Here are pictures today of a sweet, happy baby girl:
Morning smiles
Cuddles with Mommy
And lots of calls to make
Nora has been such a good little girl lately and really seems to have become comfortable in her own skin – if that makes any sense. She really is a happy baby who so obviously loves being loved. All you have to do is kiss her and she has a bunch of smiles for you. Now if only the cat were as happy as Nora. Patches hasn’t been doing so well with her seizures.
I was putting away laundry in Gavin’s room this afternoon while Nora napped. Suddenly my sense of smell was accosted by the distinct smell of cat pee. I began looking around for visual evidence of it and instead discovered a substantial burn mark in the carpet next to Gavin’s bed. My finger poked through the padding and to the wood. Wow! A couple weeks ago the cat had knocked everything off of Gavin’s night stand during one of her seizures. Trophies, alarm clock, and lava lamp… which had obviously sat smoldering on the carpet for God only knows how long. SOMEHOW our house did not burn to the ground!!!! Gavin had slept through the whole ordeal. I didn’t discover it until the next morning, but somehow missed the glaring burn mark on the carpet. The bulb was no longer lit when I picked everything up. Had to have been divine intervention there!!!
The cat pee ended up being all over Gavin’s bed spread. Patches is obviously losing bladder control during her seizures. The carpet is now ruined, and the fact that we’re not shacked up with relatives because our house burned to the ground is nothing short of a miracle! We’ve spent over $800 trying to figure out what is wrong with this cat with blood tests, urine cultures, etc., etc., etc. They can’t find a single outward reason for the seizures, and the medications are not working. We’re at our wits end with this cat, as if we don’t have enough going on. It is with heavy hearts that we’ve decided to bring her to the shelter with the hopes of finding a good home for her. We are giving orders that we would like to be contacted if they are unable to find her a home, or if her condition worsens, at which point we will determine what the next course of action will be.
I am sick to my stomach over this. We’re assuredly not the type of people to ditch an animal when things get tough. The people and animals we love are loved unconditionally. However, we’ve done everything we can within reason. Maybe there is someone out there who has the time and resources to devote to poor Patches to help her live a somewhat normal life. In addition to all of Nora’s medications I have to keep track of, I can’t justify chasing a pissed off cat around the house 4x a day for medicine time.
Please pray for this transition to go smoothly for all of us, especially for Patches and for Greta. Greta is understandably very upset. Patches was her birthday present last year as a precious tiny little kitten. Please pray that there is someone out there who has the love and time to devote to Patches and that their paths will cross.
😦
iwillcarryyou 
My friend had a female dog who had a genetic abnormality that caused her to have seizures. She had not ever had a seizure until after she gave birth to a litter. All but one of the pups from the litter also had this same genetic defect and ended up passing away, as well as the momma dog. Have they tested the cat for a genetic disorder causing the seizures? There were no medicines helping the dogs either. I will pray that she will find a fantastic home. I pray for your family daily and your blog updates…your utter faith has made me a better person. Your updates always coincide with exactly what I need to hear..God works miracles!!
I feel like I have to respond! Our four-cat family used to have a WONDERFUL cat named Tilly. Unfortunately, when she was only about 4 years old, she started having seizures. They ran hundreds of tests (quite literally) and finally diagnosed her with an extremely rare brain disorder- one I can’t even remember the name of. She had to be carefully balanced on three different kinds of medicines to help slow and sometimes stop the seizures. It worked for a while, but as the months went by, more medicine was needed to control it, until it got to near toxic levels. And every seizure she had damaged her brain a little bit more. We had to make the horrible decision to finally put her down, just last year. She was not the same cat she used to be, with the seizures (which terrified her, poor thing, as well as damaging her brain), and the crazy medicine (which changed her personality as well). It was, unfortunately, time.
The only reason why I had to tell my story is that it might be best for Patches… instead of having to go to a strange place, live in a tiny cage, and may or may not get adopted out. I understand it’s a horrible decision to have to make, but if you think about what is best for her, you might (or may not) come to a different conclusion.
Good luck with the situation
Nora is looking so HUGE these days! I love seeing her beautiful face every day 🙂 My prayers are, as always, with you and your family!
