Update On Starr-10-25-08

[AmberLee]

~~~ healthy ~~~ vibes for Starr (and you, too, weren't you under the weather recently???)

~~~ Hang in there ~~~ vibes for you

~~~ be a better big brother ~~~ vibes to Starr and the rest of the fur kids, too, I guess

{{{hugs to all who could use 'em}}}

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks everyone. Starr's been extra clingy to me and he also seems to wants a lot of extra loving. I hope that this means that he's starting to feel better. I don't want to try changing too many things with him so I'll keep him on the Innova Evo for now but the Orijen does sound like it could also be an option for him.

[jazzcat]

I sure hope Starr being clingy means he is starting to feel better. I'm sending you both lots of good vibes that this will be the solution. Sounds like you've been going through some tough stuff with Starr and it's time both of you get some peace (and good health).

[rg_girlca]

I'm happy to hear that speaking with the other vet made you feel better.

Prayers on the way that this new routine with the meds and food, will help stabilize Starr's diarrhea situation.

And major {{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}} for the stressed out meowmie.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I thought I'd let you all know how Starr's been doing since he started back on the pred again. So far he's been doing well. He has a big appetite again and he did have one accident some time late Thurs. night or very early Fri. morning. His stool accident was firm though so I decided to keep him on the new doseage schedule so he's now on 5mg of pred every other day.

Just like the last time, he's now been sneezing off and on. The last time he was on large doseages of pred he also began sneezing but it only lasted about 4-5 days. I was ready to bring him to my vet but he stopped sneezing on the morning that I would have brought him in. I'm hoping that he'll stop sneezing this time too. He's been sneezing off and on since Thurs.

I think that I'll continue to keep him on the 5mg of pred every other day for quite a while unless he suddenly starts having mushy stools again. Please send some good vibes his way. Thanks.

[jenluckenbach]

Jasper has 2 identical "symptoms"
#1 when he first got the larger dose of pred he STILL had an accident even though the poop was formed. But the accidents have stopped with this dose. My assumption.....was that Jasper was still not "FEELING" well, and pooping on the bed is his outcome.

#2 ever since Jasper has been on the pred he sneezes A LOT!! I never actually had the opportunity to mention this to the vet (oops, bad mommy). What could the sneezing have to do with this medicine?

I guess our boys are just going to have to live taking this medicine. Might not be the ideal solution, but sometimes you just gotta do what works. And for Jasper, 5mg of pred per day works!

[Barbara]

Sending all my best wishes for Starr. You know Tigris picks on Filou as well. It is as if the big healthy cats knew there is one weaker and that this is not ok. Make sure Starr has enough places where he can hide from the bully brother.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Jasper has 2 identical "symptoms"
#1 when he first got the larger dose of pred he STILL had an accident even though the poop was formed. But the accidents have stopped with this dose. My assumption.....was that Jasper was still not "FEELING" well, and pooping on the bed is his outcome.

#2 ever since Jasper has been on the pred he sneezes A LOT!! I never actually had the opportunity to mention this to the vet (oops, bad mommy). What could the sneezing have to do with this medicine?

I guess our boys are just going to have to live taking this medicine. Might not be the ideal solution, but sometimes you just gotta do what works. And for Jasper, 5mg of pred per day works!

Jen, Starr's done this many times in the past where he poops outside of the litter box and it's firm. He's even done it right in front of me. Luckily he's never done it on my bed. I've still never understood the reason behind it.

I think that since pred suppresses their immune system that this is what's causing the sneezing. It's only happened to Starr when he's been taking higher doseages of pred so this is why I continued with the new regimen and now I'm only giving him 5mg of pred every other day. He's still having some sneezing fits and I hope that this will go away soon.

I had to put him back in my bedroom this morning for a bit with his baby food and supplement mixture while I fed the other cats some left over raw chicken. Starr pooped near my bedroom door and it was firm. There are 2 litter boxes back in my bedroom so I know that he did this to let me know that he wants to eat out in the main room with his siblings. He's done this in the past and he's also pee'd back there before to let me know that he doesn't like being back in the room by himself.

I'm going to be finally painting my bedroom soon so I've moved out a lot of the furniture and both litter boxes. My furkids are wondering what's going on. I just hope that they'll all be good cats and learn to get along in the main part of my condo because my bedroom will be off limits soon. Please wish me luck. Thanks.

[krazyaboutkatz]

