Re couch protection: Get some lacy knit throws and cover the areas that he
is likely to scratch--arms and exposed back. My cats don't like getting
their claws hung in the throws.
Trim the nails. If you never have, it is easy, especially since he is
young. Get the vet to show you.
Spray the couch with Feliway. It should help.
You really can teach a cat where to scratch and where not to. You just have
to watch and stop it now.
Get a scratching post made of a material you do not have in the house. If
you have carpet and get a post made with carpet you are telling him he can
scratch anything that has carpet. I have a log home so Dixie gets cardboard
(Wal-Mart/Target/Meijer) to scratch on and I will make her a post of burlap
and jute. Obviously I don't want her scratching wood.
Do not consider Midnight sick. If you do you will lose the pleasure of
having him there. Dixie Louise tested positive almost 2 years ago and has
no problems other than some with her teeth. Those may or may not be related
to FeLV. There are some gels you can use on the teeth that my alternative
vets swear by. If you start him on them now and maybe get him used to
having his teeth brushed, you can head off some problems. Relish the love
you are sharing.
If you have men who will
exclude any of God's creatures
from the shelter of
compassion and pity, you will have men who
will deal likewise with
their fellow man.
St.
Francis
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jennifer Madon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 9:10 PM
Subject: Re: Newbie question
You are correct about the antibiotics were for the abscess, and the vet
seemed sure they were cat bites. I never heard about a faint pos., just
pos. The vet guessed he is about 8 months. He has no symptoms at all.
The vet said that he was shocked when the test came back pos. They didn't
do any other tests or shots that day because he had a fever (due to the
abscess ). As far as the puddles, they don't smell at all! He has gotten
SOOO far since he has been here. He eats great. He also drinks water a
lot, well a lot to me but I am new to cats. He does use his litter box,
he doesn't appear to strain and he doesn't cry. Some times he walks
around me and just meows for no apparent reason. I think he just wants to
be held. What a lap cat! He is sleeping on the desk beside me now. He
is very spunky. At night he is calm and loving, but at 5 AM, any things
that moves is fair game for a pouncing! LOL. Any tips for getting him to
use a scratching board instead of my couch and office chair. I am firmly
against declawing him but my husband is threating it. I told him I would
definger him if he did! Can you recommend a food, I am sure you would
scold me over his current food. But take it easy on me, I am new to this!
LOL Midnight will be neutered somewhere around the end of Jan. and
beginning of Feb. I will make the appointment of Tues. Oh and stress
free may be hard. We have 3 kids, but he seems to love them. They are
crazy amongst themselves but the all calm down and get very gentle when
dealing with him. All they know is that he is sick and very special.
Thanks again
Jennifer
Nina wrote:
Hi Jennifer,
I'm glad you found us and so very glad Midnight found you. I take it the
antibiotics were for the abscess on his tail and not because he is
displaying any other symptoms of illness? Did the infection clear up
okay? How old does the vet think Midnight is? Adult, healthy cats have
a much better chance of clearing the virus than an older, sickly, or
young kitten. Because he was a stray, there's no way for you to know
when he contracted the disease. It may have happened when he got the
abscess on his tail. I'm not sure why your vet is having you retest in
only 3 weeks. If Midnight is in the process of clearing felv, a three
week interval between testing is probably too soon to be reliable.
Usually it is recommended to wait 3 to 6 months. Did the vet tell you it
was a faint pos? If the vet suspects the test was a false pos, then a
retest in 3 weeks makes more sense. It is also usually recommended to
retest using an IFA, (not the in house ELISA).
When you are ready to have him neutered, please ask us about protocols
and procedures to help reduce the stress on his body during surgery.
Felv cats need to be kept as stress free as possible and fed as high a
quality diet as you can.
I'm not sure what these "puddles" on the floor might be. Do they smell
like urine? Has he been using his litter box? Have you noticed any
straining, or does he cry when he urinates? It sounds more like it might
be vomit to me. Have you mentioned the slight blood tinge to the vet?
It doesn't sound "right", but I'm hoping it's nothing serious. Has he
been showing any other symptoms? Any coughing or upper respiratory
congestion? Is he eating normally? Keep a close eye on him and see if
you catch him in the act of excreting these puddles.
I'm sure others will be posting soon with suggestions. Ask as many
questions as you like. The people on this list are wonderfully
supportive and we all know how scary this diagnosis is.
Nina
Jennifer Madon wrote:
Hi everyone! Let me start by saying that my name is Jennifer. I am new
to the whole feline leukemia situation. We had a stray cat adopt us
right after Christmas. When he wouldn't go away, we decided to adopt
him. He is so sweet and loving, I am so glad my husband said yes!! We
took him to the vet and he tested positive. He also had an abscess on
the base of his tail. We are done with the antibiotics but I still put
to ointment on him. We go back next Tuesday (3 weeks after original
test) for a retest. After that, we are having him fixed. My question
is that I have found (about 3 times) some puddles of water on the
kitchen floor. I thought maybe he was peeing on the floor but the
liquid is clear with a pink tint to it. Does this sound right? Any
ideas? I am very new to this so any info or tips on this or anything
else is appreciated!! Thanks!
Jennifer and Midnight
