Spayed cat in heat? (Formerly the Feline Cystitis thread!)

aonb

loveisdivine wrote: »

Here's a short vid of them eating together. Ripley was a little tense at the end, I tried to stroke her to reassure her but she wasn't keen. Perhaps it's too threatening to her having him that near when she's eating?

Edit - video works now!

https://vimeo.com/182605761

If you are sitting eating your dinner, and a strange cat is sitting eating his dinner nearby, and then the cat comes to sniff your dinner, and maybe help himself to some of your dinner, you would be tense too
Think they are looking really good together - the black/white combo is just so cute! - the fact that she is eating at all when he is so close is a sign that she is relaxed and chilled to his presence

loveisdivine

We've had him in for a good bit again this evening.

Still quite a bit of hissing from Ripley but obviously this is only the first proper day.

Poor bunk looks terrified when she does it!

Edit - also, Ripleys being a little aggressive towards us when he's around or if she's trying to get outside. If we try and pet her while he's there to reassure her, she's hissing and swiping at us.

I guess it is still very early days.

loveisdivine

Hi again!

So things are still going ok with Ripley and Bunk. How long should I give it for the hissing/growling to stop?

They eat together fine and they're pretty much fine for most of the daytime. They are usually just sleeping in different rooms so don't bother each other.

The problems come in the morning and evening when they are both active and want to play. Ripley seems to be in a mix of wanting to play but also wanting to be mean! She trills at him and even rolled onto her back the other day when they were playing under the door, but then the next second she hisses and growls! She's booped him a few times and I think maybe he booped her once but he's generally very placid.

Any tips for getting Ripley more comfortable when they are playing/in close proximity to each other?

morgana

If they are eating together without problems, they are pretty much settled with each other.
There may always be a bit of growling / hissing, but its sounds like they are tolerating each other quite well.
I wouldn't worry about the hissing / poking at each other, it doesn't sound like there is any serious aggression going on, a bit of hissing or pawing is just her way of telling him, I'm not in the mood, stay away :P.
It really sounds like they have accepted each other pretty well, the stimulation may even be good for Ripley! If she doesn't retreat, refuses to engage or avoid him, you are pretty much there. Sleeping in different rooms is very normal (at least in our house, our three usually sleep in different rooms, specific locations vary :P)
And well done to Bunk, you got yourself the perfect new home!

Rancid

I totally agree with morgana, all signs point to them having adapted to each other really well in such a short space of time.
The odd hiss or paw is very normal, their way of dealing with each other and maintaining their own space when they need it.
Seriously, they've made such progress and Ripley is doing so well with the changes that I think YOU deserve a well earned clap on the back for persevering and getting her so well settled and socialised!!

loveisdivine

Thanks guys. Yeah I do think Ripley has accepted his presence in the house. It would just be nice if they could interact more without Ripley's constant hissing. It's clear Bunk really wants to play and be friends, he's such a happy little cat. If it were up to him they'd be grooming each other by now! It's sad to see him try and engage her in play and she just hisses! But it will either come with time, or he'll just have to learn that she doesn't want too.

I was wondering if Ripleys deafness might be playing a small part in it too. She obviously can't hear herself hissing and growling. She's always been much louder and more frequent with her vocals than a regular cat.

At the minute, we leave Bunk in the kitchen at night. It's his safe place and he spend most of the day snoozing on a kitchen chair. I feel bad that he's in there all night, but I think it's too early to give them free reign at night time. She still gets quite agitated when he comes into the bedroom, probably because that's where she sleeps at night with us.

Here's a pic my husband just sent which shows them perfectly. Ripley being a loudmouth and Bunk looking bemused! He's such a sweet cat, always looking for cuddles and drooling all over me!

http://imgur.com/gallery/7r9TE0t

kathleen37

Ripley is such a pretty girl!!! Honestly, I wouldn't worry about either giving Bunk the run of the house (personally, I'd keep him in the kitchen - it is Ripley's house, after all) or about her deafness. She's fully aware of her volume due to vibrations which she will be very aware of. They may never be chums, but that will be ok. To be honest, unless they are related, non of ours are particularly chummy with any of the others..

loveisdivine

Big steps the last 24 hours!

http://imgur.com/a/c6iNT

loveisdivine

Just a little update. Bunk and Ripley are getting along reasonably well. We have really good moments, like the other morning when they slept on the bed together (about a foot apart) for nearly an hour! But she still hisses a fair bit and tries to swipe at him when she's grumpy.

