Husband's? :blink:
Life sucks ...
- Thread starter redhead
- Start date
Husband's? :blink:
Thanks for checking it out for me Isi.
Dougal hasn't been taking his flax oil and refuses to touch anything with it in, whether I use the oil or the solids. I think that some of his fur is growing back, but the fur he has seems rather fragile and just comes out in clumps, leaving big pink patches.
He got into a fight the other night and has a scratch either side of his neck - and big bare patches where the other cat has scalped him! No blood, which you would expect if hair is torn out by roots, just bare skin.
Dougal hasn't been taking his flax oil and refuses to touch anything with it in, whether I use the oil or the solids. I think that some of his fur is growing back, but the fur he has seems rather fragile and just comes out in clumps, leaving big pink patches.
He got into a fight the other night and has a scratch either side of his neck - and big bare patches where the other cat has scalped him! No blood, which you would expect if hair is torn out by roots, just bare skin.
Isinglass
At the Start
ha ha! Well you know there is no room left on the bed with the two cats, so husband would probably have more peace in cat basket under the bed. :lol:
Hope Dougal gets furrier. At least you know it is not the flax oil. Funny (but frustrating) how they will refuse to take something we really want them to have. Nothing to be done about it, they know what they like!
Hope Dougal gets furrier. At least you know it is not the flax oil. Funny (but frustrating) how they will refuse to take something we really want them to have. Nothing to be done about it, they know what they like!
Isinglass
At the Start
A BIG favourite! Yummy, can I have some too?
There's a bit in the fridge I think he can spare - although you might end up with just the mash and greens, as I did the other night.
Apparently the texture of his fur will be affected for as long as he is on chemo. The fur grows back when chemo stops.
Some vets keep them on it until the animal goes into remission, while others just keep going for the lifetime of the cat. Mary, my vet, obviously has a long experience of such treatments, so I will trust her judgement.
I'm a bit upset at the moment though, as Dougal has started shying away from my hand because he thinks he is going to get grabbed and have a pill stuck down his throat. He gets very tense when he senses that it's pill time and is beginning to make it a bit of a battle. I'm pretty good at doing it, but he has started to resist now, which makes things much harder for him, silly boy.
I shut the sitting room door last night because it was getting a bit draughty. He was okay while I was sitting watching TV, but when I left the room to let Tilly in and closed the door behind me, he obviously thought that I had gone to get the cat basket and promptly ran and hid. I came back to an empty room. He didn't come out for about 30/40 minutes.
It's hard being the baddie when you're trying to be kind!!
Apparently the texture of his fur will be affected for as long as he is on chemo. The fur grows back when chemo stops.
Some vets keep them on it until the animal goes into remission, while others just keep going for the lifetime of the cat. Mary, my vet, obviously has a long experience of such treatments, so I will trust her judgement.
I'm a bit upset at the moment though, as Dougal has started shying away from my hand because he thinks he is going to get grabbed and have a pill stuck down his throat. He gets very tense when he senses that it's pill time and is beginning to make it a bit of a battle. I'm pretty good at doing it, but he has started to resist now, which makes things much harder for him, silly boy.
I shut the sitting room door last night because it was getting a bit draughty. He was okay while I was sitting watching TV, but when I left the room to let Tilly in and closed the door behind me, he obviously thought that I had gone to get the cat basket and promptly ran and hid. I came back to an empty room. He didn't come out for about 30/40 minutes.
It's hard being the baddie when you're trying to be kind!!
Isinglass
At the Start
So sad, poor Dougal. It's difficult to get their trust and then break it.
If only we could explain to them ......
At least you know why he is losing fur now, so must make you a little more at ease.
My big grey stripey guy must be caught and combed, he is coughing again, and we think it is fur balls. He has the thickest coat. I hate chasing him about with the crush cage, he makes little pathetic meows and looks at us with those BIG eyes. And hides after we release him.
My brother and wife are coming to stay for 3 weeks and the cats will either freak out and stay outside or be best mates with them. I'm worried how they will take it as they are losing their spare bedroom. Morpheus thinks of it as his room.
