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Life in General / Re: Salad Bar Etiquette
« on: November 29, 2025, 08:11:47 am »
Considering I saw someone licking the ladle once (ugh) I think what you did was fine, in the absence of labels.
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2
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Horrible update
« on: June 09, 2025, 01:03:29 am »
Thanks, everyone.
Dash, at least, seems absolutely fine. She doesn't seem to have noticed Spot's absence at all.
I, on the other hand, keep expecting him to jump up on my desk or try to steal my food before realising he's never going to do that again.
Dash, at least, seems absolutely fine. She doesn't seem to have noticed Spot's absence at all.
I, on the other hand, keep expecting him to jump up on my desk or try to steal my food before realising he's never going to do that again.
3
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Horrible update
« on: June 06, 2025, 12:39:39 pm »
Spot is gone. He died peacefully in our arms.
I am devastated.
I am devastated.
4
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Horrible update
« on: May 30, 2025, 01:24:04 am »
In case anyone was wondering, Spot is still here, but probably not for much longer.
DH and I keep flip-flopping about it. He's still throwing up and having diarrhoea, but at the same time he's still going out every day, still purring and cuddling up, still enjoying life. We don't want to wait until he's as bad as our last cat Tigger (who ended up having a stroke), but at the same time we don't want to do it too early.
The vet gave us a tick list for measuring quality of life, so we've been doing that every day, but we've pretty much decided we're going to have to bite the bullet and make his next vet visit his last.
He's getting all the chicken he wants and he sits in my arms when I'm at the computer - I've learned to type round him.
DH and I keep flip-flopping about it. He's still throwing up and having diarrhoea, but at the same time he's still going out every day, still purring and cuddling up, still enjoying life. We don't want to wait until he's as bad as our last cat Tigger (who ended up having a stroke), but at the same time we don't want to do it too early.
The vet gave us a tick list for measuring quality of life, so we've been doing that every day, but we've pretty much decided we're going to have to bite the bullet and make his next vet visit his last.
He's getting all the chicken he wants and he sits in my arms when I'm at the computer - I've learned to type round him.
5
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Horrible update
« on: April 25, 2025, 04:53:55 am »
We tried him on a steroid injection just over a week ago, as Spot was refusing his pills.
It's not working. Every morning we have to clean up diarrhoea off the kitchen floor and he's throwing up on the rug.
We have an appointment on Monday for a checkup. I'm making sure DH comes with me as I have a feeling we won't be bringing him home.
He's currently sitting on my chest with his head on my shoulder, purring.
I don't know what I'm going to do without him. I really don't know what Dash is going to do without him. The thought of her searching for him in the house breaks my heart even worse than it already is.
It's not working. Every morning we have to clean up diarrhoea off the kitchen floor and he's throwing up on the rug.
We have an appointment on Monday for a checkup. I'm making sure DH comes with me as I have a feeling we won't be bringing him home.
He's currently sitting on my chest with his head on my shoulder, purring.
I don't know what I'm going to do without him. I really don't know what Dash is going to do without him. The thought of her searching for him in the house breaks my heart even worse than it already is.
6
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Horrible update
« on: April 08, 2025, 01:33:19 am »
Yesterday I had to rush Spot to the vet after he accidentally ate some garlic.
While he was there, the vet wanted to run some tests as she thought he looked pale.
They believe he has cancer. The only thing we can do at this point is increase his steroids and make him happy for the time he has left.
While he was there, the vet wanted to run some tests as she thought he looked pale.
They believe he has cancer. The only thing we can do at this point is increase his steroids and make him happy for the time he has left.
7
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Update
« on: March 15, 2025, 03:05:56 am »
Spot has started losing weight again. The vet has asked us to take him back after two weeks as she's worried something worse is going on. (I think we all know what "something worse" is referring to.)
He's been refusing his pills, so the veterinary nurse gave me a crash course in pilling a cat. DH and I tried it on Thursday night and, while it was a traumatic process for all concerned, we did manage to get the pill into him. Last night DH offered him the pill pocket in the hope that we wouldn't have to do it again and, to our surprise, Spot ate it immediately. Possibly he's decided he would rather just eat the thing if the alternative is DH burritoing him while I ram it down his throat.
I'm just hoping that this means he'll start gaining weight again. Spot is now insured but they won't cover gastric and we can't afford chemo.
