Progressive Retinal Atrophy in Cats

My Siamese Cat named Sam has Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) which is a common disease in Siamese cats.  PRA means that the cats will go blind over time. 

 

At first, we noticed that Sam seemed to not function well at night so we would turn on night lights in every room just so he could see where he was going.   We learned early on that if Sam had this disease that he would go blind and that there was no cure. 

We were told that blind cats can adapt well to the disease and as long as we did not move furniture, food bowls, water bowls or litter boxes.  To not make major changed to our home.

 

We were assured that our 18-year-old FIV cat named Sam would adapt and could life a full life and be a great kitty.  Sam would use scent to mark his way through the house and we always call him by name before we approach him as not to startle him. 

We have other cats and in our observation of them we can see that even our alpha cat Hairy a large Ragdoll seems to be caring when it comes to Sam.  We have seen Hairy grooming Sam and also backing away from the food bowl to allow Sam to eat. 

Sam has lived a very long life and we know that he is at the end of his life.  He is still eating, drinking and using his litter box.  He still sleeps at the foot of our bed and he still loves his catnip toy.  When it is Sam's time, he will let us know and we will take him to the veterinarian to be euthanized. But for now, he still has more kitty lives to live. 

Sam was rescued in 2008 when he was abandoned by his people who moved away.  He was skin and bones and was infected with FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)

Long Life for 18 Year Old FIV Cat

 My rescued cat Sam was diagnosed with FIV in 2008. At the time he was approximately two years old which means he has lived a long life considering FIV negative cats life expectancy is 15 years. Know that we did not realize he was as old as he is, but found his medical records that noted he was older than we thought.

Sam photo age 16

Studies have shown that cats with FIV do have similar life spans to cats that do not have FIV.  My cat Sam showed no signs of FIV throughout his life.  He did develop normal old age symptoms like arthritis and now at age 18, he has some cognitive issues.

I would say that Sam is a lucky cat because many FIV-positive cats develop secondary infections including cancer and immune disorders.  My friend has an FIV can that is sick all the time.  Not Sam he has a stress-free life, and we have always provided him with high protein quality cat food. Fish oil supplements and probiotics to help boost his immune. Along with nutritious food, I think the fact that he is a happy cat with no stress has prevented him from getting seriously ill.

 

Sam having fun at age 15

When we rescued Sam we were told that FIV was highly contagious and that it could be easily spread to our other cats by sharing food, water, and litter box.  So we did take steps to keep Sam away from our other three cats.  Sam lived at my office for the first five years.  It was not until there were air-conditioning problems that I brought him to the house. There he resided in a cat room where I had my home office.

One day when we were not home, Sam got out of that room and became friends with my other cats.  When we arrived home we found him lying on our sofa with our other cats.  We freaked out. Took all of the cats in for an FIV test and all of the cats were negative.

From that day forward Sam lived in the main house with our other cats. FIV is not passed by sharing food or water dishes, nor is it passed from grooming, play fights, or scratches.  Not even sneezes will infect my cats with FIV.  The only thing that will cause my cats to get  FIV is a deep bloody bite wound.

 

Sam has developed cataracts  and has arthritis he is age 17 in this photo 

Many FIV cats never leave the shelters because which is sad because FIV is not a fatality. Many FIV cats can live a long life just like my cat Sam

Adult Cat Diagnosed with Kidney Disease

My tabby cat is five years old and he was diagnosed with kidney disease.  The veterinarian said that he would need to eat a prescription diet food for the rest of his life.  

The Hills Urinary Care prescription diet would not cure him but I was assured that he would not get sicker.

 

The diagnosis was due to my cat's elevated blood phosphorus reading.  It was over the normal 6 mg/dl (USA) and indicated kidney disease.  There were no crystals in his urine or any other indicator.

 

There are many reasons why a cat would develop kidney disease.  Many older cats develop this condition due to kidney changes as they age, they drink less water or their diet is primarily dry kibble.

 

Another reason would be due to an infection, or a cat ate something toxic (lily flowers or antifreeze) and it damaged their kidneys. Also, cats with FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) may develop kidney disease.  My FIV cat named Sam has chronic kidney disease.  Read the article here. 

 

For my tabby cat, the reason was clear, he was not a big water drinker, and he preferred dry kibble over wet canned food.  When cats eat only dry food  which is half the moisture of canned food, and not being a water drinker, those two factors will cause kidney/bladder disease.  I was told that dry cat kibble was the leading cause of urinary and bladder infections in cats.

 

Know that we always topped our cats Purina ONE True Instinct Natural Real Chicken Plus Vitamins & Minerals High Protein Grain-Free Dry Cat Food with wet canned food but this cat would only eat a little canned food, as he preferred dry.  This food has a 12 percent moisture, it's higher than many kibbles on the market, and many have less.

 

Due to his kidney disease diagnosis, we must feed him the prescription canned food.  I mix a little water in the food for extra fluid which is good for his kidneys. He is not a fan of the canned food so I will ask the veterinarian if there is a prescription kibble that he can eat that I could mix with the canned food.

