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[tuxedo_cat]

I am opening this thread to invite others to post miscellaneous cat inquiries, if only to address the "cat gravity" phenomenon on the fora: the inexplicable power of cats to draw various threads inexorably towards discussion of them.  Even if we started by discussing grading rubrics or home mortgages.

So, my two questions of the day:  one of the things that makes Dangercat dangerous is . . . well, to put it kindly, her size.  She's almost ten, and I don't want her to suffer some of the health problems that will follow from this problem -- diabetes especially.  This is not a cat that would put up with a needle, so diabetes would be the end of her. 

Other than feeding her less, or feeding her that "diet" cat food -- neither of which has had any any effect -- what do people do?  I live in an apt. building, so having her get exercise outdoors is not a possibility.  Efforts to get her to play with me are largely ignored.  I could chase her with the water bottle, but that would seem kind of mean.

Second ques:  I did have one of those laser toys, and that was pretty good to get her moving, but it fell apart after a week.  Any type/brand the rest of you would like to recommend?

TCat

[stitch]

Get a regular laser pointer like they sell for classroom or business use.

This doesn't work if you live in a flat, but we made a point to keep the food and cat litter on different levels so our big boy had to go up and down the stairs at least a couple times a day. 

And because of the dogs, the food is up on a table.  I sometimes find him sitting on the floor next to it, staring up.  He's obviously trying to decide if he's hungry enough to make the jump up worthwhile.  If I come too close, he'll meow pitifully in hopes of getting me to put him up there.

[bacardiandlime]

Is Dangercat your only cat?

I had a cat who was getting a bit paunchy, partly because she stole the other (skinny) cat's food...
Switching to just the dry food (apparently not always the best for older neutered males, but ok for females I think) for a while should trim her back a bit. If she's an indoor cat, you know she's not supplementing her diet with mice or birds, so you can control her whole intake.

[crowie]

Although you seem to have tried a change of diet I'd suggest, if you can afford it, and if you are not doing this already, that you switch to an entirely canned food diet.  All dry foods, even the really good brands, have more "filler" (ie. carbs like corn, rice etc.) than canned, which can cause sedentary cats in particular to put on weight.

On preview: I am going to contradict with bacardiandlime's advice :)

But I stand by the results of my advice in my own cat's experience and it was given to me by my then vet (a top vet at one of the country's best animal hospitals).

[infopri]

Yes, dry food has more calories for any given amount of nutrition, compared to canned.  (On the other hand, it's good for the teeth, so there's a trade-off.)

Big Cat faces the same problems as Dangercat.  He's about 10 as well, and the same size as Little Dog (who herself is not skinny, although she's not fat, either), about 16 pounds.  He often eats Little Cat's food, and he's been known to try to steal the dogs' food, too, especially White Dog (now that he's on the yummy canned stuff, while the other two eat only dry food).  He does get lots of exercise, though, both in the house and outside.  But he's just a big boy.  When I rescued him (from three months of living in the woods), he weighed only eight pounds (as an adult), but he still looked like he weighed at least 12.

I agree about putting Dangercat's food higher up, on a table or counter.   (I do that because of the dogs, so both cats get lots of jumping-up exercise.)  Also, find toys that she likes to bat around.  Anything small and lightweight will do, but what you really want is something that, when batted, will go skittering across the floor.  This can trigger Dangercat's "chase" response and get her running after it (only to bat it again, and run after it again, etc.).  This can provide good excercise for an apartment-bound kitty.  If you have carpets, you might want to go with something that rolls.  If you have non-carpeted floors, almost any toy that Dangercat likes to bat will work.  If you want, PM me for advice on specific kinds of toys--over the years, I've tried just about all of them.

[bacardiandlime]

Yes, dry food has more calories for any given amount of nutrition, compared to canned.  (On the other hand, it's good for the teeth, so there's a trade-off.)

I guess it depends too on the cat's preferences. The dry-food only thing worked for me because greedy kitty didn't much like dry food..... when I made that her only option, she lost a bit of weight.

[tuxedo_cat]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.  About dry v. wet:  I did have one vet suggest all canned (kind of the all protein diet reasoning).  But then another vet said that she needs the dry food for tooth health, as infopri commented.  Maybe I'll try shifting the proportions and make sure to feed her those anti-tartar cat treats regularly. 

Thanks for the suggestions about toys -- I will definitely PM you infopri for ideas!

And others, obviously, you can post your questions, too.

[crowie]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.  About dry v. wet:  I did have one vet suggest all canned (kind of the all protein diet reasoning).  But then another vet said that she needs the dry food for tooth health, as infopri commented.  Maybe I'll try shifting the proportions and make sure to feed her those anti-tartar cat treats regularly.

Oh yeah, this same top vet told me to brush my cat's teeth with a special cat toothpaste and toothbrush (available from pet stores), daily, no matter what I fed him.  She was very insistent about this.  I don't do it daily, but I do it when I remember :)  I don't think cats need that much kibble just for teeth cleaning.  You could just give the cat, say, a dozen kibbles of dry food a day or something.

