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bonosloveslave said:
You might try this on Chloe, it is AWESOME on thick coated long haired cats, esp. the ones who don't like to be brushed cuz you get so much out with just a few swipes. It works best before the mats get too bad or right down to the skin, it helps cut through the hair rather than ripping it out. It probably looks weird, I had never seen anything like it before I started at my job but I think it would work really well on her kind of coat.

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?familyID=6376

5879930001B.jpg

Cool! I'm going to try that on my Mitzi cat. She's a longhaired cat and absolutely HATES to be brushed! All I can ever get with her are a few swipes before she becomes a raging terror. Mats on her are a constant issue.
 
Do any of you have cats that HATE having their claws trimmed? We tried trimming Max's claws the other day and he yowled and howled and squirmed through out. Poor thing, I wonder if the process causes any discomfort to them at all or is it just him being difficult?
 
No it does not cause discomfort as long as you dont cut too far down on the nail into the 'quick' which is the pink part. It's actually blood vessles. I just cut the very tips of my cats claws and yes, it can be a difficult procedure because cats are just that way lol. Zoey is nearly impossible.. she yowls and growls and even hisses. She hates it that much. Saki is easier and almost never complains. I would try to do it when he is sleeping. Just kind of sneak up and cut a few nails before he fully wakes up. Then maybe later cut a few more nails.

Here's a website that shows how to cut them.

http://www.catscratching.com/htmls/article.htm


They show them using those big monstrosities to clip them but I just use regular small nail clippers.
 
Cornell has a a new set of videos for demos on giving a cat a pill, brushing their teeth, and trimming their nails. The nail trimming link is here:

http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/trimming_claws/

General videos link:
http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/

I think the little scissor type trimmers are the easiest to use. For the cats that are really feisty, I think it can be less stressful on them to get 1 or 2 at a time when they are napping and spread it out over the course of a few days.
 
Babydoll said:
Do any of you have cats that HATE having their claws trimmed? We tried trimming Max's claws the other day and he yowled and howled and squirmed through out. Poor thing, I wonder if the process causes any discomfort to them at all or is it just him being difficult?

Beckham was like this as a kitten. The few times he's bitten us were while getting his nails trimmed. My friends were too scared to hold him tight enough and he'd end up nearly hurting himself or biting.

Now, he's mellowed out. If I surprise him while sleeping, I can usually quick do it before he's awake enough to care. Otherwise, I've figured out a way to hold him where he can't bite me. All he does is groan and threaten me, but he hasn't bitten me in over a year.

Like Beth said, if they are being stubborn, I just do a few at a time.
 
Poor Posh, she has to go to the vet on Monday night. She's overdue for her booster shots. I hate doing this to her b/c the car stresses her so much, and the shots always make her sick. Last year, Posh spent a few days on my bed and would only eat if we brought food to her. Then, a lump appeared on her shoulder and stayed for three months.
 
Sicy said:
Zoey is nearly impossible.. she yowls and growls and even hisses. She hates it that much.

That sounds like my Mitzi, except you can add bites to the list. She gets her Hell Cat Bitch nickname for a good reason. :wink: The cat doesn't like much of anything and makes sure everyone knows it. She's even a terror at the vet, although at my old vet while she would raise holy hell with the techs and the female vets she was as meek as can be with the one male vet. He never hurt her, but he was big and she seemed to realise that her bitching wasn't going to work. What a cat. :)
 
Liesje said:
Poor Posh, she has to go to the vet on Monday night. She's overdue for her booster shots. I hate doing this to her b/c the car stresses her so much, and the shots always make her sick. Last year, Posh spent a few days on my bed and would only eat if we brought food to her. Then, a lump appeared on her shoulder and stayed for three months.

Is that where they gave her the shot? Please make sure they only give shots in the legs. If a cancerous sarcoma developes on the shoulder or between the shoulder blades, it is inoperable.
 
I believe it was her rabies shots that made her sick and caused the lump. She had both shots and I didn't watch which one went in her neck, but when she was a tiny kitten she had her rabies after both distemper boosters (didn't weight enough) and that time she was sick. I *think* she doesn't need rabies this time, I'm really hoping....

EDIT: I read about it here on Beth's link:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/vaccsarc.html

That sounds like what she had except it didn't meet any of those three criteria (it lasted 3 months max, did not get any bigger than it was right away, and was about 1cm in diameter).
 
