4/14 Willow AMPS~416

Please don't get on me tonight about the lack of numbers and the SS that hasn't been updated... I'm already feeling bad enough. It's 1am here so I've decided to post for today which won't technically start for us until AMPS at 8:30am (I'll update the subject with his AMPS in the morning), instead of posting his AMPS and PMPS for the day we're finishing up. My back and neck are really hurting so I'm trying not to move around too much.

Last post: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11736

SO now on to where I need some encouragement and support...

the WCR: Willow is still having a lot of hind leg weakness and is now having problems jumping up to his food on the counter and his legs slide out from under him on the slippery surface, so I need to come up with an alternate feeding place. It's gotten to the point where he'll eat during the hours after AMPS that I'm here and pick him up and put him on the counter and during the hours after PMPS that I am still awake and do the same, but during the day when I'm gone, or the night when I'm asleep, he doesn't eat at all. Sometimes he'll walk over to the counter where his food is and look up, then turn back to me with that "hey mom, can you give me a hand" look, so I pick him up and put him by his food and he eats happily. It's not an appetite thing because he eats with gusto (by the way, I found a "treat" that he actually enjoyed... ham lunchmeat from my sandwich). He still climbs up my computer chair, my bed, the couch, and up onto his three story kitty condo, but it's because he can grip the area, is using more of his front end, and has better control. So for now, I've moved his food to my nightstand which he can access from my bed, and I've placed a textured shelf liner down to help his grip since the nightstand has a smooth surface like the counter. This is not a good place though since he's a super messy eater and the floor is carpeted and food can easily fall behind the nightstand, plus it's in perfect reach of the puppy which will make it hard for Willow to eat in peace and hard for me to monitor his food intake since the puppy can easily steal it. So anyway, we haven't been doing the methyl-b12 supplement very long so I know to give it time, but it's hard to watch Willow struggle with simple stuff and I just feel helpless to make it better for him.

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

Hey ((((Jordan)))), sorry to hear about Willow. I hope the B12 helps. Don't beat yourself up, we all have to deal with life as well as a FD kitty. If he can still climb his kitty condo can you use a level of that for a feeding station while you are away? You said he can still get up there, but the puppy can't. Just cover it w/ a towel or something easy to clean.

I hope both of you are feeling better soon. :thumbup cat_pet_icon

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

I was going to suggest the same thing. It's so hard to see our babies struggle. I can see how it hurts you, but give the B12 time to do it's thing. I bet you'll be seeing improvement soon.

I haven't been following along so forgive me if this has been suggested or if you've tried and it didn't work but I've got a couple of thoughts on the feeding situation. I'm not sure what kind of puppy you have so not sure if this will work or not.

1st thought is a baby gate or something to block off a room in such a way that Willow can get in but the puppy cant. I use a babygate on one kitchen doorway that some of the cats can jump and I have a bench in front of the other kitchen doorway that the non-jumpers can go under. It keeps my huge beast out of the kitchen where the cats eat. If your pup is a small one though....

2nd thought is also something that probably wouldn't work if pup is small. You could try putting a box over the food dish, cut a hole in one end or side so Willow can get in but too small for pup.

If you've got a wee tiny pup though, I got nuttin' short of crating the pup when you can't be around to watch the food situation. Which is what we had to do with Boomer before I found ways to block off the kitchen.

Sorry you're hurting too, that just makes everything harder to deal with both physically and emotionally. {{Hugs}} Sending lots of white light your way.

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

Some great ideas that people have shared with you....hope a couple of them work for you. When we are not at the top of our game, things seem to be gloomy. I do hope that you will feel better soon and that you will be able to be creative with ways to help your babies...and the B12 will help if you give it time. Sending healing thoughts to you all....

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

Some great ideas...

Would the drooler use pet stairs or a stool to get to the counter? I'm wondering if you had a level between the floor and counter that Willow could use if he'd have as much trouble with the surface. You could always put a rubber placemat or two down that would provide traction so his back legs didn't slide.

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

My guy is a social eater too and I also have issues with where to keep his food that other won't eat it first.
There are some good ideas here already but some things I have done-
I have used a dog/child door that has a kitty door in the bottom that you can just leave open (a cat sized pup could get through) maybe from walmart on-line?
I have also built a little carpeted ramp up to my feeding station for my older guy that couldn't jump any more. Dog couldnt use the ramp - too small. Also had a little cloth on the surface for slipping - easy to throw in the washer.

wishing you a better day today

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

Great ideas so I don't have much more to add except a little encouragement. :YMHUG:

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

I was just going to suggest pet steps, too. Spot had neuropathy and couldn't jump up to his feeding place, so I went to Walgreens and bought the $10 pet steps they had there...they are made of plastic and have a lambswool covering to put over it (this can be washed). It really helped to give him his independence back until the MB-12 started to work.