Ripley still isn't using a tray for her poops, but it doesn't stress us out as much anymore as we can just clean it up straight away and there's no one else around to see it.

We've decided to try a food change again as she's been a bit constipated the last few days. I know we have tried diet changes before and always had fairly negative results but we thought it might be worth a try now she's happier in the new house.

We're going to try her on the Bozita wet food that we feed Bunk. We already know she likes the taste and it has a slightly higher moisture content. I've also realised that the lilys kitchen we currently feed has carrageenan in it and I've read a few things about it possibly contributing to feline IBD issues etc. So it's worth a shot

janmaree

It's great to hear from you again, I was wondering over the weekend how things are going with you! Such good news that peace is breaking out gently in your house (congratulations by the way on your new home) and I'm with you on not freaking out over the poop situation, horror of horrors to some people but good on you for the stance you're taking. Little by little, all will be well. Take care, J.

loveisdivine

Ripley's having a bad few days. She started to get a little constipated the middle of last week and it's got progressively worse since then. She pooped on Saturday morning but it was small and hard and hasn't gone since. She's been lethargic and a little shivery all weekend.

I gave her some tuna in oil yesterday lunch to try and help keep things moving but she just puked it back up after a few hours. Didn't give her any dinner last night and she was a little brighter this morning, moving about and meowing for breakfast, so I gave her a small amount. She was still shivering a little though.

I really wish we knew what was causing these bouts of constipation. We had started mixing small amount of the Bozita canned food into the lilys kitchen, but I'd be surprised if that caused it. We don't feed any dry food at all now, all wet food, so it's odd that she would get dehydrated enough to become so constipated.

It's frustrating because nothing I try ever helps when she's having a bad bout of it. But I can't just sit and do nothing.

She was at the vets on Thursday for vaccinations and to have her leg checked cos she had been holding it up a tiny bit but the vet could barely touch her she was so grumpy. All they managed to do was give her an anti inflammatory. The leg is fine now but she's supposed to be going back this week for the vaccination and I'm dreading it. They were talking about sedating her so they could examine her properly, but it all just stresses her out so much. Plus, the vet is over an hour away, which doesn't help.

I've thought about trying a new vet closer to our new house but how do I know if they're any good? Plus that's more stress for her cos it's another new place.

Edit - I've started to wonder if there's maybe some underlying problem that's been missed. I read that things like stomach/bowel cancer need tissue biopsies in order to diagnose them and she's never had that done. But surely if there was something serious like that going on they would have thought of it? There just has to be a reason for the constipation. I don't understand how she can be dehydrated.

aonb

would it be possible to give her something like Psyllium husk in her food all the time, to prevent constipation? Im sure the cat experts will be on here to tell you whether its something that cats can have, and if so, how much... Theres an article on it here (note some cats may be allergic )

http://canigivemycat.com/psyllium-husk

loveisdivine

Yeah I've read about psylium husk. I'd been adding a little sweet potato puree to her wet food. I don't think I want to add any more fibre at the minute though, not until she's going regularly again, I don't want to make the poop bulkier and harder to pass.

I rang the vets to see if they would give me a different/stronger laxative without having to bring her in, because they are familiar with her history and problems. Just waiting to hear back.

Still no poops

kathleen37

We had a cat that was prone to constipation. We ended up mixing a small dose of lactulose with her food daily. Seemed to work ok. You need to speak to a vet about this though, as there are different reasons for constipation, so vet is really best to recommend the right treatment for your kitty.

And an hour's trip to the vet has me wincing slightly. I have to travel 30 mins, 40 if I get sent to the other practise...

Perhpas you could look for online reviews for any that are closer? I wish I had some that were closer, but the only one I'm aware of does not have a good reputation...

loveisdivine

Well that's the problem, after all these months of different tests and examinations, they've never managed to get to the root cause of the constipation. The old vets in Bray couldn't and neither have the new ones.

