Impossible Cat

[maggiedemi]

I think cats need a vet checkup for a heartworm test before they take Revolution though, since it kills Heartworms. If the cat already has heartworms, it can be dangerous to use Revolution, at least that's what I read. I think feral cats don't like being picked up because if they get picked up in the wild, that usually means they are in the mouth of a predator.

 

[maggiedemi]

I can't find Drontal on Amazon anymore. I had a feeling they would make them stop selling it, since it's supposed to be prescription only. I wonder when the patent will expire and it will be able to be sold online? If Drontal was put on the market in 1993, when will the patent expire?

 

[orange&white]

They have some weird rule that you can buy 50 tablets without a prescription, otherwise you need a script. For most people 50 pills would expire way before they'd use them. I've been happy with the fenbendazole powder, so I'm sticking to it.

I'm not sure for how many years a standard patent extends.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

I can't find Drontal on Amazon anymore. I had a feeling they would make them stop selling it, since it's supposed to be prescription only. I wonder when the patent will expire and it will be able to be sold online? If Drontal was put on the market in 1993, when will the patent expire?

M maggiedemi - The Patent itself expires 20 years from the date upon which the application for the patent was filed, however Exclusivity (exclusive marketing rights granted by the FDA upon the approval of a drug, provided that certain statutory requirements are satisfied by the manufacturer/patent holder) is what actually determines when the drug falls into public domain.
.

 

[maggiedemi]

Shouldn't it be going into the public domain soon then? It's been 20 years.

 

[susieqz]

hey, guys. i ordered that expensive frontline plus before i found out about revolution
but before that, i ordered this $5 stuff, made by hartz, ultra guard. active ingredient is methoprene.
will this work?
if it will, why buy frontline at a much higher price.
anyway, i have it in my hand.toss it out, or use it?

 

[maggiedemi]

Frontline is for fleas, Drontal is for worms. Make sure not to use any Hartz products with Etofenprox in it, I've heard that stuff is bad news! If it is the one with just Methoprene in it, that only kills flea eggs.

 

[susieqz]

well, should i use this hartz stuff now n then use frontline after?
or, should i wait til the frontline is delivered?
my cat hates me. no cuddling for me anymore.
i can no longer say i never hurt her, because i did,'she has taken
to walking all around me when i'm getting breakfast. i even got to stroke her while i was standing.but i went n stomped on her toes.
she cried out n ran.
boy, i feel bad about that, but i'm a clumsy person.
she came to eat, but no cuddling.

 

[ReallySleepy]

it looks like i'll never be able to pick her up more than a couple inches, like ido to drag her next to me.

To my knowledge, the best way to pick up cats that may resist it is to grab them from behind under their armpits. When you lift them with that grip, their bodies will hang straight down, and there is not much they can do.

I think many of us are or have been too diffident with cats. It is not necessarily a bad thing to show the cat who is the boss. After all, if you feed the cat, it knows that you are the boss, and it will most likely tolerate some handling if you are a trustworthy person.

So what I do is to let the carrier rest on one end with the open door facing upward. I grab Turbo from behind as described and lower him into the carrier. This is the method used by some veterinarians here. Turbo is big and strong and vehemently dislikes being handled. He may wiggle his feet when I lower him into the carrier, but there is no effective way he can actually prevent it. I normallly use treats to get him into the carrier, but that is not always an option.

The bottom line is that if you need to control a cat, you just have to find a way, and I think this a good way. In fact, a stray cat that used to be here, might still be alive today if I had been aware of this trick. You may have to try it once or twice to get the necessary hands-on experience with this method.

 

[susieqz]

that sounds good, for when drifter is tamer. right now, i'm not fast enow to get both hands under her.
i'm seldom in arm's reach unless i'm flat on the ground.
i have no objection to reminding her that i'm the alpha female here.

 

[maggiedemi]

I would just use the Frontline because that already contains Methoprene, so that would be an overdose probably to use both...I can't count how many times people have accidentally stepped on my cats or tripped over them or bumped into them. Don't feel bad, she will forget...

 

[orange&white]

If Methoprene is in Frontline, then it is probably safe for cats. I agree with Maggie though...too much of a good thing can be toxic. I'll personally never buy a chemical product from Hartz again. They've killed and maimed many cats; can't believe they're still allowed to sell their medicinal products. Pre-internet, I didn't know better and used a cheap Hartz flea product on two of my cats. One was fine, the other one ended up with permanent nerve/neurological problems (he was one of my all-time favorite friendly cats too). I never really forgave myself.

 

[orange&white]

Which Hartz product is it? I just looked at reviews for Hartz UltraGuard Onespot Flea & Tick Drops for Cats - 3 Monthly .

Looks like they're still in the business of hospitalizing, killing and maiming cats with their flea products.

 

[maggiedemi]

In Frontline the Fipronil kills the fleas, ticks, lice, and mites. The Methoprene in it just kills the flea eggs and larvae. Orange- the Hartz product that hurt your cat probably was the one with Etofenprox, I have heard so many bad stories about that.

 

[orange&white]

That was in the late 80's or early 90's...so I don't remember the ingredients. Seems like they were using permethrins or pyrthrins back then. So we know the Methoprene is safe, but I'd like to know what's in the 97% "other ingredients". Looks like 60% of people are not happy with the product, and a subset of that 60% complaining about very sick cats. I just remember my cat having a permanent head twitching/jerking and muscle wasting his last years. The vet was the one to warn me off Hartz (after the fact).

 

[susieqz]

YOW! i had no idea hartz had bad products. i recognized the name from long ago so i thot they were a long time quality producer.
ok, i'll toss the stuff. it was only $5 as opposed to frontline's $32.
my new hobby is buying drugs for drifter, then throwing them out.

thank you ever so much, orange n maggie.
i had no idea pet products were such a mine field.

 

[susieqz]

hoho! drifter just tried to get thru the glass window behind my head into the house. her claws scraped the glass.
i'll be getting the flea stuff just in time.

she hasn't thot this thru, tho.
living inside of necessity means lots more contact with me.
she prefers me in small doses.
i'm of two minds about having a house cat.
i sure don't want an animal on my bed.
the thing is, i don't have a barn.
a barn is a very comfy place, especially with cows to warm it.
lots of hay bales n little caves to hide in.
sub zero weather is no problem.
but without one, life will be hard.
so, i can't refuse her the warmth of my home.
no need to rush, tho.
i put the whole 40 lb bag of litter in the litter box.
it is quite deep. in fact, it looks too deep.
how much litter do you need?
i'm thinking of removing some.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yeah, that might be too much litter! I put about 25 pounds of litter in my jumbo litter box. Then I add a little once a day after I scoop.

 

[susieqz]

thanks. i'll remove some. i just want to do everything right. people here seem willing to put up with accidents, but i'm not.
honestly, i'm not sure i'm the right kinda person to have a house cat.
i just want her alive.

 

[LeiLana80]

Personally I'd probably just leave the litter- my cats actually like it deep! And eventually it'll get used up anyway. (just my opinion)

As far as picking her up, some cats reeeeeally just don't like it. I have a cat I've had since he was 14 weeks old (he's about a year old now). I cannot pick him up. He kicks and bucks like a wild animal! haha. Those back legs can come up quick to kick/scratch at whatever hands are holding him, in whatever position!
He will, however, stand on my shoulders (or back) and let me transport him that way. I made do.

Something weird I've discovered though, is some cats actually like to be held like a baby (cradled in your arms, belly up). A number of my cats instantly relax and stop fighting when I hold them that way.
And then others do not like it at all!

With a feral, though, picking up might be a long road. I wouldn't rush it. First build trust between you guys!