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Original poster

Unwell Siamese - any help appreciated

205 replies

RustyPaperclip · 06/05/2016 20:05

I have an 8 yr old Siamese, no previous health problems apart from getting in the odd scrap. On Monday night we noticed he had a very slight wheezy cough and we put it down to a possible hairball (although he has never had a problem before).

DH got home from work yesterday and found him laying on the back of the sofa, with very quick but deep breathing. He didn't want any food, and didn't want to move. He was trying to sleep but clearly was unable to settle. Before bed I wrapped him up in a blanket and put him on my pillow (we totally spoil love our cats as you can probably tell). In the morning he seemed perfectly well, he was running up and do the hallway screaming for his breakfast. Dh went to work after me and said he was still coughing badly and quite often but otherwise seemed fine.

I have got home tonight and he now seems worse than last night. I placed my ear on his chest and it sounds like he is hyperventilating. He has also started dribbling from his mouth. We can't think of any changes in the house which could have cause this reaction, and anything that could harm him is locked away. We did wonder if he has been spooked by something as he is a rather sensitive would, but this does seem an extreme reaction and doesn't explain his wheezy cough. Also, he is kept in during the day as we don't have a cat flap, so he couldn't have got hold of/eaten anything whilst we were working.

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Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 15:55

KindDogsTail that is a lovely idea, thank you.

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Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 15:57

My Dh loved taking photos my our boy. I think he captured his personality so well. Thank you all for keeping me company whilst I bawl my eyes out

Unwell Siamese - any help appreciated
Unwell Siamese - any help appreciated
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prettybird · 07/05/2016 16:04

Those are lovely photos; what beautiful eyes. He looks a big softy. I'm sure you've got some fantastic memories. They'll stay with you.

Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 16:05

Thank you maisie and I am so sorry for your loss. At first I was incredibly selfish and wished it had been a longer illness so we had time to prepare. I know that was wrong and am glad it was over quickly. I still can't believe that he managed to drag himself back to me before he collapsed.

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Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 16:07

He was a big softy. He loved nothing more than having his belly tickled and he used to wrap his paw around my finger like a baby. He could be a right little terror though, but loveable even then!

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prettybird · 07/05/2016 16:34

We used to call our old tabby point "squirrelcat" as he used to curl his paws up like a squirrel.

Our current male has "velvet paws" - never puts them out except .....

......when he wants under the duvet cover, when he nicks my back (never dh's Hmm) with a single claw, demanding that I lift the duvet cover up from him. Grin

MattDillonsPants · 07/05/2016 16:36

OP I'm crying. I have a very special Siamese boy and know how wonderful they are. :( He went knowing how much you love him....they do know.

Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 16:39

Our boy used to dive under the covers and nip my bum when he wanted attention at night. However the last year or so he decided to gently pat me on the cheek instead. Dh has to go out tonight to a work event and all week I was looking forward to cuddling up on the sofa with the cats and a glass of wine.

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Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 16:41

MattDillonsPants (love the name btw) you have just set me off again. Please give your lovely cat a Siamese a cuddle from me. I think he knew, I hope he knew. I don't think he would have dragged himself to me if he didn't. It must have taken up so much of his energy

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MattDillonsPants · 07/05/2016 16:49

Of course he knew! He wouldn't have stayed all these years! He'd have buggered off and found another family! Grin They only stay where the people they choose are! Flowers

Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 16:57

That is very true, my mum has always said that cats choose us, we don't choose them. She has also always said that cats have a backup home, our boy didn't so he must have known he was loved.

The breeder kept him in an indoor cage for the first 6 months of his life as he had a slight deformity and he probably thought he couldn't sell him. We then took him in and he loved nothing better than cuddles, noodles and roaming around outside. We often joked that we should have named him noodle

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prettybird · 07/05/2016 17:09

Noodle would've been a great name.

We often joke that we're surprised that Cosmo has never been lifted - he's such a tart friendly cat. (Our cats are allowed outside).

We gave to see ds off every morning so that we can make sure that Cosmo doesn't follow him. If dh and I go out for a walk, we have to half-shit him in upstairs and then leg it! Shock

Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 17:14

Half-shit him? Sounds messy but thank you for making me laugh!

