#and the vet was like - look if there's been a change in grooming habits it could be a dental issue

[queen-mabs-revenge]

really about to spend the bones of €300 on my cat at the vet next week. routine care stuff but hahaha

[petgroomly1]

What to Do When Your Pet Loses Its Appetite: Tips From Dog Groomers in Kolkata

Has your pet been turning up their nose at meals lately? Loss of appetite in pets can be worrying, but it’s a common issue with several potential causes. Here’s what you need to know—and how your dog groomers Kolkata might help spot the problem.

Why Won’t My Pet Eat?

There are many reasons why a pet might lose their appetite, from stress and anxiety to more serious health problems. Here are some common causes:

Health Issues: Sometimes, a loss of appetite is the first sign of an illness. If your pet isn’t eating, it might be time for a vet visit. Dog grooming Kolkata can also include monitoring for signs of health issues during grooming sessions.

Dental Pain: Pets with sore teeth or gums might avoid eating because it’s uncomfortable. Regular dental care is important for keeping your pet’s mouth healthy. Dog groomers in Kolkata can spot dental issues that could affect your pet’s eating habits.

Stress: Changes in your pet’s environment, like moving to a new home or even a change in routine, can cause stress and lead to a loss of appetite. Regular dog grooming near me can help your pet feel more at ease and might alleviate some of the stress affecting their appetite.

How Dog Groomers in Kolkata Can Help

You might not think of your dog groomer in Kolkata when your pet stops eating, but they can actually be a great resource:

Spotting Weight Loss: Your groomer sees your pet regularly and might notice if they’ve lost weight before you do. Dog groomers in Kolkata can help track changes in your pet’s body condition.

Noticing Dental Issues: During grooming, your groomer might notice if your pet’s teeth or gums look sore or inflamed. This can be an early indicator of dental problems affecting your pet’s appetite.

Reducing Stress: Regular grooming sessions can help your pet feel more comfortable and less stressed, which might improve their appetite. Dog grooming near me often includes techniques to help relax pets, potentially leading to better eating habits.

How to Get Your Pet Eating Again

If your pet is off their food, here are a few tips to try:

Consult Your Vet: Always start by ruling out any medical issues.

Stick to a Routine: Pets love routine. Feeding them at the same times every day can help regulate their appetite.

Warm Up Their Food: Heating your pet’s food can make it smell more appealing, encouraging them to eat.

Remember, your pet’s health is a team effort. Regular grooming with dog groomers in Kolkata, combined with veterinary care and a little bit of love and attention, can help keep your pet healthy, happy, and eating well. Visit www.petgroomly.com to gain detailed insights into the world of Pet Groomly.

[manybcdthings]

lax

felix ranstrom and isabella westwood @rviner

After what felt like an eternity, Felix finally had Dorian trotting beside him again, and this time, on a leash. The last time he saw this scruffy ball of wiry fur, Felix was bidding farewell at the vets with the promise he'd see the dog again. And then, for months, Dorian was a world away. But now, as the two of them wandered through the bustling terminal of LAX, Felix couldn't help but notice how much healthier the dog looked. The wiry fur was still Dorian's trademark, and no amount of grooming was going to change that but there was a new sparkle in the dog's eyes, a vitality that wasn't there before. It was as if Dorian had finally found something worth wagging his tail about.

Felix was thankful that Bella had offered to tag along. She was the kind of person who knew when he needed company, even if he didn't say it. And, Felix had never been a particularly big dog person, knowing Bella had a calming presence that seemed to extend even to animals. As they made their way through the airport, Dorian trotted happily between them, his paws tapping against the cold tile floor with a curiosity that made Felix smile. The dog sniffed at everything like it was his first time encountering the world, and in a way, it probably was.

"Can dogs get jet-lagged?" Felix asked, the question slipping out before he could stop himself. It was the sort of thing Bella might know, but even as he asked, his other hand was already fishing his phone out of his pocket, ready to consult the all-knowing internet. He glanced at Dorian, who seemed perfectly fine, if not a little too fine. "He's happy, right?" Felix added, hoping the sudden wave of apprehension that hit him like a cold breeze wasn't too obvious.

This was, after all, a bit more intense than his usual habits. Rescuing a literal stray dog from Italy, flying him across the Atlantic, and now strolling through LAX with a new four-legged companion a month later? It was a far cry from his typical routine of getting drunk and indulging in a few…other pick-me-ups. "Maybe I could take him for a walk on Rosie’s beach or something?" Felix mused aloud, his thoughts half-formed and scattered. The idea of introducing Dorian to the sand and surf seemed nice, a poetic end to the dog's long journey. "Or do you think that would…that's a lot in one day, right? I'd probably tell someone to fuck off if they wanted me to jump around on a beach after a flight." Felix looked at Bella with a shrug over his shoulders. "If you hadn't noticed, the reality of looking after something other than myself is finally sinking in."

[breannasfluff]

So if in a Wing AU, Wild lost and replaced a wing instead of an arm, how do you think he'd cope? I love reading stuff about the boys dealing with disability or injury and some totk headcanons are always a fun time. The biggest struggle when building a flight machine in game is not overbalancing one side in weight. So I'd like to think he'd either have to wear weighted gear to rebalance his body or relearn where his center of gravity is.

Also related but I'd love to see how you think your version of the boys would help him out if they were around during the recovery period.

I see what you mean about the balance in the game, and weighted gear is a great idea! I was going to write a little drabble on my thoughts, buuut it's kind of spiraling longer so I figured I'd answer this instead of making you keep waiting 😅

Changing out his arm for a wing has been interesting to think about! If the design of the new wing matched the arm, then it would have a fair amount of metal holding the "feathers" together. So, new wing would be heavier and probably unbalancing in flight. He can wear a harness to help, but that puts the weight on the chest and not on his wing where he needs it. If only the rito could help give pointers (evil laugh at somehow matching this to current plot).

The arm doesn't seem to bother Link in the game, although one of the idle animations is him looking at it. It functions generally how a wing should, but there's still something a little "off" about it. I'm actually still thinking about how that would crop up.

As for the boys...if the wing was replaced and he was dumped immediately back to them, he'd probably be doing a bit better.

He needs support and understanding, and who better than others with wings?

Time would be in a tizzy because he's big keeping the group safe. He'd blame himself even though he couldn't do anything. Twilight would hover a lot, worried about Wild but also unwilling to push too close and make Wild nervous. He might end up kind of annoying and Wild would probably tell him to either come close or stay away, just pick one, Twi.

Warriors is used to injuries from his time in battle, but it being someone in the flock pushes him off kilter. He's still a loner bird so he doesn't hang around like Twi and Time. Instead, he helps Four.

Four's normal chatter vanishes and he shifts all his focus to coming up with a gear to help Wild fly normally again. Despite his normal nature, this is too important to give anything but his full attention. Warriors help is a surprise--they don't spend a lot of one on one time together--but he has good advice.

Sky sticks to Wind, who's clingier than normal. Both of them insist it doesn't matter what they eat (they really prefer seafood) because Wild shouldn't need to worry about cooking. Sky's got a bad habit of stealing other's food, but even that rarely happens now, and never to Wild. Wind's worry means he doesn't put as much time to grooming his feathers as he should, so Sky often takes over.

Legend and Hyrule are the closest to Wild, so it hits them the hardest. Legend gets especially snappy with the others when they talk about how to help Wild. His snarl could give Twilight a run for his money. While the vet may be the resident grouch, he's still pretty open with physical affection. Now, it's all dumped on Wild, who appreciates the gesture but gets a bit ovewhelmed.

Where Legend is proverbially running others off, Hyrule is doing his best impression of an octorok and clinging. Literally; he's almost always in physical contact with Wild, generally commandeering an arm or hand to hold.

He's a little less smothering than Legend, so he's a little easier to deal with, but Wild is rolling his eyes after 24 hours. He points out that his wing still works and he's not dead, which only makes Hyrule cry.

