What is the quickest and most convenient way to feed raw?

[eb24]

Wonderful feeders of raw, 

I have a semi-urgent problem that has come up regarding my parents' cat, Livvy that I desperately need your amazing advisement on. (Typical me it's a novel-sorry! I put my questions in bold below in case you are feeling a little more 'get to the point.'

)

_____

Three years ago I took Livvy in as my first pregnant foster. After just a few days it became obvious that something was not all right with her stomach. She had literally the worst smelling poop I have ever smelled (it had a very sour smell to it) and she urinated much more frequently and in much larger quantities than I had ever seen before (at the time I wrote it off to hormonal changes). In spite of that, during the time she was here with me my Mom fell in love with her and decided to adopt her. 

My parents had never owned a cat before and so there was a lot of adjustment. And, Livvy unfortunately did not make it easy. Early on she started peeing on the beds and pooping just outside her box. After many, many, MANY vet appointments we were told she had irritable bowel and was susceptible to urinary tract infections. It seemed she only peed on the bed when she got a UTI so we figured that was her way of communicating to us that she didn't feel well and it was time for another appointment. As a preventative measure we tried all sorts of different brands of food and found that any kind of dry food flared her up but that she did moderately well on grain free wet food, and that is what she has remained on. 

While I am generally a firm advocate of cats living indoors in my area Livvy is one of those ones who will find a way out no matter how hard you try to keep her in. Finally, my parents just gave up and in the Spring she started her life as an indoor/outdoor cat. All my fears went away as she never strayed far from the house and would always come running when we called her. The only new, unwelcome sight was the many, many, MANY bunny carcasses she started leaving around. For such a tiny thing she sure is a heck of a hunter (6 pounds soaking wet)! She would eat the majority of them, and after a few months I realized that she hadn't had any flares since the beginning of Spring. It's possible she was just using Nature's Litterbox and we weren't noticing it but she was still inside every night and seemed happier and healthier than she has ever been. 

Fast forward to now: my Mom passed away at the beginning of summer, making Livvy my Dad's sole responsibility. He is very much not a cat person so I really worried at first if he would even keep her. Thankfully however, they very much bonded over my Mom's absence and have developed an adorable, very affectionate relationship. But, the weather is changing and there aren't rabbits like there used to be and Livvy has to stay inside more than she was. And, all of a sudden all her old problems have reared their ugly heads. 

I give my Dad a lot of credit for trying given everything he has been dealing with and the fact that he has zero cat experience or interest (he says he's still not a cat person he's a Livvy person). But, unfortunately, over the past two weeks she has been peeing outside the box excessively, effectively ruining two mattresses and a very nice couch. And, he is definitely at his wits end with her. We took her back to the vet who said it was a standard UTI again and put her back on her UTI medication but she is still peeing outside the box and in excessive quantities, which to me says she still isn't feeling well. Today he said if she did it again he was taking her back to the shelter.*** I told him he needed to give it a little more time and I would work on a solution. Obviously we need another vet appointment to make sure the medication is working or perhaps to try another, but once it is cleared up we need a more permanent type of prevention. And, my gut tells me that raw feeding may be the key to Livvy's success. 

So, what I am wondering is, what have people found to be the easiest way to feed raw? I know that Nature's Variety makes raw patties for dogs. Do they have an equivalent for cats? And, if so, has anyone tried them? While money is always a factor here it is not nearly as important as ease and convenience is. If it takes a lot of time my Dad won't do it and it will be pointless. I do go over there a lot but I do not live with him. So, it has to be something he can manage on a daily basis without me. 

PLEASE, any suggestions you have are more than welcome! Also, if any of you have IBD/UTI prone cats and give them a daily supplement or have found something else that works please let me know. I'm willing to try anything and everything! Once I get an idea of where to go with raw I may start a sister thread in Health but we will see how this all plays out first. 

Thanks in advance for reading and offering up your incredible knowledge to help me save her cute (but stinky) little butt! 

