Anyone else have a shih tzu? Any training tips? I don't mean potty training, we accomplished that with the "catch" method - sent him outside every hour. He is very selective about what he wants to understand, but too cute to get angry at. What a piece of work! Thank you, Tibetan monks.
Ok guys I need your advice and to vent.
My neighbors have a clowder of cats. Seriously, there are like 20 of them if not more. They are ALL outdoor cats. They have 2 or 3 backyard ornament dogs too. As you can all tell I am not a fan of these neighbors. Their cats are destructive to my property. They pee under my front porch, poo all over the yard, kill things and leave the mutilated body in my driveway for all to see and for me to clean up. Not one of them is fixed and I am pretty sure they do not have their shots. They are all flea infested, and again I am pretty sure the dogs are too. I catch the cats in my backyard ALL of the time. One of their dogs has tunneled under the fence once or twice too.
Here is my problem. My dogs are coming in with fleas. I'VE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I switched them from frontline plus to advantix II just in case the medicine is no longer effective. Well they are still coming in with fleas. They are not outside dogs. They are indoors a majority of the day. They go out to potty and maybe play for a little while. I know where the problem is coming from. I've requested many times for them to do something about the cats. No response, or resolution. What do I do? I want to call animal control, but they are a kill shelter, and I know these cats will more than likely get put down. I can't live with that. This is now costing me a shitload of money with having to constantly buy capstar, spray the yard, steam the rugs and furniture, and replace pillows. I have had to do it twice already this year.
Oh and the guy is a violent raging alcoholic. So....
Suggestions please?
Rockabilly - I think animal control will give them a warning before they remove the animals. They probably wound up with so many cats because they are reproducing. If you go to http://www.petfinder.com/ you can find animal rescue services in your area. Ask them for advice. If the animals have fleas, they may have diseases as well, that can be transmitted to your pets and other neighbors, too.
I have the same problem Rockabilly, I called animal control and they won't do a damn thing about it. Not even a warning. My neighbor has feral cats, about 10 of them, all of them outdoor cats obviously. More show up each day. She feeds them so they keep on coming around. They spray all over my yard and shit in my flower gardens. They get into fights all night long and cry. All I have been told I can do is pay to have a catch neuter/spay and release. I have to PAY to get this done. I've been frustrated for a while. I have put a solution of red pepper and vinegar on my walls and in the flower gardens and it doesn't do anything at all. The couple are very old that feed them and I know it would break their hearts if anything was to happen to them but WTF? One of them attacked my dearly departed elder boxer about 2 years ago and I almost gave it a dirt nap but I couldn't figure out which of the fuckers it was. Count me in on your dilemma and if you come up with a solution, let me know.
Deleted post because my pic wont work. Ugh.
Last edited by meowzerz; 05-24-2013 at 04:38 PM.
http://m.wikihow.com/Repel-Cats
Cat repellant.
Help!
Emmy(cat) started having diarrhea with blood out of nowhere about 9 days ago. I took her to the vet and they said her 'blood work' looked fine, temperature was perfect, and no parasites. They gave me some medication to harden her poop and also to deworm her if she had worms.
I had to give her 2 doses per day for 3 days, then 1 dose for 4 more days. The first three days her poop was getting 'shape', but was still very soft looking and no blood. Then when I switched to one dose a day, she started getting straight diarrhea with blood again.
They told me to call if it doesn't help her, so I did and I can't get an appointment until next week or the week after, but they suggested I should just change cat food to something more natural and maybe hypoallergenic(might be a food allergy, but she is not itchy and she has been on the same cat food for over a month with no problems before)
I'm more worried about the blood. ):
Can someone recommend a new cat food to help?
And both of my cats refuse to eat wet food btw.
I'm just grateful she is making it to the litterbox, but she is slinging it on the walls.
She is acting healthy, running around, playful, etc. and I'm about 99% sure she isn't eating 'table scraps'.
