Introducing Betty White

[daftcat75]

Betty shows up in the office at 2pm licking her lips telling me lunch is done and she’s still hungry. You know what, Betty? So am I. But if you have to wait for your feeder, I’ll wait too. At 2:30, she gives up—but not after I gave her a lot of requested fuss—and goes off to the bed for a nap. Ten minutes later, I hear her feeder open open from the office. I don’t know if Betty heard that, but I did. I get up headed for the kitchen to fix a snack and I see Betty making biscuits and ignoring the feeder that just popped. I’m sure she’ll get to it. But c’mon. This is what you were chirping at me for the last hour or so. I fake ate from her feeder to show that it was open. She was not moved. Okay fine. I’m still fixing myself a snack.

 

[daftcat75]

"Admiral Patrick" is a character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He's not actually an admiral. He would best be described as a 24th century psychiatric patient. He and three others from his sci-fi looney bin pod show up unannounced to DS9 to visit with the doctor of the space station. They show up impersonating officers of Starfleet (aka intergalactic NASA.) Patrick is convinced by the other three to dress in an admiral's uniform. As they made their way through the station to find the doctor, they tell Patrick, if anyone gives us trouble, if anyone asks us a question, whatever the question is, simply answer it with, "That's a stupid question." The admiral bars on his collar plus his confident pronouncement should get them out of having to explain themselves. And it works! All the way up until they encounter the doctor who knows who they are. This is about the shortest explanation I can give for Admiral Patrick.

The other night, I gave Betty the Admiral Patrick treatment. It was during one of our feeds, whatever meow or other noise she had for me, I simply responded with, "that's a stupid question". It was quite satisfying.

 

[tarasgirl06]

"Admiral Patrick" is a character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He's not actually an admiral. He would best be described as a 24th century psychiatric patient. He and three others from his sci-fi looney bin pod show up unannounced to DS9 to visit with the doctor of the space station. They show up impersonating officers of Starfleet (aka intergalactic NASA.) Patrick is convinced by the other three to dress in an admiral's uniform. As they made their way through the station to find the doctor, they tell Patrick, if anyone gives us trouble, if anyone asks us a question, whatever the question is, simply answer it with, "That's a stupid question." The admiral bars on his collar plus his confident pronouncement should get them out of having to explain themselves. And it works! All the way up until they encounter the doctor who knows who they are. This is about the shortest explanation I can give for Admiral Patrick.

The other night, I gave Betty the Admiral Patrick treatment. It was during one of our feeds, whatever meow or other noise she had for me, I simply responded with, "that's a stupid question". It was quite satisfying.

Awwww, now. You know you don't mean that.

 

[daftcat75]

Awwww, now. You know you don't mean that.

Of course I don’t.

But who else am I going to tease and make jokes with around here?

 

[daftcat75]

Specialist called back. We’re going to try to take her off the ondansetron first. If we get 48 hours with no drop in her eating or any other nausea symptoms or withdrawal effects, then doc wants me to reduce her pred by 1/4 and give that another two weeks. That means tonight and tomorrow night at 5 mg. And if she’s no worse for withdrawing the ondansetron, she’ll start 3.75 on Wednesday night.

Doc was only half-hearted about my request to dispute the insurance claim. If he doesn’t agree with me that the repeat imaging was not part of the IBD recheck then I don’t want to get into a back and forth with him of trying to get the letter worded right. That bill is already paid off anyway. It just would have been nice to get a reimbursement that I could put to overdue car service (namely a catalytic converter that’s still there but functionally, it’s almost gone.)

 

[tarasgirl06]

Specialist called back. We’re going to try to take her off the ondansetron first. If we get 48 hours with no drop in her eating or any other nausea symptoms or withdrawal effects, then doc wants me to reduce her pred by 1/4 and give that another two weeks. That means tonight and tomorrow night at 5 mg. And if she’s no worse for withdrawing the ondansetron, she’ll start 3.75 on Wednesday night.

Doc was only half-hearted about my request to dispute the insurance claim. If he doesn’t agree with me that the repeat imaging was not part of the IBD recheck then I don’t want to get into a back and forth with him of trying to get the letter worded right. That bill is already paid off anyway. It just would have been nice to get a reimbursement that I could put to overdue car service (namely a catalytic converter that’s still there but functionally, it’s almost gone.)

