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Hi all, I'm new around here but not new to being owned by a cat. My name is Lindsay and my cat's name is Cinnoman (spelled unlike the spice cinnamon because I named her at 8 and couldn't spell then!). She's 18 years old and I've had her since she was 6 weeks old. I'm coming here today for a few answers but mostly peace of mind.
Cinnoman was a very healthy cat the vast majority of her life. Nothing more than an ear infection bothered her until she was about 13 years old. She is a Maine Coon mix and therefore has long hair. When she was 14 she went to the vet for issues with hairballs and also lack of appetite. While there it was determined that one of her teeth had turned around and was backwards. As a result she had a have that tooth and at least one more extracted. Prior to the extraction she had blood work taken and it was discovered that she had "slightly elevated kidney values." The vet decided to keep an eye on her by drawing blood every 6 months and evaluating. We kept up with the blood draws and saw no change in her values.
In late 2014 we dealt with a bout of fleas in our house (something we had never done before). I was completely taken aback and I treated everything form the carpets to the ceilings. We also treated Cinnoman with a special bath and flea medication. As a result of all this treatment Cinnoman became very ill. In hindsight I feel like a horrible mom but ultimately she was able to recover. The vet thought she had intestinal/stomach cancer and was one week away from euthanizing her. After more than a week of not eating or drinking, she made a turnaround. She groomed herself again, ate, and drank like normal. Unfortunately she dropped a couple pounds in weight and was diagnosed as hyperthyroid and IBD (no cancer).
We tested a few dosages of medicines and wound up settling on 2.5mg of Felimazole twice a day. Her hyperthyroidism has been regulated for about a year now.
On August 17 we visited the vet again for a routine checkup and to have her prescription filled. Her weight was approximately the same and her blood was taken. Thyroid levels within normal ranges and her kidney levels still only "slightly elevated." The vet did prescribe her Prednisone to see if she would put on a little weight and have a little more energy. Everything was good until...
Thursday, Sept. 22: I noticed Cinnoman sneaking around in the bathroom and then found a wet towel on the floor. I couldn't recall if the towel had been there before and was wet from the shower so I discounted it. Later that same day I noticed her squat on a comforter we had in our living room and pee. I proceeded to do research about the cause and ended up bringing her litter box upstairs and changing the type of litter.
Friday, Sept. 23: I could not locate Cinnoman at 8am. After searching, I found her behind the bedroom door using the bathroom (both #1 and #2) on a pair of shorts. Friday at 2pm she had a scheduled grooming appointment because, in her old age, she has gotten really matted up on her back and belly. I spoke to the groomer and she said it was possible the mats were making it uncomfortable for Cinnoman to use her litter box so I decided to see how she acted after her grooming. During the appointment we did discover that some of the mats on her hind legs had fused together pulling at her skin. I felt guilty and like a terrible mom again. But luckily we were getting it taken care of. At 6pm we went out to dinner after not noticing any further issues. On the way home I stopped at the store and picked up a 2nd litter pan (with shallow walls) and placed it in the middle of the living room for easy access. At the time Cinnoman was still acting and eating/drinking normal.
Saturday Sept. 24: We had a bridal shower brunch to attend out of town and so I left Cinnoman plenty of food and clean water and expected to return around dinner time. I was invited to stay overnight to attend the Bachelorette party but my boyfriend was going home to check on Cinnoman. She had eaten all of her food and had no accidents (save for a little poop on the bathroom floor that looked like it had gotten caught in her fur). He stayed with her all night and she ate and drank a lot and seemed like her normal self.
Sunday Sept. 25: Boyfriend feeds Cinnoman breakfast and then comes to pick me up. We return back home around 1:30 and I note she has finished her food and drank some water. I was home with her all day and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Mid-afternoon I tried to take a nap and I saw Cinnoman come into the room and immediately go into the closet. I jumped out of a bed and she was already squatting on one of my dresses. I picked her up and carried her to the litter box and she promptly jumped out. Of note: there was nothing on the dress. In the evening I took notice of Cinnoman's activity. Although nothing is standing out at this point I just recall her not being herself. She did not eat much and she kept going to her water bowl as if she was thirsty but would not drink. I decided I was going to call the vet first thing Monday morning.