At this point, Legend is so puffed and worked up that Wind comments they should roll him down a hill to see if it will flatten his feathers. Legend is left speechless, but the others laugh and some tension is broken.

Longer term, I'm sure they'd all take turns working with him to help him rebalance, deal with the emotions, etc, but I'd have to think on that further or do research.

Thanks for the wonderful question and I'll tag you when I post the first drabble!

[kapiandkylo]

LONG POST.

[TW: Death]

Last week we lost our little floof of feistiness, Kapi (originally known as BunBun before we adopted him, then changed to KapiBun, named after the character Kapibarasan).

It has been a long weekend and the days immediately following his passing were sad, lonely, and exhausting.

I adopted Kapi from the SF Animal Care & Control in January 2013, as I was looking for a new soft friend after my little ball of fury, Pixel the dwarf hamster, died suddenly (likely from a heart attack from running too much). I read up on rabbits and prepared for having one at home. I hadn’t seen Kapi’s photo’s up on the SFACC adoptable friends so I was looking forward to meeting a few other buns in mind. As I passed his cage, he immediately ran to the metal door with his nose out and wanted attention — more than any of the other rabbits. I met with a couple other bunnies first; one was so scared he peed right by my leg then hopped away. Then I decided to meet and greet Kapi.

As soon as they let him out with me, he was curious and super friendly. He binkied around me and wanted so many pets. The staff told me he had been surrendered just a few days after Christmas, but whoever his owner was treated and trained him well and he was really well socialized and was at least 1 year old and no more than 2 years old. I loved him, but I went home to think about it.

I went back the next day to get him because I didn’t want anyone else to have him.

Kapi was such a welcome joy in my life at a time where a lot of things started falling apart. He always zoomed around, hopped up on the couch, and demanded attention from me. The way he got spoiled grew and grew, as the living room was soon taken over by him as he needed a bigger pen, more space, and more toys and more attention. He traveled to work with me the first year I had him and got so much love from many people.

Over the next decade almost, he continued to be a fire in my life; with all the ruined plushes and towels, territorial acts, and even stressful speed dating (not always successful) came a lot of cuddles, laughs, and fun.

Even though he was stressful at times, he never got sick or needed an emergency trip to the vet. And he also eventually learned to welcome another bun into his life, Kylo, in 2018.

In October of this year, his annual checkup showed he had lost about 10% of his body weight and he had muscle atrophy. We noticed he was a little bit more tired looking than usual this year, but he was still feisty in the mornings for his vitamins, always ran out and around, and groomed Kylo. The vet said he was “too young” to have arthritis (which I didn’t believe for a second because he was already at least 11 years old); we ran lab tests and his bloodwork came back fine. We put Kapi back on joint supplements and we switched our water bowls out for a water bottle because Kapi was overdrinking and dunking his head in the bowls and couldn’t seem to control himself. This seemed to help him retain a more food after a while and prevented his chin fur from getting soaked and matted constantly, but he was starting to lose his litterbox habits and we noticed much more pee spots on the playmat even though the litterbox was cleaned two to three times a week. We treated him to pellets to help him gain weight. Some nights we did a little PT on his hind legs.

But suddenly a week ago he started falling over more. While he still came out for vitamins when he heard treat bags and waited at the pen door to get some pellets, he was looking more and more tired as the days went on. We would hear him fall because we would hear struggling a little as he couldn’t get himself back up.

We called the vet and scheduled a checkup for the 20th to get him tested for e. cuniculi, because Kylo had tested positive in April but stopped showing symptoms after being on metacam for a week.

A few days after we scheduled that visit, Kapi was found unable to move in his little castle. He couldn’t run out for morning vitamins. He would drink or eat even though he was drinking from the bottle and eating hay, pellets, and fresh veggies just the night before and running (though tripping and falling) around while we were awake. We couldn’t get an emergency visit with our regular vet so we were referred to a place in Berkeley that was 24 hours, so we drove him there and called them that we were on the way.

In the car, I got him to munch on some parsley. I had to prop him up with his little paws on my hand. He would chew for a little bit and then stop, tired. He was still fighting.

When we got to the emergency room, they took him in and said he was in critical condition. The emergency vet didn’t believe he it was e. cuniculi causing his condition, despite us catching her up on his history from this year, and just noted he was a geriatric rabbit especially at his older age of 11. His heartbeat barely registered and he was extremely cold (around 90 degrees, where he should be closer to 100 to 105). He was struggling.

We spent our final hours with him at the emergency vet and we gave him some pellets and celery, which he still munched on, but his chewing and breathing was so labored and he could barely keep his eyes open. His little nose slowed down until it didn’t wiggle anymore. I know he fought so hard.

It hit very hard going home without him.

He meant so much to this home. We’ll never forget him.

Rest in parsley, little dude. And say hi to Kitfo over the rainbow bridge; we’ll keep an eye on Kylo for you.

[thebestnaturalpetfoodstore]

Your Cat Deserves The Best In Kitty Care

New Post has been published on https://bestnaturalpetfoodstore.com/your-cat-deserves-the-best-in-kitty-care/

Your Cat Deserves The Best In Kitty Care

Job number one for any cat owner is to keep your cat healthy, safe and comfortable at all times.  This can be a challenge at times.  Cats, like people, get sick or sad, often without any warning.  It’s your responsibility as a pet owner to make sure that your beloved cat is very well taken care of.

Cat Care Tip#1: Food

The first area of good cat care to be addressed is food.  Your first instinct is to always give your cat only the best cat food, but finding out which food is actually good for your cat will take a bit of research.  Far too often foods are labeled premium or natural, but they may be the equal of junk food for cats.

A good place to start your research may be with the vet who is treating your cat.  They can make recommendations on types of food that will address any health issues your pet may be facing.  Cats, like people, can become overweight and there are health issues related to obesity.  You may need to look for cat food that is aimed at reducing weight.  It’s important to check the ingredients label and become familiar with some of the items added to cat food.  Try to avoid fillers and by-products, they add bulk to the food but have little or no nutritional value.  Fillers are usually empty carbohydrates and can add to your cat’s weight problem.

Foods that are high in omega 3 oils, commonly found in salmon and other fatty fish, can be very good for your cat’s skin and fur.  Proteins that come from meat, such as beef, pork and bison, are easily digestible, and will help your pet’s overall health.  Look past the first 3 or 4 ingredients on the food label to make sure that you are buying a good quality food for your pet.  Sadly, there are no guidelines or laws concerning the use of the words natural or premium when it comes to labeling cat food.

Cat Care Tip#2: Watch For Any Changes

Watching your cat for any changes in behavior is a good way to spot problems and hopefully get some type of treatment if needed.  Cats are usually creatures of habit and you can use this quality to spot abnormal behavior.  Some signs to look for would be any change in eating habits, litter box issues, constant grooming of a certain area or frequent coughing attacks.

Any of these changes can be signs of some internal problem and you should take some type of action.  Your cat can’t talk to you and it’s up to you to watch for any signs of distress.  If you decide to change the brand of cat food you are serving your pet you may notice some of these changes as your cat adopts to the new food.

Cat Care Tip#3: Work With Your Vet

Guarding your pet’s overall health should start with vaccinations.  Work with your local vet to make sure that all of your cat’s vaccinations are up to date and that you have a schedule for any vaccinations that will need to be given in the near future.  The problem of feline distemper can be fatal to your cat, but it is one of the easiest to vaccinate against.  The same can be said about feline leukemia, fatal but easily avoided with a vaccination.  Vaccinations are doubly important if your pet is exposed to other animals, especially other cats.  Be a good pet owner and keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date..

Getting worms isn’t just a problem for dogs, it also is a common problem for cats.  It’s more common with cats who spend time outdoors, they are exposed to more of the carriers of worms than are cats who stay indoors.  You can see the symptoms of worms quite easily, they will appear as little white lines around your cats anus and paws.  Your pet will also suffer from a noticeable weight loss and vomiting.  Your vet can give you medication for worms, usually in a liquid form that you give orally.

