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About 6 weeks ago my cat Rocky (5 yrs old – 15lbs) threw-up a few times, so I took him to see the vet. He was subsequently diagnosed with a 105 temp and elevated liver enzymes. Rocky had to stay overnight hooked to an IV to reduce his fever and flush-out his system. Rocky’s leg was shaved for the IV and he was prescribed antibiotics. Knowing fully well that our 20lb alpha-cat Chase would hiss and growl upon Rocky’s return from the vet, I secluded Rocky in my bedroom for the succeeding 5 days - I did not want Rocky subjected to Chase’s rejecting behavior while he was still ill. When it came time to begin the re-integrate process, Chase responded as expected. After 1 week and believing the re-integration was successful, I allowed Rocky to roam the house – he and Chase sniffed each other without incident and I felt all was fine. But the following day Chase started up all over again. I can feed them in close proximity without incident, but when Rocky approaches Chase he makes it clear to stay away. These two cats used to get along just fine before this last trip to the vet.

Now 6 weeks later, I allow Rocky to roam free a few hours everyday, but the situation is getting worse instead of better. Yesterday Chase actually clawed at Rocky. This has far exceeded our typical time to re-integrate Rocky and it’s become a real disruption to our home. Not to mention, incredibly unfair to Rocky. Last week I took one poster’s advice and put Chase in the bedroom so Rocky would have a day out of the room. But this made Chase very angry and he tore up my brand new carpeting pawing at the door. I am very frustrated and am hoping someone can come up with better re-integration method. While there is no “fur-flying” just yet, I fear the relationship between the two will be impossible to mend should they get into a physical altercation. I tried Feliway on Chase, but it had the opposite effect. Chase is a 20lb bully.

Hello everyone. I haven’t posted a question in quite awhile. My problem is this – every time I take my cat Rocky to the vet, my 20lb alpha-male cat “Chase” hisses and growls at Rocky as if he is a new cat. Chase’s reaction stresses and disrupts the entire household and really puts me on edge. Rocky has the sweetest disposition I have ever seen in a cat. I have had Rocky secluded in my room surround with all his favorite toys, snacks, etc. because I didn’t want him to have to deal with Chase’s rejecting attitude or possible clawing or “paw batting” until he felt better. Well, it is now day 4. Rocky is restless and feeling much better, so now its time to face the inevitable confrontation with Chase.

I took Rocky in with me to clean “the cat room” – yes, I have a cat room (3 very spoiled cats). I had hoped Chase would pick up Rocky’s scent and this would make the initial confrontation easier. A few hours later I placed Rocky inside a protective doggie pen – it is completely sealed and made of windbreaker type material with mesh windows on two sides. Chase came over and he and Rocky touched noses through the mesh window – Chase hissed and then left. I later let Rocky walk about the house with me following close – Chase remained in his chair, but later hisses and ran in the other room.

It might sound as if I am being too overprotective of Rocky. But Chase has a history of attacking Rocky when he is sleeping. Chase hated Rocky at first and was very angry with me for a very long time for bringing him to live with us. As a matter of fact, I don't recall Chase displaying alpha-male type behavior until after Rocky arrived. Chase's attacks are sporadic, but he and Rocky still get along very well most of the time. Still, Rocky has had to deal with this type of behavior from Chase since coming to live with us 3 years ago. Rocky loves Chase and follows him around much like a younger brother and always has. Even when Chase attacks him, Rocky follows him as if HE did something wrong and wants to make-up.

But earlier this year Rocky (now 17lbs), actually stuck up for himself – he batted Chase in the head with his paw a few times (without claws extended). Chase hasn’t attacked Rocky since. But I’ve noticed lately that there is storm brewing between the two. Every time I sense a little tension between them, I step between them and make them split-up. Both mind and do what I say, but I don’t know how long I can keep this up. I am very afraid if Chase and Rocky get into a physical altercation the relationship between the two will never be the same and the present harmony will turn into an everyday chaotic nightmare. Anyway, Rocky is back in my room tonight because Chase’s attitude hasn’t changed.

There has got to be a better way because what I am doing is not working. I would greatly appreciate any advice, guidance, or new ideas. Thanks for reading.

