Grandcat having extended 'sleepover'!

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Tell me if I'm overthinking this BUT.......


dad does his OCD cleaning, barney tends to relapse with skin issues.


If barnes has contact dermatitis solvents and chemicals inc cleaning products could be a trigger a reaction, flea allergy barnes will take 3-4 weeks to stop itching after flea treatment, but if he has contact dermatitis the chemical may cause a flare up also. he also has food allergies which in itself comes with a side affect of skin irritation red sores pimple like blisters and skin thickening and swelling.

meritaten

ummm - I hadn't thought of that Atrix. you know me, I don't like chemicals for cleaning, but Dad did recently buy some leather cleaning wipes (cost a ruddy fortune and I usually do the leather sofas with cheap face moisturiser, not good enough for dad!).
yeah - its about 2 weeks since I found a flea on him. and exterminated it with a flea tablet. he IS healing, but experience tells me that 'where theres fleas theres worms'! he had Drontal on 28th Feb. I intend getting him more tomorrow as I don't think you can give two doses too close together.
his appetite is improving and his skin is healing and his fur starting to grow back. every time I get him back to full health and looking good he gets fleas and its back to square one - the poor sod is SO allergic to them.

meritaten

made it to PAH this morning! got his worming tabs and he has had two. But I have been so busy today I had to get GD1 to give him his groom and treats - then I had to go out. He seems ok though - ate most of todays ration of 'dry' and a fair amount of his Sheba tray meal. his skin is almost healed and I can see the fur starting to grow back. now I just have to be vigilant for fleas and give him a tab at any sign of dirt, or fleas or in Barnes case when he starts scratching! because that's what I notice first - him frantically scratching his neck! he had a quick rub down with the catnip this morning and I will do him again before bedtime.

meritaten

arrrgggghhh - I found more flea bites! flea tab given and a catnip wipe down (more of a drench really). the warm weather yesterday and today must be bringing them out. I am seriously wondering if they are making their homes in the gravel outside. I don't have lawn - the gardens are too small so I have a decking area then a small gravel area and then flower and shrub borders in the back - and yes Barnes came out with me to enjoy the sunshine on sunday. he doesn't go out the front, but that's mostly gravel on the flat bit then raised terraces for shrubs.
its driving me nuts! I need to do some research, but either there is an area in the house they are hatching from, or he is picking them up from the gravel/decking!
in a way its funny how he picks his way over the gravel - he obviously doesn't like the feel of it under his paws, but that doesn't stop him settling down on it for a nap or just for a 'lie down'!
a bee flew in today - jeez, he was in full hunter mode and on his first leap he caught it! luckily when he let it go it was unharmed so I was able to scoop it onto my book and let it go outside.....much to Barnes disgust! I got the glare and he stalked off and I didn't see him til suppertime!

meritaten

Barnes seems much better today. normally he eats dry food all day then has his wet food supper at about 6.15. at 11.30 today he was sat at his feeding station yowling loudly. loudly enough to bring me at a run! he saw me, stood up and stalked over to his food cupboard and yowled even louder! OK, I got the message. he wanted wet food (the dry food doesn't fit in cupboard so its down by the side of the freezer). I gave him a tray of sheba. he ate the lot! dry food goes back down and he did eat a good bit this afternoon. he got a pouch of Sheba Terrine for his supper and he had eaten nearly all of that. (but he does save a bit for 'ron'...............if it isn't eaten by the time I go to bed he isn't going to eat it so I bin it, and now he has eaten it all!).
I have carefully checked him over for fleas - I can see a couple of bites which seem to be healing, but otherwise cant see fleas and cant see fleadirt!
he is also much livelier - we have played a couple of times today. first with his new 'mouse' and then he got the PAH kicky thing out. we had fun batting that around before he 'killed' it! he also wanted to go 'outside'. I felt ever so mean refusing.........it was gorgeous out there today. but, I want to make sure the decking and gravel isn't harbouring fleas first. which means my neighbours are going to have a hell of a laff, cos I intend to use my very powerful steam machine! oh jeez - the mad cat lady is steaming the decking and gravel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nonnie44

Oh mrs you do make me laugh! I nearly wet myself a while back when you said that Barnes had 'nobbies' up his nose! That's definitely not a word I've ever heard up here in scotland and it's almost rude lol Poor Barnes is having a terrible time and if a steam cleaner works then it's certainly worth being a crazy cat lady!

