# Are satin balls OK for CATS?



## Animal Quackers (Jul 10, 2010)

What is the consensus?

And by the way, thanks again to everyone here for making this the great community it is!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I've seen several recipes for them so I think it would depend. What recipe are you looking at?

Why are you wanting to use satin balls?


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## Animal Quackers (Jul 10, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> Why are you wanting to use satin balls?


I wondered if I should give some background with my question!

I have a 13 year old neutered cat named Jesse. He came to live with me as a FERAL cat at the age of about 4-5 months. We trapped him (and his mom and dad and three brothers and sisters) in a "Have-A-Heart" and HOPED to tame them all enough to find them good homes. They were never able to overcome their fear of humans, so we put Mama and Daddy back out in the feral community that was establised near our then California home (after spaying and neutering them). My then-husband and I kept all four kittens, who all "came around" to different degrees of "tameness." They were never friendly...but at different times would allow us to pet them. They mostly hid in the house - they were never allowed outside again.

Anyway, in the past two years, Jesse has dropped from 14 pounds (a big cat, part Maine **** we think!) to 8. He has seen two different vets and been tested for EVERYTHING - ALL his bloodwork came back just fine two different times from two different vets! But he is thin as a rail...and it scares me. 

The vets (at two different clinics) both recommended canned Science Diet A/D (of course), and he does like it and he does eat it. He's not a big eater and I can not get him to eat more than about 1/2 can a day. I also - per the vets' recommendations - add Nutri-Cal to it. 

He is a little picky, so I was happy that he would eat the A/D with the Nutri-Cal.

Now, about a month ago, my ex-husband called me and told me that one of his cats was picking on Jesse's littermate Amelia, who he kept when we divorced several years ago. My ex-husband told me he was going to put an ad in the paper for her unless I "took her." Who would want a 13 year old cat that is afraid of her own shadow? Of course I took her!

When she came into my home, she immediately found a hiding place and has hissed at me every time I have approaced her over the past several weeks, so I have left her alone, wanting her to come around on her terms. A few days ago, I was able to pet her - she came out and asked for it! - and she is even thinner than Jesse! I have not been able to pet her since - every time I approach her, she hisses at me. My PLAN is to catch her with my husband's help, hopefully this weekend, and get her in to the vet for a full senior workup. Believe me, when we try to catch them, we truly risk life and limb! Both my husband and I HAVE been bitten by these feral littermates more than once in the past!

So, Jesse is "healthy" according to the vets - just thin. Amelia I will learn more about...

A little more important background regarding their littermates, Tux and Bandita: Both died about two or three months apart two years ago. It was incredibly odd, and majorly troubling! Because they were feral cats, but lived in my house, had water, food, an annual (minimally) vet care, I did not drag them out from their hiding places every day. Sometimes I would not see them for a few days at a time, and I never searched for them unless it had been more than maybe four days since I saw them.

I came home one day two summers ago, and Tux was sitting in the middle of the living room (TOTALLY UNUSUAL!) all rolled up in a ball. He let me approach him and touch him, and he was SICKLY thin! He straightened his body, then rolled back up in a ball. I called my vet, and got an answering machine message telling me they were in a meeting and would be for the next two hours. So I picked Tux up and headed to the emergency vet's office. They ran a few tests, and the vet kept telling me over and over that Tux had Rabies. I told HIM over and over that that was NOT POSSIBLE because he had been vaccinated and NEVER left my house. The vet did not believe me. Tux's gums were yellow, his sclera were yellow, he was beyond dehydrated, he weighed 7 pounds, and he was _biting his feet!_ The vet did not feel hopeful at all, and after talking it over with my husband, we euthanized Tux that day. He was only 11. And oh, after running some $400 test to see if Tux had rabies and then euthanizing Tux, the vet at the emergency clinic called me a week after Tux died to tell me Tux did NOT have Rabies..... (DUH!)! ! !

About two months later, on one of my four-day searched for the feral cats, I risked being bitten by Bandita and reached under the bed where she was hiding to touch her. She was BONE thin. I called my vet who told me to bring her in, which I did. Her gums and sclera were yellow, she weighed 6 pounds, and she too was BEYOND dehydrated. My vet examined her, and left the room to get a tech for something, and while he was gone, I noticed a flea comb in the room. Bandita was a BEAUTIFUL long haired cat who looked just like a Ragdoll - so gorgeous! She loved to be combed when she was in the mood, so I picked up the comb and started brushing her....her skin literally peeled off her body. It was surreal and I nearly passed out from what I had done to her. She didn't even seem to notice that it happened. I went and got the vet, and he came back in the room, examined her, said it happened because she was SO dehydrated, and we euthanized her immediately. She too was only 11.

