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midnightbrightside · 10 days

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I’m desperate to your immaculate takes on Krisnix from that one ask—what do you think about 2 and 39 (bonus if the little animals get thrust upon them…it’s Trucy who brings home a box of kittens or something)

ayyy thank you im glad you like my krisnix thoughts!

2- What would they do if the other woke up in a manic state after a nightmare?

when phoenix has nightmares kristoph holds him as he sobs, gently shushing him and saying it was just a dream. phoenix grips kristoph's arms tight to ground himself and it sometimes leaves bruises. kristoph always points them out in a "look what i put up with for you" kind of way that fills phoenix with shame. "really, phoenix, what would you do without me?"

when kristoph has a nightmare he needs to be completely alone but also held as tightly as possible, he also stops speaking. phoenix holds his hands but kristoph snatches them away like the touch burns him and he looks up with wide, scared eyes. so phoenix keeps his distance and encourages kristoph to breathe deep until he stops shaking. then he asks kristoph if he wants to talk about it, kristoph shakes his head. phoenix then asks if he wants a hug, kristoph croaks out very quietly "im not... a child" and phoenix nods "you're not" and holds out his arms. kristoph collapses into them.

39- Who would rescue an injured animal and nurse it back to health? What would the other think?

i got too excited abt this one. gonna put everyone one my "kristoph loves animals" agenda.

trucy comes back home absolutely drenched by the rain holding a box of 6 sopping wet abandoned kittens. she begs phoenix to let her keep them and it absolutely breaks phoenix heart to say "we dont have the space or the money for everything they need. it's late so we can keep them for tonight but we'll have to take them to a shelter tomorrow, im sorry, sweetheart." trucy is NOT happy about it. in true preteen fashion she takes them to her room and starts planning all the ways she, a 12 year old, could raise 6 kittens. phoenix sighs and starts searching what he should feed them, just for tonight.

kristoph arrives later on to pick phoenix up for a date, sees the little furballs meowing around the apartment, and immediately starts fussing.

"these poor babies! where did you find them, and why are they so filthy?"

phoenix explains whats going on and adds "we tried to give them a bath but..." he holds up his arms to show the scratches.

kristoph scoffs, "really, phoenix, you dont have nearly the means nor the knowledge to take care of one animal let alone six." he looks down to where trucy is sitting, playing with the kittens with a makeshift toy made of scrap cloth, and frowns.

"well, first of all, kris: ouch. i was actually thinking we could maybe keep one-"

trucy interrupts from the floor "THREE at LEAST!"

"- and secondly, as i said, we are going to take them to a shelter first thing tomorrow" he looks so apologetic, so sad.

"Absolutely not" Kristoph snaps, "the local shelters are overrun as it is, to say nothing of how they are managed. I wouldnt trust them with these poor creatures either." he looks like hes thinking about something, "Trucy, dear, have you noticed if these kittens are injured or perhaps sick?"

trucy perks up and lists how each cat is faring, which ones are walking funny and points out how one of them has a weird spot near it's eye. as she's rattling off each one's ailments, phoenix notes that she's already named them and his heart melts a little more.

kristoph tuts, "we'll have to take them to the vet then, we can get them microchipped while we're there. vongoles' carrier should be big enough for the journey, oh, she would make an excellent mother..." he almost sounds like he's thinking out loud.

"so we're keeping them???" Trucy beams.

kristoph explains that they're not old enough to be separated from their siblings yet and that she and Phoenix dont have the space to care for all of them, but he is more than happy to take them until they are ready to go to a good home. he shoots a sharp glare at phoenix as he says "typically, cats adjust to a new home much better when adopted in pairs", phoenix gets the memo.

the next day they take the kittens to the vet and kristoph buys all the supplies he could need. over the next few weeks he nurses them back to health and trucy drops by almost every day after school to see how they're doing and play with them. phoenix knew that kristoph liked animals, but it's something else to see this 6'1 icicle of a man dote on these tiny creatures, he even calls them by the names trucy gave them. in moments like these he doesnt seem dangerous at all.

and vongole LOVES them, she's so excited when she first sees them she barely knows what to do with herself. kristoph was right, she makes a great mother. phoenix finds everyone's energy infectious, he buys food, 2 cat beds, some toys, other supplies, and when the time comes he asks kristoph about the kittens.

