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- Apr 30, 2020
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Greetings All,
This is my first post! I hope those who have gone through this with their cats might chime in. My cat is scheduled for right patella repair on 5/19, and I have a bazillion questions. I need to come back later with questions that haven’t been answered from searching/reading posts on this topic.
“9 years ago I entered uncharted territory when I agreed to foster a kitty who was, without doubt, semi-feral. Tippie had a traumatic start in life as a victim of gun violence, leaving her blind in one eye. I vigilantly cared for Tippie after a surgery to remove her eye, and tirelessly gave reasons to trust so she could quickly get adopted.
Ultimately, we formed such a close bond that left us with no other choice except to continue our adventures together. So – she adopted me on Valentine’s day 2013!
You'll be happy to know that Tippie makes up for the missing eye by sporting extra toes, along with an incredibly spirited and mischievous personality!
She unexpectedly filled a void in my heart after losing another cat of 18-years, and so I promised to always love and protect Tippie from harm.
It breaks my heart to watch this lively girl revert to living under a bed - not understanding why her leg gives out, why she can't walk or jump, and why she is confined to a room for her own safety.
On Friday 4/10/2020, Tippie was playing in another room. I decided to join the fun, only to find her on the floor, sitting in a strange position and unable to walk. After two visits to the ER + her regular vet, we were referred to a surgeon at the University of Minnesota Small Animal Hospital. There, she was diagnosed with patellar luxuations (kneecaps partially dislocate), a rare condition in cats. Tippie's right knee is severe enough that walking can oftentimes be impossible.”
I’ll add - Tippie has grade 2, but after seeing video of Tippie walking, the surgeon recommended surgery asap. Bilateral is an option, but we’re just going with the right since it’s most debilitating. Although the surgeon considers this urgent, we still can’t get in for 3 weeks.
Since I wrote the above information 2 weeks ago, Tippie is doing a little better. She’s learned to adapt and rest, when her leg gives out. Tippie is quite stubborn, so when she feels a little better, no barricade will stop her from trying to jump. In fact, I think my attempts made it worse. Her curiosity, frustration, and then attention-seeking behavior led to more jumping attempts gone awry. I’ve now cleared the couch and a chair in the bedroom. This is not ideal from the standpoint of ‘don't exacerbate the injury’. Nor is it 100% satisfactory in her eyes. I do think this strategy has reduced stress/anxiety and eliminated potential falls. She’s stopped hiding under the bed, and actually seems to rest more because things are more normal and she’s comfortable.
anyways, let’s consider this part 1 of our post. I just wanted to introduce ourselves. I’ll add to this later tonight or tomorrow with more detail about her condition and actual question.
thanks for listening! I hope you are all staying healthy!
-Carolyn and Tippie
This is my first post! I hope those who have gone through this with their cats might chime in. My cat is scheduled for right patella repair on 5/19, and I have a bazillion questions. I need to come back later with questions that haven’t been answered from searching/reading posts on this topic.
“9 years ago I entered uncharted territory when I agreed to foster a kitty who was, without doubt, semi-feral. Tippie had a traumatic start in life as a victim of gun violence, leaving her blind in one eye. I vigilantly cared for Tippie after a surgery to remove her eye, and tirelessly gave reasons to trust so she could quickly get adopted.
Ultimately, we formed such a close bond that left us with no other choice except to continue our adventures together. So – she adopted me on Valentine’s day 2013!
You'll be happy to know that Tippie makes up for the missing eye by sporting extra toes, along with an incredibly spirited and mischievous personality!
She unexpectedly filled a void in my heart after losing another cat of 18-years, and so I promised to always love and protect Tippie from harm.
It breaks my heart to watch this lively girl revert to living under a bed - not understanding why her leg gives out, why she can't walk or jump, and why she is confined to a room for her own safety.
On Friday 4/10/2020, Tippie was playing in another room. I decided to join the fun, only to find her on the floor, sitting in a strange position and unable to walk. After two visits to the ER + her regular vet, we were referred to a surgeon at the University of Minnesota Small Animal Hospital. There, she was diagnosed with patellar luxuations (kneecaps partially dislocate), a rare condition in cats. Tippie's right knee is severe enough that walking can oftentimes be impossible.”
I’ll add - Tippie has grade 2, but after seeing video of Tippie walking, the surgeon recommended surgery asap. Bilateral is an option, but we’re just going with the right since it’s most debilitating. Although the surgeon considers this urgent, we still can’t get in for 3 weeks.
Since I wrote the above information 2 weeks ago, Tippie is doing a little better. She’s learned to adapt and rest, when her leg gives out. Tippie is quite stubborn, so when she feels a little better, no barricade will stop her from trying to jump. In fact, I think my attempts made it worse. Her curiosity, frustration, and then attention-seeking behavior led to more jumping attempts gone awry. I’ve now cleared the couch and a chair in the bedroom. This is not ideal from the standpoint of ‘don't exacerbate the injury’. Nor is it 100% satisfactory in her eyes. I do think this strategy has reduced stress/anxiety and eliminated potential falls. She’s stopped hiding under the bed, and actually seems to rest more because things are more normal and she’s comfortable.
anyways, let’s consider this part 1 of our post. I just wanted to introduce ourselves. I’ll add to this later tonight or tomorrow with more detail about her condition and actual question.
thanks for listening! I hope you are all staying healthy!
-Carolyn and Tippie
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