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The vets should know better these days to stop giving shots in the shoulders :|

The only shots I give my cats are once every three years and only the FVRCCP booster (for URI's, distemper, etc... things that can be transferred from your clothes, shoes, etc.). There is no need (for me) to give them rabies and leukemia shots. Those are the shots that have been known to cause the most problems. My cats are strictly indoor only and the chances of them contracting either of these diseases are slim to none. My vet agrees with me.
 
I've never had them give a leukemia shot. Neither of mine go outside, they don't even care to if they have the choice. I had their rabies done because a lot of things require it. For example, before I adopted Posh I had to show records that Beckham had been vaccinated for rabies, distemper, and was FIV negative. Same thing before my housemate could get Eden. The apartment complex requires animals be spayed/neutered and vaccinated for rabies. Also, in Kent County if any medical personnel treat you for any animal bite wound, they're required to notify Animal Control, who are required to investigate (i.e, cut off the head of the animal if you can't prove it doesn't have rabies). I didn't think it mattered for cats, until Beckham bit me so hard I have a perfect bite impression of his entire upper jaw, la bloody mess, and nasty purple bruising. Luckily, I cleaned it really well right away and didn't have to go to the med center, but I'd hate for it to happen again and have them take him away and shop his head off! :scream:

If we ever get a house, I'll stop w/ the rabies (which I think is every three years now that they are two years old? I'm pretty sure Posh is only getting the distemper combo on Monday), but for now I can't b/c of the lease rules and also they spend a lot of time around Max and Loki, who do go outside on their leads.
 
Does the apartment complex like ask you yearly for certificates? Or I guess you wouldnt know that since you just moved again.. Because my landlord required the rabies when I first got Zoey, but she hasnt asked me for anything since (its been about 3 -4 years) and she never even asked me for Saki's, so I have not gotten the rabies done again on either cat.

Chop their head off???? :huh: I have never heard of that but I have heard of them taking the animal and quarrantining them until someone can prove they dont have rabies.
 
I don't know if they ask for them each year or not. I guess time will tell....Hopefully we won't be here much more than a year anyway.

To see if an animal has rabies, I think you need a piece of its brain, so it has to be euthanized in order to be tested. At least that's how my uncle explained it, and he's a retired DNR/Conservation Office and now works in animal control. I would hope they'd wait and see how the animal does, but I suppose if there's a chance the human now has rabies, they can't wait to find out.
 
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bonosloveslave said:
You might try this on Chloe, it is AWESOME on thick coated long haired cats, esp. the ones who don't like to be brushed cuz you get so much out with just a few swipes. It works best before the mats get too bad or right down to the skin, it helps cut through the hair rather than ripping it out. It probably looks weird, I had never seen anything like it before I started at my job but I think it would work really well on her kind of coat.

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?familyID=6376

5879930001B.jpg

Awesome! Thanks so much bls. :)
 
Sicy said:
No it does not cause discomfort as long as you dont cut too far down on the nail into the 'quick' which is the pink part. It's actually blood vessles. I just cut the very tips of my cats claws and yes, it can be a difficult procedure because cats are just that way lol. Zoey is nearly impossible.. she yowls and growls and even hisses. She hates it that much. Saki is easier and almost never complains. I would try to do it when he is sleeping. Just kind of sneak up and cut a few nails before he fully wakes up. Then maybe later cut a few more nails.

Here's a website that shows how to cut them.

http://www.catscratching.com/htmls/article.htm


They show them using those big monstrosities to clip them but I just use regular small nail clippers.

I'm petrified of having to clip Chloe's nails. :yikes: I'm going to bring her to the vet and have them do it.
 
At least for Michigan cats, we recommend that all cats (indoors and out) be vaccinated for rabies. The risk of a house cat coming in contact with an animal that might have rabies is low, but we do think the benefit of the vaccine outweighs the risk. The highest population of animals with rabies in Michigan is bats. I don't know if there are any states that don't have any bats - but regardless any animal with rabies can do odd things it wouldn't normally do, like trying to get into a house. Most bats are very small and can squeeze into tiny places. We usually get a few phone calls every year from panicked clients saying they found a bat in the house and don't know if the cat came in contact with it, are they up to date on their vaccine. We've had a few find their cats actually PLAYING with bats (live and dead). People usually can't tell when they've personally been bitten, so trying to find a bite wound on a furry cat is impossible.