We were at the point where the next option was an endoscopy but at the time it wasn't too bad, so we decided not too as it would be quite stressful for her.

That's what makes me wonder if it could be something more sinister, like intestinal lymphoma or something. She's had every other test under the sun and it's always come back negative.

There is a vet in Drogheda that looks ok, only about 30 minutes away. But it's more change and they have to familiarise themselves with her (very long winded) case history all over again.

We've been giving her lactulose the last few days but not really made a difference.

She seemed a bit weak on her feet last night, she's probably in pain from the trapped gas/poo. This is certainly the most ill we've seen her due to constipation, very lethargic etc.

Nody

Well there are two things you can get Love; there's psyllum husks which will bulk things up and easy to get and increase volume and there are psyllum seeds (note many confuse husks for seeds when selling them but look at the links for the difference in looks). The seeds would not bulk up the volume as much as it would smooth things along (due to their nature the seeds are going straight through and force the intestines to work trying to break them which they don't do) and make the poop whole but not overly firm if that makes sense. Husks require the cat to drink additional water due to the nature of it (it soaks up water and hence cause the bulk up in volume) where as the seeds will come out the same way they go in basically (also works for children as a side note; gave some to a friend who's child was on constant laxatives for a year due to not being able to poop; three days after using the seeds daily they put away the laxative bottle permanently and now six months later it still has not had to be brought out).

In your current case I'd try to get some seeds to add to the diet as that would not bulk things up but may help things move on naturally. I can provide you links to the sellers I use but they are UK and Dutch respectively but a bio organic style store should have them as well.

loveisdivine

Unfortunately Ripley hasn't improved at all. She's managed a couple of poops since Saturday but both have been very hard, small pellets and she really struggled to do them.

Her ears are quite red and she's still shivering on and off, mostly right after she eats. She's also not really moved too much in the last 24 hours. She did eat a small amount this morning (Whilst in her bed cos she wouldn't come out of it) but her appetite is still very low. I'm thinking she might have a fever?

I think I'm gonna call the closer vets and see about getting her an appointment, I don't want to to bring her the hour+ drive to the current vets, it's too much for her.

Oh and the current vets didn't want to give her a different laxative, just to give a higher dose of the lactulose. They thought it was probably because I tried to introduce a new food. I would tend to agree but this is the worst bout she's ever had, I'm surprised a few spoonfuls of a different food would cause such an adverse reaction, particularly one that's lasting this long. Surely if it was the food not agreeing with her, she'd get diarrhoea, not be constipated?

loveisdivine

Got an appointment with them for the morning and the old vets is gonna send over her history.

Husband said she had no interest in lunch at all, just sleeping all day.

kathleen37

If the poo is compacted, Lactulose won't work. It will just cause leakage, which isn't nice. It's really important to tell the new vet the last time she pooed.

I hope you get sorted.

morgana

Poor Ripley. Hope she gets sorted ..

loveisdivine

I don't think she's completely blocked as she has managed to get some poop out. Once on Monday evening and once this morning. It's just really small and hard and she's straining badly.

I feel so awful for her, even the new vet on the phone said she's very young to have been through so much.

Usually when she gets constipated she still has an appetite and energy levels would be good. This is the worst dose of it we've seen with her.

Fingers crossed she can get some relief tomorrow. There must be something else going on this time, for her to be so off her food and so depressed. The ears thing has me curious too, I've never seen it happen before with her. It started just the base of his ears were quite red a couple of days ago, now it's almost the full ear on both sides. Nothing to be seen in the ear itself and no rash or swelling, just redness. That's what makes me think a fever.

Ms Doubtfire1

it does sound like an internal issue. I would strongly recommend vet asap and see for an ultrasound with fluid so the route through the intestines can be monitored.Something is obstructing her. Re ears- could be anything, from infection to fever.I'd say she will need to be put on IV fluids as well..fingers crossed. xx

Ms Doubtfire1

additionl question: is Ripley the white girl?

loveisdivine

Yep she's the white cat.

Vets at 9.30 tomorrow.