If only we could explain to them ......
At least you know why he is losing fur now, so must make you a little more at ease.
My big grey stripey guy must be caught and combed, he is coughing again, and we think it is fur balls. He has the thickest coat. I hate chasing him about with the crush cage, he makes little pathetic meows and looks at us with those BIG eyes. And hides after we release him.
My brother and wife are coming to stay for 3 weeks and the cats will either freak out and stay outside or be best mates with them. I'm worried how they will take it as they are losing their spare bedroom. Morpheus thinks of it as his room.
They make you feel so guilty, even though you are trying to help them. What a pity you can't get to touch him yet, he would probably enjoy a good grooming once he got used to being handled.
Have you tried putting a bit of cod liver oil on his feed a couple of times a week? Mum's cat Maxine used to suffer terribly with furballs and we found that that helped her a bit.
Visitors. That could be a problem, HIS room taken over by humans not of his family. The others, as you say, could either sulk or make friends - then sulk when the visitors leave. You can't win!
I am a bit worried at the moment as Dougal had a horrible day yesterday. Firstly, I had visitors so he legged it until late afternoon, when he saw them leave. He then got into a fight with the arch-enemy, which ended with the black cat being startled by my opening the door, heading for the hedge with The Red One hanging on to his backend by his teeth.
Dougal came in a few hours later, limping, bloody and hungry. I fed him first and let him settle on the sofa before seeing to his wounds. He had a couple of quite deep scratches, which I managed to wash with a saline solution then put an antibiotic powder on when they had dried.
However, he had a puncture in his chest, from which a piece of twig was sticking. I managed to remove the twig and wash the wound, but he was so wound up by then that he was shivering. A mixture of adrenalin from the fight and trauma from being held down to be "doctored" by me. (That was what led to him hiding when he thought he was going to the vet's later on.)
He slept on his big beanbag all night and got up very stiff and sore this morning. He kept ducking away from my hand and would run and cower under the table. He wouldn't go out until I went to put some washing out, then vanished. I'm hoping that he'll show up at twilight as normal, but can't help feeling that he doesn't want to be around me at the moment.
It would break my heart if he lost trust in me and left.
Have you tried putting a bit of cod liver oil on his feed a couple of times a week? Mum's cat Maxine used to suffer terribly with furballs and we found that that helped her a bit.
Visitors. That could be a problem, HIS room taken over by humans not of his family. The others, as you say, could either sulk or make friends - then sulk when the visitors leave. You can't win!
I am a bit worried at the moment as Dougal had a horrible day yesterday. Firstly, I had visitors so he legged it until late afternoon, when he saw them leave. He then got into a fight with the arch-enemy, which ended with the black cat being startled by my opening the door, heading for the hedge with The Red One hanging on to his backend by his teeth.
Dougal came in a few hours later, limping, bloody and hungry. I fed him first and let him settle on the sofa before seeing to his wounds. He had a couple of quite deep scratches, which I managed to wash with a saline solution then put an antibiotic powder on when they had dried.
However, he had a puncture in his chest, from which a piece of twig was sticking. I managed to remove the twig and wash the wound, but he was so wound up by then that he was shivering. A mixture of adrenalin from the fight and trauma from being held down to be "doctored" by me. (That was what led to him hiding when he thought he was going to the vet's later on.)
He slept on his big beanbag all night and got up very stiff and sore this morning. He kept ducking away from my hand and would run and cower under the table. He wouldn't go out until I went to put some washing out, then vanished. I'm hoping that he'll show up at twilight as normal, but can't help feeling that he doesn't want to be around me at the moment.
It would break my heart if he lost trust in me and left.
Isinglass
At the Start
Oh no!!!!! Can you not keep Dougal in for a day or two to see if you can spoil him and get him back on your side? I do that with mine when they are not well, and play with them and they do not seem to mind being inside, in fact they just sleep and eat.
