Topic: Neighbours' cats probs (Read 18773 times)

Hippykitty · « **Reply #51 on:** May 30, 2007, 13:49:14 PM »

Nick, you should lose you appetite if you're hypo! The insatiable appetite goes with hyper-T. I'm also hypo, very rare for a man to get thyroid problems. (I assume Nick refers to a man.) Maybe the thyroxine is bringing your appetite back, or you're just fond of cream cakes.

Much easier to treat hypo (with thyroxine). For hyper there are thyroid activity suppressants used for humans and animals, but in healthy humans an op is usually recommended, or radio-active iodine treatment.

I bought a book on the subject when I went hypo around the same time I went through an early 'change' - read about anything friends or me have wrong......don't trust doctors.

Nick (Peanut & Boo) · « **Reply #50 on:** May 30, 2007, 11:37:23 AM »

thats great news Ros. Well done. My cats have got used to me swearing and shouting and throwing things about the kitchen so don't bat an eyelid anymore . They are much better behaved than I am lol.

Did the vet think he is Hyper or Hypo ? can't remember Zimmy's symptoms now but if he is overweight lethargic and low metabolic rate with insatiable appetite I think he is likely to be Hypo T well those symptoms sure fit me anyway hee hee

That enzyme test you sure he wasn't quoting you the charge £188 lol

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #49 on:** May 29, 2007, 12:06:11 PM »

What a morning! Billy wouldn't let me put him in carrier so took just Freddie and Zimmy to Cramar on 1st trip. Billy had seconds thoughts when I got back due to extreme noise from workmen who are demolishing my house and we eventually managed to get him to Cramar too. Thomas still here and doesn't give a hoot about the noise, he was eating his breakfast on one side of the wall while the other side of the wall was being drilled!

Anyway, I took Zimmy to vet next to Cramar (I explained neighbour gave Zimmy to me as she no longer wants him). Vet suspects Zimmy to be HyperT due to enlarged thyroid and heart beating very fast (240 per min?). He did normal blood tests and tested for HyperT. Thyroid results come back late tomorrow or Thurs but vet just rang me to say liver and kidney tests not bad at all. He mentioned one enzyme test (I didn't quite hear due to drilling) that was 188 but normal usually about 110 which is what he would expect if thyroid problem? So Zimmy in isolation in rescue part of Cramar and Freddie and Billy in cattery part of Cramar together and my house a disaster zone. Think me and Thomas may move in with neighbours 3 cats. OH is off to London in a while .....

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #48 on:** May 29, 2007, 08:10:17 AM »

Fingers crossed Rosella, and Zimmy is very lucky that he has good people nearby and care for him.

Nick (Peanut & Boo) · « **Reply #47 on:** May 28, 2007, 21:05:12 PM »

sorry everyone this link should work. My ISP went down when posting earlier
http://www.petporte.com/

there are about 5 maybe 6 settings altogether on these catflaps and you can set to any choice at any time by pressing some buttons on the flap.
Because they are electronic you will need a 230v ac socket nearby to plug the power adaptor into but they providfe a 5 metre extension cable.

Lardass loves the new flaps and goes out the front charges round the neighbours garden under the garden gate and comes back into the rear catflap looking all pleased with herself then does it in reverse groan.As I spend most of the day at the kitchen table between the 2 flaps its driving me nuts lol

Ros
good guys and bad guys .... this is beginning to sound like the mafia now hee hee

Just don't bring any more cats into this or I am going to completly lose the plot lol

think I need a horlicks meself

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #46 on:** May 28, 2007, 20:47:11 PM »

I think you are coping magnifanctly sp? and I do hope that someone will treat poor Zimmy, I would say its your new cat that you just rescued!

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #45 on:** May 28, 2007, 20:41:11 PM »

Sorry Nick. I prob confused neighbours 1 & 2

. I can't use names for obv reasons.

Lets call em goodguys (with 3 cats that I am catsitting while they are on hols till 9 June) and bad guys (where Zimmy lives who is elderly & poss ill). Good guys have soft spot for Zimmy as they have done catsitting for years and Zimmy visiting not a big problem whilst good guys at home and good guys are very likely to keep him if bad guys abandon him. I discussed this with good guys before they went on hols.

