kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833 
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Post by kskatt on Nov 12, 2014 1:36:59 GMT
Rocky is my new boy, just showed up one day, skinny and beat up.  So comfortable in the house and being handled, has to have been a house kitty at some time. He has gained weight and healed up just great!  The furnace seems to freak him out some. I'll be trying to get him in, out of the cold; he'll get just so close to the door and stop, looking all nervous. I pick him up to bring him in and he is all flustered, runs up stairs. He does seem to be calming down, I've just never seen this before and I've had lots of cats! Have you ever had a cat afraid of the furnace running? |
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Post by diamondgirl on Nov 12, 2014 2:42:54 GMT
Rebel isn't afraid of the furnace, but he does display unreasonable fears. I think in his case it is because of head trauma.
I don't know why a cat can't have good or bad memories of sounds they hear. I couldn't guess how a furnace came into play, or it could be just the sound of the fan motor, and fear could be brought on by the sound of any fan motor that sounds similar to the fan motor that caused a fear filled time in his life. Cats do remember. How else could you teach them tricks.
I am glad he found you and that you have given him a loving home, to get over his fears.
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kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833
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Post by kskatt on Nov 12, 2014 4:47:55 GMT
Cats are pretty consistently afraid of vacuum cleaners, I think the noise mostly. That makes me think, maybe, the sound; like a huge growling predator? It's the first time I've had it on this year, maybe an odor? But still, I've never seen it before.
What are Rebels fears? How do you handle them?
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Nov 14, 2014 1:31:40 GMT
Bless your heart for taking in that poor little creature  Cats hear a lot better than we do, I'm sure there are pressure differences when the furnace kicks on. They'll get over it in time. If you comfort them when they express fear then you're showing them that they should be afraid. I know it seems counter intuitive but it is reinforcing the behavior. It shouldn't be too difficult to give cuddles between times. I guess you just gotta let them see that nothing happens when the furnace kicks on, its just gonna take time. |
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Post by diamondgirl on Nov 14, 2014 2:35:29 GMT
Oh Katt you are going to hate me for this, but I have been a mean old cat mommy, by using the fear of the vacuum.
I have my finches, that I dearly love. I also love my kittens, but my kittens want to make a meal out of my finches. I tried the spray bottle, but those kittens of mine are really smart. It didn't take them any time, to figure out if I was holding the spray bottle, do not bother the birds, If I was out of the room, the birds could be harassed.
Soooooo, I took a remote Christmas light plug in, and plugged the vacuum into that, and set the vacuum right by the finch cage. As long as I have the remote, I don't even have to be in the room, to send them running away from the finches. Sorry,,,, I know,,,, I'm bad. 
I think Rebel has a mental illness from a terrible head injury. He has a ridge down the middle of his head, and when the vet first saw him, he was thinking severe trauma from maybe a ball bat. A coat tossed onto a chair is the worst thing. Other than that, we never know. Sometimes he just gets scared. When he is having a moment, we have learned not to try to comfort him, or you will get a nasty scratch.
When he was found on our front porch Halloween night, he was skinny, had a rubber band on his tail that had killed the end of it, and a misshaped head. How could we turn him away. Even after all he had been through, he was still a friendly, loving, purring boy.
I still can't believe someone could be so horrible.
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Post by shadowlark on Nov 14, 2014 4:21:48 GMT
George was scared of the cat water fountain when we first got him. Wouldn't go near it. Wouldn't even go in the room, and when he finally did go in the room, he wouldn't take his eyes off it. Cats are just weird like that! LOL
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Nov 14, 2014 4:53:47 GMT
We have the house shut up tight to keep the cold out and there's a slight change in air pressure when the furnace comes on. I wonder if that's it?
And good for you fro saving him! He's a lovely cat!! |
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Post by shadowlark on Nov 14, 2014 4:57:01 GMT
Also, we had a cat, Rye, who loved to sleep in the laundry baskets when they were full. Until one day, he was walking past and a sock fell off the pile. And it was the Scariest. Thing. Ever. Didn't matter that he would have been fine sleeping on the whole pile, on the floor, that sock was terrifying! LOL
Thank you for saving him! You rock!