Shame he keeps getting in fights too, as this of course runs down his immune system too, has to take time out to fight that off instead of the cancer. BUT - it does show that he still has spirit.
Keeping everything crossed for him that he comes home as per usual tonight. I cannot imagine that he would leave you, maybe just wants to be alone to make sure he can sleep somewhere and not get pills, meds etc thrust on him.
Morpheus does relax when we comb him, but catching him in the crush cage to do that is so awful for him. Once I comb he stretches out and closes his eyes. The last time I did not need to put him in cage, just trapped him on a stair, with doors at top and bottom closed, and did him there. But he looks so pathetic cornered like that. He is so sweet, never tries to bite or scratch at all, just hunkers all down and in a kind of ball.
We know that the local poeple were very mean to these cats, threw things at them and shouted. And locked them out of their home, which was a disused building that got knocked down. Their kittens were inside. You can imagine the trauma. When the cat rescue caught them they did so with one of those nooses and pulled him out, so he is also very paranoid about his neck.
I'll try the cod liver oil, he might like it, he licks olive oil sometimes.
Shame he keeps getting in fights too, as this of course runs down his immune system too, has to take time out to fight that off instead of the cancer. BUT - it does show that he still has spirit.
Keeping everything crossed for him that he comes home as per usual tonight. I cannot imagine that he would leave you, maybe just wants to be alone to make sure he can sleep somewhere and not get pills, meds etc thrust on him.
Morpheus does relax when we comb him, but catching him in the crush cage to do that is so awful for him. Once I comb he stretches out and closes his eyes. The last time I did not need to put him in cage, just trapped him on a stair, with doors at top and bottom closed, and did him there. But he looks so pathetic cornered like that. He is so sweet, never tries to bite or scratch at all, just hunkers all down and in a kind of ball.
We know that the local poeple were very mean to these cats, threw things at them and shouted. And locked them out of their home, which was a disused building that got knocked down. Their kittens were inside. You can imagine the trauma. When the cat rescue caught them they did so with one of those nooses and pulled him out, so he is also very paranoid about his neck.
I'll try the cod liver oil, he might like it, he licks olive oil sometimes.
Isinglass
At the Start
More kitty adventures. I'm having a kitchen cupboard clear out. Found some old herbs that I bought awhile back (well, okay, quite awhile back!:lol mix of nettle, valerian and God knows what. I know good for garden, so I put them on a section of the border.
Sometime later I notice all the plants there shaking about like crazy. What the .....
It's Morpheus, rolling about in them in ecstacy. Anyone know if cats like nettle???? He was so funny, rolling eyes, on his back, washing his face and licking. And then down the path come the other 2, and a big repeat of same actions.
mix of nettle, valerian and God knows what. I know good for garden, so I put them on a section of the border. Sometime later I notice all the plants there shaking about like crazy. What the .....
It's Morpheus, rolling about in them in ecstacy. Anyone know if cats like nettle???? He was so funny, rolling eyes, on his back, washing his face and licking. And then down the path come the other 2, and a big repeat of same actions.
Narcotic for kitties, but nettles? Wonder if it's related to catnip? Although I think that is more the mint family.
My first cat Fred used to roll on patches of moss that he found in the lawn, rubbing his face and the top of his head on them - just like Tilly with her dried-up stew the other night.
Freddie also used to sleep in a patch of mint at the front of the house, where the sun is. He used to come in and smell gorgeous because of all the mint oil.
Oz used to get high on caffeine and Max loved an African pot that I have, which is woven from grasses. She used to put her head right into the pot, take several deep breaths, then whiz round the room with wild eyes until she conked out and fell fast asleep.
It's funny that Morpheus enjoys being groomed, yet won't normally let you touch him. Maybe if you rub your hands with a mix of valerian and nettles ...!
Dougal decided at 11.00 on Suday night that I had been punished enough and strolled in, ate his dinner and hopped onto my lap - but wouldn't let me stroke him.
When his paws and (almost bare) tummy were warm, he hopped off again and went to sleep in his beanbag.
