My cat is sick, I think.

Narwhal · June 2010

Lucy keeps throwing up. At first it was just regurgitated food, but now it's more liquidy (not bile, but like she's throwing up more water along with her food). I'm going to take her to the vet on Monday if it doesn't get better. She has been vomiting like.. twice a day within the past three days.

We just changed her food, and her skin is really sensitive, she gets allergic reactions all the time, so I'm thinking maybe she might have a food allergy? She doesn't seem to feel sick. She's her happy little self chasing flies and then she'll come up to me and meow really loudly and then barf all over my feet. It's kind of like that kid who's like "Mommy.. I'm don't feel so good... brarggghhhhh"

I really hope it isn't anything serious... I'm worried about her.

ETA: Upon further inspection, I'm inclined to believe it's just hairballs that keep making her gag. She's one of those constant groomers, and after I cleaned up her last sickness, I saw there was a lot of her hair in it. No plants, bile, or foreign substances. Just hair and water.

KD+BC · June 2010

Aw poor Lucy! I hope she feels better soon. If not, definitely take her to the vet on Monday.

PaigeMcC · June 2010

I hope it's just hairballs, love. Keep us posted.

Feel better Lucy!!!

Narwhal · June 2010

She has allergic dermatitis that makes her break out in a rash that makes her groom constantly until she pulls her hair out. She got a steroid shot and it cleared it up, but they're really expensive and my vet said that benedryl daily will work just as well until its completely gone, it will just take more time than the shot would. I'll start doing that to help her and hopefully it will help the gagging too since she won't be eating her hair as much.

I just hate seeing her so uncomfortable with all the itching. It breaks my heart. Right now she's chasing a gnat though. I think she's alright.

PaigeMcC · June 2010

I have a friend whose pug has something like that. I always feel bad for the little guy b/c he's fine unless he gets into something he shouldn't. Think of it like a bug bite tho - it's inconvient and itchy but it's not gonna kill ya, and it will go away eventually!

Narwhal · June 2010

She looks so funny right now. She's sitting straight up, but she's rocking back and forth, falling asleep from the benadryl.

I think I better get her off the mantle. She's probably going to fall over five feet.

PaigeMcC · June 2010

Mantle is probably a bad place for a sleepy kittah.

Narwhal · June 2010

Ugh! She just did a running puke and got it all over the carpet.

Why the carpet? Why not the kitchen floor?

desertsun · June 2010

Okay, I'm sorry, but this made me giggle a little. Just picturing her swaying and then trying to imagine what a running puke looks like, with you tagging along behind her, "Lucy, NOOOOOOooooo. Ew."

But I do truly hope she feels better!

And how are YOU feeling, Miss Narwhal???

jeanacorina · June 2010

It does sound like hairballs. Hairballs aren't what I thought they were. Etcetera sounds like she's having an asthma attack when she really has hairballs. Pouncival gets constipated and goes around squatting and looking at me liek "Mom, my poops won't come out!"

You could try Laxitone or.... uhhh... Purrrge (I think). That should help lubricate the hairball so she can cough it up.

I'm not a vet or anything, so maybe you should wait until Monday. However, Pounce has thrown up due to hairballs before, so that sounds like what it is.

We gave them both hairball treatment every day for about a week, and after that we've been giving it to them once a week or so.

How old is Lucy? My vet told me at about a year old (adulthood) or so they need to be on hairball preventative.

leia1979 · June 2010

I agree with Jeana. Two years ago my eldest was throwing up constantly for an entire day. She couldn't keep anything down and we thought she was a goner. We took her to the emergency vet, where they got her hydrated and gave her hairball remedy. The next day she was fine again. I hope your Lucy is just in the same situation.

My cats do not like the hairball remedy at all. Only the older one has a problem (while her coat is thin, she's a constant groomer), so we give her tuna in oil from time to time to keep her system lubricated. I know some people say you shouldn't give tuna to cats, but she's 16 and doesn't throw up as often when we give her tuna in oil.

KD+BC · June 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_cat-sick-think?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:50a20271-72b4-43b4-a7dc-5461003be685Post:f31509d5-012b-4e71-8519-5c93eca47902">Re: My cat is sick, I think.</a>:
[QUOTE]Ugh! She just did a running puke and got it all over the carpet. Why the carpet? Why not the kitchen floor?
Posted by Narwhal[/QUOTE]

Poor kitty and poor Narwhal! My house has two area rugs in the whole house and the dog and cat always manage to puke on them and not the hardwood or tile. Animals are cool like that.

