Unwell Siamese - any help appreciated

[RustyPaperclip]

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.

I lost my boycat 9 years ago in similar conditions. He suddenly lost weight, wouldn't eat and panted. We rushed him to the vets and left him there for tests. They called and said he was dying of heart failure and did we want to come back to see him. DH had gone out in the car and I didn't think it was fair to make the boy wait until the morning (if he lasted that long) so I asked them to put him to sleep asap to save his suffering. Vet said he was still sleepy after his tests so he wouldn't realise we weren't there.

I am shedding a tear now for my boy

It's not always possible or right to be there at the end. It's all about the cat at that stage.

I'm sorry for your loss, tiger.

Our girlcat is very vocal indeed now she's on her own. You see she came to us with her littermate- but he (gulp) had a massive hindbrain defect which caught up with him when he was 18 months old (I sound like a litany of misery don't I?) We had no idea he was so compromised- he (with hindsight) was having absences once he'd been neutered(his eyes would flicker and I half suspected he was fitting but placed it firmly out of my mind) A really high temperature infection, which both he and the dear lad we've just lost got at the same time, proved to be his undoing.

Girlcat is currently relishing the undivided adoring attention of her two humans- she's always had it, but our dear departed boy was very much topcat and quite grumpy with it, so she probably deferred to him more than we'd appreciated.Your girl will be thinking it's all rather strange but she'll adapt- cats are very good at adjusting for the most part.

Just so everyone doesn't begin to see me as the spectre at the feast with my list of losses, I am going to share some special news with you all. We have a kitten coming to join our family on the 21st of this month. He's a black Norwegian Forest and he's going to be an absolute cracker. We've met him twice already and we get weekly photos. We're excited and apprehensive. Girlcat is so affable we're sure she'll be happy to have him join us- we've never even heard her hiss (though I think we may when laddo arrives) I promise I'll post photos when he comes.

Good luck, Three.

Rusty- I hope you're finding this thread helpful. I think there are some lovely posts and sharing on here from fellow cat worshippers .I am finding it very comforting to know there are lots of us who feel these losses so keenly. I am sending you and your DH another bundle of loving supportive thoughts through cyber space.

Here's another poem too-

May your whiskers be ruffled by only pleasant breezes,
May your bowls be filled with tuna and sweet cream,
May your dreams be blessed with legions of mice,
And most of all,
May you forever purr in peace.
Amen.
-- Barbara Younger
Mops eyes furtively.

Thanks cozie- I've lurked on here nearly two years, and I have always found your contributions to the Litter tray tremendously wise and carefully considered.

Good luck Three Norwegian Forest cats are beautiful. I also want to echo your words about cozie

I am, for my pains, living with a natural born singleton. (And some cats/Siamese are.) Seniorboy truly detested and despised The Lodger, who was possibly the most clubbable and sociable cat I've ever encountered. Hey Ho - there was no persuading Seniorboy that he might be wrong.

The flat is too quiet. We hate it. He was such a noisy bundle of fur

It's awful, I know.

Don't know if this helps but this is who we bought all 4 of our cats from. She doesn't have a litter at the moment - but she'll know who's doing Siamese cat rescue/rejoining, at least for Scotland if you're prepared to travel

Chirachai Siamese

"Rejoining" should read "rehoming"

We are thinking about getting another cat but I don't want it to seem like we are trying to replace him. I'm not sure we can face another Siamese yet but we would like an Oriental. I have only ever had rescue cats but we would like like a kitten.

Rusty, don't think you are trying to replace him, he is irreplaceable. You are just wanting to offer love and security to another kitty.

Rusty

When they go, the hole they leave in your lives is just too big to fill in by itself. I just know I'll have another one come to live with me as soon as they find me so I don't even think about it.

Thank all for letting me babble and for your kind words. My dream was to one day have a Siamese cat sanctuary. Either that or a cafe/bookshop with knitting and cats

I know that he has gone but I keep expecting him to run in the room screaming at the top of his voice. Also, although he was so elegant, he was so heavy when he used to jump from any surface and would always make a little purr noise when he landed. We ate dinner tonight uninterrupted, there were no furry little paws trying to sneak food from our plates. The worse thing is coming in the front door and knowing he is not going to greet us.

I can't remember if I mentioned it, but a colleague of dh is a very talented artist and we are thinking of commissioning him to paint a photo of our boy. We would hang it above our bed so that he is always with us.

I have bought a candle for our boy and we will light it tonight in his memory. Please all give your cats a little cuddle from me. The only one I could find in the shop is a Glade one, so our flat will soon smell of exotic flowers

I'm so sorry for your loss Rusty. Shed a tear or 2 reading your thread. I look at my cats sometimes, and imagine how awful it would be without them.

I have a Si-Rex, a Devon Rex who's ancestors have been out-crossed with Siamese. Think a chocolate and white colourpoint with mad curly hair, that sticks out at all angles. He's a vocal little thing too, but more of a chirper and crooner. The bit you wrote about him getting under the duvet made me smile - mine does similar. I've just watched him do a death leap (wrestler style) onto my much bigger b&w moggy, who just looked on disdainfully.

Keep hold of those lovely memories you have of your beautiful boy. x

RubbishMantra I love your description of your cat, he sounds beautiful. If I was lucky our boy would sometimes rest his cheek on my cheek in bed. I've just spoken to my mum and she said that the fact he dragged himself back to me when he was dying shows what a special bond we had. I'm dreading work tomorrow, even though I love my job. I just can't face the inevitable 'how was your weekend?' questions. I work with a lovely bunch but I can understand that some may not understand my sadness

So sorry rusty. The cat shaped hole is really shocking isn't it?
Our, well, my, little tonky died suddenly at only just over a year old- she was a blue too, with silvery paws, and I still feel terribly sad about her: I suppose I always will.
I was her slave, she slept on my neck.

There is some comfort to know you're not alone, I feel.
Big hugs to you all.

RubbishMantra I love your description of your cat, he sounds beautiful. If I was lucky our boy would sometimes rest his cheek on my cheek in bed. I've just spoken to my mum and she said that the fact he dragged himself back to me when he was dying shows what a special bond we had. I'm dreading work tomorrow, even though I love my job. I just can't face the inevitable 'how was your weekend?' questions. I work with a lovely bunch but I can understand that some may not understand my sadness

I wouldn't be overly concerned about that. There are more cat people around than you likely realise.

Just be upfront with them, tell them you've had a bad weekend and, if possible, do something perhaps less taxing than you would normally undertake.

Good luck with it.

Is it possible for you to take a day/couple of days leave? Or pull a sickie?

VenusRising thank you. And I think it is very true that we are their slaves. I hesitated a moment about first posting here, but I honestly couldn't have got through it without you lot. I think that a cat is a very good judge of character. My boy only really loved us, but there were a few other people that he wold grudgingly allow to stroke him. I have let them know, and they are very sorry about his passing.

I'm going to sit by his candle now and say some kind words for all our cats who have had to leave us. I wonder if they ever knew the joy they brought to our lives. I hope so

On a silly note, when the hell did appear?? I was feeling quite philosophical and it made me laugh.

Unfortunately I can't pull a sickie, I am on a temp contract but hoping it may become permanent. Even if it doesn't, I want to do all I can do finish my project on time. Plus, I work at such a lovely place that it might help

Come back tomorrow evening anyway - even if it's only to read the board.