It's Bad News - UPDATE: Healing Vibes Needed For Misty - RIP 6 April 09

[ChrisB]

Stuart, so pleased that Misty is happy and eating well - he is a gorgeous boy.  

[Gillian Harvey]

Misty still has CRF and is supposed to be eating a low Phosphorus diet, He
wouldn't eat the royal canin food I bought, so I had been feeding him on senior until he stopped
eating alltogether, now I am afraid to change his food or mix binders into it in case he goes off it
again. But if I keep feeding him the normal food the way it is, it may speed up His kidney failure 

Misty is still putting on the weight,

Stuart, please don't think you will speed up his kidney failure by feeding normal food - you've said yourself he's putting on weight - thats a good sign, and as you know its more important that he eats something (anything). I think you are right not to rock the boat. 

[Stuart]

Oops, sorry Bonnielass, Misty is eating so much (maybe too much) and drinking normally too 
I cleaned out our local Lidl's of the beef flavour and had to go to Peterhead to get some more, I
bought another 22 tins on friday and have only got 8 tins left = 4+ tins a day, but this is bringing
up another problem, Misty still has CRF and is supposed to be eating a low Phosphorus diet, He
wouldn't eat the royal canin food I bought, so I had been feeding him on senior until he stopped
eating alltogether, now I am afraid to change his food or mix binders into it in case he goes off it
again. But if I keep feeding him the normal food the way it is, it may speed up His kidney failure 

Misty is still putting on the weight, and is happy specially in the morning's where he'll run about
for 10 - 20 minutes before retiring to the bed for the rest of the day, only to get up for the lav
(I am still waiting on him hand and foot, and have a lap tray for his food and water)

still taking it day by day (even though He has improved a lot in a few days)

[bonnielass]

Hi just wondered how things are going with Misty as you havent posted for a while,

[Maddiesmum]

It's very hard and my thoughts are with you and the beautiful Misty 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Yes I take the food to Franta too and as Misty is eating so much, he may have put on weight. I was shattered when the vet weighed Franta in early Jan and he had put on weight, now I need his fur to grow again.......sigh

I think we are tainted by the fact that we know they are ill and we are watching and waiting for signs that they are getting worse , instead of just getting on as normal......whats normal!

At 18 years old its normal that Misty would sleep more and not be so energetic and the same with franta at 15 and half which is probably as good as 18 yrs for his breed.

I so understand how you feel and my late Kocka was a blue cat but with yellow eyes and she stayed with me for 10 years and came to me around 10 yrs old.

[Janeyk]

I was going to suggest taking the food to him, it works a treat with Schui when he was last poorly I kept taking it to him on the sofa (where he always sleeps) and feeding him, trouble is he wants that all the time now!  lots of love to Misty, the photos are just so cute xx

[bonnielass]

Of course you will get upset looking back to when Misty was a kitten so cute, 18yrs is a long time to own such a beautiful cat and im sure over those years you have a million memories and photo,s  charting  the roads you travelled together, this is what stays in the heart and neither time nor man will ever erase those wonderful memories. Im sure you have given Misty the very best any cat could wish for .                                            It always amazes me as you say you buy the best and they only want the cheap stuff, but what the hell if thats what he wants thats what he gets as long as he is eating  thats the main thing, you say you think hes put some weight on, maybe he has if hes not so active but still eating, .                                                                          Anyway take each day as it comes, some may be bad , some will be good but through it all hes still your baby and you will do your best by him no matter what. God Bless and lots of hugs for all

[Maddiesmum]

oh wow he is just the cutest little puss cat 

[Stuart]

Thanks Guy's
That sound's exactly the same as Misty, He's spending most of his time sleeping also, and when he wakes i bring the food to him (usually work's) He is still
bright and happy looking when he is awake, but I can still tell He is unwell ( or maybe thats just because I know He's unwell, if that makes sense?? )
Misty does no head nipping to get on my knee, He'll just quietly walk in and sit down next to me till I pick Him up.
Yes and I do think if we had some good weather that would help too

Gill, You say that you didnt know Misty was a blue cat ?? LoL, thats kinda how he got His name, didn't know what to call Him when I first got Him, but with His
blue eye's and a slight tinge of blue through His coat, this colour reminded me of the Mist coming off Loch migdale in the morning when I stayed with my
grandfather during the holidays, So I called Him ( Misty Blue ) " Misty " for short

aye Bonnielass, the little and often is the route I am taking, and so far today He has had nearly two tins of the Lidl's food again, sfunny, you buy the most expensive
stuff and He wont look at it, but will happily eat the cheap stuff  go figure ??
I dont know if my mind is playing tricks on me but I think He has putten a little weight too?? or maybe it's just wishful thinking

anyway, I have managed to get my scanner working and have scanned in the only decent photos of Misty when He was ickle, back in 91
these were taken with a cheap camera so the quality is not too good, and they dont show the blue tinge
I got a bit upset doing these because it just made me realise how long I've had Him  but I just felt the need to share 

