Wow! Thanks Amj, Ttodd and HIWTHI! Haven't been over here in a while...missed your lovely posts. I'm researching bathroom items (tubs, toilets, etc.) & went to the bath forum today. So glad I did, & checked over here while I was at it! Amj, Jasmine is doing really well. About the same as before the dramatic incident! True, the ear situation continues as before as well, but she is eating, drinking & "using her box" regularly. She moves with agility and is steady on her feet. Feel I've been given a second chance with her...who knows how long it will last? However much longer she's with us, I appreciate her presence in my life more than ever! As for my sister, she will soon begin radiation & chemo. This time, she must have both therapies simultaneously. Last year she had them separately, with a short break between the two. Having them together sounds brutal, but her doc thinks she's tough enough to endure it, and this will be the most effective treatment for her particular cancer, which metasized from her lung. I feel so sorry that she must go through such a grueling treatment, but am elated that there is a way to address what she is diagnosed with. Her doctor is optimistic for the short term and the long term using this therapy. Thanks for asking, & for thinking about us, Amj. You are really a sweetheart! Ttodd, thank you SO much for sharing your cat's ear history! I've never met anyone with a cat who had such severe ear issues either! Amazing. Glad your kitty lived on to enjoy a long, happy life! 18 years is really a long time for a kitty to live! I appreciate your good wishes, & send you a hug back! HIWTHI, thank you for sharing your story too. We are currently using Prednisone, an oral steroid, for itch relief, and I have some drops that she sometimes lets me put in. She's a tough customer these days as far as letting me touch the ear...I'm not pushing it either. Just glad she's doing the basics again! Never thought I'd be so thrilled to see a kitty eat, drink & potty. I'm so grateful for this time with my little fur-baby! Thanks again for your thoughtful reply. I believe my sister will do well, but has a rough patch to go through with her treatment first. Now that her house is sold, she's living in a tiny, three-room apt. until her house on the water is finished being renovated in October. At first I thought this whole house sale/house purchase/reno thing was miserable timing, but now I think re-doing a house gives her a lot to look forward to. I think that's really important, & now see it, even with all the chaos it's introduced, as a blessing!

you know I don't normally respond to posts to which I disagree but this time I have to say something. Several somethings. 1. Cats, while they may be perfectly wonderful rodent reducers (however, there's no guarantee of that--not all cats are naturally successful hunters), do not normally choose bugs as their prey item. If this is your method of pest control, you will shortly be up to your eyeballs in bugs. 2. You certainly do not need to stop feeding your cat to get it to hunt. Cats will hunt and kill prey even when they are fully fed. Do a little research on how many song birds are killed by domestic (and I don't mean feral) cats. 3. Bugs are not recommended cat food. Cats can contract any number of illnesses and parasites from bugs, not to mention those nasty rough bug legs can get caught in their throats. And although I can't personally attest to it, I suspect that a diet of bugs would not provide the correct nutrition. 4. Outdoor cats are exposed to dogs, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, diseases from unvaccinated animals, poisons, cars, injuries from other cats, parasites--the list is endless. In short, the average life of an outdoor cat is about 1/2 that of one kept indoors.

My male cat of 7 yrs. old has these scabs ALL over his body not one bit of him is spared. We had him on various meds- that only help for a bit. We bathe him every other week with Flea shampoo- then Tar shampoo- then condition him well. Then daily we spray him down with Alpha-Kerry Bath oil (you mix a regular size spray bottle- half with the Alpha- Kerry, and fill with water- shake very well) and rub it into his skin. When we do this and stick to it-- he gets again a lot better -and it lasts longer-- We are at our wits end- I cannot stand to see him suffering...so actually we just added in tonight 10 mgs of Predisone- 2ML Omega oils. On top of all we were doing- we plan on giving him 10 mgs of pred. tonight and tomorrow night -then go to 5 mgs daily for a week then 5 mgs every other day-keep weaning til 5mgs 1 time a week...OH also tonight we added in spraying his main sleeping areas in the room we keep him in at night--as he is also on a diet--(poor Boy) So we had to keep him out of the other cats -cat food-we have 3 more cats. plus the dog. We have gone through changing from food to food- all it did was waste money.... We somehow this summer- I swear on my life I have NEVER ever- had a flea problem like the one we are fighting now!!!! We have removed all pets from home and flea bombed every inch- putting 2-3 bombs (yes complete over kill) in each room. Did more laundry then a public laundry... vacuumed- steam cleaned rugs, - and we are literally ready to snap- I was a licensed-certified Vet tech...and I am addicted to education so I also received diploma's in Pet Nutrition- and Dermatology-(Just to keep this brief I will not go into all the degrees and certifications I have,,,,) BUT-- Thanks to severe back pain-- I ended up not only having to give up work all together and going on Disability.. BUT my point is I have been out of the field of animal medicine for about 10 years now- so I am sure that many things have changed. So I am here to see if anyone has any ideas- I am open to any and all suggestions- I am also a Researcher- and love to research- so if I find anything I will now that I know this site exists post my findings. I really want to add --that INDOOR cats outlive outdoor cats by 9-12 years. I volunteer with various rescue groups- and not only have I been taught it in colleges -heard it from Vets--but have seen it with my own two eyes..I beg you all to keep your cats indoors. Ok off my soap box..

I have three cats. Amy, the 16 yr old has been eating Hills Prescription Diet T/D Dental Health for most of her life. You buy it from the vet but the good thing is the last time her teeth needed to be cleaned was when she was two.They are in great shape. The two siblings who are now one and a half, do eat some of the older cats food and their dry food is Royal Canin Indoor Adult Cat. I tried Wellness dried cat food but they didnt like it. To be honest, since I got the younger ones, I think they all are eating both kinds.Which isnt a bad thing. We keep bowls of it out so they can nibble whenever they want. Also bowls of water. The three share one can of Wellness tinned food in the morning. The older cat is extremely fussy, she was a rescue cat from the SPCA and very loving but only to members of this family. She will hop on your lap for a quick cuddle but doesnt stay long and prefers to rest by your head (on the back of the couch) or by your side. It is a serious chore and fight to try to clip her nails, and even brushing her is hard though I can tell she likes it. She spooks easily and if strangers come to the house, she hides. She licks the gravy only from the wet food, leaving the rest. I have tried everything because she needs thyroid medication and it would be a lot easier to slip it into her wet food. I had to give her brother heart medication pills for years (he has since died) and he would practically open his mouth to pop the pill in. No way you can do that with her. We have been giving it to her using a gel on her inner ear because she tolerates that. The point I want to make is to give your cats both dry and wet food. They get stuck in their eating habits and trying to change them can be hard later on. If it ever comes time to give them medication, it would be easy to give it to them in the wet food, which they usually gobble up right away. Plus the extra moisture in the wet food is great for them. If you want to go away for a day or two, you know that they wont starve since they have lots of dry food. All of these cats are at a healthy weight and aren't gluttons. They eat when they are hungry. Check the ingredients of your cat food. I think it is better to pay a bit more for decent cat food because you will save vet bills in the end.