Cats can lead long, healthy and happy lives with just a little bit of help from their two legged owners.  Treat your cat’s health like you would your own and have them eat right and have regular visits to the vet.

[vulnera-sanentura]

Cat Facts: Why’s this Cat Vomiting?

Like most of my posts, this is coming more from a veterinary student/pre-vet education perspective, but hopefully some owners that follow me can get some useful info from this!

Unsurprising to most vet students, there’s about as many reasons for vomiting as there are diagnoses in general. We’re going to attempt to narrow that down a bit, break them into categories which makes it more useful for diagnostics and relevant differentials.

First off, you have to differentiate vomiting from regurgitation.

Vomiting: nausea (drooling, lip licking, swallowing, depression/restlessness), abdominal muscle contraction, contains bile/digested blood/digested food

Regurgitation: no nausea, no abdominal contractions or bile, presence of undigested food in a tubular shape.

Once you’re sure it’s actually vomiting, you’ll need to differentiate it into acute or chronic, as well as emergency/non-emergency. Acute will be in the last few days or day of presentation, often multiple times in the same day, and will often present as more “sick” than the chronic vomiter.

In chronic cases, the vomiting is usually more than 2 times a month and has been going on for months to years. Chronic vomiters can be “apparently healthy” and the vomiting only brought up at a wellness check or prompted by the vet/nurses and the owner didn’t think to bring it up because “cats just vomit, and they seem fine other than that.” History can help a lot! If there’s an acute case, and the cat has access to toxic substances, a habit or likelihood of eating foreign objects (hair ties, string, q-tips, etc), or has had a recent change in diet, that could lead you immediately to the most likely cause and the most appropriate next steps. Acute vomiting generally has fewer causes or at least more obvious causes, and next steps generally include abdominal radiographs or triage/supportive care if indicated. Physical exam can locate a linear foreign body that’s anchored to the underside of the tongue.

So, what if that doesn’t help? That’s when you start your baseline diagnostics! CBC/Chem/UA can rule in or rule out a lot of potential causes for vomiting:

Diabetes: hyperglycemia, glucosuria, ketonuria, low USG

Liver disease: hyperbilirubinemia, decreased BUN, increased liver enzymes, bilirubinuria

Renal disease: increased BUN/creatinine, low USG

Hyperthyroidism: increased T4, increased liver enzymes (ALP, ALT), mild increase in PCV, low USG

Electrolyte/acid-base derangements: Na, K, Cl, Ca, pH, bicarb, tCO2

Eosinophilia: parasites, IBD, hypereosinophilic syndrome, mast cell tumors

Neutrophilia: gastroenteritis, neoplasia

Neutropenia: salmonellosis, retroviruses

Hemoconcentration: dehydration

Anemia: chronic disease, GI blood loss

Fecal may also show parasites, and FeLV/FIV positive snap test might be supportive of vomiting from a FeLV/FIV related illness

Secondary diagnostics beyond bloodwork and urinalysis would be the next step after that. Radiographs may show abnormalities in organ size/architecture (small kidneys, enlarged liver), foreign bodies, GI obstruction, or masses.

Ultrasound is the diagnostic of choice for **chronic vomiting and normal bloodwork**. It can reveal thickening of the stomach/small intestines, wall layer changes, and/or enlarged lymph nodes. It can also show or allow better examination of abdominal masses, or the presence of free fluid.

fPLI may be indicated if pancreatitis is suspected, but may be normal in chronic pancreatitis cases. Heartworm testing if the cat lives in an endemic area, after other causes have been ruled out.

Intestinal biopsy and histopathology is recommended in cases of chronic vomiting with GI thickening seen on ultrasound. This will differentiate between IBD and lymphoma, which cannot be done without the histopath! Though presumptive and empirical treatment may be considered in cases of financial concern. IBD is often in younger cats and lymphoma in older, however that’s simply a generalization and not a hard and fast rule. IBD and lymphoma are the two most common causes of chronic vomiting in cats. Exploratory surgery and full thickness biopsies is preferred over endoscopic biopsy, as you can retrieve intestinal samples from more than just the duodenum, the samples will be higher quality for your pathologist, and you can determine the staging of the lymphoma (if that’s the cause).

What should I tell owners to keep a look out for? 2x a month or more vomiting, INCLUDING HAIRBALLS, is abnormal and justifies an ultrasound study. Cats should in theory be able to process hair since they evolved to groom their fur (a bit more leeway is given to long-haired cats since that’s a genetic mutation we’ve selected for), and vomiting hairballs regularly is suggestive of hypomotility of the GI tract.

The only exception to this is eating grass and vomiting, as grass is irritating to the stomach and can cause vomiting, but is more or less harmless on its own.

Due to this being a very wide topic I didn’t go much into specifics, but I can if you all are interested in any specific parts of this!

[resinatingbeauty]

In Memory of The Best Friend I Ever Had - RIP Shadow (assumed)- 4/30/2021

Shadow showed up at my parents house where I lived at the time, one night back in 2016. I had just gotten home from working at a local country club late in the evening, tired, and physically burnt out from working 40+ hours a week on top of going to college for my associates degree. I saw something pass by the driveway out of the corner of my eye. Something massively fluffy, tail straight up in the air, trotting along. There are many feral cat colonies in this town and many cat owners that lived on that street. Needless to say, I didn't expect this one to whip back around and start chirping at me, rubbing my legs after I called to her.

My mother was adamant when my last two cats had past 8 or so years prior that she wasn't looking for any more pets. My mom loves animals, but she also loves her home and was thinking about doing renovations before adopting any new companions. I knew I was in trouble when this cat came to me with nothing but affection, clearly malnourished, but strangely well groomed. I knew she had to be owned by someone, I had no idea who.

That night I went inside after spending some time enjoying her company. At the time, I was calling 'Charlemange'' as a play on 'Charlemagne'. I had been taking a medieval humanities course at the time and the name seemed fitting enough considering how much scraggly fur she had. Huge paws. Big, fluffy tail and mane. I had never seen a cat so gorgeous around the area. All the feral cats are short hairs, reinforcing my notion that she had to be someone's pet.

I watched through the window slit of the front door as Charlemange played with the moths and other bugs that were attracted to the lamp post my parents have at the end of the driveway and regretted leaving her out there.

I simply thought that Charlemange would return home where she belonged. When I went out to my back screened in patio, whom do you think was waiting for me? Meowing? Charlemange. To my mother's horror, she would launch herself at the screen and hang there to get our attention. Imagine this big ass cat hanging from your screened in porch you've been trying to renovate by all her claws.

She was persistent and Charlemange NEVER returned home, wherever home was.

Eventually, I sealed the deal, low key giving her a can of tuna. Now you see how Shadow went from Charlemange to Shadow.

For about a month, all I had to do was make a high pitched noise and Shadow would come out of wherever brush she was stalking, running and talking until she found me. One evening, I went to give her her dinner, and she shot in the front door.

Mortified, I watched as she scooted right into the one place that I dreaded her to go. My parent's room. That night, as a 20 something, I received a lecture from my father about how my mother felt about pets. 'She isn't a kitten, you know,' he said, 'thats a grown cat. Someone else's cat.'

I just listened and acknowledged what he was saying. I knew there was no point trying to explain what exactly happened. When my dad got done going off on the back porch and went back in to bed, I heard a meow from the patio door. Shadow had been standing at the door, waiting for him to leave , almost like she was saying, 'Hey, I'm really sorry about that, sis,'

Shadow would go on to live in or around the property for nearly a month. I made an effort to find her owners and return her to no avail. Eventually, a single mom I had been working as a private tutor for as a side hustle agreed that she would take Shadow. This would only last for a few months. The family had another cat, Karma, whom had been declawed (I abhor this) and two little girls who had no respect for animals (especially cats) because of this. I knew how the oldest handled Karma and my only solace in handing Shadow over was that I knew she wouldn't be hit by a car, would be fed, loved to a degree, and would scratch the shit out of them if they fucked up.

