Our new guy Paddy

[Emeraldgreen]

Hi Catty1, Medusa and everybody who might be interested, here is the link to the SPCA site with the story of our new cat Paddy with some pics:

http://www.spca.bc.ca/sunshinecoast/HappyEndings-Patches.htm (http://www.spca.bc.ca/sunshinecoast/HappyEndings-Patches.htm)

Also, I tried to upload a really funny animation that a friend of mine just emailed to me but the file is too big to upload. It is
4.15 mb. It is titled 'wake up call' and it is an animation of a cat trying to wake up it's owner to get some food. It is hilarious! If anyone wants to see it I'd be happy to email it. And if anyone knows of another way I can post it, please let me know. It is a WMV file. Thanks! :)

[Medusa]

What a hunk o' burnin' love! So glad that Paddy has found a permanent home w/you. You're all so lucky! He looks like a real sweetheart!

[Taz_Zoee]

Someone has already posted the Wake Up animation. It is too funny.
Here is the thread (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=134986) that was originally posted. :)

Paddy is adorable! I love big kitties. :D

[Freedom]

Oooh, Paddy, you sure are a handsome guy! And so lucky to work your way into a PT home!

[Emeraldgreen]

We feel blessed to have the Padster. I love the bug guys too. We are going to try and help him lose a few pounds though just so he's more comfortable and to reduce his risk of diabetes etc.. He's got an issue with over-grooming and we knew this when we adopted him but a month later it is still ongoing. He appears perfectly happy but after looking into it I think he is suffering from Psychogenic Alopecia, I think that is the right spelling?!? Although the stress of the shelter is behind him, I think the bad habit is just hard for him to kick. Anyway, we're about to start him on a drug called Clomicalm and then wean him off it a few months later. We've tried Feliway (the plug in variety) and Rescue Remedy but the bald spot is growing and he grooms like crazy. I'm a little concerned about trying this drug because I would hate to alter his personality, which is so gentle, though he has just started showing some aggression towards our female cat Stinky. It's been going on since yesterday and I'm not sure what it's all about.
I think I might post a separate thread and ask if anyone here has any experience with giving their cat Clomicalm.
I'm so glad everyone's seen that Wake Up Call animation. I thought it was so funny but couldn't figure out how to post it!
Could someone tell me how I can post a few pictures so they show up with every post I put up? I feel a little silly that I haven't been able to figure it out! LOL :confused:

[krazyaboutkatz]

Congrats!!!! Paddy sure is handsome.:) I'm sorry to hear that he has some over grooming issues and I hope that you'll be able to find something will help him. Good luck.:)

To post pictures you first need to upload them to a website like photobucket and then you need to copy and paste the link on PT. On photobucket you can just highlight the IMG code and then copy it and paste it on your thread on PT. I hope that this has helped.:)

[Catty1]

What a gorgeous hunk of cat! Medusa had it right! :)

I'm glad he is so happy!

[jenluckenbach]

How WONDERFUL!! What an adorable guy. :) :)

[Medusa]

[QUOTE=Emeraldgreen] I think I might post a separate thread and ask if anyone here has any experience with giving their cat Clomicalm. QUOTE]

I've had lots of experience w/Clomicalm; 4 of my furkids are on it right now, although not for overgrooming. They take it because they're pee cats or would be if they weren't on Clomicalm. I've not had any issues whatsoever w/it, no personality changes, no physical side effects, nothing. They're on 5 mg. at night before bed and it helps them to "mind their manners" so to speak. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. And again, you got yourself a good lookin' boy there!

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks for the uploading tips Krazyaboutkats. I'm going to test it out right now. I made a collage of my cats and two dogs and signed up on photobucket. Here goes! :)
Uh Oh, my picture is HUGE. I clicked 'decrease size' on my signature section to the smallest size. Maybe I need to adjust it on my computer first, then upload it to photobucket. LOL
I'll try again in a few minutes. Yikes.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Your siggy looks great but as you said it's very large.:) Yes, you need to resize it on your computer first and then upload it to photobucket. I think that siggies are supposed to be no larger than 25KB.

[Catty1]

You can resize them in Photobucket - but just go down one size, cause you can't go back up again! That's what it was like when I was still learning PB.

GORGEOUS boys...I hope Tiger is doing ok, and you have that stuff from your brother! I have Omega 3-6 from the vet, it's in pump form. It's for dogs, but depending on Tiger's normal weight, 1/2 pump should be ok (check with vet). That can also help fight cancer...and my Oscar's fur is soft as silk now! :)

[Emeraldgreen]

Phew! Finally figured it out. Thanks for all your help guys. :)
And thanks Catty1 for your nice comment on the pics. Most are boys but two are girls, though you'd never guess it from their names! Stinky and Tiny are my gals. Stinky also goes by Stinkerbell. It's just one of those names that stuck from when she was a kitten. We were so amazed at how she used to really stink up the room when she used the box at the young age of 7 weeks! Her real name at the time was Mittens but Stinky won out. She is 7 now and though she isn't 'stinky' anymore, the name has stayed.
Yep, got the MaxGXL from my brother. I mixed it into Tiger's food three times but it made his stomach hurt. He became very growly when we picked him up. So, I took him off it and he is back to his old self, a bit off balance but much more comfortable and happy. The funny thing is that I started taking the MaxGXL (it's really for people anyway) and it's amazing. It's a super antioxidant. I feel amazing. Lot's of energy.
I've put Tiger back on his daily dose of L-Arginine which he doesn't seem to mind. This was one of the things on the homeopathic treatments for cancer. I might pick up some of that Omega 3-6 as well. Is it expensive?
Catty1, I love the idea of spraying feliway on a stretchy collar for Paddy. It's brilliant. I'm going to see if I can get some from a friend of mine who works in a clinic and see if I can get a bit of break on the cost that way. I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime I've plugged the feliway back into the outlet right under where Paddy sleeps and he does seem more mellow and I think he is grooming less. :)

