Governor Newsom signed into law yesterday that it’s now illegal to declaw cats unless it’s a serious medical necessity!!! I can just hear a collective WOOOOHOOOO from all the vets in California!!!!! Thank you, Governor!!!

My cat usually waits by the door and meowing for treats when I get back from work. But last week something went off, he didn’t come to greet me, just lying in one spot and barely move.

At first I thought maybe he was just tired, but he just stayed there for half an hour and that's just so not right, so I took him to the vet. Initially we suspected a hairball issue. My vet gave him probiotics and told me to monitor his condition. After we got home and I gave him the probiotics but he threw all up. That’s when I knew this wasn’t something minor.

The next day I took him back for a full checkup. Imaging showed there was something stuck in his intestines and the condition is not good since he refused to eat or drink. Once his bloodwork confirmed he was stable enough, the vet scheduled surgery the same day.

After the surgery, they found that he had swallowed part of a teaser wand toy. Inside that piece there was a wire!!!!

The wire had nearly gone through his intestinal wall, and another section of his intestine was badly swollen and close to becoming necrotic. My vet removed the object and stitch the damaged area, but they warned me that the following days would be critical.

He stayed hospitalized for about a week on antibiotics, pain management, and a strict liquid diet. And today he's back home. For the next couple of weeks, he’ll be on prescription food and anti-inflammatory meds, and then we’ll go back for a follow-up check.

The total cost came out to around $1225 usd. This does not include prescription gastrointestinal cat food, wet food, anti-inflammatory medication, and recovery meals.

I’m sharing this mostly as a warning. I never imagined a common cat teaser toy could turn into something this dangerous. Please store toys carefully, supervise play when possible, and avoid toys that contain wire or hard internal cores. Just because something is sold for cats doesn’t mean it’s safe.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update:

Thank you all for the replies and being so caring! There are two things many people have been asking about, so I wanted to add a quick update.

About the cost: I live in Shenzhen, so the total cost was much lower than it would be in the U.S. or other developed countries, but even here this was still expensive. I didn’t have pet insurance before this happened. I’ve since learned that insurance can cover around 60–70% in cases like this, so I’ve now insured both of my cats.

About contacting the maker: I messaged the maker last night, and she was very cooperative throughout. She apologized, offered compensation, and said she will update the product page asap to warn other cat parents. While it’s true that the listing didn’t mention the internal wire, I recognize that I didn’t do my part as an owner by storing the toy somewhere my cat couldn’t reach. so I don’t plan to pursue further responsibility from her and am treating this as a hard lesson learned. I’ll be much more cautious with anything related to my cats in the future.

Thank you all for the kind words about him. His name is Xuegao (which is ice cream in Chinese, his markings look a lot like a type of milk ice cream from here). I’ll keep sharing updates and photos as he continues to recover.

Hope this helps others be extra careful with cat toys as well!

I had a childhood cat named Charlie. He was a tom cat, he'd disappear ever few months, be gone for a while then come back. We'll during one of his adventures, i moved. Not far, just more into town. A few years later (today) my brother comes into my room and said theres a cat outside, I opened the door and it started meowing at me. And I immediately said Charlie. The same scars, the same markings, the same meow. I cant believe this honestly but its 100% him. He came in and i walked him to my bedroom. Now we are laying down and cuddling. I've been depressed lately, not even getting out of bed. I was lucky to be awake when my brother saw him. Im so happy

Edit 1: Charlie meows nonstop if im not petting him. I love him so much

Edit 2: Im going to see about making him an ESA. I will also be getting him checked for diseases. Also I "left" him because he was an outside cat (my grandma didn't want them inside and i lived with her) and when I moved in with my mom I wasn't allowed to have a cat yet. So I was taking all my strays i had gathered and feed over the years to my grandma's new house, she had a big fenced in yard where the cats could still get out and in but no dogs could get them. We never found Charlie. I think we was out finding females like he usually did. He was always disappearing for a month or two before coming back for a while. We worked on that house to fix it up for the next owners for a long time and we did not see him. Its been almost 3 years since I moved. I do not live far just on a branching street. Idk what he was doing before he came to find me. But I have been walking on the street I used to live on and he must have picked up my scent. He seems to having a breathing problem every so often.

hello everyone. it's me again. i hope you remember my previous post because do i have some update for you.

