Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi, My cat has atopy too. I paid for immunology studies to see if any allergens could be identified so he could undergo immunotherapy but nothing was detected. However, there’s no test which will detect every allergen under the sun and it doesn’t test for food allergies so my vet thinks it is probab...

Well to be fair, it’s not commonly given via injections and studies show that it’s not got great absorption via this route, although absorption via the oral route isn’t great either. Steroids, on the other hand are commonly given as depot injections every few weeks instead of orally, which is worth ...

PPS; You can get the vet or veterinary nurse to give the first dose, so you can watch how it’s done and be taught how to do it yourself at home. Also, I think subcutaneous cyclosporine only has to be given every couple of days rather than daily, which will make things easier for both you and your pu...

PS; for positive reinforcement to work, the treat has to come immediately after the medication, not before. Also not too long after, because the cat won’t register the link between getting the injection and getting the treat if there is too big a gap between the two events.

Positive reinforcement is the answer here! The active ingredient in Atopica is cyclosporine. Cyclosporine can also be given subcutaneously (an injection just under the skin), usually administered on the back, just to the left or right of the spine. Insulin for diabetes is given the same way and my p...

PS; methylprednisolone is an immunosuppressant so your cat will be a little bit more vulnerable to infections.

You could offer to pay for a microchip catflap, since it is your cat that means that they need one. I offered buy one for our neighbours at the back after my cat went into their house, probably to pinch their cat’s food, and accidentally got himself shut in to their spare bedroom for two days! It’s ...

It looks similar to a patch my cat has on his back at the moment. I took him to the vet with it last week, who diagnosed a bacterial infection. She prescribed medicated shampoo for the area and an antibiotic gel. It is clearing up but I am to continue treatment for a couple of weeks.

What about those heated mats used by gardeners for plant propagation? You plug them in and put your seed trays on top of them to germinate. You couldn’t let a cat sit directly on the mat in case she put her claws through it and got electrocuted or something but you could put a bed or thick blanket o...

Thanks for this Ruth. It’s very interesting and I’ve learned a lot.

Hi Mollycat, Re: “I once knew a young lady with Ehlos Danlos syndrome. Is that the sort of hypermobility you mean?” Yes and no. It is similar in some ways but hypermobility syndrome is not synonymous with EDS. It was called “being double jointed” by lay people when I was growing up and is not that u...

Hi Mollycat, Your post is the first Ive heard of this condition in cats but reading the links you’ve provided, I wonder if it’s analogous to hypermobility syndrome in humans, which is caused by a congenital generalised laxity of ligaments and tendons. I have this condition so can tell you a bit abou...

I had a cat who had inflammatory bowel disease and did this when he had a flare up. I worked out that when he did this it meant he had a tummy ache. It is probably a reflex action that when they feel something happening with their bowels, be it a bowel motion or just cramps, that they then make a sc...

I once had a friend who owned a particularly fierce moggy and couldn’t get near her with a brush for fear of getting her hands shredded. She used to drive said moggy to the vets on a weekly basis and one of the vet nurses would do it for her (wearing a falconer’s glove on each hand presumably). I ag...

I had a cat that did this and like you the vets were a bit stumped as his anal glands weren’t blocked. It turned out to be faecal tenesmus, caused by constipation. He WAS pooing but not emptying his rectum completely. He had diarrhoea sometimes which was probably caused by liquid from the backed up ...

I am not a vet, but if this was sudden onset my first thought would be aortic thromboembolism and I’d get an urgent second opinion from another vet to rule that out. If It’s something that has come on more slowly over several months, there are probably numerous causes but arthritis is likely the com...

Good idea!

Scrolling down your “Maine coon link” Mollycat, there are a couple of excellent ones for mobility impaired cats on there. I think Walter may be getting a new litter tray for Christmas. Thanks for posting

Pets at Home have some xtra large ones which are nice and big so try your local store. The sides aren’t especially low on the one I have but I’ve cut one side down to uses as an entrance/exit. You could also improvise, using an old roasting tin or a tea tray or something like that. EDIT: I just put ...

I understand the advise wrt litter boxes for arthritic cats is an LARGE, OPEN tray because they have difficulty moving around in a small or covered tray and also one with LOW SIDES as they can’t negotiate high sided litter trays very well. Soft litter, such as fine clay, rather than something like s...

PS If he cries when locked in his sleeping quarters, ignore him. Don’t provide positive reinforcement by getting up to comfort him as that will encourage that behaviour. He will settle, don’t worry.

Ideally, Wayne should have ignored Waffles from the get go and Waffles may have eventually learned that his behaviour wasn't going to get him anywhere. Unfortunately, Wayne has provided 'positive reinforcement' (ie rewarded Waffles) by giving in to his demands and feeding him, so Waffles now thinks ...

I wonder if she is experiencing ‘phantom limb’?

I am a bit hazy on the exact amount because it was a couple of years ago now but I had a home visit by the vet to PTS my cat and it cost about £120.00. There were no cremation/burial costs because I buried him myself in the back garden.

Well done that cat! Give him a high five from me. That is the downside of catflaps, if you do decide to get one. When I had one I got sick of coming home from work to find half the fauna from the garden on the carpet. Dead things are bad enough but live……Eeewwww (shudders). Walter went through a pha...

Just seen this so sorry it’s late but my suggestion would be to find out if his cats are microchipped. If they are you could offer to buy him a microchip operated cat flap*. Alternatively, microchip operated feeding bowls should do the trick. Infact they may be better if he doesn’t want his door int...

RE: Your edited post Mine went into a large window and it cost me around £250 back in 2013 so it is expensive, you are right. However, for me the risk of getting burgled or being faced with the choice of getting hypothermia or having astronomical heating bills in winter through leaving the window op...

I agree, it's not really doable for a full size door. I just thought perhaps you might have a smaller window somewhere. BTW, if you or anyone else goes for this option, please be aware that although you can put catflaps in double-glazed windows (I did), the window will lose its thermal insulating pr...

I rented a place once and had a cat flap inserted into a pane of glass in one of the windows. When I moved out of the property I had the window pane replaced. It was expensive but meant the landlord wasn’t left with a cat flap he didn’t want when I left. If I’d have asked him first I suspected he wo...

Turns out he'd got into a neighbour's house through the catflap and couldn't get back out (I think they have locked it because they have a new kitten that needs to be kept in). Their house is massive so I can quite see how they might have remained unaware of the presence of an uninvited guest. I had...