Introducing Summer!!! Vet Updates Added

[Cataholic]

Insane! And, I LOVE it!

Welcome, Summer. You have it made in the (orangie) shade there.

[Freedom]

Finally, someone who is even crazier than I am! Welcome Summer, you are in a PT home!

Tracey, I know that sometimes dogs will scratch when they are nervous or concerned. I don't know about cats. You can ask the vet if is possible, she must know by smell there are lots of other kitties around her, and as yet she hasn't met them. Or it could be habit, or it could be she still has something itching her, lots of possibilities!

Tracy, also please PLEASE keep in mind you are getting many cats in the same age range. In 15 years or so they are all going to be developing age issues, and that can be tough when many hit it at the same tine. I went through this last year, losing 2 dogs the same day, one 14 and one 15 years of age. I have 6 cats all within 18 months of one another age wise, so now I know, I need both emotional and financial stores to get through their old age!

[phesina]

Oh my gosh! Tracey, you are amazing (if that's the right word)!

Welcome HOME, darling Summer.. You are a beauty!

[krazyaboutkatz]

The vet visit went well and I was very impressed with Dr. Blackwolf. I found out that she normally works on Wed.,Thurs., & Sat. and my regular vet Dr. Boltz now only works on Sun., Mon. doing mostly surgeries with some appts., and Tues. So hopefully in the future I'll be able to get appts. with either one of these vets. Summer is now allowed to be out and about. Her ears looked good so no mites there. Since she's still itchy, she'll be on prednisolone for a little while to help make her feel better. Dr. Blackwolf will call me in 2 weeks to see how she's doing. She has mild gingivitis but not as bad as poor Bentley and Levi. For their ages the vet said that they have it pretty bad. She recommended that I go to www.vohc.org to find out the kinds of cat treats that are recommended to help this. Summer weighs 9.02lbs, Bentley weighs 11.45lbs, Levi weighs a whopping 11.58lbs and is a much smaller cat than Bentley. Sky weighs 11.22lbs which is a good weight for a senior cat. I need to feed Levi more canned and less dry to help him lose weight. This will work because I had to do this for Ziggy several years ago. I'll have to put Levi in the bathroom by himself in order to do this though. Sky's bony lump on his head is just a very prominent lump. All cats have this but since he's lost some muscle mass from aging, his just feels larger. I still need to monitor this just in case. He also has a slight heart murmur on one side but it comes and goes so it shouldn't be anything to worry about.

The vet didn't charge any office visit fees for Bentley, Levi, or Summer. I guess it's because they're new or this was their first office visit. The vets put in the charges not the people in the front office that check you out. I love that the vets are allowed to do this. I've received many discounts or freebies in the past because of this. All of the other vets that I've gone to before always had the front office people to put in the charges. Dr. Blackwolf also doesn't believe in overvaccinating. Since my cats are all indoor only, she doesn't even recommend that they have rabies shots. After they receive their first adult FVCRP(no chlamydia) shot she said she may do it one more year and then after this no more shots. Many vets now recommend this kind of shot every 3 years. I've been very impressed that both Dr. Boltz and now Dr. Blackwolf don't pressure you into giving your animal shots. They prefer that you just come in to get their annual exams. I'm sure that if my cats were indoor/outdoor that this would change things a bit.

[cassiesmom]

Thank you for the tip on the VOHC site! I'll ask the vet about it when Cassie and I go back. I'm glad Summer was cleared to join everyone!

You said you'll feed Levi more canned food and less dry to help him lose weight. I'd have thought that canned food was higher in calories than dry food. You are a terrific cat meowmie, KAK! Could you please give your kitties a scritch for me.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thank you for the tip on the VOHC site! I'll ask the vet about it when Cassie and I go back. I'm glad Summer was cleared to join everyone!

You said you'll feed Levi more canned food and less dry to help him lose weight. I'd have thought that canned food was higher in calories than dry food. You are a terrific cat meowmie, KAK! Could you please give your kitties a scritch for me.