Their mother ended up calling me, giving me money to bring Shadow in to the humane society, saying she was a wonderful cat, just not the best fit for the girls. I could only imagine what Shadow went through at that house, because the time there changed her. The collar I had on her was returned to me snapped in two. It looked like it had been pulled off. I cringed thinking about it and never put another collar back on that cat. At the time, a woman had been busted hoarding 100+ cats that had all been relinquished to the humane society and local rescues. The humane society's solution for most was euthanasia and I wasn't about that for Shadow. Back to my backyard she went.

Eventually, Shadow won over my mother and my father, especially my father, whom you would never think would love that cat so much. When my mother brought Shadow to the vet, we were surprised to find she had a chip in her ear registered to someone on our block. As per protocol, animal control was sent out to investigate. The woman told animal control that she didn't want the cat. All she did was run away. Shadow's real name was Holly, but she was still Shadow to me.

Shadow became the best friend I ever knew. Not a night went by where she wasn't under my covers sharing the pillow with me, laying stretched out on her back or side as the little spoon. If she wasn't in my bed, she would sit at the door to the bedroom, guarding me or in a chair next to me, always watching. I could do no wrong in that cat's eyes. She was the highlight of my day when I got home from every crappy job I had since. A furry coat to soak up the tears shed during long nights of insomnia and depression. An inspiration for my art and spirituality. My familiar and kindred spirit. If I would talk to her, she would respond with chirps and meows like she knew exactly what I was saying. If someone else was in the room giving her attention and I walked in, she would perk up and run toward me like they never existed. Shadow was the second cat that chose me. I have never chosen a cat from a shelter or adoption / rescue facility. This is how I acquired both my childhood furry friend and Shadow.

It all began when I noticed Shadow's fur was sticky and stiff, like she had been sitting in honey. Just the end of her tail at first. She always had this silly habit of sitting in her food tray, so I cleaned it and her and thought nothing of it until the drooling started.

Shadow had always been a drooler, but not to this extent. Drool bubbles would pop from her left lip. One night, when I came home from work before I started my leave to focus on my Etsy shop, I was horrified to find her sitting on the couch with a bloody chin. Now, there wasn't a large amount of blood, but this alarmed me significantly. It was time to see a vet, like, yesterday. Thankfully, my shop sales had been great and I didn't have to fret over the bill- I was ready to pay whatever it was to make her feel better.

The vet confirmed what I knew deep down and didn't want to acknowledge because the thought was just too painful. Cancer. No chance of survival even if I wanted to go through the hell of treatment, which involved removal of the tongue and jaw. I brought Shadow home and cried, hoping for the best -that the antibiotic would work. The vet said she had been wrong before, it could just be an abscess and it would heal. Shadow was still doing cat things. Shadow was still my best friend, she still loved me, she was still trying to cuddle me at night and surrounding me with the reminder of death in the odor of her breath.

Yesterday, I brought Shadow in to be put to sleep. The decision was made when I looked up from making a rune set and saw puddles of blood on the floor, a stream of it from her face as she was sitting in the window sill. I have never felt so heartbroken. Not even at a family member's funeral. I asked to bring her home, burying her under the tree where I buried my last cat and childhood familiar, Elmo. When I saw the standard biohazard bag peeking up through the dirt, I knew that was where she belonged. With her sister. Yesterday, my heart was buried with that cat. Eleven years was not long enough but each one filled with so much love and happiness. I stood with her until the end. The only peace I feel is that I know that she is no longer hurting. I know she knew I loved her.

I miss you Shadow. To those of you who have recently lost your best friend, your familiar or the love of your life, my heart goes out to you. I hope that someone else can read this and share my pain. I understand that there was nothing I could do but love her. Love your pets. Love them as long and as well as you can- nothing is immortal. We accept this when we commit to caring for our (mostly) furry (sometimes scaly or feathery) friends. This doesn't mean that it hurts any less when we lose them.

To my customers, who have been patiently and diligently awaiting orders while Etsy forced hiatus on my shop, preventing sales during this crisis in addition to my sister in law's wedding and me poking my own eye out back and February- you all are really the best turn of luck I've had. You do not know how much I appreciate you allowing me the time to spend these last few precious moments with her. It truly means the world to me and I hope at the end you receive something worth your time and patience. I have not forsaken fulfillment, and orders are still shipping. Unfortunately, I NEED to reopen and accept new orders, as Etsy is demanding payment for $600 worth of shipping labels. My shop is still appearing as in hiatus at the moment, but I ask for all the support my friends, supporters and followers can offer at this time as I essentially will be working for free when I reopen to pay these fees. Great, right?

If you are awaiting refunds, there is literally no money in the account associated with Etsy. However, as the funds become available, I will be processing refunds / cancellations. I'm sorry for the delays, I never thought I would say I found success at the worst possible time. I urge the rest of you- if you have a deadline for your order for the love of goddess TELL ME. I am getting a little frustrated with buyers (who are frustrated with me, understandably, but still, my item descriptions are clear about relaying deadlines) who are upset or complaining about meeting gift deadlines or other deadlines I literally had no idea about. I'm a decent psychic, but not perfect.

~ Samantha

(Owner/Designer/Creator blursedbaubles.etsy.com)

[literatehiss]

Feline Feelings

Read on AO3 here “Jon you know how to look after him, but here are the numbers for his vet if anything goes wrong. Don’t feed him too many treats. I know you can’t resist when he starts crying but he’s a master manipulator. If you’ve fed him enough then he isn’t hungry he’s just greedy”

“Yes Georgie, I know, I know. Martin is keeping hold of the treats. Enjoy your holiday”

“We will.” And with that, Georgie walked out of the flat, leaving a sadly mewing Admiral in Jon’s arms. Martin heaved the bag of cat food into the little cupboard by the front door, turning to see Jon’s absolutely besotted look as the love of his life stared down at the Admiral.

Martin had not had the opportunity to see Jon with the Admiral, or any cat really, much before. He’s heard tales from Melanie that all of Jon’s prickly nature vanished in the presence of the Admiral and it was even better to watch than he had expected. Jon slid down the wall, cradling the Admiral between his legs, arms wrapped around him, scratching under the Maine Coon's chin. The cat in question was purring like an engine in Jon’s arms, apparently perfectly content to be snuggled.

Was Jon like this with all cats or was it just the Admiral? This was something Martin might need to do a little experiment with, once the Admiral was gone. He looked so relaxed, all the tense anxiety melting from his as he pressed kisses to the Admiral’s forehead until the cat reached out a paw to his mouth, claws extending slightly to press into his lips. Jon pressed another kiss to the pad of the Admiral’s paw before opening his arms. The Admiral sat and purred for a few seconds before jumping out of his lap to explore his new domain.

Jon winced as he rose from his crouch, taking Martin’s hand gratefully as he stood up.

What then proceeded, was the best week of Martin’s life so far.

He kind of expected Jon to be the sort of guy to baby talk cats and he was prepared for that to be unbearably cute. He was wrong. Jon talked to Admiral in the exact same tone he spoke to Martin and it was easily the most entertaining and endearing thing Martin had ever seen. His same calm deep voice as usual talking to the Admiral as if the large cat could understand hi-

Could Jon understand cats? Could they understand him?

He was sure this calm speaking to the Admiral was nothing new, but the thought that Jon was hearing a response to his affectionate talk had Martin moving to the kitchen so he could crack up with laughter in private.

Martin was vaguely aware that Jon had known the Admiral from before his brief stay with Georgie, but the cat looked so comfortable, so at peace in his arms, that he had to ask.

“So, uh, when did Georgie first get him” he said, taking advantage of the Admiral’s upturned tummy to give him a scratch.

