Experienced Cat Owner is Stumped

I have owned cats for 30 years and have always been an attentive owner.
However, my 9 year old female shorthair has me stumped. And I am
getting pressure from the wife to get rid of the cat.

Over the years, the cat has had:

1 Weight problem (she was spade at a very young age). I resolved this
with 1 can of MaxCat a day (thanks Maxhouse), this stabilized her
weight.

2 Poor cat pan etiquette (stands up to urinate). Storage bin fixed
this, and yes I clear the pan every 3 days and change it once a week.

3. Hairballs (normal grooming) ongoing problem (yes I brush her)
4. Dandruff, black cat on her back near rear, ongoing problem

The cat suffers from hair balls. She has fine fur. I have added 1 tsb
of Linatone to her evening meal. However, this has mixed results. She
still throws up (about once in 3 days) or drags a stool stuck to her
rear across the carpet - joy.

Beyond these issues she is a good cat and I don't want to dump her on
some other unsuspecting person.

Help.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have owned cats for 30 years and have always been an attentive owner.
However, my 9 year old female shorthair has me stumped. And I am
getting pressure from the wife to get rid of the cat.

Over the years, the cat has had:

1 Weight problem (she was spade at a very young age). I resolved this
with 1 can of MaxCat a day (thanks Maxhouse), this stabilized her
weight.

2 Poor cat pan etiquette (stands up to urinate). Storage bin fixed
this, and yes I clear the pan every 3 days and change it once a week.

3. Hairballs (normal grooming) ongoing problem (yes I brush her)
4. Dandruff, black cat on her back near rear, ongoing problem

What did the vet say

The cat suffers from hair balls. She has fine fur. I have added 1 tsb
of Linatone to her evening meal. However, this has mixed results. She
still throws up (about once in 3 days) or drags a stool stuck to her
rear across the carpet - joy.

Maybe change in diet

take cat to groomer clip rear end fur

also take to groomer maybe be able to give shorter cut


Beyond these issues she is a good cat and I don't want to dump her on
some other unsuspecting person.

Help.


Real answer DUMP THE WIFE

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have owned cats for 30 years and have always been an attentive owner.
However, my 9 year old female shorthair has me stumped. And I am
getting pressure from the wife to get rid of the cat.

Over the years, the cat has had:

1 Weight problem (she was spade at a very young age). I resolved this
with 1 can of MaxCat a day (thanks Maxhouse), this stabilized her
weight.

2 Poor cat pan etiquette (stands up to urinate). Storage bin fixed
this, and yes I clear the pan every 3 days and change it once a week.

Once every three days is not enough--you really should clear it at least
once a day.

3. Hairballs (normal grooming) ongoing problem (yes I brush her)
4. Dandruff, black cat on her back near rear, ongoing problem

Might need a change in diet.

The cat suffers from hair balls. She has fine fur. I have added 1 tsb
of Linatone to her evening meal. However, this has mixed results. She
still throws up (about once in 3 days) or drags a stool stuck to her
rear across the carpet - joy.

Are her stools loose? I've only had problems with "stuck stools" when one
of my cats is having diarrhea or occasionally my long haired kitty might get
some stool caught in his fur.

Beyond these issues she is a good cat and I don't want to dump her on
some other unsuspecting person.

Help.

These all seem relatively minor issues--surely you wouldn't get rid of a cat
for these reasons. These all seem to me to be "cat maintenance" issues most
cat people have to deal with and come with the territory.

Good luck

wrote:
I have owned cats for 30 years and have always been an attentive owner.
However, my 9 year old female shorthair has me stumped. And I am
getting pressure from the wife to get rid of the cat.

I certainly would not get rid of the cat. You have a responsibility to
this animal, a life commitment. I hope that your wife realized this
when she married you.

As to the litterbox, you should be scooping it at least twice per day,
not once every 3 days. I would also suggest adding a second litterbox,
as some cats like to pee in one and poo in the other.

I would also recommend a change in her diet. Several posters report
good results with Wellness canned food, or you could try a natural
homemade diet (but would highly recommend doing your research first).
You could also try adding some cooked squash or pumpkin to her present
diet to help with the hairballs (mix in approximately 1 tablespoon per
feeding). You could also give her a bit of butter (approximately 1/2
teaspoon) which you can let her lick off your finger.

Lauren
(and Mickey & Meesha)
Raise Your Paw for Raw!

See my cats: http://mickeymeesha.photosite.com/mm/

Try Temptations Treats for Hairballs - it is in a foil packet and these
really work well. The cats like to eat them too. I give about 5 every
day.

I agree with the other posters about the littler box issues.


wrote:
I have owned cats for 30 years and have always been an attentive owner.
However, my 9 year old female shorthair has me stumped. And I am
getting pressure from the wife to get rid of the cat.

Over the years, the cat has had:

1 Weight problem (she was spade at a very young age). I resolved this
with 1 can of MaxCat a day (thanks Maxhouse), this stabilized her
weight.

2 Poor cat pan etiquette (stands up to urinate). Storage bin fixed
this, and yes I clear the pan every 3 days and change it once a week.

3. Hairballs (normal grooming) ongoing problem (yes I brush her)
4. Dandruff, black cat on her back near rear, ongoing problem

The cat suffers from hair balls. She has fine fur. I have added 1 tsb
of Linatone to her evening meal. However, this has mixed results. She
still throws up (about once in 3 days) or drags a stool stuck to her
rear across the carpet - joy.

Beyond these issues she is a good cat and I don't want to dump her on
some other unsuspecting person.

Help.

ROFLMAO I said the same thing

"barb" wrote in message
...
You are getting pressure from the wife? Dump the wife.

--
Barb
Of course I don't look busy,
I did it right the first time.