***Of course I would never let Livvy go back to the shelter. To a certain extent I know my Dad's threat is empty and he's just being angry in the moment. But, if this keeps up I know at some point he will reach that breaking point, which is why it's so critical that I start trying things ASAP. If it does happen and he decides he can't keep her she can of course always come back and stay with me. But, my apartment is very small and already at capacity with two cats who she does not get along with (remember she was my foster so I know firsthand). And, I know that trying to re-home her given these issues would be incredibly unlikely (I would never hide her medical history out of fear that they would take one whiff of that sour poop and drop her off at a kill shelter where she would be at the top of the list to be put down given her 'un-adoptability.') By far the best solution is to keep her in the home that she knows and loves, where she has the best quality of life. And, I need YOUR help to do that!!!!! 

 

[my-boy-jasper]

In terms of ease and convenience, I think a frozen commercial raw product is the way to go. It is almost, if not as easy, as canned. Just remember to take each days food out of the freezer the day before and that's it really. But even if your Dad forgets, or it hasn't defrosted entirely, it can be defrosted quickly in room temp water. Have some containers or little plastic bags handy to store the opened packs in the fridge between meals. There is no messing around with balancing ingredients because it's all done for you. Some varieties/protein sources might be better than others for her sensitive tummy and UTI issues though, I'm not sure.

 

[tammyp]

Hi EB24 - thanks for all you and your family have done for Livvy.  I'm so glad she found a happy home - and how clever was she, in getting a lifestyle that helped her to feel better?!  I think your hunch about raw will pay off, and as my-boy-jasper said, it's really easy given the commercial options you have over there.  As we live in Australia,  I'll leave the brands and costs and availability to others.  

I just wanted to say one thing that will help in the interim re ruined mattresses etc (Kato pees on our bed if he is stressed!) and that is MATTRESS PROTECTOR.  We got a bamboo one that feels just like soft non-noisy sheets.  And some pillow slip covers too.  The one thing I'd add, after Kato peed on the pillows on our couch, was I'd probably recommend NOT using the pillow protectors.  You need some material that will soak up the pee, as it just rolls off the protectors (onto the couch...gah!)  For the bed, you'd have sheets etc on anyway, so there is material to soak the pee.  From our point of view, sheets, and even doonas, are far easier to clean or replace than a mattress.  Since we got a new mattress - with the protectors! - we haven't had an incident.  We do do a ritual each morning as soon as we get out of bed, and that means putting the pillows away in the cupboard, making the bed (he does it when it's all rumpled), and spreading out his special blankets over the top (he won't pee on his blankets we figure).  A ritual for your dad might mean taking off the bedding he really doesn't want pee on - leaving on the protector and a top sheet/s (for the needed soak-up factor).

I hope you can get on track with better health - and better liveability - for Livvy very soon.

 

[tammyp]

Oh, and as stress can be a factor in UTIs and IBD, plus she is not getting her outdoor time over winter (so she may be feeling more stress from this),  I swear that that trusty Feliway works wonders....

 

[eb24]

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• eb24
• Nov 13, 2013

 

[my-boy-jasper]

Well I live in Australia and we don't have much variety but I do use it in rotation with canned and other raw. However, I have (jealously) seen that there are more brands/varieties of better quality in the states. And yes, definitely look for the brands that don't have preservatives. That's one of the huge benefits to good quality balanced raw, no preservatives or fillers. You should be able to find them with only meat, bone, organ meats and perhaps added vitamins/minerals. Avoid the stuff sold as fresh "pet meat", that usually has nasty preservatives which aren't even listed as ingredients (at least here). I think the good commercial raw is usually sold frozen to negate the need for preservatives. The one I buy does have some veg and other stuff I don't think is necessary, but it's all I can find locally. Hopefully, someone from the USA will come along and help you out with the best brands available to you. What area do you live in? I can't really speak to price as canned food is already quite expensive In Australia. I find it the price comparable to average canned food here. I have given it to Jasper since about a month after I brought him home, he is only 9 months old now, so I don't know about health benefits for him. Although I do notice the litter box is less smelly and he never gets runny poop with it like some canned has done. One thing for sure, is that Jasper absolutely devours it. He wasn't eating much but when I started him on raw, his appetite became huge. And the convenience is one of the best parts about commercial raw.

 

[vball91]

There are versions of Nature's Variety Instinct Raw for cats. In fact, I think most of their raw is suitable for both dogs and cats, so your dad may be able to feed the same food which is pretty convenient

. It does have 5% "non-meat other stuff" and a slightly high bone percentage, but it is a good food. There is a rabbit version which Livvy may enjoy.

