Pumpkin has been FOUND!

I should have known better.  Whenever I gave one of my babies to some one in the past, the cat or kitten often would hide from his/her new owner, sometimes for a few days.  When Pumpkin did not show a whisker for two days after my return, though, I went into a panic, with awful visions of him lying dead beneath a box on the porch...

Yesterday afternoon, I realised that, whatever the cost, I had to move everything in that room to find my last recalcitrant Puttikins.  I found him ultimately in the darkest, most inaccessible corner with Jasper sleeping on top of him!  No air or light for those two.  They missed their windowless room, evidently, so I picked them up by the scruff of their necks and returned them to the little interior bathroom where they had resided previously.  They appear to be much more at ease now.  They actually eat and drink.  Silly little boys!

In any event, I was so happy to see that little heart-shaped face that I almost wept for joy.  I was annoyed that Pumpkin simply stared as though he could not understand what the problem was.  Did he not realise how much anxiety I had suffered???

A Missing Pumpkin

I did not wish to leave my Puttikins for an entire month and, upon my return on Saturday, I discovered how much it had disrupted their psyches.  Despite the fact that both Bobbie and Jackie love animals and especially cats, the disappearance of their Mummy for a month as well as their move to a new, larger room, albeit one filled with boxes and other storage stuff, made them even more fearful and paranoid than ever.

Remember that most of these cats never saw any one but me....  Two days after my return,  I still have not seen Pumpkin nor even any evdience that he is alive.  When I first greeted my Putti, they ALL hid from me.  Soon, though, Beauty and Ash came out and Cupid followed shortly after that.  I could see most of the others in their hiding places.  The ones whom I could not see were Temujin and Pumpkin.

I went repreatedly into the room and sat quietly on a chair.  It was not until I returned in the middle of the night (and no electricity there!) that I felt the presence of many of my Putti brushing up against my legs.  Scruffy Leo finally began to purr, a sound I had missed terribly.

I kept vigil in the night, but no Pumpkin.  I sat on the chair from 4.00 a.m. until an hour after dawn and was rewarded by greetings from every one BUT Pumpkin.

Dear little Pumpkin... I worried terribly about him and still do.  I pray he is alive and well somewhere in that room.  Despite the fact that I did my best to move all the boxes, finding horrid little desposits of offerings of resentment and terror in and beside them, (many of them archaeological evidence from the beginning of May I daresay), no hint of Pumpkin.

Cupid's Recovery

These liquids as well as the concoction of Cranberry Juice with Apple Cider Vinegar probably saved Cupid's life.  He now is behaving in a very healthy fashion for the most part, even complaining of boredom!

Here is Cupid in his little hidden corner, sleeping comfortably.  He has begun to chafe against his forced stay in the kitchen but I must keep him away from the other Puttikins for another day or two. This morning at 3.00 a.m., when I visited the kitchen, he immediately trotted towards me to complain that he was both hungry and bored.

He eats very little but would consume all the catnip treats if I allowed it.  It is REAL food that does not interest him that much.  He will eat pureed chicken from my fingers and a few mouthfuls of tinned food but his appetite still is not as healthy as I would wish.  I am giving him fluids subcutaneously and he continues to inundate the litter box with clear, healthy urine but I was very distressed because I never saw him drink either water or chicken broth that I had placed in some bowls I bought recently.

Today I discovered that he returns instead to the horrid old water bowls I intended to chuck out for his water.  I made certain to fill the double bowl with fresh water, even though I left the new bowls out in the open for him.  Cats are such creatures of habit!

I would like to thank every one who expressed concern for my little boy.  Your thoughts and prayers meant a great deal to me and I cannot help but feel they made a real difference.

Cupid, my Brave little Boy

Today has been eventful.  In fact, since Saturday, I have not rested either physically or spiritually much until now.

Cupid began to exhibit great pain when he went to the litter box on Saturday morning.  It had nothing to do with the procedure he had on Wednesday when he was neutered.  Everything was healing well.  In fact, he had been more his old self at dawn on Saturday... but suddenly, there was blood in his urine and he was prowling back and forth from litter box to litter box.  I wrote about this in an earlier post.