Been really busy getting some rooms plastered and decorated recently and I'm sooo fed up with it but coming on here to read about Barnes antics makes me smile (apart from the fleas....I'm not sadistic!) so thank you for that

meritaten

GS day today but although I woke early (stupid me) Son was fetching him up at a more reasonable hour!
Barnes greeted both as usual and had his breakfast. GS decided to use computer for a while before getting ready for school. Paintbrushes are handy for biscuit crumbs in keyboard I find.
lol - Barnes was on kitchen windowsill as usual, 'pretending' he wasn't watching for me. but this time when I came in, he yowled outside his food cupboard.........at 9.25! oookkkkaaaay. hungry cats must be fed. tray of sheba and a contented cat went up for his nap!

didn't see him until about 12.00, then he decided he wanted to play, so we played with 'mousey'. then it was feeding time, and he was yowling outside food cupboard. pouch of PAH special stuff - oh yes that went down well! half hour later .............groom and treats. checked him carefully - I cant see any fleas or dirt but he is scratching, and grooming a bit much. drench him in catnip infusion!
I dunno - this afternoon he has spent alternately yowling at me and trying to massage me! then having 'mad' five minutes and running up and down stairs! He wants a 'cuddle' then leaps out of my arms and runs away. he has calmed down now and has had his supper 'Applaws chicken with cheese' which is a real favourite of his. and is curled up on a cushion (three cushions piled up actually) next to OH.
been quiet for at least half hour! shhhhhh!

nonnie - we call them 'nobbies' here in south wales valleys. you know the crusty bits up your nose. or bwgies. or boogys or bogeys!
got me thinking - what is the 'official' word for them? lol will research that when I have time!
I hate redecorating - I hate the mess and I am useless at painting or wallpapering etc! I have to leave that to OH. (and he isn't much better - he once hung feature wallpaper upside down). Still, it was different to everyone elses!
I hope you are pleased with your redecorated rooms!

his_missus

Meritaten, my mum had other ideas about dealing with stressed out Scrappy...and has taken Blackie for company for him (and her too, I think)! Blackie has been quite unsettled recently, lots of crying at night, "attacking" Tikka & Casper (not aggressively, more snappy to be honest) so maybe it's the best place for him to be. I think he's turning into a grumpy old man-cat.

meritaten

good grief his missus! your feline family is in turmoil! I hope Scrappy settles down with Blackie for company. and Blackie was just missing Scrappy!

Barnes seems to have got into a 'habit' of scratching. arrrrggghh. his skin is healing nicely - I got OH to inspect him for fleas and he couldn't find any signs of any. so Barnes scratching and 'licking' and 'nibbling', I think is a bit of a habit now. and the catnip must taste nice so I have stopped that now.
Had to go out this morning - OH had the day off and we had appointment with building society. Down in the 'city'. lol - that put OH in bad mood - he absolutely hates going down to Cardiff! luckily his favourite car park had space (if he had to find another one we might still be there - unless he can park there we get lost!). he was absolutely fuming that when we got back to car park and paid the machine short changed him by £2! I told him to use his card!
got home and Barnes wanted his lunch - he thinks he can have whatever he fancies from his food cupboard - and so he can! he ate all a pouch of Sheba terrine.
Barnes wasn't too pleased that during the afternoon when he fancied a snack of dry food, OH had pulled out the cooker and his feeding station was inaccessible for a couple of hours! I had very loud complaints about that! (OH was cleaning the kitchen).
I did try to distract him by playing with him (Barnes I mean, not OH). we had a lovely time. mouseyuppastairs, killing PAH mouse and good old pingponguppastairs! he got groom and treats twice today as I was desperate to keep Barnes occupied - he wanted his dry food. I think it was a matter of 'principle', as NO WAY could he have been hungry! I also got a good look at his fur - growing back nicely!

his_missus

Meritaten, it's quite heart breaking really. I've had Blackie the longest, 10 yrs I think. This time last year I had a relatively peaceful brood who lived together fairly harmoniously. Mum says Blackie is settling down at her house and crying less (I think old age is creeping in to be honest, do cats suffer from Altzeimers?) Scrappy's fur is beginning to grow back again and the 2 gingers left with me seem happy enough.

Glad Barnes' fur is growing back nicely