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Post by justkatt on Nov 14, 2014 21:09:57 GMT
I'm at the library right now. I will not have computer at home until Tues. afternoon. Just wanted to let you know I'm alive, just netless at this time.
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Post by diamondgirl on Nov 15, 2014 0:24:35 GMT
I am so sorry. In the computer age, it really is hard to live without one, even if it is only for a few days. You care about your computer friends so much, you went to the library, and found a way, to let us know, why you would be absent for a few days. You are awesome.  Thank you.  |
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Nov 15, 2014 2:58:33 GMT
Diamond, if you are a meanie at least you are a very clever meanie
I also don't know how people can be so cruel, its beyond belief. And of course I have the irrational thought that I'd like to beat them up with a baseball bat, but then... I don't and that's the difference.
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Post by diamondgirl on Nov 15, 2014 3:59:03 GMT
I agree with you  . I will never understand animal cruelty. I can't understand how people can be so heartless, and ignorant.
I have always thought Rebel got abused, because it was Halloween, and Rebel is so dark grey, almost black, he was a target. He is such a friendly boy. He had no idea what some people were like. What a horrible thing to do to an innocent loving cat.
In spite of all he had been through, he is still a very friendly boy. He has to rub on everyone who comes into our house. Ha, if you come to my house, you better be wearing dark grey, or you will notice you have been in Rebels house. |
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kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833
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Post by kskatt on Jan 22, 2015 19:48:17 GMT
Rocky started puking day before yesterday. First it looked like barely digested food, like when kitties eat to fast. Cats puke occasionally, I was trying to not be concerned for nothing, is unusual for Rocko. Yesterday he puked some green foamy, then last night yellow foamy (mostly liquid). He would start out hacking, like trying to clear his throat, but he did still eat, so couldn't be something stuck in his throat. He started acting pretty lethargic.
We went to the vet first thing this am. He has a fever of 103.9. He's staying at the vet to watch the fever and take blood, the vet is sending samples to a different lab that can do more sensitive tests. A few little prayers would be appreciated. cat
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Post by lorddaxter on Jan 22, 2015 20:12:02 GMT
Did they x Ray him?
Prayers sent:)
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Jan 23, 2015 13:22:32 GMT
Awww, poor Rocky. Praying it is nothing serious. Please keep up posted.
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Post by shadowlark on Jan 23, 2015 15:36:21 GMT
Any chance he's eaten some hay? Our Minou loves to steal bits of hay from the chinchilla and then throws it up. She'll throw up a little pile of hay, but then sometimes has a few more pukes that are just a greenish liquid colour.
Hope he's ok!
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kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833
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Post by kskatt on Jan 23, 2015 18:48:06 GMT
What the hell happened to my post??
I wasn't sure what an ex-ray would do? A solid object really isn't a possibility. By late afternoon his temp was down to 102.5. Vet is thinking more an infection, I hope, that'd be a relatively easy fix.
Called this am, Rocky is cleared to come home, that's a positive sign. I will have a complete conversation with the vet when I pick Rocko up.
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kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833
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Post by kskatt on Jan 24, 2015 2:59:45 GMT
White blood cells up. Vet seriously thinks inflammatory bowel issues. He's going to be getting;
Baytril 20, 1 tab daily.
Amoxicillin 100mg, 1 tab twice daily.
Prednisolone 5mg, 1 tab twice daily.
Poor baby sure doesn't feel good. He's moving around okay, but still somewhat lethargic and sad looking. I wish I could have recorded him on the trip home, he didn't say a lot, but he had the most pitiful sounding meows.
I need to study up on inflammatory bowel.
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Post by shadowlark on Jan 24, 2015 3:30:52 GMT
Diet is super important for IBD. We had our IBD cat on Hills prescription z/d (same food Winky gets) as it is very easily digestible. We also gave him pro-biotics (Forti Flora) which he just LOVED the taste of, so something to think about. B12 is also highly recommended - shots are better than oral. Here's a link on that: linky |
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Post by diamondgirl on Jan 24, 2015 6:21:13 GMT
Prayers for Rocky.  I hope he gets to feeling well, really soon. |
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Thank you. 
. I will never understand animal cruelty. I can't understand how people can be so heartless, and ignorant. 
I hope he gets to feeling well, really soon.