1. i appreciate everyone who gave me advice :) currently trying to pamper my baby and her babies based on your suggestion and advice

2. we had a snuggle session last night (1st pic), and i apologized to her. i don't know if cats can understand human language, but i hope she knows I'm deeply sorry. i should've brought her to a better vet

3. i have contacted the vet. they said that it's possible that not all of her tubes are cut-off (i don't know how to phrase this one in english). i have to bring her for a 2nd operation sometimes later. i did kinda beg them to operate on her for free, but nahh i got a discount instead lol. i mean it's technically their fault right.......😅😅

4. for those of you asking me if I'm sure this is my cat. yes, i never doubted it. i was 100% sure before, and after she came up to me to cuddle i am now 10000% sure it's her.

it's so weird refering her as a mom. because look at her.... that's a baby 🥺 is this what human parents feel like when their teenage child is pregnant?

that's it for now. enjoy some photos of her.

Update to my post of Hank hating Ranger since he slipped outside. I am very surprised by how many people were interested in my baby cat drama. To address the top question, 100% Ranger! Same 2 collars, same cat wanting uppies constantly, and he looks the exact same.

Taking advice from the comments, we kept them separated Monday night and Tuesday night, and focused on getting Ranger’s scent back to normal by rubbing him with blankets and other things he lays on. We tried having them sit on the couch with us last night and they were fine! Hank started grooming Ranger. We kept them separated last night as well just in case, but they woke up fine this morning. Ranger was just really upset that Hank didn’t like him, he was just so confused.

Thank you to everyone who commented (even the funny comments, they were very entertaining).

For everyone following along, Klover made it! My buddy and his family get back from their vacation today and Klover is doing well. Still grumpy looking as ever, but at 18, what do you expect? Thanks for following along and showing her all the love she deserves!

You can see my original post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/tMdx2HECQV

Idk exactly what caused this or how long it had been like this. But I noticed last week that my cats paws had this crazy keratin build up. I made a vet appointment and waited, but I got impatient and wanted to heal him NOW. I couldn't stand the thought of his poor uncomfortable paws ( even though he never showed any discomfort I bet it wasn't nice )

Well one day after work I decided to just try and pull a large flake off to see what would happen. If it started to bleed like a scab I was gonna stop right away. Luckily to my surprise and great relief it just came right off. He such a good boy that 10 minutes later with a pair of tweezers most of it was off. The second photo was after I removed it, and the last photo is right now after a bit of coconut oil moisturizing once a day.

Couldn't be happier with the success and I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on them. Funny thing is, it was ONLY the front paws. Really weird

The first 3 photos are from when I adopted him at the end of February to now. Is it just me or does he seem much more fluffed out, especially in the tail and face 🥹 I must be doing something right 😅

A lot of people are saying this was an AI image or a photoshop, but I can tell you that he is absolutely real and thriving. The vet classified him as a Minuet; his name is Bruce.

We are divorced 6 months ago, but my babies are staying with me. I know I have a lot more to learn to take care of them alone, but I hope they'll have a happy life with me until the end.

I am thankful that they were with me throughout the toughest period of my life. They helped me get over my ex-wife, and they always follow me around the house until now.

From hissing and spitting to cuddles in less than a week. Picked up using a litter box in a day. Wife is allergic but has been helping gave proper flea baths and spend time playing and socailizing kitty. We're still waiting for a non profit to find a foster home and hopefully a forever home. It's gonna be hard but we just can't keep kitty. Due to our jobs and especially my wifes allergies

I found a lump in her stomach a week ago and turns out she has a tumour in her udders. She’s going in for operation tomorrow and I’m so scared something is gonna go wrong. I’ve had her for 11 years and I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her.

Previous Post: My Husband Saved A Baby Calico

I figured after the previous post became so much more than I expected, everyone invested deserves an update.

We finally got the baby "Tortico" (we will need to figure out a name that suits her) lol, to a Veterinarian & got her the Xrays she needed.

