My senior cat Kringle My kitty Kringle is an elderly fellow. Senior cats can be so grateful for a safe home. They might be grumpy too. We knew that Kringle was in pain when the vet diagnosed him with arthritis. He hadn’t been cleaning himself as well as I had hoped, especially the area near the back of the tail. Although short-haired, he was developing mats. He wouldn’t let me help him with grooming by brushing or combing them out, and clipping was out of the question. His sharp teeth would snap together, and although he didn’t usually draw blood, the warning was enough to stop me. He was in pain. Dr. Chan of BC Animal Hospital noticed that Kringle was sensitive when touched anywhere near the back half of his body. He seemed to have less muscle mass there than he should. Kringle wasn't cleaning himself well because it was painful for him to reach those tricky areas.
Dr. Chan started Kringle on Cosequin, a supplement containing glucosamine, the same thing that seems to help humans with arthritis to get better movement in joints that are grinding against each other. You open a capsule and sprinkle the chicken and tuna-flavoured white powder onto the cat’s food. Dr. Chan recommended when first introducing it, to provide some food without the supplement on the same dish. Cats like choice, and hate being forced to eat something new, even if they might like it otherwise. I mixed it with a teaspoon of canned tuna. Because Kringle was over ten pounds, he was prescribed the supplement twice a day, and loves that routine. Over the next year, Dr. Chan noticed that the muscle development in Kringle's back end had improved, so he believed that the Cosequin was helping. But Kringle still wasn't grooming himself adequately. I brought him to the vet several times to have most of his mats removed. The staff at the animal hospital were sensitive to how much the cat could tolerate, and ended the session if he seemed to have reached his limit. After three visits, each about two months apart, Kringle seemed unhappy with the process and resisted going back into his carrier. I had trained him to enter the carrier for treats, but the time came when he simply refused. The vet also prescribed something for pain relief. Onsior is an anti-inflammatory pain medication especially formulated for cats. Dr. Chan said that unlike other medications, it had been found to be easy on a cat’s kidneys, and you didn't want to risk kidney failure in a senior cat. Onsior comes in the form of tiny white pills that taste like treats that Kringle laps up happily. (Note: in 2019, there is now a caution about kidneys for this medication.) I tried giving the pain medication a rest when trying some treatments by a holistic practitioner, but I found that the matting worsened and Kringle seemed unhappier. Now he gets pain medication each morning. If I forget, I notice him spending more time in the closet and not looking happy. I’ve concluded that he needs it for a better quality of life. (It's a balancing act. We eventually suspended the medication when some of its side effects mirrored the symptoms that he was having in 2019.) But a benefit of the holistic process was learning more about how to remove mats myself. I discovered that when Kringle was sleeping, I could nip some of them off. I first touch his flank, and if he twitches, I know he’s dreaming. I continue until he wakes and grumbles about the indignity. Kringle’s arthritis is advancing. Before heading down the stairs, he pauses. He descends with the stealthy grace of all cats, but going up stairs is slow and irregular. A few years ago, one of my cat rescuer friends showed me a sweet soft-sided staircase for cats. It helped a senior cat get up on the bed. I have another modification: a footstool beside the bed. Now at bedtime, he walks all the way around the bed, jumps onto the footstool and then the bed. If I am not yet ready for bed myself, he will use the time to have his way with the soft blanket. Dr. Chan said this activity is a form of self-soothing. He is neutered, but still has a powerful drive for something soft. It harms no one, and makes me laugh. When I settle in bed, he usually comes near me. If he’s still at the foot of the bed, I’ll pat the blanket in an invitation. I smile when he comes over, then sits tall before me. We share a number of slow blinks. It’s a form of cat communication that I find very bonding. Cat behaviourist Jackson Galaxy calls it the cat’s way of saying “I love you.” Kringle blinks slowly, returning my slow blinks, up to ten times before he turns and settles. During this time, I stroke him around his face and sneak in some grooming. He leans into my hand as I rub his cheeks. He lowers his ears when my hand moves over the top of his head. His purr is a soft vibration no louder than a whisper. He lets me fluff up his fur and untangle some small developing knots at his ruff and neck. It’s easier untangling fur two-handed, but if he notices, I risk the snapping jaw. The right hand on its own is okay, but if he sees my left hand moving to join it, his eyes widen, he sits taller and tenses. So I do what I can with the other hand, although my desire for a perfect coat causes me to sneak in occasional reinforcements when he’s not looking. When he’s had enough touching, Kringle lowers himself slowly and gingerly to a chosen resting place. I encourage him to come close. Now he often sleeps next to me at chest level. When I turn out the light, I turn to my other side, shifting until I can feel the warmth of the cat curled up at my side. We sleep. - Irene Plett Topics: cat health, geriatric cats, Cosequin, Onsior, arthritis, cat grooming, veterinarians, BC Animal Hospital, Dr. Chan, cat training
2 Comments
1/26/2018 08:25:24 pm
Thanks so much for writing about Kringle and you, Irene! I thoroughly enjoyed this piece ~ it's such a heartfelt, respectful, and lovingly written little window into your relationship with him. Long may he reign! :o) >^..^<
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1/27/2018 12:07:19 pm
Thanks for your kind comments, Dania! I so enjoyed reading about one of your kitties too, in The Book of Lua. These furry individuals touch us despite their challenges, and maybe sometimes because of them.
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