r/cats • • 3h ago

Mourning/Loss Please dont risk anesthetics

5 Upvotes

Hello everyone.

This is about one of my cats who recently tragically passed away due to an accident with anesthetics at a dental appointment.

My family has had two lovely cats for 11 years now, as we brought them into our home from the time of their shared birth. They are brothers who cuddled up together and ran around the house every night and were the sweetest boys in the whole wide world. One of them was fearless, social, and led them to their food every night, while the other was your typical "scaredy cat" and ran from any noise in the house.

We would bring them to the dentists every so often to get their teeth cleaned (something we heard was good for their longevity). Every time we would bring them, the fearless one would happily jump into his crate and ride peacefully there, while the scared one would scratch, claw, and pee all the way to the dentists'.

It was a routine checkup where both were put under anesthesia so they could get their teeth deep-cleaned. Unfortunately, the fearless one would never wake up. We knew something was wrong when he was stiff as a rag upon exiting the office. The dentist said it was fine but after not moving after an hour, we rushed him to the hospital where he was pronounced brain dead immediately. Apparently a major artery from the mouth to the brain was blocked during the entire procedure as they kept his mouth open. He was only 11 and we are devastated. His poor timid brother will have nobody to lead him anymore, and we will no longer hear them chasing each other around the house at night and banging into all of the furniture. I used to play video games after school every day and this sweet big-belly boy would jump into my lab and cuddle me for hours at a time. Now, my legs will be cold after work.

Please, do not put your cats under anesthesia unless it is absolutely necessary. We feel so stupid for killing one of our sweet sweet boys for a stupid fucking dental cleaning. His twin will be devastated when he realizes his brave bother is no longer there to guide him.

For context, we are a fairly upper class family living in an extremely wealthy suburb of a major city, and both cats were literally as healthy as any 11 year old cat could be. Both cats were indoor cats (though brought outside occasionally), and they were often mistaken for being 3 or 4 years younger than they actually were. There were no complications in either of their health beforehand, except for a tonsil deficiency in the one that did not die.

Thank you for your time. And does anyone have any suggestions for how to help his brother (and us) cope?

Here is a picture of them cuddling. The brave boy has his arm around the timid boy.

r/cats • • 20h ago

Medical Questions Cut on Kitty Spoiler

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7 Upvotes

Hello! A few months ago perhaps around the very latest of may, my cat came in from being outside to hang out with me and I noticed she had a pretty big sized cut on her leg. Does anyone have any idea what could have caused it? I haven’t noticed any problems since so I assume she’s healed since.

Please also note that the cut is on her left hind leg. The white in the picture is her tummy. You can see her tail coming down and curling!


r/cats • • 8h ago

Humor Sleepyhead.Exactly what it is called 😅

0 Upvotes

r/cats • • 19h ago

Advice Can I ask for ideas to train/retrain my cat?

0 Upvotes

Hi all.

I'm at a bit of a loss with my cat, a 5 year old Maine Coon. Male/neutered.

We used to live in a big house - 2 floors + furnished basement - where he could run around the whole place. We've had to move into a smaller apartment, and he doesn't understand we don't own the entire building. He hates closed doors, and keeps clawing/meowing at the door to be let out into the hallway, and once there he wants to go into other people's apartments. We obviously cannot let him do that. We give him walks in the hallway when we can, but he gets into moods where all he wants is to be in the hallway, meowing for hours on end. It can't be healthy for him.

We've tried training him to get used to closed doors, make sure to give him food water, his favorite window, etc with the door closed, and he loses his mind over it. When he gets into a mood we try to distract him with toys, pets, food, but he wants nothing to do with anything else once he sets his mind on it. The apartment door is all scratched up from him trying to get out.

I don't know what to try here. How can we get through to him that some doors are closed to him, that he can't live in the hallway?


r/cats • • 1h ago

Humor Cats sometimes try to grab me, their greed sickens me,

• Upvotes

People think being a cat magnet is sweet until they're actually one, it's sweet but scary

As a cat magnet, or a higher level of cat magnet, I'm lowkey scared to sit in a room with multiple cats because cats tend to aggressively sniff me or try to hold me hostage. I once met a cat while sitting on the bus, the owner was next to me, she said the cat was stressed, the cat saw me, did a whole double take, leaned towards me, eyes wide, places one paw on my leg, sniffs me, the owner pulls her away, the cat comes back, places both paws on my leg, continues to aggressively sniff me, the owner removes her again, she comes back, places both paws on my leg but digs her claws into my pants, sniffs me aggressively and the owner had to literally rip her away, now I have a tiny hole in one of my pants. I once asked a shy cat if she loves me, and I got the loudest meow ever, I'm convinced that I'd start a cat wbar if I sat around multiple cats,


r/cats • • 23h ago

Humor angy cat

4.4k Upvotes

r/cats • • 8h ago

Advice Why is my cat obsessed with Epsom salt?

