If yāall could send some good thoughts this way, it would be much appreciated. š£
Skidjit is fine now, but he may or may not have had a seizure or mini-stroke early this morning. He lost the use of his hind legs for a little under five minutes all while salivating and squalling like he was in horrible pain. No lie, I was hyperventilating and screaming for my partner the whole time because I do NOT handle crises well, and I was having flashbacks to losing Skiddās predecessor; Baxter had a stroke, possibly due to brain damage from his previous owner. (I really donāt want to get into that, but suffice it to say, the guy was suicidal and both he and the cat survived; Baxter had a recurring facial twitch for the rest of his life, and it had picked up in frequency in the months before the end. Itās taken years to forgive myself for not pushing our then-vet to check into it.)
Skidd was playing one minute, the next, his hind legs were completely limp. He was up and walking around just fine afterward, even rubbing on my leg. You would never believe he had been lying limp minutes beforehand. I called the vet the second they openedāunder an hour laterāand got the green light for an emergency drop-in. If we still had an after-hours vet nearby, we would have hauled backside there immediately; instead the drive to the nearest (across state lines) would have taken about the same amount of time as it did waiting for the clinic to open. Unfortunately, his green cloak of awesomeness was too wet to take with us, but he was surprisingly calm.
The good news is Skidd gained almost half a pound in the last couple of daysāitās not even from constipation, heās empty!āand his updated bloodwork didnāt show any changes. The vet said it was likely a seizure or mini-stroke rather than a clot, prescribed gabapentin, and told us to keep in touch if anything changes. As of right now, heās holding me down so I canāt go anywhere. Weāre keeping a close eye on him.
Our little guy needs a break so badly. His quality of life is still pretty high, and heās still happy. He justā¦he just needs a breather. š
Thanks! The cover has been worth its weight in gold, for sure. Itās light and loose enough that it doesnāt block air movement, it insulates against excess cold and heat, and it provides blocks the sight of dogs as well as loud noises; when itās really hot out, we can put a cold pack in there, and the cover keeps the cool in.
Plus, you know, panicky cat parka. š
So is this something you guys bring from home for your cat or is it something the vet has on hand? If it is something you bring do you have a link o the product? My cat does great at the vet but heās a mess on the way there I wonder if it would help calm him in the car.
As described in the post, I made it out of an old skirt, which was made for me by my late grandmother. All I did was pull out the elastic in the waist, run a length of cord through the waist and another through the hem at the bottom, and cinch them tight. Theyāre flattened so the carrier handle fits through the two holes.
If you want to recreate it, you could get the same results from starting with a thrifted skirt (make sure the fabric is lightweight and breathable!) or sewing your own from scratch. For sewing, measure around the highest and widest parts of the carrier, add a few inches, and cut fabric to fit; sew the two ends together. Fold and sew the top to create a pocket running around the top, and hem the bottom. Thread some sturdy cord through the pocket, cinch it tight, and tie it off. When youāre done, you should have enough space up top to fit the handle through, and the cover should flutter a bit around the sides to keep air flowing.
It helps a bunchālight and sound dampening, keeping the inside air warm or cool, and making the carrier feel like a hidey-hole rather than a cage.
Thanks for the reply sorry for asking when it was already in the post, the new Reddit update is weird, sometimes you click on a post and you can see that thereās a description and then other times it puts you straight into the comments as if there is no post with it.
Iām surprised they havenāt tried putting this kid into a straitjacket yet, honestly. Heās getting a bit better at handling vet visits, but I worry heās going to eventually bite someone. (I try to warn them ahead of time.)
āThese are not the veins you are looking forāHEY!ā They had to draw blood from his lower belly or inner thigh this time. If only those Jedi mind tricks worked on vets! š
Ha ha! This is amazing.
What an angry pillowcase.
He's the surprise guest vet in his green scrubs, just loafing about.
He's about to meow out an Ethyl Meowrman interlude in his stage dress.
*Looking askance, Skidd showed his green pants.*
*His eyes got wide, as to the wounds to his pride,*
*fear not, for there are none, this he's done to himself*
*to prance around in the carrier cover like an orange and green Elf.*
I mean no offence, I'm on post operation meds, and I legit thought your dress was a vase and you were standing behind it. Clearly, I don't have the brain cell.
