"Widowed" cat will not stop crying

Cassidy wasn't diagnosed with FIP until the day she was put to sleep, and I
had only adopted the two of them 2 weeks before when they were 5 months old.
They had been together from birth, so if he was going to get infected he
probably already was. At the time, the vet told me that the current
thinking was that cats had to have a genetic predisposition for FIP in order
to get it at all -- that was worrisome, since Sundance and Cassidy were
littermates and their genetics were certainly very similar.

And, yes, thanks, Sundance and Rebecca are cuties!

--
Do the math to email me directly.

"Mary" wrote in message
m...

"Sandy" wrote:


Because Cassidy had died of FIP, the vet said not to get a new cat
for 6
months.

Sandy, Sundance does not have FIP but they could live together?
I've never had a FIP cat, so I know nothing.

Sundance nearly drove me crazy during that time: he got into a lot
of mischief and became very aggressive toward me. Finally, the day
after
the 6 months was up, I went looking and found Rebecca. After she
arrived,
Sundance calmed down and became a nice little guy. Since the
beginning the
two of them have gotten along better than I could have hoped. To
see a
couple of examples of what I mean, go to

What cuties!!


(do the math) and look at
the
"cats" album.

--
Do the math to email me directly.

You have to do the math -- replace "2times3" with the number that equals and
try again!

--
Do the math to email me directly.
"Karen" wrote in message
...
Help. I cannot get to your album. I want to see kitties.

Karen

"Sandy" wrote in message
. com...
I did that when Sundance's sister Cassidy (a rare female orange tabby)
died.
I asked the vet if that would be appropriate and/or helpful to Sundance.
She said that he probably knew she was sick, but that it wouldn't hurt
and
might help. After Cassidy was put to sleep, I got Sundance out of his
carrier and put him on the table next to her. He investigated her body
for
a little while, and then he was ready to get back in the carrier.

Because Cassidy had died of FIP, the vet said not to get a new cat for 6
months. Sundance nearly drove me crazy during that time: he got into a
lot
of mischief and became very aggressive toward me. Finally, the day
after
the 6 months was up, I went looking and found Rebecca. After she
arrived,
Sundance calmed down and became a nice little guy. Since the beginning
the
two of them have gotten along better than I could have hoped. To see a
couple of examples of what I mean, go to
(do the math) and look at the
"cats" album.

--
Do the math to email me directly.
"dgk" wrote in message
...
On 31 Mar 2004 08:20:18 -0800, (Mimi) wrote:

Hi,

Until 2 months ago, I had 2 wonderful older cats. The 15 year old
male was finally put down when his cancer was too much for both of
us.
My 17 year old spayed female cat, who has been left behind, now howls
deep gutteral meows on and off all day and night. I thought after a
few months it would improve, but it has not. I go to find her and
she
will be sitting on the edge of the counter howling with all of her
might. I will pick her up and cuddle or take her back to bed, and
she
will purr and be fine, but within an hour, she will be at it again.

I know she has been traumatized by losing her friend, but I just
don't
know what else to do to console her. Does anyone have any
suggestions? Love and treats just doesn't seem to be working and I
have no interest in bringing another cat into the house as a
replacement. It is obvious she is miserable, and I hate to see my
sweetheart in so much pain.

Thanks in advance to all responders - I am at a loss.

Two things folks have commented on already. Check for health issues,
and get another cat. I will also repeat, not a kitten. I did that and
it drove my old boy crazy which he really didn't need. Get a senior
cat that needs a home.

Now one more thing, too late for you but a suggestion for others. If
you have two cats that have been together for a long time and one
dies, let the other one "view" the body. Animals do understand death,
at least mine did. I took him to the vet where he saw and sniffed the
dead body and he knew his buddy wasn't coming home. At least he didn't
wonder why his buddy left him.

You have to do the math -- replace "2times3" with the number that equals and
try again!

--
Do the math to email me directly.
"Karen" wrote in message
...
Help. I cannot get to your album. I want to see kitties.