I will definitely be praying for your entire family but I also agree with the previous poster that euthanasia may be the best course of action ( and I felt the need to chime in, since I am a veterinarian). Since I have never seen Patches, it might be worth asking your vet how they feel about the choice of shelter vs. euthanasia. Likely your vet will have an opinion based on all of the signs the cat has been showing, the effect and difficulty of the medication, and what is the most humane thing to do. Not all healthy cats get adopted, as we all are aware, and considering Patches is so young to be showing these severe seizures, it is a lot to ask of someone else to take on. I also agree with the previous poster that this could be something hurting the cat or could even be something that you never find the cause of (I am sure your vet has mentioned idiopathic seizures, which are those that no one ever finds a cause for… I saw these at vet school even after animals went through ct scans and mri’s, we still could not find a reason for seizures, seizures can be very frustrating to diagnose). I feel like the cat is obviously struggling in a comfortable, familiar, loving home – it’s problems will just get worse in a loud, scary unfamiliar animal shelter. Again, I think it’s worth seeking out your vets opinion because most veterinarians won’t euthanize animals that they think are completely treatable, but if yours thinks this is reasonable I think it sounds like a more humane solution.
I check in on you and Nora every morning with my coffee and I love seeing her sweet face. I felt compelled to comment and agree with those who have suggested it might be in the better interest of Patches if she were euthanized. I too come from the animal medical profession and praise God for the mercy we are able to extend to our pets through euthanasia. How sad for Greta:( I will be praying for you all during this difficult time.
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Does your cats food contain rosemary? It has been known to cause seizures in dogs and cats. Nora is a beautiful little girl. She is always in my thoughts and prayers.
I totally agree that the manner in which euthanasia is performed on animals is very humane, especially when a tranquilizing agent can be given first. They sleep away very peacefully, she would not feel any pain. I cannot say that either option you choose, whether it be shelter or euthanasia, would be irresponsible in any way. As said by another, the current Vet would most likely agree to euthanize given the situation. And it certainly would be humane to give her a go at the shelter. Either way, you have literally given her your all to try to figure out what is wrong with her and your realistic options to go any further in that area have been exhausted. I pray that you find peace around this situation and know that you have done so much, and now need to make a difficult but necessary choice. Sounds so alike to the situation of the cat with the brain issue mentioned by another comment, she is not the same cat she used to be. Love you.
Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers…. Hopefully the prayers from me and your many friends will guide you to peace. I agree with the previous comments about euthanazing Patches may be in the best interest of your family, however I understand your pain in making that decision. It would be hard on me as well….. Continued prayers for you ….my friend!!!
I FEEL SO BAD THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS TO MAKE SUCH A HARD DECISION FOR PATCHES. WE HAD TO DO THAT FOR OUR SHEEP DOG THAT WE HAD FOR YEARS. SHE GOT CANCER, AND INSTEAD OF WATCHING HER SUFFER, WE DECIDED TO DO WHAT WAS BEST FOR PANDA. IT IS A HARD DECISION, AND I TOO WILL BE PRAYING FOR ALL OF YOU GUYS. THIS IS VERY HARD. THAT LITTLE NORA ROSE LOOKS SOOOO GOOD IN ALL THE PICTURES. I AM SO HAPPY THAT SHE IS DOING REALLY GOOD. SEEMS LIKE SHE IS GROWING SO FAST. SUCH A HAPPY LITTLE GIRL. I LOVE THE PICTURE OF HER HOLDING THE PHONE. SHE PROBABLY JUST HAD TO CALL HER GRANDMA AND GRANDPA TO JUST TELL THEM HOW MUCH SHE LOVES THEM. SHE SURE IS A DOLL BABY. LOVE YOU ALL. GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS.
I too am facing this horrible decision and feel your pain! We adopted the best cat/older kitten ever, so perfect for our family this summer. Last month our cat collapsed and had to be rushed to the vet and we found out he has a rare but ultimately fatal lung disease. We just finished a round of medications and even though he looks fine and purrs like crazy there is now blood in the litter box. Ugh!! He may have a few more months with us or we may have to put him down today. But, I say all this to say- he probably contracted this illness while being in the shelter and Patches could too, especially while already ill and let’s face it, shelters cannot afford to and don’t have the manpower to give a kitty meds 4xs a day. Our shelter also told me that kitties are the last to get adopted because folks are always offering them free in the paper. So sorry you are facing this, I am praying for you and please know my heart aches for you all! I don’t like being a grown-up some days:(…