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[gennimom]

I worked at a horse barn for a while, and just before I started there a barn cat had a litter of kittens. Every kitten died before they reached 6 weeks old. At first I was puzzled by the problem. Then I realized the barn owner didn't feed the momma on a regular basis. I guess she thought she was getting plenty of mice. When the cat showed up pregnant again, I made sure she got food and after the kittens were born, I made sure the food kept coming. All of that litter made it. The life of a barn cat is hard, but after seeing what happened, the barn owner started taking more of an interest, to the point that when, after leaving her kittens in the horse trailer just before it left for a show 3 hours away, the owner did something about it. She had someone put the momma in her other truck, drive down to the show, reunite the momma with her litter and take them all back home.

I think the problem had been that she'd alway had toms around. One was the resident mouser for about 10 years. Someone dropped off a female one day though, and that started the kitten machine. Her students often end up adopting the spares. They never go feral anymore.

[infopri]

Thanks, scherezade.  It means a lot to me that you remember Jake's plight.  The anniversary is coming up in a few weeks.  The surgery was February 12 and she died the next day.  But she lived to be 19, so I'm grateful that I had so many years with her.

On ferals:  Big Cat was an abandoned pet who had gone feral in a rural wooded area.  But he took to us very quickly, so I think he missed human companionship.  Actually, it was his friendliness and his incredible purr that persuaded us to take him home.  It took a bit for him to readjust to domestic life, but at this point he's so domesticated that he's more dog than cat in some ways.

[llanfair]

Thanks, scherezade.  It means a lot to me that you remember Jake's plight.  The anniversary is coming up in a few weeks.  The surgery was February 12 and she died the next day.  But she lived to be 19, so I'm grateful that I had so many years with her.

You were fortunate indeed.  Our Stanzi is in early CRF at 12, so we're making the most of the time we have with her.

On ferals:  Big Cat was an abandoned pet who had gone feral in a rural wooded area.  But he took to us very quickly, so I think he missed human companionship.  Actually, it was his friendliness and his incredible purr that persuaded us to take him home.  It took a bit for him to readjust to domestic life, but at this point he's so domesticated that he's more dog than cat in some ways.

Isn't Big Cat the Siberian? They're pretty doglike in their personalities generally, aren't they?

I'd love to meet one, but the nearest breeder is 2 provinces over.

[infopri]

Our Stanzi is in early CRF at 12, so we're making the most of the time we have with her.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Stanzi.  How is she doing?  Jake's kidney function was down to about 25 percent by the time she was 13, but we were able to manage the disease right up until her (unrelated) death.  We were fortunate, though, because she drank a lot of water, without much encouragement from us.  Are you doing subcutaneous fluids?

On ferals:  Big Cat was an abandoned pet who had gone feral in a rural wooded area.  But he took to us very quickly, so I think he missed human companionship.  Actually, it was his friendliness and his incredible purr that persuaded us to take him home.  It took a bit for him to readjust to domestic life, but at this point he's so domesticated that he's more dog than cat in some ways.

Isn't Big Cat the Siberian? They're pretty doglike in their personalities generally, aren't they?

I'd love to meet one, but the nearest breeder is 2 provinces over.

No, Little Cat is the Siberian.  Big Cat is a tuxedo cat.

There are no breeders of Siberians here, either.  Little Cat's first owner (i.e., the ooman who purchased him from the breeder) had him shipped here from halfway across the country.  And then, a week later, she had to give him to us because her allergies reacted so badly.

[psychdiva]

She had someone put the momma in her other truck, drive down to the show, reunite the momma with her litter and take them all back home.

Awwww. That made my day.

[infopri]

Our Stanzi is in early CRF at 12, so we're making the most of the time we have with her.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Stanzi.  How is she doing?

Clearly, I was not awake when I wrote this.  I do know the difference between llanfair and her cat.

[gennimom]

She had someone put the momma in her other truck, drive down to the show, reunite the momma with her litter and take them all back home.

Awwww. That made my day.

Made my day too, after I stopped laughing about it. I could totally picture her consternation when she found the kittens amongst the show clothes!

[llanfair]

Our Stanzi is in early CRF at 12, so we're making the most of the time we have with her.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Stanzi.  How is she doing?

