this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2024
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Alright, I've figured it all out.
Cat rambles
The unexplained jumping was not asking for food like usual, but Melbcat wanting me to fix something that wasn't immediately obvious.She wanted to get into a tiny nook in the wardrobe that was occupied by a bag of stuff, and was asking me to move it. I had seen her interest but thought it was too small for her and didn't want to risk her springing a leak in an annoying spot... but as soon as I did she crept in there and crawled behind the open frame chest of drawers (in a space made by a pulled out drawer). I'm going to have to organise/declutter the wardrobe and put pee pads down underneath just in case. I'd put a hidey box in there if there was enough room.
She will eat plain cold cat food from the tin with nothing else added so I don't know if she's objecting to the usual warm water, the tasteless medicine she's usually fine with, the tasteless stool softener, or the pumpkin baby food she normally loves. However skipping or delaying her medication is keeping her in a cycle of feeling terrible. It's not encouraging her appetite, plus she needs to have food with her antibiotics and really needs something to move her bowels.
So I've been a horrible human and thrown the skipped meal out, syringed dissolved medication and stool softener into her mouth, and given her some of the plain cold cat food. Hopefully a few days of this will get her back to normal. She hasn't finished her course of antibiotics yet but if she continues acting funny after that and doesn't become more regular soon it's back to the vet.
Really wish the little bastards would use more than the one action to indicate multiple needs!
We've been giving punkin his meds either soaked in sour cream or ground up and mixed with those pureed treat snacks on a spoon. He's now decided he hates hills renal bar the chicken stew and maybe the pate on occasion, so we're basically just endlessly cycling throught food types to prevent the boredom. Although a dab of oil from my sardine jar drives him nuts, so we're keeping that in the back pocket.
i know melbcat is allergic to the chikkens, but have you ever tried her on crocodile? Aussiefreezedried do treat bags
Yeah. I wish they could speak. To be fair she has used it before for 'I need help' and led me to whatever when I asked her to show me, but without a clear followup most often it's been asking for wet food. (So very often that I once initially missed it as a cue for 'there's a hole in my biscuits, go shake the bowl.') It was confusing because she was right next to what she wanted already and she didn't walk around near it or start pawing. I could still be wrong about her wanting the nook but I'll leave it open to see.
It's so hard when they get the fancies and the established stuff isn't good enough. She completely turned up her nose at a fish Churu a while ago too. I'm really hoping that her appetite improves after the antibiotics are finished and the constipation has eased (both common causes of nausea). I'm a bit worried about sour cream with the lactose but you've reminded me she used to love Greek yogurt back when I was still able to eat it myself. Perhaps I should put a tiny tub in my next shop.
Crocodile sounds cool, might be a bit expensive. She still loves her single protein fish treats and will eat them no problem - she just doesn't always go for them if they're garnishing a wet meal.