"sorry, Phoenix, i already found good homes for them" kristoph smiles apologetically and phoenix's heart drops, "i didnt even know you wanted one, i know trucy did, but you didnt seem too enthused. perhaps it's for the best, you dont have the means to take care of a pet." oh.

trucy is miserable. phoenix feels like hes dissapointed her. kristoph is smug as all hell.

#just in case anyone forgot the type of guy phoenix is dealing with here....#ill reblog with an alt ending tho #krisnix #kristoph gavin #phoenix wright #ace attorney #ace attorney headcanon #ask #anon #mine #my fic

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ask-exo-hybridau · 7 years

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Can I adopt all of you pls :,)

Val: You may but are you ready for them? Do you have what you need to keep them happy and healthy? Here’s a guide for any hybrid owners to be (thought this is fused on EXO);

1.Food for an entire city.

These guys eat all the time… and a lot. You don’t have to make the food for them but you need to plan money for the next grocery shopping. Because you are now going to feed twelve mouths that like there is 20 of them.

2. Loud noises.

Okay so some of them are loud wether they are playing or not. Baekhyun half barks at anything he finds funny or amusing and Chanyeol copies Baekhyun. Jongdae whines a lot and Junmyeon copies him to annoy the bengal cat. If any of the canines howl every canine howls. Howls start anywhere and at anytime and cannot be stopped for at least 5 minutes. Kris and Jongin have beautiful howls at least, Chanyeol’s not bad either but Tao’s sounds like a whiny scream and Baekhyun’s is high pitched and ear damaging sometimes. Kyungsoo’s has been known to hoot every once in a while and the other cat hybrids let out the occassional meow but most are pretty silent. Yixing, Junmyeon and Luhan don’t have a distinct sound they make and when thye do it’s really soft so you don’t hear them much. I suggest a soundrpoof headset.

3.Music and singing.

You must’ve alredy noticed but uh the guys like music and singing. They will have singing/rap battles. They will have impromptu dance battles. They will put the music high enought for the neighbours to hear. Chen will go outside to sing with the alley cat near your house. It’s not as loud as their rowdy loudness but it can sometimes be very annoying when you are trying to study or do work. The soundproof headset might acutally be a good idea.

4.Energy reserves.

They are energetic balls of life. all of them however sleepy will all want your attention. Even just a nod in their direction is special to them and they will want to cuddle all the time. they will drain you easily of anyenergy you might have from wanting to play to going for car rides and walks. Also they are full of mischief and pranks wars might erupt from time to time at ungodly hours.

5.Protectiveness and possessiveness.

They will easily become very possessive of you and protect you at all costs. Fortunately they understand the meaning of friendship and love so you shouldn’t have much trouble presenting them to your family, friends or significant other. But some might be more distant than others towards that last one. Sehun and Tao don’t exactly like to share and will not get close to your S/O more than they need to., especially since they are shy to begin with. Kris and Junmyeon might worry slightly not wanting you to get hurt but will get friendly easily enough. Chanyeol and Baekhyun surprisingly if not properly told might get jealous of having your attention stolen away from them be sure to spend as much time with them as possible. In all the EXO members just don’t want you to push them away when you do find someone who makes you happy.

6.Sickness and health in general.

They generally don’t get sick but whem they do some will become increasingly clingy and probably get everyone sick. COUGHtaobaekCOUGH be sure to separate them from the others. Some like Junmyeon, Kyungsoo and Minseok won’t fall ill very easily or much and when they do they deal with it well. Kris and Yixing will have troubles dealing with their sicknesses but will not tell people they’re sick, be sure to keep an eye on them. The rest are pretty ok with everything and don’t exactly need help to get over their sickness.

7. Injuries.

As extremely hardworkers and a martial artist, Yixing, Jongin and Tao get injured a lot. They tend to overwork themselves and stop being as careful as they should be. A check up at the hospital every two months or so is prefered. (Remember though that they are hybrids! Not every hospital will take them in!) Others will hurt themselves from time to time but usually it’s nothing too serious.

