Introducing Betty White

artiemom

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OMG.. look at this baby.. True happiness and ❤❤..

I forget how I tapered Artie's doses of mirtz...He was getting it every 3 days with terrible side effects-- pacing, thee meowing.. OMG>> it drove me crazy--nonstop.. no matter what I did.. but it did help his appetite...
I think it was 1/2 dose, for a couple of doses, and then 1/4 dose for once., and then nothing....

Betty is taking Pred also.. so the appetite will be doubly increased.

Geoffrey put on 2 lbs because of the pred.. He is an eating machine! Betty is also....
 

daftcat75

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I wonder whether Betty needs more calories because pred is racing her system that much harder.

Or if she only thinks she needs more calories.

I guess that's an answer for our Sunday weigh-in. She has been averaging about 180 calories per day as I have been sneaking her that afternoon Rawz snack. At some point, I would love for that Rawz snack to turn into a full overnight meal so I can stop dumping a half can of I/D each night.
 

Margot Lane

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I wonder whether Betty needs more calories because pred is racing her system that much harder.

Or if she only thinks she needs more calories.

I guess that's an answer for our Sunday weigh-in. She has been averaging about 180 calories per day as I have been sneaking her that afternoon Rawz snack. At some point, I would love for that Rawz snack to turn into a full overnight meal so I can stop dumping a half can of I/D each night.
I wonder this all the time. I wish there was some way of making them feel full w/out all the feedings & cravings & trying to resist the begging. You do have wonder how hard this all is on them, and even, do they digest it properly. I’m assuming our vets would tell us if they weren’t getting enough of anything. I will say the pred has extended my cat’s life far, far beyond what I thought we’d be able to celebrate together, and in between the cravings, his quality of life is sofar fine for his age. My vet insists on bloodwork w/ pred at least once a month…is that what yours is saying?

My vet called about bloodwork results as I typed, so I asked: “is he getting enough nutrition or just eating food madly” and she said yes, nutritionally he’s fine. She also said bloodwork every 3 months, hooray.

(Sorry, not stealing your thread here…just hoping to add useful pred related information).
 
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daftcat75

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I wonder this all the time. I wish there was some way of making them feel full w/out all the feedings & cravings & trying to resist the begging. You do have wonder how hard this all is on them, and even, do they digest it properly. I’m assuming our vets would tell us if they weren’t getting enough of anything. I will say the pred has extended my cat’s life far, far beyond what I thought we’d be able to celebrate together, and in between the cravings, his quality of life is sofar fine for his age. My vet insists on bloodwork w/ pred at least once a month…is that what yours is saying?

My vet called about bloodwork results as I typed, so I asked: “is he getting enough nutrition or just eating food madly” and she said yes, nutritionally he’s fine. She also said bloodwork every 3 months, hooray.

(Sorry, not stealing your thread here…just hoping to add useful pred related information).
Dont worry about it. This is useful.

Tonight finishes week one of pred. I guess I’ll call Monday if IM office doesn’t call tomorrow to determine doc’s plan for monitoring.

With next week being the second week of pred. I wanted to make certain we were done with the mirtz taper before we start the pred taper. I don’t want her appetite to get a double whammy of withdrawals.

She’s working on her mirtz comedy routine right now. It’s all in the timing and delivery. 😹
 

daftcat75

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I plated second dinner at 8:15. She did first pass while I washed my dinner dishes. Then took a pee while I brushed my teeth. She went back to the plate and finished it. She’s done with second dinner by 8:30. And she’s not getting another meal until midnight. And I don’t care how hungry she is, she’s not getting extras tonight. I’m not spoiling her. Except that I may sneak her some more Rawz if she’s truly miserably hungry.

Like she just finished second dinner not twenty minutes ago. She sat with me for about ten minutes of cuddle. She sat in front of her plate for a few minutes. Now she’s back for cuddles. This will probably repeat for much of the night. 🤦🏼‍♂️ So glad we’re going to be done with the mirtz after this dose.
 

daftcat75

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She has been sitting in front of or near her empty plate for the last hour or so. She’s still got another hour until overnight meal. I’m sitting with her in the office giving her fuss to try to distract her. It will only work for so long… 😽🐷🍔🍕🍟🤦🏼‍♂️
 

daftcat75

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We made it to midnight. I plated her overnight meal and set out a mini snack of Rawz rabbit in the timed feeder so she’ll have something around 3am when I’m sure overnight will already be finished. I’m making an exception for her final mirtz night. From breakfast tomorrow, I return to mean dad who keeps her on a schedule and a calories budget. 😾

In a show of solidarity, I fixed myself a midnight snack as well. This will also be an exception. 🤦🏼‍♂️
 

daftcat75

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Because she was stalking her plate last night, she was there the moment the feeder popped open. She understood the assignment and that was clean in no time flat. There wasn’t much in it to begin with. But she returned it clean enough to reuse.

