I Don't Know What To Do - 15+yo Cat

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FeebysOwner

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Feeby’s past week – (1/27 - 2/2)

Still squawking, but less frequently I think, and eating more since I started leaving her canned food out all day. I believe she has started to figure out that she needs to go to the kitchen to eat her food! :)

Average daily calorie intake was nearly 300 calories – up from 240 the previous week.
  • I think this is because when she was fed scheduled meals, the leftovers were put away and then added as part of the next scheduled meal's allotted amount. But, now she can eat a bit at a time, and continually goes back for more. So, by the time the next scheduled meal would have been due, the food is pretty much gone.
  • Today’s weight 15.6 pounds – same as last week. So, not sure if there would be an immediate weight gain with the caloric increase or not.
If she keeps eating this way and starts to gain weight, I will have to figure out a way to reduce her calories or just go back to scheduled meals and hope the squawking doesn't increase again. :think:

Found a small live flea on me while she was on my lap yesterday. So, the flea situation is not over. She was given her flea treatment just 2 weeks ago.
  • If the Adv II is effective at all - and, it seems to be - then how is it that some fleas survive, or is it because we are continually bringing in 'new ones' from outside??
  • Are these 'new' fleas laying eggs before biting her and dying, thereby rendering the IGR in her flea treatment useless??
  • Does this mean I will be forever having to spray my house with IGR treatments?? :thud:
 
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FeebysOwner

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There seems to be no respite for you. Its good that Feeby is eating more, lets hope she doesn't gain weight. Could the fleas survive outside in cold weather?
We are never cold enough here to kill the fleas outside, so no hope there.
Feeby can eat more if she really needs to - as long as she doesn't gain weight. Since her mysterious 1.5 pound weight loss last year, she has been staying about the same for the past 6 months. She is technically still overweight, but I would just as soon keep her where she is at this point.
 

rubysmama

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We are never cold enough here to kill the fleas outside, so no hope there.
I guess that's one of the pros of living in a cold climate. Pretty sure there's no fleas lurking around outside my place these days. :cold:

Have you talked to your vet about a different flea treatment?

Have you heard of/tried diatomaceous earth?
Search Results for Query: Diatomaceous
 
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FeebysOwner

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I guess that's one of the pros of living in a cold climate. Pretty sure there's no fleas lurking around outside my place these days. :cold: Have you talked to your vet about a different flea treatment?
Have you heard of/tried diatomaceous earth?
Search Results for Query: Diatomaceous
Up until this flea infestation, I would have never wanted to trade Florida weather for the stuff I used to go through in Ohio - but now...

The vet wanted me to put Feeby on Bravecto (the isoxazoline class of flea treatments, which has reported possible seizures in cats, even those who have not had a history of neurological issues), but I am not willing to chance it since many years ago he felt she might have a very slight neurological condition. And, I've heard too many issues associated with DE in terms of the dust, fumes, and causing problems in carpeting after being left on too long since it can get down really deep into the fibers and is hard to get out.
 

jefferd18

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Feeby is dealing with fleas and is being treated. Short of acting like an older cat who has never had fleas before and was initially freaking out, she is eating/drinking/peeing/pooping pretty normally. She has taken to not wanting her dry food, so she has pretty much been strictly on canned food for the past couple of weeks.

However, today, she did the same thing she did a couple of weeks ago - goes to her litter box and pees a little, gets out of the box, sits by the box for a while and then goes back in and has loose stool. When this occurred two weeks ago, she leaked a bit of reddish tinged fluid outside the box - but no smell. This time, she did the same thing, but before deciding to hide, she had actually discharged a very, very small amount of red blood.

Last time this happened - it was just the one incident and it was gone. However, I did take a fecal sample in for a quick look and the vet found nothing abnormal. She has had a history of UTIs, so I put her back on her usual antibiotic. Not more than 4 days later with her next vet visit, her urine tested clean, no blood/sediment/infection.

I never figured out what caused that one incident on 8/9. This time, I am suspecting that it might be from her eating nothing for the past 4 days other than RC SO canned, because when I went to the store they were out of her Hill's C/D canned.

