My Siete has a cold. He can't meow! Poor Kitty. He should get better in a week or so.
Cat Lovers Thread
- Thread starter Overmind One
- Start date
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
Poor kitty. I hope he'll be well soon.
I was cat sitting my neighbor's kitten, and she passed her cold on to Siete. A day later, he was sniffling, his meow is gone and he is gulping (post nasal drip). Everything else is normal, he is eating and drinking and doing his nature thing normally. He is also playing and wandering around and showing happy tail. I am told these cat colds/laryngitis go from 4-14 days or up to about 21 days. Meanwhile, things are quiet around here! Siete is a loud, very vocal cat most of the time.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
Enjoy the silence then.
PussyGalore
Meow
So, exactly one week after getting his kitty flu from the visiting kitten, Siete's voice is coming back. Its a bit raspy, but he is no longer gulping to clear his sinuses or sneezing, and he is trilling and meowing in a raspy voice (he had NO voice for a whole week). By the end of the week he should be fully back to his loud vocal self.
Word about vets:
I don't trust vets anymore. They are in it for the money and that is pretty much it. If I had done what my vet asked me to do last week, I would be out more than $500.00 by now. They wanted a new blood screen, a bronchioscopic exam, X-rays, a biopsy of his thyroid, and wanted to prescribe antibiotics. All decided over a phone call! If I had not gone online to a dozen sites to check out the symptoms and see that it was merely a feline cold/flu, I would have fallen for it. When I took my beloved Fisher in to be euthanized at the end of his kidney failure, they talked me into continuing the fluids and buying more medications that were NEVER going to help. As a result, he had to suffer another week. I am thankful for the extra time, but by the time that week had passed, Fisher was miserable and could barely move. They charged me TWICE, the same amount as the euthanization both times. Throughout the years, the vets I go to (Family Pet Clinic of Redondo Beach) have become more revenue hungry. Prescription cat food from Hill's which has garbage ingredients is nothing more than a scam. There is nothing in the food which requires a prescription, and the foods hardly contain any protein and contain grain fillers and textured soy protein. Then there are the unnecessary tests and xrays and "special foods" which are complete bullshit.
Want to do right by your pet? Then learn as much as you can about the species of pet you have. Read about how wild cats live and thrive, what they eat, what illnesses they can get and how they recover in the wild. Considerations for food should be based on their natural diet. Cats do not eat grains, soy, sugar or cellulose. So look at those pet food labels. The biggest crooks are the large companies: Purina, 9-Lives, Royal Canin etc. Your cat's food should be as close to it's natural diet as possible. You would be better off grinding up a raw chicken and feeding it that instead of this GARBAGE. Look at their dry cat food ingredients:
https://www.royalcanin.com/products...alth-nutrition-indoor-adult-dry-cat-food/2529
Chicken meal, corn, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, wheat, chicken fat, wheat gluten, natural flavors, brown rice, pea fiber, rice hulls, dried plain beet pulp, vegetable oil, calcium sulfate, grain distillers dried yeast, sodium silico aluminate, fish oil, potassium chloride, fructooligosaccharides (this is sugar), sodium pyrophosphate, psyllium seed husk, salt, DL-methionine, choline chloride, egg product, calcium carbonate, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), niacin supplement, biotin, riboflavin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin A acetate, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement], taurine, trace minerals [zinc oxide, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganous oxide, manganese proteinate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], L-carnitine, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
PussyGalore
Meow
So, exactly one week after getting his kitty flu from the visiting kitten, Siete's voice is coming back. Its a bit raspy, but he is no longer gulping to clear his sinuses or sneezing, and he is trilling and meowing in a raspy voice (he had NO voice for a whole week). By the end of the week he should be fully back to his loud vocal self.
Word about vets:
I don't trust vets anymore. They are in it for the money and that is pretty much it. If I had done what my vet asked me to do last week, I would be out more than $500.00 by now. They wanted a new blood screen, a bronchioscopic exam, X-rays, a biopsy of his thyroid, and wanted to prescribe antibiotics. All decided over a phone call! If I had not gone online to a dozen sites to check out the symptoms and see that it was merely a feline cold/flu, I would have fallen for it. When I took my beloved Fisher in to be euthanized at the end of his kidney failure, they talked me into continuing the fluids and buying more medications that were NEVER going to help. As a result, he had to suffer another week. I am thankful for the extra time, but by the time that week had passed, Fisher was miserable and could barely move. They charged me TWICE, the same amount as the euthanization both times. Throughout the years, the vets I go to (Family Pet Clinic of Redondo Beach) have become more revenue hungry. Prescription cat food from Hill's which has garbage ingredients is nothing more than a scam. There is nothing in the food which requires a prescription, and the foods hardly contain any protein and contain grain fillers and textured soy protein. Then there are the unnecessary tests and xrays and "special foods" which are complete bullshit.
Want to do right by your pet? Then learn as much as you can about the species of pet you have. Read about how wild cats live and thrive, what they eat, what illnesses they can get and how they recover in the wild. Considerations for food should be based on their natural diet. Cats do not eat grains, soy, sugar or cellulose. So look at those pet food labels. The biggest crooks are the large companies: Purina, 9-Lives, Royal Canin etc. Your cat's food should be as close to it's natural diet as possible. You would be better off grinding up a raw chicken and feeding it that instead of this GARBAGE. Look at their dry cat food ingredients:
https://www.royalcanin.com/products...alth-nutrition-indoor-adult-dry-cat-food/2529
Chicken meal, corn, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, wheat, chicken fat, wheat gluten, natural flavors, brown rice, pea fiber, rice hulls, dried plain beet pulp, vegetable oil, calcium sulfate, grain distillers dried yeast, sodium silico aluminate, fish oil, potassium chloride, fructooligosaccharides (this is sugar), sodium pyrophosphate, psyllium seed husk, salt, DL-methionine, choline chloride, egg product, calcium carbonate, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), niacin supplement, biotin, riboflavin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin A acetate, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement], taurine, trace minerals [zinc oxide, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganous oxide, manganese proteinate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], L-carnitine, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
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This is one of the main reasons I don't have a dog currently. The cost of "pet maintenance" has risen beyond the point of inflation. Now it's just an obvious money grab in many ways. Don't get me wrong, I love animals but there's no reason for it to cost so much more to raise a cat today than it did back in the 70's for instance (allowing for inflation of course).