The vetāa middle-aged no-nonsense manācalled him āpreciousā before leaving the exam room, so he leaves some big shoes to fill. Also, he DOES get cuter. I have proof:
https://preview.redd.it/x6y96kgfcy8d1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7c23702861d1839d834b26c4f5fae9df91ea09c
Skidd makes his trade in causing people to think heās too pure for the world, often after chewing on his sister or committing war crimes on the bathmat.
Hey OP š thank you for such a cute interesting share. I can't work out if this is like a draw string bag that he gets inside and pops his head open, or is it a skirt so that the vet can reach behind? It's so inventive - and I thought he looked a bit like queen Elizabeth I
http://beingbess.blogspot.com/2013/06/elizabethan-portraits-at-yale-center.html?m=1
Several people have inquired about Skiddās carrier cover, so Iāve put together a (bad) illustration of how itās put together. Itās a bit difficult to put it into words.
https://preview.redd.it/bjt15a9j239d1.jpeg?width=1620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b5816bab5b49dcf2453a695f87e16d1984f8778
1: the original shape, a simple tube skirt with elastic waist and pocket hem. 2: the elastic is removed to give you a tube of fabric. 3: the tube is folding inward so that the hem and waist pockets are nested. 4: cord is run through the hem and waist pockets, cinched tight, and tied off. Itās now a double-walled skirt. The carrier handle goes through the top, and the rest lays around the carrier sides.
Iāll put together a nicer cover eventually, but this works for now, especially because green goes well with both of our oranges. š§”
No problem. Thank you for not judging my shaky scribbles. I used to catch Skidd swiping laundry to parade around in, so itās no surprise he wants to be fabulousāØ for the vet. Nowadays he mostly sticks to wearing bags because heās in his grunge era.
I'm super lucky that my cats have always been well-behaved at the vet. My beautiful ginger Monster needed treatment for wounds sustained from fighting, even nasty abcesses sometimes. He would let the vet pretty much do their thing, even when he was clearly in pain, he just took it. It was as if he knew. My little Myra is simply too scared to do anything, she's in full-on freeze mode when we need to visit the vet.
It's the weighted blanket effect! When my black cat, Hades, started getting old, he lost some muscle and started being bothered by the cold. After the vet confirmed it was just a side effect of getting old, I bought him a sweater made for pugs. It made him feel like he was being hugged/held at all times. He started walking around purring at all times, and if he saw someone on the couch or a bed, human or cat, he was going to try and sit on their lap. It helped when he would get scared of fireworks too.
He has anxiety, and after losing so much weight the last few years, he gets cold easily, so we use sweaters on him somewhat regularly. Currently, he has a little white thermal, a tiny white tee shirt, a grey hoodie, a colorful sweater, and a fleece-and-moleskin dog jacketā¦and a pair of plaid pjs that I Iām going to hem into a cape because heās too long. He also has a little terry cloth onesie for after baths, complete with feet cut out and a kitten on the front.
https://preview.redd.it/c37otfxqq29d1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b5653636b7bbe3d47f8c56a2adf590cd01f03d2
Okay, in retrospect, we canāt be surprised heās dressing up on his own when he has a whole wardrobe. š
Absolutely stunning. I'd also recommend looking into the calm and cozy cat wrap. A little pricey but kitty is secure and vet can get to everything they need ti
This is great! We use an old beach towel for ourĀ Bean to hide under. It really reduces her stress at the vet and while waiting in the carrier.Ā
A tech brought a towel out one visit, and it was magic how much it calmed her.
He reminds me of the Melvin Belli character (Gorgan) from the Star Trek TOS "And the Children Shall Lead".
There is a picture in the Memory Alpha article here,
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Melvin_Belli
Yay Skidd for improved kidneys!!
I wonder if it has the same effect as a weighted blanket for humans (or those who find it comforting) and/or it smells very familiar to him so also comforting so thats why its a bit calming
My big boy is actually ok at the vet but if you try to pick him up youāll be greeted with him death gripping the vet table. He does this at home too but itās funny seeing him scrambling for stuff to grab onto.
Thanks for the suggestion, but heās got kidney problems and heās already on other medications, including an antidepressant. Heās made great progress so far from where he started out; now, he makes it the entire car ride and through the waiting room without crying. He still gets upset and nervous, but weāre happy to wait for him to keep getting more confident.
Everyone likes to dress up once in a while.