Val: Gosh… Soryy it ended on such a sad not but that’s the guide to take care of EXO! There are some warnings here and there and stuff like that! I’m sure you’ll treat my sons very well they are very excited to meet you!

EXO: HI!! WE APPRECIATE YOU WNATING TO ADOPT US PLEASE TAKE CARE OF US WELL! *bow*

Val: Welp there you have it see you in further asks love~~

Val & EXO: BYE~~~

#exo #exo l #exo m #exo k #hybrid #hybrid au #exo hybrid au #hybrid exo #ask exo hybrid #baekhyun #chanyeol #suho #sehun #xiumin #d.o.#kris #tao #luhan #kai #chen #lay

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ssteezyy · 7 years

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Ask the Vet: Dr. Kris Answers July’s Questions

Welcome to our regular “Ask the Vet With Dr. Kris” segment! Once a month, Dr. Kris answers as many of your questions as he can, and you can leave new questions for him in a comment.

Dr. Kristopher Chandroo is a veterinarian, scientist, photographer, animal welfare advocate, and creator of Stress to Success (STS): The Essential Guide to Medicating Your Feisty, Grumpy or Reluctant Cat. Dr. Kris wants your cats to be twenty years old. And counting! And he wants to provide medication and therapy to them in a way that respects the bond between cat and human.

Here are Dr. Kris’ answers to some of your questions asked in June. If your question didn’t get answered here, Dr. Kris will answer them on his own website in the future. Subscribe to his updates so you’ll be notified when the answers are published.

Cat pees on nearest wall or other object

Hi Dr Kris,

My 4 year old indoor/outdoor male cat (Hansel Von Whiskerheimer:) has developed a habit of backing up to the nearest wall or other object, looking me in the eye, and urinating with his tail up and a little butt wiggle. This behavior seems to always follow a request he has made that I have not attended to immediately. He will meow and if I don’t feed him or even just give him some attention, he walks over to me, stares right at me, and pees. There has only been one time when the urine has had the “cat marking smell”-otherwise it just smells like urine. Also, he only does this with me-not my husband, sister, or any of the cat sitters.

So far my theory is that he first developed this habit when he had a UTI in the winter and needed to go outside (he prefers to urinate outside) as soon as he felt the urge and it was his way of telling me to hurry up and let him out, but since then it has continued. He has had a urinalysis on multiple occasions and the vet can’t find anything medically wrong with him. This has been going on for over a year at this point. It’s not every day but usually just when I think he has stopped, he will do it again. I have added a couple more cats to my household, so I could see that being a trigger. I don’t want to be reinforcing the behavior by giving him food/treats/cat nip on demand, but I also don’t want my house to be covered in pee! before this particular behavior began, he would knock over as many things as he could if I did not meet his meow request immediately.

I thought that was annoying, but I would take a spilled cup of water or broken vase over a urine soaked yoga mat any day. Do you have any ideas for behavior modification? I just started giving him extra attention all the time since he now has other cats to compete with, but other than that, I really am at a loss. Thanks!

Hansel Von Whiskerheimer!

Ha! Love the name!

Take a video of the Von Whiskerheimer (with that name, you know he loves to be in front of the camera!).

Show it to your vet.

I can’t tell you how many times a video has revealed what words and urinalysis could not! Your first task is in fact to confirm if this is marking behaviour.

If so, they can provide you with some steps from there to resolve the soggy yoga mat.

Good luck

Dr. Kris

Treating hyperthyroidism with homeopathy

What are your thoughts about treating cats with homeopathy?

My rescue cat has most recently been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I am trying a remedy, but thinking I will do the traditional meds. Also, he has tested positive for exposure to the Corona virus, originally the vet thought he definitely had FIP, but now she doesn’t. Can you please comment on the Corona virus? It is my understanding that many are exposed, but in only a few does it mutate into FIP.

Hi!

Someone who is considering homeopathy is someone who is thinking about their cat.

Someone who is thinking about their cat is someone who will treat their cat.

Someone who will treat their cat will go through a process to see what works best for their cat.

So even though people debate homeopathy, I’m more interested in someone’s mindset. Where they are coming from, and what their cat means to them.

So, I won’t find fault in someone trying.