SO...that is the history of Amelia and Jesse's littermates. You can see why I am paranoid about Jesse, and now Amelia. They all went from being good, healthy, large cats - all weighing between 12-15 pounds - to under 8. ALL bones...and now, although both Jesse (who is a picky eater) and Amelia will eat the Science Diet A/D, they are both still so thin and not gaining any weight.

Obviously, I will get Amelia in ASAP to get checked out. But Jesse has a clean bill of health...I just don't want to go the same route with them as I did with their two littermates. Literally, all that happened to Tux and Bandita within 4 or 5 days!

So....there is my L-O-N-G story!

Also, as for the satin ball recipe, I was looking at this site: Holistic Dog - Satinballs Satin Balls

SORRY for the length of this post (and thank you! ! ! to anyone who read through it all!)...


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Oh my. 

That's awful and must have been pretty traumatic  I don't have an answer to your question but I wish you the best of luck and I hope you can find a solution for the two remaining kitties!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Thanks for the background info, that helps. It definitely sounds like the other two died of liver failure of some kind, probaby hepatic lipidosis but it's hard to say what the cause was (key feature of a liver failure animal is them turning yellow). If I were you I would have extensive liver panels done on both, more than what is just covered by a senior wellness panel. Have they been tested for FIV/FELV?


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## Animal Quackers (Jul 10, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> It definitely sounds like the other two died of liver failure of some kind, probaby hepatic lipidosis but it's hard to say what the cause was (key feature of a liver failure animal is them turning yellow). If I were you I would have extensive liver panels done on both, more than what is just covered by a senior wellness panel. Have they been tested for FIV/FELV?


Thank you Rachel and Nat! ! ! (BIG HUG!)

Yes Nat, the cats were tested for FIV and FELV.

I just pulled Jesse's paperwork and on 8/20/09 I took Jesse to the vet because he had not eaten in two days. This is what the vet ran:

FELV/FIV/Hw snap test ($53.00)
Super Feline Profile (T4, CBC, 46) ($122.00)

He was also given sub-q fluids ($20.00) and an injection of "Covenia" ($48.00) - no idea now why we did that. On that day, he weighed 7.7#, and everything came back WNL. That is when we put him on the A/D with the Nutri-Cal, and he DID put on some weight - it was noticeable!

He looked a little thin again to me this summer, so I took him in again - to another VCA clinic but a different one with a different vet - on 6/25/10. This is what the vet did then:

Hyperthyroid Fel-SA235 ($234.30)
Add-On UrinalysisADD220 ($42.75)

His weight that day was 7.9#.

Again, all was well!

I'm not an expert on animal pathology by ANY means...but yes, we (the vets and I) did "assume" it was hepatic lipidosis with both the deaths of Tux and Bandita. I'm an RN, so I knew the yellow was NOT GOOD! The ONLY thing *I* can think of is that about a month before Tux had to be euthanized, we changed the cats' diet. We have a cat with IBS who had CHRONIC diarrhea until we switched over to Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck. That cat clearly has a food allergy, because her diarrhea has significantly decreased since we made the change, with her having diarrhea just every so often now. So when I made the diet change two years ago, I did EVERYONE - not just the IBS cat...all I can think is that something in that diet was unappealing or unacceptable to the ferals (I had three of the four at the time) and they stopped eating. It seems weird to me that they could lose literally half their body weight in a few days, but I also know that not eating can kill a cat in a few days. I questioned my vet about the change in diet when Bandita died (the second death) - I asked if a cat would literally starve him or herself if he/she did not like the food that was being offered, and my vet indicated it was not likely - but it just makes too much sense to me that it might be true. 

When Bandita died, I immediately put about six bowls of different dry kibble under the bed for the remaining feral Jesse, including what he had been eating before I switched, and watched him very closely because I was so afraid his death was imminent, too! He got thin, but he ate, and although he continues to be thin (about 8 pounds), he does eat. He gets the A/D once a day - usually eats about 1/2 can - and has a variety of dry kibble available for him all day long. I just wonder if the switch of food back in 2008 could have done it - killed Tux and Bandita and caused Jesse to get so thin. 