 

Learn more about cat kidney disease by reading this article 

About Sam my 15-Year Old FIV Cat

  

It's hard to believe that my FIV cat is now a senior considering when I adopted him in 2008 every veterinarian told me he would not live a long life.  It's safe to say that the health concerns regarding FIV have changed and that people have learned a lot about FIV.

When I adopted Sam my veterinarian told me that Sam had to be kept in a temperature-controlled room and that he could not have any contact with other cats because he was highly contagious, that even if Sam ate out of the same bowl he could pass the FIV disease to another cat.  I was also told that I could make him sick by bringing germs from the outdoors into his space.  So I would come home from work, shower before putting on new clothing and slippers, and go into my office to see Sam.

Clearly, many veterinarians’ and caregivers got FIV mixed up with FeLV.  Because FIV is only spread through a deep puncture wound that would break another cat's skin. 

I adhered to all of the veterinarians’ instructions then 10 years ago, Sam had gotten out of the office and we found him playing with my other cats.   We took all of the cats in for FIV testing and none of them were infected so the veterinarian at that time said if they get along then they can live together.

Presently Sam lives with my other cats who are not infected with cat disease.  He sleeps with them, plays with them and yes eats out of the same bowl.

Sam is relatively healthy for his age but does suffer from typical senior cat conditions.  He has arthritis in his legs but that does not stop him from running, jumping, and playing with the dog.

Other than his arthritis I have noticed that Sam is grumpy if he doesn’t get canned food when he wants it.  He loves to eat a couple times a day and has slept in bed with us for the last decade.

**The photos in this article are my original photographs of Sam my 15-year-old FIV cat.

Here is the article I published on the day we adopted Sam 

Catnip Toys are Good Stimulation for Older Cats

 Catnip toys are good stimulation for my cat's health as the activity has enabled him to shed some pounds and also he seems to be happier

My cat Sam is an older cat that has FIV.  He tends to sleep a lot now that he is a senior cat and has put on weight. I was reluctant to change his diet because he really likes his food and honestly I did not want to cause him to feel stress.  So I bought him catnip-filled toys and they stimulated him to play. 

Honestly, I think the catnip toys have brought out Sam's inner kitten.  He is vocal when he carries the toy around the house.  Sometimes he throws the toy up in the air and other times he rolls around on the floor with his catnip-filled carrot toy.

Just the other day I found that Sam had brought my dog toy up onto our bed, yes it seems that all toys in the house are Sams's, and the catnip toys are his favorite.

Catnip toys are good stimulation for cats as they improve the cat's disposition, and keep older cats mobile.  Know that I do not allow Sam to play all day long with his toys, I do put them away and bring them out a couple times a day I use them as therapy.

Long Life for FIV Cat

 My FIV cat was rescued in 2008 at the age of three.  When we took him to the veterinarian for a wellness checkup the veterinarian informed us that  Sam had FIV and FeLV. At the time he was very thin and the veterinarian had recommended euthanasia because he thought this cat was dying.  I remember him telling me that the cat would pass within a month and that it would be a painful death.

I declined the veterinarian's diagnosis and told him to vaccinate and neuter him.  When I took  Sam back home I did separate him from my other cats because at the time the veterinarians all thought FIV and FeLV was contagious if a cat came in contact, grooming, or eating from the same bowl.

Within a few weeks, Sam showed signs of being a beautiful and playful Siamese cat.  He put on weight, was social, talkative, and played with his toys and our dog.  Sam lived in my home office which was away from my other cats.  My husband installed a window seat for him so that he could watch the birds and sun himself. 

We had Sam retested and the test showed that Sam eliminated the FeLV but was positive for FIV.

Sam loved to root through my trashcan and play with paper and playing in a cardboard box was one of his favorite activities.  For all counts, Sam appeared to be a normal and healthy cat.

Here are some photos of Sam it shows how well he recovered.

Know that Sam is living a long life as he is now age 17.  He has normal old-age health conditions such as arthritis in his hind legs and is impatient when it comes to eating his food and demands that we turn on the water in the sink, but other than that he uses the litter box, grooms himself, watches the birds from his window seat, plays with the dog and our other cats.  

Yes, we released Sam from our office a decade ago so he could have the company of cats and all get along. There has never been a cat fight or deep wound bite with blood as this is the only way FIV is transformed from cat to cat.

Our FIV cat has lived a long and happy cat life and we suspect that he will live well into his 20s. 

Here are some current photos of Sam 

***Note the age difference is updated in this article as we received an update on his previous owner and learned that Sam was older than we had thought.  His owner had moved and I was told that he could not find the cats so moved and never came back to look for them. Sam was age three in 2008.

Wellness Check for 13 Year Old FIV Cat

 

Recently we took Sam to see the veterinarian for his wellness check and they said he looks good considering his arthritis, FIV, and old age. Sam is 13 years old and has had FIV since 2008. At the rate, he’s going I am certain he will pass away from an old-cat-related health condition rather than Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.