I took him to the doctor and suggested that he be given liquids as he was dehydrated.  They gave him some and sent him home with more painkillers.  What followed was a perfectly awful weekend for both of us.  I was terrified he was dying.  He was in almost constant distress or discomfort, prowling back and forth, pissing first in one box and then the other, almost always with fresh red blood showing in the urine.

I began to research the situation on the internet and discovered a natural remedy for crystals in the urine that consisted of Apple Cider Vinegar.  For the very acidic urine that Cupid had exhibited, Cranberry Juice was recommended.  I mixed Cranberry Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar and a little plain Apple Juice to sweeten it.  I forced it down his throat with a syringe.  I did this twice on Sunday.

The hospital opened this morning at 9.00 and I rang them immediately.  The doctor returned my call about an hour later.   He looked at Cupid's chart and told me what I knew, that he suffered from a low urinary tract condition.   It was hereditary and plagued Himalayans in particular.   Most important was diet.  He was not that concerned about the blood in the urine.  He was more concerned about the amount of urine that Cupid was passing.

He did agree to give me a bag of fluids for Cupid with needles so that I could administer the liquids myself.   I surprise myself sometimes.  I know that I have done this before.  I basically saved Miela's life once years ago by giving her fluids subcutaneously... but faced with the bag and needle today, I was filled with trepidation.  It was a far more complex arrangement of tubes than the ones I had administered years ago as well...

In any event, I was able to administer the liquids to Cupid, although I did not give him the full 150 cc. that the doctor had suggested.  He began to protest shortly after he had received 100 cc. and the bulge beneath the skin of his neck was very pronounced.  I decided it would be better to stop and then give him more later if necessary.

He immediately went to the litter box and spent about five minutes there accomplishing absolutely nothing.  I am not certain what he was experiencing at that point in time, but it made me very nervous as the worst situation is blockage.  When a cat cannot pass any urine at all, it can mean death in a very short time.  I had an odd feeling though that he was trying to do something quite different.  His posture suggested it...

I coaxed him out of the box when obviously nothing was going to materialise.  I persuaded him to rest a little in his little corner.  I then decided to leave him in peace for awhile.  After all, he had the fluids inside him.

When I returned, he had pissed in one box magnificently with only a tiny bit of blood in the other box.  He purred when I touched him and licked a little pureed Chicken (infant food) from my finger.  After that, he went back to the box and urinated again.  This time, the stream was entirely clear!

I do not want to be too jubilant at this point, but I still have a large bag of fluids that I am supposed to give him every other day.  The key to his recovery IS fluids.  He now is resting in a much more comfortable position than before.  He actually is curled up with his head on his arm rather than maintaining a rigid Sphinx-like position eloquent of pain and fear.

I want to thank every one for their prayers and good wishes.  Please continue them!

Natural remedies for Cystitis in Cats

The veterinarian told me on our first visit that Cupid had crystals in his urine.  She did not give me any sort of remedy for that, apart from the advice to make him drink plenty of liquids.  His urine now is filled with blood and he is going back and forth to the two litter boxes filled with newspaper endlessly.

A human friend has gallstones and his doctor advised him to have a procedure to remove his gallbladder.  He was unwilling to do so and wanted to find a natural remedy.   He found a site on the internet that recommended five days of imbibing large quantities of apple juice, followed by a concoction that mixed lemon juice and olive oli.  The gallstones sometimes dissolve in the apple juice and even if they do not dissolve entirely, then pass with the olive oil concoction.

Today, desperate to help my little boy, I looked for a similar natural remedy for Cupid.  I found some sites that discussed natural remedies.  

The crystals that form in cat urine usually cannot be seen with the naked eye and can be detected only by analysis of fresh urine.   The condition is known as Crystalluria and cats who tend to be at an increased risk of developing this condition include Persians, Himalayans and Burmese.  Cupid is a pedigree Himalayan.

The greatest danger from these formations is that they may become large kidney stones.  Causes of crystalluria include:

Concentration of crystallogenic substances in urine, influenced by rate of excretion and urine concentration of water;

Urine pH off balance, requiring balance of acidic or alkaline levels;

Lack of solubility of crystallogenic substances in urine;

Excretion of certain medications, including sulfonamides;

Dietary influences.

