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24 August 2007

Dear Mecha, a Kitty Question in Two Parts: My neighbor went on holiday, and I agreed to feed her indoor/outdoor cats. However, she didn't leave enough food (Science Diet). →[More:]

Now, I haven't been further than a four-block radius of my house in many days, because it's just too hot to be walking around. But the little nearby grocery only had Little Friskies for dry cat food, so I got it. My neighbor will be home in two or three days, I think. Is this okay? One cat is almost never around (this is normal, and I haven't even seen him in two weeks), so for the most part I'm really dealing with the one who is. He is neither old nor young, and seems very healthy. I give him fresh water (a lot) every day. But, of course, I don't want him getting urinary tract crystals or whatever because he's having Little Friskies for a few days. Please advise.

Question 2: It's hot. I've been keeping an eye on him to make sure he looks okay and chipper, etc., and I really don't want to invite him inside because, a) I'd rather not have (possible) fleas, cat hair and dander in the house (I'm mildly allergic) if I can avoid it, and, mostly, b) once he's been invited in for any extended period, I'm afraid he'll be coming in all the time (we have open doors and windows in good weather).

However, Sunday is supposed to be 104F. I'll definitely be running the AC. Should I bring him in? He seems to be doing well so far with hovering-around-100F heat, but 104 kind of scares me. What do you think?

post by: taz at: 03:51 | 19 comments

Ah, I forgot to say, she has a kitty door, so he can go in and out of her apartment and find whatever place is coolest, inside or outside (including, I would assume, the tub, if she left her bathroom door open), but her apartment is on the second floor, and I know it must be a lot hotter than mine, even when I'm not using the AC.

posted by taz 24 August | 03:54

Alas, some cats (like one of mine) are indeed sensitive to changes in diet. Past food-switches have led to the feline in question vomiting, and, I suspect, may have contributed to at least one of his UTIs. I know if I were to leave this hypersensitive kitty in the care of a neighbour, I would take care to explicitly say ’don’t mess with the food!’ Did your neighbour leave a cellphone contact no.? If not, then in your shoes, in the absence of specific instruction, and in the absence of sufficient premium-brand chow, I wouldn’t feel bad switching to the Friskies for a few days.

As for the heat thing, I don’t know—as a resident of Scandinavia, it’s not something I’ve had to deal with! But if the cats are free to roam, and have access to water, I would say they’d be capable of finding cool-enough places for themselves.

posted by misteraitch 24 August | 04:20

I'd have to walk a couple of miles to the supermarket... which may not even have Science Diet (it's not a very good supermarket). There's a good chance she gets it from her vet, or somewhere special, since she has a car. But I might do it, just in case, because if the Friskies makes him throw up, I imagine that this would be extra-bad in this heat. (Dehydration?)

Without being too mean (I hope), I have to say that my neighbor is pretty much a ditz (I had to take in laundry she left on the line when she left, and I also told her I'd water her plants, and for a couple that obviously hadn't been watered in about a month, she was very specific in telling me that they needed to be watered "every day") ... so I would actually be surprised if she managed to keep them on a regular feeding regime (the one that is never around? He was on death's doorstep before she took him to the vet for a liver ailment. But it could also be a money thing. I really don't want to be mean).

But I hate to take the chance, in case the food change is upsetting. It's not like I couldn't also get things I need for myself at the supermarket. (God, I dug out a horrid Axe deodorant to wear since I ran out. I smell like a manly man. A really badly scented manly man.)

posted by taz 24 August | 04:49

Friskies is bad. Science diet is good. Your ditzy pal will thank you for the effort if she has any sense, and I know the cats will!

posted by dabitch 24 August | 05:24

Hereabouts, Science Diet, IAMS, Royal Canin, and similar brands are sold in pet stores but not in supermarkets. There are also special Science Diet formulations which are only obtainable at the vets’. Is there a pet shop in your neighbourhood?

posted by misteraitch 24 August | 05:26

Not that I know of, misteraitch. And Greece isn't the sort of place that's very attuned to "fancy" pet needs, in terms of what can be found easily.

