Automatic Litterbox Central

It has been hell year for me. Latest thorn in my side is Ruby has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Shit. $$$

The treatment for this is a) 2 pills a day for the rest of her life, and having blood work done once a month to check for kidney failure, which the pills mask or b) radioiodine therapy which consists of one shot of some radioactive crap to kill the tumor and a hospital stay of about a week, or untl she isnt radio active any more. This cures the hyperthyroidism and no further treatment is necessary. Except is costs a whole bunch. However, the cost of the pills would run about 800-900 per year and be more expensive in the long run. Not sure what the cost of the other is, but a few years ago when it first came out, it was about 1300. it isn't done just anywhere either. Thankfully UC Davis is close by (oh, don't I know that! Miss you Lily) and they probably do it. THere are 1 or 2 other vets here in Sac that are set up for it too. Im guessing it will be about 2k. That is only a guess. Fabulous news to receive while on unemployment.

Her hair is falling out, and she throws up everything she eats. On my stuff or my foot. ack

That really sucks. Your kitties are so lucky they have you. Maybe you could talk to UC Davis and get an estimate for the Surgury and solicit donations. I would donate.

Hi Abbey --

Condolences on the kitty health issues with Ruby. Nothing is more alarming than a sick cat or child. And the expense is awful. Just wanted you to know, if you didn’t, that in replacing my own cats, I found there’s pet health insurance, now. Found a brochure at a local store and also had my last kitten come from the Animal Shelter with 45 days of health insurance as well as micro-chipped ID. And she’s the sweetest kitten ever so takes away some of the grief surrounding the deaths of Nuba and then, within about six weeks, his replacement whom I felt totally responsible for in terms of his demise by another predator -- perhaps an owl, something I did not anticipate. He simply did not have the experience, despite instinct, he needed to survive and I was too dumb to figure that one out in time. Now, if any cat is outdoors, they are in before dark.

I have ended up with two kittens. The first, a Bengal called Tao was from Animal Control, the old dogcatchers. The amount of kittens and cats being thrown away is unreal. Fifteen Bengals appeared in animal facilities here around the time I was adopting: Eleven rescues from the same owner were taken in at a “no kill” shelter and five other Bengals, including Tao, left at Animal Control. Tao was only about 8 weeks old, if that, when I adopted. He had a runny eye and so many ear mites that the Vet thought he probably couldn’t hear. Constipation was an issue for two weeks. He’s lovely, a marbled snow Bengal, but basically, now that he's healthy, a little troublemaker: Although the smallest of the bunch, he dominates all cat food dishes, my lap, and is creating some weird toys -- currently its paper that he steals from the wastebaskets or counter tops -- receipts from purchases are a favorite with him. He went though a phase of ripping off the tags from underneath the furniture and would guard his finds with lots of menacing growls if another cat approached. The second kitten, Yang, is a darling Siamese mix or, I am wondering if she’s a Rag Doll. Sweet, sweet, sweet kitten -- left off at the shelter also at 8 weeks, adopted and returned, again, because she was too shy, would hide, etc. At my house, she is just one of the gang. So, I feel that I have saved the lives of two beautiful kittens and perhaps made up for my abysmal cat karma of late. Zen is adapting to the new adoptees, but, I suspect, secretly wishes she were an only cat.

So much for my situation, somewhat parallel to yours... cat grief and vet visits -- vaccines on this end and a neutering coming up next.

Give Ruby a "pet" from me and keep in touch.

All three of my cats are from the county shelter. I thought my first one Ozzy was a rag doll but the vet told me he is a Simese. I beleive he is a lynx point balanese. He is beautiful with a personality to match. The second is a brown tabby. She is a beauty too.

Now the third was rescued from the shelter by a volunteer who was unemployeed. This kitty showed up at the shelter in a bad state with a tail so badly injured it had to be amputated. He was thought to be ferel and he isn't handsome by any measure. Ferel cats don't last long at the shelter. Anyway, she saw somthing special in him, adopted him, took him to a vet, then found a home for him - my home. He is not ferel. In fact he is so affectionate it's almost too much. Good thing I don't mind cat kisses becuse that's little Cody's favorite thing to do. He has become the darling of our house. his personality is overwhelming.

I will be forever grateful to that girl for spending the money she didn't have to keep Cody from being put down. Good luck with Ruby!

Good thing I don't mind cat kisses

Yes, the cat kisses. And grateful to the Shelter staff -- definitely in the case of Yang. Such a good kitten.

I have not had any cat kisses until now with Tao -- renamed Ceba, a name he recognizes as his. He just didn't respond to Tao and no one could pronounce it anyway. Ceba, too, is super affectionate although he was referred to as feral by the Vet assistant. All cats are getting along very well, now. Zen is mothering the kittens, playing with them, disciplining them, sleeping in the same room, and eating out of the same dish with Ceba, that last a major miracle since Zen, as smart as she is, tends to move away from conflict not engage. She's now holding her ground with Ceba. (Hurray! She seems to know what to do with four month old kittens but when they are younger, she doesn't want anything to do with them.)

And little Yang respectfully adores Zen and loves to climb trees.

spaceshare wrote:Hi Abbey --

.... surrounding the deaths of Nuba and then, within about six weeks, his replacement whom I felt totally responsible for in terms of his demise by another predator -- perhaps an owl, something I did not anticipate. He simply did not have the experience, despite instinct, he needed to survive and I was too dumb to figure that one out in time. Now, if any cat is outdoors, they are in before dark.....

Give Ruby a "pet" from me and keep in touch.

Oh no! I missed that one. I didn't know the new kitty was gone. Did you find him or did he just never come home? I'm so sorry to hear about that.

Ruby is back to eating, she lost some pounds but was a porker anyway. She gets to eat the $2 per can, prescription AD food for anorexic cats. All of the others hover around and I have to stand guard while she eats. She is the slowest eating cat ever!