I just made an appointment for Amelia to see our vet tomorrow AM. It will be a FUN morning for Mark and I trying to catch her! She hissed at me last night and this AM when I approached her just with a bowl of wet food. 

We are WORKING on getting the cats switched over to raw...some like it, some do not. Amelia ate a small plate of chicken breast and rainbow trout this AM, and nightly readily eats an entire 1/2 can of wet A/D. Jesse did not touch the chicken breast/trout this AM, so I will take him up another bowl of A/D and see if he will eat that. 

Sigh...it gets so frustrating and sad sometimes... 

I realize this is DOG FOOD chat, so I thank you all again for indulging me this space to share this story and get your advice!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Just to clarify, Convenia is an injectable long acting antibiotic. Which is why it's pricey but I dont know why your vet didn't explain that. 

It seems like a huge red flag to me that all of these cats are siblings and dying of similar things, liver failure for some reason. This may be something that you have no control over. It may just be a part of their genetic makeup and predetermined so to speak

Has it been suggested to do an ultrasound? Sometimes things wont show up on blood work but you will find something on further physical examination. I would also suggest doing a full liver work up on each of the two remaining cats.


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## Animal Quackers (Jul 10, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> Just to clarify, Convenia is an injectable long acting antibiotic. Which is why it's pricey but I dont know why your vet didn't explain that.
> 
> It seems like a huge red flag to me that all of these cats are siblings and dying of similar things, liver failure for some reason. This may be something that you have no control over. It may just be a part of their genetic makeup and predetermined so to speak
> 
> Has it been suggested to do an ultrasound? Sometimes things wont show up on blood work but you will find something on further physical examination. I would also suggest doing a full liver work up on each of the two remaining cats.


THANK YOU Nat!

I don't want to point my finger at the vet about the Covenia - she probably did, at the time, explain it to me and I just don't remember now. I usually ask a TON of questions when I am in the exam room - but it was two years ago and I don't have the best memory! :redface:

I agree that there is something probably genetic with these cats as siblings - I totally agree, which is why I have watched Jesse SO CLOSELY for the past two years. And now with Amelia looking so thin...

Yes, actually the vet this summer did say that one of the "next steps" for Jesse would be an ultrasound...we just did not do it. She also suggested x-rays, if we chose to do it. 

That's it - tomorrow, I am asking for a full liver work up for Amelia...and we will take it from there!

I wish I could hit the THANK YOU button more than once for you Nat! :biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Well I'm happy to help. Please let me know what the results are.

And I say this from experience that you should get these cats to eat whatever they will at this point. Keep them as happy and comfortable as possible. 

You've been a very patient and loving savior to these cats (when most people would have given up on them). And for that I thank YOU for because that is truly selfless and honorable.


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## Kip H (Oct 19, 2020)

Animal Quackers said:


> I wondered if I should give some background with my question!
> 
> I have a 13 year old neutered cat named Jesse. He came to live with me as a FERAL cat at the age of about 4-5 months. We trapped him (and his mom and dad and three brothers and sisters) in a "Have-A-Heart" and HOPED to tame them all enough to find them good homes. They were never able to overcome their fear of humans, so we put Mama and Daddy back out in the feral community that was establised near our then California home (after spaying and neutering them). My then-husband and I kept all four kittens, who all "came around" to different degrees of "tameness." They were never friendly...but at different times would allow us to pet them. They mostly hid in the house - they were never allowed outside again.
> 
> ...





Animal Quackers said:


> I wondered if I should give some background with my question!
> 
> I have a 13 year old neutered cat named Jesse. He came to live with me as a FERAL cat at the age of about 4-5 months. We trapped him (and his mom and dad and three brothers and sisters) in a "Have-A-Heart" and HOPED to tame them all enough to find them good homes. They were never able to overcome their fear of humans, so we put Mama and Daddy back out in the feral community that was establised near our then California home (after spaying and neutering them). My then-husband and I kept all four kittens, who all "came around" to different degrees of "tameness." They were never friendly...but at different times would allow us to pet them. They mostly hid in the house - they were never allowed outside again.
> 
> ...


Hello, I viewed your' notes in this article you typed and I have 1 of two suggestions ( 1 ) possible arsenic poison 
( 2 ) thyroid issues - Long Shot but sounds like it could be combination of the first creating the second issue, or Thyroid problem that can cause wasting away and dehydration - Just something to add for thought. Either way blood work should reveal or remove possibilities - I wish for a hopeful outcome for the little creatures and yourself.Family Pets are often loved as family members. Kip H.


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