“Timex” because she takes a lickin and keeps on tickin,” says Karen.
The cat has led a more protected indoor-only life since moving in with
the Holdens. When their granddaughter Daniel e was born, Kricket
became the baby’s protector. “She’d hiss at anybody who came close!”
says Karen.
Today the elderly cat is stil determined to get her way. “In bed at night,
she wil paw at my shoulder until I turn over and face her. She’l rear up like
a horse and come down on the tap light, and turn it on and off, until I give up
and get out of bed.” The pair is so close that Karen immediately knew
Kricket needed prompt medical help when she became sick last
November. Her personality changed, she began drinking and urinating too
much, refused to eat, and acted very depressed.
Since it was after the regular clinic’s hours and Kricket couldn’t be seen
until morning, Karen cal ed another facility. “The Desoto Animal Hospital
said to bring her in immediately,” says Karen. Dr. Erin F. Barcevac
examined Kricket and diagnosed her in the early stages of kidney failure.
A therapeutic diet was prescribed to help take the strain off the cat’s
kidneys. “The vet says the main thing is to keep her eating,” says Karen.
Foods for Tiff and Pumpkin are also available, and Kricket alternates and
grazes from three brands on the “kitty snack bar.”
At first, fluid therapy (a sterile saline solution) was administered twice a
week at the hospital. The treatment helped Kricket maintain a good
attitude. “She was stil quite alert, active, extremely affectionate, and had
the appetite of a bear coming out of hibernation,” says Karen.
But the veterinary visits—Kricket screamed and complained throughout
the fluid therapy—was stressful for al concerned, and the cat’s kidney
values continued to go up. “The fact we couldn’t get her stabilized was
discouraging,” says Karen. Kricket had started out weighing 10 pounds,
and despite a good appetite, she’d dropped down to 7 ½ pounds in a very
short time.
Dr. Barcevac explained that more frequent fluid treatments would be even
more helpful. Cat owners often learn to administer subcutaneous fluids at
home, which is often less stressful for the cat. However, it does require
using a needle, which didn’t appeal to Karen. She learned that a new
alternative to “needling” the cat was available. Dr. Barcevac suggested
implanting a subcutaneous catheter so that Karen and Len could give
Kricket fluids at home.
The couple debated long and hard about the catheter implant. They were
apprehensive at the thought of anesthesia because of Kricket’s advanced
age. “I think Len could do it with the needle, but the catheter would make it
much easier on Kricket,” says Karen. “Dr. Barcevac showed us the
catheter. It looked like a little soaker hose.” The doctor promised to make
Kricket a little stretchy t-shirt to wear over the catheter to help protect it
from cat claws until Kricket grew accustomed to it. Karen and Len decided
to go ahead with the procedure.
The catheter was put in place in mid-January and Kricket came home
that same day. She was to be given a liquid antibiotic (Clavamox) as a
precaution against infection, and to receive fluids twice a week. “She
came through everything, but was tremendously stressed,” says Karen.
Before they left the clinic, the veterinarian demonstrated how to administer
the fluids, though Kricket was not at al a cooperative patient.
Once home, the cat—now wearing a bright red kitty T-shirt to protect the
catheter—settled down into her familiar bed. That evening, giving the
Clavamox was a piece of cake, and Kricket made a couple of trips to
nibble food during the night. Karen was greatly encouraged.
The next morning, Kricket again took her Clavamox without a fight—as if
she knew it was making her better. “Usual y medicating Kricket requires an
army,” says Karen. The spark wasn’t yet back in her eyes, but the cat did
bat a toy, and gave head butts and love nips to Karen. Surprisingly, Kricket
resisted any idea of having the T-shirt removed. “She let me know that just
because a girl is under the weather doesn’t make her less fashion
conscious!”
Two days later, the first fluid session at home did not go wel . Dr.
Barcevac had suggested giving Kricket some Benadryl to slightly sedate
worse. “She screamed as if it was painful, tried to bite, scratch and
escape,” says Karen. The experience made the Holdens dread future
sessions—especial y since the vet had recommended increasing therapy
from twice to three times weekly.
In the meantime, Pumpkin began to play nursemaid to Kricket, keeping
her company and refusing to leave her side. “It was as if he became her
guardian,” says Karen. Always before he’d either ignored her, or seemed
bent on aggravating her. Kricket usual y put him in his place. “She is a
growly, snarly, hissy, grumpy little old lady cat who swats any cat who gets
within reach. Pumpkin has always given her a wide berth,” says Karen.
She was amazed to see how solicitous Pumpkin became, and even more
surprised Kricket accepted his watchful presence.