 

[ldg]

I missed what raw patty he's feeding the dogs, but it may well be suitable for cats. If it has less than 5% veggies and other stuff, and is supplemented with taurine, it works for cats. Most commercial raw foods are marketed for both, in fact.

The most readily available options in most places are:

Nature's Variety frozen raw
Primal frozen raw
Vital Essentials frozen raw

A quick treat or topper can be Stella & Chewy's freeze dried raw for cats. This is a balanced food meant for rehydration.

The Stella & Chewy's frozen raw for dogs is also appropriate for cats, with low veggies and taurine added.

If Rad Cat is available, it is the BEST option, but expensive. It has no veggies, and is made with eggshell, which often works well for cats with IBD.

Also, procure a corn silk supplement from a health food store. To make tea with it, open the capsules, and with about a tablespoon of the powder, pour a cup or so of boiling water on it, mix it up and let it steep for 20 minutes. Let it cool, stick it in the fridge, and add one tablespoon of the tea to her food at each meal for a few days. This helps soothe the bladder. Of course, if she's peeing because of an IBD flare, this may not help.

I'm so sorry for .... everything. :heart2:

Oh - if the commercial diets don't help resolve this, he can try ordering the whole animal ground food from Hare Today. http://www.hare-today.com I don't know where in the USA you are, but they're located in Western PA, and shipping up and down the east coast and midwest is very reasonable. If you're in northern IL, IN, or southern MI, http://www.mypetcarnivore is also an option. Same thing - whole ground animal foods.

IMO, it's a good idea to add Alnutrin for meat/bones/organs to the foods, but we can get into discussing it IF he even needs to consider going that route.

There are also premixes that can be ordered and added to just meat. This may work well, too. There's also an Alnutrin with calcium that can be added to meat and liver. It can be in chunks if she prefers it that way.

 

[lilin]

Yes, Nature's Variety makes raw frozen food for cats! I use that and Primal.

It's very easy. Not any harder than feeding wet food, really.

It's easy to get the amount right, because the patties are all 1 oz. So just count the number of patties needed per day, and divide by number of meals fed per day.

What I do is this.

I had little tupperware containers, one for each meal. At night, after her dinner, I put 2 patties in each container, and stick them in the fridge to defrost.

When it's coming to meal time, I fill a bowl with warm water, and just stick the container in the water for 10 minutes or so to finish thawing and take the chill off.

Then, dump patties in bowl, and feed. That's all there is to it. Very, very easy.

Unfortunately, I don't have any advice about additional supplements for IBD, but it seems like you've got some good info from other posters.

 

[tammyp]

Livvy's photos are gorgeous!!  You see her personality!

 

[eb24]

 

[andrya]

Your mom's a beautiful lady, l'm so sorry for your loss 

l'm glad your dad has taken some comfort from Livvy and is willing to help her. You've had great suggestions so far.

l feed raw homemade and commercial, and on those (quite frequent) days that l forget to thaw something in time, l used to feed canned. Now, l've discovered freeze dried raw, and the cats love it!

lt's in a bag and can be stored in the cupboard, just like kibble. You break up the nuggets and soak them in warm water till they're nice and mushy, and feed. lt's the most simple way that l have of feeding raw.

Not to toot my own horn or anything 

 but l think my homemade raw is better nutritionally than the Primal freeze-dried turkey, but as a stop-gap, it's perfect.

Maybe your dad could rotate both until he gets used to the switch, or keep on hand for occasional use, or cat-sitter use.

 

[vball91]

Livvy sounds like an amazing cat, truly empathic somehow.

As for your Alnutrin question, you would only need that or any other premix supplement IF your dad tries to prepare his own raw. If he goes with any of the commercial raw brands mentioned already, they are all nutritionally complete, so there's no need for any additional supplements. Just thaw (or soak) and serve.

Oh, one other thought, a nutritious snack is raw egg yolk. I don't know if your dad gives eggs to
the dog, but you could see if Livvy will eat a raw egg yolk once or twice a week. It's best mixed with a little water to make it less sticky. Another good and easy snack is chicken gizzards. Since these are snacks (less than 15% of total diet), they don't need to be balanced or supplemented.