Bad guys have gone away leaving their cat flap locked till, I assume, 2 June leaving their cat Zimmy to enter good guys catflap and upset the resident 3 cats who would not come into their own house whilst their owners are away unless I force em. I couldn't possibly lock Zimmy out of goodguys catflap using magnetic catflap or anything else, if that's what you were suggesting (sorry if I've got that wrong but I'm in such a muddle over everything at the mo!). I have got major refurb of house happening for 3 weeks from tomorrow so can't keep him here until this weekend when the worst part of work on house should be finished.

Having said all that, things alter daily and the 3 resident cats came in more easily this afternoon and may be getting more used to Zimmy since I started locking all 4 in house together for a few hours at a time. I therefore plan to see how they ALL are later this evening (locking them in if I can get em all) and tomorrow morning and may change my mind about putting Zimmy into Cramar Cat Rescue (aka 5* Cat hotel) and just book him into my vet for a check up explaining that he has been left in my care. I have to weigh up upsetting an elderly cat by putting him into a cattery against ensuring the other much younger 3 cats are fed, warm, dry and not likely to stray from home.

It's good of you to call me courageous and selfless but certainly don't feel it; just gotta be able to sleep at night. On which thought, me and OH were thinking of buying badguys a jar of horlicks

All I can say is I don't know what I'd do without you lot to whinge to as I know you understand my predicament. Cheers everyone

Littlebobo · « **Reply #44 on:** May 28, 2007, 20:35:15 PM »

Well done for this Roz I had a similar situation with neighbour sadly there cat passed away because their kidneys had suffered so badly

Finger crossed for Zimmy xx

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #43 on:** May 28, 2007, 20:14:20 PM »

Quote from: Hippykitty on May 28, 2007, 18:40:44 PM

Shame I don't like collars, otherwise I'd try to set this the other way round - to let them out at night, and lock them in during the day - would save me having to get up at dawn to lock my two in (Polly has had ear-cancer and has a white nose too, so vet said to keep her out of sun.) Yawn!

I think that's the point Hippy, you don't need collars the one Nick linked to works by reading their microchip. I love the idea of a 'curfew' setting

Fingers crossed for Zimmy, hopefully the other neighbour will adopt him. Good on you for caring and actually doing something about the situation.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #42 on:** May 28, 2007, 19:25:30 PM »

I might look into those, I wanted a magnetic catflap, but got told they can get out through them without a collar, which is no good for the fosters - and if I turn it round, I am risking the other neighbourhood cats coming in and not being able to get back out - and 3 of them spray!!

Hippykitty · « **Reply #41 on:** May 28, 2007, 18:40:44 PM »

Anyone else having probs with the link?

Shame I don't like collars, otherwise I'd try to set this the other way round - to let them out at night, and lock them in during the day - would save me having to get up at dawn to lock my two in (Polly has had ear-cancer and has a white nose too, so vet said to keep her out of sun.) Yawn!

Nick (Peanut & Boo) · « **Reply #40 on:** May 28, 2007, 18:24:38 PM »

just read thrrough all of this thread in one go and my head is reeling with neighbour 1 and Neighbour 2 etc so not sure if I have followed it all correctly but I think what you have done Ros is very courageous and selfless.
I can understand how the Vets have covered themselves in case they get prosecuted etc but I can't bellieve thet can't use some commensense and at least offer to check Zimmy over and carry out any urgent treatment needed . They would surely do that much for any accident victim brought in off the street with no apparent owner. Shame on them.

Anyway the reason I was adding my 2p Worth is some kind soul on this very forum recommended electronic catflaps to me and they might be a solution to your predicament.

They work by reading your cat's microchip all of which have a unique number . Once you have programmed your cat into the catflaps memory it will only let your cats in and out .
It has loads of differant combinations including a curfew .It has an inbuilt PIR which senses when it gets dark and locks the catflap one way to prevent your cat going out for the night. When its light in the morning it opens the flap again.

Fully automatic once programmed you never really need to touch it. Since fitting one at each end of my kitchen (front and back of house) no other cat has been able to get into the house. No more fighting, spraying or eating our food .