Meanwhile, Karen wasn’t at al happy about the innovative treatment. “I
was real y regretting having the catheter implanted, and wondered why
we’d put her through this.” Karen says the vet must have sensed her
feelings, and told her she would not remove the catheter before a two-
week trial was done.
Before the next fluid session, Karen sought suggestions from other cat
owners with fluid administration experience. “The fluids went so much
better!” says Karen. Fol owing advice, they warmed the fluids, slowed the
rate of administration, and played a tape of the Dal as Symphony
Orchestra. “Kricket was in her bed with Len massaging the back of her
little neck and me massaging the bridge of her nose and speaking softly to
her—she took it like a champ. She actual y enjoyed it, and she knows she
feels better immediately afterwards. It’s working—slowing the drip made a
huge difference,” says Karen. The fol owing week, they increased the
treatment to three times a week.
The increased fluids almost immediately improved Kricket’s demeanor.
She started to come looking for breakfast instead of waiting to be served.
She reestablished her position as queen cat by pestering Tiff the Terror,
smacking the white cat’s gray ears each time she came within reach. And
afterwards, she slept like a log (snores and al ), awoke and demanded
more comb time with lots of head butts.
Even more tel ing, Kricket started purring like a freight train throughout
the fluid treatment. Karen and Len knew they were out of the woods when
Pumpkin left Kricket’s side and returned to his position in the bay window
to watch the birds.
Ten days after the catheter had been implanted, a checkup showed that
Kricket’s kidney values had gone down significantly, and she’d g
ained
another half pound to reach 8-½ pounds. Len and Karen were thril ed at the
news.
“I would recommend the catheter implant to anybody,” says Karen, “But I
would warn them to be prepared for some bumpy roads.”
The subcutaneous catheter implants are stil quite new, and as with any
innovative therapy, unforeseen problems could potential y develop—and
hopeful y wil be corrected should that happen. Some cats have developed
infections from the implant, for example, which means special care must
be taken to prevent this.
“I’m not saying al our problems are past. I am sure we wil face
more as time goes by, but for now, things are good for Kricket—and for
us,” says Karen. She says Dr. Barcevac and everyone at Desoto Animal
Hospital, from the front desk al the way to the back, has been
compassionate and supportive. “I just wish every animal had access to
such loving care.”
Nutritional Support
Nothing is more important to your aging cat than good nutrition. Old
cats have fewer reserves, and going 24 hours without food can tip the
balance of health into decline. Good nutrition is vital not only to maintain the
older cat’s health, but also to support him during il ness and help him
recover.
Reduced sense of smel due to age, or a stopped up nose, can
make a particular taste seem more intense, says Nancy E. Rawson, Ph.D.,
of the Monel Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit research institute in
Philadelphia dedicated to research in the fields of taste, smel , chemical
irritation and nutrition. “The frequent complaint of elderly patients that the
food ‘tastes too salty’ or ‘doesn’t taste right’ is linked to this altered
perception,” she says, and aging cats likely experience similar changes in
the way foods taste. In elderly humans, odors of a given concentration are
perceived as half as intense as they are to younger people, so boosting
the smel and flavors of foods are helpful for elderly cats.
Feeling bad for any reason often prompts cats to stop eating. Even
healthy cats dislike change. When your cat needs a new diet, perhaps to
address a heart condition, kidney problems, or just to change over to a
senior formula, it can be tricky to cajole the cat to eat. Cats, especial y
those that are overweight, tend to develop devastating liver problems as a
result of fasting, so it’s vital that your aging cat continue to eat. Use one or
more of these techniques to keep your cat wel fed.
· Switch foods slowly: Nothing upsets the aging cat’s feelings
(or tummy) more quickly, or prompts him to snub the bowl with more
determination, than an abrupt diet change. If a switch is in order—
whether to a quality “senior” product or a therapeutic diet for a health
condition—do so gradual y. Offer a 50/50 mixture of the new diet with
the old food for the first week. Then give him a third of the old mixed
with two-thirds of new food for another several days, and final y feed
the new food exclusively.
· Offer alternatives: The new diet may be state-of-the-art, but it’s
worthless if the cat won’t eat it. If he stil refuses after the gradual
switch, ask your veterinarian about comparable alternatives. Several
pet food companies offer lines of therapeutic foods, and your cat may
prefer one brand to another. Some cats want variety, so offering two
flavors al ow them to choose.
· Soften the food: This is particularly helpful for cats with painful
or missing teeth. Dry diets can be difficult to manage for senior cats.
Change to a canned or soft-moist formula, or soften the dry diet by
adding a cup of water for every cup of dry food. Avoid milk; that gives
some cats diarrhea and gas.
· Increase the smell: Scent stimulates the feline appetite.
