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The litter tray

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

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Original poster

Cage rest, how do I entertain my boy?

16 replies

Blubbergalore · 07/12/2017 19:32

My lovely two year old mog has recently fractured his knee caps in both back legs, he has been diagnosed with a rare syndrome which causes spontaneous bone breaks.
He had both patellas wired three weeks ago when I was warned that the procedure had a very high failure rate of about 86%. He seemed to be doing really well and was two weeks into his post-op six week cage rest period when we noticed he was struggling to bear weight on one side. Back to the vets who confirmed one had failed so another op, this time pinning the kneecap.
He has had to start his strict cage rest period again for at least another six weeks, possibly up to eight weeks and I just feel so sorry for him. I know it is for his own good so that his poor knees can heal but he looks so fed up. I am around with him most of the day but apart from talking to him and stroking him I don't know how else to entertain him. I can't play with him as normal as he just gets too excited and starts bobbing around which he is not to do.
I'd be so grateful for any advice or ideas please?

OP posts:

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/12/2017 20:07

iPad propped up with cat videos of mice & birds?

Want2beme · 07/12/2017 20:25

It's good that you're with him most of the day, talking to him and stroking him. I think giving him videos to watch is a good idea. If he's food orientated, you could give him his food over more meal times, so that he's occupied with that. Give him a few more treats than normal. Is his cage in the busiest part of the house where he'll be occupied with all the comings and goings? Put the radio on for him. Hope he recovers soon and you don't go stir crazy with it all.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 07/12/2017 21:07

Go on to YouTube and search for Paul Dinning. He does great videos for cats, some are 8hrs long!

pinkbraces · 07/12/2017 21:10

I feel your pain, although my furry girl is a dog. We are currently on week 2 after her cruciate repair op - she is very bored!
I have no advice just wanted to sympathise.

Hope he gets better soon

CornflakeHomunculus · 07/12/2017 21:11

Have a look at these two FB groups: Canine Enrichment and Beyond the Bowl. They're both aimed at dog owners but cat owners do post in both. Just search for 'cat' within each group and it should bring up some ideas for you.

ClareB83 · 07/12/2017 21:15

It is really hard putting them on cage rest, but so worth it. My cat was hit by a car and his spine was swollen, walking and sitting very oddly, couldn't jump. A few weeks of cage rest and he's been perfect for the 5 years since.

I'm afraid he just had a few toys in the edge of his cage and the other cats to look at, meals etc. Must have been boring but he's a cat they sleep a lot and it was for his own good.

StrumpersPlunkett · 07/12/2017 21:19

Our boy had a femural head excision this summer.
6 weeks of cage rest was boring for us but tbh he felt so unwell he slept loads!

Original poster

Blubbergalore · 07/12/2017 22:32

Thanks everyone, some great suggestions. The Paul Dinning videos are fab, he perked up and has been captivated as have I! I have been spreading his meals out and giving him more variety and extra treats although trying not to overfeed given that he is so inactive.
I'll have a look at the FB groups for further ideas. Thanks again.

OP posts:

Olliver27 · 07/12/2017 22:43

Poor boy

Something like this might be good for helping exercise his brain.

Olinguito · 08/12/2017 15:30

@Blubbergalore I hadn't heard of this syndrome before, but I strongly suspect that my cat has it too. She fractured both kneecaps as a young cat, and had a mysterious fracture of her pelvis a few years ago. To be honest, all three of the operations she had on her kneecaps failed, and in the end we had to go for prolonged cage rest to let the tendons and sinews around the fractured kneecaps thicken and strengthen around the injury. I just wanted to let you know that she is 14 now, and apart from a bit of arthritis in her knees and being rubbish at jumping, she is still going strong.

Having gone through three periods of cage rest with her I do sympathise with you. We sat by the cage and chatted with her as much as possible, and stroked what we could reach, but felt really mean!

Does the syndrome have a name? I would be interested to know as I don't think the vets knew about it when we were going through all this.

I hope your poor moggy is feeling better soon.

Weedsnseeds1 · 08/12/2017 20:24

Poor boy. Maybe a puzzle feeder or Kong with some treats in?
Get well soon blubbercat

Original poster

Blubbergalore · 09/12/2017 20:06

Olinguito it's called Feline Knees and Teeth Syndrome, can't do links but if you google there is bits online. Someone at Bristol University is currently researching it. It's reassuring to hear your cat is doing so well if indeed that is what she has too, it sounds likely as apparently pelvic fractures can occur with this syndrome. Do you let her out? My boy was such an active outdoor cat previously but I think I will be very wary of letting him out again in the future. I don't know how he managed to drag himself home with two broken knees!
Anyway he was at the vet's this morning for a check-up and he seems to be doing ok. Back for x-rays in January. In the meantime I'll be making a fuss of him in his horrid cage! He has been enjoying the bird videos which other posters suggested and I've been enjoying watching him watching them.

OP posts:

lljkk · 09/12/2017 20:27

FFS. Wow. What are the prospects? Is he a pedigree of some kind (it sounds like a genetic problem)?

lljkk · 09/12/2017 20:30

My cats have an opposite type of problem, neck lesions or Feline dental resorption (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_odontoclastic_resorptive_lesion#Treatment). But luckily relatively mild for them & manageable.

Weedsnseeds1 · 09/12/2017 21:28

Does he like catnip? A few hours happily stoned would pass the time

Olinguito · 10/12/2017 13:32

*Blubbergalore" that information is really interesting, thank you, and does point towards my cat having this condition too. It's always been a mystery to us what caused the fractures. She has also had occasional lameness in her front legs, and the x-ray suggested that a bit of bone had perhaps chipped off at shoulder level, but this improves after a few days of painkiller. Now she has a low dose of metacam on alternate days for arthritis, and I give her Synoquin joint supplement every day.

We have continued to let her out, but only when we're at home to keep an eye on her. After the cage rest we progressed to one room, and then the rest of the house, before nervously letting her out again. Now her jumping and climbing ability are so limited that she can't actually get out of our garden, but I still keep an eye on her. That said, she fractured her pelvis when shut in the house overnight. Would it be possible to cat proof your garden so that you could give him some limited access to outside?

My cat is just an ordinary moggy, not a pedigree, and as she was rescued from a bin when a few weeks old we don't know any of her family history. Despite all this she has had many happy years, but seriously hates the vet!

Sorry about the essay, but I have never come across anyone else with a cat with the same problem before! I hope your cat continues to improve and doesn't suffer any further problems with this.

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