For the technically-minded, this is the same photo but embedded from Flickr to show the slight difference in quality. The server at Flickr is more capable and presents images with more detail. Also WordPress tends to reprocess the images which removes a little bit of detail.
When I show these photographs of me and Gabriel I am painfully aware that I’m also showing people a bit of my apartment and how I live, which to some people may seem a bit strange. Perhaps it is a bit strange 😉 .
The reason why I am wearing a scarf in bed is to keep myself a little bit warmer during these chilly days.
Whenever I look at myself in photographs that I’ve taken of Gabriel, but in which I appear, I always look fatter than I think I am which says quite a lot about how I think about myself (dreaming!) 😉 . I’ve just been down to the gym on a rowing machine and I rowed hard for half an hour to get rid of some of that damn fat which I hate. I was raised on boarding school food so I like the wrong sort of food.
Gabriel is very cute in this photo. He asked to be in this exact position. he climbed up and plonked down. He watched me working on the computer from that position for a while. I typed the preceding article with him watching me. It slowed me down somewhat.
Once again the photo was taken blind. Fortunately he is centered nicely.
No need to apologise. Enjoy yourselves. I hope Thanksgiving went well.
We need to apologize to Michael for carrying this out on his site.
I feel guilty.
So, I’ll try to be brief.
I’m happy that Sid ate your mix. Good job!
I spend a great deal of $$ on cat food, but I feed an enormous number.
There are several very lean times here, when one or more needs to be vetted or spring is around the corner and the dreaded yearly shots come due for my ferals. These events throw a wrench into the cat food budget.
What I’ve learned to do is to strech my cat food as nutritionally as possible. That means that I have to start adding small amounts of cooked oatmeal or brown (not white) rice to the wet food. On occasion, I’ll boil chicken to add; but, I have to be very cautious to pick away the skin and any visible fat that would encourage diarrhea.
As you found with the oatmeal, it and the rice have to be cooked to a consistency that can be finely mashed before mixing it in. The real trick is to never have more additive than food. It won’t work and won’t be eaten. With the chicken, I shred it very well and add bits of it.
Throughout the year, I prepare the rice and chicken and freeze it in small containers to have on hand. That doesn’t work well with cooked oatmeal. Oats are “johnny on the spot” use.
$25 per month isn’t outrageous, but you could do better. Unless you’re feeding Sid the 3 ounce cans of Sheba or Fancy Feast, he doesn’t need 6 cans per day, especially if you have dry around for him to graze on. Standard canned Friskies is 5.5 ounces and runs about 50 cents per can. I rarely use those. I buy the Friskies in 13.3 ounce cans for 98 cents apiece. Much, much more cost effective. One third of that can twice a day, maybe lightly covered with dry should be sufficient.
FLASH BULLETIN: Last night he was the best kitty-man ever. It was smaller than a walnut, but I thoroughly cooked, then mashed to a paste a small blob of oatmeal, mixed it into one of his favorite flavors of cat food and he ate up nearly every bit. Scarfed it right down. So here’s keeping the fingers crossed, as the ‘floribunda’ stuff certainly doesn’t work for him.
Haven’t the slightest idea what Immodium-Loperamide is, nor what it does, but thank you again for any info. Now if only you could help me figure out how to feed him on $25.00 a month max., instead of four times as much. (And yes – I’m as down on dry food as Lisa Pierson, DVM.)
If Sid is rejecting the oatmeal, you can try gluten free flour. I use that too.
And, no, to anything perfumed for applying to his tender tail, butt and legs. Perfumed means alcohol added and will light him on fire. Plain vaseline is everywhere, even Dollar Stores. The triple antibiotic ointment is in Walmart. I find it in one of those bins they have in the main aisle that have loads of stuff like bandaids, ankle supports, etc. Only 99 cents per tube.
You may also have a need to know that cats can safely take Immodium (that’s straight Immodium which is Loperamide, NOT AND NEVER Imodium A-D). You will, also, find a generic version in the Walmart bin. The ingredient listed will, clearly, read Loperamide. Again, only 88 cents for a box that I think has 10 to 12 tablets. If you are interested, I’ll write about appropriate dosage.
Again, mucho gracias again, Dee!
Well, the human race has bottomed out, now that it’s hit on the notion of adding PERFUME to a jar of Vaseline and PERFUME to Ivory Soap. Aagghh! Will search hard for the unperfumed stuff, if it still exists. Had no idea dried poo could have those repercussions, and am grateful for the info. Will also look for the antibiotic ointment and apply it as you have described.
Right now, he’s rejecting the oatmeal. Am stirring the tiniest smidgin into his victuals, but he still gives me a dirty look & turns away. If you can get your colonies to eat this, it may be because their lives are more active and – a conjecture – they’re less spoiled than Sidney. In common w/my other cats (the last two passed away in 2013 and early 2014), Sid has learned how to manipulate me to the nth. He’s trained me to open five and six cans a day for him – and some of this stuff is pricey – which means he’s costing up to $80-$100 a month just to feed. What can I say? I know of no solution. If he conceives the faintest tinge of dislike for his breakfast, luncheon or dinner,it gets scraped off his plate and flushed down the john, while I keep opening more cans.
I’m also thinking he’s far from well when he’s this finicky, and have no idea if a cat with diarrhea can live for years. Would probably guess that they do not. Meanwhile, though, will keep on inserting a dab of cooked oats into his meals, hope he’ll become accustomed to it, and hope it will help him.
No – and you’ll likely laugh at this – he’s my sole remaining cat. When my last two died, I thought I’d be free. I do not belong on this website. Apart from my often lengthy posts, which are welcome on some sites, but pretty much of a no-no on this one, I lack the passionate dedication to cats that the regulars & visitors manifest in spades. Two statements of fact: (1) PoC is a world-class website. (2) My sentiment for Sid is near-zero. I so do not want him. I so, SO do not want this cat. Equally true, I treat him with scrupulous kindness, care immensely about his welfare (think ‘Hovercraft Mother’), and wish to God there were a way to help him recover from this affliction, so he could be placed – though I doubt it will happen – into a home where he’s treated with as much kindness & solicitude as he’s receiving under this roof.
Thx again so very much for your willingness to help! I appreciate your suggestions more than I can say. 🙂
OK. I think I understand. Sid is, actually, a neighbor’s cat who seems to be less than responsible in his caretaking. I think we’ve all had that experience, and I commend you for what you are doing.
Besides Sid, there is another?
I understand the goopy and dried poo completely. It’s caked on the tail and, especially, the hind legs. Those hind legs may become raw and sore. If untreated, the leg joints will be devoid of skin and fur and the bones will show. It’s like the acidic poo just eats it away. I go to Walmart and in their 88 cent bins, I buy tubes of triple antibiotic ointment and mix it equally together with generic vaseline (vaseline is great at sicking in the desired areas). I slather up the tail and legs. Then, after about 2 hours, I’m able to wipe away a lot and liberally reapply the antibiotic ointment again then.