Feline Stroke. Please Help!

[Shari and Coco]

Hello
My cat had a stroke on Tuesday night
No use of her front legs
Head tilting
Weak neck
But in the last day or so she has started walking
Wobbly and weak but walking
She eats drinks uses the litter box we have in her crate which is shallow. Im
Just wondering going forward what yo expect. She is quite cranky at times. Are her deficits that we see permanent? How can we help her physically with exercises? She is a beautiful 14 year old calico. Inside cat. Would love any ideas at this point as our vet wants to give her only a few days to see how she is before deciding to put her down.

This is her last night using her front legs

 

[babiesmom5]

I am so sorry about your kitty having a stroke, but can empathize well. The fact that initially, she had no use of her front legs, but is now walking is a very positive sign. When my girl had her stroke, the vet neurologist told me to give her at least two weeks. He said most cats who have strokes, will within that time make significant, if not full recovery. Some may take a bit longer, but within two weeks, you should see a positive change as they "relearn" to use their muscles. Keep them in a safe environment, no stairs, but allow them to use and strengthen their muscles to walk around. You can give them gentle massage, gently move their arms, legs stretching them a bit if she will let you. But the best rehab is for the cat to walk around, engage in their usual activities at their pace. It may be slow and wobbly at first, but they should get stronger each day.

I see no reason for a decision to be made within a few days to put her down, contrary to what your vet says. I am not a vet but am just saying that my Vet Neurologist (of many years practice) said no decision should be made on a cat who has had a stroke prior to observing them for two weeks.

What you do want to watch out for is an inability to move the hind legs as this may mean a "saddle thrombus", a blood clot which requires immediate vet attention. But your cat's issue was with the front legs and the fact that she is now moving them again is encouraging.

Give your kitty some time and space and re-evaluate after about 2 weeks. I wish her a full and speedy recovery. Please keep us updated on her progress.

 

[Shari and Coco]

I am so sorry about your kitty having a stroke, but can empathize well. The fact that initially, she had no use of her front legs, but is now walking is a very positive sign. When my girl had her stroke, the vet neurologist told me to give her at least two weeks. He said most cats who have strokes, will within that time make significant, if not full recovery. Some may take a bit longer, but within two weeks, you should see a positive change as they "relearn" to use their muscles. Keep them in a safe environment, no stairs, but allow them to use and strengthen their muscles to walk around. You can give them gentle massage, gently move their arms, legs stretching them a bit if she will let you. But the best rehab is for the cat to walk around, engage in their usual activities at their pace. It may be slow and wobbly at first, but they should get stronger each day.

I see no reason for a decision to be made within a few days to put her down, contrary to what your vet says. I am not a vet but am just saying that my Vet Neurologist (of many years practice) said no decision should be made on a cat who has had a stroke prior to observing them for two weeks.

What you do want to watch out for is an inability to move the hind legs as this may mean a "saddle thrombus", a blood clot which requires immediate vet attention. But your cat's issue was with the front legs and the fact that she is now moving them again is encouraging.

Give your kitty some time and space and re-evaluate after about 2 weeks. I wish her a full and speedy recovery. Please keep us updated on her progress.

Thanks for the reply…coco’s issue is she doesn’t want to walk… we set her down ten feet from the crate we are using for her and she nose dives into it… it has become her safe zone… during the day we put her up on chairs with us that she always sleeps on…but she seldom initiates walking on her own… really can’t blame her as it’s so weak and wobbly I’m sure she’s scared of falling… if she turns too quick she rolls… her normal is lots of sleeping with a few zoomies throughout the day… now lots of sleeping and a few forced walks
She’s never been offered steroids but is on gabapentin for pain ( she was on prior) and abx …

And she stares off alot certainly not as interactive with us as she used to be…kind of drugged looking all the time
I’ve had cats for my whole 52 years but never have gone through this so I’m glad I found this forum

And she’s sooooo sad which is the worst symptom as she doesn’t want to come out of her crate other than to eat

 

[babiesmom5]

I can well understand your cat's reluctance to walk on her own. The stroke leaves them kind of scared, uncertain, fearful. They lose a sense of self-confidence they had previously. But with time, much of it does return as they get stronger and build confidence.

My cat used to always jump onto our bed at night to sleep with us. She had her stroke early in the morning when she fell off this bed. She just laid there, could not get up, just rolled. After her recovery, she never again would jump onto this bed. I would put her there, but she would immediately jump right off. This bed apparently (in her mind) brought her right back to the place of her stroke. So I stopped doing that.

