Poppy

feralvr

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:woohoo: For poop covering Poppy :clap::clap::clap: I am really elated to read your wonderful updates. It seems to me that Poppy is settling in and letting her guard down on many fronts. She is feeling safe, happy and secure. I think this is a great example of how patience (and love :heart2:) won in the end. :clap::clap::clap:
 
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poppy2507

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Update (2 years later)—a very long post, but a positive one: 

Poppy is still with me—lucky me! Poppy decided she wanted her litterbox on the balcony (it's enclosed by windows across the ledge, so safe for her to be there). She absolutely loves to be out there in most any kind of weather, curled up in a chair, or in her open carrier on top of boxes stacked high enough so she can see out the window, when she isn't busy snoozing. She uses "her" little window / door, always open, to go in and out from the living-room, and in very hot weather stretches out and snoozes on "her" patch of balcony just outside her little window / door. 

The litterbox, at Poppy's insistence, was moved from the utility cupboard to the balcony, and the box, again at Poppy's insistence, is cleaned whenever Poppy soils it. She uses the box for urination, but "poops" outside the box. I've long since come to an acceptance of this: Poppy said "that's me, take it or leave it!" I accepted her terms, and we both relaxed. 

After much trial and error (multiple litterboxes, plastic garbage bags under the box, training pads under the box, Cat Attract litter, etc.) that resulted in frustration on both sides, we've long since settled on 1 litterbox, on the balcony where Poppy wants it. I use S'wheat Scoop litter, a bit of Cat Attractant sprinkled on top (it looks like herbs or something), and an old mattress protector under the box, to catch bits of litter and protect the balcony carpet. The mattress protector is machine washable, and neater and less expensive than garbage bags and training pads. 

Constipation Controlled:

Poppy has been off Restoralax (MiraLax) for well over a year. I got tired of doing clean-ups whenever and wherever the laxative hit her, so one day decided to look for alternatives. We went through the pumpkin-added-to-food stage for some months, and that did help to keep her regular and less panicked, but in time the effect of pumpkin wore off. As I posted elsewhere in the forums, Poppy hit a 4-day, going into 5-day, period of constipation that worried me. Following suggestions posted in the forum, I tried slippery elm bark (SEB), making it into a tea and adding the resulting liquid to her food twice daily (1 tsp each time). And I got "probiotics for animals" and started her on 1/8 teaspoon mixed into food once a day.  

I think, after almost a year, trial and guesswork, we've got the chronic constipation issue under control. I don't know about the long-term (i.e. life-long) safety of the SEB and probiotics, but we follow a 3-weeks-on, 1-week-off schedule. For 3 weeks, Poppy gets SEB as a tea (= thick liquid) in her food twice a day, and gets 1/8 teaspoon of the probiotics mixed into her breakfast. One week she gets nothing added to the food except a bit of extra water. Poppy now "poops" a good volume and texture, with regularity, every 2 or 3 days. 

Food / Water:

Poppy has a history of constipation, and she never goes near a water dish. I tried multiple water bowls, ceramic, glass, stainless steel, all over the apartment. Tried 3 or 4 cat fountains — finally accepted Poppy is not a water drinker. I still put down a water dish, but recognize I do that for me, not for the cat. She simply won't drink water. 

Poppy has been a "wet food only" cat since I got her. I can't afford the expensive stuff, and I don't want to give her beef or fish, so Poppy eats Fancy Feast pate: liver and chicken, turkey, and until recently, chicken. She's liking the chicken less lately, so I've ordered Merrick chicken (too expensive but has no fish), to try out. If she likes that we'll try the Fancy Feast chicken again in a few months. She tried duck, but didn't like that. 

She does better on 4 smaller meals a day, so Poppy is fed around 6 and 11 a.m., then again at 5 and 10 p.m. 

Behavior:

Poppy HATES the noise of the vacuum cleaner, and runs to hide under a table in the bedroom (no carpet in the bedroom) as soon as she hears me open the utility cupboard door to take out the vacuum. She ventures out again when I put the noise-maker away and tell her the all-clear is sounded.

