And so it begins... new kitty comes home and her highness is not amused

[ladytimedramon]

Thanks. I know it was something I ate.

Kibble-wise Delilah is more forgiving than with wet, and kibble is more of a suppliment than the bulk of the diet.

 

[ladytimedramon]

Just spoke to the vet. She said we could start on a "rabbit" based food instead. Now to find one that doesn't have fish added.

 

[rubysmama]

I'm sure there's more than just one, but here's the first one a Google search found.
Limited Ingredient Diet Rabbit Wet Cat Food - Instinct Pet Food

 

[ladytimedramon]

I'm sure there's more than just one, but here's the first one a Google search found.
Limited Ingredient Diet Rabbit Wet Cat Food - Instinct Pet Food

Yeah. That seems to be the most popular and most reasonable. I ordered some for pickup after school, and I ordered different color bowls for the feeder so I don't mix up bowls if Im half asleep. I just ordered the smaller bag of kibble and a dozen pouches of the food. And hopefully Delilah will eat the kibble too.

 

[ladytimedramon]

Last night I mixed some of the instinct wet in with Fancy's food to transition and she seemed fine with it. I mixed some of the kibble into the feeder as well. Some of it fell onto the table. Deliah was all over it. So that's my bigger worry out of the way. I don't know why, when I did her food trials, I didn't do rabbit. I think at the time all I could find was rabbit pate, and pate is right out with Delilah. The instinct in the pouches is more like an extruded sliver type product. She might eat it, but then with wet food she gets tired of the same food repeatedly (which is why she stopped eating Sheba - all I could get was turkey cuts).

I don't know why happened but a couple of days ago I saw a scratch by Delilah's ear and felt a scab on her forehead. I've been putting antibiotic on it (I have a pet friendly variety from the vet). The scab came off this morning (overnight) and it's looking a bit messy. I hope its not from the girls getting into a swatting match. Fancy had a little cut on her nose a couple of weeks ago.

 

[rubysmama]

I hope its not from the girls getting into a swatting match.

Pedicure time, girls.

 

[ladytimedramon]

Pedicure time, girls.

Oh, always. Fancy I can usually just grab and hold. Delilah needs the purrito method.

 

[ladytimedramon]

Last night was WILD.

It turned out what I thought was a wet food was a topper (seriously - it didn't say it on Petsmart - I just was looking for better pricing and another website had it listed as a topper) so It's a good thing I was just mixing it with Fancy's other food to transition. I haven't been able to find Instinct rabbit so I picked up Koha instead.

I was tired because I'd had physical therapy and then stopped at 2 pet food stores. I went to feed the kitties and then Fancy got under my foot. I stepped on her paw (with shoes on) and she SHRIEKED. Delilah didn't like that and started going after her, yowling, growling and chasing her. They ran into my bedroom, Fancy darted out, and I was able to close Delilah in. They both calmed down and I was able to check Fancy's paw (thankfully I didn't do any damage).

They're still tense around each other. This morning I had trouble telling if they were playing or if Delilah was being a bully. Sometimes I'm just not sure.

 

[rubysmama]

Oh no. Fancy's shriek sounds like it caused Delilah's Re-directed Aggression In Cats – TheCatSite Articles
Hope things get back to where they were quickly.

 

[ladytimedramon]

I was glad I got them separated when I did, before something major happened. I let both of them have a cool down period. Once I was able to check Fancy's paws for injury I went in and checked on Delilah, who was calmly on my bed. I didn't open the bedroom door until I saw both were calm. Some of this is just little stuff that was going on before that I wonder about.

 

[ladytimedramon]

So a little update:

Food:
Fancy has been on the rabbit LID for about a month. I'm not getting random gas bombs, and her poo smell has changed (not the sulfur/rotten plant smell it was before). It doesn't linger on her as badly, but it lingers in the litterbox. The smell still isn't great, but it's not as bad. I'm going to have to get down a mathematical formula on her food, because she won't eat just pate or kibble. I have to mix pate with water into a slurry, add kibble, then some of the rabbit LID topper. Spoiled brat.

Delilah is being given the rabbit LID kibble as well in the timed feeder. I've also, for now, moved her to the ProPlan as the vet recommended. BUT, whether it's the food changes (they were done gradually) or not, her poo is stinkier and softer. I'm giving her fortiflora in her breakfast to try to help. Going on a LID for her would be really hard. She won't touch the rabbit (I've put Fancy's plate down and she'll sniff it then look at me and wait for her food). I'd also have to figure out how to manage 2 different kibbles because I wouldn't be able to use the timed feeder.

I've noticed that neither girl is really eating the rabbit LID kibble unless they're REALLY hungry. It piles up in the timed feeder. But I can set it manually for emergencies.

Collars and Bells:
So, Delilah has worn a collar since I got her. Fancy, well, we had the incident where a poorly crimped rivet irritated her neck and she licked off a bunch of fur. The problem is, she hasn't quite mastered "don't dart under Mom's feet" and now I've stepped on her 3 times. I need her to wear a collar and bell so I can tell where she is. The problem is she's become a MASSIVE drama queen. I wish I could get a video of how she does this funny twitchy crouch walk/run. It's hilarious. I can't tell though if it's the collar or the bell bothering her. I wound up taking it off this morning when she wouldn't go eat. She just huddled herself in the bedroom cat tree. Delilah seemed annoyed by her behavior. After I took the collar off she refused to move (she was on the bed). Delilah got annoyed and started hitting her so I picked her up and took her with me into the bathroom. As soon as she was down, once she felt the collar was off, she darted back into the bedroom. I may just start with a collar and no bell and introduce a bell later.

Tension:
The girls are still more like squabbling roommates with Delilah as the bossy one. I've tried to engage them in play together but usually Fancy will play and Delilah watches. Delilah is more interested in chasing her springs than wand toys. Fancy will play with wand toys and little stuffies which she will pick up and carry around. Ms. Chunkybutt has become a bit lazy. Delilah will still swat at Fancy and "throw her weight around" so to speak. Most of the time it's so sudden or fast I can't get my camera out to record it.

So that's how things have been here.

 

[rubysmama]

Not a bad update. Some swatting and "throwing weight around", I think is to be expected. As long as there's no fur flying or blood, and that neither is acting scared of the other, or stressed, it's probably normal.

Can't give advice, or even an opinion, on the collars, as Ruby's never worn one. She does, however, manage to get under my feet from time to time.

I'm going to have to get down a mathematical formula on her food, because she won't eat just pate or kibble. I have to mix pate with water into a slurry, add kibble, then some of the rabbit LID topper.

I so understand needing a mathematical formula for food. I always say I need to be a chemist to figure out Ruby's food portions, so that her litter box deposits stay normal, and too soft (and smelly) or too hard and dry. So good luck figuring it out. It's definitely not easy, when you have a cat with a sensitive digestive system.

 

[ladytimedramon]

I so understand needing a mathematical formula for food. I always say I need to be a chemist to figure out Ruby's food portions, so that her litter box deposits stay normal, and too soft (and smelly) or too hard and dry. So good luck figuring it out. It's definitely not easy, when you have a cat with a sensitive digestive system.

Thanks. I'm less worried about the stools and more worried about her getting the right amount of nutrition, since she has had weight issues. I don't want to have to start worrying about her needing to lose weight like Ms. Chunkybutt.