Outside advice

[Millys Mum]

Warm cod & trout is more than i can handle! 

I agree they are over-priced, i feed 4 small meals a day, due to sensitive tums/puking so prefer fresh portions. Most of the brands i buy dont exist in bigger cans anyway so it a good job i dont need lots at each meal 

[Hippykitty]

Having two cats means that I dish the lot up in one go, except in the summer.

I still think the pouches are over-priced. I suppose it depends what your priorities are. Mine are to give my cats nuitritous food, whether they like it or not! If they don't eat it, tough! They'll eat it next time!

I don't put half cans in the fridge, I always put it in a cupboard. Cats hate cold food.

[Millys Mum]

Imo cats prefer pouches because they are fresh each time, the first serving of a tin is eaten more hastily then the last. I do believe that pouch formula is different to that of a tin, once you pop you cant stop!
I hated having a tin kicking around, cold food makes one of mine puke so to faff about/actually remember to get the tin out to warm up and then chill it again is annoying.
The fish flavours stink after a few hours 

[Hippykitty]

You might find that you have a problem getting her to eat tinned food now that you've spoiled her! Try mixing a little tinned food into the pouch food in larger and larger quantities until she gets used to it.

I think the pouches have more salt and moisture in them; something more appealling. But cats live perfectly healthily on good quality tinned food. Mine have even eaten some own brands, though I don't go to supermarkets often, the cat food is the same price round the corner. Don't use the super cheap own brands, they have too much cereal in them, which is useless to cats.

 

[TH]

We popped down to sainsburys over the weekend and found that the tins were far cheaper, we're running down our stock of pouches then it's onto the tins for Annie!

[Hippykitty]

Somehow Polly manages to eat dry food, though I strictly limit the amount I give them, as it's not good for their waterworks and kidneys.

Why are you feeding pouches? I don't understand why peeps do this, tins are MUCH cheaper. I give my two Whiskas. In their senility they only like one type, Whiskas chicken supermeat. I have to nag the guy at the corner shop to keep it well stocked!

They have pouches as an occasional treat. I'm not paying that much! They eat better than I do already! 

[Millys Mum]

If you get round biscuits she will be able to swallow them easily 
James Wellbeloved turkey/rice flavour are round.

[Ela]

No, she doesn't have dry food as we thought that she's be unable to chew/bite due to the lack of teeth

Over the years I had had many cats with no teeth (still have fangs) and they have loved dried food, they seem to suck it up.

[TH]

Does she have dry as well as wet? If not, 4 pouches a day isnt that excessive, the guidelines are 4, but they are slightly high.

No, she doesn't have dry food as we thought that she's be unable to chew/bite due to the lack of teeth, although I may buy a some to test.

[Rosella moggy]

Hi Trevor

Annie is certainly a very beautiful cat and looks in tip top condition. All the same I would always have any newcomer checked out by a vet esp since her back legs appear weak. She really is gorgeous   

Lucky you.

Our 3 cats have 24/7 outside access but I think I would be guided by Annie about outside access and certainly wouldn't push it if she doesn't seem keen in view of weakness in her back legs

[Desley (booktigger)]

Does she have dry as well as wet? If not, 4 pouches a day isnt that excessive, the guidelines are 4, but they are slightly high.

[TH]

Again, many thanks for all the comments and advice, much appreciated.

You can't really see the shaved patch on the picture, I've only seen it a couple of times myself and it certainly seems "fresh". If I get the opportunity I'll take a pic of it.

Well she went outside again yesterday, had a quick nosey around the garden and ran back in. This cat is really not that bothered about going out which is fine by me.

Feeding - She had 4 pouches off food yesterday and so far only 2 today.

[Desley (booktigger)]

She is very pretty, and I wouldn't think hyper-t looking at her - i have had thinner older cats than her that the vet has said looks too healthy for it. Hippy made a good comment with the eating, it is very common for strays to do that, Pumpkin is like that at the moment. I would still take her for a check up over hte legs though.

[Ela]

Altho midline spays are done the most common are flank incisions.

I agree, the exception usually being pregnant cats and some vets or rather the owners prefer cats with long hair to  have an on line op'. I have also found that some Australian vets prefer on-line (mid-line}

[CurlyCatz]

If so, that's definitely where she's been spayed.

possibly but then again could list hundreds of other options.  Altho midline spays are done the most common are flank incisions.

[Hippykitty]

PS Just had a closer look at her tum and noticed a patch between her front legs and her back where the fur looks clipped. Has she got a slight scar there? If so, that's definitely where she's been spayed.

[Hippykitty]

She's beautiful and too well-built to have hyperthyroidism, though it's worth checking. I can't see a bald patch on her underneath; has it grown back now?

Maybe she's just a piglet! From what you've said about her nervousness when eating, she may have had to fight for food in the past and is making up for lost time: making the most of the food available to her now. Once she's realised that she gets regular meals from you and the source of the food isn't going to stop, maybe she'll relax a little and be less of a gannet!

Worth having her legs checked too.

But she looks wonderfully healthy and not very old - her fur's in great condition! She's probably lost her teeth in the mysterious way Polly did (in other words, I don't know how!), or may have been born toothless. Polly is ancient though (20), but I noticed her gumminess years ago.

[forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa)]

  :Luv:awwwwww annie is beautiful 

[TH]

Annie.....moments after waking up!