I am in a terrible jam. Eight months ago my mother died very unexpectedly. I hired an attorney-friend of 30-years to represent me in the probate. I am executor and sole beneficiary and my mother’s assets consist of only 1 home and 1 car. My 3 siblings did not contest the will, so this should have been an easy probate. Consequently I have encountered several costly setbacks, which I suspect were caused by my attorney. My attorney’s explanation of the first 30-day setback proved to be a lie. My attorney claimed that the probate referee did not approve of the newspaper used to publish the creditor announcement because it is not a widely-enough circulated newspaper and that the probate referee insisted he repost it in another paper. This caused us to obtain a new court date and a 30-day delay. I asked if I could speak with the probate referee, but my attorney said it wasn’t allowed. I have since been on the probate referee’s website; spoke to a referee, and learned creditor announcements and what newspaper is chosen is not under their jurisdiction. So it now seems that my attorney lied to me and it is difficult to believe all of his other excuses. My realtor and escrow rep tell me that my attorney has not acted in my best interest; is rude, arrogant and is difficult to deal-with every time they speak with him. I concurrently pay my mortgage and the mortgage on the inherited home to keep it out of foreclosure during the probate process. I managed to sell the home for a decent price and was waiting for my letters of testamentary to close escrow. However for some reason unknown to me, the judge only granted me limited authority and now my attorney must get the court’s permission before I can sell the home. I have spent $30,000 out-of-pocket on matters of the estate; have no further funds to pay the mortgage and am now broke. My attorney refuses to find out why I was only granted limited authority; only answers ¼ of my emails; never copies me on probate filings; rarely explains the where, who and why’s of it all and I have no idea what’s going on. What’s more, I asked my attorney to explain my situation to the judge, but he refused. At the advice of my attorney, I stopped paying the mortgage and am now 3-months behind. This new delay could cause the property to go into foreclosure and I am very afraid I will lose the house and the money I’ve invested. I realize I can fire my attorney, but this would only cause more delays. As I learned the probate judge oversees my attorney and the probate process in its entirety, I need to know if it is permissible to write the probate judge.

Questions 1: Is it standard practice to copy the client on actual documents filed on their behalf in a probate case? If not, is the attorney obligated to provide said copies after the client emails a formal request? Questions 2: If I send my attorney emails referencing important situations with tight deadlines and my attorney fails to reply in time with the proposed deadlines and I suffer consequences due him not responding accordingly, what is my recourse? Questions 3: Is there anyone, such as a court-appointed attorney, that oversees the actions of the probate attorney? If yes, would it be beneficial for me to contact this individual or would it just raise red-flags and complicate matters further? Questions 4: Is my attorney permitted to answer some questions, but completely ignore others?

Thank you everyone! I anxiously await your responses.

Most people would say “Bah, Humbug” when it comes to finding a psychic who can really tell your past, present and future. I was once just like those who did not believe in this sort of thing, but later changed my mind. One day (for amusement only) while waiting outside a theater with my then boyfriend, I gave a psychic $25 for a reading. I tossed my money on her table and sarcastically said, “Okay, go ahead and read me”. I told the psychic nothing of myself and she asked me absolutely no questions. She began by telling me that I was going on a cruise. I told the psychic she was absolutely wrong and I had no plans to go on a cruise. The fact is, I had booked a cruise a few weeks earlier, but couldn’t divulge she was right because the cruise I booked was actually a birthday surprise for the guy standing next to me at the time of the reading! The psychic continued to insist that I was going on a cruise and I continued to deny it. The psychic actually became a bit frustrated with me and finally insisted that I was either going on a cruise or just came back from one. I maintained that I had never been on a cruise in my life nor did I have plans to go on one. Next the psychic told me that I would soon be fired from my job. In no uncertain terms I let the psychic know that she was dead wrong in her prediction and that I would never be fired because my brother was president of the company. Much to my surprise, one month later my brother’s position was sabotaged (long story) and a new president was hired. This new president did in fact fire me and I was devastated. I later helped my brother get this new president voted out and his position as president restored and I was rehired. Nonetheless, the psychic was right, I did get fired. The psychic offered up additional predictions that also came true, but I have limited space here to post. She warned me not to get into a red car as it would result in BIG insurance problems. This prediction came true one year later. She also said I would not be rich, but comfortable. Well, she was right, I am not rich, but I am comfortable. Her next prediction cannot be confirmed yet, which had to do with me living a long life and dying of old age. At present I am 54 without any major health concerns, but only time will tell on this one. Her last prediction was about a “soul mate” (I hate that term), which also came true. I told this brief summary for a couple of reasons… one, to convince others that true psychics do exist and two, to let whomever might recommend a psychic know that I am not looking for a fake psychic to give me generalizations, but with more accuracy such as this reading. If anyone knows of a psychic that can predict events with comparable precision, then please provide me with their contact information. Thank you for reading my story and for any time spent in referring a true psychic. PS: Yes, I realize I’ve provided enough information in this post to motivate a fake psychic to take the ball and run with it so to speak. That’s okay… none of what is mentioned here has any bearing on the answers I seek.