I think your cat is still (understandably) traumatized from the experience. I would leave her alone; let her walk at her own pace, her own time and schedule. She needs to rebuild confidence will will not come quickly or easily...but it will come with time and reassurance.

Yes, they do sleep more after a stroke. This was a traumatic event for them and they need additional rest.
My cat too slept a lot more following her stroke, but this lessened with time and regaining of her self confidence and strength. Just be patient with her. Recovery is slow but sure.

 

[di and bob]

I would wait at least two weeks too. The fact that she has SOME control over her front legs is great, any improvement is good. I would let her take her own pace but maybe two or three times a day encourage her to walk some. Muscle atrophy can happen quickly with no movement at all. You might even try to support her middle a little. I would think steroids would help her, they reduce inflammation. You might ask about something to reduce the chance of blood clots too, for in the future. I have seen cats recover from horrific wounds, and brain damage, (getting hit in the head by a car) they are very tough. I will pray for your sweet girl, don't give up!

 

[babiesmom5]

di and bob , you mentioned something reducing the chance for blood clots in the future, which brought something to mind. After my cat had her stroke, the vet neurologist prescribed Amlodopine to reduce blood pressure, and also a portion of a baby aspirin daily (can't recall the exact dosage) to help prevent clots. You may want to consult with your vet about this.

 

[maggie101]

Can she be put in a box instead of a crate? Does she have trouble using the litter box?

 

[Shari and Coco]

I can well understand your cat's reluctance to walk on her own. The stroke leaves them kind of scared, uncertain, fearful. They lose a sense of self-confidence they had previously. But with time, much of it does return as they get stronger and build confidence.

My cat used to always jump onto our bed at night to sleep with us. She had her stroke early in the morning when she fell off this bed. She just laid there, could not get up, just rolled. After her recovery, she never again would jump onto this bed. I would put her there, but she would immediately jump right off. This bed apparently (in her mind) brought her right back to the place of her stroke. So I stopped doing that.

I think your cat is still (understandably) traumatized from the experience. I would leave her alone; let her walk at her own pace, her own time and schedule. She needs to rebuild confidence will will not come quickly or easily...but it will come with time and reassurance.

Yes, they do sleep more after a stroke. This was a traumatic event for them and they need additional rest.
My cat too slept a lot more following her stroke, but this lessened with time and regaining of her self confidence and strength. Just be patient with her. Recovery is slow but sure.

Thank you
It’s so emotionally draining
How long before your cat started walking and then walking without looking like they are drunk?
My worst fear I guess is these neuro deficits are permanent and we are having her hold on when she doesn’t want to….

 

[Shari and Coco]

Can she be put in a box instead of a crate? Does she have trouble using the litter box?

We are using a huge dog crate
Like five feet by three feet
We have another cat and a doggo so it’s safer
We have a cat bed a litter box and her food in there
We only lock door at night so other animals can’t get to her
She started using a low lying litter box on her own but only when we aren’t looking lol
Doors wide open most of time but she definitely feels safe in there

 

[Shari and Coco]

I would wait at least two weeks too. The fact that she has SOME control over her front legs is great, any improvement is good. I would let her take her own pace but maybe two or three times a day encourage her to walk some. Muscle atrophy can happen quickly with no movement at all. You might even try to support her middle a little. I would think steroids would help her, they reduce inflammation. You might ask about something to reduce the chance of blood clots too, for in the future. I have seen cats recover from horrific wounds, and brain damage, (getting hit in the head by a car) they are very tough. I will pray for your sweet girl, don't give up!

Thank you
I’ve felt pretty alone in this as most of my peeps are dog owners and no one understands my relationship w coco
She got me through a divorce years ago and she’s got the best soul

 

[fionasmom]

The idea of supporting her middle/front area is a good one. You will have to judge when she might be ready to try to use the legs with support, but given that she is a cat and not a huge dog, you probably have something around the house that could be used for a front end sling. It should be wide enough to support the front section of her body comfortably....too narrow and she will just collapse over it.

LABRA Dog Support Sling with Chest Strap, X-Large - Chewy.com

I am putting this pic just so you understand what I mean by size. Harnesses to take cats outside may not have the support under the body which would help her. You also don't need all the special straps and modifications that this shows. A wide, long scarf will even possibly work.

 

[Shari and Coco]

The idea of supporting her middle/front area is a good one. You will have to judge when she might be ready to try to use the legs with support, but given that she is a cat and not a huge dog, you probably have something around the house that could be used for a front end sling. It should be wide enough to support the front section of her body comfortably....too narrow and she will just collapse over it.