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prettybird · 07/05/2016 17:16

Oops - autocorrect strikes again Blush "Half shut" of course Grin

Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 17:21

I just would have thought that heart failure would have been less sudden. Our little girl cat has a ridiculous number of health problems (it's not intentional but we always seem to pick the lovely cats who probably wouldn't get rehomed otherwise), so as bad as it sounds, we would have expected her to be ill but not our boy.

We are worried about our girl though, we both work full time and our cats looked after each other. I don't think I can consider getting another cat yet but I'm worried that she will be lonely. I keep veering from never wanting another cat as he couldn't possibly be replaced, to wanting to give a home to a million unloved cats.

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CremeBrulee · 07/05/2016 17:28

So sorry for your loss OP. I just read your first post and immediately thought it sounded like heart failure. I then read your update and don't think I've ever been so sorry to be right.

I've been owned by a succession of Siamese and Tonkinese over the years and each one has stolen a piece of my heart. Giving our boy a extra cuddle now. Take care Flowers

Unwell Siamese - any help appreciated
prettybird · 07/05/2016 17:33

He's beautiful Cremebrulee - is he a blue tabby point?

Rusty - orientals are usually happier with company, so if you both work, maybe you should consider another one sooner rather than later.

CremeBrulee · 07/05/2016 17:38

He's allegedly a lilac tabby point but he is quite dark for a lilac - DH thinks he's darker because he likes to bake himself beside the woodburner.

Katymac · 07/05/2016 17:46

Aw Rusty - I am sorry

We've lost 3 now and it hurts so much Sad

Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 17:52

CremeBrulee he is gorgeous.

Sorry, I should have made it clear, our little girl is a moggie rather than an oriental. They had a bit of a love/hate relationship but definitely more love than hate. I just found her screaming in the hallway, I think she thought she had been left on her own. Bless her, she gets a lot of attention, we had an RsPC fundraiser here the other day and he asked to take a selfie with her! She licked his cheek just as he took the photo Grin

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prettybird · 07/05/2016 18:00

I did wonder if he was a lilac.

Bit of irrelevant information - did you know that Siamese have a type of albino gene that is heat activated? That's why their tummies - close to their heart - are lighter/white and their cooler extremities are coloured. As they get older, the colour has time to activate - hence why they get darker. It's also why they have blue eyes.

Threetoedsloth · 07/05/2016 18:06

I've been out all day and this is the first place I've come on getting home. What an absolute beaut your boy was, a stunner. It does help to chatter to like-minded people doesn't it?
Given that we are confessing about cats in freezers I'll share what happened with our first boycat, who was my husband's when we met.
DH had this wonderful black panther of a boy, weighing in at 20 lbs who had had a tough start in life and who was shy and wary ( very like my husband) I loved this cat at first sight and my OH loved my little Birman girl, so we joined ourselves and our cats and became our own little family of four (too old to have kids sadly............).
We lost our black panther boy at the age of 9- to what had to have been a sudden heart attack (like cozie, we couldn't bear a necropsy) I'd learnt before I met my DH (after losing my lilac point Siamese) that cremation is what I do, but DH wasn't so sure, so we buried our lad. Well within about 24 hours we both knew that didn't work for us so we had to go and retrieve him (at dead of night by torchlight) We had him cremated and he's been sitting on my DH's bedside table ever since. Second boycat is now there too- OH finds comfort in having them both by his side- but we don't have a weird shrine or anything. In fact First boycat has a stuffed toy jaunty weasel sitting on him- which makes us both smile.
The pain ,the shock, the desolation you are feeling now will ease. It won't go completely- and in a way we wouldn't want it to would we? The price we pay for love is grief, but we know we'll bear that grief for the utter joy they bring to our lives.You're in the darkest section of the tunnel, but there is light at the end of it.
Sending you my support through the ether Rusty. Take care of each other and be kind to yourselves.

Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 18:06

Nothing Siamese related is ever irrelevant Smile I remember ages ago watching QI and they said that Siamese were the only animal (I think) that go lighter in the summer and darker in the winter. I always thought that made him extra special

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Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 18:12

Three thank you for your post. You must both have dearly loved your black panther, I can't help but wonder what your neighbours might have thought though! The price we pay for love is grief is very true and something I have told myself my whole life and it has always helped until now. He was just perfect, even when he did a giant smelly poo in the cat litter.

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Original poster
RustyPaperclip · 07/05/2016 18:19

Three I forgot to thank you for the words from The Once Again Prince, they are new to me and bring a lot of comfort

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