Most people would say “Bah, Humbug” when it comes to finding a psychic who can really tell your past, present and future. I was once just like those who did not believe in this sort of thing, but later changed my mind. One day (for amusement only) while waiting outside a theater with my then boyfriend, I gave a psychic $25 for a reading. I tossed my money on her table and sarcastically said, “Okay, go ahead and read me”. I told the psychic nothing of myself and she asked me absolutely no questions. She began by telling me that I was going on a cruise. I told the psychic she was absolutely wrong and I had no plans to go on a cruise. The fact is, I had booked a cruise a few weeks earlier, but couldn’t divulge she was right because the cruise I booked was actually a birthday surprise for the guy standing next to me at the time of the reading! The psychic continued to insist that I was going on a cruise and I continued to deny it. The psychic actually became a bit frustrated with me and finally insisted that I was either going on a cruise or just came back from one. I maintained that I had never been on a cruise in my life nor did I have plans to go on one. Next the psychic told me that I would soon be fired from my job. In no uncertain terms I let the psychic know that she was dead wrong in her prediction and that I would never be fired because my brother was president of the company. Much to my surprise, one month later my brother’s position was sabotaged (long story) and a new president was hired. This new president did in fact fire me and I was devastated. I later helped my brother get this new president voted out and his position as president restored and I was rehired. Nonetheless, the psychic was right, I did get fired. The psychic offered up additional predictions that also came true, but I have limited space here to post. She warned me not to get into a red car as it would result in BIG insurance problems. This prediction came true one year later. She also said I would not be rich, but comfortable. Well, she was right, I am not rich, but I am comfortable. Her next prediction cannot be confirmed yet, which had to do with me living a long life and dying of old age. At present I am 54 without any major health concerns, but only time will tell on this one. Her last prediction was about a “soul mate” (I hate that term), which also came true. I told this brief summary for a couple of reasons… one, to convince others that true psychics do exist and two, to let whomever might recommend a psychic know that I am not looking for a fake psychic to give me generalizations, but with more accuracy such as this reading. If anyone knows of a psychic that can predict events with comparable precision, then please provide me with their contact information. Thank you for reading my story and for any time spent in referring a true psychic. PS: Yes, I realize I’ve provided enough information in this post to motivate a fake psychic to take the ball and run with it so to speak. That’s okay… none of what is mentioned here has any bearing on the answers I seek.

I have three cats—Dusty, 10, Chase, 5 & Shakes, 3…

On Monday we took Dusty to the vet for an elderly-cat blood panel to head-off any potential problems due to old age. When we returned home, Chase went crazy—hissing and growling at me, my husband, Dusty and even Shakes who never left the home. I think it important to mention that Chase is an 18lb Alfa-male cat in every sense of the word… I have only recently educated myself on Alpha-Cat Syndrome and have not yet began Chase’s retraining…

Anyway… 2-years ago when we brought Shakes home from the vet, Chase exhibited this same type of behavior, but worse. At that time, we chose to put Chase into a separate room instead of the other two cats—however; it was very difficult to get Chase into a separate room. The best way to describe Chase’s behavior back then is he became extremely defensive and he acted very much like a caged animal that was being chased into a room by “strangers” that were trying to hurt him. Of course we have never raised a hand to any of our cats. We were very afraid for Chase that night because he was upset to the point of acting “crazed”.