Increasing urine volume, encouraging complete and frequent voidin of urine and modifying the diet (especially elimination cat food with large percentage of ash) is part of the therapy to eliminate the crystals.

Feline Cystitis, sometimes known as Feline Urologic Syndrome, is all too common among cats.   Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) can affect both female and male cats, although it is more common among females. This  phrase is inclusive of a number of disorders, but cystitis specifically refers to an irritation of the feline bladder. The condition occurs as a result of an infection in the bladder and will cause tiny crystals to form, which blocks the normal passage of urine.  A cat with cystitis will need to urinate more frequently but upon attempting it, will generally only be successful in passing only a few drops at a time. A cat may  discontinue use of the litter box when it needs to urinate, as this condition is very irritating for them and they are more comfortable using a cold, hard surface such as a bathtub, sink or countertop. It is also likely that the consistency of the urine will be thicker than it normally would be, the scent will be strong and foul smelling, and the urine will contain traces of blood. 

The precise cause of cystitis is not known.  The same condition in dogs or in humans would be caused by a bacterial infection, but most cats with this problem do not have bacteria in their urine. If a cat is affected by cystitis you may want to temporarily increase the amount of tinned food as it obviously has a higher water content than dry food.  At the same time, increase the amount of water that the animal takes in and decrease the mineral content of the diet.

Additionally, there are several homeopathic treatments that can be administered including Nux Vomica, Chimaphila or Cantahris.  

As mentioned previously, persistent crystalluria may contribute to the formation and growth of kidney stones.  Chronic crystalluria may solidify crystalline-matrix plugs, resulting in a urethral obstruction.  

There are two types of crystals: 

In 1985 the incidence in cats of sturvite crystals was 75%, while calcium oxalate crystals were 2%. With changes in dietary factors by lowering protein and magnesium, and lowering the pH to make the urine more acid, the incidence in cats in 1995  became almost 50% for sturvite crystals and a sudden increase in oxalate stones jumped to 40%.

Struvite crystals are composed of magmesium, ammonium, and phosphate which form the struvite stone, which is the most common stone found in cats.  The next highest incidence is a stone or crystal composed of calcium oxalate.  The remedy is to acidify the urine. It also says that high or low magnesium can precipitate the struvite stone.  The  recommended pH for the cat's urome is 6 to 6.5.   Apple cider vinegar is 4- to 5% acid, so it should acidify the urine without grossly acidifying it. 

Another old remedy is the Juice of l lemon with 2 tbsps. of extra virgin olive oil, but for a cat rather than human reduce that to juice from 1/6th of a lemon and l tsp. olive oil.  This remedy is for evacuation and should not be given more than once in a week.  

For the Apple Cider Vinegar mix, 1 teaspoon ACV with 2 teaspoons of water appears to be the mixture.  Some owners mix plain cranberry juice into it as well.   Give 6 cc. of this three times daily until the cat begins to urinate properly.  If bloody urine persists, a major procedure may be required, but for the majority of cats who suffer from cystitus, both male and female, the Apple Cider Vinegar treatment can work wonders.

The Apple Cider Vinegar should be given INSTANTLY and repeated until the cat urinates normally without any blood or straining.  A cat whose urethra is obstructed completely can die within four hours, so crystalluria can be extremely serious.  I am rather upset that the veterinarian did not make the dangers clear to me.  Moreover, when I took Cupid back to the doctor yesterday, it was I and not the doctor who suggested that his dehydration needed to be addressed with subcutaneous administration of liquids.

What I hope is that, despite the awfulness of the appearance of his urine pink with blood, the fact that he is passing a fair quantity of urine is positive.  The poor darling is using the two boxes, but I keep them spotless.  As soon as he passes the bloody urine, I remove the dirty newspaper and add clean newspaper.  The doctor advised me not to use real litter for another week as it could irritate his incisions.  Newspaper is far safer at this stage.

I made a little concealed place for Cupid to rest between two pieces of furniture in the kitchen.  It is next to the very low place beneath the rolling cupboard where he was hiding and which I feel was causing him injury as he should not be squeezing ANYWHERE at this point, so soon after the procedure.  He should not jump or run either.  He was not jumping but he was leaping to his favourite chair before he took a turn for the worse yesterday morning.  Now he stays in the little 'corner' i made for him.  An old hoodie conceals the entrance, making him feel safer.