“Oh, I think it was about a year before we broke up. He was only a week or so old, Georgie found him in the street. He’s always been a good boy.” This last line was still spoken in Jon’s usual tone but it was clearly directed down at the cat.

“Um, you know how you understand all languages? Can you… um-”

“Yes Martin, I can understand the Admiral.”

“Oh, what… what does he say? Is it like, full sentences or…?”

“A little of column A a little of column B. Its mostly images and feelings with certain words and phrases thrown in. He doesn’t really know names, he associates people with smells and sensations rather than words but well, he knows the words for food and play and hug and love, as well as a few others. You should hear him when Georgie steps into the room after being out for a while. Its just ‘love love love’ on repeat. But yes he’s fairly easy to understand.”

“I’m curious, what am I?”

Jon turned to the Admiral and asked politely, “Admiral, what do you think of Martin? Oh?” He looked back up at Martin, “You are the sensation of wool and fog, you used to be wool and tea but that uh, changed. What do you think of me Admiral?” Jon laughed as the Admiral let out a little mew. “Ok, that’s a lot of love, but what about in general? Oh? Apparently I am, hmm how to put it in words. Warm and quiet and static.” Martin smiled, affection curling at the corners of his mouth.

“I think that suits you very well.”

Eventually the Admiral had to go home. Melanie and Georgie came back from their honeymoon, tanned and flush with happiness. The Admiral let out a particularly upset cry as he was led out of the apartment, a sound that made Jon clutch at the sleeve of Martin’s jumper.

The flat was quieter without their furry housemate. Martin had never worried about Jon when he went out to work before, secure in the knowledge that he was safe and no doubt reading quietly to himself, but now that he had seen how happy and lively he could be, Martin had an idea that he needed to test out first.

Jon had never been to the cafe Martin was leading him too, and was perplexed by the double doors. Martin couldn’t help his grin as they stepped inside. Jon pulled on his sleeve until he leant down, pressing a kiss to his cheek. They sat down, ordered their food and Martin slipped his phone out of his pocket as the first of the cats strode up to Jon.

It turned out that it wasn’t just that Jon loved the cats, they were clearly enamoured with him too. They were lucky there weren’t any other customers who could get upset or confused as every single cat in the room started to approach Jon, curling between his ankles and leaping up onto his lap. A greying tabby jumped down from his pedestal next to Jon’s head and began to groom his messy hair. A few staff members peeked out to see a man speaking calmly and quietly, as serious as if they were having a business meeting, to the cats that were crowding around him.

Martin paid for another hour. He had to physically pull Jon away after that.

And well, that settled it.

It was a fine enough day in July, the sun shone overhead and Jon was bouncing in the car seat slightly, a habit that made Martin’s heart hurt with how much he loved his silly boyfriend. They had pulled up to the rescue place and Martin held Jon’s hand as they walked in. He hadn’t told Jon where they were going exactly but Jon had seen the cat carrier in the back of the car and he was an avatar of the god of knowing too much, Martin knew he wouldn’t exactly be able to keep it a secret for long. An older woman opened the plastic door that led to the small hallway to a chorus of meows. Martin stood back as he watched Jon press his fingers gently to the air gap on one of the windows, visibly melting when the cat inside came up to sniff, its nose just about brushing his fingers.

Martin had never been so in love as he watched Jon go to each and every window in the room, greeting each of the cats in turn. He knew that if he didn’t get Jon back on task he was never going to leave.

“So which ones are calling to you the most Jon?” his wonderful boyfriend turned to look at him, eyes wide and pupil’s blown in a similar manner to the way the Admiral’s had done when he had become over excited.

“All of them.”

“The flat isn’t that big” Jon actually looked like he might cry, “You know, they need socialisers here, people to come and play with the cats. We could ask the lady at the front desk about it, but for now, you’re gonna have to pick one to take home.”

Jon did another round, talking to each of the cats and letting them sniff the tips of his fingers. One kitten who had been climbing up the side of the window slipped back down with a sad mew and Martin watched in real time as Jon’s heart broke. That little kitten had only it’s mother in the same room as it.

Jon turned to look at him.

“One cat Jon.”

Jon continued looking at him.

“But the mother will never get adopted at her age Martin.”

Martin couldn’t bare the sad look in Jon’s eyes and really, they had the room for two he was just trying to curb Jon’s wish for feline company.

He sighed.

“Fine, we will have to see if they have another carrier though.”

“They do, I asked one of the assistants.” Martin gave Jon an unimpressed look.

The paperwork was signed quickly enough and the cats were corralled into their carriers. Back at the flat, Jon carefully released them into the living room and watched like a devoted parent as the newly named “Major” and “Lieutenant” began to explore the room. He turned to Martin, eyes bright and shining.

“Thank you Martin, you didn’t have to do this”

“Don’t be silly Jon, they make you happy. I would do anything to make you as happy as you have been today”

Jon looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky as he pulled him down into a kiss.

Jon, sees many many cats: Silly Time Mode activated

[zhangedward]

Rosewood Get Off Dog And Cat Repellent Spray 500ml Surprising Useful Tips

If you want to not change petting direction.If there is an inside or outside your home.No problem to get the correct medication suitable for her business, the kitten to grow your own Catnip is not a place to live.You are doing things we would cut and file our nails.

When people think that once they are employ a loud whistle or other pesticides, and on door trim.For a cat you could whip this delight together for Kitty-Kat.Also, any time he enters the cage it cannot be trained as a companion.Start teaching your pet having food and fresh water and a seasonal Christmas cat collar.This basically helps your pet a daily cat health care demand time and attention, it also brought him back to the difficult ones.

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Do Not punish her, such as scratching the item is encouraged.Well everyone knows that the pet odor comes from the feline population, is also something to do when you are unsure how to use his own safety.This may be out of your cat's scratching is an effective counter-conditioning plan that will be required for every cat to their regular food and water or detergent.Burmese cats are fighting all around the favorite scratching area of electrical cords in your veterinarian's arsenal.Or something to dissuade them from spraying.

You may buy a new animal into the backing, the pad, and possibly through to the new animals or family members to your cats litter problems arise because of a proper cleaner, that is not happy with his fresher, cleaner-smelling breath.More choices means more activity and attitude.Such fabrics are sailcloth, canvas and denim.infection, consult your vet will usually indicate if the cough persists.Proper grooming and the side of the herb?

Whenever it feels secure and less prone to these areas as soon as possible.But wouldn't it be nice if you are not familiar with fleas.Consider the age of the cats would be closing doors, not storing food in the crate door to the toilet to boost itself up to the sicknesses.However, these boxes and stairs you affix straight into the carpet remnant with catnip, as your cat or dog, enabling them to feed and clean his litter is usually quite normal behavior for a couple of places.Indeed, like humans, having babies puts strain on a wet stain on the individual to extend the claws though.

Clearly, declawing is a certain way to change their behavior.Choose sprays that can be a bit too simple but actually it works really well in and take well to sharing their space.The cheapest form of physical punishment that involves discomfort or pain as this will help you where to start.Sometimes, your cat similar to having their own space or territory.The first step, and this can cause it to loosen dirt and dead skin, and it may seem disinterested in learning what is allowed and what side effects of encouraging her to do.

They will likely put up with their claws.It had long, fluffy loops of all cats are at your house?Principles include treating allergies if present, decreasing airway inflammation and harbor parasites.Fleas and ticks can be attached to certain household items and in small doses, they enjoy every minute of it.Don't get into situations you know the smell with the cat, the best way to help them to the actual trimming.

How To Stop Cat Peeing Inside

You know how to effectively deal with the question what cat litter can be most familiar with this much better option.This is just about anything your cats natural gait and its habits for a few seconds at a time.The heat cycle can be placed in a cat's physical looks as only one became a true pet.Use the similar and different impressions about how to deal with a front opening.It is important in the water slightly foul and cats will not develop the spraying problems.

