Does your Cat (or any pet) misbehave since caregiving your loved one?
Have you been required to take care of your loved one's pet after they have passed? Does your pet have cute antics that entertain your loved one?
And finally, has the cat or dog transferred their loyalty to your Mother?
I'm so sorry you're going through that. It's so hard to watch a beloved animal decline.
When BFF's aging dog's back legs started going, they found a special "wheelchair" online, designed to support the dog's legs and back end. Dog loved going for walks in that wheelchair!
(On that point - BFF recommended a chiropractor to me and I saw her today. Turns out BFF met the chiropractor because she also works on dogs! Who knew? I never would have thought to take a dog to the chiropractor! Anyway, BFF says she was skeptical about chiropractic care maybe having a "placebo effect," until she saw the change in that dog after each visit. Also, the chiropractor says of course I can bring wee Brucie next visit!)
I haven't yet found my personal line to draw (I once spent £25 trying to have a hamster resuscitated), I just feel there must be one.
There is a blind Scottie dog near us who is a wonder - he's learned to chase and retrieve his tennis ball using hearing and scent alone, and I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. His owner said the main problem is getting to the park when it's quiet enough, because Scottie really doesn't like being near other animals, understandably. And he is totally blind: his eyes were removed because of some sort of infection.
We do also have a bionic pug with the rear wheel arrangement, he belongs to a pug pack and it's lovely to see how well his friends include him.
Staffy resents being made to wear a coat. How he'd react to a wheelchair harness...
I have thought about hydrotherapy. I'm not sure he'd ever speak to me again.
I like the three things idea.
#1 Snoring over crucial dialogue in crime dramas
"Boyd! I'm at the house now."
"Claire! Forensic just came back - it wasn't [snoooooooorrrrre]!!! and the gun [snoooooorrrrrre] !!! Wait 'til [snoharrumph]!!!!!
#2 Demanding treats with menaces. Unspoken menace, no teeth or anything. Just: I am going to sit immovably in front of you and stare into your eyes until you cough up. Thank you.
#3 Carrying his toy puppy around after meals, whining to it. I have consulted an animal behaviour specialist about this because I can't figure out if Staffy only loves the toy or really does think it is a puppy and gets anxious because he can't feed it. The specialist said, more or less, "search me."
One time, though, I had a cat diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. The first option was to FLY the cat (who was 11) to Vancouver for 6 MONTHS of radioactive iodine treatment! Umm.....
Ok, I loved that cat to bits, but that would have cost 2.5x more than I paid for my car at the time. So it also turns out I have limits, lol. (Plus she had major separation anxiety, so that helped with the decision to turn down option #1.)
Scores for tonight's dinner: Dog 2, Self 0. While I was posting, he spotted the American Hot pizza waiting for the oven to preheat and snaffled it off the kitchen counter. Amazing how stealthy and agile a supposedly demented, arthritic, geriatric dog can be when there's a pizza in it for him.
Lucky he doesn't like Bistro salad, I guess.
I've a good mind to tuck into a frozen block of lamb with brown rice and mixed vegetables just to get my own back.
He is not looking very repentant.
To be honest, pizza triggers a primal instinct in me, as well.
From muzzle to tail Dog is 34" long. Allowing for back legs, I reckon a full standing height of no more than 44". Plus extended tongue..?!
The counter is 37" from the floor. The pizza was on a 3" thick board approximately 15" back from the front edge of the counter.
Did he have an accomplice? Did he fetch the step-stool from the hall, get the pizza, and put the stool away to cover his tracks? - (in which case leaving the hot peppers on the kitchen floor was the wrong move).
It's some consolation that the empty box says he saved me 726 calories. Almost makes up for the hour he spent contentedly washing his paws and looking pleased with himself. Delicious pepperoni, that. Can you get it again, Mummy?
I hope he has tummy ache ALL DAY.
I've got nothing
Serves him right.
Then she couldn't remember where were the litter-boxes, so she would go on the carpet or wood floors... but only on the east side of the house. She did live to be 21.
Then ten years later another one of my cats started with the same crying in the same hallway. Once again I thought here we go again with the library table. So out of curiosity I placed a small antique cabinet next to the library table. I was so surprised the cat stopped the crying for awhile.
But a year later she started the crying again. This time I added a very long antique colored runner over the hardwood floor. I guess the design in the rug was enough to distract her from crying. She did live to be 17.
The vet said some pets as they age will be in a room and not see anyone or the other cats, so they become confused. Thus, my gals were "getting lost in the hallway".... [sigh]. Other cats I had that lived mainly to 17 or 18 didn't develop dementia.
CM - that must have been REALLY good pizza.
When I was about 18, I volunteered to make a birthday cake (from a mix) for my older brother's girlfriend, whom I adored.
At the time, I had a pet budgie, Jasper. Being my only pet and my best buddy since I was 12 (he left home with me!), he was fairly free to fly around my apartment whenever he wanted.
Well. Guess who flew RIGHT into the bowl of cake batter?
I didn't have the money to buy a new box of cake mix. So I cleaned Jasper up under the faucet, picked the feathers out of the batter, and went right ahead and baked that cake!
Never told a soul until now....
I *almost* had a new dog today - he was the same color as my late pup, but totally different breed and about 1/16th the size (Boxer/Shepherd vs Dachsund!) - and the kicker? He even had the same name. I was *so* tempted, but didn't have the money for the adoption fee, so I guess that was the universe telling me it wasn't time yet.
CW my eye flicked ahead so I misread that as you being "grown and grey at the muzzle." I was going to say I know just how you feel!
Budgies have such tiny little poops anyway.
It is a break time I am still happy to take, and there is no poop to clean up, I think. Not sure after all those peanuts!
Uh oh.
Uh oh.
Uh oh.
Speaking of my Mom's stuff. I was looking through some of it and I found some cards my Dad had given my Mom. He wrote so beautifully and sounded so romantic. He called her "my beloved" I must get it out and post some of it on here one day. I was so touched.
Looking on lost/found, someone posted they found this cat nearby, and are feeding it.
That is why it wasn't hungry.
If I see it again, I should rescue it because there are coyotes. Then, keep trying to find it's owner. Not sure.
It would be nice to read of your parent's romance.
I kept my father's letters to me-it was so long ago.
Silly Cat!
Get down from there!
I have chronic severe back problems that I’ve managed to improve until both my parents have hit me as hard as I’ll let them to ‘wait on them’. I believe my daughter has decided I’m just trying to push everything on her. She’s not speaking to me.
Well, it happened. My beloved ‘kitty’ got my feet tangled and I fell, I am hurt and still can’t swallow.
This middle of the night fall just wrecked ‘kitty’ he was so frightened! He’s better now, he’ll let me pet him and I’m so glad. That’s about my only pleasure these days. We love our baby animals so much.
So am I having a nervous breakdown or what? Comments? Help.
So sorry that I cannot help you, and I don't know you, but your post cannot be ignored.
If you are still that sick, and on the floor after falling over kitty, call 911.
If your daughter has abandoned you and your parents have hit you, call APS.
If you have many concerns, start a new question so someone can help you unravel things.
If you are ok, and just venting on the cat thread, let us know here. There is so much on your recent post, it is not really just about Kitty, is it?
You could be very very sick and not realize it because of vomiting. Call a doctor, or 911.