Introducing 16 Year Old Cat Into My Household

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kobata1928

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I got Oriana one of these window cat perch's. It says it can hold up to 30 pounds. She only weighs about 11 pounds. She was hopping up onto it and the suction cups were falling off. Luckily I got an email asking how I liked it, and I complained. They suggested I make sure the window was completely clean. After a good window cleaning, all the suction cups are staying nicely. I'm not recommending it, since it has only been a few days, but she seems to like the nice snooze in the sun it offers her the few hours I get in a northern window this time of year.
 
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kobata1928

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Oriana has taken a liking to the water fountain downstairs, so I have ordered her one of her own. This is getting ridiculous with 4 water bowls and 2 fountains for 3 kitties. But the more water the better in all cats it seems.
 

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Oriana has taken a liking to the water fountain downstairs, so I have ordered her one of her own. This is getting ridiculous with 4 water bowls and 2 fountains for 3 kitties. But the more water the better in all cats it seems.
Good on ya and you're absolutely right. Water is the first priority!
 
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kobata1928

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Oriana was feeling lite when I picked her up, so I weighed her and she is only 9.8 pounds:(. She was 16 pounds when this adventure began. Over this long of time we don't have to worry about fatty liver disease, I just worry about her starving. The vet says it's normal for very senior cats to lose weight. He has checked her teeth and said they are great.
 

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Sorry, to hear that. Yes, it's true senior cats, like senior humans, can lose weight as they age, some in part to loss of muscle. But still, as Furballsmom Furballsmom mentioned, Oriana might do better on a different food.

Perhaps try some kitten food, as it is higher calorie dense. Or kitten replacement milk (KMR), or goats milk, for extra calories, if she'd drink it. But do get your vets advice first, before making too drastic a food change.
 

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If not already stated, nutritional pastes are a good way to add calories. You said she weighed 11 pounds on 1/3 - so that is more than a pound lost in just over a month. You don't have to replace her 'regular' food, just add some of the higher calories options to it. And, once you start doing that and she eats them, if you can, start weighing her weekly just to stay on top of it.
 

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My Tarifa, sixteen, has always had a perfect figure for a small-framed cat who probably has Siamese and/or Burmese genes. Over the past year or so, though, her appetite has increased a little and she now has a football shape. She's not overweight by any means, just "prosPURRous."
 
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kobata1928

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If not already stated, nutritional pastes are a good way to add calories. You said she weighed 11 pounds on 1/3 - so that is more than a pound lost in just over a month. You don't have to replace her 'regular' food, just add some of the higher calories options to it. And, once you start doing that and she eats them, if you can, start weighing her weekly just to stay on top of it.
I have bought this today, hoping it will help.
 
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kobata1928

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The past couple of days it seems Mister has decided he wants the upstairs back. The windows up there really gives the best view around. If Oriana is in another room he just chills. If she chases him down the stairs, he is back within a few minutes. There is a new kitten on my back porch, it looks like it has some sort of eye infection. Probably 4-5 months old. I can see how people become pet hoarders, with love but it gets out of control. I could easily afford to care for another, but refuse while my 3 don't get along. I'll probably end up taking it to the vet anyways. But it's definitely a long hair, which I have wanted:blush: .
 

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The past couple of days it seems Mister has decided he wants the upstairs back. The windows up there really gives the best view around. If Oriana is in another room he just chills. If she chases him down the stairs, he is back within a few minutes. There is a new kitten on my back porch, it looks like it has some sort of eye infection. Probably 4-5 months old. I can see how people become pet hoarders, with love but it gets out of control. I could easily afford to care for another, but refuse while my 3 don't get along. I'll probably end up taking it to the vet anyways. But it's definitely a long hair, which I have wanted:blush: .
I do hope you are able to help the kitten! Eye infections can become very serious untreated.
 

