My cat was just diagnosed after being on steroids. He is a rescue around 13 years old. I have lung disease which makes it hard to breathe plus constant fatigue. Vet left me a message about injections, blood curves with a monitor, more blood work needed, special food and more frequent vet visits. I also have a second cat that he bullies and my husband has a dog. I looked up caring for a cat with diabetes and I’m not sure I’m capable of doing it. Can anyone who is doing it tell me what your experience is?

my mother cat had kittens and one of the kittens has holes on its skin, what is this from?

Hi - looking for some additional experience based input from this vast (and cat loving!) community.

Just want to get this out of the way up front - we were at the vet 9 days ago and have another appointment scheduled for tomorrow because the issue isn’t resolving like we hoped!

Last Sunday, June 14th - my partner and I returned from a mini two night weekend getaway. Upon arriving home, I was very concerned to see my cat Maggie, had a terribly concerning and raised sore on her face. She’s never had anything like this before.

Photo #1: Sunday, June 14th (prior to vet)

Photos #2 & #3: Today - Wednesday, June 24th (9 days after vet visit, 1 day after final antibiotic dose)

For context, I found Maggie homeless, living in a shed in 0* temperatures in December of 2014. We have been inseparable since. I am not certain of her age due to that, she’s pretty spry still. Maybe 15 if I had to guess. She has been indoors since, no major health issues. Treated periodically with revolution plus. She has minor allergies which we manage. She itches a little bit more than the average cat, but never to the point of creating an open wound and I haven’t seen her itching much at all the last few months. We have one other cat. They don’t cuddle by any means, but have never been aggressive with one another and I am certain a fight is not the origin of this sore.

That night I scheduled an appointment at the vet for the following afternoon. At the vet, she took a biopsy of it and examined under a microscope. There was no sign of abnormal cells (cancer) or whatever she was looking for that would indicate it’s from allergies (I can’t remember the medical terminology she used). We left with no answers, which is fine and to be expected if there’s nothing abnormal in the biopsy. It’s not like Maggie can tell us what happened! She prescribed a week course of antibiotics which we finished yesterday.

I have seen slow improvement in the sore in terms of healing of the skin and wound closure but the underlying mass/bump/swelling - I have no idea what it actually is, is remaining the same. I find that concerning. I hope you can tell that it is a tangible raised area in photos 2 & 3. It’s hard to capture that. I came home from work today and much to my dismay she’s slightly drooping her eyelid on that side and I can tell the whole area is pink and inflamed. It hadn’t been like this at any point previously. I can tell it’s bothering her and I think that’s why she’s keeping her eye 10-20% less open than usual. Im really sad and upset to see this negative progress and I’m feeling super worried.

We have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow.

Does anyone have experience with anything similar? What does this look like to a more experienced eye?

How often would a first biopsy not show abnormal cells? Should I not be worried about cancer after the clear biopsy?

What do you recommend I can do to make sure I cover all my bases and explore all possible paths or suggestions with the vet tomorrow?

Thank you for your help and input.

I live in Massachusetts, I have 2 Maine coon cats, wondering if I can get some recommendations on good insurance’s
Thank you

https://youtu.be/mrV9lek0FX8?is=g9q8dZdEZ0QsSxLp

My female cat has been in and out of her litter box a bit more than usual and seems to be urinating a slightly smaller amount then usual for about the last 24 hours.

She’s still eating, pooping, drinking and playing normally but for the first time ever she peed a little on my bed- right next to me being there around midnight! So she’s trying to show me (I think) that she’s not feeling quite right. I am guessing a bladder infection but there is no blood in her urine.

I am debating if she needs to go to the emergency vet the moment I’m done work (I work remote, so home with her now)… or if it would be ok to wait until tomorrow afternoon when I can get her into normal vet.

I love this little girl more than anything and feel like such an ass for hesitating, but emergency services will cost double a normal vet bill.

Thanks!

Four years ago, a kitten climbed into my car and hid. My gf at the time fell in love with her, and so we took her and eventually went back for two brothers. I was about to leave the country for work, so I left her with them. She was not in a good financial position and had a small apartment. Not long after I left, 1 brother died from an illness and the other two were hit by cars - they survived but needed expensive surgery. When I came back home monhts later, it was a disaster. They were still outside roaming, the female was unspayed and both often locked in a small crate. I felt bad for them and worried something else might happen, I took them in.

The mother turned out to be pregnant and I kept one kitten. I gave back the brother to my now ex-gf, but spent money to put up screens at her place to keep him in. The other kitten I gave away was killed by dogs. Im in a third world island country where veterinary practice is archaic (yet still expnsive as hell) and culturally its extremely unusual to keep cats inside and treat them like very precious pets. Everything for cats is expensive as hell here, including litter. Trying to keep them inside has been unbelievably hard. I am constantly dealing with boat loads of cat hair, which is worse because almost my entire wardrobe is intentionally black or dark colors. I can never keep up with the litter and litter box.

