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We love our four-legged friends

I am SO glad my dogs have never had this problem *touch wood*. I really wouldn't know what to do with a constipated Labrador.

Actually I'd probably just throw figs at them for them to catch and swallow - i found out this week that they love fresh figs.
 
Thanks y'all @Chook @Antje77
Vet first available tomorrow 2:45, so I took that!
@MrsA2 we have a similar thing called Laxatone (formerly CatLax). It's mostly vaseline. For years I've used a combo of that and Miralax, both of which seem to give him gut cramps. We'd hoped that moving to this new house, effectively preventing him from feeding heavily at two neighbors, would clear up his gut issues, but the damage was already done. We now have Lactulose to try, but he doesn't like it in his food, so that's that. In addition, for the past 11 years, since his brother littermate had a bout with urinary tract blockage (bladder stones), I've fed them canned food with so much water added it's soup! Thanks for your concern, and I'm really glad the glop works for yours!!!!!!
Chook, it's actually common in elderly cats; they are prone to it. Have no idea how dogs work lol!
 

I didn't know cats suffered with their digestive system so much. Would your cat eat the lactose mixed with cottage cheese or maybe a bit of tinned tuna or sardines?
 
Found it,
Cat has finished his course of oral antibiotics. He also had two different antibiotic injections at the vets. A lot of powerful drugs for a small animal, but with such a long-standing infection, that was neccessary. I haven't seen him cough for several days, so the combination appears to have been effective. However he still appears to have a problem with his ears.
Poor Cat. Am wondering if he is feeling poorly due to taking Amoxicillin, in the same way as it commonly effects small children? He is meowing very loudly and persistently and wanting a lot of lap time.
Back to normal soon, I hope.
Meanwhile I have found out that he needs to be microchipped and have a rabies jab minimum of 21 days before travel. From a vet approved to issue pet passports.
Ofc this opens new can of worms. Searching for pet friendly temporary accommodation. In UK.
Other options: find him a new home in France. Or stay in France over the winter.
 

Poor Cat. So it sounds like all his persistent loving has found him a new forever home - well done Cat!

I did read (somewhere - not sure where - probably BBC new app) that the rules relating to travelling abroad with pets will change due to Brexit - so it might be worth double checking before you bring Cat over just in case there is then a problem taking him back to France.
 
@Chook I also tried it in oily dark tuna-- no go. It is hard to know if he would have refused any/every food anyway, or objected to the medicine's smell. It's too bad-- his meloxicam for arthritis is reported to taste like honey, and he snarfs it right down.
@SlimLizzy glad you found it, and glad he seems to have improved. Amoxy has never bothered any of our cats who had it-- in fact I had one who would beg for it, and lick the tip of the syringe as I pressed it out. I always eat extra yogurt if I take antibx; some of them do a number on my stomach, trying to bore their way out. Would Cat like some yogurt?
Do not stay alone in France all winter. Will he have to quarantine on both ends of the trip? Would he be safe in your France house with a pet sitter every day? €€€€€€€ though.... or maybe you could foster him with a temporary France home?
My constipated one has eaten normally 5 meals out of the last 6; two days. I didn't take him to the vet. Hoping he's resolved the issue for another 6 weeks.
We finally have three-year rabies shots for cats, but it's a booster so the second one has to be a year after the first. If I'm lucky, my cats have had their last rabies shots!
 
@zauberflote glad your cats health has improved without vetinary involvement. Some cat foods now contain vegetables, perhaps these would have a higher fibre content ? To aid in transit.
As far as i can tell if Cat has pet passport no quarantine will be required either end. Which is why it might be worth the expense.
Leaving him here is not a viable option. I could ask a neighbour to feed him twice a day, even in winter, for a week or two - but not three or four months! So if we go he will either come with us, or I will have to find him a new home, temporary or permanent.
There is no way I am saying in France on my own, but it might be possible for MrSlim to find a work from home position. If so we would both say here.
Best option for Cat, perhaps, but I won't be able to see any of my family. Although visiting anyone is looking increasingly unlikely even if we were in the UK.
 
Feelgood story :

I saw a post on a guinea pig group on Fb by someone who recently had her guinea pig diagnosed with diabetes with a bg of 21.
She asked about glucose meters. Long story short, I'll mail Pukkie the guinea pig one of my too many meters with some test strips and prickers so they can try it without having to pay triple the usual amount at the vets office
I included a postcard of big mountain marmots too, saying something like:

Dear Pukkie,
I'm sorry to hear you have been feeling under the weather, and I hope your new diet will make you feel better shortly!
No more apples and yummy grains is hard, but it's much better than the unbearable thirst!
Wish you all the best, and say hello to Daniëlle (owner) as well of course!
 
