Introducing Betty White

daftcat75

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Doc didn’t call. I kinda didn’t want to take his call anyway. Yesterday was a long day at work and I didn’t feel like inviting the doc to dinner.

Betty did incredible on the overnight and finished her plate and half the feeder. Perhaps that’s why she took two bites of breakfast and called it. 🤷🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️ I got her to eat another couple mounds off the carpet. When I presented the plate once more, she walked away. Okay. We’re done for now. I weighed her plate in progress (it helps to have a matched pair) and she’s shaved off almost 1/3 already. That will do, Donkey. The remainder is achievable. I just hope she takes it in two turns. Perhaps one during third sleep… 🤞

I’ve decided I’m going to try two Greenies with her today. I held off yesterday because I wanted to see that the extra SB at night wasn’t putting her off. Wish us luck that there will be no double ended (or single ended) spits today. 🤞😹
 

tarasgirl06

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Doc didn’t call. I kinda didn’t want to take his call anyway. Yesterday was a long day at work and I didn’t feel like inviting the doc to dinner.

Betty did incredible on the overnight and finished her plate and half the feeder. Perhaps that’s why she took two bites of breakfast and called it. 🤷🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️ I got her to eat another couple mounds off the carpet. When I presented the plate once more, she walked away. Okay. We’re done for now. I weighed her plate in progress (it helps to have a matched pair) and she’s shaved off almost 1/3 already. That will do, Donkey. The remainder is achievable. I just hope she takes it in two turns. Perhaps one during third sleep… 🤞

I’ve decided I’m going to try two Greenies with her today. I held off yesterday because I wanted to see that the extra SB at night wasn’t putting her off. Wish us luck that there will be no double ended (or single ended) spits today. 🤞😹
Empathizing about the calls during dinner time. Our mail has been getting delivered around dinner prep time (the usual time is in the morning but I was told that our street is a training street for new carriers so...) and our Petco deliveries, ditto. VERY convenient. 😑
Good JOB, Ms. Betty! Yes, keep that *IN the cat!* Funny how most of us wouldn't like eating off the floor and would prefer fine china. Ms. Betty has her own ideas.
Hope that call comes soon, if not already.:hearthrob::lovecat3::hearthrob::yess:
 

daftcat75

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Looks like she did a second pass. I haven’t examined it. But there’s still a remainder. A much much smaller remainder. Not quite forgivable. But definitely achievable before lunch.

She sat very patiently while I powered through a work task. I want to fuss you up. Just give me ten minutes. We had a great fuss session. She just loves brushing and face rubs so much. And when I say face rubs, I mean her face to mine. In the middle of her blissing out, she’ll look back at me and give me the face that says, bring yours down to mine. 😽🥰

Final score for yesterday: A very respectable 170 calories. I plated a makeup portion for the one she regurgitated and she finished that too.

Regurgitations aside, I think she's doing alright at this new level. It certainly reset my expectations and has me on my toes again. With the doc's guidance and blessing, I'd like to stay here for another week or three and make sure this isn't just a slow ball forming.
 
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tarasgirl06

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Looks like she did a second pass. I haven’t examined it. But there’s still a remainder. A much much smaller remainder. Not quite forgivable. But definitely achievable before lunch.

She sat very patiently while I powered through a work task. I want to fuss you up. Just give me ten minutes. We had a great fuss session. She just loves brushing and face rubs so much. And when I say face rubs, I mean her face to mine. In the middle of her blissing out, she’ll look back at me and give me the face that says, bring yours down to mine. 😽🥰

Final score for yesterday: A very respectable 170 calories. I plated a makeup portion for the one she regurgitated and she finished that too.

Regurgitations aside, I think she's doing alright at this new level. It certainly reset my expectations and has me on my toes again. With the doc's guidance and blessing, I'd like to stay here for another week or three and make sure this isn't just a slow ball forming.
*From your keyboard!*:vibes::cheerleader:
 

daftcat75

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Watching on her on the Floofcam bathe herself. Because bathing usually precedes eating. Then sometimes she'll bathe after. She likes a little food with her hair. 😆
 

daftcat75

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*FIBER.* Ms. Betty knows fiber is good for the diet. :winkcat:
Yesterday I learned that Greenies has a proprietary blend of fibers that may help with hairball control and digestion. I don't know if the two Greenies she'll get (assuming the second one agrees with her) will move the needle enough for more fiber in her diet per AnimalBiome's recommendation. But it's more fiber than she was getting. I really need to start teaching her tricks and making her work for those daily treats instead of simply waiting for me to get breakfast to a wait-on-the-microwave-timer state.

Third pass on breakfast never came. She left a five gram remainder. I rolled it up into lunch. Not the same five grams. But I put an extra five grams on her lunch plate. I also learned my lesson from yesterday to not dump the remainder of the can until the end of the feeding shift.

