Feline Urological Syndrome (F.U.S.)

 

The first I time I had ever heard of Feline Urological Syndrome was back in 1990 when I noticed one of my male cat's trying to urinate in the corners of rooms while crying as if he were in pain. At the time, we had four other indoor cats so I was not aware of exactly which cat urinated in which litter box. 

We immediately took him to our vet for an examination and he was quickly diagnosed with Feline Urological Syndrome and kept at the animal hospital for a day in order to have a catheter inserted. Feline Urological Syndrome can be brought on by several factors; however, the most common cause is a urethral blockage due to crystallization. Cat food containing high ash content, fillers such as wheat, soy, and corn which cause the crystallization are extremely dangerous and can kill your cat within hours if not caught in time! 

The seriousness of this medical condition can not be overstated! If your cat is diagnosed with this, they will need to be fed a special  Urinary Diet food prescribed by the vet for the rest of their natural life. 

This problem is more common in male cats than females. The reason for this is because males have a much narrower urinal tract than females. Our cat Leo has F.U.S. and once a week we must perform what I refer to as a "potty check". Meaning, I give him a completely fresh litter box using only the clumpy cat litter and separate him from the other cats by putting him in the catio after his dinner. This is imperative for keeping track of his urinary habits.  

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I have included a couple of links for further reading:

https://felineinstincts.com/feline-urological-syndrome-fus

https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/feline-urological-syndrome

Our new "old" cat carrier

A few years ago, I bought a cat carrier that was

 put together by using metal screws. It was easy

 take off the top part if necessary and it was

VERY sturdy! I loved it and still use it to this

 day.

Well, about a month or so ago, I went looking

 for another one like it, but to no avail. The only

 kind I could find at the pet stores (Petsmart,

 Petco, Pet Max, etc.) were the clip together

 carriers. I wasn't too crazy about them at all

 because:

A. They were way too expensive! and;

B. The whole entire idea of holding your cat or

 dog safely inside a carrier box by only a couple

 of "clips" did not sound like a very good or

 sound idea to me!

Turns out, I was definitely right (especially

 about B.) and I will tell you all why. We used it

 once (and only once!) to take our cat, Kiki to

 her vet appointment. After we arrived back

 home with her, my hubby grabbed the handle

 on the carrier to get her out of the car and in

 the house. The clips did not hold together well

 enough and suddenly the bottom dropped out

 from under her! Which left me terrified that

 she would run off scared and we would never

 see her again and her in such shock she just

 stood in the middle of our our driveway

 paralyzed for a few seconds and then,

 thankfully, ran in front of the garage door as if

 she was trying to get back into the house!

 Hubby slowly walked toward her and gently

 picked her up and took her inside. Close call!

 And I have never used that horribly

 unsafe carrier since then. Nor will I advise

 anyone else to purchase one for their beloved

 pet!

So, Thursday afternoon I searched on-line and

 found another carrier very similar to our old

one and made just as sturdy ...

 Petmate Sky Kennel Pet Carrier

 

 

These carriers are extremely good and last a long time. With five cats, we use our carriers  pretty hard and our old one is still serving us well after all these years! LOVE THESE and would definitely recommend them to anyone!

Raw Meat for Cats: Good or Bad idea?

Recently, the subject has come up in our household regarding

 how healthy it is to give cats "raw meat." Actually, it was

 suggested by a good friend of mine to use raw chicken to catch

 our rather elusive outside kitty cat.

According to the vet, the answer to this quandary is "Good."

 Raw meat, although repulsive to most of us, is very healthy for

 cats. It is good for their teeth and overall fitness. They can even

 eat bones so long as they are NOT cooked or microwaved, etc.

 The reason for this is simple. When bones are cooked in any

 fashion, it changes their density. Cooked bones are very hard

 and brittle and will without a doubt either puncture your cats

 stomach or cause them to choke!

Further, you should never feed your cat raw meat and kibble

 (cat food) at the same time nor close together. Cats digest raw

 meat very quickly unlike kibble which takes cats a few hours to

 digest. Therefore, feeding them kibble too soon after giving

 them raw meat can be extremely risky as the raw meat gets

 digested quickly so the bacteria does not have enough time

 to become a hazard to the cat. Mixing both the kibble and the

 meat together will only slow their digestive system down,

 causing the actual risk of the cat getting sick!

I, myself however, would certainly never presume to debate

 these medical facts. After all, who am I to argue with Mother

 Nature? Apparently, she knows what She is doing. However, I

 must add that, personally speaking, I still do not feel completely

 comfortable feeding my indoor cats raw meat.

(resource: http://catlovingcare.com/1561/blog/should-cats-eat-raw-chicken-and-uncooked-meat/2009/08/)

Books and other fun stuff

Greetings fellow feline enthusiasts! Last weekend I stopped off at our local Barnes & Noble book store and picked up these two new cat books ...

My husband and I loved watching the Animal Planet show, "My Cat From Hell." So much so that we attended one of Jackson Galaxy's in-person shows in Reading, PA a few years ago. In fact, I own a couple of his books.

And, just to make you smile ...

Some Famous Cat Quotes:

"Time spent with cats is never wasted." ~ Sigmund Freud

"What greater gift than the love of a cat." ~ Charles Dickens

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have never forgotten this." ~ Terry Pratchett

"Of all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat." ~ Mark Twain

"Never try to out stubborn a cat." ~ Robert A. Heinlein

"I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through." ~ Jules Verne

"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats." ~ Albert Schweitzer

"I like cats a lot. I've always liked cats. They're great company. When they eat, they always leave a little bit at the bottom of the bowl - a dog will polish the bowl, but a cat leaves a little bit. It's like an offering." ~ Christopher Walken

"I love cats because I enjoy my home, and little by little, they become its visible soul." ~ Jean Cocteau

"I have felt cats rubbing their faces against mine and touching my cheek with claws carefully sheathed. These things, to me, are expressions of love." ~ James Herriot

"I take care of my flowers and my cats. And, I enjoy food ... and that's living." ~ Ursula Andress

Have a wonderful day all!

