Sometimes I look at Bear and see a glimpse of the kitten he so very much wants to be. Inside his frail body, he is a little black panther, wishing to pounce on anything that wriggles by him. So very much wanting to pounce, buy only able to bat with his front paws while laying on his side. So, we push the jingle ball towards him so that he can bat it back to us, and we praise his efforts because it is such an accomplishment to him! And he deserves every praise, every smile that he elicits, every giggle.
I miss the month of November, because that was his very best month. He was on all four legs, wobbly as they were, loping around like a bunny, chasing Emerson, scampering under the sofa and falling backwards to claw at the underside of the sofa. Had I known how fleeting that time would be, I would have photographed every second.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Tending to The Bear
Bear is about as inactive as a kitten can be. He is at his best first thing in the morning when he is wiggly and playful, batting at me with his front paws. The wiggly part is a signal that he needs to go to his litter box, which he currently will not do without a few bites of breakfast. He eats Royal Canin Baby Cat food which is very soft and moist, and I thin it down with a little water to give him some extra hydration. After eating a bit, he will meow or come to the door of his room to signal me to put him near his litter box. Now, it's farther for him to crawl to get me than to actually get to the litter box, so why we are in the routine I do not know.
His litter box is a small cardboard pallet used to hold his cans of food. I put about a cup of litter in there and only place his front paws in. The litter is more for play than for elimination. He actually potties onto a training pad that is under his litter box. This seems to keep him cleaner.
He gets a full bath every other day, and no-water baths several times a day, due to his inability to lift his rear during litter time. He grooms himself the best he can, but has trouble reaching all the spots that need cleaning.
The bulk of his day is spent sleeping, which I imagine is normal for cats. I wish he were more active and playful, but he doesn't seem to miss it. We wrap him in a cocoon with a mircofleece blanket, and this keeps his joints stable.
His litter box is a small cardboard pallet used to hold his cans of food. I put about a cup of litter in there and only place his front paws in. The litter is more for play than for elimination. He actually potties onto a training pad that is under his litter box. This seems to keep him cleaner.
He gets a full bath every other day, and no-water baths several times a day, due to his inability to lift his rear during litter time. He grooms himself the best he can, but has trouble reaching all the spots that need cleaning.
The bulk of his day is spent sleeping, which I imagine is normal for cats. I wish he were more active and playful, but he doesn't seem to miss it. We wrap him in a cocoon with a mircofleece blanket, and this keeps his joints stable.
Friday, January 6, 2012
What's Wrong With This Kitten?
The characteristics that brought me to Bear are also symptoms of his illness. Bear is very small, about a pound and a half below where he should be, very round face, very big eyes, big feet and toes on both front paws that lean inward, inability to hold his head up, and weak joints that will not hold up his little body. He has never climbed, ran, or done the 'spooky cat' that is all part of the kitten norm. Repeated visits to my vet's office did nothing but frustrate both me and my vet. Kittens are very difficult to diagnose, and in my vet's opinion as long as he was eating and eliminating well, we needed to let him progress a bit to see if any more clues would surface.
His very round belly became a concern at the first of December and xrays revealed a belly full of poo, no fluid that would make us suspiscious of feline intestinal peritonitis. We stayed at 'wait and see' until mid December, when one day Bear came through the house dragging his back legs. I was worried that my dog had stepped on him, but on xray we learned that both of Bear's back legs were dislocated at the hip and his knees were also dislocated. Also, several of his lower vertebrae appeared to be malformed.
We were able to schedule an appointment with a neurologist in Chattanooga, and learned that Bear has a congenital disease called mucopolysaccharidosis, probably due to the fact that his mother was a Siamese mix. Bear's pelvis is malformed and he doesn't have a socket on the left side for his femur to even fit into. And the neurologist feels that there are additional anomalies of Bear's nervous system that will deteriorate with time. We were told that Bear will probably have a short life to match his short stature (kittens with MPS rarely grow much more after their four month mark) of about 20 months.