"That showed her!"
My first cat Fred used to roll on patches of moss that he found in the lawn, rubbing his face and the top of his head on them - just like Tilly with her dried-up stew the other night.
Freddie also used to sleep in a patch of mint at the front of the house, where the sun is. He used to come in and smell gorgeous because of all the mint oil.
Oz used to get high on caffeine and Max loved an African pot that I have, which is woven from grasses. She used to put her head right into the pot, take several deep breaths, then whiz round the room with wild eyes until she conked out and fell fast asleep.
It's funny that Morpheus enjoys being groomed, yet won't normally let you touch him. Maybe if you rub your hands with a mix of valerian and nettles ...!
Dougal decided at 11.00 on Suday night that I had been punished enough and strolled in, ate his dinner and hopped onto my lap - but wouldn't let me stroke him.
When his paws and (almost bare) tummy were warm, he hopped off again and went to sleep in his beanbag.
"That showed her!"
What sort of Whippet x Bedlington dose not chase them and the cat's, is it stuffed.
:lol:
trudij
Senior Jockey
pour some over him - that will make him darker... 
then give him a big kiss from me xx
then give him a big kiss from me xx
Purr, purr, purr to Auntie Trudi.
He's bouncing round the office at the moment. He isn't allowed in here very often, so it's a novelty when he does get in. Problem is that the mountaineering instinct takes over. The last time he went climbing in the bookshelves he got caught between two shelves in different cases - looked like one of those Garfield car toys, spreadeagled across two bookcases.
His fur is growing back in, I think he just had a very heavy moult in response to the heatwave in May. The hair is slightly coarser, but hopefully he will have a fair coat by the time the weather turns cold.
Oh, the indignity - he has lost nearly all of his magnificent whiskers! There are just a couple of the longer ones and 5/6 of the shorter ones left.
Maybe that's why he's getting into fights at the moment - arch enemy keeps calling him "Baldy"
Tilly has taken over my bedroom since I bought the new chair. Being a tub chair it is beautifully cat-shaped. I have to put an old sheet on it to prevent getting covered in cat hair when I want to use it.
I'm going to try dabbing Fougal's pill with Marmite or sweet chilli sauce tonight, to see if it will help to get it down his neck a bit more easily. I felt so awful last night because when I stood up and went to make a fuss of him, he panicked and ran away from me to hide behind the curtains.
He's bouncing round the office at the moment. He isn't allowed in here very often, so it's a novelty when he does get in. Problem is that the mountaineering instinct takes over. The last time he went climbing in the bookshelves he got caught between two shelves in different cases - looked like one of those Garfield car toys, spreadeagled across two bookcases.
His fur is growing back in, I think he just had a very heavy moult in response to the heatwave in May. The hair is slightly coarser, but hopefully he will have a fair coat by the time the weather turns cold.
Oh, the indignity - he has lost nearly all of his magnificent whiskers! There are just a couple of the longer ones and 5/6 of the shorter ones left.
Maybe that's why he's getting into fights at the moment - arch enemy keeps calling him "Baldy"
Tilly has taken over my bedroom since I bought the new chair. Being a tub chair it is beautifully cat-shaped. I have to put an old sheet on it to prevent getting covered in cat hair when I want to use it.
I'm going to try dabbing Fougal's pill with Marmite or sweet chilli sauce tonight, to see if it will help to get it down his neck a bit more easily. I felt so awful last night because when I stood up and went to make a fuss of him, he panicked and ran away from me to hide behind the curtains.
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Isinglass
At the Start
Poor Dougal - but at least he is getting his fur back. :<3:
My wild stripey grey guy Morpheus is in disgrace. We had so many changes to the cottage, moved stuff around, repair people in. He decided not to come home, just kept coming to the door but not inside. For 3 days and nights! Finally captured him as lured him in with chicken. So he is now shut in, we are going to Cornwall for a few days, and the thought of cat sitter having to feed him out and others in, was too much worry. He is mad at us, but not overly bothered. The bed is back in 'his' bedroom and he is back on it, at least when our family are not there as they are from the US.
