Advice on my cat?

Question

I have recently adopted my kitten called Mog. She's approx. 5 months old and has settled really well into my home but I have a couple of issues. The first is that she has really bad wind, and believe me it stinks! My vet and i thought we had cracked the problem by giving her a mixture of wet kitten food and dry complete food, but she still stinks!! I've tried dry food alone, and wet food alone, but to no effect. Any ideas on how to stop her farting?!! The other issue I'm concerned about is that she was found as a stray living outdoors, but the vet told me to keep her in for at least 4 weeks. She seems to be ok with this, but loves to sit at the window when it's ajar, and has occasionaly sat at the front door when it's open. Is it really ok to keep a cat as a house cat, and what should I expect when she's on heat? She hasn't been "done" yet and the vet won't advise it for a further year because of the treatment she's receiving for skin problems. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Issue #1 - Kitty gas. They can smell amazingly bad and seem utterly oblivious to it all, can't they?! Gas is usually associated with digestive problems of some sort. Since she's a kitten, she needs a very high protein diet. There are some high quality dry kitten kibble's available, pricey yes but she won't need to eat as much (saving you money) and she'll feel a lot better. Some cats are sensitive to dairy. If you've been giving her milk or other dairy products, cut back on those first and see if that helps. If not, a alternative to kibble is a raw diet. This is controversial in some quarters but I know people who've had gassy cats who improved dramatically when they were getting basically an all protein diet (which is how a cat's digestive system is set up anyway). I steer away from canned food in general because it's up to 70% water and a kitten really shouldn't be eating the stuff anyway.

Issue #2 - Converting a stray to indoor living. Cats do much better living indoors! Really, they do. Outside, they get into fights, meet hostile dogs, and get squashed by cars. In addition, they get exposed to a lot of really nasty bugs. There's a bug that works very similar to AIDS, feline lukemia, a bunch of truly nasty respiratory infections, dystemper, and of course rabies.
Most cats, whether they've lived outdoors or not, love to sit in windows. Cats get a huge kick out of watching anything that moves outside a window or door. Sometimes they get defensive too, like if an outdoor male comes into your yard and riles up an indoor male. Most cats are smart enough to realize that inside they've got easy access to food, water, attention, and a warm bed and would rather stay close to all those good things. If your kitten becomes an escape artist, you may find yourself doing some fancy footwork at the door or needing to confine her to a room or large kennel at times.

Issue #3 - Getting kitten spayed. There are two reasons I could see for a vet telling you to put of a spay. The first would be a vet with a holistic approach who wants your kitten in tip top shape before traumatizing her immune system with surgery. Kudos to your vet if this is the approach s/he is taking! The second would be if her skin condition is part of a more generalized infection that could compromise her ability to recover from surgery. If neither of these applies, you need a second opinion on getting her spayed! If you haven't asked why, you certainly should.
As for how her heat is going to go, it's gonna be bad. She will act like she should be standing on a streat corner in a mini skirt and fishnets. She'll stick her butt in the air and wiggle if you run your hand down her back. She'll pull herself across the floor and croon at you. She'll spread her legs wide and act like you're an idiot for not understanding what she needs. Female cats in heat are simultaneously the most entertaining and most embarressing animals you will ever own.

Answer 2

If you get a cat that is a bit under a year old, they likely will be either spayed or neutered, and some shelters will include that with the adoption fee for younger cats. A cat alone, with a window to look out, can do very well in an apartment. A cat tree is useful for exercise and entertainment, and most toys you would get are really inexpensive. Most use clumping cat litter, and odor problems really are rarely an issue. If you are concerned, then you could consider an automatic litter box which sweeps the clumps into an enclosure after use. Obviously, long haired cats shed the most, but you can get shedding from short haired cats also. Regular brushing and combing will reduce that to a low level. As far as scratching, most cats take right away to cardboard scratchers. And cats can be trained not to scratch on sofas, etc. And there are soft paws that you can cover your cats claws with that will work for several weeks before they have to be replaced. If you are extremely concerned about scratching, most shelters will have cats that have already been declawed. Please do not get a cat and then decide to declaw it. Realize that the younger the cat, the more turbocharged it will be. So make sure your apartment is child proofed, as your cat will want to get onto and into everything. Typically, your vet expenses will run about $100/year (vaccinations and check ups), and food and litter possibly under $25/month. So your main initial outlays will be adoption costs, and getting litter boxes, food dishes, perhaps a cat tree, and some inexpensive toys like furry mice. If the cat has not been fixed, spaying is more expensive than neutering, and costs range from $100-200, with males less than that.