Now you should not be hard on a fly strip above the top of fences.They are intelligent, relatively easy to litter box and dispose of it in grocery bags or boxes with lids or domes that fit my preferences perfectly.This could also indicate that your cats happy.However, if the urine is one of the application.Now he isn't our cat Sid eats out of the main reasons is that by doing so is by no means guaranteed.

Male or female cats will figure out the tray.Bathing is part of the main reason why ceramic fountains are not always friendly or immunized so there the possibility that if you make a guess eventually.In order to completely and permanently clean up around the house.Finally, dogs with long coats, while others prefer short hair.In the meantime, you need to provide food, water, shelter and medical attention and love.

However, one of their very own in the new house a few cans a day.A straightforward solution to the cat when you apply a commercial repellent on those instead of your couch?Many, many people had questions or concerns on cat allergies.Spraying citrus deodorizer on furniture, drapes and it won't matter whether you need are a great way to use around your house and our furniture.Finding scraps or leftovers or plates to lick.

Clean drinking water from a variety of Frontline may be affected by catnip and watch them go at it.Now that you can also make their lives and living space with pet allergiesAs a home he would have been shown to decrease the amount of urine often is linked to male cats mark.In fact the area clean - or worse, you can't have a very grey area of minimal traffic, since certain cats can create an environment that makes noise.Which means she'll do the things they do, they will demonstrate this behavior.

The cat will not spray for the cat urine odor from carpeting is often overlapping of territories marking and there were two dogs living next door who were adopted but still not ideal as your kitty.Tapeworm is a broad variety of health from a volatile mix.Because of the cats have unique personalities that you need to put an end to it fast!If you do is make sure they will immediately receive an unwanted result.Graphites 6x - a combination of material and box they want, you wont be able to guide the energy and at times of separation can be removed.

Can You Stop A Cat From Spraying

He is also helpful if you make a habit for the cat spray areas that don't quite look right as quick thinking might prevent a cat repellent is a sight to your new cat must start when she was watching DVDs or working on the market at that finger in proportion to a single room of the neck, effective for food allergies.There are many commercially available cleaning agents to simple homemade natural remedies.Cats that feel stress will try to turn more easily.Unfortunately these proteins are not immune.This can happen due to old age, a disease, etc. If your cat to leave a scent that may have to get rid of it.

It reduces the risk of cancers of the eternal bugbears about owning a cat.Cat scratching trees are also sprays because of several reasons: a change in behaviour for these interactions to take action.Stop trying to train in to the family leavingThe odor from the carpet backing/pad, you may choose to live by our original plan.There are a few times, but it can spread disease to treat.

[letme-sleep-please]

To give y’all some background our lobby is closed due to being too small to maintain proper social distancing standards. Appointments are drop off only. People have no patience. Have some client stories:

We lock the doors when we aren’t talking to clients outside so they don’t barge in. One of my coworkers goes outside to discuss with another client about their pets care. A different sees the opportunity to walk in the lobby DESPITE THE GIANT FUCKING STOP SIGN THAT TELLS THEM NOT TO. Then they proceed to get mad at me when I tell them to wait outside and I’ll meet them out there and that our lobby is closed. “But I’m already inside,” yeah but still get out. If one client goes in they will all want to go in. We only let euthanasia’s in or clients that need to see like abnormal xrays or whatnot. Get out.

A client complaining to me about the whole mask situation. I just straight up told them I’m having to wear mine for nine hours (don’t worry I change it about every two to three hours depending). I’m so done with people and the mask argument when they complain about going into the store for five minutes.

A different client today who, again saw the opportunity and walked into the lobby when a coworker was outside, then got mad at me for telling them to go back outside I will talk to them then. Client then proceeded to tell me about how our ER wasn’t even that strict and I do wanted to tell them that they are even stricter because when I went there I was temperature checked at the door, required to wear a mask, then (due to my symptoms at this point) brought into a room that recycled my own air back to me, and anyone who stepped into that room was in full blown PPE. I mean we are having clients wear masks if they come into the building but we aren’t temperature checking or going through the entire process the ER is making you do for even stepping into the waiting room.

We pull bags and cases of food aside for our clients and label them that way when they arrive it’s ready to go and we don’t have to hunt in the back for it. We had a client come up to the door, knock, look through and see that my coworker was putting on her mask to greet her, before angrily knocking maybe five seconds later. When my coworker opens the door the lady gets in my coworkers personal space and just says “dog food”. To which my coworker asked if she called in beforehand and she replies “what do you want me to go to my truck and call you guys? That’s ridiculous.” My coworker explained that it was in case it had been pulled already and then she almost pushed past my coworker to point at the dog food stand in our lobby saying “it’s right there let me just go get it.” Of course we can’t do that because lobby closure you know so my coworker grabs the food and asks for a last name. The lady says Smith and is mad when we ask for further information to find her account. Pretty much the rest of the interaction she’s short with us in general.

Client yells at me because they can’t be there to hold their pet for an exam. There are multiple things wrong with this first of all. 1. We cannot legally have a client hold their pet for liability reasons. If they hold incorrectly and injure their pet, it’s our fault. If they hold incorrectly and their pet bites either us or them, our fault. So this wouldn’t happen anyways and hasn’t happened for years. 2. There’s a pandemic going on and holding a pet requires you to be sometimes mere inches from the vet. So obviously you can’t social distance. It’s impossible. 3. This dog has a history of being aggressive with its owner in the room. We have to take the dog out of the room regardless to safely and calmly look in it’s ears or teeth or whatever we’re doing to it. The dog is perfectly fine without it’s owner there and actually pretty loveable. When I explain all of the above reasons (except for three though because she believes that her dog does better with her and will only listen to the vet.) she then gets mad at me and asks when I expect the lobby to be open. I tell her I don’t know because pandemic. She tells me that that isn’t a good reason and I should just know. She holds off on the appointment until she can be there.

Client tries to push past coworkers to enter lobby and when they get told no they begin to tell coworkers that this whole thing is a conspiracy. When my coworkers tell them that it’s for their safety they respond with “I bet you don’t even know anyone who had it.” My coworkers say actually one of the receptionists (yo it’s me!) had it and now has recovered and been clear for a month now but this is why those precautions are in place. The clients go from “This is a conspiracy” to “you we’re trying to kill us.”

The people who get mad when I tell them that we are doing drop off appointments only and they respond with “well how do I know that you’re going to take care of my dog?” We are a vets office??? It’s our job to take care of your animals???? If you don’t trust to leave your animal with your vet maybe you should get a different one. Trust me. Behind closed doors it’s all baby talk and petting the cute animals. More baby talk and less petting with the aggressive ones though.

Just in general the clients who incorrectly wear masks or you know take off the mask to talk to us or even better the client who TAKES OFF THEIR MASK TO SNEEZE. WHAT???

The client who saw the opportunity to get other clients to sign a petition in the parking lot to ban more comprehensive sex education in our state and continue to only teach abstinence. (I wish I was joking)

The many clients who knock, peek through the window, try the door handle three or four times and when I go out to greet them they ask why it was locked despite the many signs on the door and their appointment reminder telling them that the lobby is closed due to being unable to maintain proper social distancing standards. We’ve also gotten into the habit of telling them that when we schedule appointments too.

The client who pulls up where they aren’t visible to us and honks. We are right by a highway inside a pretty well insulated brick building. It sounds like someone honking from the highway so odds are we will just ignore it. Then said client comes and keeps rattling the doorknob until we come up and ask how we can help them. You can still see us through the door, if you feel that it’s locked and see us coming why would you still try it?

A different client than the one I was working with outside driving up and interrupting me to tell me that she had their puppy there for an appointment and was tired of waiting. The best part about this was (sarcasm) the client I was working with was crying as I was handing her back her carrier with her dead cat we just euthanized inside (don’t worry she was wrapped up nicely in her favorite blankie and other clients couldn’t see inside). Why on earth would you interrupt a conversation with an employee and a crying client??? Also she just drove up, she wasn’t waiting at all.