The girl cats are thrilled, more laps and toys!
We just had a cat flap installed so that this going ouyt, but not coming back home will stop (hopefully) but I'm not lettng them use it yet until we return from Cornwall. Can be a good present, just need to teach tme how to use it. It's in a window, getting out is easy, big ledge inside. Getting back ..... might prove a challange, small ledge only. Could be fun! :lol:
My wild stripey grey guy Morpheus is in disgrace. We had so many changes to the cottage, moved stuff around, repair people in. He decided not to come home, just kept coming to the door but not inside. For 3 days and nights! Finally captured him as lured him in with chicken. So he is now shut in, we are going to Cornwall for a few days, and the thought of cat sitter having to feed him out and others in, was too much worry. He is mad at us, but not overly bothered. The bed is back in 'his' bedroom and he is back on it, at least when our family are not there as they are from the US.
The girl cats are thrilled, more laps and toys!
We just had a cat flap installed so that this going ouyt, but not coming back home will stop (hopefully) but I'm not lettng them use it yet until we return from Cornwall. Can be a good present, just need to teach tme how to use it. It's in a window, getting out is easy, big ledge inside. Getting back ..... might prove a challange, small ledge only. Could be fun! :lol:
Oh boy, that is going to be so much fun! Make sure you have something to take videos with handy - you could make a packet on something like You've Been Framed or Animals Do The Funniest Things.
Dougal took 6 weeks to learn about the catflap. For the first few forays I had to manhandle (?cathandle) him through the flap to show him how to push with his nose/forehead, then climb in or out.
He didn't like having to push his head against the flap so used to try to flip it open with his paw. I would hear the flap going Bdmp bdmp bdmp as he kept pushing it with a paw but not being quick enough to get his head through without it landing on his forehead.
He took longer to learn how to come in than go out. When I heard him flipping the catflap I resorted to holding his breakfast on the other side to get him to push the flap with his forehead. He called my bluff beautifully by whipping a paw through and grabbing his grub off the plate, then backing off outside the little tunnel to eat it! :lol:
That should keep you entertained for a couple of weeks!
Poor old Morpheus. Trying to keep his integrity as a wild thing, while all his instincts to be a cosseted domestic kitty are undermining him. Now being forcibly held and made to eat indoors. Oh the shame of it!
I love the way cats behave when their humans have been away on holiday. Most of mine have come charging up the path to greet me with their eyes full of joy to see me, then got halfway there and suddenly remembered they aren't talking, stopped dead and turned their backs on me. They would then proceed to ignore me for the rest of the evening, looking around the room in amazement when called by name: "I'm sure I can hear a voice. Calling my name. How strange." all the time avoiding even looking at me.
Hope the weather is good in Cornwall for you Isi.
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It also means that they can bring presents in undetected!
Isinglass
At the Start
Can just see Dougal flapping at the cat flap! :lol:
You are right, must set up the camera for the day we give them the keys to the cat flap.
We have a new game now. One of our visitors is busy knitting a baby blanket. cats are entranced by the action, and hetting annoyed that after 3 days the 'toy' has not yet been given to them. So funny, the tame cat has landed in knitting 3 times ......
You are right, must set up the camera for the day we give them the keys to the cat flap.
We have a new game now. One of our visitors is busy knitting a baby blanket. cats are entranced by the action, and hetting annoyed that after 3 days the 'toy' has not yet been given to them. So funny, the tame cat has landed in knitting 3 times ......
Amazing coincidence. My mother was visiting for the day and brought her KNITTING - WHY-DON'T-WE-DO-THIS-IT'S-SO-MUCH-FUN???!!!
First the whole ball of wool got catnapped and carted round the furniture. When I looked behind the sofa he was rolling on it, kicking it and had loops of wool all around his head.
Then he started to chew it - flossing is good for the teeth, right? Lots of pink spaghetti.