Putting in the effort.

That is pretty special, because many people don’t. I can guarantee you that, and their ain’t many guarantees in vet medicine.

If you want to use a non-conventional treatment for hyperthyroidism, it becomes simple. Find someone trained in homeopathy, try it, and re-test their blood in 4-6 weeks. If it’s working, you’ll know because their excessive thyroid level will start to normalize.

If you don’t see that happening in a convincing way, switch gears. Quickly. Because untreated hyperthyroidism damages many organs in the body, and some of us believe that in fact it’s a source of kidney damage.

Dr. Kris

Resident cat is upset at new kitten

We received a new 11 week old kitten. My 2 1/2 year old cat hissed at him and seems upset. What can I do to unite them?

Your 2.5 year old was living the life of a millennial. Finished school late, tonnes of debt, so he moved back home. Part-time job.

But…he’s more socially conscious, more likely to become an entrepreneur, makes purchases with his smartphone, and stays updated with brands through social networks. He would suffer more from losing a phone than losing a car.

Your kitten is a big ol’ baby boomer. He is dramatic social change on four paws. Counterculture.

He values individual identity over group think.

When you stick a baby boomer and a millennial together really quickly, and say make something great happen, what you hope for is Hathaway and Deniro in “The Intern”.

But sometimes instead, you get Hathaway and Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada”.

Watch those movies!

See, it can take weeks or months for relationships to form, and it’s complicated.

Separate them after the conflict.

Give them a chance to get to know each other on their terms.

Make sure they don’t compete over anything.

Take it slow. Their time. Not our time.

It’s an old formula Hollywood knows well!

Dr. Kris

Gabapentin for arthritis pain

Dr Kris, my 9 year old cat is already on prednisone twice a day for arthritis in the rear spine/hips/legs but was still limping so the vet gave me Gabapentin to give to her, in liquid form, 1.5ml twice a day. She had no side effects but I had trouble giving her the liquid form so I asked for it in pill form. She was prescribed 50mg twice a day but all anyone had was the capsule form that I could not cut in half. After speaking to the vet about it, She just increased the dose, in capsule form to 100mg every 12 hrs. Her first dose she got that drunken sailor syndrome, balance was off, she couldn’t walk straight. Is this normal until a few doses? I’m wondering if that dose is too high for her starting off. Several blogs I read only had cats on doses of no higher than 50mg a day! My vet had increased her prednisone to twice a day since she was still limping and added Gabapetin saying sometimes you have to initially hit them hard in the beginning with higher doses then wean them back. Need some advice, I think the dose is too high, but I’m not a Dr. Thanks

100mg is the sedation dose I use with specific cats in specific circumstances.

It will make some cats sleepy, wobbly, and less emotionally reactive (which is the goal in that situation).

I use it when life is really rough for a cat, whose fear, stress or anxiety needs to be managed before they come see me in a vet hospital setting.

If I’m using Gabapentin for arthritis, I’m going to start low, then increase it until the kitty feels better. If the patient gets drowsy, I might tolerate that temporarily, but I don’t want a drunken sailor 7 days a week. Since I’ve never seen your cat, I don’t know what low is relative to what your cat is dealing with. But 100mg is my sedation dose.

There are alternatives to prednisolone and gabapentin, but myself (and anyone else) would need to know a lot more about your cat (hands-on) and the specific rationale for the choices so far before recommending anything else. It really is that individualistic, and what works for some really doesn’t work at all for others.

I know I keep saying this but I will create an “arthritis masterclass” for cats. It’s just squeezing the time to make it happen. But it’s on the list. If people want this, fill the comments with what specifically you would like to see in it.

Dr. Kris

Feeling guilty about not being able to afford care for a sick cat

I have a male cat that I gave a home off the street for about 14-15 years. He has elevated liver and kidney enzymes as well as too many white blood cells. There is no money available to give him an ultrasound and whatever treatment he may need which probably won’t help. Now all I have to do is wait and he is still eating and functioning except that he no longer sleeps with and stays on my bed as he always did. I feel guilty even though I prevented him from having a life on the street where he wouldn’t have lived this long.

Don’t feel guilty.

It sounds like from your description that he is really ill.