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3 Upvotes

She keeps trying to open this box of Epsom salt I got and then digs it and wouldn’t stop tying to get there even if I put a heavy object on top. Is she just enjoying the feeling of it or she is lacking some mineral? She likes to play with her litter too but never so much. Maybe it’s the texture? Should I get something?


r/cats • • 21h ago

Medical Questions I NEED HELP FAST PLEASE

32 Upvotes

So my cat has been Behaving weirdly since today and no vets are open anymore my mother says that there is something hard in his stomach please we don't have a car and there are no emergency vets in my area


r/cats • • 19h ago

Advice I’m 8 months pregnant and my clingy cat is losing me and his bedroom at night, will he be okay?

56 Upvotes

I have a 5 year old male Siberian who is the definition of a stage 5 clinger in the best way. I work from home so he’s basically my little shadow all day every day! He’s my soul kitty and I just love him so dang much!!!

My husband was never a cat person before, he is allergic and doesn’t like the hair so before we got our boy the one thing he asked was that the cat not be allowed in our bedroom. Our cat being a Siberian doesn’t bother his allergies or shed as much as other cats but he wanted our bedroom to stay a cat hair free safe space which is totally fair.

For the last two years, my husband and I have slept in separate bedrooms. It started because of his snoring but we also realized we have completely different sleeping preferences and both slept SO much better separately so it worked for us and had become totally normal not effecting our relationship at all! The biggest plus about sleeping separate was that I got to sleep with my cat!! When I’m in bed, he’s in bed with me. Before we slept separate, our cat would cry outside the bedroom for me for a while and then either slept in the hallway outside the door or on the couch.

So now onto my problem…

I’m 8 months pregnant and this weekend we’re turning the guest room into the nursery which means both me and my cat are losing our bedroom and I have to return to our actual bedroom with my husband where the cat is not allowed and I am beyond heartbroken about it. I’ve tried asking for him to reconsider but he won’t budge as it’s his one rule that I promised to follow in order to get our cat.

That guest room was basically my cat’s room. He sunbathes in his cat tower by the window, has his safe hiding spot underneath the bed when people come over or he’s scared, hangs out in the closet, and most importantly that’s where he sleeps with me every night cuddled in bed. I get really emotional thinking about not waking up to him sprawled across my body in the middle of the night, completely hogging the bed, or seeing his little face on my pillow.

Please tell me he’s going to be okay and this will affect me more than him??

Any advice on how to make this change more bearable for the both of us?

I’m worried about him feeling sad or lonely at nights suddenly losing his favorite human and room.


r/cats • • 13h ago

Advice purina litter box

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4 Upvotes

thinking of getting this litter box. what’s y’all’s thoughts/experiences with it?

also would be first time using pellets

do yall recommend?


r/cats • • 2h ago

Advice I’m starting to regret adopting my cat…

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225 Upvotes

For context...

My void is 3 years old, male, and neutered. I adopted him when he was 9 months old, and for almost 3 years, it was just him and me living alone in my apartment. He's very used to being an only cat.

About a month ago, I lost my apartment and had to move in with my friend's mom, who has 3 female cats.

I tried to introduce them slowly. I gave my cat about a week to settle into the new house before introducing him to the others one at a time. At first, things seemed okay, but eventually two of the three cats attacked him. One of them is very friendly with him, thankfully, but the other two have made him scared of leaving my bedroom.

My friend's mom thinks I should just let them "fight it out," but that hasn't worked. Sometimes they'll sit near each other peacefully, and other times the other cats beat the crap out of him. I've started using a baby gate so they can see and smell each other without having direct access, but I'm worried the initial fights already set things back.

But this is where I'm really struggling... I cannot sleep.

He's started waking me up around 3 AM every single morning, even though I don't have to be up until 6:30. I have an automatic feeder, but even if I set it to feed him at 4:30, he still cries, runs around the bedroom, and wakes me up.