Clearly, I was not awake when I wrote this.  I do know the difference between llanfair and her cat.

That's OK - the SO doesn't seem to know the difference, either.  When he comes into the house and says, "Hi, Sweetie," both Stanzi and I look up.

She's doing just fine for the moment, thanks.  Her condition was only caught by accident - we did a routine set of blood chemistries b/c of her age - and we put her right onto the low-protein food and Forticor to take the strain off her kidneys.  She's still running around and looking/feeling fine, and hopefully it'll last that way for a good while yet.  The vet says the new diet and the drug may buy her a couple of years.

[egilson]

Our Stanzi is in early CRF at 12, so we're making the most of the time we have with her.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Stanzi.  How is she doing?

Clearly, I was not awake when I wrote this.  I do know the difference between llanfair and her cat.

That's OK - the SO doesn't seem to know the difference, either.  When he comes into the house and says, "Hi, Sweetie," both Stanzi and I look up.

She's doing just fine for the moment, thanks.  Her condition was only caught by accident - we did a routine set of blood chemistries b/c of her age - and we put her right onto the low-protein food and Forticor to take the strain off her kidneys.  She's still running around and looking/feeling fine, and hopefully it'll last that way for a good while yet.  The vet says the new diet and the drug may buy her a couple of years.

Our five-year old cat was diagnosed with CRF about a year and a half ago. After nearly losing him at the time of diagnosis, he has improved so much on daily potassium and a low-protein diet that we haven't given him subcutaneous fluids for nearly a year now. His blood chemistry remains borderline but normal, and he still bounces off the walls when he isn't glued to my lap.

I sure hope it's longer than a couple of years.

[llanfair]

Our Stanzi is in early CRF at 12, so we're making the most of the time we have with her.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Stanzi.  How is she doing?

Clearly, I was not awake when I wrote this.  I do know the difference between llanfair and her cat.

She's doing just fine for the moment, thanks.  Her condition was only caught by accident - we did a routine set of blood chemistries b/c of her age - and we put her right onto the low-protein food and Forticor to take the strain off her kidneys.  She's still running around and looking/feeling fine, and hopefully it'll last that way for a good while yet.  The vet says the new diet and the drug may buy her a couple of years.

Our five-year old cat was diagnosed with CRF about a year and a half ago. After nearly losing him at the time of diagnosis, he has improved so much on daily potassium and a low-protein diet that we haven't given him subcutaneous fluids for nearly a year now. His blood chemistry remains borderline but normal, and he still bounces off the walls when he isn't glued to my lap.

I sure hope it's longer than a couple of years.

So do I, Egilson.  Your cat's much younger than Stanzi, though, so hopefully you'll get more years.  That's a shame for him to be in CRF so early.

[infopri]

Yes, egilson, that's the youngest I've ever heard of for a kitty to get CRF.  But, as I indicated upthread, cats can live long and happy lives with CRF.  Jake had it for at least six years, and we never had to give her any subcutaneous fluids at all (she drank a lot of water), and she refused to eat the potassium, no matter what we did to disguise it.  (She did eat special kibble, but would eat for canned food she'd eat only Fancy Feast over-the-counter stuff.  She was a Very Picky Cat.)

[llanfair]

Well, Stanzi doesn't mind the low-protein dry food (we're still giving her the usual wet food), but if she can steal some of her little brother's "regular adult formula" dry food, she will.  And she's sneaky, so we have to be vigilant.

[malcha]

Just sending good vibes to all the CRF felines.  Many cats do have quite a few good years on the maintenance-and-vigilance programs, and some even bounce back amazingly from crisis, but I know how hard it is looking at your cat and knowing that s/has something chronic, progressive, and bad.  At least it is a spur to extra love and attention, and that is never a bad thing.

[llanfair]

I know how hard it is looking at your cat and knowing that s/has something chronic, progressive, and bad.  At least it is a spur to extra love and attention, and that is never a bad thing.

That's exactly how we're looking at Stanzi now.  She, of course, is basking in all the extra fuss and love - not that there was any deficiency before, but she accepts all adulation as being no more than her due.  Quite right too.