OH YEAH! *PRAYERS* and best thoughts/wishes for success on all in Para 1!

I know. Arguing back and forth isn't hot on my hit parade, either. I'd do almost anything to avoid conflict. But hoping he will agree...and that you can get that shiny new cat and catlock not to be confused with catlick, or anything else, really

 

[daftcat75]

OH YEAH! *PRAYERS* and best thoughts/wishes for success on all in Para 1!

I know. Arguing back and forth isn't hot on my hit parade, either. I'd do almost anything to avoid conflict. But hoping he will agree...and that you can get that shiny new cat and catlock not to be confused with catlick, or anything else, really

I argue with him enough. If he's only half-hearted about the disputed claim, then I'm not interested in convincing both him and insurance.

I'm not spending money on a catlock. I just don't believe my late model Chevy sedan is a better target than the Prius' and SUV's that are already being targeted.

I know about catlicks. While Krista was an avid licker, Betty is a surprise licker. She'll be sitting in my lap grooming herself and surprise, she just keeps going and grooms my leg too. I've also had her lick my head in a moment when I was probably laying on the floor with her under the ceiling fan getting some heat relief. Or maybe it was during our infrequent yoga sessions. Yoga with Betty is a contact support. Like goat yoga meets wrestling.

So far the ondansetron holiday is going well. We had a feeder remainder. But I think that was a mechanical/logistical issue more than anything else. The food was all pushed to the edges and corners where her little snout probably couldn't reach it. I think we discovered the limit of one feeder. I will put out a second feeder tonight. It really is so nice not to have to clean a plate or prep a new one in the middle of the night. I don't ever sleep all the way through the night anyway. So it wasn't about having my sleep interrupted more than having to re-engage my brain for a couple of tasks that don't belong in the middle of sleeping shifts.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I argue with him enough. If he's only half-hearted about the disputed claim, then I'm not interested in convincing both him and insurance.

I'm not spending money on a catlock. I just don't believe my late model Chevy sedan is a better target than the Prius' and SUV's that are already being targeted.

I know about catlicks. While Krista was an avid licker, Betty is a surprise licker. She'll be sitting in my lap grooming herself and surprise, she just keeps going and grooms my leg too. I've also had her lick my head in a moment when I was probably laying on the floor with her under the ceiling fan getting some heat relief. Or maybe it was during our infrequent yoga sessions. Yoga with Betty is a contact support. Like goat yoga meets wrestling.

So far the ondansetron holiday is going well. We had a feeder remainder. But I think that was a mechanical/logistical issue more than anything else. The food was all pushed to the edges and corners where her little snout probably couldn't reach it. I think we discovered the limit of one feeder. I will put out a second feeder tonight. It really is so nice not to have to clean a plate or prep a new one in the middle of the night. I don't ever sleep all the way through the night anyway. So it wasn't about having my sleep interrupted more than having to re-engage my brain for a couple of tasks that don't belong in the middle of sleeping shifts.

I'm an insomniac (& a narcoleptic! Go figure?!!) and feel like a zombie most of the time. So I empathize.
Cats do that with their food, so I frequently get the cat food knife (which some people confuse with a butter knife) and stir Elvis' food up into a convenient mound for him.
Sweet angel Tarifa loved to chew on my hair. I had hair then. IDK what she'd think of the buzzcut. "MEH. It's inadequate. It's a weird color. I'll pass on it."
Yeah, hopefully your new and shiny cat will be safe. Cat thieves, of any kind, are scumbags.

 

[daftcat75]

Shoot! She doesn’t seem too interested in eating this afternoon. She ate maybe a half ounce at lunchtime. The remainder and the Mouser feeder portion remain untouched after her nap. She cruised by the plate twice with a sniff and pass. I got her to eat a few bites of Mouser off the carpet. That’s an option. But I don’t like it. I want her eating without tricks and ondansetron. I want to see if it’s maybe just a short-lived something. I’m not going to rush back to the ondansetron unless her eating doesn’t pick up tonight.

 

[daftcat75]

The other unpleasant possibility is that her next hairball is just around the corner. I always knew there could be a chance that her pred interval would be shorter than her hairball interval and we could think things are going rosier than they are. Might need to work on a faster food transition. But I don’t want to confuse things here with too many variables. So let’s wait out the original 48 hour trial period for the ondansetron holiday. If her eating is still dodgy tomorrow, she’ll go back on the ondansetron in the evening.

