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Poor Majel and her Nightmares

post #1 of 13
6/11/10 at 5:30am
Thread Starter 
I really worry about her sometimes. She has what I can only explain as horrible nightmares. She will thrash around in her sleep and wake up screaming, then come looking for us for consolation. Last night was the worst night. I thought someone was throwing up, and I heard my husband stir and take care of the screaming baby. When I asked about it this morning it turns out it was Majel. That was the worst screaming I have ever heard her done. What horrible things she must have gone through before she got to us, maybe linked to her sprained tail and her slit ear. Is there anything I can do to make this better for her? I just want to drag her to bed with us every night, but she's one of those cats that unless it's her idea she really doesn't understand doing it. (Majel is a little slow but she's infinitely sweet, but this makes it hard to explain things to her.) That seems to be the only time she is EVER scared is during her nightmares. We have tried to scare her away from the door and she just doesn't seem to process that she should be scared of us, which is both good and bad. Any ideas? I know how bad it is to have nightmares and I just want my baby to be happy. It makes me want to cry.
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post #2 of 13
6/11/10 at 6:12am
Oh that is heartbreaking! I'm sorry hun, I really don't have any suggestions, but I do want you to know that I am thinking of her and hoping that these nightmares go away soon, poor lil doll.
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post #3 of 13
6/11/10 at 6:21am
Poor little girl. I know you wish you could chase those bad dreams/memories away forever.

How about some Rescue Remedy at bed time every night?
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post #4 of 13
6/11/10 at 7:21am
That's so sad. Have you tried Feliway? What about putting out a shirt you've worn for her to sleep on. Maybe your scent would help?
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post #5 of 13
6/12/10 at 5:50am
Thread Starter 
Called my vet's office yesterday to see if they had any suggestions and the idiot (I'm sorry not trying to be flaming but she really made me mad) told me that cats don't have long-term memories and that she wouldn't worry about it but if I was really concerned I could bring her in and get her checked out.

WHAT????? Okay, I *KNOW* cats have long-term memories. When I went away for two-years to Mississippi and came back - my cat Kazi had health issues and couldn't be around other cats because he was contagious so I left him at parent's house at the time - placid sedate Kazi came absolutely unglued seeing me. And Linus well I hadn't played the Beatles for him since he was about two. I rented Across the Universe and I didn't realize he liked the Beatles so much until I played the movie. He swam (kneading the air) for the whole extent of the movie, he was so happy to hear it. So what that lady said was baloney.

So I called the other local vet's office - which I don't really like because of bad experiences but I figured if I could use them for drugs I would if that would help her or if they had some ideas - and she talked to one of the vets and they said she may have been having seizures.

I am beside myself terrified. Could this be true?????? Or are they just trying to soak me for money, because I know that other vet's office is prone to doing that as well.
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post #6 of 13
6/13/10 at 9:49am
Reading your post, that's the initial thought that went through my mind, that Majel was having seizures (epilepsy).

Just like humans, dogs and cats get it too - and, again, like humans sometimes it only happens at night.

It can be managed very successfully.

Over the years I have had a lot of rescues, both dogs and cats. My lovely, late Lucy was a victim of appalling cruelty which left her crippled and mildly brain-damaged. She didn't take long to settle down with us. Any memories she had of her terrible past never reared up. The only thing she was nervous about was being picked up. She had previously been thrown at walls and used as a football. It did take her a couple of years to get over that fear.

Last year we adopted a beautiful German Shepherd Dog who had been terribly battered - to such an extent one of his ears is now deformed. He was approximately 8 months old when we got him. He's turned into a super dog - very gentle with the cats too. He is 18 months old now. We still have to watch him with certain people - old, grey-haired men he is very suspicious of and will bark at them. He also does not like being muzzled and will wet himself. I don't like muzzling dogs but there are times you have to for whatever reason so I like to get them used to wearing a muzzle. All we can think of is that when the previous owners beat him, they muzzled him to stop him from biting back. Looks like he hasn't forgotten that so, yes, animals do have long memories. I am now working with him to accept the muzzle by showing it to him, then giving him a treat so he starts associating nice things with it.

I think in the case of Majel, I'd keep open minded about it but I do think you should get her checked out at the vet as I feel she could have nocturnal epilepsy.

Perhaps it would be an idea if you Google feline epilepsy and had a read of the information and read any forums who have people who own epi cats and how they cope with it.

I wish you the very best of luck.
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post #7 of 13
6/13/10 at 10:37am
Hmmm....actually seizures does sound like a possibility.

How old is Majel now, and when did you first notice these nightmares starting? Is she around 3? That is the general age for seizures to start in cats.

Have you seen this happen in the day time when she is sleeping?
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post #8 of 13
6/13/10 at 1:14pm
Thread Starter 
They said that they guessed Majel was about 1-2 when I adopted her, probably closer to 2. So I set her as turning 3 in September. She started having these events shortly after we adopted her. She doesn't have them all the time, but it only seems to be happening when she's sleeping. She thrashes like she's having a bad dream then growls then wakes up yelling and looking for us.