PaigeMcC · June 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_cat-sick-think?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:50a20271-72b4-43b4-a7dc-5461003be685Post:9369dab2-c778-4417-bdb1-8ba1f43be3dc">Re: My cat is sick, I think.</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: My cat is sick, I think. : Poor kitty and poor Narwhal! My house has two area rugs in the whole house and the dog and cat always manage to puke on them and not the hardwood or tile. Animals are cool like that.
Posted by KD+BC[/QUOTE]

<div>We only have one small rug and a bath mat....but the pugs always seem to hit them. Not the hardwood, or tile everywhere else. It's just the way it is! lol</div>

Narwhal · June 2010

Haha the running puke started out as a stationary puke, then she ran to get away from it and was puking while she was jumping in the air and it was just going everywhere.

Luce actually just turned a year old this month, so I guess she's right on track with hairballs.

I've decided that that is definitely what it is. I always thought hairballs were like. Literal globs of hair that she would cough up, you know, completely dry, like the cartoons. But this is made up nearly entirely of hair and she doesn't act sick at all, so I think its okay. We're gonna get her some treatment for it. I'm going to try to get her another steroid shot tomorrow so I'll double check with the vet when I get there.

I guess the carpet is just more comforting for cats? Its soft, like grass would be. Maybe they see the tile as something that would be out in the open for predators to know they're around and the carpet feels more hidden to them.

Or maybe its just nicer to feel something warm and soft rather than cold and hard when they're feeling sick.

And I'm feeling better. I thought I might would have to go to the emergency room myself last night because I was having such bad chest pains from my reaction. It happens everytime, but last night was the worst. I'm still a little sore, but I'm a lot better this morning. Thanks, desert.

jeanacorina · June 2010

I know, I didn't think hairballs were constipation. I thought they were literal BALLS of HAIR that a cat just naturally hacked up.

Not so!

Hairballs cause puking, constipation, and coughing/weezing. I had no idea.

Pounce and Etcetera each like different hairball treatments. Pounce loves Purrrge and will eat it right out of his dish (it's made with cod liver oil or something like that). Etcetera loves the tuna-flavored Laxatone but Pounce won't touch that stuff. So, you made need to try a couple of things to find something Lucy likes.

Or, I mean, you could just squirt it down her throat like my vet did.... but I hate doing things like that to my babies.

Narwhal · June 2010

I hate it too, I had that problem when I had to give her antibiotics. She's also very flexible and gets away easily from me. But that's probably my fault because I don't like holding her tight.

I'm a little worried about some other things so I've got my mind set on going to the vet tomorrow. I think she might have more problems than I can see. I noticed that her mammary glands are swollen and kind of hard, like she's nursing, but she's fixed and hasn't even seen a boy cat since she was still in her litter with her brothers.

GreenPepperBurger · June 2010

I hope Lucy feels better. My cat grooms herself a lot too, to the point where she will stop mid-run to clean her paw. She's also a vomiter.

Make sure your Lucy drinks water, and monitor her. Definitely take her to the vet if it gets worse.

jeanacorina · June 2010

I'm glad you're going to the vet anyway. I have no idea what would cause her mammary glads to swell. Weird.

When we have to do something to the kitties, like give them medicine or clip their nails, it's always a two-person job. Josh wraps the kitty in a soft blanket so they can't wiggle away (burrito kitty!) and snuggles them tight, making sure to hold as many paws as he can.

Then, I get to do the mean stuff like pills or clipping claws.

It works okay, but they can still squirm, especially if we're nail-clipping.

Narwhal · June 2010

Haha Josh just gets to cuddle, you get to be the punisher.

She has a really bad rash too, so it might just be her allergic dermatitis flaring up again, but if it's this bad I want to get her the shot anyway.

tafft1 · June 2010

awww poor kitty and narwahl *hugs* Definitely can't hurt to take her to the vet just in case. I just went through this and it was stressful as hell but it was all worth it to have my guinness back to her crazy self now. Hope she feels better soon!

KD+BC · June 2010

When Gizmo has problems with hairballs we give him Laxatone and he LOVES it. I think he sees it as a treat.

desertsun · June 2010

I know *I* would rather be somewhere soft when I'm not feeling well, so I guess it makes sense that somehow the pets are always sick on the carpet/rug.

My little Callie is a puker. She's actually gotten better lately, though. We had Fat Boy Jim before her, and he is a big bully, so I think maybe she puked a lot out of anxiety or something? They seem to get along better, FINALLY, after a year of living together.

I'm a terrible pet owner, though. I haven't taken them for shots in AGES.

You guys are motivating me to make that high on the post-HM to do list.

Narwhal, I'm glad you're feeling better! Those reactions have to be scary. I don't know if you already do this and they just made a mistake this time, but you shouldn't feel bad about insisting that restaurants take extra care in your food prep to avoid cross contamination.

Narwhal · June 2010

Yeah, I never had a problem with the reaction before when I didn't actually eat it myself. What happened, was my mom ordered me shrimp fried rice (she forgot. silly mommy.) and then my dad called her and told her she needs to get me something else, so she just ordered some pork fried rice and they probably cooked it right after they cooked the shrimp on the same thing. I'm going to have to be more careful. My doctor says that after each reaction I'm going to get more and more sensitive to it.

