Caring For Minnie

[LTS3]

There is a prescription food for thyroid issues, Hills Y/D. It's only available as a dry food. See the links above for other suitable non-prescription foods that are available as canned.

Weigh gain should be done gradually so the body can adjust. Ask the vet if a high calorie food or supplement can be used.

 

[Catsnkiddos]

My father stopped by this evening to help finalize the memorial for Minnie's Daddy. I had my son bring Minnie up to visit with my mom. After a few moments she came over to see my dad- so happy purring and social. I think she recognized him from his visits to her house over the years. She was a completely different kitty with him. She trotted back to the basement before he left, but since has been up 3 times. She was hissy at my kitties tonight, but still walked normally past them. Only one hissed back, and frankly she hisses at everyone as she is the Queen Bee. She even hisses at my husband! I don't think her hissing at Minnie is a big deal.

She still seems to limp when she walks and carry her head at a tilt. I still wonder if she had a stroke at some point. She's a bit wobbly on her feet and can't jump or climb yet. I hope that will come with muscle mass and strength.

Minnie was very hungry, so she got some boiled chicken breast and then some more canned food later this evening. As I am typing this I see her walking over.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Nice update - thank you for that! Hope we will hear more positive updates! Minnie, you go girl!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Hang in there, Minnie! You have a whole team rooting for you!

 

[Catsnkiddos]

I am guessing Minnie is feeling better because she is now fighting the pills. Hopefully she will affiliate it with the yummy treat I give right after and it will get easier again.
She seems congested and sneezed a bit last night. I noticed this evening what appears to be nasal discharge. I will call the vet in the morning. Have to ensure her health and the rest of the kitty family as well.

I hope she moves in a positive direction and can adapt to the home. There don't seem to be any families stepping up for her. I don't want to make her golden years stressful and anxiety filled by having her here...but I don't think there will be any place else for her. I will NOT take her to a shelter- that would be far too stressful. I want her to be happy...enjoy the sun and a window sill, play with toys and lay on soft pillows.

 

[Kflowers]

From what you said it sounded as though she's actually happy with you guys. She's spending time alone because of being sick and her instincts tell her to sleep as much as possible and because she's still grieving. However, as someone who has had many cats at the same time with new ones coming in at a fairly steady pace, it really does sound as though she has accepted you, and everyone in your house. A few hisses are just, 'give me some space' and they may end when she's well again. Sniffles mean she can't catch and analysis the scents around her, which for a cat is similar to suddenly being deaf.

 

[Catsnkiddos]

Last night my husband went to the kitchen for a late snack and there was Minnie! She came into me on the sofa, pulled herself up and snuggled me. She seemed ravenous, but didn't want any of the food we offered Not sure what might satisfy her.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Sometimes baby food will do the trick. Just make sure there aren't any added onions or garlic. The "first foods" are usually good about not having them.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello - how are things going?

 

[Catsnkiddos]

Thanks for asking. I've been limited time on the internet as my daughter and the horse she was riding fell down a mountain when the horse tripped while running. I have been her full time servant since as she has many broken bones!

It turns out Minnie is a pretty pushy kitty with NO cat to cat manners. After three months on meds she had only gained FOUR ounces! They tweaked her dose and I decided to feed her several small meals of canned rather than the two large ones. We also added in food whenever she goes near her bowl in the kitchen (we put in a small teaspoon of food). She is still very bony. Anytime someone is eating ANYTHING she will be over meowing and pawing to get a share of it.

She will come up and lay with you if you are sitting on the sofa. She is starting to rub on legs. She talks quite a bit and seems to be bonding to my husband who works from home and is always available. She has played with cat toys. A few weeks ago my daughter had piles of embroidery floss piled on the hearth waiting for me to sort it for her. Minnie climbed into the floss, rolled around, batted it- it was a kitty playland.

She is really not good with other cats. If she is laying on the sofa and another cat walks within even two feet (just passing by, not even looking in her direction) she will launch her self forward all claws and hiss to swat at the passerby. The other kitties always seems shocked and give a wtf look in those cases. She will also attack the other kitties in the kitchen. When we snack them each kitty gets 2 snacks right in front of their faces. They all cluster except Minnie who has a wide berth. She will hiss and attack them. If she happens to be walking along and another cat is already where she is headed or comes unexpectedly around a corner she will attack. The semi-feral who once wanted to lay with Minnie now gives her wide berth. They can occasionally be on the same sofa if they are both trying to lay near me...but it never lasts and minnie always goes on the attack I hope she learns some cat manners soon.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh catsnkiddos I'm SO very sorry to hear about your daughter!!! (The horse didn't survive i assume, oh, geez, my heart goes out to you both!!) I've been there, horse tripped, went down, I went over its head, got a concussion but otherwise relatively unscathed. You both have all my very best wishes for a fast recovery!!