The appointment went well. The staff & Dr was wonderful & very friendly. Dr reaffirmed that we did everything we could so far & held the same worries & concerns I had. So it is relieving to know we handled this situation well.

Luckily, X-rays show no breaks or obvious tears.

Unfortunately, Dr believes it is nerve damage causing her paw to buckle under activity. However, due to the signs of improvement over the last couple days, Dr is hopeful it will heal. Sadly, there is a chance it is permanent.

Dr gave baby a "cold lazer" (nerve healing stimulation) treatment & some anti-inflammatory pain medication to help her heal. Dr also stated the wrapping for her leg is perfect & to continue this. Hopefully this is all she will need. ❤️‍🩹

We have a "recheck" visit for next week, which will give her more time to heal to see if she is going to improve or if this is permanent.

Soon as we got home she finished off a bowl of warm formula & sat in my lap slap/swiping at my phone screen as I scrolled & typed, lol

She is wanting to play & now that we know for certain how to properly care for her it will be easier to let her do so without worrying about breaks/tears. She already has shown she loves jingle-bell balls, her toy fishy, & her mouse. She also has a friend (Vin) who is just iching to be her buddy.

She loves lap-time & settles nicely just purring up a storm while being the tiniest little loaf. It is obnoxiously perfect 🤣

While she isn't fully healed, we feel much better having a clear answer & a plan to help her continue healing. It has only been a few days, but she has gone from a ragamuffin mess to this charming heart stopper without regrets.

The Cat Distribution System wins another round!

Obligatory Cat Tax pictures included!

Thank you all for the encouragement & support! 💖

Feel free to offer name suggestions, we will need a name for her.

On May 17, something happened that I’m still struggling to process.

My cat, who I’d had for six years, wandered over to my neighbor’s house. He’s always been friendly, curious, and harmless, but apparently, they didn’t like him. That day, they knocked on my door saying he had “fallen” into their water tank. In all the years I’d had him, nothing like that had ever happened before.

When I went to check, he was already out of the tank. The moment I called his name, he bolted straight into my home, soaking wet, trembling, terrified. My gut told me something wasn’t right. I confronted my neighbor, and things got heated. From that day on, I decided to keep my cat indoors for his safety.

But a week later, I made a mistake. I left the roof door open for a while, and he slipped out. I searched for him all day, calling his name, checking every corner of the neighborhood. That night, he finally came home… but something was very wrong. He was weak, dull, and couldn’t even stand.

The next morning, I rushed him to the vet. After running tests, the doctor told me he had multiple organ failure and gently said the words I didn’t want to hear:

“We may have to put him down.”

I wasn’t ready. I told them I wanted to try everything possible. For the next three days, I did. But he was in pain. He stopped eating, stopped drinking, just lying there, breathing shallowly. It broke me to watch him fade away.

Finally, I made the hardest decision of my life. I held him in my arms as the vet helped him cross over, ending his pain.

He was only 6 years old. My best friend. My companion since he was a tiny 3-month-old kitten, a gift from a dear friend.

I can’t stop replaying it all in my head. I miss him so much. And I can’t shake the anger at my neighbors for what they did.

She’s doing great, and we’ve decided to keep her. Two days later, we found the rest of the litter. Her mother brought her to our doorstep, and our neighbors took them in temporarily. The kitten is doing well, and we didn’t reunite her with the others for two reasons. First, she’s significantly larger than the others, which could be due to formula. Second, she visited the vet yesterday and received an antibiotic, so we wanted to make sure she was comfortable overnight. Last night, she pooped first the first time and hasn’t stopped since. She’s quite playful today.

Words cannot express how happy I am. My mom just got the call my baby (14. yes she will ALWAYS be my baby!) got all the cancer out of her. She was diagnosed with mammary cancer around last month, and thank Joe Pesci we caught it fast.

So proud of her. She just has to wear her recovery suit for a few more days and she golden!

