Advice on spoiling a kitty?

**dragonchilde** · 02-01-2005, 08:18 PM

)I have an incredibly wonderful, sweet old cat who deserves some extra special treats and spoilage, and I'm wondering what I could do above and beyond the usual to spoil him more than he is already.

Poor thing doesn't have many teeth left (he's always had dental problems, and in recent years, he's down to about a third of his original set).

He gets tons of gooshy food, of course, and lap time. What other treats would be good for a cat his age? He just turned sixteen in October. (If he's lived this wrong, I guess I'm doing something right. He's also an indoor outdoor cat.

)

**dragonchilde** · 02-01-2005, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by sirrahbed
spoiling a geriatric kitty....hmmmmmmm

I have a few ideas!! You may heave already one this, but something pretty irrestistible to kitties is baby food, expecially veal for some reason. You can even "serve" it to him on a little spoon.

How about a warmer for his bed? The petstores have these discs that you can heat in the microwave and they stay warm for many hours - or just a regular hot water bottle would probably feel good, too

I love the baby food idea. I'm not so concerned about a warmer, since he doesn't really have any special place he sleeps. At night, though, he sleeps with me. I hug him like a teddy bear. He's my little catbear.

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 02-01-2005, 09:38 PM

I have to agree about the baby food. I think Tubby preferred the beef with beef gravy.

Another thing I did for him was set up a little box by the bed to make it easier for him to jump up that high. He also slept with me everynight and I noticed he was having a more and more difficult time getting up in bed so I had my dad make this adorable box/stool. Here's Tubby modeling it on the day it was delivered. Each side has a different cat shape silhouette and the top has some adorable little micies. I asked my dad for a simple stool and this is what I get.

I also took to carrying Tubby places. If I was going upstairs and I knew he would soon follow, I made it easy on him and carried him up - the same if we were going down. Towards the end even using the box to jump on the bed was hard, so I would pick him up and put him in bed - but then I worried that I'd be sleeping when he wanted to get down and he'd jump and hurt himself.

Anyway, as usual, I write a novel, but I guess what I'm trying to say is there are more ways than treats to spoil an elderly kitty. Just trying to make life easier for them in all the little ways will make them happy too.

Now, how about a picture of your sweet oldie?

**aki** · 02-01-2005, 11:17 PM

I also got my Chuckie a stool/step to get into bed with meowmie! He is my sweet teddy catbear too! He didn't sleep with me for a couple months and I was worrying but he has the last couple nights so I think we are on track!

**NoahsMommy** · 02-01-2005, 11:50 PM

I would recommend a kitty bed warmer too. Even if he doesn't sleep in one spot, he just might if he finds a toasty spot.

**catmandu** · 02-02-2005, 09:03 AM

I think,that an electric Balnket,would be welxcome,and I would Try,the Nutro Complete are Indoor Senior,as the Found Cats,all LOVE,this Food,and it,has really helped them out,and they thrive,on it.

**ramanth** · 02-02-2005, 10:14 AM

I was going to suggest baby food too!

I just gave a new catnip toy called the Kitty Snake to my parents 10 year old cats and he's acting as spunky and spry as a kitten!

**Catsnclay** · 02-02-2005, 01:12 PM

I give all my kitties baby food, two get laced with medications

Be careful with the baby food though, make sure it does NOT contain oinions or onion powder....which is bad for them.

My neighbor has 2 outside cats that she made a box for them to sleep in at night during our winter. At the bottom of the wooden box she put a heating pad, then covered that with a cookie sheet, then covered that with an old towel. The heating pad, on low warms the cookie sheet, but the towel keeps their paws from gettin burned. I think she did some sewing to keep the towel from moving on the cookie sheet. The cats really love it and on raniny days are in there all day long!

**slick** · 02-02-2005, 03:32 PM

My kitties are 17 and 11 boy oh boy, are they spoiled. Not only do they get special treats now and then such as Honey Ham, they each have their own special blankie. Speckles loves my Dad's (RIP) velour housecoat and Max just loves an old fleece shirt. I make sure to wash them once a week and return them to their favourite spots.

Speckles also has a step stool by the bed and soon she will need one by the couch.

They each have their own purrsonalized ceramic bowls (made by yours truly) with matching coloured placemats.

Spoiled? Maybe just a tad!

**AmberLee** · 02-06-2005, 07:44 PM

Occasionally cats have been injured by munching on the wiring to electrical cat bed warmers, so I got a disk that can be heated in the microwave. Five minutes and it warms for 8+ hours... It feels like a softish plastic coat and I slide it into a fleece cat-sized "pillowcase".

Both my cats like the doctored for cats milk products out now: LapHappy and CatSip are two brand names. It's milk that's had the lactose removed and ... another item added for cat health. I think it's Taurine. KAK and I were talking earlier today: my cats love it and hers do NOT. But it's worth a try.

Does your cat still enjoy catnip? You could try growing a plant for him, or perhaps cat grass. It aids their digestion and both of mine perk up when I bring a fresh batch in.

Good luck! Please let us know which treats you decide on.

[Oh, T&PM -- your dad's bench is ADORABLE. Please let him know his handiwork's made him a fan out here!]

**Don Juan's mom** · 02-07-2005, 03:42 PM

My brother Jim provided an old-fashioned hot water bottle for his elderly Maine coon, Athena. Thought it worked a lot better than an electric heater.

Athena started out in a frat house

, but was with my brother and his family for over fifteen years, and went to the RB last fall a contented cat.

Liz