We purchased Feliway in hopes of calming Chase down; however, he had a bad reaction to it and his aggression only became worse. We left Chase alone in the room that night and he had calmed down by morning. At some point and time (I forget how long), we eventually let Chase out of the room. He hissed at the other two cats here and there throughout the day, but eventually the cat’s were like “peas and carrots” again… the incident 2-years ago was so bad and disruptive to the harmony of our home that I vowed to never take the cats to the vet again and to find a vet that made house calls!

So like the idiot I am; forgetting all about what had occurred 2-years ago, I took Dusty to the vet. I did have a game-plan though that I thought would work in order to avoid a repeat of the last incident.

Our game-plan was to put Dusty into another room upon his return from the vet, which we did… however, Chase then became aggressive with Shakes… so to protect Shakes from harm, we put him in the spare room with Dusty. After 4-hours or so, Chase finally stopped hissing at me and started acting more like himself. He did however hiss at me after I would come out of the room where the other two cats are currently being housed.

Later that same day (Monday), I transferred both Dusty and Shakes into our bedroom because it is much larger. When it came time for bed, my husband slept in the bedroom with Dusty and Shakes behind closed doors and Chase stayed downstairs with me on the couch. The next day (Tuesday), Dusty and Shakes remained in our bedroom all day, but we switched their locations on Tuesday night. We made this switch hoping that Chase would use the same cat box, eat from the same blow and sleep in the same bedding and re-familiarize himself to Dusty and Shakes scents. We had hoped that overnight Chase would remember both cats and this nightmare would be over by morning.

It is now Wednesday morning… Shakes was sitting outside the bedroom door waiting for it to open. However, when my husband opened the door Chase hissed at Shakes—very loudly and many times. Therefore, my husband simply shut the door and left Chase in the bedroom. I then went into the bedroom to feed Chase and he hissed at me like 5-times just as he had two-years ago—again acting very defensive like I was going to hurt him or something. I sensed that Chase feels trapped in the bedroom… it is my husband’s belief that if we let Chase out and lock the other two-cats in a separate room that Chase will not get the message that his behavior is unacceptable. I on the other hand believe that Chase feels more threatened by being locked in a single room and this is only making the problem worse. Our home is in utter turmoil right now… I haven’t slept in 2-days and I am at a loss of what to do. I have a large dog cage… I was thinking about placing Dusty and Shakes in the cage and then placing the cage in the middle of my living room. This way, Chase can investigate and hiss all he wants, but he cannot hurt the other two cats.

I am so tired right now; I don’t know what I should or should not do at this point. GOD… someone help me please!

Hi Everyone! I have a very dear friend who was recently diagnosed with type II diabetes. He is 62 years old and also has prostate cancer; an enlarged prostate and recently had the arteries in his legs cleaned out. He is receiving radiation treatments for the prostrate and his leg surgery went well. The only thing that he cannot seem to gain control of is the pain in his feet caused by his diabetes.

At present, he takes oral medication for his diabetes and is on a special diet that seems to be working just fine. However, he is suffering from a tremendous amount of pain in his feet every single day of every waking moment and throughout the night. I am posting this question in hopes a finding anyone that has suffered from the same ailment and has found a cure or something to lessen the pain such as a home remedy or medication or even a holistic treatment. Presently, my friend takes Vicodin for the pain, but it doesn’t seem help him very much. Thank you to all who answer. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that someone posts a treatment or medication that is proven to work. Thanks again.

On day-1 we eat the turkey with all the trimmings. Day-2, turkey sandwiches; I eat it hot and my husband likes his cold. On Day-3, I make turkey pot pie and Day-4, turkey enchilada. This time I’d like to do something different.

I have always used a cooking bag to cook my turkey. I thought I had a bag on-hand, but I don’t. And I have no transportation to run to the market. Also, my turkey needs to go into the oven within the next 30-minutes to be ready in time for dinner.

It is a 19 ½ lb turkey. I have a big roasting pan, tin foil, butter, flour and spices. I have no turkey-baster because I’ve always used turkey bags.

