Duchess SMELLS better, at any rate

[cjsmith]

Duchess has had, drumroll please, a BATH. She was not exactly pleased, but she cooperated well enough and I got her cleaned up quickly. I rushed it a bit because she was panting (bad kittymom! wrong water temp!). She and I are both lucky this wasn't a flea bath. I could leave her head completely dry.

Then I sat and watched (and combed) her while she dried out a bit. I wasn't about to let her climb right back into a litterbox with wet feet, not after digging out what I dug out from under her toesies.

After a bit of combing and towel-fluffing she began to groom herself. It was wonderful to see. First time she's shown any interest in that in days.

She still misses the box, at least the little one in the bathroom, but maybe it's not her fault: the box isn't quite as long as she is. She's got a big frame. So now she's out of the bathroom and she can use the big mondo box again.

Time to go crush up her meds. [edit: She doesn't want wet food! Grump.]

Comments

[ivormonger.livejournal.com]

My cats loved it when I gave them a bath, but I had to stop. It was so hard to get the fur off of my tongue! ;)

I've solved my litterbox problems with a method of my own design. Instead of a regular box I use a large old Coleman cooler. The sides are quite high and the litter stays mostly in the box. They don't mind the height of the sides at all, and they usually flip the litter off of their paws before they jump out.

Clay litter creates dust which causes silicosis which leads to inflammation and scarring of lung tissue. If humans work with clay dust they must use air filtration masks. Is it any different for cats? Nope. Not only that, but scented litters tend to turn cats off. How must it smell to a nose which is 14 times more sensitive than a human's?

Instead of clay litter I buy huge bags of wood shavings which are used for animal bedding. A 3.5' x 1' x 1' bag lasts many many times longer than regular litter and only costs $6. Not only that, but it absorbs smell better than the best clay litters. There are two kinds of animal bedding-one is a finer pine, and that sticks to their paws more than the less fine cedar shavings. And the cedar shavings smell nice and natural. Sure I still get a little tracking of litter, but for my cat's health it's worth it.

I've had several vets suggest this, and I've found it to be true: If a cat turns down every kind of food you put in front of it, try bottled baby food. I've had a cat turn down salmon, but eat Gerbers vegetable beef. Vegetable chicken, and lasagna with beef are my cat's other favorites. They're low in sodium, which is good if your cat has kidney problems.

Oh, and while I'm playing doctor, a little tuna is fine for cats, but too much can cause steatitis, also known as yellow fat disease.

Awww, I really feel for your situation with Duchess. Best wishes and take care.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ooo, the Coleman cooler idea is intriguing!

I can't STAND scented litters. Even some of the unscented ones stink to high heaven (unscented just means they didn't ADD scent, not that it doesn't reek). Hopefully I'm not doing too badly there. Speaking of cats' extra keen senses, that's why I give mine fresh water -- to cats, water must have the richness of flavor and scent we humans associate with wines or beers.

I may get desperate enough for the baby food. Problem is that the crumbled-up meds smell bad and (I would guess) taste nasty. I'm so soft-hearted about the sharp half-pill... it would be easier just to stick it in her throat! :-(

Thanks for all the tips and tricks!

[ivormonger.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, my pleasure.

I totally agree with you on the water. I thoroughly wash my cat's water bowl out every day and put fresh water in.

And I know what you mean about those sharp half-pills. It's good to remember that cats are a little tough. They chew up mouse bones and swallow them (but bones and cats should ideally be kept apart).

I don't know if you know this, but there's a super-cool and cheap little thingy that most vets sell. It looks like a long skinny syringe which has a latex tip. You take the half-pill (round off the sharp corners of it with your fingernail) and put it into the latex tip. Then you put your finger and thumb of one hand under the cat's cheekbones and lift up. While the cat's mouth is open you quickly put the soft latex end of the thing on the back of your kittie's tongue. With your other thumb press the plunger. The pill goes right in with a bare minimum of stress for all concerned. The cat doesn't get a chance to taste it much. You can even put a bit of butter or cat food on the pill to make it go down easily, and leave a nice aftertaste for your furry companion. The whole process can take only a few seconds. It takes a few times to get it down pat, but after that it's a breeze.

Oh, and of course, it's all followed by lots of loves and pets. But I'm sure you know that. :D