I Now Know What I Want to Say About Bob

A story:

When Bob was brought in by Animal Control to the veterinary hospital where I was working he was badly injured. They said he had been trapped 'under something'. His tail was dead - he couldn't move or feel it, and he would step on it because he didn't know where it was. It was also degloved, meaning the skin was all removed, as if removing a glove. He was also saturated with urine from the waist down.

Now, when Animal Services brought injured pets to us they were not doing so so that we could care for them. The policy was that we were to examine them and make sure they were stable enough to go to the pound until their person came to get them, or they moved into adoption after the holding period. So we were not allowed to take xrays or give him any sort of treatment. Naturally, we still cleaned him up as best we could without funds, and fed him.

He was, of course, very distressed. When alone in his cage he would pace and yowl, and appear miserable, tripping over his own dead tail. It was sad. But if I sat next to his cage, he would calm down. If I opened his cage and pet him, he even started to seem happy, despite his injuries. So I sat with him a lot, and I fell in love.

Later in the afternoon, when the Animal Control officer came back to get him, I asked what would happen to him. He explained that he would be held for five days, then if no one claimed him he would go up for adoption. He told me that if I wanted him, that I should call each day to check in because he might be considered unadoptable due to his injuries and euthanized unless they knew someone was waiting for him.

So I called every day. I asked if he had been claimed. I told them that when his hold was up, I was going to come take him. When could I come get him? They told me to call tomorrow.

Until the fifth day. I asked if he'd been claimed.
No.
OK, I'm going to come adopt him today.
Oh, no you can't. He isn't neutered, and he's too sick to neuter now, so he can't be adopted. Only a rescue organization can take an unneutered pet.
But I've called every day - why am I just learning this now?
Not my problem.

I had until the end of the day to get a rescue organization to vouch for him. I made so many calls. I don't remember how many. I hate talking on the phone - but I was mad, and I was afraid. Only two rescue organizations ever bothered to call me back. One, the Contra Costa Humane society and a wonderful woman whos name I am ashamed I don't remember, but it was maybe Lori, or Lauren, drove up from Lafayatte to Martinez to meet me at the shelter and get Bob out for me. After she helped me, she stayed to look around the pound to see if there were other animals she could get out while she was there.

We took Bob straight to surgery. Needless to say, five days sitting in a cage without care had not done him any favors. He did need another follow up surgery, and as anyone who has ever met me knows, he still had a lifetime of medical problems, but he was greatly loved, and made my life better, and much more interesting.

So, for anyone looking for end of the year charitable donations to make, might I suggest supporting the fine work of the folks at the Contra Costa Humane society? I am making a donation to them in Bob's honor and memory, and would not be upset if you were to join in.

I feel like I should add, here at the end of my story, that all this took place over 18 years ago. I have have had numerous dealings with both the Animal Shelter and various rescue groups over the years, and they have all improved greatly on all counts. Our new kitty, who I will be posting about soon, came from the Shelter, and looking through her history, I see she received excellent care in their hands.

Bob has passed away

Bob the Cat ?/1998 - 12/2017

Bob passed away early in the morning last Saturday. We are all still adjusting to his absence. He has left a hole in our home and our hearts.  Bob had more than his share of physical problems, and limitations. He must have been in pain much of the time. And yet he was always happy, always purring, always wanting a lap and a head scratch. 

When someone was upset, or crying Bob would find them and try to offer comfort. It usually worked.

Despite his many health problems, he outlived several other cats in this household. His doctor put this down to his pleasant nature, his calm personality, and that he never worried or got stressed no matter what he was going through. 

I still catch myself looking for him, or worrying about him, or just wanting to hold him. I don't expect those feeling to go away very fast.

Mirtazapine in Cats

Bob in his Gryffindor scarf. photo by Kara Hartz

Mirtazapine is a common appetite stimulant used for cats. Over the past couple weeks I've given Bob two doses, and he is eating great. Mirtazapine is used because it works really well. Cats who take it, eat. When you have a sick cat that refuses food for significant lengths of time, despite being offered many tempting options, cat people get frustrated and hopeless feeling. Something that gets the cats eating again is a godsend.

Another plus, for anyone who has tried to pill a cat is that it only needs to be given every 3 days. The hospital where I work now carries a new form of Mirtazapine that isn't a pill, but is a soft dissolving tab. So it dissolves quickly in the cat's mouth as opposed to them needing to swallow it. However, it needs to be given every day.

