Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [74]
Many cats get stiff and hunched up when they’re older, says Michelle. “We don’t know if Scottish Folds have normal arthritis, or if it’s something special to folds.” Carol W. Johnson, DVM, PhD of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is collecting histories and X-rays on affected and asymptomatic cats to help determine how widespread Scottish Fold Osteodystrophy (SFO) is within the breed. All submissions remain confidential. The ultimate hope is to find out whether or not the problem is associated with the fold gene, and/or find families of cats within the breed that do not get SFO so that selective breeding will prevent the problem in future generations.
Punkin’s problems first showed up in her stiff back legs, and then she began to hunch over as though her back was painful. “It seemed to come and go,” says Michelle. It was especially bad during pregnancy perhaps because of the extra weight and strain on her joints. “She had a really rough time,” says Michelle, and she finally stopped breeding her. More recently, Punkin has developed knobs on the inside of her wrists. “Like small marbles, they’re smooth. They’re so bad now that even when she’s at rest you can see the little knobs sticking out there.”
Over the years, Michelle has made adjustments to help keep Punkin comfortable and maintain her quality of life. “I put little boxes everywhere right by the bed so she never has to jump more than six inches. And I put a step stool and table by the window so she could go up steps. That does seem to help.”
She also found information and advice on the Scottish Fold email list, in particular about changing Punkin’s diet. When a new senior cat food came out that included glucosamine and chondroitin, Michelle decided to give it a try. “I healed my own arthritis with glucosamine and chondroitin, so I’m a big fan,” she says. Michelle offers a mix of different foods to her cats, so for Punkin she added 50 percent of the new food to the cat’s previous diet. “I started on her birthday last year, so it’s been just about a year and she’s much better. It has really worked for her,” says Michelle. Punkin no longer walks all hunched up, she’s not as stiff, and she’s much more lively and plays more.
Michelle has also noticed that the cat’s ability to groom herself has declined, probably because she’s not as flexible. “She used to be one of those cats that if you touched her, she’d clean her whole body for twenty minutes,” says Michelle. “She’s mostly white, and she kept herself sparkling clean and perfectly smooth. Now she’s starting to develop little mats around her neck and under her chin—and she’s a shorthaired cat. So now I have to brush her for the first time.”
Also, Michelle has never had to clip her cat’s nails. “I teach them to scratch like maniacs, and it keeps the nails in perfect condition. But because of her arthritis, Punkin can’t scratch so much.” She’s noticed problems with the nails getting too long, especially on the back toes, and curling into the tender flesh of the pad. “It seems to be a slippery slide. Once she gets stiff, she can’t clean herself as well, so therefore mats, and she can’t scratch and therefore toenail problems,” says Michelle.
She knows that Dr. Johnson wants Punkin’s body to study when she dies. “I hope she’s going to live another 10 years,” she says, but she’s made the necessary arrangements for when the time comes. She hopes learning from Punkin will help advance understanding about SFO and help other cats.
Today, taking care of the beautiful cat and accommodating her senior needs doesn’t feel like a hardship to Michelle, or to Punkin. “Her quality of life is just fine,” says Michelle. “We’re great together. She really loves me and I really love her.”
BLINDNESS
Cats can become blind at any time, but it occurs mainly when they are older. Vision loss often