Here's a picture of one of her ears and I've also taken a pic of her nose as today it seems to be a bit dark/dirty or something.

http://m.imgur.com/a/ePvMj

She ate some dinner this evening which is good. She's also ventured off her bed to sit on my knee

Rancid

When my cats are off their food or sleeping too much, I feel their ears for signs of a raised temperature. I'd definitely think that Ripley's temp is up a bit, do her ears feel hotter than usual to you?
Is she drinking any water for you?
Glad you got the appointment for the morning, really hope they can find the cause of all this and ease her discomfort.
Fingers crossed for her.

loveisdivine

No water at all. Just the moisture from the small amount of wet food. She's definitely dehydrated to some degree.

They feel a bit warm. She's shaking her head occasionally too.

I really hope we can find some sort of resolution to her issues. It's horrible to think she could spend all her life being a sickly cat.

Ms Doubtfire1

loveisdivine wrote: »

Yep she's the white cat.

Vets at 9.30 tomorrow.

Here's a picture of one of her ears and I've also taken a pic of her nose as today it seems to be a bit dark/dirty or something.

http://m.imgur.com/a/ePvMj

She ate some dinner this evening which is good. She's also ventured off her bed to sit on my knee

Cool-ears could very well be sunburn-let us know!!

loveisdivine

Sorry I didn't update yesterday, it was a bit hectic.

Liked it at the new vets, very informative and friendly. They'd received her history so the vet was already up to date with everything.

We agreed she has some sort of mild virus on top of the constipation so she was given pain relief and an injection to bring her temp down. She also got another injection of something to increase her gut motility. We also managed to give her a small enema too. She hated all of it but I just kept a tight grip on her!

It seemed to work wonders anyway. She pooped in the car on the way home, still small and a bit hard but it's good that she's not completely blocked up.

Within about an hour her ears had gone back to a normal colour and she was much brighter, meowing for food and mooching about. Ate a good bit when we got home too.

We've to continue with the gut motility stuff and the lactulose over the weekend and then the plan is to take her in on Tuesday when they have a woman from UCD there who will do the ultrasound with fluid to check what's actually happening in her gut

Ms Doubtfire1

loveisdivine wrote: »

Sorry I didn't update yesterday, it was a bit hectic.

Liked it at the new vets, very informative and friendly. They'd received her history so the vet was already up to date with everything.

We agreed she has some sort of mild virus on top of the constipation so she was given pain relief and an injection to bring her temp down. She also got another injection of something to increase her gut motility. We also managed to give her a small enema too. She hated all of it but I just kept a tight grip on her!

It seemed to work wonders anyway. She pooped in the car on the way home, still small and a bit hard but it's good that she's not completely blocked up.

Within about an hour her ears had gone back to a normal colour and she was much brighter, meowing for food and mooching about. Ate a good bit when we got home too.

We've to continue with the gut motility stuff and the lactulose over the weekend and then the plan is to take her in on Tuesday when they have a woman from UCD there who will do the ultrasound with fluid to check what's actually happening in her gut

oh brilliant. was checking back regularly yesterday for an update. That sounds really good, hopefully it's something a simple procedure can fix. .Well done to holding on to her...

Rancid

loveisdivine wrote: »

...
Within about an hour her ears had gone back to a normal colour and she was much brighter, meowing for food and mooching about. Ate a good bit when we got home too...

I'd say that confirms that she had a raised temp, when she got the shot to lower it she perked up and even wanted to eat. My cats are always off their food anytime there's a hint of fever.

New vet approach seems practical and sensible. The enema I think was totally necessary to help her get "going" again. Hopefully the other treatments will really help.
The ultrasound next week should get you a few steps closer to a proper diagnosis, delighted the vet can arrange this test for you.
Fingers crossed again you and Ripley.

loveisdivine

Yeah it's great they can have the UCD person come to them to do it, he other vets had talked about doing it too but we would have had to take all the way to the UCD clinic to do it.

The vet said she doesn't think we will find a perfect cure, but that hopefully we can find a way to manage the constipation so it doesn't get out of hand again.

Once we've got Ripley on the mend we have to move onto Bunk who has an exposed tooth root due to gingivitis! It's not stop here!