First pass breakfast looked a lot like first pass dinner. Scroll back for that picture. Its remainder she just finished during “third sleep” which I’m for some reason awake for instead of sleeping. 🤦🏼‍♂️

I’m going to have to be mean dad this morning until lunch.😾😔

I really want/need the data of whether she needs the calories or just wants them. This is a Sunday weigh-in question to answer. But it will be a lot harder to answer if I keep giving in and pushing her calories higher.
 

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Because she was stalking her plate last night, she was there the moment the feeder popped open. She understood the assignment and that was clean in no time flat. There wasn’t much in it to begin with. But she returned it clean enough to reuse.

First pass breakfast looked a lot like first pass dinner. Scroll back for that picture. Its remainder she just finished during “third sleep” which I’m for some reason awake for instead of sleeping. 🤦🏼‍♂️

I’m going to have to be mean dad this morning until lunch.😾😔

I really want/need the data of whether she needs the calories or just wants them. This is a Sunday weigh-in question to answer. But it will be a lot harder to answer if I keep giving in and pushing her calories higher.
Glad the mirtz is history and hoping the pred discontinue goes well, too.
And yeah. Thou shalt not spoil thy feline. Thou shalt not give in to thy feline's songs and dances. Until weigh-in, anyway.;)
 

daftcat75

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She seems a little mopey today like a cat who was roofied when she didn’t need it anymore. 🤦🏼‍♂️😴 At least she’s not stalking the plate full time like last night. Strangely she’s also not bothering me for food an hour early like she has been this whole week. It’s been an easy mean dad afternoon. Looking forward to putting a few more mirtz-free days behind us. And looking forward to Sunday weigh-in to see if steroids has increased her caloric needs or simply her caloric cravings.
 

tarasgirl06

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She seems a little mopey today like a cat who was roofied when she didn’t need it anymore. 🤦🏼‍♂️😴 At least she’s not stalking the plate full time like last night. Strangely she’s also not bothering me for food an hour early like she has been this whole week. It’s been an easy mean dad afternoon. Looking forward to putting a few more mirtz-free days behind us. And looking forward to Sunday weigh-in to see if steroids has increased her caloric needs or simply her caloric cravings.
Yeah, that'll be interesting! Maybe she's just feeling calmer, less stressed and therefore less needy for food post-mirtz. Hoping so, anyway!
 

daftcat75

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Yeah, that'll be interesting! Maybe she's just feeling calmer, less stressed and therefore less needy for food post-mirtz. Hoping so, anyway!
It takes a day (or two) for her to get back to “normal“ after a mirtz dose. But at least she’s not so crazy with the restless meows on the day(s) after a dosing night. We’re through the worst of the mirtz.
 

daftcat75

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I just want to say it again. I am so impressed, grateful, and proud of how well she takes her meds now. We don’t even fight with the lick and flicks anymore. I drop an A/D covered capsule and she knows to swallow them now. I drop the next one and she scoops and swallows. And in the evenings when she takes three, the third is just as easy as the first two. She’s like. “I can do this all day.”

Oh dang! She ate her entire dinner in one go. There’s not even a remainder to fluff. I mean I can put out the last of the scraps. But that feels almost insulting.

I really hope the steroids means she needs more calories. Because I want to feed her more if she can eat them and not get fat. We’ll both be happy not having to argue over the next meal time and size.
 

tarasgirl06

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I just want to say it again. I am so impressed, grateful, and proud of how well she takes her meds now. We don’t even fight with the lick and flicks anymore. I drop an A/D covered capsule and she knows to swallow them now. I drop the next one and she scoops and swallows. And in the evenings when she takes three, the third is just as easy as the first two. She’s like. “I can do this all day.”

Oh dang! She ate her entire dinner in one go. There’s not even a remainder to fluff. I mean I can put out the last of the scraps. But that feels almost insulting.