You're welcome. I let Summer out for a bit and she hissed at everyone. Finnegan was very smitten with her and he started talking to her and following her around a little too closely. Even when she continued to hiss, he was very persistent. After a little while she had enough so I put her back in the bathroom so she could relax and distress. I hope it won't take her too long to make friends or at least tolerate her brothers. Canned food has more protein and fewer carbs than dry food so it has less calories. The carbs in dry food make cats gain weight and this is also bad for diabetic cats. Most people also think that dry food will help clean cats teeth. This is false. The carbs of dry food stick to a cats teeth and help cause plaque and tartar. Canned food generally won't stick to cats teeth. Canned food also provides added moisture that cats need. Some cats will always have bad teeth no matter what you do because a lot of it has to do with genetics. I was looking at some of my other cats gums and Rory's look very red. Alani's look great and he only eats dry food because canned doesn't agree with his sensitive tummy. I've also read that hard water might affect cats teeth. I have very hard water so I hope that this isn't true. Scritches are delivered all around.

[shais_mom]

I don't even know what to say
first off wow - just wow - 3 animals (one being a LARGE dog that probably weighed more than all your cats together) was a lot for me to handle and there's no way I could afford anymore. wow

just wow
- but I can totally see why you became smitten with Summer - what a CUTIE!!
I'm glad things checked out well with the vet and she's able to be integrated with the rest of your crew - and thanks for the tip about wet food - Kloe tips the scales at 23 pounds - she mostly gets dry food with wet food as a treat - what kind of food do you feed do you mind me asking?
looking forward to how things are going in a few days - I will have to live vicariously thru you to have so many animals! 2-3 is my limit!!

[wolflady]

Oh my goodness! congratulations on the new addition! she's absolutely adorable and I just love her markings! I sure hope all the flea stuff is under control and she gets the "OK" to get out and about with all her new siblings! You're a nut, Tracey - I love it and miss you! :-)

[catmandu]

Summer you are quite the Little Cat of the Future and will be such a Great Cat. You look so much like my Scrappy Two , such a Grand Cat. You will give your family so many years of pleasure.

[Laura's Babies]

I LOVE her markings! I am just totally facinated with those markings....

Welcome to your new forever home Summer.

[DJFyrewolf36]

Oh gosh, she is adorable. Congrats!

[Pinot's Mom]

Count me in on loving her markings! Congrats!

[jenluckenbach]

Finally, someone who is even crazier than I am! Welcome Summer, you are in a PT home!

I can beat that....She is crazier than ME! But that only means I can understand the attraction of helping "just one more".
Congratulations. She is so cool looking.

Tracy, also please PLEASE keep in mind you are getting many cats in the same age range. In 15 years or so they are all going to be developing age issues, and that can be tough when many hit it at the same tine. I went through this last year, losing 2 dogs the same day, one 14 and one 15 years of age. I have 6 cats all within 18 months of one another age wise, so now I know, I need both emotional and financial stores to get through their old age!

I also know about this as right now my group is getting old all at the same time. Losing Sterling and Monte in a months time. And now, Calvin and Simba (as well as foster Lizzie) are all going to leave me soon. But life is never a guarantee and a pet could get sick at any time.

So what is your "herd" up to now?

(On a side note, do you still have a human room mate?) just curious.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I can beat that....She is crazier than ME! But that only means I can understand the attraction of helping "just one more".
Congratulations. She is so cool looking.



I also know about this as right now my group is getting old all at the same time. Losing Sterling and Monte in a months time. And now, Calvin and Simba (as well as foster Lizzie) are all going to leave me soon. But life is never a guarantee and a pet could get sick at any time.

So what is your "herd" up to now?

(On a side note, do you still have a human room mate?) just curious.

Thanks Jen. Yes, you never know just how long they'll be with you. So far I've only had two cats that even made it over 10 years old. My herd is doing well. Now even Ziggy is starting to hang out more with the others. Alani & Blaze still bug her though which I'll never understand because they grew up with her. I haven't had a roommate since April of 2010 so it's just me and the cats. I converted the second bedroom into a cat room because I never did use it as a sewing room.