We love our pets and want the best for them. What happens when one develops a condition no vet can explain?
From Sadness Comes a New Kitty into My Life
I lost my beloved cat, Penny, to diabetes in April of 2010, when she was 15 years old. She was my first cat since I was a very small child, and I adored her. Losing her was traumatic, and I still cry when I talk about her for too long, because she was so special, and I feel like I let her down somehow, even though I did the best I was able for her.
(the late, great, Penny Lane, aka "Penny")
As a way of coping with the grief of losing her, I wanted another cat around the house who looked just like her, and I wanted that right away. Even though I had another cat, Ellie (who was depressed for an entire year after losing her friend, Penny, who she'd lived with her whole life), I needed a cat like Penny to help take the edge off the pain.
So, three days after Penny died (and thank God it was naturally, on her own, so I can feel like SHE made the choice of when to bow out), I was at the weekly pet adoption fair at my local PetsMart. There were a litter of three identical tabby cat sisters, all of whom looked just like tinier versions of Penny. They'd been bottle fed, as their mother died when they were still nursing.
I had my eye on one who had a black stripe across the top of her nose, as Penny did. None of the other cats had that. I looked at a picture of Penny I used as the wallpaper on my phone, and asked her if it was okay if I did this. If she gave me a sign she wasn't cool with it, I wouldn't do it. However, if she approved, I asked her to show me the cat she wanted me to bring home.
I will always believe she did just that.
When the rescue group volunteer opened the cage with the three tabby sisters, two of them went running for the hills, attempting to escape their captivity, including the one I'd initially considered. The third one, the runt of the litter and noticeably smaller than her sisters, jumped right into my arms.
I had my answer.
Abbey Road came home with me that day in Penny's old cat carrier, with me sobbing the whole way back. I was happy to have Abbey, and knew Penny chose her for me herself, but another cat being in her carrier just reminded me she was gone.
I reminded myself Abbey wasn't Penny, and I shouldn't expect her to be. All I could do was help Abbey be the best Abbey she could be.
Abbey Road, aka "Abbey" and Her Feisty Beginnings
(Abbey as a kitten)
Oh, Abbey was a cute kitten, and smart. Penny chose well, as she was vastly more intelligent than most other cats, too. Abbey did things I've never seen another cat do, such as play fetch. You could actually toss a toy to her and she would go get it and bring it back to you, over and over again. She never got tired of it.
She would steal things off table tops if you didn't keep an eye on her. You might be laying in your bed and see a tiny paw creep up beside you from the floor, and begin to pull things off the bedside table. Once she got something she wanted, she'd put it in her mouth and make off with it. I'm convinced she stashed her treasures in a different dimension, because some things that disappeared between her paws were never found again, even after I moved and searched the empty house from floor to ceiling.
Though she was tiny, she was fierce, and bossy. Having been bullied by her bigger sisters for most of her early kittenhood, she was eager to establish dominance. Ellie, who had always coveted the "top cat" position that Penny held, was too depressed when Abbey came to stake her claim to it. When I brought home another kitten a few months later (one I found abandoned, underneath my likewise abandoned childhood home when I was wandering the yard and reminiscing), Abbey took charge of him, too. She was the undisputed top cat in the house, and the other cats gave her the due respect and deference that comes with that position.
She was sweet, but a bit of a thug, too, actually.
The Mystery of Abbey's Health, and How it Was Solved
When Abbey was about four years old, her previously perfect health changed. It was right after a flea infestation. My new house had a screened porch all the cats liked to hang out on, and it let them be outside without actually going outside. But, tiny fleas were able to get in through the spaces in the screen. It turns out Abbey was allergic to fleas, as some cats are. While Ellie and George merely scratched, until I got some good flea medicine to eradicate the infestation, Abbey's ears got all inflamed and covered in scabs.
I took her to the vet and he gave her a steroid shot. He also gave her her annual rabies vaccine at the same time. This turned out to be a huge mistake.
Her ears got better for a while, but then she started developing scabs all over her body, and losing hair in some places where they were really bad. Her ears got worse, and scabs formed upon scabs between her toes. Her belly was a bright, angry-looking red. She started shaking a lot, and as it was winter, I thought she was cold, so I put her in a dog sweater made for a tiny dog. It didn't help. She stayed away from everyone, curled up in the most remote corner of the house she could find, shivering.
I took her to the vet numerous times, and more steroid shots were given, but they didn't help. Finally, the vet told me she needed a specialist. We were referred to a veterinary dermatologist at the specialty clinic one town over.
The dermatologist took some skin biopsies from her, which I felt bad about, as her skin was already so messed up, and I didn't want her to have any additional pain. It turned out to be a good thing, though, because after examining the skin samples under a microscope, we got her diagnosis at that very first visit.
Abbey had pemphigus foliaceus.
Every inch of her skin was inflamed, and she was shaking not because she was cold, but because she was in agonizing pain. Cats are experts at hiding when they are in pain, so the fact she was only shaking when every part of her hurt is, quite frankly, amazing.
What is Pemphigus Foliaceus?
I'd never heard of this condition before, so I needed a bit of an education on it. It is an autoimmune disorder that affects the skin. Particularly, according to emedicine.com, it is the "loss of intercellular adhesion of keratinocytes in the upper parts of the epidermis," which causes blisters and scabs to form all over the skin.