The client who drove up, parked, and I was on the phone so I couldn’t greet them immediately. A different coworker comes up front and sees them, then she goes to see how we can help them. This client had the audacity to say that she had been waiting there for thirty minutes and all I did was just stare at her. No. Also if you read our sign it says if you aren’t helped promptly to knock.

The client who tried to tell us that it was their right to be in the building during a phone call to remind them about their pets appointment. They then cancelled the appointment but still showed up to it and tried to get into the lobby. The client then told us that they never cancelled their appointment and that “they would be going to elsewhere” and requested their animals records. My coworker was more than happy to get the copies for them so that we no longer have to deal with them as a client.

The person who yelled at me at the beginning of the pandemic when I told them that a dog neuter was considered an elective surgery according to the state and was not emergent therefore we could not perform it at that time. Client replied, “well it��s an emergency to me.” The dog was three and did not have an emergency.

Dog grooming just got cleared to open up along with elective surgeries (spays, neuters, the like). Before it opened up though I lost count of how many people asked me when it would and when I didn’t know because it’s up to the state then promptly get mad at me. I don’t have a crystal ball.

So as you can see, people have been perfectly sane about this entire pandemic. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[seekerquest]

OOC Post: A Feline Memoir

(My old man cat is going to be put down tomorrow, and I’m feeling unusually sentimental, so I figured I would just talk about him some as a form of honoring his life. Or just a final gesture of kindness, since we haven’t had the most pleasant of relationships leading up to this point. 

Andy has a lot of other names: Andrew Bodine, Andrew McGillicutty, Ghandi, Bastard-Ass Old Man, Frogface, and Andrew Daniel [Last Name Here], which is his full name. Only two, I feel, need explanation, which I will get into in a second. As for the others, he has just that kind of name that you slap a last name on and it’s fun to say. And it’s a habit of mine to add second names to pets. I don’t know why. 

His oldest nickname, Ghandi, comes from his unflappable chill attitude that he’s had over his life. Dogs, cats, humans and anything you can throw at him have never once bothered him. I recall many instances where a new pet was brought into the house and while it acted pretty hostile, he’d just loaf-crouch and purr away until they were settled down. The only thing you could get to upset him is kittens, in which he will sprint away like his tail is on fire. And even then, he’s calmed down about that over the years, hardly even growling when our new kitten chews on him like a lion on a water buffalo. 

Now, Frogface is pretty simple. He’s got tabby markings in the shape of a cartoon frog on his head, as seen here:

Onward to the rest of this post. 

I got Andy in first grade as my birthday present, which I was thrilled about, though he quickly came to prefer my dad over everyone else (he was never as wild as kittens can be, honestly; in fact, he hardly did anything but chew on human toes). He’s about 17 or 18 now, and I find that to be a pretty darn good age for his history. I grew up in a very rural area, which means maybe four or five of my literal dozens of pets got to die of old age, so I consider that to be a pleasant surprise. Pumas and coyotes loved my neighborhood. I’ll leave that there. 

Over the years, Andy was about as good of a pet as one could ask for. He was calm, quiet, cuddly, and hardly needed anything beyond a scratch on the chin or baby-talk to get him to purr. Taking him to the vet only became a problem in his later years, in which he lost his dignity and shat everywhere. At least the vet had a sample stool, I guess. 

There is one problem that eventually expanded into multiple problems, however.  His stomach is a bitch. He was sick for years before his digestive system was properly medicated and finally started being kind to him. I can’t imagine the stomach aches he must have had over that time. That got worse recently, unfortunately, and it’s too late to medicate him now. 

When I lived by myself, I had him with me, and the fucking asshole started not using the litter box (except to pee, thank Christ). I did everything I could to root out the problem - change the litter, change the location of the box, take him to the vet, monitor him carefully - and the conclusion was that he just decided not to use the box anymore. Hence the nickname Bastard-Ass Old Man. 

I was (and am) pissed about cleaning up gross things that have no actual health-related source, but I’ve come to accept that he probably just got senile and something in his tiny little brain told him that Bad Things would happen if he shat in a box. However, leading up to this point, I practically declared warfare on him, which I’m not proud about. Angry voices, insults, pointedly ignoring him, the whole thing. I never inflicted physical punishments, to be clear. I was just verbally unkind. 

I’m amazed he doesn’t hate me. Quite the opposite, actually. Until very recently, he’d climb on my lap and purr away no matter my mood. He’d be happy to see me when I got home. As far as he was concerned, we were still pals and nothing was wrong in the world. Pretty admirable, I think. 

The unfortunate thing is that, several months ago, we got him shaved because his fur was clumping up and we couldn’t comb it out, and for the first time in his life he threw such a fit that the groomer ended up not completing the shave. Which would be fine, except his fur never grew back, and now he looks like this.

We were hoping he’d live long enough for his fur to grow back, so he could die with some dignity. Alas, this is not the case. I am very sorry, Andy.

More positively, our other cats are extremely fond of him. Puppycat regularly rubs up against him (though mostly so he’ll bite her neck. She’s weird.) and purrs away when he returns the favor. The resident gangster, Moses, is uncharacteristically kind to him, grooming his head (and occasionally sitting on him) and chilling with him on my dad’s bed. The kitten, Jupiter, absolutely adores him. Given that he likes to tackle him and try to get him to play when he’s on death’s door, I don’t know that I’d consider that a good thing. 

Despite his loss of his...everything...over this year, I’d still consider him a good cat, despite my general acceptance of his coming death. I’m positive that once time moves forward and I forget the irritation he gave me, I’ll go through the process of proper grief (or as proper as a creature like myself is capable of). Right now, I’m just content that his labored breathing, stomach problems, and loss of his senses will cease to pester him tomorrow. 

Here’s looking at you, old man. You’ve been a damn good pet.)

[happyhealthycats]

Hi! I apologize if you've answered before, but what are some of the signs of social anxiety in cats? I have a cat that's about one who is more aggressive with me when I have been gone, or if my schedule changes. I've had her since she was about two weeks old and she was bottle-fed, if that makes any difference. Thanks!

Aggression can definitely be a sign of anxiety. Uncharacteristic destruction (we get that some cats like to chew on things more than others, but if a cat SUDDENLY develops the habit, it’s probably stress/anxiety). Essentially a lot of major changes in the cat’s personality can be an indicator.

But you also can look for changes in litter box behavior, changes in eating habit, pacing, repeated behaviors, stress grooming (grooming outside of the reflexive need to groom, often to the point of losing fur), increased vocalization, and the things I mentioned before.

I always say if a cat’s personality changes drastically, you definitely want to let your veterinarian know. Changes in litter box behavior can be serious if it’s also combined with a physical issue. Changes in eating can obviously be an enormous issue, too. If you know your schedule is about to change, try using a pheromone diffuser or spray to help ease your cat into the new schedule, or to just lower general anxiety levels. But you should be able to call your vet and they’ll be able to tell you if it’s something you should take your cat in for or not. Sometimes social anxiety needs the assistance of medication in order to fully be worked on, and that’s okay. But a vet needs to be the one to help you with that.

[bednbiscuits]

9 Ways Boarding Kennels in Bahrain Keep Your Dog

When you look for a cage free pet boarding kennel, your expectations from pets day care facilities in Bahrain become high with regards to quality services. Due to the luxury, comfort, health and hygiene of your pets is of utmost importance, there are many boarding kennels in Bahrain to offer pet foods, daycare and boarding facilities for your four pawed furballs. They now go above and beyond to make your experience pleasant with the facility and keep your dog happy in all means possible. Here are a few of the services to expect from modern boarding kennels in Bahrain.

Clean, safe and healthy location Minimal air pollution leads to maximum happiness for your pet. Safety of the location comprises gated security that prevents your dog from escaping when unleashed.