~~~ healthy ~~~ vibes for Starr (and you, too, weren't you under the weather recently???)

~~~ Hang in there ~~~ vibes for you

~~~ be a better big brother ~~~ vibes to Starr and the rest of the fur kids, too, I guess

{{{hugs to all who could use 'em}}}

Thanks AmberLee. I've been healthy but under an extreme amount of stress these past few months. Every time I think that things will get better something else comes along to keep me stressed out.

Storm is still picking on poor Starr. He chased him into a litter box tonight and I heard a big hiss which Storm was doing towards Starr. Storm is already on 3 calming pills a day. I think that the older he gets the grumpier he gets and I know he now wants to be an only cat but that's not going to happen. I also have 3 feliway plugins going all the time and I just changed them on Saturday. I really don't know what else I can do at this point.

Thanks again everyone for all of the prayers and hugs. I sure hope that they'll work. Both Starr and I need a break. So far he's doing great.

[rg_girlca]

Storm please leave your brother alone. Don't make me come down there and give you a good talking too. (I wish)

Tracey, is there a room that you can put Storm in when you catch him harassing Starr. I use to have to do this when Sades went after Mooky.
I would grab him and yell, "NO" and close him in a room for a while and when he did it again, he would be put in the room for a few days with a litter box, food and water and each time it happened he got closed in the room longer. This took only 4 times, when things finally settled down. Also, when I would see them near each other, or pass each other without any hissing or swatting, I would praise them for being good boys. It's just a thought.

I pray that Starr continues to do great. Fingers and paws crossed here and more {{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}} for you.

[jennielynn1970]

Poor Starr, being picked on by a bully!

I do a time out with Zach too. When he gets on a bullying streak I pick him up, tell him no (and of course he grumbles at me while I'm doing this), and then he goes into the one spare room I have. I just wish it would sink into his thick little head that when he keeps misbehaving this is what happens. So far, he hasn't put two and two together, lol, and is still a bully. We can only hope that he'll finally figure it out.

Big hugs going out to all of your kitties! Hope Storm will calm down more and bully Starr less.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Storm please leave your brother alone. Don't make me come down there and give you a good talking too. (I wish)

Tracey, is there a room that you can put Storm in when you catch him harassing Starr. I use to have to do this when Sades went after Mooky.
I would grab him and yell, "NO" and close him in a room for a while and when he did it again, he would be put in the room for a few days with a litter box, food and water and each time it happened he got closed in the room longer. This took only 4 times, when things finally settled down. Also, when I would see them near each other, or pass each other without any hissing or swatting, I would praise them for being good boys. It's just a thought.

I pray that Starr continues to do great. Fingers and paws crossed here and more {{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}} for you.

Thanks Lorraine. I don't have a spare room that I can put Storm in because there's only my bedroom and the other bedroom is off limits because it will be rented out soon. Storm would become too stressed out if I did this any way. I do put him back in bedroom for time outs but it still doesn't help much.

Tonight is going much better. I made sure to give Storm lots of canned food tonight so that his tummy was full. He's now sleeping on a cat bed which is on my bed and he hasn't bullied any one so far tonight.

Starr is sitting on my lap purring away. He's been so loving towards me. I think we're forming an even stronger bond now. I know in the past when one of my furkids was sick, I'd give them medicine to make them feel better. Then they would also become more loving as if to say thank you. I feel that Starr is finally feeling much better now. I hope this continues.

Thanks again everyone.