What is talked about less is a common side affect of Mirtazapine.  Even some of the doctors I work with didn't know about this. Most cats I know who have taken Mirtazapine has some degree of behavior changes. Agitation, restlessness, increased vocalizations and similar behaviors are what I've mostly seen or had reported to me. Knowing to expect, or at least not to be startled by these changes when they happen can keep cat people from worrying that something new has gone wrong with their beloved.

For Bob, the restless is the worst on the first day of his pill and decreases over time. I haven't tried the dissolving tabs with him, but since they don't last as long, I wonder if the side affects would be lessened too. I'd be interested to hear your experience if your cat has taken the daily form.

Bob's level of agitation was so bad yesterday that I started rethinking if I would continue using it with him, but today he is his usual happy self, ad I'm torn. The old dude really needs to eat. *sigh* The stressful life of the elderly kitty guardian.

I Liked Him Better Chubby

Thin Bob. photo by Kara Hartz

He isn't eating enough. I'm starting him on appetite stimulants, but they make him act goofy. Why do cats have to get old?

Bob's Raging Bladder Infection

Bob eating- yea! photo by Kara Hartz

I've been sure that Bob is on death's door for about 3 years now. He gets sick, I'm sure that this is the end because, well he's got a broken spine and he's a thousand years old - how much more can he take, right? But he always pulls through. He is the toughest cat in the history of cats.

The latest episode in this ongoing story: he was eating poorly, and had lost significant weight. I took him with me to work for a bath. That was the only plan. At the hospital I work at we use these disposable cardboard litter pans for cats that are clean and fit well into the kennels without taking up all the space. We don't put much litter in them so the kennel doesn't get too messy if the cat kicks the litter around. I leave Bob's diaper off when I have him at work with me to let his poor bottom air out. When he used his box, it was clear he had significant blood in his urine. (I thought is strange that this didn't show up in his diapers.)

So began the tests. We got blood and urine samples. I was sure his kidneys must be starting to fail because his last bloodwork showed his kidney values in the 'grey zone'. In other words, not yet bad enough to diagnose kidney disease, but not quite a good as we'd like. Shocking, for a 19/20 year old cat, his kidney values came back this time just perfect. Like I said, he's an amazing guy. But he does have a raging bladder infection. He was treated with Convenia injectable antibiotic, which we just learned today from his urine culture that his infection is susceptible to. His attitude has since improved greatly.

I'm wondering if the diaper could be a contributing factor to this development. Might holding the wet diaper near his body encourage bacteria to migrate up into his bladder? I think maybe. We can't discontinue the diaper for Bob at this stage. He really seems to have almost no control at all of his urine anymore, so I will just need to be extra diligent about changing him if he is even a little wet. Unlike a baby, he doesn't complain and ask to be changed.

The other strange thing is - he had barely eaten anything in about a week when I took him to work. Then there, he ate three cans of food that day. The next day at home he didn't want to eat again. So I switched his dish for the paper bowls we use at work (as seen in the photo above) and he started eating again. I thought his dish was somehow difficult for him to eat out of or he decided he didn't like it. Unfortunately, the paper dish solution has not continued to work. He is back to sporadic eating habits. So I'd love some theories or ideas about how to encourage better eating. I'm thinking of trying a flat dish - if a more open paper bowl was easier than his ceramic bowl, maybe a plate will be even easier? Yes, I'm reaching here, but you would too if you loved this cat.

We Still Love Bob Anyway

There are no sheets on my bed because both sets are in the wash. We've had a run of days when Bob's diaper has either fallen off, or overflowed - always on the bed of course. It's probably my fault. The diaper has worked so well, I may not be checking on it as often as I should be. We've certainly been extra busy lately and not home as much. (You know, because homeschoolers are anti-social recluses.) I'm also going to be paying closer attention to how I put the diapers on him in case I'm being sloppy there too. Staying up late tonight to doing laundry so I can put clean sheets on the bed -so that'll teach me I guess.

Quilted Cat Dish Placemat

Photo by Kara Hartz. Bob with placemat.