There might not be anything you can do about that.

But let’s talk about this:

“And whatever treatment he may need which probably won’t help…”

Say no to that.

You don’t need that way of thinking.

Your cat doesn’t need that way of thinking.

Maybe it’s true, that treatment won’t help at all.

But so what.

You don’t know until you try.

It’s never the outcome, because none of us get out of this game alive.

It’s the journey. Your choices when life got rough.

And trying does not have to mean an ultrasound, expensive or complicated – you need a team of people that understands that.

That understands that when you take a cat off the street, give it a home for 15 years, they deserve something.

And you deserve the feeling that comes when you try.

We had a saying back in school. When you have a very sick cat, who is trying to survive, you can always try to give them X. You want to try and give them X before you euthanize them if people want to try. Because sometimes it works.

Your vet should know what X is.

Dr. Kris

Cat with diarrhea

I have a four year old that was sick with diarrhea a few months ago. Now still a little wet giving probiotics every day much better but not normal Like before .could this be stress?

It can be stress plus: http://ift.tt/2wvwTg4

Needy tortie is screaming all the time

Hi Dr. Kris,

I have a very sweet 8 year old Tortie. We rescued her from my Mom 4 years ago. I love her to death but she is so needy. I understand she wants to be fed a 1/2 hour to an hour beforehand but she will not drink from her water bowl unless we show her there is water in there and she is not getting it from the faucet. She does not like watching her drinking but I tell her I am not leaving till she drinks it. You would think after 6 years she knows the drill. She screams all the time and makes me feel like I am not a good pet parent. Her daddy screams at her back. I tell him she is female you cannot win an argument with her. I am afraid her screaming is going to get us kicked out of are apartment well it has not for 4 years. What to do?

“I tell him she is female you cannot win an argument with her.”

Best line of the day!

Seriously though, there is much to unpack in your question, and many questions that I would have to ask to figure it out. I would want to know the floor plan of your home, feeding times, feeding stations, number of scratching posts and other entertaining things that your cat might have.

It can get really detailed and specific, but also really solvable at the same time.

Best thing to do?

I’m serious.

Counseling.

Mikel Delago does it, check her out here: http://ift.tt/2vE85lA

Do you have a question for Dr. Kris? Leave it in a comment and he’ll answer it next month!

The post Ask the Vet: Dr. Kris Answers July’s Questions appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

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akanemnon · 1 year

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a lot of the stuff youve posted about whats going on with kris reminds me of ehlers-danlos syndrome, but i havent read enough of the twin runes stuff to know if youve made an actual statement about it

Kris has a varying amount of health problems, so I wouldn't be surprised if that got added to it. At this point it is one big melting pot of "how is this kid still alive?"

#ask #twin runes #kris is one sick meow meow

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ssteezyy · 7 years

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Ask the Vet With Dr. Kris: Dr. Kris Answers February’s Questions

On February 1, we launched our new “Ask the Vet With Dr. Kris” segment. Once a month, we’ll post a reminder for you to post your questions for Dr. Kris. He’ll answer as many of them as he can each month, and I’ll publish his answers in a subsequent post.

Here are Dr. Kris’ answers to some of your questions asked in February. If your question didn’t get answered here, Dr. Kris will answer them on his own website, in the future. Subscribe to his updates so you’ll be notified when the answers are published.

Persian male cat bites Himalyan’s neck

Dr. Kris, never had this in 30+ yrs experience with cats. I have a Persian n male, 3 yrs old, sweet, easy going, loving to all, even our yappy Yorkie. All are spay/neut. 7 months ago I adopted a 3 month seal PT Himalayan male, recently neutered. Now the male Persian mounts, no other word for it, the Himalayan and his hips do little jerks. Himalayan doesn’t retaliate, just lays there. Sometimes Persian starts by biting, not hard, the Himalayan’s neck. My husband says ” very disturbing” . As long as Elvis isn’t hurt, I leave them. (Suzanne Walker)

Dr. Kris:

So, you’ve got a cat named Elvis, and a Persian who is doing something naughty? I recommend that you listen to this song as you read this answer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emjLXdsj6xA

You look like an angel Walk like an angel Talk like an angel But I got wise You’re the devil in disguise..

