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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

My cat has had a stroke

49 replies

PicklePants · 31/08/2013 21:19

My poor 12yo cat has had a stroke I think. She didn't come for her dinner and when I went to get her she didn't move. I picked her up and put her on the ground and she just staggered about and collapsed on her side. She was very distressed. Called emergency vet and he thinks its a stroke. I've to keep her calm and call him back with an update in half an hour.

Do cats get better after strokes? Sad

Am pregnant and on my own with DS (who is asleep thank god) as DH is away for the weekend. Can't stop crying. Vet must've thought I was a nutter. Called DH in a panic and he thought something had happened to DS as all I could do was cry down the phone.

Sad Sad Sad

OP posts:
UseHerName · 31/08/2013 21:21

oh poor puss - i didnt want to read and run

is there a possibility she's been poisoned by lilly pollen? sounds similar to what happened ours xx

Original poster
PicklePants · 31/08/2013 21:26

I don't think so - she's a house cat and no lilies in the house. Apart from a peace lily (are they poisonous too?). It's up on a high shelf though and half dead.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 31/08/2013 21:28

I don't understand why you have to wait for half an hour before you take her to the vet. It could be something else such as poisoning and even if it is a stroke she will need some sort of relaxant jab as a very minimum.

And yes, they can recover from strokes, I believe the first 24 hours are crucial and after that you will have a good idea if its recoverable from or not. Very often, if that's not the case, they will go on to have a second stroke which causes death.

So don't give up hope but be prepared for the worst, and get her to the vets right away!

AmandaLF · 31/08/2013 21:31

Poor cat :(. My parents cat had a stroke when she was old. Just try and keep her comfortable. Why is the vet wanting to wait half an hour?

WillIEverBeFree · 31/08/2013 21:34

Gosh I'm sorry to hear this, never heard of it before.

What everyone said - don't wait, just get her seen.

Poor thing Sad

Original poster
PicklePants · 31/08/2013 22:10

She's much calmer and is curled up in bed sleeping.

Vet's verdict is that, as there is no treatment for a stroke (he says?), moving her to take her in will cause more harm than leaving her where she is comfortable. He thinks I should leave her be, keep her calm and cosy, see how she is in morning and take it from there.

I keep going to check she's still breathing. I'm never going to sleep tonight.

Thanks for the messages.

OP posts:
Callmedreckly · 31/08/2013 22:15

Sounds like Vestibular Syndrome.

Exactly the same as Stroke symptoms, can be caused by inner ear infection.
They can recover well from it, fingers crossed it is that x

thecatneuterer · 31/08/2013 22:16

I believe they normally give a sedative, but if she's already calm then I'm sure he's right.

Best of luck. As I said they can recover, so let's hope for the best.

UseHerName · 31/08/2013 22:16

not sure about peace lillys,sorry

will check the thread in the morning to see how things are then

hope you're ok

Original poster
PicklePants · 31/08/2013 22:22

Thanks everyone, you're all so lovely. Oh god, here come the waterworks again.

Think I'll go and have a cuppa.

OP posts:
LongGoneBeforeDaylight · 31/08/2013 22:25

Sending my thoughts. Hmm My cat was unwell on Wednesday and couldn't walk following a routine vaccine (!!) and he's fine now, hope your cat recovers as quickly

UseHerName · 31/08/2013 23:22

just to let you know that im still here and watching the thread

will be up for a while yet-how's it going now?

cozietoesie · 31/08/2013 23:36

I'm not sure you can do a whole lot to treat a cat stroke, Pickle but I think it might be appropriate to find out what the underlying cause is if she's had one. I'd phone your own vet as soon as possible to discuss. Do you have insurance cover for her? I think this is a job for professionals.

(Seniorboy had what I now think was a small stroke but he's much older than your girl so by the time I'd recognized it, I wasn't minded to put him through tests. He recovered fine after about three or four days of complete calm, rigid routine and music playing to keep him soothed/block out sudden noises or possible fear inducing things. He hasn't had a recurrence as far as I know.)

How is she doing?