Is it possible that not having other food to trade off with, and being solely on RC SO canned could cause this? Her poop has been very smelly recently, but I have not actually seen any blood in it, and until today her feces has been fairly well formed.

I will add, that before the flea issue, she had lost 1.5 pounds from April to July. The questions behind this have been left unanswered, as the vet wants to clear up the flea issue first - he thinks it may have been going on a lot longer than we knew (could be?). Her bloodwork in July showed no anemia, but some of the WBC counts were a tad high.

I don't know what to think.


When my mother's older cat had some blood in her stool, my vet thought it was stress. Could Feeby be stressed out by the fleas?
 
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FeebysOwner

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When my mother's older cat had some blood in her stool, my vet thought it was stress. Could Feeby be stressed out by the fleas?
When the flea infestation was first identified, one of the things that clued us into how bad it was is the fact that she totally freaked out - up to and including some health issues. And, she retreated to unusual places, I guess where she thought she could get away from them.
All that has subsided, and while I do think she does feel a bite here and there, her behavior is much more in alignment with how it was beforehand. Also, my husband was being bit back then, and he has had no bites since. I do need to flea comb her again - I am doing that about once every week or so, just to see. I always find a few fleas... :(… mostly dead or dying though. I guess the best I can hope for is keeping them mostly under control.
 

jefferd18

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When the flea infestation was first identified, one of the things that clued us into how bad it was is the fact that she totally freaked out - up to and including some health issues. And, she retreated to unusual places, I guess where she thought she could get away from them.
All that has subsided, and while I do think she does feel a bite here and there, her behavior is much more in alignment with how it was beforehand. Also, my husband was being bit back then, and he has had no bites since. I do need to flea comb her again - I am doing that about once every week or so, just to see. I always find a few fleas... :(… mostly dead or dying though. I guess the best I can hope for is keeping them mostly under control.

I am glad you have gotten it under control. And yes, they will go anywhere to get away from fleas.

Fleas are something else!

One of my cats has lost his pants, I have another who won't eat and when he does he throws it back up, my girl kitty doesn't like to be petted because her skin just hurts.and the rest of them seem so unhappy- all due to fleas! Don't ever underestimate t the destruction that they can inflict.
 
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Maybe there IS some hearing loss attributing to Feeby's behavior?!?!

I know a couple of you have brought this up, a while back and again more recently. And, because of that, I have tried to pay more attention to this aspect, but have come up short of being 'sure'. Here is what I have tested/noticed, though:
  • I have gotten a squawk of what I deem as 'surprise' on a couple of occasions when entering a room where she is looking the other way, and then turns around to see me.
  • I whispered to her when she was faced away from me, no reaction. Then, I said something out loud to her and got the same surprise squawk.
  • She is spending more time on her step-up box that leads to her perch. She can see the doorway from the box, but not from the perch.
  • Finally, just last night, a cat howling outside close to our bedroom window woke both my husband and me up, but Feeby just slept away. Not more than a minute or two later, I changed positions (no noise) and that woke her up - but, that is pretty normal.
Here is what I read I could try as tests, so if I can do them, I will -

Tear or crackle a piece of paper or tin foil. If you suspect your cat is experiencing hearing loss, you can issue tests at home to be sure. While it's sleeping or not looking, tear paper or tin foil and see if it responds. You can also jingle your keys or a small change jar.
These noises will test its ability to hear high frequency sounds.

Tap a box to make a low drumming noise. When it's not looking or while it's sleeping, get a cardboard box or other hollow object. Tap it and see if your cat responds to the noise. Drumming sounds will test its ability to hear low frequency pitches.


I did find a test that could be done, It is called BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) but not sure I am ready to go there just yet. I will document what I am testing/noticing about Feeby's hearing and let my vet know, along with asking about BAER testing. Not sure how available the testing is, but I am sure somewhere in my immediate area can do it.
Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response Testing | Veterinary Medical Center

Edit: I started a new thread about this, just because this particular issue is so specific.
 