Misty playing with the Rug Tassle's - note - just remembered, by the looks of his tummy, He's still full of worms at that point



I know what it looks like he is doing  but I can assure you He's not !!, this was Mistys first experiance of being outside up at my grandfathers
He was going daft running about everywhere!! the amount of photo's I took that have no tale/head etc



This was an attempt at a close up with the cheap camera, thank Goodness for Digital nowadays

[bonnielass]

Im glad hes eating a little bit,perhaps little and often may be better for him I love the pictures of him ,his coat looks like velvet with that sheen on it and he looks very content all stratched out, its so hard to believe looking at him that there was anything amiss, and i know it must be so hard for you and my heart goes out to you, i wish i could say or do something to make it all go away but unfortunately that isnt possible so all i can offer is take pleasure in every minute with him and make sure that camera is always to hand to capture all those silly little things that make treasured memories  

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Sounds much like Franta but he never eats anything but jelly or gravy and a few biscuits. I stand over him  watching to see the other cats dont disturb him but nothing else I can do really.

He spends most of his time sleeping on the days that I think are his bad days and on the good days he drives me up the wall shouting and pushing and shoving to be on my knee.

Its so hard and I am sure somme good weather would help.

I didnt know Misty was a blue cat and he looks gorgeous..........I reckon he has lots of life in him still 

[Stuart]

Thank's Bonnielass, Misty is so so, he IS eating and drinking more, but when I put food down, I usually find myself waiting with Bated Breath
to see if He'll eat it, I'll lay it down in front of Him, and go out of the room Listening to see if he's eating (I don't want to distract him) I have tried
the coaxing and giving Him encouragement to get him to eat something, but have found it makes no difference whether I am doing that or not
it all depends on if he want's to eat, he had a bad day yesterday, and did not eat very much, just some raw chicken, I went down and bought
more chicken legs for him and also diced raw steak( he had a couple of bit's of raw steak and that was it. I'd also popped into Lidl's an got some
cat food to try him with (Opticat Supermeat, comes in 100g tin's) and He Liked it, during the rest of the afternoon to this morning, He'd eaten
two tins (200g) I went back to Lidl's this morning and bought more, but so far today He has only eaten about 25g's

as for myself I am still  because I know He wont get better.........only worse 

Just glad I am at Home to nurse Him, was supposed to be back to work last saturday but that's been put on hold (still getting paid though)
which I'm really glad of because (although OH would do Her best for Him) I know I would just be worrying all the time about him

 
Misty has tooken to sleeping on/in one of my jacket's (camera is always at hand now)

Curled up Cosy



Very Cosy



Maybe too cosy, jacket probably making him  too hot

[bonnielass]

How is Misty doing today? and how are you?   

[Maddiesmum]

That is a beautiful photo and one you will be able to look back on with pride and love.  A day at a time (easier said than done I do know) and we are all here for your ups and downs.  Lets hope there will be more ups than downs 

[bonnielass]

I know how hard it is knowing that time is limited  but wether  its weeks or months you have the chance to shower him with love and cherish the time you have remaining and make lots more memories that will remain in your heart forever,when it gets hard for you we are all here for you so dont ever try and cope alone talk to us we all understand what your going through and will help you

[Janeyk]

That's a lovely photo and memory for you to keep Stuart  I too regret not taking more photos of my previous cats as I think we all regret things at times like this but we still have the memories in our hearts and they never go.
.

[Stuart]

Thanks Bonnielass, I do try and think positively, but it's so hard when you know whats wrong 

So glad that Dinah is doing well, and i know what you mean by being bright one moment then the next, seeing the illness in them
it's such an emotional roller coaster for us       

oh almost forgot  Misty has eaten loads more chicken tonight 

P.S. I have sent you a pm Christine

[Baggy]

It sounds as if he has eaten well today  .

Dinah is doing a bit better thanks Stuart, she is eating well and quite bright in herself but not definitely not as well as she has been.  Bonnielass is right, we should be enjoying time with our babes but it is hard at the moment - when she eats and purrs, or nags me to light the fire I feel so happy, then catch her looking a bit sad, or she doesn't enjoy being fussed and I'm all down again.

Even though we can't change what is going to happen, at least we know we will do our absolute best to make sure our babes are comfortable and spoiled rotten so I hope we can take some comfort from that.

