Paralyzed Stray Black Kitten

[nahui]

A few pictures from today's therapy:


Fetén is moving his tail now on his own! His hind legs are also a bit more responsive and is able to contract them when he is sitting Also... Fetén is starting therapy in the pool next Tuesday!

Unfortunately, I won't be there for his first pool therapy session. Hopefully, Sarah will take pictures. I really want to know how it goes for him.

Finally, can anyone recommend any good places for cat bathing suits?

 

[trudy1]

See, I hate to say I told you so....but I think feten has a lot to teach all of us about faith!

He’s such a photogenic guy!

Can’t wait to see how the pool therapy goes...tell Sarah plenty of pictures...his fans want to know!

You guys are SOOOO great. I read all the heartbreak on this forum and then there’s feten! What more can I say?

 

[daisyd]

Go Feten !!! Can’t wait to see pics of him in the pool ! He may love being able to swim around fast with ease . X

 

[Norachan]

He's such a little fighter. It's amazing how relaxed and comfortable he is with all the therapy. Almost as if he knows it's doing him good.

 

[nahui]

trudy1 , You are so right!!! I did not know what I was getting myself into, but when that first vet suggested putting Fetén to sleep I just knew that was not the right thing to do. I don't know how far he'll go in his recovery, but what he has shown us just fills me with hope.

daisyd , I am almost certain he is going to hate being in the water, but I hope he proves me wrong!

Norachan , he absolutely looooves his therapy. He complains all the way in the car, but as soon as we step into the therapy room, he starts to purr really loudly. I guess it does help relieve any pain he might feel, but also just getting all that attention must also be quite a thing for him.

 

[nahui]

I am sad to report that therapy in the pool was a bust . Fetén got too stressed, his legs had no response, and he had to be taken out of the pool. I suspected that he would not like it, but I am a little sad that we are going to have to wait some more to try again. He will go back to his regular therapy twice a week and later we'll decide if/when to try again with the pool.

His therapist said, however, that we should not consider this a step back. It just means that it will take a little longer. We are still seeing small improvements, barely noticeable, but still improvements. He now can move both legs and his tail by just stimulating one leg, which was not possible just a week ago, so that is something.

 

[tabbytom]

Could the water seems like a strange feeling he is experiencing and therefore the legs cannot response due to being suspended in the water?

 

[daisyd]

Bless him ! Hopefully he will give it another go, he’s such a brave furbaby already

 

[nahui]

Could the water seems like a strange feeling he is experiencing and therefore the legs cannot response due to being suspended in the water?

It could be. The problem is that he got way too stressed. He does not take well to water, even the sound of it gets him stressed.

 

[tabbytom]

It could be. The problem is that he got way too stressed. He does not take well to water, even the sound of it gets him stressed.

Hopefully he overcome this stage and hope that this will not discourage him from other therapy he has to go through.

 

[trudy1]

Poor feten....it must have been traumatic for him...sorry it didn’t work out.

You might try this: if he has a favorite toy try getting a low bowl with water in it. Throw the toy in the water and see if he fishes it out. Might get him a little more adjusted to water but I’ve found few cats that like water. I used to bathe rescue kittens to get rid of fleas but older cats , never.

I would ask the therapist if there was any exercises or medium you could put him in to replicate being in water?

Kiss him on the top of his sweet head mom and tell him it’s ok.

 

[nahui]

tabbytom and trudy1 , it just occurred to me that I can try something to make him less stressed in the water. I usually wipe his hind legs with a semi-wet rag to keep him clean, but instead today I started putting his hind legs under running water in the sink and then drying him off with a towel. He does meow and tries to get away, but calms down if I talk to him. I think I might try this a few times a week (I don't know if constantly getting him wet might affect his skin) and see if this helps.

On Saturday we are going back to therapy and I'll make sure to ask if there are alternatives we could try. If not, then I'll focus on getting him more comfortable in the water. We might even consider getting a kiddie pool and try therapy at home, if that is a possibility.

 

[trudy1]

Another thought is the temperature of the water....was it cold, warm or? Lukewarm might be less traumatic.

 

[tabbytom]

Yea, if he dosen’t like being in water, best is find alternative ways and stick to what works best with him that don’t stress him out.

 

[mazie]

Another thought is the temperature of the water....was it cold, warm or? Lukewarm might be less traumatic.

Oh, always warm water, you never want to give him a chill. Besides, the idea is to make him receptive to water, if it is cold, he will never be comfortable in water. I know I don't like cold water. I do not like being cold.... Who does?

 

[catlady76paws]

I just read this thread in one go. I love Feten

for improvement and next therapy session

 

[Sarthur2]

If he is panicked in the water it might be best to find an alternative therapy that will utilize his legs. The stress of water therapy may be too much.

 

[msaimee]

I agree. The water therapy is probably not a good idea. My experience with cats is that they never get over the fear and stress of being in water. I know there are some breeds that like water, but most cats don't. He's already been through so much trauma, I would hate for him to be stressed with having to adapt to being in water. He's making progress with the other therapies, and tolerates them very well, so maybe just continue with that. I'm afraid that if he has to return to another water therapy session, that he may become stressed and fearful every time you put him in the pet carrier and in the car to take him out. That would be quite a sad setback.

 

[nahui]

trudy1 , tabbytom , and mazie , unfortunately, today I learned the water is rather on the cold side, so that definitely does not work for Fetén.

catlady76paws , thank you!

Sarthur2 and msaimee , today I talked to his therapist and she said we are now going to try other options such as placing him on a ball so that he "stands" in a normal position and keep him there during therapy. Not exactly like therapy in the water, but he stays happy and relaxed.

As he grows up, he is becoming very much a lap cat. I think that being handled all the time has made him have quite a different personality than any of my other cats. He demands to be held and is always right next to me. Next week, he is getting his first round of vaccinations. We had to wait this long because he needed to be healthy enough.

 

[tabbytom]

Yes, cold water is definitely a no go as it’ll stress him out bad. Poor Feten

Just wondering, why are they using cold water for therapy?