The casing to the turkey is now at the bottom of the trash can covered in coffee grounds and other junk, so I have no instructions on how to cook the turkey.

The turkey does have a pop-up, but what time do I set the timer for to look and see when the pop-up, well, pops-up? LOL

I’ve always gotten my instructions off the turkey bag box, so what degree should I set the oven?

HELP!

I am tight on cash and cannot afford to buy my usual stuff. I would like a few ideas for a homemade exfoliate cleanser, toner and a facial. I have already tried lemon and sugar. I thought it was working fine until two months later when I ended up with a lot of acne and blackheads. My face got so bad; I ended up having to pay for one of those acne facials. I may keep the lemon as a toner and skin brightener, but I am axing the sugar. I have normal skin. Thanks you to all who lend their successful and proven skin care recipes

I can’t seem to make a decent maccorioni salad that REALLY tastes good. My potato salad is okay, but very basic and blasé. I make a broccoli salad with carrots, raisins, dried cranberries and sliced almonds tossed in a coleslaw dressing that’s pretty good… but other than that, I haven’t a clue. I am no longer seeking new recipes on online recipe sites because I recently tried a new turkey meatloaf recipe that turned out simply horrible. Therefore, I thought it best to seek recipes directly from the source. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I am looking for something else to do with ground turkey. So far I’ve tried meatloaf, chili, enchiladas, meatballs, turkey burgers, lasagna, spaghetti, tamale pie, and layered Mexican pie. Even as I review my list of already cooked recipes, it doesn’t seem like there is anything else to do with ground turkey. Last week I tried a new meatloaf recipe that I found online and it was absolutely horrible. I therefore decided to ask people on this site in hopes of receiving proven homemade recipes that received rave reviews from families. Even though meatloaf is on my list, I am still searching for a better recipe. Presently I use McCormick’s meatloaf mix and add green peppers and onions, but it’s not that great. I follow the recipe to a tee, but my meatloaf comes out too loose, mushy or grainy.

My cats use three extra large oversized litter boxes filled with scoopable unscented litter. All boxes are cleaned twice daily. Tonight I decided to wash their boxes and exchange their old litter for new. I emptied the litter of each box into a plastic bag and then scrubbed the boxes with scalding hot water and non-toxic soap. Each box was rinsed, re-rinsed and rinsed again because I’m paranoid that way. After the boxes dried, I then refilled each box with new clean cat litter. This undertaking, to include clean up, took almost 2-hours. How often should I be doing this and what are the consequences for not adhering to the general rule? Thanks.

I have three treasured and very spoiled cats. Two are overweight and one is slightly under. All three share free-feeding kibble all day long consisting of 2 full bowls of Solid Gold Indigo Moon; 2 full Bowls of Halo Seafood Blend for Sensitive Cats and 1 full Bowl of Royal Canin Selective Aromatic Seafood Blend. The Solid Gold brand is by far the most eaten daily with Royal Canin coming in at a close second. The Halo brand is only picked at, but they seem to like it very much.

It is not my intention to stop feeding my cat’s kibble. I simply do not want my cats eating kibble all day long. My goal is to decrease the feeding amounts to 2 bowls of the Solid Gold consisting of ½ cup each and 1 bowl of Royal Canin, also consisting of ½ cup. The Halo brand will be totally cut from their diet.

My cats are also served two 3-ounce cans each of premium cat food daily, but in actuality only consume ½ can; lapping up only the gravy and leaving most of the meat behind.

As my cats have been on this system for many years, they are use to grazing and expect the kibble to always be there for the taking. I am not sure how to go about this… what will happen if I serve the kibble in the morning and then pull the bowls by noon so my cats do not have access to food all day? Since they are use to grazing, is it not a fair assumption to think one or all may go hungry for that entire day? Will this cause them to be “angry” cats? Should I return the bowls of food for an evening feeding and then pull the bowls again before I go to bed?

Any sound plan or advice is greatly appreciated.

