Caregiver's cats behaving badly.

At my house we call it "the cone of death". LOL. Spike really hates it and looks at you like he is dying. Such a sad puppy face.😩

Oh my gosh, those cones. My cat had to wear one of those cones, that lasted only one day. The poor boy, our wild child, just couldn't adjust, you could hear him bumping into furniture and scrapping the cone along the wall.... we couldn't stop giggling hearing that noise.

Yeah I'm with you on that. Poor boy runs into things all the time. His biggest issue is he can't put his paw on his bullybone to hold it while trying to chew it. LOL.

So I gave spike a haircut last week. He's a maltipoo, with poodle hair. So it's football season and I give him a small Mohawk. Yep I love it. Dh takes him over to his mom Queen B**ch over the weekend. Now she loves MY dog. Not me anymore, (thank you very much). Queenie throws a fit! Can't believe I could do this to her precious little guy. Wants to know if I'm trying to make him look tough or what?! ( ha she should see him in the sand pit. We call him Cujo.LOL) Sorry to say that Spike wasn't in a happy jumpy mood. So of course that would be my fault. Poor dh. Had to listen to her b**th about MY dog. He just told her "he is my wife's dog not yours". Didn't go over well as you can imagine. Dh talked to her Monday on the phone, of course b**ching again. Got to love this. Dh told her "fine I just won't bring him over anymore." Ha ha! Dh talked to queenie yesterday and guess what? Only praise and love for Spike. So I guess she got over it. LOL. Huummm, guess it wasn't Spike behaving badly. It was me!

"Lovee'" is SO sad in her collar and I want to take it off her and be a bad caregiver,but I am worried that the staples will become undone and she already has a little infection there too,so she is laying here beside me on the couch on a heating pad.She did that by herself.She's so smart.The heat must feel good to her.The other animals know she isn't well and they are being so kind .My little dog that normally chases and teases her is just laying quietly beside her and her MaMa and the other 2 kittens come over and lick her head.It's something else.Theyr'e all so sweet and I feel so blessed to have them....but I still want to take off that awful cone.

How is Lovee healing? Better I hope.

Buster is quiet the energetic puppy. He is so cute but boy is he a lot a work. He won't go near the cat anymore but he will bark at Tiger. Tiger just gives him an indignant look and walks away.

Thanks for asking about Lovee SharynMMarie. Tonight makes Night#8 in that awful cone.She's been so good about it and she's so smart.I just have to watch her close because she still wants to fly through the air.I want that cone thing off,so I'm taking her in Monday to get the staples out,2 days early.
Buster sounds like a handful and I know he brings a lot of work.I bet you have to really stay on the potty training,huh?~

Oh yes Luckylu. Not an easy or quick task like training cats. Just lots of praise when he goes and a treat. He is a joy, always happy to see you, runs to me and oh boy in the morning, he runs all through the house, slides on the floor, lol!! We get him outside and he runs circles in the backyard.

I glad lovee gets the staples out soon. Then she can fly through the air gliding to her destination.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have some of that energy they have...we are so lucky to have these babies~

Yes it would Luckylu. You should have seen Buster this morning, oh my word, he ran and ran then slid across the floor on his back lol!!

I'm really surprised that my dH has rolled so well with the kittens,but he was also so sad when we lost our 3 babies last summer.I'm also surprised he isn't griping about all the cat toys and boxes and scratchy scratches everywhere,but he did say that they better not put any toys down the shower drain.The babies bring us joy and I'll always believe that my Mother in Heaven had something to do with me getting an all black kitten,just like the one I loved so much and lost.Lovee is a doll~

Any at home nature flea recommendations? Last year we didn't have one flea, the year before a few here and there.... this year it is the "Year of the Flea". Good grief, they are everywhere!! The flea Gods are angry about something.

The Vet said the hot humid weather has made it a battle field for fleas. I use to hate to use meds on the cats [both 17] as the side effects weren't worth it. This season tried Revolution on both of them and knock on wood, no side effects :)

Daily we vacuum, and of course the sound is like an air raid drill with the cats, they go into hiding. And I wear white socks to see where are places that need the most tending. If some fleas hop on my white socks I transport them via the socks to the toilet as they can't swim... flip them off into the water, hopefully not losing my balance and getting one foot in toilet :P

I went on-line to see what natural products might work. PetMd suggested putting salt and baking soda on the rugs? Hmmm, cats wash their feet so that salt may be an over load. I know cedar chips help but those would get vacuumed up.

Anywho, lesson learned, combing DOESN'T WORK all of the time. I thought I could control it with the Shark and the comb... NOT. And next week it is going back up into the 90's, this isn't our usual autumn weather !!!

FF, back when my oldest nephew was a baby - the stage where he could crawl but not yet walk - my sister's home was infested by fleas, brought in by their dog. Not. Good. BIL was in total denial, then had us trying every cockamamie home remedy you can imagine (this was before the internet, so I'm sure there are one or two we didn't try). Poor baby had so may bites sister thought it was a rash, the doctor laid down the law and Sis and BIL finally had to have the house exterminated.
So how bad is your problem?

I might add, for every flea you pluck off your socks and drown there are dozens you don't see, not to mention the eggs just waiting to hatch.

For some practical, non toxic solutions that may work, I have great faith in diatomaceous earth (Food grade if you can find it). Dust the rugs and upholstered areas liberally at night, vacuum daily, and follow up with a good steam cleaning. Prepare to deal with a new batch in 4 weeks.

cwillie...We did try the Diatomaceous Earth(food grade) and I put it all over the carpet and cat's bedding,but sadly it didn't work for us and the fleas were just awful.The vet had us put all 6 babies on Revolution and now everyone is better but I know fleas lay eggs and they hatch,so I don't know how long they will be ok but I am applying the Revolution every month on time.One of my cat's ,Old Odom, has a flea allergy and he gets both a shot and the Revolution and he still itches like crazy. I'd appreciate any tips on this also.