Poppy still doesn't like to be picked up and held. She freezes until she's free again, then jumps down. Likely she will never willingly be a lap cat. BUT ...

Poppy presents herself on the living-room footstool in the morning, and on the bed at night, to be brushed. Twice a day, without fail. She sits at the kitchen door waiting for a few "treats" when I'm getting my breakfast. She bumps my legs when she walks past, Poppy's version of "hi there—you're mine, you know!" She bats a small ball over my feet when she wants to play, and carries the ball in her mouth to the bedroom, quite often dropping it on the bed, to wake me up in the mornings. She checks to see where I've gone when I've left the room for a few minutes, even if I think I've left her sound asleep. And she still does the "flop and squirm" on the floor — I call it "the Poppy-Cute"—for a belly rub and petting session whenever I speak to her. 

Poppy has no petting aggression or biting (except when I've exceeded her limits: She decides when "enough is enough" and goes away or folds into a ball when she's had enough petting), no hiding (except from the vacuum cleaner). 

She comes to find me when she's used her litterbox or pooped beside the box, but there is no panic now.  I just get the "follow me" routine. I follow, I clean up, and we both go back to what we were doing. 

Poppy is very much settled into a calm routine, and shows any upset by litterbox misbehavior only when that routine is off: If her breakfast is late by an hour or so (on mornings when I sleep in, for example), and it's a "poop day," Poppy poops, in plain sight, on the living-room carpet. "Serves you darn right for upsetting a cat's routine!" I imagine she's telling me.  

All in all, it's been an interesting couple of years with Poppy. We've had to be patient with each other, but we've got a good thing going now. I couldn't ask for a better roommate, really. 

I wanted to update folks here. I'm grateful for the help and advice I got on this forum. And I want to give hope to anybody struggling with a cat's constipation or behavioral issues. I adopted Poppy in winter 2013, and it's now summer 2015. It does take time! But Poppy's found her forever home (we knew that the day I brought her home), and I think she's decided to keep me, too! 

Christine
 
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margd

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Glad to read Poppy is doing so well. It's great you were so patient and learned what she was telling you. It sounds like you've got an excellent routine down. My first cat was named Poppy so I'm especially glad to read your Poppy is so happy. [emoji]128512[/emoji]
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Oh, what a wonderful update
.  She loves you, I can tell from how she acts towards you, especially the Poppy Cute.  That's a very clear sign
.  Actually, everything you've written attests to just how much she loves you, AND how much you love her too. 

I'm just so happy for you BOTH
.  And you know what?  Someday, maybe when you least expect it, she may just climb into your lap.  No kidding!  It might just happen.  Not saying it will, but our little girl is 15 1/2 years old.  WE adopted her 14 years ago this month.  I would say just within the last 6 months she has started climbing into our laps
.  Up until then, she was exactly like you describe Poppy, if we picked her up, she would freeze as if she were a statue. We have no idea why this is happening now, but are quite enjoying it.  She doesn't lay down though, she stands or sits there, getting pets.  She may stay for half an hour, as long as someone pets her.  Stop the petting and she'll disappear in the blink of an eye, unlike her brothers, who I cannot detach from me with a crowbar
  So anyway, there's still hope on that end. 
 
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poppy2507

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I haven't posted for some months, but Poppy continues to do well. She's active enough, eyes are bright, fur feels like silk. 

Behavior issues are a thing of the past, I think. She still freezes when I pick her up and I feel her hind feet moving ready to run as soon as I relax hold on her. But she jumps onto the footstool for brushing / to be petted whenever I sit down. She comes to look for me when I'm out of the room too long, and she does nightly "bed checks" to be sure I'm in for the night before going off to the living-room, where she sleeps. 

She still ... possibly forever ... urinates almost always in the litterbox but "poops" just outside the box. We've come to terms with that. 

I spent a fortune trying various cat fountains, tried bowls of water all over the apartment, and now still put down fresh water daily, but Poppy still won't touch water. She will always be on wet (canned) food for the moisture that gives her, and I often add extra water to her food. 

Constipation issues are resolved mostly, although I keep a close watch and still mix SEB tea into her food a few times a week, since pumpkin stopped working many months ago.The SEB still seems to help. 