I weighed the options of euthanizing Bear immediately, or waiting it out and letting him enjoy his life for as long as he could. I chose the second option as the most humane because he is a very happy kitten. I also chose option 2 so that his vets can learn as much as they can about his condition, since so little has been written. And this blog is to record his progression through the illness, in hopes that the next person who finds herself the parent of a kitten with this illness will find the first-hand information and support that I cannot find. When Bear is through with me, I'll let him go knowing that I did the very best I could for him.
His very round belly became a concern at the first of December and xrays revealed a belly full of poo, no fluid that would make us suspiscious of feline intestinal peritonitis. We stayed at 'wait and see' until mid December, when one day Bear came through the house dragging his back legs. I was worried that my dog had stepped on him, but on xray we learned that both of Bear's back legs were dislocated at the hip and his knees were also dislocated. Also, several of his lower vertebrae appeared to be malformed.
We were able to schedule an appointment with a neurologist in Chattanooga, and learned that Bear has a congenital disease called mucopolysaccharidosis, probably due to the fact that his mother was a Siamese mix. Bear's pelvis is malformed and he doesn't have a socket on the left side for his femur to even fit into. And the neurologist feels that there are additional anomalies of Bear's nervous system that will deteriorate with time. We were told that Bear will probably have a short life to match his short stature (kittens with MPS rarely grow much more after their four month mark) of about 20 months.
I weighed the options of euthanizing Bear immediately, or waiting it out and letting him enjoy his life for as long as he could. I chose the second option as the most humane because he is a very happy kitten. I also chose option 2 so that his vets can learn as much as they can about his condition, since so little has been written. And this blog is to record his progression through the illness, in hopes that the next person who finds herself the parent of a kitten with this illness will find the first-hand information and support that I cannot find. When Bear is through with me, I'll let him go knowing that I did the very best I could for him.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Sprout that Stayed a Sprout
Just like everyone else that visited Linda in those first weeks after the kittens were born, Bear really stood out because he was so very tiny in comparison to his litter mates. It probably didn't help that he was the only male in the house, I think we all felt very sorry for his tiny male ego! Nevertheless, he was always the first to the feeding bowl, and I'm not sure he left until it was empty, although I am sure he took his turn with his sisters.
Another thing that stood out with Bear was the drama. He was SO loud from the time that his mom decided to leave the litter on the deck during the day! And when he realized where the meals were coming from (Linda!) he followed and meowed to her constantly. Shortly after Linda's surgery, I brought her dinner one evening, and Bear found another human to complain to! I was hooked from that moment on. Linda got a few more meals than she needed out of the deal, I'm sure, but she was so gracious to let me come and visit.
One that was apparent though, Bear was much smaller than his litter mates, did not bounce and pounce like they did, and was much happier snuggling than doing the regular kitten activities. His gate at 6 weeks was similar to a newborn kitten. We were concerned, but thought a trip to the vet would take care of his issues.
One that was apparent though, Bear was much smaller than his litter mates, did not bounce and pounce like they did, and was much happier snuggling than doing the regular kitten activities. His gate at 6 weeks was similar to a newborn kitten. We were concerned, but thought a trip to the vet would take care of his issues.
The Singles Social Hour
I met Bear in September of 2011, when my good friend Linda called that there was a litter of stray kittens on her patio and she hoped that her friends might want to adopt one. There were six kittens in this litter, and the mother was a very small Siamese mix. My plan was to adopt one of the gray kittens in the litter, they were so beautiful. But, this tiny black kitten followed Linda, then me around with the sweetest 'mew' that I instantly fell in love with him. I felt that he needed me. I was very worried that someone else might claim him, but Linda promised him to me when he was old enough.
One of Bear's crowning characteristics was that he would jump in the food dish when it was empty, like he was using it as a little boat and planned to sail away. His personality was endearing from the start.
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