My Cat Tazz

My poor cat Tazz hasn't been herself for about 6 months, nothing I could put my finger on but she seemed a bit less cuddly, much more vocal (she's always talked to us but this was more moaning at us) constantly wanting food but recently she's lost quite a bit of weight (she was always on the chunky side) also she has started to pull out fur on her right side next to her spine and hip.
I thought I'd better take her to the vet (she absolutely hates going and gets in a huge state, shakes and crys so I don't take her unless absolutely necessary) she had an examination and blood test and I have just found out that she has Hyperthyroidism her levels are way above what they should be, also she may have a bit of arthritis in her spine/hip, luckily her kidneys seem good.
We are going to try her on tablets to control the thyroid first of all and get that stabilised then possibly some mild anti inflammatories to see if that controls joint pain. She is 14 so I'd rather not put her under the stress of an operation so I'm hoping these work.
They did offer a special diet but it must be the only thing she eats and they advise to keep the cat indoors at all times so they don't eat any prey. I know she would be miserable if I did this so unfortunately that's not for her.
I'm hoping the tablets sort her out and she feels a whole lot better soon.
Amanda xxxx  Tazz
She was named Tazz after the cartoon Tazmanian Devil (anyone who has had kittens will know why)

Hi Amanda,
Ohhh I hope Tazz soon feels much better with the tablets and starts putting some weight back on.  I don't envy you popping them down. though!  Have tried disguising them in food and then you find a perfectly clean plate with said pill still sitting there, so good luck eith that. They are such a part of the family and like our children it is horrible when they are sick.  I hope she soon starts improving.  I have 3 cats, brother and sister who are coming up 18 and then Lucy who is coming up 6.  Our old boy is starting to show his age and is arthritic too.  Hope she picks up soon.
Hugs Sue

Aww Amanda, poor Tazz - and poor you! It's such a worry when your pets get sick, I really hope you can get her stabilised, bless her; and, as Sue said, good luck with getting the tablets down her!  One of my dogs (Jasmine, as it happens.....) starting having fits a few months ago and funny 'turns'. She was admitted to the Cambridge Vet Hospital a few weeks ago for two days of extensive tests and she's got a diagnosis of idiopathic focal seizure epilepsy. I was heartbroken, but we'll cope. We've elected not to medicate her unless the seizures get really bad or very frequent as I want her to be happy and 'normal' not a doped up zombie - if you know what I mean.

Hugs to you and Tazz.

Jasmine x

Hi Sue & Jasmine
Thanks for your kind wishes, wow Sue your two older cats are doing brilliantly Tazz had a Sister Molly (Emily named her Luke named Tazz) but she disappeared when she was about 2 we think a fox got her, up until that point Tazz hardly ever spoke, the day after Molly disappeared she cried solidly for a week and ever since then she has spoken to us all the time from the minute we get up to when she tells us it's time to go to bed. Up until she got poorly she would play hide & seek with Luke and play fetch as well. She has always caught stuff !!! But usually never kills it, we've had mice, frogs, birds, whole birds eggs and a Pigeon brought in and unfortunately let go !!!! We've had to tempt many a field mouse out of the inside of the sofa, one unfortunate frog also met a rather nasty end when I came downstairs to get a drink in the night without my lenses in !!!!!  
I can tell you scraping squashed frog from the bottom of your foot at 3am is quite unpleasant but I've had worse !!!!!
I am quite good at shoving tablets down her throat so I'm hoping I don't get too savaged.
Jasmine so sorry your Jasmine has been diagnosed with epilepsy, Brigitte's dog is also epileptic maybe she could give you some advice, I'm with you on not wanting to medicate unless really necessary.
Big hugs and love from Me & Tazz xxxx

Many years ago, Jake (my avatar picture, sadly no longer with us) was involved in a bit of a rumpus in the garden with our dogs.
We discovered that he had brought a black baby rabbit home - still alive !
We caught it and put it in a box, scratching our heads wondering what to do with it.
30 minutes later, he came home with another one !
He'd previously given us a present of a dead squirrel in the dining room, but it seems that he had rescued this pair of what were, presumably, abandoned baby rabbits home for us to look-after.

A few years earlier, our youngest daughter semed to be excited about something in our hall (when she was a baby, so before she learned how to speak), but we could not see anything.
When I was walking the dogs a bit later, I felt something in one of my wellies.
I took it off and discovered a frog and it was still alive, despite me walking on it.
Olivia had obviously seen the frog in the hall (where my wellies were kept) and was trying to tell us!

Edwin

The happy ending to the baby rabbit story is we raised them until they were old enough to be released back on to the fields behind our house. We have wild black rabbits here.

We think he had heard them crying in their nest and bought them home, very carefully

Nelly

Aw Nelly & Edwin
That's such a lovely story about Jake and the bunnies sound lovely.
Alas the frog in my story never got a chance to turn into a handsome Prince.
The only good thing was that when I trod on the squishy thing in the dark I thought I'd be scraping far worse off of my foot and Tazz would definitely have been in trouble then.
Amanda xxxx

What a lovely story about Jake and the black rabbits, Nelly!
Mr Tiger-Lily was also touched by it.

I hope the tablets will sort Tazz soonest, Amanda - glad you have the knack with her!

Our Tiger and Lily are brother and sister and both about 15 - they are Sue's tablet-on-the-plate sort, so must ask you sometime about your tablet technique!

Bless you and Tazz - Love and Hugs from Tigerlily xxxx

Hi Tigerlily
Tazz can normally spot a tablet from a mile away but these are very small and I've managed to hide one in a bit of squished up Tuna and it went down in one gulp !!!
Normally it's headlock gently slide finger between back teeth and a quick shove down the throat, hold mouth shut and massage neck (the cat not me) but as I have to do this twice a day for the rest of her life, she will very quickly cotton on to when I'm getting ready to do it and hide or escape outside. So the tablet in the tuna trick might just work.
Love Amanda xxxx

Thanks for outlining the technique, Amanda - the finger/back teeth connection sounds a bit dicey to me - but I love that bit about massaging the neck!!

So glad you found out what her problem was - give her a good stroke from me, won't you?

Love and Hugs to you both from Tigerlily xxxx

Yes it can be a tad tricky but hey one less finger makes a manicure cheaper (not that I've had one in yonks).
Tazzy is fast asleep in her favourite position on top of the news paper on the kitchen table. The table is throughly washed before anyone eats at it incase people think it's unhygenic !!!!
Anyway it's her view point over the garden she's not keen on going out today it's too cold and snowy.
I've just given her a stroke from you Tigerlily and she's purring very loudly 
Love Amanda & Tazz xxxx

She sounds calm, Amanda, so maybe the tablets are kicking in.
Yes, Tiger and Lily have their positions on the pile of newspapers on the sofa looking out onto the garden!
Love and Hugs, from Tigerlily (3 beings!) xxxx