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:24:02 -0700, makitso wrote:

I have owned cats for 30 years and have always been an attentive owner.
However, my 9 year old female shorthair has me stumped. And I am
getting pressure from the wife to get rid of the cat.

Over the years, the cat has had:

1 Weight problem (she was spade at a very young age). I resolved this
with 1 can of MaxCat a day (thanks Maxhouse), this stabilized her
weight.

2 Poor cat pan etiquette (stands up to urinate). Storage bin fixed
this, and yes I clear the pan every 3 days and change it once a week.

3. Hairballs (normal grooming) ongoing problem (yes I brush her)
4. Dandruff, black cat on her back near rear, ongoing problem

The cat suffers from hair balls. She has fine fur. I have added 1 tsb
of Linatone to her evening meal. However, this has mixed results. She
still throws up (about once in 3 days) or drags a stool stuck to her
rear across the carpet - joy.

Beyond these issues she is a good cat and I don't want to dump her on
some other unsuspecting person.

Help.


Perhaps your wife's attitude toward the kitty disturbs it. They seem to
know who likes them and who doesn't. The kitty may feel your wife's
attitude. Which one is the easiest to live with? Good luck. MLB

You are getting pressure from the wife? Dump the wife.

--
Barb
Of course I don't look busy,
I did it right the first time.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have owned cats for 30 years and have always been an attentive owner.
However, my 9 year old female shorthair has me stumped. And I am
getting pressure from the wife to get rid of the cat.

Over the years, the cat has had:

1 Weight problem (she was spade at a very young age). I resolved this
with 1 can of MaxCat a day (thanks Maxhouse), this stabilized her
weight.

2 Poor cat pan etiquette (stands up to urinate). Storage bin fixed
this, and yes I clear the pan every 3 days and change it once a week.

3. Hairballs (normal grooming) ongoing problem (yes I brush her)
4. Dandruff, black cat on her back near rear, ongoing problem

The cat suffers from hair balls. She has fine fur. I have added 1 tsb
of Linatone to her evening meal. However, this has mixed results. She
still throws up (about once in 3 days) or drags a stool stuck to her
rear across the carpet - joy.

Beyond these issues she is a good cat and I don't want to dump her on
some other unsuspecting person.

Help.


These are really minor issues, and it is very unfair (and unfeeling) of your
wife for suggesting that you give up the cat. Please don't do it!

One thing you mentioned sounds like Holly a few years ago, and that is
dandruff. I was only concerned about it because I was concerned about
Holly's health, but she checked out fine. Then I changed from a dry
"hairball control" cat food to Wellness canned (later incorporating Innova
Evo canned as part of her diet). What a transformation! She was always a
beautiful cat, but suddenly her coat was an incredibly glossy, shiny black
coat with virtually no dandruff. That wasn't even the reason for the change
in diet (reading about how much healthier a canned diet is was the reason
for the change), but what a pleasant surprise. On top of all that, she gets
far fewer hairballs now than when she was on the "hairball control" diet. I
can't get Wellness or Innova around here, so I order it online from
www.petfooddirect.com. I wait for their sales, and that covers the cost of
shipping. As to the stools that she drags across the carpet: Does she have
long fur? If so, you may want to trim the fur in that area. I'm assuming
that you don't mean (1) diarrhea or (2) a cat that actually drags her rear
across the carpet, which can indicate impacted anal glands -- something to
be cleaned by the vet unless you want a *very* unpleasant task.

MaryL

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
Duffy: http://tinyurl.com/cslwf
Holly: http://tinyurl.com/9t68o
Duffy and Holly together: http://tinyurl.com/8b47e

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have owned cats for 30 years and have always been an attentive owner.
However, my 9 year old female shorthair has me stumped. And I am
getting pressure from the wife to get rid of the cat.

Over the years, the cat has had:

1 Weight problem (she was spade at a very young age). I resolved this
with 1 can of MaxCat a day (thanks Maxhouse), this stabilized her
weight.

Your welcome. Glad to hear it.



2 Poor cat pan etiquette (stands up to urinate). Storage bin fixed
this, and yes I clear the pan every 3 days and change it once a week.

3. Hairballs (normal grooming) ongoing problem (yes I brush her)
4. Dandruff, black cat on her back near rear, ongoing problem.


Try giving her an omega-3 supplement. I use 3V Caps HP Liquid. I highly
recommend it. It has an added bonus of being renoprotective.

http://dvmpharmaceuticals.com/3VHPdetailsheet.pdf



The cat suffers from hair balls. She has fine fur. I have added 1 tsb
of Linatone to her evening meal. However, this has mixed results. She
still throws up (about once in 3 days) or drags a stool stuck to her
rear across the carpet - joy.


Try feeding her canned Max Cat Gourmet Classics Hairball Chicken & Rice.
The caloric density of the hairball diet is about the same as other Max Cat
diets, only the calories are distributed a little differently. So the diet
change shouldn't adversely affect her weight management program or cause
diet change-induced GI upset. In fact,
the additional fiber should help her maintain her weight or even help her
lose a
little. Don't feed her the dry version.

Trim the fur around her butt with curved, blunt scissors:

http://maxshouse.com/instruments+equ...d_scissors.jpg
http://maxshouse.com/instruments+equ...sors_blunt.jpg
http://maxshouse.com/instruments+equ...y_scissors.jpg


Beyond these issues she is a good cat and I don't want to dump her on
some other unsuspecting person.

I was given a similar ultimatum by two wives over my cats- although the
circumstances were a little different- they were actually jealous of the
cats- I was left with no choice but to dump them. The cats seemed happier
and even more playful after they were gone. Come to think of it, so was I.
My present girlfriend knows and accepts her position in the household She
knows she comes first-- after my cats.

Phil