[Hippykitty]

The shaving underneath, near her back legs suggests that she has been recently spayed; maybe her lack of power in her back legs is due to not fully recovering from the spay.

She may also have tapeworm.  Hyperthyroidism is rare in young cats, though as Lynn said, she may be older than you think.

One of my cats has no teeth and is quite happy like that, except when she can't kill a mouse!!

Personally, I'd have her checked over by a vet, but if all is well, have a cat flap put in your back door and allow her outside access for a few hours every day. Provided your neighbours don't have dogs and you're not near a busy road.

Unless it's really necessary to keep a cat in at all times, I prefer to allow outside access, even if it's limited. If you asked a cat, I'm sure it would agree! 

[CurlyCatz]

I would definately be taking her to your own independant vet to access her age (which may be way out tbh) and also as desley suggested informing them of her appetite and perhaps mentioning if she could have hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid)

It can be hard enough ageing a cat with teeth and many who might look 3 or 4 can actually be over 10 so personally i think it may be easier to "mis age" when there are no teeth there.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I would have a vet check done before anything, they aren't normal for such a young cat. I would be wary though, although I have let a three legged cat continue to have outdoor access (although she was still fast enough to outrun me!!)

[TH]

Do I suspect there's more to her back legs? Good question Christine.

I think the honest answer is yes. But I suppose what makes me doubt there's more to it, is that every attempt to jump on me has never failed yet - no signs or sounds of pain. She just struggles to jump at the expense of my thighs getting claw marks


I'll take her down to the vets next week and get her checked out thoroughly.

Thanks

Trevor

[Christine (Blip)]

I interpreted your comment about Annie's back legs being weak as suggesting she was unused to exercise but, in the light of your later post, do you suspect there is more to it than that?  If so, I'd get your vet to check out what's going on there, as well as her voracious appetite.  You may have already done this?

[Team Svartalfheims]

From the info you've given us she really shouldn't be allowed outside unless you cat proof your garden or build a run in the garden for her. Lots of people on here have indoor only cats or cats who only go out into a secure environment and none of those cats are 'deprived' by not being able to free roam.

Personally I'd take her to the vet and tell them how hungry she is and how much she eats and they might decide to do a blood test to check her thyroid.

[TH]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

The cats name is Annie

We have absolutely no history of the cat whatsoever, she was picked up by the RSPCA then temporarily homed to a cat rescue shelter in Colchester before coming to us.

All I know is

• She doesn't have teeth
• Her back legs are weak, although she's never cried in pain to let us know if they're hurting her
• She has been shaved underneath, near the back legs, but fur is growing back
• She's very nervous when eating, she will run under the kitchen table when approached whilst eating, but will return easily
• Doesn't liked to be picked up, although she is getting better at that e.g. when she needs to be moved
• At night time she's very very active, running around the house and generally making a mess with the rugs

That's all we know to be honest, she's a very loving cat who loves to be stroked for ages. She has only scratched one person so far deliberately as they weren't paying attention when stroking.

One other thing, she is ravenous - this cat would eat all day if she could. I'm sure we're overfeeding her but she will easily go through 5 pouches in one day.

The walls and fence in the garden are 6' high, so in her current state with her legs she's unlikely to get over them.



Trevor

[forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa)]

So that we don't panic again in the future, are there any tips I can have about letting my cat out on a more regular basis, we're obviously concerned about the lack of teeth and strength in her back legs.

To be honest I personally would not let a cat out with weak legs

i agree i wouldnt let her out either

[Christine (Blip)]

Hello again Trevor!

Do you know anything about the history of your cat before she arrived at the rescue?  You may find that, as she gets more and more exercise, the muscles of her legs get stronger.  This is what happened to our cat, Blip.

We have an enclosed back garden too and I initially let Blip out for short periods under supervision.  People advise arranging these outings for when your cat is hungry so that she is keen to come back for her food when you call her and gets into the habit of coming back when she is called (usually!).

Cats can manage perfectly well without teeth, by the way, in our domestic environments, so that's one less thing to worry about.

What is her name?

[Ela]

So that we don't panic again in the future, are there any tips I can have about letting my cat out on a more regular basis, we're obviously concerned about the lack of teeth and strength in her back legs.

To be honest I personally would not let a cat out with weak legs. Perhaps you will care to read the indoor/outdoor debate on my site www.chesterfieldcats.co.uk. It also says about cat safe gardens, which I am sure you would be able to do.

[TH]

Hi everyone,

My "hello" post is here - http://www.chaptanservices.com/purrs/index.php?topic=4371.0

Basically the situation is this.......

We got a cat from a rescue shelter almost 1 month ago, she's a 3 or 4 year old tabby who doesn't have any teeth whatsoever and appears to have weak back legs.
How do I know she's got weak back legs? When she jumps up on my lap she digs in the front claws and pulls herself up rather than actually jumping - my legs are a mess with scratches

Well last night she went outside for the first time. Our garden is quite small with some thick bushes, it's all walled in on 3 sides with a fence on the other, consider the issues she has with jumping I don't think she can escape that easily.
So, she ran under a bush and stayed there for a good hour or so - even whilst it was raining, we kept the door to the garden open all the time. At one point it looked like she wasn't going to come in as she was curled up in the bush just staring at us.

Eventually she came back in and that was to use the toilet.

So that we don't panic again in the future, are there any tips I can have about letting my cat out on a more regular basis, we're obviously concerned about the lack of teeth and strength in her back legs.

Many thanks

Trevor