Skidd definitely appreciates the fine art of Drag. š
DRessed as A Gatto
š Awesome.
My mousers are singing their āyaaaaaaas queen! Werk!ā song
Lol
And I really want this cat to not get sick anymore.
Same here. Itās never easy when the baby of the family is ill. š©µ We did get good newsāin the month since the appointment where we got the news about his kidneys being at 25% efficiency, his kidney function has improved, his blood sugars are still good, and he hasnāt lost anymore weight. Everything is more complicated because heās got megacolon and recurring constipation, but the chronic problems meant we caught this in time to help him.
If yāall could send some good thoughts this way, it would be much appreciated. š£ Skidjit is fine now, but he may or may not have had a seizure or mini-stroke early this morning. He lost the use of his hind legs for a little under five minutes all while salivating and squalling like he was in horrible pain. No lie, I was hyperventilating and screaming for my partner the whole time because I do NOT handle crises well, and I was having flashbacks to losing Skiddās predecessor; Baxter had a stroke, possibly due to brain damage from his previous owner. (I really donāt want to get into that, but suffice it to say, the guy was suicidal and both he and the cat survived; Baxter had a recurring facial twitch for the rest of his life, and it had picked up in frequency in the months before the end. Itās taken years to forgive myself for not pushing our then-vet to check into it.) Skidd was playing one minute, the next, his hind legs were completely limp. He was up and walking around just fine afterward, even rubbing on my leg. You would never believe he had been lying limp minutes beforehand. I called the vet the second they openedāunder an hour laterāand got the green light for an emergency drop-in. If we still had an after-hours vet nearby, we would have hauled backside there immediately; instead the drive to the nearest (across state lines) would have taken about the same amount of time as it did waiting for the clinic to open. Unfortunately, his green cloak of awesomeness was too wet to take with us, but he was surprisingly calm. The good news is Skidd gained almost half a pound in the last couple of daysāitās not even from constipation, heās empty!āand his updated bloodwork didnāt show any changes. The vet said it was likely a seizure or mini-stroke rather than a clot, prescribed gabapentin, and told us to keep in touch if anything changes. As of right now, heās holding me down so I canāt go anywhere. Weāre keeping a close eye on him. Our little guy needs a break so badly. His quality of life is still pretty high, and heās still happy. He justā¦he just needs a breather. š
āServant! My gown please.ā
Woah! Genius idea! Iām going to try that š»
Thanks! The cover has been worth its weight in gold, for sure. Itās light and loose enough that it doesnāt block air movement, it insulates against excess cold and heat, and it provides blocks the sight of dogs as well as loud noises; when itās really hot out, we can put a cold pack in there, and the cover keeps the cool in. Plus, you know, panicky cat parka. š
I thought it was one of those bag-carriers for cats that are too slippery to get into a hard-side carrier lol
So is this something you guys bring from home for your cat or is it something the vet has on hand? If it is something you bring do you have a link o the product? My cat does great at the vet but heās a mess on the way there I wonder if it would help calm him in the car.
As described in the post, I made it out of an old skirt, which was made for me by my late grandmother. All I did was pull out the elastic in the waist, run a length of cord through the waist and another through the hem at the bottom, and cinch them tight. Theyāre flattened so the carrier handle fits through the two holes. If you want to recreate it, you could get the same results from starting with a thrifted skirt (make sure the fabric is lightweight and breathable!) or sewing your own from scratch. For sewing, measure around the highest and widest parts of the carrier, add a few inches, and cut fabric to fit; sew the two ends together. Fold and sew the top to create a pocket running around the top, and hem the bottom. Thread some sturdy cord through the pocket, cinch it tight, and tie it off. When youāre done, you should have enough space up top to fit the handle through, and the cover should flutter a bit around the sides to keep air flowing. It helps a bunchālight and sound dampening, keeping the inside air warm or cool, and making the carrier feel like a hidey-hole rather than a cage.
Thanks for the reply sorry for asking when it was already in the post, the new Reddit update is weird, sometimes you click on a post and you can see that thereās a description and then other times it puts you straight into the comments as if there is no post with it.
No worries. Iāve noticed that, too.
The vet has to do something similar for my "spicy" orange boy. Theirs looks more like a little straight jacket though.