First pass of lunch is already in the books. I didn't bother weighing it. It looks like a very strong first pass. She has plenty of time for two more passes before dinner.
 

tarasgirl06

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Yesterday I learned that Greenies has a proprietary blend of fibers that may help with hairball control and digestion. I don't know if the two Greenies she'll get (assuming the second one agrees with her) will move the needle enough for more fiber in her diet per AnimalBiome's recommendation. But it's more fiber than she was getting. I really need to start teaching her tricks and making her work for those daily treats instead of simply waiting for me to get breakfast to a wait-on-the-microwave-timer state.

Third pass on breakfast never came. She left a five gram remainder. I rolled it up into lunch. Not the same five grams. But I put an extra five grams on her lunch plate. I also learned my lesson from yesterday to not dump the remainder of the can until the end of the feeding shift.

First pass of lunch is already in the books. I didn't bother weighing it. It looks like a very strong first pass. She has plenty of time for two more passes before dinner.
Five minutes of "fishing pole lure" play and then a Greenie?
Thursday is looking good so far! :hearthrob: :lovecat3: :hearthrob: :yess: :cheerleader:
 

daftcat75

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Lunch is done and she's been a vocal pest for the last half hour. I went into the kitchen for a snack and she bounded up to the counter. You're about 75 minutes early, Betty. I wonder if the second Greenie got things moving, and un-stoppered her appetite.
 

daftcat75

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"Pest"? "PEST???" :angrycat:Feed. Me. NAOW. Hooman.:angrycat:
I think she's finding some daytime energy now that she's not on so much pred. But she doesn't play. She just bothers me for fuss. Occasionally she'll look out the window on her own. And sometimes she'll start meowing from the other room for no reason. I think she just wants my attention. I forgot she was like this before all the pred and mirtz. I think I may have to finally get her a replacement tree for that sunshine corner in the front room.

But yeah. Despite a slow start on breakfast, she's doing fantastic today. Looks like she'll make calories again tonight. Better odds for that than getting a call from the doc, I'm sure.
 

tarasgirl06

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I think she's finding some daytime energy now that she's not on so much pred. But she doesn't play. She just bothers me for fuss. Occasionally she'll look out the window on her own. And sometimes she'll start meowing from the other room for no reason. I think she just wants my attention. I forgot she was like this before all the pred and mirtz. I think I may have to finally get her a replacement tree for that sunshine corner in the front room.

But yeah. Despite a slow start on breakfast, she's doing fantastic today. Looks like she'll make calories again tonight. Better odds for that than getting a call from the doc, I'm sure.
Yeah. Well, in my life I've found felines to be MUCH more dependable and honest than (99.999% of) humans. So that's not surprising.
A new tree for the sunshine corner? *Fingers, get movin'!* Sounds really nice, now that Autumn is (in some places, supposedly...) here.
Elvis hasn't been playful, really, since Baby Su was in her final months with us. And his appetite isn't what it was, either. I don't push it, but I encourage where and when possible. Of course, Elvis is 15 to Betty's 5. And he's bereaved. But yeah. I do wish he'd eat more without so much encouragement, and consent to bat da Bird once in awhile.
 

daftcat75

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Yeah. Well, in my life I've found felines to be MUCH more dependable and honest than (99.999% of) humans. So that's not surprising.
A new tree for the sunshine corner? *Fingers, get movin'!* Sounds really nice, now that Autumn is (in some places, supposedly...) here.
Elvis hasn't been playful, really, since Baby Su was in her final months with us. And his appetite isn't what it was, either. I don't push it, but I encourage where and when possible. Of course, Elvis is 15 to Betty's 5. And he's bereaved. But yeah. I do wish he'd eat more without so much encouragement, and consent to bat da Bird once in awhile.
Can you increase (slowly) Elvis' Greenies allotment? Seems like the Healthy Indoor is complete and balanced and can be used as food, if needed. I wouldn't give it to Betty as food. But then she's not 15 and bereaved.

It looks like my neighbor who OC/Buddy was living with has moved out of her unit. I used to see her cats--including OC--in the window all the time. Then I stopped seeing them in the window and it looked like that room was abandoned. And now it looks like the entire unit has gone dark and empty. Have a good life, Buddy! You brought me joy when I needed it. And I'm glad you're an indoor cat despite how much I miss you.
IMG_0937.jpg
 

daftcat75

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Doc called about 7:30. Just when I was ready to give up on his call. It was a good chat. He agreed with me that 2.5 is not an insignificant level but not a high level either. He has no concerns if she stays at this level for several weeks or months even if we need to look at other concerns like her teeth and her diet. He also said that monitoring her food intake and squaring it with her weigh-ins is the best way to know if she’s getting enough to eat (or eating too much) and not to get hung up on what one site or another says she should be eating. If she can get maintain her weight and energy levels on 150 calories then that’s enough for her. For CBD, he wasn’t aware of the cytochrome P450 liver enzymes competition. He said he wasn’t aware of any contraindications and he’ll leave that one up to me. And finally he said it’s okay if I take her to my regular vet for recheck since they will want a pre screen before her dental anyway. It’s okay if I take her to him too. I’ll call her regular vet tomorrow and see what the schedule is. I haven’t yet met her regular vets in person due to the pandemic. I’d love to finally meet one of them.