Palatability of the food is dictated not only by taste and mouth feel, but
also by smel . You may be able to spark his appetite by making the
food more pungent. Try adding warm water or an unsalted chicken
broth in a drizzle over the food, and heating in the microwave for a few
seconds. The warmth unlocks the aroma and the temperature may
also help tempt the appetite.
· Offer intermittently: Older cats may not be able to eat too
much at a time. Also, the “appetite centers” in the brain wil shut down
if the cat is offered food for too long. Many times, cats are more wil ing
to eat two or three bites at a time if you then take away the food for an
hour or so before offering more.
· Give some contact: Cats are more likely to eat for an owner
than they are in the hospital surrounded by strange people, sights and
smel s. Perhaps it’s the loving bond they share that prompts cats to
eat better when stroked on the head and neck by the owner, or hand-
fed the meal one finger-ful at a time. When your cat refuses food, a bit
of one-on-one attention may be the answer.
· Tube feeding: Chronic care and critical care patients that
refuse to eat for two or three days are candidates for tube feeding. It’s
nearly impossible to force feed a cat, even when he’s weak from
il ness. The most effective way to get nutrition into these cats is to
place a tube into the stomach, through which a soft diet can be fed.
This requires anesthesia. One end of the large-bore flexible
gastrotomy tube opens into the cat’s stomach, while the other exits
through the abdominal wal through his side. The tube makes it
possible to feed for weeks or months at a time—often necessary with
chronic liver problems. Usual y, a high-calorie soft diet is fed one
syringe-ful at a time, and can be managed by the owner at home.
Feeding For Health
Getting concentrated and highly palatable nutrition quickly into the sick cat
makes a big difference in how quickly he recovers. Most “recovery” type
foods are only available through veterinarians. Examples include:
Eukanuba Veterinary Diets, Nutritional Stress/Weight Gain Formula,
Maximum-Calorie/Feline
Hil ’s Prescription Diet Feline a/d
IVD (Royal Canin) Select Care Development Formula
Waltham Feline Convalescence Support Diets
Waltham Feline/Canine Rehydration Support (a glucose-
electrolyte drink to help counter mild to moderate
dehydration)
Wound and Bandage Maintenance
Any wound from an injury or surgery is subject to infection from
the contamination of bacteria. Foreign material that infects wounds or
bandages thrives in moist, warm environments. Therefore, the best
defense against complications is keeping wounds and bandages
clean and dry.
· Clean the area: Most times the injured area is shaved and
cleaned by the veterinarian. You just need to monitor the site for
discharge, heat, or swel ing—any of which may point to infection. The
best way to clean a wound with the least amount of discomfort is using
cool water to flush out debris. That way your hands never have to touch
the place, which can be very tender. However, cats are notorious for
their distaste of getting wet. Your veterinar
ian may provide you with a
cleansing solution, such as the non-stinging antiseptic Betadine
Solution. Dilute this 50/50 with distil ed water to the color of weak tea.
Put the diluted Betadine Solution in a plant sprayer, and use to spray
the wound site to disinfect. Pat dry with gauze pads or a clean, lint-
free cloth.
· Protect the Bandage: There are a variety of bandages
designed for different injuries, and your veterinarian wil show you how
to change them, if necessary. Primarily, your job is to keep the
bandage clean and dry. It’s best to keep cats with bandages confined
indoors to avoid contaminating the bandage.
· Prevent licking and chewing: Cats dislike anything “stuck” to
their fur or body, and most wil try to remove a bandage. A col ar
restraint prevents the wrong kind of attention. You can often repel
licking of suture sites or bandages by applying strong-smel ing Vicks
Vapor Rub. The menthol tends to be off-putting. A cat that ignores his
bandaged and then suddenly decides it must come off may have an
infection brewing under the cover, or the bandage may be too tight.
Ask your veterinarian to check the situation.
The definition of a “good” quality of life varies between individual
owners and cats. How wel or poorly a cat functions during il ness or
convalescence is influenced by veterinary support and your own care
for him.
Cats consider their humans to be surrogate moms. “When they see
their owner they know that protection is coming, that security is
coming, that my owner/companion is here. That makes a big
difference for them,” says Dr. McCul ough. Caring for these aging and
sometimes il pets by nursing them at home can be a loving and
meaningful experience for you both.
Comfort Zone
Cats recovering from il ness or injury may not be able to reach the litter
box in time, or may have trouble getting in and out. Bathroom
accidents are not only frustrating for owners, but they can impact the
cat’s health as wel .
Save yourself frustration and aggravation by confining the cat to
an easy-to-clean area, such as a cat carrier, or a smal room
with linoleum.
Provide a temporary litter box with lower, more accessible
sides. Disposable foil cookie sheets from the grocery work wel .