Ms Doubtfire1

loveisdivine wrote: »

Once we've got Ripley on the mend we have to move onto Bunk who has an exposed tooth root due to gingivitis! It's not stop here!

owww that's ouch. Usually that means extraction. when you go back to the vet next week, could you bring =him and ask for a shot of convenia? that will bring the inflammation under control as it has to be before you can treat...shouldn't cost more than 20 quid for the shot.

loveisdivine

Yeah I've read a lot about tooth extraction. It would seem with gingivitis/stomatitis in FIV cats it might actually be better to have all but the canine's removed as it's the only sure fire way to completely get rid of the problem.

A lot of people on some forum said they wished they'd done it sooner for the cats sake.

He's a trooper though, shows no signs of any pain (though there must be some) wolfes his food down and always asking for more!

kathleen37

We only have one complete gummer at the moment. (Which is actually a blessing as she's a biter) She lost her teeth (and her tail and now has metal hips) due to a car hitting her, but as I've mentioned previously, we've had FIV cats that have had all their teeth taken out.

It doesn't seem to bother them at all. And it certainly doesn't stop them still catching and eating the occasional bird (*shakes fist*) and still loving their cat biscuits...

loveisdivine

It certainly seem like it might be worth discussing just having them all removed. I know it sounds a little drastic to some, but I'd rather just nip it in the bud then spend possibly years on medications and having dental cleanings etc and probably having more teeth removed one by one.

I'd already mentioned to the vet that we needed to get him sorted next so I'll bring it up again on Tuesday.

Shame I can't get him insured though At least Ripley's ludicrous bills were covered, god knows how much dental stuff costs!

Ms Doubtfire1

loveisdivine wrote: »

Yeah I've read a lot about tooth extraction. It would seem with gingivitis/stomatitis in FIV cats it might actually be better to have all but the canine's removed as it's the only sure fire way to completely get rid of the problem.

A lot of people on some forum said they wished they'd done it sooner for the cats sake.

He's a trooper though, shows no signs of any pain (though there must be some) wolfes his food down and always asking for more!

I know. Keep in mind though pain has to be extremely sever for a cat to show it. I had a cat that had the same issue (non Fiv) and I had 7 teeth removed.She never complained but she screamed under full anesthesia when we removed the teeth.(we were neutering her at the time). Combined with a long acting AB and a course of additional AB and metacam for pain, the inflammation is now completely gone. she has doubled her weight since she came to me and is generally seen playing and bouncing about like she wasn't the first few weeks before she could be spayed.She's a blown in feral cat.:-)

loveisdivine

In a sticky situation now where I am going to have to change her food, despite her always getting a flare up when I try. We usually buy the lilys kitchen as a super saver pack so the price isn't too bad, but zooplus seems to have stopped selling it and I can only find the regular packs elsewhere and it's just too expensive.

I've decided to go with Feringa chicken and squash. They're both grain free, both have only chicken as the meat source. The only difference between them is the additional ingredients, Lilys has spirulina and other fancy things, Feringa has squash and catmint.

Hopefully the fact they're so similar means she won't react too badly. Hopefully if we just persevere with it her tummy will get used to it.

Have the Ultrasound tomorrow so I'll let you know how that goes. She's on oral metacam at home at the minute to keep her temp down and she's doing ok, not her usual self but ok. Bunk also has some metacam for his tooth.

kathleen37

All the best for tomorrow - I hope she finally gets sorted.

Ms Doubtfire1

loveisdivine wrote: »

In a sticky situation now where I am going to have to change her food, despite her always getting a flare up when I try. We usually buy the lilys kitchen as a super saver pack so the price isn't too bad, but zooplus seems to have stopped selling it and I can only find the regular packs elsewhere and it's just too expensive.

I've decided to go with Feringa chicken and squash. They're both grain free, both have only chicken as the meat source. The only difference between them is the additional ingredients, Lilys has spirulina and other fancy things, Feringa has squash and catmint.

Hopefully the fact they're so similar means she won't react too badly. Hopefully if we just persevere with it her tummy will get used to it.

Have the Ultrasound tomorrow so I'll let you know how that goes. She's on oral metacam at home at the minute to keep her temp down and she's doing ok, not her usual self but ok. Bunk also has some metacam for his tooth.

re food - why not make it yourself? Buy a single chicken. boil with lots of water, add whatever you need, (organic spirulina is 500 tables for 18 euro in supervalue), cool down and freeze.One chicken plus veg will last you in cat size +/- 6 days.lots cheaper than buying all that fancy stuff.

loveisdivine

Unfortunately she's in the bad books this morning.