 

[eb24]

 
Your mom's a beautiful lady, l'm so sorry for your loss 

l'm glad your dad has taken some comfort from Livvy and is willing to help her. You've had great suggestions so far.

l feed raw homemade and commercial, and on those (quite frequent) days that l forget to thaw something in time, l used to feed canned. Now, l've discovered freeze dried raw, and the cats love it!

lt's in a bag and can be stored in the cupboard, just like kibble. You break up the nuggets and soak them in warm water till they're nice and mushy, and feed. lt's the most simple way that l have of feeding raw.

Not to toot my own horn or anything 

 but l think my homemade raw is better nutritionally than the Primal freeze-dried turkey, but as a stop-gap, it's perfect.

Maybe your dad could rotate both until he gets used to the switch, or keep on hand for occasional use, or cat-sitter use.

Thank you for your kind words. 

 I have no doubt that your homemade (and everyone else's) is far superior to any commercial product. I just don't think my Dad is going to be willing to put in the time, effort, and significant research that it takes to not only do it, but to do it right. If the commercial raws are even comparable I think it's our best solution. 

Out of curiosity, which do your cats seem to prefer? The patties or the freeze dried? Since her already defrosts the patties for the dog I'm thinking this may be the most convenient way for him, but I like the idea of the freeze dried as a snack, or even just to have unhand on the off chance he forgets. But, if they really seem to prefer one over the other than that's something worth considering!

Livvy sounds like an amazing cat, truly empathic somehow.

As for your Alnutrin question, you would only need that or any other premix supplement IF your dad tries to prepare his own raw. If he goes with any of the commercial raw brands mentioned already, they are all nutritionally complete, so there's no need for any additional supplements. Just thaw (or soak) and serve.

Oh, one other thought, a nutritious snack is raw egg yolk. I don't know if your dad gives eggs to
the dog, but you could see if Livvy will eat a raw egg yolk once or twice a week. It's best mixed with a little water to make it less sticky. Another good and easy snack is chicken gizzards. Since these are snacks (less than 15% of total diet), they don't need to be balanced or supplemented.

This has all been amazingly helpful! Keep the suggestions coming!!!! 

 

[vball91]

Yes, turkey gizzards are fine too, but they may need to be cut up some since they are bigger than chicken gizzards. I forget about turkey gizzards (and other innards) since they are not normally available unless you buy the whole bird, but you're right, with Thanksgiving around the corner, there are other options.

Yes, for cats who will eat bone-in meals, you can serve meat, skin and bone parcels of food of smaller animals (softer bones). Cornish game hens are good since you can serve pretty much the whole bird. Rabbit and quail are also good but harder to find and more expensive. You can also serve chicken wings (the two smaller pieces, not the drummette). If these are occasional snacks, great, but if they're going to be a more regular menu item, you might have too much bone in the diet if you are already using any of the commercial raw foods that use bone (like Nature's Variety and Stella & Chewy's).

Are you close to Boulder? If so, Only Natural Pet Store is great!

 

[lilin]

Your mother was beautiful -- such a vibrant looking woman. I'm so sorry you lost her.

As far as transitioning, it is never a bad idea to do it slowly especially if you're dealing with a cat who has a sensitive stomach. But if Livvy is used to raw food, this may not be a huge issue.

I tried to transition Pia by mixing raw and wet, but she just picked out all the raw and left behind the wet! So, she was on 100% raw food within 24 hours, since she just wouldn't eat the wet food. She didn't have any problems.

I'd suggest just mixing raw and wet.

 

[ldg]

Oh sweetie, you story is so moving!

 

[ldg]

Oh, one last thought. Rabbits are warm if she eats fresh kill. So she may like her raw at least room temperature. He may have to stick some in a baggie and put it in warm water to heat it up. For my cats, temperature was important at first. Now they'll eat it practically frozen. :lol3:

 

[tammyp]

Just wanted to say what a moving story about your mum, dad, and Livvy the healer.  I laughed out loud at Livvy being your mum's hat!  