I am sharing this information partly because I hope people will pray for my Cupid but more importantly, that it may prove helpful to other cat owners whose cats display the same symptoms.

Finally, I would like to mention a comment on one of the sites I visited for information about this condition that truly infuriated me.  Some one wrote to the effect that any one who cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars potentially for professional medical care for a pet has no right to own a pet. That is utter nonsense.  The idea that one can throw money at a problem to eliminate it is part and parcel of a typical American spoiled attitude that has brought ruin to our civilisation and does not contribute to a healthy society of human beings or animals.  Love and personal attention are far more important than money.  In most of the cases of cystitis described on these sites, moreover, the owners HAD taken their pets to a professional veterinarian who had NOT solved the problem.  Our pets are being poisoned by expensive commercial cat food in the same way that our children are being poisoned by genetically altered food ingredients and products.  The answer is not money but education.  The internet can spew forth a great deal of misinformation and hysteria but at the same time, it can be a godsend with sites that give real life-saving information freely.

Cupid's Setback

This morning, Cupid appeared to be much better initially.  He was sitting on his favourite chair in the kitchen and purred when I held him.   He ate a little tinned food and I felt I might be able to relax a little.

A couple of hours later, things changed.  He began to cry and he went in and out of the box repeatedly.  He was unhappy and in pain obviously, even after I gave him the painkillers.  I rang the doctor and they told me to bring him to hospital as they would be open only until noon.

When the doctor saw him, she said he appeared to be healing properly.  I mentioned that he was very dehydrated so they gave him some fluids and sent us home with more painkillers.

At home, he went to the box again and I found blood in his urine.  Again, he prowled back and forth, in and out of the two boxes I had in the kitchen for him.  He actually pissed on the floor once, but whenever he attempted to do so, I called to him and he went into the box... this has been going on for half an hour or so.  His urine now is very concentrated and stinks.  There is no blood now, but there is very urine each time he goes but he feels a need to keep trying.

I am furious and terrified.  The first diagnosis, BEFORE they neutered him, was urinary tract infection and they did find crystals in his urine.  Why hasn't this been mentioned again?  Now it's simply talk about the procedure!  I think perhaps he is trying to pass the crystals and that is why he keeps going back and forth to the boxes and why little emerges.  I am not a vet, but can any one help me?  Does it make sense???

Evening:  There is blood in his urine again.  He is agitated, insecure and in pain.  He begged to be taken back downstairs to his 'home' but I can't allow that.  He has to be kept isolated, especially now.    I have created a little 'tent' for him behind the shredder next to the cabinet that he chose for his own hiding place.  I made a temporary 'wall' with an old hoodie that he likes and placed a clean towel on the floor.  He is resting there now.  It is much better for him than the very small, low space beneath the cupboard.

I think it is the crystals that are causing the blood in his urine as well as the pain.  I pray he can pass them.  He will not drink of his own volition so I will make certain that I force bottled water down his throat every few hours.  The doctor last week told me that lots of liquids were required to pass the crystals... this before his procedure.  One becomes sidetracked so easily by the other conditions he has... post-operative wounds and pain as well as the expression of his anal glands.   I sort of forgot that the MAIN issue was the presence of crystals in his urine.

Cupid Sulks in his Tent like Achilles

Here is Cupid, home from the hospital, sulking in his 'tent' like Achilles.  He has to become almost two-dimensional in order to be able to squeeze into the very small space beneath this cupboard on wheels.  The space is about two and a half inches high but somehow, he manages.    

The hospital told me to keep him in a small, confined area but my thought was the half-bathroom off the kitchen.  I therefore placed a litter box in there last night with food dish and water and a clean towel on the floor.

Two hours later, I heard a terrible thumping from my room below the kitchen.  It sounded as though he were hurling himself at the door!  When I went upstairs to open the door, he shot through it instantly and squeezed beneath the cupboard.  

When he first came home, he sat in my lap and purred while growling and making little cries of pain or unhappiness.  And yet, he purred and gave me kisses...   Today, however, he is determined to remain beneath the cupboard.  If I pull him out, he will sit with me for a moment and then shoot off to his hiding place.  How long will this go on???