We'd been in bed about 10 minutes last night when I heard her come scurrying in, hissing at bunk in the hallway, then she leapt up onto my pillow and peed all in my hair and on the pillow.

It was horrid.

Thankfully it didn't reach the mattress otherwise it would have been ruined, again!

Ms Doubtfire1

ow dear god-non of mine would EVER do that.I don't think it has anything to do with illness-thats something else entirely-maybe she was scared of something?
Keep your bedroom door tightly closed...

By the way, I read on the webs a few days ago that if you rub Vicks vaporub (menthol strong) on the spots were your cat likes to wee, they won't go there anymore.tried it with my old girl and hey presto-hasn't peed inside anymore.Just dunno how long it will last til she finds another spot. Of course one has to have tiles or lino...

loveisdivine

Yeah it's only the second pee accident she's had since we moved in.

She seems a bit scared of Bunk at the minute, mostly because he wants to play and chase and obviously she isn't up for that at the moment. But when she wants to come in the room at night, for some reason she runs in which makes Bunk think it's chasing time! So he starts running after her which I think stresses her out.

But to be honest, these days I've almost given up trying to figure her out. We're keeping all the trays clean and he doesn't even go near her when she uses them.

Please don't judge me for saying this, but some days I think it would be a blessing in disguise if it was something more serious. She hasn't been "healthy" for at least 6 months now of her 18 month life and we never seem to find answers. She's not the happy playful cat she used to be. I mean some days she has her moments but most of the time she'd rather just be asleep. It's hard to get her to play, even when she's having good days. She hardly ever wants to be petted or touched.

Maybe it's just the thought of it being like this forever that makes me think like that. Or maybe I'm just grumpy today cos my hair smells of piss!

Edit - Also I think seeing how happy Bunk is has made me realise how unhappy Ripley seems to be. All he wants to do is play and snuggle is basically a bundle of happiness! I know all cats have different personalities but just seeing her compared to him really highlights it.

loveisdivine

Well that was a disaster.

They found nothing on the ultrasound and then did an x-ray which also showed nothing. Now they're just back to pushing crappy Science Diet. I really don't see how rice and obliterated chicken livers is gonna help.

The worst part is, they gave her ketamine for the ultrasound and then did an enema too. As soon as we got the carrier into the car and started driving she pooped, it was quite soft and because she's still all doped up she just sat in it. So now she has poo all down her legs and her tail!

She's at home with my husband now and is apparently falling over, can't walk straight and keeps bumping into things. She won't settle and just keeps trying to walk around. Surely they should have kept her in for a few hours until she was more with it?

Rancid

What a dreadful 24 hours you've had.

I can understand you not knowing how to feel about today's results. On the one hand, of course it's good that they found nothing wrong. But honestly, if the tests had showed up something at least there would be a course of action and treatment to remedy it in whatever way possible.
So, yes, disaster. You're back to square one again with only the option of trying different foods.

I agree they should have kept her after the enema, especially with her being sedated, it was bound to lead to a mess. Not to mention distress for her when she really came around.

As regards changing her food yet again, it's all trial and error, but how many more serious constipation episodes will it take before you find the diet that works for her.
I've never fed a raw diet to any of my cats but it really might be worth trying just because it's the closest you'll get to the natural diet a cat would naturally have.
I really can't think of what else to suggest after all you've been through with her. A nightmare, honestly.

loveisdivine

Well I've already ordered the feringa food which is similar ingredients but no carrageenan. I might try the slippery elm too. I'll give that a decent try first.

I think she just gets constipation and won't use the tray because it hurts. To be honest, if we can keep the bad bouts under control I don't even care about her not using the tray. I just want her to be happy.

I'm not bothering with hills and I think she needs a break from vets and everything for a bit. Poor thing is exhausted.

kathleen37

Oh bless her, she's so pretty.

You know, her being so different to your new boy - could be that's just the way she is. Cats can have very, very different personalities. And they can change too. I've just brought into the house an 18 year old deaf cat, who was a feral, born here, and during all that time you could never, never touch her. Now she's in the house, she won't go outside anymore! That's fine. She sleeps on the end of my bed and has now decided that actually, she does like a cuddle. But that is 18 years. 18 years!!!