My husband has leukemia, and now (right now) he is off to have his bones scanned as they think he has a tumour on his spine.  So we know very well over  here how much cats know and understand about their beloved humans.  Just before his diagnosis when he was very sick, our Kato stayed curled up inside his jumper for the whole week (and this is a young cat who can barely tolerate a 5 sec cuddle because of his masses of energy!)  I think I also mentioned Kato is a stress pee-er - well, his humans getting sick made him pee on our bed a few times!  I ended up sleeping in a sleeping bag at one time, as Dave was in hospital, I was down with a 3 day migraine, and it was all too much for Kato that he peed on the bed so many times I ran out of sheets and doonas! (You gotta laugh).

I love your Livvy stories, and so glad you shared.  Keep on purring little girl, your purrs are very healing!

 

[eb24]

 
Yes, turkey gizzards are fine too, but they may need to be cut up some since they are bigger than chicken gizzards. I forget about turkey gizzards (and other innards) since they are not normally available unless you buy the whole bird, but you're right, with Thanksgiving around the corner, there are other options.

Yes, for cats who will eat bone-in meals, you can serve meat, skin and bone parcels of food of smaller animals (softer bones). Cornish game hens are good since you can serve pretty much the whole bird. Rabbit and quail are also good but harder to find and more expensive. You can also serve chicken wings (the two smaller pieces, not the drummette). If these are occasional snacks, great, but if they're going to be a more regular menu item, you might have too much bone in the diet if you are already using any of the commercial raw foods that use bone (like Nature's Variety and Stella & Chewy's).

Are you close to Boulder? If so, Only Natural Pet Store is great!

Well glad I could serve as a reminder of the bounty that is about to come your cats' way! 

I hear what you and LDG are saying about giving bone in animals as a snack and not needing to worry about balancing the nutrients. And, I know for something like rabbit we would have to order it from one of the aforementioned specialty places. But, is it okay to feed cornish game hens and chicken wings bought at the grocery store? Or, do these need to be specially ordered too? One of the articles I was reading said to never use ground meat from the store as the risks of bacteria is just too high. Is the same true of the bone-in meats? I'm assuming there is also a difference between a traditional grocery store and something like Whole Foods. Would ones purchased from there be acceptable if a standard grocery isn't? 

We are in Denver so not ridiculously far from Boulder. That said, I don't think he will be making that drive anytime soon just to buy food for the cat! We are very lucky that there are a few really good natural pet stores nearby so hopefully they will suffice! 

Oh sweetie, you story is so moving! 

 <---- happy and sad cry. She was so beautiful - and even after everything, what a smile she has! Livvy is obviously a very, very special "meant-to-be" kitty. 

 

 

 

OK. Livvy.

Since she was eating rabbits, I'm not so sure I'd worry about a slow introduction since she's not feeling well now. I'd tell your dad to offer her a tablespoon or so next to her wet food (in the same dish). See what happens. If she likes the food, I'd just let her decide the pace.

BTW, Nature's Variety is for dogs or cats. It may not have taurine listed as a supplement, but it has sufficient taurine for cats. It doesn't say for dogs and cats on the bag? I'm pretty sure they have feeding instructions for both on there. http://www.naturesvariety.com/InstinctRaw/dog/all Notice the address? It's under /dog/ ... but on the page, it says "Product choices for dogs and cats." And if you click on one of the products - here's chicken: http://www.naturesvariety.com/InstinctRaw/dog/chicken You'll see that every shape and size is still listed as a product for dogs and cats. It doesn't have taurine supplemented, because it has heart in it, and it naturally has enough taurine in it for cats. I guess I should modify my statement about frozen raw. Some of it is marketed for dogs and cats, like Nature's Variety. Some, like Stella and Chewy's frozen raw for dogs, is only marketed for dogs, but they supplement taurine, and there's enough in there for cats. 

That is FANTASTIC that you can get Rad Cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 It's a bummer they don't have rabbit, but hopefully she'll like it.

I would suggest buying small amounts at first (though the dog will probably be happy to eat anything Livvy doesn't like!) - because if she likes rabbit, it doesn't mean she likes ground raw. I had that problem with my cats. I used ground raw (patties) to transition the cats to raw. But I offered them some chunks of meat - and then they didn't like ground food any longer. 

 So try the commercial stuff, but keep in mind he may NEED to feed her chicken wings, cornish hen, etc.

I doubt shipping to Colorado from Hare Today will cost much in winter, because it can be shipped ground in the cold weather. They have whole, dressed rabbit and all kinds of things.