[bonnielass]

We all regret lost opportunities and dont realise until its too late, but your memeories of Misty will last far longer then your photo,s Hes a beautiful cat and you both look so proud in the photo, just try to put it from your mind that he has cancer and enjoy the time you have with him and there is still time for more photo,s  and    time spent together enjoying the bond you have with each other,take it one day at a time and make each one special, 

[Stuart]

I thought he was going off His milk, but I caught Him earlier drinking some, so that is good, He has also made a Large healthy looking deposit in his litter tray 

for fleeting moments I'm happy, but it's now always in my mind that He has Cancer and it will be just a matter of time

( As with all our furbabes ) I have lost count of the times I have seen Misty being cheeky/funny or cute and thought of getting it on film or a photo, and I regret
myself for thinking " I'll get the camcorder/camera out next time " I do have a lot of Photo's of Misty, but am now thinking of all the missed Opportunities 

anyway as some of you may know, I entered Misty into our local pet show, and He won the category of "Best Veteran Cat" I just got round to getting a photo tonight 

[Christine (Blip)]

Christine, we have a couple of pet shops in fraserburgh, will see if they have it as they have a wide variaty of stock
Just wondering though??  how long does zooplus take to deliver an order ??

I've always found Zooplus extremely efficient: I ordered food for Blip last Saturday and had it by Wednesday.  Would you like me to send you a pouch to see if Misty likes it?  If so, PM me your address and say whether Misty would prefer fish or beef 

[Janeyk]

I think if he's eaten all that so far today that's really good Stuart  I don't think mine have eaten that much, he is liking the cat milk?

[Stuart]

Thanks Baggy, yes that makes sense ( how's Dinah keeping btw ?? )

Thanks Christine, we have a couple of pet shops in fraserburgh, will see if they have it as they have a wide variaty of stock
Just wondering though??  how long does zooplus take to deliver an order ??

Misty is still nibbling away at the food I chase him around the house with, but it's so frustrating !!  when He eats something
and  when He just turn's His head away (but like OH pointed out, with him not eating properly recently, his stomach has
probably shrunk, therefore he doesnt need so much food to fill Him up) I want Him to eat like he used to

He has eaten a big piece of salmon today, along with the fishy cat food and has maybe had about half a pouch of senior, and I'll
try him with some more raw chicken later on tonight.

there were these treats I was giving him for the last year called Pit'r pat, and He goes daft for them, but I have been having
difficulty getting more (they are very popular apparently) I have scoured uk websites selling them, and most say not in stock!
I did find a website and ordered 20 tin's , just to recieve an e-mail 4 days later telling me "they are sorry, but we have none left  "

Last week I bit the bullett and ordered the Tin's off an ebay seller from America (thats where these treats are made)
I just hope they get here soon 

Stuart + Misty

[Baggy]

not sure what to do about the steroids though, the perscription says 1x5mg pill twice a day, I was giving 1 in the morning and 1 at night
should i cut out the one in the morning ?? and just give him one at night ??

I'd stick to one tablet in the morning and one at night - as he's having two they won't be wearing off inbetween doses so the withdrawal thing won't matter as much - if that makes sense?

[Christine (Blip)]

Misty might like Hermanns food: I've just bought some for the first time and it's really sloppy - the consistency of porridge or pottage.  Blip loves gravy and she loves the Hermanns.  I got it from Zooplus.

[bonnielass]

I cant offer any advice ref tablets ,just wanted to say im glad that Misty is eating a bit better and hope he continues to do so,could you maybe try him with a little bit of turkey mince,my oldie George is fussy eater and sometimes wont eat cat food at all, just his whiskas milk but if i put a small dish of turkey mince who eats it all ,anyway hope its a good day for you both

[Stuart]

Misty has currently got 4 different food bowls to choose from, ( not really sure if thats the best idea ) the chicken broth, fishy cat food,
senior cat food, and the milk. He hasn't done too bad today, and i say he's eaten more of the fishy food than anything else
(about quater of a tin) still gravy licking of the senior food though  , had some milk, had some chicken broth
(although he doesn't seem so keen on it now) and he's drinking the water, but still no where near like he was

not sure what to do about the steroids though, the perscription says 1x5mg pill twice a day, I was giving 1 in the morning and 1 at night
should i cut out the one in the morning ?? and just give him one at night ??

thanks again guys

[Baggy]

Glad that Misty has eaten - it's so nerve wracking when they won't.

When Dinah has bad tummy acids she refuses to eat, hovers over her water dish and smacks her lips all the time so it sounds as if the slippery elm is working for him.

Re: steroids, our vet agrees with swampmaxmum - they are better given at night as the withdrawal is less rapid that way.