Then, when Mum had retrieved the wool, found a whole piece again and put the rest of the ball into her handbag for safety, he started swinging on the knitting needles. The knitting was more off the needles than on so, much to Dougal's disgust, she gave up and and put the lot away.
Grandma's no fun.
The Marmite made pill-time a bit easier. He was distracted by the taste as I shoved the pill to the back of his tongue.
First the whole ball of wool got catnapped and carted round the furniture. When I looked behind the sofa he was rolling on it, kicking it and had loops of wool all around his head.
Then he started to chew it - flossing is good for the teeth, right? Lots of pink spaghetti.
Then, when Mum had retrieved the wool, found a whole piece again and put the rest of the ball into her handbag for safety, he started swinging on the knitting needles. The knitting was more off the needles than on so, much to Dougal's disgust, she gave up and and put the lot away.
Grandma's no fun.
The Marmite made pill-time a bit easier. He was distracted by the taste as I shoved the pill to the back of his tongue.
Isinglass
At the Start
So, you know that advert that says '9 out of 10 cats prefer Whiskas'? Well def true about knitting!
Only one of our cats likes Marmite, her and the husband share it.
Only one of our cats likes Marmite, her and the husband share it.
I used to crochet when I had Freddie and Oscar and it didn't have quite the same effect. Can't knit to save my life, only managed a dishcloth and that was more like a fishing net with all the dropped stitches. Sorry, Doog.
He rolled over today to let me rub his tum, and it's all fluffy with new hair that seems as soft as the previous lot. Sweeeeet. :<3:
I noticed recently that he had a big brown spot on his skin, about the size of a 50p piece. Got a bit worried that it was the chemo but, how dim am I, just realised that that is where the red hair used to be. Only realised yesterday, because another red bit is getting a bit sparse. Still might be the chemo having an effect, as the fur can change colour, but never heard that it affects the skin that way as well. Will have to look it up.
If he goes completely bald, he'll be skewbald! :blink:
He rolled over today to let me rub his tum, and it's all fluffy with new hair that seems as soft as the previous lot. Sweeeeet. :<3:
I noticed recently that he had a big brown spot on his skin, about the size of a 50p piece. Got a bit worried that it was the chemo but, how dim am I, just realised that that is where the red hair used to be. Only realised yesterday, because another red bit is getting a bit sparse. Still might be the chemo having an effect, as the fur can change colour, but never heard that it affects the skin that way as well. Will have to look it up.
If he goes completely bald, he'll be skewbald! :blink:
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Isinglass
At the Start
A 'coloured' cat! I've never heard of chemo doing this, but of course each cat/dog/person is individual.
Turns out our cat flap was not as intertaining as first thought. Cats all gave us 'the look' and just walked calmly out ..... and back in. Normal service is resumed.
We've been in Cornwall for a few days. Went to Mousehole, which is a big must for anyone who l;ikes cats, great tale about The Mousehole Cat, and there are dozens of cats there roaming about.
Got home late last night. Cats ignored us. Middle of the night the tame one had an affection attack that went on for hours. My shoulder is shredded from her doughing on me.
They are now eating for England, they always do this, as if the cat sitter has not fed them, even once. We know she has, the packets are in the bin and unless she has a very weird food fetish I cannot imagine that she has siphoned them off to take home to her own moggy. :lol:
Turns out our cat flap was not as intertaining as first thought. Cats all gave us 'the look' and just walked calmly out ..... and back in. Normal service is resumed.
We've been in Cornwall for a few days. Went to Mousehole, which is a big must for anyone who l;ikes cats, great tale about The Mousehole Cat, and there are dozens of cats there roaming about.
Got home late last night. Cats ignored us. Middle of the night the tame one had an affection attack that went on for hours. My shoulder is shredded from her doughing on me.
They are now eating for England, they always do this, as if the cat sitter has not fed them, even once. We know she has, the packets are in the bin and unless she has a very weird food fetish I cannot imagine that she has siphoned them off to take home to her own moggy. :lol:
