Little Buddy Inside!

[JewelFreak]

Our feral kitty has been a house cat for 11 days now! She went to the vet; her health is excellent, FIV etc., negative, everything else great. Poor little tyke had to be sedated, she was so frightened. She resides in our guest room while she becomes used to being indoors & is slowly introduced to Joe Don, my other cat.

Sweet sweet girl! She cuddles, purrs, gives us head-bumps, even lets us pet her tummy. So patient, stuck in one room. I made her a huge cat condo that she pays little attention to but may like better in time. The place is littered with toys, scratch posts, cozy places to settle down or hide if she wants. She spends most of her time sitting on a bookcase under the window, watching birds & squirrels. Greets visitors with friendly little meows & plenty of affection. You can't help falling in love with her.

So -- meet Callie!





I've had no luck getting a worming pill into her. They must taste AWFUL; have tried mixing one in her food -- yuuuuck! Not gonna eat that stuff. Yesterday I mixed a crushed one into Cheez Wiz & plastered it on her paw & leg -- she was so upset, she growled & cried; it tasted so bad, she didn't lick it off till it was half dried & by then she had flipped part of it onto the rug. I get enraged that pharm companies can't bother to make vet meds taste good -- what's so hard about that? (They do it with canine heartworm pills!) Instead we are forced to subject our animals to wrestling matches, makes me just furious.

Otherwise, Callie is a peach! Cats adjust to change slowly but she figures things out faster than most, very smart kid, and will be a treasure of a family member.

--- Laurie

P.S. By the 2nd morning she had arranged the room to her satisfaction. In the night she pulled down the curtains on the big window behind her in the photos -- pulled the rod support right out of the wall & everything was in a heap on the bookcase. I have no idea how this tiny 9 lbs of kitty managed that!

 

[dk168]

Awww, cute cat!

Over in UK, we have 3-monthly worm treatment in liquid form for use topically, available from the vets, and that's what I use for my cat, as she does not like taking tablets.

Good luck with the kitty!

DK

 

[momhappy]

She's so pretty! I love her coloring It sounds like she has found a wonderful home with you and I hope that the transition continues to go well for you and your other kitty

 

[VRBeauty]

What a cutie! And how enterprising of her to re-decorate the room for you! And how lucky for you all that she's made this transition.

As to the pill... I pill my cats the old-fashioned way - open the mouth and down the hatch. That way there's not guessing about how much medicine they're actually getting, and I can (if necessary) get it straight to the throat so taste is less of an issue. They don't necessarily like it, but I think at some point they just give in to the inevitability of it. It might not be the right technique for you right now, but something it's something to consider for down the line.

 

[movie zombie]

gorgeous girl kitty!
thank you for making room in your heart and your home for her!

 

[Andelain]

She's beautiful!

 

[Calliecake]

She is soooooooo cute!!!!

 

[missy]

Laurie! So happy you have Callie safe and sound!!! What a sweet little girl and what a lucky one she is too!!!
And it sounds as she is well on her way to becoming a non-feral member of your family!

As for pilling I would just do it by grabbing the scruff of her neck and prying her mouth apart and pushing it down her throat and stroke her throat ensuring it goes down and then giving her something to eat to make sure it gets all the way down. That always worked for us as we could never fool the cats into eating the pill. No matter what we used they were too clever for that lol.

Good luck and please keep us posted. I am thrilled to pieces she is now part of your loving family. She is one lucky kitty!

 

[JewelFreak]

Thank you, everyone! I normally do pill my cats by kneeling & putting them between my knees, opening their mouths & stuffing the meds down their throats. I've done it since I was 16 & had 2 sick cats, & can do it so fast they're still wondering what happened when it's over. I hesitated to do it to Callie since she has never been strong-armed by a human before & I was afraid to lose her trust. But her reaction to the Cheez-Wiz fiasco was heartbreaking -- I felt so bad about how she HATED that stuff & she was so distressed. Just the same, she didn't hold a grudge & half an hour later was giving me head-bumps & purrs as usual. So I guess I'll go buy some more $10 pills from the vet & chuck them down her gullet.

Callie was born on a neighbor's porch. This angel & her husband run feral cat low-cost housing, built little boxes with warming lights, feed them, worm them, take them for neutering & shots -- they have about 10 cats living in their kitty city.

From the time she was little, the other cats ganged up on Callie -- ate her food, beat on her, & chased her out of the yard. My neighbor has no idea why, but she finally stopped trying to come back there & found us instead. I am very grateful we were able to help this little sweetheart stay alive & then give her a safe home where she's going to be loved forever.

Whenever one of our cats dies & I wonder whether to look for another, DH says, "No need. The next one will find YOU." So right.

-- Laurie

 

[Gypsy]

She's so precious. Bless you.

My Hally (AV cat) is the type to pull down drapes. And she has cancer so have to pill her everyday. It is hard. But we do it as two people (hubby holds, I pry the jaws open then put it in the back of her throat, with a syringe of water of standby in case of chocking.