Original poster
PicklePants · 31/08/2013 23:39

Thanks UseHerName Flowers

She's been quiet since i last posted but I went to have a quick tidy round about an hour ago and when I came back she was half in/half out of her bed, and getting distressed again. I sat and stroked her and that calmed her down after a while (just as i was thinking about calling the vet back). She's now lying in my lap but is pretty lifeless. I'm so tired but I don't want to leave her alone Sad

OP posts:
UseHerName · 31/08/2013 23:42

i wouldn't leave her either Sad sounds like you're doing all the right things and puss will get comfort from that

cozietoesie · 31/08/2013 23:46

Put a radio on low and leave it with her and sit with her a lot. (But just with her/beside her reading a book or something. (Or watch a movie on telly/laptop on low volume.) I wouldn't give her too much love stimulation. Your tidying up and moving around might have caused her some stress if she's not up to much.)

When did she last have something to drink/use her tray?

Best of luck for the night.

Original poster
PicklePants · 31/08/2013 23:47

Oops cross posted Cosie (typing one handed, bit slow!).

She is insured but our vet is very good and offers an emergency OOH service so it was them I spoke to.

I agree that she needs to be seen ASAP. She's lost some weight recently so we've been planning to take her in anyway. She's still been eating/drinking/weeing/pooing normally though, as far as I've been able to tell.

I think I'm in for a long night, she gets twitchy as soon as I stop stroking her.

OP posts:
Original poster
PicklePants · 31/08/2013 23:52

And again!

I was out most of the day so the last time I saw her up and about was this morning. Now that I think of it she didn't eat much of her breakfast.

I've moved her back onto her blanket and will give her a bit more space - hadn't considered that I might be causing her stress.

Thanks for the tips and support. Fingers crossed she's up wailing for her breakfast by 6am.

Flowers
OP posts:
cozietoesie · 01/09/2013 00:13

That weight loss might be a symptom of some underlying factor eg kidney disease, diabetes or something - which she's likely of an age for. Yes, you should get her seen by your vet.

Judging by my own boy when he had his problem, he wanted my presence but 'a presence' as much as anything else. That's why I put on a constant noise source (in my case, DVDs on the bedroom telly because he likes that) but it acted as a cover for small noises that might unsettle him, I think. It seemed to work well although I was running out of series to watch!

cozietoesie · 01/09/2013 00:18

PS - I'm not sure it's stress (imprecise wording on my part) as much as, in my experience, that anything other than calm gets them ready to fight/escape when they're not feeling themselves. I'd just aim to keep things as peaceful as possible, DS permitting. You could even sleep beside her or have her sleeping by your bed if she's used to that room and it's quiet.

Original poster
PicklePants · 01/09/2013 00:30

I know what you mean - when I'm under the weather I want my own space, and that's probably what she wants. I'm going to camp out on the sofa tonight, hopefully she'll know I'm here.

OP posts:
Original poster
PicklePants · 01/09/2013 08:14

Well my poor old girl died early this morning Sad Sad Sad

I fell asleep on the sofa about 2am and she slipped away sometime between then and 3.30, as she was gone when I woke then. I think she had maybe had another stroke as her breathing wasn't right but she was peaceful and I knew it was her time to go. I hope she knew I was there.

She was such a lovely old thing, she was the sweetest cat I have ever met.

I dont know what to do with her. Will the vet take care of her? DH isn't due back till lunchtime so I'm on my own with 2yo DS till then. I've got another cat as well, she'll be all confused.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 01/09/2013 08:34

I was thinking of you earlier this morning.

So very sorry she went - and she would certainly have known you were there.

(Vets usually have arrangements to have remains cremated if that's what you want - and you receive the ashes back to do with what you will. You may want to bury her in the garden, though, eg in a favourite place. I know that your DH is not due back yet but could you maybe give him a wee phone to discuss whether you should wait until lunchtime when he gets back?)

Sad

In the meantime, I'd curl her up in a cardboard box in an old towel or fleece (on top of some newspaper) with her best toy and put her in a quiet place.

Bluestocking · 01/09/2013 08:39

Poor old cat, and poor you. It's so sad when our furry family members go. It sounds as though she had a lovely life with you and a peaceful end, with you right there with her. to you.

Bluestocking · 01/09/2013 08:40

That last sentence was supposed to be "hugs to you", flipping phone.