Astrid started out in the colony we support through our Project Apollo.  She and her brother, Gus, came to us as young cats, perhaps 8 months old.  Initially wild and afraid of people, they became calm and relaxed at the foster house, enjoying the company of the other cats and our volunteers.  

At 15 years she grew thin and we discovered that her thyroid levels were way off.  The recommended treatment for hyperthyroidism is a Radioactive Iodine 131 treatment.  We used this for two other kitties at the foster house and it worked well for them.  Unfortunately, while waiting for her scheduled appointment, Astrid seemed to become thinner faster than anticipated. One morning we found her both listless and uninterested in her special wet food breakfast.  We took her to the emergency VCA clinic on Montgomery.

The vet put her on fluids and started a series of diagnostic tests to determine the cause.  Hyperthyroid cats become thinner until their treatment, but they don’t usually crash.  Something else was going on.  Her testing involved extensive bloodwork, x-rays, and an ultrasound with a biopsy. The bloodwork showed high white cell counts, the x-ray suggested fluid in her chest, and a mass in her abdomen. An ultrasound with biopsy showed she had large cell lymphoma.  This meant she was no longer a candidate for the Iodine treatment.

With two serious diagnoses, both of which cause a wasting away, we had little choice. Although both illnesses were individually treatable, given her frail condition, it was unlikely she would have survived both.  She passed in the arms of a volunteer who had been caring for her and had become her friend.

After arriving at the foster house from the colony, Astrid spent the majority of her life with us in warmth and friendship.  She had plenty to eat and human friends who groomed her, played laser with her, and provided friendship. She was loved and will be missed by all.   

To learn more about the conditions and treatments in Astrid’s story, please see:

Hyperthyroidism in cats can be treated in different ways, determined by their specific diagnosis. The Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine as a detailed article on hyperthyroidism in cats and its treatment.

Lymphoma in cats can be large cell or small cell.  To find out about the diagnosis and treatment for these, please see this article from North Carolina State.

Other resources include VCA Montgomery, which handled Astrid’s care, and Ann Beyke, who offers bereavement counseling after the loss of a pet to help focus on the joy we share with our furry friends.

Like everyone these days, all of us at Fabulous Felines are concerned with health matters—both for our volunteers and for ourselves. In this spirit, we thought it might be useful to compile some of the articles on cat health that we have posted over the years. A few of these contain advice for preventing and treating specific problems. Others are accounts of our experiences with cats who have needed complex veterinary care, including some who could not be healed; we hope these examples may help you better to face the complexities often facing cat guardians.

Cats are particularly susceptible to urinary tract problems, including blockages. If these are not treated promptly, the animal can suffer a painful death. Sylvester’s Close Call describes the symptoms of urinary tract blockages, tells how watchful volunteers saved Sylvester’s life.

Although urinary problems can usually be treated with medication, some cases require more radical treatments, including a perineal urethrostomy (PU), a surgical reconstruction of the urinary tract. Gus and his PU tell the story of Gus’ PU, and his return to health!

The Joy of Cat Grooming not only gives tips on grooming your cat for their appearance and comfort, but also celebrates grooming as a way of bonding with your cat, and discovering any health problems in their early stages.

Abby Is On The Mend! tells the story of Abby, a rescue cat, who damaged her intestines when she ate a piece of nylon string that had separated from her cat tree. Although Abby did recover from this surgery and went on to live many more happy months, her intestinal problems eventually returned and ended her life. Her story underscores the importance of keeping a cat’s home free of things they may swallow, and that could damage their intestines, including dental floss, threads from clothing, and nylon threads from the carpets that are often used to cover cat trees.

Django was a much-loved cat at our foster house. Born with only three legs, he embraced life fully, and nothing could stop him from living like any cat—until he fell from a cat tree and injured his back. Django’s Life and Passing is the story of Django’s treatment, his courage in struggling to recover, and our difficulty in finally saying goodbye to him.

Buddy’s Story A heartfelt look at end of life care, written by one of our volunteers, that shows just how much we can achieve to extend a beloved animal’s life and ease their passing.

Hal – The Gentle Giant was a rescued cat who suffered severe damage from life on the streets. In spite of the best efforts of our volunteers and his doctors, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries, The love and courage he showed at the end of his life remains an example to all of us.

In addition to caring for our feline friends, we should not forget just how much cats can do to promote human health and well-being. Vilnius the Therapy Cat tells the story of one of our foster house cats who helped people in the memory care of a nursing home to improved outlook and health.

Rachel is one of our volunteers who captured a pair of cute images of cats in our foster house.

Mimosa and Cally are mother and daughter. When they came to the foster house, they were very shy and spent much of their time hiding. Perhaps it is because they have always been close and supported each other, but they have grown much more relaxed—even sharing cuddles in public!

Both Mona Lisa and Gem initially had difficulty adjusting to the foster house. Mona Lisa always loved people, she was a loner with respect to other cats. Although Gem got along with the other cats, she was initially frightened of people. Both cats have mellowed over time, as is often the case at the foster house. This image captures a moment of affection between Mona and Gem—or is it a feline mind meld?