The peace of mind this has given me when i go to work for the day cannot be measured. I know my cats have a safe refuge all day in the house whilst I'm away.

heres a link http://www.petporte.com/

sorry having problems posting anything at the moment

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #39 on:** May 28, 2007, 17:21:54 PM »

Thank you for the info Desley.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #38 on:** May 28, 2007, 16:03:31 PM »

have pm'd you

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #37 on:** May 28, 2007, 15:53:24 PM »

I don't know Desley but suspect so as she has a boy and girl in their teens still at school. Not sure what will happen when she returns. I haven't figured out what I will do. Will have to play it by ear but Zimmy is booked in to Cramar till Sunday. I keep wondering if she left it to her hubby to sort out (he came on the scene about 18mths ago) and he may be responsible for all this upset. I don't know him at all and I'm still looking for excuses for her!

I suspect what will happen is that I'll collect Zimmy and bring him home here for a week in spare room and see if she comes to try and find him and if she does see what her excuse is. I am not however inclined to give him up if I feel he is in danger. She has apparently sold the house and they will be moving out very soon altho no dates mentioned. For all I know she may already have B*ggered off with no intention of coming back which would at least sort out that problem!

smudgepickles · « **Reply #36 on:** May 28, 2007, 14:22:06 PM »

Lets hope they are having a really ~~nice~~

time where ever they are

selfish horrible owners dont deserve to have fur babies

xx

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #35 on:** May 28, 2007, 14:07:05 PM »

Are his owners just away for a week?

Baggy · « **Reply #34 on:** May 28, 2007, 13:31:59 PM »

Quote from: Ela on May 28, 2007, 09:02:46 AM

Quote
couldn't you take him to a different vet and ask for tests on a stray cat you've taken on?

What a thing to suggest, I am sure none of us in rescue would have dreamt of such a thing.

No, no nobody has ever suggested anything like this, and I have never done exactly the same thing, oh no

Glad that Zimmy is geting real help, anyway

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #33 on:** May 28, 2007, 10:10:19 AM »

Until yesterday, the idea that Zimmy's owner had abandoned him really hadn't sunk in as I have "known" the owner for so many years. I was therefore inclined to follow vet advice.

I value the good judgment of people working in cat rescue and will rely on Janet at Cramar Cat Rescue to coach me in the words I need to use but, now that I know no arrangements were made to look after Zimmy, I do feel as if he is mine at the moment.

Cramar have a vet right next door. Cramar's owner is completely devoted to the welfare of her charges and I will pay so Zimmy will be in the best hands from tomorrow until Sunday. When the parents of the 3 get back from hols the following Saturday, they are very likely to take him on and if necessary he can stay in our spare room in the meantime as most of the noisy bathroom work and central heating should be completed by next weekend (famous last words)

Ela · « **Reply #32 on:** May 28, 2007, 09:02:46 AM »

Quote

couldn't you take him to a different vet and ask for tests on a stray cat you've taken on?

What a thing to suggest, I am sure none of us in rescue would have dreamt of such a thing.

Hippykitty · « **Reply #31 on:** May 28, 2007, 08:23:47 AM »

Fib and say he's your cat! That's what I would do in this situation.

Baggy · « **Reply #30 on:** May 27, 2007, 22:02:09 PM »

Quote from: Rosella moggy on May 27, 2007, 18:43:29 PM

Poor old fella. I am still so shocked at how this neighbour has treated a cat she had for so many years and scrabbling around for any excuse I can think of but coming up with nothing.

Sad, and depressing, isn't it?

If he's been left alone for the week it effectively means she has abandoned him, couldn't you take him to a different vet and ask for tests on a stray cat you've taken on?

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #29 on:** May 27, 2007, 19:19:23 PM »

Good luck with him.

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #28 on:** May 27, 2007, 18:43:29 PM »

Sorry for boring everyone to death but latest is that b****y vet (Manor Vets in Halesowen) cancelled appointment at last minute saying they had an emergency but in any event they were not prepared to carry out blood test when Zimmy not my cat (needless to say this was all discussed this morning and agreed OK then) but Cramar Cat Rescue, god bless em, have agreed to take Zimmy from Tuesday to Sunday (in isolation as no evidence of vaccs but Zimmy doesn't like other cats so that's OK and I will pay of course).

I think I'll explain circumstances more fully so they understand neighbour has effectively asked me to look after him by leaving him with other 3 (and somehow her catflap got stuck and she forgot to give me key to her house) and hopefully their vet will accept I am "in loco parentis" so to speak and look at him.