Same here .Everytime I take Pogo in it is $300 +
I just called my vet to tell her that Siete's voice is coming back, and that it was a kitty cold..LIKE I TOLD HER I THOUGHT IT WAS. She then said, "That is good news, but as a "pet parent" you can never be too careful with your fur baby!" HUH? I just half chuckled, and told her I thought he would be fine. I am NOT a "pet parent". I might even be a cat valet on Siete's staff, but I am definitely not his "parent". WTF? They do this to make you attach parenting/childhood to your pets so you will spend people-level healthcare costs for them.
This appears to be very widespread, because the cost of veterinary school (and those student loans) is making them more revenue-centric than care-centric. This is already the state of human healthcare costs.
Siete sounds like a duck right now. "Quack!" (trill) "Quack!". He is halfway to his voice, but he is working what has returned already. By the end of the week, he will be chatting up a storm as usual. Maine Coons are one of the most vocal cat breeds, so this week without hearing him was strange.
Maine Coons are one of the most vocal cat breeds, so this week without hearing him was strange.
Cats are one of the least expensive "standard" pets you can have. About $40.00/mo or so. In my case, he is an extra $50.00/mo for rent (yes, there is rent for pets here). So, about 100 a month or @1200./yr. Gas for me is more than that. But these vets, they will cost you a fortune if you do what they ask. Wellness visits every quarter, blood work every 6 months, special "Life Stage" foods (one of the biggest scams out there) which require a prescription (most likely for tracking sales for a particular vet recommending them), and x-rays once per year. I do not do these things, of course. If I did, I would be spending almost $3000 per year on my cat which is just not necessary and is not going to happen. I'm still pissed.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
We never take our cats to the vet. Though they send us reminder emails now and then. Only times we took em was because they needed shots to be allowed to travel to the UK, and to have them registered with a vet here. O and to have Ba'al's balls snipped.
PussyGalore
Meow
Yup, pet maintenance has become a scam. Cats and dogs aren't living any longer than they were 40 years ago with only basic vet care with none of the bells and whistles we have now. The only thing that has changed is our economy has now become a money grab.
I am with both of you on this. And like Ba'al said, it really isn't necessary to take your cat to the vet unless there is a real emergency, and even then it might not be worth it. Physical injuries are an example of when to take your pet to the vet, but only if you can't treat it yourself like a deep cut requiring stitches. Systemic diseases are a different story. I already knew Fisher was dying of kidney failure because I had gone through it a year before with Dante. A cat with Chronic Renal Failure is going to die no matter what you do, short of a kidney transplant (people actually pay for those too!). The progression to death is marked by milestones, with the final one being refusal to eat or drink. At that point, you are in hospice mode and that is when you should euthanize your cat because the end stage is painful for the cat and distressing to experience. Euthanization SHOULD be done by a vet.
Other than that, cats are sturdy and robust and they have their own home remedies for things. They eat grass when they are constipated, and other plants to force vomiting. They refuse rancid or stale food, they only drink fresh running water, and they avoid cold. Dogs have similar habits, but tend to some physical injuries as pets sometimes. I have watched my vet do the same damned thing every time I have gone. They talk nice and do the "How's our fur baby today?", then they weigh the cat, examine him by palpitating his body (I do that just by petting him and stroking him!), they open his mouth, and try and sell you teeth cleaning and dental work first. Then, they pitch special food that prevents plaque they say. (REFUSE). They might say the cat is too fat, or too thin and pitch the special diet cat foods (SCAM). They might suggest the blood panel at this point just because it needs "to be updated". Really? More like cash in $159.00 as revenue. Once you do that, they do all sorts of pitching. Even if you refuse everything and just do the weight and physical exam, that is $60.00 for essentially nothing.
The internet has the stories and remedies for MILLIONS of cats worldwide. In places where there are no vets available, people have come up with many remedies for common pet/animal maladies. They also describe symptoms and they can tell you exactly how their vets handled situations, giving you the opportunity to try it yourself for free. Hello 21st Century awareness!
PussyGalore
Meow
heisenberg
Earl Grey
Siete is back at 98% of his voice, and chatting up a storm like before. He is also back to his energy level and his eyes are not running anymore. I wish my rare colds would go as quickly! I am still not over my feelings about the vet. 
. I feel betrayed and taken advantage of. I kinda NEED to be able to trust healthcare professionals. I have reason to distrust all of them these days.
He is also back to his energy level and his eyes are not running anymore. I wish my rare colds would go as quickly! I am still not over my feelings about the vet. . I feel betrayed and taken advantage of. I kinda NEED to be able to trust healthcare professionals. I have reason to distrust all of them these days.
Siete now at 100% of his voice, and it has come back with a vengeance. He is just chatting to his toys, to birds, to the TV and I think he is giving me his agenda for next week, considering he sits looking at me and chattering like crazy. 
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
Good to hear Siete is back to his self.
Hey Trip, is Mugen doing his "making biscuits" thing on your chest yet?
Has he picked his favorite human in your house?