Monday Sept. 26: I called the vet at 8:15 and they asked me to bring Cinnoman in at 9:45. They did a urinalysis and determined she had a UTI. She had both red and white blood cells in her urine. Vet determined it was not necessary to run blood tests again since they were done just one month earlier. She was prescribed Clavamox for 10 days. She was also given 2 new medications -- an appetite stimulant and a nausea medication (can look up names if you think they are important). Cinnoman peed in her carrier while in the vet's office (unlike her). Also, she has a noticeably weaker meow. Ordinarily she would howl the entire way to the vet. Now I cannot even hear her but very faintly. Not sure what to make of that. I felt better the remainder of Monday to know that she had a treatable illness.
Tuesday Sept. 27: First thing in the morning I changed Cinnoman's litter boxes because she apparently had diarrhea overnight. I emptied one at a time so she still had the other to go to. One pan empty and I realized I left the litter downstairs (where her box is normally kept). I ran down to grab it real quick and in the 30 seconds it takes me Cinnoman pees in the empty pan. Bright red. This is the first time I noticed she is urinating blood (though I'm aware it is a symptom of a UTI). My mind get the best of me -- she wasn't peeing blood before her appointment but she is now after 3 doses of Clavamox. I do not expect her to recovered yet but I also do not expect her condition to worsen. So I called the vet. They advised me that since she did have a significant amount of red blood cells in her urine the day before I am probably just witnessing the infection working its way out. Peace of mind achieved. I worked on Tuesday and got home around 6pm. No accidents all day and food eaten. I noticed she has not drank as much water as normal. During the evening I witness Cinnoman use the litter box at least 15 times in the span of 2 hours. I tell myself -- she's already being treated and there isn't much more I can do.
Wednesday Sept. 28: Cinnoman still had not drank much water. She never has an issue drinking water. She also had not eaten much. I ask my boyfriend to bring home a couple jars of baby food (no onion or garlic!) since that's what got her to eat again when she was ill in 2014. I give her a chicken and gravy flavored jar and she licks at it and attempts to drink water but does not accomplish for unknown reasons. I decided to put a bit of water in her mouth with a dropper because I need her to drink some. During the morning I also note she is using the litter box significantly less. I witness her use it only once before work, however boyfriend left bedroom door open and Cinnoman found her way in and used a pillow as a toilet. Bad news -- hope this is not becoming a habit. Good news -- I do not see any blood in the urine. Headed in the right direction. When I got home from work I saw Cinnoman had polished off the jar of baby food and licked the plate clean. Still an insufficient amount of water though.
Today, Thursday, Sept. 29: Typically she sleeps on the back of the couch. Over the last couple days I've noticed her sleeping on our wood floors. This is like not her at all and is alarming to me because I don't know what might be causing it. Boyfriend has suggested perhaps the coldness feels good for her. Maybe it does? She is still sleeping on the couch the majority of the day and overnight though. She has used her litter box a couple times today but it's hard to tell if much is coming out. She also appears slightly lethargic but not necessarily more so than the last few days. She has not eaten much and has drank very little. I tried to give her food around 10am because she followed me into the kitchen and she seemed like she wanted to eat. I carried her plate in the living room and she ran after me. As I set the plate down she walked in between my legs (normal) to get her food. She fell over on her side and seemed like she struggled to stand. My heart started racing and I picked up her and set her on her feet. She looked startled and did not eat her food. I am very concerned as to why she fell but I can say that we have hardwood floors, her hands and feet were wet, and she was running. Her hands were wet because she's been "washing" them in one of her water dishes. I am unsure if I'm just trying to justify whatever else might be wrong though. She appears a bit wobbly or unstable on her hind legs. I could just be noticing more since her entire back half is shaved and she is skin and bones.
I'm sorry this has been so lengthy. I'm wordy and concerned which isn't a good combo for me! I would appreciate any and all advice you guys have. I want to do right by her and make sure she is feeling ok but I don't know what else I can do. She has had 7 doses of Clavamox so far and has 13 more to do (twice a day for 10 days!). Additionally, the groomer did not finish her work. She worked for 2 hours but could nor complete and is going to try to come back next week once the antibiotic is complete..
