Posted on 01/09/2012 2:18:12 PM PST by aldabra
You'll need to be careful when playing with these black and white kittens - because they have an extra 18 toes (and claws) between them.
Fred and Ned are known as polydactyl cats. While most felines have 18 toes, Fred has an extra 10 digits and Ned has eight.
The four-month-old pair are currently being looked after by Cats Protection in Gosport, Hampshire.
Branch volunteer Kate Stapleford said: 'These two kittens were in poor condition when they arrived but with veterinary attention and a lot of TLC from their fosterer, Fred and Ned are now thriving. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
That’s an extremely tough one, losing them one after the other like that. You’re in my prayers.
I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your kitteh(s). I’m glad to hear you were there for the little guy. I miss all our animals that have been in my and my wife’s life, they add something that is missed terribly when they’re gone.
Are you considering getting another one or two? I know it hasn’t been a long time but in my experience, for some reason, another one comes into our life, it’s really cool how it happens and it’s happened at least four times, three kittehs and one dog.
I had a Persian forever, fourteen years, and I still miss her and she’s been gone for a long time. We got her a companion Persian from Persian cat rescue and she’s gone as well.
Seems like yesterday I was in high school and now I’m almost past middle age. I look at my Tabby that I got after he was abandoned on practically my front porch right after his eyes had opened. It was right before 9/11. I look at him and it’s hard to believe he’s ten. We’re all getting older and time seems to speed up the older we are!
Funny. I think that when they're licking us they're either tasting or tenderizing us...
That’s a great story. You can tell a good person by the way they treat animals.
HA! Yup. Stuffy looks at us sometimes like she’s thinking, “Ooooh! If I were only 10 times larger than I am (130 lbs.) you’d be history!”
Such gratitude!
Old Goosecat had lots of allergies. He was sixteen, almost seventeen. Crookedtail was nineteen when he died last Thanksgiving. Crook, he died of kidney failure, unknown reasons. But Goosecat was doing okay until I changed the cat litter to a multi-cat brand that clumped, but made lots of dust. I have had the cat box in a plastic storage bin for a few years, with a lid ... big forty gallon job, becuse both cats were big guys. I cut a hole in one end which they used as the netrance/exit. Goose started caughing and throwing up not long after I changed to the new multi-cat litter. I didn't make the connection until a couple of weeks had passed. I removed the lid so the box was open from the top, but Goosecat still threw up and gaged shortly after using the box. I finally made the connection and changed to the low dust and added baking soda, but it was too late, Goosecat had burned his little throat from gaging so much. He wasn't throwing up hairballs, just gagging everytime he used the litterbox. The last four weeks he stopped throwing up, but he slowly stopped eating the dry food, then the canned wet food, then stopped drinking regularly. I suspect his throat just was too sore to swallow. The heart attack was likely due to electrolytes being all screwed up from lack of fluids. I gave him fluid food and water via an eyedroppere for a few days, but Saturday the insult was too much for him.
The warning is to never have a lid on the catbox and don't use litter that makes dust, especially the clumping kind because it turns to a semi-solid concrete in the kitty's airways. Sorry to be so windy, going on so, but it was my faulkt Goosecat went downhill and I want to caution others with furry friends to be careful, they are more fragile than we want to believe when they live the indoor life.
Sorry for all the typos ... it’s hard to type when your eyes are so wet.
For quite a few years now I have had the so called “Hemingway” cats in our household, due to inbreeding with no nearby cats around I have had a few interesting poly cats, right at this very moment I have a Norwegian Forest cat with his opposable thumbs and his rear feet are best described as...well “wide” like clawed snowshoes.
And yes these cats do learn to use the extra digits up front like thumbs. And talk about climbing!
Occasionally I have one that I have to periodically cut ingrown curved claws that will curl back in.
There is no possible way that it is your fault. We expect that what we buy for ourselves and our pets to be safe. The Chinese food contamination is one example that no one (except for the food company) had any warning of. The moral is to stop kicking yourself, it sounds like you did everything right down to hydrating the little guy with an eyedropper.
The bottom line is that kittehs are like a Ferrari engine, one fouled plug and it runs like hell while a Chevy V8 could have a flat cam and you wouldn't notice. I think it's God's way of ensuring that they don't suffer. When they get sick, they often hide it and despite what people think, injured and sick kittehs purr like healthy cats for some reason. So once you notice a problem, it's possibly already too late. I think of a dog we had the same problem with and dogs are much heartier. I still kick myself over him although intellectually, I know it wasn't my fault.
I had a Maine Coon that started losing fur along his back. We took him to the vet and he was the one that asked if anything had changed and we had just changed the dry food. Turns out he was allergic to it. Luckily we didn't have to buy something like Science Diet which is incredibly expensive.
We had the multi cat litter that clumped as well and it was nasty. When you poured it out of the new bag the dust wafted up and almost choked you. It worked well once it was in use but we ended up experimenting and then finalized on The World's Best Cat Litter made from corn:
It really works well, no dust, it clumps and it's reasonably priced.
I feel for your loss and understand that you feel responsible but don't. I've been through it many times and it doesn't get easier and I always blame myself as well. You start thinking, if only... But, the bottom line is you gave them a nice home and took care of them through their lives; that's the best anyone can do.
Hmmmm, I think it was quite possible that Goosecat could have had some sort of allergy to the new litter you changed to as well causing the reaction he had. Cats have allergies as well, I know Pansy had allergies too where we had to take her to the vet every so often, after a steroid shot and anti-biotics, she was fine for several months and then when it came back, we had to do it again, rinse, repeat.
There are so many ways for our beloved cats to die, all of them horrible. You were fortunate to spend Goosecat’s last days with him. That is the one comfort we have; that they knew we cared. I have to believe that when they died, even if we were not with them, they knew we cared.
Those who love cats are blessed by God and cats both.
I’m sorry for your loss, I know how it feels. My Tux, Buddy has diabetes and needs insulin twice a day. The whole family loves him and he loves us very much. He’s a real class act clown also.
Our 20 year old Maine Coon Boris is very frail. He still is king of the house however and just by looking at him, drove my weiner dog off the sofa. Boris probably only weighs 8 pounds now and is chronically constipated. I’m surprised every morning that he’s still alive. He has seen our son through 15 years of terrible illness and I’ll be sad when he’s gone.
Our 20 year old Maine Coon Boris is very frail. He still is king of the house however and just by looking at him, drove my weiner dog off the sofa. Boris probably only weighs 8 pounds now and is chronically constipated. I’m surprised every morning that he’s still alive. He has seen our son through 15 years of terrible illness and I’ll be sad when he’s gone.
They do. Now what’s even odder to watch, is a normal-pawed cat trying oh-SO-hard to curve his paw to mimic a human hand. Scary thing is...he frequently can manage to manipulate objects that way in a humanlike manner. Not as strong of a grip, of course...
I doubt it but I would make sure there is lots of catfood available to it just in case you should die in your sleep.
My condolences. I’m certain Goosecat loved you and knew you loved him. Cats are very good at hiding it when they are ill. So good that often when their person notices, they are very very ill.
So sorry for your loss. I know what you’re going through..... I lost two of my 14yr old best friends last year too....I miss them so much. They take a big chunk of your heart with them.....
Can the vet help him?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.