Cat prefers cellar -- again

catapult

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Hi,

I've posted about Blackey before.

He is a 9 year old, 19.5 lb shorhair that came to live with me about 3 years ago this November.

I posted about his other problems here before.

He used to sleep in the cellar until we figured out he had a urinary blockage.

Then after that was fixed, he never went down there except to use his box.

Next crisis was he got diabetes and lost 5 lbs.

He'd been going down in the cellar at night then too.

Once that was fixed he was OK again, for a while.

Next problem was he apparently had toothaches and needed 7 teeth pulled.

Once that was solved, he never ever went into the cellar to sleep again.

At night he was either in his cat condo downstairs, or in the hall outside the bedroom, or on the bottom of the bed itself.

But now this past week, I am not sure if it's because for the past month or so his original owner has not been here or if he is developing another problem.

Before this, he would start off in the cat condo, and end up on my bed for the rest of the night.  Or he would come upstairs with me and sleep on the bed all night.

This past week he's been doing something different.

I leave him in the condo and by  morning around 5 AM he's up there meowing for food. I get up, feed him and go back to bed.

When I come down at around 7:30 for the insulin shot, he's nowhere to be found, and is apparently in the cellar and comes up when I call him.

This has gone on for a week or so until tonight, at around 7:30 he goes down and doesn't come up. I have to go down there and find him to give him his shot.

There he is laying on a box apparently just fine. When I move some stuff he's laying on, he jumps down and lays on the filthy floor and watches me.

After I give him his shot I beg him to come upstairs and he doesn't budge, preferring the dirty floor (ugh, the stairs have an inch of grit on them, I've not kept up with cleaning down there).

This behavior upsets me because the only time he ever did that was when he was sick... and especially not to go down there while I am up here and moving around in the house. He had prior to this, been sitting in his condo, came over to me on the couch to see what I was doing and was a bit nippier than usual. He's not usually like that and tolerates me handling him a lot.

I like to think it started when I cranked up the heat and it's cooler down there, but who knows?

He seems OK, had a burst of appetite last week and is now eating his normal amount.

I realize that for a cat that is 9-10 years old with diabetes (2 units insulin twice daily) anything could give on him.

Should I crack this up to a phase, the hot house, or what? I hear stories about how the kidneys and liver just give out.

I'm so attached to him.
 

betsygee

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Any change in behavior is scary, isn't it.  When's the last time he had a check up with a vet--maybe one is due?
 
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catapult

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We went to the vet today.... and he's back sleeping in the cellar even though he eats, drinks and seems OK.

He has a touch of pancreatitis.

Wow I can't believe a simple change in behavior alerted me to this.

Now the big question is, can this be temporary, or will it just get worse?

Does it mean he needs more insulin than he is getting?

He has lost a pound and half which is OK for now because 19.5 lbs is too big.

Here he is trying to commandeer my iPad so he can watch fish television or mouse games!

 

bonepicker

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Have you tried to feed wet only to better control his diabetes and help him loose weight. I know people who have been able to get cat off insulin with wet food only.
 
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catapult

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Oh he's been on wet food for ages since he was diagnosed. He's on the prescription diet. Purina DM specifically for diabetics. And once in a while I give him a little raw chicken. So there is no question he needs his insulin.

He's up sleeping on top of his Mondo condo right now so hopefully the little bit of extra insulin Helped. He had been in the cellar and I called him when it was time for a shot and he came right up. So who knows what's going on
 

betsygee

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So glad you got him to the vet and found out!  What did the vet say about the prognosis for the pancreatitis?  

What a beautiful boy, by the way!! Gorgeous eyes.
 
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catapult

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She didn't really say because there's a bunch of other test that they're going to do as well


I did look it up and it could just mean a temporary irritation but to me the symptoms are just like when he had the diabetes at the beginning so perhaps he's needing more insulin now
 
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catapult

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OK so since I last posted here, Blackey my diabetic cat has been fine, being upped on his insulin to 3 units 2x day.

This past week he again took to the basement which is a sign that there was something wrong.

He has bad diarrhea and that's why he's sticking to the basement, and each time he comes up for food I have to check to clean him. UGH.

I have an appt with the mobile vet on Mon the 8th, because I cannot bring him today as I myself am having a bad heart problem (arrhythmia) that I can't get to stop so I cannot lug him into the regular vets.

He just had all his shots and stool sample in July.. so don't think it's parasites.

I am sure all the stress is not helping me.  He is such a good boy sticking to his box downstairs while this is happening.

God help me this weekend.
 
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catapult

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So here's an update on Blackey and what is baffling to me.

Each time he has had a medical issue, he hides in the basement.

When his urinary blockage, diabetes and toothaches were remediated, he never went back.

This week he had started going down there since the 27th and around the 31st has had the diarrhea.

However, I fed him plain boiled chicken with rice per the vet's suggestion and his poops are seemingly better, at least I have not had to wipe his butt as much. Yesterday and the day before he spent the whole day upstairs with me, sleeping in the proper places.. the house was cool. So I was pleased because this means he is not in distress. In fact on Sat night I had to trick him in off the porch because by 3 AM I was tired!

Those two nights he did spend in the basement, I guess he wants to be near his box.

Each morning he comes up promptly when called for his shot, and I check to make sure his bum is not dirty.

So far so good.

Today is warmer, but still, after a time spent on porch, he is now down in the basement again.

He had a rather tough time yesterday because the traveling vet spent 20 minutes fighting with him to try to draw a vial of blood for a series of tests and could not. She managed to get a small drop to do the sugar test and said she'd stressed him out so much it went up to 299. Previously it had been 150...

So how do I get him to relax so they can draw blood? I am worried and want the full gamut of tests.

I am wondering if the regular vet had to sedate him to do that? We didn't want to in case he had to visit his box... he'd never make it down the stairs.
 

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I'm not sure how to calm him down but I hope he's okay, I'll love to be kept updated
 
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catapult

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I will have help tomorrow (I can't manage the crate that well) and will bring him to the regular vet and maybe they can sedate him to get a vial of blood.

I am waiting to hear if I can bring him in.

He isn't acting sick, but this hiding means something.
 

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So here's an update on Blackey and what is baffling to me.

Each time he has had a medical issue, he hides in the basement.
When his urinary blockage, diabetes and toothaches were remediated, he never went back.

This week he had started going down there since the 27th and around the 31st has had the diarrhea.

However, I fed him plain boiled chicken with rice per the vet's suggestion and his poops are seemingly better, at least I have not had to wipe his butt as much. Yesterday and the day before he spent the whole day upstairs with me, sleeping in the proper places.. the house was cool. So I was pleased because this means he is not in distress. In fact on Sat night I had to trick him in off the porch because by 3 AM I was tired!

Those two nights he did spend in the basement, I guess he wants to be near his box.

Each morning he comes up promptly when called for his shot, and I check to make sure his bum is not dirty.
So far so good.

Today is warmer, but still, after a time spent on porch, he is now down in the basement again.

He had a rather tough time yesterday because the traveling vet spent 20 minutes fighting with him to try to draw a vial of blood for a series of tests and could not. She managed to get a small drop to do the sugar test and said she'd stressed him out so much it went up to 299. Previously it had been 150...

So how do I get him to relax so they can draw blood? I am worried and want the full gamut of tests.
I am wondering if the regular vet had to sedate him to do that? We didn't want to in case he had to visit his box... he'd never make it down the stairs.
Cats do need a litter box on every floor!
 
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