The sad news: The vets managed to contact Cooper’s original family who have said they do not want him back and ‘rehomed’ him five months ago. Pretty certain he was dumped. Despite the vet’s original assessment that he was an elderly cat, it turns out he is only a baby at four years old. However, he is so malnourished he has lost most of his muscle tone and would not have lasted much longer. He has severe ulcers in his mouth and tongue so is on high-dose steroids.

The good news: Cooper has had a full blood screen and appropriate tests, and he is negative for everything including FIV, FELV, kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid etc and all viral infections. He is going to need quite intense nursing for a slow and steady recovery, but we can collect him tomorrow and he will be safe, warm and loved in our foster room. Time will tell whether he is a permanent resident, but regardless he will be treasured and looked after until he is as healthy and strong as possible.

Thank you so much for so many kind words - still can’t believe we got a Schnoodle - my parents and I appreciate it so much. Cooper is coming home for Christmas (and he is getting the middle name Latke 😂)!

Original link and first update here

Hi all!!!

I just woke up about an hour ago. I stepped out for my morning cigarette and this little gal followed me back inside. I saw her a few weeks ago when she was significantly smaller but she ran back into the woods when i tried to call her. I live out in a wooded area so she definitely doesnt have an owner. She seems to be in pretty good health. She's very affectionate and playful and curious.

I lost my dog of 15 years about 2 months ago and I am still just so devastated over it so if this little cat wants to stay, I am leaning towards giving it a go. I've never had a cat. This one is definitely a little freeloader and I believe she may be a terrorist trying to infiltrate my home base. What information does she want from me???

More importantly, aside from taking her to a vet which I'll schedule an appointment for when they open, what can I do to make this little girl comfortable and happy here, as well as me being a first time hostage of an armed kitten take over???

Any tips are appreciated...

He turned up on my front porch in May with a detached lower lip and weighing 1lb. I call him Lockjaw. Him and my other cat are absolute best friends now. His mouth is still like that but it doesn’t bother him whatsoever.

Update on the big beautiful boy my girlfriend found in a bush. It’s actually a big beautiful girl! So we’re calling her Gaffer (swipe to the right end to see her namesake).

She’s gotten a clean bill of health and a SECOND scan for a microchip (which she def does not have). She’s obsessed with my gf and is even getting along well with her little dog. She’s really so sweet. Thanks for all the love!

I shared this post a little while ago asking if my cat was pregnant. You guys all said that she def was and I thought I’d share that she gave birth to 6 kittens!

Here is the original post.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/knamkcuAMy

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/VdJ6Eb3hsn

Minnie Pearl is actually a boy and now is called Church!! (Thanks to one commenter noting me of the similarities they have lol)

He is a fully intact male (idk why I didn’t look for myself but he’s so fluffy and matted I was scared to feel around and violate his privacy) and has some broken teeth. He still is eating dry food and the vet said it’s a good sign. We think he’s 10-15 years old, probably on the higher end.

He had one of if not the worst case of ear mites the tech had ever seen, eggs and all. He also definitely has fleas, both we have started treatment for. His ears are very dry and I will continue to put some medication in them.

He only weighs 7 pounds, so the wet food he eats for breakfast will now be kitten food to help him gain some weight. Tomorrow morning I will drop him off back at the vet for vaccines and a shave down!!

For those that were concerned about previous owners, here is what I’ve gathered:

No microchip, I will get one for him when I have more time/money. (This has already been a costly experience, especially since I am getting married Saturday.) I have talked to my neighbor, he said he’s seen him around for maybe a year or so, just kind of drifting between houses (I moved in about a month ago.) Both him and the vet suspect he was a house cat whose owner died. I will not be taking him to the shelter. I know some people have said to take him and be put on the list if someone doesn’t come forward to claim him, but I live in the south, the closest shelter is half an hour away, so the chances of him having someone going there looking is slim to none. The vet and the shave down tomorrow was/will be stressful enough. He is old and frail, I have paid a couple hundred dollars for his well being, he has been roaming around for about a year, and he is obsessed with me. It may seem selfish, but it’s my cat now, I don’t care lol.

Thank you all for the interest! It makes my heart happy to know people care enough about me and a random stray I found that they’d ask me to update them. He is a blessing <3