[mountainguy]

Crowie, will cats really tolerate having their teeth brushed on a daily basis? Mountainkitty from my childhood wouldn't have allowed us to get anywhere near his mouth.

Tuxedo, I wish I had more advice about how help Dangercat get more exercise. Mountainkitty was sedentary as well in old age, which I suspect contributed to his shortened lifespan (he made to 11, IIRC). Is putting catnip in his toys a possibility? Most cats I know go crazy for the stuff (although it does lead to a "crash" period afterward).

My own contribution to this thread isn't so much a question as a story . . . I'm cat-sitting this week for a colleague. Her cat is between 5 and 7 years old, adopted from a private rescue less than three weeks ago and only recently spayed. I expected the cat to be timid from years of neglect (she had numerous health problems when she was first turned in), but much to my surprise, she's both affectionate and well-tempered. It always amazes me how resilient some animals are!

I plan to adopt a cat as soon as I'm more settled in my living arrangement (probably another year or two).

[titian]

This might not help the sedentary cat, but it is a very fun item: mirrorized window bird feeder.  Or, as I call it, Bird TV.  This was a Christmas gift; I think it came from http://www.thebirdshed.com/.  The feeder inserts into a window. Birds fly in to feed, but because of the mirrorized surface on the back of the feeding area, they cannot see into the house.  It is fascinating to watch.

Actually, in a way it has induced more exercise in my two old females (14, 19).  They will run across the room to jump in the chair to watch, especially when the birds are chirping.  Just the excitement of watching birds thisclose to their faces is getting the heart rate up too, and I think they are sleeping a bit less during the day.  I get cardinals and tufted titmice regularly now, and the blue jays will sometimes try for it.  The blue jays are what really get the 14-y.o. going since they are so big.

Does anyone have suggestions on dealing with arthritis in cats?

I think that the 19-y.o. is finally starting to show some of her age, and I suspect that her joints might be starting to bother her.  With the recent cold snap she has started moving a little stiff and occasionally limping.  The limp is not consistent, and it has not stopped her from climbing and jumping.  I have been having her sleep with me at night, and making sure that she is covered with a warm afghan.  At one time, she absolutely would not have tolerated this but now she does.  Other than keeping her warm I am not sure what else should be done.  As I remember, there are not a lot of options on pain medicine for cats since most of the common things are toxic to their livers.  I don't know if there is anything new on the market or not.

[systeme_d_]

Our little guy (a little over two years old) is extremely active, so the things he likes might not be appropriate for the OP's cat, but here's what we're doing:

The weather has been terrible, so he has not been allowed to go outside for a few hours a day like he used to.  To keep him from getting bored, we've been playing with him an awful lot.

His favorite thing lately is a soft little stuffed mouse on an elastic string with a ring on the end.   I stand up, hold the ring, and swing the mouse around.  The cat will run around the room, jump in the air, anything to get that mouse.  He lets it go almost immediately after capturing it, just to keep the game going.

He has a few small soft toys that he bats around constantly as well.   Balls of any sort (especially if they make noise on the hardwood floors) are favorites.

He also follows me everywhere, so we go up and down stairs a lot. 

[scheherazade]

Dry cat food does not help with cat's teeth.  When I was deciding what to feed my kitties, I found from reading vet sites and articles that dry food is actually too crumbly to help keep teeth clean.  Instead, use canned food and add daily treats designed specifically for dental hygiene.

About the laser pointer - I got one that fell apart after a week, as well.  The store had a couple different kinds, though, so I went back and got the second kind (it was shaped like a small silver mouse).  That one has held up just fine.

[llanfair]

My older, fatter cat has been a lot more active since going on a low-protein diet (she's in early renal failure).  Not sure if there's a cause/effect link, but maybe ...

[crowie]

Crowie, will cats really tolerate having their teeth brushed on a daily basis? Mountainkitty from my childhood wouldn't have allowed us to get anywhere near his mouth.

I'm sure not all cats would tolerate it, but my cat is pretty easy going.  I tend to cuddle him while I'm brushing.  Also, it helps a lot that the toothpaste is flavored and he loves the flavor so it's almost like a treat.  He doesn't like the brushing part but it doesn't take very long so he copes.

[infopri]

Help (please)!

Big Cat appears to be developing an abscess directly over his eye.  It's only a little swollen right now, but experience suggests that it will be huge within a few hours.  I'm very reluctant to take him to the local animal emergency hospital (the only vet open between now and Monday morning) because the last time he had an abscess, they very nearly killed him (they overdosed him on anesthesia, leading to cardiac arrest--and then the attempts to resuscitate him led to a pneumothorax).  It's also very expensive (nearly $100 to walk in, plus the cost of the actual treatment) and a wait of several hours (just like human emergency rooms).

So, I want to treat him at home until Monday, if I can.  Suggestions?  Should I be applying a warm (damp) compress?  I'm a little afraid that if the abscess begins to drain (with the compress or not), or ruptures, pus will get into his eye, and I'll have even bigger problems.  But if it doesn't start to drain, he might be in pain, become lethargic, etc. 

Right now, he seems to be fine.  He has an appetite, he's acting normally, etc.

Any advice on what to do?