[Catty1]

I don't recall the Omega 3-6 being all that expensive. There are capsules made for cats - since my 2 add up to the weight of a dog that gets a full pump, I just mix it into their wet food and split it. Mind you, I had to add some 'stinky' food to get them to eat it! (Weight control LOL).

I don't remember if Tiger was on prednisone? It often reduces the swelling of a tumour and perks up appetite.

Do you know if his tumour has grown? I mean, has the vet checked him or anything?

And how about a smaller dose of MaxGXL for Tiger, maybe once a day?

Anyway, glad to hear things are generally good, and Paddy is doing better with the plug right underneath him.

You can also find Feliway online quite inexpensively!

[loveallfurryfriends]

Paddy is lucky to have found you!!

[Emeraldgreen]

I didn't know you could get feliway online, I'll definitely look into it. The dose I was giving Tiger of the Max was just in the morning. I've looked into it and I think the issue is due to opening the capsule and mixing it in with his food. The product has been designed to not dissolve in the stomach and instead be slowly released into the bloodstream. But Dr. Loops, the vet who I found through that homeopathic remedy site suggested half a capsule but for whatever reason it makes Tiger very uncomfortable. On his third dose, I gave him just a third of a capsule and that was after not having it for a few days. Shortly after he was growly.
I haven't taken him back to my vet who removed his tumor because it's either 3 ferry rides away and two hours drive or I have to catch a float plane which is pretty expensive. I do think that the tumor is coming back though because his purring has that deeper, rumbly sound to it that I first noticed months ago when this whole thing started. He also seems to have some swallowing issues. Nothing that indicates that he is suffering as far as I can tell but he does swallow extra times when eating or drinking as opposed to the other cats. Almost as if there is a bit of an obstruction which I'm guessing is perhaps a tumor.
He's been off the pred for a few months but maybe I should put him back on it. I get it on a regular basis because Jimmy has asthma. The only thing I don't like about it is that it causes muscle wasting but at this point I guess I have to choose which is worse. Keeping tumors at bay is more important.

[Catty1]

Can you phone or email the vet who did the surgery for advice or suggestions?

Ask him about the Omega 3 as well...

ALSO - it is possible to get empty capsules that you put the stuff into...if it's dry stuff, it's easier to do. Might make it more tolerable for Tiger?

He is so lovely - please give that fluffy boy scritchies for me!

[Emeraldgreen]

Great news, a friend of mine said she wasn't using her bottle of feliway anymore and offered to mail it to me. It should arrive tomorrow and then I'm going to try it out on Paddy with a stretchy collar.
I'm going to email my vet and ask about the omega and about the prednisilone for Tiger. Should have an answer back in a few days. :) He's been doing really well for the past few days. He's been in a particularily good mood lately and it has been great. He's always very hungry so I feed him often and he seems to look forward to it. Right now he's cozy in a chair bundled in a blanket behind me here in the den while I type away.
I've decided to give up on Maxgxl altogether for both Tiger and myself. I found that it was giving me energy but almost too much. I was racing around in a very speedy fashion and my heart felt like it was racing. I also found that I felt very agitated and I was getting really edgy with people. I'm normally a very mild mannered person so it was very odd to be getting so angry over small stuff. I think that it may have been affecting Tiger in the same way in addition to making his stomach uncomfortable so I'm not going to pursue it. I've been praying alot for his health and well being and will definitely get going on the Omega and possibly the Pred once I hear back from my vet. In the meantime, we're taking it one day at a time. :)

[Catty1]

I Googled a bit on the MaxGxl....one of the main items it provides, the one that starts with "Glut" - is barely absorbed into the body thru the digestive tract.

NAC - studies underway to use it in treating bipolar disorder and cocaine addiction.

I think you were better off with mixing the original ingredients...maybe just the "Glut" stuff (Glutiathone???)

Hope the Omega and gentler Pred works for Tiger. I never heard of it wasting muscle...maybe it is often given to animals who already are wasting away from not eating???

hugs!

[Emeraldgreen]

I hadn't really heard of the muscle wasting before either but it was quite noticable with Tiger and a few of the vets said it was due to the prednisilone. Tiger was on a much higher dose than my cat Jimmy because at the time, when it hadn't yet been determined what was causing Tiger's breathing difficulties, the prednisilone was the only thing that was making it possible for him to get enough air. I had him on 10mg a day which is an insanely high dose for a cat and could have been life threatening in itself if continued indefinitely but at that point he was on death's doorstep and I was just buying time and it was all under the vet's supervision. All of the vets were wary of giving him so much but basically told me to go ahead with it because they didn't know what else to do for him. Thankfully the last vet found the tumour and we were then able to wean him off the pred. If I do start giving it to him again, I'm sure the dosage prescribed will be quite a bit less. :)