Would wet food be better? Any other brands of better dry food that might be found at a fairly bad supermarket?

The place that I got the Friskies dry had "Little Sheba" canned... Does anyone know anything about that? Urgh. I'm getting kind of scared. I could cook something if there's anything that fits the bill.

posted by taz 24 August | 05:32

(I miss my old neighborhood more and more. There were three pet supply places within short walking distance of my old place, and at least one vet.)

posted by taz 24 August | 05:44

As a general rule, it’s my understanding that dry food is preferable to wet food.

As for ‘other brands of better dry food that might be found at a fairly bad supermarket:’ our local town-centre supermarket stocks brands like Purina One, and Bilanx, which are more expensive (and presumably better?) than Friskies-type brands.

posted by misteraitch 24 August | 05:58

How soon will you run out of the right food? How's online shopping in Greece? Cos if it were me, I'd order it from www.tesco.com and have a nice man bring it to my door.

posted by altolinguistic 24 August | 06:04

The right food has already run out! I gave him the new food yesterday afternoon (he ate it all), and this morning. He seemed to be fine this morning, but who knows. He was happy to get some love while I hung out and petted him for a while.

My neighbor will probably be back Monday.

Sadly, no online shopping here.

posted by taz 24 August | 06:11

My vote is that you're a saint for buying any sort of cat-specific food and your friend should thank you profusely for fixing her screw up. A less-than-saintly friend may have done nothing or brought table scraps.

posted by mullacc 24 August | 06:19

I also think you're a saint. And if the cat is eating the new food happily and getting plenty of water, it'll probably be fine. Hope your neighbour will realise that she's been inconsiderate to you.

posted by altolinguistic 24 August | 06:23

Good news! She just emailed to say that her boyfriend forgot to put the new bag of food outside, and I should use the key I have for her place to go in and find it!

Yay! And I did.

The cat I never see was inside and doing great, and it felt pretty cool (relatively) in there, so that's good. I put down more water inside, and also downstairs in the courtyard where the other cat is hanging out under a big bush. I'll use the key again to keep daily fresh water inside as well as outside. (I didn't want to use it before, since she didn't specifically ask me to use it. She gave me one to keep for her after her bag was stolen and she had to get a locksmith.)

*relief*

posted by taz 24 August | 06:52

Taz, you may also put some ice cubes in the water dish to make it nice and cool. They seem to prefer cool water to warm and this will help ensure they drink enough.

Glad it's working out!

posted by mightshould 24 August | 07:00

Yay! Not fun to agonize over other folks' loved ones. You're doing a good job - they'll be fine! And extra yay that no hike in the swelter is required (even though non axey armpits would be nice :)

posted by chewatadistance 24 August | 07:06

The Axe-y armpits are really the worst part of the whole story. That stuff is naaaaasty. My husband bought it about a year ago, apparently in a moment of undiluted shopping insanity. He wore it once.

I really like the kitty that I see all the time. I'm trying not to like too much, just to keep things orderly. He is very vocal, so I think that if he has any problems at all, I'll hear about it. Like if he does get too hot or anything, I expect he'll be talking about it, and I'll just bring him in here. But her apartment is much cooler than I feared, so I also feel better about that.

posted by taz 24 August | 07:20

I also feel bad about impugning my neighbor. Pretty much everyone gets a little flustered before a trip, but I was annoyed that (as I thought) the one single thing she should have taken care of above all, she didn't. But she did. I'm sorry, neighbor, who I hope never sees this thread!

posted by taz 24 August | 07:29

I think your neighbour will just think you're cute fretting so about her furry friends if she sees this thread.

posted by dabitch 24 August | 08:07

You're a good kitty-sitter, taz!

Also, as misteraitch mentioned and for future reference, Purina One is the best of the bad lot you can get at a supermarket (at least it is in the US and Canada).

posted by deborah 24 August | 14:05

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