I had these cute fat quarters of bright kitty cat fabrics for awhile now. Bob is a messy eater and the carpet around his dish was getting a little nasty, so I decided a good project would be a placemat for his dish. I think it turned out cute! Now I need to make a second one though for when this is in the wash. I'm not sure what he's doing when he eats, but Bob can really fling the food around.

I Would Like Bob to Stop Sleeping Like He's Dead.

This is not a normal way for cats to sleep Bob. Photo by Kara Hartz

I have also found him with his head dangled off the side of the bed, all limp. It freaks me out. Once, he was like that and I poked him to get him to move and he didn't respond. So I picked up a leg and let it fall. Still nothing. Then, in full panic I grabbed his chest to feel for a heartbeat and he lifted his head to regard me with a bleary, confused expression. I can't take it.

Sickbed Friends

Bob and Meeko. photo by Kara Hartz

I was in bed sick over the weekend, and I woke up covered in cats. Bob may have gotten thin in his old age, but Meeko is a solid chunk of cat and he had me pretty pinned down. I like to think they were there to snuggle me out of affection - but it's possible I was just in their napping spot and they made do.

Almost, but Not Quite Cuddled

Bob and Meeko. Photo by Kara Hartz 2017

This is about as snuggled as these two ever manage. It's funny because they both - Bob the most - cuddle with me all the time. I have caught them allowing their feet to touch sometimes. They have also been known to groom each other - but that's where the line is drawn I guess. Notice there is no actual physical contact here.

Bob and his Cat Diaper - 5 Months Later

Looking back at my original post about Bob and his cat diaper, everything was so new and exciting then. I think it's time to revisit how the cat diaper is working now that we've been at it for 5 months or so.

Bob in his cat diaper by Kara Hartz

The pluses:

It is still working really well - far better than any training or household modifications ever did for us. Now that I see how little control he has over his bladder, that all makes sense. Hard to teach him not to urinate in the wrong place if he can't always control when urine comes out.

In the past I needed to be very careful about how much of his stool softener I gave him - diarrhea was a serious problem for trying to live with Bob. So I was usually very skimpy with his dose. Now, if things get a little too lose, the diaper catches all. That, however, is rare. He is actually getting more and more regular, passing stools on his own - something he hasn't done in a year or more. That also means he is eating better , and vomiting less than before.

When I see him squatting on my pillow, I don't have to drop what I'm doing to whisk him away to the litter box. Have at it Bob! You go guy!

The minuses:

Because he lacks control, sometimes he'll have a dry diaper for days, then overflow, and we still have to strip the bed and wash everything. I'm learning to keep tabs on this and help him get things started if he has gone 24 hours without peeing.

Same with the poop. If he gets constipated, there can be a serious blow out when things get moving again. The diaper makes the mess much more manageable that it would be otherwise, but there have been a couple times that overflowed and needed major cleanup.

Fiddling with his stool softener dose led to occasional diarrhea. While this no longer gets all over the house (yea!) it does still get all over Bob's backside. Luckily, he has gotten used to baths and is very tolerant of getting tossed in the sink for a scrubbing. For awhile I worried about the longer term damage urine or stool might cause to the skin on his back and undersides, but so far, after 5 months, that doesn't seem to be a concern. Just have to make sure to change him regularly.

Lastly - it's kinda a bummer, with kids that have been using the potty on their own for 7-plus years now, to be back at changing diapers, and it's tempting to skip sometimes. Still, it's more than worth the hassle in the end. (Pun intended)

Flash Fiction Friday: First Love

The slamming of the back door screen and the shrieking of the girl as she tore across the yard woke Bob from his nap. Folding his ears back as he yawned and stretched, his front legs then his back. Reluctantly he slunk to the edge of the yard to crouch beneath the lavender bushes, leaving his warm corner of the patio in the sun. His old joints were stiff and he was on no mood for the crushing hugs and rough play the girl would force on him if he stayed in the open. 

The screen thumped closed again, calmer this time. Bob saw Leigh moving a plastic chair. She sat, and opened a book in her lap, but watched the girl for several moments before looking down to read.

Bob remembered how he and Leigh used to spend the whole day together sometimes. He would sit in her lap as she worked at the computer or pounce on the laundry as she folded. Since the girl had been big enough to move around though, Bob had slept hidden under the bed most of the day. He learned quickly that that was the only way to stay safe from being poked or his ears or whiskers pulled. Now he only came out after the girl was in bed. To get a short precious time in Leigh's lap again for proper, gentle ear and chin rubs.