I've had her on Fancy Feast for the over-4 years she's been with me. I'm a pensioner and FF fits the budget. She seems to do better with small meals x 4 a day, so that's what she gets.  I give her FF Turkey & Giblets most nights, and have been rotating FF Salmon, Chicken and Liver & Chicken for her morning / lunch meals. I purposely don't feed fish other than salmon, and have never fed beef because of recalls of beef-flavored cat foods over the years. 

She's recently stopped liking the FF Chicken, so today I tried her on Blue Buffalo Indoor Chicken, which is way out of my budget range. She ate that like it was going out of style. (I've tried Wellness and Merrick: she wouldn't eat those.) 

Questions:

(1) I'm wondering if boredom sets in and do cats really need multiple flavors of food? I rotate flavors in case of boredom, and in case they stop making one or more of the flavors. 

(2) What is the BEST canned cat food, given Poppy's history of constipation?

(3) What is the best, INEXPENSIVE canned cat food, given my budget restraints? 

(4) What do people here think about Fancy Feast as a long-term diet, assuming the cat will eat most flavors? 

Would appreciate any comments re above questions, and I hope everyone, and everyone's cats, are doing well!
 

GoldyCat

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I haven't posted for some months, but Poppy continues to do well. She's active enough, eyes are bright, fur feels like silk. 

Behavior issues are a thing of the past, I think. She still freezes when I pick her up and I feel her hind feet moving ready to run as soon as I relax hold on her. But she jumps onto the footstool for brushing / to be petted whenever I sit down. She comes to look for me when I'm out of the room too long, and she does nightly "bed checks" to be sure I'm in for the night before going off to the living-room, where she sleeps. 

She still ... possibly forever ... urinates almost always in the litterbox but "poops" just outside the box. We've come to terms with that. 

I spent a fortune trying various cat fountains, tried bowls of water all over the apartment, and now still put down fresh water daily, but Poppy still won't touch water. She will always be on wet (canned) food for the moisture that gives her, and I often add extra water to her food. 

Constipation issues are resolved mostly, although I keep a close watch and still mix SEB tea into her food a few times a week, since pumpkin stopped working many months ago.The SEB still seems to help. 

I've had her on Fancy Feast for the over-4 years she's been with me. I'm a pensioner and FF fits the budget. She seems to do better with small meals x 4 a day, so that's what she gets.  I give her FF Turkey & Giblets most nights, and have been rotating FF Salmon, Chicken and Liver & Chicken for her morning / lunch meals. I purposely don't feed fish other than salmon, and have never fed beef because of recalls of beef-flavored cat foods over the years. 

She's recently stopped liking the FF Chicken, so today I tried her on Blue Buffalo Indoor Chicken, which is way out of my budget range. She ate that like it was going out of style. (I've tried Wellness and Merrick: she wouldn't eat those.) 

Questions:

(1) I'm wondering if boredom sets in and do cats really need multiple flavors of food? I rotate flavors in case of boredom, and in case they stop making one or more of the flavors. 

(2) What is the BEST canned cat food, given Poppy's history of constipation?

(3) What is the best, INEXPENSIVE canned cat food, given my budget restraints? 

(4) What do people here think about Fancy Feast as a long-term diet, assuming the cat will eat most flavors? 

Would appreciate any comments re above questions, and I hope everyone, and everyone's cats, are doing well!
Thanks for the update. Glad to hear Poppy is doing so well. I think you'll get more response to your questions about food/feeding if you start a thread in the Nutrition forum. You could copy and paste the last part of this post so you don't have to type it all over again.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Have you tried SHEBA?  It's similar to FF in price, and in some ways it's better.  Some ingredients are better.   I rotate between the two of them, but only feed the pates of either of them.  And I also add lots and lots of water to my furkids' canned foods as they aren't water drinkers either. 
 
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poppy2507

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I've checked my usual cat food sources for  the Sheba and so far don't find it. I'm in Toronto, Canada so maybe it's not available in Canada? I'll keep looking tho'. Thanks for the suggestion. 
 
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