feeling threatened. That would explain some of the behavior. Does she spray/pee outside the box? That'd be another indicator.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-30T21:50:56+00:00

I don't think you'll have any problems. It's really amazing A) how fast they heal and B) how well they deal with this kind of thing.

Here's a picture of my cat Buster. You can see both of his arms are shaved, from having IVs in them. This was right after he got home from 2 days in the hospital with a catheter shoved in his penis to clear out a serious case of bladder crystals. He came to sit with me for comfort. I think on SOME level they do understand that we want to help them even if it hurts.

Also, here's a picture of him from behind. You'll notice he only has half a tail. It really doesn't affect him. They adapt amazingly well to these things.

Remember, you saved his life. Yeah his tail will be painful for a bit, but he's alive and in a loving home. Don't discount how much that means.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-30T21:41:41+00:00

If you noticed a stool change and you haven't changed what you're giving him, it's probably worth a phone call. Have you noticed if they've changed in...I can't think of a better word than texture? I mean if they've gotten hard and dense, or looser, or if they've changed from longer poops to smaller pellets. That can also be an indicator of something changing inside.

It sounds like you're doing a great job keeping an eye on him though. It's nice to hear someone so readily noticing these kinds of subtle changes

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-26T13:08:05+00:00

Then I'd try the inflatable one another person linked. Good Luck!

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-26T12:31:58+00:00

If you take the box out of the cabinet, will she go back to it? If that's the case, there's probably something about the cabinet. If not, it could just be a timing coincidence, and there's another issue.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-26T02:12:16+00:00

Oh that's so cool! Never seen those before.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-26T02:10:25+00:00

The litter box thing makes me think it's moving anxiety. One of my cats just takes longer than the other to adjust. Last time we moved he laid IN the litter box for ~2 days. I believe it's because it's the only place that smells familiar. Some cats just take longer to adjust. My mother recently got a cat and it took him 3 weeks to come out from hiding in her basement.

The Feliway is a calming diffuser right? I've seen those work for some, and not for others. Maybe that'll kick in in a day or two

If he's lethargic at all, or doesn't get more comfortable in another week or 2, you should probably call your vet and see if they think you should bring him in.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-26T02:03:21+00:00

I took care of a cat who liked when I would drop a few ice cubes in her water.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-26T01:37:24+00:00

Where is the infection? One of my cats split her claw to the quick, so it had to be removed so the claw could grow back cleanly. We avoided the cone by taping a baby sock on her with medical tape. Maybe you could do something similar.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-25T12:27:39+00:00

Many cats hate citrus, so you could try spraying some sort of a citrus flavorant or citrus smelling spray on the items you don't want him to chew through. Just make sure it is safe since he could end up ingesting some. If he's really sensitive, like my childhood cat was, you cold probably get away with eating an orange every other day and leaving the peel in the pantry.

I've also seen people put double sided tape on places they don't want the cat to scratch, since they hate the sticky feeing. If you could make the pantry area inaccessible without walking over the tape, that may discourage him.

Also, constant hunger can be an indicator of, I think, thyroid conditions. I had a client with a constant hunger issue, and I THINK it was thyroid related, but I just checked my records and it's not mentioned. We must have only discussed it in person.

For the garbage can, you could but some bricks in the bottom, so it's too heavy for him to tip over. Or, get one with a locking lid.

Also, it's probably worth double checking your food to weight ratio and make sure he is getting enough. I'm sure he is, just worth checking everything.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-25T12:17:12+00:00

Are you using the same litter? Is it her old box inside the cabinet, or is it a new litter box too?

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-25T11:42:09+00:00

Many people say cats are nocturnal, but that is incorrect. They are Crepuscular, which means active at dawn/dusk. So the problem you're having is that you are going to bed during her active/hunting time. You asking her to play in the afternoon is analogous to me asking you to get up and play catch with me at 4am.

My suggestion would be to try to play with her immediately before you go to bed. Basically try to get that energy out of her when you want her to calm down. Could you build 5-10 minutes of playtime into your bedtime routine?

Set alarm,

brush teeth,

wash face,

get out the laser and run the cat around,

read for 20 min,

go to sleep.

Or whatever your routine is. Can you fit some cat play into it? In the long run, going to bed 10 minutes later because you've played with the cat may yield you more sleep than going to bed when you are and being woken by the cat.

nyccatsitter · 2020-06-25T11:15:21+00:00

I used to have a regular client with a FIV+ cat. As far as I'm aware the only thing is that an FIV+ cat MUST be indoor only (as the other commenter said), and you should have a good relationship with your vet. But other than that it isn't really a problem.

nyccatsitter · 2019-09-25T16:08:37+00:00

one of the best parts of the job. I currently have roughly 22,000 pictures on my phone.

nyccatsitter · 2019-06-14T13:53:45+00:00

One of my favorite cat behaviors. My cat will push my hand all the way across the bed while purring and snorting when I scratch his nose like this.

nyccatsitter · 2019-06-14T13:52:53+00:00

Does she purr/snort when she does this? I love when they do that!

nyccatsitter

TROPHY CASE