Well this has been interesting... my male Black Bombay in the past could care less about anyone or anything, he marched to his own drummer no matter how crazy it was. If you were sick, he would still ask where is dinner or step over you if you were laying down.

The past few weeks we have been dealing with his sister [litter-mate], 17 years old, who has been losing weight, turned out to be thyroid which we need to now control. And now that Bombay has become a "caregiver" to his sister. Now he never lets her out of his sight. Even on these cooler mornings he will follow her outside and lay on the mat cushions that she likes to sleep on. You can tell he is cold, but he wasn't leaving her side.

I do notice at night "Charlie" is very tired, no different than human caregivers watching over someone. It's like his 12-hour shift is over, now it is our turn.

Fleas
Use every means possible, it is not a one time thing.
Place a piece of a fleas collar inside the vacumn cleaner bag.
Spray an online product called "Cedarcide" on bedding, carpet, on your shoes, socks, even lightly on your skin.
Using an essential oil mixture:
In a spray bottle (2 ounce), blend the following essential oils:
8 drops Cedarwood or Sandalwood.
10 drops Basil.
10 drops Frankincense.
8 drops Geranium.
12 drops Lavender.

One will have to see if this actually kills fleas, prevents their eggs from hatching, or just prevents fleas from jumping on a person and biting. But it is natural, except for the flea collar.
Vacumn every day.
Brush the dog before allowing it indoors.

FF,
Yes, that is interesting, and so sweet.
Have you had the male checked for health and thyroid too?

We could all use a dog as our caregiving companion early on, imo.

Freqflyer...That is beautiful and that is True Love.That's something else.17 years is a long time to have 2 littermates.
Charlie is a wonderful brother~

Sorry FF.
A black Bombay is a cat, not a dog? Ok!
Saw a picture online, a beautiful cat!

One of my kitten's "Toots" is a thief.First,I found a roll of toilet paper in her little house,then I had a mushroom in a produce bag I was going to cook and she'd taken it and put it in her house and now,today,she has stolen the sponges by the kitchen sink.She's a little monster,but I sure do Love her.

Luckylu, that is so cute! My dog is a thief too. She steals socks, baseball caps, hair brushes, and once I left my purse on the floor, she took the check out of the outside pocket. Everything is hidden in her kennel under her blanket.

Lucky, be careful. I think I read somewhere that certain mushrooms are toxic to cats.

luckylu, that is so funny.

One time my sig other couldn't find his eyeglasses. Searched house high and lo. While scooping out the litter box, guess what I found? :P

SharynMMarie...Your dog is a thief just like Toots.I never knew they hid things.I think they sit and think of what trouble they can cause next.The other day when I returned from the grocery store,they had scattered all the outside greenery Iv'e brought inside Everywhere.They were just waiting for me to leave I think.
And Freqflyer,that is just gross where you finally found your glasses.I sure hope these 3 don't pull that one!
And Gershun...THANK YOU for telling me about the mushroom.That didn't even cross my mind.It was a big white one,just one that I picked up in the produce department to put in an omelet.I have a book on what to do for cat accidents and injuries I was hoping I wouldn't ever need but I think I better keep it close by.You never know about these little monsters.

Luckylu, I've never had a cat that stole personal belongings, I did have a Siamese cat when I was a teen that would take a whole chicken off the kitchen counter (mom put it out to thaw), the cat would hide it behind the couch. The frozen chicken probably weighed more than the cat!! She was the only cat that has done such a thing.

Midget the poodle is quite a character when it comes to stealing. When we first placed our mom in care, she was allowed to have her little Midget with her. I went over one day to assist my mom with getting a shower. I took fresh clean clothes out of my moms dresser laying all items on the bed. I turned on the shower to warm it up, when I returned, my mom had put away the clean clothes and Midget had taken the clean socks. I went after Midget to get the socks away from her (she was stuffing the socks in between the couch cushions. I get the socks, walk back into the bedroom and remove the clean clothes again. everything laid out on the bed. I start helping my mom undress for the shower, Midget comes in the bedroom and takes the socks again. I chase Midget down, get the socks from her. In mom's bedroom, mom is putting her clean clothes away Again. It was like watching an old B&W comedy sketch on TV. I finally shut the bedroom door to keep Midget out and the shower was done. Phew, it was funny but also exhausting.

Wow Sharyn,The whole chicken!That would've been a sight to see!
One day I had laid out some hamburger to thaw and when I came home from the store,the hamburger was on the kitchen floor with tiny bites taken out of it,but they never hid it,thankfully.And I bet you were exhausted that night trying to get your Mother bathed and Midget pulling his stunts too,but it is funny.....now,right?

Yes, I felt like I was performing in an old Laurel and Hardy movie lol!!

Luckylu,
Have you taken the kittens out for recess since they have been spayed?

Maybe they are trying to tell you something, and they don't know you cannot go out in the rain. Can you explain it to them so they will behave?

So cute!

And Sharyn, So cute too!

No Send...The kittens haven't been outside since they were spayed,but they really Love every single leaf,etc.I bring in and they lay on top of it and chew on it in the mornings. I was trying to explain why they couldn't go out because of the rain today and all 4 were looking out the back door,when a dog that lives down the street came in our garage and wiped out the paper plate full of food for the stray cat(their Father) and they were so shocked to see their first dog other than their dog sister,Precious.Lovee went and hid.