Karen

"Sandy" wrote in message
. com...
I did that when Sundance's sister Cassidy (a rare female orange tabby)
died.
I asked the vet if that would be appropriate and/or helpful to Sundance.
She said that he probably knew she was sick, but that it wouldn't hurt
and
might help. After Cassidy was put to sleep, I got Sundance out of his
carrier and put him on the table next to her. He investigated her body
for
a little while, and then he was ready to get back in the carrier.

Because Cassidy had died of FIP, the vet said not to get a new cat for 6
months. Sundance nearly drove me crazy during that time: he got into a
lot
of mischief and became very aggressive toward me. Finally, the day
after
the 6 months was up, I went looking and found Rebecca. After she
arrived,
Sundance calmed down and became a nice little guy. Since the beginning
the
two of them have gotten along better than I could have hoped. To see a
couple of examples of what I mean, go to
(do the math) and look at the
"cats" album.

--
Do the math to email me directly.
"dgk" wrote in message
...
On 31 Mar 2004 08:20:18 -0800, (Mimi) wrote:

Hi,

Until 2 months ago, I had 2 wonderful older cats. The 15 year old
male was finally put down when his cancer was too much for both of
us.
My 17 year old spayed female cat, who has been left behind, now howls
deep gutteral meows on and off all day and night. I thought after a
few months it would improve, but it has not. I go to find her and
she
will be sitting on the edge of the counter howling with all of her
might. I will pick her up and cuddle or take her back to bed, and
she
will purr and be fine, but within an hour, she will be at it again.

I know she has been traumatized by losing her friend, but I just
don't
know what else to do to console her. Does anyone have any
suggestions? Love and treats just doesn't seem to be working and I
have no interest in bringing another cat into the house as a
replacement. It is obvious she is miserable, and I hate to see my
sweetheart in so much pain.

Thanks in advance to all responders - I am at a loss.

Two things folks have commented on already. Check for health issues,
and get another cat. I will also repeat, not a kitten. I did that and
it drove my old boy crazy which he really didn't need. Get a senior
cat that needs a home.

Now one more thing, too late for you but a suggestion for others. If
you have two cats that have been together for a long time and one
dies, let the other one "view" the body. Animals do understand death,
at least mine did. I took him to the vet where he saw and sniffed the
dead body and he knew his buddy wasn't coming home. At least he didn't
wonder why his buddy left him.

in article , Sandy at
wrote on 4/1/04 11:19 PM:

You have to do the math -- replace "2times3" with the number that equals and
try again!

I did that. I got a page for that, but no pictures.

Karen

in article , Sandy at
wrote on 4/1/04 11:19 PM:

You have to do the math -- replace "2times3" with the number that equals and
try again!

I did that. I got a page for that, but no pictures.

Karen

Hmmm. When you get to that page you have to click on the cats album. What
IS on the page you get? Maybe I should include the entire URL:
(still do the math) -- otherwise
your browser might think it's an email address instead of an URL.


--
Do the math to email me directly.
"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message
...
in article , Sandy at
wrote on 4/1/04 11:19 PM:

You have to do the math -- replace "2times3" with the number that equals
and
try again!

I did that. I got a page for that, but no pictures.

Karen

Hmmm. When you get to that page you have to click on the cats album. What
IS on the page you get? Maybe I should include the entire URL:
(still do the math) -- otherwise
your browser might think it's an email address instead of an URL.


--
Do the math to email me directly.
"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message
...
in article , Sandy at
wrote on 4/1/04 11:19 PM:

You have to do the math -- replace "2times3" with the number that equals
and
try again!

I did that. I got a page for that, but no pictures.

Karen

"Mimi" wrote in message
om...
Thank you all for your input.

I took her in for a checkup not long ago when she had a stroke, and we
found that she does have mild kidney failure, so she is on a special
diet. I don't recall that they tested her thyroid -excellent help
-I appreciate it and will have that done.

I will have more cats one day, I am a great kitty mom and have had
over a dozen in my life, but this little girl is truly too old and
fragile for me to put her through that. When she has finished her
long life with me, I will start again with some sweethearts. I have
no problem adopting any age cat, all need love.