He looked at Leigh reading , then at the girl who was now at the far end of the yard screeching some sort of song as she ran in circles. He stuck his head out from under the bush. Then crept a little further. Before he'd thought things through he had covered half the distance to Leigh. He found himself airborn, swinging in a circle. The girl held him under his front legs, his back feet dangling as she flung him around in her dance. 

"Caroline! Stop that!"

The swinging stopped, but he dangled still, his spine screaming for some support. Then Leigh had him against her chest, one arm under him, the other rubbing his ears. She carried him to her chair, and then set him in her lap. He thought about jumping down and back to his hiding spot in the bushes.

"Caroline, come here. You pet him gentle, like this."

Leigh ran her hand down his spine. Then a smaller hand hit him, pushing him down, and followed the same path. "Gentle, gentle. See, he likes that." The second time, the small hand was softer, but it plucked at his fur before departing.

"I'm sorry buddy," Leigh said, scratching his chin in the spot he loved. "She'll get better. I've got you now though." 

Bob curled up and settled into her lap, purrs overflowing out of him. Like old times.

Diapering the Bob

Bob the cat photo by Kara Hartz

I've written before about my cat, Bob. For a little background though - Bob has a broken spine that left him with a dead tail (that was amputated) and he has fecal incontinence. This all happened to him when he was about 1 year old. He is now 19, and things in his back end have been slowly deteriorating over the years. 

He has always been prone to urinating in the wrong place, but in the past year or so it has become more clear that this is only sometimes a choice, and sometimes seems to catch him completely off guard. We tried different ways to deal with the urine and still keep Bob around. We've tried just keeping him out of rooms with beds in them, and we haven't owned a sofa in years. For awhile we tried putting him in a portable dog kennel when no one would be home to supervise him. All of these things helped with the accidents, but didn't stop them.

Then I had the idea to diaper him, and I wonder why I didn't do this first. We could have skipped all those years of suffering (for us and for Bob).

Now, he certainly didn't care for the diaper when we started. It bugged him. But I saw at once that it bugged him less than not being allowed to lay on a bed did, or even worse, to be kenneled all the time. After a couple weeks, he no longer seems to even notice it. And - Oh! The freedom! - for us all. 

I originally bought him doggie diapers. Then a helpful review on Amazon suggested that human baby diapers could have a tail hole cut in them, and were a heck of a lot cheaper. So that's what I use now. I ended up picking a size based on the weight range on the package for lack of another idea, and that has worked well. The size 1 diapers fit him great. I've even stopped bothering to cut the tail hole since his remaining stub is so tiny it never stayed in the hole, and since he can't feel his stub it doesn't seem to bother him to just have it covered up. 

I'm sharing this information:

1) because is he not the cutest diapered cat you've ever seen?

and 

2) Hopefully this will help someone else who may be struggling with a partially or fully incontinent older cat. If I can help a cat and person avoid all we went through, and save their relationship - then I want to do so. 

Bob the Cat photo by Kara Hartz

What About Bob?

photo by Kara Hartz 2016

I haven't written about Bob in awhile. He is trucking along just fine. We adopted Bob in October of 1998, and at the time his doctor thought he was about a year old, which would give him a birthday in 1997. I think it is probably more likely he was a spring kitten, and closer to only 7 or 8 month old when we adopted him since he did grow a little after we got him. Still that would make him 'only' 18 years old instead of 19 right now. He's an old dude - no getting around that.

His bathroom habits have deteriorated over the past year or so, and I am now manually helping him empty his bladder 1 to 2 times a day. I'd noticed him going from one litter box to another but not producing much, and seeming restless. At first he didn't appreciate my help, but now he will go to my bathroom (I use the toilet when I empty him instead of a cat box) and meow at me. I take that as his request to be emptied.

A couple months ago I thought we might be near the end because he was eating very poorly and getting thinner and thinner. Then suddenly, he was eating great for about a week and just as my hopes were up, he stopped eating again. Belatedly, I put it together that the week he ate well, I had run out of his regular food and was feeding Fancy Feast, or whatever was on sale at the grocery store. As an experiment, I picked up some Fancy Feast, and sure enough, he are every bite. Since this revelation, he has been slowly putting weight back on and isn't looking so frail.

There no stopping the Bob.
Not yet.