But any meat, raw, functions as a treat. Same goes for liver (though many cats have issues with red-meat based stuff, like beef liver). Just keep it to TREAT sized amounts, and the nutritional balancing isn't an issue. Ultimately, if she needs prey model raw, it is NOT difficult to do and to properly balance - even with eggshell. That's what I do. I weigh meat, give the proper amount of organ (small), and measure eggshell to sprinkle on at meal time. It's not hard, it's just an adjustment in thinking. 

Other good treats are freeze dried anything. 

 Pure Bites, Whole Life - all have freeze dried chicken, and freeze dried liver.

And yes, egg yolks are REALLY healthy. Vitamin D, healthy omegas, lots of protein.... but because of her IBD, on the egg yolk, I would start with just part of one. Maybe 1/4 at first (the dog will happily eat the rest). And yeah, many cats need water added to it, because they don't like the "sticky."

FYI, gizzards have a lot of glucosamine and chrondroitin in them, so they're also great for her joints!

As far as transitioning, I think you (and Lilin) are probably right that because she's been eating whole rabbits (and the occasional bird) and that she's already not feeling well there may not be much of a need. But, I like the idea of putting the raw and wet side by side in her dish and letting her choose the pace. As Lilin said I worry if I mix the two she will just pick out what she wants and inevitably waste both of them! I also agree we need to start out giving it to her warmed until she adjusts. Right now she's fine inhaling her wet food at room temp but since this will be different best to make it as appetizing as possible- good tip!

I see what you are saying about Nature's variety now- thank you for clarifying that! When I was on the website I kept clicking on the 'food for cats' and thought it was taking me to a cat specific page. But, you are right, it links to the same page and says it is for dogs and cats. I did read that the heart provides a suitable amount of Taurine earlier so now I understand why it isn't listed, and why my Dad and I thought what he had for the dog wasn't going to work. Given they can both eat it we may actually start with Nature's Variety since he already has it on hand, and whatever she doesn't eat during the transition he can just give to Mac. If she doesn't like it or continues to have problems then I want to give Rad Cat a try. The only thing I found remotely concerning about that is it looks like it doesn't come in patties or nuggets- just in a tub. I can't quite visualize how that works but in my head you either serve a small tub per feeding or have to scoop out the amount that you want. I'm not sure what my Dad would think about that extra step, especially given the convenience of the patties. Granted, if NV doesn't work for whatever reason and RC does it will be something he will have to adapt to, but I'm trying to keep all this as simple as possible in the beginning! 

I also agree that starting with small quantities is best. Thankfully there is an amazing independent pet store just down the street that only sells grain free products so it shouldn't be too difficult to make more frequent trips while we sort it out. I also know they will have a good selection for us to choose from, and are great about returns for unused food. 

I really hope the commercial raw works, but thank you for putting my mind at ease if it doesn't. I have read some articles that make feeding a raw diet sound incredibly challenging and time consuming (one woman was grinding whole animal to essentially make her own patties). The way you describe it though makes it sound pretty manageable once you get the hang of it. It doesn't sound too complicated to order something like a dressed rabbit, weigh it out, and add the necessary organs and nutritional powder. Certainly not as convenient as other options but not life altering either. So, thank you for that! My Dad is also a hunter- perhaps I can entice him by saying he can bring home his kills and dress them himself and feed them to her. It's more research to be sure we are doing it right of course, but I think he could for sure get into that! 

Of course all this has brought up another question! I read that some people don't use fish based formulas because they are too far away from a cat's natural diet. What are all of your thoughts? Do you choose not to feed fish formulas because of this? While we offer her different flavors of wet food Livvy's absolute favorites are tuna and salmon. I worry about the mercury in giving these to her all the time, but is there any additional harm I should be considering? 

Finally is an unrelated question just more out of curiosity. My brother likes to give his cat (not Livvy) plain turkey from the deli as a treat. I know it has a lot of preservatives and probably isn't great for her, but is it harmful to do? Or, is it okay once in awhile? 

With all this information I am starting to consider switching my own cats to a raw diet too! Right now they get the very best grain free dry to graze on and really good wet food once a day. I've done it this way a) because my schedule changes so much and I'm always afraid I won't be able to be home to feed them regularly and b) because it all seemed so complicated. I'm really not a big meat eater and the thought of handling it raw is very awful to me. But, if they liked the patties I could easily see making this switch! 

