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- Dec 8, 2013
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Hello Everyone, I have had an episode with my cat and would like to see if anyone has any advice.
My cat is barely three years old (just turned 3 four days ago), abyssinian, weighs 6 pounds. Every night he goes to bed with me and sleeps at my side. Tonight around 3AM, we were both asleep when I felt him moving, followed by a loud thud and I realized he had fallen off my bed and was now flopping on the floor. He seemed aware of surroundings, wasn't panting or anything, no twitching but he couldn't stand and his legs kept giving out underneath him. Maybe about 40 seconds later he was able to stand and was fine. We're waiting right now for the vet to open, he is playing, he wants to eat breakfast. Clear eyes. Nothing wrong with his gait. Nothing unusual as far as I can tell.
I think this has happened once before, maybe about a week ago? We were sleeping again and I felt him moving, again I was asleep and it was dark so I can't say if he was just falling over on me or seizing, I don't know. I thought then he had fallen off the bed and flopping over trying to walk out of the room-- but by the time he got to the hall way he seemed completely fine. So fine, my husband and I thought I had had a very vivid nightmare. It didn't seem possible for a cat to flop like a fish off a high-up bed, be falling over and be fine in the span of about 30 seconds.
Now that we BOTH saw this attack though, we know it's happened at least twice.
As if this wasn't enough, I am really, really scared because the cat I had before him died VERY suddenly, very unexpectedly with symptoms that looked a LOT like this. That cat (whom this cat never met), was 6 years old when he started having strange problems-- like he would try to jump on a chair and would completely miss it. He would jump in the air and fall short-- even though it was a tiny chair he had leapt on many times. He was back and forth at the vet, no one could sort out what it might be-- but before we got to do any deep analysis he had what looked like a massive seizure and died in my arms. We realized later he had probably had several seizures, we just didn't know what they were at the time.
All his attacks happened while he was sleeping as well-- he had one where he rolled off my pillow, one he had been napping. His final attack he had been sleeping with me and got out of bed for breakfast and collapsed waiting for his bowl.
I had accepted my first cat had some neurological issue. He was a very funny cat, even before the seizures-- like on a personality disorder level. Since no one was ever able to figure anything out with his issues, I figured his brain had just never been wired right and that was what eventually killed him. This literally broke my heart. My cats are my children.
A year later we got this new kitten. Since we were never able to diagnose the other cat, we got rid of basically everything he ever had. Dishes. Toys. Beds. Carriers. I changed the type of food this kitten got-- he's on a high quality limited-ingredient wet food, only has dehydrated chicken for treats. The vet recommended we get no objects that were made in China, so all his toys are made in the USA. His bowls and plates are made in the USA. Leashes, collars, tiny shirts-- you get the idea. We stopped cleaning with any wet sprays. Child-locks are on any cupboards he shouldn't get into-- he is indoor only. I give him flea medicine from his vet only. We are really careful because of what happened to our other cat. I do a LOT of reading when it comes to cat care, just in case, because my biggest fear was the same thing that happened to my first cat would happen again because we never figured out what killed him. I never wanted that again in my life. I can't believe I was holding my little three year old cat with all these same feelings of terror going through me!
I just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas. I can accept one cat who was young and healthy having a hidden neurological problem-- but TWO? Who never met and shared nothing? It seems almost impossible to me. It seems impossible to have two completely unrelated cats have seizure/collapse issues. I feel very strongly it must be something in my apartment environment, though I can't figure out what the common denominator would be. Right? I just don't know!
One thing my husband and I thought about-- both of my cats had/have a spot on my fridge about our oven because it gets really warm up there. Sometimes our new kitten will go up there and cry because he wants the oven turned on to get warm and we oblige. Is it possible it could be some gas situation from our oven? There is no extractor fan, it vents hot air right into the kitchen. Like is this some low-grade gas poisoning? The last thing my kitten did tonight, he was sleeping on the fridge, then got up to go to bed with me. An hour later he was collapsing.
I honestly can't think what else it could be-- we are so hyper vigilant, there are no usual suspects in the house. I am so scared. I don't even want my cat in my house, because I am afraid something in here is killing him.
Maybe it's an unrelated attack, maybe it's something completely different-- but again, it seems SO similar and again what are the odds two different young cats combating seizures?
An additional note: Right after the attack happened I called the emergency vet. They were unhelpful, I was ready to bring him in but they seemed to hem and haw if it was necessary and couldn't give me a straight recommendation what to do. Since they seemed unconcerned and it was so close to our regular vet opening, we opted to wait the few hours. At least we can talk to a doctor who saw my other cat and I trust. But yes, we're going to the vet in about 30 minutes now. My cat still seems fine, he's upset he is not getting breakfast but otherwise he's looking out the window, drinking water, playing fetch with a toy running all over the place. Normal behavior.
I am so scared. I don't know what I would do if I lost another cat. They are my whole life. I can't believe this seems to be happening again. I haven't slept, I don't know what to do-- besides going to the vet and doing all the right things-- but I am afraid the vet will find nothing like before and we just won't know and then he'll die just like my other cat. I am really scared.
Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?
My cat is barely three years old (just turned 3 four days ago), abyssinian, weighs 6 pounds. Every night he goes to bed with me and sleeps at my side. Tonight around 3AM, we were both asleep when I felt him moving, followed by a loud thud and I realized he had fallen off my bed and was now flopping on the floor. He seemed aware of surroundings, wasn't panting or anything, no twitching but he couldn't stand and his legs kept giving out underneath him. Maybe about 40 seconds later he was able to stand and was fine. We're waiting right now for the vet to open, he is playing, he wants to eat breakfast. Clear eyes. Nothing wrong with his gait. Nothing unusual as far as I can tell.
I think this has happened once before, maybe about a week ago? We were sleeping again and I felt him moving, again I was asleep and it was dark so I can't say if he was just falling over on me or seizing, I don't know. I thought then he had fallen off the bed and flopping over trying to walk out of the room-- but by the time he got to the hall way he seemed completely fine. So fine, my husband and I thought I had had a very vivid nightmare. It didn't seem possible for a cat to flop like a fish off a high-up bed, be falling over and be fine in the span of about 30 seconds.
Now that we BOTH saw this attack though, we know it's happened at least twice.
As if this wasn't enough, I am really, really scared because the cat I had before him died VERY suddenly, very unexpectedly with symptoms that looked a LOT like this. That cat (whom this cat never met), was 6 years old when he started having strange problems-- like he would try to jump on a chair and would completely miss it. He would jump in the air and fall short-- even though it was a tiny chair he had leapt on many times. He was back and forth at the vet, no one could sort out what it might be-- but before we got to do any deep analysis he had what looked like a massive seizure and died in my arms. We realized later he had probably had several seizures, we just didn't know what they were at the time.
All his attacks happened while he was sleeping as well-- he had one where he rolled off my pillow, one he had been napping. His final attack he had been sleeping with me and got out of bed for breakfast and collapsed waiting for his bowl.
I had accepted my first cat had some neurological issue. He was a very funny cat, even before the seizures-- like on a personality disorder level. Since no one was ever able to figure anything out with his issues, I figured his brain had just never been wired right and that was what eventually killed him. This literally broke my heart. My cats are my children.
A year later we got this new kitten. Since we were never able to diagnose the other cat, we got rid of basically everything he ever had. Dishes. Toys. Beds. Carriers. I changed the type of food this kitten got-- he's on a high quality limited-ingredient wet food, only has dehydrated chicken for treats. The vet recommended we get no objects that were made in China, so all his toys are made in the USA. His bowls and plates are made in the USA. Leashes, collars, tiny shirts-- you get the idea. We stopped cleaning with any wet sprays. Child-locks are on any cupboards he shouldn't get into-- he is indoor only. I give him flea medicine from his vet only. We are really careful because of what happened to our other cat. I do a LOT of reading when it comes to cat care, just in case, because my biggest fear was the same thing that happened to my first cat would happen again because we never figured out what killed him. I never wanted that again in my life. I can't believe I was holding my little three year old cat with all these same feelings of terror going through me!
I just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas. I can accept one cat who was young and healthy having a hidden neurological problem-- but TWO? Who never met and shared nothing? It seems almost impossible to me. It seems impossible to have two completely unrelated cats have seizure/collapse issues. I feel very strongly it must be something in my apartment environment, though I can't figure out what the common denominator would be. Right? I just don't know!
One thing my husband and I thought about-- both of my cats had/have a spot on my fridge about our oven because it gets really warm up there. Sometimes our new kitten will go up there and cry because he wants the oven turned on to get warm and we oblige. Is it possible it could be some gas situation from our oven? There is no extractor fan, it vents hot air right into the kitchen. Like is this some low-grade gas poisoning? The last thing my kitten did tonight, he was sleeping on the fridge, then got up to go to bed with me. An hour later he was collapsing.
I honestly can't think what else it could be-- we are so hyper vigilant, there are no usual suspects in the house. I am so scared. I don't even want my cat in my house, because I am afraid something in here is killing him.
Maybe it's an unrelated attack, maybe it's something completely different-- but again, it seems SO similar and again what are the odds two different young cats combating seizures?
An additional note: Right after the attack happened I called the emergency vet. They were unhelpful, I was ready to bring him in but they seemed to hem and haw if it was necessary and couldn't give me a straight recommendation what to do. Since they seemed unconcerned and it was so close to our regular vet opening, we opted to wait the few hours. At least we can talk to a doctor who saw my other cat and I trust. But yes, we're going to the vet in about 30 minutes now. My cat still seems fine, he's upset he is not getting breakfast but otherwise he's looking out the window, drinking water, playing fetch with a toy running all over the place. Normal behavior.
I am so scared. I don't know what I would do if I lost another cat. They are my whole life. I can't believe this seems to be happening again. I haven't slept, I don't know what to do-- besides going to the vet and doing all the right things-- but I am afraid the vet will find nothing like before and we just won't know and then he'll die just like my other cat. I am really scared.
Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?