 

[daftcat75]

I was wracking my brain all afternoon trying to figure out how to get Betty that first fresh portion from a new can of Mouser while still having refrigerated leftovers to come up to a warm room temperature tonight. I didn't want to mix it with first dinner because that's her pred meal. I want that pred to stay down. And if I mix it with second dinner, well, that's when I need the refrigerated leftovers to put in the feeders so I don't have to prep food in the middle of the night. So I busted open a new can and replaced her feeder portion with as much of a meal portion as we're up to (2/3.) Then I reduced her lunch remainder by half. And that only got a cruise by and a sniff. So I separated the portions on separate plates and no improvement in interest. After sitting with her giving her divided attention (lots of fuss but I still have to work), I finally led her back to the other room and got her to finish her Mouser portion--first few bites off the carpet and then I got enough interest for her to finish the plate placed under her nose. I'm okay if she won't touch the lunch remainder. Now she's been awfully needy all afternoon and I can only give her so much fuss before some new fire comes across my email or chat to be investigated and put out. I really wish she would come up to the desk sometimes like Krista did.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I was wracking my brain all afternoon trying to figure out how to get Betty that first fresh portion from a new can of Mouser while still having refrigerated leftovers to come up to a warm room temperature tonight. I didn't want to mix it with first dinner because that's her pred meal. I want that pred to stay down. And if I mix it with second dinner, well, that's when I need the refrigerated leftovers to put in the feeders so I don't have to prep food in the middle of the night. So I busted open a new can and replaced her feeder portion with as much of a meal portion as we're up to (2/3.) Then I reduced her lunch remainder by half. And that only got a cruise by and a sniff. So I separated the portions on separate plates and no improvement in interest. After sitting with her giving her divided attention (lots of fuss but I still have to work), I finally led her back to the other room and got her to finish her Mouser portion--first few bites off the carpet and then I got enough interest for her to finish the plate placed under her nose. I'm okay if she won't touch the lunch remainder. Now she's been awfully needy all afternoon and I can only give her so much fuss before some new fire comes across my email or chat to be investigated and put out. I really wish she would come up to the desk sometimes like Krista did.

Whassup, Betty girl? Hoping there isn't a furball on the way, and hoping she'll get reacquainted with all of that good food, like now! Is it hot there today? That's the only other thing I can think of that might make her go on foodstrike.
Looking, I see it's not THAT hot. But hurrah! Cooler temps are forecast for you in coming days. *Wish our weather was going to be that nice!*

 

[daftcat75]

Whassup, Betty girl? Hoping there isn't a furball on the way, and hoping she'll get reacquainted with all of that good food, like now! Is it hot there today? That's the only other thing I can think of that might make her go on foodstrike.
Looking, I see it's not THAT hot. But hurrah! Cooler temps are forecast for you in coming days. *Wish our weather was going to be that nice!*

It's no hotter than it has been for the past two months. It's been a pleasant, if not slightly warmer than usual summer. It's like the forecast broke and we're sunny and 85 everyday since sometime in July or June. The landscapers seemed especially slow today. Maybe it's because I often go for a lunch run on Tuesdays and today I skipped it. So I was home to hear what I'm usually missing while out running or in the shower after. Maybe my change in routine wigged her out.

I don't know. But it's almost time for first dinner. That's usually her strongest showing of the day.

 

[tarasgirl06]

It's no hotter than it has been for the past two months. It's been a pleasant, if not slightly warmer than usual summer. It's like the forecast broke and we're sunny and 85 everyday since sometime in July or June. The landscapers seemed especially slow today. Maybe it's because I often go for a lunch run on Tuesdays and today I skipped it. So I was home to hear what I'm usually missing while out running or in the shower after. Maybe my change in routine wigged her out.

I don't know. But it's almost time for first dinner. That's usually her strongest showing of the day.

My gardeners are VERY slow in doing the stuff I've reminded them needs doing (again). Oh well. Yeah, I think the same thing about this summer, even though some don't agree with me. Each weather app I look at says something different at times. I just go by how I feel.
Yeah, it's amazing how pattern-happy cats are. I'm very much that way myself, and any disturbance in the routine can be a little bit difficult at times. I try to always feed Elvis on schedule. He has enough to deal with in missing Baby Su.
C'mon Betty girl, let's have first dinner on the books right away!