Just give her treats and praise her afterward, and it will be okay. You are just my hero.

 

[msop04]

Such a beautiful kitty -- love her coloring!!

 

[isaku5]

First of all, I'm so sorry that Kally has cancer. Poor little girl .How are the other kittles?

We have always adopted from our local shelter and almost every time, they develop an illness (always different) that requires medication of some sort. We have perfected the pill-popping by slightly dampening the pill, opening the mouth and placing said pill at the back of the throat. A bit of a massage down the throat area, a kiss on top of the head and they're good to go. They know they deserve a treat and wait somewhat impatiently beside the bowl.

Our current 15 year old requires one of two different laxatives as he gets bunged up pretty easily and has since he was a couple of years old. Unlike other cats we've had, he doesn't like moist food and prefers the expensive kibble. Being a tuxedo kitty, he thinks he's entitled.

Our one big scare[/b ] with him happened about four years ago when he refused to either eat or drink on his own. He had fatty liver disease which mandates force feeding and drinking every four hours. My husband is not really a kitty person, but he told the vet he'd do whatever it took, and he did. This went on for days and over a holiday weekend, we were scheduled to go to our daughter' s cottage over four days. The clinic couldn't keep him for that length of time so we were given directions to take him to a top health care facility an hour away. During all the time Sammy was there, they were still force feeding and watering him, but in addition he had many kinds of pills to be taken at a certain time each day. More stress on poor kitty, but he was starting to look like his pre-illness self and within a couple of days he started to eat on his own ---Happy Day for all three of us!!! and has been fine ever since.

Sorry for the long post

 

[JewelFreak]

Isaku, what an ordeal! Talk about heroes. I'm glad he got well & you & your husband deserve extra sparkly haloes. That is true love & giving. Gypsy, you too -- I'm so sorry about the cancer; it's heartbreaking. Wonderful that you're doing your best & loving your kitty so much.

Thank you, msop. She has grown prettier as she grew up. When she first came exploring around she wasn't quite full grown & the splash of orange on her face was comical, plus she has the biggest, roundest green eyes I've ever seen on a cat. The 1st time I saw her I said, "You have a face only a mother could love, little one." Never dreaming I would be that mother! For a cat who spent her 1st 2 years in the wild, she is so incredibly loving & cuddly & adorable -- it's rare, never any hissing, scratching, or aggression. A honey all around -- we're the lucky ones.

--- Laurie

 

[Calliecake]

Laurie, After reading about Callie it is obvious she was meant to be with you and your husband. I think this little one already knows she's loved. She is so lucky to have found you!

My fur baby hates taking pills and is extremely good at spitting them out when we are not looking. The vet sends us to a pharmacy who makes the medicine In liquid form. I've found it much easy to get her to take the liquid. If it remains difficult to give her the pill maybe the vet can give her liquid medicine.

 

[AprilBaby]

Stunning coloring!

 

[kgizo]

Lovely girl and congrats on domesticating her!

The only way i can pill is with this piller I get from my vet for a few dollars (ignore the label, I added that to keep things organized). The tip is rubber and very soft (I bent it to show you) so you put it all the way to the back of the throat and then push the plunger. It completely bypasses the tongue so they don't taste it. Good luck.

 

[Gypsy]

Laurie, After reading about Callie it is obvious she was meant to be with you and your husband. I think this little one already knows she's loved. She is so lucky to have found you!

My fur baby hates taking pills and is extremely good at spitting them out when we are not looking. The vet sends us to a pharmacy who makes the medicine In liquid form. I've found it much easy to get her to take the liquid. If it remains difficult to give her the pill maybe the vet can give her liquid medicine.

Callie, one of mine is like that. There are formulary pharmacies that make most medicine into TREATS! for kitties. We have to do that for him. It costs a bit more, but it is worth it. Golden Gate Pharmacy in CA is one of them, we get his prescriptions sent there and they fed ex us the pills within a couple days. There are a few more around the country. If you ask a good vet, they'll know the best ones near you. We

We couldn't get Hally's cancer meds made that way, so we don't do it for her.


BTW-- how did the meat sauce go?

 

[Gypsy]

Isaku and JF, thank you. She's doing good on it. She was diagnosed over a year ago, and they said she had about 2 years to live so we are very careful to enjoy everyday we have left with her. We call her the ten thousand dollar kitty (though it's been more than that). She's worth every penny.

Isaku, what an ordeal. I'm sure he appreciates all your love and care!

 

[monarch64]

She is GORGEOUS! Great to hear she's inside with you!

 

[Calliecake]

Laurie, After reading about Callie it is obvious she was meant to be with you and your husband. I think this little one already knows she's loved. She is so lucky to have found you!

