Curious About A Lot of Things...

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Hi Freedom, thanks for your reply.
I'm glad it looks like most people here are going to be on the same page as me, so to speak. I didn't want to jump into conversations as a newbie sounding like some know-it-all! There are some pet forums out there that are totally all about the cute and never-mind the learning to take better care of your pets, so they won't listen to anyone elses opinions or advice.

It is a shame most vets are not schooled in nutrition.
Also a shame most don't explain exactly what declawing is when clients want it done.

I definitely noticed a difference in my cats' over all health and also my somewhat overweight one got to a better weight when I switched to scheduled, measured feedings of mostly wet food. I hope so much the DH or myself can find a job soon so I can get off the Friskies. But I must admit, the girls have been doing okay on it.

I was forced to research foods when my recently re-homed Tiger Lily was going through her cystitis issues. But changing her diet wasn't enough to keep her healthy, since the problem was stress related, and the stress was the other cats. All my research told me, and folks who'd been through the problem and shared their experiences told me, cats with urinary issues really shouldn't get dry...So when the vet suggested dry, I nearly fell off the chair but bit my tongue. My vet is wonderful for all medical issues and has a fantastic "bedside" manner.

I'm not much for controversy but if asked my opinion on de-clawing, I will give it. I will also tell folks who sound like they have no idea what de-clawing is, what it really is. Many people are totally shocked to hear it isn't simply claw removal.

I'll also share my ideas on food, even though right now since finances have me feeding Friskies mostly I kind of feel like a hypocrite suggesting people feed good quality food. I usually will use the example of "do you see lions and tigers running to a corn field to eat? read the label of what you're feeding, I bet there are at least 3 versions of corn in it." That will sometimes get people interested enough to listen to more of the knowledge of gained from research.

My Kit had loose, smelly, frequent bowel movements as a kitten. I did consult the vet and with a short course of Fagyl AND getting her and the other cats off Purina dry food and onto better quality mostly wet food diet, the bad stools stopped.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Hi Krazyaboutkatz, thanks for your reply!

As I mentioned to Freedom, I didn't want to jump in on conversations, as a newbie, sounding like an opinionated know-it-all. I'm glad there is knowledge and/or willingness to learn about the better care of cats amongst the members here, and that the forum isn't just about all the cute things to do with our pets.

Thanks for the compliments on my album. I love to take pictures, I drive many of my friends nuts because I've almost always got my camera in one of my hands and take all kinds of pictures. Since "the girls" ,as I lovingly refer to my kitties, are always around, I get a lot of pictures of them, especially on days when they are in the living room and we have good light coming in so I don't need to use the flash.

I don't think I'll spend any time in the dog house! I don't like controversy but I will explain both de-clawing and diet to folks who ask.

I wish I'd have learned to be an indoor-only cat parent many years ago and not waited til 2005! All my previous kitties would've been gone by now anyway, but hopefully they would've lived much longer lives than they did. I vowed after our Sunshine, the only one to die of natural old-age causes, passed in 1998, that any future kitties would be indoors only, if I didn't want to deal with a litter box 24/7/365, I wouldn't get cats again. Alas, now I have 4 with 6 boxes! We were catless between 1998 and 2005...our intentions were to let our then-aging Jack Russell Terrier live her last years as Queen of the House before adopting/acquiring another cat, but alas, Philly showed up crying in the woods across from our house in 1005, about 2 years before our JRT's end.

I did a lot of research on foods in conjunction with urinary issues trying to keep Tiger Lily healthy...but since her cystitis was being caused by stress, and the stress was the other cats, diet wasn't a lot of help. She'd be okay for a few months, but then the cystitis would recur. It just wasn't fair to try to keep her with us because WE wanted to, it was needed for her health and complete healthiness, to find her an only-pet home. Thank goodness it didn't take long to find one and she did not sit in the adoption center for a lengthy time. She went to an adoption center where she would've lived her whole life if the right folks for her didn't come along, so even if she hadn't been adopted, she was in excellent hands and would not have been euthanized. But the one thing I learned is that cats with urinary issues do need to be on canned/wet food.

[Freedom]

Check out this book, I found it at my library:

The Whole Pet Diet, by Andi Brown.

She explains which foods -- and herbs -- do what, gives ideas on feeding and includes recipes.

I learned quite a bit from the book, and eventually bought a copy.

While you have some "enforced" free time, may be worth a browse for ya!

[aTailOf2Kitties]

I have 2 litterboxes and 2 cats. It's working fine so far.

They get Purina One sensitive systems dry (I give them a spoonful each of el-cheapo canned mixed in once a day)

Strictly indoors (although I ocasionally put a leash and harness on them for brief forays outdoors)

My cats are not currently declawed but I'm not against it. There must be a good reason for it though. My last cat was declawed when I adopted him. My current 2 don't scratch on anything they're not supposed to, so it's not an issue. I just trim their claws about once a month.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Freedom, Thanks for the book recommendation!

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

ATailof2Kitties, Thanks for a reply.
We're all entitled to our own opinions.
We can only hope to keep an open mind and at least look at or listen to other ideas on different subjects.
I've learned the hard way we can only feed what we can afford. I don't like feeding the "el cheapo" foods, but I have to for now...I supplement with some eggs now & again as we have a source for free eggs. And I sneak in the better stuff on occassion.
Our cats' bodies just weren't meant to digest grains, so it's good to try to stay away from corn and other grains.

[katladyd]

I have 2 cats and 2 litter boxes. For my household, that is working fine. I am against declawing. If your furniture means that much to you, don't have pets. I feed Purina One for urinary tract health. My boys do great on it!! I feed a little (1/2 of a small can) of Fancy Feast twice a day. I love the idea of letting my boys outdoors, but in today's world, I won't do it. It is too dangerous for cats outdoors these days. If I lived in the country, maybe.