 

[daftcat75]

My gardeners are VERY slow in doing the stuff I've reminded them needs doing (again). Oh well. Yeah, I think the same thing about this summer, even though some don't agree with me. Each weather app I look at says something different at times. I just go by how I feel.
Yeah, it's amazing how pattern-happy cats are. I'm very much that way myself, and any disturbance in the routine can be a little bit difficult at times. I try to always feed Elvis on schedule. He has enough to deal with in missing Baby Su.
C'mon Betty girl, let's have first dinner on the books right away!

She had a very strong showing. She left a 7 gram remainder out of 35 plated. That means she ate 80%? She'll finish that remainder before second dinner.

Everything I've read said there shouldn't be any withdrawal or rebound effects with ondansetron cessation. However, I don't think many of these sources ever envisioned a cat being on it for several months. I wonder if she just feels different because a drug she's been taking for so long is no longer in her. There was one dicey day last week where I thought she wasn't coping with the mirtz withdrawal. Maybe this afternoon was that day for this drug for her.

 

[daftcat75]

She finished both dinners. But didn’t touch either feeder. Even when I pulled the Mouser out of a feeder onto a plate, she wasn’t interested. I can try Rawz in the feeders tonight. But first, there’s a decent chance I’ll head into the office this afternoon for a beer and wine social hour. She’ll get another chance at Mouser in the feeder this afternoon. I don’t mind if she skips the afternoon snack. She doesn’t need that. But we’re losing a meal here when she skips the overnight feeders. I had hoped I could get her off I/D with a combination of Mouser and Rawz. But that’s proving to be more challenging than I thought.

 

[Margot Lane]

I am getting the same reaction lately from Mouser: he’ll eat it, but not ALL of it. Maybe it’s richer so he doesn’t have to. But w/ Farmina’s quail and pumpkin he would always eat it all. Maybe he doesn’t like scooping it out w/ his paw from the timer feeder?

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hoping the situation changes for the better for you both, daftcat75 and Margot Lane -- Mouser seems so promising!
As for the odansetron, we know that every individual is, well, an individual and how one reacts is not necessarily how all react. We can never know the feelings of another, feline, human, or ? and since Betty can't communicate this in a way we monkey types understand, it's just guessing and postulating. Whatever the case, hoping for positive progress!!!

 

[daftcat75]

The plot thickens. She didn’t seem too keen on her hairball treats this morning either. She ate a half and called it. She’s supposed to eat 4 halves. They are too chewy to give whole so I break them in half for her. I tried to swap them out for fresh ones from the bag. Still no interest. I grabbed a rabbit treat and that certainly piqued her interest. I got her to take a hairball treat by squishing a rabbit treat into it. Far from a perfect fit, she could have easily eaten the rabbit treat and left the hairball pieces. But fortunately she ate the rabbit treat and continued to finish the hairball treat pieces remaining around it. She’s down one half a hairball treat today. I didn’t want to give her yet another rabbit treat just for that half. I sure hope this doesn’t become a new normal.

I wonder ….

If she needed the ondansetron and it seems like did, maybe two weeks of pred is too soon to heal what’s underlying it. If lunch is sluggish and feeders go untouched this afternoon, she’ll start back on the ondansetron tonight. If that turns things around tomorrow, I’ll get back on the phone to the specialist. We may have to change the schedule of things:
perhaps accelerate a diet change while remaining on current pred dose and restoring ondansetron. Maybe her carb heavy food is keeping her gut fires burning and that she won’t be ready to go off the ondansetron until we remove the insults. But she does love the I/D. I fear I may never get her off it. Or that when she’s off it, she won’t eat the next food so readily. I’m wondering if she’ll ever be off meds and eating good food again.

If I’m allowed a little hope, I didn’t see her usual signs of nausea last night No burps and no looking for inappropriate things to chew on.

 

[lisahe]

I am getting the same reaction lately from Mouser: he’ll eat it, but not ALL of it. Maybe it’s richer so he doesn’t have to. But w/ Farmina’s quail and pumpkin he would always eat it all. Maybe he doesn’t like scooping it out w/ his paw from the timer feeder?

Mouser is very caloric, so I think your "richer" theory is probably right! Six cans of Mouser arrived here yesterday and now I'm rethinking how/when to include it in the cats' menu to prevent a) waste and b) the always-hungrier cat from eating more than she should from the always-less-hungry cat's plate.