LABRA Dog Support Sling with Chest Strap, X-Large - Chewy.com

I am putting this pic just so you understand what I mean by size. Harnesses to take cats outside may not have the support under the body which would help her. You also don't need all the special straps and modifications that this shows. A wide, long scarf will even possibly work.

She is walking now when we put her down
But does go to the closest covering and lays down
Wondering if this is a good idea even if she’s walking as she gives up so fast

 

[theyremine]

Had a cat at our rescue who had a stroke. Vet advised to wait two weeks and watch for improvement. He has made a full recovery. His only limitation is he can't jump high.

 

[Shari and Coco]

Had a cat at our rescue who had a stroke. Vet advised to wait two weeks and watch for improvement. He has made a full recovery. His only limitation is he can't jump high.

What was the cat like at first? Mine is so wobbly weak and grumpy

 

[fionasmom]

Glad to hear that she is beginning to walk. You might just see if you have anything in the house that can be used to support her. It will be easier on both of you if it is long enough to allow you to stand up normally.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. So sorry about Coco. But it is good that she is moving around a bit. A flat cookie sheet with puppy pee pads and a tiny bit of litter might be something else to try in lieu of an actual litter box.

Whatever you do, make her have the feeling of 'success' by keeping things very close to her and only moving farther away as she progresses. If she has to go too far on her own without being successful, it is probably very frustrating for her. When she reaches her 'momentary' goals, be that the food/water/litter box reward her with praise and a treat- anything to make her feel good about what she just accomplished can be healing onto itself.

A 'build-a-pen' might be something else to try - gradually giving her more space over time, but still keeping at least the dog out. There are all kinds you can buy and expand to larger areas as needed, and probably build on your own for less money.

She is likely still trying to adapt to what has happened to her. Even if some of her deficits aren't reversible, she will learn to 'work around them' over time, with your help and loving care. She needs you to believe in her!

 

[Shari and Coco]

Just a few minutes ago she took a walk and tried to jump she only mimicked a jump …didn’t actually leave the floor but went through the motions…it is a low fabric ottoman that she used to sleep on…now she is flaked out by the fireplace… enough for one day! She is just so snarly compared to her sweet natured self

 

[Shari and Coco]

Hi. So sorry about Coco. But it is good that she is moving around a bit. A flat cookie sheet with puppy pee pads and a tiny bit of litter might be something else to try in lieu of an actual litter box.

Whatever you do, make her have the feeling of 'success' by keeping things very close to her and only moving farther away as she progresses. If she has to go too far on her own without being successful, it is probably very frustrating for her. When she reaches her 'momentary' goals, be that the food/water/litter box reward her with praise and a treat- anything to make her feel good about what she just accomplished can be healing onto itself.

A 'build-a-pen' might be something else to try - gradually giving her more space over time, but still keeping at least the dog out. There are all kinds you can buy and expand to larger areas as needed, and probably build on your own for less money.

She is likely still trying to adapt to what has happened to her. Even if some of her deficits aren't reversible, she will learn to 'work around them' over time, with your help and loving care. She needs you to believe in her!

Thank you those are great ideas! We started with our dogs crate and now have moved on to a large dog crate with litter in it at night. Im
Trying to keep her out in the house close to us during the day so she’s not cooped up. But that expandable pen is a great idea. Thank you!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Can you build some steps to help her reach things like that ottoman? They can be temporary, and as ugly and bulky as is needed, until you better know what her physical disabilities may or may not be. There was something she wanted with trying to get to that ottoman, so that is where I would start. Different sized/height boxes - even boxes inside boxes for re-enforcement, to make them stronger. Maybe even a long ramp??? This is just an example for illustration purposes.
Petlinks System Mix N Scratch Ramp for Cats | Petco

 

[Shari and Coco]

Can you build some steps to help her reach things like that ottoman? They can be temporary, and as ugly and bulky as is needed, until you better know what her physical disabilities may or may not be. There was something she wanted with trying to get to that ottoman, so that is where I would start. Different sized/height boxes - even boxes inside boxes for re-enforcement, to make them stronger. Maybe even a long ramp??? This is just an example for illustration purposes.
Petlinks System Mix N Scratch Ramp for Cats | Petco

Yes totally will do that! For now she still looks drunk and we can blow her over when upright so my only concern is her falling off the side…but when she seems more agile I think we will have to do that for all her favorite ottomans/ poufs that she has claimed as her beds