Feline for Thought Friday

I have been having a bit of fun with Google Images and the Microsoft paint feature. I've been using all kinds of cool and inspirational quotes to pics which I have chosen

both off Google images and my own personal pics which I have also taken ... I hope you all enjoy!!

I suppose you could say it is like a "mix 'n' match" kind of thing using various quotes and pics put together and allows me to be somewhat artistic. Have a great weekend, friends!

Meet Moose, The Cat Who Converted Me: An inspiring True Story by Renee James

It's official. I've become "that lady". And I'm embracing it. 

I have never liked cats. I never had one. I was afraid of them. They're mean, they're sneaky, their pee stinks, and they'll definitely eat your eyeballs out when you die. 

In early 2020, the pandemic was plaguing the world. I'm a bit of a self proclaimed germaphobe. I was feeling really anxious. I thought, "Perhaps I should get a pet. Animals make me happy." Sadly, I'm not allowed to have a dog in my apartment. So I began my cat search. 

I began sorting through pages and pages and pages of cats for adoption online. I started reading about cat breeds. I read about caring for a cat. I read everything I thought I'd need to know. I nervously continued my search.

One day, I saw a cat named, "Big Ben". He was listed as "extra large". I never saw any others described as such. I decided to send the rescue an inquiry. Turned out, Big Ben was in a foster home pending adoption. The rescue said they would contact me if his foster home wasn't going to keep him. I never even met him, but somehow I was sad. Maybe a bit defeated. Then the call came. They're not keeping him because he bullies the dog, but they will be fostering him until a favorable adopter comes along. I got contact information to call the family. I called the family and explained to the wonderful man, Chris, on the phone that I've never had a cat. He gave me a run down of Big Ben's personality. Chris spent nearly a hour on the phone telling me everything I should know and answering all my questions, even the juvenile ones. 

We set a date for me to come to their house and meet Big Ben. I was so excited and nervous. I arrived at their beautiful home and was greeted with warm smiles and friendly chatter. I was still nervous. Terrified even. There were cats. I ... was in the same room ... with MULTIPLE CATS. Then, Chris pointed to the giant lump of fur on the kitchen floor and said, "That's him!" I'm certain I let out a "Holy shit!" Big Ben lifted his head and looked over his shoulder at me. He was completely unenthused and slightly disgusted. He put his head down and went back to sleep utterly unimpressed by me. It was then that I knew "he's the one". Chris loaded Big Ben into a medium sized dog crate and I stepped outside to give the family a chance to say goodbye to him. They really did love him and were sad to see him go but he was terrorizing their 100 pound rottweiler. Big Ben was loaded into my vehicle, he cried and cried. I felt awful. I arrived home with my new cat. I placed him in the bathroom as I was instructed and let him decompress. My husband and I decided to change his name to "Moose", you can guess why. 

The first few days, Moose and I felt each other out. We'd sit in the same room and just stare at each other awkwardly. I loved it. From day one, Moose never ran nor hid. He was too cool for that (and too big to fit anywhere to hide). I kept in contact with his foster family (I still do actually) and the rescue he came from. Everyone was so helpful at answering all my questions as I learned to be a cat mom. Life was suddenly way more interesting. Moose's antics were something I never anticipated. First, he'd only poop in the bathtub. Turned out there was nothing wrong with him, he just didn't fit in the XL litter box I had purchased. I had to order a giant Maine Coon box. Problem solved. Then, he got comfortable and started jumping inside the refrigerator. Big boy was willing to go to any length for food. About two months after we adopted him, we celebrated his 8th birthday. He let me dress him up. Life with Moose was everything I hoped for and more.

After about a year and a half of fun and laughs, Moose was diagnosed with diabetes (and also has hyperthyroidism). He was already on a diet prescribed by his vet when his diagnosis came along. I was heartbroken. My best friend CAN'T be sick. I learned to administer insulin, check blood sugar, and get him well again. 

Today, Moose is 14lbs. down from 26lbs. He's still insulin dependent, but we're doing anything and everything to make him well. Now that he's a svelte cat, he does cat things. He could never do cat things before. He jumps all over the place now. Yet again, we're on an adventure. Moose became everything they said he wasn't when I adopted him. They said he'd never snuggle, he'd never sit on a lap, and he'd certainly never sleep in bed with you. 

He sits on my lap all the time. I can't sleep at night if he's not sharing my pillow and snoring in my face ...

I love him more than I imagined possible ...... even though he WILL, in fact, eat my eyeballs some day. 

Fun Things About Moose

- He once mistook my finger for turkey and sent me to the ER.

- He loves chickpeas.

- He was once a barn cat. (allegedly)

- He has no prey drive.

- He's disgusted by our Guinea pigs.

- He made his cat sitter rush him to the vet while we were

  on vacation. Turns out he was just protesting by not 

  pooping.

- He can snatch food off your fork while it's en route to your

  mouth. 

- He has a weird affinity for throw rugs. Must be

  rectangular though.

- He hates toys. Games are for children.

- He likes spicy food. Curry (any variety) is a gift from

  the Heavens and he WILL fight you for it.

- He talks constantly.

- He pooped under the Christmas tree. Just because.

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Family portrait: Moose with his loving cat parents Renee & Jon.

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