Katerss - it sounds like she's been sick for about 2 weeks, and you changed the food a month ago. Maybe it is the food, why not go back to what she was eating before? I don't know about any hypoallergenic cat foods, you can go to Pet Smart online and search for one. She's not get any milk, it she? That will give her diarrhea. My friend's cat use used to drink my coffee because she loved the milk, just saying it might not be an obvious source.
You don't live near Rockabilly or faq_q, do you? Better keep her inside.
I would recommend Blue Buffalo Sensitive Solutions dry food. I started giving it to my dog after he had stomach issues and he's been much, much better. Also, a cat at the shelter I volunteer at had diarrhea with blood often and the vets couldn't find anything wrong- I suggested switching to this food and in a week, the problems were gone:
http://www.bluebuffalo.com/products/...t&brand=basics
You can get it at Petsmart. When I've gone to Petcos by me, they have not had this kind but you might be able to find it by you (if Petco is closer to you than a Petsmart).
Also, giardia could be a possibility. It's often harder to test for than other parasites:
http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/...s#.UaC5SLV4yVo
But I'd try the food first.
ETA- don't worry if you don't see a dry food that specifically says "kitten". It's not necessary to give cats dry food based on age, it's more of a marketing thing.
Last edited by moosella; 05-25-2013 at 05:17 AM.
Katerss - My friend has a dog with the same chronic problem. I know, cats vs. dogs, but it's intermittent, and the vet has given all kinds of meds to no avail. As far as food, vets usually have Science Diet food for digestive issues on hand. Some are by prescription only. In the meantime, I would check out stores who have a big variety of food and ask for help. Also, when changing food, do it gradually. The blood is scary looking, but my friends Shepherd has had this problem for over a year and is absolutely fine. Dealing with it inside and with a cat must be terrible, but hopefully it will stop soon. Keep us posted, please. I learn so much from this thread.
She started eating what she is currently eating April 9th, when I adopted her. I asked what they were feeding her and they said they changed it from this to that a lot so it wasn't a stable diet. So I just picked one of the those they fed her and went with it.
The only table food that I've caught her eating was scrambled eggs(no milk) about 3 weeks ago when I accidentally wasn't watching. I don't leave food out because she is so food interested.
Also, I did come home and found her eating a whole bag of cat treats that my older cat pushed off the counter before the diarrhea started.
But thank you and moosella for the advice!
Also, could it be that she is also eating my older cats food that is for adults and she is a kitten(~13 weeks)?
I don't know the differences for adult vs kitten dry food, so I never really got on to her about it.
Oh and thank you ShellJett!
Cute babies! <3!!
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More memories of Bria. In 2002 I got her from a guy in MA who took in all kinds of dogs and cared for them until they were placed. I went to see a litter of Jack Russell Terrier puppies, but as I walked around the kennels he told me about the German Shepherd who had been badly abused. She was hiding in a doghouse too scared to come out. I ended up laying on the ground in front of the doghouse talking to her, and she slowly came out and licked my face. She went home with me a week later after I introduced her to my male GS. I had quite the experience dealing with a dog who was so scared of everything. I even had to teach her how to play. Upon arriving home, she tentatively came into the house, got scared, laid on her back with her tail tucked, and peed all over. She came around over time, but right up until the day she died she startled easily and often got nervous. I tried to make my home and yard her refuge so she felt secure. Seeing her roll in freshly cut grass with total abandon brought me to tears every time. She was afraid of cameras, and I had to coerce her into not running off. Bria passed away suddenly in 2011 at home.
To keep my dog out of the cat's food, I always feed her on top of the washer. Can the kitten jump up that high yet?
I've always fed my cats Meow Mix, and she won't touch anything else, not even treats. I'm still thinking milk, though. It could be labeled as lactose in the kitten's food. The adult food might actually be better, if the other has a lot of dairy. People get lactose intolerance and it causes diarrhea, not just cats.
Oh shit, I am balling my eyes out now. Be back later to keep up with all of your babies.
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