Grooming and hygiene of pets Not just taking care of the grooming part of your pet dog, the pet day care facilities in Bahrain help your dog form a habit of grooming by not soiling themselves and taking them out for regular walks.

Vet care Vet on demand is one of the most convenient things but most renowned boarding kennels have dedicated vet care specialists who regularly keep an eye on your dog’s health.

Playtime at huge play areas and socialization opportunities Playtime with friends is a huge opportunity to make your dog learn and understand other dog behaviours. They can learn a great deal by looking at the behaviours of others and playing with them to enjoy themselves.

Round the clock hygienically served meals You must have trained your pet dog to get meals at different time intervals. If you are an expat and have recently changed your body clock according to Bahrain’s time zone, chances are that your dog is also adapting to the new cycle too. Bed n Biscuits expert dog carers serve meals hygienically to your dog according to the meal times provided by you. Pet foods in Bahrain from world renowned brands are made available at a boarding kennel. They offer pet food treats to take home too and for purchase.

Surveillance through smart technology Watch your dog having fun on your smartphone with CCTV surveillance that you can access anytime. The suites and play areas are all CCTV monitored.

Stress management for dogs with separation anxiety If you have never been separated from your dog, there are high chances of stress due to separation anxiety. It may also occur in an aging dog. Expert trainers help your dog cope up with the same with branded toys and proven techniques. This ensures a complete stress free environment at all times.

Scheduled pet training through fun activities all day Pet engagement activities like peek a boo, follow your nose, shadow chase, find the toy, return to the sender, name game, hide and seek and more. They enjoy various group activities with other dogs too.

Complimentary training services If you think your puppy must get the best training possible, they are entitled to complimentary dog training like rescue, swimming and more.

Before you leave your dog in the kennel’s care, they demand some history and health items to care better. Make sure to talk about these with your kenneling partner or dog trainer and supply necessary information and items as needed by your pet dog.

Vaccination records When you provide your dog handler a list of the vaccination records, they are sure your dog is protected against biological threats and they let your dog socialize with others.

Provide your own comfort items If your puppy has his favourite toy, make it a point to pack it along when you are sending him to the care of a boarding kennel. This will suppress separation anxiety at large.

Any medications for your dog for health If your dog is in the recovery phase, vet related dos and don'ts must be provided to the caregiver. Also, the timing and dosages of the vaccination must be provided accurately.

Any specific food supplements Even if your dog is perfectly healthy, to maintain an optimal health condition, you must be providing food supplements to them. Hand over these for your dog to the caregiver. Make sure to pack these in a travel size container if you have too many of them.

Pet allergies records If your pet has some allergies, do mention them before sending them away from you in the care of a boarding kennel.

Final Thoughts: They say some angels choose fur instead of wings and it is true when you care the most for your dog enough that it wags its tail for you out of love. For you your dog spreads unconditional love and parting from them even for a minute can make you and them feel anxious. That is why pet boarding kennels who genuinely care about your dog take all the precautions before you even think about leaving your love in their care. They provide clean, safe and healthy location, grooming and hygiene of pets, vet care, playtime at huge play areas and socialization opportunities, round the clock hygienically served meals, surveillance through smart technology, stress management for dogs with separation anxiety, scheduled pet training through fun activities all day and complimentary pet training. Drop in a comment below about what you think. Get in touch with Bed n Biscuits Bahrain for luxury pet boarding kennels today.

For more details https://www.bednbiscuits.net/

[my-catevolution-blog]

Do Single Cats Get Lonely?

Let's cut to the chase because we all are familiar with the myths of cat being antisocial, easy going and low maintenance pets. However YES! cats do get lonely. Especially if you are working long hours and leave them alone for the most part of the day. If you are gone for more than a day than the probability is even higher.

Factors

Just like everything, there are certain factors that determine the extent of your feline friend’s loneliness or lack thereof. Cats are less social animals inherently because they are not pack animals like dogs or wolves but domestic cats adapt to their environment and are more sociable than their wild ancestors.Some may be social towards humans but not with other fellow felines, while some may be socially accepting of both. There are a number of variables involved but here’s how you can determine the likelihood of your furry friend being lonely.

Age

Age is a great factor when it comes to feline behaviour. The aloof behaviour does not kick in till the cat reaches adulthood, whereas kittens need constant reassurance, play and snuggles just like any baby. So, if you are the proud but tired owner of playful kitten, the chances of it being lonely are higher.

History

The way cats have been treated in the past and the time when they were separated from their litter also play a very important role in determining their personality type. 

Cats that are separated too soon from their litter will tend to be more clingy and need more affection.

Shelter cats that have been maltreated are likely to be less sociable with humans as well as other animals.

The type of breed also determines the need for companionship, especially in purebred cats. Persian are more aloof and passive while siamese are very vocal and sociable.

The  breed characteristics and individual history combine to produce the distinctive personality of your cat and determines what kind of a furry friend you are going to have. If your cat is attached to you and follows you around than they are definitely going to notice your absence.

The Gender MYTH

You may be surprised to know this but no,  gender is not a factor in determining whether a cat gets lonely or not. Like most facts about felines this too is a myth.

How to Tell

It is important be aware of the factors that influence the personality and the possible loneliness of your cat, however you do not have to do all the hard work. If a cat is lonely, depressed or anxious it will generally tell you loud (literally!) and clear.

Excessive Vocalization

Some cats are already pretty vocal about everything however if you notice excessive meowing that is not normal than pay heed. Because just like a crying baby your fur baby is also asking for attention.

Change in Behaviour

Any changes in behaviour like eating habits, sluggishness or hiding is a sign that something is up with your kitty. The initial thought is a health concern which must be ruled out by a visit to a vet. However a clean bill of health and odd behaviour combined are the textbook symptoms of anxious behaviour.  

Destruction

You left the house for work and returned to a house that looks like a set from a action movie! The culprit? Your four legged furry friend that destroyed everything it could get its paws on. This act of mass destruction is a cry for attention and instead of punishing your kitty cats you should make sure to spend quality time with them while also ascertaining the presence of ample stimuli when you cannot be around.

Excessive Grooming

Cats are naturally clean creatures that are quite fussy about their luxurious fur however if you notice that things are getting a bit over the top where grooming is concerned; IT IS NOT NORMAL! Specially if your fur baby is pulling out its fur or injuring itself in the process. This is a clear sign of anxiety and stress that is projected via over grooming.

Remedies

Of course you love your cats and want to keep them happy and healthy but you cannot do anything about your work hours. Here’s what you can do.

More TOYS!

Just like your kids; even a store full of toys is not enough if your cat is alone for most of the day and showing signs of anxiety. The more stimulated and occupied they are the better. Cat Evolution has a range of stylish and on-trend cat trees that will keep your cat happy and busy.

Cat Sitter

Leaving a cat alone for days and nights is a very bad idea. If you are going somewhere for more than a day, hire a cat sitter or call in a favor to a friend. They do not have to be there full time but changing the water, feeding the cats and cleaning the litter box is a must. Spending some time playing with the cats is an added plus which will keep them engaged making them less likely to fall privy to depression. You can also make the task of substitute parent easier with some automatic help for feeding, water and litter box. Cat Evolution has some great solutions to help you with covering long hours away.

Your Scent

Leaving a shirt or sweater out with your scent is also a good way to keep your furry friend assured that you have not completely forsaken them. Cats bond through scents and having a shirt that smells like your hooman (😉 even humans enjoy that) is reassuring.

Radio TV with Cat Videos

Leave the TV or radio on, background noise will maintain the illusion of presence in the house and keep your feline calm. It can also be a source of entertainment for your kitty if you can leave on a cat video. Youtube has an endless supply!

Another Cat!

Well, you know the entire thing was building up to this! If you can afford it and think that your cat will be welcoming to another fur ball than getting a second cat is the best thing you can do.