First dinner in the books. Second dinner and feeder plated. Now she’s sleeping on my shoulder/chest while I watch Voyager. I have her head pressed into mine and her legs sleep twitching against my arm. It’s adorable. Except my back is hoping she wakes soon.
 

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Doc called about 7:30. Just when I was ready to give up on his call. It was a good chat. He agreed with me that 2.5 is not an insignificant level but not a high level either. He has no concerns if she stays at this level for several weeks or months even if we need to look at other concerns like her teeth and her diet. He also said that monitoring her food intake and squaring it with her weigh-ins is the best way to know if she’s getting enough to eat (or eating too much) and not to get hung up on what one site or another says she should be eating. If she can get maintain her weight and energy levels on 150 calories then that’s enough for her. For CBD, he wasn’t aware of the cytochrome P450 liver enzymes competition. He said he wasn’t aware of any contraindications and he’ll leave that one up to me. And finally he said it’s okay if I take her to my regular vet for recheck since they will want a pre screen before her dental anyway. It’s okay if I take her to him too. I’ll call her regular vet tomorrow and see what the schedule is. I haven’t yet met her regular vets in person due to the pandemic. I’d love to finally meet one of them.

First dinner in the books. Second dinner and feeder plated. Now she’s sleeping on my shoulder/chest while I watch Voyager. I have her head pressed into mine and her legs sleep twitching against my arm. It’s adorable. Except my back is hoping she wakes soon.
So are you thinking about a dental soon? before she tapers off the pred? And will her insurance cover? (PRAYERS it will!)
Yeah, probably most, if not all, allopathic vets shy away from the subject of CBD. Such confusion around a natural substance from a plant! among human-use proponents and opponents. Wish they'd make up their minds. And get educated on the subject so that they can make genuinely informed decisions.
The doc you talked with yesterday sounds like a good one. Hoping you can meet Betty's care team soon. That's pretty important IMHO. Not that there's a huge playing field, but still. Having a rapport with the ones to whom you entrust your loved one's care is Priority One, yes?
We're still wondering about the calories/weight gain thing, though, and we'd like a definitive answer! if there is one.
Elvis gets enough Greenies. It's his regular wet food I want him eating more of. His appetite picks up in cooler weather and it's toying with the idea of becoming Autumn here. But it's always a seesaw effect before that happens. He loves his Greenies and his Blue Buffalo mature cat crunchies. But it's his wet food he needs to get more serious about. I tried topping a bowl of previously refrigerated tuna with bonito flakes the other evening. Every cat of my acquaintance has LOVED these and they've made a big difference between reluctance and snorkescence. Not so, Elvis, who turned up his nose at that bowl and I used it to feed the garbage disposal. :sniffle: Elvis is a very bizarre cat.
Hoping OC/Buddy and his guardian have moved to a nice place! Great pic. Miss the saga of OC and AOC.
 

daftcat75

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So are you thinking about a dental soon? before she tapers off the pred? And will her insurance cover? (PRAYERS it will!)
Yeah, probably most, if not all, allopathic vets shy away from the subject of CBD. Such confusion around a natural substance from a plant! among human-use proponents and opponents. Wish they'd make up their minds. And get educated on the subject so that they can make genuinely informed decisions.
The doc you talked with yesterday sounds like a good one. Hoping you can meet Betty's care team soon. That's pretty important IMHO. Not that there's a huge playing field, but still. Having a rapport with the ones to whom you entrust your loved one's care is Priority One, yes?
We're still wondering about the calories/weight gain thing, though, and we'd like a definitive answer! if there is one.
Elvis gets enough Greenies. It's his regular wet food I want him eating more of. His appetite picks up in cooler weather and it's toying with the idea of becoming Autumn here. But it's always a seesaw effect before that happens. He loves his Greenies and his Blue Buffalo mature cat crunchies. But it's his wet food he needs to get more serious about. I tried topping a bowl of previously refrigerated tuna with bonito flakes the other evening. Every cat of my acquaintance has LOVED these and they've made a big difference between reluctance and snorkescence. Not so, Elvis, who turned up his nose at that bowl and I used it to feed the garbage disposal. :sniffle: Elvis is a very bizarre cat.
Hoping OC/Buddy and his guardian have moved to a nice place! Great pic. Miss the saga of OC and AOC.
Yes. I want to address her teeth before the next pred taper. She had enough difficulty with this step down that I want to leave her at this level long enough for her to get used to it and for the both of us to determine if it’s still protective against her hairballs. We used to have hairball intervals longer than two weeks. Doc says he doesn’t have any reservations about her staying at this level of pred for several weeks or months if needed. It’s a low enough dose that it shouldn’t carry the same risks of long-term side effects. My fear or concern with proceeding with the taper is that if we hit more struggles at the next level, would backtracking even be helpful if she never got used to this level. I don’t want us to lose too much more time on her teeth struggling with the lower doses of pred. Every vet who has popped her mouth since I’ve had her has said her teeth need cleaning and there may be some extractions needed. Her soft appetite and mopey mood may be attributable to dental pain that she’s silently suffering through. I’d love to rule that out already. I wanted to address her teeth back in February but we got swept up in all this gut stuff. Now that she seems stable at a safer lower level of steroids, let’s take this acclimation pause and finally circle back to her teeth.
 