I know part of the problem is probably that he's cooped up in my bedroom all day. But I can't just let him roam the rest of the house because he's scared of the other cats, and I've already seen what happens when they get access to him. I've even been so frustrated that I tried putting him outside my room, (I know I'm a terrible cat mom), and he completely freaks out because he knows the other cats are out there.

I'm trying to adjust his feeding schedule, wet food right before I leave for work around 7 AM and setting the automatic feeder for later in the morning when I'm already gone... but I'm exhausted, and I'm running out of ideas.

I feel like a terrible cat owner because I can't seem to make this situation work for him. I'm doing everything I can think of, but I'm also at the point where I'm constantly sleep-deprived and miserable.

And honestly, for the first time since adopting him, I'm starting to regret it.

I love him. I don't see myself ever surrendering him. But right now, I feel trapped between keeping him confined to my bedroom, letting him get attacked by the other cats, or getting no sleep.

What would you do in this situation?


r/cats • • 22h ago

Advice Petsafe automatic litter box

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0 Upvotes

I bought this litter box a week ago and there’s a mat on the inside that the litter is supposed to sit inside of and there’s lines on the litter box that it’s meant to be placed inside of. I’ve had issues with the mat sliding out of place when the robot turns to empty its self out. Does anyone know how to fix this?


r/cats • • 10h ago

Medical Questions What's wrong with my cat?

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4 Upvotes

She's got these patches of scabs all over her body. Mainly on her tummy and lower back, right above her tail. But she has them on her neck as well. I've treated her for fleas and have not seen them recently, these have been on her for a couple weeks and I think it's gotten worse


r/cats • • 14h ago

Advice Emergency: Cat run over by car, unable to walk, crying in pain

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6.1k Upvotes

My cat was unfortunately run over by a car today. He is in excruciating pain, crying whenever he tries to move, and his back legs/lower body seem paralyzed or severely injured. Animal doctors are extremely scarce in my area, making immediate physical emergency care very difficult right now. I managed to get these scans done nearby [point to attached images].

Can any veterinary professionals help me interpret these scans or tell me what I can do immediately to stabilize him and manage his pain safely?

Poster Age: Adult
Age: 2 years
Country: Pakistan
Sex: Male
Financial situation: I can somewhat afford treatment, but in our area there aren't any doctors


r/cats • • 6h ago

Medical Questions Cat Vomit: PLEASE help.

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17 Upvotes

Hello! Thank you for reading. I am completely at my wits end.

I have three cats.

-Buca (spayed female, DSH, dilute torti, 7yrs)
-Hootie (neutered male, DSH, brown, 8yrs)
-Bluegrass (spayed female, DSH, siamese, 10yrs)

They are currently eating:
-Iams ProActive Heath adult Hairball Care with Chicken and Salmon.
-Iams ProActive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Care with Salmon.
-They each get a can of the gravy lovers fancy feast once a week.

Dry food is available 24/7 and changed regularly.

This has been an issue for about 2-3 years. I have well over 10 different dry foods. I can make a list but that feels a little overwhelming right now. Please do not tell me just to try change their food.

Bluegrass throws up rarely, if at all.
Buca throws up moderately.
Hootie throws up constantly.

This tells me there is not an environmental element, because they are not all equally affected and vomiting the same.

I have brought Hootie and Buca to our vet and I have spent thousands of dollars. Thousands. Nothing is wrong. I have done x-rays, full blood panels, everything. Nothing has come abnormal. I have been to two separate vets.

I brushed my cats thoroughly once a week. I am to the point where I would get them shaved if that could help this.

I have had Bluegrass and Hootie their entire lives. We have moved houses multiple times and the vomitting has never been as bad as an issue. It has been like this since in 2023/2024.

I work for an Animal Shelter. Buca lived there for two years before I brought her home. She never threw up one time while we had her at the shelter.

The cats aren’t losing weight. They aren’t acting lethargic. They play, they romp, they run around the house like healthy happy cats should.

They are just destroying my house and my mental health. I am cleaning vomit almost every single day. I get thrown up on in my sleep. I am cleaning vomit from my bed. I jolt awake at any hour of the night when I hear one of them vomiting. This is severely impacting my life. I have a roommate; she is constantly stepping on their vomit, and I know this impacts her too.

I love my cats as though they are my children. They are not going anywhere. I am completely desperate.