Answer 3

I wish I knew what foods you have tried or are using. Gas is associated with undigested food so if you are using grocery store brands which are 60% corn it's no wonder she has gas. All cats are designed to eat meat protein and it should be high quality. Corn is a frequent allergen for cats and dogs and that would not be helping her skin problems either. You DO NOT want the kitten on steroids continually as they only mask problems, relieving symptoms and doing nothing to get her WELL. Continual use of steroids will also compromise her overall health.

Natural Balance has good canned and dry food - no corn in the dry and no fillers in the canned. I suggest you move her gradually to that brand of food. There are other good foods too and I have found the NB in the local pet discount store and seen it at PetCo.

If she is not spayed she must stay inside until that is done. If she gets out to mate she can be exposed to FIV and feline leukemia from male cats mating with her.

I hope a change to a wholesome diet will help resolve the skin problems, eliminate any further steroid use and get her ready for the spay operation. It won't be any fun when she goes into heat for sure!

Answer 4

Definitely keep the cat indoors until you are able to have her spayed!!! Kittens as young as 5 months old can get pregnant!

Indoor cats live much longer than cats who go outside. There are many diseases that outdoor cats are susceptible to that indoor cats are sheltered from. (Kitty AIDS and leukemia, for example.) There is also less risk of accidental death for an indoor cat. (She's much less likely to be hit by a car in your living room!) Most cats are happy to be indoors as long as they are provided with a comfortable spot at the window where they can lay in the sunshine and watch the birds and squirrels.

As far as her gas issues go, try avoiding fish. Give her chicken or turkey-based foods (both wet and dry). This should help. Also avoid giving her any dairy products.

She should have canned/pouched food until she is about a year old, so please don't avoid giving it to her in addition to the dry food. Try a variety of brands - perhaps the gas is coming from brand-specific additives. The gas issue seems to be more common in the lower-end products. Try giving her a better quality cat food.

Also, avoid giving her human food. It's not meant for cats, and can cause awful gas! (I know it's hard...especially when they look so cute begging for that piece of spaghetti!)

When she's in heat, you can expect her to rub up on all sorts of objects. She may seem as though she's in love with the couch...then the garbage can...then the dining room table leg. She will yowl and moan and groan. She'll walk around with her rump in the air. Being in heat makes a cat uncomfortable, and she will be trying to make herself more comfortable by doing the things listed above. She may become more lovey-dovey with you...or she may ignore you completely.

Good luck with your little sweetheart!

Answer 5

As for her gas, it may be that she was a stray and her stomach is still adjusting to proper meals. As for being a house-cat - it's much safer than an outdoor cat. She will try to break out when she's in heat though - so keep the screen fastened shut. Once she gets out - it's a matter of minutes before she'll be knocked up. All of the neighbourhood Toms will be waiting on your front porch!!!!

Answer 6

My advice would be to get a different vet. The one you have sounds clueless. I can't imagine why dealing with a skin issue would prevent her from being spayed; unless he/she has given you a good reason, find somebody else and get a second opinion on the spaying as well as the gas.

Answer 7

Whenever my cat gets into dairy (we don't feed him milk, but he'll steal some sips from our cereal bowls when we aren't looking) he gets gas. If you are giving your kitty milk, you should stop. Most cats are lactose intolerant and cannot digest cow's milk. Pet stores such as Petco and Petsmart sell a lactose free milk treat for cats if you want to feed your kitty milk.

I also suggest finding another vet who will spay your cat. Once she goes into heat, she will want to go outside and wander. Not only is that dangerous for your cat (predators, cars, etc could do damage to her) but it's also irresponsible.