My fur baby hates taking pills and is extremely good at spitting them out when we are not looking. The vet sends us to a pharmacy who makes the medicine In liquid form. I've found it much easy to get her to take the liquid. If it remains difficult to give her the pill maybe the vet can give her liquid medicine.

Callie, one of mine is like that. There are formulary pharmacies that make most medicine into TREATS! for kitties. We have to do that for him. It costs a bit more, but it is worth it. Golden Gate Pharmacy in CA is one of them, we get his prescriptions sent there and they fed ex us the pills within a couple days. There are a few more around the country. If you ask a good vet, they'll know the best ones near you. We

We couldn't get Hally's cancer meds made that way, so we don't do it for her.


BTW-- how did the meat sauce go?

Hi Gypsy, I'm so sorry to hear about Hally having cancer. I'm sending prayers and dust to you and Hally. I can tell by your posts that you love your babies the way I love mine and would do anything for them. I can only imagine how hard this is on you and your husband. Please let me know if I can do anything to help you. Hugs

We are very lucky to have a pharmacy pretty close to our home that can make medicine for pets in liquid formula. I'm keeping the Golden Gate Pharmacy's name in case the pharmacy near our home goes out of business. Our dog has severe food allergies and can only have one type of dry dog food and nothing else. It makes it harder because I can't hide a pill in her food or treats. The liquid was so much easier to give her. I also feel it was well worth the extra cost.

I haven't made the sauce yet. My husband has been traveling so much lately but I'm hoping to make it next weekend when he's home. I wanted to make it last Sunday but he was leaving In the afternoon so decided to wait.

I'm sorry for the threadjack Laurie.

 

[pregcurious]

What a cutie!

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you Calliecake.

JewelFreak can we get more pics of your budding interior decorator?

 

[JewelFreak]

I'll take more today, Gypsy. Wish I had gotten a snap of the curtains & curtain rod all over the place -- was too stunned at the time to think of it.

Today she went into the little hut on her cat condo for the 1st time. SO cute with her little face peeking out; then she turned over onto her back & stretched her head & front legs upside down, hanging over the platform thingy.

Yesterday I gave her a new mouse w/a velcro opening, into which I had just stuffed new catnip. Holy Killer! She mangled that poor thing, grabbed it, bit its neck, broke its back, scraped it viciously with her back claws, rolled on it, threw it in the air & chomped more on it. All the while I had visions of the unlucky real ones she encountered outside -- a couple times we rescued critters from her, usually too late, and she brought us dead ones as presents. This sweet little girl was a lifelong serial murderer, all the more reason to be glad she's inside now!

Gypsy & Callie, your cats really like the treat-formulated meds? My vet has a pharmacy that will make them -- I was considering it, didn't know if they could make them yummy enough for her to eat willingly. I guess it's the best way at this point -- later on, when she is more integrated into the family & house, I can stuff pills down her throat like I do the other cats. Right now she trusts DH & me but I hesitate to give her the impression she has to defend herself from us sometimes. To her, all this is so completely new.

Kgizo -- thank you for the photo & advice! I have a syringe I used on my sweet old Meat Loaf, who died 2 yrs ago. It could work, but I guess if I can get the stuff formulated to taste good, it's the easiest at this early point.

Gypsy -- $10 grand kitty! Sigh. I believe it -- would do the same. Have done the same! I like your attitude about appreciating every day with her. When my animals get old, even if they're healthy, I begin feeling the same way. Can't get irritated when they do typical things that annoy me -- I always think, "There will come a day when I'd give anything for him to be here to do that again." They teach us things we would never know but for them.

--- Laurie

 

[Calliecake]

Laurie, Our dog could not have treat medicine because of her allergies but I've heard that they can be a godsend if you have an animal that refuses to take medicine. It sounds as though the medicine treats worked well for Gypsy's kitties. I had our dogs medicine made into a liquid form because the pills were nearly impossible to get her to take.

 

[JewelFreak]

Glad the liquid works for you, Callie! Thanks for your answer. I guess I'll try having this stuff formulated into something gourmet this time. My gut says not to manhandle a cat who is just learning to trust. (I'll manhandle her later. )

--- Laurie

 

[Calliecake]

Laurie, I completely agree with you regarding the manhandling. The most important to me would be that Callie trusts you and feels safe with you especially since she hasn't had a lot of interaction with people. Your a great mom Laurie.

 

[isaku5]

Isaku and JF, thank you. She's doing good on it. She was diagnosed over a year ago, and they said she had about 2 years to live so we are very careful to enjoy everyday we have left with her. We call her the ten thousand dollar kitty (though it's been more than that). She's worth every penny.

Isaku, what an ordeal. I'm sure he appreciates all your love and care!

Now if he could just pay us back...j/k

I kept looking at his eyes (bright and sparkly the whole time) thinking that there was still lots of life in there and I kept saying to him, "We'll get you fixed up, don't worry" (definitely the crazy cat lady has been let out again ). I just 'knew' that it wasn't his time yet. We kitty lovers just know these things