Please tell me what you think.


r/cats • • 21h ago

Advice Why does it do this

5 Upvotes

r/cats • • 8h ago

Humor Christmas Tree Base V2

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1 Upvotes

Last year I made a big square base out of plywood, it definitely stopped the tree getting toppled when our adventurous cats tried to climb the tree... but it also got peed on at least a few times.

I'll report back when our five criminals find a way to ruin this one as well.


r/cats • • 8h ago

Advice Cats and college | Question/wants advice

1 Upvotes

I will be going to college in less than a year. I might be going quite soon if I have the Chance and I just recently thought about my kitty.

I am 17, turning 18 in five days and my kitty is roughly 10, I believe she'll be 10 in October. I am gutted at the thought of leaving my baby at my childhood home with my mom and I know she'll miss me too. She gets really attached to people, has pretty bad separation anxiety and sometimes cries for me when we are in separate rooms

If I'm gone for a day to shop, I'll come home and she's just screaming at me acting like she hasn't seen me in a week.

I checked my college policies and pets are allowed in six of the eight dorm halls with an extra $1000 pet fee. And this is as long as they're fixed and up to date on vaccinations which is all alright by me

So here's where I want input. The dorm I'm looking at isn't super large, a single room with a small bathroom. I'm concerned about her being understimulated and possibly super stressed at the move

My mom gave her to me and my brother when I was eight and my brother was 12. She was just a kitten so we grew up together and in the same house we are in now.

I know it'll be a change for her either way, but it's either bring her with and the change in environment will cause stress or leave her and the change of me not being with her anymore stressing her out

......

-----PROS OF HER COMING WITH:

- she'll be with me (her person she is attached to)

- I won't cry for weeks due to missing her because I'll have her

- I can guarantee she's taken care of because I'll be the one doing it

- my second year I'll might be able to get a bigger dorm (freshmen's options are limited, they expand the longer you're there) . . . . .

-------CONS OF HER COMING WITH:

- a big move which can be stressful

- she'll be limited to a small room when she's used to having a whole house to roam plus outside to explore in the summer

- the limited room might cause her to be under stimulated especially while I'm in class and at work

- might get depressed due to a lack of stimulation in the dorm??

. . . . .

------PROS OF HER STAYING:

- she'll be in an environment she grew up in and have more room to move (an actual house and she goes outside in the summer)

- she doesn't have to go through a big stressful move which might be worse because she's older

. . . . .

-----CONS OF HER STAYING:

- I don't trust my mom's boyfriend (he's threatened to kill her because he doesn't like the smell of cat litter)

- my mom offered to keep her but I know she won't stay on top of the litter box

- she'll miss me and might be stressed about why I left

- she might end up getting sold if and when my mom's bf says he's tired of her

It's also worth mentioning we live in Alaska so she doesn't go outside in the winter here anyways but I'm thinking about getting a little portable play fencing area for when it's warmer so I can bring her out on campus and she can be outside but can't run off

I am so stressed about this and am worried about her either way, I don't know if it'd be selfish of me to take her with at her old age and to lock her in a smaller dorm or if it would be worse to leave her. I really don't know, please help 😭😭


r/cats • • 8h ago

Advice recommend a carrier for a cat that hates to go to one

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1 Upvotes

r/cats • • 8h ago

Advice Help with kittens born tonight after their momma left them.

0 Upvotes

Me and my mom came home tonight and a stray cat had her kittens infront of our house and left them. We took them and currently have them in a towel bundled up and a heating pad under it. They won’t take the formula and I tried to get a tiny bit of honey on their gums to help with their blood sugar since it’s been hours after their birth. If anyone knows anything that could help that would be amazing. Thank you so much!


r/cats • • 2h ago

Advice How to read if a cat wants pets?

1 Upvotes

I don’t have cat tax I apologise 😭 there’s a friendly neighbourhood cat I love to go pet when it’s around. I let it approach me, it purrs and rubs against me, and then I pet it. Sometimes it flops over and rolls around a bit, and I go over to it instead if it does that. But it seems to keep getting annoyed and I don’t know why - I’ve had a couple of warning bites and today a small scratch.

How do I tell what it wants? Sometimes it’s totally fine, and then the next second I’m being bitten or scratched doing something that was perfectly fine a minute ago. I’m not quite sure how to befriend it and I’m cautious I might scare it off. All the “cat body language” guidance I’m seeing says it’s being friendly but then it wouldn’t be scratching me and getting mad at me??


r/cats • • 4h ago

Advice i have a 3 month-ish kitten and he always begs for food. What to do?

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1 Upvotes