He was curled up in basket an hour ago and sneezed a couple of times but big purrs. Poor old fella. I am still so shocked at how this neighbour has treated a cat she had for so many years and scrabbling around for any excuse I can think of but coming up with nothing.

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #27 on:** May 27, 2007, 10:55:58 AM »

Thanks Desley. After numerous phone calls to PDSA etc, I have found a vet that will see Zimmy late this afternoon (a result I'd say for a bank holiday sunday) and agreed to carry out an inhouse Thyroid blood test only if he thinks Zimmy may have HyperT. Of course I could be completely wrong about this and perhaps it is just his age. Apparently will only cost circa £50 but I'll believe that when I see it! If they are going to do a thyroid test I will also ask for full geriatric profile as might as well.

Spent last few hours collecting everyone in and settling 3 lads upstairs in bedrooms and leaving Zimmy by the food downstairs. The only thing going for us at the mo is a gazebo that the mom of 3 boys erects for them every summer that has 3 little cat igloo beds in covered in thick plastic sheeting so anyone staying out overnight has somewere dry and war to kip.

I've just left a message with cramar cat rescue to see if at all poss to board Zimmy with them for the week altho unlikely as I have no idea whether his jabs are up to date and suspect they aren't.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #26 on:** May 27, 2007, 09:20:47 AM »

Aww, the poor baby. Good luck with him.

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #25 on:** May 26, 2007, 23:18:51 PM »

Am now very depressed. Neighbour 2 has gone on hols leaving Zimmy behind (cattery my backside). Zimmy has pretty well turfed neighbour 1s cats out of their house. I think I'm going to have to catch all 4 of them each night and lock them all in neighbour 1s house as I can't turf Zimmy outside. Can't bring him to ours due to work starting on house. Am really p*ssed off.

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #24 on:** May 24, 2007, 21:35:48 PM »

What a mess!

Neighbour 1 went on hols only this am for 16 days, yours truly catsitting her 3 boys (Butu, Red & Smudge all of whom I love to bits). Neighbour 2's promise of vet visit with Zimmy never seems to have materialised as no sign of shaved fur so no blood tests. Zimmy is upsetting neighbour 1's 3 boys by staying in their house more than his own home and eating their food to the extent that they won't use catflap and Butu keeps coming over to our back garden (2 houses away) and scaring our Billie who just came in with big fluffy tail. So I collected Butu and brought him home and fed him his fresh fish separately in front room and collected Smudge and put him in his house and Zimmy has disappeared and Freddie came out the front(!!!!) to neighbour 2's house and wants to know what the blo*dy hell Ma? Thank God for the bank holiday and my week off next week. Neighbour 2 on hols from Saturday and promised neighbour 1 she would put Zimmy in a cattery. I hope she does now although if she doesn't I am bringing him to vet next week. He certainly has plenty of life in him yet but is causing ructions!

Ela · « **Reply #23 on:** May 20, 2007, 08:34:44 AM »

Quote

so even if I had been able to steal her, I couldnt have taken her anywhere.

I have changed my mind about what I posted, well not exactly changed my mind about what I wrote but perhaps it should not be read. Some people may get the wrong idea. It was nothing bad about any of the posters.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #22 on:** May 19, 2007, 19:06:45 PM »

Rosella - if it is his thyroid, there is prob no need for his owner to consider pts, but I find a lot of people just think a vet will immediately suggest it due to age - and some vets are less willing to try things with older cats, but they are not all liek that, and some will bend if pushed enough by the owner.
MM - I had the same, my only option was stealing and a bit hard when you live next door to the person, and she didn't go out much - plus she was an ex-feral who didn't like humans, I could do more with her than her owner could, so even if I had been able to steal her, I couldnt have taken her anywhere.

