Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Two Cats--Two Completely Different Personalities

Last week we took both our cats to the vet. We went to Banfield's because (1) it is close by; (2) we had a coupon for a free exam and (3) it is less expensive than Bartels. I was very pleased with the thoroughness of the exam and the technician and doctor were both friendly and liked cats.

Manny's trip to the vet--his horrible day:







Manny is the cautious, tentative cat in our house. He is a big scaredy cat. It is always a task to get Manny into the carrier but with Gerard's help, this time we managed to do it. He had to get a distemper shot. I thought he was due for a rabies shot too but that's not until next year. He was so scared. I was surprised to learn he was overweight. I knew he was solid and pretty heavy. He weighed in at a whopping 15 pounds! Manny needs to go for a teeth cleaning this Saturday. I am nervous about this because they put him out for it and keep him there the whole day! I am going to miss my big guy. I sure hope he comes through it all right. They say it's important to do it because he has quite a bit of tartar built up.

Spunky Doodle's Adventure at the vet:






Spunky Doodle, however, couldn't wait to go when it was her turn. I just open the gate to the carrier and she walks right in. Spunky Doodle was all curious and quickly left the carrier to explore the room. She just had to inspect everything. I wish I could understand what she was meowing about because she seldom meows. She makes other noises, but not like that. You can hear her clearly on the video. She actually gained weight since her last visit and is now up to 14.8 pounds--almost as heavy as Manny. I was very surprised at this!

It seems we are overfeeding all our pets. Even Abby has gained some weight back. She is at 45 pounds now and should be 35 according to the vet. I think that would be too thin though. I will just put out less food for the cats and give Abby a little less for breakfast. I will also make time each day to play with Manny and Spunky so they get some more exercise. The vet said overweight cats are more prone to get Diabetes and other health problems so they have to eat less and start moving more.

Who do you think will lose the most by Halloween? Abby, Spunky Doodle or Manny? If we can get Manny weighed, we'll let you know how they're doing. Do you take your pets for regular vet care? Ever had them put out for a teeth cleaning? I sure could use some reassurance about this!

Here are links to the posts by Spunky Doodle and Manny about their experience:
I am So Much Braver Than Manny by Spunky Doodle
I Hate Going To The Vet by Manny

This is part of Saturday Samplings--best posts of the week and Pet Pride--visit for more pet posts or link up yours.

Tweet This Tweet Me from Karen & Gerard Zemek

11 comments:

Sparkle said...

Poor Manny! It is a real chore for him to go to the vet. I hate it too, but it is easier to get me in the carrier. In fact, my human usually snatches me and sticks me in the PTU before I know what is happening. She is sneaky!

Overweight cats and overweight humans are prone to a lot of the same health issues, so it is a good thing they are going on diets. Although I hate to say, I bet it will be Abby who will lose the most by Halloween.

Sending purrs and good thoughts Manny's way for his teeth cleaning!

BeadedTail said...

Oh poor Manny! He didn't like that at all and it's too bad he has to go back but it's for the best because his teeth need to be clean. Isabella had really bad teeth when we adopted her and she had to go in for a cleaning and got a couple of teeth pulled. She healed up quickly and felt better too.

Hope Spunky and Manny lose a little weight! With all of Abby's walks, we don't see how she can be overweight so the vet might have been wrong there. I don't know how they pick what weight a dog should be anyway.

Daisy said...

That was interesting! Spunky Doodle sure is brave. That meow tone sounded like an "I'm uncertain" kind of meow. Our holistic vet told us not to "free feed"; we get our food put down in the morning and evening, and we're done in less than 5 minutes!

Sandee said...

Our dog Little Bit goes to the vet every single year. She doesn't mind one bit. I believe next year she goes twice a year because of her age. We take her as the vet recommends.

Last year we had her teeth cleaned and she was put out. She did fine. The vet won't do this if your pet is too old. He also found a bad tooth and removed it. Dental care for our pets is so very important.

Have a terrific day. :)

Anonymous said...

We used to have a cat named Max. Max the cat was a big sissy except when he was chasing a mouse! :-) I hope Manny the cat is doing OK.

Ruth said...

First of all, we have about 5 cats. One is domesticated, but the former wild ones (mother and 2 kittens) are tamer than he is! And the father will never be tame. It is funny that our domesticated cat wants to be an outdoor cat (except when it's really cold and wet) and our wild cats want to come inside. In fact, our male "wild" kitten fancies himself an indoor cat.

Definitely work on getting your overweight cat down a little. Our domestic cat tends to be on the heavier side. The vet said not heavier than what he is now.

Lin said...

I love how they are soooo different! Both of my kitties don't like the vet and let me know it.

It is hard when you have one chubby cat and one skinny one, so at least you can control how much food they get. My kitties are so different in size, age, and body build that I allow them to 'free feed' even though Daisy says that is not good.

Grace is a very thin, 10 lbs, while Hobbes is a gigantor moose at 17 lbs. But Hobbes has feet the size of a giant, so I don't think he is fat per se.

I wish you luck with their 'diets'. :)

gaelikaa said...

Don't have a pet, haven't had one for years. But life with animals seems to be a lot of fun...

Mrs4444 said...

Poor Manny! They're as individual as humans, aren't they? This was cute.

We had a cat who went psychotic whenever we took him to the vet; they had to wear leather aprons and gloves when Gus came around. Eventually, we just stopped taking him, to avoid the trauma. He lived to be about 14 years old.

I love fat cats, but I don't suppose you want them to get diabetes. Good luck with getting your cats to diet and exercise. Maybe the treadmill?haha

The Chair Speaks said...

It is funny how cats act differently at the vets. LOL!

Kristin - The Goat said...

I have to do the lowering of the cat into the carrier process with my cat. She used to be a chunky monkey but she's lost quite a bit just by being old lol

I truly enjoyed your videos - I watched every second :) Thanks!

Kristin - The Goat

Post a Comment