tarasgirl06

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Yes. I want to address her teeth before the next pred taper. She had enough difficulty with this step down that I want to leave her at this level long enough for her to get used to it and for the both of us to determine if it’s still protective against her hairballs. We used to have hairball intervals longer than two weeks. Doc says he doesn’t have any reservations about her staying at this level of pred for several weeks or months if needed. It’s a low enough dose that it shouldn’t carry the same risks of long-term side effects. My fear or concern with proceeding with the taper is that if we hit more struggles at the next level, would backtracking even be helpful if she never got used to this level. I don’t want us to lose too much more time on her teeth struggling with the lower doses of pred. Every vet who has popped her mouth since I’ve had her has said her teeth need cleaning and there may be some extractions needed. Her soft appetite and mopey mood may be attributable to dental pain that she’s silently suffering through. I’d love to rule that out already. I wanted to address her teeth back in February but we got swept up in all this gut stuff. Now that she seems stable at a safer lower level of steroids, let’s take this acclimation pause and finally circle back to her teeth.
"... My fear or concern with proceeding with the taper is that if we hit more struggles at the next level, would backtracking even be helpful if she never got used to this level." Does anyone on Betty's care team have any feedback on this?
 

daftcat75

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"... My fear or concern with proceeding with the taper is that if we hit more struggles at the next level, would backtracking even be helpful if she never got used to this level." Does anyone on Betty's care team have any feedback on this?
I didn't phrase it like that talking with the doc last night. I said that this step down seems to have taken both of us by surprise at how large a difference it was vs. the last step down. As such, I think she needs an extra week or two to make sure this dose is really effective at keeping her symptom-free while also letting her get used to this level before I take the floor out from her once more. Doc said he was good with that and it was the doc who said she could be at this level for weeks or months if necessary if I wanted to check other things like her teeth or diet change. So that's the plan. I mean I don't fully trust that this level just yet. I'd like to see a few more weigh-ins and maybe a recheck before struggling more at the step down. And given Krista's grief with her teeth, it's been bothering me since January that I haven't been able to check out her teeth yet.
 

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Thought of you today when I was catfood 1DF0CB86-130F-4425-B0A1-0B289C9A8789.jpeg shopping. Saw this and wondered if you knew about hairball gel? Seems to come on a lot of flavors. Since Greenies seem to be working for you, I wouldn’t reccommend a change, but had no idea it came in gel form. Didn’t have a chance to check out the ingredients. I’m glad you’re stopping to focus on teeth: if Betty does have an issue, it’s good to nip in the bud, and cats are so good at making pain. Do your brush her teeth or do anything to prevent tartar? (Just curious).
 

daftcat75

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Thought of you today when I was catfoodView attachment 433259 shopping. Saw this and wondered if you knew about hairball gel? Seems to come on a lot of flavors. Since Greenies seem to be working for you, I wouldn’t reccommend a change, but had no idea it came in gel form. Didn’t have a chance to check out the ingredients. I’m glad you’re stopping to focus on teeth: if Betty does have an issue, it’s good to nip in the bud, and cats are so good at making pain. Do your brush her teeth or do anything to prevent tartar? (Just curious).
I don’t brush her teeth. I don’t want to be poking around in there until I get the okay from the vet that she doesn’t have anything painful there. I tried the gel with Betty. Krista liked it and didn’t need it. Betty doesn’t like the stuff and ran around trying to flick it off her paw. I’m hoping the Greenies are helping. But I’m also still hoping that an eventual diet change and her poop pills will fix up her inflamed gut so we don’t need a hairball solution.
 
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