Cinnoman was a very healthy cat the vast majority of her life. Nothing more than an ear infection bothered her until she was about 13 years old. She is a Maine Coon mix and therefore has long hair. When she was 14 she went to the vet for issues with hairballs and also lack of appetite. While there it was determined that one of her teeth had turned around and was backwards. As a result she had a have that tooth and at least one more extracted. Prior to the extraction she had blood work taken and it was discovered that she had "slightly elevated kidney values." The vet decided to keep an eye on her by drawing blood every 6 months and evaluating. We kept up with the blood draws and saw no change in her values.
In late 2014 we dealt with a bout of fleas in our house (something we had never done before). I was completely taken aback and I treated everything form the carpets to the ceilings. We also treated Cinnoman with a special bath and flea medication. As a result of all this treatment Cinnoman became very ill. In hindsight I feel like a horrible mom but ultimately she was able to recover. The vet thought she had intestinal/stomach cancer and was one week away from euthanizing her. After more than a week of not eating or drinking, she made a turnaround. She groomed herself again, ate, and drank like normal. Unfortunately she dropped a couple pounds in weight and was diagnosed as hyperthyroid and IBD (no cancer).
We tested a few dosages of medicines and wound up settling on 2.5mg of Felimazole twice a day. Her hyperthyroidism has been regulated for about a year now.
On August 17 we visited the vet again for a routine checkup and to have her prescription filled. Her weight was approximately the same and her blood was taken. Thyroid levels within normal ranges and her kidney levels still only "slightly elevated." The vet did prescribe her Prednisone to see if she would put on a little weight and have a little more energy. Everything was good until...
Thursday, Sept. 22: I noticed Cinnoman sneaking around in the bathroom and then found a wet towel on the floor. I couldn't recall if the towel had been there before and was wet from the shower so I discounted it. Later that same day I noticed her squat on a comforter we had in our living room and pee. I proceeded to do research about the cause and ended up bringing her litter box upstairs and changing the type of litter.
Friday, Sept. 23: I could not locate Cinnoman at 8am. After searching, I found her behind the bedroom door using the bathroom (both #1 and #2) on a pair of shorts. Friday at 2pm she had a scheduled grooming appointment because, in her old age, she has gotten really matted up on her back and belly. I spoke to the groomer and she said it was possible the mats were making it uncomfortable for Cinnoman to use her litter box so I decided to see how she acted after her grooming. During the appointment we did discover that some of the mats on her hind legs had fused together pulling at her skin. I felt guilty and like a terrible mom again. But luckily we were getting it taken care of. At 6pm we went out to dinner after not noticing any further issues. On the way home I stopped at the store and picked up a 2nd litter pan (with shallow walls) and placed it in the middle of the living room for easy access. At the time Cinnoman was still acting and eating/drinking normal.
Saturday Sept. 24: We had a bridal shower brunch to attend out of town and so I left Cinnoman plenty of food and clean water and expected to return around dinner time. I was invited to stay overnight to attend the Bachelorette party but my boyfriend was going home to check on Cinnoman. She had eaten all of her food and had no accidents (save for a little poop on the bathroom floor that looked like it had gotten caught in her fur). He stayed with her all night and she ate and drank a lot and seemed like her normal self.
Sunday Sept. 25: Boyfriend feeds Cinnoman breakfast and then comes to pick me up. We return back home around 1:30 and I note she has finished her food and drank some water. I was home with her all day and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Mid-afternoon I tried to take a nap and I saw Cinnoman come into the room and immediately go into the closet. I jumped out of a bed and she was already squatting on one of my dresses. I picked her up and carried her to the litter box and she promptly jumped out. Of note: there was nothing on the dress. In the evening I took notice of Cinnoman's activity. Although nothing is standing out at this point I just recall her not being herself. She did not eat much and she kept going to her water bowl as if she was thirsty but would not drink. I decided I was going to call the vet first thing Monday morning.