I really hope the steroids means she needs more calories. Because I want to feed her more if she can eat them and not get fat. We’ll both be happy not having to argue over the next meal time and size.
With all she has gone through, she deserves to be on an even keel--and yes, to enjoy as much good food as is good for her!
Just shared a video about 155 cats being airlifted out of South Florida shelters, where their chances are not as good right now, up North. The flight was co-sponsored by Hill's. Thought you might like to know that. :yess:
 

artiemom

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That is so good about Betty.. She is such a warrior cat... It could also mean that the steroid is really aiding her tummy issues; allowing her to really taste, and enjoy the food, without nausea, or tummy issues..

With Geoffrey, I am kind of playing "Bad Mama".. I am giving more wet for breakfast, and second breakfast. Then wait a while--a couple hours, and put out 1/2 amount of the dry food for him.
Since Geoffrey is free fed, it is a bit more difficult to cut back.. but, so far, no Back talk from him.

As I said before, Betty is a Warrior Cat!!
 

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Betty has been cleaning her plates almost as soon as I put them down. Clearly the pred must be doing her belly good and not just her appetite. She's not leaving remainders and she hasn't scarfed and barfed either. Though she does still sometimes get the burps while we cuddle at night. But I think that may be her body position as much as anything. She's sort of a liquid flowing cat-like pillow scarf that lays where she fits as long as she can get her face into mine. I think the mirtz is ebbing out of her as she seems more able to wait for next meal even if she's not happy about it.

She's not happy about the Rx Clay in her lunch. She pestered me for hours for her lunch. I put 1/16 tsp of Rx Clay into her lunch and she acts like it's poison. She does a couple of licks and decides, "it'll still be there later" and goes down for another nap.

Today there is a baseball (and other sports and nonsports I don't care about) card show at the mall. I went and it was very disappointing. It often is. But there's usually one or two vendors with affordable vintage that make the effort almost worth it. I don't need five hours at the taproom so I don't mind a little wasted time. If I get home early, I'm just going to be subjected to hangry mouth or quiet, patient, guilt-trip Betty. She actually does that a lot more than hangry mouth. She'll simply park herself in front of her plate and wait for me to notice and feel sorry for her. 🤦‍♂️ From the mall, I checked on the camera and Betty was still having her poison lunch hunger strike nap.

I ran an errand across the valley and finally got to the taproom at 2pm. Her poison lunch hunger strike has ended. The plate is clean. Good thing she's got a Rawz rabbit 1/3 portion waiting in the timed feeder. It should pop between 2:30 and 3pm. The egg timer on it is not an exact science. 🤦‍♂️ That's part of the reason I recommend deploying these in pairs with a staggered schedule. But she's not eating enough from them yet to require that level of redundancy right now.

Her Mouser cans came in from Incredible Pets. I'm not sure when we'll try these. I really want to get her to eating a full overnight portion of the Rawz rabbit so I can stop dumping half a can of I/D. Even better, I can scoop the food from the can in the fridge into the feeder and whether it's the time spent in the feeder to warm up to room temp, or the pred in the cat that she just doesn't care, she has no issues finishing that portion when the feeder pops.

Looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in when we learn whether I can increase her meals or meal size in proportion to her increased appetite.
 

artiemom

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This sounds like a good update. I am happy for YOU and for BETTY!!!
I know you were not wanting to give the prednisolone, but it seem as if it is really helping her.
See what happens when the Mirtz is done and over with!!

Great update... glad you were able to get away for a while...
 

daftcat75

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This sounds like a good update. I am happy for YOU and for BETTY!!!
I know you were not wanting to give the prednisolone, but it seem as if it is really helping her.
See what happens when the Mirtz is done and over with!!

Great update... glad you were able to get away for a while...
I think my objections to pred are based on my experience with Krista similar to what you are seeing with Geoffrey. Part of it is that I didn't put Krista through an endo or a biopsy. I had to fight to get a prescription for the chemo when the pred alone wasn't working and they wanted to put an unstable cat through the stress of a biopsy or endo. And when the remission was incomplete because I was still wrapping her nightly pred in a trigger food, the only thing the doc had for me was more pred. So I got to see Krista's personality wane, her appetite went through the roof, and she never slept more than a couple of hours before she was begging me for another meal. In the meantime, she was losing her coat quality. But that was Krista. And Betty is 50% more cat than Krista was when each started pred. But yes, pred seems to be doing Betty a lot of good--especially if she can get off the mirtz rollercoaster of the every other day or every few days crazies. She probably doesn't need the ondansetron anymore either. But one drug at a time.
 
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