Your Persian is literally now “doing the Elvis”. Hip thrusts and all. It’s sexual behaviour on display. Just like Elvis did in the 50s. Believe it or not, cat’s have a “lust system”.

Ok, ok, ok. So here is what’s happening. Mr. Himalayan arrived on the scene. That’s a relationship change. Relationship changes in groups of cats are all about psychology. It doesnt matter that he’s been around for seven months and just starting the behaviour now. Because it’s all about how they feel and think about their group as time goes by.

If it gets worse, your Persian might need something else to occupy his time. Toy’s, treat ball, more places to climb and hiding spots for Elvis. Of course, Feliway Friends and Zylkene could play a role as well.

But I agree with you – as long as Elvis isn’t hurt, it seems reasonable to leave them.

This all assumes they are successfully neutered and spayed for sure!!! It’s hard to screw up that kind of surgery, so I would be surprised if they were not. Im also assuming there is no vaginitis / lower urinary tract infections going on (which can change behaviour and odours produced by your cats).

P.S. – Your hubby is hilarious!

Tortie constantly wants more food

Hi Dr Kris! I adopted a beautiful tortie girl 5 weeks ago, aged 3.5 years. She is very loving and was previously homed, not a stray. I am feeding her ZiwiPeak wet food 3 times a day (first thing in the morning, when I get home from work and later in the evening before bed). She has a small amount of dry food available but will only eat a few at a time if I encourage her or during the day when she’s alone. In the evenings she seems to constantly want more food, meowing whenever I get up (especially if I go to the kitchen where she is fed, obviously). I’m feeding her as guided on the can, and she often leaves some food from her second meal. I also introduced some poached chicken but she vomited a couple of times while eating that (though this was hours after eating, early in the morning), so I have been holding off giving it to her again to see if she is sick at all without the chicken. She doesn’t jump on the counter and only occasionally begs for food off our plates (we never give her anything), and will typically just watch from afar when I’m preparing human meals. I am able to get her to sit while waiting for meals now.

I get the feeling she isn’t liking being left alone during the day and is trying to make up for it by being needy at night. I give her lots of attention and try to play with her, but she just isn’t really interested in playing much at night until after the third meal. I tried a treat ball but as she doesn’t really like dry food much she isn’t keen on that. My vet suggested feeding her more regularly but that is obviously difficult while at work (she didn’t like the automated feeder I got her), and trying a limited diet if she is vomiting regularly, before any further tests etc. I’m really worried about her, I just want her to be happy in her new home and do the best for her wellbeing. Is it likely she is still just settling in?

Dr. Kris:

Ooohh torties are awesome. I once house sat while working in Vancouver Island, and it was me and this little Tortie watching movies over winter.

Ok, lets talk about food first. Maybe it’s the issue driving her behavior, maybe it isn’t. Because maybe she could just be settling in. That could make one anxious, right? And then, it could be both. Because you have a cat. And they are mentally complex. So the only way you really know is to test things. Like you’ve been doing.

So your cat is a specialized hunter. They are designed to eat 10 to 20 small prey items in a day. Now some are better at this than others. Some are more driven than others. Now imagine a voice in the back of your cats head – an urge to go hunt 20 to 40 times per day. “Let’s go hunting….let’s go stretch our legs, let’s stalk and sprint and pounce….”.

It’s the same frequency that we check our smartphones right? Now imagine your forgot your phone, and you’re stuck at work. It feels weird. You reach into your pocket every 10 minutes, and it’s not there. You can’t satisfy the urge…

We’ve got to activate her brain when she is eating the wet food. Satisfy the voices in the brain.

You want a wet food puzzle feeder: http://ift.tt/2mz1Jji

Start simple, then go more complex.

Test it, then report back. Extra points for considering calming pheromones (like Feliway) or adding Zylkene into their food for a couple of weeks.

Does it work? Great, problem solved. Doesn’t work? You’re the proud owner of a cat. The feeding enrichment now becomes your baseline, and you work up from there to solve the other potential issues driving her behavior.

Test it, and report back to us!