Hugs to both of you and I hope you feel better soon. Nothing like feeling low to make you feel even lower when it comes to feeling helpless. Healing vines to both of you!

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

Two suggestions:
1. move the kitty climber treehouse thing over to be beside the counter or some other high up spot. Then after a climb up, voila! foods! The food inside one of the levels is a good idea too and you can line that level with plastic so it makes for easier cleanup.

2. for the mess on your niteside table, get a cheap plastic boot tray or even the lid of a big box. then put the food on the tray or in the lid, and mess will stay local.
I use a plastic boot tray for Oliver with a washable mat on top of the boot tray. the mat catches crumbs and any liquid spillage. It does not eliminate all the mess but it sure cuts down on alot of it.

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

A couple of things to try:

Cut a hole in the bottom of a closet door that is big enough for the kitty but not the dog. Put the food in the back of that closet (so the dog won't spend all day there trying to reach it with a paw or something.)

In an empty corner, put in two, three or four triangle shaped shelves at graduated heights. Make them progressively smaller as you go up and feed on the top one.

I feed Basil on a desk, and the surface is very slick, so I went to Target and bought their "yoga mat" which is really no good for any real-world yoga, and cut it to fit the desk. Then I put double back tape under the edges.

Good luck! I know how frustrating this can be.

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

(((Jordan & Willow))) It hurts my heart to know what you are going thru, hang in there. I know it is tough & I don't claim to understand what you are going thru, because I am not in your shoes. But I pray for you & Willow & I hope that you won't make him jump on the counter anymore for his food - it just feels cruel when he cant. I really think the others have giving some fabulous suggestions & I am hopeful one will work well for your situation. Take care of yourself & Willow too…. Things always get better eventually...

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

Jordan, sedning hugs your way.
It is very heartbreaking to see your baby in pain, that I understand.
You have an increddible support team here and look at all of those
suggestions you got already.
I have full confidence that one, if not more, will work for Willow.

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

Aww Jordan I hope things get a little easier soon for both you and Willow. There are lots of great ideas here that we can all use at some point, I loved reading them. Like the boot tray, or the box with a hole cut in it, the pet steps from Walgreens... (who knew?) lots of clever people!

So I'm sending many hugs to you and a thank you as well, for bringing out the sharing of ideas that can help many of us. (((Jordan)))

Re: 4/14 Willow ~ need some encouragement/support

My kitty Pagan definitely sympathizes with Willow! His neuropathy is bad, too, and he waddles around like an old man and can't jump up on things anymore. :sad: He has some Methyl B-12 on the way, but it hasn't arrived yet, and he's still not regulated, so I know we have a long road ahead of us. But even though he has mobility issues, I can already see huge changes in his attitude and overall health just by being on the insulin. He makes do as best as he can, and still loves to cuddle and play.

I know how hard it is seeing our kitties like this, but they're not in pain, and we're doing everything in our power to make them better. All of this encouragement is good for me as well! It's very discouraging sometimes, but keep up the good work and hopefully Willow will slowly get better.

All of these suggestions sound great, I'm going to see if I can buy or build a litter box ramp for Pagan.

Big hugs to you and Willow! :YMHUG:

Thank you everyone!!

Thank you so much for the responses! I knew I could count on you all for suggestions and support. At 1AM and when you're not feeling good, it's amazing how a workable situation just feels hopeless... especially since at that point I wanted a quick fix and didn't have the things here to create one. I'll be printing out this email to use some of these suggestions.

The night stand worked well for last night and this morning, the puppy had access to the food when I was standing in there but she just stayed on the bed next to it. Not sure she realized it was food though, and it may be a different outcome when she realizes it. I had a roll of shelf liner last night and I used a piece for his footing and I had another piece angled to catch any crumb mess.

The puppy is a labrador retriever... all 65 pounds of her! I use a baby gate to block her in the kitchen when she eats and will be adding one to the bedroom door (Willow's castle) and also creating a barracade behind the loveseat so she can't get to Willow when he's trying to sleep on his small kitty scratching post/condo next to the couch. I'm not sure that Willow can jump the baby gate though, so a baby gate with a kitty door may be the next thing I try.

I'd like to add steps or something up to his food counter, but I'm not sure there's enough room for it. I'm going to check my Walgreens and see if they have those pet steps. I can't place food on his kitty condo because he pushes his dish around when he eats sometimes and he'd knock it off of there.

I like the yoga mat idea. I think my mom has one she doesn't use and I'm going to add that to my desk because Willow is constantly getting up here and slipping and sliding. That's one of the things that made me first believe he had neuropathy.

Lots of ideas to think over and to help me make things easier for Willow. Thanks again everyone!!

Sending Hugs for you and for Willow hoping things improve soon for I understand frustration its so hard to see them having a hard time good luck with all the suggestions you were given a lot of good ones :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:

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