My male cat. I gave him away at 6 months, and got him back when he was 2 years old. At 3 years, I had him neutered to keep him from fighting with male strays. He is a mix of Siamese female and a male stray of nice descent. When I got him back, his rear and tail hair wasn't thick, and his hind portion was rather scrawny. He has improved to a nice coat and thick tail. Because his mom also had hyperesthesia, I wasn't too concerned initially as I ascribed his condition to genetics.
I'm not wont to give him canned foods or pellets, always considering processed pet food to be whatever's leftover from any food manufacturing process, with USP vitamins added where absorbability is the last consideration. The better ones cost more than what I eat. I find what is most practical cost-wise, and in a tropical archipelago, fish is the most cost-effective for me. I would make sure the fish does not contain thiaminase, so that I could feed the fish to my cats raw. If I had to cook the fish, which I seldom do, it would then lack an essential amino acid called taurine. Cooking is more work also, and I had to add a taurine supplement, so I don't serve cooked fish to my cats. So it would be a mix of raw fish, and grated coconut meat. Lately, I've added brown rice, as I found that cats would need a caloric distribution of 56-32-12 for protein, fats, and carbs.
I've been wondering why my cat started having difficulty walking, with one of his hind legs being unable to support him. He would struggle to walk, and when he does so, he stumbles frequently as if he is drunk. I take no joy seeing him suffer, especially when his eyes meet my gaze. He isn't pleading for help, as he usually looks at me that way as a sign of affection and trust, but I can't help thinking he is also pleading.
He still has a hearty appetite, but I don't want him to deteriorate. Perhaps he ate something that caused affected his hind legs, such as a fish that has ciguatera bacteria, and it will take time to resolve. If this is the the case, I need not worry, and time will take care of it.
But from a Peat mindset, I've been thinking through what he eats and what possibly could lead him to regress from hyperesthesia towards Parkinson's. I have two other cats, and they're fine. But they're younger cats. He's 4 years old, another is 2 years old, and the last one is about 8 months, still a kitty but large for his age. His condition may be a warning for me to re-evaluate what I feed them.
Approaches I'm considering:
1. The food might be lacking in calcium and too much phosphate : Add powdered egg shells
2. Food might be too high in heme-iron : Calcium in egg shells would help
3. Add raw carrots to lessen endotoxins
Another angle I'm considering is his being neutered way past his maturity into adulthood. I wonder if there is any effect on the cat of a late castration. Would a late castration cause hormonal imbalance such that he would have high estrogen and low progesterone to counter it enough? Would some progesterone help?
I suppose some blood tests would be in order, but they're just expensive and I don't know if I would go to such lengths.
One thing having pets do for us is that we learn from them and their sickness, and in their living as well as their dying. I have a pond of koi as well. With koi, it's not enough to keep them alive. You have to make them develop to their potential. Their potential is not just about size. It is about being very colorful, with colors being highly saturated and even, with bright reds and immaculate white, and deep blacks. And this happens only when you give them the most healthful conditions. They not only look nice, but they act nice as well. They like to surface and get a pat, and feed from your hands. They have a great appetite, and it's that energy that you see in them that tells you they're healthy and happy.
With my cats, ever since I started caring for them, the household (humans, I mean) has become more healthy. We have less incidences of colds and coughs from allergies. It seems the cats brought nature with them to us, and we are better suited to dealing with what nature brings- bacteria and all.
I'm not wont to give him canned foods or pellets, always considering processed pet food to be whatever's leftover from any food manufacturing process, with USP vitamins added where absorbability is the last consideration. The better ones cost more than what I eat. I find what is most practical cost-wise, and in a tropical archipelago, fish is the most cost-effective for me. I would make sure the fish does not contain thiaminase, so that I could feed the fish to my cats raw. If I had to cook the fish, which I seldom do, it would then lack an essential amino acid called taurine. Cooking is more work also, and I had to add a taurine supplement, so I don't serve cooked fish to my cats. So it would be a mix of raw fish, and grated coconut meat. Lately, I've added brown rice, as I found that cats would need a caloric distribution of 56-32-12 for protein, fats, and carbs.
I've been wondering why my cat started having difficulty walking, with one of his hind legs being unable to support him. He would struggle to walk, and when he does so, he stumbles frequently as if he is drunk. I take no joy seeing him suffer, especially when his eyes meet my gaze. He isn't pleading for help, as he usually looks at me that way as a sign of affection and trust, but I can't help thinking he is also pleading.
He still has a hearty appetite, but I don't want him to deteriorate. Perhaps he ate something that caused affected his hind legs, such as a fish that has ciguatera bacteria, and it will take time to resolve. If this is the the case, I need not worry, and time will take care of it.
But from a Peat mindset, I've been thinking through what he eats and what possibly could lead him to regress from hyperesthesia towards Parkinson's. I have two other cats, and they're fine. But they're younger cats. He's 4 years old, another is 2 years old, and the last one is about 8 months, still a kitty but large for his age. His condition may be a warning for me to re-evaluate what I feed them.
Approaches I'm considering:
1. The food might be lacking in calcium and too much phosphate : Add powdered egg shells
2. Food might be too high in heme-iron : Calcium in egg shells would help
3. Add raw carrots to lessen endotoxins
Another angle I'm considering is his being neutered way past his maturity into adulthood. I wonder if there is any effect on the cat of a late castration. Would a late castration cause hormonal imbalance such that he would have high estrogen and low progesterone to counter it enough? Would some progesterone help?
I suppose some blood tests would be in order, but they're just expensive and I don't know if I would go to such lengths.
One thing having pets do for us is that we learn from them and their sickness, and in their living as well as their dying. I have a pond of koi as well. With koi, it's not enough to keep them alive. You have to make them develop to their potential. Their potential is not just about size. It is about being very colorful, with colors being highly saturated and even, with bright reds and immaculate white, and deep blacks. And this happens only when you give them the most healthful conditions. They not only look nice, but they act nice as well. They like to surface and get a pat, and feed from your hands. They have a great appetite, and it's that energy that you see in them that tells you they're healthy and happy.
With my cats, ever since I started caring for them, the household (humans, I mean) has become more healthy. We have less incidences of colds and coughs from allergies. It seems the cats brought nature with them to us, and we are better suited to dealing with what nature brings- bacteria and all.