Cats are weird.

As long as she's eating ok, and her constipation gets sorted - now you're settled in your new place, I think she just needs some time to chill. Could be she decides at some point to be a cuddly girl. And of course in the meantime you have your boys for cuddles....

Honestly, it's great news they found nothing in the ultrasound. You would have been devastated had they found something bad. Yes frustrating, but it's will now just be a case of finding out what's best for her tummy to eat, and then you'll be sorted!

You'l need to be strict with the food. Also, when you try her with new stuff, do add and increase the new stuff with the old stuff gradually? With her delicate tummy, if you've ever just tried her with something new in one go, that in it'self will cause issues.

Good luck. I do hope she gets sorted out.

(I was thinking today had I ever had a cat pee on my head and (I did have to think) the answer is no. I can't remember the times I've been inadvertently peed on in the garden though - when they spray up against bushes I happen to be pruning...)

Rancid

She's beautiful!
Poor thing has been through so much today she needs time to recover.
Slippery Elm is surely worth trying, just reading about it now. I remember (many) years ago the health food shops advertised it as being beneficial to the entire digestive tract.
Good luck with the new food, too!

Ms Doubtfire1

loveisdivine wrote: »

Well I've already ordered the feringa food which is similar ingredients but no carrageenan. I might try the slippery elm too. I'll give that a decent try first.

I think she just gets constipation and won't use the tray because it hurts. To be honest, if we can keep the bad bouts under control I don't even care about her not using the tray. I just want her to be happy.

I'm not bothering with hills and I think she needs a break from vets and everything for a bit. Poor thing is exhausted.

Bless her. Yes, agreed - no more vets for the moment, let her be a cat. I would most certainly start on home made food - clean real chicken, boiled, with some veg. Veg they can have and are good for them:
Chopped carrots, peas, frozen corn, broccoli florets, green beans, zucchini, lettuce, spinach and catnip. Boil in with chicken. when all cooked, put through blender (take out bones but leave cartilage in), feed as she wants and freeze remainder...xx

loveisdivine

Would I need to add any vitamins or anything like Taurine to a cooked homemade mix? I know you do with a raw diet.

One of the vets mentioned that with her pooping around the house, it would be more dangerous for us if serving raw food because of the additional bacteria etc in the poop. Not sure if that's accurate. But a homemade cooked food might cut that risk.

To be honest, the thing that had been holding me back most from raw and homemade is that my husband and I are both vegan. Now I know there is no difference going into the shop and buying raw meat, or going in and buying a tin of prepared cat food. But there's just something about going into a supermarket and buying an actual chicken or something that makes me feel weird!

That's my problem to overcome though. I committed to purchasing meat products when we got a cat so there's no point being stupid about it now.

Ms Doubtfire1

loveisdivine wrote: »

Would I need to add any vitamins or anything like Taurine to a cooked homemade mix? I know you do with a raw diet.

One of the vets mentioned that with her pooping around the house, it would be more dangerous for us if serving raw food because of the additional bacteria etc in the poop. Not sure if that's accurate. But a homemade cooked food might cut that risk.

To be honest, the thing that had been holding me back most from raw and homemade is that my husband and I are both vegan. Now I know there is no difference going into the shop and buying raw meat, or going in and buying a tin of prepared cat food. But there's just something about going into a supermarket and buying an actual chicken or something that makes me feel weird!

That's my problem to overcome though. I committed to purchasing meat products when we got a cat so there's no point being stupid about it now.

I wouldn't feed raw at all to a cat that has as much trouble as yours. Frankly, i hardly ever give raw to any of mine ( howevere they do catch a lot of mice - rats have long disappeared from the yard- so they get their own raw). My cats will also eat a lot of grass. Since I only cook occasioanlly for them and they are quite happy on commercial food i don't have an answer for your question - but I did find a very handy link

Re the vegan - well, you could always go for organic.Or go and see a local butcher who can tell you where the meat came from. The one thing I think to avoid would be to buy meat from factory farms.Which, you do when buying cans...
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/homemade-cat-food-and-raw-cat-food