Cat coughs after drinking water

Hello Doctor Kris, I have a 2 year old female cat, she’s generally very healthy but lately almost every time she drinks water the water seems “to go down to wrong way”. She makes noises like she’s coughing up a hairball for around 20-30 seconds and then everything goes back to normal… is this normal? This used to happen occasionally when she would drink from the water fountain, but now it also happens when drinking from a bowl. We had a vet check her today and found nothing wrong

I gave her hairball medicine just in case. She’s using her litter box normally and eating normally as well… sometimes when she eats she will try to expell the food out, like a piece got stuck in her throat or something. It seems water is the main irritant though.

Dr. Kris, I write to you with an update. Since my comment my cat still hacks (I have a video of her doing this, I wish I could send it to you) when she drinks water. There was a day when she did it 2-3 without actually drinking water, so we worried a took her to the vet again. The vet said he heard a noise inside her throat and took xrays, we found out that her heart might be a little bit bigger on one side. We are waiting for another vet who is a specialist to do a ultrasound. I live in Turkey so forgive me if I don’t use medical terms.

When I play with her (I make her chase a ball around the house) she never shows any distress, actually I get tired first. I have played with her this week and nothing has changed in that regard. A couple of months ago the doctor saw redness at the back of the throat and said it was gingivitis, we gave her medicine once and it went away.

We’re still waiting for more results, but if you could tell us what to watch out for I’d appreciate it… thank you! (Lucia)

Dr. Kris:

Hi Lucia, you are on the right track. You were right to be concerned, as cat’s are really good at putting the food and water down the right tube. I would be looking for irritation, inflammation or something affecting the path of food and water from her mouth to her stomach. Sometimes when they hack, it’s actually a cough…it can be tricky to figure out, so make sure to bring the video to the specialist as well.

Assuming she is otherwise ok, main thing that I would be watching for is her body weight. If she’s dropping weight, I want to know and figure out what is going on faster.

Good luck and let us know how things go.

Vaccinations for cats – which ones, and for how long?

I recently read some conflicting opinions on the need for certain vaccinations for cats (other than rabies). What is your opinion on how often vaccines should be given and at what age they can be stopped? (Peggy Zamboni)

Dr. Kris:

Good question Peggy.

Literally (I kid you not), my approach with vaccination comes from this 1971 interview with the great one, Bruce Lee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJMwBwFj5nQ

I promise you I am going somewhere with this.

As a vet, I will meet all sort of people from every walk of life.

And our experiences in life will of course give us the opinions we have, right?

So the biggest positive impact I can make in a person and their cat’s life is to respect their views, and work with them towards their goals. The things that are important to them.

And that is why I resonate with what Bruce said in 1971.

“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle”. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot”.

Someone really believes what Jenny McCarthy says about vaccines? It’s ok. We are all susceptible to the larger than life opinions of celebrities at some time or another.

Someone has had a bad experience with vaccines in the past and is concerned about how a new kitty in their life might react? Very reasonable way to feel, isn’t it?

Someone had had a pet or family member pass away or get really sick from infectious disease? We talk about the role of vaccines in preventing that.

So, I need to be formless, and bend to that person’s situation, their history with vaccination, and how they feel about this medical procedure (a vaccine is technically a medical procedure, with pro’s and con’s like every other medical procedure).

“Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.”

Bad diseases can drip, or they can crash. So can reactions to medical procedures, like vaccination.

So, for me, it’s a case by case evaluation. Not one size fits all. I definitely tell them about legal obligations if their cat is interacting with the public (i.e. rabies vaccination), and will form my opinion based on the age, behavior, medical status and exposure to the illnesses we vaccinate for.

I’ll tell people if I’m strongly for vaccination for their cat or kitten, or if I feel it’s much lower on the priority list to optimize the health of their cat. I always want the big health bang for the buck.

And the last thing I tell people about vaccination is that nothing that we decide is written in stone. We can always re-evaluate any plan.

“Be shapeless, formless, like water”.

Cat is overgrooming

I have 7 indoor cats; healthy, get along for most part, and use the litter box. I have a pair of orange and white, 7 yr old sisters that do slightly bully the others. One sister, Libby, is licking off her fur and it seems to be getting worse. First it was just on her tummy, then the underside of her tail, and now one of her arms. Is there anything I can do to help this? (Sheila Tabone)

Dr. Kris:

Yes.