I want my cats to live as long as possible, so I am changing their diet—beginning with slow tapering off of dry food and freeze-dried kitty snacks. I have three boys—Dusty is 11yrs, Chase is 5 and Shakes is 3. It is well-known that some cats live up to 20yrs, even longer and I want my cats to live this long. I read a recent post where a guy feeds his cats raw and partially cooked chicken w/bone, rabbit and turkey and fish once per week. While this makes sense to me, I can’t help but wonder if this is really necessary to ensure optimum health of our cats.

Therefore, I would like to hear from anyone who has had a cat that lived 15 to 20+ years. Answers from cat dietitians are also welcome or from anyone who has had real experience in this area.

What did or do you now feed your cat(s)? Did you give your cat vitamins? If your cat was ever sick with the flu, did you give him or her prescribed antibiotics OR did you take a more holistic approach? Any other ideas to endure optimum health are greatly appreciated.

My cat Dusty use to eat Fancy Feast chunks, but for some reason he stopped eating it. So, I have since changed him to Science Diet for Mature Cats and other like food for mature cats—I’m still testing to see what he will eat. At times, he will also eat whatever Chase eats. Dusty is an underweight cat having had something wrong with his intestine since birth which later let to an operation. He throws-up A LOT, but not so much since I changed his diet. Dusty also has a thing for eating plastic, but I’ve been pretty good about keeping it away from him lately. Dusty also seems to have bad breath. He is a spunky cat and otherwise seems healthy and happy.

Chase will not eat any canned cat food that is processed into chunks or pate. He will only eat the kind of cat food that looks close to the “real thing” such as AvoDerm, Soulistic, and Fancy Feast Appetizers. Chase tried to steal a piece of raw chicken once, so I believe he is attracted to raw meat. Chase is a BIG cat at 18lbs or more and is the ruler of the roost.

At present, Shakes eats Fancy Feast pate and Appetizers and sometimes whatever Chase eats. However, he doesn’t seem to like eating the meat as he only licks the sauce. Shakes has been known to have bad reactions to certain foods which usually contain chicken. Therefore, I only feed him food containing fish. He is a white and black cat with pink skin and nose. His bad reactions include warm ears and nose and skin twitching. Shakes eats A LOT of dry food and is overweight. It is going to be difficult to get him off the kibble.

I have three cats that I absolutely love… we’re talking REAL L O V E here. They are a BIG part of my life; much like children. I have spoiled my cats beyond comprehension. They have their own room filled with every toy a cat could possibly want. They are fed a variety of free-feeding kibble; six endless bowls to be exact. My boys are also fed the best canned cat food on the market and they often beg to eat more than 2 times per day. In addition, they are also fed premium dried Bonita fish flakes whenever they want and other gourmet cat treats in between meals. So what do you think happened? You guessed it—THEY ARE FAT!—FAT, FAT, FAT!

Now as a loving “parent” it is my responsibility to correct this life-threatening mistake. But how does one go about helping cats to lose weight after they have been spoiled for so many years? I need REAL ideas here. Let me give you an example of my boy Chase… he’s about 18lbs-maybe 20lbs now. He is a big cat, but he is also very heavy due to my inability to say NO. When I don’t feed Chase when he wants to be fed, he chases me (hence the name Chase) and bites my ankles until I return to the pantry to retrieve a can of food or fish flakes. People usually laugh when I tell them this, but I don’t think it is very funny anymore.

I read a recent article on pet obesity and now I am very afraid for my cats. I’ve got to come up with a realistic plan that will work, to include feeding times, amounts… exercise options? How does one go about exercising cats?

My lasagna pan is pretty full—extremely close to the top. I heard somewhere that lasagna expands while cooking—that the ricotta cheese mixed with the mozzarella/Italian cheeses causes it to expand. Is this true? As I cannot lessen the ingredients at this time, my only remedy is to bake it on a cookie sheet so it doesn’t overflow onto the oven. I just want to know what to expect. I also need to know if I should cover my lasagna with foil while cooking. There is cheese on top and I don’t want it to burn and get hard. I sure hope someone can help soon as it must go into the oven by 4:00pm PST today. Thanks!

It is hard to know which the true religion is. In my pursuit to find a religion that makes sense, I came across a website that lists religions in order of population and proportion, But several religions claim to be the oldest. .