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stacydc83

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Feeby’s past week – (1/27 - 2/2)

Still squawking, but less frequently I think, and eating more since I started leaving her canned food out all day. I believe she has started to figure out that she needs to go to the kitchen to eat her food! :)

Average daily calorie intake was nearly 300 calories – up from 240 the previous week.
  • I think this is because when she was fed scheduled meals, the leftovers were put away and then added as part of the next scheduled meal's allotted amount. But, now she can eat a bit at a time, and continually goes back for more. So, by the time the next scheduled meal would have been due, the food is pretty much gone.
  • Today’s weight 15.6 pounds – same as last week. So, not sure if there would be an immediate weight gain with the caloric increase or not.
If she keeps eating this way and starts to gain weight, I will have to figure out a way to reduce her calories or just go back to scheduled meals and hope the squawking doesn't increase again. :think:

Found a small live flea on me while she was on my lap yesterday. So, the flea situation is not over. She was given her flea treatment just 2 weeks ago.
  • If the Adv II is effective at all - and, it seems to be - then how is it that some fleas survive, or is it because we are continually bringing in 'new ones' from outside??
  • Are these 'new' fleas laying eggs before biting her and dying, thereby rendering the IGR in her flea treatment useless??
  • Does this mean I will be forever having to spray my house with IGR treatments?? :thud:
I'm a little late replying to this, but have you asked about revolution? I had the girls on revolution plus, but at their last visit I went back to the original revolution. I love that stuff. No adverse reactions and it kills the fleas on them good!
 
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FeebysOwner

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The original Revolution does not contain an IGR used for prohibiting eggs/larvae from developing, so I always thought that should be part of the 'treatment'. Revolution Plus contains Sarolaner which belongs to the isoxazoline of parasiticides - same as Bravecto (known for potential side effect of seizures in both cats with and without a history of neurological issues). So the Plus is definitely out.

That is why I liked Advantage II - it contains an IGR but not the same kind. If I could risk the flea treatment not containing an IGR, I could try the original Revolution, especially if it is non-prescription. I am looking into a different IGR spray for my house, so that might help in using the original Revolution.
 

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I haven't read the entire thread so forgive me if I'm redundant, but when I worked at a pet store I would recommend getting those toxic cheap flea collars and NOT putting them on the cat, but instead sticking them in your vacuum bag/canister so when you vacuum up fleas, they die instead of crawling out.
 
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FeebysOwner

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The Feeby Weekly Journal (2/3 – 2/9)

Today she weighed 16.0 pounds – up by 4 oz. So, I guess she is just doing what humans do and has fluctuations from week to week. Averaged 260 calories per day, also within her fluctuating intake range based on the past few months.

Flea combed her to find over a half dozen fleas (pretty much dying, but NOT dead). No other fleas found anywhere else. Still in the great debate with myself about ongoing/future flea treatments for her… But, I did buy a different home spray with IGR to see if that might help any.

Behavior/eating/drinking/litter box use is pretty static, and I don’t see any signs of issues going on with her at this time. She is still squawking, so ‘it is what it is’.
  • If her dish is close to empty, I just add more food.
  • If she has plenty of food in her bowl, I just pet her and talk to her.
  • And, then after that I just ignore her - or tell her to stop!!
I am also 'letting go' about the hearing issue as well.
  • Paper tear test has lost its ‘mojo’ so she has pretty much ignored it since that first time.
  • If she has some hearing loss, she appears to have adapted and given she is doing OK otherwise, I’ve accepted I need to adapt too. I may try some other test in the near future, but for now – just like her squawking - ‘it is what it is’.
All things considered, this type of a week (minus the flea issue) should be considered a fairly good place to be!
 
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FeebysOwner

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When you do, if you don't mind I'd be interested in a video of what she sounds like :heartshape:
When I mentioned testing, I meant her hearing. But, if I can manage to video her squawking - I will do so!! Never actually thought about doing that! :doh2:

You've tried testing her hearing, you've battled with the fleas and you've done all you can regarding the food issue. Time to sit back and relax, you've earned it.
Thanks!! As long as status quo continues and she doesn't manage to find another way to worry me, she and I will most certainly sit back and relax! Well, actually she already does!! :winkcat:
 
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