For her meds, we were both going ballistic trying to get a pill into her, so I had this wonderful pharmacy in Placervile whip up something that would be easier to administer 2 times a day. It is a cream and comes in loaded syringes. I simply put a measured amount in her ear and rub it in! Perfect! She doen't mind at all. Its $50 a month. My friend, actually Lily's Dr, got me some of the pills for this condition adn I only paid $11 for 2 months worth!! That shows you the mark up of the damn things! If I had gotten them from Rubys vet they would have been at least 3-4 times that. Dr Jill got them for me at her cost. She is such an angel.

All of my cats are rescue kids. Static and Sassy were found in a downspout. When I got them they were only 2-3 days old. There was another brother and I could hold all 3 of them in one hand. They were sooo tiny. I work with a few rescue groups and take in the bottle babies as fosters. When they are weaned, I take them back and they get fixed and adopted out to forever homes. That is what I was supposed to be doing with Static and Sassy.

I cried all the way out to the place the day I was turning them in. It broke my heart. The next morning one of the ladies called me and told me they wouldnt eat. I flew out the door and drove like hell to get to them. I snatched them up and brought them home.

Lucy and Ruby were not happy about having 2 young punk boys bothering them, but oh well.

Right this minute I have 2 litters with 4 in each litter that I am bottle feeding. One litter is about 10 days and the other is slightly younger-their ears are still flat. It is a lot of work! They are so little that they cant eat very much at one time, so they have to be fed every couple of hours. I am always so afraid I will sleep thru a feeding, I never get any good sleep when they are this small. they start to be fun when they are about 3-4 weeks old and getting around. I love watching them evolve and learn about stuff, and hate giving them back when they are at their cutest.

My cats absoutely hate me bringing in babies. They stay in my sewing room and there has always been a screen door to keep my cats out of the room, so Its not like the babies are in their faces or anything. They just worry there wont be enough make out time for them.

YOu are right about the number of throw away cats. It is disgusting at how F'd people can be.

I found this at SPAY USA

http://www.spayusa.org/media/pdfs/Cats_ ... yramid.pdf



ab

Right this minute I have 2 litters with 4 in each litter that I am bottle feeding. One litter is about 10 days and the other is slightly younger-their ears are still flat. It is a lot of work!

Wow, I bet feeding all those kittens is a lot of work! You're amazing. Glad you found a solution for the medication costs, too. That's good news.

Did you find him or did he just never come home?

No. He never returned. I suspect he was some thing's dinner. I thought I saw him about a week later about a mile from home. I put out 50 flyers with his picture into my neighbors' mailboxes but heard not a word back. A few weeks later, Zen disappeared. I found her at midnight alive and very cautious on a neighbor's property where a house was being torn down. Took me about 20 minutes to get her into the car and home. I was prepared to stay the night if needed. Next, three owls started turning up in trees around the house, obviously hunting. They came back nightly for several weeks. I suspect that one may have gotten Ketu, possibly chased Zen.Over the past few years, I've had coyotes, a bobcat, foxes up here, and the owls. I had no problems with any predator disturbing my cats for almost 20 years. I think loss of wild prey might be what's occurring. Zen has managed to survive through her coloring and markings (she blends into the woods very well), smarts, and experience. She knows what's out there and is extremely cautious unlike the kittens who haven't a clue.

My thoughts and prayers go out to both you and Ruby!

My beloved cat Sushi battled Hyperthyroidism the last four years of her life. Being 11 years old at the time, our Vet felt the meds were the best way to go. She had lost so much weight by the time she was diagnosed - from a pudgy 12 pounds down to 4.5 - horrific - surgery and the drip wasn't an option. On the meds she thrived. She still ate like a pig but her spirits and her weight rebounded. The cheapest and most effective medication on the market was soloxine - and it's been pulled by the FDA. I'm so upset this is no longer available to cats that need it! It cost me about $79 a month (2x a day). I know the iodine treatments have a strong history of success. Depending on the cats weight and health - and age - this is the preferred treatment.

If Ruby's still of good flesh (and it sounds like she's got a great mom!) I bet she'll respond to either treatment really well!

Hi Wickedkitten, welcome to the litterbox!

Ruby has responded to the medicine. I gave up on the pills - it was stressing both of us out - and use a gel in her ear 2x a day. Her appetite has returned, of course she has been eating that vet A-D food that is for anorexic cats, it is the stinkiest, tastiest, highest caloric food around. The other cats hover around waiting to jump in for clean up duty when she's done. Her personality has returned, she isnt lethargic anymore. She did lose a lot of weight, from about 16 down to 10. she is a big girl. She was a fat big girl, now she is just a big girl. She looks loads slimmer.

SHe had her blood checked yesterday at the one month mark to see if her thyroid levels straightened out, and they did. Her white blood count was ever so slightly elevated. I grilled the doctor about it and she wasn't concerned. We will check again in a month or if she starts acting different. I am going to stick with the gel for a while. Ruby is 9, has only been away from me and the house for one day,(whole life) when she was spayed, and the occasionaly Dr trip. I think she would spaz out if she was somewhere else with people she didnt know, and the indignity of a cage! for a whole week. I dont want to lay that on her.

Now that I think about it, she has become feisty. She never was before. Now she will start scrapping with her sister, for no reason at all she will look for Lucy and smack her when she finds her, normally sleeping. She will wake her up and chase her out of the room. The boy cats just steer clear of her. This is a behavior that she didn't have prior to this thyroid thing.
hmmm

I'm sorry to hear about Sushi. It tears a part of your heart out when they die. I'm barely functioning and feel so numb from my recent loss, Lily. I can't seem to pull it together. Everything reminds me of her.