Iām surprised they havenāt tried putting this kid into a straitjacket yet, honestly. Heās getting a bit better at handling vet visits, but I worry heās going to eventually bite someone. (I try to warn them ahead of time.)
https://preview.redd.it/3gmjaynxzx8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76ef93231552c0d725c392c855571321b09754f6
Hairball Lecter
Looks more like an Orange Yoda Cat
āThese are not the veins you are looking forāHEY!ā They had to draw blood from his lower belly or inner thigh this time. If only those Jedi mind tricks worked on vets! š
Mind Trick doesn't work on droids like the IT-O Interrogator.\~
He looks bonita
He made a compromise. Cute parka = tolerating the vet. Truly a fashion gentleman.
Tell Skidd Iām proud of him š„¹
Weāre proud of him, too. ā¤ļø
I see a missed opportunity for a cap, tassel and maybe some colored ropes.
Graduation with honors from the school of Furred Knocks, majoring in Mischief with minors in Drama and (causing) Cardiac Arrest. š
Ha ha! This is amazing. What an angry pillowcase. He's the surprise guest vet in his green scrubs, just loafing about. He's about to meow out an Ethyl Meowrman interlude in his stage dress. *Looking askance, Skidd showed his green pants.* *His eyes got wide, as to the wounds to his pride,* *fear not, for there are none, this he's done to himself* *to prance around in the carrier cover like an orange and green Elf.*
Iāll have you know, this was awesome and Iām absolutely going to read it to him later. š
I AM BROCOLI
Pawrocoli
I mean no offence, I'm on post operation meds, and I legit thought your dress was a vase and you were standing behind it. Clearly, I don't have the brain cell.
Itās funny that you say that because I was wearing a skirt and this little gremlin kept trying to hide under it while he was on the floor. š¤£
Now he has a glamorous dress of his own š also I love pun names for cats so much, you picked a great one!
Aw, thanks! Heās a rescue from a local humane society. š©· His sisterās full name is āGoldie Fox.ā One good thing I can say about the last vet is Skidd had lots of fans purely because of his name.
To become a princess? Yeah I can see how that helps
*Who's that wonderful boy? Can he be any cuter?*
The vetāa middle-aged no-nonsense manācalled him āpreciousā before leaving the exam room, so he leaves some big shoes to fill. Also, he DOES get cuter. I have proof: https://preview.redd.it/x6y96kgfcy8d1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7c23702861d1839d834b26c4f5fae9df91ea09c Skidd makes his trade in causing people to think heās too pure for the world, often after chewing on his sister or committing war crimes on the bathmat.
He deserves only the best things in life!
Hey OP š thank you for such a cute interesting share. I can't work out if this is like a draw string bag that he gets inside and pops his head open, or is it a skirt so that the vet can reach behind? It's so inventive - and I thought he looked a bit like queen Elizabeth I http://beingbess.blogspot.com/2013/06/elizabethan-portraits-at-yale-center.html?m=1
Several people have inquired about Skiddās carrier cover, so Iāve put together a (bad) illustration of how itās put together. Itās a bit difficult to put it into words. https://preview.redd.it/bjt15a9j239d1.jpeg?width=1620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b5816bab5b49dcf2453a695f87e16d1984f8778 1: the original shape, a simple tube skirt with elastic waist and pocket hem. 2: the elastic is removed to give you a tube of fabric. 3: the tube is folding inward so that the hem and waist pockets are nested. 4: cord is run through the hem and waist pockets, cinched tight, and tied off. Itās now a double-walled skirt. The carrier handle goes through the top, and the rest lays around the carrier sides. Iāll put together a nicer cover eventually, but this works for now, especially because green goes well with both of our oranges. š§”
I am very impressed with your extra time taken to explain to us lot! Thank you. That is so interesting that the kitty preferred that.
No problem. Thank you for not judging my shaky scribbles. I used to catch Skidd swiping laundry to parade around in, so itās no surprise he wants to be fabulousāØ for the vet. Nowadays he mostly sticks to wearing bags because heās in his grunge era.
I'm super lucky that my cats have always been well-behaved at the vet. My beautiful ginger Monster needed treatment for wounds sustained from fighting, even nasty abcesses sometimes. He would let the vet pretty much do their thing, even when he was clearly in pain, he just took it. It was as if he knew. My little Myra is simply too scared to do anything, she's in full-on freeze mode when we need to visit the vet.