He's been refusing his pills, so the veterinary nurse gave me a crash course in pilling a cat. DH and I tried it on Thursday night and, while it was a traumatic process for all concerned, we did manage to get the pill into him. Last night DH offered him the pill pocket in the hope that we wouldn't have to do it again and, to our surprise, Spot ate it immediately. Possibly he's decided he would rather just eat the thing if the alternative is DH burritoing him while I ram it down his throat.
I'm just hoping that this means he'll start gaining weight again. Spot is now insured but they won't cover gastric and we can't afford chemo.
8
Pets / Re: Cat losing her sight
« on: March 01, 2025, 07:34:21 am »
Dash is definitely losing her sight. She's struggling to play fight with Spot as she can't see his paws and we've caught her getting lost in a room a few times.
However, yesterday when she got lost she yelled for Spot and he went and rescued her, so at least we have him on board.
However, yesterday when she got lost she yelled for Spot and he went and rescued her, so at least we have him on board.
9
Pets / Re: Cat losing her sight
« on: December 28, 2024, 03:21:40 am »
That makes sense. Mum had a similar period of depression after she lost her sight, although in her case she knew it was coming.
If Dash needs us to bring the food to her we can do that. We have two litter trays already but we can see where might be convenient for her.
If Dash needs us to bring the food to her we can do that. We have two litter trays already but we can see where might be convenient for her.
10
Pets / Cat losing her sight
« on: December 24, 2024, 01:39:28 am »
DH and I had a discussion about our cat Dash the other day as we're starting to think she's losing her sight in her old age.
I had my suspicions when I walked up behind her in the hallway and she panicked and ran headfirst into a wall. I mentioned this to DH, who later on noticed she seemed to be struggling to see things in the kitchen. She's still finding her way around the house okay in general, but it looks like her vision may be starting to go.
Given that my mother went blind when I was twelve and remained that way until her death, I've got a decent idea of what to do when you have a blind family member. Don't move things around, announce yourself when you approach, that sort of thing. DH, however, was wondering if there was anything else we could do to help her in this situation. The only other person I know who had a blind cat is my aunt, and she didn't have to do anything since her other cat kindly started guiding the blind cat everywhere. I don't know if Spot will do that, although he adores Dash, so he might.
Does anyone have any experience of this?
I had my suspicions when I walked up behind her in the hallway and she panicked and ran headfirst into a wall. I mentioned this to DH, who later on noticed she seemed to be struggling to see things in the kitchen. She's still finding her way around the house okay in general, but it looks like her vision may be starting to go.
Given that my mother went blind when I was twelve and remained that way until her death, I've got a decent idea of what to do when you have a blind family member. Don't move things around, announce yourself when you approach, that sort of thing. DH, however, was wondering if there was anything else we could do to help her in this situation. The only other person I know who had a blind cat is my aunt, and she didn't have to do anything since her other cat kindly started guiding the blind cat everywhere. I don't know if Spot will do that, although he adores Dash, so he might.
Does anyone have any experience of this?
11
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Update
« on: December 09, 2024, 02:10:16 am »
Spot had a checkup the other day.
The vet was happy with his weight gain and suggested we try to reduce his steroids by giving him a half-pill on alternate days. She also offered us a prescription spot-on treatment for him as she noticed he had fleas. I asked her if I could also have one for Dash and she said not without seeing her, which isn't going to happen as Dash absolutely will not go into a carrier.
As we can usually get Spot to take flea pills, we've decided to give Dash the spot-on treatment instead. The vet also recommended a particular OTC brand, as she said most others don't really work.
Spot has started refusing the pill pockets we've been using, so we're going to see if he'll eat the Royal Canin brand instead. I'm not sure yet how we're going to halve the pills, as they're already tiny.
The vet was happy with his weight gain and suggested we try to reduce his steroids by giving him a half-pill on alternate days. She also offered us a prescription spot-on treatment for him as she noticed he had fleas. I asked her if I could also have one for Dash and she said not without seeing her, which isn't going to happen as Dash absolutely will not go into a carrier.
As we can usually get Spot to take flea pills, we've decided to give Dash the spot-on treatment instead. The vet also recommended a particular OTC brand, as she said most others don't really work.
Spot has started refusing the pill pockets we've been using, so we're going to see if he'll eat the Royal Canin brand instead. I'm not sure yet how we're going to halve the pills, as they're already tiny.
12
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? New question
« on: November 28, 2024, 01:01:38 am »
Thanks, everyone.
We tried the "swap after he's eaten" technique initially, only for Spot to come thundering back into the kitchen as soon as he realised the food had been replaced. Fortunately by that point he was so full that he only managed a little bit of Dash's meal, so she did get most of it.