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So kind of you to take in Oriana. Honestly I can't fathom how she was "let go" by your sister, moving house, no matter where it happens, how far, is surely better supported whilst staying with their people. We've had to move with our cats, both from country to country as well as to a new house. Although it obviously took time to adjust, it does even to us people, I'm sure its much-much better than having abandoned our cat(s) at somebody's place, even if it was family.

Very grateful to hear you had a big heart but if the story is true and your sister simply had to move and just left the cat behind, without any significant hardships that might have justified this abandonment...she should have never had the cat in the first place, and you should have definitely insisted that she needs to give it a try, especially at an old age, when cats tend to be less adaptable, more suffering if abandoned.

Sorry if my post seems harsh, but I just feel to cry just thinking about what the poor cat must have gone through being abandoned like an object behind.
 

tarasgirl06

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So kind of you to take in Oriana. Honestly I can't fathom how she was "let go" by your sister, moving house, no matter where it happens, how far, is surely better supported whilst staying with their people. We've had to move with our cats, both from country to country as well as to a new house. Although it obviously took time to adjust, it does even to us people, I'm sure its much-much better than having abandoned our cat(s) at somebody's place, even if it was family.

Very grateful to hear you had a big heart but if the story is true and your sister simply had to move and just left the cat behind, without any significant hardships that might have justified this abandonment...she should have never had the cat in the first place, and you should have definitely insisted that she needs to give it a try, especially at an old age, when cats tend to be less adaptable, more suffering if abandoned.

Sorry if my post seems harsh, but I just feel to cry just thinking about what the poor cat must have gone through being abandoned like an object behind.
*Agree 100%*
 
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kobata1928

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So kind of you to take in Oriana. Honestly I can't fathom how she was "let go" by your sister, moving house, no matter where it happens, how far, is surely better supported whilst staying with their people. We've had to move with our cats, both from country to country as well as to a new house. Although it obviously took time to adjust, it does even to us people, I'm sure its much-much better than having abandoned our cat(s) at somebody's place, even if it was family.

Very grateful to hear you had a big heart but if the story is true and your sister simply had to move and just left the cat behind, without any significant hardships that might have justified this abandonment...she should have never had the cat in the first place, and you should have definitely insisted that she needs to give it a try, especially at an old age, when cats tend to be less adaptable, more suffering if abandoned.

Sorry if my post seems harsh, but I just feel to cry just thinking about what the poor cat must have gone through being abandoned like an object behind.
I can see how you would see that, but you don't know Oriana. She is so absolutely afraid of even car rides, my sister would pay to have an in home vet to come see her. My sister was very worried about the stress of a cross country airplane flight. This was not something she did without thought. She loves Oriana very much, spent the last 16 years loving her. So yeah, your post is harsh, feel free to stay away from this thread in the future.
 

tarasgirl06

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I can see how you would see that, but you don't know Oriana. She is so absolutely afraid of even car rides, my sister would pay to have an in home vet to come see her. My sister was very worried about the stress of a cross country airplane flight. This was not something she did without thought. She loves Oriana very much, spent the last 16 years loving her. So yeah, your post is harsh, feel free to stay away from this thread in the future.
Adding this information helps us to understand Oriana's history and somewhat unusual situation, which parallels Shah Rukh Cat's. She was a very, very feral cat born somewhere in or near our yard, two locations ago; my ex was able to secure her to get her her baseline innoculations, checkup and spay surgery, and we cared for her as best we could, providing regular food, fresh water and what security our gated, fenced yard afforded her. When we moved, my ex was able to catch her and bring her up to our secured compound on our land; but she struggled so hard to escape that we were sure she would do irreparable harm to herself there. I called and talked to "experts" who told me that the kindest thing to do would be to take her back down to her familiar territory. There were a couple of households there that fed outdoor cats. We had worked over the years we were there to capture, spay/neuter and adopt the "community" cats people fed, but did not adopt or provide medical care for. But Shah Rukh Cat was not "tameable" at all. So regretfully, my ex drove her back down the mountain to her "home" -- she has never left my mind since, and she was a favorite of my ex as well. Where some might see our act as neglectful or uncaring, it was anything but.
 
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