(no subject)

[winterbadger]

Oh, would anyone like a couple of cats? I feel a need to dispose of one or two.

I got home late, to find that every. single. room. in the house. had several (one one, not two, but several) piles of vomited cat food in it.

Because, of course, the Purina food that I had been given by my neighbours, that I had gingerly tried mixed with something else, and everything had been fine, as soon as it was supplied again had been greedily consumed in bulk and then spewed in every corner and nook of the entire flat.

It's Nicholas. I know his MO. He ate some, threw it up, and then WENT BACK AND ATE MORE. And again. And again.

Every time I thought I'd found the last of it, I'd relax, and then there would be more.

Just now, I was about to go to bed, and I found more in the bedroom, on the carpet by the bed. That's four places JUST IN THE BEDROOM.

And they've managed somehow to make their catboxes, which I cleaned just this morning, thoroughly malodorous. Foul, in fact, in a way that mysteriously resists air freshener, incense, even re-cleaning.

I am so ready to live a cat-free life. I think I'll keep Busby, because he's sweet and very fastidious and never has digestive problems. But the cat who eats like a Roman senator and the one the licks all his fur off, throws it up, and then resists with tooth and claw (literally) hairball medicine--those I could happily pass to a new home.

Anyone want a couple of cats?

Comments

[lotuslion.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, they might have developed a food allergy. Luna was vomming a lot and it was getting really ridiculously annoying, and we thought, like you, it was because she was eating her food too fast. I mentioned it to the vet when I took her in for her yearly exam and vax in July, and the vet said that cats shouldn't vomit *that* much, so she had us switch her to a special diet to test for food allergies (it was Royal Canin Duck and Green Pea wet food.) And seriously, she stopped vomiting. She maybe vomits once or twice a month now, and often it's from hairballs. (We don't give her hairball medicine, because it's not that often and I hate having to give her pills.) A lot of the stuff that's in Purina, Science Diet, Iams, etc isn't actually all that good for pets, and many times it contains wheat, to which pets can develop allergies. The Royal Canin is kinda expensive, but once we sussed out what it was, we started feeding her Nutro and she's been fine.

Of course, they might also just be obnoxious, but I thought I'd throw that out there. ;)

[winterbadger]

It's not so much a specific food allergy, I think, as the simple fact that (as any vet will tell one), you shouldn't switch from one dry food to another all at once. They always say that you should blend them (the old one and new one) for some time before going off one to the other.

I had tried blending them the day before, and that had worked fine, but I then ran out of their old food and gave them the new one straight because that was what I had and I didn't want to leave them to starve all day. Problem is that what happened (I'm pretty sure) is that Nick (who despite being Mr Tough Guy has a sensitive stomach and a deep hunger) ate some, threw it up because it "didn't feel right" and went back for more (because maybe this time it will be OK!) But it wasn't. Nor was it the third or fourth time.

Nick is also prone, when he throws up (food or hairballs) to wander around the house doing so. Which is the other reason I'm guessing it was he. (Poor boy--after all, int he end he got no breakfast, threw up a lot, and then had me come home late and be very annoyed at having to clean up all the mess).

[winterbadger]

...and I *love* that cat icon. :-)

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

If I were in the market for a cat, I have to tell you that your advertisement has not convinced me that I would want it to be your cat, yanno?

[winterbadger]

Yeah. :-) And of course I would never part with them for the world, really. It was just finding, at midnight, those last two hidden piles of puke...

[wolfette]

Dakota does the bulemic thing too. He used to do it all the time with the dry cat food I used to buy, but I was told it probably meant he was sensitive to one of the ingredients. I switched to another brand and now he hardly ever does it.

[winterbadger]

Yeah, see my reply to lotuslion above. It's mostly my fault; I was just exasperated at the thoroughness of the distribution of vomit...

[pisica.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I'm sorry.

Perdita threw up the other day. We were astonished because she has NEVER thrown up in the 4+ years I've had her. On a handful of occasions, she's spit up a bit of grass, but this was all of dinner (perfectly recognizable). She was clearly out of sorts that evening but whatever it was (kitty tummy bug?) passed by.

*hands you the super-strength carpet cleaner*

[winterbadger]

Thankfully all but one pile of sick were on the hardwood floors.

[pisica.livejournal.com]

Oh good - that does make it a LITTLE easier.

I suspect Perdita will never throw up on the linoleum. It would be an affront to her feline dignity, or something. :)

[silme.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the food is tasty to him, but he may be allergic to him -- or there's something else going on. And if he has something else going on or there's an allergy, it might explain the horrible litter box.

[winterbadger]

Oh, the litter boxes were not that horrible, really; it was just the normal, but on top of having to clean up 133757790854 piles of sick. However it did give me the impetus to finally move them into the bathroom, next to the toilet. There's room, if I shift things around, and they might as well be where I'll be lighting incense anyway, in the one most suitable room in the house for, well, toilets. :-) And this way I will (a) clean them more often (as it will be easier) and (b) not have to have stinky boxes in (1) the bedroom and (2) feet away from where I sit at the computer.