Minnie climbed into the floss, rolled around, batted it- it was a kitty playland.

Awww!


So shes interested in food, somewhat eating but not gaining? Smart of you to do small frequent meals.

Maybe something here might help, and also try a flat paper plate.

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

I don't know, but would some classical harp music now and then help her stress levels?

You, Your Cat And Stress

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH NO! Lighting a candle for your daughter!

Well...the good news is that Minnie is feeling more at home...the bad news is that she seems to be a bully. But, every time a new cat comes into the household, things change. There is a new hierarchy. She may just be taking, and enforcing, Top Cat position. It's rough on the others, but I think (hope, pray) that things may settle down over the next couple of months as she becomes even more secure.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello! How are things?

 

[Catsnkiddos]

Hi there. Minnie had another medication adjustment. She eats-any and all times she can. Lots of small meals and any meat we might cook, though she would eat anything she can get in her mouth (except eggs! I scrambled her some egg and she was horrified I would serve such filth.) She just really is not gaining very quickly.

She continues to be unfriendly to other animals. Our bill old German Shepherd is afraid of her and avoids her as much as possible. He is approachable to cats- he isn't a cat lover, but when they engage him he will snuffle, groom or play in return. If he sees her in a room, he leaves. She continues to attack any and all other cats. Poor Marley was in a deep sleep on the sofa when Minnie came along and just attacked. He ran away. All the kitties seem to just ignore her now- unless she attacks them. When she does most of them just smack her and walk away. One of them takes a fight posture but just holds his ground and walks away on his own terms. There is a lot of angry vocalizing around the house these days. The good news, for me at least, is the cats to each other have remained consistent in their relationships. They are the same with one another now as they were before Minnie arrived. Our cat family is accustomed to other animals. We had 5 german shepherds when our first kitty moved in and have had various numbers of pets ever since. Minnie grew up in a house with our family friend and his long time girlfriend. She was the animal person and when she passed away 7 or so years ago Minnie was left alone with her Daddy. I think she is just not used to animal life.

We've got the Feliway difusers in all rooms of the house. We often have music and we try to keep them all engaged in positive ways- play, petting, snacking. Minnie is certainly more confident. After all these months she finally came all the way up to the bedroom floor. She checked out my room and my son's room before she went right back downstairs to the sofa. I haven't seen her upstairs since but, well....baby steps. She is 15- I take what progress I can get for her.

As for my daughter...well, she is healing. I have a good laugh that she was at camp for tumbling and was not injured by that, but by the extracurricular she engaged in with the horse. Camp is on a mountain and they can sign up to go further up the mountain on horseback and then camp at the destination, returning the next morning. She is an experienced rider so she does this every year she goes to camp (5 ears running now). She said her horse was being very difficult on the entire trail and she was bringing up the rear because of his naughty behavior. They entered the clearing where they camp and he hard stopped. She said he refused to move. When the other riders got up to the cabin (it had been raining so they were to stay in a cabin instead of a teepee) her horse took off running at them. He tripped (it was downward sloped) and the next thing she remembers is looking at his belly. She was SO lucky. The camp counselors told her she did not need medical care (another story for another time). In the cabin another girl tripped and fell down the stairs landing on my daughter on the same shoulder she had injured on the horse. I happened to text her or I would not have known- and because they had not called me I assumed it was not a big deal. My first question was "is the horse ok?!" They had not gotten medical attention for the horse either. They expected her to ride him down the mountain the next morning (her friend did instead and the horse intentionally rode her into a tree where she hit her head so hard when I picked her up her eye was black and her face swollen). I picked my daughter up 2 days after the accident and drove straight to an er. She was having intermittent numbness in her bicep and elbow and could not put her hand on her hip! I called when we got home to let them know what had happened and suggest maybe the horse had had enough this summer and needed a break. They told me he was ok physically (I asked) and that they'd had issues all summer with horses (it seemed this one and another) throwing riders off. The lady who had done their horses for 2 decades recently retired- I guess the horses are protesting! They shut the horse program down for the remainder of the summer. Her worst injury was a broken shoulder- the ACTUAL shoulder. The dr told me this bone represents less than 1% of all breaks because it is so hard to break it. He said the force required is pretty incredible- usually a fatal car accident or a fall from a roof or greater height. It ended her competitive season for sure- and maybe even her future in the sport. The other bones are healing well (we had a followup today) but this one is still an issue.

 

[Furballsmom]

Holy cats!! Your entire story, and the various situations, is amazing!!

 

[Furballsmom]

How are things?

 

[Furballsmom]

Just wanted to let you know, were thinking of you and hoping everything is ok !