Monday Sept. 26: I called the vet at 8:15 and they asked me to bring Cinnoman in at 9:45. They did a urinalysis and determined she had a UTI. She had both red and white blood cells in her urine. Vet determined it was not necessary to run blood tests again since they were done just one month earlier. She was prescribed Clavamox for 10 days. She was also given 2 new medications -- an appetite stimulant and a nausea medication (can look up names if you think they are important). Cinnoman peed in her carrier while in the vet's office (unlike her). Also, she has a noticeably weaker meow. Ordinarily she would howl the entire way to the vet. Now I cannot even hear her but very faintly. Not sure what to make of that. I felt better the remainder of Monday to know that she had a treatable illness.
Tuesday Sept. 27: First thing in the morning I changed Cinnoman's litter boxes because she apparently had diarrhea overnight. I emptied one at a time so she still had the other to go to. One pan empty and I realized I left the litter downstairs (where her box is normally kept). I ran down to grab it real quick and in the 30 seconds it takes me Cinnoman pees in the empty pan. Bright red. This is the first time I noticed she is urinating blood (though I'm aware it is a symptom of a UTI). My mind get the best of me -- she wasn't peeing blood before her appointment but she is now after 3 doses of Clavamox. I do not expect her to recovered yet but I also do not expect her condition to worsen. So I called the vet. They advised me that since she did have a significant amount of red blood cells in her urine the day before I am probably just witnessing the infection working its way out. Peace of mind achieved. I worked on Tuesday and got home around 6pm. No accidents all day and food eaten. I noticed she has not drank as much water as normal. During the evening I witness Cinnoman use the litter box at least 15 times in the span of 2 hours. I tell myself -- she's already being treated and there isn't much more I can do.
Wednesday Sept. 28: Cinnoman still had not drank much water. She never has an issue drinking water. She also had not eaten much. I ask my boyfriend to bring home a couple jars of baby food (no onion or garlic!) since that's what got her to eat again when she was ill in 2014. I give her a chicken and gravy flavored jar and she licks at it and attempts to drink water but does not accomplish for unknown reasons. I decided to put a bit of water in her mouth with a dropper because I need her to drink some. During the morning I also note she is using the litter box significantly less. I witness her use it only once before work, however boyfriend left bedroom door open and Cinnoman found her way in and used a pillow as a toilet. Bad news -- hope this is not becoming a habit. Good news -- I do not see any blood in the urine. Headed in the right direction. When I got home from work I saw Cinnoman had polished off the jar of baby food and licked the plate clean. Still an insufficient amount of water though.
Today, Thursday, Sept. 29: Typically she sleeps on the back of the couch. Over the last couple days I've noticed her sleeping on our wood floors. This is like not her at all and is alarming to me because I don't know what might be causing it. Boyfriend has suggested perhaps the coldness feels good for her. Maybe it does? She is still sleeping on the couch the majority of the day and overnight though. She has used her litter box a couple times today but it's hard to tell if much is coming out. She also appears slightly lethargic but not necessarily more so than the last few days. She has not eaten much and has drank very little. I tried to give her food around 10am because she followed me into the kitchen and she seemed like she wanted to eat. I carried her plate in the living room and she ran after me. As I set the plate down she walked in between my legs (normal) to get her food. She fell over on her side and seemed like she struggled to stand. My heart started racing and I picked up her and set her on her feet. She looked startled and did not eat her food. I am very concerned as to why she fell but I can say that we have hardwood floors, her hands and feet were wet, and she was running. Her hands were wet because she's been "washing" them in one of her water dishes. I am unsure if I'm just trying to justify whatever else might be wrong though. She appears a bit wobbly or unstable on her hind legs. I could just be noticing more since her entire back half is shaved and she is skin and bones.
I'm sorry this has been so lengthy. I'm wordy and concerned which isn't a good combo for me! I would appreciate any and all advice you guys have. I want to do right by her and make sure she is feeling ok but I don't know what else I can do. She has had 7 doses of Clavamox so far and has 13 more to do (twice a day for 10 days!). Additionally, the groomer did not finish her work. She worked for 2 hours but could nor complete and is going to try to come back next week once the antibiotic is complete..