If it were to be seizures, what kind of tests would they run to check for it? What is the treatments? What is the general price for treatment? What is her quality of life? These are all questions I have to ask.
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post #9 of 13
6/13/10 at 2:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyHitchhiker View Post
They said that they guessed Majel was about 1-2 when I adopted her, probably closer to 2. So I set her as turning 3 in September. She started having these events shortly after we adopted her. She doesn't have them all the time, but it only seems to be happening when she's sleeping. She thrashes like she's having a bad dream then growls then wakes up yelling and looking for us.

If it were to be seizures, what kind of tests would they run to check for it? What is the treatments? What is the general price for treatment? What is her quality of life? These are all questions I have to ask.
So you had her for 6 months or so? When this happens is she convulsing and/ or having muscle spasms, or more like ears, paws, and tail is twitching sporadically? When she is vocal during these moments, is she vocally crying out and responds to you when you comfort her?
I only ask so many questions because my beloved Sweety was a huge dreamer and I know she definitely had nightmares as well. There were times when Sweety would just start meowing in a panic from a deep sleep and as soon as we consoled her she would settle down.
As far as your vet telling you "cats don't have long-term memories", I would react the same as you! That is a ridiculous response that I would least expect to hear from a licensed veterinarian.
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post #10 of 13
6/13/10 at 2:38pm
Maintenance medicine for controlling seizures is not expensive. Tolly's phenobarbital cost's only $4 a month. What's costly is the required blood tests, many at first, as the right dose is found, and then annually after that.

Tolly had "the works" done at Cornell University Companion Animal Hospital (I am so lucky to be only a 2 hour drive away). It was expensive, and that was 8 years ago.

Initial testing...looking at the high end would be blood work, xrays, CT scan, MRI. These things would check for abnormalities and causes such as brain tumors, lack of blood flow somewhere (EKG or chest xray), perhaps something cutting off the blood supply to her brain when she sleeps?

I wonder if she's is having trouble with air flow when she sleeps. If her air is being cut off, that could possibly cause seizures or simply night horrors (I have those).

Do you have video capabilities on your phone or camera? If you could get some footage of an episode, that would really help the vet in diagnosing, it would be a place to start.
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post #11 of 13
6/14/10 at 5:54am
Thread Starter 
What I know about seizures is limited to growing up with a cocker spaniel who had grand mal and petit mal seizures. I would imagine though that cats could be a little different when it comes to seizures.

When she is having these episodes, she thrashes her arms/legs as if she is being running and being hit, and cries, but I can wake her out of them, and when I call her name, she runs right to me and keeps screaming begging for me to pet her. That's why I thought they were probably nightmares because she responds. If she didn't respond or I couldn't "snap" her out of it, then I would be more inclined to thinking she was having seizures (as that was how it was with our dog Cody), but then again as I said, I'm not experienced with cats having seizures and no pun intended could be a whole new "animal". I've also heard that cats can have subtle seizures where the only symptom is their whiskers moving.

I used to have a phone that I could record 15 second videos on but my new phone I can't.

I'm not trying to put a price tag on her health, I just need to be prepared for what tests I should be paying for, and my husband would absolutely lose it if we did a whole bunch of tests on her and there was nothing they could find wrong. He of course would be relieved if they did find something wrong we could treat, because then we could work on "fixing" her.

But then again, worst case scenario, the reason I asked for prices on treatment is because if her monthly expenses were exceedingly expensive, then her care might be outside my income, and as painful as it would be, I would try and find someone who could afford to take care of her the way she need be. I'm only trying to be loving. Not give up on her, because I've never given up on anyone. But I'm trying to be practical and loving and realistic. $4 a month I could definitely handle. With some real finangling I can get the tests done - soon but not right away, my glasses are about to fall apart and I have to get new ones or else I can't work because my astygmatism and near-sightedness is so bad that I can't work without my glasses and without glasses I can't have money to do tests.

I know I'm not going to be able to find a vet's office that assures me that it is or isn't something without testing but I think it's infinitely frustrating that places don't want to give quotes to me so I can know what I might need to be prepared for.
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post #12 of 13
6/14/10 at 5:57am
I understand. Try the Rescue Remedy at night first. It's not too terribly expensive $10 or $15 a bottle I think but it will last a long time.

You're right seizures usually can't be interrupted.

Do you still have the feliway going?

Watch her sometimes when she is sleeping and see if she seems to be having any trouble breathing in her sleep.
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post #13 of 13
6/14/10 at 6:18am
Thread Starter 
Cats are so subtle. Would she perhaps be gasping, or would she be more like panting or just not good breaths or what am I looking for?

Haven't had them on the feliway in a while. I know that you know Mandarin and Majel weren't getting along for so long but for several months they have been trying to be friends. Mandarin tries to force baths on her, but she's not quite ready for that yet! LOL So then he slaps her in the face when she won't stay still. And they like to sleep about an inch apart so he can put his paw on her when she feels like taking it.

I'll check the pet store today for rescue remedy.
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