[sheryl]

So glad that Misty has eaten something - sending love, huggles and positive vibes xxx

Big      for you Stuart - I know how hard it is when they refuse to eat, I can remember sitting on the floor with Amber and trying every food I could think of and just crying and begging her to eat something.

[swampmaxmum]

good news about Misty, Stuart. If he does have to be on steroids for ages, I've read (vet disagrees on its importance, but I don't) on a vet site on the web that it is better to give them at night. Something to do with cats' natural production of whatever by the adrenal system as they are more awake at night. If constantly given in the morning - unless you have to, I have to give every 36 hours so have not much choice with Swampy - they over time impair the cat's ability to manage stress. I've really found that to be honest. But I couldn't cut his steroids as they help too much in other ways. Even if it's masking the real problem, they feel better and eat and that is surely what it is all about.
What they do do is lower immunity so if he's on them for a while, he may also have to take some a.bs.
I've been told by 2 different vets that cats handle long/er term use of steroids quite well, unlike dogs, so not to worry if they are working and he's feeling better. But the best dose is the lowest dose at which you get good results. 

[bonnielass]

Glad to hear that Misty has started to eat something and hopefully with these tablets he will continue to do so,

[Janeyk]

Thank you Stuart, probably why Schui had the injection then as we thought at the time we may lose him - although the injections (he's had a couple in the past as he could have nasal growth) take a couple of weeks to kick in he is now a different cat. 

Brilliant news about Misty! 

[Stuart]

Well the rest of the day Misty made no progress eating wise (although he kept running to his feeding area even though I had tried him with
everything I had, hi-life 70% fish cat food, the chicken drumstick's-carrot-potato-stock cube-teaspoon of catnip all simmered into a broth +
slices of thin cut chicken and every tin/pouch of catfood i have in the house 
my OH(nurse) suggested trying the steroids as they are the same as the ones humans get to perk elderly people up and put on weight too
within half an hour He was eating /drinking everything that was on offer (not over indulging) just small amount's, and has even passed a stool
(although that wasn't very well formed) but that was kind of expected because he hadn't really been eating
I haven't given him the appetite inducer, will see how he get's on with the steroids
the steroid pill's are called prednisolone 5mg ( x 60 ) misty is really good at taking pill's....thankfully
the vet did mention the injection and how strong it was, and decided to see how He got on with the pill's, leaving the injection as a last resort
as for the indigestion & stomach acid, i have been giving Misty Sippery elm bark, which i think is working ??

thank you all for you support and concerns
i will keep you all updated how it goes, still taking things one step at a time

Stuart + Misty

[Gwen]

So sorry to read about Misty,lets hope you have lots of time you have left and of course I know you'll cherish every moment.

Please give Misty a gentle headbutt from our lot and a kiss from me too

[swampmaxmum]

The steroids should help his appetite and I think the pills give a steady dose rather than the whammy of the injection, which is a lot stronger than prednisone. You can also play around a bit with the dose to find the right one for him.  Sometimes they make cats drink and wee even more often (and sometimes not, just a warning in case it worries you more). One thing that puts my Swampy off his food is that even moderate CRF can cause indigestion or stomach acid. You could ask the vet if he's got any Zantac as Pepcid's not available here any more. I think UK vets now use Zantac? If he's not left you a nasty to clean up, he could be off his food from constipation? Hope things are better tomorrow 

[Kirst]

Sometimes 1/2 a valium tablet helps - Beavis has a steroid injection and it did naff all, but the valium kick started his appetite.

[Janeyk]

I wonder why the vet has chosen tablets? my vet gives Schui a steroid injection and it's brilliant, I suppose your vet will have her reason though.  Also if he hasn't eaten very much he probably doesn't need to go to loo.   I hope Misty starts to eat more soon, loads of positive vibes for him 

[Stuart]

Misty has eaten very little in the last 2 day's and He is now refusing to touch the milk and his water intake has reduced also
I was back at the vet's yesterday, and had another long talk with Her to see if there was some way of kick starting him to eat??
I've now got half a pill to give him, to increase appetite, and a course of steroid pill's which may perk Him up a bit (no side effect's with these)
He has eaten some raw chicken today and licked all the gravy from three pouches + had some tuna brine, and I'm currently making up some
chicken broth for him (a simple recipe I found on the internet) so will see how he goes with that
there was no stool in the litter tray this morning but he'd weed a lot  which is making me worry even more, Hamish started doing this and it
was only ten day's later he was sent to the bridge

He still seem's bright in himself, but i know if he doesn't start eating soon He will go down hill very quickly
I will see how he goes the rest of the day, but if there is no improvement, I will give him the appetite inducer and start the course of steroids
tommorrow

[MrsR]

Sending you and Misty hugs x