A male and a female chicken together makes four legs, so I'm guessing this is more or less on topic.
This is what I encountered in the kitchen this morning! Too bad for Mike and the friendly brown chicken, the dogs had cleaned those plates yesterday, so nothing left for them

 
My poor cat. Back to the vet to have his ears checked and reproductive status confirmed. No crying in the car this time.
Apparently he is a full tom, so will need to be neutered.
But more than that he still has a respiritory infection - another lot of stronger antibiotics needed.
One lot by injection and more cat wrangling twice a day, for 8 days this time.
Enquired about the pet passport, Vet could issue one, but Cat is too unwell to travel!!
Cat did get his ears looked at, but the bombshell news about his health status meant i didnt take in what the vet said about them. No drops prescribed though so am assumimg they are OK.
Worst of all though, when we got him home, Cat literally fell out of the box. He was unable to stand up and staggered as if drunk. Putting him back in the box to prevent him injuring himself didnt work, he got increasingly agitated. So let him out and have been following him round the kitchen, trying to catch him when he falls. There are so many hard surfaces in a kitchen. We dont have any rooms that would be better, no carpet anywhere.
Cat wants to go out, I help him down the step, presumably he realises he isnt safe and immediately turns, falls and attempts to get inside again. So I help him up the step. Poor Cat, he must be so confused. He has been too agitated to settle on my lap for more than a few miuntes at a time. It really would be best if he slept it off.
 
Cat has been back to the vet. Now microchipped and vaccinated against rabies he is now officially my cat. The vet had to invent a birth date for him. maybe ironic or reference to me, but he gave Cat the First of April as his birthday in 2015. That would make him 5 years old ! Thought he was a lot older than that.
Cat, having had more than enough of vets and jabs took off and hid when we got home, but came out about three hours later, as if nothing had happened.
Am going to start feeding him his evening meal in the motorhome tonight, he needs to know it is home when we are in UK.
 
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@SlimLizzy clearly I am not keeping up here!!! Yeah, I've thought about various vegetables, but keep deciding not to feed them. Cats are carnivores in my mind, and while I've had a few who liked this or that plant food, this one is not one of them. I think actually he may have damage to the colon from an enema without sedation... and I should also remember that his gut is still healing from 6 years of eating cheap, rancid kibbles at not one but two neighbors' houses. He obviously feels much better most of the time. He begs endlessly for food (never before!), has lost a couple of pounds and is cat shaped instead of walrus shaped, and since he's lighter his awful arthritis bothers him less and he can jump better/more comfortably.
I think I'd pay anything for a pet passport to avoid quarantine! Glad all things Cat are arranged well. There is a product called Feliway Comfort Zone that comes in a spritz bottle and in plug-in diffusers. It's a cat cheek pheromone analogue, and the scent says to a cat "this belongs to me and I am happy and calm in this place". It's been a miracle worker for me. It keeps the general peace, but the biggest thing was, it stopped the high-strung female cat from doing all her territorial marking indoors. Even neutered Female cat "marking" pee stinks about as badly as tomcat pee! Perhaps one or two diffusers for the motor home would make a difference in Cat's idea of what's home?
@Antje77 sweet Pukkie.... and hilarious chickens!
 
Apparently hours of roasting various veg and meatballs makes a baking pan irresistible!
 
@zauberflote Was thinking of actual cat food which includes vegetables. Its now almost impossible here to buy one that does not contain carrots or peas etc. Presumably designed to appeal to cats in a way the original vegetable would not.
But might help with your cats transit issues.
Do like the sound of that Spitzer but travelling tomorrow so no time now to hunt one down.
 
zauberflote said:
@Antje77 sweet Pukkie.... and hilarious chickens!
Click to expand...
I like the chickens but I do wish there was a way to tell them to not drop stuff everywhere. I keep having to change socks . Not a clue how to keep them outside either, as the dogs and cats need to be able to go out, and I need the fresh air in my house.
Still, they are hilarious, and i'm delighted every time I encounter them in unexpected places!
zauberflote said:
Apparently hours of roasting various veg and meatballs makes a baking pan irresistible!
View attachment 44874
Click to expand...
The cats are obviously busy doing an important job there!
And I love the pink apron and silver shoes in the picture, it makes me very happy without reason, thank you!
 
Awww @Antje77 glad to have happified you! The apron may be pink, but I still perceive it as its original dark brick red, faded from hundreds of bleach washings. And the shoes are soooo comfy-- Sperry Topsiders boat shoes. True moccasins, sticky on slippery surfaces, and don't mind going swimming repeatedly.
 
Antje77 said:
Can you please boop that snoot for me? It really needs a boop!
I also think it's really cool the different colours of Wispa's shade match the dog's colours!
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She sends you nice lick lick kisses
 
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