Assuming that Libby has no thyroid issues, acquired allergy or food sensitivity, parasitic or other physical health issues (hint hint take her to the vet), then you might be looking for ways to help her with social stress and anxiety.

There is lot’s of info about that if you google it.

But here is the trick.

I used to work with fish. Big, large rainbow trout, way back in the 90’s. Part of my research was looking into social stress. Sometimes fish would bully each other as well. And you know what we knew to be true? That the fish that was the bullier, was sometimes just as stressed out (physiologically speaking) as the fish that got bullied.

And things could get better when we modified stuff about the fish tank, just as much about doing anything with the individual fish. The tank was what we needed to treat (for science geeks out there, the tank was the experimental unit, not the individual fish).

Your home is the tank. Help Libby as an individual, but also realize that true success comes from making changes for all the cats.

Now why do vets always say check them out in the clinic first, even though you have a strong hunch it may be a behavioral / anxiety problem?

Three reasons.

First, lets say it is purely a social stress and anxiety problem. Well, that’s an immunosuppressive force hitting your cat. Chronic stress is a driver for physical illness. And unless you catch that, it’s hard to make them healthy in the way you intended.

Secondly, some of these guys need supplements or medication.

Lastly, it always sucks when you have all the right techniques in place to deal with the social anxiety and stress, and the undetected medical illness makes it look like nothing is working…your cat has concurrent issues and all your efforts become confounded.

Good luck Sheila!

Cat is peeing on the bed

I have a 10yr old cat that seems to have taken up not urinating in kitty litter trays even though they are clean. How can I stop this behavior. He is always urinating on their bed I changed the mattress but that has not helped he is doing the same thing to the new mattress. Is there something I can spray on the mattress to put him off using it. Is there anything that is chemical free that i can use? Thanks. (Gladys Gauci)

Gladys, see this answer I posted here: http://ift.tt/2mZPrhl

Kitten has seizures

Hello Dr. Kris! I’d be ever grateful if you could help me with my question. Six months ago I rescued an 8 week old kitten from a gas station parking lot. She has been having a grand Mal seizure occasionally, the first on Nov. 24th, then one 6 weeks later, and a less severe seizure last week. When I brought her home she was seen by a vet and de-wormed. Her stool has been mostly loose and very smelly since being wormed. The same vet saw her after the first seizure and ran tests which were normal. He thought maybe she was getting too much fat in her diet so recommended low fat canned food but she’s since had the other two seizures. I found a blog that suggested grain and gluten in her canned food could be causing intestinal inflammation and her seizures, so recommended changing foods and supplementing with natural healthy omega fats. Since she was a stray it’s unknown if she had head teams but didn’t seem to have a head injury when found. Have you experienced the seizure reaction in cats due to grains and gluten in their food? I’ve since switched all my cats to grain-free, gluten-free and carrageenan-free food and have made coconut oil available for my cats to nibble at their option. The kitten’s stool seems improved already. I am very concerned to stop the root cause of her seizures because I also read that the more seizures she has, the more likely she will be to have them in the future. Thank you for any insights or advice you may offer! (Amanda Becher)

Dr. Kris:

I live by two seizure rules.

I don’t like seeing them very early in life, and they are rarely good news if they begin very late in life.

You are really an awesome person for intervening for this little life you found in the concrete jungle of a gas station.

You are doing an amazing job focusing on nutrition. It’s the foundation of good health and trying to get them to return to health. To answer your question, I have not observed seizures in kittens due to grains and gluten in their food.

When seizures start this young, then I think about Congenital anomaly’s (things they are born with that affect their nervous system), encephalitis (things that cause inflammation in the brain – not food based though), FIP, Toxoplasma, Cryptococcus (I use to see that a lot on the west coast) and toxicity. There are probably other reasons, and a talented veterinary neurologist could help.

You are right. Find out the root cause if you can. It’s not inexpensive to do that. Do the best you can.

Do you have a question for Dr. Kris? Leave it in a comment!

The post Ask the Vet With Dr. Kris: Dr. Kris Answers February’s Questions appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

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