 
Just wanted to say what a moving story about your mum, dad, and Livvy the healer.  I laughed out loud at Livvy being your mum's hat!  

My husband has leukemia, and now (right now) he is off to have his bones scanned as they think he has a tumour on his spine.  So we know very well over  here how much cats know and understand about their beloved humans.  Just before his diagnosis when he was very sick, our Kato stayed curled up inside his jumper for the whole week (and this is a young cat who can barely tolerate a 5 sec cuddle because of his masses of energy!)  I think I also mentioned Kato is a stress pee-er - well, his humans getting sick made him pee on our bed a few times!  I ended up sleeping in a sleeping bag at one time, as Dave was in hospital, I was down with a 3 day migraine, and it was all too much for Kato that he peed on the bed so many times I ran out of sheets and doonas! (You gotta laugh).

I love your Livvy stories, and so glad you shared.  Keep on purring little girl, your purrs are very healing!

Haha yes, of all the adorable hats my Mom had she always said her "Livvy hat" was her favorite! 

I am so sorry to hear of your husband's battle. I know firsthand how difficult this time is for him and for you. People often forget about the toll an illness takes on the caretaker, but my Mom often said she thought her cancer was harder on the rest of us than it was on her. Yes, she was the one that was sick, but we were the ones who had to stand by feeling helpless. I think battling a long term illness is one of the most difficult experiences a family can go through, but the silver lining is there is probably no other experience that makes you appreciate life and the little things. It is a true display of real, unconditional love! 

I totally agree with you that cats can sense illness long before we can. Kato clearly proved that by his out-of-character attentiveness. I am also a firm believer that animals can take on the issues of their caretakers. 

I read an article once that wholeheartedly summed up what I believe. The premise was that, not only can animals sense physical problems in their caretakers, but that they take these illnesses on. Dogs take the illness and adapt it as their own. Cats however, absorb it and then redistribute the energy, releasing it back into the universe. I believe what you are saying about Kato and what Livvy did for my Mom helps validate this. When she would lay with my Mom during especially difficult times she would purr constantly and lick and clean her whole body frequently. I think this was her redistributing that energy. As far as dogs, prior to Mac we had a dog named Kody who my Mom was very close to. In the Fall of 2009 he started developing large masses under the skin that were cancerous which he inevitably died from in December of that year. Just before he passed my Mom had a chest x-ray and brain MRI done, both which were 100% clean. Less than 10 months later was her diagnosis, and she had significant masses in both areas. It's true her cancer was a particularly aggressive type, but to go from no cancer to stage 4 cancer in just 10 months is astonishing. We all believe that Kody had been taking the cancer from her and manifesting it as his own. In another example, about a month after my Mom died my cousins dog was diagnosed with having lymphodic cancer. The next month, so was she. In my opinion you hear far too many of these stories of humans and their animals having the same illness for it to be just a coincidence! These are just some of my personal experiences that validate the theory for me. I hope that sharing may provide you with some comfort as to how interconnected humans and animals can be, and it's clear that Kato knows what is going on and is doing all that he can to soothe and comfort both you and especially your husband. 

You did mention that Kato was a stress pee-er. I wonder if perhaps part of it is his young age. He can feel all the energy and is taking it on but hasn't quite figured out how to redistribute it yet. So, when it becomes too much he tries to release it by peeing in inappropriate places. In hindsight the story is pretty funny (picturing you curled up in a sleeping bad praying that the cat won't pee on you like he has been the bed) but I'm sure at the time it was anything but! Even in spite of his 'problem' Kato sounds like a sweetheart who is just trying to do the best he can! 

Mega vibes that your husband's scans come back clean and that he continues on his path to recovery. If you ever want to talk about any of it please don't hesitate to send me a PM. I am more than happy to share what I learned through our journey, or just lend a sympathetic ear if you need to vent your fears, frustrations, and concerns. Regardless, if you are comfortable, please keep us posted as to how he is doing, either here or perhaps by starting your own thread in the lounge if you haven't already. If you have please send me the link so I can follow! Sending you so many hugs right now as I know that waiting for scan results is an incredibly stressful time. I'll be thinking and praying for both of you!