And all the dogs and cats get along famously, as this collection of Rocky, Fergus and Clover were demonstrating:
They even share meal times without quibbling, often even the same bowl. In this case, it was Daisy, Clover and Daphne:
They all love to share the dog beds and floor pillows in the kitchen corner: Jack, Clover, Daphne, Seamus and Fergus:
Rocky, Clover and Fergus:
Elderly Georgette is a bit of an exception. She doesn't mind the dogs, but wants the cats to stay away from her. To that end, she spends most of her time in a doggie bed atop the kitchen table:
Bramble is sociable with dogs and cats, but not fond of people. It took a decade to get him to enjoy being petted each night, just before I go upstairs to bed. Bramble also has his own bed, this one atop a bureau in the computer room:
Seamus, Daphne, Clover and Jack outdoors in their fenced run. Fergus was probably behind me when I snapped the picture:
There's Fergus - but this time, Seamus isn't in the picture:
All five dogs at last: Daphne, Clover, Seamus, Jack and Fergus:
Time for bed - the four small dogs on the bed, Seamus on his own big floor pillow:
Rocky is now 16 years old and beginning to fail. I rushed him to the vet who said his primary problem was dehydration and lack of interest in eating and drinking due to old age. As of this writing, I am administering subcutaneous fluids daily and tempting Rocky with meat, canned tuna, cat food and anything else which may get him to eat or drink. So far, sliced turkey breast is the only thing which has interested him, and that only in tiny amounts - so I'll be sure to keep providing him with sliced turkey. Of course I know that at 16, my old friend won't live much longer, but I want him to be as comfortable as possible as he lives out the rest of his life:
I always enjoy these collections and every time someone gets on top of Seamus it cracks me up. This is such a hard time with Rocky. I've had a hard time with Muji's digestive issues and have both cats on "soup", hot water added to their food so that they are obliged to lick up the water to get to their wet food. I have to mash even the smallest bits for Muji though he'll eat his evening kibble with gusto. Cats are notorious for not drinking enough and for being fussy eaters in general so I've trained mine that they will only get a treat if they finish their supper. Rocky seems such a dear boy. Perhaps a little warm water with the mashed turkey and fish oil?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lorraine. I've never heard of adding hot water to their food although I've done it for dogs. I'll give it a try. I hope that Muji is OK. Pets live such short lives compared to ours.
DeleteHi Bill. Thanks for asking. Muji has always been our problem child as I learned how prone he is to digestive disorders. After taking him off our local pet food store's house brand when he developed alkaline stones and feeding both cats from scratch, Muji couldn't handle the raw ground beef after about 6 weeks so I began to cook it for him alone.
ReplyDeleteThen, about a year year ago, Babu was displaying signs of hyperesthesia, a condition where he was agitated, tried to bite his shoulder and his skin would roll along his back after which he'd suddenly dart out of the room. Although Wikepedia says the origin is unknown and all kinds of youtube videos just laugh at the cat's behaviour I finally found a vet who demonstrated how he would alleviate the symptoms. Towards the end of his video he let it slip that the cause was from heavy metals gathering along the fatty tissue of the spine. The lights went on. We take cilantro that leaches heavy metals from the body ever since we noticed Wally had a tremor. Within 3 months of starting it Wally's tremor passed never to recur. When my natural healer friend suggested I make a light tea of it for Babu, I gave it to Muji too. I changed Babu's raw diet to cooked, skimming the cooled fat off, replacing it with good fats like fish oil and coconut oil in the morning, olive oil in the evening. Within a week and a half Muji had developed a stone and ever since then we've had him on a Science Diet canned food product that the vet recommended which is obviously inferior to what I used to feed him. On top of that, he developed such an addiction to the kibble laced with tryptophan that he went on a starvation diet this summer which was horrible as he began to waste away. Eventually I got him eating again and only give him his "drugs" when he's finished, and only IF he's finished, his supper as a treat.
Wally is afraid to let me put Muji back on Babu's diet after two vet visits for that and one for his poop blockage as well for which I now treat with a little magnesium citrate powder from a capsule that softens the stool as well as some psyllium for fibre and slippery elm to help slide it out, all three at each meal for both cats. They don't cry when they go potty now.
Do you have these sorts of problems with your cats? I find commercial pet food is not as healthy as our homemade stuff now that I've worked out the kinks.
Wow, you have been through a lot with your cats. Luckily, I haven't had much problem with my cats, though I guess Daisy did have that horrible eye infection and I've had a couple of neutered males with bladder stones. Mostly, though, my cats have been problem free.
DeleteI'm glad you've been so lucky, Bill. After all, I did want to rescue Muji who came with multiple injuries though I never suspected he'd be such a handful. Being Siamese, he seems more needy of attention than most cats. At least having Babu for a playmate helps on that front.
ReplyDeleteI am so in awe of the affection your cats show for your dogs. It is quite wonderful. Oh, and I love your post's title today. Ain't it the truth!
It's nice that you rescued and cared for Muji, and that he has another cat as a friend and playmate.
Delete