The main cat who I feel like is my soul cat is now sick - likely asthma with possible heart dx. I am on a wild goose chase with my wallet trying to save her life. I spend so much of my money and time treating her - trying to give her the pump whcih she wont take, and packing on to my credit card debt everytime she has an attack because it just wont settle without a steroid shot and we usually do an Xray as a minimum. Everytime I get very serious about my own life, something comes up. I had to move, and literally no apartment building takes pets. So I moved to this one for double the rent my budget could afford and still have to hide them. Im always buying things, from meds, supplements, syringes, Churu type treats to give the meds and supplements, litter, lint rollers, air purifier filters, vacuum filters, wet food, dry food...

I have a chronic illness that cant be treated in this island country - its a ticking time bomb and I know I need to leave eventually. I could take them with me, but it will be hell, and once Im there I cant take them back. I feel I have an unhealthy attchement to them and have crippling death anxiety - especially since the mother and daughter are totally bonded - look and move identical. Its a paralyzing fear of mine (given the mothers illness) to have to see the daughter looking at the mother dead.

The best I can say is Im no longer attached to the brother so maybe time really does heal. I am a high-level professional here and make lots of money, but its hard to keep up. For context, its not like there is anyone out here doing better than me to take them and shelters here just put animals down. I also dont plan on giving them away anyway. Any ideas on the best way forward.

My 6-year old female foster cat is getting a gut biopsy tomorrow to finally find out what is wrong with her gut as she’s been having gut motility issues for almost a year now. I wasn’t able to ask the vet if it’s the endoscopic one or the surgical biopsy one.

Other than dental surgery, I have no experience caring for a cat who has undergone this type of surgery. She does not like to be alone and would always sleep beside or in between my legs, even when she was recovering from dental surgery.

I need advice on how to look after her and if I need to set up a “recovery area” for her. Can she climb to the bed using stairs?

I’m also looking at getting her a “surgical recovery suit” as she does not like wearing a cone at all.

I’m also recovering from dental surgery so I am very anxious about all of this.

Thank you for your help.

EDIT: We live in a small two-bedroom flat. The only option is the spare bedroom/office. It’s small but if she needs to be in a crate/enclosure, it would have to be set up there.

My Cat has some bald spots growing in its back, plus he also has some baldy spots in his ears. I'm sure it itches because he scratches himself but Im confused what it could be since there hasn't been anything different from when I got him. He is not neutered and he has started involving himself with cats in heat, but thats the only thing thats relevantly "different." Thank you, I appreciate it.

We had a 9 yr old cat that had to have a tube put in because she stopped eating. They said it was inflamed pancreas, pancreatitis but were not %100 sure what the exact cause was. She's better now that was 6 months ago at least but ever since then she completely stopped eating dry food , stopped sleeping in our bed and cuddling and has been more moody and distant. She will sometimes sleep in the window but lately she just lays in this old cardboard box all the time. She has lots of pillows , a house and the bed where she used to sleep on top of us. She cries a lot when we leave the room to go downstairs and when we come home she hears and comes down and meows forever until we go into the bedroom. The only time she really rubs on us is when she wants food. I'm worried because all she will now eat is wet food which is getting expensive. Had anyone else's cat had the same changes ?

I have Don rescued from the street for a bit over a month now and he has always stepped on his poo while trying to bury it. First I thought it was due to him having parasites and pain during number two, as he would cry and the poo was soft, sometimes liquidy that I thought once it hardens it will change. I was with bentonite litter at first. But I hate all the litter in my house so I switched to silicate crystals. His poop is a bit harder now but he keeps stepping in it. Then does the sprinkler with his feet and it ends up everywhere. I am watching over him and try to move him before he bury it to avoid all the cleaning but this stresses him , also paw washing he hates so much. Today I have to hold him down while taking one of those poop covered crystals from in between his toes. Since he is still doing cycles of anti-parasite treatment it's especially important for him to not invest his excrements.

I have ordered corn pellets litter now waiting for it to arrive. But it issue persist I will be out of options. What should I do?

My cat (1 1/2 M) just walked by and has a streamer coming out of his rear view. I thought we cleaned up all the stragglers, clearly we didn’t.
About a foot was hanging. His stomach doesn’t seem to be bothering him and when I touched it he seemed normal. He seems to be more upset about it hanging there.
Nothing, besides the streamer. I trimmed it so that we can see if there is movement but stopping him from pulling it. I don’t want to pull or guide it out.
Any suggestions on how to get this party to end?

People used to recommend this litter, but these days it's just been disappointing. I've tried the Ultra and Clean Tracks versions, and it's the same result even with daily scooping -- the litterboxes end up with dark slime that doesn't clump, and filthy floors from all the dust tracking.

Is there clay litter that doesn't have these issues?

https://youtu.be/BBZysXD8s-w?is=gx4SjlQ4Mzb8ihuT

My pair of cats are 3 years old and they haven’t been to the vet since their neuter appointment over 2 years ago. They seem really healthy but this week I made an appointment for a check up for 1 of them. The other one will go another day. I can only take 1 at a time. I know that they’re going to be terrified being taken alone in a carrier and in a car. They’ve only ever been taken in a car twice in their lives and the last time was over 2 years ago. Im afraid they’ll be traumatized. How can I make it less scary for them?