I have a 14 year old female with cardiomyopathy. She's in fair health, but
getting old and crotchety, and I felt much the same as you do about
subjecting her to other cats at her age and condition, for most of her life.
About a year ago, through a series of bizarre events, a young male kitten
came to live with us, and it was as I feared -- he was driving her insane
with his attentions. We managed as best we could for a few months, then,
through ANOTHER series of bizarre events, a young female came to live with
us, and the problem was solved. The two youngsters play with eachother, and
old grinchy watches them in peace from her throne. This situation works so
well that I have decided I will always have three (indoor, as opposed to the
ferals I look after outdoors) cats. It's the perfect number. Perhaps you
could adopt a pair that would provide entertainement for your old girl, and
they would be there for you, and eachother, when she passes on -- Lotte

"Mimi" wrote in message
om...
Thank you all for your input.

I took her in for a checkup not long ago when she had a stroke, and we
found that she does have mild kidney failure, so she is on a special
diet. I don't recall that they tested her thyroid -excellent help
-I appreciate it and will have that done.

I will have more cats one day, I am a great kitty mom and have had
over a dozen in my life, but this little girl is truly too old and
fragile for me to put her through that. When she has finished her
long life with me, I will start again with some sweethearts. I have
no problem adopting any age cat, all need love.

I have a 14 year old female with cardiomyopathy. She's in fair health, but
getting old and crotchety, and I felt much the same as you do about
subjecting her to other cats at her age and condition, for most of her life.
About a year ago, through a series of bizarre events, a young male kitten
came to live with us, and it was as I feared -- he was driving her insane
with his attentions. We managed as best we could for a few months, then,
through ANOTHER series of bizarre events, a young female came to live with
us, and the problem was solved. The two youngsters play with eachother, and
old grinchy watches them in peace from her throne. This situation works so
well that I have decided I will always have three (indoor, as opposed to the
ferals I look after outdoors) cats. It's the perfect number. Perhaps you
could adopt a pair that would provide entertainement for your old girl, and
they would be there for you, and eachother, when she passes on -- Lotte

In , "Lotte"
wrote:

| About a year ago, through a series of bizarre events, a young male
| kitten came to live with us [...] then, through ANOTHER series of
| bizarre events, a young female came to live with us [...]

Heh. All of my cats were "unplanned" too: the first adopted me, and the
others came as (indirect) consequences of my work with ferals.

| [...] I have decided I will always have three (indoor, as opposed
| to the ferals I look after outdoors) cats. It's the perfect number.

I don't think there is a perfect number. When I had one cat (Scruffy),
getting another seemed like the right thing to do.

But the second cat (Sally) was not a companion - she was a "forced
socialization" case, a feral without a colony. Eventually I adopted her
out to the person who had originally wanted to take her.

The next one wasn't a cat, but a kitten (Phoenix). If we had done our
work properly and caught his mother early enough, he would never have
happened, but as usual things didn't go according to plan. We all but
killed him as a baby, and then left him too long in the streets. We
"owed" him. I took him, even though a kitten was probably the worst
choice for Scruffy who was by then confirmed to have CRF. It worked
well though, loner cat and loner kitten.

But then, it was clear that I needed another cat closer to Phoenix in
age. I had two potentials lined up, except, Lucas' case reached a
crisis. The person who had taken on his socialization gave up after two
months and decided to send him to a feral cat sanctuary. I took him on
the day he was to be shipped off.

Three became five when I got involved in stabilizing a colony at a local
church and found myself fostering (and socializing) two feral kittens.
I found a home for them (whew!) but then, a few months later, Marie came
to live with me - her guardian's circumstances changed drastically, and
the only job he could find was abroad.

So now I have four, and Phoenix finally has someone his own age in the
house. One thing they all have in common, though, is that each one of
them had walked into a trap set by me. (You trap 'em, you keep 'em??)

| Perhaps you could adopt a pair that would provide entertainement for
| your old girl,

That's a good idea, I think.