Rabies is a human health issue - and a lethal one at that. There is also the legal issue of bites, like if someone is over to visit and your cat is having a bad day and chomps someone, the state can potentially get involved and require quarantine or euthanasia to be officially tested. My cat is indoors only, and I do still vaccinate her for rabies.

The studies that have come out in the last few years are showing that there is a rabies vaccine that is safer and much less likely to cause tumors - though the incidence of tumors with older style is still quite low. We use the Purevax rabies vaccine made by Merial, it has excellent protection against rabies but the formulation is different compared to most other rabies vaccines available. It does not contain adjuvants - adjuvants are vaccine additives that stimulate the immune response and sort of helps the vaccine to stay in their system longer. We thought that was a good thing, because in most states the adjuvanted vaccines only need to be given every 3 years, so less vaccines over the course of the cats life. Most of the research on the tumors that cats have developed shows a connection to those adjuvants in the vaccine, so we have switched over to just using the Purevax which has no adjuvants. Right now it is labeled as being effective for just 1 year so they need it more frequently, but appears to be safer overall.

There is also a non-adjuvanted Feline leukemia vaccine available which is the only type we use. We normally only recommend the leukemia vaccines for cats that spend time outside. The combination feline 'distemper' vaccine is very important for kittens and young cats, but less critical as cats get older - most cats need this one only every 3 years. We use it in the form of nose drops so no pokes and no risk of tumors. I also use this vaccine for my indoor cat. Some doctors do still use the injectable form of the distemper vaccine, we do not typically see tumors associated with that type of vaccine so it is usually given in the front right leg - but should be away from the shoulder and down a bit lower on the leg.

There is no cookie cutter plan for each cat, each one is an individual and your doctor should take time to talk about your cat's life style and their risks.
 
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Never seen a bat? Lucky! In the summer, I saw them every day. Ick.

Beth, I will ask my vet about that new vaccine next time Posh needs rabies.
 
So......Phil and I are adopted another cat! I wasn't planning on it at all, but I've been kind of down lately having to come to terms with the fact that I can't get a dog, or at least the type of dog I need, for a long time. Mostly, it wouldn't be fair to the dog, and that really all that matters.

Well, today at work I was browsing our "eDeals", which is part of the college's online system. Basically, students and faculty post things they want or have to sell or give away. I noticed a post for FREE Kittens!! so of course I have to look at the very least. It's the lab that's giving out the kittens. They do PALS classes twice a year and use cats that are overflow from shelters. That's where I got Beckham and Maximus. They do an amazing job keeping the cats healthy and socialized with humans and other cats. So, I went to their adoption page, and the first cat that stood out was an adult male cat, Oscar. He's HUGE, but he's this handsome dark orange tabby. I read about his personality, and it sounded like Beckham would hate him. I wasn't really thinking about a kitten, b/c they always get adopted and I like to make sure the older ones have a chance, but then I read about how they were half dead in the shelter and weren't even used for PALS because they were so sick. The lab nursed them to health. They are now three pounds and were just spayed.

Then I saw this one, her name is "Coondog" (???). She's a dark tabby with crazy hair. She was sooooooo precious! Just then Phil came to pick me up and he said "well, let's go see her!" So we walked over to the lab. They recognize me because I've convinced so many people to adopt animals through PALS and K911. We got to see Coondog, and they said that one sister was adopted, another was most likely claimed, but no one wanted her! We talked about my cats, and they agreed she would have the best personality to deal with Beckham. She's not shy at all and isn't bothered by larger cats playing with her or trying to eat her.

We agreed to take her. I even have a cat carrier in the car right now, but they said she is still on pain meds b/c they declawed the kittens. Naughty, naughty! I'm not sure why they did that, b/c last time I was in they said they realized it was mean and stopped offering it, but Coondog was running around playing and trying to attack my face, so I hope she's not too bothered.

I get to pick her up Monday afternoon! :hyper:

This is her photo from the adoption site:
coondog.JPG


She's sooooo special! What should I name her?
 
Oh she's adorable! Looks as if she'll be a little terror too! (in a good way) :)


That Oscar reminds me of my MiloGuido cat. He's quite a guy.
 
Yeah, Oscar was so cool! But he's very overweight (bigger than he looks there), and I don't have experience trying to get a cat to normal weight, and while Beckham does well with new kittens, he hates older cats.
 
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