Sam is almost asleep...trying so hard to keep his eyes open (cute)

The thing about FIV cats is that yes they have a suppressed immune system but if you keep the cat indoors, feed them high-quality food, respect their “downtime” and have a stress-free house then chances are your FIV cat will live a long life without being “sickly”.

Sam took the dogs ball and is daring the dog to get it (lol)

There is really no reason to pass up an FIV cat at the shelter. They are just like other cats, the only difference is as stated, they cannot go outdoors and are better suited in a low-stress home.

I think Sam is doing very well because he has cat friends. At first, the Veterinarian put the fear of FIV in me and made me think if my house wasn’t sterile, with no dust, no dirt with perfect temp and if Sam had any contact with other cats that he would become stressed, get sick, and die. I listened to that for the first 10 years.  

Then Sam got out of the office one day and I found him being groomed by one of my female cats and that was the end of his isolation. To this day Lucy doesn’t have FIV, and Sam has cat friends. He is a happy cat and I think that is why he is living a long life.

Sam and Lucy playing on the bed

Long Lived 13 Year Old FIV Cat

 

My FIV cat named Sam has been with us a long time even though when we first rescued him his veterinarian did not think he would survive the month. Back in 2008 Sam was a skin and bones abandoned Siamese cat that had tested positive for Feline AIDS ad Leukemia.

Honestly I knew nothing of these cat diseases but knew in my heart that I needed to give Sam a chance and that I also needed a second opinion. The attending veterinarian was adamant about Sam's dire health conditions and strongly suggested euthanasia as it would be more humane than the painful death my cat would endure.

It is safe to say that in 2008 when Sam was approximately 2 years old, that this time period for knowing and understanding FIV was the “dark ages” as many cats with this condition were euthanized because veterinarians did not fully understand the feline disease.  

Know that Sam has come a long way in the past 13 years. Here are photographs of Sam throughout the years.

Sam was retested 60 days after his first test and he did not have Feline Leukemia he did have FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). We accepted this condition and were determined to provide Sam with a happy and long life.

If I did not tell you that Sam had FIV you would not know it from looking at him. He put on weight and at one point I thought he had a food addiction. He had gotten fat and we needed to reduce the carbohydrates by cutting out the kitty snacks and feeding him pate canned food. Sam loved all Science Diet canned foods that came with gravy. The gravy was greatly missed but Sam learned to like Pate.

For the first six years Sam lived in my office far far away from my other cats. The attending veterinarian put the fear into us by saying that if Sam groomed one of our cats or ate out of the same bowl that our normal cats would be infected with the incurable FIV disease.

We were very careful with Sam but one day he got out and he charged to the other side of the house. There he befriended our other cats and at the end of the day, they were all best friends. Of course, we were certain that they all had FIV but after having them all tested, none of the cats were sick.

Yes in the past 13 years, we were told many things, that made us think that a slight change in the household temperature, germs, stress, or household anxiety such as moving a chair was enough to make Sam deathly ill. Sam survived a tornado, household chairs moving, the vacuum, germs in the house, and stressful situations and he was a trooper, he never got deathly ill.

At one point I thought Sam may have been vaccinated for Feline immunodeficiency and that the test was a false negative. So we had a blood test done and it confirmed that Sam did have FIV.

Sam is now age 15 and he is still a happy cat with old cat symptoms such as arthritis in his hind legs. He sleeps more than he used to, but he also plays with his toys and the other cats and he loves to sleep on my husband's head.

To look at Sam you would think he was just a senior cat, you would never know that he has lived a long life with FIV an immunodeficiency cat disease.

The above photos were taken in the last 13 years and the below is Sam now.  He is thinner, Sam is older (age 15)  but he is still our happy and fun-loving fur-kid.

Natural Salmon Oil Supplement for Feline Arthritis

Recently my FIV cat lost his footing and fell off the dresser. This injury caused him to limp and I called the veterinarian. Sam was seen quickly an X-ray was taken of his injury We learned that my cat had arthritis in his kneecaps.

Had Sam not fallen we would have known the seriousness of his arthritic condition. Both my husband and I told the veterinarian that our cat never acted as though he was in pain and his activity level never faltered.

Sam would need a pain and inflammation remedy however since he is an FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) our veterinarian suggested a natural supplement for feline arthritis.

She suggested Omega 3 / fish oil and the one at the veterinarian's office was very expensive so I contacted a friend who is an animal expert and they recommended VitalPetLife Salmon oil.

I bought the brand VitalPetLife wild Alaskan salmon oil and add it to the top of my cat's food. Know that Sam is a picky eater but he has no problem with this fishy tasting supplement.

I give him the salmon oil daily and within three weeks he was no longer limping. Now two months later you would not know that my cat has an arthritic condition as he is running through the house and playing with the other cats and the dog.

If you have a cat that is suffering from an arthritis condition that you may want to try this natural salmon oil product. But before you buy please check with your veterinarian to see if an Omega 3 supplement will help your cat.  

Note: This product will also improve your cat's coat, you will notice that it will become soft and shiny.