The dermatologist said giving her the rabies vaccine when her immune system was already on high alert from the flea allergy is what likely set it off, and told me she would never be able to be immunized again. It's a good thing she's an indoor-only cat. When I got approved to adopt a child last year, I had to present immunization records for all my cats (four now....I added Emma to the brood last summer). For Abbey, I had to present a letter from my vet saying she could not be immunized due to her autoimmune issue.
This is something she would have the rest of her life, the vet told me, and the medication she would have to take for it would eventually cause side effects, such as diabetes, that would ultimately shorten her life. Still, she was four years old, and he estimated she could probably live to be ten, or even twelve, if we managed the condition and any side effects that came with it well. We still had some time with her, which was a huge relief, as I was determined to not lose another cat so soon after losing Penny. I said to the vet and dermatologist more than once, "This cat will LIVE."
And, she did. But first, we had to get her cleaned up. This meant relieving her symptoms and putting them in remission.
Because her feet were infected from all the scabs and the openings they left there, I had to bathe her paws twice a day for a couple of weeks using a medicated shampoo to get rid of the bacteria. I also had to administer opiate pain relievers to her once a day for two weeks, so she wouldn't be in agony anymore. Meanwhile, she had to start taking a daily dose of steroid medication.
By the time she ran out of painkillers, her feet were fine, the scabs were either gone or healing, her fur was growing back in the places it fell out, and her skin was no longer red. She was healing.
How is Abbey Doing Today?
(Abbey today)
Mostly, she is doing well. She is 7 1/2 years old now, and has been on a daily steroid pill since she was diagnosed. It keeps the symptoms away, though sometimes her ears get a little crusty. I always keep a close eye on the ears, petting them and rubbing them between my fingers, because that is where she seems most vulnerable to returning symptoms. Other than the occasional crusting, though, she's been fine.
On her most recent checkup at the vet, it was discovered she is becoming diabetic, which I was warned the steroids would probably eventually do to her. The vet wanted me to take her to another specialist, but I declined. Abbey is happy and comfortable now. I've been through the experience of taking care of a diabetic cat with Penny, and it is hard, both on the human and the cat. I decided I wanted whatever time Abbey has with me to be happy and comfortable, without frequent vet visits and daily shots. She deserves better than that.
She doesn't have any diabetes symptoms now, but if she develops them later, I want to manage any pain or discomfort she may have with that, and just let her be at home where she is happy. I don't want to put her through the veterinary medicine circus Penny went through. If I'd known what they were going to do to her, I'd have just opted for palliative care for her, too.
Abbey probably has at least a few more years with me. She still plays with the other cats, even Ellie (who is not depressed anymore), she is still the undisputed cat in charge (even though she's the smallest), and she still loves cuddling and attention. Except for her fur being a softer, thinner texture than the other cats, and having a flabby belly, she's doing great. I intend to keep her that way for as long as possible.
I've also learned my lesson. Never vaccinate your cat when they're having another medical issue at the same time. I'm surprised my vet suggested it, but he's a general vet and not a specialist, like the dermatologist was.
Love your pets. Do right by them to the best of your ability. Take good care of them, and give them what they need to be happy and healthy. And, if you ever notice unusual and unexplained scabs on your dog or cat (yes, dogs can get this too....so can people, actually), get them to the vet right away. It may be nothing. It probably IS nothing. Just be sure. Your pet is depending on you.
If you enjoyed this post (and I hope you did), please take a moment to follow me here at @stephmckenzie to get more articles from me on life, the universe, and everything. Thank you!
Love this so much!
"Love your pets. Do right by them to the best of your ability. Take good care of them, and give them what they need to be happy and healthy."
Words that I live by every day. My babies are going to have the best life possible as long as I'm around.
Amen to that, @lenadr. Your pets are lucky to have you.
Aw, thanks.
@stephmckenzie amazing post hun keep it up
Thanks for the kind words, @jimjam1210. I appreciate it.
Wow... this actually made me tear up a bit. Amazing post.
brb, going to go hug the shit out of my kitty
Aw. Yes, hug your cat. Every cat should feel loved. <3 :)
This is an awesome story. I operate a rescue home for severely abused cats and kittens, and even though it can be heartbreaking at times and hard work always, it's also rewarding :)
Followed and upvoted :)
Thank you, @arbitrarykitten. That's wonderful work that you do. I'm impressed. Followed back. :)
@stephmckenzie thanks for upvoted my post..lets help each other by following back ..thanks see you around
Thanks for the follow, @sandaraclark. Followed back. :)
thanks sissy wer now friends :=)
oh i already being hir .. so touching hope shes fine right now
sorry for your loss cat i have a cat very close to mine in my younger age shes also following me wherever i am . one day after school she saw me walking and try to follow suddenly she hits by the car.. i cannot explain my heart its so sad .. feels like i loss special friend
This post received a 5.0% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @stephmckenzie! For more information, click here!
Thanks, @randowhale!
"Never vaccinate your cat when they're having another medical issue at the same time."
I just saw this. That's the best advice for a cat, or a person. If you ever check in on Steemit: I hope the cat is OK. You sound like a great friend to her.