Psst, desert. Luce is an inside cat, so I'm honestly not even sure if she's up to date on her shots. I think she's probably due for one, but since she never goes outside or comes into contact with any other animals, that's going to take a back burner to her steroid shot to help her skin.

jeanacorina · June 2010

Etcetera is overdue for her shots. I need to get her in there.

Mine are obviously inside cats, so I guess it makes it seem less pressing. But I will have a nervous breakdown if somehow one of them gets outside and on top of worrying about every other possible thing, I have to worry about rabies and FIV. I feel like a bad mommy right now. I need to make that appointment. She was due at 1 year old, and that was in January.

KD+BC · June 2010

Gizmo was never up on his shots until we got Hojo. GIzmo doesn't go outside but Hojo definitely does.

Narwhal · June 2010

She's doing a lot better. I changed her food and she hasn't thrown up at all. I'm taking her to the vet in a little while to get her shot. I couldn't sleep last night so we had some quality time together. Hopefully the shot will work well for her and stop her grooming constantly.

hetshup · June 2010

Oh lucy is enjoying the thrills of getting older.

Storytime:

There is a "found" cat at FI's parents house. We call him Tom McNeedy because he mewls and follows you around until you love on him. We were cleaning out a shed and he was following FI around, from the shed to the house, back to the shed, back to the house, mewling the whole time. So finally he wanders off and keeps crying, then he looks like he's having a sizure and hacks up a hairball. Looks at us and high tails to the woods. It was the best thing ever.

Narwhal · June 2010

Just got back from the vet. Confirmed hairballs from the overgrooming.

Figured out that her allergy is fleas. Fleas! Apparently her Frontline doesn't work well enough because it only takes one bite for her to break out into hives. So we got her some pill form flea medication. Hopefully that will help.

Now get this. The last time I took her to the vet, it cost $70 with the shot and the vet visit and her medicine. This time, even with all the extra stuff she got, it was only $30.

The vet administered the shot and then visited with us and answered my questions about everything like a normal check up. The aide gave her her first pill. I go out to pay. She asks if I want the package of six. I say no, I'll just take the one for now and then come back later (figuring all of this will be really expensive). The receptionist hands me another. I am confused, but say nothing. She tells me its $30. I hand her the card, thinking I heard her wrong. I sign the reciept, and yep, 30 bucks. I look at the statement in the car and it turns out I was only charged for the shot and the one pill (even though I got two). Oops.

PaigeMcC · June 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_cat-sick-think?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:50a20271-72b4-43b4-a7dc-5461003be685Post:539bf8ec-b194-4075-be52-8c8682334086">Re: My cat is sick, I think.</a>:
[QUOTE]Just got back from the vet. Confirmed hairballs from the overgrooming. Figured out that her allergy is fleas. Fleas! Apparently her Frontline doesn't work well enough because it only takes one bite for her to break out into hives. So we got her some pill form flea medication. Hopefully that will help. Now get this. The last time I took her to the vet, it cost $70 with the shot and the vet visit and her medicine. This time, even with all the extra stuff she got, it was only $30. The vet administered the shot and then visited with us and answered my questions about everything like a normal check up. The aide gave her her first pill. I go out to pay. She asks if I want the package of six. I say no, I'll just take the one for now and then come back later (figuring all of this will be really expensive). The receptionist hands me another. I am confused, but say nothing. She tells me its $30. I hand her the card, thinking I heard her wrong. I sign the reciept, and yep, 30 bucks. I look at the statement in the car and it turns out I was only charged for the shot and the one pill (even though I got two). Oops.
Posted by Narwhal[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>GO NARWHAL! Vet bills can be hella expensive. Mikey's due to have a baby tooth pulled but I just don't have the cash yet. Lucky Lucy!

</div>

Narwhal · June 2010

You should have seen her fighting that aide to not have to take the pill. She kept trying to climb back in her carrier. It's funny, she hates that thing when I put her in it, but when she's at the vet or the petstore or somewhere unfamiliar, she will do anything to get in it.

catemeg · June 2010

Ooooh fleas! We just had a problem with those, and we don't even have cats. Our neighbors feed the strays, which is sort of a controversial situation. On one hand, there's the argument that they'll starve. On the other hand, there's the argument that they continue to breed and spread disease (one of them bit my foot a few weeks ago, and they brought fleas into our yard).

If I had the money, I'd bring them all to get fixed and then let my neighbors feed away (slipping some anti-flea medicine in there occasionally).

Be sure they didn't get all over your house - that's such a pain to get rid of! Ugh! Have you gotten bitten at all? We thought they were mosquito bites at first, but just on our ankles. Luckily they never got inside, but my parents spent hundreds of dollars to de-flea their house.

If we do happen to have a flea or two inside, it'll be dead on Thursday. The plus side of termite fumigation is it kills everything.

My cat is sick, I think.

Re: My cat is sick, I think.

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