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #21 on:** May 19, 2007, 18:58:57 PM »

My mate told me the other day that I must let her know if and when I thought it time for her Lucy to go as I was getting so upset about Zimmy! I know threads have a tendency to morph into something else (of which I thoroughly approve BTW). Just wanted to say IMO Zimmy ain't ready for pts at all yet. He just needs to try meds and see how he goes. This is meant to buoy us all up a little coz I ain't at all ready for Zimmy's departure yet.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #20 on:** May 19, 2007, 16:45:05 PM »

Quote from: Desley (booktigger) on May 19, 2007, 09:10:12 AM

and then die slowly because he didn't believe in euthanasia, I still feel guilty about her

An old friend of mine left her cat like that, i tried so hard to get her to do the right thing and offered to go with/take the cat myself but nothing worked. The cat lost the ability to move and died that night, i felt so bad like it was me who had let her down. Other than stealing her i was powerless

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #19 on:** May 19, 2007, 09:10:12 AM »

Not sure about tactful, I think I was just lucky - I couldn't convince my next door neighbour who I knew well, and had to watch his cat decline slowly due to kidney issues, and then die slowly because he didn't believe in euthanasia, I still feel guilty about her, cos I loved her as much as my own (more when Pebbles was annoying me!!).

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #18 on:** May 19, 2007, 09:08:02 AM »

Nice one Desley. You obviously had a tactful approach. My approach wasn't the right one, that's for sure and I have had a bad week as a result. I was however very shocked when I saw the state of Zimmy and just took off without thinking it through.

There is a history of our 3 houses catsitting for each other, sort of, except whilst we would always cat sit for Zimmy we never asked neighbour 2 to catsit for us as we never trusted her to do the job right. Whenever we were sharing catsitting duties with her for neighbour 1's cats, she would often send her young son to feed cats who not surprisingly didn't do a thorough job. She told OH that Zimmy was only allowed in enclosed back porch whilst she was on hols when he was younger but we ignored her and she never made that stipulation again. Lets put it this way, she talks the talks but her actions do not match her words.

Thankfully, we are blessed with nearer neighbours who do really love animals so thankfully she is not the norm in our neck of the woods.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #17 on:** May 19, 2007, 08:47:04 AM »

I agree with leaving it to neighbour 1, as they know her - a lot of people do associate weight loss with old age, but talking about hyper-t and how it is easily treated can help, i have managed it with pretty much a complete stranger - she even stopped me in teh street a few weeks after to tell me they had taken him and I had been right, and still smiles at me now, so it can work (and I had taken their cat home for the night cos I was concerned about him sitting on the windowsill of a dark house on a cold Nov night, so they could have been incredibly annoyed and offended at me!!)

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #16 on:** May 19, 2007, 08:43:46 AM »

I'm leaving it to neighbour 1 to follow up now as I am certainly persona non grata with neighbour 2 now and neighbour 1 is still on speaking terms so she's in a better position to find out. No I don't think post natal depression is the problem. I think Desley is right that she may have had Zimmy a long time but has not taken the trouble to find out about cat health issues and didn't link up (chose to put her head in the sand) the excessive eating, losing weight and matted fur shows signs of illness not old age.

Last I heard, Zimmy's owner is going on a weeks holiday and Zimmy going into a cattery for that week so his injections must at least be up to date and perhaps, if vet visit has identified problem, then at least cattery will be able to administer any meds initially.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #15 on:** May 19, 2007, 08:35:53 AM »

Rosella - sadly people who dont have a lot of knowledge with cat health do think like that, hopefully explaining things like thyroid that can be treated will help a lot.

Hippykitty · « **Reply #14 on:** May 19, 2007, 07:41:44 AM »

Have just caught up with this thread. How have things gone?

Do you think Zimmy's owner really has any interest in him? I wonder if it's worth asking the RSPCA to pay her a visit, as mentioned earlier. The trouble is, you can't trust them not to take the cat away.

I hope things improve. Do you think Zimmy's owner might have post natal depression so has lost interest in things like her cat?

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #13 on:** May 16, 2007, 09:19:26 AM »

Latest news via neighbour 1 is that neighbour 2 bringing Zimmy to vet today. At last!

Neighbour 2's story is that Zimmy is aged 20 and she is scared of taking him to the vet in case vet says she has to pts. She "loves" Zimmy and doesn't want to lose him. I should add that I know for sure that our Tom (age 17 1/2) is at least 1 year older than Zimmy and, if she had brought him to the vet sooner, there would be a lot less chance of vet suggesting pts altho I'm virtually certain a vet would suggest no such thing when he is eating everything put in front of him. I'm just so angry about her lack of care.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #12 on:** May 13, 2007, 13:38:37 PM »

Lets hope this gets sorted for Zimmys sake

Author Topic: Neighbours' cats probs (Read 18773 times)