I'll keep the towel wrap in mind for the next time Dash needs a flea pill.
We tried the "swap after he's eaten" technique initially, only for Spot to come thundering back into the kitchen as soon as he realised the food had been replaced. Fortunately by that point he was so full that he only managed a little bit of Dash's meal, so she did get most of it.
I'll keep the towel wrap in mind for the next time Dash needs a flea pill.
13
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? New question
« on: November 16, 2024, 01:47:19 am »
Has anyone any idea on how to pill a cat that really doesn't want to be pilled?
This isn't Spot on this occasion - he will happily take his meds in a pill pocket. This is his sister Dash, who is riddled with fleas and has scratched herself raw. Spot-on treatments haven't worked and we couldn't get a flea collar on her (she is a very skittish cat and won't allow any kind of touch that isn't her idea) so we got hold of some flea tablets which we know work well.
However.
Dash doesn't take treats, so when presented with a pill pocket she will just walk off and then Spot will eat it.
For some reason she always sits and waits for Spot to eat dinner before she will touch it, and Spot is on steroids so will eat all of his and half of hers, so if we crumble it up and put it in her food she will only get half the pill at best. We tried shutting Spot out of the kitchen while she ate, but she just sat there and wailed until we let him back in.
And neither of us have the skill a vet does in shoving a pill down a cat's throat, and the last time we tried to put Dash in a carrier DH ended up in A&E.
I'm stuck for ideas at this point. I did locate a cat flea spray online (and yes, this is the kind you spray on a cat, not the kind you spray on household objects) but whether we could get Dash to stay still long enough to spray any on her is a matter for debate.
Has anyone any ideas?
This isn't Spot on this occasion - he will happily take his meds in a pill pocket. This is his sister Dash, who is riddled with fleas and has scratched herself raw. Spot-on treatments haven't worked and we couldn't get a flea collar on her (she is a very skittish cat and won't allow any kind of touch that isn't her idea) so we got hold of some flea tablets which we know work well.
However.
Dash doesn't take treats, so when presented with a pill pocket she will just walk off and then Spot will eat it.
For some reason she always sits and waits for Spot to eat dinner before she will touch it, and Spot is on steroids so will eat all of his and half of hers, so if we crumble it up and put it in her food she will only get half the pill at best. We tried shutting Spot out of the kitchen while she ate, but she just sat there and wailed until we let him back in.
And neither of us have the skill a vet does in shoving a pill down a cat's throat, and the last time we tried to put Dash in a carrier DH ended up in A&E.
I'm stuck for ideas at this point. I did locate a cat flea spray online (and yes, this is the kind you spray on a cat, not the kind you spray on household objects) but whether we could get Dash to stay still long enough to spray any on her is a matter for debate.
Has anyone any ideas?
14
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Update
« on: October 25, 2024, 12:59:54 am »
They're currently doing the parasite test, but the vet did say she was happy with the look of the sample, since it wasn't a runny mess (thank goodness, it was difficult enough to get it without that).
He's put weight on and seems to be doing well, so she's asked to see him again in a month so we can reassess the situation.
As Spot wasn't insured, we've been talking about getting insurance, but we were a bit put off by something the vet said - she hinted that as he had been biopsied once already, if he did get cancer later down the line an insurer might refuse to cover it. I know his steroids wouldn't be covered as they're for a pre-existing condition, but I'm not thrilled at the thought that a past negative test for cancer can rule out ever being insured for it.
He's put weight on and seems to be doing well, so she's asked to see him again in a month so we can reassess the situation.
As Spot wasn't insured, we've been talking about getting insurance, but we were a bit put off by something the vet said - she hinted that as he had been biopsied once already, if he did get cancer later down the line an insurer might refuse to cover it. I know his steroids wouldn't be covered as they're for a pre-existing condition, but I'm not thrilled at the thought that a past negative test for cancer can rule out ever being insured for it.
15
Pets / Re: Has anyone any ideas about this? Update
« on: October 10, 2024, 01:23:37 am »
The results are in.
It's not cancer, which is fantastic. However, they want us to get a sample so they can test him for parasites and so forth.
I'm not looking forward to that part (or the increasingly large bill) but at least lymphoma is off the table.
It's not cancer, which is fantastic. However, they want us to get a sample so they can test him for parasites and so forth.
I'm not looking forward to that part (or the increasingly large bill) but at least lymphoma is off the table.