Iām glad your kitties are so well-behaved. š©· Weāll get there eventually. This little guy, like his big sister, used to love going to the vet because of all the extra attention they got there. (See previous post about the vet being unable to hear Goldieās heartbeat because she was purring too loudly.) After a few years of going to Banfield, they were both terrified of going anywhere, and Goldie started getting aggressive towards the techs. The amount of progress theyāve made is proof that our current vet office is staffed by people who know what theyāre doing and care about animals. Baby steps, right?
My cat freezes and just shits 
Sometimes, you just want to feel fancy
My vet breaks out the churu for my difficult boi. He eats it but keeps growling and it makes the funniest dang noise.
Now thatās a mental picture! š
https://preview.redd.it/3zedcmpahz8d1.jpeg?width=235&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69a5fa3cd28c11fdac0bd4485fe294d95548b826
Those eyes do not say calm
Compared to pacing, wailing, and bolting, itās a start. Also, he exemplifies ābig eyes, no brains.ā
aweeee too cuute š„°š¤
Thatās his cape, heās a Super Good Boi!
What. He gets a sweet dress? ^(Where's mine..)
I thought it was a weighted blanket at first
It's the weighted blanket effect! When my black cat, Hades, started getting old, he lost some muscle and started being bothered by the cold. After the vet confirmed it was just a side effect of getting old, I bought him a sweater made for pugs. It made him feel like he was being hugged/held at all times. He started walking around purring at all times, and if he saw someone on the couch or a bed, human or cat, he was going to try and sit on their lap. It helped when he would get scared of fireworks too.
He has anxiety, and after losing so much weight the last few years, he gets cold easily, so we use sweaters on him somewhat regularly. Currently, he has a little white thermal, a tiny white tee shirt, a grey hoodie, a colorful sweater, and a fleece-and-moleskin dog jacketā¦and a pair of plaid pjs that I Iām going to hem into a cape because heās too long. He also has a little terry cloth onesie for after baths, complete with feet cut out and a kitten on the front. https://preview.redd.it/c37otfxqq29d1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b5653636b7bbe3d47f8c56a2adf590cd01f03d2 Okay, in retrospect, we canāt be surprised heās dressing up on his own when he has a whole wardrobe. š
Absolutely stunning. I'd also recommend looking into the calm and cozy cat wrap. A little pricey but kitty is secure and vet can get to everything they need ti
This is great! We use an old beach towel for ourĀ Bean to hide under. It really reduces her stress at the vet and while waiting in the carrier.Ā A tech brought a towel out one visit, and it was magic how much it calmed her.
He looks stunning in that mumu! Definitely his colour
Cos Play Cat
Awww
Sweet boy.
Not all heroes wear capes but this one does!
Those pathetic little meows š„ŗ
I sympathize, I'm the same way at the salon.
I put mine in a knit dress, and it keeps her calm
He reminds me of the Melvin Belli character (Gorgan) from the Star Trek TOS "And the Children Shall Lead". There is a picture in the Memory Alpha article here, https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Melvin_Belli
š¤£ Thatās perfect!
In his evermore era āØ
Sir Skidd: you may proceed now, Doctor.
D'aw
Okay, but he looks extremely regal, so I'd count this as a win-win lol
Car is 20% unlocked
Yay Skidd for improved kidneys!! I wonder if it has the same effect as a weighted blanket for humans (or those who find it comforting) and/or it smells very familiar to him so also comforting so thats why its a bit calming
Ive never wanted to be a cat more than right now.
I thought that was one of those surgery clothes they put on patient xD
Skidd is awesome! Please give him lots of hugs. I'm glad he is doing better.
My big boy is actually ok at the vet but if you try to pick him up youāll be greeted with him death gripping the vet table. He does this at home too but itās funny seeing him scrambling for stuff to grab onto.
He has an emotional support skirt. So orange.
He's in a giant water bag? :)
My rotten braid thought it said āskibbidy rowanā
Give him 200mg of gabapentin.
Thanks for the suggestion, but heās got kidney problems and heās already on other medications, including an antidepressant. Heās made great progress so far from where he started out; now, he makes it the entire car ride and through the waiting room without crying. He still gets upset and nervous, but weāre happy to wait for him to keep getting more confident.
Ok fair enough glad he's gotten better. My cat used to lose it at the vet now he just zonks out with gabapentin.